Grapegrower & Winemaker

DECEMBER 2013

GOLDEN

YEARS

HISTORY

IN

REVIEW

YEARS

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December 2013: Issue 599

Contents 40

features

Gearing up to get on top of the next year in the vineyard

33

GWRDC news

57

Ask the AWRI

58

Bird control

60

Tractor buyer’s guide

44

DIY phylloxera laws go online

48

Making the most of not enough water in irrigated vineyards

53

One-stop shop for virus detection and elimination

88 Oak

winemaking

94

Wine additives

101

Bottling and packaging

108

Professional services

news

69

Kiwi pioneer releases first Petit Manseng

72

Wine scientists harvest power of the Synchrotron

74

Wine filtration and filterability – a review and what’s new

5

Taxman hunting WET cheats

6

My View: Rise and rise of Pinot Noir

7

Wine on its way to number one

9

Wine facing tough five-year outlook

12

Roundtable: Wine industry sails into

17

Winejobs.com.au survey findings

19

Sparkling wine show almost a complete night

20

Regional Roundup: Down in South Australia

101

Square bottle. Round hole. Is it a revolution?

22

50 years of Grapegrower & Winemaker

104

Label Q&A: Tonia Composto

80

There’s gotta be a buck in those organic by-products

83

Identifying genes of oenological relevance in winemaking yeast

uncharted waters

sales & marketing

grapegrowing

business & technology

37

106

Healthy approach to soil quality hits pay dirt

ATO plans to hang WET out to dry

cc

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

20 DECEMBER 2013

GOLDEN

YEARS

HISTORY

IN

REVIEW

YEARS

33

cover

regulars

This month’s cover reflects 50 years of Grapegrower & Winemaker as the voice of the industry.

5 110 111 112 113

what's online export snapshot looking forward advertiser index marketplace classifieds

40

In this issue December Publisher and Chief Executive Hartley Higgins Managing EDITOR Elizabeth Bouzoudis EDITOR Andrew Mole editor@grapeandwine.com.au Editorial advisory board Dr Jim Fortune, Denis Gastin, Dr Steve Goodman, Dr Terry Lee, Paul van der Lee, Bob Campbell MW, Prof Dennis Taylor and Mary Retallack Editorial Stephanie Timotheou Contributors Ed Merrison, Tom Carson, Ray Lin Advertising Sales Chas Barter sales@grapeandwine.com.au Circulation: Melissa Smithen subs@winetitles.com.au Subscription Prices Australia: 1 year (12 issues) $77.50 (inc. GST) 2 years (24 issues) $145 (inc. GST) New Zealand, Asia & Pacific: 1 year (12 issues) $110 (AUD) 2 years (24 issues) $210 (AUD) All other countries: 1 year (12 issues) $174.50 (AUD) 2 years (24 issues) $339 (AUD) Students (Aus only): 1 year (12 issues) $66 (inc. GST)

In the midst of the wine industry’s ongoing issues, the Australian Tax Office fired its first warning shots about the WET rebate and the dollar not dropping fast enough, a knife has been stuck deep into the back of Australian agriculture.

Our revenue hungry Federal government is looking to cut costs wherever it can.

Fair enough that it has decided to swing the axe through the public service.

But that bloody swath through the corridors of the indolent looks as though it is creating some incredibly serious collateral damage.

Because the CSIRO falls under the collective description ‘public service’ so it now faces losing as many as 1400 jobs as Canberra looks rip 12,000 salaries out of the payroll.

Every Australian has been impacted

by CSIRO since its establishment but it would be fair to say agricultural Australia has been one of the biggest beneficiaries.

The work of its scientists in research, in providing valuable answers to significant problems, and in providing cutting-edge technology is perhaps without parallel in Australia.

Yet as many as 600 scientists have been earmarked for the knife as part of

the 1400 jobs CSIRO will lose in the next 12 months.

Scientists who will now drift into the private sector, or head overseas and be lost forever to the many people and industries who rely on them for so much progress.

The work of some of those scientists on soil health and soil quality is covered in this issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker (Page 37) and was on display at a soil science seminar in Adelaide late last month.

CSIRO is a cornerstone of Australian research for primary industry and any government with any degree of foresight would realise it is not only an area where money cannot, and should not, be saved.

It is an area in which more money should be invested by Federal governments regardless of political persuasion.

It is not too late to reverse this decision and if you want to play your part in the future of your industry’s research, we suggest you get on the phone to your Federal member and register your complaint now.

Andrew Mole Editor Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker editor@grapeandwine.com.au

Contributors Tom Carson, winemaker at Victoria’s Yabby Lake, was part of Australian wine history when he accepted the first Jimmy Watson trophy for a Pinot Noir. In this issue Carson writes about the rise and rise of Pinot Noir. Story on Page 6.

Winetitles Pty. Ltd. 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9500 Fax (08) 8369 9501 info@winetitles.com.au www.winebiz.com.au Printing by Lane Print Group, Adelaide

Ray Lin from IBISWorld has recently published a forecast on the next five years for the Australian wine industry and while the analyst had no exciting news for grapegrowers and winemakers he did see some market stability. Story on Page 9.

© Contents copyright Winetitles Pty Ltd 2013.

All Rights Reserved.

Print Post Approved PP535806/0019 Articles published in this issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker may also appear in full or as extracts on our website.

Cover price $8.25 (inc. GST)

4 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Ed Merrison is an international wine writer who was in Marysville, Victoria, at the 2013 Australian Sparkling Wine Show and writes that by and large the local industry has Champagne in its sights – and with good reason. Story on Page 19.

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

news

Taxman hunting the WET cheats The Wine Equalisation Tax rebate has morphed from an industry lifesaver to the victim of misuse and abuse as tax schemes are ripping off the program for millions of dollars – and winemakers and grapegrowers may pay the price.

THE TAX MAN is gunning for people rorting the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) rebate.

With the support of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA), which wants the rebate back where it belongs – helping the little guys make a go of it.

Not lining the pockets of dodgy investors who have seen it as a quick way to line their pockets with as much as $500,000 a year – every year.

WFA chief executive Paul Evans told Grapegrower & Winemaker the tax was ‘the’ issue of Federation’s recent national roadshow promoting its action plan for getting the industry back on track.

The cost of the WET rebate has soared $100 million in new payments in the past six years at a time Evans said the industry “has not been growing”.

In other words, the figures just don’t add up.

“Since we have put our proposals out for comment the feedback has shown us just how important the rebate is to the industry,” Evans said.

Staggering cost: Paul Evans said the cost of the WET rebate has soared $100 million in new payments in the past six years at a time the industry “has not been growing”.

December 2013 – Issue 599

“The problem is the rebate can also be accessed by people who have absolutely no connection to what is a vitally important industry to Australia’s economy,” he said.

Just how badly has been made clear by the Commissioner of Taxation issuing an alert that the Australian Tax Office (ATO) will be focusing on a wine producer who arranges for another entity to manufacture some of its wine and producers who sell wine to other entities for further blending or manufacturing.

Describing the compliance risk as high, an ATO spokesman has said “our aim is to support legitimate claimants and promote a level playing field within the industry”.

“We have now identified groups of scheme participants and better understand the nature of the arrangements.”

The ATO has also established a dedicated team to deal with those “arrangements”, including compliance, legal, intelligence and debt recovery.

It has also implemented a watch list to monitor entities suspected of rorting the system.

“WFA is here to see our industry’s legitimate grape and wine producers get the support they need,” Evans added.

“In an economy where governments are looking to save hundreds of millions of dollars, we need to ensure the integrity of the rebate. If we don’t, there is a risk that Canberra may act.

“The wine industry employs people across regional Australia, and it reinvests in local communities.

“But unless we can get this right we could be facing even bigger problems.

That’s why we are working with the ATO to address any abuses of the system and come up with policy changes to ensure eligibility to branded producers.

Contact: Paul Evans.

Phone: 61 8 8133 4366.

Email: paulevans@wfa.org.au. *Wine facing tough outlook. Page 9 *ATO plans to hang WET out to dry Page 106. www.winebiz.com.au

what’s online Grape merger announced for Australian wine industry Two of Australia’s peak wine bodies will be merged under legislation introduced by the Federal Government. The legislation will see the creation of a single statutory authority to do marketing, research and development support for the $3.4 billion wine industry. Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce said the merger would bring together the research and development function of the GWRDC and the marketing and export oversight functions of Wine Australia, reports Weekly Times Now.

Treasury Wine class action could reach $100m Litigation funder IMF’s class action against Treasury Wine Estates could reach $100 million and has gained strong interest from investors in the US on both retail and institutional levels. IMF Australia is drumming up support from current and former shareholders in a bid to achieve a claim over its $30 million minimum threshold before Christmas, reports Business Spectator.

Getting the wine industry out of the red The Australian wine industry could be facing the biggest restructure in its 150year history. The industry is finalising a raft of recommendations to the Federal Government which it says are essential if winemaking is to develop - or even survive - in Australia. Winemakers’ Federation of Australia vice-president David Lowe said the industry is finally facing up to challenges which have been building in recent years, reports the ABC.

.com.au Australia’s wine industry portal by Winetitles Australia’s wine industry portal by

Winetitles

Daily Wine News is a snapshot of wine business, research and marketing content gleaned from international wine media sources, with a focus on Australian news and content. To subscribe visit www.winebiz.com.au/dwn.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

5

my view The rise and rise of Pinot Noir.

In October Tom Carson and Victoria’s Yabby Lake winery created their own little piece of history with the first Pinot Noir to win the Jimmy Watson. In this issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker Carson looks at the Australian story of this historically misunderstood wine.

THE OLDEST AUSTRALIAN Pinot Noir l have ever seen or tasted was a 1957 McWilliams Mount Pleasant, a wine closer to 60- than 50-years-old, still dark and brooding, didn’t taste much like Pinot Noir, but still interesting.

It was years after this, at a point l am not quite sure of, that the first commercial bottling of Pinot Noir hit the shelves. All I remember was it happened in the early ’70s.

1960s and early 1970s, stemming an exodus which began as far back as 1921.

Pinot Noir was all part of their original plantings.

There were a few more notable producers who established in the late 1970s and early ’80s such as Philip Jones of Bass Philip and Guil de Pury at Yeringburg, urged persistently by John Middleton to re-establish the great name from last century.

The quality of today’s Pinot Noir is a testament to the pioneering spirit of these producers, who understood enough about the variety and the importance of site selection, clonal selection and meticulous viticultural practices

The 1976 Tyrrells Vat 6 Hunter River Pinot Noir however hit the big time in 1980, when alongside Chateau Petrus and Romanee Conti it was named in the top 12 wines of the world by Time magazine.

The only Australian wine in the list.

Suffice to say, the Hunter Valley has not gone on to be our best region for Pinot Noir.

The true pioneers of the variety are to be found in the more moderate southern climes. John Middleton at Mount Mary, Dr Bailey Carrodus at Yarra Yering and Reg Egan from Wantirna Estate were the dynamic trio who individually established, and as such gave a rebirth to, Yarra Valley winemaking in the late

6 Grapegrower & Winemaker

And Nat White of Main Ridge Estate, who was the first to plant Pinot Noir on the Mornington Peninsula.

But it was probably James Halliday at Coldstream Hills (established in 1983) who thrust the variety into the public spotlight.

The quality of today’s Pinot Noir is a testament to the pioneering spirit of these producers, who understood enough about the variety and the importance of site selection, clonal selection and meticulous viticultural practices.

But above all they understood it needed to be grown in a cool, marginal climate to coax the best out of the variety. www.winebiz.com.au

Fast forward to 2013 and the Royal Melbourne wine awards, the 2012 vintage Pinot Noir class had close to 150 entries and produces for the first time in their history a Jimmy Watson winning Pinot Noir.

Until then the most coveted red wine trophy in Australia had only ever been awarded to a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Shiraz.

This is surely a defining moment for all Pinot Noir lovers and a coming of age for the variety.

It has not been an easy road however.

There has been plenty of skepticism, and at times outright mockery, of the variety during the red-wine boom of the 1990s, when it seemed every man and his dog was establishing a cool climate vineyard and winery and making thin, overcropped ‘weak’ wines – and charging serious dollars for them. Traditional red wine drinkers, and makers for that matter, derided the wines as lolly water at best, and certainly not serious wines.

But the true believers persisted and continually honed their craft and found constant areas of improvement.

Year after year the wines got better, the vines got older, the viticulture more in touch and the winemakers more intuitive.

There have been noticeable improvements year on year and in the past decade there has been, l believe, a quantum leap in quality.

Today competition in the Pinot Noir sector is fierce and you can find serious quality at just $15 and right up to $250 (or thereabouts) for the 2010 Bass Philip reserve Pinot Noir (25 dozen produced).

The broad acceptance of Pinot Noir in all segments of the market is heartening to see, every restaurant in Australia should have a Pinot Noir by the glass and a decent selection from a number of regions by the bottle.

If they don’t they soon will.

It is a magical variety which captures wine lovers and rarely let’s them go.

It is not a wine with which people start their wine appreciation with, but it is certainly the one they will end up with.

Contact: Tom Carson, Yabby Lake.

Phone: 61 3 5974 3729.

Email: carsontom1@me.com.

December 2013 – Issue 599

Wine on its way to number one Wine is well on its way to becoming Australia’s number one alcoholic beverage according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Stephanie Timotheou looks at the changing face of Australia’s pubs and clubs and why consumers are leaning towards the finer drop.

WINE IS WELL on its way to dethroning beer as the preferred drink in Australia.

In the past 50 years beer’s share of the market has collapsed from an overwhelming 75 per cent in 1961-62 to just 41 per cent in 2011-12.

In the same period wine’s market share has climbed from a meagre 12 per cent to 38 per cent and if the trend continues looks set to surpass beer in the next few years.

Australian Bureau of Statistics health and disability assistant director Matthew Montgomery said the shift from beer to wine was largely due to the cultural influence of migrants during the ’50s and ’60s.

“The arrival of a large number of post-World War II migrants from Europe including those from Italy, France and Greece, brought a new culture to Australia which we adapted to quite quickly,” he added.

“The shift also had to do with the changing social conditions during the ’70s including an increased social participation of women in terms of employment and anti-discrimination laws.”

Montgomery said although foreign countries had a large impact on the figures shown today, the growth of the Australian wine industry itself and a greater demand for quality Australian wine also influenced people’s preferred choice of drink.

While people are still drinking a mix of beer and wine, Montgomery said the fall in beer consumption was due to a range of factors including the change in age structure and population, changing economic conditions, employment rates and changing consumer preferences.

Beer, like cigarettes, is also facing perception issues because of relentless government campaigns and media headlines linking it to road safety.

“Legislative changes, the introduction of random breath testing and the changes in taxation have created a government focus, as well as community awareness, on the health aspects of alcohol use which in turn may have also reduced the consumption of beer,” he said.

These factors have all helped the wine industry to prosper in one way or another, including the sale of wine in pubs and hotels.  December 2013 – Issue 599

Apparent Consumption of Pure Alcohol, Beverage type as a proportion of all alcohol 100% Beer

Wine

Spirits(a)

Cider

80%

60%

40%

20%

1972

1962

1982

1992

2002

0% 2012

Year ended 30 june (a) Includes Ready to Drink (pre-mixed) beverages.

Source: Apparent Consumption of Alcohol, Australia, 2011-12

Apparent Consumption of Pure Alcohol, Per capita(a) 15L Beer

Wine

Spirits(a)

Cider

Total

10L

5L

0 1962

1972

1982

1992

2002

2012

Year ended 30 june (a) Litres per person aged 15 years and over. (b) Includes Ready to Drink (pre-mixed) beverages.

Source: Apparent Consumption of Alcohol, Australia, 2011-12 www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

7

news All of which is good news as the Australian wine industry battles with its latest case of oversupply.

As far back as 1972 Grapegrower & Winemaker was reporting the power of the beer business. In May that year we wrote “while the wine industry’s growth rate was an infinitesimal 0.2 pc in 197071, the soft drink industry in Australia showed an increase of 1,320,000 gallons, beer consumption rose by 11,185,000 gallons and there was no marked interruption to the growth rate for spirits.

“Mr J Penfold-Hyland, president of the Federal Wine and Brandy Producers Council of Australia, said this in his report to the council’s annual meeting in Perth.

“He was discussing the effect on the wine industry of the 50c-a-gallon wine excise imposed by the Federal Government in August, 1970.”

In late news in that same issue readers were told the wine tax had been halved.

“The Minister for Customs and Excise, Mr Chipp, announced in the House of Representatives on May 25 that the Federal wine excise would be reduced on May 26 from 50c to 25c a gallon,” the report said.

“After Mr Chipp made his announcement to the House, Mr Al Grassby (Lab, NSW) tried unsuccessfully to move an amendment to abolish the excise altogether.”

Today the focus is not on excise but on WET. It has been announced the Australian Taxation Office has put the lid on WET rebate schemes entered into before 1 December 2012.

The ATO is focusing on arrangements where ‘virtual wine producers’ are interposed between the “real” producer and the third party purchaser for no apparent commercial purpose, other than claiming WET rebates.

Full WET story, Page 106.

Contact: Matthew Montgomery.

Phone: 61 2 6252 6745.

Website: www.abs.gov.au

Which booze would you choose?

The scene at pubs and clubs around Adelaide is reflecting the national trend of demand for wine and locations such as the Alma Tavern are not immune to the change.

IF YOU ASK a typical Aussie bloke what he drinks most – chances are he will say beer. But as it turns out, more people are increasingly enjoying fine wines over beer and the ABS has the figures to prove it.

Pubs and hotels including SA’s Alma Tavern have also backed these claims, saying they have seen the change in consumer preference.

Official government statistics have

shown the gap between beer and wine closing dramatically during the past 50 years.

If it continues in the current direction wine will soon be the number one alcoholic beverage in Australia.

While statistics may just be a bunch of confusing numbers to some, staff at the Alma Tavern at Norwood have supported the ABS claims of an increase in winedrinkers.

Here’s cheers: Hannah Pendlebury serves a glass of wine at the Alma Tavern. She says she has noticed a distinct shift in demand at the hotel.

8 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

Bar tender Hannah Pendlebury said while most beer is served to the maledominated clientele, more and more females are ordering a glass of wine to kick-start their weekend.

“The shift hasn’t been large, but I have noticed a slight change on Saturday and Sunday afternoons – women aged between 18 and 30 have been ordering more wine than usual,” she added.

“Moscato and Rosé are very popular with the younger girls as they are sweet, they go down easily and they won’t break the bank – I think these are the main reasons why females tend to drink more wine.”

Pendlebury said the majority of customers purchasing wine are young to middle-aged with 70 per cent being females.

The other 30 per cent are predominantly “older, more mature males” who enjoy, and apparently appreciate, the finer drop.

Pendlebury also admitted bartenders stereotype males as beer drinkers and females as wine drinkers – which is not always the case.

“We tend to make assumptions the Corona is for the male and the Sauvignon Blanc is for the female, however both males and females drink wine in pubs today and I believe in some circumstances at particular bars, wine would definitely dominate beer,” she said.

“It does however come down to the clientele, the time of day and the type of bar.”

Dan Murphy’s and BWS liquor stores were contacted for this story but declined to comment.

December 2013 – Issue 599

Wine facing tough five-year outlook Analysts IBISWorld see a mixed short- and medium-term outlook for Australian wine with a shift towards newer markets in parallel with a move towards more premium wine production to offset the current supply-demand imbalance. focusing more on cellar-door and online HEALTHY VINEYARDS HAVE helped sales. play havoc with the Australian wine industry.

IBISWorld analyst Ryan Lin said REVENUE GROWTH • Over the next five years IBISWorld Australia’s stagnant and oversupplied “In the five years through 2018-19, forecasts Australian wine grape wine industry was hit hard last harvest industry revenue is forecast to grow at an production will decline by an by a lack of disease and disaster – and annualised 2.0 per cent to $6.3 billion.” annualised 1.7 per cent. plenty of water.

“But the silver lining in all this is the • Next year it is expecting our wine Lin said this bumper production opening of new markets right across the production to increase 1 per cent, exacerbated the problem of supply Asia/Pacific region, not just in China. with the overall five years to 2018 outstripping demand.

“Although China clearly is the expected to see an annualised And a repeat performance this harvest biggest player in those markets the growth of 2 per cent. would only help make things worse. growing interest in, and demand for, • At the same time IBISWorld “Over the next five years IBISWorld niche products and premium wines forecasts Australian wine grape domestically and for export will be estimated industry revenue to production will decline by an annualised supporting market growth.” decrease at an annualised 1.9 per 1.7 per cent,” Lin said.

In terms of niche Lin suggested newer cent over the five years through “At the same time IBISWorld wines in Australia such as Sangiovese 2013-14 to reach $5.7 billion. estimated industry revenue to decrease and Tampranillo are starting to increase • In the two to three years leading at an annualised 1.9 per cent over the in popularity. up to end of 2018-19, industry five years through 2013-14 to reach $5.7 He said IBISWorld is expecting operators are expected to shift more billion.” annualised growth in exports over the production towards premium wines.

However, industry revenue is next five years of 2.6 per cent off the back expected to rebound slightly during of 2.3 per cent in the next 12 months, 2013-14, posting a small growth of 0.7 “spurred by Asian demand”. towards premium wines, while Asian per cent from the previous year due “At the end of the day the overall export markets will play an increasingly to recovering economic sentiments and market is being constrained by production important role in the industry’s future,” rising consumer confidence. capacity and oversupply already out Lin said.

“In the two to three years leading there,” he added.

“Winemakers are likely to work on up to end of 2018-19, industry operators “Yes, there are a lot of factors involved 7 5 6 F l utot shift e 8 8 more x 1 8 production 5 _ G G W - producing 1 2 0 1 single-vineyard 3 - 0 3 - 2 0 T 1wines, 5 : 5 8 : 2 5 + in 1 1current : 0 0 pricing and cash flow but the while are3 expected

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December 2013 – Issue 599

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

9

news

wine industry is largely weighed down by its over capacity.

“The lower-priced products are at the bulk end of the market, the cheap and nasties, which is where the bulk of excess production is, and that tends to be the big corporates.

“We think the premium end of the market is still doing OK, especially in the export market – for example Penfolds is being lapped up in China.”

IBISWorld also expects the Australian dollar to hover within reach of parity, and not have the hoped-for impact at every level of the wine market.

PREMIUM PROVING MARKET-PROOF However, Lin said even at its strongest it was not really harming business for the premium products.

“Premium might not be big enough to lead a total market recovery but it will certainly help offset some of the negativity surrounding the industry,” he said.

“And our forecasts are also based on wineries not producing as many cheap,

bulk wines this year and beyond – capacity is the key element.”

IBISWorld also said the new low-cost producers in the market, such as Chile, are providing rising competition.

And Lin said manufacturers are also losing bargaining power against supermarket giants and changing consumer preferences.

He said the industry faces a long and painful process before the market returns to balance. Continual discounting and oversupply of wine will still weigh on domestic revenue.

World demand for wine stimulates demand for Australian exports and serves to curb import competition.

That demand for wine is expected to increase in 2013-14, giving an opportunity for the industry to open new export markets.

2013-14 in line with the number of liquor retailing outlets around Australia.

Pubs, taverns and bars are key links to the final consumption of wine, so manufacturers need to establish good relationships with owners of these establishments. Demand from pubs, taverns and bars is expected to increase over 2013-14, especially as more drivethrough bottle shops open up.

DOMESTIC PRICE OF WINE GRAPES The cost and availability of raw materials (including grapes) affects profit margins and sale prices in the Wine Production industry.

The domestic price of wine grapes is projected to fall in 2013-14, especially as the industry recovers from a glut of grape production.

DEMAND FROM LIQUOR RETAILING

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

The liquor retailing industry is one of the most important markets for winemakers, so the industry relies heavily on orders from retailers. Demand from liquor retailing is expected to increase through

A number of factors have also moderated Australian alcohol consumption, including increased health and wellbeing awareness, drink-driving campaigns and enforcement. These factors act as

Cuts not deep enough According to IBISWorld the most challenging issue faced by the industry during the five years through 2013-14 has been the structural oversupply of wine in Australia.

In November 2009, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, Wine Grape Growers’ Australia, the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation released a joint statement highlighting the structural surplus of wine and wine grapes in Australia, which called on producers to take steps to reduce production.

The research noted at least 20 per cent of bearing vines in Australia were in surplus, and at least 17 per cent of vineyard capacity was uneconomic.

The study asserted Australia was producing 20 million to 40 million cases a year more than it was selling.

This has contributed to the large volatility experienced by the industry, particularly during 2010-11 and 2011-12.

10 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Over the past five years, the oversupply of wine has entrenched a culture of heavy price discounting, devaluing the Australian brand internationally and reducing producer profitability.

Demand for Australian wine, both at home and abroad, has fallen due to a variety of factors. These include volatile economic conditions in key export markets, the emergence of other low-cost producing countries, unfavourable exchange rate movements, heavy discounting by liquor retailers, rising imports and growth in private labels.

Producers have responded to this by writing down assets, shutting down or selling vineyards and destroying vines.

This looked to be bearing fruit, with total grapes crushed falling 8.4 per cent in 2008-09 and a further 4.8 per cent in 2009-10, to reach 1.6 million tonnes.

However, since then IBISWorld expects the level of grape production will remain mostly the same, especially as a return to more favourable weather conditions in 2012-13 aid large harvests.

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

GRAPE BINS

Easy to clean & extremely robust

a downward force on industry revenue. Nevertheless, alcohol consumption is expected to increase in 2013-14.

Although a recovery in global markets and growth in domestic demand is expected in 2013-14, challenges are expected to persist, with low export sales to key UK and US markets.

Industry players are attempting to combat this by encouraging consumers to drink more premium wines and placing greater emphasis on direct sales to the Australian public.

As a result, domestic wine consumption is expected to have grown at a faster pace over the past five years compared with previous years.

Efforts to reduce the oversupply of wine in the industry through closing wineries and destroying vines have helped alleviate the problem.

Exports are important to the industry. Over the past five years, wine exports have declined sharply, as key export UK and US markets have suffered recessions and the rising Australian dollar has eroded export competitiveness.

Exports have had to contend with rising competition from other low-cost wine producers. Cheap Australian wines dominated the UK market 10 years ago. However, during the past decade, several new producers have entered the market.

Wine producers such as New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and, more recently, South Africa, have taken advantage of lower production costs and rising popularity to supplant Australian wines in major wine-consuming markets.

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INCREASING COMPETITION Competition has also increased from producers in France, Italy and Spain, as these countries regain their iconic status as winemakers.

“Australian producers have responded by trying to improve the reputation of Australian wine and increasing sales of higher value wines through increased marketing,” Lin said.

“Furthermore, producers are targeting Asian markets, particularly China. Australia is the second-largest exporter of wine to China, after France,” he said.

“Imports have increased over the past five years, fuelled by the rising Australian dollar and soaring demand for NZ Sauvignon Blanc, underpinned by savvy marketing and generic fruity wines mainly targeted at female drinkers.

“This is in contrast to the oaky Australian Chardonnays, which were previously popular in the white wine market.

However, the tide appears to be turning, with locally produced Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris growing strongly over the past couple of years.”

Contact: Jessica Thompson.

Phone: 61 2 9440 0414 or 61 (0)405 495 164.

Email: jthompson@awassociates.com.au.

December 2013 – Issue 599

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

11

round-table Wine industry sails into uncharted waters As we get ready to close the book on what has been a tough year, Grapegrower & Winemaker invited Australia’s largest wine business, the Kondinin Group-ABC Rural Australian Horticulturist of the Year, a small wine maker and an independent retailer for their take on where we have been and where we are going.

This month Grapegrower & Winemaker celebrates its 50th anniversary and in that time has seen the Australian and New Zealand wine sectors rise from almost cottage-industry status to significant players on the world stage (see feature starting Page 18).

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing and right now the industry is caught in the grip of a wine glut and rising competition from quality low-cost producers such as Argentina and Chile.

And things haven’t been helped by the strength of the Australian dollar which, although it has finally slipped below parity with the US dollar, is remaining stubbornly within sight of 100 US cents when everyone in agriculture and exports wants it to drop below US90 cents.

To look at 2013 and get a sneak peek at 2014 we have invited a diverse group of participants to give us an overview of the industry.

Ashley Ratcliff might not be at the pointy end of the business but after

winning his national crown in September, and collecting more industry awards since then, the Riverland-based grapegrower has proved he knows what he is talking about.

Paradigm Hill vigneron George Mihaly has used his scientific background to help master the procedural elements in making wine at his Mornington Peninsula winery while his wife Ruth runs the vineyards. In his winery he says the philosophy is more akin to that of a hands-off traffic warden – keeping a regular watchful eye on the wines to ensure things don’t go wrong. He is trying to do the same for the broader industry through a strong commitment to industry groups and committees.

Sean O’Brien runs Barrique Wine Store at Healesville in Victoria’s Heathcote region. A loyal supporter of local wines he also casts his retail net far and wide to give customers a taste of the world as he battles a tight economy and the power of the supermarket duopoly.

Finally Peter Taylor, Treasury Winer Estate (TWE) Australian director of wine production brings his 36 years of winemaking to the Roundtable – a career which began in 1977 after graduating with a degree in oenology from SA’s Roseworthy Agricultural College. He has also held general management roles with Southcorp and then Foster’s Group, where he became global winemaking development director. In his current role Taylor oversees TWE’s Australian supply network, including winery and packaging operations, grape and wine sourcing, as well as supply demand and Australian logistics. TWE’s operating network comprises three Australian packaging centres, 26 company vineyards and 10 wineries. So when he speaks a lot of people listen and in this feature Australia’s largest wine producer gives us a glimpse of the thinking at the big end of town. Our last Roundtable for 2013 certainly makes for some thoughtprovoking reading.

As we close the book on 2013 what can we expect in 2014?

some increased opportunity for export – particularly to Asia?

SO’B: 2013 ends with a fair degree of optimism. After a tumultuous 24 months of global uncertainty in financial markets in which Australia has found itself in the unique position of being able to capitalise on the underlying weaknesses of foreign economies, a new financial year and some political stability following a federal election (whichever way you sit on this one!) and some warming in the real estate market. I’m hopeful consumer confidence will get back on track as well. As far as consumption trends are concerned, the Pinot Noir juggernaut should continue to roll on. With so many fantastic varietal and regionally true examples from the classic 2012 vintage hitting the shelves in the past couple of months, the roll out will continue and the quality will not drop off.

These are wines that are a pleasure to enjoy now but will handsomely reward those with patience and a cool dark place to keep them. On an overseas front, I’m tipping wines from Greece will continue to gain market interest, however small that market may be. They’ve been making the stuff for a while and they have some fascinating

indigenous varieties on their hands that are well suited to Australian climes, both in terms of growing and drinking.

AR: My activities are isolated to the Riverland. Overall things look very good.

Most of the white varieties have balanced canopies and crops. Chardonnay in particular looks good and I am expecting some quality wine to be made from the 2014 vintage.

TWE: 2014 is a very special year for our business, Penfolds will celebrate its 170th year and Wolf Blass will celebrate the 80th birthday of its founder, Wolfgang Blass in September. I never like to make predictions about vintages this far out, but if it’s anything like the last two years, I’ll be happy.

GM: Overall, 2014 may be a year when we should expect the unexpected. And with this, a year of some uncertainty both in the vineyard through more extreme weather events and as a result, threats to vineyards and vintage 2014.

In local and international trading conditions I would expect more uncertainty in terms of government attitude to taxation policy and challenges to the status of the WET rebate but a more competitive Australian dollar and hence

12 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

What has the wine industry as a whole done right in addressing its supply/demand dilemmas?

AR: Is this an industry or individual’s responsibility? I tend to feel that it is up to individuals to take responsibility on what they need and don’t need. There is so much information available on supply and demand that people should be able to make decisions by themselves without expecting the industry to direct them.

Don’t you publish a heap of information each month in your magazine on supply and demand? Also what is a dilemma for some is an opportunity for others.

TWE: Many parts of our industry have focused, rightly, on the pursuit of excellence – in driving up quality and creating additional value. This is to be applauded because our industry can then achieve fair returns for our effort, which will benefit growers, winemakers, distributors, retailers and investors.

GM: The efforts of WFA in consulting with the wine industry on a range of December 2013 – Issue 599

There is so much information available on supply and demand that people should be able to make decisions by themselves without expecting the industry to direct them. measures aimed at returning the industry to profitability (i.e. enhancing export opportunities, responding to the wine and health debate and others) has been particularly timely. The industry has also responded well to driving exports of quality wines – particularly into growing Asian markets – though there is much more to be done.

SO’B: Supply and demand is an intriguing concept. 15 years ago, Australian wine was the darling of the wine world, and in hindsight, it was probably for all of the wrong reasons. We couldn’t keep up with demand, despite the massive volume of cheap, big fruited, generous alcohol and oak driven wines that were the order of the day. But as other markets got their collective acts together, all of a

Ashley Ratcliff

sudden the sole Australian golden goose had offspring in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. The inevitable Chinese and Indian models are not far off, and that is when the real screws will be turned on the Australian export market.

But what the industry as a whole has identified, is that ‘quality’ is the answer.

Australian wage and growing costs are not competitive at the bottom end of the market, so stepping up the quality, interest and diversity of Australian wine is the answer.

If that means pulling vines, then do it. If that means putting a knife in ‘old’ brands that don’t represent the direction of a maturing Australian wine market, then do it. If that means giving small growers and makers more of a voice

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And what, if anything, has it done wrong?

AR: Maybe the question should be what are we doing right? I think the latest activities of Wine Australia have been fantastic.

In the past 12 months Wine Australia has helped coordinate four groups of international guests who have visited the Riverland. These groups have been amazed by the beauty of the Riverland and the quality of wines the region can produce. Savour was also a great success.

I also feel Winemakers Federation of Australia is taking responsible steps with their current plans for our industry. 

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round-table I know there has been criticism but I just can’t help thinking these industry bodies are trying to do their very best.

I have had a long association with a number of local industry bodies. I can’t speak highly enough of the people who roll their sleeves up and help their fellow grape growers and winemakers by contributing countless hours at committee meetings and other activities (usually unpaid). I currently sit on the Riverland Wine Industry Development Council which is headed by Brian Walsh and Chris Byrne. It is fantastic to be part of an industry association where the grape growers and winemakers are working together to forge a successful future.

In regards to individual companies within the industry, well there is a lot of good stuff happening. An excellent example of an approach to create a positive and interesting story is that of the Australia’s First Families of Wine.

So I think as an industry we are doing a lot of things right.

TWE: The flip side of the quality agenda is those who drive value out of the Australian wine industry. We need to face up to the fact some in our industry currently strip out, rather than add value to, Australian wine with a focus on lowest cost production. Efficiency is, and should remain; a vital ingredient in any business but charging full value for a quality product that has been created by highly skilled wine professionals is not something our industry should shy away from. Low cost production is characterised not just by poor marketing and a focus on cheap grape supply but also led by a lack of investment in the technical aspects of our industry, in R&D, in viticulture and production.

Such behaviour ultimately exposes the Australian (and global) consumer to a cheap, commoditised product. It destroys ‘Brand Australia’ and reinforces a viscous circle of value destruction rather than creation.

GM: As we all know, the industry is made of a very large number of individual vineyard/wineries – many of which are fairly small. However, only a modest proportion play an active role in our industry’s affairs. I believe a significant silent majority fail to engage on issues confronting the industry – presumably feeling it will somehow be addressed by others. Whilst this may not be uncommon, the absence of unified support for efforts leaves the industry relatively fragmented and at risk of becoming (more?) dysfunctional.

Whilst it could be argued the leadership of the industry is responsible for communicating the urgency of issues

14 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Do you feel there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians and what impact is this having on the industry?

George Mihaly

If that means pulling vines, then do it. If that means putting a knife in ‘old’ brands that don’t represent the direction of a maturing Australian wine market, then do it.

requiring engagement, it is also the responsibility of individual wineries/ vineyards to “listen”, to seek to understand the challenges and to contribute in a meaningful way to how these might be addressed. I believe there are too many in our Industry who are sadly waiting for someone else to “magically” address issues/challenges - rather than playing a constructive role.

Probably the most striking example of this is the relatively modest industry response to the growing audacity of the anti-alcohol lobby and its specific targeting of wine.

There have also been too many instances of public point scoring or disunity on issues of national importance to the industry – such as the retention of the WET rebate.

SO’B: See Question 2. www.winebiz.com.au

AR: Seems balanced to me! I generally try and avoid the politics and focus on things I can influence in a positive manner.

What is really important is having people who want to make the industry a better place. It is equally important to have these people lead by individuals who can provide vision; leadership and can put industry interests ahead of self-interests.

TWE: Winemakers at all levels, and in all shapes and sizes, have a role to play in our industry. Indeed, it is the diversity across the Australian winemaking landscape that is one of our industry’s greatest strengths. However, ultimately it is not ‘size that matters’ but ‘what you do with it’ that really counts!

For TWE our scale is important because of what it enables us to do - and that is to make better, higher quality, wine. Because of our size we are far better placed to give our winemakers the very best possible support: Through investment in technical skills and innovative viticultural practices; by supporting the art of traditional winemaking with the application of leading-edge science and technology, by working with growers to raise the quality of our grape intake through strategic investment and long term planning; and by providing access to knowledge and best practice from around the globe.

I have no doubt that, because of our size, we are able to offer consistent quality at every price point.

GM: Yes – on one level our industry has a number of industry bodies that at times appear to have a degree of overlap in their areas of responsibility. However, the organisation of the representative bodies for our industry needs to mirror the way we function in terms of national governance. As government operates at federal, state and local levels so should our industry representation.

Herein lies the primary issue as I see it – namely the lack of participation or engagement of the “Indians” – that is to say, individual grapegrowers and winemakers - at these different levels.

SO’B: I’m probably not in a great position to talk about the industry at large on this point, as I’m not across the ‘big end’ of the market. I could only offer a regional perspective on this question. I believe the Yarra Valley is truly one of the most dynamic wine regions in the land. We have long established, super premium pioneers such as Wantirna Estate, Mount Mary, Yeringberg, Yarra Yering, Seville Estate and Yarra Yarra who still knock out some of the state’s best wines; we December 2013 – Issue 599

have producers such as Yering Station, De Bortoli, Chandon, Gembrook Hill and Tarrawarra who were the backbone of the local scene in the 90s and still charge on today; a band of ‘newish‘ benchmarks including amongst others Oakridge, Giant Steps, Medhurst, Hoddles Creek and Punt Road; and a raft of small, independent labels such as William Downie, Mac Forbes, Timo Mayer, The Wanderer, Luke Lambert, Jamsheed and Thick as Thieves.

The lists go on, but what is clearly evident is a layering effect within the industry.

Surely, in 2013, the industry is getting to the point where it is secure enough in its own ability and potential to be able to identify real ‘chiefs’ within the ranks to forward the regional cause without concern of petty self-promotion, and everyone else benefits. I reckon we’re getting very close in the Yarra.

If you had a final say, what would be the one major change you would make to how the wine industry is run in Australia?

AR: While we do a good job, we need to focus a lot more on the positive stuff! As I am not expecting to live to 100, and I am already 43, so I want to enjoy the wine industry now. There is no hiding the facts that there are challenges, there will always be challenges, but in some way that is what makes life exciting. I wake up every morning in the Barossa, then go and work for a fantastic family company, and sometimes I get to spend time in the Riverland. I could be living in a slum in a third world country! So despite all the pressures and challenges we face in this great industry, I feel we have something special that we should continue to tell the world about!!

TWE: Quality is incredibly important to TWE; and we believe it must become the new obsession for our industry.

Above all we must stop thinking of wine as a commodity and should never be embarrassed about charging full price for the quality hand crafted product it is.

So the one major change I would make is getting all winemakers and wine bodies in Australia focused on the quality agenda. That is the best way to reinvigorate ‘Brand Australia’ and win consumers both at home and abroad.

And I’d also abolish cleanskins!!

GM: I would identify an equitable manner in which we would have an adequately-funded arrangement to have suitably resourced local, state and federal representative bodies to advance the interests of our industry. At present key issues facing our industry at each of these levels of operation are in many instances inadequately resourced and as such we are not responding to them in a manner December 2013 – Issue 599

that would best service our industry (e.g. wine and health).

