Grapegrower & Winemaker - July 2017

JULY 2017

IRRIGATION:

Bowman’s checklist

TERROIR RESEARCH:

Lofty ambition

LABEL IMPACT

THE

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Australian & New Zealand Wine Producers Australian Grapegrowers • Industry Suppliers Buyers’ Guide • Brands Overview, Facts & Figures Distributors & Retailers Writers & Media Online Industry Resources Calendar, Wine Shows & Courses • Organisations, Teaching & Research Institutions

2017

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contents features 46 66 68

JULY 2017

Vineyard Equipment Analytical Services Label Design

IRRIGATION:

Bowman’s checklist

TERROIR RESEARCH:

COVER James Brooksby and his workmates from Annie’s Lane in the Clare Valley were runner’s up in the team spur competition at the recent Barossa Pruning Expo. More details about the winners can be found from page 42.

Lofty ambition

LABEL IMPACT

news

grapegrowing

From the editor .........................................7

25

The right-hand man quietly retires

Victorian Wine Industry Strategy ...............8 Walsh reappointed as AGWA chair .........14 WET reform package introduced to parliament .........................16 Rethink your third drink ..........................18

Getting the most out of your irrigation .....25 Mid-row crop options for vineyards .........30

18

Research with lofty ambition ...................33 Can microflora affect a vineyard’s terroir? ...................................36 Could your vineyard succession plan protect your region? ........................38 2017 Barossa Pruning Expo.....................42 Improving the accuracy of spray applications ..................................47

regulars 6 What’s online

56 Ask the AWRI

6 Say that again

72 People & Places

21

77 Calendar

Australian Vignerons:

The Australian Winegrower

4 Grapegrower & Winemaker

78 Marketplace classifieds

www.winetitles.com.au

July 2017 – Issue 642

July 2017: Issue 642 winemaking 62

49

A helping paw .......................................62 Dogs assisting in the winemaking process

Exposure for Australia’s cool climates and high elevations....................64 Preventing post-bottling problems ............66 The impact of wine labels ......................49 Consumer perceptions (and the winery bottom line)

Young Gun: Melanie Chester ...................53 60

Have your cake and eat it too ...............58 Putting wine in a can .......................60

sales & marketing Infringement of trademarks on the internet ........................................ 74 A whole new body of law emerging

business & technology Before your brand refresh .......................68 Scarcity v Exclusivity ...............................70 What’s the difference – and which applies to your winery?

PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hartley Higgins

PRODUCTION Simon Miles

GENERAL MANAGER Elizabeth Bouzoudis

CIRCULATION: Emilie Francis subs@winetitles.com.au

EDITOR Nathan Gogoll editor@grapeandwine.com.au EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Denis Gastin, Dr Steve Goodman, Dr Terry Lee, Paul van der Lee, Bob Campbell MW, Prof Dennis Taylor, Mary Retallack and Corrina Wright EDITORIAL Camellia Aebischer journalist@winetitles.com.au ADVERTISING SALES Nicole Evans sales@grapeandwine.com.au July 2017 – Issue 642

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

5

what’s Say that again ONLINE WET improvements introduced to parliament The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia welcomed a bright new era for the Australian wine industry. This is following the introduction of legislative amendments that will effectively remove market distortions and directly support the wine industry and its communities. Source, Winetitles.

Government review for Riverina The Riverina Wine Grapes Marketing Board hopes a New South Wales State Government review will result in it regaining powers to influence grape prices. Chief executive Brian Simpson said prior to 2000 the board had the ability to vest grapes and negotiate the grape price on behalf of all growers. Source, The ABC.

Argument against safe drink review Alcohol makers have rejected an offer by a senior federal health bureaucrat for the industry to put forward experts to join a panel reviewing Australia’s controversial safe drinking guidelines. The offer was made by Anne Kelso, chief executive of the National Health and Medical Research Council, which is overseeing the five-yearly review into what level of alcohol intake is deemed safe. Source, Brisbane Times.

Hawkes Bay young viti of the year Congratulations to Anton Luiten from Selaks, Constellation who became the Bayer Hawke’s Bay Young Viticulturist of the Year 2017, on Thursday 22 June. Each of New Zealand’s wine regions will compete in a local round through July/August and a national winner will be chosen on August 29. Source, Winetitles.

Until now, there has been limited research into community level alcohol availability and the impact that it has upon people’s drinking habits in an Australian wine region.

- Sarah Dolan and John Griscti, page 18

Keeping an eye on the levels of organic matter in your soil is also a crucial part of managing the efficiency of your irrigations. Organic matter retains up to five times as much water and has three times the nutrient holding capacity of clay and is a fantastic pH buffer as well.

- Sam Bowman, page 25

A five-year project involving so many researchers and so much money cannot help but further elucidate factors affecting Shiraz wine style and quality.

- Richard Smart, page 35

I can’t blame a grower who’s worked their whole life in the vineyard wanting to get as much money as they can for their retirement. We need to talk about the options and the opportunities for the next generation of independent grapegrowers. But until all the options get floated, some people won’t even know what they might be able to achieve.

- Adrian Hoffmann, page 39

A really lively, fresh dry white can’t be called ‘Big Fine Girl’ or ‘The Monster Mash’ – it has to have a label description very closely fitting the style in the glass.

- Tony Hall, page 51

“I’m so involved with everything and I love that feeling and being able to make immediate progress for the owner.

- Melanie Chester, page 55

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.winetitles.com.au/dwn.

6 Grapegrower & Winemaker

What started off as a joke formed into something pretty epic. David asked us what grape we should team up on as I said Lagrein as a bit of a joke. I didn’t think it was grown in the vicinity.

- Nick Jones, page 59 www.winetitles.com.au

July 2017 – Issue 642

from the editor

Nathan Gogoll Editor

The right-hand man quietly retires IN 1996, WHEN I WAS in Year 10, I spent a couple days at the Penfolds Nuriootpa winery on ‘work experience’.

I’m not sure teenagers would get approval from Penfolds to turn up and shadow a winemaker these days. But it’s not what you know, Steve Lienert (pictured right) is my dad’s cousin.

So there I was, 21 years ago, sitting in the winemakers’ tasting room while Steve worked his way through a red classification... a crate of samples, in re-purposed West Coast wine cooler bottles. I think I was tasting and spitting, but I can’t remember for certain.

In my mind, the short walk from Lienert’s office to the tasting room took us past huge red fermenters, through an underground barrel hall, via the cooperage where hogsheads were being shaved and re-toasted, past a big slowturning rotary drum vacuum filter and then through the lunch room.

In reality, it was more of a half-day tour that Steve had taken me on, showing me a few of the different elements of the winery, rather than the regular walk from the office to the tasting room.

When Lienert went home for lunch, I sat in his office and shared my sandwich with an early edition of The Rewards of Patience. Lienert let me keep the book.

One afternoon he drove me out to the Kalimna vineyards. I don’t think we specifically looked at vineyards, or if we did I wasn’t paying enough attention, but I do remember tasting fortified wine straight out of the barrel in the Kalimna Tawny Cellars. For my teenage palate, this was a pretty good experience.

In 1996 I turned 15 and Lienert clocked

up 18 years with Penfolds. I reckon it was about 10 years later, when I was working as a local journo in the Barossa, I went back to Kalimna when the tasting panel for another edition of The Rewards of Patience was gathered. Lienert was there, so was Ray Beckwith, and Peter Gago was holding court.

Lienert introduced me to Beckwith and told me how important he’d been for the wine industry in Australia. In my mind it was a great conversation.

In reality, it was probably a few dopey questions from me and some patient answers from Beckwith and Lienert.

Then Gago grabbed me (not literally, but when he turns his attention to you that’s what it almost feels like).

When Lienert handed a copy of the book to me in the mid-90s he said it might come in handy one day, or it might be a good one to pass onto dad. When Gago gave me a copy, he asked if I’d like it signed. In the past few weeks Gago was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, while Lienert retired quietly without any fanfare. Gago is a tireless promoter of premium Australian wine and deserves every accolade. Lienert’s rock-steady role for the winery has been just as important, but he’s not in the spotlight.

I heard a whisper about Lienert’s retirement plans late last year and put in a request for an interview. In the middle of December I got this note: “He’s quite reserved about talking about it... I think once we’re closer to June, he might be happy to talk.”

When I followed up in June, I got knocked back. “He said while he appreciated the interest, he’d like

to quietly retire without being in the spotlight, so he would like to politely decline your offer.”

Steve is the only winemaker to have claimed the Barons of Barossa ‘winemaker of the year’ title twice. He was honoured as an individual in 2016 and was also a recipient of the same award in 2007, when the ‘Grange winemakers’ were recognised as a team. As the Baron’s 2016 media release pointed out, he redefines the quiet achiever moniker.

“Rock solid, totally committed, 100% Penfolds.”

I wish him all the best for his postPenfolds life.

Enjoy the read

SEPTEMBER 6-7, 2017 THE VINE INN BAROSSA VALLEY, SA REGISTER ONLINE WWW.WEA.ORG.AU

July 2017 – Issue 642

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

7

on the grapevine

Victorian Wine Industry Strategy WINE VICTORIA has welcomed a State Government commitment of almost of $900,000 of new funding towards the second round of the Victorian Government’s Wine Growth Fund.

Damien Sheehan, Wine Victoria chair, said the strategy had been more than 18 months in the making and mapped the way industry and government had agreed to work together.

“We are delighted with the very clear partnership we now have with the Victorian Government in this strategy,” Sheehan said.

“The industry has gone through some

difficult times in recent years but all the signs are that we are well on the way to blowing the bad times out of the water.

“We have increasing grape prices, record exports into China and a growing number of visitors heading to cellar doors – this strategy aims to ensure the winemakers and grapegrower can make the most of these opportunities.”

The Wine Industry Development Strategy was designed in consultation with Wine Victoria, as well as a number of industry leaders and Victorian wine companies.

The strategy was designed to identify

critical pressure points experienced by industry and deliver programs against the following areas: • Best practice Viticulture • Visitation to wine regions • Profitable and sustainable export markets • Strengthen industry structure and coordination.

Currently the wine industry directly contributes $7.6 billion to the Victorian economy and employs almost 13,000 people – most of these jobs are in regional Victoria.

Representatives of Wine Victoria, the Wine Industry Ministerial Advisory Committee and the State Government recently welcomed the second round of the Wine Growth Fund: Neil Burgess (Glenelg Shire Council), Katherine Brown (Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard), John Harris (Mitchell Harris Wines), Chris Dent (Murray Valley Wine Growers Inc), Nikki Palun (Octtava Wines Pty Ltd), Mark Krstic (Australian Wine Research Institute), Rachael Sweeney (Wine Victoria), Kim Chalmers (Chalmers Wine Pty Ltd), Jaala Pulford (Victorian Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development), Kate McIntyre (Moorooduc Estate), Danielle Green (Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Victoria) and Michael Dal Zotto (Dal Zotto Wines).

It takes a village to raise a vintage PETER LEHMANN WINES launched a new domestic marketing campaign in late May. It is the first brand marketing campaign for more than five years from the Barossa winery and celebrates the many hands of the Barossa community involved in every bottle of Peter Lehmann wine.

The ‘It takes a village to raise a vintage’ campaign, created by Ikon Sydney, was built on two key consumer insights: 1. Knowing the target consumer wants to feel connected to the wine’s story; and 2. The belief that hand-crafted wines are more premium and sophisticated.

“The rich diversity of people in Peter Lehmann’s winemaking community has been at the heart of the brand since the winery was founded in 1982,”

8 Grapegrower & Winemaker

said Michael Sergeant, Casella Family Brands marketing manager.

“Today our winemaking family includes growers and pickers, viticulturists and winemakers; and thanks to the skill and passion of each and every one of these individuals we are able to produce incredible wines that showcase the very best of the region.

“We wanted to connect our consumers with the people behind the brand. This campaign helps tell the story of our deep history in the Barossa, and our special winemaking community who all share a passion for making great wine.”

The campaign will target Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and will be supported by online advertising and social media activity. www.winetitles.com.au

Wine show management software THE AWRI HAS DEVELOPED a new software system to manage all aspects of running a wine show. Incorporating online entries, electronic scoring and instant results, ShowRunner brings all administration and manual functions together to make running a wine show simple and seamless. Used by the Langhorne Creek Wine Show recently – and other wine shows last year – the software has already been adopted by a number of Australian wine shows for 2017, with interest also coming from overseas.

The online entry module allows exhibitors to enter details of their wines once and then enter across multiple shows. Entry fees can also be paid online.

Show organisers can monitor entries in preparation for judging and judges use iPads to enter their scores and comments.

The results are generated instantly.

July 2017 – Issue 642

Australian wine roadshow in China MORE THAN 2000 of China’s wine buyers, trade and media attended the 2017 Wine Australia China Roadshow in May. Some exhibitors have already uncovered promising commercial leads as a result of participating in this year’s Roadshow, the largest yet since Wine Australia first hosted it in 2012.

Wine Australia partnered with Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia (PIRSA) during the Roadshow, to highlight the food and wines of SA to the China market.

Willa Yang, Wine Australia Head of Market, China, said this was the sixth China Roadshow, “and the biggest ever with more than 50 exhibitors”.

“The result is very encouraging as we see so many quality visitors attending the Roadshow,” Yang said.

“I also appreciate the efforts of every Australian winery and their in-market partners who have participated in this important marketing activity. Our collaborative efforts over the last few years have helped Chinese trade and consumers discover the diversity and dynamic culture of Australian wine.”

The China Roadshow visited four cities in mid-May: Fuzhou (400-plus visitors), Chongqing (300-plus visitors), Zhengzhou (400-plus visitors) and Beijing (around 900 visitors). More than 400 Australian wines from more than 75 brands across nearly 30 wine regions were showcased to the wine trade insiders and wine consumers in the China market.

Educational classes were held in each city and attracted more than 110 people: • Fuzhou: Wine Australia Tasting Class and Victoria’s Diversity master class; • Chongqing: Wine Australia Tasting Class and Victoria’s Diversity master class; • Zhengzhou: Wine Australia Tasting Class; and • Beijing: ultra-premium Shiraz master class (co-presented by James Halliday) and Victoria’s Diversity* master class *The master class on Victoria’s Diversity was in partnership with Wine Victoria.

ASVO Mildura Seminar will be delivered in August THE MILDURA SEMINAR of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) will bring together Australian and international researchers, growers and consultants in early August.

There is a focus on new technology and emerging trends.

“The goal of the seminar is to deliver valuable, current and bankable information to our industry that can be directly translated to businesses,” said Brett McClen, chair of the ASVO Program Committee.

The seminar, along with the social program, will allow delegates to network with other professionals and researchers in the industry.

“We believe the two key drivers for your attendance this year are the relevance of our seminar session topics and networking benefits,” said Dr Mardi Longbottom, ASVO president.

“The wine and grape industry is fast changing, complex and highly competitive, and people want the latest information, research and analysis as a way to stay competitive.”

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July 2017 – Issue 642

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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news

Australian WSET graduates an inspiration

Ed Merrison, the dux of the Australian WSET Diploma.

THE WINE & SPIRIT EDUCATION TRUST has paid tribute to Australia’s Diploma graduates, calling them a “great inspiration” to the local drinks industry.

In all 21 graduates from the 2015/16 academic year were fêted in events in Melbourne and Sydney this month. These included Australian dux Ed Merrison of Melbourne-based distributor CellarHand (and past contributor to this publication), whose overall distinction in the Diploma placed him in the top one per cent of WSET students worldwide.

“Graduates of the WSET Diploma are among the elite of Australia’s drinks industry, holding senior positions in a range of sectors from sommeliers and wine merchants to key roles within multinationals and distributors,” said Jude Mullins, WSET international development director, who visited Australia to present the certificates.

“Their talent and contributions to the Australian drinks industry is a great inspiration. At both a collective and individual level our graduates are examples of how specialist-level education in wine and spirits opens doors and provides opportunities, locally and globally.”

The Diploma is the fourth and uppermost level of attainment offered

by WSET. It is viewed as one of the wine world’s highest qualifications, with Jancis Robinson dubbing it “virtually a pre-requisite for the Master of Wine”.

The Diploma comprises six units of study, each designed to develop expertise in a specific area. These range from viticulture and winemaking to the

global business of alcoholic beverages, in addition to theory and tasting exams on still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world.

Australia’s newly anointed Diploma graduates were among 460 from around the globe, and now join a rarefied field of 9,000 people ever to have achieved the feat since WSET’s inception in 1969.

Top graduate Merrison, whose performance earned him the nowdefunct Fine Wine Partners Scholarship, said he found the depth and breadth of the course “challenging and thoroughly enriching”.

“It encompasses all regions of the world and all wine styles, right the way up and down the price and quality ladder,” he added. “It demands a thorough knowledge of every aspect of wine, from production to the workings of the global drinks trade. It’s great to delve into it all with a stimulating mix of people, from winemakers to sommeliers and sales people, and to learn from some of the sharpest mentors around.”

The academic year 2015/16 was WSET’s most successful to date, with a record 72,171 exams taken globally, an increase of 17% on the previous year, marking 14 consecutive years of growth.

Australia was singled out as a particularly dynamic market, with, 2,518 candidates enrolled in various WSET courses, which represents 18% growth year on year.

Aldi Rosé: Creating an inflated sense of success Camellia Aebischer reports

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN click-bait style articles pop up in your Facebook feed recently praising the Aldi rosé that was placed as “one of the best in the world” by an award “just like the wine Olympics”.

Although Daily Wine News did cover the silver medal award, and while it is an achievement for the winemaking team, the claim to be “one of the best in the world” requires further scrutiny.

The Aldi marketing team certainly did a stellar job at publicising their award, especially considering there hasn’t been anywhere near as much press from other winemakers who won Platinum Best medals – which are three levels higher than the Aldi win.

To put this in to perspective, Aldi’s Rosé – named The Exquisite Collection

10 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Côtes De Provence 2016 – was among 3340 entries that were also awarded silver medals at the International Wine Competition.

It was also one of six wines that Aldi won silver medals for, so perhaps the highlighting the rosé achievement was more about the timing – right before the Northern Hemisphere summer.

There were almost 14,700 wines that received an award at the International Wine Competition – ranging from Platinum Best, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Commended categories.

When you look at the “just like the wine Olympics” claim, it is clearly flawed. Unlike the Olympic Games, the wines judged in this competition were only included because of their initiative to enter. www.winetitles.com.au

There is a 126GBP entry fee plus VAT (tax) for those who are part of the European Union.

The winemaker also must arrange shipping of the wine to the UK at their own expense, and if they are successful in receiving a medal must pay additional fees for the stickers to place on their bottles.

Of course, there’s also the difference between the Olympics handing out just three medals in each event, compared to the wine show that hands as many medals out as wines that meet the standard.

Aldi have every right to talk up their success, but it seems that the credit is being unevenly distributed. Perhaps it’s time for smaller wine labels to take notes on Aldi’s marketing techniques?

July 2017 – Issue 642

THE ECONOMY TRACTOR FOR YOU WHATEVER YOUR FIELD Introducing the Series T T4 utility tractors from New Holland. Ranging from 55 – 90 horsepower, these feature packed tractors come standard with:

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So for a fair go visit your local New Holland Dealer.

movers & shakers

Walsh reappointed as AGWA chair BRIAN WALSH has been reappointed as chair of Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) board. The announcement was made in late June

by Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, confirming a three-year term from 1 July.

Walsh has been the chair since AGWA was formed in 2014, starting in an acting role, after the merger of Wine Australia and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.

“Under Brian’s leadership, AGWA has been established quickly and effectively and seen a very successful first few years,” Minister Ruston said.

“I am delighted to announce his reappointment today for a further three years.

“Australian wine growers are facing emerging opportunities and ongoing challenges and Mr Walsh and the board

are making a substantial contribution to improving returns across the industry, which I’m sure they will continue to do.”

Ruston said she was “very optimistic” about the future of the wine industry with many positive signs of growth.

“AGWA is focused on investing in research and development, building international and domestic markets, encouraging adoption of new technologies and protecting the reputation of our wine industry all with the aim of supporting a prosperous Australian grape and wine sector,” she said.

“Australian bottled wine exports grew 9 per cent to an average $5.35 per litre in 2015-2016, its highest level since October 2003.

“Mr Walsh’s reappointment means he will be able to continue to oversee AGWA’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan and the implementation of the $50 million Export

and Regional Wine Support package which will drive exports and promote our fabulous wine tourism offering to the world. I have every confidence that under his stewardship AGWA’s exciting initiatives will be delivered.”

Walsh has worked within the wine industry since 1968, both as a winemaker, manager and executive.

He has also held chair and director positions on various wine industry bodies, including being a member of the former Wine Australia Corporation.

His previous industry representative roles include president of the South Australian Wine Industry Association, chair of the South Australian Wine Tourism Advisory Board, and chair of Barossa Winemakers Committee.

Walsh is currently the independent chair of Riverland Wine.

New independent board for Australian Vignerons AUSTRALIAN VIGNERONS has announced the election of the inaugural independent board for the national advocacy body – transitioning from the interim board that has been in place since September 2016.

The board election completes a suite of reforms, which received unanimous endorsement from members at last September’s special general meeting, which delivered a new name for Wine Grape Growers Australia as well as changes to membership, adoption of a new constitution and a renewed focus.

Joanna Andrew, Australian Vignerons independent chair, said the new board members have a wide array of skills from across the sector, including grapegrowing, viticulture,

winemaking, wine marketing, research and development, biosecurity knowledge, and general wine business.

“This reflects the whole-of-industry focus of Australian Vignerons in working toward an improvement in profitability for its members, and the whole sector,” Andrew said.

The newly-elected board includes four people who served on the interim board – Mardi Longbottom, Ben Rose, Colin Bell and Brett Proud, and new members including Jonathan Lord, Anna Hooper, Simon West and Vince O’Brien (more information can be found in the regular update from Australian Vignerons which starts on Page 21).

