INTRODUCTION

TO WINE
Notes

YOUR N O T E S
 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.

Notes
 TODAY

WE’LL
- What wine is
- Regional influences
on grape growing
- How wine is made
- How to taste
- Different wine styles
and varieties
- Australia’s best-known

COVER…
wine regions
- How to serve and enjoy
- Wine faults and how
to identify them

Notes
W H AT
IS
WINE?
An alcoholic drink made by fermenting grape juice.
Why grapes?
- Higher acidity to preserve the wine
- Higher sugar content for better fermentation

Notes
 WINE GRAPES
VERSUS TABLE GRAPES
Key differences:
- Origin
- Size
- Skin thickness
- Sweetness
- Seeds
WINE GRAPE TABLE GRAPE

Notes
KE Y FAC TO R S
INFLUENC ING GRAPE GROWING

1 DIURNAL
TEMPERATURE RANGE 6 WATER
QUALITY

2 HOURS OF SUNSHINE
7 SOIL

3 CLIMATE
8 TOPOGRAPHY

4 WEATHER PATTERNS
9 PROXIMITY TO
BODIES OF WATER

5 RAINFALL
10 MICROBES PRESENT
IN THE REGION

And the list goes on...

Notes
HOW RED WINE
IS MADE

1. HARVEST 2. DESTEMMING 3. FERMENTATION 4. PRESSING

& CRUSHING

5. MALOLACTIC
FERMENTATION

9. BOTTLING 8. FINING & 6. BLENDING

FILTERING 7. MATURATION

Notes
HOW WHITE WINE
IS MADE

1. HARVEST 2. DESTEMMING 3. PRESSING 4. JUICE SETTLING 5. FERMENTATION

& CRUSHING

10. BOTTLING 9. FINING & 8. STABILISATION 7. BLENDING 6. MATURATION

FILTERING

Notes
THE ART - Oak barrels or stainless steel?
- New oak or used barrels?

OF AGEING French oak or American oak?

- How long will the wine age for?
It could be anywhere from a few
months to several years

Notes
OAK
VERSUS
S TA I N L E S S - Oak barrels increase wine’s exposure to oxygen,

STEEL giving it complex flavours and softening the tannin

structure in red wines.

TA N K S - Stainless steel tanks minimise oxygen exposure,

ensuring wines retain their fruitiness and floral flavours.

Notes
H OW TO 1. Look

TAST E WIN E 2. Swirl

3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Conclude

01
XXXX
- Errit huctum satem mo.
- Conventi culicastam muliis
huituam iaecuper.
- Bi erridet huctum satem mo.

Notes
 1
LO O K
- Glass about one-third full
- Hold it at a 45-degree angle against
a white background
- Observe the colour of the wine

Notes
T H E C O LO U R
OF WINE
stRAw leMOn yellow gold bROwn

pink salmon magenta

purple ruby GArnet TAwny brown

Notes
 - Swirling wine helps to open
up the aromas
- Swirl the glass while holding
firmly on a flat surface
- See if the wine forms ‘legs’
or ‘tears’
- A wine with more legs is
generally bigger, riper and
more mouth-filling

2
W i ne
l eg s

SWIRL
Notes
3
SMELL
- The most important step
- Humans can identify thousands of
different odours
- Experts can learn almost everything about
a wine by smelling it
- Deep inhalation versus quick short sniffs
– find a style that works for you

Notes
THE THREE TYPES OF

WINE
AROMAS
PRIMARY
AROMAS
Fruit, herbs,
florals

SECONDARY TERTIARY
AROMAS AROMAS
Bready, yeasty,
Earth, mineral,
toast, vanilla,
leather, tobacco
chocolate, spice

Notes
 4
TA S T E
Five main elements to note:
- Sweetness/dryness
- Acidity
- Tannin
- Alcohol
- Body

Notes
 SWEETNESS/
DRYNESS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
- A bone-dry wine can
SWEETNESS
SCALE
feel as though it’s Bone-
drawing moisture from dry
your tongue. But this
sensation can also be Dry
due to high tannin
- Light tingling Off-dry
sensation on the tip
of your tongue
Medium-
- Slightly oily sensation dry
on the middle of your
tongue Medium-
sweet
- Sweeter wine will have
sweetness on the finish
Sweet
- The natural sweetness
of fruit juice.