SO'B: Taxation is topical at the moment.

The biggest travesty of justice in 2014 would be if the WET tax was adjusted so genuine small producers within Australia find themselves unviable.

These are people who have invested their lives and the lives of their families in the wine industry by studying and pursuing growing or making careers, and have by virtue of spiralling real estate costs in dress circle wine regions, not been able to ‘invest‘ in bricks and mortar or dirt, as per WFA proposed requirements. This is the cutting edge of the pointy end of the Australian wine industry where acceptance by consumers is on the rise and can only strengthen the position of quality long established producers – strength in quality numbers with real endeavour and passion is the answer, not a market dominated by those with the dollars to satisfy legislation or skirt taxation demands.

Australian wine industry – I hope.

TWE: No. Grapegrowers are the lifeblood of our industry and key partners in TWE’s success – they are entitled to make a return. This again comes back to the quality and value equation.

I believe it is possible to establish a virtuous circle in which greater profits delivered from an increased investment in premium and luxury wines are reinvested back ‘to the vineyard’ in order to deliver long-term reward, and greater returns, for both the winemaker and grower.

GM: Yes – the pressures of operating in a global market create distortions in the competitive positions for local grapegrowers – and in a similar manner – to winemakers as well. Australia is not the only place in the world capable of making great wines and the relative commercial strength of producers in Australia (as suppliers) compared to local customers (both off and on premise) and the international environment is driving the imbalance in the relative powers.

The biggest travesty of justice in 2014 would be if the WET tax was adjusted so genuine small producers within Australia find themselves unviable.

Do you believe the grapegrower is trapped in a world of being a price taker rather than price maker and why/why not?

AR: Not really. Those growers who do not evolve will I guess always be price takers and will rely on luck rather than planning/ foresight to remain in the wine industry.

What is encouraging is the number of growers who are taking control of their futures and are building strong businesses.

These leading growers are very strategic, they value add their skills (consulting), utilise their connections (build strong links/relationships with their customers) or make better use of their tangible assets (collaborative farming, share farming, growing other crops or sun farming). These leading growers will eventually influence other growers to change or become larger suppliers themselves. They are adapting to the ever changing market and I expect these growers will be the future of the www.winebiz.com.au

Sean O’Brien

SO’B: We are in the midst of a large scale maturity of the Australian wine scene, and a massive diversity in regions that now have vine age averages of 20+ years courtesy of large-scale plantings throughout the 90s.

Exciting times!! But what has also come to light is that the focus is now on quality rather than quantity. It stands to reason that certain sites within regions are ideally suited to most likely one, maybe two varietals (unless of course we’re talking a mix of Bordeaux twigs etc.). The idea that Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Semillon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache can all grow to optimal potential on one site is fanciful. Variation in soil types, aspects, microclimates - they just can’t all thrive. Throw in ‘alternatives varietals‘and the chances of widespread success are very slim.

So are growers trapped as price takers rather than price makers? No, with Grapegrower & Winemaker

15

round-table one qualification. Demand for quality fruit that the grower can set a price for, will never subside so long as the right varietals are planted in the right sites and managed well. Beyond that, in the current state of play, growers are probably at the mercy of the purchaser.

Is your take on the future of the industry as something increasingly being swallowed up by the supermarkets and corporates or can the ‘little guy’ hold a secure place as well?

AR: I shop at a supermarket and most of my friends work for corporate companies (wine and non-wine). I am not going to take a guess on what the future will look like, but I guess there will always be consumers who will have very little loyalty to a particular wine brand and buy on price. So buying wine for this type of customer at a supermarket is perfect as it provides convenience and choice.

(based on our research) is prepared to pay more for a wine that constantly delivers on quality and brand image, so if we can truly embrace quality and an increasing focus on premiumisation then I see no reason at all why both the small winemaker, and the larger retailer, can’t both win.

GM: Yes – the strengthening and dominating position of supermarkets is challenging the ability of winemakers to maintain the balance of power in business relationships. With Paradigm Hill being one of the “little guys” I have, as a matter of strategy, avoided dealing with supermarkets and targeted independent wine merchants. As the power of supermarkets grows, the viability of independents is under increasing challenge and as such, so is the ability of the smaller producer to operate in a truly competitive position.

SO’B: The life of the small producer and independent retailer is long lived.

Our instincts are similar; our passion

I never like to make predictions about vintages this far out, but if it’s anything like the last two years, I’ll be happy.

Peter Taylor, TWE

This type of customer is important to the future of our industry and so is the environment where they are buying their wine (supermarkets), because if they are buying wine it possibly means they are not buying beer or spirits, which means there is an opportunity to stimulate their interest in the romance of wine. Once on the hook, it is the challenge of the smart and the little guys to inject/infect brand loyalty! So in my eyes the big and small ends of town need support. This all sounds very easy when you are a viticulturist!

TWE: As I said earlier, winemakers of all shapes and sizes have a role to play in our industry – and so do retailers. We also all need to make a living, and the key thing for that to occur is for an effective price to be paid to make all parts of the industry sustainable.

The good news is that the consumer

16 Grapegrower & Winemaker

to deliver something different to the consumer is equivalent. There’s no doubt that the supermarkets and global companies will expand and attempt to dominate the domestic scene even more so, but the bigger the gulf, the more the opportunity for a quality focussed enterprise. Security? It’s there if you are really willing to sink your teeth into ‘it’.

The most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (see story Page 7) shows beer consumption has fallen from 75 per cent in 1961-62 to 41 per cent in 2011-12. Over the same period wine has increased from 12 per cent to 38 per cent. Do you see this as enough to affect the supply/demand issue?

AR: I really don’t have enough information to comment on this except to say it is a www.winebiz.com.au

positive trend for the wine industry.

TWE: This data confirms what we know to be the case - Australia’s appreciation for wine is growing and robust; and this is also the case in most developed and developing markets around the world.

I’m certain that, over time, this trend will have significant positive implications for our industry – what we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg. Already it is very clear that the fundamentals of the wine category remain strong and global consumer demand is helping to address the supply imbalance that we’ve experienced over recent years.

GM: Whilst the trend to increased wine consumption is encouraging (both per capita and also as a proportion of the community), this in itself has not restored, and will not restore, the supply/demand equation to a balanced outcome. Imports are on the rise from both established (such as Europe) and new wine markets (such as South America) driven in part by the strength of the Australian $ and also in part by an unrealistic reverence for wines from other countries. As a result local wine production is sometimes struggling to compete in our own home market. I sometimes feel it would be nice to have a more parochial pro-Australian attitude amongst retailers and sommeliers driving more home-grown consumption.

SO’B: Those statistics further support the suggestion that the Australian market is in a maturation phase. 50 years ago, in comparative numbers, there wouldn’t have been many grapes grown in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania or Western Australia. In the absence of actual statistics, I would suggest that upwards of 90% of the nation’s wine production came out of South Australia in 1961-2. The SA industry has played, and continues to play, such an important role within the domestic and international scene, but it is now complemented by ‘mature’ regions across the land, producing exciting wines that broaden the expectations of the consuming public. This concept, combined with an awareness of associated health issues concerned with excessive beer consumption, might explain those figures. I find it a bit difficult to comment on the mass market, but in the ‘boutique’ market, I don’t think those figures are entirely reflective of today’s scene. Beer and cider consumption in our market is all about quality craft offerings from labels that have stories of passion and artisan endeavours behind them. And really, it’s the ever expanding export market that controls the ‘wine supply & demand’ equation, so let’s hope that ‘our’ quality focussed equation is in balance for a while to come!

December 2013 – Issue 599

Right jobs pay off in wine industry The first winejobs wages survey has turned up some surprising results in who gets paid what – and who doesn’t. At the same time industry employment specialist Richard Broughton reports the shining lights are marketing and sales. www.winejobs.com.au jobs posted by state 1/1/13 - 31/10/13

At a glance: • Production roles are increasingly few and far between with key people such as winemakers staying up to three times as long in current jobs because of the limited market.

• Families realise they need expertise, and independent management, but it is still tricky as so many of them find it very hard to let go.

• Feedback from some of the smaller wineries was that the survey was set up for larger wineries where responsibilities were clear.

NSW JOBS IN THE wine market are red hot – but mostly if you are in sales and marketing.

Wine Industry Appointments Sydney-based consultant Richard Broughton said corporates and evolving family-owned wineries were also providing opportunities for chief executives and general managers.

But production roles are increasingly few and far between with key people such as winemakers staying up to three times as long in current jobs because of the limited market.

“Traditionally many winemakers moved around every 18 months or so to get exposure to new systems, new products and new people but that’s not the case right now,” Broughton said.

“But demand for sales and marketing specialists is growing all the time – particularly in Sydney and Melbourne – as more and more people get involved in digital marketing,” he said.

“The past 18 months have really seen this market kick off at the same time production has gone quiet, although there are signs things are picking up there also.

“SA is still where the business is but the market still has opportunities for the right people right around the country.

“I think the toughest positions are where new management is brought into companies which have been family owned and operated, for one generation or more.

“The families realise they need expertise, and independent management, but it is still tricky as so many of them find it very hard to let go.”

Win@jobs has just completed a readership survey to see if wages are holding up in the current market.

Fifty eight per cent of respondents operated as vineyards/ wineries and 42 per cent only as wineries.

The results are only of the responses deemed suitable for the purposes of preparing what is believed to be a reasonable guide as a benchmark of salaries across the industry. Please consider that as results are dependent upon correct information being supplied that winejobs cannot guarantee and any survey findings are to be used as a guide only.

While there were responses from other segments in the industry, we deemed the response rate was too small to serve as a useful salary guide.  December 2013 – Issue 599

QLD

SA

TAS

VIC

WA

www.winejobs.com.au job categories 1/1/13 - 31/10/13

Maintenance Manager

Sales & Marketing Production

Viticulture Winemaking

% jobs posted on www.winejobs.com.au by month

www.winebiz.com.au

JAN JUN

FEB MAR APR MAY JUL AUG SEP OCT Grapegrower & Winemaker

17

news While the survey did not include a question regarding the vineyard size or tonnage range, this information was estimated by matching those that responded with Wine Industry Directory data held by Winetitles.

We separated wineries from those operating as wineries/vineyards. We did not question why some wineries listed salaries under the categories of viticulturist, vineyard manager and vineyard staff.

Averages and median ranges have been calculated from positive responses – those which returned nil figures were not counted (N/A indicates no responses received for that category and 1 indicates only one response was received for that category).

Feedback from some of the smaller wineries was that the survey was set up for larger wineries where responsibilities were clear. Win@jobs will seek to address this in a later survey.

Notable comments from this segment include: “We are a very small winery and only employ the two owners and the rest of the workers are contractors/consultants.”

“We are a small family operation that is just starting and we have as of yet to pay ourselves anything for the last three years.”

“We are a small family winery, with just my wife and two part time staff and some contract labour where required.”

“My role is vineyard manager,

winemaker, marketing/PR and part business management.”

“The survey has no relevance to single owner vineyard operations where everyone does everything.”

“In small companies the chief winemaker also does cellar door, vineyard work/management, PR for contract making, vineyard consultancy, grape purchases. Marketing also manages cellar door, does accounting, BAS and tax returns, does sales. The main vineyard worker also part manages vineyard, does wine making, part manages cellar door, does sales.”

“This is a family owned business; hence the two of us do much of the work without payment.”

Wineries Role CEO/GM State Manager Viticulturist Vineyard Manager Vineyard Staff Senior Winemaker

Tonnage

Wineries/Vineyards

Average Salary

Median Salary

< 249

$103,571

$100,000

< 249

$99,545

$100,000

250+

$135,500

$124,000

250+

$115,160

$150,000

$76,166

$75,000

< 249

$79,500

$80,000

$145,000

$130,000

250+

$82,002

$80,000

< 249

$46,333

$44,000

< 249

$49,000

$50,500

250+

$94,875

$94,875

250+

$121,000

$121,000 $50,000

< 249 250+

Tonnage

Average Salary

Median Salary

< 249

$57,500

$57,500

< 249

$54,854

250+

$59,930

$54,361

250+

$73,333

$70,000

N/A

N/A

< 249

$35,025

$40,000 $43,500

< 249 250+

$45,923

$44,347

250+

$43,725

< 249

$80,625

$85,000

< 249

$63,857

$70,000

$112,350

$100,000

$108,200

$100,000

$68,400

$60,000

250+

250+

< 249

$67,500

$67,500

< 249

250+

$85,510

$85,891

250+

$71,714

$75,000

< 249

$65,000

$65,000

< 249

$52,333

$45,000

250+

$98,970

$95,000

250+

$92,428

$95,000

< 249

$72,500

$72,500

< 249 (1)

$48,000

$48,000

250+

$76,186

$71,760

250+

$76,333

$69,000

Communications Manager

< 249

$55,000

$55,000

< 249 (1)

$48,000

$48,000

250+

$61,500

$61,500

250+

$71,666

$70,000

Cellar Door Manager

< 249

$54,000

$52,000

< 249

$43,000

$43,500 $55,000

Winemaker Sales Manager Marketing Manager

Cellar Door Staff Office Manager Administration Staff Human Resource Manager

250+

$56,356

$55,000

250+

$62,142

< 249 (1)

$40,000

$40,000

< 249

$32,916

$38,250

250+

$44,070

$45,000

250+

$43,285

$45,000

< 249

$45,000

$40,000

< 249

$59,500

$52,500

250+

$77,283

$60,000

250+

$71,100

$70,000

< 249

$55,000

$55,000

< 249

$54,000

$54,000

250+

$48,802

$50,000

250+

$44,200

$48,000

N/A

N/A

$42,000

$42,000

< 249 250+ (1)

Wineries that downsized in 2013 Tonnage

< 249 (1) 250+

$52,000

$52,000

$70,000

$60,000

Wineries/Vineyards that downsized in 2013 Number

Number of staff

Number

Number of staff

Less than 249

1 out of 14

1-3 (1)

Less than 249

4 out of 25

1-3 (4)

250+

3 out of 11

1-3 (3)

250+

1 out of 12

1-3 (1)

Number

Number of staff

Less than 249

6 out of 14

1-3 (3), 4-7 (3)

Less than 249

10 out of 25

1-3 (9), 4-7 (1)

250+

3 out of 11

1-3 (2), 8-15 (2)

250+

3 out of 12

1-3 (1), 4-7 (1), 15 (1)

Wineries that upsized in 2013 Tonnage

18 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Tonnage

Wineries/Vineyards that upsized in 2013 Tonnage

www.winebiz.com.au

Number

Number of staff

December 2013 – Issue 599

Sparkling wine show almost a complete night Wine writer Ed Merrison was in Victoria for the 2013 Australian Sparkling Wine Show where entries dazzled the judges until the Sweet and Fruity class crashed and burned.

MARYSVILLE, A BEAUTIFUL town just beyond the Yarra Valley, was ravaged by bushfires in 2009. It still bears the scars. But exceptional local spirit ensures progress is being made. You just know it has a bright future.

So you couldn’t find a more fitting home for the only wine show in Australia solely dedicated to the sparkling category.

Now in its fourth year, the Australian Sparkling Wine Show was established to help regenerate the area.

And the four-day festival has held onto that warm, community feel.

The locals sampled competing wines over a sausage sizzle one night, and were later treated to a master class led by Champagne Guide author Tyson Stelzer.

They were also invited to the festival’s climax, a gala awards dinner on Friday, 25 October.

The wines, in the main, lived up to the occasion. They signalled the sparkling category is alive and well – and left judges heartened there are even better days ahead.

Numbers held steady from last year at about 200 entries, with boutique wineries from far and wide squaring up to big brands such as Seppelt, Hardys, Jacob’s Creek and Yellowglen.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE The competition has entries in five classes: Sparkling White (natural fermentation); Sparkling White (bottle fermented); Sparkling Red (any method); Sparkling Rosé (any method); and Sweet and Fruity Sparkling (natural fermentation, bulk or bottle). In the event, there was no trophy awarded in the final class, leaving the other four winners to battle it out for Wine of the Show.

“All four were, to me, lovely examples of what they should be,” said Ian McKenzie, chief judge and former chief winemaker at Southcorp.

Tumbarumba winery Courabyra emerged victorious for its “805” Sparkling 2001. A single-vineyard blend of 60 per cent Pinot Noir, 30 per cent Chardonnay and 10 per cent Meunier from a site 730m up in the foothills of the Snowy December 2013 – Issue 599

Mountains, this was also the trophy winner for the Sparkling White (bottle fermented) class. The fruit was wholebunch pressed and underwent full malolactic fermentation. Tirage took place in October 2001 and it spent 11 years on lees before disgorgement in August 2012.

Along with Courabyra, wines from Heemskerk, Umamu Estate and House of Arras scored gold medals in the traditional-method class. Show judge Steve Goodwin, a former Southcorp sparkling winemaker presently at Witchmount Estate in Plumpton, Victoria, said these top wines showed just how far Australian sparkling wine has come over recent years.

“There were three of four wines that, if you put them into a line-up of medium to premium Champagnes, they wouldn’t have looked out of place. Twenty years ago, we’d have been amazed to find wines as good as those,” he told Grapegrower & Winemaker. McKenzie had high praise for the top wines of what he called “the commercial category”, particularly the trophy-winning Leura Park Sparkling Grande Blanc de Blanc 2012 from Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.

“While the wines in this class are younger (than the traditional-method class), you can usually see some nicelymade wines: fresh, lively, sometimes without a great deal of complexity. But the top wine showed all the hallmarks of a Blanc de Blancs style. It had finesse, it had style, it had length and it had delicacy.”

Taltarni took the only silver medals in the rosé and red classes for its 2010 Brut Taché and 2012 Sparkling Shiraz respectively. The much-admired House of Arras Rosé 2004 won the trophy for best pink, while the Sheer Drop Sparkling Red NV from Bendigo was victorious in what was overall a disappointing class.

McKenzie and Goodwin felt there were too many instances where those behind these wines had not set out with the right intention.

“You’ve got to start right from the viticulture to make a quality sparkling. It www.winebiz.com.au

The right stuff: Champagne Guide author Tyson Stelzer congratulates Cathy Gairn from Courabyra Wines at Tumbarumba, NSW, for producing Australia’s Best Sparkling Wine for 2013.

has to be from the ground up,” McKenzie said.

In the Sweet and Fruity class, the judges didn’t see fit to hand out a single gold or silver, finding nothing to rival the 2012 Kirrihill Moscato, which picked up last year’s trophy.

Nevertheless, they were impressed with the standard across the show as a whole.

Although the best Australian sparkling wines remain a tough sell, with many costing as much as, or more than, their Champagne counterparts, Goodwin remained confident consumers will come to recognise the value of these world-class wines. At the same time he sees decades of work ahead, trying new areas, clones, varieties and trellising techniques, before Australia starts to realise its full potential, It’s a sentiment echoed by McKenzie, a sparkling wine legend who started out as a winemaker back in 1959.

“We still use Champagne as a benchmark and rightly so. The best Champagne is the best sparkling wine in the world, in my opinion,” McKenzie said.

“We made massive inroads into technology changes and viticulture changes in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and from here on in we’re now finessing.

“The rate of change is going to be slower, but it will be incremental for sure. I have total faith in that.”

Contact: Michael Gelbert. Phone: 0428 517 147. Email: info@ australiansparklingwineshow.com.au.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

19

regional round-up

Regional Roundup: Down in South Australia Stephanie Timotheou takes a look at the latest happenings in South Australia’s southern wine regions from McLaren Vale to the Adelaide Hills and discovers the festivities, trophy wins, a new wine launch and a milestone reached.

17th Coonawarra Cabernet Celebration keeps on rocking Cellar doors, wineries and venues across the region were flooded with wine lovers and connoisseurs as Coonawarra played host to a range of events across three days.

From 18-20 October the most prestigious annual event showcasing the Coonawarra’s flagship wine – Cabernet Sauvignon – was held with more than 40 special events hosted by the region’s wineries.

Coonawarra Vignerons marketing and event manager Renee Harrison was delighted with the turnout and praised the event for its ability to promote the region and its produce.

“The event is an essential part of the vigneron tourism marketing campaign,” she said.

“It provides an excellent platform to build on people’s love and knowledge of Coonawarra wine and has great potential to continue developing its profile-raising capacity.

“The event’s success can be accredited to the strong community spirit in Coonawarra.”

The weekend kicked off with the ‘retrospective tasting of 2004 vintage Cabernets’ event at Hollick Wines.

Committee member Wendy Hollick said she was impressed with how well the 2004 vintage wines performed throughout the district.

A new addition to the event’s program was the ‘Coonawarra experiences’ where visitors had the opportunity to explore the vineyards and talk one-on-one with viticulturists and winemakers.

One of the biggest events held over the weekend was the ‘masterclass Claret and Cabernets’ hosted by Wynns Coonawarra Estate. Twelve wines – eight from Coonawarra and four from

Bordeaux – were tasted and assessed by an expert panel plus a room full of keen winemakers and wine enthusiasts.

Committee member Brett Sharpe said the wines were outstanding and a wonderful exercise of comparison between two of the world’s most recognised Cabernet producing regions.

Contact: Renee Harrison. Phone: 61 8 8737 2392. Email: renee@coonawarra.org

Bird in Hand launches new MAC wine range Almost 100 guests attended the intimate launch of Bird in Hand winery’s new premier MAC range at its refurbished gallery restaurant in the Adelaide Hills.

Named after the original custodian of the estate and Nugent family patriarch Michael Anthony Carroll (MAC) Nugent, the MAC range stands at the pinnacle of the Bird in Hand wine portfolio.

After a short speech and a warm introduction by Andrew Nugent, Michael Anthony Carroll was presented with the first bottle from the new collection.

Public relations coordinator Gemma McFarland said Bird in Hand has had a positive response to the MAC range with more than half the vintage sold within eight weeks of release – at a hefty $300 a bottle.

20 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Chief winemaker Kym Milne said the 2012 vintage was outstanding for red wine in the Adelaide Hills.

“Throughout harvest and production all parcels of Shiraz were kept separate and graded by a panel of three winemakers,” he added.

“During this blending and grading process we identified a small parcel of Shiraz of exceptional richness and power.

“This wine became MAC – a vintage and wine of this quality will only come rarely.”

Each bottle is individually numbered and a limited supply is available.

Contact: Bird in Hand winery.

Phone: +61 8 8389 9488. www.birdinhand.com.au www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

Langhorne Creek Vignerons’ Race Day Organisers of the Langhorne Creek Vignerons’ Day have hailed the event as one of the best in its history – with thousands attending the Strathalbyn Racecourse to enjoy local food, wine and horse racing.

More than 3000 punters, foodies and wine lovers were on track to celebrate the race day’s 20th anniversary on 17 November.

Lake Breeze has been involved in all 20 of the events and according to Robyn Follett who works at the winery, this year’s event was one of the best.

“Lake Breeze showcased five wines on the day and our Moscato proved to be very popular,” Follett said.

“Vignerons’ Day is an event we’ve been involved with for many years so we’ve watched it grow and grow and it’s

a great day for local producers.

“The crowd this year was excellent and the addition of the exclusive Eden marquee certainly lifted the whole event.”

Strathalbyn Racing Club chairman

All hail the kings of the Vale Grapegrower & Winemaker visited Penny’s Hill Winery in November to witness the crowning of the annual McLaren Vale Bushing King – and what a celebration that was. It was a scorching spring day, but it didn’t stop hundreds of people joining in the festivities to welcome McLaren Vale’s new kings onto the podium at the 2013 AMCOR McLaren Vale Wine Show luncheon.

Rosemount Estate winemakers Matt Koch and Randall Cummins were crowned and gowned as they accepted the highly coveted award. The pair was chosen after receiving a staggering nine trophies from a possible 26 with the 2012 Rosemount Estate District McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon winning the bushing trophy for the overall wine of show.

The same wine was awarded the

Graysline trophy for best Cabernet Sauvignon at the Melbourne Wine Show just weeks before the crowning.

This year marks consecutive wins for Koch, who said it is a great recognition for the entire team in McLaren Vale.

“To win back to back is awesome – it is a great achievement for everyone and we will be celebrating as a team,” he said.

“In the role of Bushing King you really are an ambassador for McLaren Vale.”

The Bushing King title has been awarded by the judges at the McLaren Vale Wine Show to the region’s best winemaker every year since the 1970s.

Contact: McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association.

Phone: 61 8 8323 8999.

Email: info@mclarenvale.info

Katnook Estate winemaker celebrates 35th vintage This year marks winemaker Wayne Stehbens’ 35th vintage at Katnook Estate, where he started as a young winemaker in 1979.

With a great passion for the Coonawarra wine region, Stehbens said it is now very much his home as a second-generation grapegrower.

His wife Michelle manages the cellar door and Katnook Estate has become a big part of their lives over the past 35 years.

“Once our children started school we decided this was a great area to raise a family,” he added.

In October, Stehben released his 30th vintage of Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – the 2011 vintage.

The first vintage was in 1980 which went on to win two gold medals at the 1982 Canberra and Perth wine shows.

December 2013 – Issue 599

He said despite having 35 great vintages, 1980 was his all-time favourite.

“Not only was it my first vintage as a winemaker, but it was also a great vintage climatically,” he said.

During his time as a winemaker, Stehbens has had great success with national and international trophy wins.

He was awarded the Jimmy Watson trophy in 1987 and 1998 and claimed international trophies at the 2003 UK International Wine & Spirit Competition for the 1998 Odyssey.

Reflecting on the past 35 years brought back great memories for Stehben.

Contact: Katnook Estate.

Phone: 61 8 8737 0300.

Email: katnook@wingara.com.au. www.winebiz.com.au

Keith Pridham said the event’s success was a great reward for the club.

“We’re thrilled with the result and delighted so many came to experience the beautiful Strathalbyn racecourse to enjoy what our region has to offer,” Pridham said.

“It is a unique event and offers a prime opportunity for winemakers to showcase their work as it brings a swarm of visitors to the region to celebrate what makes our region so desirable – the wine.”

Wines by Bleasdale, Brothers in Arms, Bremerton, Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy, Howlin’ Gale, Lake Breeze, Uncle Dick’s Cellar and The Winehouse were available on the day by the bottle or glass.

Contact: Langhorne Creek Wine Region.

Phone: 61 8 8537 3362.

Email: info@langhornecreek.com

Hahndorf winery receives trophy at Royal Melbourne Wine Show South Australia’s little German town of Hahndorf is home to The Lane Vineyard, which recently collected the Trevor Mast trophy for best Shiraz in show at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show (RMWS).

Winemaker and part-owner John Edwards was proud of the team, whose Block 14 Shiraz took the title.

“Like Trevor Mast himself, I’ve had a love affair with cool climate Shiraz and have benchmarked our Reunion Shiraz against his Mount Langi Ghiran for years,” he said.

“Winning this trophy which honours a legend of the Australian wine industry reaffirms my vision for The Lane.

“Block 14 is an authentic, beautiful wine; it is an evolutionary new style – one that sings the song of our vineyard.”

Contact: The Lane Vineyard.

Phone: 61 8 8388 1250.

Email: cellar@thelane.com.au Grapegrower & Winemaker

21

YEARS 19

013

special feature

1965

A method of regulating the quantity of sultanas crushed for winemaking must be devised as a matter of urgency in view of continuing wine grape surpluses. An annual average of 23,874 tons of sultanas had been crushed over the past eight years yet the wine grape surplus for 1965 was estimated at 19,000 tons.

1966

The production of non-alcoholic wine in SA could do much to absorb wine grapes in years of surplus and thus go partway towards curing one of the big problems in the grapegrowing industry.

1967

The 1967 vintage had created a new Australian record of 237,000 tons, the president of the Federal Wine Grapegrowers Council, Mr SA Dyer, said in his report to the annual meeting held in Adelaide during Wine Week.

Golden future for industry and magazine Grapegrower & Winemaker publisher Hartley Higgins reflects on the magazine’s golden anniversary and what it has meant to the industry in that time and pledges a commitment to; and vibrant role in, the next 50 years.

WE HAVE A view at Winetitles the company’s journals and annual Directory are published in trust for the wine industry community. Particularly with Grapegrower & Winemaker, which this month chalks up 50 years.

Grapegrower & Winemaker has been the product of a range of industry players and contributors and has chronicled all manner of research and extension, industry news and the endeavours of its people.

Authors as individuals or representing their institutions have contributed many thousands of timely viticulture and oenology articles and updates into what will be 600 editions of the journal come January 2014. Edited to reflect trends and industry needs, the journal has continued to use its capacity to influence change in grapegrower or winemaker practices.

Being a predominantly regional publisher, we are conscious of the value of the wine industry to regional Australia.

Winegrowing stands alone as one of the most decentralised and vertically-integrated rural industries. As an integral player in many regions, any downturn in its fortunes reflects negatively in these communities.

It has a good regional development story to tell, and because of its tangible local benefits should be embraced by governments, councils and local communities. But it needs to be resolute in better promoting its regional and national value.

A milestone of 50 years is a time for reviewing progress and considering the future. For example when much hope was pinned on Directions to 2025 industry strategy released in 2007.

Yet if the industry had evolved according to that blueprint it would have been much smaller than it currently is. Open slather plantings, many generated out of investment incentive schemes, took hold and set up the overproduction plaguing us today.

For margins to return, the wine industry needs to reduce its production, a message the Wine Federation of Australia (WFA) continues to push. Producers have to build profitability and resilience into their business models and work out if they have a niche or not, if they’re profitable or not, and the real reasons for staying or going. Calls for producing more premium product, if heeded, will result in a more manageable annual crush, but the future cannot be as, many suggest, one of producing only premium product.

This has prompted the further question of what constitutes a national premium standard when comparing our wine with much of Europe, because even our base wine is pretty good.

The question for the future is how we obtain perceived quality amongst consumers such as the French have.

Another key factor in future sales is supermarkets. Calls for the government to intervene will fall on deaf ears. It is up to the industry, and those within it, to learn how to work with them, not against them. We are in a global industry and producers large and small must find an understanding on doing business in an international market place.

Issues around climate change adaption, investing in our next generation, and health and consuming wine remain serious industry challenges, along with the exchange rate as our dollar stubbornly hovers within reach of parity. Every cent it sinks will flow through to the industry’s bottom line.

Most analysts are predicting a strong increase in demand for our primary products as Asia’s middle class living standards December 2013 – Issue 599

At the helm: Publisher and chief executive Hartley Higgins says Grapegrower& Winemaker will continue to cover, be relevant to and represent industry members – across all platforms.

rise in coming years. The wine industry must capitalise on this market and others in delivering a consistent, quality product As for the publishing sector, Australia’s and New Zealand’s mainstream media continues to undergo transformation from the digital juggernaut. However with rural media, and more specifically specialist B2B publications to sectors such as viticulture and wine, these will continue to cover, be relevant to and represent industry members – across all platforms.

History shows with the introduction of new media, the so called “old media” does not die. Rather the new media carves out its market share resulting in more diverse offerings of old and new, which requires greater analysis for true market penetration and results.

While the internet offers convenient search options and social media can “oil the wheels” for sales and marketing, print, radio and TV will remain prominent in specific markets to deliver targeted content and stimulate sales.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the many hundreds of writers, contributors and advertisers who have been an integral part of our business; and to the editors, advertising executives, production and support staff who have given life and colour to this journal for its first 50 years. Winetitles remains passionate about the Australian and New Zealand wine industries and Grapegrower & Winemaker’s evolving role in serving these communities going forward.

Contact: Hartley Higgins.

Phone: 61 3 9888 4822.

Email: hhiggins@nenews.com.au.

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

23

1968

YEARS

“The image of the ‘special bin’ which has been increasingly built up in large sections of the Australian wine industry, leaves the unfortunate impression among so many people that these are our only top-quality wines,” said the general manager of the Australian Wine Board, Mr HFM Palmer, after his return on July 5 from his annual overseas visit.

1969

SAN FRANCISCO – 1968 California wine shipments soared above the enthusiastic predictions of industry spokesmen for a total of 156.7 million gallons. Table wines showed the greatest gain.

Nearly 10 million gallons more left California wineries in 1968 than in 1967 for a total of 71,037, 708 gallons.

Shaky start to a solid foundation – the birth of Grapegrower Former Grapegrower & Winemaker general manager Justin Brady reflects on the idea that overcame a lot of hurdles to become the magazine it is today.

GRAPEGROWER & WINEMAKER has come a long way in 50 years – from just eight, self-funded pages to a genuine magazine of more than 100 pages every month.

In December 1963 John Ryan, a pioneer of public relations in the 1950s, was producing newsletters for a number of agri-organisations in South Australia.

Newsletters detailing the use of chemicals in vineyards and other horticultural areas which Ryan saw as a potential advertising base for his planned publication for grapegrowers.

The Grape Growers’ Association also wanted the publication but didn’t have any money – mainly because growers weren’t getting much for their grapes in those days.

Despite a lot of talk when push came to shove few companies were prepared to take a punt and advertise in an unseen and untried ‘magazine’.

Which left Ryan holding the bag and having to tip in buckets of his own cash to keep the dream alive.

Despite the strain to his bottom line Ryan kept publishing and kept chipping away at the major advertisers with his innovative mix of extension technicaltype information plus the major news of the industry.

The key selling point was that it went to everybody. It went to every winegrape grower, not only in SA but in the other states.

It was also the official journal of the Federal Wine Grape Growers’ Council and, in turn, the official journal of the varying State bodies. Everybody received a copy.

The Federal Grape Growers’ Council saw the publication as really worthwhile for the industry. Its then-president Bob Hollick, of Sunraysia, was a great believer and a key person in getting the publication established.

In that first issue of December 1963, Hollick hailed it as something really tremendous. He said The Australian Grapegrower was a realisation of the aspirations of the men chosen to lead the grapegrowing industry over its 50 years of organisation. He continued to give strong support in keeping the publication going.

Others who supported John and Grapegrower at the time included Jeffrey Penfold Hyland, the chairman of Seppelts

24 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Ian Seppelt, Wyndham Hill Smith, of Yalumba, and Karl Seppelt, to name a few.

Ryan was not afraid to get into the trenches either, and would personally beat a path to the doors grower meetings, reminding them they might be growing winegrapes but in effect they were selling wine.

The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker has been sentinel over all the developments and ups and downs of this dynamic industry for 50 years, and will continue to do so for another 50 and beyond

There was only one use basically for winegrapes and that was to turn them into wine, he said.

Because of that he said growers needed to get away from their attitude of just being concerned with their own little vineyard, wherever it might have been, and start to look at the broader picture of what happened to the grapes when they left a vineyard.

Because of the type of material published in Grapegrower month by month, winegrape growers throughout Australia were able to get that great understanding and knowledge of the broad general industry, which was something they’d not been able to achieve before.

In 1972 ‘& Winemaker’ was added to the masthead to create The Australian Grapegrower & Winemaker to more fully acknowledge the integrated and interdependent roles of the grape and wine industries. The publication retained its semi-tabloid-size format. www.winebiz.com.au

In April 1972, the journal’s prestigious Annual Technical Issue was launched and from the get-go was regarded as ‘the bible of the industry’ with its dozens of valuable viticultural and oenological research and extension papers.

Later, in 1982, the tabloid format was changed to quarto size, before A4 became the standard. It featured colour and along with the new size, was popular with the readers. Later again New Zealand was added to the title to acknowledge a growing number of readers in that country and the amount of extension and technical material contributed by industry professionals there.

By the 1990s, the Australian wine industry was booming with a consequent huge demand for subscriptions to the journal as well as a strong demand for advertising space from suppliers getting on the industry bandwagon.

Grapegrower & Winemaker went from 24 pages a month to 124 pages almost overnight and the boom times for the industry – and The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker – lasted a long time.

The industry’s strategic plan, Strategy 2025, was released in June 1996 as a blueprint for the next 30 years. It covered projected increases in vine plantings, wine production and exports. The bottom lines of these prognostications were achieved much faster than that as Strategy 2025 was relegated to the scrapheap.

Tax breaks were available for startup costs of new vineyards and as a result groups of people uninvolved in the industry got together to plant vast expanses of new vines everywhere.

As one noted viticultural consultant remarked at the time – “too many grapes being grown for all the wrong reasons”.

The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker has been sentinel over all the developments and ups and downs of this dynamic industry for 50 years, and will continue to do so for another 50 and beyond.

This article was written with the kind cooperation and assistance of Ronda Ryan, widow of the late John Ryan, and their daughter Cate Osti. John died aged 90, in December 2010, 47 years after publishing the first edition.

December 2013 – Issue 599

er n n i W

3 1 0 2 d r a w A n o i t a v no n I A - WIS

1970 YEARS

1971

In a move aimed ultimately at gaining stock exchange listing, B Seppelt & Sons has announced a $1.69m placement of shares to institutions. Altogether 750,000 ordinary 50c shares are being placed at a price of $2.25 each – raising a total of $1,687,500.

The chairman of directors of S. Smith & Sons Pty Ltd, Mr Wyndham Hill Smith has described the 50c a gallon excise tax on wine at the cellar door as “plain stupid”. It also showed little regard for those connected with an industry that employed many more people to produce one gallon of wine than was the case in other beverage industries.

To lead or to follow: Fifty years of grape and wine innovation Stuart Thomson, executive director, Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation

THE PASSING OF 50 years, for any business, is a remarkable achievement.

The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) congratulates Grapegrower & Winemaker on this significant milestone, which provides a fitting opportunity to reflect on the benefits innovation has brought to our industry and the possibilities R&D and its subsequent adoption may create.

FIFTY YEARS OF INNOVATION The past 50 years have seen Australia develop significant infrastructure and technical expertise while adopting new technologies and processes, securing its role as an international leader of the industry.

With substantial assistance from State and Commonwealth governments, the Australian grape and wine industry has nurtured and maintained key R&D capabilities.

These are capabilities which have served, and continue to serve, the industry, ensuring it remains internationally competitive and sustainable.

It is not possible within this short article to do justice to the

specific technologies and processes that have greatly benefited the grape and wine sector.

Within the vineyard and the winery there has been considerable adoption and adaption of new technologies including mechanisation; new irrigation; soil characterisation; and increased analytical technologies for assessing and optimising winemaking practices. The continual adoption of new technologies and practices has ensured the sector has access to strategies to reproducibly manufacture wines to a consistent level of quality, be it “premium” or “commercial”, at reduced cost.

PACE OF PROGRESS As the pace of technology has increased, so too have efforts to ensure the relevant and timely dissemination of information to the grape and wine sector.

Such knowledge has enabled winemakers and grapegrowers to effectively cope with difficult environmental and seasonal events.

Furthermore, programs such as GWRDC’s regional program and the various workshops it and other bodies fund, has ensured all regions have access to information.

Australia’s grape and wine sector has benefitted considerably over the past 50 years by its capacity to innovate and adopt the latest technologies.

This has been largely supported through individual companies and R&D funding provided by industry levies, the Commonwealth government, and state governments. Past evidence demonstrates Australia has been a world leader in the wine sector and those companies which have chosen to innovate have, in many cases, been able to better adapt to the fallout from the current economic malaise the sector is experiencing.

TO THE FUTURE The Australian grape and wine industry is entering an exciting period of change and innovation, which should provide both the industry and Grapegrower & Winemaker with many success stories for the next 50 years.

The pipeline of current innovation is very exciting.

While no one can accurately predict the future, there exist some key R&D areas which are likely to provide benefits including but not limited to investigating “objective measures of quality”; advances in geographic information system; genetic research; the development of analytical chemical and biological equipment and understanding consumer preferences of both the domestic and export markets.

At GWRDC we believe innovation is a major component to ensuring the long term viability of the industry and we look forward to continuing to work with the creators, the inventors, the leaders, the big, the small, and the risk takers. Let’s lead, not follow.

The full version of this article will be available in the GWRDC’s December Innovators Network Newsletter. Sign up today http://www.gwrdc.com.au/

26 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

1972

“While the wine industry’s growth rate was an infinitesimal 0.2 pc in 1970-71, the soft drink industry in Australia showed an increase of 1,320,000 gallons, beer consumption rose by 11,185,000 gallons and there was no marked interruption to the growth rate for spirits.” Mr J Penfold-Hyland, president of the Federal Wine and Brandy Producers Council of Australia, said this in his report to the council’s annual meeting in Perth. He was discussing the effect on the wine industry of the 50c-a-gallon wine excise imposed by the Federal Government in August, 1970.

