Meiningers Tasmania
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REGIONAL ANALYSIS THE SPARKLING ISLE 6/14 MEININGER’S WBI 6/14 MEININGER’S Tasmania produces a mere half of one per cent of all Australian wine, yet the island state is increasingly being seen as a world-class location for sparkling wine. Stephen Quinn reports. he island of Tasmania, Australia’s south- ernmost state, was discovered by Dutch Pipers Brook winery Texplorer Abel Janszoon Tasman in Novem- ber 1642. Tasman, who is also credited as hav- ing discovered New Zealand and Fiji, is said to have been driven onto the west coast by a storm. His ship, the Heemskerk, gave its name to Tas- mania’s first modern winery, founded 124 years later, while his middle name lives on in the suc- cessful Jansz sparkling wine produced there. Tasmania was one of the first Australian regions to be planted with vines, and a bottle his Chardonnay, Pinot Noirs and Rieslings first surplus to table wine requirements”. of Tasmanian wine was presented at a Paris caught the attention of Australian, and then The shift to sparkling wine helps to explain exhibition in 1848, a few years before wines overseas, critics. how, while Tasmania produces only half of 1% from the Hunter Valley were to win acclaim at The fact that these modern pioneers only of all the wine made in Australia, it sells 6% the a similar Parisian event. Despite the auspicious began to produce wine in the 1970s helps to ultra-premium end of the market. As Carr says, beginning, Tasmanian winemaking languished explain why most of Tasmania’s vines are under “Tasmania has become very noticed globally; for more than a century, until Graham Wiltshire two decades old and the total area under vines Tasmanian sparkling is in the Australian media established the Heemskirk vineyard in 1966. in 2014 was only 1,514 ha. Production is ris- all the time.” He believes Tasmanian sparkling Wiltshire’s first commercial release wa a ing, but can vary widely from one year to the has the potential to equal Champagne in terms 1976 Cabernet Sauvignon, but he realised the next. The five-year average crop of 7,500 tonnes of quality and price. The price of his wine Arras, cool climate was ideal for sparkling wine, After published by Wine Tasmania conceals crops of which starts at A$40.00 ($33.50) and moves a period of experimentation, Heemskirk formed 11,000 in 2013 and just 6,500 in 2014, a par- to A$120.00 for the Grand Vintage, is “pretty a joint venture with Champagne house Louis ticularly tricky harvest. However, Ed Carr, group similar to grand marque French” he says. “We Roederer in 1987. The relationship wasn’t an sparkling winemaker at Accolade Wines since are in the same ballpark and making reasonable easy one and Wiltshire relinquished control in 1994, and revered in Australia as a pioneer of returns at those prices.” 1992; the business was acquired by Yalumba sparkling wine, reckons that the total could be Carr’s confidence is supported by the nam- six years later, Roederer deciding that California closer to 10,000 tonnes in two to three years be- ing of 2005 Arras Grand Vintage as Australian was an easier place. cause of recent plantings. Sparkling Wine of the Year at the 2014 Inter- At about 44%, Pinot Noir is the most planted national Wine Challenge, and the award of four An industry emerges grape in the state, followed by Chardonnay at gold medals at the inaugural champagne and 23%. Two decades ago, it was the Chardonnay sparkling wine world championships organised One of the challenges Roederer had faced that had the lion’s share of the vineyards, and by the acknowledged Champagne expert Tom was that while parts of Tasmania had heat sum- the shift to the black Burgundian grape reflects Stevenson. mation statistics that seemed similar to Burgun- the way in which sparkling wine has become dy, the island has a range of microclimates that fundamental to the business of the Tasmanian Pricing issues affect ripening, and yields which proved to be wine industry. lower than in Champagne. Rene Bezemer, chief winemaker at Pipers Sheralee Davies, CEO of Wine Tasmania, One person who took the trouble of studying Brook, says that island’s climate creates “a per- agrees that: “Prices are higher on average than these microclimates carefully was Dr Andrew fect environment for the production of sparkling other Australian wines due to the quality and Pirie, who moved to Tasmania with his late wines. The fruit retains naturally high acidity quantity of Tasmanian wine, but if we take a brother David in 1973, two years after they had [and] lower sugar accumulation yet early fla- global view of the market place, I believe Tasma- taken a European trip. Pirie had noticed that vour ripeness.” More than one in three bottles nian wines