Joanna Andrew continues in her role as independent chair.

The new board began work immediately across numerous issues such as the implementation of the recently announced ‘export and regional wine support package’, research and development priorities, commercial trading, raising awareness of biosecurity issues and committing to better collaboration and alignment between existing industry bodies.

Andrew Weeks, Australian Vignerons CEO, said “this wonderfully positive move follows a concerning time for the national advocacy body and, while there is more to do to in order to secure the long term future for AV, there are capable and committed people working for the benefit of those who grow and make wine”.

New AWRI role for Mark Krstic MARK KRSTIC has been appointed as the new business development manager at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). Krstic is transitioning from within the organisation, from the role as the AWRI’s Victorian Node manager which he has held for the past five-and-a-half years.

With his new role, Mark will oversee the identification and development of new business opportunities and

14 Grapegrower & Winemaker

managing the legal and contractual affairs for the AWRI. “The role encompasses all the business and commercial services offered for the industry, but also outside of the wine sector,” Krstic said.

“My background is in viticulture, with a lot of R&D projects, but in this role I’ll be wearing a suit jacket.”

Krstic lives in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, but will spend Monday to Wednesday www.winetitles.com.au

in Adelaide for this role – a similar arrangement he handled with a role at the former Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.

“I’m stoked, excited and nervous all in the same breath,” he said.

Krstic has taken over the role from Vince O’Brien, who had been with the AWRI since 2007 and has recently stepped down to concentrate on his own new business.

July 2017 – Issue 642

Young Gun of Wine award winner announced IN THE 11TH YEAR of the awards, Michael Downer from Murdoch Hill in the Adelaide Hills, claimed the prestigious Riedel Young Gun of Wine trophy.

The award was announced at the POW Kitchen & Bandroom (at St Kilda’s Prince of Wales Hotel) and Downer said he was caught off guard with his win and didn’t have a speech prepared.

“The Top 50 is an awesome list of winemakers, and then I felt making the Final 12 was such an achievement. To now be titled Young Gun of Wine, and join a list of winemakers that I consider to be some of the most admired winemakers in Australia, is an unbelievable honour,” Downer said.

While Downer claimed the mostcoveted trophy, a number of other awards were announced at the event.

The People’s Choice award – judged at two public tasting events held in Sydney and Melbourne – went to Peter Dredge with his Meadowbank Wines, a newly launched label from a well-established vineyard in Tasmania.

taken out by Rob Mack from Aphelion, based in McLaren Vale.

The First Drop Danger Zone award, for the ‘most adventurous wine’ was also presented to Brave New Wine’s 2016 Wonderland Botanical Riesling – a Riesling infused with native botanicals, made in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

These award winners were selected from 200 winemaker entries. A Top 50 was announced earlier this year, ahead of the Final 12, each in contention for the winemaker trophies.

The 2017 judges included Nick Stock (Gourmet Traveller WINE, et al) Mike Bennie (Delicious, et al), Emma Farrelly (State Building), Philip Rich (The Lucas Group), Pip Anderson (MONA), Josh Elias (Alquimie), Rory Kent (Young Gun of Wine Founder and Executive Style) and Josephine Perry (Dormilona, 2016 Young Gun of Wine winner).

Young Gun of Wine – Michael Downer.

The Ocean Eight Winemaker’s Choice, voted by the 12 finalists, was awarded to John Hughes of Rieslingfreak.

The Wine Australia Best New Act was

The full list of the 2017 Top 50 can be found on the Young Gun of Wine website, www.younggunofwine.com.

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news

WET reform package introduced to parliament THE WINEMAKERS’ FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA believes a bright new era for the Australian wine industry will follow the introduction of legislative amendments to the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET).

The Federation expects the package to pass into legislation (it was introduced into Parliament in late June – specifically, Treasury Laws Amendment [2017 Measure No.4] Bill 2017) and the changes are set to effectively remove market distortions as well as offer direct support the wine industry.

Tony Battaglene, the Federation’s chief executive, said this latest development was the result of several years of hard work by Australian winemakers, advocating for improvements to the integrity of the WET system.

“We are genuinely heartened by the goodwill on all sides of politics to get where we are today,” Battaglene said.

“The Government has listened to and worked with industry every step of the way to get these legislative amendments right.

“This support has also been mirrored by the Opposition, minor parties and independents who all recognise the critical economic and social contribution of the wine industry to local tourism,

I urge all Members of Parliament and Senators to support these amendments as they pass through both Houses during the spring sitting weeks, and thank those who continue to champion our great industry.

- Tony Battaglene, WFA chief executive

jobs, economic growth and long-term sustainability.

“These amendments will remove distortions to the supply/demand balance for wine grapes by improving the integrity of the tax system and continue to deliver the economic conditions needed for investment in the production of highquality Australian wines across all of our 65 regions.

“Coupled with the $50 million

Export and Regional Tourism Package and the Cellar Door Grant program, the framework for industry success is set. We are now ready to deliver it.

“I urge all Members of Parliament and Senators to support these amendments as they pass through both Houses during the spring sitting weeks, and thank those who continue to champion our great industry.”

Vineyard sells for close to $40K per acre TREASURY WINE ESTATES has purchased more than 250 acres of McLaren Vale vineyards for $10 million. The property comprises three separate vineyards which were sold as a single transaction. The company which handled the transaction said the purchaser had chosen to remain anonymous – but the news it was Treasury has already spread widely across the McLaren Vale region.

The three vineyards are located at Tatachilla (and included the ‘Connors Farm’ property, named after Connor Sparrow – a previous owner and local legend, as well as parcels previously owned by Bill Sparrows (Connor’s son) and Norm Doole.

Russell Iles, Knight Frank’s associate director of Agri Business in South Australia, brokered the deal and said the sale was significant for the region.

16 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Illes said the property received strong interest from local and international investors, which demonstrated a growing demand for high-quality South Australian vineyards.

“We’re noticing a growing demand for vineyards with a track record for high-quality production,” Iles said. “South Australian wineries are renowned for consistently producing at the highest standard, and as such, they attract investors, both locally and from overseas.

“At $10 million, the sale achieved close to $40,000 an acre which is an excellent result. It’s a significant win for McLaren Vale and really sets the bar for future transactions.”

The vendors said they were very pleased with the result.

The vineyard offers premium-grade fruit, heavily weighted to mainstream

www.winetitles.com.au

varieties such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with an attractive supply of in-demand alternate varieties. The well-established vineyard is in excellent condition and boasts a substantial water license – one of the most integral factors to vine health security.

The sale comes 18 months after Knight Frank established a dedicated Agri Business division, solely focused on agricultural and viticulture properties.

Since launch, Knight Frank has sold a total of 709 acres in McLaren Vale – approximately 17% of the acreage planted to vines in region.

Treasury Wine Estates was unable to comment on this matter when contacted, due to a self-imposed media blackout which concludes with the release of the 2016-17 Financial Year results on August 17.

July 2017 – Issue 642

AWRI board election NOMINATIONS ARE CURRENTLY being sought for three Levy Payerelected Director positions on the AWRI Board, which will become vacant on 31 December 2017.

This is an excellent opportunity for an interested candidate to become involved in the Australian wine industry’s own R&D organisation and, in addition to their other duties and responsibilities, provide a ‘coalface’ perspective to the direction and priorities of the AWRI’s research, development, extension and commercialisation activities.

The current board members include Louisa Rose, Toby Bekkers, Ben Bryant, John Harvey, Kim Horton, Dan Johnson, Kiaran Kirk, Stuart McNab, Liz Riley and Mark Watson.

The AWRI’s Constitution provides that there will be not less than seven nor more than 11 Directors. Six of those directors are nominated and/or elected by organisations that pay the Wine Grapes Levy.

Levy Payers in the small (<2,000

tonnes), medium (2,001-50,000 tonnes) and large (50,001+ tonnes) producer categories are called on to nominate suitably qualified candidates for the vacant positions.

In the event that more than one nomination is received for a particular category, an election will be held. Levy Payers in that category will have the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate.

If an election is necessary, it will be held in August/September 2017 and further information will be published at the time.

Successful candidates will take office on 1 January 2018 for a term of three years.

All Wine Grapes Levy payers have been sent an explanatory letter and nomination form by email.

Nomination forms and further information on the election process can also be found on the AWRI website.

Nominations close on Friday, 28 July 2017 at 5pm.

Talented taster uncovered DAN GRAHAM, RedHeads Studio winemaker/manager, was recently announced as the dux of the 39th Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC).

His selection was based on statistical scores, verbal skills and group interaction.

“The AWAC was a great opportunity to expand my perspective on wine styles and test myself on where I am at in my career,” Graham said. “It is rare to have exposure to such a range of wines in such a short time. The course also made me rethink how to approach certain aspects of my work as a winemaker.”

As dux, Dan was offered a place as an associate judge at the recent Royal Queensland Wine Show Con Simos, Australian Wine Research Institute group manager – who is responsible for the course, said Graham demonstrated “an excellent combination of tasting skills and ability to communicate about wine”.

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July 2017 – Issue 642

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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news

Rethink your third drink A review of alcohol consumption and awareness in the Barossa Sarah Dolan and John Griscti – final year medical students at Flinders University – recently surveyed more than 300 Barossa Valley general practice patients about their alcohol use and understanding of safe drinking guidelines. They found that increased access to alcohol was associated with increased alcohol consumption.

They also found that wine industry employment was related to greater alcohol consumption and poorer understanding of safe drinking guidelines. The combination of increased access and consumption of alcohol, and seemingly limited understanding of safe drinking guidelines place wine industry personnel in a high risk group for alcohol-related harm.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION is firmly ingrained in Australian culture with 75.5% of Australians over the age of 12 years having consumed alcohol in the past 12 months (Bowden et al., 2014).

In recognition of this, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) periodically release the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol.

The latest guidelines state, “for

18 Grapegrower & Winemaker

healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury”.

(NHMRC, 2009) While the economic and social impact of the wine industry is invaluable to Australia, it remains important to promote a culture of safe and healthy drinking.

Harmful levels of alcohol consumption have been linked to health problems such www.winetitles.com.au

as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease, and have also been shown to increase the risk of traffic accidents and crime. According to a 2014 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, ‘risky drinkers’ are less likely to be aware of the number of standard drinks an adult can drink before putting their health at risk.

Many people who live in a wine producing area like the Barossa Valley July 2017 – Issue 642

have access to wine allowances and ‘mates rates’ through personal wine industry employment, or through family and friends. Previous research has shown there is a relationship between easy access to alcohol and increased alcohol consumption. Until now, there has been limited research into community level alcohol availability and the impact that it has upon people’s drinking habits in an Australian wine region. Dolan and Griscti set out to understand how well people living in a wine producing region understand the guidelines and whether people with access to wine allowances have different consumption patterns compared with those that do not.

STUDY DESIGN Dolan and Griscti anonymously surveyed 311 general practice patients in the Barossa Valley, asking about their alcohol access, alcohol use and understanding of the Australian alcohol consumption guidelines.

Survey responses were entered directly by the participant via iPad in a private section of the GP waiting room and submitted online without the use of names or any identifying information.

Survey participants were asked to

AT-A-GLANCE: • P eople living and working in wine producing regions generally have increased access to free or discounted alcohol, and many appear to lack adequate education and understanding of alcohol risks and safe consumption.

• Access to free or discounted alcohol is associated with increased consumption.

Employment within the wine industry is also related to greater alcohol consumption.

• The combination of increased access and consumption of alcohol, and seemingly limited understanding of safe drinking guidelines place wine industry personnel in a high-risk group for alcohol related harm.

• A potential harm minimisation strategy for the wine industry may be to encourage open discussion and provide support for community members faced with alcohol related issues. Flinders Rural Health SA is currently undertaking further research to investigate community acceptance of local alcohol support services in the Barossa Valley.

describe their level of access to free or discounted alcohol, and to define their individual connection to the wine industry. The survey asked whether they were personally employed in the wine industry or had a close contact in the wine industry. An evidence-based alcohol use questionnaire, the AUDIT-C screening tool, which was developed by the World Health Organisation (Bradley et al., 2007) formed the basis of the alcohol consumption related questions.

The survey population comprised 35%

males and 65% females, aged over 18 years. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the survey population identified as residents of the Barossa Valley, while the remaining 15% were visitors to the region.

THE FINDINGS Alcohol Access The data showed that 40% of survey respondents did not have access to discounted alcohol, 39% had moderate access to discounted alcohol through

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31/05/17 5:32 PM Grapegrower & Winemaker 19

news CONCLUSION

family or friends ’mates rates’, and 21% were able to easily purchase discounted alcohol through their own employment wine allowance (Figure 1).

Sixty percent (60%) of survey respondents had no access to free alcohol, 24% had moderate access to free alcohol through family or friends, and 16% had easy access to free alcohol through their own employment wine allowance (Figure 1). The data also showed that 24% of survey respondents accessed free or discounted alcohol at least monthly, with one third of this group accessing free or discounted alcohol at least weekly.

Consumption To expand their understanding of alcohol drinking culture in the Barossa Valley, Dolan and Griscti asked survey participants to report how often and how much they drink alcohol. Unsurprisingly, the survey results showed that people who have access to free or discounted alcohol reported greater consumption.

The consumption rate was especially higher in those with access to free alcohol. Not only was access to free or discounted alcohol associated with increased consumption, employment within the wine industry was also related to greater alcohol consumption, as shown in Figure 2. Forty-four percent (44%) of wine industry employees reported drinking alcohol at least four days per week, compared to 26% of non-wine industry employees.

According to the NHMRC Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol, “drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related

20 Grapegrower & Winemaker

injury…”.

Compared to non-wine industry employed Barossans, Dolan and Griscti found that wine industry employees are more likely to consume an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period (i.e. six or more standard drinks on one occasion). Thirty-five (35%) percent of wine industry employed survey respondents consumed six or more drinks on one occasion at least monthly, compared to 17% of those not employed in the wine industry.

Dolan and Griscti asked participants about problematic alcohol consumption in the past year. Fifteen percent (15%) of wine industry employees stated that a friend, family member or healthcare worker had been concerned about their drinking, compared to only 6% of nonwine industry employees.

Knowledge of the guidelines Even though the latest edition of the NHMRC Guideline was released in 2009 this research suggests that the guidelines are still poorly understood, particularly so amongst wine industry employees. More than half of survey respondents incorrectly reported the NHMRC safe daily alcohol limit of two standard drinks per day. Wine industry employees were more likely to overestimate drinking recommendations indicating low awareness of safe alcohol consumption guidelines. This concerned Dolan and Griscti because wine industry employees have not only been shown to consume more alcohol, but have also demonstrated a poorer understanding of the safe drinking guidelines, putting them at increased risk of alcohol related harm. www.winetitles.com.au

Dolan and Griscti postulate that ’risky drinking’ in the Barossa Valley may be due to a combination of factors including both increased acceptance of alcohol related risks, access to discounted alcohol and poor understanding of safe drinking guidelines.

Their research findings confirm that wine industry employment is associated with increased alcohol consumption and increased access to free or discounted alcohol.

It may be that the Barossa Valley culture contributes to increased acceptance and “normality” of frequent alcohol consumption, especially within the wine industry.

Given that the Barossa Valley wine industry is so fundamental to the region’s international reputation, it is important to preserve the health and wellbeing of the people who contribute to the industry.

Low awareness about safe alcohol consumption guidelines, particularly amongst wine industry employees, raises concerns and highlights the need for wine industry education.

They hope their findings motivate wine industry stakeholders to educate employees about alcohol related risks, and the importance of safe and healthy consumption.

About the authors Sarah Dolan and John Griscti are final year medical students at Flinders University. As Barossa Valley locals with wine industry experience, their research into wine industry alcohol use is of personal significance and interest. This research was supervised by Dr Elena Rudnik who is a research academic, and Dr Adrian Griscti who is a GP and clinical educator. Sarah, John, Elena and Adrian have access to free and discounted wine.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014.

National Drug Strategy Household Survey detailed report.

Bowden, J.A., Delfabbro, P., Room, R., Miller, C.L. and Wilson, C., 2014. Alcohol consumption and NHMRC guidelines: has the message got out, are people conforming and are they aware that alcohol causes cancer?. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 38(1), pp.66-72.

Bradley, K. A., DeBenedetti, A. F., Volk, R. J., Williams, E. C., Frank, D., & Kivlahan, D. R. 2007. AUDIT-C as a Brief Screen for Alcohol Misuse in Primary Care.

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(7), pp. 1208-1217.

Bryden, A., Roberts, B., McKee, M. and Petticrew, M., 2012. A systematic review of the influence on alcohol use of community level availability and marketing of alcohol. Health & place, 18(2), pp.349-357.

National Health and Medical Research Council, 2009.

Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.nhmrc. gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/ds10alcohol.pdf July 2017 – Issue 642

National framework for a strong national voice

The Newsletter of Australian Vignerons

July 2017

Short-term wins or long-term gains?

AUSTRALIAN VIGNERONS is excited to welcome it’s first independent, skillsbased board. The change from having a representative board to a skills-based board is the last link in the chain of reform to better address the advocacy needs of a modern industry in modern times, and reflects the necessary whole of industry focus.

The board members, coming from a range of industry occupations and experiences bring a wide perspective and understanding to the way that the wine sector operates. This will enable Australian Vignerons to better address the core roles of advocacy, addressing biosecurity responsibilities and input into research, development and extension priorities on behalf of its members.

The initial idea behind the changes made to Australian Vignerons was not only to improve the governance of the national body, but also to engender a whole of industry perspective, and to more effectively engage on advocacy issues further along the supply chain.

This means finding a balance between retaining a separate voice for when it is needed, and supporting the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia on issuess that boost the wine sector as a whole.

This column has made it clear in the past that there is less distinction between growing fruit and making wine now than ever before, with more growers owning brands and selling wine; and with over a third of the national vineyard area in the ownership of wine companies. It makes

Link between FOB wine price and wine grape prices. Data: Wine Australia

sense to act as a combined voice when dealing with the Federal Government, a position that the government itself has repeatedly made.

This change has not been easy. A decade of hard times has reduced the level of trust between winemakers and growers, as the last edition of Australian Winegrower noted. This has blurred the focus in what is really important in national advocacy.

As the CEO of a national advocacy body, I strongly believe that Australian Vignerons should be positively focused at lifting the fortunes of its members and the sector as a whole, and that this is best achieved by industry members working as a collective toward mutually beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders.

Arguments that give short term ‘wins’ for

one group over another, or one advocacy body over another are not constructive, and not in the long term interest.

There is a better reason for thinking and acting positively in this way. Where the past membership of Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA) was solely for independent growers, the current membership of AV is broader, for those who grow and make wine.

Wine grape prices are directly related with the free on board (FOB) value of wine exported from our shores. This should be self-evident but, with the lack of trust and deep suspicion that has pervaded throughout the sector over more than a decade of hardship, I have heard many growers relate to me that wine companies are making sound profits at the expense of growers.

Level 1, Industry House, National Wine Centre Cnr Botanic and Hackney Roads, Adelaide, SA 5000 Telephone (08) 8133 4400 Fax (08)8133 4466 Email info@australianvignerons.com.au Website www.australinvignerons.com.au

Australian Vignerons News

However the chart below (data from Wine Australia) clearly shows the link between wine value and grape prices.

The relationship is almost lock-step, with the only departure coming from the increase in prices paid for fruit in the 2008 drought year when wine companies were concerned that growers would not be able to lease water and grow fruit, thus endangering supply contracts.

It is true to observe there is clear room for improvement in the commercial relationships in many parts of the industry, and that some of the dealing between wine companies and growers apportion a large risk upon some growers. There is also much room for improvement in the communications around fruit intake, in particular during times of high disease pressure. However, the primary cause of low grape prices is not wine companies that are making big margins ‘callously not sharing profit’. It is the market value of wine.

This relationship stands to reason.

The most basic grasp of the laws of supply and demand state that when a commodity is in high demand, it can command a higher price. In the context of Australian wine; when wine companies are selling large amounts of wine at good profits, they will be tripping over each other to buy fruit and they will be willing to pay for it.

The recent years of low value offers for the purchase of wine grapes have come about because many brand owners cannot make deals work unless the purchase price of the contributing fruit is low enough to allow a sale at the lower wine values dictated by the prevailing market conditions. It is valid to question why Australia, as a relatively high cost producer by world standards, should choose to play in the bottom end of wine markets.

This wine and fruit value relationship affirms the ‘whole of industry’ approach that Australian Vignerons has adopted as part of its reform. It is the reason why it is important to have board members with knowledge and experience not only in viticulture and growing grapes, but also in winemaking, marketing, wine business, and other industry skills. It is the reason why AV is becoming involved in issues relating to wine marketing, and why it was involved so deeply in the recent consultation around the Export and Regional Wine Support Package

As the CEO of a national advocacy body, I strongly believe that Australian Vignerons should be positively focused at lifting the fortunes of its members and the sector as a whole currently being finalised by the Federal Government.

While this may seem to lead to some overlap with activity undertaken by Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA), it is certainly not in competition.

The membership base of the two organisations is very different, and as such the ability of Australian Vignerons to work in conjunction with the WFA for the common industry benefit is an important aspect of the reform to the membership of Australian Vignerons. This was a very deliberate move to change the membership from a mix of individual, company and organisational members to the current membership based soley on representative organisations. Currently this comprises state or regional wine industry bodies.

The change to membership was intended to create a clear line of communication between those working in the vineyards and cellars across the nation, through state and regional industry organisations to the national body. This encourages regular and open two-way engagement, and is intended to make sure that the voice of those who grow and make wine is heard when important national policy is being formed. There are some winemakers and growers across the nation who might not find a fit within the membership of the WFA at present, but within the membership of Australian Vignerons can find a national voice via their representative body, and can have an influence in generating positive outcomes for the wine sector.

