FOUNDATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN WINE FACILITATOR GUIDE AUSTRALIAN WINE DISCOVERED EDUCATION PROGRAM The comprehensive, free education program providing information, tools and resources to discover Australian wine. To access course presentation, videos and tasting tools, as well as other programs, visit Wine Australia www.australianwinediscovered.com supports the responsible service of alcohol. For enquiries, email [email protected] FOUNDATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN WINE Australia’s unique climate and landscape have fostered a fiercely independent wine scene, home to a vibrant community of growers, winemakers, viticulturists, and vignerons. With more than 100 grape varieties grown across 65 distinct wine regions, we have the freedom to make exceptional wine, and to do it our own way. We’re not beholden by tradition, but continue to push the boundaries in the pursuit of the most diverse, thrilling wines in the world. That’s just our way. Foundations of Australian wine / Facilitator guide UNIQUE WINES FROM - Australia has one of the most diverse wine scenes in the world, with more than 100 different UNSPOILT grape varieties grown across 65 wine regions. LANDS - The Australian wine community is renowned for its creativity and willingness to experiment. - Australian wines are an authentic expression of the people who craft them and the country’s varied soils and climate. - Australia is home to a highly-skilled winemaking community, crafting premium wines that stand among the world’s best. FIRST TASTE and playing with new ideas to create outstanding wines. THIS MAY BE A GOOD – Australian wines are an authentic OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE expression of the people who craft them EVERYONE A TASTE OF A and the unique regional characteristics of their origins. Winemakers take a down- CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN WINE. to-earth approach, reflecting the beauty THE FULL TASTING COMES of Australia’s ancient soils and varied LATER IN THE PROGRAM. climate. Many vineyards are cultivated by multi-generational wine families. UNIQUE WINES FROM UNSPOILT LANDS – Australia is home to a highly skilled – Australia has one of the most diverse winemaking community, crafting wine scenes in the world. With more premium wines of exceptional than 100 grape varieties grown across quality. Its world-class vineyards and 65 wine regions, Australian wine today is award-winning wines stand among an expression of the country’s distinctive the very best. climates and soils, and the passionate communities that cultivate them. – The Australian wine community is renowned for its creativity and willingness to experiment. Winemakers are curious by nature, perfecting old concepts Foundations of Australian wine / Facilitator guide TO DAY WE’LL - The history of Australian wine - Geography, climate and soil - Noteworthy regions - Key varieties and COVER… wine styles DID YOU KNOW Australia is the fifth largest exporter of wine in the world and exports around 60% of its total production. Foundations of Australian wine / Facilitator guide THE FORTIFIED ERA: 1900 TO 1940s - Driven by - Rutherglen - The thirst for fortified THE HISTORY domestic and Muscats and wines meant that old export demand, Muscadelles Shiraz, Mataró (Mourvèdre) OF AUSTRALIAN fortified wine were a highlight and Grenache vines dominated of this era were maintained – to WINE production be rediscovered and and trade treasured decades later THE PIONEER ERA: LATE 1700s, 1800s - Australia’s wine - Important regions were - James Busby brought pioneers planted established, including back hundreds of vines, expanded the Hunter Valley, cuttings from Europe, their vineyards Tasmania, Yarra Valley, which today are the and began McLaren Vale, the source of precious exporting Barossa and Rutherglen old vines FEATURE VIDEO been a constant in the wine scene ever since, and has helped uncover and promote Now is a good time to play the feature some of Australia’s most exciting wines. video, History of Australian wine. 1788 European settlement in Australia With European settlement, the first vines THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF were planted in New South Wales at the AUSTRALIAN WINE current site of the Sydney Botanic Gardens. THE PIONEER ERA: LATE 1700s, 1800s The vines were collected by the First Fleet Australia’s wine pioneers expanded vine from Rio De Janeiro and Cape Town on the plantings, produced wines and began journey from England to Australia. exporting their wares, establishing a small 1791 but very promising industry. They built a The first significant plantings legacy of important regions and historical Just a few years later there were three acres vineyards – some of which are still home of vines, around 8,000 plants, at Rose Hill to impressive old vines. near Parramatta and 800 cuttings at The Australian wine show system started Norfolk Island. Since no one in Australia during the 19th century – through the royal had viticultural or winemaking experience, agricultural shows – to help improve the these early efforts were unsuccessful. quality