Grape Grower & Wine Maker October 2022

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The

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Whether you’re filling 330ml cans, or something bigger, the CraftCanTM should be your first choice.

in the Process

Depalletising, Carton Packing, Palletising

Brewing, Distilling, Canning

Processing of Fruits and Vegetables

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GROWING

Yalumba owners announce new name

business

Babich celebrates growth of organic wines in New Zealand

10 Brown Brothers to re-introduce Tarrango to Australian Market

11 Hither & Yon to deliver 2,000 native trees across SA landscape

12 Clare Valley vigneron awarded Nuffield scholarship

Wine Industry IMPACT Conference back for 2022

WINEMAKING

68 FEATURE On the pulse: winery equipment

75 Could glycoside extracts from grape marc provide a flavour boost to NOLO wines?

81 Young Gun: Luke Tocaciu

85 Behind the Top Drops: Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay

FORUM

FEATURE Climate

2022 PACKWINE Design Awards:

GRAPEGROWING

FEATURE Fresh approaches to

vine

FEATURE Vineyard biodiversity – how to put it to work using cover crops

History and recent developments in under-vine weeding equipment

Graciano Uncorked

Cover: This October issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker has a focus on

and getting the vineyard ready before vintage. Pictured on the front cover is Hunter based viticulturist Liz Riley.

Photo Wine Australia

Hans Mick Editor

Welcometo the October issue of the Grapegrower & Winemaker! The response to the 2022 PACKWINE Forum & Expo has, in its second year, been positive. Delegates from around Australia and New Zealand, and globally, have gone online to watch the webinar series, with speakers addressing the event’s theme of ‘what does it take to make a change – why is there resistance to change?

The PACKWINE webinar has presented a range of views to stimulate thought and debate on the best ways forward for wine packaging. On page 21, we feature an article from PACKWINE speaker Marta Mendonça, manager of the Porto Protocol expanding upon the topics raised in her video presentation. In addition, we present all the category winners from the PACKWINE Design Awards. From page 25, you will learn more about each of the winning designs.

81As PACKWINE 2022 is a virtual event, with both printed and digital content, it will remain open online until the end of this month, so if you haven’t already checked out the Forum, Expo and more, you can do so now by going to www.packwine.com.au.

As spring continues, we turn to soil management in our vineyard focus this month, specifically looking at fresh approaches to vine nutrition amidst

ongoing supply issues when it comes to chemical fertilisers (page 36). We also present findings from researchers at Charles Sturt University in Orange on vineyard biodiversity and how to ‘put it to work using cover crops’ (page 42). Also, AWRI senior engineer Simon Nordestgaard examines the backstory of under-vine weeding equipment (page 50).

In the winery, we put our fingers on the pulse by asking winemakers what’s on their wishlists when it comes to acquiring new equipment (page 68). Sonya Logan looks into the potential of glycosides to produce good quality no and low alcohol wines (page 75). We meet Young Gun Luke Tocaciu from Patrick of Coonawarra (page 81) and discover more about Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay in Behind the Top Drops (page 85).

We also find out how the real estate market is holding up when it comes to Australian wineries, vineyards and wine brands (page 87), while we uncover the likely implications for Aussie Prosecco exporters of a decision by the New Zealand government to recognise Italy’s Prosecco GI (page 90). Our attention also is turned to the potential of aligning wine brands with other intellectual properties (page 93).

I hope you enjoy the read!

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

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Yalumba owners announce new name for family wine business

TheHill-Smith Family has announced a new inclusive name for its wine business – Hill-Smith Family Estates. The Hill-Smith Family is recognised for wine brands and vineyard estates such as Yalumba, Jansz Tasmania, Pewsey Vale Vineyard, Heggies Vineyard, Oxford Landing, Dalrymple Vineyards and Nautilus Estate of Marlborough.

In 1923 it started the fine wine distribution business Samuel Smith & Son; in the 1980s, Negociants Australia and Negociants International; and since 1995 it has invested in the Yalumba Nursery, a vine cultivation at Vine Vale in the Barossa Valley.

Chairman and fifth-generation Proprietor Robert Hill-Smith describes the evolution as an exciting change to position the business for future generations whilst acknowledging the diversity of the family wine business today.

“We have come a long way since 1849, when my great-great-grandfather purchased a modest 10-acre plot of land near Angaston, in what is now Eden Valley,” he said.

“We have evolved from a single brand at Yalumba to a family of wine brands and businesses, made of many parts

all linked to our commitment to and enjoyment of wine.

“Hill-Smith Family Estates represents us as a proud wine family, reflecting the generations of innovation and pioneering spirit of our forebears that have led us to where we sit in the wine universe today.

“We pride ourselves on our family heritage and our connection to people, but above all the burning desire to remain a sustainable and successful familyowned wine business for generations to come.

“We have our sights set on the next 170 years with determination to continue a legacy and secure our family’s future in the wine world, whilst excited by the

possibilities for our future generations at Hill-Smith Family Estates.”

Managing Director Nick Waterman reflected on the changes seen over the years.

“The Hill-Smith Family has continuously nurtured, protected and guided the business to succeed today and for future generations, he said.

“We are very proud of the diversity of our business and our contribution to the wine community. Hill-Smith Family Estates enables our wine brands and distribution businesses to retain their individual identities and at the same time provide us with a stage to show how they are all connected.”

• Strong vapour and translaminar activity

• Apply to E-L 31 for grapes grown for export wine

• Unique mode of action to control resistant strains

• Strong vapour and translaminar activity

• Apply to E-L 31 for grapes grown for export wine

• Good residual control

Hill-Smith Family Estates chairman Robert Hill-Smith and daughter Jessica Hill-Smith

what’s ONLINE

Australians quick to pick up new flatpack wine bottles

There’s something innately sexy about the look and feel of a glass wine bottle. In fact, if one was to imagine Nigella Lawson describing a bottle in-hand she would emphasise its gentle curves, slender neck and cute little punt in which to nestle your thumb when pouring. Glass bottles have always conveyed a premium image for the wine they carry, their weight an enduring signal of quality. But what if you were told that they aren’t great for the environment?

Source: The Guardian

Students to share spray drift research with viticulture industry

Two NZ students are hoping the viticulture industry will turn out to hear their research on spray drift next week. Marlborough Girls’ College students Rebecca Bassett and Aroha Ward have been working closely with Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand for their Environmental Studies project this year, on the topic of spray drift. The Year 13 students chose their area of research after visiting vineyards as part of their course, which involved lots of guest speakers and site visits. Source: Stuff

Mudgee retains tourism title

Cellar door operators in the NSW town of Mudgee have been given another reason to pop open some bottles. Known for its fine foods and century-old winemaking history, the central western town, less than four hours’ drive from Sydney, has claimed the title of Australia’s top tourism town for the second consecutive year. Source: South Coast Register

In this issue

“In recent years there has been growing pressure to reduce the use of herbicides in agriculture. Glyphosate is becoming increasingly restricted in Europe. It was almost not relicensed there in 2017. Furthermore, glyphosate and other important herbicides are not permitted in organic production systems. There is much debate about the sustainability of organics and moves to restrict the use of herbicides and some fungicides.”

- Simon Nordestgaard, page 52

“What we found was that the decision by producers to use additives in their wines is extremely cost sensitive. The absolute most they want to pay is a couple of cents per litre. And with the cost and energy intensive nature of obtaining these extracts, we got to the point where we had to admit that they may not have application in the current climate using existing technology,”

- Josh Hixson, page 77

“Our firm hasn’t done a single transaction that we would describe as a ‘distressed’ sale due to the China impact. Our clients have been selling because they want to retire, for family reasons, etc. I suspect that parties will continue to sell for those reasons, but I don’t anticipate a rush of distressed asset sales. The wine industry has proven in the past that it is incredibly ‘sticky’ when there is a downturn,”

- Stephen Strachan, page 91

“If they’re selling to a conservative, perhaps older market, then […] perception is going to be tainted by history and they’re not going to be as open minded to something that is different or unexpected. To attract to a younger audience, a decision will sell a particular product, which may be alternative. There’s great value in it, in offering something disruptive, in something that is against the norm and against the grain, because it stands out on the shelf.”

- Damian Hamilton, page 99

Daily Wine News is a snapshot of wine business, research and marketing content gleaned from local and international wine media sources, with a focus on Australian news and content.

Babich celebrates growth of organic wines in New Zealand

Salesof Babich Wines’ organic ranges have grown 242 per cent over the last five years, and 50% in just the last year alone, as consumers seek out sustainably produced organic wines for their quality and lighter environmental footprint.

The family business’ sales reflect wider market trends.

Almost one billion bottles of organic wine are expected to be consumed around the world by 2023, more than doubling from the 441 million bottles recorded in 2013, according to the organisers of the largest international organic wine competition, Millésime Bio.

Babich Wines started its organic wine journey over 15 years ago in Marlborough, pursuing BioGro certification for Headwaters, their flagship organic vineyard. Prior to that, in 1995 the company’s Irongate Vineyard was the first in New Zealand to be independently certified as sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Babich Wines CEO David Babich says while it’s been a long journey, it’s rewarding to now see the rapid expansion of organic wine both in New Zealand and around the world.

“For the first 10 years of our organic wine production, our wines generated a stable following with steady sales. However, it’s only been in the last three to four years we’ve seen that ramp up both locally and internationally to deliver the growth rates we’re seeing now.

“We’re now hitting a balance between production volume and sales. Our number of organic hectares is set to expand by 50% by 2024, at which point Babich Wines will have three vineyards producing certified organic grapes.”

According to Babich, it’s no secret organic winegrowing is more expensive

“Naturally, increased production outlay means organic wines cost more on shelf. But the sales growth we’re seeing gives us confidence that consumers believe they are getting value for money from organic wines.”

due to the increased labour costs involved in production and lower crop yield.

“A key difference in growing organic grapes is the approach to weed management. With no herbicides in use, the vines are in a more competitive biodiverse environment so they might produce 30% fewer grapes than our other vineyards. However, the vines’ increased competition for nutrients is more beneficial for soil health, while our organic production nurtures sensitive insect life.

“In our experience, these organic methods result in better vine health. We know that healthy vines produce better grapes with more flavour, which is what manifests for the consumer in the glass.

“Naturally, increased production outlay

means organic wines cost more on shelf. But the sales growth we’re seeing gives us confidence that consumers believe they are getting value for money from organic wines.”

Babich says the company’s organic wine offering tends to attract two types of wine consumers: those who are organically focused (buying organic fruit, vegetables and other products), and premium wine consumers who are looking for an interesting, enjoyable wine.

“Organic wines tend to only utilise grapes from one or two vineyards and come with lower crop yields and higher flavour concentration, so the wines tend to express a purer representation of the terroir of the vineyards they grew on, which we find is particularly appealing to the more discerning wine consumer.”

Babich Wines CEO David Babich

Hither & Yon to deliver 2,000 native trees across SA landscape

McLaren Vale based winery Hither & Yon has announced a new partnership with environmental organisation Trees For Life.

The12-month partnership will directly fund the planting of more than 2,000 native seedlings across Trees For Life project sites in South Australia over the next 12 months, which will provide revegetation activity focussed in the state’s north.

Hither & Yon’s managing director, Malcolm Leask, was thrilled to partner with Trees For Life.

“Hither & Yon’s farming and biodiversity practices demonstrate a deep respect for the natural landscape. This business philosophy aligns perfectly with Trees For Life and demonstrates our shared passion for land regeneration and revegetation,” he said.

“We share a great respect of nature and an immense appreciation of healthy ecosystems, and we are looking forward

to being actively involved in projects and activities that protect and restore the biota we love, giving back to the land and community.”

The partnership aims to safeguard local and state biodiversity, as well as support Trees For Life in achieving their goals to revegetate, restore and protect the South Australian landscape.

Hither & Yon will directly fund plantings across the Trees For Habitat Regent Parrot Project as well as other high priority sites across the state.

Trees For Life chief executive officer, Natasha Davis, was pleased to welcome Hither & Yon to the family of supporters.

“Hither and Yon share our passion towards making a real difference to South Australia’s environment. Their support will enable us to plant 2,000

native seedlings which will bring back to life previously cleared land and provide habitat for many South Australian animal species, in particular the Regent Parrot Project,” said Davis.

Through the Regent Parrot Project, Trees For Life is working with landholders near Renmark to create a safe flight path for the Regent Parrot, which is under threat from a range of factors including clearance of Mallee vegetation, drought, human disturbance and disease.

A vegetation corridor between the species’ feeding and nesting sites along the River Murray and an existing patch of Mallee woodland will be created.

Readers are invited to register as a volunteer with Trees For Life to support the planting of these 2,000 seedlings by visiting: www.treesforlife.org.au

Trees For Life CEO Natasha Davis and Malcolm Leask, Hither & Yon managing director.

Clare Valley vigneron awarded Nuffield scholarship

AClareValley grapegrower has been awarded a 2023 Nuffield Scholarship to explore emerging alternative varieties in the eastern Mediterranean.

Emerging leaders from Australian agriculture have been awarded scholarships to study topics as diverse as productivity, farmer mental health and rural education. For the first time, Nuffield Australia has awarded scholarships to more women than men.

The scholars will travel in Australia and overseas to study innovative ideas, techniques and systems that will benefit their businesses and the broader agricultural industry.

Thanks to the generous investors, each 2023 scholar receives a $30,000 bursary to invest in travel and research.

They will visit, learn from, and collaborate with some of the world’s leading agricultural businesses and research institutions.

Representing the wine industry amongst the scholars is Clare Valley grapegrower and winemaker, Dr Alexander Copper, who will travel to the eastern Mediterranean and beyond to study drought tolerant wine varieties that could be introduced to Australia.

Nuffield Australia CEO and 2013 Scholar, Jodie Redcliffe, said the scholarships enable producers to learn about farming systems and innovations that can be game-changers for Australian agriculture.

“Nuffield Australia opens the world up for people in agriculture who are brave enough to be out of their comfort zone,” she said.

“A global perspective enables them to learn, be competitive and grow.”

Redcliffe said the scholars will tackle a range of issues that are impacting Australian agriculture. Some of those topics are sector-specific and others affect the whole industry.

“For example, Aimee Snowden already uses LEGO® to engage people’s interest in agriculture and spark an interest in our diverse industry, through her business Little BRICK Pastoral. She plans to study agriculture education models that drive immersive experiences and engage curious minds,” she said.

“From Western Australia, Rebecca Kelly is looking to find or develop resources to help farmers in negotiations with energy companies, for example if they want to explore or extract resources from their land.

“All our scholars are tackling topics that are important to the sustainability of the industry they love – whether that’s by optimising productivity, meeting market requirements, enhancing biosecurity, reducing chemical inputs, adapting to climate change or improving animal welfare.”

Dr Alexander Copper

Wine Industry IMPACT Conference back for 2022

The

Wine Industry IMPACT Conference will be returning for the first time since the pandemic and will feature speakers from across the industry supply chain, presenting to the theme of ‘future proofing your wine business’.

The national event to be held in Central Victoria, and hosted by the Wine Industry Suppliers Association (WISA), will feature three international and 30 local expert speakers to discuss relevant and innovative insights for wine sales, marketing, tourism and business.

Speakers will share their insights while trends will be covered, including those for market access for brand and route development for trade, online, DTC, cellar door and retail.

The lineup of speakers represent players from wine brands who will share personal experiences, to thought leaders of international significance on unlocking market and consumer opportunities.

WISA executive officer Shirley Fraser said the conference should not be missed.

“The WIIC Conference is a must-attend event for anyone managing the future of their wine business sales, marketing, distribution, exports, DTC, tourism or brand, whether established or starting out, small or large,” she said.

“Listening to the demand for events in Victoria, and proudly partnering with Global Victoria and Wine Victoria, local wineries have the benefit of proximity and local association support.

“The inspiring content is relevant for anyone across Australia and New Zealand in the wine sector within wine brands or those wanting to connect and understand more.”

Delegates at the conference will explore themes like navigating the complexities of exporting, using data to drive sales and creating effective brand stories.

The conference will take place at the

All Seasons hotel in Bendigo, Victoria, from Monday, 10 October to Tuesday 11 October, with an optional field day and dinner held alongside the conference.

• MOG levels verified from 0.02% (premium) to 0.4% (high volume)

Increase winery throughput efficiency by 23% from MOG1 to MOG0

• No MOG related expenses at the winery

• Increase grape harvest weight

• Decrease juice loss through harvester fans

• Models to suit any grape harvester - any vineyard

• No grape maceration

• No loss of harvesting speed

• Easy to set up, operate and maintain

• 34% reduction in Cineole com pound

• up to 10% increase in yield for the grower, with reduced har vester fan speed

Mark Pengilly (pictured) - Manager - Orange Vineyards, Tamburlaine Organic Wines, NSW)

Wine Australia Verified Trial Vintage 22

The 2022 IMPACT Conference will be held in Bendigo, Victoria

Rioja clamps down on Basque wineries

Rioja has stepped up an aggressive campaign to “protect” itself against impending new Basque wine appellation, leaving many growers aggrieved and crying foul, reported Wine-Searcher. “Undoubtedly, these new rules stem from a sense of animosity and resentment,” says Gonzalo Saenz de Samaniego, enologist and director at Bodegas Ostatu, a producer which has been making wines in the village of Samaniego –which falls within Rioja Alavesa and the Basque Country – in Northern Spain, since the 16th Century.

An evolving consumer base for Germany’s wine market

With a solidly high per-capita consumption and a broad base of wine drinkers – one third of the entire population drink wine at least once a week – the German wine market has been a steady source of revenue for domestic and foreign producers for decades. The country’s wine market benefits from a loyal core user base that has a keen eye for value for money. However, Wine Intelligence revealed that changing demographics mean wine producers may need to increasingly focus on innovation to retain consumer interest.

Chile vintners go potty for compost

Producers in the South American country are getting giddy over compost, and with good reason. With climate change transforming Chile’s wine regions, sustainability is the hot word on everyone’s lips, according to the Drinks Business. From bountiful biological corridors and biodynamic soils to conserving water, winemakers are taking action now to secure their future.

Exchange rates unlikely to impact wine prices

As the value of the euro, relative to the dollar, dropped to historic lows, wine industry executives have started to wonder if this decrease will help mitigate some of the other rising costs of importing wine in the US. This is the first time in two decades that the dollar has basically hit value parity with the euro. Surprisingly, many key players said that the fluctuation of exchange rates won’t make much of a difference in the cost of European wines in the US, because of the recession, shipping expenses and other challenges, accroding to a report by Wine-Searcher

Early harvest takes Bordeaux winegrowers by surprise

Bordeaux winegrowers began harvesting their white grapes and fruit designed for Crémants on 16 August. “They had never harvested so early”, says Pascal Hénot, director of the Enosens Coutras wine consultancy centre, told Vitisphere Although water stress did not cause ripening to stall, or at least only on rare occasions, it did penalise fruit growth.

