Grapegrower & Winemaker - May 2017

MAY 2017

Hail damage response: Vineyard recovery

Pruning: The right cuts

Whole bunch red ferments Do wine bottles need a design update?

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contents features MAY 2017

37

Pruning

42

Trellising

48

Frost Protection

69

Education Hail damage response: Vineyard recovery

Pruning: The right cuts

Whole bunch red ferments Do wine bottles need a design update?

COVER Vintage finally approached a conclusion in late April/early May. And we’ve already explored a couple of success stories from this season: There’s more about a vineyard recovery (see Page 34) as well as some practical whole-bunch winemaking advice (see Page 51).

news

grapegrowing

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

Lease rather than buy .............................21

Last man standing

21

7

On the grapevine ......8

8

Commercial practices under the microscope ........10

Protecting his patch.................................24 Berry stress and wine quality ..................26 Phylloxera spreads north in the Yarra Valley ..................................28

Wine Industry Directory released ... 12

Why was there more powdery mildew than usual this season? ...............30

Chateau Seppeltsfield ...........14

Real-time micro-climate information delivered by drones ................................32

Federal budget breakdown .....................16

Hail damage response: Vineyard recovery ..................................34

regulars 6 What’s online 17 Australian Vignerons:

The Australian Winegrower

30 Ask the AWRI 4 Grapegrower & Winemaker

73 Calendar 72 People & Places 74 Marketplace classifieds

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May 2017 – Issue 640

May 2017: Issue 640 grapegrowing

37

Pruning: The right cuts to improve vine health and longevity ...........37 The radical reshaping of Babcock Vineyards .................................42

winemaking

sales & marketing

Whole bunch red ferments ...................... 51

Tax spat between anti-alcohol lobby and winemakers ...........................64

51

Do wine bottles need a design update? .......................................65

business & technology Educating the next generation .................68 68

What actually happens when you add water to must? ..........................55 Young Gun: Greg Grigoriou ....................56 Wait and watch: Accolade expansion in the Riverland ......................58 Big Easy Radio: Transmitting from a location between the beach and the vines ............60

The importance of choosing the right closure ......................................70

Working together to find solutions ...........62

WineJobs: Incentives and support for increased employment .......................71

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 May 2017 – Issue 640

WINETITLES MEDIA ABN 85 085 551 980 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9500 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 info@winetitles.com.au www.winetitles.com.au @Grape_and_Wine Printing by Lane Print Group, Adelaide © Contents copyright Winetitles Media 2014.

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what’s ONLINE Say that again Burn offs on hold Efforts by WA’s bush firefighters to meet their burning targets have paused because of an exceptionally late vintage. Concerns from smoke taint have been holding back controlled burning, which increases the risk of future uncontrolled fires.

Source, The West Australian.

With prices, production and exports increasing two years in a row, the industry is showing positive trends. While there was consolidation of winery numbers and grape producers, free trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea are contributing factors in increase export sales.

- Elizabeth Bouzoudis, Wine Industry Directory managing editor (Page 12)

Uni partners with Bordeaux The University of Adelaide and Bordeaux’s Kedge Business School sign a partnership agreement to promote wine business education. The partnership will provide opportunities and relationship building within the highly regarded wine region. Source, Daily Wine News.

Label influence

I think China is the UK of the 90s, we really should be critically aware of that, a lot of winemakers already are but we should focus on making a commitment to China.

- Warren Randall, Seppeltsfield majority owner (Page 12)

Australian consumers pay more attention to the flavour descriptions on the back of a wine bottle than to shop staff recommendations, according to a report by global market research firm Wine Intelligence. Source, ABC News.

It’s imperative that vineyard owners, managers, staff and all visitors respect state plant quarantine standards and implement best practice farm-gate hygiene on every property. Biosecurity is a team game and we are only as strong as the weakest link.

Organic wine saving NZ industry

- Inca Pearce, Vinehealth Australia chief executive officer (Page 28)

We live in the post-100% Pure New Zealand era. As dirty dairying set about rendering rivers filthy and other practices (eg, the harvesting of pines in places like the Marlborough Sounds) desecrated natural environments, that claim was exposed for the lie it was. But there’s hope.

Source, Stuff.

From a mental health point of view, it’s probably a good thing to prepare for the worst and then get slightly better news. But unfortunately the worst hit vines were those producing our best quality grapes.

Drinking stinkbugs “Does contamination of wine by the bugs’ stress compound pose any health risk to consumers?” asked Hal Heaton. “And does someone really count the number of stinkbugs on each of the huge number of grape bunches picked?” And before you ask, that is their technical name.

Source, Science News.

- Riverland grower Steve Liebich (Page 35)

Pruning there got me to think about assessing a vine carefully before making big cuts; thinking about the vines’ patterns of sap flow and looking where the fresh wood was coming from and encouraging it in the right shape.

- Tessa Brown, Sorrenberg Vineyard winemaker and viticulturist, Beechworth (Page 38)

What I love about it is that it allows us to improve wine quality on an individual vine basis, and the whole thing is still practical.

- Bryan Babcock, from California’s Babcock Vineyards (Page 44)

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

Whole bunch is a lot more savoury, you get different tannins and it’s more structural.

- Timo Mayer, Yarra Valley winemaker (Page 54)

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May 2017 – Issue 640

from the editor

Nathan Gogoll Editor

Last man standing ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO I was at a function where Steve Bradbury was the guest speaker – you know the guy, the Aussie speed skater who won a gold medal when everyone else in the Winter Olympic final fell over at the last turn.

And for some reason a few of the things he had to say back in September popped into my head as I heard about vintage “finally” approaching its finish.

Bradbury’s story is a sporting fairytale. But the more you find out about it, the better the story gets. He won gold at his fourth Winter Olympics and he had survived horrific injuries to still be on the ice. He’d put in a dozen years of training at the highest level to become an overnight sensation. So what’s this got to do with the 2017 Australian vintage?

Well...

IT’S WAS LONG Bradbury went to four Olympics.

When he lined up at Salt Lake City in 2002 he was the oldest bloke in the final.

