Not that this was any surprise. At the end of summer in this island continent which is mostly desert, one does not expect to see much else. However, it is easy to slip into the “generic” weather conclusion in a country like Australia. This summer had been very dry in the wine-growing regions around Adelaide, and beginning a trip here one is tempted to assume this is typical of the rest of Australia’s vineyards. The truth is firstly that you can’t generalize the vintage conditions over several widely-spaced regions, and secondly it’s “never over ‘till it’s over” – the weather can change so dramatically throughout a harvest period that it can radically alter the character of a harvest from the beginning to the end.
As we traveled through the wine regions of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales we quickly learned that the “norm” is far from standard, even within small local regions. Most of us in the United States think of Australia as a hot, arid land where grapes die on the vine if not irrigated and could never enjoy the slow maturation of a long cool growing season. This is as unfair to the Australian wine industry as it would be to generalize California’s wine-lands based on the Central Valley.
The fact is, there are several different climates and innumerable microclimates in the widespread vineyards of Australia, and most of the top quality grapes are grown in the more temperate climes, as opposed to the hot desert or semi-desert regions. Winemakers from each region are currently producing highly individual styles reflecting these variations. There is talk everywhere of cool climate growing regions, dry farming and yield control. The emphasis is heavy on bringing out the fruit in the wine, but the character of this fruit is quite different, for example in the Lower Hunter Valley than it is in Adelaide Hills, and it changes again just a half-hour’s drive away in the Barossa.
We tasted crisply dry Rieslings filled with flowery fruit that was sometimes almost akin to a fresh Semillon, whilst others had hints of the kerosene nose we are used to from Europe. Shiraz ranged from the full-blown powerhouse wines of Barossa to elegantly made versions from the cooler humid climes of the Hunter. Oaky Chardonnays there were, of course, but they were in the minority by far. Almost without exception the oak was from France, and rarely was it overbearing in the wines we were shown. Almost everyone we spoke to talked about the caution needed to avoid over-oaking, and it was clear that this movement has been strong for at least the last five years.
Many of the wineries we visited were very small and do not export – indeed, quite a few don’t even sell through the retail trade. They are barely able to satisfy the demand of their mailing lists and “cellar door” sales - the Aussie term for a tasting room, which is still in many cases just the back door of the winery.
One of the most significant differences between the “old world” and “new world” wine countries is the absence of regulation in the latter. There may be plenty of government-imposed rules for winemakers – the Aussies even have to state how many “standard” drinks are in a bottle in addition to the alcohol level – but the wine trade leaves its members relatively unfettered. This leaves growers and winemakers free to plant whatever they like, and to experiment with varietals in different terroirs. This is only logical, since with all the soil and climate analysis in the world, you can never really tell how a varietal will perform until you harvest it. In the “Old World” this selection has been going on for hundreds of years, and the “best” varietals for each region are now established and controlled. In the New World everyone has the freedom to try whatever they feel is best for their land and their style. Sometimes, as in all experiments, there are flops that don’t work too well, but in the process exciting new styles can emerge that will eventually become the hallmark of the region’s wines.
The effect of this great diversity of varietal plantings leads to a wide range of wines coming from each winery; some from their own plantings and others from purchased grapes - in the larger companies often from hundreds of miles away. This in turn has an effect on the harvest, as each varietal will reach maturity at a different time. Harvest therefore goes on for a long time in Australia, just as it does in Chile and some parts of California, and this makes it very difficult to generalize on the weather conditions of a particular harvest. Not only may a winery’s grapes come from regions with different climates, but the date of harvest will of course vary for each varietal in each area, and this year’s Australian crush lasted from early February through April.
To give a general assessment of a vintage based solely on the “weather” can be very misleading for two other reasons. Firstly, there are today many tools at the winemaker’s disposal to help with inclement weather. To begin with, forecasting is far more sophisticated than ever before, enabling the grower to plan his harvest and crop treatments to avoid loss. Then there are techniques in the winery to help maintain quality, and although many of the best winemakers are purists and avoid manipulation, the choice between losing a crop and manipulation is an obvious one. This is once again an area where the “emerging” wine countries are generally less constrained than France, Italy or Germany, and the large producers are not hesitant to do whatever is necessary to maintain quality and production levels of their main brands.
Secondly, a good winemaker will make a wine that follows the weather pattern of the year. This is well-recognized for instance in Bordeaux, where characteristic styles are established – the forward style of a hot dry year; the “classic Bordeaux” style of a cooler season giving harder new wines that develop with age; the more delicate style of a wet year, where a good winemaker will manage to create a wine with finesse and balance …. The ability to make the right wine for the weather is much more of an artist’s touch than a scientific solution, and it is often the smaller artisanal producer who is best able to use this gift. His loyal following will accept the different style of the year as part of the character of the winery, as long as it is well made.