1973

“The mark-up on wines in some SA restaurants is completely exorbitant,” the Premier of South Australia, Mr Dunstan, said recently. He said the Commissioner for Prices and Consumer Affairs, Mr LH Baker, had been asked to make a full investigation some months ago and had already provided a preliminary assessment.

50 years of grapegrowing – and Grapegrower Lawrie Stanford, executive director Wine Grape Growers Australia

IN 1963, WHEN the first Grapegrower & Winemaker appeared, the Australian national vineyard was around 54,000 hectares and the winegrape crush just 310,000 tonnes.

Since then the area has increased 2.7 times and, demonstrating technical advances over the period, tonnages have grown about five times and the Grapegrower & Winemaker has gone from just a few pages to more than 100 a month.

Fifty years ago, the industry was much smaller, domestically focused, growing mainly grapes for fortified wine.

Wine regions such as the Limestone Coast, Orange, King Valley and Great Southern weren’t on the statistical record.

Pedro and Doradillo were in demand, while Riesling and Semillon were the only white table wines.

The reds were largely restricted to the core varieties of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro and Grenache.

Chardonnay was only in NSW and Victoria because of phylloxera-related quarantine restrictions in SA and it wasn’t until 1990 SA Chardonnay tonnages approached the rest of Australia.

TURBULENT CHANGE In the ’60s, wineries were family owned or cooperatives. In the 1970s, international companies bought Australian wineries.

Philip Morris bought Lindemans and Heinz bought Knappstein, but they didn’t hang around long. Then the Allied Brewery swapped Wynns winery for Tooth’s brewery with the Adelaide Steamship Company, which already owned Penfolds – and we know the rest.

After a period of massive consolidation, we now have 20 wineries accounting for more than 80 per cent of the crush, while the Australian wine industry is the fifth largest wine producer in the world with a strong export focus and an international reputation for quality, innovation and education.

In an interesting reflection on the past 50 years, the chair of WGGA, Vic Patrick, started his career in the grapegrowing industry exactly 50 years ago. He has seen MIS schemes; reform agendas and government inquiries come and go – December 2013 – Issue 599

along with one vine pull and one boom.

He remembers 2004 as the one year in all that time when everyone made a profit.

Winegrape growing has changed a lot in technical terms over the past 50 years. In the 1960s vineyard size was limited by the number of vines you would prune. But three big changes advanced productivity.

INDUSTRY PROGRESS The late 1970s saw the introduction of mecha n ica l pr u n i ng, d r ip irrigation opened up new areas such as Coonawarra and Padthaway in the early 1970s and the third major change in grapegrowing was mechanical harvesting – halving labour costs since the 1960s.

Despite the technical changes, there are some things that haven’t changed a lot. SA data shows more than half the grapegrowers in business now are over 60 years of age. This means there would have been no more than one generational www.winebiz.com.au

change in most family owned vineyards in the past 50 years.

Progress is measurable in technical terms. Growers can now set and check their irrigation from 100km away using a mobile phone – opening up new life/work balance options for many. Tractors drive themselves and harvesters can sort fruit in the vineyard.

On the other hand we still don’t have an objective system for measuring the quality of grapes, a universally accepted Code of Conduct between winegrape purchasers and grapegrowers or a national vineyard register.

The market place is relatively unsophisticated compared to other commodities that have a strong futures market, interactive market intelligence and far better trading terms. Profitability is arguably at its lowest level – at least since the time of the vine pull. To add to the technical advances of the past 50 years, perhaps commercial innovation will be the next big advance over the next 50 years.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

27

1983

YEARS

Grapegrowers and consumers will be the real losers from the 10 per cent sales tax on wine announced by Treasurer Paul Keating. Chief executive of McWilliams Wines Don McWilliam said the tax would result in an eventual 20 per cent drop in wine sales.

1987

Sale s of Australian wine are stagnating, forcing the loss of over 10 per cent of jobs in the wine industry during the past 12 months (1985-1986)

1989

In early 1988 nine properties in the Sunraysia district were quarantined after discovery of illegally imported grapevines.

Period of great progress for industry and magazine Paul Evans, Wine Federation of Australia chief executive

AS GRAPEGROWER & WINEMAKER celebrates its 50th birthday, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia is nearing its 25th.

The Federation of Australian Winemaker Associations was created in 1989 (the name was changed to WFA the following year) when three separate bodies recognised, no matter how well they represented their constituencies, there was greater advantage in a single and united voice.

At that time Australian wine was starting its rise from a small, domestically-focused industry dominated by fortified wines to an export industry with more than $3.5 billion dollars of sales every

28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

year and a significant economic impact in regional Australia. It is an impressive story.

We quickly became an international leader – playing a key role in redefining the wine category in the UK, for example, and earning global respect for an unwavering commitment to innovation. We also formalised our structure through a recognised system of Geographical Indications.

Just as importantly, Australia began to develop global influence.

We should not understate the role WFA and Wine Australia have played, in partnership with successive federal governments, in working to reduce market access barriers and establish international industry standards.

As an industry we have benefited from the EU-Australia Wine Agreement and the signing of a number of international agreements with the World Wine Trade Group which harmonise labelling and oenological practices.

Australia also has been active in APEC, helped form a regional Wine Regulatory Forum, and continues to play a key role in the OIV, FIVS and Codex.

Over the years the industry has also taken a more sophisticated approach to protecting and maintaining its natural assets, initially through a focus on biosecurity and more recently on initiatives to promote environmental sustainability at a regional, state and national level.

Establishing WFA’s Entwine program was an important part of that process. So, too, was working with Wine Grape Growers Australia and Plant Health Australia to ensure wine will be involved should Australia need to respond to a pest or disease incursion that threatens the viticulture industries.

For WFA, probably the biggest single event of our first 25 years was the campaign to secure the WET rebate in 2004.

The result was a clear sign from the government it understood the vital role the wine industry plays in supporting the economic growth of regional Australia.

That was then, but even now tax is one of the great talking points in our industry. That was made clear to WFA during the recent consultation around our proposed actions on industry profitability.

But it is also clear we must pay close attention to the issue of wine and health, and the twin imperatives of highlighting wine’s good work while defending our social licence.

The wine industry recognised the importance of regulating alcohol advertising when it was instrumental in establishing the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code. Now we need to be equally committed to policies and actions that promote and support responsible alcohol consumption.

That will require the same unified approach as we saw back in 1989. The new Government’s commitment to make the creation of a new, single statutory authority is an important step.

We also will need good industry analysis. WFA wishes Grapegrower & Winemaker all the best for its next 50 years.

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

1990

YEARS

Hardy’s has bought two key wine importers in the UK as a further move to position itself firmly in the international wine market. The company has acquired Whiclar Wines Ltd of Caterbury and Andrew Gordon Wines of Dorking.

1995

The bodies representing Australia’s winemakers and winegrape growers have backed down from their endorsement of a 22 per cent wholesale tax on wine and agreed to accept an overall taxation level of 26 per cent, in the wake of the draft report of the inquiry into the wine grape and wine industry.

Fascinating story to tell Dan Johnson, managing director, Australian Wine Research Institute

ON BEHALF OF the Australian Wine Research Institute, I’d like to wish the Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker a very happy 50th birthday.

Established when the AWRI was just eight years old, Grapegrower & Winemaker has shared with the AWRI the ups and downs experienced by our industry during the past 50 years.

For all of that time it has been a highly valued source of up-to-date technical information for industry, making it a key partner for the AWRI in communicating research outcomes and practical advice.

Thinking about this significant anniversary, I visited the archives of Grapegrower & Winemaker held in the AWRI library.

These go back to January 1970, around the time the library was established, and provide a fascinating insight into industry issues of the time.

Among early articles by AWRI researchers, I found detailed advice on the detection of spoilage yeasts in bulk and bottled wine; a procedure for testing corks; an updated method for measuring alcohol; and advice on managing hydrogen sulfide.

Fast-forward 43 years, and AWRI articles in this 50th birthday issue cover the latest knowledge on cold stabilisation

and opportunities for the wine industry to create value from by-products.

All of these articles, old and new, represent practical knowledge, shared with industry via the Grapegrower & Winemaker’s key audience reach.

The ability to work with such a wellrespected publication has been crucial for the AWRI to communicate scientific advances that have underpinned many industry success stories.

In recent years, the AWRI has also appreciated the opportunity to include a regular ‘Ask the AWRI’ column in each edition. This allows the value of industry funds spent on the AWRI’s help-desk service to be maximised by providing an avenue for questions and answers to be publicised widely.

Recent topics covered through this outlet include: questions on oak, strategies for weed management, old vs new vines and the use of CMCs for cold stabilisation. Highlights from the AWRI’s annual reports have also become a regular feature in the November issue each year – another valuable area of partnership.

The AWRI looks forward to continuing the existing strong and beneficial relationship with Grapegrower & Winemaker for the next 50 years. That time is sure to see big changes in our industry, and in the way information is

delivered, but the need for the kind of practical, diverse and readable content the Grapegrower & Winemaker is known for is certain to remain. Happy Birthday.

Supporting the wine industry for 50 years We didn’t have enough space to list them all, but here’s just a few wine industry events Grapegrower & Winemaker has supported in the past decade.

Savour Australia Wine Health Conference WFA Wine Industry Outlook Conference Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference Winery Engineering Association Annual Conference and Exhibition Australian Environment Conference ICCA Business of Wine Conference

Charles Sturt University Student Scholarships National Riesling Challenge Great Australian Shiraz Challenge Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show Frankston & South Eastern Wine Show & Amateur International Sweet Wine Challenge Winemaking Competition 2013 Le Concours Des Vins (NSW, VIC)

NSW Small Winemakers Show Riverina Wine Show Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland International Wine Show & Mediterranean Challenge Royal Hobart Wine Show Sydney Royal Wine Show Victorian Wines Show

Join the thousands that choose Grapegrower & Winemaker for their wine industry information needs.

Subscribe today at www.winebiz.com.au/gwm.

30 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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December 2013 – Issue 599

1996

Australia is destined to not only be the most profitable wine supplier in the world by the year 2025 – it may also be the most scientifically advanced producer of wine, dried vine fruits and table grapes. This positive scenario was the focus for more than 100 of the nation’s leading viticultural scientists who met in Mildura to plan for the next millennium.

Australian wine punching well above its weight Andreas Clark, acting chief executive, Wine Australia

AUSTRALIA’S WINE SECTOR has become a serious player on the world’s wine stage in the past 50 years.

While the industry is still made up of many small, family-run businesses, it has grown to become one of Australia’s biggest agricultural export sectors, employing more than 50,000 people and providing an economic value to Australia in excess of $40 billion.

Despite growing in size, it hasn’t lost the character, charm, innovation and camaraderie that made the world start to recognise us as a wine producing nation around 20 years ago.

While Australia only represents 4 per cent of global wine supply, we experienced a period of rapid growth in the late ’90s/early 2000s during which time the size of the sector tripled and strong volume growth was achieved in international markets, particularly the UK and US. But in recent years, global economic factors have changed significantly.

We have witnessed a change in our export footprint with strong growth recorded in Asia, particularly Hong Kong and China, at the expense of our traditional markets in the UK and US.

INDUSTRY FOCUS The Australian industry has always been focused on producing high quality wines across all price points.

For many years now, the vast majority of the industry has been aligned to the sector’s value-based strategy.

Recent challenges have been well documented. We have had to navigate through a period of chronic oversupply resulting from three successive large vintages during 2004-2006.

This led to a period of stock clearance activities and entry to the sector of opportunistic traders, both of which have obscured the promotion of our diversity and our fine wine endeavours.

However, following three successive below average yielding vintages in many wine producing countries, the impact of structural adjustment particularly, in the EU and Australia, and the continued growth in global sales, the environment is shifting.

Australia has a mature vineyard profile and the quality of our wines has never been better.

The 2013 vintage has been highly acclaimed across most regions. We continue to see trials with new varieties, new blends and innovative practices, 

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31

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Irrigation:

Our sector is working collectively to ensure there is far greater awareness in all our markets of the quality, diversity and regionality of Australian wine with a view to improving returns for grape growers and winemakers.

Wine Australia’s core mission is spread this message to our global audience. The industry is heading in the right direction but still has a way to go.

We have always had a sector which innovates, invests in research and pushes the quality parameters.

Supporting this with long term, consistent investment in activities which build the reputation of the category and that help producers position their wines at higher prices is key.

There’s some really positive sentiment and enthusiasm towards Australian wine in some of our key markets particularly Equipment following the recent Savour Australia 2013 forum. Our incredible diversity, the unique Australian character reflected in our wines and the freedom to explore, innovate and blend set us apart.

Our winemakers aren’t afraid to try new things and challenge preconceived notions about winemaking, to produce distinctive wines that stand out on the world’s stage.

If the development of the industry over the past 50 years is anything to go by, and which has been covered so well throughout that period by Grapegrower & Winemaker the next half century will be an exciting time for us all.

Our industry never stands still and, as always, is ready to rise to the challenges ahead.

From this issue, Grapegrower & Winemaker has a new name: The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker.

For a year now, the magazine has been publishing a bi-monthly feature dedicated to New Zealand news, views, features and research. This section has been so well received in both NZ and Australia that we thought it befitting to acknowledge the growing wine industry across the Tasman in our title

CH AR SE

YEARS

2002

Phylloxera has been discovered in a vineyard at Upton in Victoria’s Strathbogie Ranges – a region formerly believed to be phylloxera free. Aphids were detected on 6 April in a section of ungrafted Cabernet in the vineyard which is owned by Normans Wines.

®

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JOURNAL

OF

THE

WINE

I N D U S T R Y,

SINCE

1963

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SINCE

1963

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JOURNAL

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WEA National Conference & Exhibition Preview

BIB: the cask is looking cool

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Manga madness: SA wines soar to cult status

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◆ Pest & Disease Management (Botrytis, root-knot nematodes and Eutypa) ◆ Low-impact chemicals for viticulture ◆ First season results from Riverland restricted volume irrigation trial ◆ Grapevine adaption to changing environment ◆ Cabernet Sauvignon berry development ◆ Update to hydrogen sulfide management during fermentation ◆ Aromatic white winemaking

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Rapid spread of virus-like symptoms in grapevines

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32 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

D E C E M B E R 2 013

People in research: Chris O’Donnell University of Queensland senior research scientist Chris O’Donnell flew south last month to begin field trials for spray research that has widespread potential for Australia’s wine industry.

The project’s simple title, A generic approach to improving spray coverage, does little to reveal the important and timely outcomes it seeks to realise, which is helping improve spray coverage, lift maximum spray efficacy and reduce spray drift potential.

Ultimately growers could see a better dollar return on the high cost of chemicals used in the vineyard, and reduce potential regulatory and environmental imposts associated with spray drift and chemical use.

Dr O’Donnell started his career in the weed science lab at University of Queensland (UQ), with a PhD that assessed the impact of climate change on annual weeds in Australian agriculture. His focus on weeds led to roles with Queensland’s Department of Primary Industry and Department of Natural Resources.

After returning to UQ, he continued his weed focus by working on herbicide resistance research funded by the Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), as well as work on seed conservation projects.

In 2004, he moved into UQ’s Centre for Pesticide Application and Safety (CPAS) to work as a research scientist on GRDC-funded projects looking at spray quality and hard-to-control weeds, as well as private-funded wind tunnel work for US-based chemical companies.

He later took on a role with Biosecurity Queensland in Queensland’s far north, but came back to UQ’s CPAS, where he remains as a senior scientist working across a range of agricultural industries and research projects.

industries I get to work with at CPAS,” Mr O’Donnell said.

“I think the viticulture industry, like the grains and other agriculture sectors, really does punch above its weight in Australia in terms of best practice spray and weed control.

“They’re certainly not lightweight issues but industries like grains and viticulture are particularly engaged and invested in making sure they are getting the best out of the technology and products.”

Dr O’Donnell said he was looking forward to getting into the vineyards for his current research project, funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.

“Field work is always the best part, and I’m keen to see the first results.”

“Field work is always the best part, and I’m keen to see the first results – we will compare an ‘electrostatic sprayer’ to determine if this technology provides better coverage while reducing the amount of driftable fines compared with the type of standard sprayers that are currently in use,” he said.

project CPAS has undertaken. However, with new UQ vice-chancellor Peter Høj, who’s well-known in the Australian wine industry, Dr O’Donnell is hoping the Centre will pick up and participate in more grape and wine projects.

“In following years we will look at other drift reduction technologies, including adjuvants, directed airflow, recycle/ recapture sprayers, vegetation and netting barriers.

“In the final year we will develop spray quality calculators that will probably be designed as an app for smartphones (as opposed to web-based calculators we have previously developed). We will also hold a series of workshops in all the key wine growing regions.”

A project reference group has also been established to plot the roll out of the research and its outcomes, with the first meeting of industry, researchers and wineries held in June.

The three-year project, which started this year, is the biggest viticulture-focussed

“Much of the work happening in this field currently stems from the proposed regulatory changes signalled by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, relating to spray drift and chemical use,” he said.

“The Centre is part of the National Working Party on Pesticide Application, an alliance of Australian agricultural industries wanting to stay ahead and be seen to be implementing the necessary changes and science to ensuring best practice spray operations.

“But while the regulatory side of things may have prompted this work – the environmental and dollar benefits that hopefully come with it will drive the uptake and adoption by end-users.”

For more information, contact Adrian Loschiavo, GWRDC Program Manager, adrian@gwrdc.com.au

“I enjoy the diversity of the agricultural

Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, Ground Floor, Industry House cnr Botanic & Hackney Roads Adelaide SA 5000 PO Box 610 Kent Town SA 5071 | T: 08 8273 0500 | F: 08 8373 6608 | E: gwrdc@gwrdc.com.au | W: www.gwrdc.com.au

Spray Application: Doing it better Spray technology and application is the focus of new research and a series of workshops, which began rolling out across Australia’s wine regions in October.

Funded by GWRDC, the new research from the University of Queensland (UQ) aims to improve spray coverage, efficacy and improve environmental practices in the vineyard.

The UQ project, titled A generic approach to improving spray coverage, is being undertaken by UQ senior research fellow Andrew Hewitt and UQ senior research scientist Chris O’Donnell.

Dr O’Donnell said the primary objective of the three-year project was to ensure producers get good coverage and maximum efficacy with the agricultural plant-protection products used in the wine grape industry – as well as address regulatory concerns related to spray drift.

“The project will also evaluate distancebased calibration techniques to determine if that method will more readily help attain the correct dosing of grape canopies,” he said.

Dozens of current and new spray systems have already been tested using UQ’s Gatton campus wind tunnel, with field trials beginning in November. The field trials are being hosted by Treasury Wine Estates at their Mildura vineyards.

Dr O’Donnell said a ‘mass balance’ type approach will be used to quantify the amount of spray drift for several drift reduction technologies (DRTs).

“This approach quantifies the amount of chemical product that is applied to the canopy, the amount that arrives on the ground and the amount that is lost due to drift – which is the part of concern to the regulator,” he said.

“We believe the research will help to really drive innovation in the industry with DRTs that allow us to reduce buffer zones.”

Dr Hewitt said the spray tunnels allowed them to use controlled conditions, when testing the two major components of spray systems – the hardware and chemistry – and how they interact to affect the spray droplet size range and drift potential.

Barossa Valley group at Spray Application Workshop, Nuriootpa Research Centre

The first step in this month’s field trial will compare the still relatively new electrostatic spray machinery against conventional direct-air spray machinery.

“The key focus of the field research will be to help develop spray application products that are formulated for better atomisation and spreading/sticking on the canopy,” Dr Hewitt said.

“Technologies are also being optimised for delivery of products to the canopy without off-target losses through drift and runoff.

“The best of both worlds occurs when the two are developed in union and we are working on bridging that gap.”

Complementing the project, a spray application factsheet, written by Andrew Hewitt and Chris O’Donnell, is now available on the GWRDC website.

In addition, GWRDC has recently coordinated a series of spray application workshops around the country.

International spray experts, Dr Andrew Landers from Cornell University, USA, and Dr David Manktelow from FreshLearn, New Zealand, delivered new information on spray application to Australian grapegrowers, to boost knowledge and encourage adoption of new technologies.

Spray Application – Doing it Better was delivered through 15 workshops across Australia.

The workshops, aimed to equip

“Effective spray application remains critical to pest and disease management.” grapegrowers with the essential knowledge needed to achieve better spray coverage and reduce chemical costs, also covered recent regulatory changes and obligations for spray applicators.

Each workshop included a practical demonstration of spray application assessment and how to improve spray penetration and deposition.

“GWRDC supports a competitive Australian wine sector and these practical workshops offered the opportunity to learn from two global leaders,” said GWRDC Program Manager Adrian Loschiavo.

“The workshops came at an early but important stage of the growing season.

“Effective spray application remains critical to pest and disease management, a better bottom line and improved environmental practices,” he said.

To access the Spray Application: grapevines fact sheet, visit http://www. gwrdc.com.au/tools-resources/factsheetsother-resources/

Australian Phylloxera research presented to international audience PGIB chief executive officer Alan Nankivell presented the early findings of the project, which is being led by the Board in collaboration with the South Australian Research Development Institute, University of Adelaide, Department of Environment and Primary Industries Victoria and Department of Primary Industries NSW. PGIB viticulturist Andrew Downs said the project was the next critical step – the application – of work that began 10 years ago, when the DNA markers for Phylloxera in soil samples were first identified and mapped.

Work underway as part of the first stages of the Phylloxera DNA trial earlier this year

An Australian research project seeking to develop easy-to-use, inexpensive and accurate sampling strategies for the detection of Phylloxera has garnered international attention.

The project, funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, the Plant Biosecurity CRC and the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board (PGIB), was a topic at the 6th International Phylloxera Symposium in Bordeaux, France.

The three-year project began this year, with work to develop the best sampling protocol for testing Phylloxera DNA in vines.

“The sampling protocol needs to establish where the best place (location and depth) is to take a sample from and how long we have and at what temperatures before the DNA degrades,” Mr Downs said.

“It’s also important to note that this work is looking at the DNA and not the live pest, as the DNA remains stable and transmittable for a lot longer than the live pest.”

The project’s chief aim is to develop a kit and established protocols for growers, which is inexpensive, easy-to-use and

accurate, to identify Phylloxera in the vineyard.

Mr Nankivell said the Australian wine industry has a responsibility not just to itself but also as signatories of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to use a robust test that proves our Phylloxera-free status.

“It’s really not enough to just ask them to take our word for it, we need to be able to prove it using the best technology and science,” Mr Nankivell said “We also believe this approach will continue to drive awareness, risk assessment and vigilance in those vineyards and regions that are Phylloxerafree and seek to remain that way.

“Ignorance is not bliss on this matter. If this kit encourages growers to get in their vineyards, test their status, I’d hope those that remain free of Phylloxera will refocus on the defences needed to keep it that way.”

Mr Nankivell said the protocol and tests they are developing could also be used to identify other pests and diseases.

“Already, it allows us to identify some nematodes and soil pathogens… this aspect is what really has piqued international interest.”

New national standard for grapevine propagation material A new national standard, offering quality assurance and traceability for grapevine propagation material, was adopted by the Australian wine industry in September.

Funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC), the Australian Standard for Grapevine Propagation Material, AS 5588:2013 was developed by Standards Australia in consultation with representatives of the grapegrowing, winemaking and nursery industries, researchers and government.

National Standard Technical Committee Chair Peter Hayes said the new standard means people purchasing grapevine propagation material sold under the standard can be assured about the cutting’s identity, its health status and that it meets certain physical specifications.

“Though voluntary, it also provides those nurseries who do the right thing

by supplying best practice propagation material the opportunity to differentiate themselves and give their customers who are investing in new vine material greater security,” Mr Hayes said.

“This is just the beginning, this standard will help to improve grapevine material industry-wide, identify areas in need of investment for pest and disease research and assist with the ongoing work on developing formal grapevine identification mechanisms at an international level.”

GWRDC General Manager Kate Harvey said the standard sets a new benchmark for the industry, while it builds on and enhances the schemes of best practice and traceability previously used.

“GWRDC is pleased the wine sector has come together to develop a robust, scientifically valid national standard for grapevine propagation material,” Ms

Harvey said.

“All of the key parties came together and we appreciate their contribution to the development of the standard.”

The standard sets minimum requirements for: •

Establishing and maintaining the variety, provenance (origin and selection history) and health of grapevine propagation material

•

Classification of material according to fitness for the purpose of propagation and/or vineyard establishment

•

Documentation, including traceability, classification and labelling of propagation material.

To purchase a copy of the standard, published on 12 September 2013, visit www.saiglobal.com/shop.

Sparkling wine sales inspire new research insights It’s the season the sparkles come out, and the University of Adelaide is joining in the celebrations with some timely research and new insights into Australia’s sparkling wine consumers.

The new sparkling wine research project, Objective measures of Australian sparkling wine style and quality, is being led by the University of Adelaide team of Dr Kerry Wilkinson, Dr Renata Ristic, Dr Julie Culbert and Dr Daniel Cozzolino, with the help of Associate Professor John Wilkinson and Dr Karma Pearce, from the University of South Australia, and Professor Anthony Saliba and Dr Leigh Schmidtke, from Charles Sturt University.

Dr Wilkinson said the first stage of the GWRDC-funded project, which was presented as a poster to the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference in July, involved an observational study of 300 sparkling wine purchases pre- and post-Christmas in 10 metropolitan Adelaide liquor stores.

“We obtained some interesting and quite surprising results – for example the gender split for purchases was almost 50/50, with about 60 per cent of purchasers taking less than a minute to select their sparkling of choice,” Dr Wilkinson said.

“We would have liked to interview the purchasers a little more, to see who the wine was being purchased for and why, but the store owners were concerned we might distract the customers from making their purchases.”

Funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, the project has now started the next stage – a more formal analysis of the sensory profiles of Australian sparkling wines, across a range of price points and styles.

The line-up of some sparkling wine ready for the tasting panel

“As part of this analysis, Drs Saliba and Schmidtke will also undertake some consumer mapping research, to give us an opportunity to understand what it is consumers understand and like about certain styles of sparkling wine,” Dr Wilkinson said.

“At the same time as the main project, we also have a side project investigating sparkling wine consumers’ preferences for French Champagne versus Australian sparkling wine, and a PhD project conducting more in-depth interviews with sparkling wine purchasers to compile data on when they buy and the factors that influence their purchasing decisions.”

Dr Wilkinson admits she’s enjoying the new change of research topic and product, having spent the past couple of years working with smoke-taint affected wines.

“After several years rating the intensity of smoke-related sensory attributes in wine, I’d joked about finding a good reason to study sparkling wine instead, but once we started to seriously look at the literature we realised it was long overdue for some solid research – especially given sparkling wine accounts for almost 10 per cent of Australia’s domestic wine sales,” she said.

“As we’ve moved forward we’ve also realised this style comes with some unique and challenging analysis hurdles… wine temperature and the length of time the bottle is open have a significant influence on the methods we need to employ for descriptive analysis.

“We’re having to put a lot of thought and work into developing the best methods for sample analysis but we’re definitely enjoying the challenge,” she said.

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grapegrowing

Healthy approach to soil quality hits pay dirt Researchers Danni Oliver, Rob Bramley, Ian Porter, Belinda Rawnsley and Jacky Edwards realised they had to get down and get dirty to help the industry unlock the benefits of a new soil quality benchmarking project.

• There is widespread interest in practices minimising erosion, salinity, sodicity, acidity and structural decline which threaten long-term sustainability of the winegrape production system.

• After changing practices how does a vineyard manager determine any measurable impact on their soils – and what is the extent of the impact?

• The datasets will provide benchmark values for grapegrowers to compare their soil properties with the ranges for their region and recommended optimum values.

THE TERMS ‘SOIL health’ and ‘soil quality’ are gaining increasing usage in the wine industries of the world.

One reason for this is the large number of growers looking to decrease their input of manufactured chemicals in the form of fertilisers and sprays.

There is also widespread interest in adopting practices which minimise the likelihood of processes such as erosion, salinity, sodicity, acidity and structural decline which might result in a decrease in soil quality and threaten the longterm sustainability of the winegrape production system.

Another reason is the small, but increasing, number of viticulturists incorporating organic or biodynamic practices into their vineyard management.

In a viticultural context, soil quality may be defined as the soil’s capacity to support grapevine growth without resulting in soil degradation or otherwise harming the environment. It is this ‘fit for purpose’ connation which leads us to prefer the term ‘soil quality’ to the otherwise similar ‘soil health’.

A key question confronting growers and others interested in assessing issues of sustainability is: After changing practices and/or spending money on December 2013 – Issue 599

products such as fertilisers, compost, biodynamic solutions or sprays, how does a vineyard manager determine if these practices are having any measurable impact on their soils and what is the extent of the impact?’

A current three year Grape and Wine Research Development Corporationfunded project ‘Setting benchmarks and recommendations for management of soil health in Australian viticulture’ is being conducted by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Victoria, CSIRO and the SA Research and Development Institute (SARDI) to address this question.

The project initially involved a review of the literature to assess the soil physical, chemical and biological properties we could recommend as a ‘minimum dataset’ for assessment of soil quality in the Australian wine sector.

These properties will need to be measured in a laboratory or, in the case of physical measurements, by an experienced soil consultant.

Readers interested in further information on these properties are encouraged to consult our review papers listed below (Oliver et al., 2013; Riches et al., 2013), the references contained in them and recent books on viticultural soils by White (2003, 2009).

10

RECOMMENDED SOIL PROPERTIES TO MONITOR Physical Aggregate stability For a soil aggregate to be stable, the forces between particles must be strong enough to prevent the aggregate from separating as a result of disruptive forces such as those due to the impact of raindrops, heavy machinery or clay swelling.

When a small clod is placed in water the aggregate may slake or disperse. Slaking occurs when aggregates of soil collapse into smaller fragments. Dispersion is more severe and is the separation of soil into single particles. It is usually caused by high levels of sodium in the soil and usually results in undesirable hard layers that may impede the penetration of water, air and roots.

Soil strength Soil consistence or soil strength is a measure of the soil’s ability to resist the loss of structure through compaction, and to resist penetration by plant roots and burrowing soil fauna. A soil with good physical quality should be strong enough to maintain its structure and hold plants upright, but also weak enough to allow extensive penetration

Surface (0-10cm) pHw

9 Undervine Midrow Native

8 7 Number of sites

At a glance:

6 5 4 3 2 1 0 5‐5.4

5.5‐5.9

6.0‐6.4

6.5‐6.9

7.0‐7.4

7.5‐7.9

8.0‐8.4

8.5‐9.0

pH water (1:5) Fig. 1. An example of data provided from the regional soil sampling. Distribution of soil pH (water) in surface soils across 30 vineyards in McLaren Vale. www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

37

grapegrowing by plant roots, soil flora and fauna. Soil strength can be measured qualitatively by the force required to crush air-dry aggregates, typically in a laboratory, or quantitatively by a penetrometer in the field.

Chemical Soil pH Soil pH is a measure of the intensity of acidity or alkalinity. It influences the supply of nutrient cations and anions, and influences microbial activity in soil.

The optimum pHw range for vine growth is 5.5 to 8. Vines do not perform well when soil pHw (1:5 soil:water) is less than 5 due to stunted shoot and root growth and at pHw 4.5 and below, root growth ceases.

The majority of Australian viticultural soils are not acidic but acidification can occur beneath drippers in vineyards when urea or ammoniumbased fertiliser is distributed through the irrigation system.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) Organic matter (as SOC) is not acquired by plants as a nutrient from the soil, but its cycling is important because of its association with nutrients (N, P and S) and the beneficial contributions that it makes to soil chemical, physical and biological properties. Nutrients may be released into the soil in plant available forms as organic materials are decomposed by microorganisms. Soil OC also contributes to a soils cation exchange capacity, maintains soil structure and provides a food source to soil microorganisms. Increasing SOC in the vineyard is achieved through the incorporation of perennial cover crops, incorporation of manure and compost and the addition of mulch. However, it can take a long time (several years) for substantial increases in SOC to be achieved. There is little evidence to show organic matter contributes to yield on irrigated and fertilised crops and there are few threshold values for SOC.

Electrical conductivity (EC) Salinity is the presence of soluble salts in the plant root zone and crop production is limited when the concentration of soluble salts in the soil solution is high enough to decrease absorption of water by the plants. The response of grape vines to increasing salinity varies depending on the grape cultivar and rootstock used.

Cation exchange capacity (if soil pH <5.5) and exchangeable cations Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is the capacity of the soil, which is predominantly negatively charged, to hold and exchange cations which are

38 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Table 1. Suggested range from literature sources of several soil properties for the production of moderately vigorous vines. (from Oliver et al. 2013) Soil property

Suggested range

pH

5.5–8 6–7 (NSW)

Organic carbon

>2% 3–6% (NSW)

EC (saturated paste)

>4 dS/m (severely affected vines; yield reduction) >8 dS/m (severe growth inhibition) >1.8 dS/m (yield reduction in Sultana on R1 rootstock) <1.4 dS/m

Cl (saturated extract)

<10 mg/kg

positive. The CEC is a major controlling agent of a soil’s structural stability and inherent fertility. The CEC is a single value and does not indicate which cations are predominant, which may be important if there are concerns about Na and/or K building up in the soil. This may occur either due to the source water used for irrigation or practices such as the use of grape marc as compost that may have high levels of Na and/or K. When soils have high sodium levels (>6 per cent) they are termed sodic. High sodicity causes clays to swell excessively when wet and clay particles may separate or disperse. In surface soils crusts may form limiting water infiltration which may be seen in winter as water ponding in the vineyard. Sodicity in the subsoil may result in restricted root growth and/ or low water infiltration due to hard, impenetrable layers in the subsurface.

nitrogen mineralisation. Measurement of PMN has been suggested as a surrogate for MB since the two are highly correlated and PMN is easier to measure. A realistic estimate of the quantity of N available for mineralisation from soil organic matter is necessary for determining the rate of N fertiliser for optimal crop yield and to prevent any adverse environmental effects due to excess fertiliser.

In vineyards there is also the need to balance optimal yield without creating problems with excess vigour.

There are few measurements of PMN in vineyard soils, but values between 6mg and 18mg N/kg soil/week for cool climate vineyards in Victoria have been reported. Values >18mg N/kg soil/week indicate potential problems with excess vigour and values <8 suggest the need for an external N input to the soil.

Labile carbon In soil there are various pools of carbon which differ in their availability to microorganisms to use as a food source.

Inert carbon is largely unavailable to microorganisms and is associated with highly weathered soils and historical burning. The labile (bio-available) pool of carbon is primarily influenced by more recent additions of organic matter (originating from plants and/or animals) and has a significant role in microbial nitrogen turnover and supply. The amount of labile carbon influences both the activity and mass of micro-organisms (microbial biomass) in soil. The microorganisms capacity to release plantavailable N is influenced by the quality of organic matter inputs. Since labile

Biological Microbial biomass (MB) Microbial biomass is the living component of soil organic matter excluding plant roots and macrofauna. It is a measure of the microbial population density and is a sensitive indicator of changes in soil quality due to changes in soil management practices. Substrate availability, moisture and temperature affect measurements of soil MB which makes comparison over time problematic. There is no optimal value for MB but values from vineyards around the world detailed in our review ranged from 167 to 527 mg C/kg soil.

Potentially mineralisable nitrogen (PMN) Although most soils contain a large quantity of organic nitrogen, a proportion of this is chemically or physically stabilised and resistant to microbial degradation. A small proportion is more labile and is prominent as a source of www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

years, growers will be able to assess the effects of their management on their soil quality, as measured using the minimum dataset. In Australia, a cross-industry system has been developed and hosted at www.soilquality.org.au. To date, the website has been predominantly targeted at the grains industry, but it is now being expanded to include viticulture through the outputs of this project.

Contact: Ian Porter. Phone: 61 3 9032 7314. Email: ian.j.porter@dpi.vic.gov.au.

Acknowledgments: This research was funded jointly by CSIRO, under the aegis of the Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, and Australia’s grape growers and winemakers through their investment body, the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.

Authors carbon turns over relatively rapidly, it is considered a more sensitive indicator of changes in soil quality and function than the percentage of total carbon which includes the more inert fractions.

ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL BENCHMARKS AND DISTRIBUTIONS In this project soil samples have been taken from both the surface and subsurface in four regions – McLaren Vale and Barossa in SA and Murray Valley and Yarra Valley in Victoria – to determine the distribution of soil property values in these regions.

Soils were taken from undervine and in the adjacent midrow from one geo-referenced location within the vineyard in 2013 after vintage. This will be repeated after the 2014 vintage.

In 2013 approximately 30 vineyards representative of the range of soil types,

management practices and operators in each region were sampled and in 2014 a further 20 vineyards will be sampled.

At the majority of locations, a nearby native site was sampled for comparison.

An example of the type of distribution of data being generated for each region studied is shown for pH for McLaren Vale (Figure. 1). Such a distribution will allow growers to see where their soils sit in relation to those of their regional peers.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS The datasets will provide benchmark values for grapegrowers to compare their soil properties with the ranges for their region and recommended optimum values, aiding decisions on management practices for maintenance and enhancement of soil condition and vine productivity. Importantly, through repeat sampling and analysis every few

Danni Oliver, CSIRO, Waite Campus, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064. Rob Bramley, CSIRO, Waite Campus, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064. Ian Porter, Victorian DPI, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3083. Jacky Edwards, Victorian DPI, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3083. Belinda Rawnsley, SARDI, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001.

References:

Oliver, D.P., Bramley, R.G.V., Riches, D., Edwards, J., Porter, I. (2013) Review: soil physical and chemical properties as indicators of soil quality in Australian viticulture. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. 19, 129-139.

Riches D., Porter I., Oliver D.P., Bramley R.G.V., Rawnsley B., Edwards J., and White R.E. (2013). A review of soil biological properties as indicators for soil quality in Australian viticulture Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. 19, 311-323.

White, R. E. (2003) Soils for fine wines. (Oxford University Press: New York, NY, USA) 279 pp.

White, R. E. (2009) Understanding vineyard soils.

(Oxford University Press: New York, NY, USA) 230 pp.

Group Vineyard Manager K

ingston Estate Wines is one of Australia’s largest and most progressive family owned wine producers having achieved international recognition and success.

An exciting employment opportunity exists for an enthusiastic and dedicated Group Vineyard Manager to join our team as we continue our growth as one of Australia’s largest suppliers to the domestic and international wine markets.

Based at our winery in the Riverland and reporting to the Managing Director, the position of Group Vineyard Manager is a senior role responsible for the overall

direction and management of our significant warm and cool climate vineyards.

Key responsibilities include strategic planning, vineyard development, budget management, staff leadership, board and management reporting, development and implementation of management systems (including safety and quality) and vineyard programs (including irrigation, soil nutrition, pest and disease control).

The ideal candidate will exhibit excellence in warm and cool climate viticulture with at least 10 years of experience. To succeed in this role the successful incumbent shall be highly proficient in the use of MS Office, demonstrate advanced management, leadership, problem

solving, planning, time management, system development and communication skills along with the ability to influence and affect change with a commitment to innovation and continual improvement.

To apply, please email your resume and covering letter to applications@kewines.com.au before Monday 23 December 2013.

For further information on the Company and to obtain an application form, visit our website www.kingstonestatewines.com (click on the ‘about us tab’) or contact the Human Resources Assistant, Chantelle Adams on 08 8583 0533.

Capturing South Australia’s Best Regional Qualities.

December 2013 – Issue 599

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

39

grapegrowing

Gearing up to get on top of the next year in the vineyard Hill-Smith Family Vineyards viticulturist Brooke Howell writes their annual strategy begins with a meeting between field staff and winemakers with their battle plan – covering vineyards block by block – passed along the food chain for the stamp of approval.

AFTER EACH VINTAGE our viticulturist and winemakers meet to review vintage quality and yields, which includes block by block tastings before the final blend configuration.

