W3 Wine School

Australian Wine Districts

Australia

Picture credit: wineaustralia.com

Margaret River

Margaret River

Source: McHenry Hohnen

Margaret River is Western Australia's most famous wine region. The climate here is warm, but cooling sea breezes help extend the growing period.

Margaret River has a reputation for producing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon (semetimes blended with Merlot in a Bourdeaux style). These wines typically diplay ripe black fruit and notes of oak.

The Chardonnay quality is also high, typically full bodied with ripe peach and pineapple flavors.

The classic Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend is one of Margaret River’s signature styles It is a refreshing wine with flavors of tropical fruits and citrus.

Black GrapesWhite Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon

20% Cabernet Sauvignon
13% Shiraz
  5% Merlot

Sauvignon

20% Sauvignon Blanc
19% Sémillon
15% Chardonnay

SoilClimate

Soil

Gravelly Loam.
Granite and Gneiss.
Low Water Holding.

Vineyard area: 5 700 hectares.

Climate

Warm. Mediterranian.
Very Maritime.
Cooling Sea Breezes.
Low Diurnal Temperature Range.
Similar to a dry year in Bordeaux.

Swan District Region

The sunny Swan District Region is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, producing an range of wines: sparkling, light, rich, and fortified.

Swan is considered Australia’s Chenin Blanc capital with over 30 wineries putting their name on the labels.

The District has a warm Mediterranean climate, a high mean January temperature of 24°C (75°F), 1800 sunshine hours in the growing season, and is very dry during ripening and harvest.

Verdelho, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon excel in the warm, dry growing conditions.

Perth Hills Region

East of Swan, outside Perth city, in the Perth Hills Region, the first vines were planted in the 1880s.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are frequently blended. The wines are reliable and pleasant, full flavored, with chocolate, earthy and berry flavours.

The Chardonnays are bursting with ripe melon and peach flavors.


Black GrapesWhite Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Shiraz

Sauvignon

Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Verdelho

SoilClimate

Soil

Swan:
Deep Alluvial Soil.
Loam over Clay.
Sand over Clay.
Sand over Limestone.

Perth:
Gravelly Loam over Clay.
Gravelly Sandy Loam over Clay.

Climate

Very Hilly.
Sea Breezes.
Winder Rain.
Numbers of Aspects and Slopes.

Vineyard area Swan: 900 hectares.
Vineyard area Perth: 120 hectares.

Australia is the New World

Old World

New World

Where wine grapes was imported

USA
Argentina
Australia
Chile
South Africa
New Zealand
Vineyard in Chile

Chilean vineyard in the foothills of the Andes



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