His career had progressed so far that he’d actually made a business out of it – the skating boots his company made were worn by the US champion who went into the final as favourite.

Clearly, the 2017 vintage wasn’t quite as long as Bradbury’s career – but it did start in the Hunter in early January and fruit was still waiting to be picked in some regions mid-May. Those lucky GLOs and winemakers who get to work with fruit from several different regions each year will surely break records for the length of time between the first and last parcels of fruit this season. The outpouring of relief at the last pick and last press this season was significant.

THERE WERE BIG SETBACKS Bradbury had two major injuries in his skating career. He was impaled on an opponent’s skate in a crash at a World Cup event in 1994. He lost four litres of blood, sliced all four of his quadriceps muscles, required 111 stitches and took 18 months to get back to full strength. He also broke his neck in a training fall six years later and doctors said he wouldn’t skate again. But he was a member of an Olympic team 17 months later.

The 2017 growing season was impacted by cold and windy flowering conditions; there were also storms as well as above average rainfall in spring; then more rain in summer; followed by mild conditions when everyone was hoping it would stay warm to help ripen their crops. The Riverland and Murray Darling regions were hit with winds that flattened rows and hail that stripped hectares bare.

Parts of the Swan Valley were submerged by flood water. In many regions by the time we got to Easter (which was late), the days were too short and the nights too cold to get some of the fruit still hanging to the target Baume’s – and compromises needed to be made.

LESSONS FROM PAST EVENTS Quite incredibly, Bradbury didn’t just benefit from opponents crashing in that one famous race – an almost identical incident was the reason he was even in the Olympic final. “My best chance to get through to the final was to get on the ice in the semi and stay out of the way.

I figured there was no reason I should change my tactics for the final.”

When it kept raining this growing season, the experiences of 2011 were

still fresh in many memories across the grape and wine community. Those who delivered fruit in good condition back then had a blueprint for this sort of thing.

And those who didn’t succeed in 2011 knew they needed to get more advice and protect their crops better this time around.

REMARKABLE RESULTS Bradbury wasn’t just a Winter Olympic gold medal winner, he was Australia’s first. However, together with his relay team mates, he was also one of Australia’s first Winter Olympic medallists – with a bronze in 1994 at Lillehammer. He also won gold, silver and bronze medals at World Championship competitions.

It doesn’t matter who you talk to about the quality of the 2017 vintage, everyone seems to have something to brag about.

Sure, every vintage gets hyped up, but there seem to be plenty of people who were pleasantly surprised by both quality and quantity. The vintage success stories are sure to get better as the months pass and the resulting wines begin to appear.

These days Bradbury makes money from motivational speaking engagements.

And some of his encouragement actually fits nicely into both vineyard and winery situations – for individuals and for businesses as well.

“It’s not about the outcome, it’s about the process,” the gold medallist said.

“Getting the one percenters right and getting satisfaction from that along the journey. And putting yourself in a position to be successful when the moment yourself arrives.”

Enjoy the read.

SEPTEMBER 6-7, 2017 THE VINE INN BAROSSA VALLEY, SA REGISTER ONLINE WWW.WEA.ORG.AU May 2017 – Issue 640

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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on the grapevine Invivo Wines official wine of Eurovision TALK SHOW HOST Graham Norton has seen steady success from his wine label, Graham Norton’s Own. Early in May, the label announced that it would be the official partner of Eurovision Song Contest 2017.

This is the first year that Eurovision will be partnering with a wine label, and interestingly they chose a UK brand, made with Australian and New Zealand

grapes. The annual European song and dance contest saw its first Australian inclusion in 2015, and each year since has admitted Australia as a contestant.

The wines under Norton’s label include a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as well as a Rose made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, also from the Marlborough region. There’s also a South Australian Shiraz made with a blend of grapes from

the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek.

Typically the song contest is held by the previous year’s winners, and this year’s host was Ukraine. Despite its European audience, the partnership has had plenty of promotion through BWS stores in Australia leading up to the event.

Sarah Marquis buys Sparky out of Mollydooker

Sarah Marquis has taken full ownership of Mollydooker.

AFTER THE DIVORCE of Sarah and Sparky Marquis, they agreed to continue running their Mollydooker wine label in unison. Two years down the track and their projected paths have grown apart. In February Sarah decided that she wanted to take the reins of the business and agreed to purchase the other half.

Although Sparky was the face of the company, Sarah has been very active in all aspects, coordinating their branding through label design and names and marketing the products. She doesn’t plan to make any major changes to the operations or structure and all of the core employees have stayed.

The only employees to have exited are Sparky and his mother, Janet Gawith, who was the general manager. His father, Leigh Gawith, who manages the vineyards has stayed on for the time being.

Sarah is enthusiastic about getting more involved in the McLaren Vale community, noting that the brand has been in its own little bubble for some time.

Sparky will go on to produce his own label in due course using his Marquis Vineyard Watering Programme, so long as he doesn’t connect it to the Mollydooker brand.

2017 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WINE GRAPE GROWERS SUMMIT FRIDAY 28 JULY - Barossa Arts & Convention Centre SA GRAPEGROWERS LEAD THE WAY The 2017 South Australian Wine Grape Growers Summit will focus on helping SA grape growers maintain their position as leaders in the Australian grape growing industry.

Speakers will provide the latest information on export wine market conditions, understanding profit drivers, succession planning and business structures. The program will also look at the future of the South Australian grape growing industry.

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8 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Controversial anti-drinking ad has the WFA frustrated ON APRIL 19, news began circulating of a new anti-drinking campaign out of Western Australia. The graphic advertisement was aimed at encouraging viewers to reduce their alcohol consumption. It featured a glass of red wine spilling on to a white tablecloth, which floods in to the shapes of organs being inundated by the wine and turning a dark sombre colour.

The ad, known as ‘Spread’, zooms out to the image of a limp red body – sliced open as if autopsied – stained in to the tablecloth.