The transition period has not been painless, however. As a result of

disagreement over some of the reforms of the national body the Riverina Winegrapes Marketing Board and Murray Valley Winegrowers chose to resign.

The resignation of these two funding members has been difficult, not only from the viewpoint of resources. It also means that those who grow and make wine in these regions lack input into the core roles of Australian Vignerons that have a national remit; namely national advocacy, biosecurity responsibilities, and input into research, development and extension priorities as written in the AWGA Act. Through concerted effort, Australian Vignerons will seek to demonstrate the benefits of membership across all potential member organisations.

Other state and regional representative bodies have made it clear that there is simply not enough money to contribute to funding representative bodies at the moment. A back of the envelope calculation suggests that if it was possible to collect a contribution from every tonne of fruit grown in the country (and it isn’t currently possible, but bear with me) 25 cents per tonne of winegrapes crushed per year would ensure the financial survival of Australian Vignerons, and allow it to work effectively for members and the industry as a whole.

While I am pleased to report that AV is currently financially stable, the goal of AV is not simply to survive. The goal is to become an effective voice for the part of the sector that its membership represents.

At present that is the growers, small brand owners and small winemakers from our member regions. It is important to access the input of these people working in the nation’s vineyards and cellars to allow them to make their national body aware of what is important to them in their jobs, and in their lives.

This will give AV the best chance to work in conjunction with other wine sector organisations toward increasing the demand for Australian wine. Increasing demand will increase wine value, and therefore allow those businesses to reinvest to grow the best fruit they can, and make the best wine they can; enhancing and preserving the value and profitability of Australian wine.

That way we can all win.

Andrew Weeks Australian Vignerons Chief Executive Officer

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Australian Vignerons News

Australian Vignerons elects new board members AUSTRALIAN VIGNERONS is pleased to announce the election of the first independent board. In accordance with the constitution the board represents a skills base in winemaking and wine business as well as grape growing. The following section provides profiles of the board members with their relevant background and experience.

in Limestone Coast. Her expertise includes business management, winemaking, wine show judging, export and viticulture. Anna now also holds a Masters in Agribusiness from the University of Melbourne. As a committed environmentalist, she has presented at sustainability and environment conferences for the wine industry both in Australia and overseas.

JOANNA ANDREW – INDEPENDENT CHAIR Following the completion of tertiary studies at Charles Sturt University, Colin has had over eighteen years experience in the wine industry, and is a graduate of the 2010 intake of the wine industry ‘Future Leaders’ program. Colin has served on the WGGA board prior to Australian Vignerons, and is in his second term on the Wines of Western Australia board. Colin sees Australian Vignerons as being very relevant to the small wine business, including growers and wine brand owners.

As part of her extensive board experience Anna has served on the South East Natural Resource Management Board, and currently sits on the boards of Vinehealth Australia, South East Water Conservation and Drainage Board as well as the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Industry Council. She is also president of the Mount Benson Vignerons Association. She was admitted to the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2013, and is a recipient of the SA Rural Women’s’ Award in 2013.

MARDI LONGBOTTOM

Colin and his family live near the beach near Margaret River in WA and he likes to spend his spare time surfing and competing in adventure races.

Jo is an equity partner at Mellor Olsson Lawyers, in Adelaide. Jo has a strong affinity with agriculture after being raised on a fruit block in the Riverland region of South Australia. Jo’s appetite for a challenge and her extensive board experience saw her as the successful candidate for the role as the first independent chair of WGGA. Strongly committed to organisational governance, Jo acts as a facilitator for the AICD, and is a specialist in the areas of director’s duties and the legal environment relating to boards.

ANNA HOOPER

COLIN BELL Colin is a viticulturist and director of AHA Viticulture, based at Dunsborough in WA, with the majority of work done in the Margaret River region. AHA Viticulture provides viticulture consultancy and business management advice, and includes financial advice and brand development.

Anna is the head winemaker and general manager at Cape Jaffa Wines in Mount Benson, SA. Following the completion of a degree in Agricultural Science, Anna travelled and worked extensively in wineries overseas, including Georgia, France, and South Africa before settling

Mardi is a returning board member of Australian Vignerons, and also fulfils the role of the Biosecurity Officer for AV, and manager of the Entwine sustainability program. Following completion of bachelor degree and masters in agricultural science, Mardi completed a PhD in 2007 and is currently employed as a senior viticulturist at the Australian Wine Research Institute. Her employment record includes extensive experience in technical and extension work, and she has written numerous peer – reviewed publications.

Mardi’s board and committee experience is also extensive, having served on WGGA, WGCSA, the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council, the University of Adelaide Council, and many other committees. Mardi has completed the

3

Australian Vignerons News AICD Company Directors Course, and is the recipient of several sustainability and innovation awards. Mardi is keen to provide continuity to the reform process of Australian Vignerons, and is keen to build collaborative working relationships between the various industry organisations.

DR VINCE O’BRIEN

JONATHAN LORD

growing up on a vineyard in the Yarra Valley. Following his graduation with Honours in Agricultural Science, he held several technical roles in wine companies before establishing his own vineyard consulting business. This work included international experience in South Africa, Spain, France and Georgia. He has since become specialised in property valuation and agribusiness, which is where he now spends most of his time.

Ben is the current representative on the ACCC Agricultural Consultative Committee, and is a captain of his local CFA volunteer brigade. While thankful of the ability for Australian Vignerons to maintain relevance, Ben is keen to build the capacity of the organisation for the benefit of members and industry alike.

Vince has recently left the position of General Manager of Business Development at the AWRI to start his own company. Building on an honours degree and PhD in chemical engineering And ongoing MBA studies, he has developed expertise on lean manufacturing, product and process innovation and business strategy.

Jonathan is the CEO of Winemaking Tasmania, the largest contract winemaker in Tasmania and is a highly specialised producer of the state’s finest wines and ciders, a task it fulfils in partnership with a strong client base of vineyard and orchard owners. Jonathan’s commitment has led to the expansion of the company, and its commitment to environmental management has been recognised.

Jonathan brings to the AV board an extensive employment history in the Australian wine industry, including roles in brand management, marketing, packaging, product development, strategy, and planning and development analysis. Is experience extends along the value chain, and his current role includes vineyard visits with the head winemaker tasting fruit for premium wine making.

A vibrant and positive person, Jon is keen to give back to the wine sector and contribute toward the leadership and sustainability of the wine sector. He is adamant that those who grow and make wine across the country should have a voice, and be able to influence the industry in which they make their livelihoods. When he is not busy working he can be found camping, gardening or spending time with his family.

4

SIMON WEST

He has extensive experience in both industrial and applied research settings, establishing capacity development programs, negotiation and management of contracts, and securing funding for the wine industry.

Vince is keen to build wine industry profitability across the whole supply chain and to enhance the relevance and value of AV to our stakeholders.

BEN ROSE

Ben continues from his recent role as an interim board member for AV. His involvement in the wine industry started

Simon is the Principal behind Fullglass Management, and he has more than 20 years’ experience in sales and marketing of fast moving consumer goods and wine in domestic and international markets.

After completing a business degree at the University of South Australia Simon worked for multinational company Procter and Gamble, and has held the position as sales manager and marketing manager for various wine companies.

He has experience in developing international markets, and online marketing; including general manager of the wine team at GraysOnline. He has successfully launched several wine brands, and has experience in the Chinese and North American markets.

Simon is keen to devote his efforts to increasing the profitability of growers and makers of wine, and in the process increase the aspirational standing of Australian wine internationally.

grapegrowing

Getting the most out of your irrigation Soil moisture performance checklist Water, alongside sunlight is the chemical substance a grapevine canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live without. Sam Bowman reports.

The age-old questions of how much, how long and how many are still rife within the viticultural landscape of Australia.

WITH RISING WATER and electricity costs for many grapegrowers along the Murray and other systems the cost of irrigation seems to be ever increasing.

With vines transitioning to dormancy and some welcome winter rains, many of us are now looking forward to pruning and planning the season ahead.

Like organising pest and disease and nutrition programs, irrigation and soil management should be looked at each year to ensure optimum efficiency of every drop that goes into the ground.

SOIL TESTS Soil tests should be completed every two years to track trends in nutrient excess or deficiency and ensure ratios of July 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 642

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

25

grapegrowing

Dripper irrigation of young vines at McWilliams Wines vineyards at Hanwood, near Griffith . Image: CSIRO

crucial elements are in check (especially calcium:magnesium).

Taken in dormancy, this gives you the opportunity to apply ground spread elements to have nutrients available when the vine again requires external nutrients after the seven-leaf stage.

Keeping an eye on the levels of organic matter in your soil is also a crucial part of managing the efficiency of your irrigations.

Organic matter retains up to five times as much water and has three times the nutrient holding capacity of clay and is a fantastic pH buffer as well.

Judging by the soil tests I’ve done across eight regions and three states this winter, many South Eastern Australian soils are low in organic matter.

While applying composts, manures and mulch is expensive, the improved efficiency down the track has its own rewards.

Composts, being rich both in bacteria and saprophytic fungi help unlock crucial elements which may be soil bound and provide efficient vehicles for nutrient cycling.

They also provide a buffer for fluctuation in soil temperature and create resistance to soil pathogens which again assists with soil fertility.

Any of the above mentioned inputs will give soil fertility a boost. In areas prone to salt accumulation be mindful of the salt content of manures and always request a current nutrient analysis before ordering.

Soil tests will cost around $130 per test depending on the provider.

UNDER VINE MULCH While it is nothing new, under vine mulch can nearly halve water use in certain circumstances. Other benefits are reduced vineyard floor temperature, reduction in herbicide inputs, increases in organic matter (again assisting in moisture and nutrient retention) and increases in yield.

26 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Mulch acts as a physical cover, reducing evaporation of irrigation water.

Increases in fungi for the breakdown of the mulch facilitate the slow release of nutrients through the season.

While the initial cost may inhibit, I’ve never seen a vineyard go backwards after applying mulch.

SOIL MOISTURE MONITORS The age-old questions of how much, how long and how many are still rife within the viticultural landscape of Australia.

Any blocky will swear by their ‘dig stick’ or be able to schedule irrigations by how the vines look.

But unless you are calculating your crop coefficient and measuring evapotranspiration rates on a weekly basis at crucial times of the growing season, there is still much guess work when it comes to irrigation scheduling for most Australian vineyards.

I use soil moisture monitors with nearly all of my clients because it is a way of taking the guess work out.

While there are many available, I personally prefer the MEA plexus system connected to ’green brain’ which transmits readings via a radio mesh network to a web based cloud – no more tapping gbugs in the field, thank God. (Disclosure: Bowman is also an agent for the MEA products) The MEA system allows me to have all of my clients vineyards on one web based platform that I can access at anytime, anywhere in the world.

Some clients use them as a rough guide and tweak their ’blanket irrigation’ approach based on the results of the first season and others check the graphs every day and schedule irrigations accordingly.

I find you learn a lot about how far your irrigations penetrate the profile and also the response rainfall has on your irrigation

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July 2017 – Issue 642

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grapegrowing scheduling. In most instances, we have found that we are over irrigating in some areas while under irrigating in others but if users take the time, these systems pay for themselves within two seasons.

Having the data available to look back on can pinpoint where things worked well, where they didn’t, and help you plan ahead in the future.

Whatever the system you go for, I can’t stress the importance and huge benefit I have seen in using this technology.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Once you know you will retain your irrigations efficiently and are watering effectively by monitoring your probes the next step is to give your existing system an overhaul.

Clean filters thoroughly in the main pumps and field stations and flush mainlines, sub-mains and drip lines (no more than 10 open at a time), performing this operation throughout the season will avoid the build-up of organic matter.

Measuring flow rates in field at several points on each block will give a good indication of any variance in pressure that needs to be addressed. I like to check flow rates across the block with a calibrated beaker as well as checking pressures in line to make sure you are getting the right output.

Uneven flow rates can cause issues with growth variability over time. This also checks the efficacy of your in line pressure compensation.

With many vineyards planted in the 90s the drip line is now 20-to-30 years old and may be due for replacement (the cost of replacement is around $1300/Ha).

At this time, it is always a good idea to check for leaks or pest damage to identify any control measures you may want to put in place for the new season (baiting/shooting).

MEA

With many vineyards planted in the 90s the drip line is now 20-to30 years old and may be due for replacement (replacement cost is around $1300/Ha).

Plexus

Bowman Viticulture and MEA, taking the guesswork out of irrigation

Taking a sample of drip line for analysis will determine if the drip system needs any chemical flushing while the vines are dormant.

If there is a build-up of any compound a chlorine or acid Plexus Mesh-networking Radio System injection can be used.

MEA’s affordable new wireless soilused moisture Chlorine should be for any slimes or sediment from iron, sulphate magnesium. monitoring system allowsor you to create a Acid will network of sensors that dissolve covers most a fewsalts, - orcarbonates, phosphates and hydroxides.

If you are unsure what the deposit is, take a sample hundreds - of hectares into your local irrigation specialist who can send away for analysis.

• Designed for years of maintenance Flushing the system using its own pressure regularly and free operation cleaning mainline and field filters will drastically reduce the needfrom for chemical intervention so preventive rather than • Local support your MEA reactive procedures will save time and money.

Agent

CONCLUSION

• Soil moisture only, or moisture, Whenever I am looking at problems in irrigation systems or temperature andthey optional ECall be avoided with a little preparation programs, can nearly and planning before the season kicks off. It is exciting to see so Field stationsmany hop data from station to station Contact Sam facets of irrigation management becoming digitalised. along an optimal path until Hubimportant is reached.

That said, it isthe still to ground truth systems no Each field station Get a 0432 618 804 mattercan the store size oritssetmeasurements up and make the most out of the precious

28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Green Brain

locally. This means that if any link in the chain resource. breaks, measurements continue until the mesh www.winetitles.com.au can heal itself. The surrounding radios simply

July 2017 – Issue 642

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grapegrowing

Mid-row crop options for vineyards Darren Fahey, from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in NSW, reports on the options available for mid-row cover crops.

VARIOUS WINTER CROPS such as brassicas, legumes and pulses are usual suspects in vegetable and broadacre cropping, but they are rarely seen in vineyard production systems.

Demonstration trials to investigate their effectiveness to establish without applied irrigation and their ability to capture free nitrogen and generate biomass as a food source to drive healthy biologically active soils in NSW/ACT vineyards was undertaken on vineyard sites in the Hunter Valley and Orange.

In the Hunter Valley there is a tendency to cultivate alternate mid-row areas within vineyard blocks each vintage while the adjacent undisturbed row allows tractor access (Figure 1).

This is a long held practice aimed at eliminating competition from weeds and breaking up heavier soils to allow water to infiltrate more readily in wetter years. However, this practice does have drawbacks such as loss of carbon to the atmosphere, disturbance, and loss of soil flora and fauna which may result in collapsed soil structure and possible sodicity issues.

Figure 1: Cultivation of mid-rows in the Hunter Valley

AT A GLANCE • Crop residues of legume shoots and roots still provide nitrogen during breakdown; • Inoculate legume seed at sowing with the recommended strain of rhizobia to maximise N fixation; • Sowing time, sowing rate, seed quality, germination rate and sowing depth are crucial factors impacting final outcome; • Discuss appropriate and suitable crop species and varietal selection with your local agronomist, consultant and/or seed supply company; • Vineyard operators should always practice crop rotation to limit pest and disease pressure.

Figure 2: Permanent mid-rows in Orange Chardonnay

W H E R E C U T T I N G E D G E M E E T S S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y • S AV E P R O D U C T I O N C O S T S B Y M U LT I -TA S K I N G

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30 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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contact us at fischeraustralis.com.au July 2017 – Issue 642

In Orange permanent mid row swards (Figure 2) are typical.

Either selected grass species or mixed natural grass and weed species are grown. This situation is utilised to allow grasses to uptake excess rainfall and allow for tractor use at all times.

Benefits of this practice are retention of soil carbon, biology and maintenance of soil structure.

METHODS Six winter crop species (Table 1), were dry sown in late May of 2016 accompanied with a starter fertiliser CROPLIFT ®15.

Fertiliser was applied as a band at the recommended rate into the top 5cm range along with the inoculated seed into fully cultivated soil at the Hunter Valley site, and direct drilled into existing soil at the Orange site. Average soil temperature at both sites remained above that of air temperature for the entire trial period. Significant rainfall followed planting across both regions over the winter with record rainfall occurring in the Orange region during the trial period (Table 2).

OUTCOMES The timing of sowing in conjunction with good rainfall resulted in excellent crop establishment for all varieties except for Lupins and Fescue. Biomass cuts were undertaken by cutting complete plant structures at the soil surface using garden shears – with the area cut measured using a one by one-metre quad.

Data was collected from the three best performing crops at each site for the averaged fresh weight, dry matter yield and nitrogen fixation (Table 3).

The crops measured at both sites fully covered the entire mid-row areas to the undervine area. Tall crop heights achieved at both sites with Faba beans reaching above 110cm at the Hunter Valley site and field peas exceeding the height of the cordon wire at the Orange site.

DISCUSSION This demonstration trial was successful in achieving the aim of producing biomass and N fixation to promote biologically Table 1: Seed varieties, sowing rates and costs per hectare Variety

Sowing rate (kg/Ha)

Costs of seed ($/Ha)

Faba – Warda

180

$210.00

Field Peas – Morgan

100

$233.00

Fescue – Hummer

10–20

$360.00

Lupins – Luxor

80–100

$205.00

Crimson clover – Soweasy

8–10

$69.00

Forage Brassica – Winfred Rape

3–5

$123.00

Figure 3: Faba beans in the Hunter Valley July 2017 – Issue 642

Key reasons to rotate your botrytis fungicide groups Following a season of significant botrytis outbreaks and losses, I’d encourage everyone to put some thought into managing this disease whilst planning your 2017/18 crop protection programs and budgets.

The pathogen botrytis cinerea is classed by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) as being ‘high risk’ for gaining resistance to fungicides. This fact makes it even more relevant to focus on having a long-term plan.

When it comes to protecting grapes from botrytis the choice of fungicide groups is quite limited, especially when compared to other grapevine diseases such as powdery mildew. There are only seven fungicide groups listed in the AWRI guidelines ‘Dog Book’ for botrytis management in export wine grapes (Groups m4, m, 17, 9, 11, 12, 2). Therefore, it’s critical to the overall strategy to combine good vine management with a sound resistance strategy whilst rotating fungicide groups from year-to-year.

For growers in ‘medium to higher risk’ areas that spray at or around 80 percent capfall and then again at EL-29 (4 mm berry size) the chemical rotation tends to occur by default. Many choose the Group 17 Fungicide, Teldor®, for the early timing and follow with Groups 9 and 12 in the product SWITCH®.

This makes sense as Teldor can’t be used past 80 percent capfall.

SWITCH is known by many in the industry as the ‘go-to’ product for the later spray, with the ability to be applied up until EL-29. Group 2 fungicides with iprodione often get positioned late in the season for their shorter withholding period.

Growers in ‘low risk’ areas often have a different approach to botrytis management and focus on the 80 percent capfall spray timing and don’t plan to apply another key botryticide later. Planning to rotate fungicide groups from year-to-year makes for sensible planning for growers with this strategy. Reliance on just one or two fungicide groups for this early spray timing year-after-year will accelerate the likelihood of the pathogen gaining resistance to that group or groups.

Unfortunately, I still occasionally come across comments like, “it works well for me, so I’ll continue to use it. If it breaks, then I’ll change groups!”. The reality is, there is no lineup of new chemistry coming through the system to replace such ‘broken’ fungicide groups, so we need to always plan to preserve existing groups for as long as possible.

With planning, growers need to remember that Teldor and Prolectus® are both from the same Group; 17. SWITCH and Scala® both contain Group 9 fungicides. SWITCH also has a Group 12 component which of course benefits a resistance management strategy.

Again, prevention is better than cure. Plan to hit hard and hit early, before any infection becomes established.

Vine Talk is compiled by Dave Antrobus, Syngenta Solutions Development Lead dave.antrobus@syngenta.com 0429 133 436 www.winetitles.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

31

grapegrowing Table 2: Onsite weather station data showing average air temperature, average soil temperature and rainfall totals for trial period May 2016 to October 2016 Avg. Air Temp (OC) Month

Hunter

Avg. Soil Temp (OC) 10cm

Orange

Hunter

Orange

Rainfall mm Hunter

Orange

May

15.1

11

17.1

12.8

20.6

122.8

June

12.1

7.6

13.5

9.5

55.2

266.8

July

11.8

7.2

12.3

8.7

41.2

172.6

August

11.5

7.8

13.1

9.3

36.2

90

15

9.7

15.9

11.4

66.2

185.6

16.9

11.9

16.7

13

59.6

71.2

September October

Table 3: Fresh weight, dry matter yield and fixed nitrogen data of the three best performing crops at each site Note: N fixation assumptions provided via http://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/legumes-and-nitrogen-fixation-south-australia Fresh Wt (T/Ha) Variety

Dry Matter Yield (T/Ha)

N2 fixed (kg/Ha)

Hunter

Orange

Hunter

Orange

Hunter

Faba Beans

53

65

6.36

10.4

100

170

Field Peas

42

86

7.56

13.7

120

200

Crimson Clover Forage Brassica

51

8.1

36

32 Grapegrower & Winemaker

120

5.04

active soils across two separate wine growing regions of Greater NSW/ACT assisted greatly by record rainfalls across several months especially at the Orange site.

However, not all crops succeeded toward achieving the goal. The Lupins failed to establish across both regions. Being sown later than recommended (early April) highlighted the importance of sowing times. The Fescue crop also demonstrated sporadic and sparse establishment at both sites, possibly due to the shallow sowing depths. A sowing depth of 10–15cm is recommended.