of Australian wine. This system has Foundations of Australian wine / Facilitator guide THE GOLDEN AGE: 1960s TO TO DAY - Food and table-wine - Red wine sales - By the early 1980s, - Today the Australian culture grew, and boomed in the 1970s Australia was the 18th wine community is trailblazing winemakers and demand for white largest wine exporter; diverse, unique and discovered or wine rose in the 1980s by the early 1990s it truly world class rediscovered an array was sixth of cool-climate regions THE RENAISSANCE ERA: 1940s TO 1960s - Ambitious growers and - The popularity of winemakers defied consumer fortified wine reached demands for fortifieds to its peak and people produce tiny amounts of began to develop a some of Australia’s finest taste for table wines table wines 1815 northern banks of the Hunter River, and in the The Macarthurs visit Europe’s years that followed, successful commercial wine regions grape growing began in the region. Pioneer and agriculturalist John Macarthur Tasmanian wine region emerges planted 3.5 hectares of vines on his property Former convict Bartholomew Broughton in Sydney in 1797, but his most important planted the first significant vineyard in contribution to Australian wine came 20 Tasmania. Around a decade later, in 1834, years later. John headed to Europe with his settler William Henty sailed to Victoria sons James and William with the aim of with grapevine cuttings and plants. “collecting vines and of obtaining information These cuttings became the source of the regarding their culture”. They propagated first vineyards in Victoria and South Australia. these vines in their nurseries at Penrith and First international award for Camden Park and then distributed them Australian wine throughout the colony of New South Wales. Britain’s Royal Society for the Encouragement 1822 for the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce Exports begin awarded a Silver Medal to Gregory Blaxland The first bottle of Australian wine for a wine made at Brush Farm in Sydney. was exported – to London. In presenting the award, the judges made 1823 a wise prediction, saying: “It affords a Hunter Valley foundations are laid reasonable ground of expectation that by By 1823, around 20 acres of grapevines had care and time [Australia] may become a been planted in the Hunter Valley along the valuable article of export.” Foundations of Australian wine / Facilitator guide 1829 1842 Vines arrive in Western Australia Birth of the Barossa The first grapevines in Western Australia The Barossa Valley, one of Australia’s most were planted near Fremantle soon after celebrated wine regions, was established the first colonists arrived. By 1832, botanist when European settlers arrived, followed Thomas Waters of Olive Farm was making soon after by Silesian Lutheran immigrants, and selling the first Western Australian wine. who gave the region a distinctly German 1832 flavour. In 1847, the first Eden Valley vines The James Busby collection arrives were planted by Joseph Gilbert at Pewsey James Busby, a Scottish civil servant and Vale. Many of these early vines planted in viticulturist, arrived in Australia in 1824. the Barossa are still producing fruit today. In his short time in Australia, he wrote books 1844 on grape growing and winemaking while A famous name in Australian contributing greatly to the establishment wine is born of Australia’s wine community. During his The Penfolds story began when Dr four-month tour of Spanish and French Christopher Rawson Penfold, a medical vineyards, Busby collected hundreds of vine practitioner from England, and his wife Mary cuttings. These cuttings became the heart arrived in South Australia and purchased and soul of Australia’s collection of old vines. land in Adelaide, now famous as the home 1838 of Penfolds Magill Estate. It took just over Yarra Valley establishes Victorian wine 50 years for Penfolds to grow into Australia’s The first vines were planted in the Yarra Valley, largest producer of fortified wines. making it Victoria’s first major wine-growing 1849 district. But it took a little over a decade for Yalumba: One of the world’s great the region to gain traction. Charles Joseph wine families La Trobe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Samuel Smith arrived in Australia in 1847 Victoria, invited Clement Deschamps, son of and quickly realised the soil and climate of the head vigneron in Switzerland’s Neuchâtel, the Barossa were perfectly suited to vines. to come to Victoria and plant vines. He planted the first Yalumba vineyard in Deschamps was eventually joined in Victoria 1849, sowing the seeds that would grow into by friends and acquaintances from his one of the world’s great wine families. hometown, all of whom contributed greatly 1858 to the burgeoning wine scene. Tyrrell’s Wines: Tradition 1838 and innovation South Australia’s first commercial The founder of the Hunter Valley’s famous vineyard Tyrrell’s Wines, Edward Tyrrell, purchased Young farmer John Reynell established land for his first vineyard in 1858. Vineyards South Australia’s first commercial vineyard were planted in 1867, 1879 and 1908, and in McLaren Vale.