Notes
 TA S T E S

– Green apple

SWEET WHITE
– Figs
– Herbs DRY WHITE – Honey
– Lemon
– Tropical fruit
– Tropical fruit

Notes
 TA S T E S

– Tart fruit

SWEET RED
– Candied fruit
– Herbs DRY RED – Honey
– Dark berries
– Flowers

– Ripe berries

Notes
 ACIDITY WHAT IT FEELS LIKE: ACIDITY
- Mouth-watering SCALE
- Tart Low

- Rush of juiciness
on both sides of
your tongue

COMPARISON:
Eating a green apple Medium
or lemon.

High

Notes
 TANNIN Tannins add structure,
backbone and complexity
to a wine, particularly TANNIN
SCALE
in reds. They’re also vital
if the wine needs to Low
age, as they act as a
preservative.
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
- Bitterness on the sides
of your tongue
Medium
- Texture throughout
your mouth
- Strong tannins make
your tongue and teeth
dry out and cause a
puckering feeling on
your gums High

COMPARISON:
Strongly brewed tea
turned cold.

Notes
 BODY Swish the wine around
your mouth to coat your
tongue, cheeks and
BODY
SCALE
palate. Generally the
more alcohol, the fuller Light-
bodied
the body.
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
- Light-bodied wine:
lighter, thinner, less
viscous mouthfeel
Medium-
- Full-bodied wine: bodied
heavy or creamy
COMPARISON:
- Light-bodied wine:
non-fat milk
Full-
- Medium-bodied wine: bodied
whole milk
- Very full-bodied wine:
heavy cream

Notes
 ALCOHOL WHAT IT FEELS LIKE: ALCOHOL
SCALE
- Heat in the middle of
your tongue, throat
8% Low
and chest
9%
- Fortified wine will
produce a warming 10%
glow in your mouth, 11%
throat and chest
12%
COMPARISON: 13%
The warm, burning 14%
sensation of spirits.
15%
TASTES:
16%
Wines high in alcohol
17% High
can taste more tannic
or sweeter.

Notes
5 - Short or long finish?

CONCLUDE
- Does it taste balanced?

01
- Do the flavours linger?
- Do any particular characteristics

XXXX
stand out?
-- Errit
What huctum satem
have you mo. about
learned
the wine?
- Conventi culicastam muliis
huituam iaecuper.
- Bi erridet huctum satem mo.

Notes
W I N E
STYL E S
A N D
VA R I E T I E S

Notes
 SPARKLING
WINE
A number of methods have
been developed for producing
sparkling wine, each resulting in
a slightly different style.
- Traditional method
(méthode traditionnelle)
- Transfer
- Ancestral
- Tank
- Carbonation

Notes
 LIGHT-BODIED WHITE WINE

RIESLING

ALLY
TER NATI ON
IN WNED
REGIONS

RENO GROWS
PRIMARILY IN:
Clare Valley
Eden Valley
Tasmania

RIESLI NG
Orange
Canberra District
NATURAL Great Southern
ACIDITY Henty

CHARACTERISTICS
- Citrus fruits
- Green apple
AGES - Perfumed
WELL - Bright fruit characters

Notes
 LIGHT-BODIED WHITE WINE

S E M I L LO N

REGIONS

GROWS IN
LIGHT TO MANY REGIONS
MEDIUM-BODIED particularly the
Hunter Valley and
Margaret River.

