Wine region | |
Type | Wine Region |
---|---|
Year established | 2003 [1] |
Years of wine industry | Since the 1890s |
Country | Australia |
Part of | Far North zone |
Heat units | 1611 heat degree days from Oct-Apr |
Precipitation (annual average) | 556 mm (21.9 inches) |
Varietals produced | Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling |
Comments | Harvest Early Feb-Early Mar |
Southern Flinders Ranges is a South Australian wine region, located east of Spencer Gulf. It is located to the east and north-east of Port Pirie. Though vines have been planted in the area since the 1890s, the Southern Flinders Ranges is a relatively new wine-growing region that began to emerged during the last 20 years of the 20th century. The term ‘Southern Flinders Ranges’ was registered as an Australian Geographical Indication under the Wine Australia Corporation Act 1980 on 19 August 2003. [1] [2]
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to produce a range of grape varieties–from the cool climate Riesling variety in the Clare Valley wine region to the big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley.
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and Eyre Peninsula in the west to Cape Spencer and Yorke Peninsula in the east.
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors, may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.
It shares some geological features with the Clare Valley. Most of Southern Flinders vineyards are located between 40 and 500 metres (131 to 1640 feet) altitude. Despite its northerly situation, the climate of the region can be described as warm and dry, rather than hot, being assisted in its relative mildness by its elevation and the maritime influences of the Spencer Gulf to the south-west and southerly winds from Gulf St Vincent. Located along the Goyder's Line the area receives ample amount of rainfall and tends to harvest earlier than the neighboring Clare and Barossa Valleys. [2] Some vineyard still choose to irrigate using underground water sources. [3]
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture.
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used. As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context. Although the term altitude is commonly used to mean the height above sea level of a location, in geography the term elevation is often preferred for this usage.
Gulf St Vincent is a large inlet of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia. It is bordered by Yorke Peninsula on its west, the mainland and Fleurieu Peninsula to its east, with its entrance being a line from Troubridge Point on Yorke Peninsula to Cape Jervis on Fleurieu Peninsula.
The region is often split into two sub-zones-the Baroota Land System which includes the coastal plains to the west of the Flinders Ranges and the Wild Dog Creek Land System which includes the land to the east of the Ranges. The sub zones are distinct from each other in soil type with the Baroota having alluvial deposit of sandy loam and the Wild Dog Creek section being composed of more stoney-based loam and red clay. [4]
The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts about 200 km (125 mi) north of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km (265 mi) from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna.
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. It is defined by size, being finer than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of soil or soil type; i.e., a soil containing more than 85 percent sand-sized particles by mass.
Loam is soil composed mostly of sand, silt, and a smaller amount of clay. By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–silt–clay, respectively. These proportions can vary to a degree, however, and result in different types of loam soils: sandy loam, silty loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, and loam. In the USDA textural classification triangle, the only soil that is not predominantly sand, silt, or clay is called "loam". Loam soils generally contain more nutrients, moisture, and humus than sandy soils, have better drainage and infiltration of water and air than silt and clay-rich soils, and are easier to till than clay soils. The different types of loam soils each have slightly different characteristics, with some draining liquids more efficiently than others. The soil's texture, especially its ability to retain nutrients and water are crucial. Loam soil is suitable for growing most plant varieties.
While the Southern Flinders Ranges grows a wide range of grape varieties, the area has been very successful in recent years with its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. [2] The majority of the region production has been in red wine varietals. [3] However, the first wine of Southern Flinders to make one of Australia top 100 wines list was a Riesling from the area which captured the honor in 2004. [5]
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized through its prominence in Bordeaux wines where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. From France, the grape spread across Europe and to the New World where it found new homes in places like California's Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Napa Valley, New Zealand's Hawkes Bay, South Africa's Stellenbosch region, Australia's Margaret River and Coonawarra regions, and Chile's Maipo Valley and Colchagua. For most of the 20th century, it was the world's most widely planted premium red wine grape until it was surpassed by Merlot in the 1990s. However, by 2015, Cabernet Sauvignon had once again become the most widely planted wine grape, with a total of 341,000 hectares (3,410 km2) under vine worldwide.
Merlot is a dark blue-colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot. Wines that display the name of two or more varieties on their label, such as a Chardonnay-Viognier, are blends and not varietal wines. The term is frequently misused in place of vine variety; the term variety refers to the vine or grape while varietal refers to the wine produced by a variety.
McLaren Vale is a wine region in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Adelaide metropolitan area and centred on the town of McLaren Vale about 38 kilometres (24 mi) south of the Adelaide city centre. It is internationally renowned for the wines it produces and included within the Great Wine Capitals of the World. The region was named after either David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company or John McLaren (unrelated) who surveyed the area in 1839. Among the first settlers to the region in late 1839, were two English farmers from Devon, William Colton and Charles Thomas Hewett. William Colton established the Daringa Farm and Charles Thomas Hewett established Oxenberry Farm. Both men would be prominent in the early days of McLaren Vale. Although initially the region's main economic activity was the growing of cereal crops, John Reynell and Thomas Hardy planted grape vines in 1838 and the present-day Seaview and Hardy wineries were in operation as early as 1850. Grapes were first planted in the region in 1838 and some vines more than 100 years old are still producing. Today there are more than 88 cellar doors in McLaren Vale. The majority are small family-run operations and boutique wineries.
The Clare Valley wine region is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, best known for Riesling wines. It lies in the Mid North of South Australia, approximately 120 km north of Adelaide. The valley runs north-south, with Horrocks Highway as the main thoroughfare.
