Tasmania was once thought to be too cold to grow grapes for winemaking, but our southern hemisphere latitude is the same as the famously warm Spanish Rioja region in the northern hemisphere. Latitude is not everything in viticulture though. The Roaring Forties winds have a cooling effect on the state, a feature not found in Rioja, which is many kilometres inland and not subject to the influence of oceanic winds. Similarly, Burgundy is situated near the 47th parallel of latitude in the northern hemisphere, and its equivalent in our part of the world would be about 300 kilometres south of Maatsuyker Island. Cleary, as in Rioja, geographical factors have a significant effect on Burgundy, which is also far enough inland to avoid any maritime influence. Heat summation is a measure of the temperature as it relates to the growing and ripening of grapes, and is measured in degree days. No shoot growth in grapes occur below 10 degrees Celsius, so a degree day is calculated by taking the mean temperature for a day, say 21 degrees, and subtracting 10 degrees, so the heat summation for this example would be 11 degree days. If the mean for a month is 9 degree days, the monthly heat summation for a 30-day month would be 30 times 9, a total of 270 degree days. What heat summation can tell us is how similar we may be to other regions in the wine world and therefore which varieties can grow well in our area. Heat summation in Tasmania varies from year to year, and amongst sub-regions, but is within the range of 1,000 to 1,300 degree days. Burgundy averages about 1200 degree days, Bordeaux 1300 to 1400, Champagne about 1050, Chablis 950. These figures indicate that pinot noir and chardonnay are varieties which may be suited in our climate, and our best wines have indeed been pinot noir and sparkling wines made from pinot and chardonnay. <p>Tasmania was once thought to be too cold to grow grapes for winemaking, but our southern hemisphere latitude is the same as the famously warm Spanish Rioja region in the northern hemisphere. Latitude is not everything in viticulture though. The Roaring Forties winds have a cooling effect on the state, a feature not found in Rioja, which is many kilometres inland and not subject to the influence of oceanic winds.</p> <p>Similarly, Burgundy is situated near the 47th parallel of latitude in the northern hemisphere, and its equivalent in our part of the world would be about 300 kilometres south of Maatsuyker Island. Cleary, as in Rioja, geographical factors have a significant effect on Burgundy, which is also far enough inland to avoid any maritime influence.</p> <p>Heat summation is a measure of the temperature as it relates to the growing and ripening of grapes, and is measured in degree days. No shoot growth in grapes occur below 10 degrees Celsius, so a degree day is calculated by taking the mean temperature for a day, say 21 degrees, and subtracting 10 degrees, so the heat summation for this example would be 11 degree days. If the mean for a month is 9 degree days, the monthly heat summation for a 30-day month would be 30 times 9, a total of 270 degree days. What heat summation can tell us is how similar we may be to other regions in the wine world and therefore which varieties can grow well in our area.</p> <p>Heat summation in Tasmania varies from year to year, and amongst sub-regions, but is within the range of 1,000 to 1,300 degree days. Burgundy averages about 1200 degree days, Bordeaux 1300 to 1400, Champagne about 1050, Chablis 950. These figures indicate that pinot noir and chardonnay are varieties which may be suited in our climate, and our best wines have indeed been pinot noir and sparkling wines made from pinot and chardonnay.</p> 2008-07-31T17:20:40+10:00 climate 368702 2008-07-31T17:20:40+10:00 84802 2008-09-26T09:47:12+10:00