There was a great turnout of excited students for our Friday afternoon Australian wine tasting activity.
Students could work individually or in a small tasting team to review our selection of Aussie wines.
Students tasted an Australian Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Moscato, Rose, Pinot Grigio and Merlot.
Dominic explained what to look for involving the colour, opacity, and viscosity of the wine.
Wine aromas are derived from the grape, winemaking process and from the aging process (in bottle or oak).
On the whiteboard, Dominic wrote down the fruit, spice and nut flavours present in each wine. Students were encouraged to refer to the whiteboard when tasting each wine and think if any of those flavours came through for them.
Finally, after looking at, smelling and tasting each wine students discussed their thoughts and answered the activity worksheet questions.
A number of students had a discerning palate and correctly associated each wine with its flavours.
The activity was highly interactive and an excellent way for students to practise their English in a fun, relaxed setting.
Australian Wine
The major grape varieties grown in Australia are shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, sémillon, riesling, viognier, pinot noir, grenache, sangiovese, mourvèdre and pinot grigio.
Australia’s vineyards and wine regions are in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.
The most renowned wine regions include:
- Western Australia – Margaret River
- South Australia – Barossa, Coonawara, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley
- New South Wales – Hunter Valley
- Victoria – Yarra Valley, Rutherglen, Heathcode and Mornington Peninsula
- Tasmania
If you’re interested in learning more about the Australian wine industry start here. There is an abundance of helpful resources about Australian wine online.
Last month we held a very popular Aussie Beer Tasting activity!
Beer Tasting: Celebrating Friday with Delicious Brews – 11 November 2022
After a really fun week at Lexis in Byron Bay, Dominic presented our students some of the finest Australian beers for a Beer Tasting. Of course, many students signed up for this activity!
This Beer Tasting activity is not only about drinking beer though! The students had to work their way through some questions about the origin and the flavour of the beer. Dominic handed out some sheets and the students had to taste each of the beers and note what they taste.
In the end Dominic gave them the answers and they could see, if they were correct or if their taste buds were mistaken. Continue reading…
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE, and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