are generally underpriced.” the Old World’s best vineyards generally came produced in Tasmania is now premium fizz. Tasmania’s vineyards certainly have little from cool climates, unlike much of the New Yet back in the 1990s, notes local expert, Mark difficulty selling their wines and many do not World’s viticulture at the time. After exploring Smith, most Tasmanian winemakers focused on even ship them to the mainland – only 240 kilo- the island, he established Pipers Brook in 1974; table wines, and only made sparkling “with fruit metres to the north – because, thanks to boom- 46 TASMANIA on average, to be the driest month.” THE MAJORITY OF The low yields resulting from lim- ited rainfall during the ripening TASMANIA’S GRAPES 6/14 MEININGER’S WBI 6/14 MEININGER’S period helps add to the body of the ARE GROWN IN: wines. Winemakers and would-be win- • the Tamar Valley wine growing area, emakers in Tasmania face a similar which produces approximately 40% challenge to their counterparts in • the East Coast wine growing area, Champagne: should they make sin- which produces approximately 20% gle vineyard wines, or should they • the North East (Pipers River) wine Ed Carr, group sparkling winemaker at Accolade Wines blend grapes from different areas? growing area, which produces ap- After a quarter century at the proximately 19% ing tourism, everything they make goes to local company at Pipers Brook, Bezemer, the win- • the Coal River Valley wine growing area, restaurants, or is sold during wine festivals and ery’s chief winemaker says that the way Piper’s which produces approximately 13% at the cellar door. Fewer than 10% of vineyards Brook 200 ha of vineyards are spread across • The remaining wine growing areas, export, but that could change. the north coast of Tasmania offers a great ad- including the Derwent Valley, North Tasmania has a stable climate and can pro- vantage. “Each site is different from the next. West and the Huon/Channel, contrib- duce good fruit each year, which is not always The subtle differences in climatic conditions uted approximately 9% to the total the case in places like the UK, another focus between sites and between vines [is] part of the harvest in 2013. of recent sparkling winemaking investment, complex answer to the production of cool cli- says Carr. “Tasmanian wine is only going to get mate wines that we strive for.” Cool climate grape varieties most com- stronger. Demand is certainly there and win- Today grapes from those vineyards go into mon in the state are: emaking is well sorted.” He expects more plant- blends but over the past few years his team had • Pinot Noir - 44% (used for both table ing of vines and notes “no shortage of suitable identified potential single site vineyards and and sparkling wine) vineyard land and plenty of water”. planned to bring individual vineyard Pinot Noir • Chardonnay - 23% (used for both table Davies points out that while volumes are still to the top layer of the portfolio. and sparkling wine) “indeed very small” she sees “significant invest- The Tasmanian industry today boasts 230 • Sauvignon Blanc - 12% ment and expansion”. The sector is continuing individual vineyards, 160 licensed wine pro- • Pinot Gris - 11% to experience market-led growth – and interest ducers and 90 cellar door outlets. As these • Riesling - 5% from companies like Kreglinger which bought numbers suggest, it is a blend of family-owned • Other varieties include Cabernet WINE TASMANIA SOURCE: Piper’s Brook in 2001. Founded in Belgium and boutique operations and big companies. Some Sauvignon, Merlot and Gewürztraminer. originally devoted to leather, wool and sheep- of the better-known boutiques include De- skin, the firm now also produces wines like the lamere, Goaty Hill, Resolution Vineyard, Holm Kreglinger sparkling rosé which was described Oak, Pooley and Sinapius. of vines in Champagne – and has already been by Australian wine guru James Halliday as one Most of the big players on the mainland have named Tasmanian vineyard of the year. “Ac- of the best he had ever encountered invested in Tasmania. Treasury Wines Estates cording to the data we’ve collected, our average owns the Heemskerk and Abel’s Tempest labels temperature here during the growing season is The regions and has purchased established vineyards in re- 14.5°C, which puts us at about the middle of the cent years. Accolade Wines owns Bay of Fires range for Champagne,” Pirie says. He is able to The island has seven sub-regions, with vines and House of Arras, while Brown Brothers con- ripen fruit to sparkling wine maturity in early concentrated in the eastern half of the island trol Tamar Ridge and Devil’s Corner, and McWil- April. “That confirms us as a high quality spar- because the western half is too wet and windy.