The advertisement was ranked very highly in studies in Australia and the UK for its effectiveness in deterring people from consuming alcohol. The Victorian

None of us want to see our iconic Australian wine brands on tables at restaurants, or in our homes, in plain packaging with graphic images.

Government has even expressed plans to use it later this year.

The advertisement has however met at the criticising eye of the Winemakers Federation of Australia (WFA), who issued a statement following the ads circulation on social media.

The report outlined the WFA was frustrated “calls supporting graphic health advertising about alcohol consumption are based on selective quoting of publicly

unavailable ‘research’.”

Tony Battaglene, WFA chief executive, requested that governments avoid knee jerk reactions to scaremongering campaigns, noting that they were privately produced.

“These ads might be lauded in the advertising world but, like most paid advertisements, they do not provide consumers with accurate, evidencedbased information,” Battaglene said.

The ATO targets promoters of improper R&D claims THE AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE (ATO) is pursuing promoters who encourage growers and producers to secure an R&D tax offset.

ATO Deputy Commissioner Michael Cranston said that while most advisers do the right thing, promoters of these schemes target growers and producers

in an effort to turn a profit, often leaving farmers exposed to potential penalties and tax liabilities.

The R&D Tax Incentive is jointly administered by the ATO and Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. People who may be involved in misleading arrangements are urged to

contact the ATO about the promoter and to either make a voluntary disclosure, an amendment to their tax return, or contact DIIS to amend or withdraw their R&D registration. Mr Cranston reassured growers and producers who may have been misled by these promoters that they would not be unfairly penalised.

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news

ACCC puts commercial practices under scrutiny The key representative bodies for grapegrowers and winemakers have been working together to better understand recent changes to legislation which impact on the industry’s commercial practices. This article has been prepared jointly by Tony Battaglene, of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, and Andrew Weeks, of Australian Vignerons.

• Conduct specific market studies to enhance our understanding of the competitiveness of agricultural supply chains and how this impacts on farm gate outcomes in general.

AT-A-GLANCE On 12 November 2016, a new law came into effect Australia-wide to protect small businesses from unfair contract terms in standard form contracts.

Standard form contracts are those where there is minimal genuine negotiation over the terms or are offered on ‘take it or leave it’ basis.

This new law is particularly relevant for farmers and agricultural businesses due to the market dominance of the supermarkets.

The ACCC has declared agriculture and agriculture business-tobusiness related contracts will be a focus in 2017 and 2018.

And the ACCC has now moved from an ‘awareness-raising phase’ into a ‘compliance and enforcement phase’.

THE LEADERS of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and Australian Vignerons recently met with representatives from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The purpose of the March meeting was to get a better understanding of the recent changes to legislation which impact on the commercial practices in the wine industry.

The ACCC has established an Agriculture Unit to examine competition and unfair trading issues in agricultural supply chains with a view to improving enforcement and compliance with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (the Act) across the agriculture sector.

They ACCC has three main objectives regarding agriculture: • Identify key agricultural supply chain issues across the agricultural sector for enforcement focus, investigation and prosecution; • Increase awareness about Codes of Conduct, collective bargaining and the ACCC’s consultation processes; and

10 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Mick Keogh was appointed in 2016 as Commissioner to work with the Agriculture Unit and assist the ACCC’s activities to encourage fair trading and strengthen competition across agricultural supply chains.

In 2016, the ACCC held a series of regional workshops to speak with people in the horticulture and viticulture industries about the competition and fair-trading issues that affect them and to gain a better understanding of the issues present in supply chains.

An account of the competition and fair trading issues raised during the workshops and the ACCC’s response to these issues is available in the ACCC publication Perspectives in Horticulture and Viticulture.

On 12 November 2016, a new law came into effect Australiawide to protect small businesses from unfair contract terms in standard form contracts.

The Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Act 2015 (Commonwealth) defines a small business as a business that employs less than 20 people and defines the standard form contract as being worth up to $300,000 in a single year or $1 million if the contract runs for more than one year.

Standard form contracts are those where there is minimal genuine negotiation over the terms or are offered on ‘take it or leave it’ basis.

This new law is particularly relevant for farmers and agricultural businesses due to the market dominance of the supermarkets.

The terms of a standard form contract that are excluded from this law are: • Terms that define the main subject matter of the contract; • Terms that set the upfront price payable; and/or • Terms that are required or expressly permitted by a law of the

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May 2017 – Issue 640

It is clear that there is a focus by the ACCC on the unfair contract legislative changes and, more significantly, an interest if there is ‘unconscionable conduct’ in dealings between grapegrowers and grape purchasers.

• • • • •

Commonwealth, or a state or a territory.

The new law does not apply to: Contracts entered into before 12 November 2016 (unless renewed on or after that date); Constitutions of companies, managed investment schemes or similar bodies; Shipping contracts; Certain insurance contracts; and/or Contracts in sectors exempted by the Minister.

Agriculture and agriculture business-to-business related contracts is a focus for the ACCC in 2017 and 2018.

The ACCC has now moved from an awareness-raising phase into a compliance and enforcement phase.

Its particular focus is on the basis for rejecting or downgrading product, including: • The timing and nature of release of prices; • Compliance with a Code of Conduct does not automatically infer a ‘fair contract’ is in place; • The ability of one party to act in unilateral manner on grading or rejection; • The ability to terminate a contract unilaterally; • Penalties for termination of a contract by a grower if subject to an unsustainable pricing structure; and • Where market signals are disrupted or altered, thereby limiting the ability of growers to make sound business decisions.

The ACCC noted that a good dispute resolution avenue was important.

The ACCC reviewed standard form contracts from 17 traders across the horticulture, beef and cattle, viticulture, honey, cotton, poultry, grain and sugar industries.

Clauses identified as potentially problematic under the new law include terms that: • Provide businesses broad rights to reject or downgrade produce, without a legitimate business reason for doing so; • Limit liability; • Significantly restrict a supplier’s ability to sell produce in excess of the amount committed under the contract; and/or • Allow for late indicative or variable pricing of produce.

Probably of wider scope to the wine sector is focus on agriculture concerning the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the Australian Consumer Law provisions relating to unconscionable conduct, misleading or deceptive conduct and misuse of market power.

