Early Days of Australia’s Wine Industry
Australia’s wine history is only about 200 years old, dating back to its colonial times. Admiral Arthur Phillip departed Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787, heading to what became Sydney, to establish a British penal colony. In 1788, the initial settlement was erected. The Admiral took vine cuttings with him in an effort to encourage some high society growth. Wine exported to England could make for a lucrative business. After administrative success, the Admiral was promoted to be the first Governor of New South Wales, but his wine fields failed miserably.
Viticulture was centered around Sydney and the Hunter Valley region, which is considered the birthplace of Australian wine history. Hunter Valley is home to some of the world’s oldest and rarest vines. It would take the arrival of a few notable men to get the initial efforts of this industry off the ground.
Gregory Blaxland, an Englishman and pioneer farmer, arrived from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, in 1806. He was the first to prove to England there was potential in Australian wines. He won a silver medal in 1822 from the Royal Society of Arts Competition in England.
John Macarthur, recognized for being a pioneer in the wool industry, established the first commercial vineyard in the early 19th century. He introduced sheep into the vineyards, which actually makes sense. They eat the lower canopy, they trim the ground cover plants, and they leave their fertilizer everywhere (the basics of organic farming!). Macarthur was noted for his establishment of a vine nursery, where he cultivated imported vines from France, in 1817. He also helped start other vineyards in the area.
James Busby, a Scottish civil servant and viticulturist, arrived in Australia in 1824. It was not long after that he was growing vines and documenting his actions. His publications became a tremendous resource for other growers.
Henry Lindeman, an Englishman, was a vigneron (a person who cultivates grapes for winemaking) and a medical surgeon. In 1840, dissatisfied with the naval surgeon life, he and his bride went to Sydney and he began practicing medicine. In 1843 he acquired the 816-acre estate “Cawarra” in Hunter Valley. Prior to coming to Australia, Lindeman had traveled to France and Germany and studied viticulture and wine production methods. By 1850, Lindeman was building a reputation for making exceptional wines. Over the years he was noted for being a member of the Hunter Vineyard Association, and at times, being president of it. In 1870, he won high regard in Sydney for his colonial wine, with increasing production of fine table wines in the Hunter district. He also produced Sherries and Muscats at Cawarra. Lindeman also produced his signature wines Semillon and Shiraz.
Hunter Valley is not the world’s easiest wine producing region. Much of Australia’s wine region lies between 30° and 37° south latitude, which is almost tropical, with intense sunshine and humid days. There is a slight respite of afternoon cloud cover. The soil is sandy loam to clay, often more clay, which means the roots of any varietal have to like being in cool, wet soil. This type of soil can slow fruit growth and ripening, which may be a positive thing considering the hot, intense sun. Humidity is a serious threat to vines, as it brings fungal diseases. The best defense is proper canopy management, ensuring ventilation through the vines. Cooling breezes are another feature of Hunter Valley, which provides yet another defense. The breezes dry the berries. Cooling influences come either from the ocean breezes in the lower parts of the valley, or flowing down off the mountains.
Hunter Valley sits on the east side of the Great Dividing Range, offering no protection from summer storms from the Pacific coast. Growers must choose grape varieties that ripen before the summer storms start. These rains will cause the berries to expand, diluting the juice and potentially ripping the skins, which will cause disease and spoilage.
What can grow in Hunter Valley? Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Semillon.
For production styles, Hunter Valley Chardonnay ranges from medium body with higher acidity in the cooler upper regions, to those with riper full-bodied, lower acidity in the lower, warmer regions. Both oaked and unoaked are used in both cooler upper and warmer lower regions.
Hunter Valley climate is slightly cooler than the Barossa Valley, but warmer than France’s Northern Rhone. For this “mid region,” Shiraz will express both red and black fruits with hints of spicy notes. It will hold a medium body and high alcohol.
The Tyrrell Wines have developed an iconic style Semillon. It is gently pressed without any period of skin contact to avoid extracting of phenolic compounds (tannins). It is fermented at a moderate temperature, in stainless steel tanks. The moderate temperatures are used because Semillon is not a very floral varietal, requiring a cooler fermentation. The end, young wine is quite neutral. Here the wine expresses a dry, light-bodied, delicate citrus character, high in acid and low in alcohol. If left to bottle age, Semillon can develop complex and pronounced aromas of toast, honey, and hay. Many of the highest quality wines are not released until they are at least five years old.
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