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 Regional Overview
Visiting Australia? Discover our main wine states and regions
Australian wine regions
Australia is a large country - Margaret River is further from the Hunter Valley than Jerez in Spain is from Tokaji in Hungary - so, despite the distinctive national approach to wine, Australian wines are not all the same. The wines of Margaret River and of the Hunter Valley differ as much as sherry and tokay do. The three most important wine-producing states are South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. As well as bulk production, they each have specific premium wine regions.
Read more about the wine regions of Australia here.
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REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVE |
Home : Regions : Australia : Tasmania : Northern Tasmania |
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| All articles on the Winepros Archive website are pre 2006 and are historical information only. |
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Northern Tasmania
Region Summary
Location and Elevation
41°07'S, 147°10'E Pipers Brook
41°27'S, 147°10'E Launceston
190-210 m Pipers Brook
81 m Launceston
Subregions
Pipers River and Tamar Valley. As at July 2001 there was no application for registration of any region or subregion within the state of Tasmania.
Climate
The Pipers River boasts a climate comparable to Champagne and the Rhine Valley. But while the heat summation is perilously low at 1020 HDD, sunshine hours are generous (7.3) and high sugar levels are achieved in years in which late season rains do not intervene (the growing season rainfall averages 310 mm). Pipers River benefits from relatively high humidity which is beneficial in promoting and accelerating physiological ripeness. Spring frosts have proved to be a major problem in some sites, with overhead sprinklers the only effective answer.
The mesoclimate of the Tamar Valley is obviously profoundly influenced by the broad estuary of the Tamar River; while the heat summations are not significantly greater (the MJT is still about the 17.2°C of Pipers River), the net result is wines which altogether belie the climate, suggesting it is far warmer than the raw figures substantiate. It is also highly probable there is an interaction between the differing soil types, which magnifies the apparent climatic differences.
Statistics
Heat degree days: 1020
Sunshine Hours per day: 7.3
Annual rainfall: 790 mm
Growing season rainfall: 310 mm
Mean January temperature: 17.2°C
Harvest: Early April-late May
Soil
The vividly coloured soils of the hillside slopes of the Pipers River area, interspersed with luxuriant stands of eucalypts, are different from the open banks and greyer soils of the Tamar Valley. However, slope and aspect are of critical importance in both regions, and determine what varieties can be successfully grown. The red to red-brown/orange soils of the Pipers River region are deep and friable and promote vigorous vine growth. The Tamar Valley has a preponderance of gravelly basalt on a heavy clay and ironstone base.
Principal Grape Varieties
Chardonnay: 164 ha
Riesling: 33 ha
Sauvignon blanc: 28
Total white: 225 ha
Pinot noir: 121 ha
Cabernet sauvignon: 31 ha
Total red: 152 ha
Other: 37 ha
Total: 414 ha
by James Halliday
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