Chardonnay gaining ground in Pinot country

“We are Pinot Noir.” The statement, superimposed on expansive vineyard drone footage at the Willamette Valley Wineries Association’s website, declares Pinot reigns supreme. But what about white wine? In Burgundy, France, the answer is Chardonnay. Could the same soon be equally true in the Willamette Valley? asked Oregon Wine Press.

R&DatWork

On the road to reducing carbon emissions

Wine Australia has joined forces with sustainability consultants, Edge Environment, to develop a carbon Emissions Reduction Roadmap for the Australian grape and wine sector.

Globally, organisations and industries are seeking to better understand how their operations are producing the emissions that cause climate change and the most appropriate, cost-effective and practical approaches to reducing them.

The Emissions Reduction Roadmap (Roadmap) will set achievable carbon emissions reduction targets, guide the sector collectively towards those targets and provide practical information and cost-effective tools to support grape and wine producers.

“We’re delighted to be supporting Wine Australia on this key project,” said Olivia Tyler, Managing Director ANZ at Edge Environment. “The criticality for developing and adopting an emissions roadmap for the sector has never been clearer.”

Olivia said Edge had been tasked with developing a roadmap that encompasses the entire Australian wine supply chain, including grape and wine production, processing and distribution.

“The Roadmap will then establish a pathway for the industry to reduce emissions, through the implementation of a series of emissions abatement initiatives and supporting activities,” she said.

The Roadmap will be comprehensive in its approach, creating a baseline, mitigation plan and trajectory through the supply chain across emissions scopes. The tools and resources will be developed for grape and wine producers to support their practices and businesses through the transition.

The development of the Roadmap have already begun with data gathering and the organisation of stakeholder engagement activities.

Olivia said Edge would incorporate a range of technologies and tools as the basis of their work.

“Edge will quantify the Australian wine sector’s emissions in accordance with industry best practice and alignment with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

“Due to the complexity of calculating an entire industry’s emissions, peerreviewed and industry produced emissions and life-cycle analyses

data will contribute to calculating the emissions.”

She said Edge has previously quantified the Chilean Wine Industry’s emissions and would use the knowledge and experience gained through this process and apply the learnings to the Roadmap.

“A Marginal Abatement Cost Curve will be used to determine the cost–benefit analysis; and a variety of existing publicly available emissions quantification tools will be assessed throughout the project.”

Edge Senior Sustainability Consultant, Julian Marchant, said growers and producers would play an important role throughout the project.

“We will engage growers and producers through interviews, online workshops, surveys, an industry webinar and an industry expert reference panel,” he said.

Extensive engagement with stakeholders across the entire production chain will ensure that the roadmap is not just ambitious, but also clear, practical, and well-supported, with wine businesses and bodies clear on their roles and responsibilities.

Learn more about the project and how to participate at www.wineaustralia. com/whats-happening/emissionsreduction-roadmap-for-the-australianwine-sector ¢

R&DatWork

Acting after a bushfire: what to do, and when

One of the biggest frustrations for growers after the devastating 2019 Cudlee Creek bushfire in the Adelaide Hills was not knowing exactly what action to take – and when.

The fire had swept through the heart of the region at the start of the summer season – much earlier than previous bushfires – and because of that, there was very little scientific information available to growers on how best to manage their vineyards to recover from fire damage.

“A public meeting was held the week after the fire and there was not a lot of information that could be put forward for growers to act. It was quite frustrating and created anxiety; we just didn’t have solutions for growers and couldn’t definitively provide them with advice,” recalls Colin Hinze, a viticulture and agribusiness consultant for Pinion Advisory, who has been heavily involved in bushfire recovery efforts.

It was that lack of knowledge that motivated Colin and Richard Hamilton from Hamilton Viticulture to establish some trial work – funded through the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) and Wine Australia – to provide advice on the best recovery methods for vineyards

directly damaged by fire.

Two years down the track, growers now have a firmer picture of what action to take in the hours, days and months following a bushfire.

Two types of demonstration trials were established following the fires to provide data to determine the optimal time to begin vine recovery (immediately after the fire or once dormant) and the best method for winter pruning (spur, cane or trunk renewal1) for recovering vineyards.

Two options for trunk renewal were compared: trunk renewal in summer (Year 0) within 2–3 weeks of the fire, where damage was assessed as being moderate to severe; and trunk renewal at dormancy (Year 1), providing the advantage of assessing the nature of regrowth as well as a review of the advantages of trunk renewal (as used in management of grapevine trunk disease).

After two full growing seasons since the fire, the trial sites have given Richard and Colin some valuable insights.

The most important finding is that there is no advantage in acting immediately after a fire, compared to waiting until winter to undertake the trunk renewal process.

“Neither treatment produced grapes in the first year of trial. And in the second year of growth, there was equivalent grape production from both the early and the winter trunk renewal treatments. Given that there was no yield advantage by working early, it may be beneficial for growers to wait and to evaluate their property before acting on trunk renewal after a fire,” said Colin.

Richard said getting irrigation reinstated was the first step growers should take. “This will help vines recover as quickly as possible and to reestablish their growth patterns.”

The second important step was to leave all fresh growth.

“Once irrigation has been restored, let the vines grow to their capacity. By not removing any shoots and letting them keep growing, you maximise the opportunity for vines to store carbohydrates reserves for growing the following season,” Richard said.

What should I do after a fire?

Richard and Colin’s advice to growers after a fire event is to:

• Reinstate irrigation as soon as possible

• Wait. Observe vine regrowth after the fire

• Wait. Review long-term plans and other production issues (e.g. block financial returns, varietal desirability, Eutypa infection, etc.

• Wait. Don’t remove any regrowth, let the vines maximise carbohydrate storage as they enter dormancy. The work will continue for a third season, to allow collection of data from the recovery trials across vintage 2023. A realistic range of costs associated with commercial scale fire recovery activities will also be determined.

Colin and Richard’s findings were presented on a poster at the recent Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference and won the Industry Impact Award. It will also be the subject of an ASVO webinar planned for mid-October, ahead of the next fire season. ¢

1. Trunk renewal is the process of cutting through the existing vine truck, typically 30cm above ground, removing the old trunk and cordon material from the vineyard, and training a new water shoot to re-establish the vine structure

R&DatWork

Agtech offers solution on irrigation conundrum

Like many vineyards around the world, variability is a challenge for Torbreck Vintners.

Chief viticulturist Nigel Blieschke joined Torbreck in 2015 and noticed variability in one vineyard in particular –Torbreck’s 20-hectare Descendant Vineyard, located on the western side of the Barossa region.

“There was quite a bit of variability in terms of growth, and some areas were defoliated as summer started. I spent some time investigating the causes of the variability and in the end, it came down to soils and irrigation – and the way the vines were being watered,” he recalls.

Nigel said Torbreck is lucky in that it has good access to water on all its vineyards, but the issue – particularly on with vineyards on the western side of the Barossa where soils tend to be shallower – was when to water.

Nigel turned to Swan Systems for a solution. Swan Systems has developed

a configurable water and nutrient management software solution that helps grape growers make data-driven decisions about how much and when to irrigate.

In addition to water management, Swan offers sophisticated fertiliser planning, logging and reporting functionalities. These include being able to automatically include irrigation water nutrient loads for fertiliser planning, and reporting of usage against budgets.

“Our core offering involves pulling data from different pieces of technology across the vineyard and brings that together to make better, more accurate decisions around irrigation,” said Tim Hyde, the CEO of Swan Systems.

One of the first things Nigel installed at Torbreck when he started was a soil moisture monitoring system and irrigation controller that allowed Nigel and the team to control irrigation from their phones and computers. The continuously logging soil moisture probes and irrigation controller are then able to interface with the Swan Systems software.

“There is always a lag between soil running out of water and vines going into distress, so we installed an irrigation system with a radio link to all

the irrigation valves to shorten that lag,” said Nigel.

“We also incorporated satellite imagery and the use of weather stations to better understand and manage the variability of the Torbreck vineyard.

“Swan Systems links everything together under one system, so we can forecast irrigation requirements that considers all of the inputs.”

Two seasons in, Nigel said the system was working well – and gave Torbreck’s vineyards much needed consistency.

“Last year we were feeling our way, and this year we’ve added some temperature canopy sensors,” said Nigel.

“We now have a very strong system we can adapt to the changing climate and that gives us the consistency we need.

“We had some years that were great and some years that were not great. This system is allowing us to even out that consistency – so we can look at our past, and what’s expected in the future and then make timely decisions around that.”

Nigel and other grape and wine producers have been sharing their stories on Wine Australia’s video series Reading Between the Vines. Watch the series on www.wineaustralia.com/ growing-making/agtech-hub or on Wine Australia’s YouTube channel. ¢

atWork

From bank to biological sciences a natural transition for Vaughn

For as long as he can remember, Vaughn Bell has been fascinated with plants – their form, their colour and their structure.

But life works in strange ways, and instead of following his passion of studying botany and plant ecology straight from college, 18-year-old Vaughn was fast-tracked into the ANZ Bank in Wellington, New Zealand, as a junior.

A diligent Vaughn worked his way through the ranks over the next 17 years, ending up as lending manager at 35 years of age.

But when a redundancy package was offered, Vaughn bit the bullet and took it – starting a new chapter in his life and career by enrolling in the Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), where he completed Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (MSc) degrees.

Vaughn then worked with HortResearch which later became Plant and Food Research (PFR), a NZ Crown Research Institute, and was encouraged to continue his study; completed a Ph.D. in 2009 at VUW.

“As I periodically reflect on my career to date, I am forever grateful that I not only had the opportunity to use my university qualifications in my chosen field, but that I was supported by PFR to undertake a PhD,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn is the lead on the development of the grape and wine sector’s Grapevine leafroll disease and Shiraz disease: interim recommendations for management in Australian vineyards, funded by Wine Australia.

The project aimed to develop a practical ‘how to’ guide for vineyard owners and their staff to detect and manage the three viral pathogens of economic importance in Australia –grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1), GLRaV-3, and GVA, which causes Shiraz Disease.

Vaughn says his love of the biological sciences is rooted in the opportunity for continued learning.

“That said, if I had been asked at the start of university where I thought I would end up, I would’ve suggested a career working with our indigenous plants, perhaps working alongside our much cherished Department of Conservation.

“That I ended up working in the wine sector studying an insect group (mealybugs) transmitting an economically important virus (grapevine leafroll disease), was never contemplated. Never!”

He says that fate – and two key mentors along the way (Drs Rod Bonfiglioli and Jim Walker) – led him to where he is today.

“It was never envisaged, but it certainly isn’t regretted,” says Vaughn.

Vaughn says there is a lot to love about science.

“I have worked with some amazing people – passionate, quirky, talented, and inspirational. I have also had the absolute privilege of working closely with the New Zealand wine sector for the past 18 years. For me, the greatest appeal has been the opportunity to interact with growers in a way that has allowed me to get to know them and to really understand the issues they face.

“To undertake research is wonderful, but to do so in a way that has potential to offer others knowledge, understanding, and (hopefully) a meaningful resolution to problems, is special and something I have never taken for granted.”

You can read more about the management guide at wineaustralia. com. ¢

Vaughn Bell

Dr Vaughan Bell and Coco the Jack Russell

2022 Wine Packaging Virtual Forum, Expo & Design Awards

ON NOW

Browse virtual stalls of trusted industry suppliers to find out how they can help to improve your productivity and business growth

Discover new tech and sustainable product options

Meet the teams behind innovative local suppliers who support your industry

An unmissable line-up of expert industry speakers share their knowledge and experience on the theme of Adapting Packaging to the 21st Century: Innovation and Sustainability

View the entire field of striking entries that capture the Australian and New Zealand wine industry at its creative best. Find out which packaging designs are among the year’s best by visiting the Design Awards presentation.

Presented by in association with

Patron Sponsor

PACKWINE SPEAKERS

Speakers at the PACKWINE Forum & Expo’s webinar have presented their unique, informative and sometimes challenging perspectives related to the crucial role of wine packaging.

For PACKWINE 2022 , a diverse range of leaders in the field of packaging and related areas shared their considerable knowledge and expertise with the wider Australian and New Zealand wine sectors.

EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR INDUSTRY TO MAKE A CHANGE

The theme for PACKWINE 2022 has been ‘ What does it take to make a change – why is there resistance to change? ’ with webinar speakers addressing specific topics such as design innovation, digital wine marketing, successful wine canning and sustainable packaging.

Find the PACKWINE Expo Hall online now: www.packwine.com.au/expo

Here you will visit the displays of trusted industry suppliers who are presenting their products, videos and contact links.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Paul Baggio Managing Director, Della Toffola Pacific and Bertolaso Australia.

Topic: Motivating critical change in the wine industry’s evolution

Adeline Farrelly Secretary General of FEVE, the EU Federation for Glass Packaging. Topic: What is the path to climate neutral and fully circular glass packaging

Neil Scrimgeour Business Development Manager, Affinity Labs Topic: Achieving success with canned wines

Alison Appleby, Member Services Manager, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO)

Topic: Sustainable packaging and the wine industry

Marta Mendonca., Manager, The Porto Protocol Topic: Climate in a Bottle

Rowena Curlewis CEO & Co-founder, Denomination Topic: Design for change

Ralph Moyle FAIP, CPP Education Coordinator, Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) Topic: Rethink, Redesign, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Prof Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPP President, World Packaging Organisation

Kate Baker Circular Economy & Sustainability Manager, Visy Glass

Bernard Waterson AAIP Managing Director, Metalprint Australia

Simon Back MAIP General Manager, MaCher (Aust)

Graeme Lang MAIP Group Technical Manager, Labelmakers

Presented by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) Topic: The role sustainable packaging plays within the wine industry

Climate in a bottle

By Marta Mendonca – Manager, The Porto Protocol

Marta Mendonca

Marta has built most of her career in Marketing & Sales, having worked with various brands, countries, industries, and companies, from telecoms to wine & spirits. In 2016 she invested her experience in her own brand and consultancy, taking sustainability and climate advocacy to schools, events and companies, promoting awareness, and a path towards behavioral change. Since December 2019, Marta has been managing The Porto Protocol Foundation, the biggest global wine community sharing knowledge to collaboratively bring climate action to life. Marta holds a degree in International Relations, a PostGraduation in Marketing and a Master in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Itis the bottle, the very first layer in direct contact with the product and the one consumers interact with, that gets all the attention. But as we look at wine (packaging) from an environmental standpoint, and in the midst of a climate crisis, a more holistic approach is needed, one that rethinks and questions choices from containers to closures, from cartons to pallets.

In the sections below, we’ll take a look at the components from primary to tertiary packaging, as well as a few of the choices, solutions, issues and thresholds for each of them.

Primary packaging (aka, the bottle and beyond)

If you are an ordinary consumer in Shanghai enjoying a glass of a Premier Cru wine from Pommard or a New

Yorker appreciating a glass of a Barossa Shiraz, chances are you are unaware of the fact that the beautiful, heavy bottle in front of you is by far the element that contributes the most to wine’s carbon footprint or its travel miles before getting to your table.

• The container of choice by the industry, the glass bottle, is inert and safe in terms of food (and wine) security and keeps oxygen away¹. It is 100 per cent and infinitely recyclable, saving 20-40% energy on average. It can also be upcycled, without compromising quality or purity². But its manufacturing process though, that uses mostly natural gas, is extremely carbon-intensive. Along with transportation, it accounts for approximately 40-50% of its whole carbon accounting. And it is the packaging that weighs the most³.

The full presentations of all the 2022 PACKWINE speakers can be viewed online now: www.packwine. com.au/forum

A few of the solutions readily accessible to producers are:

• To reduce the weight of the bottle, as a 420g model will safeguard wine just as well as a 900g. A creative approach will make it look just as great⁴ and sound communications will easily demystify the preconception that good wine requires a heavy bottle. The difference is that its carbon footprint will be significantly lower (take a look at Figure 1).

• Understand how much recycled content goes into the bottle of choice and to what extent it can be increased (100%?).

• Standardize bottles and play with labels for differentiation, thus adding simplicity to logistics.

Continuing with wine containers, there are a variety of lighter and with significantly lower emissions options (Figure 1)⁵.

- PET recycled flat bottles challenge traditional shaped glass bottles both in carbon track and shape, showcasing the

In many cases, packaging is sourced in one country, travels halfway around the world to be bottled/assembled, to then be shipped to an importer on another continent and, from there, be dispatched to the countries/markets of sale.

- Aluminium cans, fully recyclable and able to come back to “life” without any loss of quality in a couple of months. They have to be melted in advance, with high energy consumption in the process (though less than primary aluminium production)

- Bag-in-box combines cardboard, a plastic liner and a hard plastic tap and allow larger volumes per unit. Generally cheaper than wine in glass, producers such as Tablas Creek are contributing to change BiB’s market perception

- Box Tetra Pak, PET bottles, EcoTotes, kegs, bio-sourced bottles are other available choices.

on colour, country, region. From 95% in Sweden, around 45% in Australia, 30% average in the US, to less than 20% in China (No.7⁶ in the total world wine consumption in mhl⁷). The same goes for other materials, from plastic to aluminium. And so recycling rates should be taken into consideration when looking at containers’ choices.

• Container deposit schemes are key to increasing current rates. For example, in Maine (California, US), the beverage container redemption program includes a 15¢ refundable deposit on spirits and wine containers per bottle returned, registering a 90% success rate⁸.

• It is also important to replace problematic combinations (e.g. PET bottles with metal closure) with better solutions (e.g. PET bottles with PET closure).

Other factors come into play. In many cases, packaging is sourced in one country, travels halfway around the world to be bottled/assembled, to then be shipped to an importer on another continent and, from there, be dispatched to the countries/markets of sale. In this equation, the means of transport counts significantly as slower forms of international shipping tend to be less impactful⁹.

inefficiency of the century-old format.

Though a fossil fuel based material, they’re circular in nature as they’re made of recycled PET.

- Paper bottles have a lower waterproduction footprint (than a normal glass bottle), are made from 94% recycled cardboard and a food grade pouch, 80% recyclable and 77% lower plastic content than a standard plastic bottle.

Just like the glass bottle, all these alternatives come with a “but”, from non-recyclable components, food safety issues, wine’s life span, to fossil fuels’ material origin.

They all have different recyclability credentials and levels of energy consumption in this process, but are they being recycled? Glass recycling rates vary tremendously depending

- Shipping in bulk and bottling at the destination market (which happens with more than 50% of wine arriving in the UK) overcomes (part of) this issue and saves up to 40% of the carbon footprint. This is not a choice, though, with some of the existing appellation systems and some producers still fear potential quality loss, traceability risks and prospective unemployment that may

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result from this shift (though bottling is an extremely automated process).

- A great solution would be for wineries to reach mutual agreements to bottle at each other’s facilities in different markets.