The vineyard’s strategic operational and research plan is revised and presented to all relevant stakeholders. This plan is configured into several areas, including an intense block-by-block analysis of yield, operational cost, end-use quality and challenge areas.

Pre-winter pruning levels are flagged, together with expected next vintage enduse requirements.

The plan also includes an update of a five-year planting and replanting plan, a three-year capital review, a SWOT analysis and, finally, a revision of the research and development program with prioritised small-lot winemaking trials.

New varietal trials are also configured to support our clonal selection program within the Yalumba nursery.

The normal operational process of vineyard management occurs throughout the year, which, in most cases, is not dissimilar to many other cool climate vineyards throughout the region.

STRAW MULCH Mulch is placed under vine pre-winter to settle in before the following spring and summer period.

Applying mulch results in less direct solar radiation of the soil surface, resulting

At a glance: • The vineyard’s strategic operational and research plan is revised, including an intense block by block analysis of yield, operational cost, end-use quality and challenge areas.

• This includes updating a five-year planting program, a capital review, SWOT analysis and revision of the research and development program with small lot winemaking trials.

• New varietal trials are also configured to support Yalumba’s clonal selection program within its nursery.

• Sheep also play a big part in the environmental program. Once shorn they are turned onto non-arable areas to strip graze.v

in lower soil heat and subsequently less evaporation.

Mulch also has the added benefit of effective weed control which potentially saves one herbicide pass, meaning less diesel and herbicide consumption, wear and tear on machinery and soil compaction.

Our experience with straw mulch is it needs to be topped up every three years

as it slowly breaks down, improving soil organic matter and boosting soil carbon.

Generally we top at the rate of 70 to 100 rolls/ha every three years. In addition mulch is also used to cut variation within blocks with rates varying in accordance with soil type, texture and readily available water.

SOIL MOISTURE Soil moisture monitoring is critical in Eden Valley due to the shallow, gravelly soils being water hungry and having poor soil moisture retention.

We use an MEA Plexus soil moisture monitoring system with the gypsum blocks monitoring soil moisture every 30 minutes.

This information is relayed back to a hub and can be viewed on a smart phone or computer, which saves time having to go out and physically read all site-set gbugs.

This system allows us to be more vigilant in applying irrigation, and on our light textured soils this is a real bonus as they require small amounts of irrigation frequently.

Additionally, we also use sap flow sensors at Pewsey Vale Vineyard which have the capacity to be able to monitor plant water status.

This information provides us with the actual volume of water the vine is taking through its trunk, and these results are compared with our soil application rates.

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Strategic approach: Hill-Smith viticulturist Brooke Howell says vineyard planting stretches from block tastings into block-by-block analysis of yield, operational cost end-use quality and challenge areas.

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Combining the soil and plant water status allows us to calculate a water budget to suit the specific soil type.

Another one of our Eden Valley vineyard sites houses six lysimeters. These are special tanks buried in the ground to capture water applied either via irrigation or rain within the vineyard.

This volume can then be measured to assess if the volume of water applied is being utilised in the root-zone or simply leaching away.

Chemical properties in the water can also be measured. In future this will be used to trial the effects of winery wastewater versus freshwater on soil and vine health.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

Site selection is critical to determine the most appropriate places to scatter these nature belts throughout the vineyard.

Our emphasis is also to align the most appropriate species to the site, which will complement both the vineyard and the surrounding native vegetation.

Hill-Smith Family Vineyards is well known for its clonal diversity. We are currently in the planning stages of selecting the appropriate clones for another clonal Shiraz block trial within one of our Barossa Valley floor vineyards.

We are consulting closely with Nick Dry at the Yalumba nursery to ensure we obtain the most appropriate rootstock and scion/clone combination in accordance with the intensive soil reports developed on the specific site.

Following vintage, we will prepare the site ready for planting in spring 2014.

NEW CLONES We are about to begin planting additional Chardonnay at Heggies Vineyard to replace some 1m x 1m plantings of Merlot.

We have increased the row spacing and intend to use a new ENTAV clone which has been the preference during our clonal tastings with our senior winemaking team.

Following harvest 2014 we will continue to look at our planned redevelopments.

We are also in the process of removing all Merlot with a preference for replanting to Chardonnay and Riesling at our Heggies vineyard site.

From a wine quality perspective we have found our Wrattonbully vineyard produces the style of Merlot we require more consistently and as a result our focus on this variety has shifted to this region within the Limestone Coast.

From experience and our long history at the Heggies and Pewsey Vale vineyards we know our terroir at Heggies produces high-end quality Chardonnay and Riesling and at Pewsey Vale this terroir is extremely well suited towards the production of high-quality Riesling.

LIVESTOCK PROGRAM Sheep also play a big part within our environmental program. Shearing is about to take place and then the sheep will be turned out into our non-arable areas to strip graze.

We like to place them in a paddock for three to four days to assist with weed control, before moving them over to another paddock.

If you want It done properly

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This allows the undesirable weeds to be kept under control and gives the natural grasses a chance to reinstate themselves.

The 120 ewes run on the Heggies property provide an environmental service by creating a natural firebreak by keeping the grass low in the summer period.

We are not passionate about sheep grazing within our vineyards for a number of reasons.

Firstly they would graze on our freshly-applied areas of mulch, secondly we are conscious of vineyard soil compaction issues and, finally, we spend a considerable amount of time building the organic matter of our soils and unless they are strip grazed with tight management it’s our view they are carbon removers.

All that said, where soil and vineyard land is different we do believe they can add considerable value particularly in areas of weed control, reductions in herbicide use and even in some cases the removal of water shoots from trunks.

Contact: Brooke Howell.

Phone: 61 8 8561 3200.

Email: info@heggiesvineyard.com.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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grapegrowing

DIY phylloxera laws go online There will be no excuses about office hours when it comes to fulfilling Phylloxera Act obligations writes Bunty Parsons because they are about to go online and can be managed from your nearest office computer, laptop, tablet or even smart phone.

At a glance: • The Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board has redesigned its extensive database, replaced ageing software and developed a new passwordprotected vineyard register.

• Growers will be able to update to their planting records as they occur, rather than doing so retrospectively once a year, or within three months of notifiable changes.

• One hundred and fifty growers from all wine regions around the State tested the kiosk during the development phase.

GRAPEGROWERS AND VINEYARD owners will soon be able to comply with their Phylloxera Act obligations – and manage their own vineyard records – using a new online tool.

The Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board (PGIBSA) has redesigned its extensive database, replaced ageing software and developed a new passwordprotected vineyard register that can be accessed and updated by growers at any time.

It contains electronic versions of individual vineyard maps, as well as details of plantings, varieties, rootstocks, locations and ownership.

“In essence, all the most recent information provided by growers and owners to the Board on paper has been

Mr Phylloxera: The Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board chief executive officer Alan Nankivell says “if we know exactly where the vines are, and how to contact the key people, we can mitigate the spread of any incursion”.

digitised and will be available from January through what will be called the Grape Industry Kiosk,” PGIBSA chief executive officer Alan Nankivell, explained.

“Growers will be able to update to their planting records as they occur, rather than doing so retrospectively once a year, or within three months of notifiable changes,” he said.

“From next year, all information entered into an individual vineyard record will be archived and, over time,

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44 Grapegrower & Winemaker

the richness and value of that information will increase exponentially.”

PGIBSA will begin emailing or posting information about the new system to all levy payers in early January. Each user will have a unique number, username and password.

It hopes growers and owners – particularly those who have found the annual paper returns onerous – will find the kiosk and its tools “a breath of fresh air”.

Nankivell said an accurate database was essential for PGIBSA’s effective control of an outbreak of the Phylloxera insect or any other exotic pests or diseases.

“If we know exactly where the vines are, and how to contact the key people, we can mitigate the spread of any incursion,” he said.

One hundred and fifty growers from all wine regions around the State tested the kiosk during the development phase.

Feedback indicated it was not only easy to use but had potential as a helpful business support tool. PGIBSA’s plan is to continue to improve the system’s functionality and the information it contains to benefit not just individual growers, owners and wine companies, but the wider industry as well.

“There’s plenty of scope for additions,” Nankivell said. “Suggestions received during the testing phase included enhancements to record the source of vines, variety clones, yield data, water use and economic return per hectare.

“Having all that data in one place can help significantly with vineyard management and planning,” he said.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

“Our next steps will be facilitating online levy payments and the development of a benchmark reporting system that allows individual growers to compare their own information with that of their region and the State.

“However, first things first. We want people to use it, give us feedback on how it works for them, and tell us what capabilities they’d find valuable.”

PHYLLOXERA IN SA In the late 19th century, a Phylloxera epidemic destroyed most of the wine grape vineyards in Europe, most notably in France, and also reached Australia through the importation of potted vines.

A group of far-sighted grapegrowers encouraged the then State Government to introduce legislation to regularly survey the state’s vineyards so they could be managed and protected in the event of a further outbreak.

The original Vine Protection Act of 1874 became the Phylloxera Act in 1899 and the essence of that law has been in place ever since.

Under the current Phylloxera and Grape Industry Act (1995), PGIBSA has two primary functions – risk assessment and mitigation, and outbreak management.

It also supports relevant research, develops information on best practice biosecurity measures and provides advice to levy payers and wine regions on pest and disease management policies.

In SA grapegrowers are required under the Phylloxera Act to inform PGIBSA of any changes to their vineyards or plantings within three months of them taking place. Changes include removing or top-working existing vines, and planting new ones.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY PGIBSA is required by law to ensure all individual grapegrower or vineyard owner details are kept confidential.

The new Grape Industry Kiosk has a high level of security and each user will be provided with a unique grower number, username and password.

Only authorised staff at PGIBSA will be able to view and collate the information submitted, as has been the case since the

December 2013 – Issue 599

Grape Industry Kiosk features The Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board’s new Grape Industry Kiosk at www.phylloxera.com.au is a quick, easy and secure way to for grapegrowers and vineyard owners to complete and submit their annual vineyard record.

It can be used to: • update contact details • update vineyard records by editing plantings lists and vineyard map/s • view past vineyard records • read vineyard reports in Vineyard Browser • manage the way in which the Board communicates with them (e.g. post or email) • view current and past invoices • view current and past payments • provide feedback about the site or any other issue It is supported by the following search engines: • Internet Explorer 9 & 10 • Firefox • Google Chrome • Safari • Opera.

Phylloxera Act came into being and paper records began.

“The law allows us to provide outside parties, such as industry associations, with information about regions, varieties and total hectares,” Nankivell said.

“But unless we have written consent, we cannot disclose anything that identifies an individual grower or vineyard.

“Logically, the more information we have stored in the kiosk database, the better we can perform our pest prevention role, and plan for and execute outbreak plans.

“But it goes further than that. We are gathering overall industry data that has value for all industry stakeholders – from growers, winemakers and researchers, to marketers and people involved in wine tourism. 

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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grapegrowing

VINE TALK

Something a little different leading up to the festive season. Now there’s nothing quite like the perfect crispy crackling to set off succulent roast pork, but what’s the best, most reliable method?

There are a lot of theories about crackling – salting the meat the night before etc, etc. My preferred method is to score the skin using a sharp knife making nice, not too deep lines, vertical or horizontal (only the one direction) and then rub oil and sea salt into the skin, as well as the crevices created by the scoring process.

Many butchers if asked will be happy to score the meat for you.

Oil and salt it five to 10 minutes before putting the meat into an extremely hot oven to get the crackling going in the oven. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and cook the pork at this temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.

The oil should begin to heat up and the salt should start drawing out the moisture and the skin itself should start to crack, puff and bubble like little blisters. Then drop the temperature right down to 120 degrees. By dropping the temperature like this means you have a lovely crispy crackle but the meat won’t overcook or dry out. Cook the roast at 120 degrees for 2.5 to four hours (depending on the size of cut). Use a meat thermometer (75 to 78 degrees is medium) as a guide to when it is cooked.

“Sharing that high level information can only benefit the wider industry.

“And all of this stems from our quest to beat pests.”

Contact: Alan Nankivell.

Phone: 61 8 8362 0488 or (0)428 260 430.

Email: admin@phylloxera.com.au.

How to access or update your vineyard record • Go to www.phylloxera.com.au • Click on “Member Login” at the right near the top of the homepage • Enter the unique grower number, username and password provided to you by PGIBSA and then click “login” • PGIBSA recommends you change your password when logging in for the first time. To do this, simply go to “change password” on the menu on the left.

• On the Grower Welcome page, view the video tutorials titled “Overview of the Grape Industry Kiosk” and “How to update your vineyard record”. These should help you learn to navigate the site and use it to your advantage.

• Click on “Update your vineyard record” (on the sidebar at the left) and work through Sections A and B • Use the vineyard map tutorial to guide you through updating your map or maps, then make changes as necessary.

• When finished, click “logout” or simply close your internet browser.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Or another slightly different method to try: Score the skin using a sharp knife making nice, not too deep lines, vertical or horizontal (only the one direction) Boil up the kettle (full to capacity), place leg of pork on a trivet over your sink & pour the boiling hot water all over the pork. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Liberally oil & massage into the skin and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Place pork onto a roasting trivet (rack) - which keeps it away from any juices and helps the underside to become really crisp too.

For at least the first hour of cooking, the temp of the oven has to be really high (220°C) After an hour, reduce temp to around 185°C & continue cooking to desired ‘doneness’.

• It is not necessary to complete a vineyard record in one session. Click “save and exit” to ensure that the details entered are retained for the next session.

• The person editing the Vineyard Record must complete the sign off section at the bottom of the screen. Once this has been done, click the “update” button before exiting.

• The updated form will be sent to the PGIBSA administration team for verification and approval.

• Once approved, an email will be sent to confirm that the new vineyard record has been accepted.

• For assistance, contact PGIBSA during business hours, telephone 61 8 8362 0488 or email admin@phylloxera.com.au

Remove roast from the pan and allow to stand for at least 20 minutes in a warm place. Do not ‘wrap’ the roast or you’ll steam the crackling and it will lose some of it’s crispness.

Once you take the crackling off, the meat should be falling off the bone and don’t forget to serve it with lots of roast vegies.

Scott Mathew Technical Lead, Syngenta scott.mathew@syngenta.com 0428 225 597 For details, please call the Syngenta technical product advice line on 1800 067 108 or visit www.syngenta.com.au 46 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Grab this: A screen grab of the new phylloxera online tool which will make vineyard management a more user-friendly experience for grapegrowers.

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

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grapegrowing

Making the most of not enough water in irrigated vineyards Irrigation is not the ultimate answer for water use when there are limiting factors. Increasing demand for supplementary irrigation will only be met if the acqusition and use of water by vines is optimised and Curtin University's Tony Proffitt and Mark Gibberd provide guidelines to achieve that.

THIS ARTICLE EXTENDS the research and technical information from the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) funded project titled ‘Optimising industry returns from existing soil and water research’.

The aim of the project was to better inform industry about aspects of soil water management following on from the GWRDC funded ‘Soil and Water Initiative’ projects.

INTRODUCTION Irrigation budgeting and strategies to optimise both the utilisation and acquisition of water resources are critical to maximise vineyard profitability.

Maximising the returns (i.e. crop yield and fruit quality) and water use efficiency (WUE) are not only compatible objectives, but are also necessary objectives, particularly in environments with limited (and potentially diminishing) water resources.

In such environments, irrigation is likely to move from being a yield/growth strategy to a risk management strategy.

Irrigation is a management tool that allows growers to directly manipulate vine growth, crop yield and fruit quality.

Approximately 87 per cent of the Australian wine grape production comes from regions that rely wholly or partly on irrigation water. Water costs can be as high as $3000/ML and power costs to move water continually increase.

In recent years, wine grape producers in south east Australia have started their growing seasons with anywhere between 0 and 70 per cent water allocations.

Similarly, in southern parts of the south west of Western Australia, irrigation resources have been limited and irrigation allocations have been based on risk minimisation strategies.

OPTIMISING THE UTILISATION OF WATER Production water use efficiency Production water use efficiency (WUEp) is the way in which water utilisation is generally measured and compared. It is defined as the amount of crop produced per unit of water applied as irrigation

48 Grapegrower & Winemaker

At a glance: • Irrigation is a management tool that allows growers to directly manipulate vine growth, crop yield and fruit quality.

• Irrigation budgeting and strategies to optimise both the utilisation and acquisition of water resources are critical to maximise vineyard profitability.

Harvest index: this relates to the amount of total dry matter removed as harvested product. It is dependent on the supply of sugar from both photosynthesis and reserves and is important as it determines yield from the product of transpiration efficiency and the volume of water transpired. It is strongly influenced by scion and rootstock genotypes.

Value water use efficiency

and effective rainfall and is therefore an outcome of the efficiency by which water reaches vines and the efficiency by which vines access and transpire water in fixing carbon. Gibberd et al. (2001, 2002) and Tyerman et al. (2011) propose that there are various sources of variation associated with WUEp.

Water use can also be considered on a value basis. Value water use efficiency (WUEv) is defined as the monetary value of the fruit or wine per unit of water applied as irrigation and effective rainfall. Whereas WUEp relates to the vineyard, WUEv relates to the vineyardwinery-market place continuum. This form of WUE also needs to be considered in the decision-making process since a reduction in productivity as a consequence of deliberate or otherwise under-irrigation practices could be offset by a potential improvement in fruit and wine quality and hence monetary value.

When comparing irrigation strategies and water use across a single vineyard or vineyards in close proximity to each other for any given season, the effective rainfall component can be excluded.

WUEp and WUEv can then be expressed as t/ML and $/ML respectively.

Irrigation efficiency

When does the vine require water?

This relates to the proportion of applied water transpired by the vine. For this efficiency to be optimal, water loss through runoff, drainage, leakage, evaporation and cover crop transpiration must be minimal.

Water management practices must also be optimal since this efficiency is dependent on both the water delivery infrastructure and the way in which water is applied to optimise production.

Minimising the risk of crop loss when insufficient water is available requires an understanding of the vine’s water requirements during the season.

Improvements in irrigation efficiency can be achieved by avoiding wastage (ie. overirrigation) and by ensuring sufficient water is applied during key growth periods (i.e. avoiding under-irrigation when the risk of yield reduction is high).

The amount of water required during different stages of the growing season will depend on: • climatic conditions • variety/rootstock combinations • soil type and depth • crop yield Table 1 provides guidelines on vine water requirements to ensure that productivity

• An understanding of wine water requirements during the growing season and on a spatial context across the vineyard is critical in order to optimise water use efficiency.

Transpiration efficiency This relates to the amount of carbon fixed during photosynthesis per unit of water transpired by the vine. Much of the variation in this efficiency can be attributed to variation in vine genotype through differences in stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity. www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

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The information contained in this document is believed to be accurate. No responsibility is accepted in respect of this information, save those non-excludable conditions implied by any Federal or State legislation or law of a Territory. ® Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. AD13/569.

grapegrowing Table 1. A guide to vine water requirements for key phenological growth periods.

Growth period

Vine water requirements

Budburst to flowering

This period is critical for root growth and establishing canopy size and potential yield. However, irrigations that are applied too early will be wasted and not used by the vine. In many warm/cool regions, winter/spring rainfall ensures an adequate supply of water for all or most of this period and irrigation is not required. Under water-limiting/drought conditions, irrigation may need to be applied. Water stress during this period may result in reduced shoot growth and leaf size.

Flowering to fruit set

Flowering and fruit set are sensitive to water stress as cell division is a critical development stage. It is a period when shoot growth is rapid.

Irrigation should be applied prior to flowering if soil water levels are low.

Fruit set to veraison

The amount of water required depends on soil water content and the desired fruit quality. Irrigation techniques such as regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and partial rootzone drying (PRD) can be implemented to impose water stress to control shoot growth and berry size, both of which can have positive effects on fruit quality.

Veraison to harvest

Poor leaf function is likely to delay the accumulation of sugar and adversely affect the development and balance of flavour components in berries. Once berries have reached full maturity, water deficits are less harmful so irrigation volumes can be reduced. Severe water deficits should be avoided in order to maintain leaf health and function.

Post-harvest

Vines need to accumulate sufficient carbohydrate reserves for the next season before going into dormancy. If water is available, irrigation is likely to benefit vines by ensuring that conditions are suitable for root growth and leaf function.

and fruit quality are not compromised for the current and subsequent growing seasons.

The effect of water stress on vine growth and berry development will depend on the timing and severity of water deficit during the season. Iland et al. (2011) provide guidelines for qualitatively assessing shoots, berries and soil in relation to the degree of vine water stress.

• Severe water stress prior to flowering and fruit set is likely to have a negative impact on crop potential for both the current and subsequent seasons.

• The timing of irrigations is critical and a block by block assessment at key phenological growth stages is imperative. This assessment should take into consideration vine vigour, root distribution, target crop yield and wine style and environmental conditions.

• Environmental factors to consider include current and forecast temperature and evaporation rates, water quality, soil moisture status and the water holding capacity of the soil. Each factor needs to be assessed progressively throughout the growing season and will carry a different degree of importance at various times.

Under extreme cases of water shortage, minimising the risk of a loss in crop and/ or wine value may be more important than a loss in productivity. In this case, water should be allocated to those blocks from which the greatest monetary value will be gained.

How much water should be applied and when?

In order to make informed decisions about how much water to apply and the timing of those applications, a water budget is required, along with a measure of vine water status. Water budgeting is simply the process of balancing the output of water lost from vines through evapotranspiration and the amount of water readily available to vines via the soil. Determining the water status of

50 Grapegrower & Winemaker

vines is generally done directly using plant-based measures or indirectly using soil-based and/or climate-based measures.

PLANT-BASED MEASURES Schultz and Stoll (2010) and Tyerman et al. (2011) discuss current and emerging technologies for measuring vine physiological parameters. A range of instruments are currently available that provide information that can be used to determine irrigation requirements and include measures of: • water potential (e.g. a pressure chamber or a psychrometer) • stomatal conductance (e.g. a porometer) • sap flow • leaf temperature • trunk diameter While these devices are generally used for research rather than commercial purposes, this is likely to change as some have the potential to be developed into user-friendly irrigation scheduling tools.

SOIL-BASED MEASURES Since relationships can be established between vine physiological parameters and changes in soil water measurements, it is generally easier to assess vine water status using devices that measure either soil water suction or volumetric soil water content.

The correct installation and positioning of such equipment is important if the data is to be representative of the vineyard.

CLIMATE-BASED MEASURES Water use by a vineyard is closely related to evaporation from an exposed water surface. The standard meteorological device to measure evaporation is the Class A pan evaporimeter. Crop factors (CF) are then used to convert pan evaporation (Epan) to vineyard water use. However, this is not the preferred method when the canopy cover is incomplete.

An alternative method is the use of evapotranspiration figures derived from a reference crop (ETo) in conjunction www.winebiz.com.au

with crop coefficients (Kc) to convert ETo to vineyard water use (ETc). Kc values are defined in reference to particular calculations of evaporative demand.

Long-term ETo can be used to plan an approximate irrigation frequency based on average climatic conditions, and forecast ETo can be used to predict when the next irrigation is due.

The Bureau of Meteorology provides recent ETo values on its website (www. bom.gov.au/watl/eto/) and registered users can access forecast ETo via the meteogram service. CSIRO provide recent and forecast ETo values for selected locations via the irriGATEWAY website (http://weather.irrigateway.net/).

Recent research has shown that by adjusting Kc for grapevine canopy cover, it is now possible to improve ETc calculations (Williams and Ayars 2005).

This approach is being trialled by CSIRO for the Irrisat-SMS irrigation scheduling service (www.irrigateway.net/tools/sms/) (Hornbuckle et al. 2008).

A free water budgeting tool is available from the SA Rural Solutions website (www.solutions.pir.sa.gov.au/markets/ water_management)

Spatial variability and the effect on water use efficiency A further question to consider in relation to optimising WUE is where to apply the water. Land is variable and because of this, vine performance usually has a distinct spatial structure (Bramley and Hamilton 2004, Bramley 2005, Cortell et al. 2005, Reynolds et al. 2007, Trought et al. 2008). The range of variation in crop yield obtained from blocks under uniform management is typically 10-fold (Bramley and Hamilton 2004). Similarly, indices of fruit quality (e.g. total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, and anthocyanins), and sensory attributes of finished wine have also been shown to be spatially variable (Bramley 2005, Cortell et al. 2005, Trought and Bramley 2011), but not necessarily temporally stable as December 2013 – Issue 599

they are more susceptible to climatic conditions.

DIFFERENTIAL MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION WATER The majority of vineyards are managed on the assumption that they are homogenous.

When a variable block is managed in this way, inputs such as irrigation water are uniformly applied. A number of studies (Tisseyre et al. 2005, Acvedo-Opazo et al.

2008) have shown that there is significant within-vineyard variability in grapevine water status. Taylor et al. (2010) found that canopy size, which is associated with vine vigour, and soil type are the dominant drivers of this variation, particularly as water becomes restricted.

They concluded that canopy architecture is an effective parameter for creating ‘zones’ of similar vine performance as a basis for differentially applying irrigation water. Numerous studies (Hall et al. 2002, 2011, Lamb et al. 2004, Proffitt et al. 2006) have used airborne remote sensing to identify relative differences in canopy characteristics at veraison.

With this understanding, Goodwin et al. (2009) and McClymont et al. (2012) showed how the differential (as opposed to uniform) application of limited water

Hands on: Tony Proffitt is a viticulturist based in the Margaret River region (WA). He is employed as a lecturer at Curtin University and as a consultant with AHA Viticulture.

supplies improved crop productivity, WUEp and certain fruit quality parameters within areas (zones) of a 6.4 ha Shiraz block located in the Sunraysia region of Victoria.

Until recently it was not clear whether the utilisation of irrigation water varied

spatially in accordance with vine performance or whether it was uniform across a vineyard block. In a 6.8 ha dripirrigated Shiraz block located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, Goodwin et al. (2009) and Zerihun et al. (2010) showed that vine vigour can have a considerable influence on vine physiological processes and water use.

Leaf photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance for the least vigorous vines were about 40% of the equivalent values for the most vigorous vines. As expected, it was found that stomatal conductance increased after irrigation was applied.

However, this was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in photosynthesis.

This resulted in a lowering of WUEp which was more apparent in low vigour vines than in high vigour vines.

In the same study, it was shown that crop yield was linearly correlated to the vine’s capacity to utilise the applied water. The dependence of crop yield on water availability and use suggests that to increase yield, a vine must be able to utilise all the available water. The fact low vigour vines did not use all the irrigation water indicates other factors must limit a vine’s response. One hypothesis is this may have been related to the death of fine

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11:24 AM Grapegrower14/12/11 & Winemaker 51

grapegrowing roots in spring when weaker vines were under severe water stress before weekly irrigations. This indicates evere water stress early in the season for weaker sections of a vineyard block must be avoided.

SELECTIVE HARVESTING Selective harvesting, based on zones of contrasting vine performance, provides an opportunity to potentially increase the WUEv through an increase in the price of fruit and/or wine as a consequence of providing separate parcels of fruit of uniform quality to the winery. Where a lack of water is limiting production, this strategy may be particularly beneficial in the context of risk management.

Several commercial examples exist that demonstrate an increased profitability using a differential harvesting approach (Bramley et al. 2005, Proffitt et al. 2006).

OPTIMISING THE ACQUISITION OF WATER Many Australian soils have characteristics which potentially restrict both the volume and distribution of vine roots. Where this occurs, vines may be unable to access, and hence utilise water and nutrients efficiently from either the mid-row area or within the vine row below restricted root zones. This is likely to have a negative

impact on WUE and hence the long-term sustainability of the vineyard.

McClymont et al. (2006) showed that under non-limiting water and nutrient conditions, vine growth and crop yield decreased as the available soil volume was reduced. This implies that root volume and/or distribution have a direct effect on vine performance. Table 2 illustrates how soil type and root distribution can influence the amount of readily available water (RAW) that is potentially accessible to a grapevine.

By restricting roots to the vine row in the sand and sandy loam examples, the volume of RAW, expressed as either per vine or per area, is reduced by about 33%.

This situation occurs in vineyards where soil compaction within the mid-row area prevents roots from growing laterally (Myburgh et al. 1996). In the clay soil example where root growth is restricted both horizontally and vertically, the volume of RAW is reduced by about 80%. Limited vertical root growth is also commonly found in vineyards (Myburgh et al. 1996).

A number of soil modification techniques are available to overcome restrictive root zones and reduce vine dependence on irrigation by improving water acquisition. Options include:

Table 2. Hypothetical combinations of soil type and root distributions showing their influence on the amount of stored soil water that is potentially available to the vines (assume 2 x 3 m vine x row spacing).

Readily Available Water (mm/m) (-8 to -60 kPa)

Rooting dimensions (vine row x width x depth)

Readily Available Water (L/vine)

Readily Available Water (ML/ha)

Sand

37

Whole vineyard area (2m x 3m x 1.2m)

266

0.44

Sand

37

Restricted to vine row (2m x 1m x 1.2m)

89

0.15

Sandy Loam

64

Whole vineyard area (2m x 3m x 1m)

384

0.64

Sandy Loam

64

Restricted to vine row (2m x 1m x 1m)

128

0.21

Clay

57

Whole vineyard area (2m x 3m x 0.75m)

256

0.43

57

Restricted to vine row and limited depth (2m x 1m x 0.5m)

57

0.09

Soil type

Clay

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• ripping to overcome physical restrictions such as compaction layers and rock • drainage to overcome anaerobic environments due to waterlogging • mounding to increase the volume of soil for root development • application of surface and sub-surface amendments such as lime to correct pH imbalances and gypsum to ameliorate soil structure by exchanging calcium for sodium • application of surface mulches and/or composts to improve soil organic matter levels and reduce evaporative losses Lanyon and Bramley (2006), Lanyon et al. (2010), and Panten and Bramley (2011) recognise that soil modification techniques have generally been applied across a range of soil types and recommend that such practices should be aligned to variations in soil characteristics to optimise their effect. Therefore, there is a need to know how responses to different modification techniques vary in relation to the spatial variability of the vineyard. The use of high resolution spatial data and geostatistical techniques provides a solution to this problem by enabling highly replicated designs in experiments to be conducted over whole vineyard blocks.

FURTHER RESOURCES A full version of the Final Report and Adoptable Outcome 8 which forms the basis of this article can be accessed from the GWRDC website using the following link: w w w. g w r d c . c o m . a u /c o m p l e t e d _ pr oje c t s/opt i m i si ng-t he -ut i l i sat iona nd-acqu i sit ion- of-water -r esou r cesi n-i r r igated-v i neya rd s-u nder -water limiting-conditions/ An audio-visual presentation of Adoptable Outcome 8 can be accessed using the following link: www.gwrdc.com.au/resource_type/videos/ Contact: Tony Proffitt.

Phone: 61 (0) 408 479478.

Email: tony.proffitt@westnet.com.au.

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52 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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December 2013 – Issue 599

One-stop shop for virus detection and elimination Nuredin Habili and Rodney Davies report on Waite Diagnostics and its expanding role in grapevine virus and phytoplasma diagnosis.

THE LATE DR ROD Bonfiglioli, an Australasian pioneer in grapevine virus and phytoplasma research, wrote in the proceedings of the 13th International Conference of Grapevine Viruses (ICVG, Adelaide in 2000): “The process of identifying and developing clean and hygienic material on which to establish commercial production blocks for public use is a massive and expensive task”.

The aim of this report is to describe the services of Waite Diagnostics with a mission for the wine industry by addressing what Dr Bonfiglioli was referring to 13 years ago.

Waite Diagnostics was registered as a business name on 30 June 1997 by Luminis Pty. Ltd. (now Adelaide Research & Innovation), the commercial development company of the University of Adelaide.

Dr Nuredin Habili started his diagnostics work at Waite Diagnostics in the same month in the laboratory of the late Professor Bob Symons, who served as the first Waite Diagnostics director, a task currently filled by Professor John Randles.

Our expanding interests in grapevine virus and phytoplasma diagnosis were initially supported by Southcorp Wines (now Treasury Wine Estates) and the Australian Vine Improvement Association.

Dr Rodney Davies, a prominent tissue culturist, joined Waite Diagnostics in 1999 to work on virus elimination from infected grapevine varieties using thermotherapy.

The detection of viruses by molecular methods such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as well as ELISA is done

by Nuredin Habili, while Rod Davies is responsible for virus elimination.

Virus detection and its elimination are two sides of the same coin.

While virus elimination is an overnight process, the establishment of a virusfree grapevine is a one-year task. The following is a review on virus detection and elimination in two separate sections:

GRAPEVINE VIRUS DETECTION Up to 70 viruses infect grapevines, a number higher than any other crop species.

A number of these viruses are more common and can affect graft take, reduce yield, and produce inferior berry and wine quality.

Most of our clients, who work with boutique-style vineyards, want to know if their established vineyard would be suitable to graft over using a different variety through a process called top-working. 

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ORGANIC CROP PROTECTANTS PTY LTD 61 Turrella St, Turrella NSW 2205 Australia Telephone: 1800 634 204 www.ocp.com.au December 2013 – Issue 599

NSW/WA/SA James VIC/TAS Scott QLD Andrew www.winebiz.com.au

0408 025 139 0488 717 515 0448 016 551

Grapegrower & Winemaker

53

grapegrowing For this purpose both scion and the Vinifera rootstock must be sent for virus testing.

A report sent with the results advises the growers what their options would be.

We test each sample for 12 viruses and depending on the type of the virus detected the top-working strategy, i.e. the selection of the scion, would have to change accordingly. Occasionally, the grower has to remove the vines and establish a new vineyard using certified rooted cuttings.

Viruses thrive during cold weather; that’s why we ask growers to send samples during cooler months of the year.

In summer, the virus load in plants is low, and therefore the chance of its detection will be slim.

As we describe below, summer is the most suitable time to send samples to start a virus elimination program.

SAMPLING AND TESTING PROTOCOLS A standardised protocol for collecting grapevine samples, extraction of nucleic acids (virus genes used in diagnostics) and the diagnostic assay appeared in the September 2002 issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker (pages 88-92).

In summary, to scan a vineyard for viruses, the growers are asked to randomly collect samples from at least 0.5 per cent of vines.

In our laboratory these are tested in groups of five plants per sample. Cane samples are selected from the middle to the bottom section of a dormant cane located in the centre of the canopy.

A single cane of 10-15 cm in length is cut from one vine and up to five cuttings are added to a zip-lock bag. Green canes in the spring when snapped from the cordon are also suitable.

For the detection of phytoplasmas, crown gall, Pierce’s Disease and the newly described grapevine red blotchassociated virus, only symptomatic areas of the plant (e.g. galls, leaves showing yellowing or blotches) should be collected.

Phytoplasmas (e.g.

Australian grapevine yellows) are hardly detectable in dormant canes. Testing for these pathogens are done using the leaf veins located in the border between healthy and symptomatic sections of an infected leaf (see Figure 1)

VIRUS ELIMINATION In 2012, Rodney Davies and John Randles while supervising Iraqi Master’s student Hikmat Malk, who was working on virus elimination from the grapevine, introduced Ribavirin, a synthetic antiviral agent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

54 Grapegrower & Winemaker

This can have a negative effect on the quality and yield of the desired variety for local Australian vineyards and poses a biosecurity risk to established varieties.

USE OF NATURAL HEAT FOR VIRUS ELIMINATION

Figure 1 Australian grapevine yellows symptoms on the leaves of a Pinot Noir vine at Loxton, South Australia.

Ribavirin), to the tissue culture medium.

The main use of this drug is to inhibit human viruses including hepatitis C and influenza.

The chemotherapeutic effect of Ribavirin successfully eliminated the viruses from the grapevine in a much shorter time than was needed by thermotherapy.

This therapeutic method will routinely be applied by Waite Diagnostics in the future.

This advance technology of virus elimination would play a major role in sanitising Australian premium vine varieties and clones which are currently being planted in the vineyards by the industry with no previous knowledge on their virus status.

Over the past two decades the importation by private entrepreneurs of exotic and rare wine grape varieties for the Australian niche wine market has been on the rise.

However, most of these varieties are chronically infected with a number of deleterious viruses originating in the source country (see Table 1).

The hot weather during summer months has a negative effect on the replication of grapevine viruses in plants.

For many years, researchers at Waite Diagnostics have specifically requested clients not send grapevine samples for virus testing during the days of heat waves in summer (Table 2).

This is because the virus detectability, which possibly derives from its lower replication within the plant, is sharply reduced during those periods.

This anecdotal observation has been supported by research carried out in Tunisia which monitored the detectability of the most deleterious virus, grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3), over three years in vines growing under the hot Sahara conditions, with summer temperatures regularly in excess of 40C.

By Year 2 of the growth, up to 93 per cent of the vines tested negative for GLRaV-3 (A. Ben Salem-Fnayou, Journal of Phytopathology 2006, issue 9), even though they showed a 100 per cent infectivity initially.

This is because the virus replication lags behind the plant growth (cell division) under these conditions.

All the new plants established from virus eliminated cuttings tested negative for GLRaV-3. Most commercial virus elimination programs which involve growing plants in vitro under high temperature regimes make use of the same phenomenon.

Our novel approach to make use of the Australian high temperature (Table 2) for shoot tip collection and the introduction of Ribavirin will ensure a better success in virus elimination. Waite Diagnostics has historically been using a hightemperature regime for grapevine viruselimination since 1997 with an emphasis on removing Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV).

In our new approach we do not bother

Table 1 Alternative grapevine varieties that are commercially available but needed to be cleaned up of viruses.

Variety Grenache Gris Gruner Veltsliner Fiano

Viruses detected a

Year tested

GLRaV-1, GLRaV-3

2013

GLRaV-9

2010

GLRaV-3, GVA, GFkV-A

2009

Aglianco

GLRaV-1, GVA

2013

Nero D’Avola

GLRaV-1, GVA

2012, 2013

Isabella Sagrantino

GLRaV-1

2012

GLRaV-1, GVA

2013

a All these samples were positive for Rupestris stem pitting-associated virus as well.

Key: GLRaV, Grapevine leafroll-associated virus; GVA, Grapevine virus A; GFkV, Grapevine fleck virus www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

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Putting the pa st sea son be hind u s

Howeve r, the south-w estern out look for drier Austra conditi tha n ons averag lia are for averag Viti-tal continu in e e and k to imp conditions ed wa rme Ben Ros , wh act on e all farm ich will r tha n Ma kin continu TH E ing ent PAST underly g lar ge e erprise SEASO hardes s. the pas ing ma nag sca le cha N has t ement nge s been has stil on record t sea one sui son in to for l table of rea most may a hig her ma naged grower the not be ction to to pot am not approach tha s for the the mo goi ng The qua n expected ent ially pro but com ing cha rac to st duce nat ion lity teristic try to pre remain sea son al cru dict the sea son .I s for a poi nt of said cru sh. , of yea we the how sh of dis ather 2011 ever, midrs. cussion will like interpr and and As I me for a num ly 201 long-te eting dur ing ntioned the sho 2 rm ber sha re the sea rt-, in will be the son and weather out g in Ma ir top tips the article, the looks y’s Gra for ‘Ex l Esslin In the key to suc adapting to there cess. peg row post-ha rve per ts Marce them eastern are a succes st car er & number sfu l be con e’ Win grower states gen were of thi sidere era pro-ac s in ngs tha emaker, sea son d as the pas lly, the show tive – we hea on the . t need Ro ad that is d t we r to sea into The ath RI son bei ng keepin er y we the nex Eathe AW one step and diseas re: red g determ a uis e t NT reactiv e pressu an eye ine the uce ahead y, Lo s) air ed RE CE lle blo e gro E eco re and of it ck (or wer TH r Va it. Ma and hav Wi ne w the stress, determ nom ic via AT ing to – rather hig hes Hu nte Orlando about ho ca ls ny of bility ine tha n some t cost bat tle mi in the urist – quest ion of pro what blocks of each chemic these gro reduce aga ins roche duction an ult wers purcha als on have t also the ), ma ke (vitic nly asked in the Ag Au str ali underta (monitor) sing on hand, had s gra a the a dem Eac h essent ke a vineya pev ine stre budget, com mo ndation us e in and bas rather tha n as vineya bac k me ial rep rd aud n ss, and is. know e asked rd for to bas oppose it to det airs recom on ly cha rac ics’ and should and is d to “th ere d d. Sh ma inte erm ine als o comm teristic mi ne d why it reg ist ing These rea ‘go nance such deter ltu re, are all s that can an as pru s of vineya ssess the should as wa vit icu ok’ are t Scala ning wei ma nag key it”. rd ma ratio, be use d Bo em nag bud growe d abou sta rte ‘Dog fal l. den sity ght s and bud ement shoot rs and every yea ent tools rie s ica lly 80% cap an ne tha r, , den cif the number how wi and ma nag t se too spe to number sity and wi th cor res ago, ers hav ever ma ny ls ge cted pla pondin , crop ye ars gro we rs Sta rtin in the pas e not restri a ran d and load and cement, t 20 t. g thi used ma lea f lay g approa an Ab ou al’ for bunch s sea the ir prevai nipulate er ch is n son distrib int erv ng ici de s ts the se lin succes idi ng wit h withi fu res en e ng rve st though g disease in rela ution pr ov sfu lly salgoi ed thatbe the a fresh you stil risk s ma inta t to rt ha wineryd for the gro tion al rep ) or as me nd to ‘ex po wing By all int erv ma rkeini ende ) bus ng (W HP the the repairs l have the yea a vineya key in int sea son we progre rec om s. Th e means rs. ex portiness ove ed if ability rio d what ss s is are .

