INTRODUCTION

TO 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.
TODAY
- What wine is

WE’LL - 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
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
WINE GRAPES
VERSUS TABLE GRAPES
Key differences:
- Origin
- Size
- Skin thickness
- Sweetness
- Seeds

WINE GRAPE TABLE GRAPE

KEYFACTORS
INFLUENCING GRAPE GROWING

1 DIURNAL
TEMPERATURE RANGE
6 WATER
QUALITY

2 HOURS OF SUNSHINE
7 SOI
L

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...

HOW RED WINE
IS MADE

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

& CRUSHING

5. MALOLACTIC
FERMENTATION

9. BOTTLING 8. FINING &

FILTERING 7. MATURATION 6. BLENDING
HOW WHITE WINE
IS MADE

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

& CRUSHING

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

FILTERING
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
OAK
VERSUS
S TA I N L E S S - Oak barrels increase wine’s exposure to oxygen, giving
STEEL 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.
HOW TO 1. Look

TASTE WINE
2. Swirl
3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Conclude
1
LOOK
- Glass about one-third full
- Hold it at a 45-degree angle against
a white background
- Observe the colour of the wine
THE COLOUR
OF WINE
Straw Lemon Yellow Gold Brown

Pink Salmon Magenta

Purple Ruby Garnet Tawny Brown

 - 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

WINE L

2
E GS

SWIRL
3 - The most important step

SMELL
- 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
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
4
TA S T E
Five main elements to note:
- Sweetness/dryness
- Acidity
- Tannin
- Alcohol
- Body
SWEETNESS/
DRYNESS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
- A bone-dry wine can
SWEETNESS
SCALE
feel as though it’s Bone-
dry
drawing moisture from
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-
- Sweeter wine will have sweet
sweetness on the finish
Sweet
- The natural sweetness
of fruit juice.
T A S T E S

- Green apple

- Figs
- Herbs
- Honey
- Lemon
- Tropical fruit
- Tropical fruit

DRY WHITE SWEET WHITE

T A S T E S

- Tart fruit
- Candied fruit

- Herbs
- Honey

- Dark berries
- Flowers

- Ripe berries

DRY RED SWEET RED

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
TANNIN Tannins add structure, TANNIN
SCALE
backbone and complexity
to a wine, particularly Low
in reds. They’re also vital
if the wine needs to
age, as they act as a
preservative.
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
- Bitterness on the sides Medium
of your tongue
- Texture throughout your
mouth
- Strong tannins make
your tongue and teeth
dry out and cause a
puckering feeling on High
your gums
COMPARISON:
Strongly brewed tea
turned cold.
BODY Swish the wine around BODY
SCALE
your mouth to coat your
tongue, cheeks and Light-
bodied
palate. Generally the
more alcohol, the fuller
the body.
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
- Light-bodied wine:
lighter, thinner, less Medium-
viscous mouthfeel bodied
- Full-bodied wine: heavy
or creamy
COMPARISON:
- Light-bodied wine:
non-fat milk Full-
- Medium-bodied wine: bodied
whole milk
- Very full-bodied wine:
heavy cream
ALCOHOL WHAT IT FEELS LIKE: ALCOHOL
- Heat in the middle of SCALE
your tongue, throat
8% Low
and chest
- Fortified wine will 9%
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.
5 -
-
Short or long finish?
Does it taste balanced?

CONCLUDE
- Do the flavours linger?
- Do any particular characteristics
stand out?
- What have you learned about the
wine?
WINE
STYLES
AND
VARIETIES
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
LIGHT-BODIED WHITE WINE

RIESLING

I O NAL
RN AT
INTE REGIONS

LY
O W NED GROWS
REN PRIMARILY IN:
Clare Valley
Eden Valley
Tasmania
Orange
Canberra District
Great Southern
NATURAL Henty
ACIDITY

CHARACTERISTICS
- Citrus fruits
- Green apple
AGES - Perfumed
WELL - Bright fruit characters
LIGHT-BODIED WHITE WINE

SEMILLON

REGIONS

GROWS IN
LIGHT TO MANY REGIONS
MEDIUM-BODIED Particularly the
Hunter Valley and
Margaret River.
The unique style
of Hunter Valley
Semillon ages
COMMONLY well.
BLENDED WITH
SAUVIGNON
BLANC - Citrus
- Floral
- Green apple
- Stone fruits
FULL-BODIED WHITE WINE

CHARDONNAY
REGIONS

A ’ S W HIT E WINE
% OF A USTRALI TION GROWS IN
50 PRODUC ALL REGIONS

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

MOSCATO

PAIRING

PULA R AS AN
PO
Best APERTIF ANIDNE
examples DESSERT W
from cooler
regions

LOW
ALCOHOL
- Light,
CONTENT refreshing,
sweet wine
- Pretty floral
characteristics
ROSÉ WINE

ROSÉ

REGIONS

GROWN

AR
ACROSS
U L
POP DERN
AUSTRALIA

MO LE IS
STY E AND
PAL RY
D
FRESH RED FRUITS:
- Cherry
- Strawberry
EXTREMELY - Raspberry
DIVERSE STYLES
made from a variety
of red wine grapes
LIGHT-BODIED RED WINE