One choice that truly closes the loop is reusable bottles. Styria Bottle, Sustainable Wine Solutions, Oe for Good, Boutèy and Gotham Project, are among the several companies, of different nature, countries and at different stages of their endeavours, overcoming the various thresholds of these schemes, namely reverse logistics, local washing facilities, availability of wash-off labels, etc...

On this note, three members of the Porto Protocol will soon launch a new brand,

We must move away from single use and towards materials and solutions that close the loop, contribute to a circular model and savings in natural resources.

Snowden Cousins, in a refillable bottle: Diana Seysses (Snowden Vineyards, Domaine Dujac and the Porto Protocol’s Global Steering Committee) and Melissa Saunders (Communal Brands), relying on Caren McNamara’s (Conscious Container) expertise to wash the containers.

A universal bottle would certainly allow this circular solution to be scaled worldwide, as presently it is only viable within a certain perimeter.

But it doesn’t take a whole scheme to create a reusable bottle or, more accurately, to envision a second life for it, as demonstrated by Denomination Drinks Design creation for Cowpunk, showcasing the role a design agency can have in designing a product taking its whole lifecycle into consideration.

There are other components in wine’s primary packaging:

• Labels, with glues, inks and plastic coatings ruin chances of recyclability.

Travel miles of the paper and whether it’s coming from FSC run forests¹⁰ are also important factors. Choosing washoff, recycled paper and/or alternative fibre labels such as grass paper and grape residue, vegetable inks (soy or water based) are among the various lower impact substitutes available.

Bold examples of upcycling label backings, that generally go to landfill,

come from partnerships among different industries: The Park (Accolade Wines) 3D prints spare parts and Concha y Toro (Chile) has them transformed into detergent packaging labels.

• Capsules, being the ultimate environmental choice to go capsule-free or at least to reduce their size.

• Closures, from aluminium screwcaps to plastic or natural cork, vary in environmental footprint, the latter to have an overall lowest impact¹¹, even claiming to be carbon positive. One can say they rank similarly on recyclability though dependent on local requirements, but are they being recycled? Are consumers aware of how to discard each appropriately?

Secondary, tertiary packaging and beyond

Secondary packaging makes quite a first impression on consumers, but it also means an extra layer, energy and water usage and additional weight and size, may it be cardboard, foam, plastic, varnishes. Furthermore, mixed materials add premiumisation but compromise recyclability. All of the replacements to

Visit packwine.com.au to view all of the award entries, including the winners.

labels may be suitable for secondary packaging with creativity playing a key role.

There are already replacements for traditional wood boxes, a common choice in the wine world, made out of wood scraps or with a second life as a bird’s nest.

But packaging goes beyond what you see on the supermarket shelf. As one looks behind the scenes, tertiary packaging and a few of its complicated materials deserve proper attention and revaluation.

• Outer cases: closure type, carton’s origin (FSC certified? recycled?), cut and waste from production can all be taken into account.

• Inks and glues, and its respective origin. Substitutes are, for example, algae ink and digital printing.

• Tapes, whose recyclability depends on the type and local recycling centre’s requirements. Less impactful options are paper based, ones with recycled content, plant-based or simply using a lesser amount (possible depending on the outer case of choice).

• Styrofoam, quite common in directto-consumer sales, is an environmental issue, and some countries don’t even recycle it (e.g. USA). A few alternatives are compostable pulp separators (winter only), moulded fibre shippers (made with waste paper and moulded fibre materials that can be moulded to various shapes or sizes) and a level 1 insert liner able to support a no-sweat ice pack, made out of recycled water bottles.

• Stretch wrap isn’t reusable and difficult to recycle. Though not an easy fix, reducing the number of wraps, process automation, reusable pallet straps, biodegradable wrap (Bruce Jack, South Africa), recycling it into a new one, or none at all (The Park, UK/Australia, has achieved this in their canned products through the use of interlocking layer pads), there are daring solutions coming to life.

• As for pallets, from a cradle-tograve perspective, wood ones have a lower carbon footprint than their plastic competitors¹² (though several contradicting sources say otherwise).

Options are reusable, FSC certified, 100% recycled, 100% recyclable and lighter weight.

Wine producers are specialists in wine, not packaging, but they certainly liaise with those who are:

• Visit suppliers and work in partnership to find solutions, efficiencies and savings, from the printer to the glass plant

• Ask questions: what is each packaging made of, from bottle to capsule? Its afterlife? Can it be reused or recycled?

If recyclable, how long does it take for it to come back to life? What goes into landfill? How long does it last until it breaks down, 1000 years or six months? Is it harmful to wildlife? Where is the silica in the bottle, the paper in the label, the cork coming from? Are there alternatives to the PET or paper? How are suppliers getting their own supplies? The entire supply chain is important.

Embrace technology, explore new materials, learn from other industries, producers, purposefully rethink design, every component, their provenance, sourcing as close as possible to bottling facilities. This will reduce impact, production costs and increase efficiency.

The lighter and more recyclable the packaging, the smaller its climate impact. But we are not going to recycle our way out of this climate crisis. We must move away from single use and towards materials and solutions that close the loop, contribute to a circular model and savings in natural resources.

One size doesn’t fit all. So the question is not what packaging is green (if any) but what packaging is greener for what wine, during how long, in what market? Does it need aging (most wine really doesn’t), will it be drunk shortly after bottling and

purchased? Is it being sold locally? These are just a few of the questions that can generate change.

Conclusion

At the Porto Protocol, we trigger, promote, share, see change every day. In fact, the packaging “cluster” is one of the most dynamic ones in our community.

But it is not happening at the scale and speed we need. Climate change still occurs at a significantly faster pace than the shifts in the choices of producers, consumers, retailers and stakeholders alike.

As farmers, we are by nature safe guardians of the land and the only agricultural product to speak directly to the consumer. And though one industry alone cannot change the world, but it can certainly lead the way. Shall we?

References

1 https://parkcam.com.tr/en/newresearch-says-glass-safest-packagingfor-food/

2 https://calrecycle.ca.gov/Glass/; https:// www.gpi.org/glass-recycling-facts

3 www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/ docs/California_Wine_Executive_ Summary.pdf

4 www.portoprotocol.com/case-studies/ reduction-in-glass-weight/

5 Study on the environmental impacts and carbon footprint of different wine packaging types by Gaia Consulting Oy, commissioned by Alko www.alko.fi/en/ responsibly/sustainability-of-products/ beverage-packing-material-has-asignificant-climate-impact

6 www.therealreview.com/2022/08/04/ top-ten-wine-consumers/

7 Mhl - million hectolitres

8 https://anchor.fm/porto-protocol/ episodes/Climate-in-a-Bottle-ev18cl; www.maine.gov/dep/sustainability/ bottlebill/index.html

9 www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fastfacts-transportation-greenhouse-gasemissions

10 https://fsc.org/en/fsc-labels

11 www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/02/ wine-closures-the-facts/

12 www.sciencedirect.com/science/

2022 Packwine Design Awards

With more than 100 outstanding entries to choose from, our judges – Nerida Kelton MAIP, Paul Baggio and Nina Chalmers - have selected six category winners for the 2022 PACKWINE Design Awards. In addition, more than 800 public votes have been tallied to reveal the winning entry for this year’s People’s Choice Award. The Grapegrower & Winemaker spoke to award winners to learn a little more about each triumphant design.

Golden Amrita Golden Amrita

Estate Reserve

Bertolaso Best Luxury Design

Any packaging format retailing for $50 or more with a 750ml equivalent. These are designed to compete and succeed on high-end restaurant wine lists and in fine wine shops against imported luxury wines. Judging is based on visual appeal, design functionality, appropriateness for the price segment and quality of packaging materials used.

WINNER

Golden Amrita Estate Reserve Shiraz

Luxury

embodies different ideas in different markets and this was part of the design philosophy for Golden Amrita Estate and Voice Design.

The Barossa producer targests their wine in Asia and, as such, looked to find inspiration through iconography of luxury in those cultures.

“Golden Amrita is a luxury proposition aligned to export markets that indulge in the likes of the finest aged Pu’er Tea in the world,” Voice Design co-founder and creative director Scott Carslake said.

Pu’er or pu-erh is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China. It is made by fermenting dried and rolled tea leaves so they undergo a microbial fermentation until the desired flavours are achieved.

“Like wine, Pu’er Tea is harvested, aged, vintage specific and often expensive. The challenge was to lift the common wine package into a space of luxury that was undeniable so it was seen as much more than just wine,” Carslake continued.

“The design’s heavy metal label with sculpted emboss achieves a highly effective, tactile label that reflects light.”

The team at Voice Design looked to draw inspiration from the cultures the wine is targeted and embrace the elements that make the design stand out.

Bertolaso Best Luxury Package Design

26 Grapegrower & Winemaker www.winetitles.com.au October 2022 – Issue 705 PACKWINE 2022 | www.packwine.com.au Left to right: Rowan Rowan-Laubsch, Anthony De leo

Carslake went on to suggest that a big part of wine’s success is intelligent and thoughtful design.

He said his team embraced the challenges in engaging with consumers overseas through their design and that they were happy with the results.

“There are tens of thousands of designers around the world dedicated to creating

PACKWINE AWARD SPONSOR

new ways of engaging wine consumers via different design strategies,” he said.

“When the product achieves real success, an integral component of that success is the packaging design. Celebrating quality design sets new benchmarks at the very top level, motivates innovation and keeps the industry honest.”

Judges’ comments

"An outstanding concept, delivering a contemporary and premium design, based on classic motifs."

Bertolaso are the leaders in designing, producing, and installing automatic systems to bottle still or sparkling wine, spirits, beer and other drinks. In business since 1880 near Verona (Italy), through our “turnkey” systems we provide innovation and reliability to large and small producers around the world. What sets us apart from many of our competitors is our design skills and productspecific expertise. We don’t only produce

standard machines, we also craft custombuilt products: innovative solutions created to meet our clients’ needs.

This is the challenge we take on every day, thanks to the talent and capability of our Research & Development and Engineering Teams. We know full well that every producer is different to others: every bottle, every cap, every type of wine or drink require a

creative effort to develop technologies to make the bottling process faster, safer, and more efficient. For this reason, our systems are modular: they are flexible enough to accommodate new functionalities, dictated by the requirements emerging in the sector.

For more information, go to: www.bertolaso. com.au

WINNER

Wynns Reframed Cabernet Rose

Best Classic Format Package Design

Judges’ comments

“A successful new interpretation of a well-known design, pitched cleverly to a changing key demographic.”

It’snever easy to bring a classic design into the contemporary era. Richard Beck’s iconic illustration of the Wynn’s Estate winery is as much a part of the business’ identity as the region of Coonawarra itself.

Design Bridge Singapore decided to highlight the famous picture that adorns every bottle of Wynns and reframe it in a way that gives it a modern feel.

“We chose to embrace the illustration but reframe its context. Working with artists, we created four unique pieces that have been screen-printed directly on to each classic bottle. Capturing the same sense of craft and tactility that has gone into each of the wines,” a spokesperson for Design Bridge said.

Design Bridge client director Kathryn O’Connell said that the team was pleased to be recognised for its work and recognised the place that label design has in the canon of wine.

“So often a wine recognised for its innovation and craft, that it is nice for the packaging to receive recognition too. Especially on such an iconic and respected brand like Wynns,” she said.

“It was always the intent to use innovative print techniques and intriguing colour combinations to echo the alternative wine processes that went into the making of the liquid.

“[We are] excited that Wynns, a traditional brand that plays within the bounds of what the expected is, can do something bold, different, and really push the boundaries of design.

“With the bar being constantly raised for Australian wine packaging design, receiving this accolade is truly an honour. The competition is tough and there is ever more amazing design out there. To win this award with an iconic brand like Wynns gives us great pride.”

O’Connell said that great design come from partnership.

“Unlike most categories, the wine bottle becomes the silent salesman for many brands and is the critical touchpoint that lives on dinner tables and in cellars around the country,” she continued.

“It is a brand’s single most important asset and at times the only touchpoint your consumer will come into contact with.

“Here we use the power of packaging design to Reframe not only wine varietals but the Wynns brand and its story.”

28 Grapegrower & Winemaker www.winetitles.com.au October 2022 – Issue 705 PACKWINE 2022 | www.packwine.com.au Design Bridge Singapore client director Kathryn O’Connell and senior brand strategist Rachel Barton

Best Package Redesign

Change is an all-important force that must be embraced for wine businesses to continue to survive in a wine industry begging for a new coat of paint.

Designers must consider, however, that for many wine is not just a drink but also represents tradition.

Black Squid Design jumped at the chance to bring the Grigori Family Reserve Collection into the contemporary sphere whilst not ignoring the important traditions is represents.

The new label pays homage to that which came before it but finds a sleek new identity that embodies a bit more luxury.

“The brief was to highlight the generational family history and give the range a more premium, traditional/ contemporary feel,” Black Squid Design founder Derek Butler said.

“We redesigned the logo, removed the crest and rotated the logo vertically to give a more contemporary look.

“The family story (and wine variety notes) were brought to the front label and used as a typographic feature.

“The black and gold colour palette was been maintained however a textured stock was selected and a sculptured embossed gold foil logo printed for a more premium feel.”

Butler said the win was reassuring for him and his team that the work they were doing was important for an industry facing a change in personality.

“We are popping the Champagne,” Butler said.

“To be recognised for our design innovation reinforces our client’s confidence to continue to trust our creative process.

“We educate the target market to reflect brand and the product behind the label. In a world of wine label clutter, without quality design in wine packaging… the product is just wine, without a voice.”

Judges’ comments

“A distinctive redesign, which sympathetically utilises past design cues into a more premium guise”

The team at Black Squid Design

Best Alternative or Sustainable Format Package Design

WINNER

Greenskin Wine

From

bubbling under to bursting from the surface, Greenskin Wines are a new face in the industry and have made their impact clear with their innovative pouch design.

Born from a desire to have a more convenient way to consumer wine both on land and aboard a boat, Greenskin Wines recognised there was space in the market for premium wine in something besides glass.

“We focused on three vital components when we decided to bring Greenskin Wine to the market,” Greenskin Wine co-founder Kim McKee said.

“First was the wine quality. We were mindful of the damage that could be done by filling a new packaging format with sub-standard wine and were careful not to take that risk.

“The second was the usability and practicality of the package. It had to be strong, lightweight, compact, and rigid enough to sit well and pour easily regardless of the volume of wine in the pouch.

“It is also easy to drink in moderation and reduces wine wastage. By squeezing out the air and resealing the pouch, the wines stay fresh for three weeks and beyond.

“Third and most importantly was the impact on the environment. Each pouch requires far less energy to produce

Judges’ comments

“Certainly a fresh take on sustainable wine packaging and design, pitched accurately to an important market segment”

and transport than glass and is 100% recyclable.”

McKee and the team at Greenskin Wines were “thrilled” when given the news they had won the award and indicated that it showed movement within the industry

toward more sustainable packaging.

“Being recognised is a superb reward for all of our research, analysis and hard work in getting Greenskin Wine into the market,” McKee said.

“It indicates that the industry is open to change and is starting to recognise that there are more sustainable alternatives to glass for packaging wine.

“When it comes to alternative packaging, awards like this help facilitate progress in a traditional industry and also offers consumers more sustainable choices when it comes to choosing and consuming their favourite wines.”

Greenskin Wine’s Mike Davies and Kim McKee

Best Package Series Design

Kings of Prohibition

Paying

homage to the age of prohibition, Calabria looked to pay tribute to the figures of the era whose stories are still told.

The bottle design pays tribute and resembles the bottle styles more common in the 1920s and each wine in the series is named for a famed figure like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Bill McCoy.

Screen-printing the artwork in foil directly to custom bottle proved to be a huge success with the brand being requested worldwide and searched for from the day it launched.

Calabria brand and design manager Ashleigh Quarisa said the team felt the way a wine looks on the shelf was as much a part of the experience as its taste.

“With this range, we wanted to put an unconventional twist on traditional packaging with a unique and interesting part of history as the inspiration behind the label,” she said.

“Storytelling is crucial in engaging consumers with wine brands; however, it’s easy to get lost when so many other wine brands tell similar stories of the region, winemaking and varietals.

“Through clever design and inspiration outside the traditional wine themes, you can express a brand’s individuality in a different way that excites a new generation of consumers.”

Calabria aimed to create feelings of nostalgia and tell the stories of a significant period in the history of the wine industry whilst keeping with higher modern standards of quality.

“The design is the first thing the consumer sees when choosing a wine off the shelf, and often, with so many exceptional wines on offer, the packaging can be the deciding factor or lead to spurof-the-moment purchases,” Quarisa said.

Judges’ comments

“A very effective typographic and packaging design which perfectly helps to define this brand series in a new way”

“We are all over the moon to win this award. The wine had already exceeded our expectations in the domestic and international markets, but for it to be recognised for its design is a real accomplishment for the team.”

Calabria brand and design manager Ashleigh Quarisa

Best Presentation & Gift Pack Design

WINNER

Golden Amrita Estate Reserve Shiraz

Asmall

batch winery in the Barossa, Golden Amrita looked to embody religious iconography found in Asia. The sleek black design accentuates the gold lined highlights that line the bottle, box and bag.

Voice Design co-founder and creative director Scott Carslake said it was encouraging for the team to win the award and highlighted the work they had been putting in.

Amrita is a concept in Sanskirt and Indian religions reffering to immortality and is often referred to in India as an elixir. A similar etymology is found in Greek mythology and refers to the nectar of the gods.

“We were thrilled and knew it would mean so much to our client,” Carslake said, “Only the best work gets entered into competitions. With peer recognition, it further establishes that our expertise in alcohol packaging is cutting through and getting attention.”

The team aimed to put the same care into the design that Golden Amrita put into the wine.

The winery was acquired by Pu’er Tea growers, the Liu Family, in 2017 and the design of the Golden Amrita bottles embodies the sense of luxury found in the family’s other produicts.

“Amrita is an ancient Indian word meaning ‘Nectar of the Gods’, and a common form evident in many religious images is the almond form,” Carslake said.

“This adorns the wine bottle as the front label and the buckle on the front of the gift box, but the moment it really comes to life, is when the gift box is opened and an internal soft light illuminates behind the almond shaped black mirror behind the bottle. The depth of detail continues with a unique hand applied neck label presenting the wine details and sealed with wax.”

Judges’ comments

“An impeccable design concept pushing the boundaries within the premium segment”

32 Grapegrower & Winemaker www.winetitles.com.au October 2022 – Issue 705 PACKWINE 2022 | www.packwine.com.au Scott Carslake, Rowan RowanLaubsch and Candice Papagiannis from Voice Design

WINNER

National Wine Centre of Australia People’s Choice Award Greenskin Wine

Change

is in the air and alternative packaging proved to be the taste of the month amongst PACKWINE award voters.

