National Wine Centre of Australia
Encyclopedia
The National Wine Centre of Australia (commonly the "Wine Centre") is a public exhibition building about winemaking and its industry in South Australia
. It contains an interactive permanent exhibition of winemaking
, introducing visitors to the technology, varieties and styles of wine
. It also has a wine tasting
area, giving visitors the opportunity to taste and compare wines from different areas of Australia. The Wine Centre is situated at the eastern end of North Terrace
, Adelaide
in the east parklands and adjacent to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The building is designed and uses building materials to reflect items used in making wine. The external of the building looks like a section of a wine barrel. Outside the building are rows of grapevines
, showing seven different varieties of grapes to curious visitors who normally wouldn't have access to a vineyard to see the differences for themselves.
Liberal
State Government was shrouded in controversy and it was labelled as a white elephant
by the Opposition
. It eventually opened on 7 October 2001 after enabling legislation created the concept in the National Wine Centre Act (1997). After a number of problems with funding, management and profitability, the Wine Centre operation was taken over by the University of Adelaide
on 1 July 2003. It now offers some of the university's oenology
courses, as well as the public face of the wine industry in Australia
.
South Australian wine
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. The state of South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties-from the cool climate...
. It contains an interactive permanent exhibition of winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
, introducing visitors to the technology, varieties and styles of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. It also has a wine tasting
Wine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onwards...
area, giving visitors the opportunity to taste and compare wines from different areas of Australia. The Wine Centre is situated at the eastern end of North Terrace
North Terrace, Adelaide
North Terrace is one of the four terraces that bound the central business and residential district of the city of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It runs east-west, along the northern edge of the CBD.-North Side of North Terrace:...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in the east parklands and adjacent to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The building is designed and uses building materials to reflect items used in making wine. The external of the building looks like a section of a wine barrel. Outside the building are rows of grapevines
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
, showing seven different varieties of grapes to curious visitors who normally wouldn't have access to a vineyard to see the differences for themselves.
History
Its development by the OlsenJohn Olsen
John Wayne Olsen, AO was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001.-Parliament:Olsen was a member of the Liberal Party and Member of Parliament for more than 20 years...
Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
State Government was shrouded in controversy and it was labelled as a white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
by the Opposition
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. It eventually opened on 7 October 2001 after enabling legislation created the concept in the National Wine Centre Act (1997). After a number of problems with funding, management and profitability, the Wine Centre operation was taken over by the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
on 1 July 2003. It now offers some of the university's oenology
Oenology
Oenology,[p] œnology , or enology is the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking except vine-growing and grape-harvesting, which is a subfield called viticulture. “Viticulture & oenology” is a common designation for training programmes and research centres that include both the...
courses, as well as the public face of the wine industry in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.