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48

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grapegrowing to eliminate GRSPaV as we found this virus is symptomless in most grapevine varieties, is present everywhere in Australia and it is a hard virus to eliminate (unpublished observations by the authors).

We can screen niche grapevine varieties for viruses and any positively tested varieties will be subjected to virus elimination by culturing their shoot tips in vitro under a high temperature regime in the presence of Ribavirin. However, the initial onus is on the viticulturist.

If the grower has an infected variety maintained in a glasshouse or in the vineyard we will ask for the growing tips to be sent after a period of high temperature in the summer (e.g.

November 2009 or January 2012, Table 2). This will shorten the time needed for virus elimination in vitro and eventually will reduce the cost of virus-elimination.

After the conclusion of the program, each client will receive 20 tubes containing rootlings which can be weaned and potted out. As a safeguard, a final virus check up will be carried out a year later to make sure the virus has not re-emerged.

This approach which uses the chemotherapeutic action of Ribavirin will be less hazardous to the plants as

Table 2 Summary of summer temperature in 2009 and 2011 for Waite Campus obtained from the Kent Town Weather Stationa Climate parameters

2009/2010

2011/2012

Nov

Dec

Jan

Nov

Dec

Jan

Maximum temperature

43

41.6

42.8

36.8

39

41.6

No. days above 35° C

10

7

7

0

1

10

aThis station is located within 5.5 km from our vineyard at the Waite Campus, Urrbrae, South Australia. Latitude: 34.92o S, Longitude: 138.62o E, elevation: 48 m. Data from: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/mwr/

a lower heat regime is applied to the plantlets growing in vitro as compared to the routine thermotherapy methods.

Normally the whole procedure would take one year starting from the successful in vitro culturing and this is dependent on the variety and its virus profile. Our novel approach can reduce this time by half.

To support research on virus elimination, Waite Diagnostics is looking for potential clients to send samples based on a fee for service. This would partially provide funding for research and development in this area.

We are hoping that our approach may finally address the concerns of Dr. Bonfiglioli who wrote in 2000, “Commercial nurseries are faced with the problem of supplying high quality material to a market that is developing higher expectations based on improved technology” Contact: Nuredin Habili.

Phone: 61 (0)403 126 805.

Email: Nuredin.habili@adelaide.edu.au.

Acknowledgement: We thank Professor John Randles and Dr Ian Dundas for carefully editing and commenting on the article.

FAQ: Where can I find someone to buy my grapes?

VISIT www.winebiz.com.au/guide • Select the option “Brokers (Grape) & Grape Sales” from the Buyers’ Guide categories listed to view companies that offer these services

LOOK in your 2013 Wine Industry Directory from page 409 to find “Brokers (Grape) & Grape Sales”

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO THE WINE INDUSTRY

56 Grapegrower & Winemaker

VISIT www.winebiz.com.au/widonline/wineries • Easily locate wineries that are using selected Varieties in their production • Scroll down to “Variety” search option, select the variety you are trying to sell and hit the search button • Refine your search further by adding “State”, “Zone” and/or “Region” options to your search REmEmBER to login first so that you can access the Australian Wineries Advanced Search* *Australian Wineries Advanced Search available only to those who have purchased the Wine Industry Directory (purchase includes annual subscription to WID Online)

To order your copy: Ph: +618 8369 9509 E: orders@winetitles.com.au Visit: www.winebiz.com.au www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

ask the

If the grape fits then you can grow it The AWRI often fields queries about alternative varieties and how they might suit Australian winemaking conditions.

Some advice on how to source suitable alternative varieties is provided.

While recently travelling in Portugal, I came across a winegrape variety that I think will have great potential in my region. How can I determine if this particular variety is already in Australia and if it would be available to me for propagation?

There are many varieties in Portugal that have great potential for Australian conditions and have yet to be introduced.

In the first instance, check the current edition of the Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory (WID) published by Winetitles, to determine if any wine producer has listed this variety – in which case it should already be in the country. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be available to you in the shortterm because it may have been imported privately and currently be subject to a non-propagation agreement. Also, don’t assume that the information in the WID is entirely accurate because there have been instances of invalid naming in the past. For example, there are two producers in the 2013 edition of WID who have assumed, incorrectly, that Godello is a synonym of Verdelho. True Godello is in the CSIRO collection but not known to be yet commercially grown in Australia. Also, just because a variety is grown commercially in the eastern states does not mean that it can readily be imported into WA because that state has its own quarantine regulations.

Also check with CSIRO, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and other government agencies to determine if the variety of interest is already here in existing germplasm collections. However, if it is, this may not be much use at present because these agencies have imposed a freeze on distribution from their collections until such time as the ‘Review into Grapevine Germplasm Collections in Australia’ has been completed (see GWRDC website for summary of the report).

The next ports of call are the vine improvement organisations and nurseries. For example, the Riverland Vine Improvement Committee Incorporated has lists on its website of recent imports and varieties in their source blocks. Some recent imports from Portugal and Spain that are new to December 2013 – Issue 599

New taste: These vines are Albarino (Portuguese name Alvarinho) from the Vinho Verde region in northern Portugal. Photo courtesy of PR Dry.

Australia include Arinto, Azal, Viosinho (whites) and Alfrocheiro and Prieto Picudo (reds). Also, Yalumba Nursery has several varieties in quarantine and source blocks of new imports of clones of Albarino, Tempranillo and Vermentino.

There is also a possibility that your variety of interest has already been imported privately and is either in quarantine or in the ground. In Australia, unlike the USA, information on private imports is not in the public domain and the first that is known about a given variety being in the country is when a producer lists it for the first time in the WID or makes a public announcement.

For example, the following varieties have appeared for the first time in the WID in recent years: Bianco d’Alessano, Blaufränkisch, Colorino, Lambrusco Maestri, Tintilia and Zweigelt. As an example of the latter, Jim Barry Wines at Clare announced in 2011 that they had imported the white variety Assyrtiko from Greece (the first small crop was harvested in 2013). Also, some importers of germplasm such as Chalmers Wines have been very willing to share information: for example, they are in the process of importing Falanghina, Grechetto, Pecorino, Ribolla Gialla and Ansonica from Italy.

Finally, check out the synonyms of www.winebiz.com.au

your variety of interest in a reference such as Robinson et al. (2012) Wine Grapes (Harper Collins). It might be that it is already here but under a different name. For example, Tinta Caida is a recent import but it has already been here for many years as Bonvedro.

Of course, this might not deter you from importing what might be a better clone of this variety if a suitable overseas supplier can be found. Some other recent ‘discoveries’ as a result of DNA research, described in ‘Wine Grapes’, that might be pertinent to Australian importers include: Malvasia Nera (Tuscany, Basilicata) is actually Tempranillo; Greco Bianco from Calabria is not the same as the Greco of Campania; and the Fiano of Puglia (now renamed Minutolo) is not the same as the Fiano of Campania.

Before going down the path of private importation, producers should be aware that it is an expensive and complicated process because of quarantine regulations.

Producers are well advised to consult someone who has experience in this field.

The AWRI is able to provide details of such people in Australia and a potential supplier of germplasm in Portugal.

For further information, contact the AWRI Viticulture team, viticulture@awri.com.au Phone: 08 8313 6600.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

57

grapegrowing

Birds and grapes an ongoing battle There is not a grapegrower in Australia who has not paid the price for birds and their passion for fruit on the vine. This month Grapegrower & Winemaker reports on the legions of species which attack vineyards and the just-as-many ways of trying to control them.

MANY NATIVE AND introduced birds in Australia can cause significant damage to cultivated grapes.

The main problem species are starlings, bird control sparrows, European blackbirds, silvereyes, parrots and lorikeets, cockatoos, honeyeaters and corvids.

There is a diverse range of options for managing pest birds and they have variable effectiveness – and no single solution is applicable to all situations.

The following questions will help define the problem: • Where is the problem?

• How severe is the problem?

• Will the problem change with time?

IDENTIFY BIRDS INVOLVED Implementing an effective bird control program requires a basic understanding of the ecology and biology of the targeted pest species and (in some cases) those species affected directly (non¬targets) or indirectly (prey species) by a control program.

Control strategies can be targeted at particular groups of birds. For example, some species such as rosellas, sparrows and

Proven Sound Technology ThaT rePelS BirdS Our Clients tell us: “Bird Gard is very cost effective”. Peter Ceccato SA “there was rarely a Silvereye to be seen”. Spike Fokkema WA “crows and starlings are a thing of the past”. David Handyside SA “almost 100% protection”. Denzil Mortimer VIC “it was like a miracle”. Mike Verco SA

At a glance: • Identify the birds causing the damage and consider behaviour, movements and legalities.

• Measure the damage and how much it is actually costing you.

• Apply integrated control by using multiple techniques.

• Review the bird management strategy. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

European blackbirds are largely sedentary and may live in and around a crop throughout the year.

Trying to prevent them from entering and damaging the crop only during the time it is vulnerable is very difficult without applying some out-of-season management of these species.

Furthermore, most native birds are beneficial or desirable, so it is important management does not affect these species.

Conversely, some birds can be both beneficial and pests.

Honeyeaters for example, can become a more serious problem during seasons of poor Eucalyptus flowering, but also consume many damaging insects throughout the year.

DEVELOP THE MOST APPROPRIATE BIRD MANAGEMENT PLAN Importantly, the management plan must have details of what will be done, who will do it, when it will be done and how much it will cost.

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58 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

Options can include individual techniques or combinations, and different levels of application.

The plan must have long-term, yearto-year strategies to prevent damage and short-term reactive strategies to cope with sudden increases in damage.

For example, in the long term, managers may use netting on a small part of their crop every year. In the short term, when damage is higher, they may also implement a scaring program.

BIRD SCARING Many visual and sound devices have been used by managers in an attempt to scare birds.

These include LPG gas guns, electronic devices, radio, flashing or rotating lights, scarecrows, reflective mirrors or tape, helium-or air-filled balloons, and predator models or kites.

Habituation is the main drawback of all types of scaring. Birds can quickly become accustomed to noise or visual cues and start ignoring them.

Best results for scaring are achieved when: • Combinations of techniques are used.

• Scaring starts before birds establish a feeding pattern.

• The sound is reinforced by shooting or a threat.

• The timing and placement of devices are changed frequently, but not at regular intervals.

BIRDS OF PREY Attracting birds of prey or the use of falconry is often perceived to be of value in scaring birds or reducing pest numbers.

However, although falconry has been used previously at airports to reduce bird strikes, it is impractical in most situations.

Falconry is strictly regulated in Australia, requires skilled handlers and considerable training, and is labour intensive.

Encouraging raptors to specific areas is just as difficult, as different species occupy different ecological niches.

Some studies have shown providing perches increased the numbers of birds of prey. However, this has not yet been demonstrated to reduce the number of pest birds or the damage they cause.

EXCLUSION NETTING Exclusion netting using drape-over or permanent nets has high up-front costs

but may be appropriate where high-value crops are grown and levels of damage are high.

A range of netting options is available.

Machines can be used to install and remove drape-over nets of varying width (for example, covering one, two or four rows).

‘Lock-out’ netting provides a continuous cover of netting by joining draped nets without the need for poles and cables.

Nets can also be used on infrastructure to prevent birds roosting or nesting. If maintained, netting with ultraviolet stabilisers can provide between five and 10 years of protection.

Drape-over netting is more easily damaged than permanent netting and often does not provide as much protection.

Permanent netting is easier to maintain and allows easier spraying of vines and trees.

The decision to net is mainly an economic one. Will the increase in returns from excluding birds be beneficial over the life of the netting?

Contact: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/ assets/pdf_file/0010/194176/managingthe-impacts-of-birds-in-horticulture.pdf.

Exid

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Our SCARE-AWAY Cannons frighten bird and animal pests from fruit, vegetable and grain crops by means of harmless, automatic, thunderclap explosions.

Our double Shot model complete with piezzo ignition system, operates in all weather conditions and provides extra loud explosions. The SCARE-AWAY Cannons are an all steel construction, portable and operate on LP GAS. Visit our website to view information on other models available and for prices and free literature. Alternatively contact us direct on our toll-free number. Dealer enquires are invited.

NATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR:

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December 2013 – Issue 599

1800 888 137 or (08) 8391 1688

Email: sales@ehcambridge.com.au • Web: www.ehcambridge.com.au www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

59

Grapegrower & Winemaker tractor buyers’ guide

Pick a genuine product not a risky bargain Grapegrower & Winemaker presents its first Tractor Buyers’ Guide with a list of the key brands in the viticulture industry and an overview of their key points – and prices.

V i n e yar d m ac h i n e ry, particularly tractors, tend to be some of the biggest of the big ticket items in viticulture.

Which is why the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia (TMAA) has issued a warning to the industry about understanding what you are buying.

Particularly if you are trying to cut corners and save costs.

To help you get that right Grapegrower & Winemaker this month includes a Tractor Buyers’ Guide with all the details you need to help choose the best machine in your price range.

Over the past few years the TMAA says it has fielded countless phone calls from unsuspecting tractor buyers who have purchased a machine that is not up to standard – or one they are unable to

obtain parts for.

This has become a common problem, particularly in the smaller property market as buyers have gone for what seems like a cheap tractor, only to be disappointed and let down after the sale.

“There is a reason that the big tractors brands value and guard their brands so closely – these brands have been built over many years and have come to represent machinery that is not only sold by reputable suppliers, but moreover supported with parts and service,” a TMAA spokesman said.

“Contrary to popular belief, there is no single Australian standard that a tractor must be built or sold to,” he said.

“With this in mind, buyers must do their homework before purchasing machinery – make sure the machine is a recognised brand that will have parts

and support available throughout the time period you plan to own it.

“There are already brands that have been marketed in Australia at field days and on the internet over the past few years, that now have no importer and therefore the owners of these tractors cannot get parts for them.

Buyers need to think about the end of the ownership period – if there are no parts available and the tractor is no longer imported into Australia.

“Make no mistake,” he said, “there are plenty of very reputable tractor and machinery products on the market made in emerging countries that are of a standard and quality that is excellent.

“However as my Dad used to say: ‘If it’s too good to be true then it usually isn’t’.”

Grapegrower & Winemaker hopes you enjoy our Tractor Buyers’ Guide.

YEARS 19

013

PRINT & ONLINE

BLOG

grapegrower.winemaker @winetitles @grapegrowerandwinemaker www.grapegrowerandwinemaker.wordpress.com

Get connected with Australia’s leading information source for the wine industry.

Subscribe today at www.winebiz.com.au/gwm 630 Regency Rd Broadview SA 5083 www.winebiz.com.au

60 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

Antonio Carraro POWER Ratings Eng kW - (HP)

PTO kW - (HP)

Cyl

PTO Speeds

TRANSMISSION Type Speeds F-R

HYD Outlets Std-Max

TPL Category Max Lift KG

TURN Circle mm

INDICATIVE Price only

TRACTORS 75-90 KW Tigre 5500 'Jona'

35 (48)

31 (44)

4

540

Synchro - 12-12

1-3

2100

2000

$29,500

TTR 4400 HST Rev

26 (38)

22 (34)

3

540/1000

Hydro - 4-4

2-3

900

1950

$36,428

TRH 9800 Rev

65 (87)

61 (83)

4

540/540E

Hydro - 4-4

3-5

2200

2100

$58,737

SRX 9800 Art Rev

65 (87)

61 (83)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-8

2400

1850

POA

SRX 10400 Art Rev

70 (95)

66 (90)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-8

2400

1850

POA

TRG 9800 Rev

65 (87)

61 (83)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2300

POA

TRG 10400 Rev

70 (95)

66 (90)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2300

$59,103

TTR 7800 Rev

52 (71)

48 (67)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2300

POA

TTR 10400 Rev

70 (95)

66 (90)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2300

POA

TGF 9800 Pressurised Cab

65 (87)

61 (83)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2000

$70,545

TGF 10400 Pressurised Cab

70 (95)

66 (90)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2000

$71,398

TRX 7800S Rev

52 (71)

48 (67)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2000

$54,514

TRX 9800 Rev

65 (87)

61 (83)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2100

POA

TRX 10400 Rev

70 (95)

66 (90)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-5

2400

2100

$56,771

Mach 4 (Quad track)

65(87)

61(83)

4

540/540E

Synchro - 16-16

3-8

2400

2000

POA

December 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 599

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

61

Grapegrower & Winemaker tractor buyers’ guide

AGCO POWER Ratings Eng kW - (HP)

Cyls

PTO kW - (HP)

PTO Speeds

Transmission Type Speeds F-R

HYD Outlets Std-Max

TPL Category Max Lift KG

TURN Radius mm

RRP excl GST

TRACTORS 75-90 KW – FENDT Vineyard - Orchard - Utility 209 V

67 (90)

63 (86)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

4-6

Cat1 - 2775

3000

$109,900

209P

67 (90)

63 (86)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

4-6

Cat2 - 3134

3300

$109,900

211V

81 (110)

76 (103)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

4-6

Cat1 - 2775

3000

$117,600

211P

81 (110)

76 (103)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

4-6

Cat2 - 3134

3300

$117,600

208 S

59 (80)

55 (75)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

3-4

Cat2 - 4200

3900

$99,900

209 S

67 (90)

63 (85)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

3-4

Cat2 - 4200

3900

$104,000

210 S

73 (100)

68 (93)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

3-4

Cat2 - 4200

3900

$107,600

211 S

81 (110)

76 (103)

3TI

540/54E/1000

CVT - Infinite

3-4

Cat2 - 4200

3900

$115,500

Kubota POWER Ratings Eng kW - (HP)

PTO kW - (HP)

Cyls

PTO Speeds

TRANSMISSION Type Speeds F-R

HYD Outlets Std-Max

TPL Category Max Lift KG

TURN Circle mm

INDICATIVE Price only inc GST

TRACTORS 45-60 KW M6040 DH/DHC

47 (63)

41 (55)

4

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 12-12

2-3

1/2 - 1900

3600

$48,933

M7040 DH/DHC

51 (68)

46 (62)

4

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 12-12

2-3

1/2 - 1900

3600

$54,445

TRACTORS 60-75 KW M8540 DH/DHC/DN/DCN

63 (84)

56 (75)

4T

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 18-18

2-3

2 - 3900

3800

$62,409

M8540 DN/DCN

63 (84)

56 (75)

4T

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 15-15

2-3

2 - 2300

3500

$63,453

M8540 NPK-AU

63 (84)

56 (75)

4T

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 12-12

2-3

2 - 2300

4000

$86,668

M9540 DH/DHC

71 (958)

63 (84)

4TI

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 18-18

2-3

2 - 3900

3800

$64,145

M9540 DHC-DS

71 (958)

63 (84)

4TI

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 36- 36

2-3

2 - 3900

3800

$82,822

TRACTORS 75-90 KW M 108 DC

79 (108)

71 (96)

4TW

540/540E

Hyd/Shuttle 16-16

2-3

2 - 2500

4700

$87,663

M100 GX

75 (100)

64 (86)

4TI

540/1000

Dual Range P/S 16-16

2-4

2 -5000

4000

$99,075

M 110 GX

80 (108)

71 (95)

4TI

540/1000

Dual Range P/S 16-16

2-4

2 -5000

4000

$103,529

M 126 GX

94 (126)

80 (108)

4TI

540/1000

Dual Range P/S 16-16

2-4

2 - 6100

4100

$112,433

M 135 GX/GXS

101 (135)

87 (118)

4TWI

540/1000

Dual Range P/S 16-16

2-4

2 - 6100

4100

$117,442

TRACTORS 90-105 KW

NEED NEW PRUNING MACHINERY? Summer Trimming Winter Pruning Sweeping

Vine Reshaping Undervine Slashing Australian Made

LEDGARD Pruning Systems

McLaren Vale – Phone: +61 8 8323 9001 www.ledgardpruning.com sales@ledgardpruning.com 62 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

fendt.com.au Fendt 200 Series 70 – 110 hp

Efficiency starts here … … and finishes with big savings.

The investment that pays off!

Not only is the Fendt 200 Series the first tractor in its class to feature a Vario continuously variable transmission (CVT), it also has the unique design of a flat cab floor for unsurpassed operator comfort.

All this adds up to one efficient tractor that will save you money in downtime and fuel costs.

Features: • Vario continuously variable transmission • Flat cab floor for extra leg room and comfort • Load-sensing hydraulics • AGCO POWER 3 cylinder common-rail, water-cooled engines • Five models to choose from: 70 hp–110 hp • Choice between standard, narrow, wide and low varieties Once again, Fendt is leading the way with the outstanding Vario 200 series.

Contact your local dealer today for more information.

www.fendt.com.au | Freecall 1800 802 914 Fendt is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation.

Grapegrower & Winemaker tractor buyers’ guide

New Holland POWER Ratings Eng kW - (HP)

PTO kW - (HP)

Cyls

PTO Speeds

Transmission Type Speeds F-R

HYD Outlets Std-Max

TPL Category Max Lift KG

TURN Radius mm

INDICATIVE Price only

TRACTORS 75-90 KW T 5060

78 (106)

67 (91)

4TI

540/1000

Synchro - 24-24

2-3

2 - 4550

4040

$90,190

T 6020 LS

82 (112)

67 (91)

4TI

540/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-3

2/3 - 3609

4040

$104,590

T 6020 Elite

82 (112)

67 (91)

4TAA

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-3

2/3 - 7864

4040

$112,690

T 6020 Plus

82 (112)

67 (91)

4TI

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3

4040

$109,590

T 6030 LS

86 (117)

71 (97)

6TAA

540/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3

4355

$108,690

T 6030 Plus

86 (117)

71 (97)

6TAA

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3

4355

$115,690

T 6030 Elite

86 (117)

71 (97)

6TI

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3 - 8257

4355

$120,790

T 6040 Elite

89 (121)

74 (101)

6TI

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3 - 7864

4044

$116,690

6TI

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3 - 3609

4355

$124,790

TRACTORS 90-105 KW T 6050 Elite

93 (126)

78 (106)

T 6070 Elite

103 (140)

90 (122)

6TI

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 16-16

2-4

2/3 - 8257

4040

$130,890

T 7 170

92 (125)

82 (110)

6TI

540/750/1000

Semi-P/shift - 18-6

3-4

2/3 - 8257

NQ

$135,000

T7 185

103 (140)

93 (125)

6TI

540/750/1000

Pwr/shift - 18-6

3-4

2/3 - 8257

4807

$145,100

T7 185 CVT

103 (140)

93 (125)

6TI

540/750/1000

CVT - Infinite

4-4

2/3 - 8257

4807

$156,400

104 (140)

6TI

540/750/1000

CVT - Infinite

4-4

2/3 - 8257

4807

$164,600

112 (150)

6TI

540/750/1000

Pwr/shift - 18-6

3-4

2/3 - 6016

5400

$162,400

TRACTORS 105-120 KW T7 200 CVT

114 (155)

TRACTORS 120-150 KW T7 210

123 (165)

T7 220

123 (165)

112 (150)

6TI

540/1000

Pwr/shift - 18-6

4-4

2/3N - 6016

5400

$175,540

T7 235

136 (185)

123 (165)

6TI

540/1000

Pwr/shift - 18-6

4-4

2/3N - 6016

5400

$186,640

T7 250

147 (200)

132 (177)

6TI

540/1000

Pwr/shift - 18-6

4-4

2/3N - 6016

5400

$198,140

Take a load off Get a great deal on a New Holland Front End Loader with standard bucket when purchased in combination with a new TD5 or T5000 tractor before December 31, 2013.

This amazing offer comes with a finance rate of just 3.95%* and is exclusive to New Holland customers. But hurry, this offer ends soon. So get to your New Holland dealer today and take a load off. newholland.com

*30% deposit, 36 monthly repayments. Offer is available to business customers only and subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply. Contact your local dealership for full details

64 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

BY DAEDONG

QUALITY KOREAN TRACTORS CK3010 COMPACT TRACTOR STANDARD FEATURES •

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• • • • •

CK3010

CK3010 FROM ONLY

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$

PER WEEK*

LOADER & 4in1 BUCKET

23,995

$

INC GST

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$

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PFG CREDIT*

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*Conditions apply. Speak to us today for more information. 2013

INC GST

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W: www.pfgaustralia.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker tractor buyers’ guide Power ratings Cyl

PTO Speeds

Transmission Type Speeds F-R

Hydraulic outlets Standard-maximum

TPL category Maximum lift (kg)

Turning circle (mm)

12.1 (16.5)

3

540

2 range hydrostatic only

1

1 - 650

2620

20 (27)

14.7 (20)

3

540

2 range hydrostatic only

1

1 - 650

2620

Farmall 35B

28 (38)

22 (29) Hydro, 23 (31) Mech

4

540

Mechanical 12x12

1 rear + joystick and 4 front outlets

1 - 820

3050

Farmall 40B

30 (41)

25 (34)

4

540

Mechanical 16x16

1 rear + joystick and 4 front outlets

1 -1252

3080

Farmall 50B

35 (47)

27 (37) Hydro, 29 (39) Mech

4

540

Mechanical 16x16

1 rear + joystick and 4 front outlets

1 - 1252

3080

Farmall 60B

43 (57)

35 (47)

4

540

Mechanical 16x16

2 front + 2 rear

2 - 1850

3300

Case IH

Engine kW (hp)

PTO kW (hp)

Farmall 20B

17 (23)

Farmall 25B

Farmall B

JX Straddle JX60 Straddle

41 (56)

36 (44)

3

540

Mechanical 12x4

1 double acting

1&2 - 3000

3743

JX70 Straddle

49 (66)

40 (54)

3

540

Mechanical 12x4

2 double acting

1&2 - 3000

3743

JX80 Straddle

56 (75)

48 (65)

4

540

Mechanical 12x4

2 double acting

1&2 - 3000

3843

JX80 HC

58.5 (80)

48 (65)

4

540/750/540E

Synchro Shuttle 20x12

3

1&2 - 3565

5400

JX95 HC

72 (98)

60 (81)

4

540/750/540E

Synchro Shuttle 20x12

3

1&2 - 3565

5400 5290

JX High Clearance

Farmall JX Farmall 70 JX

48.5 (65)

44 (60)

3

540/1000

12x12

2

2 - 3000

Farmall 75 JX

56 (75)

51 (70)

3

540/1000

12x12

2

2 - 3565

5370

Farmall 80 JX

60 (80)

54 (74)

4

540/1000

12x12

2

2 - 3565

5500 5500

Farmall 90 JX

65.5 (88)

60 (82)

4

540/1000

12x12

2

2 - 3565

Farmall 100 JX

73 (98)

67 (92)

4

540/1000

12x12

2

2 - 3565

5510

Farmall 110 JX

81 (110)

76 (104)

4

540/1000

12x12

2

2 - 3565

5580

Quantum 85C

63 (86)

52 (70)

4

540/1000/540E

Power Shuttle 16x16 or 32x12

2-3

2 - 2680

3890

Quantum 95C

71 (97)

59 (80)

4

540/1000/540E

Power Shuttle 16x16 or 32x12

2-3

2 - 2680

3890

Quantum C

LS Tractors POWER Ratings Eng kW - (HP)

Cyls

PTO Speeds

TRANSMISSION Type Speeds F-R

HYD Outlets Std-Max

TPL Category Max Lift KG

TURN Circle mm

INDICATIVE Price only

PTO kW - (HP)

Rio 28

18.8 (28)

16 (25)

4

540

F12 - R12

2

1188kg

2540mm

$20,600.00

Rio 36

25.5 (38)

22 (34)

4

540

F12 - R12

2

1188kg

2540mm

$21,925.00

Rio 50

31.5 (47)

28 (42)

4

540/750/1000

F16 - R16

2

1250kg

2540mm

$27,260.00

U50

31.5 (47

28 (42)

4

540/750/1000

F32 - R16

2

1852kg

3157mm

$30,300.00

U60

38 (57)

34 (51)

4

540/750/1000

F32 - R16

2

1852kg

3157mm

$41,650.00

Plus 70

48 (72)

43 (64)

4

540/750/1000

20R - 20R

3

2500kg

3420mm

$52,850.00

Plus 80

53.5 (80)

48 (72)

4

540/750/1000

20R - 20R

3

2500kg

3420mm

$57,635.00

Plus 90

59 (88)

53 (79)

4

540/750/1000

20R - 20R

3

2500kg

3420mm

$61,250.00

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66 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

BCS Tractors POWER Ratings Eng kW - (HP)

PTO kW - (HP)

Cyls

PTO Speeds

TRANSMISSION Type Speeds F-R

HYD Outlets Std-Max

TPL Category Max Lift KG

TURN Circle mm

INDICATIVE Price only $24,950.00

Invictus K30 RS

19.1 (26)

17 (23)

3

540

8F - 4R

2

1050kg

2670

Invictus K40 RS

26.2 (35.6)

23 (32)

4

540

8F - 4R

2

1050kg

2670

$27,100.00

34 (46)

30 (41)

4

540/750

12F - 12R

2

1300kg

2800

$35,300.00

41.2 (56)

37 (50)

3

540/750

12F - 12R

3

1800kg

2800

$53,000.00

67 (91)

60 (81)

4

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

2 (4)

2300kg

3150

$59,775.00

TRANSMISSION Type Speeds F-R

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Valiant 500 RS Rev Valiant 650 RS Rev Cab Volcan 950EP RS

Ferrari Tractors POWER Ratings

Eng kW - (HP)

Cyls

PTO Speeds

PTO kW - (HP)

Cromo K30 RS

19.1 (26)

17 (23)

3

540

8F - 4R

2

1050kg

2670

Cromo K40 RS

26.2 (35.6)

23 (32)

4

540

8F - 4R

2

1050kg

2670

$27,100.00

Cobram 50 RS Rev

34 (46)

30 (41)

4

540/750

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2

1300kg

2800

$35,300.00

Cobram 65 RS Rev

41.2 (56)

37 (50)

3

540/750

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3

1800kg

2800

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Thor 95EP RS Rev

67 (91)

60 (81)

4

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

3

2300kg

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Vega 95EP RS

67 (91)

60 (81)

4

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

2 (4)

2300kg

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Vega 95EP Dualsteer

67 (91)

60 (81)

4

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

2 (4)

2300kg

2200

$81,300.00

Vega 85EP SDT RS

58 (79)

52 (71)

4

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

4

2700kg

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67 (91)

60 (81)

4

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4

2700kg

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Vega 75EP SDT Dualsteer

Vega 95EP SDT RS

51.4 (70)

46 (63)

3

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

4

2700kg

2400

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Vega 95EP SDT Dualsteer

67 (91)

60 (81)

4

540/750 (1000)

16F - 16R

4

2700kg

2400

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Fischer rewrites rule book on weed management FISCHER AUSTRALIS MANAGING director Jurg Muggli admits it was one of those smack yourself in the forehead Tractors moments.

“Why,” he said, “had no-one thought of it before.

“Weed control without the chemicals.”

And the answer, he says, is the Fischer BV2 + Twister.

Now the solution is here he says it has already been tested in a variety of Australia’s demanding conditions and passed every one of those tests with flying colours.

“We have now tested the Twister in various conditions, starting with the most product appropriate – controlling luscious spring-sward in the Adelaide Hills,” Muggli says.

“We then put it successfully to the test in the much harsher and dryer conditions of McLaren Vale south of Adelaide,” he says.

“We have also tested its capabilities in cleaning up an overgrown vineyard December 2013 – Issue 599

in the King Valley in northeast Victoria.”

Juggli claims the Twister not only offers seamless weed control, it also efficiently removes basal water-shoots (de-suckering) within the same tractor pass.

He says it can be operated at a reasonable speed as it is only bouncing along the grapevine trunks rather than physically reaching in-between.

“Only the cords reach onto the plant line and take care of weeds in-between posts and trunks also,” he adds.

Fischer is offering various models and configuration options for the Twister system (listed below).

Two different brush sizes and two different cord-shaft lengths form the bases. The different sizes are suitable for different models and offer slightly different results.

Fischer offers three cord strengths: white (tough), green (medium) and red (soft but durable).

Models and configurations: • Twister W 1 & 2 (integrated with the Fischer BV2 mower) www.winebiz.com.au

• Twister M (one sided mounting frame) • Twister MT (one sided mounting frame with hydraulic fine-sensor) • Twister R (for between axle mounting) • Twister RT (for between axle mounting with fine-sensor) • Twister (the original) (on 3-point mounting frame for front or rear mounting) • Multi-Tool Twister W2 (on width adjustable 3-point frame for front mounting) “We are promoting the Twister system in combination with our heavy duty Fischer BV2 mower,” Muggli says.

If the Twister system is run from the tractor hydraulics, one has the choice of only using the system for undervine and de-budding and/or in combination with mowing. If undervine is not required you can lift the Twister heads out of the way and hydraulically set the working width of the BV2 mower for mulching closer to the vines.

Contact: Jurg Muggli.

Phone: 0409 572 581.

Email: jmuggli@fischeraustralis.com.au.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

67

grapegrowing

Ledgard proves to be a cut above GRAPEGROWERS LOOKING FOR reliable mechanical pruning are now able to turn to an Australian-made system which has not just proved itself in Australian vineyards and orchards but also around the world.

McLaren Vale engineer and grapegrower Trevor Ledgard combined his two passions to develop the heavyduty systems for which his business is renowned.

Combining his practical knowledge of vineyards and orchards with his engineering skills has resulted in a costefficient, low maintenance unit which can be custom built for individual growers.

Ledgard Pruning Systems uses advanced computer-aided design techniques to refine its product with sales taking its gear as far afield as South Africa, the US and Brazil.

Since 1984 Ledgard has been designing, manufacturing and repairing all types of vineyard equipment.

With his background as a qualified mechanic, engineer and grapegrower, he focused the company’s expertise on designing and building pruning equipment and associated products from the early 1990s.

NEW FACE, SAME NAME Last year Ledgard retired from the company which still bears his name but John Harnett, his replacement at the helm, has brought a strong wine background of his own to the role.

Harnett grew up on his parent’s property McLaren Heights, which had an enviable reputation for growing highquality fruit for some of the best known wine producers in South Australia including Hardy’s, Coriole and Graeme Stevens Cambrai.

He spent many years on the family property working the vineyard – and a lot of that work included mechanical pruning and harvesting.

To keep the family connection going Harnett’s brother James has worked as a vineyard contractor in the McLaren Vale region for 25 years.

“A core component of his contract work has been mechanical pruning,” Harnett said.

“In that capacity he had spent many long hours with Trevor Ledgard in the initial development of the original pruning system,” he said.

“Many of the test hours were conducted at McLaren Heights where the steep slopes and original wide trellis

68 Grapegrower & Winemaker

clean cut • Require minimum maintenance grease and go • Are vibration free for smooth operation • Feature computer-aided design techniques ensure cutting-edge standards

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proved a challenging test track.”

John Harnett worked and trained as a diesel mechanic at Wrights Tractor Service in McLaren Vale before moving to Adelaide and the equipment rental industry where he was a state and general manager for large multinationals such as Brambles and Caterpillar.

“I was overwhelmed to have the opportunity to carry on the Ledgard Pruning System name,” he said.

“I believe the brand has significant value and I have been loving the challenge of upholding the reputation of this innovative equipment range.

“I have been out in the market place to meet with our customers and welcome the opportunity to assist in any future maintenance or sales enquiry.

“At Ledgard Pruning Systems we have more than 1200 cutter bars and pivots successfully operating throughout Australia and through exports to several countries around the world.”

ONE SYSTEM Harnett said all equipment is backed by Ledgard’s expertise, quality manufacturing and full warranty.

He said the range meant most vineyards only needed to buy one system for all their winter pruning and summer trimming.

Ledgard specialises in custombuilding equipment to suit the individual grower’s needs. It dual use, double-acting, extra heavy-duty cutter bars include the following: • Easily cut very thick and dense canes • Have one-piece blades with scalloped teeth • Use double acting blades to give a very www.winebiz.com.au

“There are only two choices,” Harnett added.

“Buy the best or save on your initial outlay but put up with the downtime that follows when you push lightweight equipment too hard and then pay the extra for early repair or replacement costs,” he said.

“The heavy-duty Ledgard Pruning system is made in a range of sizes from 0.8m to 2.4m with pivot types to suit all vineyard and orchard requirements.

“And there are no limitations in mounting to the frames and tractors of your choice.”

UNDERVINE SLASHER The first Ledgard Undervine Slasher was sold in 2008, built specifically to complement mid-row heavy duty slashers.

Harnett said the machine concentrates on the gap between the 3-point linkage machine and the vine row, ensuring a nice clean finish.

“In the past 18 months we have seen a lift in interest in our undervine equipment as more vineyards chase organic practices,” he said.

“One of the great challenges with all mowing is visibility for the operator – the majority of machines are mounted to the 3-point linkage, which puts them behind the operator. We are in the middle of trialling a new design mounted to the front of a standard John Deere tractor.

Key facts about the Undervine Slasher are: • Hydraulic motor designed to run from standard tractor remotes/40L per minute.

• Machine can be run from the front or rear of the tractor.

• We have adapted many machines to fit on top of existing 3-point linkage slashers and developed a new return damper to soften the pivot movement – this can be retrofitted to old machines.

Two slashers can be run on the same tractor allowing left and right hand operation.

Contact: John Harnett.

Phone: 0400 915 226.

Email: sales@ledgardpruning.com.

December 2013 – Issue 599

winemaking Kiwi pioneer releases first Petit Manseng Stephanie Timotheou chats with New Zealand winery owner Sam Weaver who was the first to bring French grape variety Petit Manseng into the country and released his first bottling last year. He discusses his passion for the variety, why it suits New Zealand soil and whether or not it will have a successful future in the local market.

KIWIS HAVE NEVER been afraid to have a crack at something new – and then really make something of it.

Which is why a lot of eyes are on Sam and Mandy Weaver’s Churton vineyard, its next harvest of Petit Manseng and the wines which will come from it.

The variety is established in Australia but 2012 was its first harvest in New Zealand and the Weavers were the first to bring it into that country.

Marlborough might be known for its Sauvignon Blanc – which accounts for around 70 per cent of plantings and

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exported wines – but Sam Weaver was fascinated by the delicate variety which celebrated its first, small-scale, commercial release last year.

He said the couple – who have owned and operated Churton for 17 years – were constantly on the lookout for something to set them apart from more than 700 wineries in the country.

Six years ago they found the perfect thing – something nobody else in New Zealand could manage to get their hands on at the time.

Petit Manseng – a white wine grape

Delicate delight: Freshly picked Petit Manseng ready for the crushers.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

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69

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winemaking variety grown primarily in south-western France – drew interest in California, Virginia and Australia and now the Kiwis have finally jumped on the bandwagon.

Weaver, who was the first of three producers to grow the variety, said Churton was fortunate enough to purchase the variety during its initial release.

“I’ve known about the vines for well over 30 years and I’ve always thought they were interesting,” he said.