This states that: “Conduct may be unconscionable if it is particularly harsh or oppressive. It is behaviour that is substantially more than just hard commercial bargaining.”

The ACCC is looking closely at the dealing between grapegrowers and grape purchasers with respect to these provisions. The penalties associated with unconscionable conduct are significantly higher than those associated with breaches of contract.

This was a useful meeting and will start an ongoing dialogue

May 2017 – Issue 640

between the grape and wine sector and the ACCC. It is clear that there is a focus by the ACCC on the unfair contract legislative changes and, more significantly, an interest if there is ‘unconscionable conduct’ in dealings between grapegrowers and grape purchasers.

It is significant that the CEOs of the two peak industry bodies met with the ACCC to discuss this vital issue together. This is a clear indication of the intent of WFA and AV to jointly ensure that commercial dealings in the wine sector are sound; not just from a legal perspective, but that trade in the sector is as good as it can be.

Both acknowledge that there is room for improvement in some commercial dealings, and it is important that there is trust and transparency across the sector. This is not just in order to ensure goodwill, but to ensure that market signals relating to grape supply are sound and accurate, and that all parts of the value chain have the scope to be profitable, to re-invest in their businesses and to ensure that Australia can grow the best fruit and make the best wine possible.

A truly successful wine sector requires all parties to be profitable. This can only occur by getting the business framework ‘right’. This will be a key focus for WFA and AV throughout 2017 and beyond.

SV

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL

Single Vineyard WINE SHOW

Australian National Single Vineyard Wine Show Closing date for entries: Fri June 9th Wine Show is being held from July 31st to August 1st.

Schedules will be available online at www.cowrashow.com from May 1st.

Entries Close June 9

Contact: cowrawineshow@bigpond.com

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news

UP: Grape prices and sales growth DOWN: Number of wine producers THE LATEST RELEASE of the annual Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory has reinforced the positive signs of industry recovery.

However, the number of wineries was reduced by three per cent according to records tracked by the publication.

The Wine Industry Directory showed Australian wine exports increased in 2016, rising by 11.4% to almost $2.11 billion, again led in volume of wine produced by Accolade Wines. Treasury Wine Estates remains top of the list for the value of wine exports.

The 35th edition of the directory, published by Winetitles Media, showed the number of Australian wineries reduced to less than 2400 in 2016, down from 2470 in 2015.

Total revenues of the top 20 wine producers increased by 9%, or $345 million, to an estimated $4066 million in the year to June. Growth in revenues was concentrated among the top five – Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard, Winemakers, Accolade Wines, Casella Wines and Australian Vintage, although 95% of the top 20 reported an increase in sales.

The top five ranked companies of branded wine by volume remain unchanged from 2016. Further detail on Australia’s Top 20 ranked wine producers was published in The Top 20 Australian Wine Companies report, published in the April 2017 edition of this publication.

Other industry sources had confirmed the growth in grape prices and wine sales. The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) calculated an average grape price per tonne purchased was $529, up 14% from $463 in 2015. This figure is the highest since 2009 and above the average price for the past five years of $477 per tonne.

Elizabeth Bouzoudis, Wine Industry Directory managing editor, said there were definite signs of an industry recovery.

“With prices, production and exports increasing two years in a row, the industry is showing positive trends.

While there was consolidation of winery numbers and grape producers, free trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea are contributing factors in increase export sales,” Bouzoudis said.

The Wine Industry Directory has listed all Australian wine companies who

12 Grapegrower & Winemaker

AT-A-GLANCE Wine Industry Directory snapshots: • Australian grapegrowers enjoyed 35 Annual Edition their best year in almost a decade, with the average price across all varieties improving by 14% to $529/ tonne, the highest since 2009; • Average grape prices increased across the board, up 13% for reds and 12% for whites; • The total winegrape intake increased by 6.1% to 1.81 million tonnes; • Total estimated value of Australian winegrape crush was $951 million, up 21% from $788 million in 2016; • Wine producers also enjoyed much improved sales, with total revenue of the top 20 producers increasing by 9% to an estimated $4,066 million; • Exports lifted by 11.4% to almost $2.11 billion; • Average export prices rebounded, up 11.1%; • Wine imports rose by 5.6% to almost $731 million; • The decline in the number of wine producers accelerated, with 74 companies exiting in the past year. This brings losses over the past three years to 179 companies, or 7% of total producers; and • Accolade Wines remained Australia’s top wine producer in terms of volume, while Treasury Wine Estates extended its lead as the biggest revenue earner.

The Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory is proudly published by Winetitles Media th

• • • • • • • •

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

commercially sell wine every year since 1983, making it an invaluable barometer of trends, personnel and the overall health of the industry At more than 600 pages, the 2017 directory includes a comprehensive listing of wine producers, grapegrowers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, universities, research and education facilities, writers, wine publications, wine blogs, organisations, events and wine shows and industry personnel.

The ‘online resources’ category is a new feature for the 2017 release and, in line with publishing trends, the Wine Industry Directory ‘buyers’ guide’ is now also available as a mobile app.

The app will offer immediate access, for those using phone or tablet devices, to industry products and services – even when offline – plus easy navigation and hyperlinks to supplier websites. www.winetitles.com.au

2017

As information needs to evolve and new media delivery methods are developed, the Wine Industry Directory will continue to offer additional digital sections and information for the Australian and New Zealand industries.

Purchasers of the directory also receive access to the WID Online, and can search listings, via Winetitles Media’s website (www.winetitles.com.au).

The directory is available from Winetitles Media for A$113.85 in Australia/New Zealand and A$175.00 overseas. (All prices include postage and include a subscription to the online search engine).

The 2017 edition of the Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory can be ordered online at www.winetitles. com.au; by calling +618 8369 9500; or emailing orders@winetitles.com.au May 2017 – Issue 640

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news

Chateau Seppeltsfield Minquan As China becomes a driving force in the wine trade business, Australian wineries and vineyards are being bought up by Chinese investors. In a rare twist, Warren Randall of Seppeltsfield has decided to be an Australian investor in a Chinese winery. Camellia Aebischer reports.