Greenskin Wine’s innovative pouch design not only embodies the spirit of the 2022 PACKWINE awards, but demonstrates how out of the box thinking can help the industry develop.

“In short, thrilled,” said Greenskin Wine co-founder Kim McKee when asked about her reaction to receiving the people’s choice award.

She said that the most important part of chasing change was to provide quality, so consumers would not be faced with a sub-par product when being exposed to new types of packaging.

“Regarding the consumer, Greenskin Wine allows more people to enjoy highquality wine anywhere, anytime, without the inconvenience of carrying heavy, bulky, breakable glass bottles,” McKee said.

“We purposely selected a range of highquality small parcels of wine from highly respected WA wine producers for our first offerings to the market and will continue to source high-quality wines for future releases.”

The Greenskin pouch not only addresses challenges provided to producers’ costs but also the environmental impact of using glass to package wine.

Greenskin Wine uses approximately 80 per cent less energy to produce and emits far fewer carbon emissions to be transported.

The company also addressed the issue of waste with an intelligent, forwardthinking recycling program.

“We also wanted to create a real point of

difference by creating a wine industryfirst mail-back recycling system,” McKee said.

“We worked hard to secure a recycling partner (REDCycle) who would accept our returns. A free, postage-paid satchel is included in each 6-pack for consumers to place their empties in and drop into any post box to be returned directly to our recycling partner.”

In an era where the industry is looking for answers to older ideas that are becoming less sustainable, Greenskin Wines have produced an idea and a product that address the industries challenges head on.

Mike Davies and Kim McKee from Greenskin Wine

Hall

The 2022 PACKWINE Expo Hall is now live, featuring displays from leading packaging suppliers to the Australian and New Zealand wine sectors. The Expo Hall provides a unique opportunity to learn more about a range of companies that are among the most innovative providers of packaging related products and services.

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Fertilisers & Nutrition

Fresh approaches to providing vine nutrition

Winegrape growers have faced increasing costs pressures since vital supplies were disrupted by pandemic lockdowns, global shipping delays and the fallout from war in Ukraine. Australia has long been almost entirely dependent on overseas imports when it it’s come to fertilisers. Harrison Davies digs up potential new straegies to overcome the challenges assocaited with providing nutrition to vines.

Commodity

prices have made significant jumps higher following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The conflict also led to global supplies of certain goods being disrupted or, in the case of natural gas, cut off altogether to western European markets.

While the effects of the war may have had a greater impact outside of Australia and New Zealand, one consequence that local prodcuers have been unable to avoid has been reduced access to crucial supplies of fertiliser, with the cost of this contiuining to increase over many months.

Many Australian producers have traditionally been reliant on supplies of urea-based fertiliser, which have long been sourced from exporting countries such as Russia, China and Egypt.

Analysis from Rabobank has shown that while phosphate and potash-based fertiliser have prices eased over the month of August, urea has continued to increase.

RaboResearch general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Stefan Vogel, said that costs could continue to increase going well into the next year.

“For the Australian food and agri sector, the implications of the planned next round of EU sanctions on Russia are therefore more negative than positive as prices of farming outputs like grains are expected to move substantially less upward than those of input costs like energy and, to some degree, fertiliser,” he said.

“Fertiliser prices elevate with grain prices and the current high price period is not an exception.

“And while Australia does not typically import much of its fertiliser needs from the Black Sea region, we are importing most of our needs from the world market and therefore we will still face a tough fertiliser market in the coming months.

“Australia may face some temporary shortages for certain products as key import competitors like Brazil and India will also try to secure their needs in the global market.

“Given Australia’s import dependence for fertiliser, our fertiliser chain is more vulnerable than usual.”

Security in the face of uncertainty

Sustainability is at the centre of the wine industry’s strategy going forward, and creating security in regards to fertiliser supply fits into this approach.

There has been a growing emphasis on planting native cover crops and cultivating vineyards to grow stronger

without the need of outside assistance like fertiliser or pesticides.

Eden Hall viticulturist Dan Falkenberg said there were more options for producers to go without the use of chemicals.

“There are many non-chemical and biological products on the market where growers can switch from chemical to natural and biological easily with similar or better results,” he said.

“The other alternative is for producers to make their own biological fertilisers like compost, where products can be sourced easily and closes the loop in recycling; the use of biological/compost teas and extracts can all be produced and applied for as little as a few dollars a hectare.

Eden Hall viticulturist Dan Falkenberg.

“Equipment to brew can be made cheaply and easily and is a cost effective and natural way for improving vineyard and soil health.”

Falkenberg, alongside other viticulturists like Dr Mary Retallack, has been actively encouraging producers to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices.

Wine Australia has also announced $2.2 million in funding for producers to plant cover crops and adopt methods of viticulture that are less taxing on their land.

Falkenberg added that there were simple

benefits for producers to move away from synthetic chemicals in the vineyard.

“The advantages of using a non-chemical product is numerous. It improves the soil structure, it will not harm grapevines with over fertilisation since it is ultimately a slow-release fertiliser,” he said.

“It has little risk or no risk of toxic buildup of deadly chemicals and salts, it is renewable, sustainable, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly.”

Larger wine companies have chased more sustainable methods not only as part of their environmental goals but

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Given Australia’s import dependence for fertiliser, our fertiliser chain is more vulnerable than usual.

Stefan Vogel

RaboResearch general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Stefan Vogel. Photo: Rabobank

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The advantages of using a non-chemical product are numerous. It improves the soil structure, it will not harm grapevines with over fertilisation since it is ultimately a slow–release fertiliser.

Dan Falkenberg

also for the cost savings they can provide – on top of being less expensive, nonchemical fertiliser processes are much more consistent.

The Endeavour Group, which has recently made several notable winery acquisitions, has released a sustainability plan for the coming years.

Endeavour examined the effects of implementing the plan from the case study of their Chapel Hill vineyards in McLaren Vale.

The winery and vineyards are farmed using low-impact techniques, including reclaimed water for irrigation and on-site

Lift Vineyard Performance* with Biostart’s biological programme.

Apply Mycorrcin in spring at budbreak to activate the soil microbiology that increases nutrient uptake by the vine.

Apply Digester to rapidly recycle prunings back into nutrients and organic matter and reduce disease overwintering.

Apply Foliacin to activate the foliar biology to boost foliar health and lift photosynthesis.

Sustainable vineyard practices could provide a way to lower dependence on chenical fertilisers

composting, which reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers and preserves the soil for long-term productivity.

Winemaker Michael Fargos said they have found the new goals to be an important priority.

“The collated information supplied as part of [Sustainable Winegrowing Australia] annual reporting allows for benchmarking against other vineyards and wineries and helps us identify areas for improvement,” Fargos said.

“We can be proactive, rather than reactive, in our management of the site.”

Falkenberg said there were many incentives to chase more sustainable viticultural practises, if for nothing else, then to simply avoid the price hikes of fertiliser.

“Considering the ongoing and rising costs of chemicals, the incentives to growers to switch to biological systems are considerable due to their availability

and benefits to environment and human health,” he said.

“In addition, biofertilisers are cost effective when compared to synthetic fertilisers.

“[Producers should] utilise a transition period where biologicals are phased in over several seasons and the synthetic fertilisers are reduced and phased out overtime also. Speak with other growers who have made the change and do your ownresearch,” he concluded.

It’s expected that temporary shortages of imported fertiliser products could hit Australian producers in the coming months

grapegrowing

Vineyard biodiversity – how to put it to work using cover crops

By Geoff Gurr, Jian Liu and Jason Smith, Charles Sturt University, Orange

Vineyards

usually have a groundcover made-up of spontaneously-growing grasses and broadleaved weeds or have bare earth, either directly under the vines or across the whole vineyard. Each of these options has problems. Bare earth increases the risk of soil erosion by wind and water run-off and can lead to poor soil structure. Conversely, a weedy groundcover uses valuable water and requires mowing to prevent excessive growth. If the weeds are too vigorous, they can block air flow and favour development of fungal diseases and frost damage. Reflecting this challenging situation, there has been growing interest both in Australia and overseas in the use of alternative types of groundcovers. That’s where cover crops come in. These can be thought of as form of groundcover that is

deliberately established and often more actively managed than a spontaneous coverage of weedy plants. Cover crops can deliver a range of benefits in the vineyard.

Early work in South Australia, for example, showed scope for weed control using under-vine cover crops. In 2021, Wine Australia awarded funds to a new project that aims to generate evidencebased guidelines for using a range of cover crop types to deliver multiple benefits to vineyards. Results from the first year of this project, run by Charles Sturt University, are the focus of this article.

One feature of the new project is the use of laboratory studies to assess the benefits of a range of potential cover crop plants to parasitic wasps that attack lightbrown apple moth, one of the key vineyard pests in many districts. The caterpillars

of this pest damage bunches and leave them more susceptible to infection by Botrytis fungus, leading to bunch rot. Our work has focussed on minute Trichogramma wasps that lay their eggs in the pest’s eggs, ‘hijacking’ them so they give rise to more wasps rather than developing into damaging caterpillars. Whilst Trichogramma wasps are widely distributed in Australia, they live for only a few days unless able to feed on nectar. Unfortunately, nectar plants tend to be scarce in vineyards, making them inhospitable locations for effective biological control. Our laboratory research has identified a range of plant species that may remedy this problem by providing nectar that is suitable for use by Trichogramma wasps. One example is buckwheat which produces nectar

Light brown apple moth: one of the key vineyard pests and for which cover crop can provide protection by attracting beneficial insects such as nectar-feeding Trichogramma wasps.

Geoff Gurr checking early season establishment of buckwheat sown as a mid-row cover crop.

Buckwheat plants blooming mid-season and providing nectar to beneficial insects.

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that extends the life span of these tiny wasps and more than doubles their egg laying. Buckwheat can be grown as a mid-row cover crop in vineyards but is too tall (about one metre) to be suitable for use directly under the vines. Here, another plant, alyssum, seems to have good scope as it grows to only a quarter of the height of buckwheat. Alternatives to these exotic plants include several native species that might be favoured in settings where the manager wished to soften their overall environmental impact and make the vineyard a setting where native invertebrates and small animals find harbour. But our screening of various options has revealed an important practical message. Some native plants, including Acacia and Kunzea species, appear to provide no benefit to Trichogramma. Fortunately, many other species do greatly boost egg laying by wasps. These include the prostrate-growing species Grevillia lanigera , Myoporum parvifolium and Leptospermum ‘Pink Cascade’. Our laboratory tests help inform which plants might be used as vineyard cover crops, as well as for selecting species suitable for ‘insectary plantings’ beside vineyards, and even help understand which native woody plants might be valuable in shelterbelts and the wider landscape.

The Australian grapevine moth can cause serious late season defoliation but is attacked by a range beneficials such as parasitic wasps; this individual has several wasp eggs on the ‘neck’ area from where it is unable to groom them off

Vineyard trials

So much for boffins playing with bugs in the lab; what actually happens in the field? Vineyard trials were conducted in 2021-22 in the Orange district to assess ease of establishment of various cover crop species and measure the benefits of each. An important finding from this season-long trialling was that some of the plants that were shown to be useful to Trichogramma wasps in the laboratory led to reduced levels of field damage to bunches by lightbrown apple moth. In the case of alyssum established as undervine plots, for example, the numbers of damaged fruit bunches were reduced by two thirds at both the organically managed site (See Saw Wine’s Balmoral Vineyard) and a conventionally managed site (Angullong Vineyard). Moreover, the alyssum cover crop led to lower numbers of fruit bunches affected by Botrytis and, for those affected bunches, the severity of rot was reduced. Similar effects, though slightly less pronounced, were apparent when a mix of lowgrowing, perennial native plant species was established under the vines. This was an exciting finding because those natives were established as small plants that took time to grow yet they were still delivering benefit in year one. By the end of the first season, several, especially Dampiera and

KEY FACTS

● Several native and non-native plant species have been identified as agronomically well-suited for use as vineyard cover crops both mid-row and under-vine;

● Several species (including perennials) established and achieved significant levels of ground-coverage and competed well with weeds;

● Several species exhibited a prostrate growth habit in vineyard settings to the extent that they were shorter that weedy vegetation they replaced so can be assumed to improve air flow, so reducing frost risk and fungal disease severity;

● Fruit bunch attack by lightbrown apple moth was greatly reduced by some cover crop treatments such as alyssum;

● Both incidence and severity of Botrytis bunch rot was reduced by some cover crop treatments, including alyssum, which suggests that reductions in the severity of lightbrown apple moth attack can have a knock-on effect in reducing the Botrytis fungus infection within bunches.

…the alyssum cover crop led to lower numbers of fruit bunches affected by Botrytis and, for those affected bunches, the severity of rot was reduced.

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Some cover crops – such as buckwheat, alyssum and several commercial blends – are inexpensive, widely available and grow vigorously enough to give a good ‘strike’.

Myoporum, were aggressively covering more ground and out-competing the adjacent weeds but still retained their prostrate growth habit. This meant that they did not climb into the vine foliage and, at an average of less than 20cm high, were considerably shorter than the weedy plants in the control plots in the trials which comprised the original groundcover. Those grassy and broadleaved weeds were typically around 50cm high so much more likely to impede air flow through the vines and around bunches. We anticipate that the benefits of these native plants in year two will be even stronger as they cover more area and provide more nectar resources to beneficial insects.

From a practical perspective, establishing cover crops remains a challenge. At the relatively small scale of research plots in this study it was possible to use small,

motorised machinery and hand tools, but this would not be economical at a commercial scale. Tractor-mounted machinery can be used to prepare a seed bed for mid-row cover crops; indeed, this is not uncommon, but establishing undervine cover crops requires specialised machinery to work around vines, posts and irrigation lines. Currently, such equipment is not common and relatively expensive. Potentially, however, there is no need to use tillage to establish a fine seed bed if herbicides are used to reduce weed completion and allow cover crop plant seeds to be surface-sown (suitable for species such as alyssum) or if using small ‘tube stock’ native plants. The costs of planting material are also a consideration. Some cover crops – such as buckwheat, alyssum and several commercial blends – are inexpensive, widely available and grow vigorously

enough to give a good ‘strike’. Alyssum offers the advantage of self-seeding to provide a perennial strip and has an extremely long flowering period which is important in order to give seasonlong nectar availability to beneficials. Buckwheat tends to bloom very rapidly but sowing time is important because it is very susceptible to frost so cannot be sown early in cooler districts. Whilst buckwheat has a short blooming period it is possible to extend nectar availability by slashing part of the width of midrow strips to encourage a new flush of growth. Native species are the costliest of the treatments we evaluated because small potted plants were used since seed availability was poor for most species. Whilst the natives are perennial and likely to provide benefit for many years, the up-front costs will be prohibitive in some circumstances.

The low-growing native shrub, Myoporum parvifolium, grew vigorously beneath vines producing large numbers of white flowers that laboratory tests showed were effective in boosting the performance of Trichogramma wasps.

The familiar garden ornamental plant, alyssum, appears well suited as an under-vine cover crop where it competes with weeds, forms a dense but prostrate groundcover that provides good air flow beneath the vine canopy. It also reduced damage by lightbrown apple moth and late season botrytis bunch rot.

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grapegrowing

Our year-one results appear very promising but there is still much to be learned. During spring 2022 we will be monitoring how the various cover crop species survived winter frosts and grazing by sheep. These are important aspects because the plants need to be in a vigorous state early in the season in order to prevent weed growth and provide habitat for beneficials. They also need to bloom as early as possible to attract and support parasitoids such as

Trichogramma wasps so that the first generation of lightbrown apple moth is checked. Species such as buckwheat will require re-sowing each year. Further, it is important is such field trials to base conclusions on more than just a single season, especially since 2021-2022 was so moist. If conditions become drier in the upcoming season it will, for example, provide an opportunity to assess cover crop vigour when vines are competing

for water and see if they are less ‘thirsty’ than the grassy weeds they are replacing Acknowledgement

This work is supported by Australian grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body, Wine Australia, with matching funds from the Australian Government. We thank See Saw Wines and Angullong Wines for hosting vineyard trials.

Some native shrubs such as this Grevilia lanigera will grow too tall to be used under vines but have potential value as mid-row plants or for use in insectary plantings beside the vineyard. Like alyssum and Myoporum, laboratory studies showed that it provides nectar that boosts performance of parasitic wasps such as those that attack lightbrown apple moth and Australian grape vine moth.

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History and recent developments in under-vine weeding equipment

There is much current interest in techniques for non-chemical weed control. In this article, AWRI Principal Engineer Simon Nordestgaard summarises the history of under-vine weeding equipment.

Cultivation using hand tools and ploughs

Weeds in vineyards have traditionally been managed by cultivation – essentially digging them up or burying them.

Initially this was performed with hand tools (Figure 1) then later using ploughs drawn by oxen or horses. Ploughs have been used since antiquity, but were not common in vineyards in many regions

until much later. For example, in many winegrowing regions of France ploughs were only adopted in the 19th century. Even at the start of the 20th century, some authors stated that growers needed at least 4 ha to justify having a horse. Hand tools also remained the only option in steeply sloped plots. The vigneron’s plough (Figure 2), however, was by this time quite well adapted to the specifics of vineyards. For example, it featured

offset handles so it could be used close to vines, but it still left a 20 cm strip in the vine row that needed to be managed by hand. When vines were not trellised and square planted, cross-ploughing/hoeing was sometimes used to reduce the undervine area needing to be tended by hand. Spring-loaded under-vine hoes

Around 1910, several spring-loaded under-vine hoeing tools were developed

Figure 1. Early 20th century hand tools for vineyard cultivation (from Chancrin 1908)

Figure 2. (a) ‘Day off Peter’ sculpture at Angaston in the Barossa Valley showing a vigneron’s plough with a Clydesdale horse, (b) ploughing dirt onto the vine row, or from near the vine row (a single-furrow plough is shown adapted from Brunet 1910, but in wider rows a two- or three-furrow plough, drawn by two or three horses would often be used)

Cultivation cycle

Multiple French viticultural textbooks were published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and these provide some of the best records of viticultural practices at that time. They outline the cycle of vineyard cultivation and the functions it performed. In cooler areas the first cultivation was in autumn, ‘hilling’ the vines to help protect them from the cold. In late winter or spring, the soil would be stripped from the feet of the vines. In warmer areas this was the first cultivation. This stripping cultivation would destroy emerging weeds, aerate the soil and vines and help kill insect larvae under the bark. It would also cut surface rootlets, with the goal of encouraging the formation of deeper roots. Later the soil would be ploughed back on. Shallower hoeing (by hand or harnessed tools) would then be performed several times in the growing season to level the ground, prevent water-consuming weed growth and cut capillary channels that could bring water to the surface.

