New South Wales

  

Hunter Valley Overwiew: The Hunter region comprises the Upper and Lower areas of the Hunter Valley, which are linked by the Hunter River.  Both areas face high temperatures over summer, with the majority of the rainfall occurring between January and April. Statistics reveal that the climates of the two areas of the Hunter are very similar.   The majority of the vineyards in the lower Hunter are situated on the extreme southern side of what is a broad and relatively flat valley nestled into the foothills of the Brokenback Range.  The upper Hunter vineyards are situated much closer to the river systems, notably the Hunter and Goulburn rivers, as well as tributaries such as Giants Creek.   Terroir & Environment: Nestled amongst gentle hills, the vineyards of the Hunter benefit from moderately fertile black silty loam soil and good drainage. The production of a variety of quality table wines is aided by sea breezes, afternoon cloud and rain, which falls mainly between January and April.   Renowned for: Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz   C’ellar Vie Estates of Interest:

Audrey Wilkinson Lindemans Rosemount Tempus Two Beaumont Estate McWilliams Rothbury Estate Tulloch Bimbadgen Mt Pleasant Scarborough Tyrrells Brokenwood Estate Pepper Tree Tamburlaine Wyndham Estate

 

Mudgee Overview: Mudgee's wine growing pedigree stretches back over 150 years. Aboriginal inhabitants named  this part of Australia Mudgee, meaning Nest in the Hills. Although primarily a producer of robust and deeply coloured red wines, Mudgee was the cradle in which a particularly good clone of Chardonnay lay unrecognised for over 50 years, a clone which some believe may have been a descendant of the Chardonnay introduced to Australia in 1832 by James Busby. Terroir & Environment: Situated on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, Mudgee has a very different climate to that of its neighbour on the coastal side, the Hunter.  Spring frosts and cold nights delay budburst; rainfall and humidity are lower; sunshine hours are greater; and irrigation is essential on all but the most favoured sites. This is by no means a cool region. Despite being prone to pockets of frost, these generally good ripening conditions ensure excellent flavour and colour.    The brownish coloured soils are typical of those found through the majority of the wine regions of eastern Australia; slightly acidic or sandy loam over neutral clay subsoils, but both topsoil and subsoil have the advantage of being quite well drained.    Renowned for: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz   C’ellar Vie Estates of Interest:

Botobolar The Rothbury Estate     Poets Corner Wild Oats     Rosemount

Riverina Overview: This region is known variously as the Riverina, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and Griffith. Viticulture can be traced from 1912 and the arrival of John James McWilliam, who participated in the  Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme. Growing 55% of the varietal grapes in New South Wales and 15% of the total Australian grape production, the Riverina is a very important wine region.   Terroir & Environment: The region has an average annual rainfall of 406mm, which is spread evenly throughout the year.  High evaporation and low relative humidity, high solar radiation and ample sunshine are features of the summer. A characteristic of the climate is high growing-season temperatures, with a mean for January of 23.8°C. The Riverine plains were deposited by the action of ancient streams upon the remnants of the Great Dividing Range and thus consist of highly variable alluvial soils with sands and gravels embedded in clays. The main soil type of the Riverina is red-brown earth. Most of these red-brown earths are found around the lower hill slopes and river ridges. Many of these contain limestone rubble. It is on these soils that the majority of the vines are planted. Renowned for: Chardonnay, Botrytis Semillon, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz.   C’ellar Vie Estates of Interest:

Casella Wines McWilliams Hanwood     De Bortoli Miranda Wines

Orange Overview: Orange is beginning to attract considerable interest, with many commentators comparing its combination of intense sunlight and continental climate to that of Burgundy in France. Vines in the Orange region were first planted commercially in 1980. Since 2000 opportunities for major vineyard development have slowed due to irrigation restrictions. Terroir & Environment: The climate is strongly influenced by, and largely dependent on, the region's elevation. Overall, mild to warm midsummer mean temperatures, seldom rising above 32°C (90°F), are offset by cool to very cool nights during the growing season.  The soils vary widely, reflecting the different geological strata of the parent rock but falling into four main groups. The first are the well drained, friable, deep red-brown clays derived from basalt that are found near Mount Canobolas. Second are the deep red-brown, yellow-brown clay loams of mixed origin, including volcanic ash. Both these two soil groups promote considerable vigour. The third is a red-brown podzolic clay loam of medium vigour overlying a medium clay and shale base interspersed with gravel, which assists with drainage. Finally, there are patches of terra rossa associated with visible limestone at the lower elevations. Renowned for: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon  C’ellar Vie Estates of Interest:

Bloodwood Printhie   Tamburlaine Cumulus Estate Brokenwood   Zeigler & Kraus Dindima Wines Rosemount