Corked! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yarra Valley

Yering station was the first place in Victoria to have wine grapes. The area produces cooler-climate wines. There are numerous wineries of growing reputation in the area, that offer wine sales at cellar doors and tastings paired with foods. There are also viticulture courses.

Answer: Barossa Valley

The Barossa was surveyed in 1839 after its promise was revealed by an expedition led by Colonel Light, some two years earlier. Blessed with a continental climate the area holds some of the oldest grape stock in the country. The area is famous for its "old vine" Shiraz, which is generally described as a full bodied red with rich chocolate flavours.

Other varieties are not excluded and the region is also noted for it's fine Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The area is so important to Australia's wine reputation that in 2011 steps were taken by the South Australian premier to introduce legislation that would protect its unique heritage.

Answer: Margaret River

Margaret River is relatively young but this has not prevented it from producing extraordinary premium wines. With a climate that is very similar to Bordeaux's, during a dry vintage, this area produces only 4% of Australia's wine but its output represents over 20% of Australia's premium wines. Consequently, its name and boundaries are protected assiduously. Evenly split between the amount of red and white wine the region is noted for varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Shiraz, Merlot, Chenin blanc and Verdelho

Answer: Tasmania

The Tamar Valley's wines come from more than thirty vineyards. The grapes used for the sparkling wines produced in Tasmania are highly prized internationally. The area regularly produces award winning wines. The majority of Tasmanian wines are dry whites, but production of some reds has commenced in regions such as Coal Rover and Freycinet.

Answer: Red

The Durif grape was an accidental cross from Southern France. It enjoys the hot dry climate of Northern Victoria, with the grape stock in Rutherglen having been planted over 100 years ago. There are many wineries in Rutherglen and newer wineries do not necessarily use the durif grape. However, the entire region is known for its robust wines and prize-winning vintages.

Answer: Coonawarra

Settled on South Australia's Limestone Coast is the Coonawarra wine region, one of Australia's premier producers of Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The first vines were planted here in 1890 in what is described as "terra rossa" soil, slightly clayey, reddish in colour and well drained. It almost Mediterranean in nature. Coupled with climactic conditions, not dissimilar to Bordeaux in France, it has proven the perfect venue for the industry. The leading producers in this area are Wynns and Penfolds.

Answer: Griffith

The region was populated by a large number of Italians, in particular in the 1920s by Vittorio De Bortoli, who was an emigré from Treviso. They brought with them their rich culture of food and wine-growing. Located in an area that is plentifully supplied with water for irrigation (though not with good rainfall), and with soil that contains limestone rubble, the Riverina Wine Region produces many great wines, including traditional fortified wines.

Answer: McLaren Vale

The early economy of this region was highly dependent upon cereal crops and it wasn't until 1838 that John Reynell and Thomas Hardy planted the very first grape vines here. Their wineries, Seaview and Hardy Wines, would emerge as two of the larger wine producers in the country.

The area is blessed with a Mediterranean climate and is noted for producing wonderful dry red wines, in particular those of the Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre varieties. In the early part of the twenty first century it was estimated that there were some 88 cellar doors in the area, most of them family run businesses of a boutique nature.

Answer: Murray

Murray River is one of the world's longest navigable rivers and with the adequate supply of water, Canadian brothers George and Ben Chaffey established Australia's first irrigation colony at Renmark in 1887 and that was the start of a viable and productive industry. There are some 900 wineries in the area, mostly boutique in nature.

Answer: Hunter Valley

Early in the nineteenth century the first vines were planted in the Hunter Valley. It has since gone on to be world renowned for the quality of its wines, the most iconic being its Hunter Valley Semillon. The main thrust of wine here is the range of whites and it would not be difficult to find yourself sipping a range here that includes Chardonnay and Verdelho.

The climate here is closer to sub-tropical though it is classed as Mediterranean and being close to the Pacific Ocean there are definite maritime influences in its produce.