Field peas was the most productive crop used in this demonstration, generating the highest tonnage of dry matter yield and fixed nitrogen across both trial sites. Depending on the management strategies and philosophies, the biomass can be rolled and left to lay on the soil surface to decay slowly overtime as an excellent source of readily digestible labile carbon. Soil biology can feed on carbon and return it into the soil, or the plant can be cut and thrown under the vine row to be used as a temporary mulch.

The use of inoculated legume seeds clearly showed the importance that Rhizobia play in capturing free atmospheric nitrogen in plant roots. Faba beans also produced good amounts of biomass and fixed N with bees highly attracted to its flowers (Figure 7). Crimson clover started slow, but raced away at the end

Figure 7: Bees foraging and pollinating Faba bean flowers

Orange

of the season and was knee deep prior to collecting harvest data in Orange (Figures 8 and 9). Fresh weight moisture percentage of harvested crops ranged between 80–90% highlighting the amount of water captured within plant parts.

Acknowledgements This work was funded through Wine Australia Regional Program, Greater NSW/ACT. The following people contributed to the project: Thank you to Ken Bray (Braemore Vineyard) and James Sweetapple (Cargo Road Wines), for providing vineyard sites and assistance in the trial. Justin Jarrett (See Saw Wines) for supplying seeding machinery and Mark Richardson (Greens Mandurama) is for organising seed supplies and fertiliser used in this demonstration.

More information The factsheet http://research.wineaustralia.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/09/2012-03-FS-CoverCrops-Nutrition1.pdf provides more information on the relationship between cover crops and vine nutrition.

The factsheet http://research.wineaustralia.com/wpcontent/ uplo ad s/2012/09/2012- 07-FS - C over c r ops-Water -Use.pd f provides more information on the relationship between cover crops and water use.

Figure 9: Crimson clover in full flower in October 2016 www.winetitles.com.au

July 2017 – Issue 642

Research with lofty ambition The plan to increase export revenue Richard Smart, a viticulture consultant with Smart Viticulture, adds his analysis of a major research investment from Wine Australia.

A PRESS RELEASE from Wine Australia in mid-January announced that $5.3 million was being directed to understand and refine the expression of Australian Shiraz terroir.

The announcement revealed a collaborative suite of research projects would be funded. These would be undertaken by a group of research institutions including: The University of Adelaide, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC), South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI).

In the announcement Dr Brian Croser, Wine Australia’s deputy chair, stated that “Australia makes wines of exceptional quality and finesse that reflect their provenance and terroir but they don’t currently receive the international recognition they merit. It is these wines that will most quickly elevate the image and reputation of all wines we produce”.

Croser added that by understanding the impacts of terroir on wine “winegrowers can refine the expression of terroir and uniqueness in their vineyards… and obtain the premium such wines warrant”.

“This is the most exciting and insightful research project I have seen undertaken in the Australian wine community in my 40-year involvement,” Croser said.

July 2017 – Issue 642

Richard Smart

Not everybody in the grape and wine community agreed with that judgement, and the press release caught the attention of many industry people, probably because of what appeared to be extravagant claims about improving export sales.

The implication that the benefits of this study on Shiraz might flow on to all Australian wines, and result in increased export revenue, raised the most eyebrows, including by industry commentator Tony Keys. In an article published in the Wine and Viticulture Journal (Jan/Feb 2017, Volume 32 Number 1) ‘The terror of terroir’ Keys examined

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whether the promotion of Australian terroir and regionality could or would increase export sales.

Keys gathering lots of different points of view and summarised as follows: “It appears the die is cast and Wine Australia will continue to promote sense of place, region and terroir, holding onto the belief if they can get consumers to better understand Australia from a geographical point then the reputation of Australian wines will lift as will price.”

In his weekly column The Key Report (www.thekeyreport.com.au), Keys was more critical, questioning the claim that this research project might lead to higher wine prices for all Australian wine.

“Wine Australia has failed to provide any evidence to support its claim that this research will lead to greater global recognition for Australian wine and higher prices for all Australian wine,” he said.

A QUESTION OF DEFINITIONS The widely used French word ‘terroir’ has been accepted into the English language, meaning “the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate”, from the Oxford dictionary.

The term applies to the vineyard only, and recognises the effect of the vineyard on wine style and quality. The effect can vary from vineyard to vineyard, and

Grapegrower & Winemaker

33

grapegrowing

indeed within vineyards, although not always recognised at that scale. And vary also from year to year, or vintage variation, reflecting well known effects of the weather.

I have a problem with the word ‘terroir’ as it implies a substantial effect of the soil and soil properties, leading to the common view that soil has a major effect on subsequent wine. This can be so, but soil is in reality but one of many factors affecting wine quality. I prefer a more general term to describe the effect of place and time on wine, the English word ‘provenance’.

In its strictest sense it applies to antiques and works of art but it also synonymous with ‘place of origin’ or ‘derivation’. I have used this term for some years now, and I note it is becoming more widely used as synonymous with terroir, including in Wine Australia documents.

THE EVOLUTION OF THINKING ABOUT TERROIR The origin of the word terroir is the Latin word ‘terra’ for soil, or land. The particular meaning for wine lies in the phrase ‘goute de terroir’ – or taste of the soil (or land), which has, among other things, led to mistaken notions about tasting ‘minerality’.

It was natural for early wine commentators in Europe to attribute differences from winery to winery to the soil, and these ideas can be traced back to the 1500s in Bordeaux (Mathews 2015).

Such ideas prevailed until recently, and were reinforced by classic studies of Seguin in Bordeaux, who linked the 1850 classification of chateaux to soil properties invoking soil water supply.

Now the word terroir has a far more catholic (all-embracing) yet more appropriate interpretation. It includes all the vineyard factors which can affect wine. These can include for example human/historic factors as promoted by

34 Grapegrower & Winemaker

A five-year project involving so many researchers and so much money cannot help but further elucidate factors affecting Shiraz wine style and quality. the New Zealand author and geographer Warren Moran, and features of vineyard management as identified by present Bordeaux researcher Kees van Leeuwen.

Thus, for example, a change in trellis system can define a new terroir.

The terroir concept, and related regionality, has been the subject of substantial scientific research. Last July, the 11th International Terroir Congress was held in Oregon – and proceedings are available at http://en.calameo.com/ read/004433976949ab8885344. These proceedings indicate how many factors are now considered to comprise the terroir effect.

ORIGINS OF THE SHIRAZ TERROIR STUDY Dr Liz Waters, Wine Australia’s general manager of research development and extension, has outlined for me details of the process. Based on a review of the five-year strategic plan, the board develops an ‘annual operational plan’ as priority areas for future investment.

A targeted call for applications in these priority areas is distributed and leads to ‘preliminary project applications’ (PPAs) received from research providers. In turn these are assessed by Wine Australia’s R&D committee (a board subcommittee) and management and external experts www.winetitles.com.au

as required. The preliminary project applications are refined in concert with the research providers and ‘final project applications’ (FPAs) are invited which may be further refined before submission to the board for funding.

In the instance of the Shiraz Terroir project, the call for research was in the priority area of ‘quality and provenance’ in October 2015. This document stated: “That a promotional focus on wines of exceptional quality and finesse that reflect their provenance and terroir will most quickly elevate the image and reputation of all the wines we produce”.

It was paraphrased in January’s press release.

Eventually the project evolved into one called Shiraz Terroir, with two contributed FPAs, one led by Charles Sturt University, and involving AWRI, the other led by Adelaide University and involving CSIRO, AWRI and SARDI. Few details of the actual planned research are available at present. According to Dr Cass Collins of Adelaide University, there will be investigations into factors affecting Shiraz quality in the Barossa – including different manipulations and situations (i.e. floor management, irrigation, mulching, training-trellising and pruning strategy). Experimental wines will be made and tasted.

Advantage will be taken of a visit by 50 international sommeliers to Australia organised by Wine Australia, who participated in a tasting of 18 Shiraz wines, and using a new sensory profiling method called Pivot Profile from the AWRI. The wines were from a number of Australian regions, and a few internationals. One wine causing comment was a New Zealand Shiraz from a distinguished site, Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay. This was not entirely unexpected since NZ frequently beats Australia at the Shiraz class in the International Tri-Nations (now SixNations) competition. Perhaps the Shiraz July 2017 – Issue 642

Terroir project should be extended across the Tasman?

There will also be an emphasis on Australian wine regions, and I am pleased to report local winemakers will be included in sensory studies. And why not include also Australian wine journalists and some wine judges?

LIKELY OUTCOMES AND VALUE FOR MONEY It is difficult to discuss likely outcomes when the experimental details are not known. However, there has been a relatively-long history of Shiraz experimentation; yours truly studied Shiraz irrigation responses 51 years ago.

More recently (1985) there have been studies showing that canopy shade causes high wine pH and reduced wine quality as assessed by chemical analysis, and even more recently a search for quality ‘markers’ in fruit and wine at AWRI. And regional differences in wine style have long been recognised, with cooler regions like Heathcote Victoria having a quality reputation, certainly preferred to very hot inland irrigation areas. Less hot regions like the Barossa and McLaren Vale also have substantial reputations for their style.

A five-year project involving so many researchers and so much money cannot help but further elucidate factors affecting Shiraz wine style and quality.

Whether this will lead to winegrowers having management tools to “refine the expression of terroir and uniqueness in their vineyards, so that they can….. obtain the premium such wines warrant” as claimed by Croser, remains conjecture.

This will very much depend on the management tools proposed. For example, relocation of vineyards to cooler climates would not be well received, I imagine.

The annual RD&E funding by Wine Australia is about $24million per year, and so the Shiraz Terroir project is not insignificant at 3.6 per cent of the six-year total, probably one of the major projects.

Whether it will be good value for money, and whether it will help improve “the international recognition of… and price paid for all Australian wines” remains to be seen.

At my local corner supermarket in the UK (where I now live), the cheapest wine on offer in the store recently was a £4 bottle of South East Australia Shiraz.

This shows that there is a way to go with recognition.

CONCLUSION Wine Australia might well learn something from this episode. The press release announcing the project attracted criticism, mainly I think from extravagant claims made about impacts on export sales. I think also that the use of the word ‘terroir’ was ill-advised.

The decision-making process for research funding within the Wine Australia organisation appears to be largely the responsibility of the board and its internal R&D sub-committee.

There are eight Board members, five from South Australia, and seven of the eight have grape or wine sector backgrounds, none from research. There is opportunity to seek external expertise by the R&D sub-committee, one hopes that advantage is taken of this – as is appropriate.

New Zealand Winegrowers operates an advisory committee, and it has the benefit of keeping a funding emphasis on current industry problems, to wit the LRV3 virus elimination program.

Reference

Mathews, M.A. (2015) Terroir and other myths of winegrowing. University of California Press. 308.

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grapegrowing

Can microflora affect a vineyard’s terroir?

Science has always gone hand-in-hand with nature when it comes to making wine, and Australian wine has long been at the forefront of developments in wine science.

In this article, prepared for Wine Australia, Dr Jamie Goode – British wine writer and plant biology PhD, looks at whether microflora can help shape a vineyard’s terroir.

MICROBES: THE UNSEEN WORLD WITHIN OUR WORLD THERE’S AN UNSEEN WORLD all around us. The world of microbes.

Bacteria and fungi are everywhere: even inside us and on our skin. In our guts alone it’s estimated that we harbour around 1014 (10 to the power of 14) bacteria as a guide – a million is 106, and a billion is 109, so this is a lot – which means we have about 10 times as many bacterial cells in our bodies as we do of our own.

Altogether, there are around 1100 species of bacteria living in us and they play a vital role, for which we reward them by giving them somewhere to grow. Many of these are termed ‘commensal’ (they just live alongside us without harming or helping), but some are actually mutualistic, doing things to help us.

Now, with the emergence of next generation DNA sequencers, this unseen world is becoming a little clearer. And, with regard to wine, the picture that is developing is that the microbes present in the vineyard, both in the soil and on the aerial parts of the grapevine, are playing a much more important part in wine character and quality than previously thought. The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is in the middle of a four-year project funded by Wine Australia examining the population of yeasts in wine and how it might be at least in part responsible for regional differences in wines.

36 Grapegrower & Winemaker

NO MICROBES. NO WINE But first, some background... Wine is a microbial product, and since the middle of the 19th century we’ve known that it’s yeasts that are responsible for the conversion of sugar to alcohol which is the fundamental act in the creation of wine. And the role of bacteria, both as spoilage organisms and also in carrying out malolactic fermentation, has been appreciated since the turn of the 20th century. But it’s only with modern sequencing technology that the picture has become clearer.

“It’s something we’ve not been able to get a handle on until fairly recently,” said Dr Paul Chambers, AWRI research manager, who is an expert on yeasts and bacteria.

“Traditional methods of sampling microbial environments typically require taking a sample of the environment of interest.

“You filter out all the lumpy bits leaving the microbial life forms behind, and then you culture.”

This involves a process called ‘plating’ onto selected culture media, and then seeing what grows. The single colonies that result are all the same species, and you can then identify them using microscopy, biochemical tests, or more recently DNA technology.

“But the culturing step where we www.winetitles.com.au

plate things out is incredibly limiting,” Chambers said. “Most microorganisms will not grow on the media that we have in the laboratory. So we miss out by a factor of 10, or 100 or even 1000 on what is there.”

Now there is a new approach that tells us what is actually present. It is called metagenomics, and it involves going into mixed communities of microbes and sampling them to see what is there. The first step is the same as before: sampling the environment of interest and getting rid of the lumpy bits. But then, instead of culturing – the bottle neck step – you just extract DNA from the mixed community.

“This DNA is prepared for sequencing and put through a sequencing machine,” Chambers said. “These are phenomenal these days.”

DNA SEQUENCING: THE NEXT GENERATION Indeed, one of the things that makes these new studies possible is the fact that the cost of DNA sequencing has fallen dramatically with what is called ‘next generation’ DNA sequencing.

When I visited the AWRI recently, one of Chambers’ colleagues, Dr Anthony Borneman, showed me a DNA sequencer called MinIon, which is made by a UK-based company called Oxford Nanopore. It’s the size of bar of chocolate, can fit in your pocket, and plugs directly July 2017 – Issue 642

into the USB port of a computer. With this technology, you could sequence in real-time around a winery, for example.

DNA SEQUENCING TOOLS ASSIST WITH MICROFLORA RESEARCH “It is then left to computing,” Chambers said. “Bioinformatics is used to interpret the massive data sets from these experiments, and tell us what strains and species of bacteria and fungi are present.

The important thing is that there’s no requirement for plating or culturing so we don’t have to know how to grow these things: we isolate them from their environment and sequence them.”

Now, several laboratories around the world are using metagenomic approaches to understand the microbial diversity of vineyards and wineries. Dr Borneman and his colleagues at the AWRI recently began looking at whether there are regional microbes in Australian vineyards that might be capable of producing regionally distinct wine styles with funding from Wine Australia, and in the 2016 vintage they looked at 100 ferments from 30 wineries across the country.

Nick Bokulich, a PhD student in the lab of David Mills at the University of California, Davis, has some interesting results. He looked at eight vineyards across four regions in California, studying 273 separate musts, with Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon the varieties involved. The main finding was that there was a defined biogeography of these different musts: the microbes present in the fermentation and also the metabolites produced singled out specific regions, and even single

July 2017 – Issue 642

vineyards. There were also different microbes associated with the three different varieties. Although there were some differences with vintages, there was a core fingerprint each time.

Similar studies have been carried out elsewhere. Cátia Pinto, Diogo Pinho and colleagues from Portugal have looked at fermentation microbiome from six Portuguese regions and have also demonstrated that the initial musts show biogeographic differences from one region to another. In New Zealand, Matthew Goddard has been studying the yeasts responsible for un-inoculated fermentations across several New Zealand wine regions, and has shown evidence suggesting that each vineyard has its native populations that are then responsible for carrying out the fermentation.

MICROBES: THERE’S A WORLD GOING ON UNDERGROUND But it’s not just about fermentations.

The microbes present in the soil and on the vines have an important effect on the way that the vines grow, and this is something that is only just becoming apparent. They transform the availability of organic matter and nutrients, this shaping the soil quality. They can help mitigate the effect of environmental stresses, and can compete with pathogens for nutrient and space. And plants and microbes ‘talk’ to each other through chemical signals, for example in inducing plant defence.

A recent study using the ‘model’ plant Arabidopsis thaliana looked at the effects of different experimental microbiomes,

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and found that they had significant effects on plant growth and the chemicals produced on the leaves. They also found out that the microbiomes altered the feeding behaviour of a species of larva.

“Does microbial diversity contribute to terroir? We don’t know yet, but the data we have are really tantalising,” Chambers said. “It looks like there is biogeography of microbial composition of vineyards, and that this is carrying over into spontaneous fermentations, and is shaping these fermentations.

“If regionality of microbiota is confirmed – if we do find that there is a genuine biogeography with the microflora – then we have to ask whether it is a cause or effect. Is the microflora bringing in aspects of the terroir, or is the terroir shaping the microflora?

More likely is that they’ll influence each other.”

With all the studies underway around the wine world, it’s likely we’ll have answers to these questions sooner rather than later. And we may well have to alter our understanding of the mechanisms underlying terroir.

Disclaimer This information is presented in good faith and on the basis that Wine Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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grapegrowing

Could your vineyard succession plan protect your region?

SUCCESSION PLANNING for vineyard businesses and the future integrity of South Australia’s wine regions will be hot topics at the annual SA Wine Grape Growers Summit on 28 July in Barossa.

In fact, a panel discussion chaired by Philip Reedman MW might end up being the most talked-about element of any of the Growers Summits held to date (this year is the fourth).

The insights and debate expected from the afternoon session ‘Is your region’s future secure’ could well be worth the price of admission.

When the Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA) sur veyed grapegrowers toward the end of 2015 there was an eyebrow-raising number of respondents who indicated they were planning to leave the industry.

About 30% of the local growers said they planned an exit in the next five to 10 years.

“It was a bit of a wake-up call,” said

Nicki Robins, BGWA’s viticultural development officer.

“But the average age of Barossa grapegrowers is about 65.”

The BGWA is working with the Wine Grape Council of South Australia (WGCSA) to deliver this years’ Summit, and both organisations are keen to ensure vineyard owners understand all the options available to them to make the right decisions for their situation, particularly when exiting the industry.

The BGWA-driven ‘Brand Barossa’ has been built on pillars that include “generations of endeavour” and “custodianship of the landscape and the heritage for future generations”. A number like 30% of independent growers planning to leave the industry potentially threatens the strength of the region.

Adrian Hoffmann, who works on his family vineyard property and is a WGCSA committee member, said times might be changing.

“The rich tapestry of growers and generations of farming families are so important to Barossa and a big part of the region’s marketing story,” Hoffmann said. “But if the family isn’t keen to take on the property and the neighbours can’t afford to buy it out… then the tapestry of the Barossa will change.”

Reedman will facilitate discussion with a panel that includes Hoffman, Fiona Habermann, Chris Canute and Ed Schild. The panel members will be asked to share their thoughts for the future – and what lessons can be learned from the past to ensure SA’s wine regions thrive into the future.

“I’m happy to share as much as I can from what I’ve done and what I’ve learned, but I know there are growers who like keep their cards fairly close to their chest,” Hoffmann said. “But I think we’re better off sharing our stories and making sure everyone knows all of the options.

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July 2017 – Issue 642

“Communication is so important – we need to talk about the options and the opportunities for the younger generations.

“I can’t blame a grower who’s worked their whole life in the vineyard wanting to get as much money as they can for their retirement. We need to talk about the options and the opportunities for the next generation of independent grapegrowers.

But until all the options get floated, some people won’t even know what they might be able to achieve.”

Reedman said it is important for this discussion to take place “in an open forum, rather than down in the back room of the Tanunda Hotel”.

“The generational change we’re looking at, as well as the numbers from the Barossa survey, you would have to say there’s an issue – why aren’t people taking over the family farm?” Reedman said.

“Looking back 30 years ago, I could understand it. But we’ve seen a generation of prosperity since then and you’d have to say the Barossa is a pretty ‘sexy’ region in terms of its reputation now.”

Robins said the aim of the panel discussion, as well as other presentations on the day, is to explore different options through the experiences of the local growers and Summit presenters.

“If not family succession, then growers have other options including sale of their property. But have they spoken to their neighbours – or even employees? And is leasing or collaboration an option? For Barossa, generational farming is the fabric of our region and part of our unique story,” Robins said.

Adding their professional perspectives to the topic will be Brad Simmons,

July 2017 – Issue 642

I think we’re better off sharing our stories and making sure everyone knows all of the options.

Communication is so important – we need to talk about the options and the opportunities for the younger generations. who is a family business advisor at Mutual Trust, as well as Will Taylor, partner and head of the Wine Business Unit at Finlayson’s Lawyers. They will explore different models and options for succession of a family vineyard business.

Held at the Barossa Arts and Convention Centre in Tanunda, the theme for 2017 Summit is ‘Growers Lead the Way’. Heather Webster, WGCSA chair, said the program, which also reviews domestic and export market trends, case studies for success in China, and examples of innovative business models would, “inspire growers to think strategically about their business and the future of their industry”.

Also providing market analysis at the Summit will be Tim Hunt, General Manager, Research Food and Agriculture at Rabobank; Warren Randall, General Manager of Seppeltsfield Wines; Brett

www.winetitles.com.au

Adrian Hoffman

McKinnon, Global Operations Director at Pernod Ricard Winemakers, and Kirstie McCosh, Global Head of Marketing Services, Insights and Innovation at Treasury Wine Estates.

Registrations for the 2017 South Australian Grape Grower Summit on Friday 28 July are now open at www.sawggs.com.au.

About the Summit organisers: The WGCSA is the peak body for South Australian grape growers, funded through a voluntary levy paid on all wine grapes sold from SA vineyards. (www. wgcsa.com.au) The BGWA is responsible for promoting the Barossa brand globally and domestically, communicating the Barossa Vision through its people and places. (www.barossa.com)

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Berry sugar development provides a guide to wine style A RECENTLY COMPLETED project at Charles Sturt University has found potential for a novel way to predict wine style based on the sugar accumulation within the berry.