There is an old French saying that summarises how importantly hoeing was viewed for its role in managing soil moisture in these unirrigated vineyards: “Two hoeings are worth one watering”.

that fitted on the sides of horse-drawn hoeing tools already used for the mid-rows (Figure 3). The tools were supposed to spring back around the vine trunk when their sensor-bar pushed against it, but the action was not smooth. The sensor bar was often removed and contact of the blade with the vine trunk was relied upon for triggering retraction.

Dodge ploughs (décavaillonneuse)

The first horse-drawn under-vine weeding tool to be widely adopted appears to have been

DOWNY MILDEW CONTROL TWO WAYS TO WORK

Figure 3. (a) Spring-loaded under-vine hoe, (b) under-vine hoes attached to horse-drawn hoeing tool, and (c) overhead view of a similar tool in operation but with single blade instead of winged under-vine hoes (adapted from Brunet 1910)

grapegrowing

the dodge plough (Figure 4). This is a relatively simple and manoeuvrable tool that the user can dodge around the vines. In French, it is known as a ‘décavaillonneuse’ because it removes the cavaillon (the French name for the under-vine strip).

Tractors

While some tractors were used in vineyards in the early 20th century, this was mainly for preparing land for planting, rather than for everyday operations. Tractors only started to become common in the late 1940s. Just like during the shift to horse-power, under-vine weeding was slower to be adapted to tractor power than basic ploughing and hoeing. Early implements also still often needed extra people walking behind or sitting on them to

dodge the plough in and out around the vines.

In the 1950s, automated dodge ploughs actuated by a sensor rod were developed (e.g. Figure 5). In this classic design, the plough is on a parallelogram. When the sensor rod hits the vine, the plough is moved out and around the vine but keeps the same angle of attack, so when the vine is clear, the resistance of the soil on the plough brings it back into the working vine line. These tools could be attached to the side of vineyard ploughs that already worked the midrow. This tool works without hydraulics and the springs only perform secondary functions – priming and safety opening for if the tool gets entangled. Modern variations of this sensor-actuated dodge plough appear to still be quite common in France but are rare in Australia.

In the 1970s, hydraulically powered tools were developed (e.g. Figure 6). With hydraulic assistance, the sensor rod doesn’t need to push as hard against the vine for the tool to retract. Hydraulic power can also be used to return the tool to the working line independent of the plough shape and soil resistance.

In Australia, hydraulically powered dodge ploughs appear to have also been widely used, but generally they were actuated by a foot pedal or handle rather than by a sensor rod (Figure 7). These tools are still used to a limited extent today.

Herbicides

Synthetic herbicides began to be used in some French vineyards around 1960.

Figure 4. (a) Dodge plough, and (b) mode of dodge plough operation (Kirpy)

Figure 5. Sensor-rod actuated dodge plough (Egretier, c. 1950s)

Figure 6. Hydraulically assisted sensorrod actuated under-vine weeding tool (Boisselet, c. 1970s)

However, early synthetic herbicides were not easy to use as they left residues in the soil and there was some risk of damaging vines. They were also ineffective at managing perennial weeds. It wasn’t until safer perennial grass herbicides such as glyphosate were developed that herbicides really became a viable alternative to cultivation for weed management. Glyphosate was released in the USA in 1974 and registered for

use in Australia in 1976. Some of its advantages over cultivation are neatly summarised in an advertisement from the April 1985 edition of Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker magazine (Figure 8). Herbicides became the most common technique for under-vine weed management and this is still likely the case for most of the world. Herbicides also started to be used for managing weeds in the mid-row, but this practice

declined, and in Australia mowing is now the most common technique for managing mid-row growth.

In Australia, when herbicides were first being considered as an alternative to under-vine cultivation, there was some debate about whether vines would continue to grow without the rootlet pruning that under-vine cultivation achieves. It took successful no-till trials in

Irrigation

It is likely that changes in irrigation practices have facilitated changes in weed management, in particular the shift away from total cultivation. Irrigation can compensate vines for some water consumption by weeds. It also reduces the need for surface rootlet pruning since roots do not need to be encouraged to go as deep to access water.

When many vineyards used to be furrow-irrigated, cultivation was also a necessary part of the management system, because the furrows needed to be formed. With the shift to drip irrigation in the 1970s to 1990s, this need for cultivation was removed, opening the way for alternatives. Furthermore, the more focused under-vine drip irrigation likely reduced the radial spread of roots, and therefore the importance of weed management in the mid-rows, possibly making mowing a suitable alternative to cultivation in the mid-rows.

Figure 7. Manually actuated hydraulically assisted Australian dodge ploughs, actuated by (a) handle, and (b) foot pedal

Figure 8. Advertisement for glyphosate in the April 1985 edition of Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker magazine

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grapegrowing

the Barossa Valley, in which the vineyard floor was completely covered with straw mulch, to prove that cultivation was not a necessity, provided there was another means of controlling weeds.

This followed many historical debates on what depths should be used for cultivation and the need for cultivation at all. In one interesting series of experiments in Montpellier from 1908 to 1927, vines were surrounded by concrete to see if they could survive without cultivation, and yields were slightly better than with a cultivated control treatment.

Organics and sustainability

In recent years there has been growing

pressure to reduce the use of herbicides in agriculture. Glyphosate is becoming increasingly restricted in Europe. It was almost not relicensed there in 2017. Furthermore, glyphosate and other important herbicides are not permitted in organic production systems. There is much debate about the sustainability of organics and moves to restrict the use of herbicides and some fungicides. For example, some argue that cultivation is more natural than using herbicides for managing weeds, but others argue that cultivation, the most common organic alternative, negatively impacts soil structure, increases production costs, and uses more diesel and is therefore less sustainable than using herbicides.

Modern under-vine weeding tools

For growers that do not want to cultivate, under-vine mowing is an alternative. There are various systems available (e.g. Figure 9). However, mowing does not remove as much plant matter as cultivation, so it often requires more passes. Generally, mowing tools also have parts that wear more quickly than cultivation tools.

Blade/knife weeders are a common modern under-vine cultivation tool that does not dig as deep as a dodge plough (Figure 10). They retract on a vertical axis following contact of a sensor rod with the vine and open out again once

the vine passes. They are sometimes used in conjunction with a rotary tiller that breaks apart the weeds from the soil that has been cut out, and a serrated disc to cut a line ahead of the blade.

Roller hoes (Figure 11a) also known as Rollhacke (hacke means hoe in German) are another tool that has become common. They can run at much higher speeds than dodge ploughs or blades. However, they do not extend into the vine row and therefore can result in some mounding. Roller hoes appear to have originally been developed to run uphill in steep-sloped vineyards as the star design does not create an edge that water can run down.

Flexible rubber finger hoes (Figure 11b) are a tool that extends into the vine row with the fingers bending around the vines

Figure 9. Under-vine mowing tools: (a) mower head with blades rotating on vertical axis –retracted around vines based on sensor rods, and (b) mower head with cords rotating on a horizontal axis mounted on spring-loaded bumpers to get around vines (Clemens)

Figure 10. Blade/knife weeder with rotary tiller (Clemens)

grape

and posts. They do not need sensor rods or a retraction mechanism, and therefore do not create ‘weed shadows’ like many of the other tools. The patented Kress design used by several suppliers features metal driving fingers underneath to keep the finger wheel turning and limit bulldozing. They are often now used in conjunction with roller hoes (Figure 11c) to try and limit the mounding that can occur with that tool, but it will likely still occur eventually, requiring a pass with a different tool to level the ground.

Other novel weeding techniques

There is also interest in other nonchemical weeding techniques. Steam and flame weeding have been used to some extent, and microwave weeding is also being trialled, but the technique that is attracting the most recent attention is electric weeding (Figure 12). Positive and negative electrodes drag along the ground and high voltage electricity flows between them, damaging the

weeds. The technique is already being used commercially in some European vineyards and is being trialled this year in an Australian vineyard.

Autonomous under-vine weeding

One approach to managing the slower speeds, extra tractor passes and therefore higher labour costs when weeding by cultivation or mowing is to perform these operations autonomously. This may be achieved using tractors fitted with an autonomy-kit or using dedicated

Figure 11. (a) Roller hoes, (b) finger hoes and (c) roller hoes with finger hoes on a frame (Clemens)

Figure 12. (a) Electrical under-vine weeder, and (b) principle of operation for small numbers of weeds and for many weeds (Zasso/CNH XPower XPS)

Figure 13. (a) Autonomy-kit fitted to a tractor (GOtrack), and (b) autonomous vineyard robot (Vitibot)

Figure 14. Autonomous electric lawnmower (Husqvarna)

vineyard robots (Figure 13). Standard weeding tools seem to be used in most cases, but some machines employ tools that have been adapted to provide feedback during autonomous operation, for example to detect blockages and stop the machine. Some robots have the advantage of being batterypowered and therefore can avoid some of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with diesel tractors. Tractors have the advantage of being a proven robust machine that can still be driven manually when desired.

In recent years small autonomous electric lawnmowers (Figure 14) have become more prevalent. Unlike a traditional mower that cuts a large amount of grass off each pass, they mow much more frequently, only trimming a few mm of grass each pass and therefore keeping the lawn at an almost constant height. They automatically return to their charging station when their battery is getting flat and head out again when their battery has been recharged. These lawnmowers could potentially be used for mowing vineyard floors, perhaps in conjunction with off-grid solar charging and suitable grass groundcover that does not compete deleteriously with the vines. The number of machines needed for coverage of large areas may be a limitation.

Systems that still need a driver but that auto-steer and precisely control tool positioning in the row and facilitate faster operation are another alternative (Figure 15).

Conclusions

Under-vine weeding techniques have evolved significantly over time, from cultivation to herbicide and now some shift back to cultivation, mowing and other alternatives. There is also much work being performed on under-vine cover-cropping. It will be fascinating to see how all these techniques evolve and interact in coming years. The AWRI has a webpage with resources on weed management, including a non-chemical weed control decision tool developed by Robyn Dixon and Chris Penfold. For those interested in autonomous approaches and electric weeding, the AWRI will also be running a demo day in the Barossa Valley this November to share some of our experiences.

Figure 15. (a) Auto-steer tractor kit with automatic tool positioning, and (b) principle of operation (Braun)

(b)

Acknowledgements

Michael McCarthy, Tim McCarthy, Shaun McBeath, Phillip Rice, Stephen Stoll and Don Ross are thanked for their advice, as are all the equipment suppliers that have provided information on their products. The Australian Government is thanked for funding through the Established Pest Animals and Weeds Management Pipeline Program together with Pernod Ricard Winemakers for their collaboration and support on trials of autonomous vehicles and equipment for under-vine weeding.

References and further reading

AWRI weed management resources. www.awri.com.au/ industry_support/viticulture/weed-management/

Barnard, C. 1932. The root system of the sultana. J. Counc. Sci. Ind. Res. Aust. 5: 88-93.

Branas, J. 1974. Viticulture . Publisher unknown, Montpellier, France.

Brunet, R. 1908. Une houe bineuse nouvelle. Rev. Vitic. 15(738): 152-155.

Brunet, R. 1910. Le materiel viticole. Paris, France: Librairie J.-B. Baillière et fils.

Chancrin, E. 1908. Viticulture moderne. Librairie Hachette, Paris, France.

Cuma Occitanie. 2018. Désherbage mécanique de la vigne – choisir ses outils interceps. https://po.chambreagriculture.fr/actualites/detail-de-lactualite/actualites/ guide-desherbage-mecanique-de-la-vigne-choisir-sesoutils-interceps/

Du Breuil, A. 1863. Culture perfectionnée et moins couteuse du vignoble. Paris, France: Victor Masson et fils.

Foex, G. 1887. Manuel pratique de viticulture. Montpellier, France: Camille Coulet.

Hausler, A., Heuzenroeder, S., Ross, D. et al. 2017. The Barossa – Federation to the fifties. Tanunda, SA: Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust.

Kirchoff, C. 2000. Mechanically driven finger weeder. Kress & Co. EP1127481B1.

Larue, P. 1909. Les décavaillonneuses aux essais de tonnerre Rev. Vitic. 17(813): 65-68.

McCarthy, M. 1985. Herbicides and their problems. Lester, D.C., Cirami, R.M. (eds) Chemicals in the vineyard, proceedings of the ASVO Seminar held 30 May 1985 in Mildura, Victoria. 25-29.

Pacottet, P. 1910. Viticulture. 2nd edition. Paris, France: Librairie J.-B. Baillière et fils.

Penfold, C., Lines, T., Dixon, R. 2021. Non-chemical weed control. AWRI webinar. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2yqWouIZQGA

Sportelli, M., Frasconi, C., Fontanelli, M.,

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Graciano

A grape known by many names

Uncorked

A popular blending grape in its Iberian homeland, Graciano has begun to pop up in more winemaking conversations in Australia in the last few years alongside other Southern European favourites like Tempranillo and Grenache. Harrison Davies writes about how this grape, known differently by almost all who grow it, is making its on impact.

The

Rioja region has become the homeland of varieties that are making a big splash in the New World, and especially in Australia.

Grenache and Tempranillo have become a strong presence in the Australian wine market in recent years and for good reason; they grow spectacularly well in Australia’s warmer climate regions.

Graciano comes alongside its other Rioja classmates and has grabbed the attention of winemakers is regions like Margaret River and McLaren Vale.

Graciano is predominantly used for blending with Tempranillo in its

homeland in North-Western Spain, where it brings spice, acidity and tannins to the famed Spanish reds.

Whilst Graciano is recognised as its original name, it is known by several other names depending on where it’s grown.

In the South of Spain, in the Jerez region, winemakers produce the grape under the name Tintilla de Rota, The French call it Morrastel, The Portuguese use the name Tinta Miuda, in California they grow it under the name Xeres and in Sardinia it is called Cagnulari.

There is roughly 3,112 Hectares of

Graciano vines globally, with around three per cent if those vineyards found in Australia.

Graciano is often compared to its similar sounding Spanish cousin, Grenache, but is less popular due to being slightly more susceptible to mildew as well as being lower yielding.

In the 20th Century many Rioja wineries uprooted their Graciano vines, in favor of more fashionable grapes such as Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The grape itself is black-skinned and ripens late in the season, preferring warmer climates.

Chalk Hill winemaker Renae Hirsch.

I think people need to have a go with it. It’s got a very distinctive flavour spectrum which can be a little bit dominating, so you should only use small amounts.

Renae Hirsch

Budburst and maturity are late but the vigour is high, with erect growth habit and bunches are found to be medium to large and compact with small toughskinned berries. The yield is usually low, half that of Tempranillo, and variable.

Graciano has a long history in Australia, with the first planting being introduced in 1908.

It was originally used in Australia similarly to how it is used in Spain, as a blending variety, and a single varietal wine was not made with the grapes until 1965 by Brown Brothers in the King Valley.

Winemaker Frank van de Loo from Mount Majura in the Canberra District wrote a piece on the variety for the Wine & Viticulture Journal in 2016 and reflected on the variety’s history.

“Graciano has occupied an acre of Mount Majura Vineyard since 2002, and has not only earned its place, but is earmarked for expansion. We love it for its distinctive spicy fragrance and juicy medium-bodied style,” he wrote.

“As a native variety of Rioja, Graciano is mostly and traditionally used in Tempranillo-dominant blends, but some varietal wines have appeared more recently.

“A champion of the region’s indigenous varieties, Juan Carlos Sancha made the first single-varietal Graciano for Viña Ijalba in 1995 (‘It would have been the first in the world,’ he says ruefully, ‘but for Brown Brothers in Australia’).

“Graciano is now more widely grown in Australia, but strangely enough is concentrated in maritime regions such as McLaren Vale and Margaret River, as well as Barossa and Riverland.”

Graciano in practice

Graciano has intense flavours and as such is seen in a lot of blends coming from warm climate regions in Australia.

Renae Hirsch, winemaker of several portfolios in McLaren Vale, most notably Chalk Hill, said it was an interesting variety to work and blend with.

“I guess the most interesting thing about it to me is it’s got a really distinctive, you can’t mistake it for anything else,” she said.

“It’s got a really spicy character, which is really hard to pin down and there’s almost

a bit of a marzipan character going on there, too.

“The other thing that I find really good about it is it holds really holds acid in warm years which makes it really good on its own, obviously, but also good blending component in other things. A little bit little bit of it goes a long way.”

She said that it was a grape that suited warm climates, particularly in Australia, due to its heat tolerance and late ripening.

“It’s a really late ripening variety as well, even in McLaren Vale it’s often one of the last varieties that we pick. But even though it sits out there for a long time that basically never have to add acid to it,” she said.

“In terms of winemaking, the way I treat it’s probably different to other people, but I tend to ferment it for about seven days

Graciano is now more widely grown in Australia, but strangely enough is concentrated in maritime regions such as McLaren Vale and Margaret River, as well as Barossa and Riverland.

Frank van de Loo. Chalk Hill Graciano

on skins and then pretty simply just press it and put it to barrel pretty quickly.

“I rarely use any new oak, but I will use some one year old oak on it sometimes, especially for the straight varietals.

“We usually bottle our straight varietals Graciano in January of the following year. So it’s about nine to 10 months in barrel. I also use it in a TempranilloGrenache blend, which we bottle in early December.”

Hirsch said that she suspected the variety would never be a big mainstream reds but that it would commonly be used in blends as it has been in Spain.

Uncorked

In the 20th century many Rioja wineries uprooted their Graciano vines, in favour of more fashionable grapes such as Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Graciano fruit from Mount Majura in the Canberra District. Photo: Frank van de Loo

grapegrowing

She added that it would be a grape to grow in warmer climates due to its late ripening and distinct flavour.

She added that it because of its distinct flavour, it could be a good variety to experiment with. She said that winemakers should try mixing it with different other grapes to see what kinds of combinations they could come up with.

“I think people need to have a go with it. It’s got a very distinctive flavour spectrum which can be a little bit dominating, so you should only use small amounts,” she explained.

“There would be other alternate varieties that it would probably blend quite well with; things like Touriga and those Portuguese varieties that will probably work quite well with those just off the top of the head.

Graciano over time

16th Century

Earliest known Graciano vines are found throughout the Mediterranean after Spanish expansion, particularly in Sardinia.

“Giving those varieties a little bit of that freshness and acid line and a bit of spice that comes with Graciano.

“There are quite a few straight varietal Gracianos around the place now as well. I think it’s probably never going to become a mainstream variety.

“It’s probably never going to become a mainstream variety, just because it is so strongly flavoured and it can divide people but I think there’s a home for it as a single variety.”

What the future holds

Graciano seems to be something that is and will remain a niche pick on the wine rack.

It has a distinctive flavour that excites winemakers and will continue to make new fans in the cellar, who will continue

to look for new ways to use it, even if it never becomes a household name.

Graciano and Graciano blends were first awarded their own category at the Australian Alternative varieties Wine Show in 2011 and the category has seen around 10 entries every year ever since.