“I also used to know a Frenchman – Didier Dagueneau – who was a wellknown producer of Petit Manseng.”

Weaver used to visit Dagueneau’s vineyard in Pouilly Fume and Les Jardin de Babylone in Jurançon, where the variety originates.

The late Dagueneau was a winemaker from the Loire Valley who became a cult figure amongst French winemakers because of the quality of his Sauvignon Blanc from the Pouilly Fume appellation.

Churton Petit Manseng 2012 was New Grape expectations: Sam Weaver holding a bunch of Petit Manseng in his biodynamic Marlborough Zealand’s first commercial release and vineyard. since then, consumer interest has been phenomenal according to Weaver.

“It is performing extremely well “We have had a number of warm vintages so I wanted to try however it is never going to be a mass-produced variety because something which would grow later in the year when it wasn’t it really does need to be handled well,” he added. so hot.”

“Its yields are moderate to low because it’s so late in the Petit Manseng flowers early and ripens late, therefore has a season and I guess some people would see it as too much of a lengthy growing season – which is exactly what Sam was after. risk but having said that it is an incredibly characteristic wine He said in comparison to Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng with great aromas and a wonderful acid structure.” flowers a week earlier but ripens three to four weeks later.

Although it has potential to be a great success, Sam said there “The region is very good at producing aromatic, white isn’t a big market for the wine in New Zealand – yet. varieties and Petit Manseng is definitely one of them,” he added.

“There is a small specialist market for people who want to The Weavers’ clay-based soil vineyard is situated on a hill try something with more character and individuality,” he said.

200m above sea level which Weaver said was not the norm.

“These are people such as sommeliers or people who have a But it seems to work for his grape varieties including Pinot genuine interest in the grape variety – like me.

Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and especially Petit Manseng.

“We are not making high quantities but there is a keen While the variety seems to tick all the boxes, it is very interest internationally, so we actually had a debate on whether sensitive to powdery mildew and must be handled with care. or not we should let them have as much as they want.”

“It is quite a vigorous grape variety so controlling it is Churton’s prime export markets include Australia, Japan, the extremely important” Sam said.

UK, North America and various Asian markets.

“Its wine structure is very different to most white varieties Weaver decided to experiment with the variety due to – when it’s ripe it has high sugar levels very high extract and its suitability for Marlborough’s long autumns and growing extraordinary acidity. seasons.

“This gives the wine great richness and depth of flavour whilst still retaining freshness, tension and minerality.”

On the bright side, Petit Manseng is resistant to botrytis as it has small berries and open bunches.

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17 TOVA DRIVE PO BOX 2030 CARRUM DOWNS VICTORIA 3201 Ph: 03 9775 0339 Fax 03 9775 0338 Email: info@fineweld.com.au

Contact: Sam Weaver.

Phone: 0011 64 3 572 4007.

Email: info@churton-wines.co.nz.

Looking for more stories on winemaking? Search our Grapegrower & Winemaker article archive at

www.winebiz.com.au/gwm

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

For further information, please contact Kauri NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE NZ Fax: 04 910 7415 Email: winery@kauri.co.nz

AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 AUS Fax: 1800 127 609 Website: www.kauriwine.com

winemaking

Wine scientists harvest power of the Synchrotron Wine industry researchers are seeing the light with technology being adapted to unlock the secrets of tannin and how its impact on wine can be better understood – and controlled.

SOME OF VICTORIA’S best and brightest scientists are using some of Australia’s best and biggest technology to help turn the art of tannins in wine into a science.

The scientists are using the Australian Synchrotron to assist with their worldleading research into the impact of grape tannins on wine.

Based at Clayton in Melbourne’s outer south-east, the Australian Synchrotron is a machine about the size of a football field which accelerates electrons almost to the speed of light.

As the electrons are deflected through magnetic fields they create extremely bright light, which is channelled down beamlines to experimental workstations where it is used for research.

Researchers from the Department of Environment and Primary Industries have been using the Synchrotron as part of their groundbreaking research into the relationship between tannins and wine quality.

The scientists from DEPI Mildura make up one of just a few groups in the world attempting to better understand tannins, how they impact on wine flavour and how they interact with the other components in wine.

VALUABLE TOOLS “This research is highly important to the wine industry because it will enable us to develop tools for grapegrowers and winemakers to manage the amount of tannin in grapes and subsequently in

72 Grapegrower & Winemaker

wine,” DEPI plant production sciences research manager Mark Downey said.

“One part of this research involves obtaining a better understanding of the degree to which tannins are soluble and that is why our scientists are using the Synchrotron,” Dr Downey said.

Tannins are compounds found in the skins and seeds of grapes and are responsible for the astringency in wine, playing a crucial role in the way the wine ages.

“There is, and always will be, a place for art in winemaking but by the same token I think the work this team is doing will also prove valuable for the bulk wine market,” he said.

“Buyers in that range are seeking consistency; I guess it is similar to Coke or beer. They find something they like and they want it to taste the same way every time.

“I don’t think what we are doing will have such an impact at the high end of the market. “People who buy a Hill of Grace or a Grange are actually looking for the whole wine experience; they want the varieties, the high and lows and the full wine journey.

“But for those other consumers it is all about how can we help better meet their expectations because if the winery can’t be consistent it risks losing those people.

“This work is very much for that segment.”

Dr Downey said what the DEPI team is looking at is how tannins behave – in www.winebiz.com.au

water, in ethanol, in a mix of ethanol and sugars and so on.

LOT TO LEARN He said while a lot is known about tannins, it is just as obvious there is a lot more to learn.

Such as seeing if they aggregate, do they precipitate or even form new components.

“There is a lot still based on assumption and we are hoping to match, for example, what we have done with polymers, which have shown the effects on taste of long and short polymers,” Dr Downey added.

“So we will be testing our assumptions and seeing why, and why not, some don’t hold true – we will take apart those assumptions and see what we can really learn.”

The research is being undertaken with funding assistance from the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation and is being led by DEPI wine and grape chemistry scientist Dr Rachel Kilmister.

She said the “synchrotron light” was a powerful tool helping her team better understand how the “wine matrix” impacted on tannins and how the interaction between tannin and the other components in wine shaped its character.

“The synchrotron accelerates electrons almost to the speed of light and the benefit for us is that in 24 hours we are able to get some really cool data on 250 samples which is so much faster and more reliable December 2013 – Issue 599

New range of pneumatic presses, New models crushers & a selection of grape equipment

Gargantuan technology: Synchrotrons use electricity to produce intense beams of light a million times brighter than the sun. The light is produced when high-energy electrons are forced to travel in a circular orbit inside the synchrotron tunnels by ‘synchronised’ application of strong magnetic fields. Melbourne’s synchrotron, pictures here, is larger than a football field.

than if we went down the traditional laboratory path.

“The other big benefit is the power of the machine and intensity of its light lets us analyse really small samples, giving us a window on how tannins are changed in various stages of wine production, and in different wines.

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3D STRUCTURE “We are using the beamlines generated by the Synchrotron to essentially provide us with x-rays of the structure of tannin in solution to help us better understand its degree of solubility and how it interacts with other components,” she said.

“It actually gives us a 3D structure to study and as tannin solubility is one part in a very complex picture that will help us to really advance the industry’s understanding of how to manage tannin in both the vineyard and in the winery.

“While you can do fairly simple assays of sugars and acids, tannins are so complex, but now we have all this new material we believe it will better help us understand what is going on with flavour and colour stability and give winemakers a handle on how to really manage it.”

She said computers will do a lot of modelling with the raw data but how long the analysis of the data will take is “a bit of an unknown”.

“No-one’s ever really done this before so we are not sure how long it will all take.”

Dr Kilmister said the big picture of the research is researchers trying to understand how tannin really extracts from the grape berry.

And when it does, what influence it has on exactly how much actually gets from the berry to the wine.

She said at the moment much of that work is a combination of experience and palate on the part of the winemaker.

“But we want to be able to measure tannin, which won’t be easy as so many factors are involved – ethanol, sugars and you get more and you get less, so what is really happening?

“For example, can we build a model to successfully measure and predict, for example, if you keep the skins on for seven days and what that will mean for a particular variety.”

The research is part of DEPI’s extensive program of targeted research and development aimed at increasing the productivity of food and primary producers and enhancing their productivity in international markets.

Contact: Mark Downey, DEPI. Phone: 61 3 5051 4565. Email: mark.downey@depi.vic.gov.au.

December 2013 – Issue 599

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www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

73

winemaking

Wine filtration and filterability – a review and what’s new When it comes to filtering the good stuff from the bad – whether it’s wine or information about wine – Paul K. Bowyer, Greg Edwards and Amelia Eyre know more about it than most people.

At a glance: • Many forms of filtration are available to winemakers, each with advantages or disadvantages, and can include earth, pads, lenticulars, tangential flow (cross-flow) and membranes.

• Absolute-rated filtration media are those for which an efficiency of higher than 99.98 per cent is stated, which corresponds to a beta ratio of 5000:1 or better.

• Contrary to popular belief, crossflow filtration is not a sterile process, since it cannot be integrity tested.

THE PURPOSE OF filtration is to clarify or purify any product to meet a given specification for consumer acceptance in terms of microbial and/or physical stability.

In general terms, filters fall into two main categories – depth filtration and membrane filtration.

The purpose of depth filtration is to retain the primary particulate load,

while membrane filtration is used to provide a defined barrier.

Many forms of filtration are available to the winemaker, each with its own advantages or disadvantages, and these can include earth, pads, lenticulars, tangential flow (cross-flow) and membranes.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is inexpensive but is incapable of very fine filtration and is hazardous, with a strong impact on wine flavour and colour. Most pads are a blend of cellulose and DE (although some pure cellulose pads are available), are relatively inexpensive, yet contain DE, and so some of the problems associated with DE flow into pad usage, such as disposal and organoleptic impact.

Lenticular filters are reformatted pads.

Tangential flow (cross-flow) filtration is a system which can remove particulate, is typically automated, and is best suited to cellar filtration. Contrary to popular belief, cross-flow filtration is not a sterile process, since it cannot be integrity tested.

Although the utility of cross-flow filtration is high, it is not a replacement for lenticular filters per se. Membranes are typically absolute rate (usually

expressed as a Log Reduction Value [LRV]), meaning their efficiency is a form of barrier filtration, typically being made from nylon or polyethersulfone (PES).

They are challenged with miroorganisms to ensure required levels of organism removal are met. Membranes are typically absolute rated, meaning their filtration efficiency is measurable and stated.

Absolute-rated filtration media are those for which an efficiency of higher than 99.98 per cent is stated, which corresponds to a beta ratio (the ratio of particulates larger than the stated porosity retained on the medium relative to the those that pass through) of 5000:1 or better.

NEW DEPTH MEDIA The most recent development in depth media for wine filtration is the 100 per cent cellulose materials from E. Begerow of Germany (Figure 1; Bowyer, 2012).

The new medium possesses several advantages over standard depth media, such as increased physical strength, increased service life, minimal drip loss, less water required to condition, the ability to steam-sterilise, and no citric

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December 2013 – Issue 599

rinse requirement.

Since there is no DE in the medium there is minimal possibility of organoleptic impact on the filtrate.

In other areas of food production – for example olive oil filtration – this has been shown to be of great significance, and an additionally an increase of approximately 100 per cent in terms of throughput (Thomas, 2012) compared with a standard medium was recently observed.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the pure cellulose medium, however, is in terms of colour adsorption.

The absence of DE substantially reduces pigment adsorption to the medium, which noticeably improves wine visual quality parameters.

This is especially important for wines containing less pigmentation, or where colour (hue) and colour density are deemed important, as they are for most red and rosé wines.

NEW MEMBRANE MEDIA Nylon is a versatile polymer, but not necessarily the best in terms of wine filtration applications, even though it is in widespread use.

The membranes are symµetrical, meaning they are of approximately

Figure 1: Standard (left) and cellulose (right) depth media. The beige colouration of the standard medium is due to the presence of diatomaceous earth, which adsorbs colour.

uniform density from entry to exit of the medium.

Nylon in its various forms (see Figure 2) is formed from the reaction of amines and carboxylic acids, the result being a peptide bond such as those found in proteins.

In the peptide bond the secondary amino nitrogen is bonded to a hydrogen atom, and due to the difference in electronegativity (Bowyer, 2003) between N and H, bond polarisation occurs, generating a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atom.

Figure 2: Chemical structures of polyethersulfone (left) and nylon (right). The nylon structure indicates potential hydrogen bonding to an anthocyanin via the amide hydrogen atom.

This serves as an anchor point for any localisations of negative charge on other molecules as they pass through or come into surface contact with the medium, increasing retention and adsorption of these materials through hydrogen bonding.

This is of particular concern in rosé and red wines, as colour is a key quality parameter (for example, see Francis, 1995), and it is easy to understand nylon

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winemaking membranes will be inherently colourretentive.

Polyethersulfone (PES) is a newer membrane medium becoming more widely accepted due largely to the pioneering efforts of Parker-domnick hunter, which has advocated PES for wine filtration applications since 2000 and does not offer a nylon wine filtration membrane.

PES offers significant advantages in terms of colour retention, physical

robustness and flow rates compared with nylon.

The PES polymer (Figure 2) critically lacks the ability to hydrogen bond, leading to its almost zero colour adsorption.

PES is typically cast in an asymµetric manner (Figure 3), meaning the membrane is rather like a thin depth medium, which generates significant benefits in terms of flow rate and loading capacity, both of which are higher than nylon.

RELATIVE PERFORMANCES OF MEDIA TYPES

Figure 3: Cross-section of a PES membrane illustrating the asymmetric nature of the medium. The tighter central region provides the microbial retention capacity, whilst the coarser outer regions provide loading capacity and support structure.

Image courtesy of Parker-domnick hunter.

Absorbance (corrected to 10mm cell)

Wine (2012 Malbec) was passed in sequence through a series of filtration media, comµencing with coarse grade pad, then tight pad, followed by two 0.45mµ membrane discs.

Comµonly, 0.65mµ membrane prefilters would be used at bottling, however in this study a 0.45mµ disc was used in sequence to illustrate colour binding, as opposed to particulate retention, was taking place.

The used media are pictured in Figure 4, and the colour binding data are given

COLLOIDAL LOADING We have previously demonstrated NTU is a poor indictor of wine colloidal loading and capacity to foul filtration media (Bowyer, Edwards and Eyre, 2012), and investigated the potential impact of CMC. In order to further evaluate the influence of colloidal loading to a wine in terms of impact on wine filterability index (FI), investigations were made with concentrate and exogenous tannin. A 2011 Shiraz (NTU 0.56, FI = 7.6) was treated with additions of concentrate (equivalent to 4 g/L residual sugar) and exogenous tannin (25 ppm), the sample left overnight and then tested. The wine returned values of NTU = 1.1 and FI = Fail (> 1000). FI data recorded for the two samples, pre- and post-addition of tannin and concentrate, are given in Figure 8.

14

14

14

12

12

12

10

10

10

8

8

8

6

6

6

4

4

4

2

2

2

0

Control

A420

Figure 4: Spent filtration media after passing 100 mL 2012 Malbec in sequence from left to right as pictured for each train.

in Table 1. A graphical representation of these data is provided in Figure 5.

The same methodology was applied to a 2012 rosé, and the data are presented in Table 2 and Figures 6 and 7.

A520

0

450

A620

220 Total colour

0 PES KD7 Steril 60 Nylon Media type and grade Standard / Nylon Cellulose / PES

PES

Nylon

Figure 5: A graphical representation of the data given in Table 2, illustrating the sequential colour loss in a 2012 Malbec as 100 mL are passed through stated media in sequence.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

Cellulose/ PES

Cellulose/ PES

Table 1: Colour binding results in the model cellar/bottling train for a 2012 Malbec (100 mL) passed sequentially through 47mm discs of specified medium.

Sample

A420

A520

A620

Total colour

∆

Colour loss %

Control (no filtration)

5.00

7.45

2.15

Becopad 450

4.65

7.25

1.95

14.60

-

-

13.85

0.75

Becopad 220

4.35

6.85

1.80

13.00

0.85

Bevpor PES 0.45μm

4.35

6.85

1.80

13.00

0.00

Bevpor PES 0.45μm

4.35

6.85

1.80

13.00

0.00

Beco KD7

4.65

7.05

1.95

13.65

0.95

Beco Steril 60

4.00

6.35

1.60

11.95

1.70

Nylon 0.45μm

3.85

6.25

1.55

11.65

0.30

Nylon 0.45μm

3.80

6.20

1.55

11.55

0.10

11.0%

17.5%

Cellulose/ PES

Cellulose/ PES

Table 2: Colour binding results in the model cellar/bottling train for a 2012 rosé (100 mL) passed sequentially through 47mm discs of specified medium.

Sample

A420

A520

A620

Total colour

∆

Colour loss (%)

Control (no filtration)

1.44

1.67

0.02

Becopad 450

1.24

1.51

0.00

3.12

-

-

2.75

0.37

Becopad 220

1.12

1.37

0.00

2.48

0.27

Bevpor PES 0.45μm

1.11

1.34

0.00

2.45

0.03

Bevpor PES 0.45μm

1.10

1.34

0.00

2.44

0.02

Beco KD7

1.10

1.27

0.00

2.36

0.76

Beco Steril 60

0.93

1.08

0.00

2.01

0.36

Nylon 0.45μm

0.86

0.98

0.00

1.83

0.18

Nylon 0.45μm

0.76

0.91

0.00

1.67

0.16

21.8

46.5

Figure 6: Spent filtration medium after passing 100 mL 2012 rosé in sequence from left to right as pictured.

DISCUSSION Colour adsorptivity differences between the cellulose depth medium and standard depth medium were obvious, with approximately four times as much colour adsorbed onto the latter using a highly-coloured wine.

The nylon membrane medium likewise adsorbed significantly more colour than PES. In a bottling filtration model, the standard depth/nylon media combination was 60 per cent more colour retentive than the cellulose depth/PES media combination.

While virtually no colour loss was recorded for the PES membrane passes, the nylon membranes showed sequential

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December 2013 – Issue 599

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winemaking

Absorbance (corrected to 10mm cell)

the different media types the colour adsorption was much more evident due to the lower pigmentation in the initial sample.

Total colour adsorption by 2.5 the standard pad material was again 2.0 approximately twice that of the cellulose medium.

1.5 The nylon membrane discs again adsorbed approximately seven times 1.0 that of the PES discs. Interestingly, colour adsorption by the nylon discs 0.5 visually approximates that observed for the 2012 Malbec (compare the nylon 0 220 PES PES KD7 Steril 60 Nylon Nylon Control 450 discs in Figures 4 and 6), indicating Media type and grade nylon membranes are far more damaging A420 A520 A620 Total colour Standard / Nylon Cellulose / PES to rosé in terms of colour adsorption than PES, since the amount of colour adsorbed Figure 7: A graphical representation of the data given in Table 3, illustrating the sequential colour loss in a 2012 rosé as 100 mL are passed through stated media in sequence. on the nylon membranes is similar in both red and rosé wines, irrespective of wine type.

Colloidal additions to wine have the capacity to impact colour adsorption with each exposure, which was visually negatively on filtration media (Czekaj, López and Güell, 2000; evident (Figure 4).

Vernhet, Cartalade and Moutounet, 2003; Vernhet, Pellerin, The fact both 0.45mµ nylon discs visually appear the same Belleville, Planque and Moutounet, 1999), as evidenced by and exhibit similar quantified colour adsorption indicates additions of tannin and grape juice concentrate to wines pigmented material is actually being adsorbed and retained as destined for membrane filtration. opposed to simply being removed from solution due to large Typically colloidal additions do not elevate wine NTU, particulate size. further emphasising the importance and superior relevance of The tight standard depth medium also adsorbed a significant filterability (FI) measurements as opposed to turbidity (NTU) amount of pigment from the wine, observable in the bright red measurements when additions of this type are to be made. colouration of the corresponding second depth disc (Figure 4).

In SA 2011 was a poor vintage for some reds and these wines When a lightly-coloured wine (2012 rosé) was passed through 3.0

700 360 560

Weight (grams)

490 420 350 280 210 140 70 0

0

14

28

42

56 70 84 Time (seconds)

98

112

126

140

0

25

50

75

100 125 150 Time (seconds)

175

200

225

250

700 360 560

Weight (grams)

490 420 350 280 210 140 70 0

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78 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Figure 8: FI graphical real-time plots (mass vs. time) of the initial wine (left) and the wine approximately 12 hours after additions of concentrate and tannin. The plot on the right was manually interrupted by the operator due to membrane disc blockage during the measurement (FI > 1000), resulting in the sharp mass rise which forces cessation of data collection. www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

can prove problematic during bottling due to the presence of glucans released by Botrytis into the fruit.

These polysaccharides are not degraded by pectolytic enzymes and are known to cause membrane fouling, but also have shown themselves capable of fouling depth media as well (Edwards and Eyre, 2013).

CONCLUSION Clear differences exist in terms of colour adsorption between the different types of filtration media.

Cellulose depth media out-performs standard depth media in terms of colour adsorptivity, and with respect to membranes PES is seen to be vastly superior to nylon in terms of colour adsorption.

FI has proven to provide a vastly superior estimate of the likely impact of a given wine on filtration media than NTU. The reliance on NTU as a means of evaluating wine suitability for membrane filtration is likely to lead to significantly-higher filtration costs for bottlers due to increased media loading.

Wines containing elevated colloidal levels, or where colloidal additions have been made, can lead to media blockage and higher bottling costs.

The move to mainstream use of filterability determinations as an adjunct to turbidity measurement will service both winemakers and bottlers alike due to the greater understanding of wine filterability provided.

Contact: Paul K Bowyer. Phone: 61(0) 401 446 119.

Email: paul@blueh2o.com.au.

Paul K Bowyer: Blue H2O Filtration, 29 Dalgety St, Oakleigh VIC 3166 and The University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005.

Greg Edwards: Vinpac International, Lot 555 Stockwell Rd, Angaston SA 5353.

Amelia Eyre: Vinpac International Pty. Ltd., 173 Douglas Gully Road, McLaren Flat SA 5171.

Dr Bowyer is the business development manager (SA/WA and SIHA) for BHF Technologies (Blue H2O Filtration) and Adjunct Lecturer, The University of Adelaide.

Greg Edwards and Amelia Eyre are laboratory managers at Vinpac Angaston and Vinpac McLaren Vale respectively.

References:

Bowyer, P. K. (2003) Molecular polarity – it’s behind more than you think, The Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker, November issue, 89-91.

Bowyer, P. K. (2012) Brettanomyces removal with Becopad, The Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker, March issue (578), 62.

Bowyer, P. K., Edwards, G. and Eyre, A. (2012) NTU vs wine filterability index – what does it mean for you? The Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker, October issue (585), 76-80.

Czekaj, P., López, F. and Güell, C. (2000) Membrane fouling during microfiltration of fermented beverages, Journal of Membrane Science, 166, 199-212.

Edwards, G. and Eyre, A. (2013), Vinpac International, Angaston SA,personal comµunication.

Francis, F.J. (1995) Quality as influenced by colour, Food Quality and Preference, 6, 149-155.

Thomas, S. (2012), The Big Olive, Tailem Bend, SA, personal comµunication.

Vernhet, A., Cartalade, D. and Moutounet, M. (2003) Contribution to the understanding of fouling build-up during microfiltration of wines, Journal of Membrane Science, 211, 357-370.

Vernhet, A., Pellerin, P., Belleville, M.-P.., Planque, J. and Moutounet, M. (1999) Relative impact of major wine polysaccharides on the performances of an organic microfiltration membrane, American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 50(1), 51-56.

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winemaking

There’s gotta be a buck in those organic by-products Researchers Richard Muhlack, Karl Forsyth, Neil Scrimgeour and Peter Godden have assessed wastewater sludge, yeast lees, stalks and grape marc and found there is money to be made. Although not with all of them, not yet anyway.

At a glance: • Efficiently managing energy and water is more critical than ever.

Equally important, perhaps more so, is extracting full value from by-products and waste streams as well as from fruit and raw materials.

• A project is focused on understanding the role of tannins in reducing the methane emissions of ruminant animals.

• Renewable bioenergy from organic winery waste materials represents a major opportunity for the grape and wine sector.

• Producers are encouraged to explore grant opportunities that offset capital costs and reduce payback time.

GRAPE AND WINE producers have experienced tumultuous economic and environmental pressures in recent times.

Currency strain (thankfully easing now somewhat) and rapidly rising energy and labour costs have all made an impact on bottom-line profitability.

Supply/demand imbalance and the impact of extreme weather on agricultural production and regional prosperity both continue to cause concern in many wine producing regions throughout Australia.

With all of this uncertainty, the need to efficiently manage key resources such as energy and water is arguably more critical than ever before.

Figure 1 Portable trailer-mounted downdraft fixed grate biomass gasifier.

Equally important, perhaps more so, is the ability to extract full value from by-products and waste streams as well as from fruit and raw materials, as only then will the full efficiency potential of our production systems be realised.

For example, the Australian wine sector generates substantial quantities of biomass, such as wastewater sludge, yeast lees, stalks and grape marc.

These would all normally be considered organic waste: an unavoidable but nonetheless necessary part of the grapegrowing and winemaking process.

In some cases, these by-products might be recycled as compost, or perhaps used for ethanol or tartrate extraction, with little or no financial return to the winery.

However, instead of being seen as waste products, these materials could create additional value, such as renewable energy, heating and refrigeration, or farming applications such as composting, biochar and stockfeed supplements.

Figure 2 600kw V12 engine running on anaerobic digester gas from a livestock rendering plant in South East Queensland.

Many of these applications have carbon as well as economic benefits, providing Australian wine producers with additional ‘green’ credentials as well as potential new revenue streams.

USING GRAPE MARC TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS As one example of an alternative valueadd opportunity, AWRI has been funded through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Carbon Farming Futures program for a project focused on the role of tannins in reducing the methane emissions of ruminant animals. This project aims to reduce emissions of methane (a greenhouse gas) by identifying and characterising the active ingredients in grape marc responsible for reducing ruminant emissions.

The benefit to grape and wine producers is if the methane reduction aspect can be understood and quantified,

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December 2013 – Issue 599

then grape marc may provide additional value in terms of it being a carbon farming product. A new carbon market is born.

OAK

BIOENERGY – WELCOME TO THE FUTURE Renewable bioenergy from organic winery waste materials represents a major opportunity for the grape and wine sector.

Technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD), Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) engines, pyrolysis and gasification provide a means to convert an organic waste product into an energy resource.

Bioenergy is actually already well established in other rural industries in Australia, with the sugar industry probably the biggest success story.

In the past, sugar cane farmers would burn the sugar cane ‘trash’ on the farm.

Now, with modern harvesting and sorting machinery at the sugar mill, the trash and the cane are now harvested together, separated at the mill, and then the trash is used to power the process, generating large energy savings.

Fruit processing and canning companies are also looking to bioenergy for cost savings. Figure 1 shows a prototype 10kWe biomass gasifier commissioned by a fruit processor to convert peach stones into electricity.

The meat and livestock industry is also making use of this emerging bioenergy technology. Liquid waste streams from processing plants in these industries typically undergo anaerobic digestion in covered lagoons, not only providing low-cost water treatment, but also converting organic waste products to methane gas used to run purpose-built engines driving a generator to produce electricity (see Figure 2).

Municipal waste water treatment (WWT) plants also use similar anaerobic digestion technology.

At the Melbourne WWT plant (Werribee, Victoria), a biogas plant operated by AGL uses biogas generated by the anaerobic digestion water treatment process to power a V16 gas engine, delivering just over 1.2 MW back to the national grid (See Figures 3a and 3b)

per fection

Fine Grain Barrels Since the beginning, Saury has operated on the basis that grain is the most important determinant of barrel quality. Today, the cooperage still applies this theory to each and every barrel, growing into a modern, efficient and quality focused cooperage while maintaining its status as a maker of the finest grain oak barrels in the world.

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS AUSTRALIA While bioenergy is already established in other rural and process industries in Australia, it has been largely overlooked by the wine industry even though it provides an opportunity to convert organic waste such as grape marc into a high value resource.

To address this, technical and economic evaluation of potential renewable energy scenarios for the wine industry has (until July 2013) been an area of focus for the AWRI’s Riverina Node. Various scenarios for energy cost reduction have been considered, with a detailed study performed on one promising technology (gasification) with assistance from collaborators such as the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Energy Technology.

Both well established and emerging technologies have been assessed, as well as combinations such as biomass technology together with solar thermal, to identify if synergies exist to multiply technology benefits. A summary from AWRI’s technoeconomic evaluation is in Table 1.

Assumptions for capital costs used in this analysis are conservative, using process engineering metrics to scale capital requirements to facility size.

Allowances for operating and maintenance costs are also included, however finance and land and trasnport have been excluded as these will vary from producer to producer.

However, as all of these assumptions have been applied consistently across all scenarios, the analysis provides the means to rank technology options and identify configurations the most viable for further investigation by wine producers.

CONCLUSION

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winemaking Table 1 Results from the AWRI’s comparison of renewable energy options for the wine industry the most economically attractive at this point – with the shortest simple Simple Projected Grid Scenario Description payback Energy Savings payback together with the greatest (years) ( per cent) electricity cost savings (25-50 per cent 1 Non fermentation refrigeration electricity supplied by biomass 5.7 25 per cent in some cases) – include gasification, energy or combustion together with an ORC 2 All refrigeration supplied by biomass energy 14.5 44 per cent engine (options highlighted in Table 1).

3 Solar thermal to supplement ferment cooling 47.7 8 per cent Meeting refrigeration demand with an 4 Biomass powered absorption chiller for ferment cooling only 18.3 19 per cent anaerobic digester powered refrigeration compressor shows a similar payback 5 Biomass powered absorption chiller for non-vintage 4.6 19 per cent refrigeration scenario.

Producers should explore grant 6 Site electricity supplemented by biomass energy using 5.6 49 per cent gasification technology opportunities that offset capital costs and 7 Solar thermal to supplement ferment cooling and non-vintage 19.3 14 per cent reduce payback time. AWRI is happy to refrigeration provide support and advice in this area.

8 Solar thermal to supplement non-ferment refrigeration 12.1 7 per cent Renewable energy technology options which cover ferment loads appear far 9 Solar thermal to supplement non-ferment refrigeration via 11.4 25 per cent absorption refrigeration (with energy storage) from economic, with simple payback in 10 Solar thermal + ORC engine to supplement non-ferment 29.2 25 per cent excess of 20 years in most cases. refrigeration (with energy storage) Interest in technology which lowers 11 Supplementary electricity supplied by AD 8.1 15 per cent operating costs or improves efficiency remains strong, and, depending on 12 Supplementary refrigeration supplied by AD powered 4.5 25 per cent refrigeration compressor technology used, could potentially cut grid energy costs 50 per cent or more. The 13 Site electricity supplemented by biomass using ORC 5.2 49 per cent technology business case for bioenergy is particularly compelling in regional areas where energy costs have risen sharply, with progressive wine producers well placed to lead the way on demonstration of these clean energy technologies as genuine cost reduction alternatives.

Contact: Richard Muhlack. Phone: 61 8 8313 6600.

Email: richard.muhlack@awri.com.au.

Figure 3a Anaerobic digester gas plant at Melbourne WWT plant. (gas pre-treatment stage)

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82 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Figure 3b Anaerobic digester gas plant at Melbourne WWT plant.

(1.2MWe V16 gas engine) www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

Identifying genes of oenological relevance in winemaking yeast Trans-Tasman researchers Miguel Roncoroni, Max Huang, Vladimir Jiranek and Richard Gardner have been exploring the role of the quantitative trait locus and its impact in yeast during the fermentation process.

At a glance: • Many genes of small effect influence any yeast fermentation trait so identifying such genes and understanding their contribution to a trait can help in breeding superior winemaking stains.

• A quantitative trait locus (QTL) refers to a region in the genome which contains a gene with a measurable effect on a trait.

• Mapping of QTLs was performed by linear regression of the phenotypic data at each genetic marker to give log of the odds (LOD) scores, which show the likelihood a gene affecting the phenotype is located near the region of the chromosome.

DECIPHERING THE GENETIC basis of complex fermentation traits of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae remains a challenge.

As for most biological traits, it is usually many genes of small effect which influence any yeast fermentation trait. Identifying such genes and understanding their contribution to a trait can help in breeding superior winemaking strains.

A quantitative trait locus (QTL) refers to a region in the genome which contains a gene with a measurable effect on a trait (see breakout box for a detailed explanation).

A common approach for discovering QTL is to analyse the recombinant offspring of a cross between two parent strains that are different for a particular phenotype.

QTLs are identified by the correlation of a trait with the occurrence of one parental allele in the progeny.

Studies have identified QTLs in yeast that affect fermentation performance (Ambroset et al., 2011) and production of major components of wine flavor and aroma (Salinas et al., 2012).

For this project, we crossed two commercial winemaking yeast – Enoferm M2 ™ (which is very similar to strains sold as AWRI796 and as WE372) and Zymaflore F15 ®.

These two strains were selected because they showed good differences in winemaking traits and because they were able to produce large numbers of viable offspring.

Ninety-six recombinant F2 progeny were dissected from the F1 generation. The two parental and 96 recombinant strains were sequenced using various Next Generation Sequencing platforms.

From this information, 8200 sequence differences between the two parental strains were identified as high quality genetic variants and a genetic map of the cross was generated using RQTL package (Broman et al., 2003).

The 96 F2 progeny was used to ferment Marlborough December 2013 – Issue 599

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winemaking

0.40

350

0.30 0.25

250 200 150 100 50

0.20 0.15

0 MET5 MET10 M2

M2 M2

Genotype

Figure 1. A QTL on chromosome 12 affects the production of the volatile ester ethyl butanoate. Individuals inheriting the M2 allele of this marker produce higher amounts of the aroma compound than those individuals inheriting the F15 allele. This QTL is also linked to the production of other ester compounds. Horizontal bars represent the center of the distribution (long) and +/- 1 SEM (short).

Sauvignon Blanc (SB) juice in triplicate (200 mL, 15C).

Fermentations were monitored by periodically weighing them. Weight loss data was fitted to a custom nonlinear fermentation model adapted from Tronchoni et al. (2009) using the least squares method.

Lag phase, maximum fermentation rate and efficiency of fermentation were extracted from the model.

Aroma compounds in finished wines were quantified using SPMEGCMS. Aroma values were normalised across fermentation and GCMS batches.

Values were expressed as a ratio of the normalised value of a particular strain to the sum of aroma produced by all four recombinants in the tetrad it was dissected from.

Other traits were measured in additional experiments, such as glucose/ fructose consumption in Australian Chardonnay juice, and production of hydrogen sulfide.

Mapping of QTLs was performed by linear regression of the phenotypic data at each genetic marker to give log of the odds (LOD) scores, which show the likelihood a gene affecting the phenotype is located near the region of the chromosome (Broman and Sen, 2009).

Significance thresholds were obtained by looking at the distribution of LOD scores across iterations of random permutations of the phenotype data.

Candidate genes in each region were

84 Grapegrower & Winemaker

M2 F15

F15 M2

F15 F15

Genotype

F15

Figure 2. MET5 and MET10 affect the production of H2S. For both loci, the F15 allele results in increased production of the volatile compound. The combined effect of both F15 alleles is additive.

Horizontal bars represent the center of the distribution (long) and +/- 1 SEM (short).

.32 .30

Rose oxide (relative)

Ethyl butanoate (relative)

0.35

Hydrogen sulfide (ppm)

300

.28 .26 .24 .22

OYE2 AAD

M2 M2

M2 F15

F15 M2

F15 F15

Genotype Figure 3. Two QTL are involved in the production of rose oxide. OYE2 is likely to be the responsible gene on the first QTL. Strains with the M2 allele of OYE2 produce more rose oxide. OYE2 interacts with the F15 allele of a second QTL on chromosome 10. The F15 allele of this second QTL only has a significant effect in the presence of the M2 allele of OYE2. The candidate gene for the second QTL is an AAD gene. Horizontal bars represent the center of the distribution (long) and +/- 1 SEM (short).

selected by considering the number and severity of the mutations between the two parent strains and also using functional gene annotation data from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome Database (www.yeastgenome.org).

Candidate genes have been identified for five winemaking traits: 1 Sulfite tolerance and lag phase: The length of the lag phase in SB ferment was inversely correlated with tolerance to sulfite in rich media. QTL for these traits were found on chromosomes 8 and 16. Those strains which inherited the M2 alleles at these markers had longer lag phases and were sulfitesensitive. The candidate gene at the locus was SSU1, a gene already known to code for a sulfite efflux pump. A chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 8 and 16 in the genome www.winebiz.com.au

of F15 results in a sulfite-resistant genotype SSU1-R, which is common among wine yeast strains and gives increased tolerance to sulfite and a shorter lag phase (Perez-Ortin et al., 2002; Yuasa et al., 2004).

2 Ester production: A strong QTL (LOD ~12) was found on chromosome 12 for the production of ethyl butanoate, a fatty-acid-derived ester (Figure 1). This locus had a smaller, but significant, effect on other esters such as ethyl heptanoate, isoamyl acetate and hexyl acetate. The QTL contains two candidate genes, PDC1 and ACS2, which are involved in acetyl coenzyme-A metabolism.

3 Hydrogen sulfide production: Two QTL on chromosomes 10 and 14 had an effect on the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in SB fermentations. The December 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 599

region on chromosome 10 contains the gene MET5. There are two non-synonymous mutations between the parents at this gene. The MET5 codes the subunit of the sulfite reductase, which is directly responsible for the production of H2S. The second locus on chromosome 14 contains MET2, which has one amino acid substitution in F15. MET2 codes for the enzyme L-homoserine-O-acetyltransferase, which produces the substrate that reacts with H2S in the pathway of sulfur amino acid biosynthesis. The combined effect of both alleles is additive (Figure 2).

4 Terpene production: A QTL on chromosome eight had an effect on the amount of rose oxide released during fermentation. The QTL contained the gene OYE2, which has been annotated for its role in the conversion of geraniol to citronellol (Steyer et al., 2013). OYE2 also had a significant effect on the amount of citronellol found in wine. Geraniol levels were not measured. A double QTL analysis revealed an additional locus on chromosome 10 interacting with OYE2.

This QTL contains an AAD (aryl alcohol dehydrogenase) gene, which may oxidize citronellol into rose oxide (Figure 3).

5 Fermentation progress: A QTL on chromosome 14 had a moderate effect on the following traits: maximum rate of fermentation in SB (LOD = 4.6), maximum rate of glucose (3.9) and fructose (4.3) consumption in Australian Chardonnay, and production of phenylethyl acetate (4.6). The F15 allele of the candidate ORF, YNL095C, has an insertion that results in an early stop codon.

Using a simple cross and exhaustive genotyping, we have created a powerful genetic resource for yeast research.

Using this cross we have found many QTL with different levels of effect on various traits of winemaking relevance.

We believe this cross could be successfully used to map other traits in yeast, not limited to oenology.

Contact: Miguel Roncoroni. Phone: 64 9 373 7599.

Email: mron003@auckland.ac.nz.

Miguel Roncoroni: University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.

Max Huang: University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.

Richard Gardner: University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.

Vladimir Jiranek: University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, PMB 1 Glen Osmond SA 5064 Australia.

REFERENCES

Ambroset, C., Petit, M., Brion, C., Sanchez, I., Delobel, P., Guérin, C., Chiapello, H., Nicolas, P., Bigey, F., Dequin, S. and Blondin, B. (2011). Deciphering the Molecular Basis of Wine Yeast Fermentation Traits Using a Combined Genetic and Genomic Approach. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 1, 263-281.

Broman, K. W. and Sen, S. (2009). A Guide to QTL Mapping with R/qtl. Springer.

Broman, K. W., Wu, H., Sen, S. and Churchill, G. A. (2003). R/qtl: QTL mapping in experimental crosses. Bioinformatics 19, 889-90.

Perez-Ortin, J. E., Querol, A., Puig, S. and Barrio, E. (2002). Molecular characterization of a chromosomal rearrangement involved in the adaptive evolution of yeast strains.

Genome Res. 12, 1533-1539.