WARREN RANDALL flew to China on May 12 to attend the opening of Chateau Seppeltsfield Minquan in Zhengzhou, Henan province on May 13. The chateau is the first of its kind as a partnership between an Australian and Chinese company.

The plan for the chateau has been in the works for a few years, and all began when Randall started seeking business opportunities in China. “The last figures I saw from the Commonwealth Government was that China had about $54 billion dollars invested in Australia and Australia has about $48billion invested in China,” he said.

“That figure it quite shocked me so I thought, ‘why don’t I invest?’.”

Randall spent some time seeking the right partnership before Minquan Jiuding became an option. He had been doing business with them for a number of years, but the interest in seeking out investment set him apart.

“That gained me a tremendous amount of respect from the Chinese. It strengthened our relationship which led to the opportunity to own part of the chateau.”

When it comes to investing in China, Randall wasn’t hesitant.

“I think people have a bit of China phobicity, we’re a bit Chinaphobic.”

After noticing that Randall was interested in an investment in China, Minquan Jiuding invited him to become a part owner of their planned chateau, which he happily accepted. The chateau was built after Minquan Jiuding’s primary branch, Zhenjiang Jiuding (a building company) acquired an old winery site less than four years ago.

“The old winery was disused and the land was very valuable, and they thought ‘hey, the Chinese wine industry is starting to boom along’, so they used the land of the old winery site and built a new one on the outskirts of the city.”

14 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Soon, Chateau Seppeltsfield Minquan will be the new home of wines from both Seppeltsfield Wines Pty Ltd and Minquan Jiuding Wine Company Ltd. The winery will ease logistics and provide a location for Seppeltsfield to ship bulk wine and bottle onsite at the chateau.

It will also provide storage facilities for Australian wines being distributed in China.

“The principle reason is to strengthen Seppeltsfield’s reputation as an exporter. We’re already doing about 10% of Australia’s total bulk wine exports. This commitment to the Chinese wine industry, both emotionally and financially, will considerably enhance our exports to china. It’s the next level of respect and commitment,” Randall said.

When asked if he had seen change in export sales during the unfolding of this project, he commented that volume had “significantly increased”.

The partnership will also create opportunities for collaboration wines to be listed under both the Seppeltsfield and Minquan labels.

“I think China is the UK of the 90s, we really should be critically aware of that, a lot of winemakers already are but we should focus on making a commitment to China.”

The investment is intended to work two ways, pulling tourism to the Chinese site, while also advertising the Barossa Valley as a destination.

The icing on the cake for Randall was the site’s location.

Zhengzhou is conveniently placed between Hong Kong and Beijing, making it an easy stopover destination. A recently completed high speed train service means that the location is now easily accessible between the two major cities.

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

Australian Vintage Limited signs exclusive trade deal AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE Limited (AVL), the parent company of Tempus Two, McGuigan and Nepenthe, has signed an agreement with Vintage China Fund L.P. (VCF) to establish a new partnership with the founders of China’s largest online wine retailer, YesMyWine.

The deal provides for the placement of 15% of AVL’s existing capital (35,959,389 shares) to VCF. at a share price of 46.01 cents. This will raise $16.5 million in capital for AVL.

Ecommerce sales have steadily increased 50% per year in China and contribute to a total of 11% of the country’s retail sales, according to reports by Wine Australia.

As part of the deal, director of VCF, Jiang Yuan will become a director of AVL, joining existing board members.

The funds from VCF’s purchase will be put toward growing the international presence of AVL’s brands, reduce costs and expand export markets.

The agreement will see AVL enter into an exclusive distribution agreement with VCF, covering the supply of specific AVL products (excluding the McGuigan Brand) into China.

The timing is right, with China heavily immersed in the wine trade and the rise in ecommerce through YesMyWine.

China has seen consistent growth in the online shopping sector, which was a major pull factor for AVL’s CEO, Neil McGuigan.

China trade group visit IN LATE APRIL a key group of 16 influential wine and trade educators from China were given a tour of Australia’s most notable wine regions.

Hosted by Wine Australia, the 10-day tour was designed to give guests an immersive experience through tastings, tours, masterclasses and education sessions with regional experts.

Guests were able to experience vintage action and visited the Margret River, Great Western, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions.

Overall the guests were impressed by the maturity of the industry and variation in style. Darren Wang, sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai said, “This trip renewed my understanding towards Australian wine. [There is a] varied

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“During the conversations with winemakers, I also got to know that the summer of 2017 was cooler than average, so the harvest season was postponed for a few weeks. This makes me have an even higher expectation of the 2017 vintage of this region,” said Lixue.

The tour’s success will help to solidify the guest’s ongoing commitment to promote Australian wine in the Chinese market.

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May 2017 – Issue 640

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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news

Federal budget breakdown:

What’s in it for the grape and wine community?

THE TURNBULL GOVERNMENT has proudly declared the 2017–18 Federal Budget is set to deliver on all the commitments made to Australia’s agricultural industries by the LiberalNational Coalition in the build up to the 2016 election.

Anne Ruston, the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, said the Budget included a $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package to promote Australian wine tourism.

“This four-year program will provide promotion of our wine regions in overseas and domestic markets as well as helping our wine producers and exporters access new markets or get a competitive edge in an existing market,” Senator Ruston said.

“I’m looking forward to the $10 million Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant program being available from 2019–20.

It will make grants of up to $100,000 available to wine producers for their cellar door sales when they exceed their Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) Rebate.

The industry is in consultation with government on implementation details relating to the Cellar Door Grant and the draft legislation changes “This initiative will encourage wine producers to invest in their cellar door facilities to improve the experience of tourists, attracting more foot traffic and increasing sales.”

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) has welcomed the 2017 Federal Budget, specifically, the wine industry reforms flagged by the Federal Government in 2016.

“Funding of these important reform

measures will place the wine industry on a firm footing to continue to grow important export markets, and correct previous over-supply in the industry,” said Tony Battaglene, the WFA chief executive.