PINOT NOIR
REGIONS

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

A L I A’
R
CHARACTERISTICS AUST S
MOSTAR
L
AGED POPU RED
T
LIGH
more complex STYLES VARY
characters such depending on region
as tobaccos, and winemaking process
forest floor,
earthsmoke and
spice
FULL-BODIED RED WINE

SHIRAZ
REGIONS

GROWN IN ALL
REGIONS
with the Barossa

AUSTRALIA’S
Valley and Hunter
Valley the most
MOST FAMOUS well-known
WINE EXPORT

WARM Rich, ripe fruit

CLIMATES flavours,
WORLD’S
OLDEST spicy styles
SHIRAZ VINES
STILL IN CLIMATE
PRODUCTION
COOLER Fresh, mid-weight,
CLIMATES elegant styles
FULL-BODIED RED WINE

CABERNET
SAUVIGNON
S TRA LIA’
AU D
S THIRT REGIONS
MOS D
E
PLANTPE
THICK
SKINNED, GROWN ACROSS
ROBUST, FIRM GRA Y AUSTRALIA
T
TANNIN VARIE in moderate
climates, notably
STRUCTURE
in Coonawarra,
Margaret River
CHARACTERISTICS and Yarra Valley

- Blackcurrant
- Capsicum OFTEN BLENDED
- Mint with Merlot,
GREAT Shiraz, Cabernet
AGEING Franc and Petit
POTENTIAL
Verdot
LATE HARVEST AND SWEET WINE

BOTRYTIS
SEMILLON
REGIONS

BOTRYTIS BREEDS BEST

IN HUMID CONDITIONS
SUCH AS THE RIVERINA AND
’ S M O ST
S T RA LIA SWEET HUNTER VALLEY REGIONS
AU BRATED
CELE STYLE
WINE
- Stone fruit flavours,
most often apricot
- Citrus
- Honey
Pale yellow
to deep golden
in colour
FORTIFIED
WINE
REGIONS

Fortified wine RUTHERGLEN

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

RICH, LUSCIOUS
AND MOLASSES-LIKE
WITH STICKY
SWEETNESS AND GREAT
ALCOHOL BETWEEN COMPLEXITY
LEVELS 15.5%
AND 20%
SINGLE
VARIETALS
VERSUS BLENDS
VARIETAL - Made from a single grape
variety

WINES
- Able to tell a story of the grape,
region, climate and soil, and
winemaker
- Many wines sold as single
varietals contain a percentage
of other grapes – in Australia
up to 15% (15% in France, 25%
in US)
CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN BLENDS
SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON GRENACHE SHIRAZ MATARO

REGIONS

BAROSSA VALLEY
AND MCLAREN VALE
DRY,
CRISP AND
REFRESHING

SHIRAZ ADDS
RICHNESS AND
SAUVIGNON BLANC WEIGHT IN THE
contributes tropical MOUTH
fruits and sharper
acidity
GRENACHE
provides
SEMILLON BRINGS MATARO aromatic
LEMONY NOTES (MOURVÈDRE) spiciness and
gives perfume and delicacy
anise characters
Grassy, and grainy tannins
herbal aromas
CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN BLENDS
CABERNET SHIRAZ CABERNET MERLOT

EXCELLENT
STRUCTURE
E R FU L WITH GOOD
O W
BOLD, PTYLE
AGEINING
POTENTIAL
S - Blueberry
- Black fruits
FLAVOURS - Mint
- Olive
DEEP
TANNINS LONG FINISH

LONG FINISH
CHARACTERISTICS

- Cassis

WELL BALANCED AROMAS - Mocha

- Sweet spice
AUSTRALIA’S WELL-KNOWN

WINE REGIONS
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 6 Heathcote, VIC
AUSTRALIA
7 Hunter Valley, NSW
NEW SOUTH WALES 8 Margaret River, WA
4 7
2 9 McLaren Vale, SA
8 9 1 3
10 Mornington Peninsula, VIC
5 6
12 11 Tasmania
10
VICTORIA
12 Yarra Valley, VIC
0 500

Kilometres 11 TASMANIA
WINE REGIONS OF AUSTRALIA
W I N E S E R V 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 FULL-BODIED

AND ROSÉ: RED WINE:
FRIDGE COLD SLIGHTLY COOL
SELECTING
T H E RI G H T G L A S S

Sparkling White Rosé Light-Bodied Full-Bodied Fortified

Wine Wine Red Wine Red Wine Wine
FOOD PAIRING
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.
CLASSIC FOOD
AND WINE PAIRINGS

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
WINE
FAULTS
AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM
 When wine has been exposed to oxygen.
How you can tell:
- Loss of primary, fruity aromas
- Dull colour
- Lacking vibrant character on palate

OXID
- Flat flavours

-ATION OXIDATION
CORK TAINT
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
THANK YOU
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AUSTRALIAN
WINE

MADE Wine name goes here

OUR
WAY
Location goes here

Any other information goes here

AUSTRALIAN WINE
DISCOVERED

TASTING
AUSTRALIAN
WINE

MADE Tyrrell's Wines Winemaker's

Selection Vat 8 Hunter
OUR Shiraz Cabernet 2014
WAY
Hunter Valley, New South Wales

95+ Points - Gary Walsh, Wine Front

95 Points - www.jamessuckling.com
4.5 stars out of 5 - Winewise

91 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review

91 Points - National Liquor News

1 Gold, 9 Bronze Medals

AUSTRALIAN WINE
DISCOVERED

TASTING