The Central Otago wine region in New Zealand's South Island is the world's southern-most commercial wine growing region. Central Otago's best-known wines are its Pinot noirs, but many white wine varieties are also popular. The Central Otago Wine Region is the formal geographic indication for wines grown in Central Otago.
The Mid North is a region of South Australia, north of the Adelaide Plains, but not as far north as the Far North, or the outback. It is generally accepted to extend from Spencer Gulf east to the Barrier Highway, including the coastal plain, the southern part of the Flinders Ranges, and the northern part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. The area was settled as early as 1840 and provided early farming and mining outputs for the fledgling colony. Farming is still significant in the area, particularly wheat, sheep and grapevines. There are not currently any significant mining activities in the Mid North.
The Pyrenees is a wine-producing region centred on the Pyrenees ranges located in Victoria, Australia near the town of Avoca.
The Mount Remarkable District Council is a local government area located between the top of the Spencer Gulf and the base of the Southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The district encompasses a wide variety of towns, including coastal ports and agricultural centres. The economy of the district council is largely based on agriculture.
Sonoma County wine is wine made in Sonoma County, California, in the United States.
Vietnamese wine is wine produced in Vietnam. The area was first cultivated for viticulture during the French colonial rule of the region in the late 19th century. The region's tropical climate was ill-suited for the type of Vitis vinifera that the French colonists were used to and the wine industry turned its attention to fruit wine production. The late 20th century saw a renewed focus on the development of Vitis vinifera with the assistance of flying winemakers from regions like Australia. In 1995, a joint venture with Australian winemakers started an aggressive planting scheme to reintroduce international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to land that was until recently littered with landmines left over from the Vietnam War.
Mambray Creek is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located on the east coast of Spencer Gulf about 240 kilometres (150 mi) north of the state capital of Adelaide and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of the city of Port Pirie.
The Hunter Valley is one of Australia's best known wine regions. Located in the state of New South Wales, the region has played a pivotal role in the history of Australian wine as one of the first wine regions planted in the early 19th century. Hunter Valley Semillon is widely considered the iconic wine of the region but the Hunter produces wine from a variety of grapes including Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Verdelho.
The Great Southern wine region is in Western Australia's Great Southern region. It comprises a rectangle 200 kilometres from east to west and over 100 kilometres from north to south, and is Australia's largest wine region.
Boushey Vineyard is a grape-growing estate located in the Yakima Valley AVA, north of Grandview, Washington. Grapes grown in the vineyard have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the name Boushey regularly being featured on vineyard designated wines. Paul Gregutt, wine writer for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, list Boushey as one the "top ten" vineyards in the entire state. The vineyard is owned and managed by viticulturist Dick Boushey who was honored in 2002 by the Washington State Wine Commission as Washington's "Grower of the Year" and in 2007 by Wine & Spirits as their "Grower of the Year". After Red Willow Vineyard, which was planted with David Lake and Mike Sauer, Boushey was one of the first Washington wine growers to plant Syrah. Today, Boushey Vineyard is considered by wine experts such as Jon Bonné to be "One of the state's top Syrah spots" with many Washington Syrahs made from Boushey's grape receiving critical acclaim.
Fleurieu zone is a wine zone located south of Adelaide in South Australia. It extends from Kangaroo Island in the west as far north as Flagstaff Hill on the west side of the Mount Lofty Ranges and to as far north as Langhorne Creek on the east side of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It consists of the following five wine regions, each of which has received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI): Currency Creek, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale and the Southern Fleurieu.
Southern Fleurieu wine region is a wine region in South Australia that is located on the Fleurieu Peninsula and the portion of the Mount Lofty Ranges extending north east from the peninsula to near Willunga in the west and to near Ashbourne in the east. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 2001 and as of 2014, has a total planted area of 510 ha and is represented by 50 growers and at least 19 wineries.
Far North zone is a wine zone located in the state of South Australia which covers the entire extent of the state north of a line of latitude approximately in line with Crystal Brook, i.e. 33 degrees 21 minutes south. The zone is bounded by the following wine zones to its south: The Peninsulas, the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Lower Murray. The term ‘Far North’ was registered as an Australian Geographical Indication under the Wine Australia Corporation Act 1980 on 27 December 1996. As of 2003, the zone only contains one region - the Southern Flinders Ranges.
Mount Lofty Ranges zone is a wine zone located in South Australia west of the Murray River that occupies the Adelaide metropolitan area north of Glenelg, extending as far north as Crystal Brook, and as far south as Mount Compass in the Mount Lofty Ranges. The zone which encloses the Barossa zone on three sides, includes three wine regions that have received appellation as Australian Geographical Indications (AGIs): Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains and Clare Valley. The zone received AGI in 1996.
In South Australia, one of the states of Australia, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Murray River, the coastline, desert or mountains. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as common land use. South Australia is divided by numerous sets of regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different agencies are coterminous.
Baroota is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located on the east coast of Spencer Gulf about 230 kilometres north of the state capital of Adelaide and about 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-east of the city of Port Pirie.
The County of Frome is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia in straddling the Mid North and Flinders Ranges regions. It was proclaimed in 1851 by Governor Henry Young and was named for the former Surveyor-General of South Australia, Edward Charles Frome. The iconic Mount Remarkable in the Hundred of Gregory is at the centre of the county.
33°01′24″S138°18′33″E / 33.023467°S 138.309194°E Coordinates: 33°01′24″S138°18′33″E / 33.023467°S 138.309194°E
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.