Salinas, F., Cubillos, F. A., Soto, D., Garcia, V., Bergström, A., Warringer, J., Ganga, M. A., Louis, E. J., Liti, G. and Martinez, C. (2012). The Genetic Basis of Natural Variation in Oenological Traits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS ONE 7.

Steyer, D., Erny, C., Claudel, P., Riveill, G. v., Karst, F. and Legras, J.-L. (2013).

Genetic analysis of geraniol metabolism during fermentation. Food Microbiology 33, 228-234.

Tronchoni, J., Gamero, A., Arroyo-López, F. N., Barrio, E. and Querol, A. (2009). Differences in the glucose and fructose consumption profiles in diverse Saccharomyces wine species and their hybrids during grape juice fermentation.

International Journal of Food Microbiology 134, 237-243.

Yuasa, N., Nakagawa, Y., Hayakawa, M. and Iimura, Y. (2004). Distribution of the sulfite resistance gene SSU1-R and the variation in its promoter region in wine yeasts. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 98, 394-397.

December 2013 – Issue 599

For further information, please contact Kauri NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE NZ Fax: 04 910 7415 Email: winery@kauri.co.nz

www.winebiz.com.au

AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 AUS Fax: 1800 127 609 Website: www.kauriwine.com

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winemaking

In a ‘spin’ over low alcohol wine and beer In the past decade there has been an increasing trend in both winemaking and brewing with growing interest in low and zero alcohol beverages.

In fact, in many countries low alcohol beverages have been the fastest growing sector of the alcoholic beverage market.

The reasons for this are simple. People want to be healthier, are more responsible and also wish to remain under the limit when driving while still being able to have a drink with real flavour.

Technologies such as the Spinning Cone Column (SCC) designed and manufactured in Australia by Flavourtech are helping this happen.

The SCC is an extremely efficient alcohol stripping column whose design originally grew out of specific winemaking needs.

It uses low temperatures of 30-40C to first remove the delicate aroma of wine or beer and then in a second step the alcohol.

The processing through the SCC takes only 25 seconds and the original aroma is then blended back into the bulk wine or beer without the alcohol.

The SCC is used in the wine industry on several continents for: • Alcohol adjustment by 1 or 2 per cent to reduce the “hotness” of high alcohol wines.

• Removal of alcohol to produce reduced alcohol and zero alcohol wines.

• Recovery of flavours from grape juice, wine and waste streams (e.g. marc).

• De-sulphiting grape juice.

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Spin cycle: The Flavourtech spinning cone column used for wine and beer processing.

A large number of wines processed in this way have received prestigious wine industry awards and use of the SCC to reduce alcohol level in wine is a popular processing method with more than 1000 wineries having adopted the technique.

There are installations of the SCC for Low Alcohol Beer (LAB) and No Alcohol Beer (NAB) in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The key benefits of the SCC for beer production include: • Reduction of alcohol content in full strength beers to 0.05% abv in a continuous single pass with no product damage.

• Significantly lower utility consumption Page 1

when compared to other systems.

• No external reflux, thus limiting residence time and avoiding unnecessary exposure of the beer volatiles to damage.

• No significant concentration of the beer stream during dealcoholisation resulting in a higher quality final beer • Ability to process green beer thus increasing productivity by removal of a filtration step.

• No need to de-gas the feed beer prior to de-alcoholisation.

The beers made by the SCC are generally considered superior to NAB and LAB products made by other techniques due to the shorter residence times and lower temperatures used.

While an acceptable ‘clean’ tasting NAB product can be produced with a single stage SCC process, Flavourtech has developed adsorption technology that can now be used in conjunction with the SCC to isolate important beer ester compounds so a non-alcoholic aroma can be produced.

This aroma can be added back to dealcoholised beer so it remains below 0.05 per cent while improving the aroma of the finished product. The techniques described above are equally applicable to other alcoholic beverages such as sake and other fruit-flavoured spirits making the consumption of normally alcoholic beverages accessible to everyone.

Contact: Leon Skaliotis.

Phone: 61 2 6964 4322.

Email: LSkaliotis@flavourtech.com.

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12E Saturn Place, Rosedale, Auckland 0632 • Free Ph: 0800 777 291 • Fax: (09) 916 1172 • sales@spray.co.nz • www.spray.co.nz December 2013 – Issue 599

winemaker

Tony De Lisio was born in Castellino del Biferno in Provincia Campobasso, Italy and moved to Australia in 1960 at the age of six. He completed a small home winemaking course at Adelaide’s Regency Park TAFE in 1995 and is now the winemaker for De Lisio Wines and Grandeur Wellington in McLaren Vale.

What inspired you to become a winemaker and how have you got to where you are now?

Tell us about your most memorable winetasting experience.

Back in 1991 I took over the running of my father’s vineyard in Clarendon.

I became good friends with several winemakers to whom we sold our grapes – in particular David O’Leary, chief red winemaker at Hardys Tintara in McLaren Vale. I did a vintage as a cellar-hand in 1992 under David, primarily so I could better understand what was needed to produce better quality grapes and this led me to wanting to take the next step.

Not so much a wine tasting experience but more-so a wine drinking experience – the bottle of 1985 Krug my wife and I shared on our 25th wedding anniversary in 2001 would be very hard to beat.

Who do you think is the most influential person in the Australian wine industry?

Rather than thinking any one person could have the most influence on the wine industry, I believe it to be the Penfolds brand. Without fail, in every conversation I have had with a potential Chinese wine buyer, the Penfolds name comes up in one way or another.

Which of your wines do you most enjoy making and why?

The wine I enjoy making the most for De Lisio Wines is “The Quarterback”. As the name suggests, this wine is a blend of four varieties – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Merlot – in roughly quarter portions. I love to blend and although this can present greater challenges in getting the wine to be integrated and in balance, it can also give the greatest satisfaction when you get it right. By varying each variety’s percentage slightly from vintage to vintage, I have the liberty to manipulate any strengths or shortcomings which nature may present in any particular variety or year. This wine is our more commercial line and by using the four “big gun” red varieties of McLaren Vale, I can achieve a more consistent quality product for the broader market and the wise consumer who always seeks out the best value for money.

What is your favourite time of the year in your winery and why?

Of course to the winemaker he or she would have to say vintage time. I would be lying if I said this is because I love the long hours, the hard work, worrying when to receive the fruit and what the weather’s doing and so on. For all this stress and worry I do it in the hope I can produce something which someone, somewhere at some time in the future will drink and say “I really enjoyed that wine”.

December 2013 – Issue 599

What keeps you awake at night?

My bank loans and overdrafts.

How do you de-stress after vintage?

I don’t think you really de-stress until the wine is in the bottle, that’s when it is really out of your hands.

What was the last big-ticket equipment purchase for the winery and would you recommend the equipment to your colleagues?

A tank press and I would highly recommend one to any of my colleagues.

Although I have always used a basket press, I can see I will use it less and less as the tank press technology gets better and better.

What has been the best business decision you’ve made for your winery?

Three years ago I decided I would get involved with a Chinese company and produce their premium range of wines.

This arrangement has been invaluable in opening new opportunities for what is now our largest export market.

Which export markets are of most interest to you? What do you think is the key thing which might help you succeed in that market?

The Chinese and Danish markets. Where we used to sell around 85 per cent of our wines to the US, this market has steadily declined for us and as a result we have had to seek other export opportunities.

We have found increasingly the local market and the US is seeking younger wines and I can only think this is due to price pressures, so it has been harder for aged wines to fit into this trend. I have found Denmark and especially China is much more accepting and indeed is looking for wine in our style with some age at release. The key to anyone’s success is to keep believing – cream always rises to the top.

What do you think is the Australian wine industry’s biggest challenge and what is your solution to it?

I believe the Australian wine industry as a whole should be very aware if not worried www.winebiz.com.au

about the growing perception Australian wines have had their glory days and have run their race. I believe the industry has grown so fast and with so much success we may have become a little too complacent and forgetful that all too often “success can go hand in hand with failure”. I understand our culture and government attitude of “sink or swim” has helped us to get more innovative and resourceful but we can only do this to a point. We need to stay in the game, we need to protect all the hard work the Industry has done to achieve our great reputation.

The Ark question: the world is flooding.

Which two wines (white and red) would you take into the Ark?

I’m sure the Ark was big enough to accommodate more than two wines so I’d like to take three wines with me.

Back in 2010 I pulled out a bottle of 1950 Leo Buring liqueur Muscat to impress some Chinese buyers and I’m sorry I did – I should have had it all to myself.

Sadly it’s gone and I don’t have another.

If anyone out there has a bottle and the world is flooding, you’re safe. I will come and pick you up with the Ark. The red I would take is a 2002 La Testa Cabernet Sauvignon. The white wine will have to be a great bottle of French champagne to celebrate it all.

Contact: Tony De Lisio.

Phone: 61 8 8327 1951.

Email: anthonydelisio@bigpond.com.

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winemaking

He’s Seppeltsfield’s super dooper cooper The Barossa has more secrets than making good wines and Stephanie Timotheou caught up with cooper Andrew Young whose skill with both barrel and fire helps complete some of Australia’s great vintages.

IT WAS ONE of South Aust ralia’s hottest days in months – not that Andrew Young would have noticed any Oak difference.

Except, perhaps, that his eyebrows might have singed a little faster than usual.

But neither rain, hail, heat nor humidity can keep Young out of the cooperage at Seppeltsfield – or away from his trusty flame thrower and its attached gas cylinder.

Gas cylinder? That’s right. No more of that ritual dancing around a blazing fire trying to hold the barrel steady while it gets that essential final bit of toasting.

Oh, no. Our man uses natural gas and a mini flamethrower complete with a hair trigger.

Clearly the cooperage has come a long way since the Seppelt family opened its doors for business 70 years ago.

Young, who admits being naturally excited by the sight and smell of a blazing fire, first discovered his passion for the most ancient of artisan skills in 1976.

And has been producing some of the finest oak barrels for wine, beer and whiskey for more than 37 years – although he specialises in small, port-style kegs.

While most people who lack wineknowledge have never heard of coopers and the cooperage, Young said for him it was all he could dream about as a little boy.

Which is when he got his first taste, accompanying his father as he delivered grapes to Penfolds from the

Black out: When the cooper has finished with his fiery transformation the end product is the highlyvalued – and essential – toasted barrel

family’s Angaston vineyard. There he was enthralled by the coopers and their apprentices.

Today Seppeltsfield no longer runs a commercial, mass-production cooperage, but its SA-made barrels are still in demand by other companies here and overseas, from Europe to Asia.

Seppeltsfield owner Warren Randall – who has operated the winery since 2009 – asked Young to come on board to revive the current cooperage, which dates back to 1943.

He didn’t have to ask twice, Young jumped right in and now runs the

cooperage alongside his highly-skilled assistants Rodney Schulz and David Pawson.

The trio are focused on quality rather than quantity but are still churning out around 15 of their handmade barrels every week. Even Young’s wife Sue occasionally likes to get her hands dirty helping out at the cooperage too.

THE TOASTING PROCESS It wasn’t quite like firing up the Barbie, but the smell of burnt wood rapidly filled the cooperage as Young demonstrated the toasting process.

...when ...when tradition tradition meets meets the t highest standard of quality...

Family owned and enriched by the history and experience of three generations of coopers Saint Martin is used by the highest quality references overseas and the finest wines in Australasia.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

He explained that during the bending and toasting stage of a new cask, controlled fire makes the timber pliable, sterilises the barrel and opens the oak’s pores for maximum flavour extraction.

“There’s no rule of thumb as to how long a barrel should be toasted – it all depends on the age and thickness of the timber as well as the moisture content,” he explained.

“There are so many variables – some of which include thickness, grain, type and winemaker preferences.

“We are a little secretive when it comes to the firing of our whisky barrels as we have developed a new process for the world-famous Lark Distillery in Tasmania.”

He said as a result of the cooperage’s “black magic” (their secret to a perfect barrel), whisky barrels in particular produce 60 per cent of the drink’s flavour, something of which he is extremely proud.

While he didn’t give too much away, Young did reveal his wine barrels are generally toasted slight to medium in order to prolong the life of the barrel.

“We don’t want to crucify it, especially because Seppeltsfield uses ex-fortified wood aged 60 to 70 years,” he said.

December 2013 – Issue 599

All hands – Hand-shaping the oak slats in preparation for barrel-assembly is a vanishing art, but not at Seppeltsfield.

OAK VARIATIONS Young said while it depends on how much coopers are willing to spend on quality oak, different countries produce certain types of oak which release a range of characters and flavours. French oak is known for its spicy flavour and American

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oak is vanillin in character, so both types are used to suit particular styles of wine.

French and American oaks are the blue ribbon woods in any cooperage with Young condemning Australian wood as not suitable, saying it tainted the barrel once toasted. 

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winemaking

Making history: Coopers hard at work at the old Seppeltsfield cooperage dating back to 1943.

“Our country doesn’t grow any oak suitable for winemaking therefore it’s all imported,” he said.

He declined to give an opinion on European oak – other than French – although Seppeltsfield doesn’t use any of it and the word “unscrupulous” did escape Young’s lips.

IT’S ALL IN THE SEASONING All casks are made on site and according to Young seasoning is one of the most crucial parts of barrel making.

While it seems to be a long time, the timber must be seasoned at least four to five years, which Young does with a blend of winter rain and sunshine, saying a natural treatment was all it needed.

He stressed the importance of the

process and said without a seasoned barrel, the wine would be undrinkable.

Generally it produces green, undesirable characters, leaving the wine to spoil.

“You can make the best barrel in the world, but if the timber isn’t seasoned correctly the wine is doomed,” he warned.

Young also made the point accountants and coopers rarely see eye to eye – and with good reason.

“Can you imagine the capital outlay for cooperage timber five years before it gets made into a barrel? I can hear my banker now,” he said.

HANDMADE IS BEST Seppeltsfield has been making barrels on and off for many years and while

technology has changed, Young still swears by the hand-tools he and his team use to craft their products.

“For me there is simply no enjoyment in ‘push-button’ machine cooperage – being able to carve and toast barrels by hand is simply an art and I believe the best quality is produced by hand,” he said.

“I have been given a gift – it’s not an easy job but if I wanted it to be easy, I would have chosen something else to do.”

Young has been fortunate enough to be mentored by some of Australia’s best, including the legendary Max Schubert, who he said taught him life-skills he still used today.

Barrel making, including for wine, stretches back into the mists of time and while Young is a devout traditionalist most modern coopers rely heavily on machinery.

Not only does he use hand-tools, Young also turns to traditional sharpening techniques including wet stones and oil stones to create razor-sharp edges with which to work.

He said the benefit of hand-tools is he can travel to several locations around the world to fix and/or repair barrels.

After all, it’s not like he can carry a machine in his suitcase.

GOING GLOBAL Young has been exporting barrels to Asian markets as well as South Africa, Scotland and Europe for the past five years.

He said the real and sustainable growth was in Hong Kong, where they are always looking for something different, and above all, something handmade.

“It’s a case of ‘you drive a Mercedes but I drive a Ferrari’ so they are constantly on the search for something better – and in our case something Australian.”

One of Young’s largest overseas orders came from Chinese wine connoisseur and entrepreneur Lewis Tung who purchased a bulk lot of Seppeltsfield wines dating back to 1878.

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90 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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December 2013 – Issue 599

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The provenance of every piece of oak can be STICKS 22•90 traced back to not only the forest it came from but to the very tree from which it was harvested.

Toasted: A wine barrel gets a few hot shots during the toasting process.

Young produced more than 100 ten-litre barrels top ship them and they are now housed in a multi-million dollar cellar in central Hong Kong. He has also created barrels for WA-based Anchor Foods for balsamic vinegar, the craft beer industry, various local wineries and now malt whisky producer Lark Distillery.

“I am really excited with the opportunity to be involved with Lark Distillery,” he added.

“There is unprecedented growth with premium spirits worldwide.

While Young produces barrels for a range of products, he is now determined to tap into the worldwide spirits industry.

“If we can offer our barrels to the world for all products, then that’s saying something about the standard of work we are producing and at the moment I think we’re doing pretty well.”

Another career highlight has been producing a barrel for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

FOR THE LOVE OF COOPERAGE Young said as a fulltime cooper every day is challenging and exciting and despite being in the field for as long as he can remember, he is still learning – every day.

“It’s the best job in the world and gives us so much satisfaction – I wouldn’t do anything else,” he said.

He aspires to what he calls the “Aston Martin” standard and enjoys making high-quality barrels not only for Seppeltsfield but for the world.

“In my eyes a cooper only has one problem and it’s a problem I personally love to have – at the end of the day, which high-end beverage should I choose?”

Natural maturation of staves over a minimum of 24 months ensures that any bitter wood components have been leached prior to OAK CHIPS processing. The staves are toasted in state-of-the-art food-grade convection ovens, using specific ‘time and temperature’ formulas, to produce unique flavour and aroma profiles.

XTRACHÊNE products deliver the complexity of French oak maturation with a range of cost-effective, flexible options suited to fermentation and maturation in either tank or neutral barrel.

It simply means more control for the winemaker and more affordable French oak finesse.

For full details contact Gordon Grant on +61 417 813 248 or via email at gordon.grant@chene.com.au or visit www.xtrachene.fr

Contact: Andrew Young.

Phone: 61 (0)408 862 156.

Email: ynoak@bigpond.com.

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Seppeltsfield Wines.

Phone: 61 8 8568 6217.

Email: cellarsales@seppeltsfield.com.au.

December 2013 – Issue 599

GRANULAR

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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winemaking

Look up and live this harvest Power lines might look the same but some are far more dangerous. The key message, safety experts say, is for anyone living and working near power lines to make looking up as routine as putting on a seatbelt in a car.

DID YOU KNOW although most of our power lines may look the same, they do vary in voltage?

Power lines are a part of our urban and rural landscape, and activities can be enjoyed around them as long as proper safety measures are taken.

It is important to find out what voltage What power line(s) cross your property or the area that you are undertaking work and leisure activities in, and identify any associated potential hazards.

How close you can operate near power lines depends on the line’s voltage, as well as weather conditions.

High temperatures can also cause power lines to sag lower, reducing safety clearances under and beside them.

Don’t forget that a new piece of equipment or machinery may be of a different size and present risks that an older one did not.

You should never work on top of a vehicle or vessel and load up while underneath or near a power line, as it can inadvertently reduce the minimum clearance distance.

Be especially aware if you are at an unfamiliar site, at night or with vehicles and equipment.

POWERLINES AND CLEARANCES Clearance is the distance that must be maintained between a power line and an object to help avoid the risk of electric shock.

The general rule is the higher the voltage of the power line, the greater the safety clearance required.

It is important to always remember to

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if the terroir you most desire was the one you were about to create?

Safety first: Don’t forget that a new piece of equipment or machinery may be of a different size and present risks that an older one did not.

check the clearance required.

Never guess at minimum clearances as appearances can be deceptive.

You should also never try to measure clearances by touching power lines or using devices such as tape measures because even without making actual contact with a power line, serious injury can result.

IN AN EMERGENCY If you or the vehicle you’re operating come into contact with a power line, remain in the vehicle until the power is switched off and do not move around excessively.

If you have a mobile phone available,

you should contact emergency services on 000 or 112 from your mobile, and advise them of the incident as soon as possible.

Detailed information about how to calculate minimum safety clearance distances, an interactive guide to safety minimum clearance for different transmission line types and tips on what to do if you come into contact with a power line is available at electranet.com. au or on 1800 413 331 (toll-free).

Email your postal address to enquiry@ electranet.com.au with the subject ‘Wine’ for a free Emergency Instructions sticker for your vehicle.

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December 2013 – Issue 599

SENSORIEL® Range

What if the terroir you most desire was the one you were about to create?

34 - Citrus 30 - Peach 28 - Blackcurrant bud 26 - Violet 24 - Lychee 20 - Flint 18 - Melted butter 16 - Hazelnut 14 - Brioche 10 - Roasted 08 - Oak

Your next vintage lies ahead of you - what are your dreams for your 2013 wines? How can you ensure your goals are reached? Now you have a tool which gives you the means to make the wine you desire - the SENSORIEL® barrel range from Cadus. With SENSORIEL®’s guaranteed results you can orchestrate the aromatic profile of your wine to reveal its own unique qualities. Together with an expert from Cadus you choose which barrel from the SENSORIEL® range is right to bring forward the particular characters of your wine you wish to enhance: vanilla, berry fruit, almond… From the first degustation of your wine the quality of the work that has gone into its creation, the sense of innovation, will be evident. Your wine is unique, it’s how you made it.

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winemaking

Increasing the sensorial enrichment of white wine with non-Saccharomyces yeast strains Researchers Sofie M.G. Saerens and Hentie Swiegers and winery owner , Dayna Reynolds combined in the study and implementation of non-Saccharomyces yeast as an option to boost flavour and mouth feel in key white wine varieties.

A LITTLE HISTORY The wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has long been used to ferment grape must to obtain wine.

Nowadays, the must is inoculated with selected S. cerevisiae wine yeast, often preserved in dried form.

These yeast strains have traditionally been selected for their fermentative power, suitable fermentative kinetics at different temperatures, low acetic acid production, and resistance to sulfur dioxide.

Over the past 50 years this has greatly contributed to the efficiency of winemaking, resulting in less stuck and slow alcoholic fermentations with subsequently less off-flavors (SuárezLepe et al. 2012).

However, in the past, musts were fermented by yeasts indigenous to the grape microflora. Louis Pasteur (1866) already indicated the types of yeast used in the wineries of a particular region were responsible for its wines having specific organoleptic characteristics.

94 Grapegrower & Winemaker

At a glance: • Danish-based Chr Hansen has developed three nonSaccharomyces yeast strains, to be used in a sequential or co-inoculation processes for their different flavour producing characteristics and mouth feel development properties.

• Over the past 50 years yeast research has greatly contributed to the efficiency of winemaking, resulting in less stuck and slow alcoholic fermentations with subsequently less off-flavors.

• Chardonnay juice was used to perform the trials in Devil’s Lair and the different yeast strains were inoculated at the same rate of 200 mg/L.

Thus the role of yeasts in winemaking has long been recognised as going beyond the purely fermentative: the metabolic peculiarities and physiological properties of particular yeast may lead to the formation of metabolites and the transformation of grape molecules that may sensorial enrich a wine.

This aligns very well with the new selection criterion emerging in modern oenological microbiology, the most prominent once being the appropriate enhancement of aroma via the production of volatile compounds such as esters and the provision of structure and body to the wine via the production of mannoproteins and yeast polysaccharides.

And this is the exact moment where non-Saccharomyces yeast strains enter the scene of winemaking.

In a natural fermentation, the first yeast that appear are all non-Saccharomyces yeast, spending a few days growing and

metabolising the grape juice, before they die off due to the appearance of S. cerevisiae and the concomitant increase in ethanol (reference).

This is exactly what Chr Hansen wants to mimic by the use of nonSaccharomyces yeast strains, as these natural wines can result in one of the most spectacular wines we can find.

Using non-Saccharomyces yeast in a sequential or co-inoculation process, together with your favorite S. cerevisiae wine yeast, can therefore result in a complex, flavorful and full-bodied wine.

TRIALS IN DEVIL’S LAIR In order to establish the impact of each yeast strain on a white wine, a trial was performed in Devil’s Lair winery in Margaret River, Australia in Chardonnay wine.

The impact of a sequential inoculation of the three Chr Hansen nonSaccharomyces yeast strains together with the same Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeast strain on the aroma and mouth feel is described.

Fermentation conditions and performance Chardonnay juice was used to perform the trials in Devil’s Lair and the different yeast strains were inoculated at the same rate of 200 mg/L (Table 1).

As control fermentations, Commercial yeast A and Commercial yeast B wine yeast were used. For the trial with the non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, Commercial yeast A was inoculated when the sugar level reached approximately 12° Brix.

All fermentations were done in duplo.

Pre-fermentation adjustments applied were the adjustment of acid to pH 3.28 and TA of 8.56.

The temperature of inoculation was 14-15C. All yeast strains were added in the

Table 1.

FrootZen™

Concerto™

Prelude™

Control

Inoculation date

9/03/12

9/03/12

9/03/12

9/03/12

Inoculation rate

200 mg/L

200 mg/L

200 mg/L

200 mg/L

Rehydration media

Direct

Water/must

Water/must

Water/must

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December 2013 – Issue 599

Nouveau Monde DDB Toulouse - © DR

W I NEM A K E R S ARE CONSTANTLY searching for new Wine ways of differentiating their wines, especially additives in important white varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

A new solution to achieve a more intense sensorial experience is by the use of non-Saccharomyces yeast.

Danish-based Chr Hansen has developed three non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, to be used in a sequential or co-inoculation processes: Kluyveromyces thermotolerans (Concerto™), Torulaspora delbrueckii (Prelude™) and Pichia kluyveri (FrootZen™).

These yeast strains have been carefully selected for their different flavour producing characteristics and mouth feel development properties.

Trials have been performed at Devil’s Lair winery in Margaret River, Western Australia, during the 2012 vintage in Chardonnay to investigate the impact of these non-Saccharomyces strains on the sensory properties of the wines.

Very low SO2 production Very low SO2 production

Very low acetaldéhyde production Very low acetaldéhyde production

Very good Very good fermentation activity fermentation activity

Lownitrogen nitrogen Low needs needs

Low H2S production Low H2S production

Nouveau Monde DDB Toulouse - © DR

Freshness and balance Freshness and balance

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A new reliable yeast to secure alcoholic fermentation with low production of SO2 and Acetaldehyde A new to secure alcoholic fermentation withwith low less production of sulfur SO2 andcompounds!

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Lallemand Australia Pty Ltd | 23-25 Erudina Ave, Edwardstown, South Australia 5039 | Australia | Tel: +61 8 8276 1200 Lallemand Oenology: Natural Solutions that add value to the world of winemaking / www.lallemandwine.com Lallemand Oenology: Natural Solutions that add value to the world of winemaking / www.lallemandwine.com Lallemand Australia Pty Ltd | 23-25 Erudina Ave, Edwardstown, South Australia 5039 | Australia | Tel: +61 8 8276 1200

winemaking 0.25 0.20

Hexyl acetate (ppm)

THIS YEAR I WILL USE ONLY THE BEST

0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 Control

PreludeTM

ConcertoTM

FrootZenTM

Control

PreludeTM

ConcertoTM

FrootZenTM

100

Ethyl decanoate (ppb)

80 60 40 20 0

ENARTIS PACIFIC RANGE OF FERMENTATION PRODUCTS ENZYMES Enzymes for traditional and innovative applications.

ENARTIS ZYM RS Pectolytic enzyme for rapid settling in difficult conditions.

NUTRIENTS Nutrients that meet all the needs of all varietals and winemaking techniques.

NUTRIFERM AROM Obtained exclusively from yeast derivatives, it increases the aromatic intensity and complexity of the wine.

YEAST A full range of yeast strains selected for their desirable enological contributions ENARTIS FERM ES 181 It ferments well at low temperatures and produces fermentation aromas which integrate without overshadowing varietal character.

ENARTIS FERM ES 454 It is recommended for the production of wines from very ripe grapes destined for medium-long term aging.

ENARTIS FERM VINTAGE RED It allows the production of premium red wines even under difficult fermentation conditions.

Figure 1. Ester concentrations of finished wines of the 2 trials. A. Hexyl acetate, B. ethyl hexanoate.

same rate on the same day as can be seen from Table 1.

The only difference of inoculation procedure is with FrootZen™, which is used in a direct inoculation procedure.

All other yeast strains were rehydrated in water/must. Fermentations were followed daily and the fermentation performance of all trials is given in Figure 1.

As can be seen from the figure, between the fermentation with only a Saccharomyces wine yeast (= control fermentation) and the fermentations with the non-Saccharomyces yeast strains in sequential inoculation, no significant differences regarding fermentation time

was noticed, except for the fermentation with FrootZen, that was slightly slower.

After fermentation, the wine analyses showed all wines had similar alcohol levels (see Table 2.). The pH of the fermentation with Concerto was the lowest and among the non-Saccharomyces strains, the TA of the wine with Concerto was the highest.

Malic acid also seemed to be decreased in the wines with the non-Saccharomyces strains, and all to the same extent.

Flavor and sensory analysis The final bottled wines were used to perform a flavor and sensory analysis.

FrootZen™

Concerto™

Prelude™

Control

pH

3.26

3.22

3.24

3.25

TA

7.92

8.12

7.96

8.52

Alcohol

13.44

13.39

13.44

13.38

RS

0.67

0.44

0.51

0.46

Malic

2.72

2.73

2.7

3.01

Table 2.

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION Selected and garanteed bacteria strains that will control the fermentation.

ENARTIS ML SILVER ML bacteria that provides a fast malolactic fermentation even in wines with high alcohol or low pH.

ENARTIS PACIFIC Australian Branch PO Box 886 30-38 Tanunda rd.

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ENARTIS PACIFIC New Zealand Branch PO Box 4304 39 Edmundson st.

Napier New Zealand Ph. +61 (6)8 43 44 13 Fax +61 (6)8 43 44 39 shirley.joseph@enartis.com www.enartis.com

96 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Figure 2. www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

In the flavour analysis, the main yeast aroma compounds were measured, which are acetate and ethyl esters. The results of the flavor analysis are depicted in Figure 2.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the impact of all non-Saccharomyces strains on esters was most profound on hexyl acetate for the Chardonnay wine.

All non-Saccharomyces strains seemed to increase the concentration of this compound in the Chardonnay wine, with FrootZen having the highest amounts.

For the ethyl esters, another trend was seen. It seems all non-Saccharomyces yeast strains highly enhanced the concentration of the ethyl esters measured in Chardonnay. Especially FrootZen and Prelude enhance the concentration of ethyl hexanoate, octanoate and decanoate, which impart apple, raspberry and apricot aroma.

To be able to get consumer feedback, a preference and sensory analysis was performed on all final wines in the winery. The sensory analysis results are depicted in Table 3.

The fruity and more complex notes noted in the non-Saccharomyces wines correlate well with the increased ester

Table 3 Yeast strain used

Sensory description

Frootzen™

Creamy, nice length, well structured, fuller style, complex, floral, punchy fruit, good length

Concerto™

Fuller flavor, simple, mineral, citrus, sweet fruit, cracked popcorn, good mouthfeel, tropical, vibrant, good length

Prelude™

Simple, tropical, musk, perfume, balanced phenolic, complex, layered, textured, good length

Control™

Soft, simple, neutral, hay, hessian, disjointed, creamy

concentrations measured in the wines, as compared to the control.

The punchy fruit noted in the FrootZen wine correlate nice with the highest concentrations of ethyl esters measured for this wine.

Anot her impor ta nt sensor y description is the increased complexity, better balance and good mouth feel of all non-Saccharomyces wines, compared to the control, which is described as simple and neutral.

In a preference test (see Table 3), it was clear that all wines made with the non-Saccharomyces yeast strains were preferred in the order FrootZen, Prelude and Concerto.

CONCLUSION

strains for the production of white wine is a perfect solution for increasing the aromatic intensity and complexity.

This results in a consumer preference for wines made with non-Saccharomyces strains, with the main reason the enhancement of the fruity flavor, good mouth feel and length of the aroma.

Contact: Sofie Saerens.

Phone: 45 53 39 40 92.

Email: dksos@chr-hansen.com.

Sofie M.G. Saerens, Christian Hansen, Wine Innovation Department, Hoersholm, Denmark.

Hentie Swiegers, Christian Hansen, Wine Innovation Department, Hoersholm, Denmark.

Dayna Reynolds, Devil’s Lair Winery, Treasury Wine Estates, Margaret River, Australia.

It is clear using non-Saccharomyces yeast

Optimise fruit expression in Sparkling Wines with Viniflora ® Get more out of your musts by using Viniflora® Non-Saccharomyces yeasts:

• increased flavours with FrootZen™ • improved palate weight with Prelude™

Access the largest collection of bacteria when managing malolactic fermentation:

• choose your final flavour profile: ‘fruit forward’ or ‘classical elegance’ • use real direct inoculation, premium cultures

Surprise customers with the flavour intensity of your wines Viniflora®: a natural and sustainable way to improve wines’ sensory qualities

For more information on how Viniflora® can help in producing more sustainable, fruit forward Sparkling wines contact in Australia and New Zealand: Amanda Tanga, auajt@chr-hansen.com, Mobile: +61 418 142 982 December 2013 – Issue 599

www.winebiz.com.au

WWW.CHR-HANSEN.COM/WINE

Grapegrower & Winemaker

97

winemaking

New meter has an edge start in market Hanna Instruments has produced a tablet style meter in which it says it has been able to pack more features and options than most other products on the market.

A FULL-FEATURED LABORATORY meter Laboratory with cutting-edge design features not equipment usually associated & services with instrumentation has been released onto the Australian market.

Hanna Instruments General Manager Karen Flouch said edge™measures pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen.

She said the new meter is “incredibly thin and lightweight”, measuring only 12.7mm thick and weighing just 250 grams. “edge blends elements of portable meters and bench-top meters into a single, seamless design,” Flouch said.

In addition to its thin, lightweight design, edge features a large 140mm LCD with a wide viewing angle, capacitive touch keypad, dual USB

ports, cradle with swivel arm electrode holder and an included wall mount. edge allows you to store up to 1000 log records of data. Data sets include readings, GLP data, date and time.

Both the bench-top cradle and the wall mount cradle act as a charging station. Simply plug the cradle into the mains power and edge charges whilst in the cradle. edge footprint can be reduced to zero by using the wall-mount cradle, freeing up valuable bench space.

Flouch said you can clearly view the screen from more than five metres and the large display is complemented by its wide 150° viewing angle, providing one of the easiest-to-read LCDs in the industry.

She said edge features clear, fulltext guides displayed on the bottom of the screen.

“There is no need to decipher

AdelAb Scientific Direct importers of GLASSCHEM distillation systems for the determination of Volatile Acids, Sulphur Dioxide and Alcohol in wines.

Available in single or multiples of each parameter or in different combinations.

Fast and ACCURATE results for wine analysis with the Thermo range of Gallery and Arena Discrete Analysers • Compact design occupies a small footprint and is fully self-contained.

• Flexible loading capacity up to 45 samples or 30 reagents simultaneously.

Shown: Combined VA, SO2 and OH in one unit

Email info@adelab.com.au

http://adelab.com.au/brand/glasschem/ 98 Grapegrower & Winemaker

• All necessary steps are automated, providing a walk-away time up to two hours.

• Up to 200 results per hour with automatic pre and post dilution capability.

Thermo Scientific Gallery Photometric Analyzer

For more information on this product, contact us by email: daniel.hoger@thermofisher.com www.thermofisher.com.au 1800 333 110 Moving science forward

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

scrambled abbreviations or symbols; these helpful messages guide you through every process quickly and easily,” Flouch explained. “edge electrodes are highly advanced, featuring a built-in microchip which stores calibration information that is automatically retrieved by edge once the electrode is plugged in,” she said.

“These digital electrodes also feature an easy to plug in 3.5mm connector so you never have to worry about the right angle or aligning pins settings.

“Operators simply plug in the sensor they want and begin measuring.

“You can change measurement parameter by changing sensor – it’s that simple,” she added. Flouch said Hanna’s pH electrodes have a built-in matching pin, allowing edge to constantly check the impedance of the pH measuring electrode to notify you in real time in the event of glass breakage.

She said during calibration, Sensor Check checks the state of the pH electrode junction. The

reference junction is also evaluated and reported on the display.

Edge also features a capacitivetouch keypad that gives a distinctive, modern look.

Since the keypad is part of the screen, buttons can never get clogged with sample residue. Scroll speed of the up and down keys is user selectable which is ideal for scrolling through logs. “edge includes one standard USB for exporting data with a flash drive and a second micro USB port for you to connect to a computer for file export and for charging your edge when the cradle is not available,” she said.

“You can use edge in Basic Mode, ideally for routine measurements for a simplified screen and features and it can be purchased as a complete kit, with the sensor of your choice. “Sensors for other measurements can be purchased separately.”

Contact: Christine O’Connell.

Phone: 61 3 9769 0666.

Email: sales@hannainst.com.au.

Yeast is an evolutionary experience in research AB Mauri Australia sees the complexity and variety of the modern wine industry as more of a challenge than a hurdle and its Australian-based technical team is continually adjusting its products to match the demands of today’s winemakers.

MAURI YEAST AUSTRALIA invests heavily in research and development with research institutes and universities around the world.

A company spokesman said this ongoing investment in research and development ensures the company continues to deliver new and innovative products to its customers. 

World Class Yeast Innovation

Through our Maurivin and Next Generation range of active dry wine yeast, complemented with our Mauriferm fermentation aid range, AB Mauri delivers consistently high quality fermentation products to the global wine industry. > THE ART AND SCIENCE OF WINEMAKING

maurivin.com

+61 (0)2 9684 8691 ian.walsh@abmauri.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

99

winemaking Furthermore, he says AB Mauri’s global Technology and Development Centre undertakes a number of research projects in wine and beverage yeast.

Located in Sydney, the Centre employs a talented team of microbiologists, fermentation scientists, researchers, analytical specialists and oenlogists.

“They provide valuable service to all AB Mauri operations through benchmarking and process improvement programs; the net result being the ongoing development of superior yeast strains for the fermentation industry,” the spokesman said.

“Mauri Yeast Australia acknowledges the benefits of co-operative work in the field and through research providers such as the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI),” he said.

“Our international agreement with AWRI enables the production of specialised wine yeast strains from the Institute’s culture collection.

“The combined research and development capabilities of the AWRI and AB Mauri will enhance both organisations’ commitment to ongoing research programs.”

For example, he said the maurivin™

range of wine yeast is “renowned for its high quality, purity and performance and is preferred by winemakers across the globe for the production of quality wines” The strains have been selected based on stringent criteria in fermentation performance and their suitability to current winemaking styles.

Each strain has listed its fermentation properties, what contribution to the wine the yeast may have, and which varieties it is most suited to.

“To assist people in identifying which yeast strain is most suitable for their application people can refer to our online technical data sheets,” the spokesman said.

“We are also proud to introduce our new range of Next Generation wine yeast,” he bsaid.

“In this there are three major portfolios of interest for winemakers: • Yeast with low production levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to eliminate reductive characters in winemaking and maximise varietal aroma and flavour.

• Hybrid yeast to improve complexity and mouth-feel in wine.

• Blended yeast to promote aroma diversity and mouth-feel in wine.

“There are detailed PDF fact sheets of these products on our website.

“These Next Generation yeasts offer winemakers an individual set of tools that have significantly different winemaking properties to existing yeast strains.

“We encourage all winemakers to trial them and see for themselves the increased benefits of our Next Generation yeast.”

Mauri Yeast Australia undertakes ongoing applied research on its yeast strains to gain further insight for winemakers on how yeast strain behaviour and fermentation characteristics are also affected in the surrounding grape juice environment.

This research includes the discovery of which strains utilise assimilable nitrogen more rapidly during fermentation, the ethanol production from each of the strains and which strains are more efficient at converting malic acid toward the end of fermentation (hence lowering malolactic bacteria fermentation times, if required at all).

Contact: AB Mauri.

Web: www.abmauri.com.au.

Precise piston driven dosing • Compact unit • Results in minutes •

HI 84500 Sulfur Dioxide Mini Titrator Hanna Instruments understands that small variations in sulfur dioxide content can have a significant impact on the subtle qualities of wine. With that in mind, we designed the HI 84500; a simple, fast and affordable mini automatic titrator designed for testing free or total sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels in wine. It can even test red wines which are often difficult to test with manual methods because the colour changes are hard to see.

The HI 84500 incorporates a precision piston dosing pump for accuracy and repeatability, automatic stirrer control, graphic mode with exportable data and both a high and low range setting. tel: 03 9769 0666 email: sales@hannainst.com.au web: www.hannainst.com.au

100 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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December 2013 – Issue 599

sales & marketing Square bottle. Round hole. Is it a revolution?

Competition is heating up on retail shelves across the globe and wine producers are going to extreme lengths to have their brands stand out from the pack. Stephanie Timotheou discovers one US producer who really is a square peg in a round hole.

THE WINE INDUSTRY could be witnessing the Bottling, most radical evolution of bottling since glass labelling & itself was invented. packaging And if not, then at the very least it’s a pretty cool marketing opportunity.