Professor Alain Deloire brought the project idea with him when he arrived to lead the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) in early 2013, and the work was largely completed late last year, about the time he returned to his native France.

“Quite a lot has been done in France in this area, so it was rewarding to be able to demonstrate that the concept is applicable and valuable in Australian conditions,” said Dr Leigh Schmidtke, the chief investigator.

“The ability to determine an optimum harvest time for specific wine styles is one of the main challenges of vineyard and winemaking decisions.”

The concept – now proven – is that you can consistently produce a wine that is fresh, mature or somewhere in between by waiting a specific number of days following the cessation of sugar accumulation level in the grape berries.

“If you look at the sugar profile in the berry it will increase over a period of

40 Grapegrower & Winemaker

ripening then plateau, but not increase or decrease,” Dr Schmidtke said. “From that point, we can then say that 10 or 20 days forward we can predict that this will be the style of wine. The actual length of time is variable according to cultivars.”

The key term here is ‘sugar accumulation’, which is not quite the same as ‘sugar content’ as measured by Brix or Baumé. These could be described as indirect measures; they look at ripeness or overall sugar content in a bunch of grapes, rather than the amount of sugar in each berry.

To get an accurate picture of sugar accumulation, you need to also measure the mass of the grapes then convert the traditional sugar content figure into an amount of sugar per gram of berry weight.

It’s not a difficult task but it can take a bit more time than measuring Brix or Baumé, which may impact on immediate take-up by the sector. Dr Schmidtke, who is currently acting director of the NWGIC, says the next goal should be to try to develop new tools that could streamline the measurement process targeting the development of grape flavour compounds identified as key markers for wine styles.

The researchers did identify some marker compounds in both red and white grapes that correlate to specific wine styles, and also found a link in white www.winetitles.com.au

The ability to determine an optimum harvest time for specific wine styles is one of the main challenges of vineyard and winemaking decisions. wines between how the colour of the berry skin changes and the progression of the aroma compounds. That has led to a new project where researchers are trying to use smart phone technologies to monitor skin colour development.

The recently completed project was carried out with wine sector partners in Griffith, Orange, Gundagai, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. The main series of experiments using Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon cultivars was undertaken across three successive vintages.

The full report is available here: h t t p s : // w w w.w i n e a u s t r a l i a . c o m / research/search/completed-projects/nwg1301 July 2017 – Issue 642

Supplier Update

Innovation improves on award-winning design AT A GLANCE HISTORY OF FMR R-SERIES SPRAYER When? Released in 2010.

Why? To reduce downtime due to adverse weather and reduce chemical wastage.

Where? Developed & Distributed by FMR Group (Marlborough NZ and Mount Barker SA) with service agents in all viticulture regions.

Results? Chemical savings of up to 90% at the start of the season, with rates diminishing as foliage density increases, but an average of 30% chemical savings across the season can be expected along with significant operational savings.

Multiple awards in NZ and Australia: 2011 Marlborough Environmental Awards Supreme Winner 2012 NAB Agribusiness Award of Excellence 2014 Wine Industry Suppliers Australia (WISA) Supplier of the Year Awards – Banrock Station Environment & Sustainability Award

WHEN THE FMR GROUP launched the FMR Vineyard sprayer range it was in response to the challenges faced in Marlborough vineyards. The unforgiving and difficult conditions caused many of the units on the market to fail within a short time of commissioning due to poor durability, combined with a climate that required ‘second-to-none’ disease risk control.

It wasn’t long before the feedback indicated the FMR V Series range was both durable and delivering exceptional results. Following this successful introduction, FMR again listened to the market and responded to a requirement for increased efficiency in one of New Zealand’s most challenging viticulture climates, namely the amount of down time due to adverse weather conditions and the wastage associated with off target spray drift. At the time, the company worked closely with local engineers and sourced world-class components from around the world.

The result of this collaboration has become the sprayer of choice for the majority of commercial scale vineyards in Australasia, especially those focused on environmental and economic July 2017 – Issue 642

sustainability. When Wine Industry Suppliers Australia (WISA) presented its ‘supplier of the year’ awards in 2014, FMR received the Banrock Station ‘environment and sustainability’ award – recognition of the triple bottom line benefits delivered by the R-Series. This is just one of many awards gained since its inception.

Not a company that rests on its laurels, the team at FMR has been heavily focussed on developing the range of sprayers to deliver even better results for users.

Operator experience has been improved significantly, with a more compact design and lower centre of gravity bringing significant improvements in manoeuvrability. The new machine will also be much easier to operate with an all new ‘operator station’, the new drop-down recovery shroud sump on the R-series will make cleaning a dream, and a more robust chassis reducing overall maintenance being just some of the new features.

With units from 2300L to 4000L available now and other sizes in the pipeline, the FMR range has a size and specification to suit your operation. www.winetitles.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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grapegrowing

Steve Schiller with the ‘Wolf Blass Shield’ (presented to the pruner with the best combined cane and spur scores).

2017 Barossa Pruning Expo Editor Nathan Gogoll and Journalist Camellia Aebischer pulled on their Blundstones and RMs for a day at the Barossa Pruning Expo in early June. Here are the winners, and the highlights.

ON A GREY, cold morning in early June a couple dozen grapegrowers and vineyard employees put their pruning skills to the test at the Nuriootpa Research Station.

The combination of clear thinking and quick technique saw the canes that weren’t required soon being dispatched into the mid-row and the vines quickly tidied up.

The competition is divided into three – two individual categories (cane and spur) as well as a team spur challenge. The cane pruners had some tough conditions to endure, the vines allocated for the competition having only been converted back from permanent arms in recent seasons.

Each section was judged on both attention to detail and speed. However, with speed only worth 20% of the overall mark for cane pruning and 30% for spur, it paid to take the time to make careful cuts.

42 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Electrocoup Individual cane Name Jim Boehm Dean Willoughby

Time/20

Quality/80

Total

Place

15.6

78

93.6

1st

20

73

93

2nd

Steve Schiller

17.6

73

90.6

3rd

Leigh Victor

11.3

78

89.3

4th

Karl Schiller

13.2

76

89.2

5th

Place

Bahco/Pellenc Individual spur Name

Time/30

Quality/70

Total

Mark Storton

29.7

68

97.7

1st

Steve Schiller

29.9

66

95.9

2nd 3rd

27

66

93

Shane Bartel

Ryan Longmire

25.8

66

91.8

4th

Dean Willoughby

28.6

63

91.6

5th

Felco Team spur Team name Cutting Edge: Steve Schiller, Dean Willoughby, David Vaughan (Barossa)

Score

Place

138

1st

Annie’s Lane: James Brooksby, Keith Zubrinich, Steve McKenzie (Clare Valley)

118.5

2nd

Light Pass Cricket Club: Martin Gallasch, Ryan Schiller, Jim Boehm (Barossa)

115.5

3rd

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July 2017 – Issue 642

The rivalries all ended before lunch and there was plenty of time to tour the trade show and speak to reps about equipment and chemical innovation.

The competition, which this year boasted more than $11,000 worth of prizes, has been recently resurrected after a hiatus of 30 years. It now runs alternatively between the Barossa and Clare Valley.

Steve Schiller claimed the Wolf Blass Shield, which is presented to the pruner with the best combined cane and spur scores, and was also a member of the winning team.

Following the award presentations and lunch, there were two topical

Marco Tessari, from Simonit & Sirch, during a practical vineyard demonstration.

presentations. A comprehensive update on the latest trunk disease research was delivered by Dr Mark Sosnowski, Senior Research Scientist at the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI).

Then Marco Tessari, from Simonit & Sirch – Italian vine pruning experts and educators, explained the company’s approach. This was a return visit to the Barossa for Tessari who has worked with the vineyard teams at Henschke and Torbreck as well as with Montalto and Stonier on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The Simonit & Sirch method is to use small cuts where possible, leaving enough wood to account for desiccation

at the wound site which respects the easy flow of sap through the vine (Sam Bowman explored this technique in more detail back in the May edition of this publication – Issue 640).

After the presentations, Tessari also gave practical vineyard demonstrations which allowed for more questions from growers (and even winemakers).

Tessari will be in the country across the pruning season and is available for consultation.

E: tessari@preparatoriuva.it Ph: +61 450 892 530 More pruning action on page 44

David Vaughan works down the row during the individual spur competition.

Photo courtesy Barossa Grape & Wine Association, photographer Dragan Rodocaj.

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grapegrowing

Alistair Dinnison, from Barossa Valley Estate, was one of the pruning judges.

Photo courtesy Barossa Grape & Wine Association, photographer Dragan Rodocaj.

Scott Victor concentrates during the individual spur competition.

Marty Gallasch helped the Light Pass Cricket Club claim third place in the team competition.

Team Cutting Edge went back-to-back in the three-person competition. The team members are Dean Willoughby, David Vaughan and Steve Schiller.

Dean Willoughby in action.

44 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Mark Storton â&#x20AC;&#x201C; winner of the individual spur competition.

Photo courtesy Barossa Grape & Wine Association, photographer Dragan Rodocaj.

Kim Kingsun, from Pellenc, holds court at the trade show.

Photo courtesy Barossa Grape & Wine Association, photographer Dragan Rodocaj. www.winetitles.com.au

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Yield forecasting steps into the digital age FOR THE PAST 15 years, Dr Joanna Jones has been working Vineyard w it h Ta sma n ia n Equipment g rapeg rower s at pruning time, using her expertise in reproductive biology and knowledge of bud fertility to help them make the decisions to achieve optimum yield in the coming season. It’s an inexact science, however, and can be costly and time consuming.

Across the past five years, she has developed plans to take yield forecasting into the digital age. Thanks to Wine Australia’s digital viticulture priority area, those plans are now a reality. And while success is not a given, the early results are encouraging.

The aim of the project – which is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program – is to use infra-red technology to determine bud fruitfulness and then create a simple tool that growers can use to store and translate data. It’s a complex project that involves a mix of skill sets.

Dr Jones, who is part of the Grape and Wine Science Group at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, is working closely with Dr Thomas Rodemann, who is a specialist in spectroscopy, and Dr Bob Dambergs, who has extensive knowledge in the application of spectroscopy to novel applications.

“Between them they also have some

We then need to look at all sorts of other parameters that can affect bud fruitfulness; for example, can we only detect the number of bunches or would we be able to detect their approximate size? We need to see if these parameters can strengthen the model, or will just complicate it. pretty awesome modelling knowledge and experience,” Jones said.

The first stage of the project, which began in August 2016, was to validate that the scanning technology could find the right mass of tissue and give a reading.

Buds are protected by a woody scale on the outside and there is also lots of developing leaf tissue and protective hairs in the way.

“We have been looking at different treatments of pulling scales off and leaving scales on, to make sure we are picking up the right mass inside the bud,”

Jones said. “We then ground truth that with actual bud dissections under the microscope, as you would traditionally do them. The results are looking promising.

“We then need to look at all sorts of other parameters that can affect bud fruitfulness; for example, can we only detect the number of bunches or would we be able to detect their approximate size? We need to see if these parameters can strengthen the model, or will just complicate it.”

One of the challenges is that to create a tool that is applicable and valuable to the sector. The testing needs to be done at pruning time.

“It gives us a short window each year to collect data. In the true style of agricultural research, we are confined by seasons.”

Alongside the research, the team is talking with growers in the field about how to best utilise whatever solution they develop. The growing use of Near Infrared (NIR) scanning devices by some wineries offers great potential.

Jones hopes the work helps to identify solutions that will assist growers deal with the real problem – the year-to-year fluctuation of bunch numbers.

“It puts pressure not only on their bottom line in terms of the yields that they can achieve, but also down the chain in intake scheduling in the winery, and even marketing and sales,” she said.

“Being able to more accurately predict the yield that is coming their way can only be good.”

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Improving the accuracy of spray applications THERE’S A LOT of work going into the quest for a better agrichemical spraying system for Australian vineyards. A project supported by Wine Australia and Horticulture Innovation Australia at the University of Queensland (UQ) has brought together local researchers, a concept born in the UK, software developments from the US, equipment provided by an Australian company, and the support of wine companies and viticulturists in three states.

The aim is to develop new technology based around sensors that can monitor the presence or absence of vine canopy and automatically adjust the spray accordingly. The funding has been made available through the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program.

The work is being driven by Senior Research Fellow Dr Andrew Hewitt and Research Fellow Dr Chris O’Donnell in UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, who believe an automated approach could potentially bring savings of 10–20 per cent of spray application volume.

The idea for a ‘pesticide adjusted for the canopy environment’ (PACE) system grew out of research in apple orchards in England, which showed that, when sprays are applied at the fixed dose rate recommended on agrichemical product labels, there is a greater than six-fold variation in average chemical deposits at different growth stages due to variation in tree size and canopy density.

That discovery inspired further work in the UK and the US using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors to collect detailed data on a canopy structure to inform spray patterns. What the UQ team is looking to add is a validation system to provide feedback on the dosing levels and make immediate adjustments.

The TuckawayTM Staple July 2017 – Issue 642

“You could get LiDAR to do the mapping then program the sprayer to go back and spray according to the data, but a more efficient way is to build in a validation system that can do that automatically,” O’Donnell said.

Together with Dr Hewitt, he saw an example of the potential when they visited collaborating researchers at the US Department of Agriculture’s Application Technology Research Unit in Ohio.

“In an orchard we drove past a couple of tufts of weeds about a metre high and the very bottom nozzle on the left hand side of the sprayer detected them and activated a single stream straight onto the tufts,” O’Donnell said.

“That was pretty impressive. It exceeded expectations when we saw that kind of accuracy.”

The tricky part now is programing the software to suit vineyards (the algorithms, O’Donnell notes, are pretty complex) so that all viticulturists will have to do is drive a tractor between the rows.

Trials are being carried out in

You could get LiDAR to do the mapping then program the sprayer to go back and spray according to the data, but a more efficient way is to build in a validation system that can do that automatically.

Stanthorpe, Langhorne Creek and the Murray Valley, using a LiDAR system from the US and spraying equipment provided by Silvan Australia.

“We have some really good relationships going with several growers,” O’Donnell said.

And the project continues to be multicultural as well as multidisciplinary.

Alongside the UQ and US researchers it has involved interns from Brazil and China, an American spray consultant, and a Canadian specialist in computational fluid dynamics who is interested in air flows over vineyards.

Walter Campbell (Vinland Estate, Granite Belt) driving his tractor with Pix4D imaging system mounted on a jib.

1300 558 361 www.tuckaway.com.au www.winetitles.com.au

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grapegrowing

Project proves geofences protect vines A VINEHEALTH AUSTRALIA pilot project, which saw virtual fences built around vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale regions to track boundary crossings, has demonstrated the power of geofencing as a biosecurity tool.

Project Boundary Rider is the first known of its kind to assess the value proposition of geofencing technology for biosecurity for the Australian wine industry, which contributes $40.2 billion in gross output annually.

“Knowing who has been in vineyards and when could help us respond to pest and disease incidents and prevent further spread,” said Inca Pearce, Vinehealth Australia CEO. The Boundary Rider pilot project was undertaken with more than 30 businesses across the Barossa and McLaren Vale wine regions, with geofences active across five months. A Canadian technology company, Be Seen Be Safe, provided the geofencing software for the trial, which was adapted from the poultry industry.

Virtual fences were created around 129 land parcels. GPS technology was used to detect the movement of each person carrying a smartphone with Location Services enabled. A purpose-built app called BRider then logged movement of the individual in or out of each geofence.

Push notification messages notified the owner/manager of the visitor and welcomed the visitor to the vineyard. The visitor movements were collated into an electronic visitor book for each geofence, providing the visitor name, date of visit, timestamp and visit duration.

The total number of boundary crosses for the pilot was 4,194 pairs, with a

Correction AN ARTICLE FROM the June edition ‘Phylloxera management plan’ (Page 47, Issue 641) contained factual errors. It wrongly stated there was a “new Phylloxera Infested Zone”. There is no new Phylloxera Infested Zone (PIZ)

Vine Industry Nursery Assoc.

www.vina.net.au

48 Grapegrower & Winemaker

pair being an ‘in’ and ‘out’ of the same geofence by the same visitor.

“While there were some issues with the geofencing software, which is normal for a new technology project evaluating a minimum viable product, we have confidence in geofencing as an important tool to protect South Australia’s vines,” said Suzanne McLoughlin, Vinehealth Australia technical manager, who managed the pilot project.

“Participant feedback was positive about the value geofencing could offer vineyard businesses in the protection and management of significant pest and disease incursions.”

Ben Zander from Wroxton Grange vineyards in the Barossa was a pilot program participant.

“The visitor movement reports via

the app reinforced how often winery representatives or contractors come onto my property without my prior knowledge.

This is valuable information for my own biosecurity planning,” Zander said.

Following the successful pilot project, Vinehealth Australia is confident a geofencing system could add value to biosecurity management for the industry, with appropriate wine industry and government support.

“Project Boundary Rider provided us with a unique opportunity to evaluate geofencing technology for the wine industry with a group of engaged growers,” Suzanne said. “We have every confidence in geofencing as a concept to assist our wine and grape industries in their biosecurity efforts.”

The movement of people and vehicles is a key biosecurity risk for vines, as pests and diseases such as phylloxera can be spread on footwear and tyres.

“Phylloxera doesn’t respect vineyard boundaries or state borders. We must ensure our biosecurity is rigorous and we must be looking at new technology to support vineyard owners in their efforts,” Inca said. “We have the opportunity as an industry to engage with technology providers and drive how it can benefit us in enabling better biosecurity systems for our industry.”

The Boundary Rider pilot project was funded by the State Government (PIRSA) and Vinehealth Australia, and was supported by McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association and Barossa Grape and Wine Association. For more information go to www.vinehealth.com. au/projects/project-boundary-rider/.

in Victoria or elsewhere in Australia.

However, there has been a recent extension to the boundary of the existing Maroondah PIZ in Victoria arising from further detections inside this zone. http://www.vinehealth.com.au/media/ Maroondah-PIZ-extension.pdf The article was incorrect when it said the only states unaffected by phylloxera were the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Currently, the states that are phylloxera free (i.e. where phylloxera has not been detected) are South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania (they are Phylloxera Exclusion Zones – or PEZs).

The explanation that Queensland has an isolated case, where the incidents of spreading looked likely was also incorrect. Phylloxera has not been

detected in Queensland since 1967. As noted in the book by Wally Boehm The Phylloxera Fight (1996), phylloxera was found in Enoggera in 1910, Myrtletown in 1932 and at Banyo in 1967, where a single specimen was found. All these vineyards have since been removed.

Queensland currently has a large inland PEZ, with the remainder of the state a Phylloxera Risk Zone (PRZ). There are no Phylloxera Infested Zones in Queensland as suggested and the article was wrong to indicate that phylloxera is likely to spread in Queensland.

Lastly, the image used with the article was incorrectly credited to Vinehealth Australia. While the image appears on the Vinehealth Australia website, it has been used with permission from Agriculture Victoria (Rutherglen).

The visitor movement reports via the app reinforced how often winery representatives or contractors come onto my property without my prior knowledge. This is valuable information for my own biosecurity planning,

www.winetitles.com.au

July 2017 – Issue 642

winemaking The impact of wine labels Consumer perceptions (and the winery bottom line) Paul Le Lacheur investigates what it takes to make a wine label stand out on the shelf.

ACCORDING TO PETER GARDNER, the former Dean of the Faculty of Wine Marketing at Roseworthy College, “a bottle picked up is a bottle half sold”.

Surely one of the oldest wine marketing tenets; it’s one which bears current investigation.

The statement still rings true in light of the tremendous growth in digital/ social media marketing. What compels us to pick up and handle, then buy,

any particular bottle of wine in an ‘off-premise’ outlet is gold dust on the information trail.

INFOGRAPHICS James Lindner, Langmeil Winery marketing manager – based in the Barossa, sees labelling in very pragmatic terms.

“People who are looking for label information on the dryness or otherwise

of Riesling, in particular, like to be reassured our Riesling is not overtly sweet. Their purchasing patterns prove how involved they want to become,” Lindner said.

“We have the little four-panel horizontal bar chart on the label indicating dry, off dry, medium sweet or sweet levels for the wine, but the main repeat message we get back from the market is… labelling sells the first

Spot the difference: Slain Giant wines are identified as ‘medium bodied’ and ‘full bodied’.

July 2017 – Issue 642

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winemaking AT A GLANCE • Chris Macfarlane at Vintage Cellars, St. Ives, sees use of the personal pronoun on labels as a winning strategy.

• James Lindner at Langmeil winery uses the International Riesling Foundation back label bar chart of dry to sweet.

• Tyson Bitter of Slain Giant wines, uses descriptive terms – for example ‘medium bodied dry red’ with no varietal assignation.

• John Hughes, of Rieslingfreak, has labelled his wines under different numbers – to identify region, style, and residual sugar levels.

• Blackhearts and Sparrows claim success in championing small, boutique producers, using hand selling rather than label browsing to heighten customer interest.

• Tony Hall of Dragonfly Wines, believes in congruency, with label words matching actual wine style found in the glass. bottle, wine contents and quality sell the subsequent dozen.”

The practice of labelling according to residual sugar came from the ‘taste profile’ developed by The International Riesling Foundation on back labels and its adoption has become relatively common in our market.

CATCHY NAMES Retail examples of people championing the use of clever and informative labelling abound. Chris MacFarlane, Vintage Cellars St. Ives wine manager (Sydney), has seen plenty of examples of wines that get picked up because of what’s on the label.

He notes that, in his personal experience, there are clearly some ‘gold’ labelling ideas. Some of these include

the use of a personal pronoun, like ‘The Broken Fishplate’ or ‘The Hermit Crab’ to immediately draw interest – almost inviting the consumer to discover more of the story.