This signifies the growth of the variety within the industry and suggests greater interest not only from winemakers, but also from consumers.

According to the Australian and New Zealand Wind Industry Directory there are more than 50 producers of Graciano across the country, and due to its high heat tolerance, that number could continue to grow.

“I think there’s a home for it as a single variety. I know that the Chalk Hill one seems to be selling quite well, especially at cellar door,” Hirsch said.

van de Loo echoed Hirsch’s comments on the variety’s popularity and said that it was gaining somewhat of a cult popularity.

“The varietal wine is popular at cellar door and particularly with restaurants, making an interesting point of difference, and a good wine for food,” van de Loo wrote.

“We’ve often had the experience at public tasting events of word getting around and people coming up to say that their friends told them to come and try the Graciano, illustrating the thirst that exists for something medium-bodied and different.”

1850s

Graciano variety almost wiped out after a Phylloxera outbreak in the Rioja region.

1908

Graciano first introduced to Australia

Chalk Hill’s Graciano vines at the Slate Creek Vineyard. Photo: Chalk Hill

Best in tasting Graciano

BREMERTON WINES 2019 SPECIAL

RELEASE GRACIANO

Langhorne Creek, South Australia

(Fruit source: Langhorne Creek / Fleurieu)

14.5%v/v

RRP$24.00/bottle

Best of tasting: Vibrant crimson in colour with some garnet. Nose is very varietal. Lifted aromatics of dark roses, sour cherry, spice, peat, green cardamon, black pepper, nutmeg and Kirsch. Lifted spice on the palate over characters of cured meats. Great powdery tannins with vibrant acidity playing a supporting role in the background. Nice acid-to-tannin balance. Excellent length of flavour. Smooth finish. “Lots of Graciano characters in this wine – nice freshness for a 2019 vintage wine,” said one taster. “Well constructed, medium-weight wine — fresh as a daisy with lovely light layers that pull you in,” said another.

SAMUEL’S GORGE 2021 GRACIANO

McLaren Vale, South Australia

13.5%v/v RRP$45.00/bottle

Best of tasting: Deep red crimson. Complex and quite lifted nose of ripe dark fruits, including dark cherries and blueberries, ripe sweet spices and wilting flower petals. Slight VA lift. Excellent fruit depth on the palate. Sweet mulberry fruit notes apparent but not jammy. Flavour of booze-soaked cherries also evident. Firm, grippy, powdery tannins. “A good, generous wine [that is] well put together but might need a bit of time,” noted one taster. “On the cusp of well-ripened fruit but not taken too far,” described another. “Feels ripe on the nose but the palate is well-balanced, the acid is focussed and the fruit is still crunchy,” said another, adding, “generous but completely balanced; will age well – good food wine.”

McLaren Vale, South Australia

14.0%v/v

RRP$30.00/bottle

Best of tasting: Quite vibrant purple in colour. Alluring, lifted, rich, dark berry aromatics with some spice and musk and a slight green cardamon note. Dusty, cedary oak also apparent. Plush and bright palate which has lovely extraction and good flow. Rich intense fruit matched with nice chalky tannins. Vivid, bright acid plays nicely with the tannin. Incredibly good length. “Primary, bright, youthful wine,” described one taster. “Although youthful has balance and is layered,” noted another.

The full results of the recent Graciano tasting can be found in the Spring issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal.

1965

The first varietal Australian Graciano wine is released by Brown Brothers, after it had been used only as a blending wine in the decades prior.

1991s

Rioja classified as a controlled area of origin, Graciano plantings increase

2011

Graciano gains popularity in Australia due to heat tolerance, gets category at Alternative Varieties Wine Show

CHALK HILL WINES 2021 GRACIANO

How’s the weather?

There are many different sources where grapegrowers can access weather data, and how it is presented and interpreted can vary. In this article, Christa Schwarz, Technical Officer - Viticulture, reviews some of the most useful websites, apps and portals that are available.

What are the main types of weather information relevant to growers?

Growers generally want access to shortterm (within the next week) and mediumterm (within the next fortnight or month) weather forecasts to aid with decisions on irrigation, canopy management, heat wave management, frost mitigation and disease control. Information on the maximum and minimum temperatures, cloud cover, likelihood of rainfall, wind speed and direction, and groundwater are therefore all vital to make informed viticultural decisions.

Historical data can also be used by growers to help determine the suitability of a new vineyard site, in terms of the need for supplementary irrigation, frost mitigation or which varieties should be planted.

What weather forecast information is available to manage disease pressure?

The weather conditions that have an impact on foliar spray applications to control pests and diseases, as well as herbicide applications, are rainfall, wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity. Cloud cover and sunshine hours are also important weather metrics, due to their impact on diseases such as powdery mildew and on grapevine growth and development. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has world-class forecasting tools

and maps that can be used to observe these for locations across Australia.

The BOM Weather app provides on-thespot access to weather data for saved locations. This recently updated app provides information on the current weather conditions as well as an hourly forecast for the next 72 hours for rain, temperature, cloud cover, wind and wind gusts. Push notifications and official warnings are also provided by the app, which may be useful for growers.

A 7-day forecast of various weather events is provided by the BOM’s Meteye. There are two ways to view this information, as a map or as text. The services uses the closest weather station to the chosen location. Weather information is provided in an overview, as detailed 3-hour intervals, as an extended 7-day forecast and as current and past weather.

Additional useful services can be accessed for free from international sources. Meteologix is a USA based service that provides weather data analysis (www. meteologix.com). It provides hourly updates for the upcoming 72 hours, 3-hourly intervals for the next 48 hours and then 6-hourly intervals for the following 5 days. This information provides the temperature, precipitation, wind direction and mean speed. Dropdown arrows for each time interval

allow for a more detailed forecast to be analysed.

The 14-day Meteogram forecast by Meteologix displays similar information to the 10-day forecast, except this data is presented in an interactive table that records high and low temps, rainfall, wind and sunshine/cloud cover.

How can I plan for extreme weather events?

Heatwaves

Heatwave forecast services have been developed by the BOM in recent years and become available at the start of spring and through summer in Australia. Two categories of heatwave maps are provided: heatwave assessment and heatwave forecast. The two assessment maps indicate the intensity of the heatwave just experienced and describe the conditions from the past 3-day period. The five forecast maps indicate the upcoming consecutive 3-day heatwave potential and intensity.

Things that need to be considered when planning for hot weather include:

- Applying adequate irrigation preveraison to achieve good canopy cover

- The need for a good water supply particularly from fruit set to veraison and during heat waves

- If a heat event is forecast, ceasing any deficit irrigation and applying irrigation to refill the soil profile

The BOM’s heatwave forecast service is especially useful for managing irrigation in the lead-up to an event because irrigation will affect the vineyard microclimate. Active transpiration must occur prior to a heat event as transpirational cooling is critical (Edwards et al. 2011).

Frosts

The Frost Map designed for agriculture by the BOM, shows maps of forecasted low temperature thresholds for various

Figure 1. An example of the type of graphs presented in the 14-day forecast by Meteologix

locations across Australia. The maps are updated each day and show forecasts for the next 48 hours. The BOM reminds users that this information is produced from computer models, without any input from weather forecasters. It is also very important to check local warnings and forecasts when assessing frost risk.

New forecasting products for weather extremes

A recent Australian Governmentfunded and industry-led project called ‘Forewarned is Forearmed’ has developed new products to improve the forecasting of extreme events such as heatwaves, frost, floods and drought, and to link the forecasts with management options. The new products include forecasts of the chances of the driest or wettest, coldest and warmest two deciles, presented in a range of maps and location-based charts and graphs.

A webinar featuring Peter Hayman (SARDI) providing guidance on how to use these and other forecasting tools will be available from the AWRI’s YouTube channel from early October 2022.

Where can growers access a seasonal outlook to help with irrigation scheduling?

The BOM releases a new weekly, monthly, and seasonal outlook video every Thursday, providing an understandable source of information. Summaries and chance outlooks can also be viewed for rainfall and temperature.

The ENSO Tracker from the Bureau of Meteorology provides the seasonal indicator whether an El Niño or La Niña event will occur in Australia for the next growing season. El Niño indicates a dry, warm forecast and La Niña indicates a cooler, wetter forecast in Australia.

A water budgeting tool developed by SARDI is being converted to an online tool by the AWRI which will be accessible from the water management page of the AWRI website. The tool uses site-specific historical weather data to estimate the monthly water requirements of vines grown in different regions of Australia. It can help growers allocate water resources to blocks based on target yields.

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Looking much further ahead than weather, where can growers access longer-term climate projections for their vineyards?

Wine Australia and the University of Tasmania have developed a climate atlas tool that considers the impact of seasonal climate variability and longerterm climate trends on the wine sector in Australia. It has generated the finest available climate projections for Australia’s wine regions and provides detailed information about how the climate may change in the near-, midand long-term time horizons (out to 2100). This tool is available from: www. wineaustralia.com/growing-making/ environment-and-climate/climate-atlas.

References

Websites, tools, apps and webinars mentioned in this article are linked from the AWRI’s climate and weather tools webpage: www. awri.com.au/industry_support/viticulture/ climate-weather-tools/

Edwards, E.J., Smithson, L., Graham, D.C., Clingeleffer, P.R. 2011. Grapevine canopy response to a high-temperature event during deficit irrigation. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 17(2): 153-161.

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On the pulse: winery equipment

What equipment is the industry interested in acquiring?

Developments in winery technology have been brisk within the winemaking sector in recent years and there has never been a better time to think about acquiring or upgrading equipment to encourage new styles or greater output.

Journalist Harrison Davies put his finger on the industry’s pulse to see what specific items are on producers’ wishlists.

Winery

equipment is integral to the winemaking process, whether an operation is big or small, and technological innovations continue to come along every year.

So what kinds of winemaking tools do winemakers have their eye on?

Grapegrower & Winemaker recently asked winery operators to share their purchasing wishlists when it comes to equipment to improve their businesses.

What was loud in clear was that many winemakers are interested in upgrading old equipment for greater efficiency.

Riverland based 919 Wines director Jenny Semmler said they had their eye on a new wine press as their business had begun to outgrow the output of their old basket press.

“We’re outgrowing it. That’s the quick answer. At the moment, there are massive amounts of manual handling and we’d like to reduce that,” she said.

Winery Equipment

wine

Most

We’re outgrowing it. That’s the quick answer. At the moment, there are massive amounts of manual handling and we’d like to reduce that.

Jenny Semmler

“There’s always a better way to do whatever you’re doing and you don’t have to implement it, but at least you should know the options that are there.”

Winemaker Andrew Seppelt of Hayes Family Wines in the Barossa also has his eyes on a new wine press, as his basket press has seen better days.

“Essentially, the reason is that the timber staves are old and they swell during vintage. The gap between the stakes get smaller and are harder to work with,” Seppelt said.

“It would be lovely to go to something stainless for hygiene reasons as well, but you would actually know the consistency of what you’re dealing with.”

He said the efficiency provided by a stainless steel press would provide emotional consistency as well as improving hygiene and time savings.

Modernising equipment

“It helps to get greater efficiencies and cost savings but sometimes it just stops you smashing things when you’re angry,” he joked.

Many respondents were interested in advancing their technology and modernising their equipment.

Murray Darling based Itara Group manager Alf Supuppo said he had been following advancements realted to crushers and pressing equipment and was interested to see where the technology was heading.

“I’m seeing a lot of advancement over the last 30 years with crushers and pressing equipment,” Supuppo said.

“In the current state of affairs with the

winemaking

It helps to get greater efficiencies and cost savings but sometimes it just stops you smashing things when you’re angry.

Andrew Seppelt Australian wine industry, there are more and more requirements for smaller processers to get on board.

“The industry is a lot more focused on Australian quality wines and small single vineyard and single processers. And I think that technology, the advancement of it, and where it’s at is probably very important for the industry moving forward.”

Both Semmler and Supuppo highlighted the importance of keeping up with innovation and suggested that the industry could remain strong if new ideas and equipment were adopted.

“We should just try and maintain a unique quality parameter that Australia got the edge on 20 years ago,” Supuppo said.

“To keep up with doing that [the problem is] we don’t build equipment here. I think Miller was one of the companies that built bag presses in Australia and I strongly believe that Italians do build some of the best equipment in the world.

“[Australia is] just a great producer and winemaker. And we really should look at those countries that have got so much advancement, because they’ve been doing it for so much longer.”

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Supuppo added that innovation in equipment and ideas was paramount for the Australian wine industry to continue to grow amidst the challenges brought about by the closure of the Chinese market.

“Australia probably needs to take a leaf out of their book and try and lift spirits in the wine industry to get it back on track. Because we do produce some of the best wine in the world but at the moment, because of China, we’ve absolutely taken 20 steps back,” he said.

“It’s a good time to kind of reflect on where we are as an industry and maybe pivot to new things and invent new things or invent new ideas and styles and change it up a little bit and use technology to help and try to market ourselves again.”

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Selected Winery Equipment suppliers in Australia and New Zealand

AEB Oceania

T: 1300 704 971 www.aeb-group.com

A.I.M. Sales

T: (02) 6964 4688 www.aimsales.com.au

Air Liquide Australia

T: (03) 9697 9888 www.airliquide.com.au

Air Liquide New Zealand

T: +64 9 622 3880 www.airliquide.com.au

Bay Engineers Supplies

T: +64 9 571 0189

www.bayengineerssupplies.co.nz

Bürkert Fluid Control Systems

T: 1300 888 868 www.burkert.com.au

C.E. Bartlett

T: (03) 5339 3103 www.bartlett.net.au

Chemical Plant & Engineering

T: (03) 9309 4822 www.cem-int.com.au

Della Toffola Pacific (DT Pacific)

T: (03) 9487 1140 www.dtpacific.com

Dixon Asia Pacific

T: (08) 8202 6000 www.dixonvalve.com.au

FB*PROPAK

T: (03) 9487 1150 www.fbpropak.com

Fineweld Stainless Steel

T: (03) 9775 0339 www.fineweld.com.au

Flexcube

T: (03) 9428 5842, 0401 902 666 www.flexcubegroup.com

T: (03)

Grapeworks

T: (03) 9555 5500 www.grapeworks.com.au

JMA Engineering

T: (08) 8582 9500, www.jmaeng.com.au

Kauri Australia

T: Freecall: 1800 127 611 (Aust only) www.kauriwine.com

MTA Australasia

T: 1300 304 177 www.mta-au.com

NDA Engineering

T: +64 7 849 2979 www.nda.co.nz

Pellenc Australia

T: (08) 8244 7700 www.pellenc.com

PTI Pacific Pty Ltd

T: (03) 9452 6906 www.ptipacific.com

Rapidfil

T: (03) 9455 3339 www.rapidfil.com.au

Ridgelea

T: (08) 8326 8521 www.ridgelea.com.au

Stainless Engineering & Maintenance (SEAM)

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Could glycoside extracts from grape marc provide a flavour boost to NOLO wines?

Promising research into the ability of glycosides extracted from grape marc to boost floral characters in wine could become an addition to winemakers’ toolkits in their quest for producing good quality no and low alcohol wines, writes Sonya Logan.

Eachvintage the Australian and New Zealand wine industries collectively discard a significant amount of flavour potential in grape skins generated from white wine production. One such flavour compound is monoterpenes, which although are present in all grape varieties, are particularly pronounced in Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat varieties. Monoterpenes contribute to ‘floral’ or ‘citrus’ characters and are mostly stored in grapes as odourless glycosides. During winemaking or storage and the act of wine tasting, the glycosides are broken down and released.

The potential of extracting these glycosides from grape marc and using them to legally add flavour to other wines has recently been explored by researchers at the Australian Wine Research Institute.

They developed a technique designed to be carried out in wineries that treated grape marc to extract glycosides. Because marc also contains compounds that can increase undesirable wine flavours, such as bitterness, the technique involves purifying the extract to remove the bitter phenolics, resulting in an extract rich in monoterpene glycosides but with no aroma.

The researchers used an extract, derived from Gewurztraminer, to supplement Riesling and Chardonnay juices before fermentation and at bottling. The addition of the glycosides from the grape marc did indeed increase the fruity and floral aromas, flavours and aftertaste in both the Riesling and Chardonnay wines, establishing the potential of the process to utilise flavour otherwise lost in grape marc every vintage.

It came as something of a surprise to find out that adding the extracts either pre or post fermentation did not influence the effectiveness of the extracts.

“Our assumption was that if we put an

extract of a flavour precursor in preferment versus post-ferment that there would be quite a significant difference between the flavour outcome in those wines because one had the extracts added when the enzymes present during fermentation were going to be active,

while the others didn’t,” explains senior research scientist Josh Hixson, who had previously researched the effect of feeding grape marc to cows on their methane production.

“As it turns out, there really wasn’t a great difference between the pre or post

The potential of extracting glycosides from grape marc and using them to add flavour to other wines, particularly no and low alcohol wines, is being explored by researchers at the Australian Wine Research Institute.

winemaking

fermentation additions. The interesting thing about that is, if this were to become a commercial product, rather than adding the extracts to a must where you are unsure of the outcome of fermentation, you can do it reactively based on how the wine has turned out post-fermentation.

In other words, rather than trying to guess whether a wine is going to have as much flavour as you think, you can wait and see how the wine turns out and then decide whether to add it.”

So, that outcome came as a surprise?

“It was a bit of a surprise,” Hixson admits. “There was a firmly held belief that a lot

of the reactions we expected were due to fermentation. But the enzymes that are present [during fermentation] can’t be as active as we thought on those types of compounds.”

Given not every winery has easy access to Gewurztraminer marc, it was decided to test the effect of monoterpene glycoside extracts from other grape varieties, including both ‘floral’ and ‘non-floral’ varieties, namely Muscat a Petits Grains Blancs, Muscat Gordo Blanco, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Shiraz and Verdehlo.

“We just wanted to cover off on some of the other varieties that may not be at the front of people’s minds in terms of monoterpenes and that floral aroma, just in case there was this unexpected pile of glycosides that we were throwing out,” Hixson explains. However, that didn’t prove to be the case.

“We came back full circle to the Muscat varieties that were high in glycosides that produce extracts that are very rich in monoterpene glycosides and produce a lot of flavour when stored in wine. This means that if you are going to take grape marc as an input for producing a flavour extract you would ideally want it to be

[The AWRI is] about to ramp up quite significantly its understanding of NOLO products and the things we have at our disposal to change the texture, the flavour and the colour of wine. Wherever we can make improvements we’ll try.

Josh Hixson

Marc is collected at a winery by AWRI researchers for the purposes of extracting the glycosides from it (left) and the extraction process set up in a winery (below).

either exclusively Muscat or varieties like Gewurztraminer and Riesling which are quite floral as well.”

Potential hurdle

This finding alluded to a potential hurdle in the adoption of extracting monoterpene glycosides from grape marc by wineries — how do they source sufficient quantities of marc with the most ideal concentrations?