“The industry is in consultation with government on implementation details relating to the Cellar Door Grant and the draft legislation changes, but we expect that by the end of 2017, the Australian wine industry will be celebrating certainty after a protracted period of upheaval.”

The WFA also welcomed the significant investment by the Federal Government in regional road and rail infrastructure in the Budget, including the funding of the inland freight railway and funding for the Western Sydney Airport.

“Regional transport infrastructure is vital to the Australian wine industry to get our products to market and to bring Australian and overseas tourists to our wineries.”

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16 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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May 2017 – Issue 640

National framework for a strong national voice

The Newsletter of Australian Vignerons

May 2017

TRUST ME I WAS RECENTLY approached in the supermarket in my home town by a grapegrower I have known for a number of years. Or more accurate, she was a grapegrower. We will call her Mary (that is not her real name, but I like the name Mary).

Following many successive years of hardship, through disease pressure, water and energy costs and lack of profitability she and her husband had made the heart-wrenching decision to ‘switch off’ their vineyard.

There was no doubt who Mary blamed for their predicament.

She was adamant that it was due to “the wineries” that had been “screwing the growers” for so long it was now impossible to make money growing wine grapes.

While Mary was civil enough, this was a little confronting.

In former jobs I was regularly approached like this, in fact for a while I just did not walk down the street in my town without similar approaches from extremely stressed and worried people. Since moving into my current job, and spending much more time away from home, I was guilty of losing touch with such regular interaction that reinforces just how hard it is in some parts of the wine sector.

This raises the question – how did it come to this?

In the latter part of last century, when growers and winemakers were making great profits, relations were sound. So why, when things go pear-shaped financially, is there such an urge to chop at each other’s throats?

From an individual and human aspect, it is terrible when growers and others are forced to leave the industry. On a more mercenary note, that is what happens with agricultural products and market forces conspire against profitability.

Many older growers, sorry ‘more experienced’ growers, will tell you that in the long term wine grapes are in a state of net oversupply. More disturbing for me, Mary was adamant the only cause, or at least the main cause was wine companies callously not sharing profit. There was little recognition of market impacts in the summary of her situation.

The causes that have jointly contributed to the malaise in our great wine sector are well understood, and numerous commentators have banged on about them for so long there is little value in me adding to that commentary here. However, while there are real questions that can be asked about the commercial relationships that exist between growers and makers of wine, it would be inaccurate to lay all the blame for winegrowers’ problems at the feet of winemakers who were not sharing profits because they were nasty people.

TOUGH BUSINESS CONDITIONS There is much evidence that the downturn in the fortunes of the entire industry affected wine companies as well. The independent report Actions for Industry Profitability contained ‘de-identified’ evidence of wine companies that were making negative returns in one year, only to claw back a sustainable position in the next.

That presumably came about through cost-cutting; and the last decade has seen many sad stories of employee redundancies at some of the nation’s best-known wine companies, with many others being sold during what has been an ongoing trend of consolidation.

Global bulk wine prices have been depressed for some time prior to the recent recovery, and the Australian category has suffered in the US following the fallout from the ‘global financial crisis’ and the fact that it was seen for a while as being on the nose.

Clearly this global drop in demand made wine stocks more plentiful on global markets, and the stock to sales ratio in Australia reflected that.

The net oversupply of wine meant that it was a buyer’s market for wine grapes, and fruit prices dropped accordingly. It is the nature of primary production that growers of any agricultural commodity are exposed to the influences of the market. In a time of low demand for wine this is even worse.

It has been a characteristic of the difficult times we have faced, that many people who I have dealt with have become

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Australian Vignerons News

withdrawn. There has been a tendency to blame another part of the industry; another organisation; or another person for the problems we have been facing. This is human nature.

The reason supply-side action was suggested is due to the lack of confidence there will be a trickle-down impact to positively affect growers, and this feeling is borne from a lack of trust.

Trust has become the greatest casualty of the extremely difficult trading conditions which so many across the wine sector have been dealing with.

It is also symptomatic of the difficult times that something positive such as the ERWSP is greeted with such hope and positivity that it is often mistakenly seen as a possible panacea for all ills in the industry.

This includes the trust between growers and those buying their fruit; trust between different industry organisations; trust in the marketing programs we all hope will bring profitability and good times to the industry; and often trust in each other at a personal level.

Mary’s reaction was in response to the feeling that commercial dealings were very uneven; at least in her case.

RESTORING TRUST It is fair to say that there is room for improvement in many of the commercial dealings in the wine sector. The recent creation of an agriculture unit within the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) offers both an opportunity and an imperative for some positive change; not just in respect of growers, but as a means of reforming some of the commercial dealings across the sector and restoring trust.

It is incumbent upon all within the wine sector to make sure that commercial dealings are as good as they can be. This commitment was demonstrated recently by the fact that Tony Battaglene, the CEO of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) and I met with the ACCC together. (You may have read more on this in the early news pages of this edition, but if you missed it, you can refer back to Page 10) This lack of trust was the cause of some of the concerns expressed during the recent consultation around the Export and Regional Wine Support Package (ERWSP). During that process I traveled to most states where wine is grown and made, and met and spoke with producers and growers across the country.

This valuable experience demonstrated once again the great diversity of the grape and wine community across the nation, and therefore the difficulty in finding policy positions that will fit the entire sector.

Australian Vignerons now represents “those who grow and make wine”, and as such is more involved at a whole of sector level that it once was. This perspective offers the chance to appreciate the different ways that growers and producers of wine interact in different regions and different parts of the value chain.

It is fair to say that while there is broad recognition that boosting exports and selling more wine is good, there is much cynicism within the grower and regional communities that any resultant increase in profit will be shared with those growing the fruit.

There were some ideas raised about apportioning some of this rare funding to supply-side activities as part of this package – to assist those growing the fruit. While supply-side activities were never intended to be a part of this package, it is totally understandable that there would be many people eagerly looking for some positive news in the form of potential support for their region.

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There have been many suggestions put forward to address the problems with grower profitability, including market interventions such as imposing a levy on each bottle of wine.