MacFarlane said some labels become iconic, and cited the Mothers Milk Shiraz from relative newcomer First Drop as one example.

“It uses classic comic strip artwork to draw people in and it’s very visually attractive. Proof is, the personal pronoun thing and irreverent comic book art all work well in our crowded retail marketplace,” MacFarlane said.

DESCRIPTIVE LABELS Tyson Bitter, from Slain Giants Wines, uses simple, descriptive terminology on his front labels which explain what his

wines are – without offering the varieties.

For example, he has a multi-regional (Barossa/McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills) blend of Shiraz/Barbera/Malbec which identifies itself only as a ‘medium bodied dry red’ on the front label.

Bitter’s experience suggests that consumers might benefit from some other introduction to the brand for this approach to work best.

However, his commitment to the descriptor on his labels is actually based on setting his own measures for what is ‘medium’ and what is ‘full’ bodied.

His ‘full’ and ‘medium’ body wines have distinctly different measures of ethanol, glycerol, tannin (phenolics), glucose and fructose (monosaccharides).

While none of the technical details make it onto the label, they can be found on his tasting notes – which have a section of numbers “for the wine nerds”.

These numbers are actually the reasons behind the descriptor on the label.

It’s labels like those from Slain Giant that work well in independent wine stores – where staff use their knowledge of each wine to hand sell them rather than by encouraging people to browse labels along multiple, long rows of shelf space.

One example is Blackhearts & Sparrows in Melbourne, which champions the small (boutique) producers and claim the staff taste all wines before stocking them.

There’s something else starkly honest about the Slain Giant labels, Bitter has

Descriptions generate emotional responses A RESEARCH UPDATE from the University of Adelaide has shown that consumers are much more influenced by wine label descriptions than previously thought.

A consumer study by wine researchers at the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine has shown that far more than just influencing consumer choice, wine descriptions can alter consumer emotions, increase their wine liking and encourage them to pay more for a bottle.

The study has been published in the journal Food Research International.

“Choosing the right wine at the point of sale whether in a wine store, in a restaurant or online can be a difficult task,” said the project leader, Associate Professor Sue Bastian.

“The importance of wine labels and label information has been widely studied and it’s been clearly shown that they represent useful information which influences consumer choice. Our study extends these findings, showing that wine descriptions also influence our whole wine consumption experience.”

“Cleverly written wine and producer descriptions when coupled with unbranded wine tasting can evoke more positive emotions, increasing our positive perception of the wine, our estimation of its quality and the amount we would be willing to pay for it.”

50 Grapegrower & Winemaker

The researchers conducted a study with Australian white wines and 126 regular white wine consumers. The consumers evaluated the same set of three commercially available white wines (Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc) under three information levels: a blind tasting with no information; the provision of a basic sensory description; and provision of an elaborate/emotional description.

The presentation of more elaborate wine descriptions, which included information regarding winery history and positive wine quality statements, significantly increased the preference rating the consumers allocated to the wines.

Further to this, the results showed that if the expectations elicited by the wine description closely matched the actual liking from tasting, consumers felt far more positive emotions than if it didn’t meet expectations.

“These findings have important implications for wine producers and the hospitality industry in that descriptions require more than just wine tasting notes,” said Dr Lukas Danner, post-doctoral research fellow and first author on the study. “Companies could even consider involving consumers in label description optimisation.”

This research was funded by Australian grapegrowers and winemakers through Wine Australia with matching funds from the Australian Government.

www.winetitles.com.au

July 2017 – Issue 642

used ‘multi-vintage’.

He follows this up with a note “predominantly 2015 with a splash of 2016”.

“I believe in it and I’m staying with it because it’s working for those seeking some simplicity and credibility,” Bitter said.

MUST MATCH THE WINE Tony Hall, Producer of Dragonfly Wines, has typically firm ideas on labelling.

“A really lively, fresh dry white can’t be called ‘Big Fine Girl’ or ‘The Monster Mash’ – it has to have a label description very closely fitting the style in the glass,” Hall said.

“Whatever identity you prescribe for your wine on the label, surely it must be congruent with what’s in the glass.”

Perhaps one of the more confronting labelling regimes can be seen from John Hughes and his quirkily named Rieslingfreak brand.

NUMERICAL VALUE The Rieslingfreak range includes dry, medium dry and sweet Riesling table wines, together with a sparkling Riesling and even a fortified made out of, you

guessed it, Riesling.

It seems to be doing justice to the hype of his brand name. The different Riesling iterations produced by Hughes are identified by different numbers.

“The number represents not only the region, but also the style, technical specifications and quality level to which the wine is made,” Hughes said.

For example his number ‘2’ is a wine made from his family vineyard at White Hut in the Clare Valley.

The number 8 is a sweeter wine (Kabinett style) with 50 grams of residual sugar and just seven per cent alcohol.

His number ‘10’ is a multi-regional blend of outstanding quality which has been set aside specifically for his wedding later in the year.

The number ‘99’ is the Rieslingfreak ‘playground’ label, where Hughes experiments.

“The whole label came about some time back when I had to identify different wines produced under contract for other makers. So I decided to label mine numerically.

“The result is getting good feedback that Rieslingfreak buyers know the wine by the number and hence they can identify what to expect in the glass.”

Hughes was at pains to explain it was a long road.

“Now most people who buy my wines know just by the label numbers what wine they want to buy and which one has suited them in past experimental purchases.

“This might include their preference for either Clare or Eden Valley fruit, or simply the style in terms of how dry or sweet it is,” he said.

Hughes’ whole intention was to create label simplicity.

“Customers definitely now know, by the numbers, what wine they have enjoyed in the past and which wine or wines they want to repeat purchase.”

“Actually, the name Rieslingfreak started at wine college while I was studying. Everyone got used to the idea that I never seemed to drink anything much except Riesling, so they started using the ‘freak’ moniker,” Hughes laughed.

Whether by descriptive terms, by numerical means, by use of the personal pronoun, or by championing the small and boutique, each of these businesses has been successful in carving out a niche in our overcrowded marketplace.

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young gun

Young Gun: Melanie Chester Getting back on the tools Growing up around the wine industry, Melanie Chester assured her dad that she would never become a winemaker. Camellia Aebischer pinned her down for a chat about having a change of heart.

“I’VE GOT MEMORIES of being down in Port Adelaide as a child, and prying open shipping containers full of oak barrels,” said Melanie Chester, winemaker at Sutton Grange in Victoria’s Grampians region.

Her grandfather was involved with an oak importing business, which gave her plenty of inside industry exposure at a young age.

Despite finishing high school and telling her dad “cool your jets I won’t be a winemaker”, she worked a vintage to make some cash and never looked back.

Chester, who grew up in Adelaide, relocated to Victoria after completing her Bachelor of Oenology at the University of Adelaide.

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winemaking

Melanie Chester with Myrtle.

“Looking back on it, it was such a massive move but I took it so flippantly, like sweet, I’ve got a job I’m going to go.”

The opportunity to move came after a series of successes through university.

“I did quite a lot of vintages during uni. I worked with Charles Melton and Wolf Blass during study, and spent some time at Longview doing front of house and stuff.”

Between her second and third year of study, Chester took a year off to get some hands on experience.

She first spent six months navigating the winery at Charles Melton before grabbing her passport and setting off for Portugal, where she worked vintage in the Douro wine region.

After returning, Chester set to work completing the final year of her Oenology degree, which included a mandatory harvest season. Gaining a scholarship to work at the Wolf Blass winery for her final year’s harvest led Chester in to a permanent role with the company straight after graduation.

“A week after I finished my last exam, probably still hungover, I rocked up to my first job at Seppelt in the Grampians.”

54 Grapegrower & Winemaker

The thing I found challenging about bigger businesses is that its’ such a big ship and it took much longer to turn.

SUTTON GRANGE Producing on a large scale was a great learning platform, but eventually Chester’s mind started to look for different experiences.

“The thing I found challenging about bigger businesses is that its’ such a big ship and it took much longer to turn.” So when she was heard Sutton Grange were looking to fill a position, the timing felt right.

“I loved working at Seppelt but I was really keen to move to a smaller business.

Obviously Treasury is a massive structure and I loved that about it, but I wanted to get back on the tools and get back in to the cellar. Get a bit more hands on. www.winetitles.com.au

“I was drawn to the idea of really getting to know one vineyard and getting to know the terroir,” so in 2015 Chester started with Sutton Grange.

Victoria is now home, and with the “dream” set up of a house in Melbourne and a house out by the vineyard, it’s easy to see why.

“I’ve got a dog and I take her out to work every day. I get to hang out on the farm during the week and sip on a latte in the city on the weekend.”

Escaping to the country during the week comes with its own set of challenges, since Chester has such a comprehensive role in the small winery.

“That’s what winemaking is, it’s solving problems every day.

“I’ve had two really different vintages so far, 2016 was super warm, super dry, super compact, low tonnage, with concentrated and fleshy wines.

“2017 was totally different, long and cool, tonnages up, lots of rain, and really medium bodied and spicy results.

“The fun and challenging part is making wine and working out how to get through different conditions and different vintages.”

July 2017 – Issue 642

THE WINE WORLD Thankfully the challenges of making wine are becoming appreciated in a new way, and Chester has noticed some shifts in the industry.

“We all like to rag on natural wine but I’m also super enthusiastic about the way that it’s connecting a different consumer.

“Wine is moving away from being that aspirational snooty product.

“Driven through the natural wine movement, but also from the way that we all communicate about wine.

“The industry is becoming more open and inclusive because of it and we’re reaching out to a wider audience because of different ways of thinking.”

Chester knows the importance of refreshing a brand and streamlining with industry trends.

She has been heavily involved in updating the presence of Sutton Grange and has already seen plenty of success with the business, even though she has only recently completed her second vintage with the winery.

“We’ve had really good business growth in the first 18 months.

“We’ve been able to turn the sales around and really produce wines with an expression of the farm.

“We’ve thought about the process and invested the capital.

Sutton Grange has seen it’s best summer sales ever during 2016/17.

“I’m so involved with everything and I love that feeling and being able to make immediate progress for the owner.”

“Now that we’ve done that – and have cleaned up the winery – we can relax and enjoy the returns for a little bit.”

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winemaking

The tricks and traps of deacidification The cooler than usual 2017 vintage resulted in some wines with higher titratable acidity (TA) levels than usual. In some cases, circumstances necessitated deacidification and winemakers contacted the helpdesk requesting advice.

This column focuses on the chemical deacidification of wine using permitted carbonate salts.

WHAT IS CHEMICAL DEACIDIFICATION?

WHAT ARE THE REACTIONS THAT OCCUR?

There are various methods that can be used to decrease acidity, including conducting a malolactic fermentation, blending with a less acidic wine and ion exchange.

However, if malolactic fermentation has already been conducted (or cannot be conducted) and blending or ion exchange are unavailable, then chemical deacidification can be used.

This method involves adding a base to neutralise some of the acids in the wine.

The carbonate anion (CO32–) reacts with acid (H+) to form the bicarbonate anion (HCO3–), which reacts with further acid to form carbonic acid (H2CO3).

This then breaks down to carbon dioxide gas and water:

WHAT CHEMICAL DEACIDIFICATION AGENTS CAN BE USED? The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Standard 4.5.1 – Wine Production Requirements, indicates that calcium carbonate (CaCO3), potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) can be used.

CO32– + H+ → HCO3– + H+ → H2CO3 → CO2(↑) + H2O However, given that wine tends to be saturated with potassium bitartrate (KHT) from tartaric acid (H2T), precipitation of KHT occurs when K2CO3 and KHCO3 are used: Potassium carbonate: 2H2T + K2CO3 → 2KHT(↓) + H2CO3 Potassium bicarbonate: H2T + KHCO3 → KHT(↓) + H2CO3 The precipitation of KHT results in the loss of a proton from solution, which leads to further reduction in acidity.

This does not occur with CaCO3, as in this case the tartrate anion is involved rather than the bitartrate anion, which does not remove a proton from solution: Calcium carbonate: H2T + CaCO3 → CaT(↓) + H2CO3 The above precipitation reactions only occur with tartaric acid salts, as the potassium and calcium salts of malic acid, for example, are soluble in wine and the precipitation of the so-called ‘double salt’ (double tartromalate salt) is only possible above pH 4.5 (Ribéreau-Gayon et al. 2006).

WHICH CARBONATE SALT SHOULD I USE? As indicated above, one of the reactions that occurs with the addition of CaCO3 is the precipitation of calcium tartrate (CaT). However, CaT crystals are slow to form and usually do not come out of solution for several months, which can often be after bottling.

Deacidification should be treated the same as any other fining or amelioration process.

Laboratory trials should be conducted on samples of the juice or wine using a number of different fining rates before proceeding with the entire batch.

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Table 1. Addition rate of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) and corresponding pH and TA values for a red wine.

Rate of addition of KHCO3 (g/L)

pH

Titratable acidity (g/L)

0 (Control)

2.94

10.2

1

3.15

9.4

2

3.29

8.3

3

3.50

7.0

4

3.76

5.7

Consequently, the use of potassium-based carbonates is often preferable. Potassium bicarbonate is recommended over potassium carbonate, as the bicarbonate is a weaker base and is therefore the more ‘gentle’ deacidification agent (Rankine 2007).

Considerable CO2 can be evolved during the deacidification process, which can cause excessive foaming, and the bicarbonate salt will tend to cause the least foaming of the three deacidification agents.

HOW MUCH WILL THE TA DECREASE? The change that occurs in TA (and pH) largely depends on the wine’s buffer capacity, which in turn depends on the various acids present and their concentrations.

However, if a wine has a TA in the range 8–10 g/L, then a general rule of thumb is that for each 1.0 g/L decrease in TA, 0.6 g/L of K2CO3 or 0.9 g/L of KHCO3 is required (Mattick 1984).

If using CaCO3, then 0.67 g/L of the carbonate is required to decrease the TA by 1.0 g/L.

HOW SHOULD I PROCEED IF I’M GOING TO DEACIDIFY? Deacidification should be treated the same as any other fining or amelioration process. Laboratory trials should be conducted on samples of the juice or wine using a number of different fining rates before proceeding with the entire batch.

The addition rates can be decided by estimating the changes in TA using the values provided above.

The actual effects on pH and TA, as well as the sensory aspects, should be determined for each addition rate. Once consideration has been given to these parameters for each addition rate, the appropriate rate of addition can be chosen.

An example of the effect on pH and TA for various addition rates of KHCO3 to a red wine is provided in Table 1.

For this wine, the average TA decrease was about 1.1 g/L for each 1 g/L addition of KHCO3 and the corresponding pH increase was about 0.2 units.

In the cellar, the deacidification should be carried out on reasonably clean juice or wine that has been cooled to below 4°C. The KHCO3 can be dissolved in water or in some of the wine and added slowly with careful mixing during the addition and for at least 30 minutes afterwards.

The juice/wine should be allowed to settle for several hours at <4°C and then racked/filtered at the same temperature.

For further information on deacidification, contact the AWRI helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

References

Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Food Standards Code, Chapter 4: Primary production standards (Australia only). Part 4.5: Wine production requirements. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/ Mattick, L.R. 1984. Acidity and pH control. Practical Winery. 5(4): 30–38.

Rankine, B. 2004. Making good wine. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd: 120.

Ribéreau-Gayon, P., Glories, Y., Maujean, A., Dubourdieu, D. 2006. Handbook of Enology Second Edition Volume 2: The Chemistry of Wine Stabilisation and Treatments Chichester, UK: Wiley & Sons Ltd: 19–21.

July 2017 – Issue 642

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Wines of Momentary Destination: Nick Jones and Leah de Felice Renton

Have your cake and eat it too Traveling the world making a new wine each year sounds like some sort of ridiculous dream job. For the founders of Wines of Momentary Destination this is a reality. Camellia Aebischer spoke to founder Nick Jones about how it all happened, and what they were recently doing in Australia.

COMBINING THE ANCHORING OCCUPATION of making wine and the fluidity of travel, Nick Jones, and Leah de Felice Renton have built a business based on both. The two have run the labels Wines of Momentary Destination and Birds&Bats Wine Productions since 2012 and don’t show any signs of slowing down.

Jones and de Felice Renton are based in the UK but have recently wrapped up a vintage in Adelaide, working alongside David Bowley of Vinteloper on a collaboration wine. The wine is currently ageing and is likely to end up in bottles and 30L kegs destined for the UK where wine on tap is commonplace. Some

What started off as a joke formed into something pretty epic. David asked us what grape we should team up on as I said Lagrein as a bit of a joke. I didn’t think it was grown in the vicinity.”

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will be reserved for sale in Australia.

Pairing up is all part of Jones and de Felice Renton’s business model, which involves travelling to a new country each year and making a wine to add to their label, Wines of Momentary Destination.

Q

How did you get started with the Wines of Momentary Destination project?

Q

Who is involved?

Nick Jones: We were about to start our first job and vintage out of uni, in the Rousillon. Leah got a small amount of inheritance money and instead of giving it to the bank, investing it in Bordeaux, or something similarly ridiculous, we thought we would try to make some wine of our own.

The idea cropped up when we were a few bottles deep in the Maury sunshine, like most good ideas, and from there we moved quickly to source some great fruit and rent the kit we needed in a tiny winery.

NJ: We call ourselves a winemaking collective now. We started as just two of us but now we have other young winemakers making WMDs all over the place. The mantra

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remains ‘one wine, from one place, for one year’ but as a collective we can grow and help other young winemakers create the styles they truly want to make.

Q

We have this structure because when we first set out there was no way we could afford a winery or a vineyard.

Why did you choose this structure?

NJ: We have this structure because when we first set out there was no way we could afford a winery or a vineyard. We don’t have family lineage in the wine trade and have had to hustle to get to this point. It’s a gentle but totally satisfying build from the ground up.

I guess not owning a vineyard gives us ultimate flexibility on what we can produce and what a given vintage wants to produce. We can chop and change as the ripening season goes on to get the variety that is doing best for that year. It sounds and is a bit nuts but it reduces risk in the end.

Aside the above we love to travel, work with different varieties, equipment and cultures each vintage. It’s a great way to see the world. It’s high adrenaline a lot of the time and lots of stress but as soon as you see someone enjoying what you have made it’s all worth it.

Q

How did you make the decision to come to Australia this time?

Q

How did you end up linking up with David Bowley at Vinteloper?

Q

What have you two put together (the collaboration wine)?

Q

What do you find the most challenging about the a-typical nature of your label?

NJ: We’ve both worked in Australia before and there’s so much inspirational stuff going on in wine across the board.

The public are generally more knowledgeable than in the UK and the winemaking more forward thinking than in most of Europe. There’s plenty of cool shit going on and we wanted a piece of the pie.

All the thanks has to go to David and the Vinteloper crew for helping us out. Without their generosity and time we wouldn’t have had a chance to get over and source some top notch berries.

Q

Where do your wines get sold and distributed?

Q

What’s on the horizon for Wines of Momentary Destination?

NJ: We sell direct in the UK to bars, restaurants and wine merchants. Some of our bottles are available over in Canada too.

We have such a small amount of volume that we are keen not to spread ourselves to thin and love working with nice clients that have businesses that fit our vibe. We’d rather not sell to a place that we would be happy to be a punter at.

NJ: There’s a new release coming very soon from Priorat (Priorat county is a province of Taragona, south-west of Catalonia in Spain) made by our newest member of the WMD collective Antonio Rizzo. I’d earmark this guy to have a great future working towards his own label stuff.

We are always on the hunt for new collaborations and excuses to make more great wine. The network keeps expanding and so does the winemaking potential. There might be a little side step into a grape must and grain project, in Beijing of course!

Apologies to the purists but I’m sure wine can make beer better.

NJ: Leah and I met David in London at a tiny trade tasting a few years back. We basically gate crashed the tasting with bottles in our bags as we wanted his distributor to try our wine.

It was a bit of a shit thing to do but sometimes good things come from a bit of brashness. After bumping into each other a few more times in London we pitched the idea of collaboration and after a bit of arm twisting here we are.

NJ: What started off as a joke formed into something pretty epic. David asked us what grape we should team up on as I said Lagrein as a bit of a joke. I didn’t think it was grown in the vicinity. With Syrah as it’s parentage I thought it was a bit of a riff on what us Brits associate as being synonymous with Aussie wine – big Shiraz. We kept our eyes on the patch and the grapes came through the door in mint condition. We are very excited about this one and we are hoping it put the variety on the map.

NJ: In the beginning people didn’t understand why we were making wine in this nomadic, one-off way. It’s hard enough to sell a wine in the first place and I think the UK is a bit behind you guys in accepting newer ways of making the stuff. We are happy to stick to our guns and create the different styles and labels we produce even if it makes them a little more difficult to sell. We are proud of being creative with what we produce and won’t be holding back just to cash in on a more mainstream market.

July 2017 – Issue 642

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Putting wine in a can Despite being an unpleasing thought, wine packaged in aluminium cans is an astoundingly economical and environmentally friendly idea. Camellia Aebischer spoke to two winemakers about what happens before you can crack the tab on a cold prosecco.

ON A MONDAY morning in late May, The Sparkke Change team loaded up a trailer in Adelaide, with a tonne of white wine and headed for Melbourne.

The wine, at that time flat, was destined for a canning line – the closest one that would package in a 250ml slimline can.

It was also being carbonated and sealed, ready to join the Sparkke brand as their newest product; bubbles in a can for equality.

The young beverage label, focused on normalising messages of social change, is not the first to think of this idea.

As long as breweries and wineries have existed in the same areas, the concept has been floated. Problem is, cleaning out beer equipment after wine use is laborious. Cans are expensive compared to bottles and there’s that whole customer mentality thing to risk.

There’s also an Australian company who hold a (nearly) worldwide monopoly on the patent for placing wine in a can (under their questionably specific terms). Paying them a high licensing fee is an option, but on top of the cost of aluminium and labelling, it’s enough to *can* the whole idea.