SEMILLON
The unique style
of Hunter Valley
Semillon ages well
COMMONLY
BLENDED WITH
SAUVIGNON
BLANC - Citrus
- Floral
- Green apple
- Stone fruits

Notes
 FULL-BODIED WHITE WINE

C H A R D O N N AY
REGIONS

UCTION
WINE PROD GROWS IN
+ OF AUSTRALIA’S WHITE
50% ALL REGIONS

- Pear
CHARACTERISTICS - Apple
- Peach
- Citrus
HARDY, Big oaky
VERSATILE styles replaced - Toasty
GRAPE by wines with - Subtle oak
crisper acidity,
minerality and
elegance

Notes
 AROMATIC WHITE WINE

M O S C AT O

PA I R I N G

APERITIF
POPULAR AS AN E
IN
Best AND DESSERT W
examples
from cooler

MOSCATO
regions

LOW
ALCOHOL - Light, refreshing,
CONTENT sweet wine

- Pretty, floral
characteristics

Notes
 ROSÉ WINE

RO S É

REGIONS

GROWN
RN ACROSS

L A R M OD E AUSTRALIA
P OPU T YLE IS
S
A L E A ND DRY
P

EXTREMELY
ROSE FRESH RED FRUITS:
- Cherry
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
DIVERSE STYLES
made from a variety
of red wine grapes

Notes
 LIGHT-BODIED RED WINE

P I N OT N O I R
REGIONS

FOCUS ON COOL-CLIMATE
YOUNG regions such as Yarra
Valley, Mornington
Peninsula and Tasmania
bright red
and black fruit
flavours

ALIA’S
AUSTR

PINOT NOIR
LAR
CHARACTERISTICS
O S T POPU
M
RED
LIGHT
AGED

more complex STYLES VARY

characters such depending on region
as tobacco, forest and winemaking process
floor, earthsmoke
and spice

Notes
 FULL-BODIED RED WINE

SHIRAZ
REGIONS

GROWN IN
ALL REGIONS
with the Barossa
AU S T RA LI A’ S M OS T Valley and Hunter
Valley the most
FA M OU S WI NE EX PO RT well-known

SHIRAZ
WARM Rich, ripe fruit
CLIMATES flavours,
WORLD’S spicy styles
OLDEST
SHIRAZ VINES C L I M AT E
STILL IN
PRODUCTION
COOLER Fresh, mid-weight,
CLIMATES elegant styles

Notes
 FULL-BODIED RED WINE

CABERNET
SAU V I G N O N
D
IA’S THIR
AUSTRAL NTED
A
MOST PL REGIONS
ARIETY
GRAPE V
THICK GROWN ACROSS
SKINNED, AUSTRALIA
ROBUST, FIRM in moderate
TANNIN climates, notably
STRUCTURE
in Coonawarra,

CABERNET
Margaret River
CHARACTERISTICS and Yarra Valley

SAUVIGNON
- Blackcurrant
- Capsicum O F TE N BL E N D E D
- Mint with Merlot,
GREAT Shiraz, Cabernet
AGEING Franc and Petit
POTENTIAL Verdot

Notes
 LATE HARVEST AND SWEET WINE

B O T RY T I S
S E M I L LO N
REGIONS

BOTRYTIS BREEDS BEST

IN HUMID CONDITIONS
TED SUCH AS THE RIVERINA AND
S T C ELEBRA HUNTER VALLEY REGIONS
LIA’S MO
AUSTRA WINE STY LE
SWEET

SEM ILLON
- Stone fruit flavours,
BOTRYTIS most often apricot
- Citrus
- Honey
Pale yellow
to deep golden
in colour

Notes
 F O RT I F I E D
WINE
REGIONS

Fortified wine RUTHERGLEN

is still wine that MUSCAT:
has been fortified Rutherglen is a
with a distilled benchmark region,
renowned for its

FORTIFIED WINE
grape spirit
incredible Muscats

RICH, LUSCIOUS
AND MOLASSES-LIKE,
WITH STICKY
BETWEEN 15.5 SWEETNESS AND GREAT
ALCOHOL COMPLEXITY
LEVELS AND 20

Notes
S I N G L E
VA R I E TA L S
V E RS US B L E NDS

Notes
VARIETAL - Made from a single grape variety

WINES
- Able to tell a story of the grape,
region, climate and soil, and
winemaker
- Some wines sold as single
varietals contain a percentage
of other grapes – in Australia up
to 15% (15% in France, 25% in US)