Market intervention schemes have a poor track record, and often result in creating perverse outcomes on their own. It is worth revisiting the outcomes of the wool floor price scheme to reinforce this.

One grower suggested to me the answer was to “make wineries have a smaller margin, so that growers would get paid more”.

Aside from the difficulty in talking around another business to accept a smaller margin during its own tight times, this is a negative mindset.

A positive mindset is required; and rather than ‘dividing the pie’ differently, surely the answer is to ‘grow the pie’.

Making the wine sector profitable again is the positive option, and selling more wine at a greater profit is the way forward.

There is much other work to do; work that falls outside the scope of the $50 million boost to stimulate demand for Australian wine.

This is an area where Australian Vignerons can add value to the entire sector and play an important role on behalf of its members. Some of the focus of Australian Vignerons in this regard includes the following: • Continue to work on improving commercial relationships in the wine sector Previous work between Australian Vignerons (AV) and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) suggests the vast majority of work that we do is of common interest.

There is common interest in making sure Australia has effective marketing; that RD&E works as effectively as it should; that biosecurity is take care of; that the regulatory framework around exports is effective and efficient; and that federal policy does not damage the sector. Traditionally, the main point of difference between WFA and AV revolves around commercial practices. Recent discussions with the ACCC reveal that there is a strong focus on agriculture, and business-to-business contracts. It was also made clear that there is a strong focus on trading terms that might be deemed to be unconscionable, and that the ACCC has moved on from a ‘consultation’ phase into a ‘compliance phase.

It is essential for all businesses in the sector to ensure they are compliant; that the market signals which flow along the value chain are sound and accurate; and these market signals allow growers and makers of wine to make sound business decisions.

• Actively seek collaboration with industry organisations and build trust Actions speak louder than words. No amount of lip service to building trust will replace the active commitment to it.

Australian Vignerons News

Australian Vignerons will be working on behalf of its members, and the sector as a whole, by encouraging collaboration and building partnerships with the whole of industry benefit in mind.

There have been recent examples where there is an increasing willingness for different parties to collaborate.

In addition to AV and WFA meeting to discuss commercial relationships, there is a lot of current work in the field of biosecurity, sustainable growing accreditation, chemical compliance, research and extension entities are showing a real commitment to putting past differences aside and trying to work together for the common good.

Both AV and WFA are also exploring ways in which the two bodies can work more closely on the vast majority of challenges that we commonly face. The budget limitations that we face as makes this approach a necessity if AV is to remain credible and achieve results for members across the nation.

It is also widely understood that the ability of WFA and AV to work on unison in facing the many common challenges that we face will make the entire sector more effective in advocacy at national level.

This commitment requires not only an ability to adopt a commitment to positive results and seeking solutions, but also the strength to challenge the mindset that has led to past confrontation and an attitude of ‘defending a position’ instead of seeking positive outcomes. Industry participants must have the courage to openly discuss their differences and work through them. The WET rebate consultation process was a great example where openly discussing issues and listening to different views resulted in greater understanding.

Difficult issues should not be left unresolved where they will remain as points of difference, and left to fester and create resentment.

This industry has an active rumour mill that seems to fire up in response to discontent. Potentially divisive issues should be brought into the open and addressed via appropriate channels, and not amplified through avenues such as social media where there is little scope of generating a solution.

Few people realize the damage that can be done through an ill-informed rant on social media that travels across the globe in a fraction of a second, and creates a negative perception about the Australian wine sector in our markets.

People intending to part with hard-earned cash for an aspirational product are unlikely to be encouraged by negative stories in the public space.

• Increasing grower engagement and involvement I have seen firsthand the problems growers face across the country. It is not only growers facing these problems, as mentioned earlier, but in my experience growers are feeling this pain most acutely.

There has been a real attitude to ‘bunker down’ and address the lack of profitability by working harder and often this means growers, or their spouses – or both, are seeking off-farm income

in order for their business to survive. This makes them time poor; less engaged in industry issues; and can result in reduced understanding about how the market issues and the value of wine directly impacts on their ability to make a profit.

Better engagement is only part of the picture. There is a strong case for AV to work with Wine Australia and disseminate regular market information about wine sales value to growers and regional organisations. Wine Australia does a great job with their regular market bulletins, but there is a case to build awareness in the grower part of the sector at the link between the value of the fruit that they produce and the value of the corresponding wine.

Better information – and greater engagement – will help to make growers better equipped to make sound business decisions, therefore be more strategic in their business approach, and more sustainable.

• Build understanding between different parts of the sector It has been mentioned in previous editions of the Australian Winegrower that people in the wine community have a great understanding of how the industry works in their particular region.

Recent consultation sessions across the nation have revealed many do not have a broad understanding of how wine businesses work, the challenges faced in other regions and states, or different issues between winemakers and growers.

Unfortunately, the pride and commitment that many people have for their region can manifest itself in parochial defense of ‘their patch’ of the grape and wine community – especially when they are faced with the challenge a new policy or program might bring.

A broader understanding of the sector will lead to better empathy and a better ability to deal with challenges and wine sector policy at a national level. The recent state teleconferences initiated by WFA and in which AV takes part is a good start to this, but more needs to be done.

There is cause for optimism in the wine sector at present, with the Cellar Door Package, the impending influx of support from the ERWSP, continued good news in regard to flow-on effects of the free trade agreements, and positive stories emanating in some of our wine markets.

In order to capitalize on this optimism it will be important for all within the sector to be on board, to put past differences aside and to ensure that the whole value chain – those who grow fruit, make wine and sell it can all share in the profit.

Rebuilding trust is just the start, but a vital start to all parts of the value chain working together, instead of functioning as competitors.

I hope that the next time I see Mary down the street there will be positive stories about growing grapes and selling wine, and that she may regret pulling out her vines and planting nut trees.

Andrew Weeks Australian Vignerons Chief Executive Officer

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Australian Vignerons News

SMOKE TAINT THE LATE VINTAGE has seen an increased focus on potential smoke taint problems. Forestry authorities in different states, as well as farmers wishing to burn for stubble management, have created concerns with winegrowers as fruit remained on the vine later than previous years.