While the exploration of other varieties for monoterpene glycoside concentrations was being carried, the researchers reached out to industry to determine its appetite for enhancing wine flavour broadly and using the marc-derived extracts specifically.

To gain a full understanding of the likely uptake of the extraction and purification process by industry, Hixson and his research colleagues took part in the CSIRO’s ON Prime program which helps research teams like his determine who can benefit the most from their research.

“We asked wine producers how they

felt about wine flavour and aroma and the consistency that they achieve. And whether they felt they had the tools at hand to manipulate a flavour profile if that’s what they wanted to do,” Hixson explains.

While many wine producers are happy to let their wines reflect the vineyard and vintage conditions of any given year and therefore have little interest in modulating wine flavour, others, particularly larger commercial wine companies, indicated they were interested in regulating it to meet stylistic targets. And the products that those companies nominated as likely to benefit the most from flavour enhancement was low and no alcohol (aka NOLO) wine which is attracting growing interest among consumers and producers alike.

“There is a technical challenge in taking the ethanol out of wine while leaving in a lot of the things that you want that ethanol delivers,” says Hixson. “[The AWRI is] about to ramp up quite significantly its understanding of NOLO products and the things we have at our disposal to

change the texture, the flavour and the colour of wine. Wherever we can make improvements we’ll try.”

And it is the potential of glycoside extracts to generate those improvements which is now in the process of being trialled by the AWRI. As part of the trial, monoterpene extracts have been added to model conventional wines with different alcohol levels, specifically 0%, 1%, 5% and 12%v/v, to determine their effect on flavour. Other commercial additives are also being trialled to assess their effects on no and low alcohol wines.

“’We’re looking at what is available at our fingertips to be able to help boost no and low alcohol wine. The monoterpene glycosides are also in our scope. If we can show that they’re beneficial to the product, that would definitely be a big step towards demonstrating their usefulness by industry,” Hixson points out.

Irrespective of these outcomes, the ON Prime program revealed the cost of producing the extracts inhouse by

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wineries was likely to be a stumbling block in its uptake.

“What we found was that the decision by producers to use additives in their wines is extremely cost sensitive. The absolute most they want to pay is a couple of cents per litre. And with the cost and energy intensive nature of obtaining these extracts, we got to the point where we had to admit that they may not have application in the current climate using existing technology,” Hixson says.

He adds if there is sufficient industry interest in use of the extracts, from a logistics and cost perspective their production would likely have to fall to a facility where marc from various producers could be aggregated. Such a facility could also process the marc to extract other substances, such as ethanol and tartaric acid.

Two Australian wine companies keeping a watchful eye on the AWRI’s investigations into the potential use of

glycoside extracts to enhance NOLO wines are Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) and Qualia Wines.

Iain Jones, TWE’s head of R&D, quality and compliance, said it was “pleasing to see the AWRI produce this groundbreaking research”.

“The no and low alcohol category has grown rapidly over the past few years,” Jones notes. “As the product range expands, consumers are becoming more interested in no and low alcohol wines that replicate the flavour, mouthfeel, and varietal characteristics of their favourite wine.

“Our research has shown that taste is one of the biggest barriers to purchase, with 20% of consumers surveyed saying that they don’t like the taste of no and low alcohol wine,” he adds.

In 2021, TWE launched a portfolio of zero alcohol wines under its Wolf Blass label and offers no and low alcohol products under the Lindeman’s and Squealing

Qualia Wines senior white winemaker Pia Merrick.

Pig brands. Jones says there has been a “positive consumer response so far” to those wines with plans afoot to introduce more wines in the NOLO category across the company’s suite of brands.

Qualia Wines produces its own brands and makes bulk and bottled wines for third parties out of its operations at Irymple in Victoria. Pia Merrick, senior white winemaker, says when she first learned about the AWRI’s investigations into marc glycosides back in 2019 she was “inspired” about the possibility of using marc to boost wine flavour. The following year she got in touch with the research team to explore the possibility of producing the extracts at Qualia from Gordo marc which would be used in wines that would subsequently be made available for tasting by local winemakers. Unfortunately COVID-19 upset those plans, but Merrick remains keenly interested in the results from the AWRI’s work.

Merrick says Qualia has had a number of its clients inquire about purchasing reduced alcohol and no and low alcohol table wines. However, those customers have expressed concern about consumers’ acceptance of the flavour of such wines.

“Recent market requests have been towards lower alcohol wines and alcohol free wines. Qualia Wines is looking into both of these categories and could see an opportunity to increase the aroma profile, flavour and aftertaste with products like the marc-derived extracts,” Merrick says.

“At this stage Qualia Wines doesn’t see itself extracting the marc but we are certainly interested in following the

further studies and trials of this product.

If Qualia Wines was to purify the marc it would most likely be a variety like Gordo. [But] we would also be interested to see how other aromatic varieties would behave.

“We would like to see trials of the glycoside extracts in bottled products that have been in the bottle for 3, 6 and 12 months. Also, it would be good to see trials where wine is stored in ‘bag-inbox’ environments.”

Merrick cautions the additives couldn’t cost more than a few cents per litre for their use to be financially justified.

“The cost would need to fit in the category of other wine additives like oak chips or tannin type additives,” she clarifies.

She emphasises the additives would also have to comply with food safety management systems and certifications.

“We’ve just upgraded from ISO 22000

Recent market requests have been towards lower alcohol wines and alcohol free wines. Qualia Wines is looking into both of these categories and could see an opportunity to increase the aroma profile, flavour and aftertaste with products like the marc-derived extracts.

Pia Merrick

to FSSC 22000 because our customers were requesting it. Anything we add to wine, every single droplet, needs to be approved under the FSSC 22000 system,” she says.

Below: Senior research scientist with the Australian Wine Research Institute, Josh Hixson.

Right: Treasury Wine Estates’ head of R&D, quality and compliance Iain Jones.

The Rise of NoLo

The past few years have seen a dramatic shift in innovation in the no/low-alcohol (NoLo) sector due to a significant increase in demand for alternatives to alcoholic beverages.

Accordingto research conducted by the Endeavour Group, the NoLo sector has had 78% growth with younger customers being the most engaged as it aligns with their healthy lifestyles and a desire to moderate alcohol consumption.

“Although the NoLo market has focused mainly on beer alternatives we are finding significant growth in the wine sector. The COVID lockdowns seemed to genuinely change consumer’s drinking habits and we have noticed an increase from our customers in the uptake of services we offer at Vinpac to assist in the production of NoLo wine,” said Adam Niederer, national sales manager of Vinpac International.

“JMB Beverages brand Edenvale has been leading the way in this space since 2006. They saw an opportunity within the market for a sophisticated beverage for those who want to enjoy the wine drinking experience without having to consume alcohol,” Niederer said.

“As the leading producer of alcoholremoved wines in Australia, maintaining the integrity of our product is paramount, said Michael Bright, owner of JMB/ Edenvale Beverages.

“Using our advanced alcohol removal

technology, we produce dealcoholized wines that must be bottled in a sterile environment to protect their sensitive nature, and we have relied on Vinpac to provide this service since we first launched in 2006.

“Edenvale was founded on the belief that people across Australia and globally should have access to premium Australian alcohol-removed wines that offer the same taste, aroma, complexity and variety of traditional wines. We have worked with Vinpac International for many years to bring these innovative wines to our consumers,” Bright said.

Vinpac International has been proud to be able to support the Edenvale vision and has adapted services depending on what each wine has needed. The services provided by Vinpac in the NoLo sector is as follows:

Lo or No-alc using a de-alcoholisation process – for a reduction or correction of alcohol Vinpac collaborate with VAF Memstar who utilise their portable unit at the Vinpac Angaston site to undertake the required work. However, if a wine requires total removal of alcohol then it needs to be completed elsewhere before delivery. The level of de-alcoholisation required will dictate the best equipment for the purpose.

Lo or no-alc by blending – ‘wine-like’ product – if a customer provides Vinpac with components to blend or ‘create’ their no or lo-alc product, this can be done on site.

Juice - Vinpac have been handling juice products for customers over many yearsgrape, apple, mixtures of various different juices and concentrates.

As part of processing these products Vinpac also offers filtration, cold and heat stabilisation (if required), the addition of other additives, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide adjustment.

Vinpac is not just seeing an uptake of NoLo options through bottling but also through our packaging division VI Packaging and Pinnacle Drinks.

“We work with a lot of companies looking for unique packaging for flavoured teas, kombucha and other non-alcoholic beverages,” said Kate Salway, national sales manager at VI Packaging/Pinnacle.

“NoLo beverages are definitely on the rise, due to their increased presence in supermarket chains, bars and specialist online retailers,” Salway said.

For more information about how Vinpac International may be able to help your business, call (08) 8561 0600.

We are passionate about innovation and investment in alternative packaging formats and emerging trends including natural win low and no alcohol styles

Together, we deliver trusted solutio our customers love

YOUNG GUN

Luke Tocaciu Winemaker, Patrick of Coonawarra

Luke Tocaciu is amongst a school of winemakers who are looking to challenge the familiar flavours of the noble grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Heading up an established winery in Coonawarra, Tocaciu’s experimentation helps to provide a taste of what could continue to set the industry apart from international competitors. Harrison Davies spoke with him about why he likes to explore new techniques.

Change in the Australian wine industry comes from the ground up. Winemaker Luke Tocaciu is looking for just such a change in the ground upon which he stands.

As the winemaker at Patrick of Coonawarra, located in the region included in the name, Tocaciu has generated interest amongst wine industry professionals for embracing parts of the Australian terroir that are unique to the continent.

His wines have elements of eucalyptus and other bush flavours that he says help bring out notes of summer berries and savoury notes.

These bush flavours he highlights are the main characteristics in his recent Méthode range, a limited range of classic varietals that highlight flavours than are different to what consumers may be used to.

“The concept of ‘terroir’ has always been well understood in the wine industry, with the environment, climate and vineyard all playing a significant role in the final taste of the wine,” he said.

“Something as simple as having eucalyptus trees in the vineyard has an influence on the final wine. The Méthode Eucalypt Cabernet takes this concept and dials it up a notch to maximise the flavour that this introduces into the wine.

“The surroundings are very important in grapegrowing and winemaking and something that winemakers should be trialling to make interesting, fun wines that speak to the place where they are grown.”

Exploring new flavours and new styles has been the engine that has pushed his career every step of the way.

Pure bred in wine

Tocaciu has been around wine his whole life. He was born in the Barossa and moved out to Coonawarra when he was five years old.

winemaking

His father was involved in the wine industry himself and this brought a young Tocaciu to be surrounded by cellars and vines from a young age.

As a youngster he would find himself exploring the grounds of Hollick, where his dad worked, and he began to find himself lending a hand with responsibilities throughout the process.

“I used to help turn pumps on and off, jump in the tractor during vintage and skateboard around the winery on the weekend,” he said.

“It’s something that I realised I wanted to do from a very young age, and I couldn’t think of anything else that I would want to do.

“The production side of winemaking was fun and exciting and to see the joy in my Dad bringing his own wine to a dinner party was the icing on the cake that got me hooked.”

Something as simple as having eucalyptus trees in the vineyard has an influence on the final wine.

Luke Tocaciu

Photo: Modern Currency

A few years of university gave him the technical skills that aided him before he found himself back in the cellar, now a graduate.

He said that in the years following his degree, his style was much more calculated than it is today.

“My winemaking approach was initially quite clinical and calculated, always checking the numbers and trialling lots of things before I did them. After just completing university, this was all I knew,” he said.

“After I started working with my Dad, I began to understand there was a lot more tasting and knowledge that I had to build and a lot more to winemaking that I had to learn.

“Today, I would describe my winemaking as a bit more fluid in my approach. I still do things that my Dad used to do to keep the history of the Patrick brand going, but then have introduced more modern approaches with new styles and experimental techniques.”

After years of working with his father in the winery, Tocaciu took the reigns as director in 2013, following his father’s passing.

Now at the reigns of the business, he has been looking at ways to help the region find a new understanding of its principle varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

New days and new styles

Tocaciu’s most recent venture has been the Méthode range; a limited run of wines that showcase native flavours, particularly that of eucalyptus.

Grapegrower

Tocaciu with the team at Patrick of Coonawarra

Méthode Eucalyptus Cabernet.

Photo: Modern Currency

winemaking

There is a huge opportunity to make diverse styles, using new techniques with traditional varieties. The traditional varieties are what Australian wine’s great reputation has been built on Luke Tocaciu

The herbal, almost medicinal flavours of the tree have been aspects that many vignerons have tried to avoid and seem to split with consumers down the middle.

Cabernet is not known for the herbal notes provided by eucalyptus, but Tocaciu believes it’s a part of Australian terroir that should be embraced.

“There is a huge opportunity to make diverse styles, using new techniques with traditional varieties. The traditional varieties are what Australian wine’s great reputation has been built on,” he said.

“It allows the wine drinker to have a choice in the style of wine that they are drinking without stepping too far outside their comfort zone.

“Alternate varieties that are obscure and often hard to pronounce can be intimidating, leaving the consumer with no idea of what it might taste like.

“By trialling new techniques such as what I’m doing with Cabernet, they know the variety, and it’s easier to explore styles and flavours within that.

“The response from the Méthode Range has been excellent. It continues to surprise me that it has not only appealed to younger demographics but the more traditional customers wanting to try something new.”

Tocaciu tipped his hat to the innovations made in the beer and spirits industries and suggested that the reason for much of

their success had been due to producers’ ability to try new things.

He himself has embraced change by not only making wines that express a different terroir from their international counterparts, but are also presented to show that they are different.

The two styles of Cabernet, the Nouveau and the Eucalypt, are packaged in clear, Burgundy style bottles to signify that they are not the ‘traditional Cab Sav’ they might see on their pub’s wine list.

“The wine industry is better positioned to explore localised flavours because, in most cases, we control the growing of the raw product, being grapes,” he said.

“This allows for the full story to be told and adds a dimension to the story of the final wine. There are so many great wines out there, so we stand out amongst the crowd by doing something different.

“This innovation brings a new drinker into the traditional wine space and blurs the lines between wine drinker, beer drinker and spirit drinker.”

Patrick of Coonawarra winemaker Luke Tocaciu.

Photo: Modern Currency

Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay

The 2020 vintage of the Cherubino Chardonnay has a brimming trophy cabinet: Best White Wine of Show trophy at the 2021 National Wine Show, three trophies at last year’s Margaret River Wine Show including the Best Wine of Show, three trophies at the 2021 Wine Show of WA including Best Wine of Show, and two trophies from the 2021 Royal Adelaide Wine Show including Best White of the Show. Not surprisingly the wine is out of stock, with the 2021 vintage likely to be snapped up upon its released off the back of its predecessor. Joint owner of Cherubino Wines Larry Cherubino shared some background on the winery’s top-of-the-range Chardonnay with Sonya Logan.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay, give us a brief history of Cherubino Wines.

Cherubino is owned and founded by Larry Cherubino and his partner Edwina Egerton-Warburton. It began in 2005 with the release of one wine. We have grown the business with the acquisition of vineyards and development of various brands, making wine from all the major regions of Western Australia — Margaret River, Frankland River in the Great Southern and Pemberton. We have

a cellar door and restaurant in Margaret River, a wine bar and cellar in Subiaco, Perth

Onto the Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay, when was the first one made and released?

First one was made in 2008 and released in 2009.

What prompted that first release?

Always had a desire to make an excellent Chardonnay out of Margaret River and as soon as we were able to we did.

Behind the Top Drops

A view across the Cherubino vineyard at Wilyabrup in Margaret River

winemaking

Where was the fruit for that first wine sourced?

From Karridale in Margaret River. It was contracted at the time.

What was the ultimate plan for the source of the fruit?

Our ultimate aim was to make the wine from vineyards we manage. We now source and grow all our fruit. We no longer source fruit from that Karridale vineyard.

Tell us about the clones from the earlier releases:

Gingin clone and clones 95 and 96.

What’s the age and clones of the vines used to make the more recent releases?

The vines are 20 years old, the clones are the same — Gingin clone and clones 95 and 96.

Did you have a model wine style in mind when making the initial releases?

We always wanted to make Chardonnay that reflected the cooler, maritime climate in which it was grown but had classic Australian Chardonnay style and flavours — crisp acidity, and fullness of flavour due to the long, cool growing seasons we have.

Has the wine style evolved over the years?

No, this is still our aim.

Describe the current winemaking process that brings the wine to fruition?

Fruit is handpicked then whole bunch pressed directly to oak. We don’t inoculate and rarely add acidity. Malolactic fermentation is encouraged depending on the season. The wine sits on light lees for 3-6 months, depending on the season, then bottled.

Have the winemaking inputs changed over the years?

The style of oak we use has changed mainly in terms of less toast as we wanted less oak influence in the finished wines.

Biggest challenge in making this wine? Managing crop and yields Any years that it hasn’t been made?

What’s the recommended retail price of the Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay, approximately how much is produced each year, and where is it sold?

The RRP is $75.00. Approximately 250 dozen cases are made each year which are sold online, in on-premise outlets and fine wine stores nationally, and via our cellar door.

Most notable accolades?

2020 vintage: 2021 National Wine Show - Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of the Show, 2021 Margaret River Wine Show - Wine of the Show, White Wine of the Show and Best Chardonnay; 2021 Wine Show of Western Australian - Best Wine of the Show, Best White Wine of the Show and Best Chardonnay, 2021 Royal Adelaide Wine Show - Best Chardonnay and Best White of the Show, 2021 Royal Sydney Wine Show - gold medal; 2019 vintage: 2022 Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points; 2016 vintage - Wine Show of WA - gold medal.

Best vintages? 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020

No Owners of Cherubino Wines Larry Cherubino and his partner Edwin Egerton-Warburton.

Winery & Vineyard Sales

Australian vineyard and winery sales in the face of significant industry headwinds

What impact, if any, have the various headwinds currently facing the Australian wine industry had on the market for vineyards and wineries in the country over the past 12 months? Sonya Logan spoke with one of Australia’s leaders in the sale of businesses in the wine and vineyard sector.

Despite the challenges currently facing the Australian wine sector — the closure of the Chinese market that has led to a large over-supply of red wine and red grapes among the most significant — there has been little difference in the number of vineyards, wineries and brands that have been placed on the market over the last 12 months compared with preceding years.

“I don’t think there has been a whole lot of difference from previous years,” says Stephen Strachan, director of Langley & Co Advisors, a firm specialising in the sale of wineries and vineyards in Australia, particularly high value businesses. “The period during COVID19 was quieter, but I think it would be about ‘normal’ now.

“There are a number of transactions where larger companies are moving vineyards off their balance sheet but retaining fruit supply through leasebacks or contracts — for example Casella and Accolade — and there has definitely been an increase in this activity recently,” Strachan adds.