This year, as we have said, started out very dry in South Australia. However in the Hunter Valley there was plenty of rain over the winter and fairly regular showers through the spring months of September and October. The vines budded two weeks ahead of normal and there was a very good set. The rain gradually lessened over November until by December and January it was dry and warm. This is an ideal weather pattern, which gives small berries and a good ratio of skin to pulp, in turn giving the potential for intense flavors and good, mature tannins from the thick skins.
At Lindemans Hunter Valley estate they began picking Chardonnay on 3 February, and had above-average yields with good acid levels. Vineyard manager Jerome Scarborough was able to bide his time in the good weather and wait for the fruit to ripen to perfection without having to worry about it losing acid and getting flabby.
However, by the end of the harvest period in late March and early April the situation was quite different. Now it was raining again, but this time at just the wrong moment. As the grapes swell with the excess water not only does the juice get diluted but the grapes are also liable to split. When this happens the threat of rot is very real, as the sugar from the grapes is exposed to the wild botrytis spores in the atmosphere. Although for the Hunter this was towards the end of the harvest when we were there, there was enough rain to stop picking, and the later-ripening Cabernet and Shiraz had to be carefully monitored to be sure the crop was not lost to rot.
Traveling through the various regions of Australia’s wine country during harvest is a study in the diversity of the country’s methods, and of the unfettered and un-intimidated attitude of the Australians, who don’t feel they necessarily have to conform to any “accepted” single solution to the winemaking process. We saw methods that ran the full gamut, from rotating fermenters to open plastic tubs that were punched down by hand, and vats made of stainless, concrete and fiberglass. And the variations don’t always correspond with size of property or finance. Sure, Jeanneret on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsular uses plastic tubs to ferment because they hold the small quantities from his small plots and they are cheap, but we saw the same methods at the huge Tyrells plant in the Hunter. Here of course they have just about every method you can imagine, and the concrete open top fermenters are used for specific grapes that are treated very gently, while closed vats are used for more robust fermentation.
One of the problems of Australian grape growers is a labor shortage (despite the unemployment rate of around 8-10% in the country). Growers here have given a lot of time to developing mechanical picking techniques to economically harvest the larger vineyards, and huge volumes of grapes are picked by machine on these properties. However in the smaller vineyards – both those making their own wine and those selling their grapes – hand picking is more the norm than the exception. I did not see the meticulous selection of grapes that goes on in the top French vineyards, but neither did I see much evidence of rot in most places. This may well have changed for the tail end of the harvest, with the advent of significant rain in many regions after we left. All the people we talked to were very earnest in their concern for the quality of their juice and would do whatever was necessary to maintain healthy fruit.
There is a certain movement in Australia, as in many countries, towards organic or even biodynamic farming techniques in grape growing. However, from what I saw on this short trip this would seem to be still a very small minority. Chemicals are widely used to control pests and disease, though this use is calculated and careful. Australia in general has a very pro-organic tendency towards their agriculture, and the consumer is demanding more and more naturally grown produce. This is starting to have an effect on the wine industry, especially in the boutique properties, as it is in the USA and Europe, where even if the consumer is not particularly aware of the “organic” nature of the wine, the grower uses this as a sign of quality.
Many of Australia’s winemakers could still be classified, without a doubt, as carefree and possessed of a kind of pioneering mentality. As with many regions, many of the new wineries are opened by people who have made that essential “large fortune” in a former life, and are now looking for a therapeutic occupation in which to fulfill long-repressed urges to create something from nature. This of course is a great motivation, and many of the best micro-vineyards are owned by such people. In this country the Aussie attitude rears it’s happy-go-lucky head in all walks of life, and the vineyard is no exception. Many folks here still have a very refreshing approach to their wine, looking to make something good, fun and affordable. They may not always make the most profound and complex wines, but they directly serve their consumers, who appreciate the qualities of the wine and also the lack of pretense with which it is made.
This is not to say that Australia doesn’t produce complex and profound wines. We tasted wines here that could stand up in their own right to any other wine region in the world – and not just the big and brawny Shiraz or the full-blown Chard that so many of us pigeon-hole Australia into. But even at this level, where you are dealing with winemakers who compete on even terms with the best in the world, you still find that carefree spirit; a mix of self-confidence and humility that allows them to rise above the posturing and ostentation of so many producers from other parts and make honest wines – often good, sometimes great and occasionally not so great. Whatever the end result one thing is for sure; the spirit of the Australian winemaker is alive and well and having lots of fun!
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