Warm Climate Wine vs Cool Climate Wine

Wine grapes grow from Mexico to British Columbia. The wide range in climates that grapes can grow results in different tasting wines. For this reason, wine regions are grouped into two major climate types: Warm Climate vs. Cool Climate. If you understand the general characteristics of both climate types, you can explore new wines from the climate type you prefer.

Warm climate regions tend to have more consistent temperatures throughout the season. The slow drop off from summer into fall gives grapes ample opportunity to become fully ripe but the negative is that more natural acidity in the grapes is lost. You can generally assume that warm climates produce grapes with more ripe fruit flavors and less acidity.

Examples of Warm Climate Wine Regions

• California
• Argentina
• Australia
• Southern Italy
• Greek Islands

• Central & Southern Spain
• Central & Southern Portugal
• Most of South Africa
• Southern France
• Southern Italy

Cool climate regions definitely get just as hot as warm climates in the peak of the season. However, it is the fact that the temperatures drop off so quickly towards harvest that make the wines taste different. Lower temperatures preserve the acidity but they also make it difficult for grapes to ripen. You can generally assume that cool climate wine regions tend to produce tart fruit flavors and have more acidity.

Of course, the vintage plays a major role in the outcome. You can have a cool vintage create incredibly ripe tasting wines and vice-versa. This is why vintage matters so much, particularly if you tend to prefer cool climate wines.

Examples of Cool Climate Wine Regions

• Northern France
• Oregon
• Washington State (see chart)
• New York
• Chile
• Hungary

• New Zealand
• Northern Italy
• South Africa
• Austria
• Germany
• Northern Greece & Macedonia

The lists of climate regions are a little generalized. It’s possible to have a ‘micro-climate’ that’s within a larger climate type. A great example of a microclimate is San Francisco. Technically, the city should get really hot in the summer, because all the surrounding areas do. However, because San Francisco has a marine fog layer in the mornings, it stays a lot cooler.

Jacaranda

Jacaranda has a very elegant in Chinese (蓝花楹), but sometimes, someone does not like it, because blooming Jacaranda mean exam time in Australia. Are you ready? good luck for everyone~  

Young Wine May Be Better Than Old Wine

Youthful red wines may be better for you than older vintage red wines. New research reveals that 90% of several antioxidants in red wines are lost as wines age. We’ve raved about antioxidants in wine because of their potential health benefits. However, we may be drinking wines too old.

Hahndorf Hill Winery

I went to the cellar door of Hahndorf Hill Winery after tasting the delicious German food at Hahndorf Inn, bought some wine there, and really like the GRU Gruner Veltliner, 

Oyster Bar

A leisure afternoon.. at Oyster Bar in Glenelg, with white wine.. with friends, but feeling sooo guilty now, must control the diet from tomorrow!!

Where is Australian Wine Country?

As we know, the largest wine production region by far is South Australia. 

There are three major wine regions in Australia by shear volume are South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. South Australia and NSW tend to be more famous for their warm climate varieties such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon whereas Victoria is known for cool climate-loving Pinot Noir.

South Australia

Adelaide is the hub of the largest wine growing region in Australia. A few miles from Adelaide is Barossa Valley, South Australia’s most prestigious growing area. It’s interesting to note that the majority of the wine from the area is actually grown in Lower Murray and Fleurieu (see the geeky list of GIs below)

Barossa Valley–oldest living vineyards in the world?!
45 minutes from Adelaide are the rolling hills of Barossa Valley. The region is unique because of its isolation from the rest of the world. Phylloxera hasn’t yet infected vineyard soils in Barossa, which means it’s home to some of the oldest living vineyards in the world.

New South Wales

The major production in New South Wales comes from the inland Big Rivers Zone. This area has historically produced much of the commercial Chardonnay and Shiraz from Australia. However, because of severe drought in recent years, more wine grape growers are experimenting with drought friendly varieties like Tempranillo and Verdelho.

Victoria

Commercial winemaking in North West Victoria makes up the majority of wine production in the entire region. However, the growing areas of interest are cooler and closer to Melbourne such as Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. The cool climate areas in Victoria have received a lot of praise for their Pinot Noir.

Ulithorne Dona Grenache Shiraz 2013

Recently, doing a lot research about our final assignment of Advanced Wine Marketing, I chose Ulithorne  winery which located in McLaren Vale, I tasted some wine of this winery and really recommend the Dona Grenache Shiraz.
textured with soft tannins and sticky mouth feel, although it is still too young, it is worth to collect.