There’s been strong demand for vineyards, wineries and wine brands across cooler climate regions over the past 12 months.

We are doing more work in cooler regions at the moment because that is where the demand is. Transaction values in Tasmania, Yarra Valley and the Adelaide Hills, for example, are strong and above the last five years. Other cooler regions such as Orange are also strong. Stephen Strachan

Asked to describe the transaction values for vineyards, wineries and wine brands in Australia over the past 12 months compared with the previous five years, Strachan said there were regional hotspots where sales had been particularly strong.

“We are doing more work in cooler regions at the moment because that is where the demand is. Transaction values in Tasmania, Yarra Valley and the Adelaide Hills, for example, are strong and above the last five years. Other cooler regions such as Orange are also strong.

“I think the real challenge with vineyard and brand values will come from the regions that are overweight to red grapes, notably Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon,” Strachan continues. “There hasn’t been a whole lot of sales in these regions, so it is a bit early to say.”

Despite expectations to the contrary, Strachan said Langley & Co Advisors hasn’t facilitated any transactions during the last year that could be attributed to the decline in trade with China or other market pressures, such as COVID-19.

“Our firm hasn’t done a single transaction

that we would describe as a ‘distressed’ sale due to the China impact. Our clients have been selling because they want to retire, for family reasons, etc. I suspect that parties will continue to sell for those reasons, but I don’t anticipate a rush of distressed asset sales. The wine industry has proven in the past that it is incredibly ‘sticky’ when there is a downturn,” he says.

Of the vineyards put on the market in the last 12 months, Strachan says they’ve been a mixture of small, medium and large holdings.

“The very large vineyards on the market have been the Casella vineyards — most of the remaining vineyards are much smaller.”

Although unable to disclose any of the notable vineyard transactions that Langley & Co Advisors has facilitated over the last 12 months or so due to confidentiality, Strachan did say the firm hadn’t observed a drop-off in values in the regions it is working in. “Values are strong,” he notes.

With respect to prominent transactions of wineries during the same timeframe, Strachan said the Endeavour Group’s

acquisitions of Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley, Josef Chromy in Tasmania and Shingleback in McLaren Vale were strong results.

“They clearly indicate Endeavour’s confidence in those regions and in the brands specifically,” he says.

Strachan said the right sites in the right regions continue to see buyer interest, with competition between buyers resulting in reasonable prices being achieved.

“Nothing has changed, and I don’t think it will. Good vineyards and good brands always have buyers, even in a downturn,” he notes.

In recent years, the range of buyers in the Australian wine category has strengthened towards existing Australian wine and vineyard businesses that have been searching for further investments in the Australian wine industry. This trend has continued over the last 12 months.

“The two big shifts that have been happening for a while are: the large pension funds and private equity firms buying vineyards from brand owners and leasing back to those parties; and the ongoing activities of buyers along the supply chain (not just traditional grapegrowers and wineries), for example, retailers and distributors.

“There are still lifestyle acquisitions from parties outside of the industry, but they tend to be lower-value transactions,” Strachan explains.

Asked whether he could comment on rumours that some vineyards, particularly in Victoria and New South Wales, could not find buyers as going concerns so were subsequently being listed or sold as ‘farmland’, Strachan says: “I think this is happening. In reality there are properties that are more valuable as grazing or cropping land.”

Casella vineyards have been among the very large holdings placed on the market over the past year. Photo: Casella

Australian Prosecco faces transTasman market hurdle after NZ’s

GI recognition

Australia’s Prosecco producers have in recent years experienced something of a boom in sales. The country is home to the most extensive plantings of the winegrape variety outside of Italy, even if these rank a distant second place. But there’s been ongoing contention over the use of the varietal name by local winemakers. Now, a provision within a new New Zealand-EU trade agreement has added further complications for Australian producers and exporters, as Harrison Davies reports.

In2009, a region in Italy was created around a small village that bore the same name as a famous grape variety: Prosecco.

Italian producers claimed that the name of the grape used for the varietal wine was in fact ‘Glera’, and that ‘Prosecco’ was actually the name of the Geographical Indication (GI) it came from rather than a grape variety.

Their proclaimed GI was soon officially recognised by the European Union and representatives of the Italian wine industry got to work to enforce rules related to this GI status globally.

This proved challenging, however, as the grape had been grown in many other regions, including in Australia, for decades under the name Prosecco.

Australian producers, having developed a strong reputation and market recognition of their own locally- made Prosecco, pushed back against the European move to deny them use of the name that had long been associated with the variety.

Now, a decision by the New Zealand government to recognise Prosecco as a GI as part of a broader trade agreement with the EU has left Australian producers shocked and incensed. It’s a move that has the real potential to negatively affect sales of Australian Prosecco given that New Zealand is the largest international market for this product.

Australian Prosecco overseas

The lion’s share of Australian Prosecco stays in its homeland with domestic sales accounting for around two thirds of sales.

New Zealand is the largest export market both by volume and by value; around 15 per cent of Australian-produced Prosecco is shipped to New Zealand.

The decision by the New Zealand government to recognise Prosecco as a protected GI came as something as a surprise on the other side of the Tasman as industry body Australian

Browns Family Wine Group (BFWG) CEO Dean Carroll said while decisions would need to be made on how they market the brand in New Zealand in the future, it may also open up new opportunities.

No one knows what Glera is, Italians have always used Prosecco to identify the grape so its hard to market. A cynical person would suggest that Glera is not as sexy and that is why they have decided on calling it that.

Grape & Wine (AGW) had negotiated an assurance with the Kiwis that such an agreement would not be entered into with the Europeans.

While New Zealand’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU will open doors for Kiwi exporters, there are concerns that it could result in closed doors for Australian exporters

Damien Griffante, Director of Strategy and International Affairs at AGW, said the announcement was a blow to Australian producers.

“We are disappointed in the decision as reported and are seeking clarification of the impacts from the New Zealand government,” he said.

“The New Zealand government FTA decision on Prosecco does not alter Australia’s position in our own negotiations, to continue to strongly protect the legitimate rights of Australian producers to grow, produce and sell wines made from the Prosecco grape variety.

“Prosecco to New Zealand in the year ended June 2022, is valued at roughly $3.5 million.”

In a statement made following the FTA, New Zealand Winegrowers CEO Philip Gregan acknowledged the agreement’s benefits for New Zealand producers but did not mention the recognition of the Prosecco GI.

“Our understanding is that the agreement is positive for winegrowers exporting to the EU. It will help remove technical barriers to trade, and reduce burdens from certification and labelling requirements in a dedicated Wine Annex.

It will also support future growth in the market, and encourage exporters to focus on the EU,” he said.

AGW Chief Executive Tony Battaglene said part of the shock was that his organisation had voiced objections to the recognition based on the implications that this would have for Australian producers, and that those concerns have gone unanswered.

“They provided a service where feedback and objections could be given and we never heard back from them,” Battaglene said.

Implications of recognition

Recognition of Prosecco in New Zealand won’t come into effect until five years after the ratification of the agreement, which is expected to happen early next year.

But the implications for Australian producers are already somewhat dire. The fear among some is that Australia might now make a similar agreement with the EU in search of its own FTA.

“The Italian government has been very aggressive about protecting the use of the term and there’s always the threat in Australia as well so we are definitely concerned about a domino effect,” Battaglene said.

Tony Battaglene

[Prosecco] has been a substantial builder of our business in that market; a lead category for us and the consumer demand is really in that market every bit as much as it is in Australia.

Dean Carrol

While discussions continue over the name of the grape, local producers struggle to keep up with demand for Prosecco in the domestic market. Photo: Marc Bongers

Figure 1. Australian Prosecco production by year. Source: Wine Australia

Prosecco in Australia

“Like everything you get a foothold in the market and we had been growing our brand in New Zealand for a few years and now producers have to find a new market.

“We are never going to be a huge Prosecco industry and now we will be Investing a lot of money in marketing to gain a new foothold or to become more established under a new name.

“The disadvantage we have is the strength of the brand, and bigger brands will be able to transition; but it will be harder because Glera will be really hard for consumers to understand.

“No one knows what Glera is. Italians have always used Prosecco to identify the grape, so it’s hard to market. A cynical person would suggest that Glera is not as sexy and that is why they have decided on calling it that.”

Australian Prosecco’s success in the domestic market has been advantaged by its low cost barrier for consumers.

However, major producers are now concerned about any potential knock-on effects that may occur as a result of a hit to exports.

Prosecco

was first cultivated in Australia in 1999 by Dal Zotto Wines in North East Victoria’s King Valley, with the first vintage being released in 2004.

The Dal Zotto family originated from north eastern Italy prior to emigrating to Australia and founder Otto Dal Zotto quickly found that the King Valley provided very similar conditions to the foothills of the Italian Alps.

“For him, it was an ambition for us to grow it up in the King Valley,” said Otto’s son and current winemaker Michael Dal Zotto.

“We spoke about it quite a bit and then we just came to the point where we had to stop talking about it and actually do something, and that’s what started us off on it.”

The variety soon took off amongst other growing, especially in the King Valley, which accounts for roughly half of Australia’s Prosecco production.

Dal Zotto said part of the reason for the variety’s success in the region was that conditions were so similar to its home in Italy.

“It doesn’t really grow differently [than in Italy]. It’s quite similar and we get all the same characteristics,” Dal Zotto said.

“We’ve actually taken our Prosecco over to Italy for winemaker tastings with the Prosecco producers in Italy

“Our Prosecco was set in the lineup and it wasn’t picked in as an Australian Prosecco, it was picked as one of the Italian Proseccos.”

The domestic market for Australian Prosecco has exploded in recent years, making an initial jump in production in 2009 and making further leaps in the years that followed.

Prosecco production in Australia has more than doubled since 2015 according to a 2019 study by Wine Australia (see Figure 1).

King Valley-based Brown Brothers is the largest producer of Prosecco in the country and CEO Dean Carrol voiced his concerns following the decision.

“Well, it’s significant in New Zealand where we are either the number one or number two Prosecco,” he said.

“It’s been a substantial builder of our business in that market; a lead category for us and the consumer demand in that market is every bit as much as it is in Australia.

“The key thing is that’s how consumers and shoppers see the category - it’s ‘Prosecco’. They don’t think about it as Italian, they don’t think about it as Australian, they just see it as Prosecco, the category.

“As this ruling is stated, if we’re restricted from using [the name Prosecco] it really does send us back to the drawing board and we would have to substantially repackage, reinvest and re-educate consumers in that market to understand that the same great product they had is now needing to be under a different name.”

Prosecco vines in the King Valley.

Photo: Sam Miranda King Valley

Creating value by tying wine to other IPs

It’s common for products across many industries to tie-in to an intellectual property to create somewhat of a collector’s item and help celebrate the release of a new film, show or piece of music. Harrison Davies explores how wine can help to sell other products, and how they can help to sell wine.

Formany consumers, wine labels are the main point at which decision making occurs when it comes to buying for themselves.

While Intellectual property (IP) tie-ins are not traditionally par for the course when it comes to the marketing of wine products, more producers are beginning to dip their toes into this potentially lucrative area by using other properties on their wine labels.

Treasury Wine Estates is the latest to try their hand with this strategy with Wolf Blass releasing the ‘Fire & Blood Cabernet Shiraz’, to coincide with the release of the new Game of Thrones HBO spin-off series, House of the Dragon.

Wolf Blass chief winemaker Chris Hatcher said the wine would match the message that Warner Brothers, the production company behind the show, wanted to send to consumers.

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“This classic Australian blend, was born out of Wolf Blass’ spirited approach to soar above the rest, encapsulating the brand’s refusal to settle and passionately strive for the best through premium, quality, affordable wine,” he said.

“This exciting partnership with Warner Brothers Consumer Products is the next chapter in the Wolf Blass story, defining the brand’s philosophy now and into the future. It follows Wolfgang Blass’ attitude to life and wine, challenging the status quo and encouraging fans and wine drinkers from around the world to

not to settle for anything less than great.”

Event labels are not particularly new for the wine industry, but blatant IP tie-ins don’t have quite such a storied history within the industry.

Whilst event labels are still finding their footing, they fall into a broader category of short run labels.

Short run labels are labels for limited release wines or for small and boutique style wine businesses that might not be supplying bottles to retail outlets and the like.

Ultra Labels are a company that supplies labelling servicing throughout the wine industry and its general manager Sean Suter said that the infrastructure of short run labels was quite similar to that of promotional labels.

He reflected on the fact that a majority of the wine industry falls into large conglomerates who own a majority of the grapegrowing and winemaking capacity.

For smaller wine labels, a short label run or limited run is necessary and the work that is done for these labels is similar to

Packaging

vision

Damian Hamilton

that of promotional campaigns.

“In the Barossa, for example, 90 per cent of the volume is held by five or six large brands – for example Treasury, Peter Lehmann, Yalumba, Accolade, etc.”

Suter said.

“10% of volume is held by 250+ wineries or small producers so a definite need for short runs exists.”

Suter said that other projects, like adding QR codes or augmented reality software to labels, could be done in a limited capacity for wine businesses.

He commented on some of the challenges in creating labels for such considerations.

“Label stock has a shelf life, so we generally print enough labels to cover an upcoming bottling or sales forecast,” he said.

“For cash flow reasons, a change in production to focus on just-in-time (JIT) [production] so customers can utilise their purchases and assure there is no left over stock and less waste.

“Wine is a luxury product, and part of the strategy of the Australian wine

industry is to focus on premiumisation, hence this encourages a need for special releases, numbered release bottlings and overall short runs.

“This ties in very well with Ultra Labels’ digital printing technology that is geared around JIT. Digital printing also means speed to market through faster turnarounds which allows people more ease to plan using short run options.

Aligning marketing strategies

While these kinds of marketing strategies might be a little off kilter for a

There’s great value in it in offering something disruptive, in something that is against the norm and against the grain, because it stands out on the shelf.

lot of wineries, some designers think that it only matters to match the long-term objectives of the wine producer with the marketing strategy.

Cornershop Design brandkeeper and designer Damian Hamilton said any kind of design can work to align with any strategy as long as they are working in unison.

“I think labels need to align with their strategy and there needs to be a long-term solution, or whatever their strategy is needs to be a solution that’s aligned with their objectives and who they’re communicating to as their target audience,” he said.

“As designers and as brand designers, we’re here to, solve a problem and also understand the client’s objectives and market and create a solution that is disruptive.

“If they’re selling to a conservative, perhaps older market, then […] perception is going to be tainted by history and they’re not going to be as open minded to something that is different or unexpected. To attract to a younger audience, a decision will sell a particular product, which may be alternative.

“There’s great value in it, in offering something disruptive, in something that is against the

norm and against the grain, because it stands out on the shelf.”

The value that IPs can potentially bring to wine companies hasn’t been studied as most of the wines released alongside them generally have been limited releases.

However, the idea of tying wine to another brand fits into Hamilton’s ideas of matching a look or a design to the demographic that the company is looking to appeal to.

Hamilton said the most important thing was disruption, and placing one’s brand apart from competitors.

“Whether it’s bottle shape, or a label that’s bold and colourful or illustrative or, I guess, defies convention,” he said.

“I’m always offering disruption and that would be my recommendation, because our job as brand designers, and our why clients come to us to invest in expertise, is that we’re trying to communicate their brand and their point of difference.

“What is it about each of our clients’ stories that is different? That can help them stand out on the shelf for consumers?”

Return of the hunter.

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VICTOR NASH

How did you get your start in wine?

I started in wine as a shop attended in one of the original Vintage Cellars stores in Sydney (pre- Coles). This store had an enormous fine wine section, with a “wall of d’Yquem” and a “Grange room” with every vintage and variant ever produced. My interest in making wine developed form there.

What is the best thing about working in the wine sector?

The wine industry involves so many specific fields of expertise, and the people who are these experts come from all walks of life. Experiencing the diversity of people and skills to make a wine business a success can be very satisfying.

Globally there is such a diversity of wine produced that there is never and end to having new wine experiences!

What have been some of the highlights of your career in wine?

Possibly the biggest highlights have been seeing younger staff develop into a good career. I’ve encouraged a number of people over the years to further their education, and watching their careers develop beyond a level they thought they may achieve are proud moments.

From a purely winemaking aspect, being the only Victorian winemaker to win the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge trophy in 2010 would have to be my winemaking highlight.

What are some characteristics of Australian wine that help it stand out from other countries?

For a long time the base line standard of Australian wines has generally been very high. Wine faults in commercially produced wines had largely disappeared. This helped Aussie wines become as globally successful as they are. This standard of reliability is possibly not matched by any other country.

How have you been able to explore viticulture throughout your career and across different regions?

Within Australia, I have worked in SA, NSW, and Victoria. Most of my career has been in in Victoria and over the years I have made wine from many varieties in most regions of Victoria. It is through first hand winemaking experience that I have explored viticulture through regions. Through international travel I have been able of learn about old world viticulture in contrast to how most vineyards are managed in Australia.

What are some of the challenges involved with being a part of the winemaking sector?

The wine production side of the industry is not for the faint hearted. It often requires long hours, at unpleasant times of the day, and normally during the best holiday periods of the year. It is definitely not a lifestyle career!

What would be your advice to someone just entering the industry?

If you’re looking for a romance career you won’t find it here!

What place do alternative varieties have in the Australian wine industry?

(I’m not sure I like the term “alternate” what does it really mean?) Varieties which are perhaps less commonly planted in Australia should be explored.

As our industry matures, each region learns more about itself and what wines it can make best. Some regions may find they can make great wines from less commonly grown varieties, and this should lead to a more interesting wine market for consumers. Our industry is still very dominated by a few key varieties, more diversity is important to promote and celebrate!

Consultant Winemaker

producer profile

Grapegrower & Winemaker has been a valuable resource for me over the years. It is a valuable source of professional development content which is very limited for Australian Winemakers.

Victor Nash on the Grapegrower & Winemaker

Event

Australia/New Zealand

3-10

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1-31

looking back

We

October 2012

Machine harvesting versus handpicking

Continued improvements in mechanical harvesters mean that an acceptable level of wine quality is readily achieved with most grape harvests. Indeed the speed with which the grapes can be mechanically harvested means that the crop can be brought in at its optimum, in addition to the cost savings to the labour involved with hand picking.

October 2002

Drought strategies for young vines

Cummings states that vines indicate very early when they are being water stressed. When the symptoms of stressare noticed by the grapegrower it means the vines are already affected and it is not good management to irrigate according to stress symptoms. Rather, irrigation should be managed so that stress symptoms do not appear.

October 1992

Boutique wineries – will they survive?

Australia’s small, boutique wineries are pondering their future. Is there enough growth potential in the market to enable them to survive?

The wine industry has experienced enormous turmoil in the past five years. No longer is it an industry dominated by small to medium sized wineries but one controlled by a handful of giants.

Did

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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