So, what needs to happen to get wine from barrel to can?

For me it’s the best way to ensure freshness, and for people who are just buying a glass or two it’s the perfect fit.

– Brad Rey

is going to work over time when you have a seal with a much lower permeability than what’s out there,” said Sarah Lyons, winemaker at Sparkke Change.

The Sparkke wine is made from a blend that Lyon’s has created of Chardonnay, Arneis, Pinot Gris and a bit of Riesling, “which brings out that acid and gives it that kind of lemon meringue characteristic”.

The finish is dry, to mimic a prosecco.

“We’re getting a base wine and carbonating it, like with a lot of other sparkling wines on the market. It definitely won’t ever be like champagne, but it’s a very smart wine,” she said.

At the time of writing, Lyons was

awaiting their shipment of carbonated wines to return from the Melbourne canning line, to taste the fruits of her labour.

“Getting that base wine right so that it’s right on the canning line is really important.”

BREAKING IN TO THE MARKET This will be Lyons’ first very-own vintage as she has just finished an oenology degree at Adelaide University.

“This will be my first wine on the market, I’ve been in and around the industry getting as much experience as I can. I’ve been tasting and working in cellars and learning from wine through hospitality.”

The Sparkke label doesn’t yet have its own winery or brewery, but that’s all in the plan. Currently the wines are made using facilities at McLaren Vintners.

The Sparkke wine will appear on the market at the end of June, and will follow in their range of products aimed at starting conversations on social justice.

This can’s message is “Say I do!” referencing laws against marriage equality in Australia.

10% of the profits from all retail wine sales and 4% of wholesale sales will go back to The Equality Campaign: an organisation rallying for change.

VARIETALS

A SEASONED CANNER

Hypothetically, any wine can go in to a can, provided its consumers want to see it exiting.

So far, sparkling wines have been the most popular choice as the cans provide an element of practicality (smaller vessel, half the bottle doesn’t go flat), and familiarity (soft drink and beer is fizzy).

“There are a few things to consider, like you would with a different type of seal. You don’t know how can shock is going to affect it, or how sulphur

Brad Rey of Zonte’s Footsteps understands the logistic of packaging sparkling wine in a can.

He has been selling the same wine as his bottled Prosecco in 375ml four packs for the past six months.

“Obviously you’re looking at the oxygen content when the wine is going in to the vessel. Because of how it’s filled, there’s no head space when you’re going to can,” he said.

The key for Rey is working very closely with the canning line he uses to understand their processes and make sure his product is right for the situation.

He stresses the need to ensure that free sulphurs are at the right levels.

“It’s not a higher dose, but the additions and additives are all happening last minute before canning, instead of adjusting twenty four hours before going in to the line,” he said.

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Careful consideration needs to be made because there’s no chance to adjust later.

Rey makes his prosecco with a blend of Glera (Prosecco) and about 5% Pinot Grigio.

“We follow the ‘recipe’ of prosecco to the tee. That’s one of the things we’re trying to do is to point at the quality aspect instead of just filling the product category,” said Rey. The range has seen plenty of success so far with music and sporting events as well as venue’s that only sell sparkling by the glass.

“Going in to venues where you’re only selling products by the glass, you have the problem with wine not holding the bubbles like methode traditionnelle will.

“For me it’s the best way to ensure freshness, and for people who are just buying a glass or two it’s the perfect fit.”

Although the product has a shelf life of around six months, he hasn’t had any trouble with a batch lasting longer.

Rey believes that Australia is ideal for wine in a can, as our industry is new and not tied up in notions of tradition.

“What better place to do it than in Australia where we don’t have any

What better place to do it than in Australia where we don’t have any preconceived notions on what wine should or shouldn’t be.

preconceived notions on what wine should or shouldn’t be.”

IT’S EFFICIENT Although the cost of a can might be higher than a glass bottle – depending on your supplier and choice of packaging

– there are a few reasons to choose the former over the latter.

Cans are lighter than bottles and make exporting cheaper and more efficient.

They utilise stacking space better, meaning the volume of wine packed in to a box is higher than in bottles.

Aluminium cans are also 100% recyclable, and recycling scrap aluminium takes only 5% of the energy that it does to create new aluminium.

Because, (unlike glass) the colour is less susceptible to change; metal from a can could turn in to a bistro chair, wheel rim or even a ladder.

And if none of that has sold you, remember: picnics and camping.

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Talk to us today about BRETT management

July 2017 – Issue 642

HOURS New Zealand

Australia P 02 9882 3666 E amsl@amsl.com.au W www.amsl.com.au

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A helping paw Dogs assisting in the winemaking process A dog can detect aromas as insignificant as one part per trillion. So why aren’t we using them more to help out in the winery? Camellia Aebischer spoke to Sonja Needs from the University of Melbourne, about her work with dogs on phylloxera and brettanomyces.

BAND-AID, SWEAT AND CHEESY are not the descriptors a winemaker wants to use when tasting a barrel sample. These are some of the characteristics of brettanomyces, which can be detrimental to a wine.

Sonja Needs – who is a winemaker, professional dog trainer and an academic at The University of Melbourne – has found a way to combine her oenology and canine skills. Needs has spent time testing the ability of dogs to detect phylloxera in the vineyard, and has now shifted focus to the unfavourable yeast, brettanomyces (brett).

Besides an annual portrait for the national book Winery Dogs,

a four-legged canine friend is more useful to winemaking than you’d think. A dog’s sense of smell is far superior to a human.

“Dogs can pick odours up eight or nine meters under the ground, they can pick up a person five or six stories up in a building,” Needs said.

“Cadaver dogs have picked up bodies buried eight meters under landslide.”

FOCUS ON PHYLLOXERA For the un-funded trial with phylloxera, Needs took a couple of dogs out to a vineyard in the King Valley, which the

Dogs can pick odours up eight or nine meters under the ground, they can pick up a person five or six stories up in a building.

Sonja Needs with Keely and Bertie (right).

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July 2017 – Issue 642

winemaker knew had a phylloxera infestation. They spend two hours searching and collected three bugs to use.

A test was set up, then repeated, and it was determined that the dogs could successfully and consistently identify the phylloxera scent. But conducting the trial was difficult and required more support and funding to go further.

“If you’re going to train the dogs properly you need to have bugs. If you want them to find live bugs you need to have the live bug. When the phylloxera are dead they don’t smell the same. So, to source live bugs and do research without the help of the Victorian primary industries department was too difficult.”

Because of the hurdles and lack of funding, Needs set the venture aside and changed focus.

DOGS DETECTING BRETT Over the past six months, she has worked with a student on a research project compiling data on dogs and their ability to detect the brett yeast.

Using samples of 4-ethyl phenol, 4-ethyl guaiacol and 4-ethyl catecol, diluted with 10% ethanol and a control sample of just pure ethanol, the dogs were able to detect down to 0.5mg/l of the brett scent. Human threshold for detection is around 300mg/l.

Needs explained that the dogs are able to detect much smaller amounts, and can identify smells up to one part per trillion. However, for the purpose of training dogs to be useful in a winery, it’s important to not let them get too specific.

“If we actually want to train dogs and use them as a brettdetection tool, we don’t want them trained down too low. If you walk in to a winery and there’s a bretty barrel somewhere, there will also be a small concentration of the odour in the air.

“So, if they’re detecting such minute levels all around they’ll misguide us. We want it to be lower than at human level but not too low, and 0.5mg/l will be enough to detect really early on.”

The dogs were trained using food rewards, but one young pup named Bertie got a bit too excited and began giving false readings to earn treats.

“They had a really god hit rate with over 80% accuracy.

That would have been better but one of the dogs was mucking around. He’s a young Labrador and because we started off using bits of hotdog or steak as a reward, he got too excited and kept giving an alert at any container.”

Needs and her student had to re-adjust the exercise and swap out rewards for slightly less exciting treats like pieces of kibble and chopped up carrot which delivered more consistent results.

“It was a nice little project to start but next semester and next year we’ll be following up with a Masters student,” said Needs.

NEXT STEPS The focus moving forward will be on detection of the yeast cells, then eventually detecting cells in the winery and picking up infected barrels or pieces of wood.

“The problem is that once we can smell [the brett infection], it might have been there for weeks, and every time you’ve used a wine sniff in the barrel you risk spreading it. So it could have already infected everything.”

Training the dogs on yeast cell detection can create a prevention plan much fluffier than a typical chemical test.

“Early on you’d run dogs through the winery, and have them indicate any barrel that they’re picking up taint in, so that you can pull it out before it spreads.

“The other way would be at the end of the season, after the barrels have been washed, we can run dogs through where the empty barrels are and indicate which barrels are infected.”

That way, winemakers can discard infected wood, or take a more rigorous approach to cleaning.

Needs will be supporting the project and conducting research until the end of 2018 when she hopes to have results published.

July 2017 – Issue 642

Keely on a scent board

The Rutherglen Agricultural Society Inc. in conjunction with The Winemakers of Rutherglen present the

129th Annual Rutherglen Wine Show Incorporating

The Australian Fortified Wine Show September 21st - 26th 2017

Sponsored by SPECIALTY PRESS ALBURY Established 1910 Closing Date

Wine Show Chairman

14th August 2017

Mr Chris Pfeiffer (02) 6033 2805

Wine Delivery Closing Date

Presentation of Awards Dinner

6th September 2017

Thursday 28th September 7.00 p.m. $165.00 pp inclusive (incl. GST)

Special Awards Red & White Wine of Show Awards & Best Barrel matured Wine NE Region Vic. Sponsored by Seguin Moreau Aust.

Best Fortified Wine of Show Award Sponsored by Graphix Best Table Wine produced by a Small Winery Sponsored by Labelhouse

Exhibitors Tasting Friday 29th September 9am – 1 pm Strictly Exhibitors Only

Public Tasting Friday 29th September 6.30pm – 10.00 pm $65.00 pp (incl. GST) (Includes Glass, Results Book and Nibbles)

Further inquiries: Show Schedule and Entry Form availablefrom Secretary/Treasurer: Mr Geoff O’Dwyer PO Box 106 Rutherglen 3685

Ph: 02 6032 8044 Fax: 02 6032 9388 Or can be downloaded from our website: www.rutherglenwineshow.com.au Email: wineagshow@westnet.com.au

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Exposure for Australia’s cool climates and high elevations PERCEPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN wine were challenged in May at a seminar on cool climate and high altitude wines, which featured, for the first time at a UK trade tasting, a rare Australian Saperavi.

Cool climate regions are contributing to the evolution of Australian wine, producing elegant and complex wines with a distinct taste of place. To tap into the interest in cool climates and acquaint the trade with Australia’s high altitude regions, Wine Australia ran a seminar in London.

Led by Sarah Ahmed, the seminar focused on twelve wines made from different grape varieties and regions with vineyards between 600 and 900m above sea level. As well as introducing the trade to lesser-known regions like Tumbarumba and New England, the tasting showcased the quality, diversity and terroir of Australian wine.

For the first time at a UK trade tasting, an Australian Saperavi made the line-up.

Seldom found outside its native home of Georgia, this black grape variety is also rare in Australia, made by less than 20 of the country’s 2800 producers.

Capable of surviving very cold winters, Saperavi thrives in cool, high altitude sites where it produces dark-coloured wines with high acidity and plum and berry flavours. Sarah Ahmed was full of praise for the Ballandean Estate 2015 Messing About Saperavi.

“Winemaker Dylan Rhymer has nailed

The common thread running through these wines was their freshness, which is what both the trade and consumers are increasingly seeking from their wines.

It was a hugely positive sign of things to come from Australia. this Georgian variety: a great balance of fruit, acid and tannin,” Ahmed said.

More than 30 of the UK’s sommeliers, educators and wine media attended the seminar, held at Australia House in London.

Sherry Weng, Managing Director of AOW, said: “It was like a journey through Australia, with many surprises, and the quality of wines from cooler climates in Australia stood out. I was impressed by the Cobaw Ridge Syrah and that Saperavi

Wines featured at the Cool Climate High Altitude Seminar: Topper’s Mountain Gewürztraminer 2015, New England Lark Hill Grüner Veltliner 2016, Canberra Lark Hill Grüner Veltliner 2012, Canberra Eden Road ‘Courabyra’ Chardonnay 2015, Tumbarumba Penfolds ‘Bin 311’ Chardonnay 2015, Tumbarumba Philip Shaw ‘No.11’ Chardonnay 2015, Orange Eden Road ‘The Long Road’ Pinot Gris Skin Contact Rosé 2015, Canberra Tertini Wines Pinot Noir 2015, Southern Highlands Topper’s Mountain Wild Ferment Shiraz Viognier 2014, New England Cobaw Ridge Syrah 2012, Macedon Ranges Logan Wines Shiraz 2012, Orange Ballandean Estate ‘Messing About’ Saperavi 2015, Granite Belt

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can perform so well in Australia.”

Beth Pearce, Buyer at Majestic Wine, said: “Discussions about cool climate Australia often focus on coastal influences and regions like Tasmania and Mornington, so to take a fresh look at cool climates from a high altitude perspective was really interesting. Sarah Ahmed did a great job of showing the topographical history and the stories of the individual growers, and the wines were fantastic.

I don’t think anyone would have picked the snowy vineyard scene as being three hours north of Brisbane!”

Andrew Catchpole, Editor of Harpers, said: “The wines had crisp focus, precision and were less focused on fruit, more on restrained, cool climate expression.

Having visited cooler Orange and the Southern Highlands in summer, and near frozen wearing shorts in the winter in the higher vineyards of Victoria, the tasting was a good reminder of quite how much altitude delivers such different climate in Australia.”

Lucy Shaw, Editor of The Drinks Business, said: “The common thread running through these wines was their freshness, which is what both the trade and consumers are increasingly seeking from their wines.

It was a hugely positive sign of things to come from Australia.”

July 2017 – Issue 642

Heat and cold stability testing equipment by RATEK IT2402

Thermoregulator

Refrigeration unit

Winery waste as fish food GRAPE MARC has been developed in to a feed for greenlip abalone, with positive results.

The South Australian Research and Development Institute has been working alongside Tarac Technologies, a grape waste specialist, to develop a greenlip abalone feed product.

Abalone are a meaty shellfish that are highly prized in Chinese culture with upmarket dishes selling in to the thousands at restaurants. A humorous connection considering China’s place in Australia’s export wine market.

A trial using steamed and distilled grape marc called ActiMeal has just been executed with success.

Tarac produces around 130,000 tonnes of steamed grape marc per year. Because the product is technically considered waste it has a very low price point and could mean big savings for fisheries industry as well as the environment.

Currently the cost of feed used for abalone is around $500800/tonne but grape marc is typically around half of that.

The trial conducted used a 5-20% replacement of Tarac’s steam distilled grape marc, registered as Acti-Meal. Through the trial, the abalone that were fed the grape marc outperformed those that were fed a typical diet.

The marc was an efficient food source and the Acti-Meal fed specimens gained 6% more mass and saw a 2.9% increase in shell growth rate. They also had a 100% survival rate meaning the product is proving to be a healthy supplement.

This could be a revelation for the farmed fishing industry which often relies on ground fish meal to produce feed products – thus minimising the input/output ratio of fish to fish (i.e. using 2 fish to grow one).

The successful trial will be put to the test on a six month program in a full sized abalone farm, come November.

Tarac Technologies CEO Jeremy Blanks said the Acti-Meal product was originally developed for agriculture as a feed source for cattle, sheep and pigs.

He said it was the first time he was aware of that wine industry bi-products had been used in aquaculture feed.

“It was really through the discussions we had with SARDI and picking up on some of the early research they were doing that we identified aquaculture as a potential opportunity,” Blanks said.

The meal holds up well under water for up to 24hrs, giving the abalone ample time to consume it. Tarac’s steam distilled grape marc product could be commercially available in the second half of 2018 providing the pilot program goes well.

If the future is paved with economical ways to reuse grape marc then perhaps the industry can avoid all these complicated court cases over dumping the stuff.

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winemaking

Analytical Services

Preventing post-bottling problems Testing times

Greg Howell, from Vintessential Laboratories, provides another instalment of ‘recent problems that we have seen’ and explains how the solutions were found.

Figure 1. So the culprit that caused the fizzing was the dreaded Brett. This was made possible due to the lowish levels of sulfur dioxide, the trace amounts of sugar and the fact that the wine was not sterile filtered at bottling. We did also check the molecular sulfur dioxide levels and they were well below the recommended 0.8 ppm. Luckily the volatile phenols 4EP and 4EG were low, which is not unexpected if the cells recently became viable. And interestingly the wine had an alcohol over 15%. Yes, Brettanomyces is a very hardy little beast…

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Amount of Brettanomyces as shown on PCR test.

Upon further discussion, the client revealed that he didn’t normally like to wait 10 days for plating to see if the wine was sterile at bottling so took a risk and didn’t get any testing done. However, now there are very reliable PCR techniques that can be done within a day, so there is a good solution for those winemakers under time pressure.

Now that the cause of the fizz in the bottled wine had been sorted, the winemaker is implementing an intensive testing program for Brett in all his barrels. From now on, he will also use the PCR technique for detecting Brett so that fast results can be obtained.

Unfortunately for this particular wine the only course of action is to get the wine out of the bottles, treat it, sterile filter it and then rebottle. This, of course, is quite an expensive exercise and one that could have been avoided if a good monitoring program was in place initially. And of course if the sugars were tested and a safe limit of less than 0.1 g/L was adopted before the wine was declared totally finished and safe for bottling, this issue would have been extremely unlikely to have occurred.

This level of sugars used to be difficult to determine accurately at such low concentrations, but now with low cost spectrophotometers and inexpensive enzymatic test kits there is no reason why all wineries, no matter how small, can adopt this method of testing. As can be seen above, there is a real risk if

IA

RECENTLY A CUSTOMER brought in a bottled red table wine that exhibited some fizzing when opened. The wine had been wild fermented and the customer asked us to check for the presence of any yeast in the bottle and also for the levels of the main metabolites that could referment in the bottle, namely glucose, fructose and malic acid. We also recommended checking the pH and sulfur dioxide levels.

Interestingly, the malic acid was below the detection limit but the sugars were above the detection limit of less than 0.1 g/L. Of course these results represented what was in the bottle at the time we received it, but they may have been present in higher concentrations at the time of bottling, but then consumed by yeast in the bottle. The pH was fine, but the sulfur dioxide level was a bit low.

All this didn’t tell us much, but did make us a bit suspicious. Next the wine was plated out on both yeast and bacteria media and the winemaker had a nervous week’s wait whilst any bugs had time to grow.

Fortunately for the winemaker, no bacteria or Saccharomyces yeast grew.

(It is worth remembering that as well as being a winemaker’s best microbial friend, Saccharomyces can also be an enemy – if it is allowed to grow in the bottle – which it can and does).

Most unfortunately, however, a great swathe of Brettanomyces did grow – see

A

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July 2017 – Issue 642

the safe limit of less than 0.1 g/L sugars is not adopted. Of course if the winery doesn’t want to do this testing itself, it is bread and butter work for commercial wine labs.

At the winery in question, we expect a much more rigorous approach will be taken in future.

By the way, this is not a rare wine spoilage example – we wonder who will be next to get some unintended fizz in their life?

TARTRATE STABILISATION WITH CMC There are now several ways to ensure that no potassium hydrogen tartrate (KHT) crystals end up in finished wine. The traditional technique of cold stabilising by chilling wine to below zero degrees and holding for days is a slow and expensive operation, particularly due to the high cost of electricity.

Nowadays there are a couple of other ways to achieve KHT stability that involve using additives that inhibit the formation of the KHT crystals. These techniques don’t remove the KHT crystals (as cold stabilisation does), but does inhibit their formation. One product type is based upon CMC (carboxy methyl cellulose), while the other involves using a mannoprotein extract from Saccharomyces yeast.

A client recently asked for our help in the use of a CMC product that he hadn’t used before. He was attracted to the product as he believed it was a cheap and easy way to tartrate-stabilise his wine. So we performed 6 day cold stability trials in our lab to determine the best dosage rate of the CMC to use. The wine also had to be tested for us to ensure the wine was protein-stable by using the heat stability test. These tests were, of course, an extra cost to the winemaker.

Once the appropriate level of CMC was determined, the winemaker added the product to his wine and then waited three days for the process to work. One of the

Growth of Brettanomyces on agar plate.

Unfortunately for this particular wine the only course of action is to get the wine out of the bottles wines did develop a slight haze which we were asked to investigate. Whilst we were doing this work on the haze, the wine in the cellar had cleared up considerably, although a higher turbidity as measured in NTUs did result.

To add further effort and expense, the winemaker was advised by the bottling company that the wine needed to be filtered twice.

These extra steps, while necessary, did add extra costs and the winemaker was concerned that the initial low price for the CMC product was only one factor in the overall cost of making the wine KHT stable.

He is now considering trying a mannoprotein product for his next wine as he understands that although the initial price may be higher than CMC, there is less work and cost required to achieve the tartrate stable wine.

CONCLUSION The use of rigourous testing protocols are necessary if winemakers are to avoid problems in their wine from Brettanomyces spp. spoilage. With the advent of low cost spectrophotometers and new techniques such as PCR, inexpensive, rapid and accurate testing techniques can assist greatly in avoiding such problems. In the case of new winemaking products, there is always a learning curve and some unexpected costs and work that may not be obvious initially such as in the example above with the use of CMC for tartrate stabilisation.

About the author: Greg Howell founded Vintessential Laboratories in 1995; he can be contacted by email on greg@vintessential.com.au.

Vintessential Laboratories are dedicated to helping our winery customers discover winemaking problems early, understand them, and then fix them. Across five laboratories around Australia they test hundreds of samples every week, so there’s hardly a problem the team hasn’t seen.