Bottles have always come in interesting shapes and sizes but US wine producer Truett-Hurst has launched what it claimed to be the world’s first wine range housed in square bottles.

Branding it the California Square.

They say all things come in threes and the peculiar, spirit-like wine bottles are no exception.

The trio’s packaging was designed by Stranger & Stranger founder and creative director Kevin Shaw who is certainly no foreigner to thinking – outside the square.

The wine range – by Truett-Hurst chief

December 2013 – Issue 599

winemaker Virginia Marie Lambrix – comprises a 2012 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, a 2012 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2012 Paso Robles red blend made from Petite Sirah, Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Merlot.

Based in Sonoma’s Healdsburg, Lambrix told thedrinksbusiness.com she hoped consumers would reuse the bottles as vases, candle holders or olive oil containers.

“Introducing alternative packaging onto the market is tricky – the wine inside has to over deliver and create a memorable impression for the consumer,” she said.

While Truett-Hurst believed they were the first producers to bring a new bottle design to the market, thedrinksbusiness. com reported Château de Berne in Provence, France had been selling wine in square bottles since 2005.

www.winebiz.com.au

Nevertheless Truett-Hurst was no stranger to quirky and innovative packaging.

Last year the wine producer released a range of five wines wrapped in recyclable paper which proved an overnight success.

In addition to telling the wine’s story, food pairings and recipes were included on the packaging which instantly caught the attention of wine lovers and foodies alike.

But will Australian labels step away from the norm and follow what seems to be a global trend?

PRACTICAL OR JUST CLEVER MARKETING? Grant Burge marketing manager Natalie Schaefer commented on the new wine range’s bottling and said she believes it was clever marketing more than anything.

“They have decided to give the product some standout appeal and from what I

Grapegrower & Winemaker

101

sales & marketing Bass Phillip 2010 Reserve Awarded the 2014 Wine of the Year by James Halliday’s Wine Companion

can see, it has already received good PR as being something different,” she said.

“At Grant Burge Wines we have produced innovative bottles for our Sparkling, Moscato, Fortified and The Holy Trinity.

“It does assist in providing standout on the shelf and differentiation from other wines so I can see why Truett-Hurst decided to release its wine the way they did.”

But she added there were no immediate plans for Grant Burge to sell wine in square bottles.

Schaefer said if the company felt it had the right product to put inside it, it would be a possibility.

While bottle design played a big part in marketing a product, Schaefer believed it needed to be about the wine inside the bottle more than anything.

THE DESIGN: IT “MAKES SENSE”

Phillip Jones uses Procork TCANT to protect this wine.

“The Procork cork has been a faultless closure for us since we commenced using it for the 2007s” Phillip Jones

According to California Square, the new bottle design was “extremely ecofriendly”.

“Consumers won’t need a wine-rack, the bottle won’t roll away on an uneven surface and it can be reused for a range of purposes,” the website claimed.

Stranger & Stranger’s Shaw said there was no doubt the wine business – being incredibly resistant to innovation – was almost entirely dominated by round bottle shapes.

“Some years ago we were doing an overhaul of square bottle tequila and I was shocked by how tiny the 12 bottle case was because there was no dead space between the bottles,” he added.

“We did some calculations and worked out if the entire wine industry turned over the square bottles we’d save almost a million trees a year in the outer cardboard cases alone.”

He suggested it would also save on fuel costs by fitting more in shipping containers and trucks and also save in shelf space and lighting.

“If you look at the spirits industry, and some of the biggest brands in the world, hundreds of millions of bottles are already square. It just makes sense.”

Four Tier Communications’ Lee Hodo told Grapegrower & Winemaker the interest in California Square’s wine had been phenomenal with 2000 cases sold in just two weeks.

Hodo, who manages Truett-Hurst’s PR and communications, said judging by

ACHIEVE GREAT MOMENTS A fine bottle of wine is an achievement.

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And Patience.

When it all comes down to one moment, the opening, you want your exceptional wine to be experienced to its full potential.

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102 Grapegrower & Winemaker

CCL Sydney Unit 7/443 West Botany St, Rockdale, NSW 2216 T: 02 9588 7545 | F: 02 9587 6694

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December 2013 – Issue 599

it’s a neat idea, square bottles tend to be associated with spirits more so than wine,” she added.

She also stated 12 by 750ml square bottles take up less space in a carton; however different carton sizes can be an issue in handling and logistics.

its sales success, it was something more than a curiosity.

THE BOTTLER’S PERSPECTIVE US-based O-I, one of the world’s largest bottle makers, said while square bottles provided a point of difference, they also presented a number of challenges for winemakers.

“The large amount of glass required to fill the shoulders and angles of the design increases bottle weight and the shape is not suited to high-speed filling lines,” spokesperson Simone Stella said.

“We’ve explored many non-round options in the past including square, oval and triangle with various Australian customers however there has not been a high level of interest,” she said.

Square bottling may look stylish, but Stella said round bottles have proven to be more efficient and cost-effective.

Portavin’s Adelaide-based client services manager Karen Ross also agreed and said while the company has the capability to bottle variously shaped bottles, she feels it is not their role to set market trends.

The company is Australia’s leading independent wine services retailer and

FIRST SQUARE, NOW PAPER?

Square cubed: Truett-Hurst’s California Square wine range designed by Stranger & Stranger’s Kevin Shaw.

specialises in contract wine bottling and wine packaging with 11 winemakers working across the business.

“Our role as a service provider is to react to our client’s needs and while

If you thought packaging wine in a square bottle was innovative, UK-based GreenBottle has launched the world’s first paper wine bottle in the US. It’s no surprise the firm also partnered Truett-Hurst to develop the Paper Boy wine product made from compressed recycled paper and weighing just 65g – a seventh of the weight of an average glass wine bottle.

GreenBottle managing director Mark Eaves said the eco-friendly concept had become a viable reality.

Shaw agreed and claimed Paper Boy was about as green as it was possible to make a wine bottle.

“They weigh only an ounce when empty so you save a huge amount of energy and money on shipping.”

Contact: Owens-Illinois. Phone: 61 3 9236 2488. Email: salesaust@ap.o-i.com.

So, an old dog can learn new tricks We are excited to announce that Portavin is now Australia and New Zealand’s exclusive distributor of Springer Œnologie® yeast and yeast derivative products.

Springer Œnologie® is the global leader in fermentation technology allowing us to supply our clients with yeasts of the highest level of purity and viability available.

With the help of Etienne (Springer’s fermentation guru), Matt and our team of experienced winemakers are on their way to becoming specialists in fermentation management, proving that old dogs love new tricks!

Please contact us or visit our dedicated web page to discover more about this latest addition to our suite of wine products.

Etienne Dorignac Winemaker & fermentation Guru for Springer Œnologie®

Portavin – caring for your wine from tank to shelf.

Adelaide (08) 8447 7555

Auckland (09) 582 0090

Margaret River (08) 9755 0500

Melbourne (03) 9584 7344

Perth (08) 9437 1033

dge Matt Aldriechnical T in v ta Por anager Services M er k a & Winem Sydney (02) 9722 9400

www.portavin.com.au portavin@portavin.com.au Portavin_A5_WizardAndDog_d4.indd 1 December 2013 – Issue 599

www.winebiz.com.au

12:00103 PM Grapegrower &4/09/13 Winemaker

sales & marketing label design

&

Floating on cloud wine Tonia Composto is a freelance designer and illustrator based in Melbourne. In the ’90s she studied visual arts with a major in printmaking and drawing in Adelaide and later studied graphic design and illustration. Tonia has worked as a designer for many well-known companies and now teaches 2D design and computer illustration at RMIT. Her latest project was designing a range of labels for Head in the Clouds Wines. wine and push it further into the wine market with a point of difference.

The key value behind the brand was ‘family’. The clients’ children have been involved in the business from the beginning with one of them even giving the label its name Head in the Clouds’. Beginning with ‘cloud girl’, the idea of creating a label family evolved.

The goal was to develop engaging and friendly illustrations which told a story. This gave the label a foundation and purpose thus creating a brand to grow from.

What inspired you to work in design, and what aspect of label design do you enjoy the most or derive the most satisfaction from?

I’m a first-time wine label designer but have worked as a graphic designer and illustrator since the early ’90s. This project has been a special one – although it has been a job like any other, it has very much felt like my personal love project.

What was the inspiration or key branding message behind this particular wine label?

The clients were ready to rebrand their

What are the technical specs used in the production of the label, i.e. printing technique, process and colours?

The printing technique was to maintain the integrity of the illustration using a high quality stock. This simply allowed the image to emerge without being flashy.

What are the most important labelling concepts to impact on wine sales and marketing success?

C Creating something beautiful, something interesting and something Mwhich embraces professionalism and emotion Y in equal measure.

CM

1_HITC_Petite Sirah_front_back.pdf

1

23/09/13

7:38 PM

Have you seen many changes in label MY designs over the past decade and what CY labelling trends do you see emerging in the future?

CMY

In my research I viewed many K beautiful and clever designs. Trends date quickly and designing depends on the background and culture of a label – some just want longevity or a quick sale. I’m guessing there will be an increase in using artwork from visual artists and illustrators as they have the ability to grab the attention of consumers.

Petite Sirah/Syrah, McLaren Vale 2_HITC_Mourvedre_front_back.pdf

1

Head in the Clouds Wines

23/09/13

7:36 PM

2012 Old Vine Grenache McLaren Vale

Head in the Clouds Wines

To what extent do countries respond differently to labels and/or wine marketing images?

I’m new to the wine label design world however I imagine some countries are more conservative than others. As for this label, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Convince your client to dare to be different, take a risk and break the rules.

Pushing the design boundaries (just a little) can make all the difference.

2012 Waves Vineyard Mourvèdre

2012 Inkwell Vineyard Zinfandel McLaren Vale

Head in the Clouds Wines

Head in the Clouds Wines

104 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

Contact: Tonia Composto.

Phone: 0417 858 957.

Email: toniac@tpg.com.au.

December 2013 – Issue 599

J1301(A)

How can label designers overcome the challenge of helping a wine bottle stand out as the market becomes increasingly congested?

ELEGANT PROTECTION

Nature so often gets it right – the perfect combination of function and design.

That’s our goal too.

The Interpack design and manufacturing process utilises state-of-the-art technology to create, decorate, inspect and pack to a new standard of excellence.

At Interpack we protect your precious wines and brews with beautifully crafted screwcaps and crowns. We promise you more choice with greater efficiency.

Our unique systems have been designed for complete plant optimisation. This allows for flexibility from short to long runs, including multiple top and side printing and embossing.

To find out what we can do for you, visit interpack.net.au Australian Owned – Australian Made

business & technology ATO plans to hang out WET to dry The Australian Tax Office is about to go gunning for anyone not making valid claims for WET rebates and Finlaysons lawyers Michael Butler and Mathew Brittingham report on who will be most impacted.

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is about to lower the boom on WET claims which aren’t strictly kosher. In October the ATO issued Taxpayer Alert TA 2013/2.

The alert describes two arrangements the ATO believes are contrived, and which are designed to create additional WET producer rebates through noncommercial dealings between entities.

1ST arrangement – additional manufacturers With the first arrangement, a wine producer arranges for another entity to manufacture some of its wine.

Although the other entity has no real role in the manufacturing process, both entities claim rebates.

2ND arrangement – multiple blenders With the second arrangement, a wine producer sells wine to other entities for

blending or further manufacture.

Although the wine producer organises and controls all the blending or further manufacture, all of the entities claim rebates on wine sales.

The alert makes clear the ATO considers the above arrangements, or arrangements with substantially equivalent features, may not be effective in creating additional WET rebate entitlements.

In more detail, the ATO states the alert applies to arrangements with the following features: Wine producer arranges for another entity to manufacture some of its wine; Under the first arrangement: 1. A wine producer buys grapes to make wine and claims the rebate when the wine is sold. The wine producer’s sales result in it claiming the maximum rebate for that financial year.

2. An entity, not at arm’s length to the wine producer, starts buying grapes from the wine producer or someone the wine producer would buy grapes from.

3. The wine producer manufactures the entity’s grapes into wine.

4. The wine producer buys the wine from the entity, which triggers a producer rebate claim by the entity. No WET is payable as an ABN is quoted by the time of the sale.

5. The end buyers of the wine are those the wine producer would otherwise sell to.

6. The combined producer rebates claimed in the financial year by the wine producer, and the entity, exceed the wine producer’s maximum entitlement.

7. The extra producer rebate(s) are usually shared by participants in the

FAQ: Who will help me sell my wine?

VISIT www.winebiz.com.au/guide • Select the option “Brokers (Wine) & Wine Sales” from the Buyers’ Guide categories listed to view companies that offer these services VISIT www.winebiz.com.au/widonline/distributors • Click “List all »” to view all Distributors • Refine your search by adding “State/Country” and/or “Agencies” (brand names the distributor currently handles) RememBeR to login first so that you can access Distributors*

LOOK in your 2013 Wine Industry Directory from page 409 to find “Brokers (Wine) & Wine Sales”, from page 533 to find “Distributors” and from page 541 to find “Retailers”

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO THE WINE INDUSTRY

VISIT www.winebiz.com.au/widonline/retailers • Click “List all »” to view all Retailers • Refine your search by adding “State/Country” and by flagging “Accepts samples?” (send samples to wine buyer/address listed) RememBeR to login first so that you can access Retailers* *Distributors and Retailers available only to those who have purchased the Wine Industry Directory (purchase includes annual subscription to WID Online)

To order your copy: Ph: +618 8369 9509 E: orders@winetitles.com.au Visit: www.winebiz.com.au

106 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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December 2013 – Issue 599

arrangement through manipulating prices charged between the parties for the grapes, wine or other services.

Wine producer sells wine to other entities who further blend or manufacture the wine Under the second arrangement: 1. A wine producer makes and sells wine, then claims the producer rebate.

2. An entity, which is not at arm’s length to the wine producer, buys bulk wine from the wine producer or another supplier it arranges.

3. The wine is further processed for the entity by the wine producer.

4. The entity sells the wine to the wine producer, or to another non-arm’s length entity, and claims a rebate on the sale.

5. Extra rebates are created by a number of staged wine sales between further interposed entities purporting to blend or further manufacture the wine.

6. No WET is payable on wine sales between the participants, as each buyer quotes its ABN by the time of sale.

7. The end buyers of the wine are those the wine producer would otherwise ordinarily sell to.

8. The extra producer rebate(s) are usually shared by participants in the arrangement through manipulating prices charged between the parties for the grapes, wine or other services.

ATO ANALYSIS OF ARRANGEMENTS The ATO considers the above arrangements give rise to a number of issues relevant to the taxation laws; in particular, whether: a The entities in the arrangement y satisfy the definition of ‘producer’ in section 33-1 of the WET Act. b The entities and the wine producer are ‘associated producers’, as defined in section 19-20 of the WET Act. c The anti-avoidance provisions in

Division 165 of the GST Act apply to reduce or eliminate any rebate claimed by the various entities. d Any entity involved in the arrangement is a promoter of a ‘tax exploitation scheme’ for the purposes of Division 290 of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (and thus potentially subject to criminal prosecution).

INCREASED RISK OF TAX AUDIT The ATO has stated publicly it is examining and closely analysing whether structured and uncommercial arrangements have artificially created entitlements for multiple entities to claim the rebate.

The ATO has also indicated it may apply the general anti-avoidance provisions and the promoter penalty laws to these arrangements.

Importantly, the ATO has made clear it is prepared if litigation ensues, especially given its recent success in relation to the associated producer provisions in SJ Buller Pty Ltd & Commissioner of Taxation [2013] AATA 617.

If you have been involved in similar arrangements, we strongly recommend you consider your position very carefully and seek legal advice on the available options before you get a knock on the door.

Contact: Michael Butler Phone: 61 8 8235 7407 Email: michael.butler@finlaysons.com.au.

Mathew Brittingham Phone: 61 8 8235 7458 E: mathew.brittingham@finlaysons.com.au.

Looking for more stories on business? Search our Grapegrower & Winemaker article archive at

www.winebiz.com.au/gwm

REMEMBER TO LOOK UP AND LIVE

Serious personal injury, property damage and even death may result from contact between a powerline and objects such as machinery.

Even without making actual contact with a powerline, serious injury can result.

The voltage of the powerline and weather conditions, including storms where lightning strikes may cause voltage surges, will determine how close you can safely work to powerlines.

Detailed information about safety around powerlines including how to calculate minimum safety clearance distances, and an interactive guide to safety minimum clearance for each transmission line type is available on electranet.com.au.

DID YOU KNOW? High temperatures can cause powerlines to sag lower. This will reduce safety clearances under and beside the powerline.

Our core services include:

• National logistics service • Warehousing, including pick/pack, inventory management, container destuff and kitting • Temperature controlled storage environments in Victoria and Queensland • Metropolitan & Regional chain and on premise/retail delivery • RF based warehouse management software

www.bamwine.com.au December 2013 – Issue 599

www.winebiz.com.au

electranet.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

107

business & technology

Tasmania is proving it's a grape place to be The vineyard and winery market is showing new signs of life in Tasmania with renewed interest from domestic players and international investors.

We go well with wine.

Here at Donaldson Walsh we’re honoured to advise some of the biggest names in Australian wine.

Our wine law specialists’ renowned insight and expertise extends to all commercial issues, including: • Work Health & Safety • Employee and Contractor Agreements • Sales and Purchases • Vineyard Leasing and Acquisition • Grape Supply Agreements • Business Structures • Succession Planning • Brand Labelling and Trademarks • Liquor Licenses • Dispute Resolution • Taxation We invest heavily in understanding our clients’ needs.

Why not profit from our experience?

Call (08) 8410 2555

to confidentially discuss your specific needs.

We’re ready to serve.

Kings Chambers 320 King William Street Adelaide SA 5000 info@dwlaw.com.au www.donaldsonwalsh.com.au

108 Grapegrower & Winemaker

P A N O R A M A VINEYARD IS the largest vineyard south Professional of Hobart – and is expected to prove an services industry benchmark.

The most established operation in the area (pictured right) it already has a solid reputation for producing quality wines.

But according to selling agent Nick Bond from Harcourts Huon Valley that is only the beginning for this picturesque operation.

Set up on 25ha it has scope for significant new plantings to make the most of its state-of-the-art processing plant capable of 3000 bottles per hour.

“The vineyard/winery market in Tasmania is showing renewed strength,” Bond said.

“There has been quite a few sales, mostly in the northern and central regions, with some going to neighbours wanting to expand and most to the Chinese,” he said.

“The state’s acreage under vines has remained stable; the collapse of Gunns flooded the market and put a bit of a dampener on sales for a while.

“But it is clear the Chinese are very interested in buying – mostly for the businesses themselves although occasionally as an entrée to living here as well.

“Down south the market is more for the boutique wineries, with the larger production based to the north.

“However, that is not to suggest there is not a lot of good wine down here, there are some outstanding grapes being produced by a number of players on a small scale.

“Which is why we will be interested to see what Panorama fetches as it could easily become of a size to challenge some of the bigger players in the north.”

Set on five titles, Panorama offers a large, modern winery with offices, cellar door, VIP room, wide verandas, the bottling plant, a laboratory, 400-barrel climate controlled barrel hall and highquality wine making equipment which includes custom-engineered Pinot Noir www.winebiz.com.au

vats that add to the premium quality of the end product.

The property also includes a large, north-facing home set over three levels with large rooms and a palatial fitout that sits at the top of the vineyard, taking in the stunning views and spectacular position and offers wraparound verandas to sit and watch the grapes grow.

The property has three large dams and two bores that more than cater for the established vineyard – even in a dry summer.

Panorama also has considerable infrastructure including irrigation, vermin-proof fencing and a significant number outbuildings, including an old apple barn that has partly been restored and offers many possible uses, including picker accommodation.

There has been extensive research conducted in relation to brand expansion and diversification in the accommodation, restaurant and other possible expansion options.

The vineyard consists of mainly Pinot and Chardonnay with smaller plantings of other varieties.

Positioned in a central area between Huonville and Cygnet on the Huon Rivers Edge just 40 minutes from Hobart and in the central tourism area for the large fly-in, fly-out Hobart-based tourism industry.

Contact: Nick Bond.

Phone: 61 488 640 024.

Email: nick.bond@harcourts.com.au.

December 2013 – Issue 599

Don’t let management be a liability risk Managing a private company – big or small – has so many challenges even the most skilled and experienced management teams can be tripped up by unforeseen issues.

MGA Insurance Brokers Phil Keenihan says as an owner, director and/or officer of a private business you are exposed to the costs to defend a claim, and potentially the damages and costs awarded.

MANAGEMENT LIABILITY INSURANCE Management liability insurance (MLI) protects you and the company against the risks and exposures of running that company (i.e. your liability for mismanagement).

Without adequate protection you could risk losing not only your business, but also your personal assets.

But this insurance protects you personally and therefore covers your wealth and lifestyle.

The legal costs to defend allegations of wrongful acts alone can be financially

crippling for businesses and individuals.

What does MLI cover?

• Damages and claimant costs awarded against you • Defence (i.e. legal) costs • Investigation costs • Civil fines & pecuniary penalties.

Who can bring an action against a company, its directors, officers and employees?

• Regulators (e.g. ACCC, ASIC & the ATO) • Employees • Competitors • Creditors • Shareholders (especially minority shareholders) • Clients • Liquidators/Administrators Most common types of MLI claims • Breaches of director’s duties and/or fiduciary duties, including breach of trust • False, misleading & deceptive conduct by directors/officers and employees • Actions alleging improper and illegal conduct • Statutory breach of duty i.e. under

legislation • OH & S prosecutions and inquiries • Employment: unfair/wrongful dismissal, discrimination, harassment, wrongful failure to employ or promote • Defamation by directors/officers • Breach of intellectual property rights by directors/officers • Employee theft, including theft of money and property • Statutory fines & penalties.

• Taxation investigation costs MLI is a packaged product which will normally cover the following risks: • Director’s and officer’s liabilities • Employment practices liabilities • Statutory liabilities • Crime cover • Corporate entity liabilities • Legal representation costs • Tax investigation/public relations/ crisis containment Contact: Phil Keenihan.

Phone: 61 8 8177 8301.

Email: phil.keenihan@mga.com.

Some spills are worth crying over At MGA we understand that your winery requires specialist covers and that no two businesses are the same.

It’s that ‘hands on’ approach that sets us apart from the crowd.

We specialise in: • Contamination, spoilage & leakage • Property covers • Museum & maturing stock cover • Exports & product recall • Professional Indemnity cover • Public & Products liability • Vineyard & farm insurance covers • Management liability Contact MGA for a quote. It costs nothing to compare.

www.mga.com Ph: 1300 642 000 Branches throughout South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia

December 2013 – Issue 599

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

109

Australian Wine Export Market Snapshot The Australian Wine Export Market Snapshot is prepared by Wine Australia and provides the latest key statistics on exports of Australian wine.

Updated monthly, the snapshot looks at the movement in total volume and value

for the past 12 months and then drills down into more detail such as the top five destinations by value growth, movements in container type, colour, winestyle, and price point, and the top five varietal and regional label claims on bottles.

The main purpose of the report is to provide some high-level trends for the Australian wine category.

For more information please visit www. wineaustralia.com/winefacts, email to info@ wineaustralia.com or ring 08 8228 2010.

Highlights â&#x20AC;&#x201C; year ended November 2013 Key statistics Total

2013

Change

Volume ML

687

-3%

Value $AM (fob)

1776

-3%

Destinations (by value growth)

$Am

Growth ($Am)

75

13

Hong Kong New Zealand

71

11

235

5

Russia

9

4

Italy

4

3

China, Pr

Share

% point change

Glass bottle

Container type (by volume)

44%

-1.2

Bulk

55%

1.3

Soft-pack

1%

0.0

Alternative packaging1

0%

0.0

Share

% point change

Red

Still wine by colour (by volume)

59%

-2.5

White

41%

2.5

Share

% point change

Red still wine

58%

-2.5

White still wine

40%

2.5

Sparkling

2%

0.0

Wine style (by volume)

Fortified

0.1%

0.0

Other

0.2%

0.0

Price points (by volume)

Share

% point change

$A2.49/L and under 2

58%

1.7

$A2.50/L to A$4.99/L

32%

-2.2

$A5.00/L to A$7.49/L

6%

0.3

$A7.50/L to A$9.99/L

2%

0.2

$A10.00/L and over

2%

0.0

Top five varietal label claims on bottles (by volume)

ML

Share

Shiraz and Shiraz blends

104

36%

Chardonnay and Chardonnay blends

56

20%

NOTES & DEFINITIONS

Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon blends

54

19%

Merlot and Merlot blends

27

9%

Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc blends

9

3%

Prepared: November 2013, updated monthly 1 Alternative packaging includes flagon, tetra, PET and other packaging types 2 The growth in this segment is due to growth bulk shipments as more Australian wine is being packaged overseas for a combination of reasons, including economic, environmental and scale rationale together with meeting the requirements of some customers.

The change in share represents percentage point change in share between the current twelve month period compared to the preceding 12 month period.

Based on data compiled from the AWBC Wine Export Approval System.

Average Value ($AUD) calculated on FOB value. Free on Board (FOB) value includes production and other costs up until placement on international carrier but excludes international insurance and transport costs.

Data is based on wine shipped from Australia to the country of destination - in some instances, wine is then transshipped to other countries for consumption.

Top five regional label claims on bottles (by volume)

ML

Share

South Eastern Australia

190

70%

South Australia

32

12%

Barossa

7

2.5%

McLaren Vale

6

2.2%

Riverland blends

3

1.2%

110 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Disclaimer: While Wine Australia makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of information within this report, we accept no responsibility for information, which may later prove to be misrepresented or inaccurate, or reliance placed on that information by readers.

Provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 apply to the contents of this publication, all other right reserved.

For further copyright authorisation please see the www.wineaustralia.com website

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 599

looking forward 2013 Australia & New Zealand

looking back

December 26 December-31 January Yarra Valley Twilight Cellar Door. Yarra Valley, VIC. www.wineyarravalley.com.au

13-16 (JD) Tasmanian Wine Show.

Hobart, TAS. www.taswineshow.org 23 (JD) The South Coast Wine Show

28 December-3 January Taste Festival Hobart's Waterfront Celebration. Hobart, TAS. www.tastefestival.com.au

January 2014 January-March Leeuwin Concert Series.

Margaret River, WA www.leeuwinestate.com.au

26 Crush '14 Adelaide Hills Wine & Food Festival. Adelaide Hills, SA. www.crushfestival.com.au 30 January-1 February Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration 2014. Central Otago, NZ. www.pinotcelebration.co.nz 31 January-2 February Gold Coast Food & Wine Expo. Gold Coast, QLD. www.foodandwineexpo.com.au

4 Vintage Blues Music Festival. Albany, WA. www.vintageblues.com.au 9 Coonawarra Vignerons Cup Race Day. Penola Racecourse, SA. www.coonawarra.org 10 (CD) The South Coast Wine Show.

Ulladulla, NSW. www.southcoastwineshow.blogspot.com 11 Alpine Valleys Gourmet Weekend.

Alpine Valleys, VIC. www.alpinevalleysvignerons.com.au 12 Cape Jaffa Seafood & Wine Festival.

Cape Jaffa, SA. www.capejaffafest.com.au

We step back in time to see what was happening through the pages of Grapegrower and Winemaker this month 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

December 1983 The Federal Government has agreed to an extension for one year until 30 June 1984 of the funding arrangements which have applied since 1978 for the Australian Wine Research Institute. Under these arrangements the Commonwealth provided dollar-for-dollar matching of the industry contribution, through the

International January 2014 21-23 SIVAL. Angers, France. www.sival-angers.com 28-30 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium.

USA. www.unifiedsymposium.org JD = judging date CD = closing date For a comprehensive list of events, visit www.winebiz.com.au/calendar

Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, towards financing the Institute. Funds to be provided in 1983-84 will total $755,150 – one half from the Corporation and one half from Commonwealth sources.

December 1993 Australian vineyards could be under serious threat from a new strain of parasitic nematode identified by research scientists. Discovered by the South Australian Research and Development Institute at a grapevine nursery in South Australia’s Riverland, the rootknot nematode is a concern for wine

Winebiz Calendar

companies rapidly planting new vines

Australia’s most comprehensive list of wine industry related local and international events and courses – available online FREE!

Experiments have shown that it is

Search for conferences, trade shows, competitions, courses, festivals & Australian & international wine shows.

to meet bulging export orders. The nematode can reduce vigour and yield among vines and kill juvenile plants. significantly more damaging to grapevine rootstocks than other commonlyoccurring varieties.

December 2003 The Coonawarra Barrel Series Auction 7 raised its millionth dollar in proceeds and generated the highest average barrel price of $19,491. For the third consecutive year, net proceeds from the highestpriced barrel were donated to the South Australian Autism Association. Katnook Estate and Punters Corner Wines set the

www.winebiz.com.au/calendar

benchmark with $27,240 for each barrel – with approximately $18,000 heading to the autism association.

FIND YOUR SUPPLIER QUICKLY WITH OUR December 2013 Advertiser List Supplier

Page

AB Mauri

99

Supplier

A R Black & Company

114

Kauri Australia

71,77,78,79,81,82,83,85

Adelab Scientific

98

Kingston Estate

39

Jamieson Valley Estate - Wine distribution

Page 113

Adelaide Airsports

58

Lallemand Australia

95

AEB Group

80

Lane Print Group

32

AGCO Corporation

63

Ledgard

62

Agnova

9

MEP Instruments

69

Antonio Carraro Oceania

61

MGA Insurance Brokers

109

Aust & International Agri Exchange

113

Mildura Vine Nursery

114

Australian & New Zealand Winemakers

115

Mirco Bros

68

Australian Perlite

76

Moog Systems Australia

92

Ausvat

90

Nadalie Australia

89

BAM Wine Logistics

107

New Holland

64

Bayer

41

Oblomov Trading Co

113

Bibber International

113

Organic Crop Protectants

53

Bird Gard Australia

58

PFG Australia

65

Braud Australia

Pierro Wines

114

Bruce Gilbert Vine Grafting

113

2

Plastic Precise Parts

42

Bucher Vaslin

80

Portavin Melbourne

103

Cambridge & Co

59

Procork

102

Case IH

66

R.D. Tallarida Engineering

73

CCL Label

102

Rapidfil Pty Ltd

74,114

Chene Australasia

91

RGB Industries

113

CHR Hansen

97

Robinvale Wine

114

Deltagen Australia

77

Ryset (Aust)

45

Donaldson Walsh Lawyers

108

Simon Greenleaf - Sparkling Winemaking

114

Dow

43

Spagnolo Engineering

13

ElectraNet

107

Spraying Systems

86

Enartis Australia

96

Streamline Cartons

113 47,49

Fineweld Stainless Steel

70

Syngenta Australia

Fischer Australis

42

Thermofisher Scientific

98

Flavourtech

75

Tonnellerie Cadus

93

Flextank International

29

Tonnellerie Saint Martin

88

Graf Plastics Australia

11

TracMap NZ

25

Grapeworks

31

Tri Tech Refrigeration

114

Groguard Australia

51

Vine Nets Australia

59

Hanna Instruments

100

Vinewright

114

Harcourts Huon Valley

113

Viniquip

101

Interpack

104

Vinvicta Products

80

Jamieson Valley Estate - Baby doll sheep

114

Whitlands Engineering

44

Winequip

116

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND GRAPEGROWER & WINEMAKER *Australia's largest circulation wine industry trade magazine celebrating 50 years of publication. *Now available online to all subscribers. *All Marketplace adverts also appear on Winebiz Classifieds * For advertising enquiries please call Chas Barter on 08 8369 9513, c.barter@winetitles.com.au

112 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 599

Marketplace

All advertisements also appear on www.winebiz.com.au/classifieds/

Independent distribution of Boutique Wines

Tired of flagging sales and being one-of-many with your distributor? We are a single-product vineyard with a full-time travelling salesman in Victoria. Let’s discuss a marketing / distribution channel that costs you nothing until we sell your wine! No pinot noir – that’s what we make – preferably interstate producers

Call Chris on 0417 888 930.

BIRD NETTING • Permanent canopy or throw over net • Fully UV stabilised • Cable, wire and all canopy supplies in stock

OBLOMOV TRADING CO. PO Box 207, Rozelle, NSW 2039 Phone (02) 9660 6845 Fax (02) 9518 8372 e-mail: sales@otcobirdnet.com.au

Visit our website at: www.otcobirdnet.com.au

FOR SALE

Located in the picturesque Huon Valley, Panorama Vineyard has a reputation for producing quality wines for the high end market. Situated on 60 acres in 5 titles Panorama offers a large modern winery with offices, cellar door, VIP room, and a modern bottling plant, 3 story Homestead, Huon River frontage and much more.

The popular WINE EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL Program enables young people, from many countries, who are wishing to gain an opportunity to acquire additional practical experience towards their Career objectives.

For further information contact:PO Box 3093 KEW, Victoria 3101 Ph (03) 9818 2395 – FAX (03) 9818 7255 Email: auintagx@bigpond.com Web: www.agriculturalexchange.com

www.harcourts.com.au

65 x 65 x 480 Most popular vine size

95 x 95 x 300 2 Lt Milk carton size

brucethegrafter@gmail.com www.brucethegrafter.com

Our rack offers the following advantages: • No weight at all on barrel • Will stack 8 high • With adequate roof height storage can be doubled • Offers a safer and more efficient alternative for barrel shed O.H.&S. requirements • Will safely accommodate all sizes of barrels local or imported • Is virtually indestructible, being made from galvanised R.H.S • The RGB Barrel Rack is complimented by a range of materials handling equipment for barrel lifting and turning.

40 Starr Ave, North Plympton SA 5037 Phone: (08) 8295 5040 – Fax: (08) 8295 1688 E: sales@rgbindustries.com.au – www.rgbindustries.com.au

www.facebook.com/RgbIndustries www.youtube.com/user/RGBindustries

Vine / Tree Guards Cane Support Tabs

Bruce Gilbert 0428 233 544 Brian Phillips 0417 131 764 fax 03 5025 2321

ARE YOU STILL REQUIRING CELLAR HANDS for the 2014 VINTAGE?

These qualified young people are seeking a period of about three months work and are available for the 2014 Vintage.

Agent: Nick Bond M: 0488 640 024 – P: 03 6264 0000 18 Main Street, Huonville TAS 7109 Email: nick.bond@harcourts.com.au ID No: THH4785

VINE GRAFTING

ff sta e tag Vin

75 x 75 x 400

Staple around for bushier trees 75 diameter x 420

Need qualified vintage staff?

• Low cost protection against spray, rabbits, wind etc.

• Long field life of18 months plus • Available in white poly coated cartonboard • Suit vines, trees, olives, citrus etc • Supplied flat in boxes • Just square up and ready to go • Comes with indent cane holder

Ph 1800-227866 Fax (08) 8260 2387

Talk to us!

www.streamlinecartons.com.au sales@streamlinecartons.com.au Supplying vine growers for the past 8 years

December 2013 – Issue 599

info@bibber.com.au +61 8 8374 0077

www.bibber.com.au www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

113

Marketplace

Streamline Cartons

Marketplace

All advertisements also appear on www.winebiz.com.au/classifieds/

For Sale

4500L 2002 Grand Liqueur Muscat, 14ºB, $10/L 4900L 2011 McLaren Vale certified organic Viognier $2/L 13700L N.V. certified organic Chardonnay $3/L Ph 0428 234 650

FOR SALE S/steel flow equipment Barrel accessories Tank accessories

AR Black & Co Stainless Steel Engineers Ph 08-7200 2235 www.arblack.com.au

WANTED

BRYCE BUCKETS TO PURCHASE IN ANY QUANTITY EMAIL info@pierro.com.au or phone Mike on 08 97556220.

Organic lawnmowers for sale (Babydoll Sheep) We breed babydolls for vineyard use - they are reared amongst our vines!

No need for trimming lower green – and reduced herbicides – plus natural nitrogen fertiliser!

Call Anna on 0402 210 254

NEED VINES OR

GRAFTING?

Grafted vines, vinifera and rootstock now available.

Quality Grapevines Paul Wright PO Box 180 Mt Pleasant South Australia 5235 Ph 08 8568 2385 www.vinewright.com.au

WINE PRESS SERVICING • Preventative maintenance & breakdown repairs for all makes and models.

• 24/7 coverage during vintage • Large inventory of spare parts.

• Membrane replacement.

• PLC upgrades and design improvements.

Electrical & mechanical expertise.

03 9455 3339 • www.rapidfil.com.au

We also do contract Field Grafting and changing varieties

Ph 0408 140 729

AMMONIA CHILLER REFRIGERATION PLANT FOR SALE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE COMPLETE REFRIGERATION PLANT $80,000 (excl GST) IN SYDNEY LOADED ONTO YOUR TRANSPORT

Marketplace

Total refrigeration capacity of 1,640kW chilling water from 10°C to 5°C with flow rate of 78 litres/sec.

Can be used to chill glycol: capacity 1,000kW at -5°C leaving glycol temperature.

In excellent condition, history known as fully maintained by Tri Tech.

2 x APV Hallscrew compressors model HS 2024, coalescer oil separators 185kW Toshiba motors with soft starters 1 x BAC VXC 650 evaporative condenser 1 x 762mm dia x 3600mm shell horizontal liquid receiver 1 x 1219mm dia x 1500mm Vertical surge vessel 1 x APV LR9 welded cassette PHE 2 x 37kW centrifugal pumps 1 x MCC c/w PLC, HMI 1 x set of electrical cabling 1 x set of ammonia piping 1 x fluid piping around pumps 1 x condenser platform c/w mesh, ladders, handrails

Contact: greg.a@tritechaustralia.com.au Greg Atkinson: 0417 909 271 or Les Craven: 0418 163 325

114 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

December 2013 – Issue 599

you want it? we got it.

We offer a complete range of core, high-grade winemaking equipment, including presses, pumps and filters, crushers/destemmers, as well as tanks, botte, amphorae, eggs, stills, refrigerators and bottling equipment. Australian and New Zealand Winemakers provides quality advice and support, with in-house technicians providing specialist installation and training. All backed with almost 50 years winemaking industry experience.

ausnzwinemakers.com | info@ausnzwinemakers.com | ph: (03) 9924-4060 | @AusNZWinemakers

Melbourne

Adelaide

New Zealand

FOR ALL YOUR

FILTRATION NEEDS

SUPER PREMIUM WINES

NEW MMF AUTOMATIC CARTRIDGE FILTRATION •

Microfiltration of still and sparkling wines.

•

Automatic control of flow rate, pressure and regeneration cycles.

•

Utilising high surface area/flow rate for longevity of filter media

•

Can be used with coarse, polishing or sterile cartridges

•

1000 – 10,000L/hr

BOUTIQUE TO HIGH VOLUME

NEW MFTC HOLLOW FIBRE CROSS FLOW •

Excellent value, available in Semi Auto and Automatic versions.

•

Ease of operation via touch screen display.

•

Wide bore 1.8mm Capillaries for turbid wines

•

9.5 – 95m² systems

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE FOR STILL OR SPARKLING WINES

MFTS SPIRAL WOUND CROSS FLOW •

• Microfiltration Tangential System delivering the highest filtration quality.

“No backflush” system allowing constant filterability.

•

Membrane manufactured in PVDF.

•

Fully automated system.

•

Surface area of 23m2 per membrane.

•

69 – 830m² systems

•

Extremely low operating pressure.

•

Pressurised system for sparkling filtration.

JUCLAS FILTERS ARE BUILT FOR YOUR NEEDS TODAY WITH THE FLEXIBILITY TO ADD EXTRA MEMBRANES LATER TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH

I N N O V A T I V E

W I N E

For further details, contact us on: Melbourne 59 Banbury Rd, Reservoir Ph. 1300 882 850 Adelaide 12 Hamilton Tce, Newton Ph. 08 8365 0044 New Zealand 4C Titoki Place, Albany, Auckland Ph. 0800 699 599 E. sales@winequip.com.au www.winequip.com.au www.winequip.co.nz

T E C H N O L O G I E S