Notes
CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN BLENDS
SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON GRENACHE SHIRAZ MATARO

REGIONS

BAROSSA VALLEY
DRY, AND MCLAREN VALE
CRISP AND
REFRESHING

SHIRAZ ADDS RICHNESS

AND WEIGHT IN THE MOUTH
SAUV I G N ON B L AN C
contributes tropical
fruits and sharper
acidity
GRE N AC H E
SAUVIGNON GRENACHE provides
SEMILLON BRINGS
BLANC SHIRAZ M ATA RO aromatic
spiciness and
LEMONY NOTES SEMILLON MATARO ( M O U RVÈ D RE )
gives perfume delicacy
and anise
Grassy, characters and
herbal aromas grainy tannins

Notes
CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN BLENDS
CABERNET SHIRAZ CABERNET MERLOT

EXCELLENT
STRUCTURE
E
RFUL STYL
WITH GOOD
WE
BOLD, PO
AGEING
POTENTIAL
- Blueberry
- Black fruits
F L AV O U R S - Mint
- Olive
DEEP
TANNINS LONG FINISH

LONG FINISH
CHARACTERISTICS CABERNET CABERNET
SHIRAZ MERLOT
- Cassis
WELL BALANCED A RO M AS - Mocha
- Sweet spice

Notes
WINE REGIONS
AUSTRALIA’S WELL-KNOWN

1 Adelaide Hills, SA
NORTHERN
TERRITORY
2 Barossa Valley, SA
QUEENSLAND 3 Canberra District, ACT
4 Clare Valley, SA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
5 Coonawarra, SA
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
6 Heathcote, VIC
7 Hunter Valley, NSW
NEW SOUTH WALES 8 Margaret River, WA
4 7
2 9 McLaren Vale, SA
8 91 3
10 Mornington Peninsula, VIC
5 6
VICTORIA
12 11 Tasmania
10
12 Yarra Valley, VIC
0 500

Kilometres 11 TASMANIA

Notes
WINE REGIONS OF AUSTRALIA

Notes
W I N E S E RV I N G
T E M P E R AT U R E
SPARKLING LIGHT-BODIED
WINE: RED WINE:
ICE COLD COOL

5°C 6°C 7°C 8°C 9°C 10°C 11°C 12°C 13°C 14°C 15°C 16°C 17°C 18°C 19°C 20°C 21°C

WHITE WINE
AND ROSÉ:
FRIDGE COL D

Notes
SELECTING
T H E R I G H T G L A S S

WHITE
SPARKLIN G
W INE WINE ROSé LIGHT–BODIED
RED WINE
FULL-BODIED
RED WINE
FORTIFIED
WINE

Notes
 FO O D PA I RI N G
AND WINE
- A complementary pairing
creates balance through
similar flavour profiles, with
neither the wine nor the food
overpowering the other.
- A contrasting pairing creates
balance by combining
opposing qualities that still
have a common element to
link them.

Notes
CLASSIC FOOD
AND WI NE PA I RI N G S

SALAD FISH SPICY FOOD SHELLFISH POULTRY

Light white Light to medium Aromatic, off-dry Medium to Light red or medium
white white full-bodied white to full-bodied white

CURED MEAT PORK RED MEAT DESSERT CHEESE

Light red Medium red Full-bodied red Sweet white, Hard: bold red.
dessert wine Soft: light red or sparkling.
Pungent: medium
red or dessert wine

Notes
W I N E
FA U LT S
A N D H OW TO I D E N T I F Y T H E M

Notes
 When wine has been exposed to oxygen.
How you can tell:
- Loss of primary, fruity aromas
- Dull colour
- Lacking vibrant character on palate

OX I D
- Flat flavours

-AT I O N O X ID A T IO N

Notes
C O R K TA I N T
When wine has come
into contact with
2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA)
through the cork or oak barrels
How you can tell:
- Smells like wet cardboard,
musty newspapers,
mushrooms, mouldy basement
- Other flavours and aromas
hidden in background

Notes
T H A N K YO U

Notes