More articles on related topics are available on the Vintessential website: www.vintessential.com.au/resources/ articles/

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AVAILABLE AT

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sales & marketing Before your brand refresh Label Design

The relationship between a winery and a design team can be a rewarding experience where ideas can be shaped into an exciting new brand. However, for the graphic designer to meet the winery’s expectations there needs to be a detailed brief. Nathan Gogoll reports.

Cornershop Design worked with Seabrook Wines (previous packaging left – new packaging on the right).

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THERE’S A GRAPHIC DESIGN joke that shows a sliding scale of payment. It explains a fair bit about the relationship many graphic designers have experienced with clients. It goes something like this: I design everything $200 I design, you watch $300 I design, you advise $500 I design, you help $500 You design, I help $1000 You design, I watch $2000 You design everything $3000 In reality, nobody wants to become a client that is charged more for confusing the process. This means there are potential financial advantages when a winery gets organised – before engaging a designer to assist with a branding or packaging project.

Damian Hamilton, from Cornershop Design (www.cornershopdesign.com.au), has worked with plenty of wineries and believes it benefits both the client and the designer when there’s more information available at the start of the working relationship.

Behind effective brand and packaging designs, you can usually find businesses which have a very good understanding of the answers to the following questions: • What is the message and who is the audience?

• Who are you competing with?

• What is your point of difference?

Hamilton said the relationship between the designer and the client is off to a much better start if both parties have a clear understanding of what the client hopes to achieve.

“Ultimately it is our role to develop a strategy that solves the problem and discover our client’s unique message or story to tell,” Hamilton said.

It’s also important for both parties to understand the budget and any other boundaries.

“Budget is definitely helpful, so the designer can understand whether they are the right person for the job and determine the seriousness of the investment,” Hamilton said. “It is a time consuming process to create a solution that is relevant, effective and distinctive.”

The next piece of advice from Damian is to take a step back and consider whether you are looking for a brand or packaging solution that you personally love, or whether you are open to developing July 2017 – Issue 642

By listening and asking the right questions we develop an understanding of our client’s objectives and unique characteristics. We analyse their target market and competitors, develop a strategy, explore ideas, and then arrive at a visual solution that is distinctive and makes a difference – or helps them grow. something your target consumer will love?

“This can be a challenge when we are briefed by some clients. Small wine producers, for example, wear their heart on their sleeves and their brand or products are a reflection of their personality and hard work,” Hamilton said.

“However, ultimately, the design solution is communicating to their target audience.”

Hamilton said Cornershop’s process is to divide a project into three stages: 1.

Define. 2. Design. 3. Deliver.

Define. He said the first stage of defining the project is all about understanding and exploring the project brief.

“We believe it is integral to define the problem to solve and develop a strategy before we consider putting pen to paper

– developing creative concepts,” Damian said. “By listening and asking the right questions we develop an understanding of our client’s objectives and unique characteristics. We analyse their target market and competitors, develop a strategy, explore ideas, and then arrive at a visual solution that is distinctive and makes a difference – or helps them grow.”

Hamilton has provided a concise, handy breakdown of Cornershop’s preferred approach and some of the questions they will ask to inform a label or brand refresh.

• • • • • • •

What is your background?

What is your objective?

What are your aspirations?

Who is your target market?

Where will your products be sold?

How much will your products sell for?

Who are your competitors?

• What are your unique selling points (USPs)?

• What do you offer that your competitors don’t?

• Finally, what do you want to be known for?

“Once we have gathered the necessary information, we can then develop a strategy and document in a creative brief for client approval prior to concept and design development,” Hamilton said.

“Cornershop’s design solution will position a brand in the market effectively.

Our process involves developing a strategy and ideas that ultimately considers the bigger picture.”

“Our role extends far beyond the label, so our client’s brand is consistently communicated across all consumer touchpoints.”

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sales & marketing

Scarcity v Exclusivity What’s the difference – and which applies to your winery?

Whether it’s a members only wine club, or a limited release of bottles, there are a few different ways to leverage your business model with a less is more approach. Camellia Aebischer spoke to two wineries adopting a version of each.

YOU DON’T KNOW what you’ve got until it’s gone. An easy example of this is the great Shapes debacle of April 2016 when Arnott’s announced they were changing the recipe of the savoury biscuit. Shelves were cleared and boxes of biscuits began appearing on resale websites like eBay. The desperate fear of not being able to taste the iconic snack again, rang true.

Whether the changing of Shapes was a deliberate marketing tactic or a failed idea, there’s no denying that the potential loss of the product increased its awareness.

This is perceived scarcity working its magic. When a product becomes rare it often becomes more desirable.

If harnessed correctly and in a genuine matter, the strategy can be beneficial to your business. A level of scarcity can sometimes help attract interest.

This isn’t to be confused with exclusivity, which makes something obtainable to only those with leverage.

So, while the (temporarily) discontinued Shapes became scarce, access to them was only restricted by volume and not by another controlled factor, like a members club or singular distribution point.

LESS IS MORE Drew Noon from Noon wines is happy to admit that the label’s scarce presence to the public might be beneficial to their brand perception. Although he is quick to add that it was not done on purpose.

“The demand is strong, but we never take that for granted so we always try to concentrate on making the best wine we can at a reasonable price, which is helped by selling direct,” said Noon. “[Scarcity] probably does have an effect on our business. Small quantities

People are looking for discovery and it’s great because small producers can survive this way against larger ones. A lot of agriculture products like milk and grain don’t have that advantage, but wine does and we’re lucky.

– Drew Noon

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are always easier to manage and have a better chance at producing high quality.

It also carries an element of authenticity for customers, and they like that it’s not widely available, like something their friends don’t have.”

“People do like things that are a little exclusive, we’re all a bit like that,” he said.

Noon is the full time business of Drew and Raegen Noon, who took over from Drew’s family in 1996.

The label sells most of their wine through a mailing list and via their cellar door, which is only open for three weekends each year, in November. A small amount of wine is sent out for export, but the business is built mostly on consumer sales.

“When we took over in 96 it was the export boom and we decided to send a bit of wine out. It’s currently about 20% of production so we only export a little bit, and to about a dozen different countries.

We spread it really thin,” said Noon.

Those times that the Noon cellar door is open, it’s run from the home that Drew and Raegen reside in. Drew works behind the bar and gives those who might be on the waiting list and opportunity to make a purchase.

“I like pruning and topping barrels, I just enjoy it as a craftsman. For quality reasons, it’s hard to scale up and keep the same amount of control. We’ve been fortunate that demand has grown beyond supply,” said Noon, who hasn’t changed much since his parents began the label.

For Noon wines, staying small was born from passion, and necessity – to keep up the quality. But their hard to obtain artisanal approach has been helpful for the brand.

“I wouldn’t claim any credit for some grand plan it’s just the way that it’s worked out.

“People are looking for discovery and it’s great because small producers can survive this way against larger ones. A lot of agriculture products like milk and grain don’t have that advantage, but wine does and we’re lucky.”

July 2017 – Issue 642

Action in the Noon Winery during the 2017 vintage.

MEMBERS ONLY At Savina Lane in the Granite Belt, owners Brad and Cheryl Hutchings run a similar business model. Their label is sold mainly through a mailing list, and they’re hands on with every part of the winemaking process.

The cellar door is open for around three months of the year – just long enough to sell the wine that doesn’t go through the mailing list.

“We are a very small vineyard,” said Cheryl Hutchings. “We produce about up to 1200 cases a year, in a bad year about 800. So we decided on a business model of a wine club with around 500 members.”

“They get two deliveries, six in March, six in October and a there’s a requirement order of six when you join. That takes of the vast majority of our production,” she said.

But there’s a distinct point of difference with the Savina Lane model.

If you’re one of the lucky 500 that makes it in to the “Inner Circle” wine club, Brad and Cheryl will treat you like part of the family and you will receive extra

July 2017 – Issue 642

benefits that those who visit the cellar door during opening times won’t be able to access.

“We have a beautiful cellar door and vineyard up here, and we keep it that way for the use and pleasure of the Inner Circle – at no cost to them.”

“They can come and use it whenever they like, bring ten friends and enjoy wine and the sunshine, on the lake, in the forest or on the vineyard.”

Hutchings said that they had even hosted a few 50th and 60th birthday parties and even a small 14 person wedding, using catering from a local company and supplying wines.

“They feel a part of the brand. I write a personal newsletter to them keeping them in the loop with our movements, and they can come and take part in whatever we’re doing, or just come see what’s happening.”

Hutchings is thoughtful to maintain a personal relationship with her members, and they can email, call or write whenever they want.

“It only works for a tiny operation.

That business model would not work if

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you were producing a million cases. But because we are such a small operation at the highest end of the market it works well for us.”

“The wine club are interested in everything being done by hand and they like the fact that they’re talking to the owners all the time. It wouldn’t work if you didn’t produce good quality stuff. You have to have good wine,” said Hutchings.

Another significant perk of the wine club is that Brad and Cheryl will also store ordered wines, at the request of buyers, in their underground cellar.

“Over the summer period sometimes people ask for their October mail out to stay in the cellar because they can’t store it, and we’ll do that for no charge.”

The Hutchings wanted to make the club easy to join and a small order commitment.

Members are able to choose what varieties they wish to receive in their dozen by dropping Cheryl a line. And when the winery produces a small batch of something, it goes directly, and only to members.

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people & places

Thurston taking the tractor out for a spin at Thistle Hill Wines in Mudgee, NSW

Pooches and Places After writing about Sonja Needs’ experiments on dogs assisting in the winery (see pages 62-63), Camellia Aebischer took to Facebook to find our reader’s best pet photos. The plan was to find a photo to accompany the research article. However, due to an overwhelming response we have decided to showcase the best submissions of winery dogs around the country. Their names and winery homes are captioned below.

Tully prefers to sit rather than sniff the barrels at Arthur Wines in Margaret River, WA

72 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Maddie hanging out at Whistling Kite wines in Riverland, SA

Nudge doing some pruning at Voyager Estate in Margaret River, WA

Panther taking safety seriously at Munari Wines in Heathcote, VIC

Molly from Ocean Eight in Mornington Peninsula, VIC

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July 2017 – Issue 642

Tess and her sculpted twin at Terindah Estate in Bellarine Peninsula, VIC

Jet supervising harvest at Rutherglen Estates in Rutherglen, VIC

Jock taking a break at Sim’ao & Co Wines in Rutherglen, VIC

Frankie at Howard Vineyard in Nairne, SA

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Gracie (left) and Angel (right) going for a drive at Ridgemill Estate in the Granite Belt, QLD

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tel +61 8 8232 3577 info@gldesign.com.au www.gldesign.com.au

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business & technology

Infringement of trademarks on the internet A whole new body of law emerging DOING BUSINESS over the internet has significant potential implications for wine producers who own trademarks registered in Australia because of the possibility of inadvertent infringement of trademarks registered in other countries.

Winery internet sites in Australia are proving to be popular websites – enjoying significant international site visits. This trend will continue.

Many trademark owners do not fully appreciate that when they begin trading over the internet, that they are entering a global marketplace. Registration of a trademark in Australia does not give protection from possible infringement of a similar mark in another country.

If a wine producer offers goods for sale via the internet into a country where someone else owns a trademark over the same words, then the wine producer may be sued for infringement.

The question here is whether the offer will be construed as being made in Australia, where the trade mark

74 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Wine Lawyer Mark Hamilton

Grope Hamilton Lawyers

is registered, or where the purchaser resides overseas, where (in our scenario), it is not.

Even though local and (particularly) overseas wine customers previously proved reluctant to use e-commerce to actually order and pay for wine over the internet, wine is a major hobby and passion for an increasing number of people around the world. Consumers trust in e-commerce is growing worldwide and e-security systems are vastly improved.

Wine consumers around the world are increasingly becoming ‘international’ in their wine purchases and are increasingly using the internet as a means to ‘visit’ the wine producer, to access information about the producer, and to potentially make contact and order wine. www.winetitles.com.au

Rather than an ‘e-commerce’ transaction with credit card transactions over the internet, the actual transaction might take place by email or on the phone – independent of the website – once initial contact is made through the website. These sales are clearly occurring in Australia.

This trend is likely to expand rapidly as Australian wine exports expand – the world wine market for premium wine is expanding. An increasing amount of wine packaging exported around the world contains reference to website details.

By making the website available – and selling wine to customers in overseas markets, the wine producer is offering for sale wine in that overseas marketplace – potentially in breach of some other existing trademark in that country. A whole new body of law will emerge on this issue over the next two decades.

Trademark owners need to be aware of the potential risks they face when July 2017 – Issue 642

trading over the internet and should seek legal advice on the best ways to avoid or minimise those risks.

Wine producers should, in particular, seek legal advice if they receive notice from an overseas trademark owner alleging that they are infringing their trademark via the internet.

Wine producers who hold trademarks in Australia and who are contemplating trading over the internet should consider the potential benefits for their business of applying for registration of their trademark overseas using the Madrid Protocol if they do not already have trademarks registered in the overseas market where internet sales are likely to occur.

If a wine producer wants protection for the trademark oversees then there are two different ways the Australian trademark owners can seek trademark protection overseas.

An application can be filed directly with each country, or a single international application can be filed through IP Australia nominating the countries in which protection is required. This single international application operates under the Madrid Protocol and there are more than 50 member countries party to the Madrid Protocol.

If you wish to find out more about international applications then you should obtain a copy of IP Australia’s publications – Registering an International Trade Mark – the Madrid Protocol in Brief and the International

these companies identify themselves as: • Company for Publications and Information Anstalt, Liechtenstein; • Globus Edition SL, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; • Company for Economic Publications Ltd, Vienna, Austria; • INFOCOM, Schaan, Switzerland; and • IT & TAG, Switzerland.

These companies send documents resembling invoices to trademark owners which offer “entry” of trademark details in an annual publication. They are usually sent after the trademark details have been advertised in Australia.

These companies have no official or governmental authority.

The service they xoffer does not provide any official trademark registration or trademark rights in Australia or any other country – wine producers are best advised to concentrate their scarce resources in building up a regime of trademark protection for their brand direct in overseas markets through their lawyers or trademark attorneys.

By making the website available – and selling wine to customers in overseas markets, the wine producer is offering for sale wine in that overseas marketplace – potentially in breach of some other existing trademark in that country.

Trade Marks Application Kit – Filing under the Madrid Protocol. You can obtain copies of these publications from the IP Australia website at www. ipaustralia.gov.au or from your state office of IP Australia.

Upon advertising of trademark applications in Australia, trademark owners will often receive unsolicited documents from overseas companies which offer for a charge to register trademark information overseas for the implied (as opposed to stated) purpose of protecting trademark rights. Some of

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About the author: Mark Hamilton of Grope Hamilton Lawyers provides specialist national legal services to the Australian wine industry. He has a lifetime of wine sector experience through his involvement with Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards. He can be contacted on (08) 8231 00898 or 0412 842 359 or by email at mhamilton@ gropehamiltonlawyers.com.au.

See www.gropehamiltonlawyers.com.au.

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winery profile

Alicia Peardon, Cate Arnold, Justin Arnold and Colin Arnold

Generational change at Ghost Rock Tasmania GHOST ROCK, the only commercial winery on the Central North Coast of Tasmania, is entering a new phase.

Cate and Colin Arnold, who started Ghost Rock as a humble hobby back in 2001 and have gone on to collect a raft of awards and accolades, are hanging up the snips.

The next generation, winemaker Justin Arnold and his wife Alicia Peardon, will be new owners. The move, which has been several years in the making, will be a smooth handover in preparation for significant production and distribution growth.

“From the initial vine plantings and then the opening of our cellar door 11 years ago, to the completion of the winery and events centre, it is now time for us to move on and pass the baton to the next generation,” Cate Arnold said.

“It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey, and we are grateful for the support from our staff, our suppliers, and of courses, our loyal customers.”

The origin of the business was the purchase of a half-hectare vineyard

76 Grapegrower & Winemaker

planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in 1998. Cate and Colin were printers by trade, but enjoyed the challenge of the vineyard so much they plant more vines and constructed what is now an award-winning cellar door.

The vineyard holdings have expanded to 24 hectares in total and Ghost Rock is now home to the only commercial winery on Tasmania’s North Coast.

Justin and Alicia joined the family business in early 2015 having gained extensive business experience in the food and wine industry prior to their move from Melbourne.

“Succession planning is never easy, nor simple,” Cate said.

“What helped make the process work were honest, open conversations throughout, and more broadly, the fact that Justin and Alicia bring new skills to the business - new skills that can grow it and drive it forward.”

The handover took effect on July 1 and both Colin and Cate will remain in the business in consultative roles as they transition to retirement. www.winetitles.com.au

“This business was established by two fabulous people and is now run by a raft of fabulous, passionate people,” Justin said. “We’re genuinely honoured just to be a part of it, to be able to put our thumbprint on it, and to ready it for our kids to one day run, just as mum and dad have done.”

It will be business as usual for Ghost Rock, as vines continue shutting down for winter pruning, and the 2017 aromatic wines go through final preparations for bottling.

Justin recently completed his third vintage in charge of the Ghost Rock label and the wines he has made have already been highly rated by wine writers and have claimed wine show success.

The 2015 Pinot Gris was a trophy winner at the 2016 Tasmania Wine Show and featured in Huon Hooke’s 2016 list of Australia’s top Pinot Gris.

The 2015 Riesling was rated 97 points

by James Halliday and the first wine ever produced onsite, the 2015 Rosé, also collected a gold medal at the Hobart International Wine Show.

July 2017 – Issue 642

calendar

looking back

Australia & New Zealand July 14-15 Mudgee Small Farm Field Days, Australian Rural Education Centre, Mudgee, NSW, www.arec.com.au

27-30 The Food Show Auckland, ASB Showgrounds, Auckland, NZ, www. foodshow.co.nz

14-15 Winetopia (Wellington), Wellington, NZ, www.winetopia.nz

28 2017 South Australian Winegrape Growers Summit, Barossa Arts & Convention Centre, Tanunda, SA, www.sawggs.com.au

14-16 The Good Food & Wine Show – Perth, Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, Perth, WA, www.goodfoodshow.com.au 16-19 Foodpro, International Convention Centre, Sydney, NSW, www.foodproexh.com 17-20 2017 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, www.rasnsw.com.au 24 Finlaysons Wine Roadshow XXV (Coonawarra), Chardonnay Lodge, Coonawarra, SA, www.finlaysons.com.au/ wine-roadshow-xxv 27-28 Australian Winter School Conference, Hotel Sofitel Central, Brisbane, QLD, www. winterschool.org.au 27-28 Interwinery Analysis Group - Annual Technical Seminar, Adelaide, SA, www. interwinery.com.au

28-30 Winter Reds Weekend, Various wineries & venues, Adelaide Hills, SA, www. winterreds.com.au 29 Heathcote Wine Show 2017, Heathcote RSL Hall, Heathcote, VIC, www. heathcotewinegrowers.com.au 31 Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards 2017, Sydney, NSW, www.winelistoftheyear. com.au 31-2 August 2017 Australian National Single Vineyard Wine Show & 2017 Cowra Wine Show, Showground Pavilion, Cowra, NSW, www.cowrashow.com 31-2 August New World Wine Awards, Wellington, NZ, www.newworld.co.nz/ wine-and-beer/new-world-wine-awardscompetition

August 1 Finlaysons Wine Roadshow XXV (Barossa Valley), 1847 Wines, Lyndoch, SA, www. finlaysons.com.au/wine-roadshow-xxv

2 Finlaysons Wine Roadshow XXV (McLaren Vale), Chapel Hill Winery, McLaren Vale, SA, www.finlaysons.com.au/wine-roadshow-xxv

1-31 Fireside Festival, Canberra Region, ACT, www.thepoachersway.com.au

2-3 ASVO Mildura Seminar, Mildura, VIC, www.asvo.com.au

International

Big future for small bottles According to McWilliam’s marketing manager, Richard Braithwaite, there are sound (and obvious) reasons for the burgeoning popularity of smaller packages among wine consumers.

“Retailers would be as aware as anyone of trends toward moderation in consumption and ‘halves’ or 200ml packs suit many people not inclined to open a 750ml bottle,” he said.

July 1997

Grape potential for exports boost The Victorian viticultural industry has been given a boost following the launch of Agriculture Victoria’s ExpHORT 2000 project, Grape Potential. The project aims to increase the value of wine, table grapes and dried vine fruits exports to at least $255 million (from $115 million) by the year 2001. Project manager for grape Potential, Keith Leamon, said the strategy would focus on a number of activities, including identifying best practices in Winegrape growing and looking at crop forecasting for grape production.

Faster residue testing in sight

9-11 10th International Wine and Spirits Fair - Winexpo Georgia, Georgia, www. expogeorgia.ge

23-27 Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference, Steamboat Inn, Oregon, USA, www. steamboatpinot.com

12-14 BevTek China 2017, Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China, www.chinabevtek.com

26-27 International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show, South San Francisco Conference Center, San Francisco, USA, www. ibwsshow.com 28-30 International Pinot Noir Celebration, McMinnville, Oregon, USA, www.ipnc.org

August 6-8 Mondial des Pinots, Sierre, Switzerland, www.mondial-des-pinots.com

July 1987

July 2007

July

13-15 17th International Festival of Wine & Cheese, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, www. festivaldevinosyquesos.com

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.

10-13 Vietfood & Beverage, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, www.foodexvietnam.com

9-11 InterVin International Wine Awards, White Oaks Resort, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, www.intervin.ca

A major challenge for grapegrowers and winemakers may soon be overcome with the advent of a new device for testing chemical residue levels in their products. A microsensor, developed for the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, RMIT University and the Cooperative Research Centre for Microtechnology, has been demonstrated at a Yarra Valley Vineyard.

The device provides a rapid, inexpensive method of measuring chemical residues on-site and will aid growers in deciding on safe harvest dates and whether their product complies with market requirements.

JD = judging date CD= closing date July 2017 – Issue 642

www.winetitles.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

77

Marketplace

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www.vinesight.com.au July 2017 – Issue 642

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