Farmers have reported being refused permission to carry out stubble burns in some local councils due to concerns about potential smoke taint damage to nearby vineyards. In South Australia, Vinehealth Australia has been busy providing information about vineyard locations to local authorities conducting annual burns to control undergrowth.

This is an important issue, and it often requires some concession on the part of vineyard owners. State forestry authorities need to conduct burn offs to reduce the fuel load. The available time for these controlled burns is limited, and usually falls in the latter stages of wine grape harvest. It is therefore important

that the state wine organisations have a good working relationship with the relevant forestry authority.

This has been the case in Western Australia, where the late finish to the vintage season was taken into account by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, and they worked in conjunction with regional wine representative bodies to minimize the potential impact.

In WA there has been some very good work done in this regard, and there is a case for some national coordination on this issue. There have been suggestions that a national position would strengthen the ability of state and regional associations in their engagement with the relevant state government and regional groups interested in burn off activities during this critical stage at the end of the growing season.

vintage and other commitments have been completed.

There are similar concerns in regard to spray drift. Some regions have seen possible herbicide ingress into vineyards.

While grapevines are sensitive to some herbicides used in other agricultural industries, incidents of drift tend to cause problems with vine growth without leading to residue issues in the resulting wine.

Like the issue of forestry and farming burn offs mentioned above, dealing with spray drift often requires dealing with other industries such as the broadacre and horticultural sector. The need for this type of cross-sector engagement is increasing, and Australian Vignerons will play its part in working with other agricultural industries in order to address these ongoing concerns.

State wine industry bodies have started discussions and there are plans to explore a national position now that

CELEBRATING WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK The following article was supplied by Mellor Olsson Lawyers in recognition of ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’, which was on April 28 this year.

FOLLOWING THE RECENT prolonged harvest period it is worth reflecting on workplace health and safety. With vintage work often done in tight time frames and at night, consideration of these issues should be front of mind. Some employers may not be fully aware of their obligations in regard to workplace health and safety. The following examples give some food for thought.

A SPOTLIGHT ON THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY Between 2010 and 2014 the agriculture sector accounted for 24% of all worker fatalities, despite this sector only accounting for 2.6% of the workforce. Consider this: Every week nine South Australian primary producers are hurt seriously enough to lodge a work injury claim. Below are two examples of safety issues that employers in the agricultural industry have recently faced, as well as looking at a recent shift in the way Australian workers need to handle chemicals

SAFETY DEVELOPMENTS IN 2017 • In January, labour hire company T&R Contracting Shepparton Pty Ltd was convicted and fined $60,000 for failing to provide adequate instruction and training in relation to a conveyor belt incident. The incident involved the scalping of a 21-yearold Irish backpacker who was working in a pear packing shed when her hair became entangled in the conveyer belt that she was cleaning while it was still in motion. A liquidator has since been appointed.

• The Supreme Court of Queensland has confirmed that responsibility for risks associated with fatigue do not end with an employee’s shift, and that all parties exercising control over a workplace will owe a duty of care to address this risk.

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In the case in question, a mining operator (the host employer), a principal contractor and a labour hire provider were all held liable for a serious injury caused when a worker ran off the road driving home after completing four consecutive 12 hour night shifts.

The Court required those in charge of this particular workplace to: 1. Limit shift length to allow for a rest every 15 hours; 2. Provide transport from the remote workplace at the end of the roster; 3. Supply an onsite place of rest; and 4. Educate workers regarding fatigue, driving and identifying the need to rest.

• Recent changes have been introduced to the requirements for handling hazardous chemicals as Australia aligns with the standards required by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The purpose of the GHS is to standardise the way in which information is conveyed about the hazards of chemicals and any precautions necessary to ensure safe storage, handling and disposal.

According to Safe Work Australia, serious claims fell 33% between 2000-01 and 2013-14. It’s important as a nation that we keep this number decreasing and continue to identify areas where employers can improve.

Anyone with questions in regard to procedures to address these or other safety issues is welcome to contact a member of the Employment Law Team at Mellor Olsson Lawyers.

grapegrowing Marlborough vineyards. Photographer: Olivier Colas

Companies look to lease rather than buy Tessa Nicholson investigates lease options for vineyards and bare land, an option that is being increasingly utilized in Marlborough.

AS BIGGER COMPANIES look to expand their supply, they are increasingly looking to lease land rather than buy outright. In the past few years a number of large properties have been leased by the likes of Constellation, Delegat’s and Indevin, with wholescale vineyard development being undertaken.

Lawyer Peter Radich says it was not something people considered in the region a few years back, but as restrictions on overseas investment grow, and land values rise, it has suddenly become a viable option.

May 2017 – Issue 640

“There were some leases undertaken quite a number of years ago when Montana (as they were) decided to lease some Rapaura properties and those leases have carried on. Then leasing went out of fashion with the wine companies. I think that was because the rentals that were having to be paid, were disproportionate to the returns the wine companies were getting back.”

Now they are back in favour, with two styles being considered by landowners and wine companies. One, is leasing an already developed vineyard. The other www.winetitles.com.au

is for a wine company to lease bare land.

Radich says this is the more popular of the two lease options.

“The wine company then puts all of the grapes and support structures in place, the irrigation and where appropriate, wind machines as well,” Radich says.

“Then it takes the crop. Under those typical arrangements, the wine company will be paying the landowner a value of 7 to 7.5 percent and in some infrequent cases 8 percent of the capital value of the land, before improvement.”

He says typically, these leases have Grapegrower & Winemaker

21

grapegrowing

Every lease is different, with its own set of issues. All of those issues need to be carefully worked through.

Lawyer Peter Radich said leasing large properties, both developed vineyards and bare land, has become a viable option in Marlborough.

rent review arrangements every five years.

“So the rental will start off at say 7% of $1 million and then five years later that will be reviewed. What is reviewed is not the percentage because that is set, it is the capital value of the land alone.

So if the land (without improvements) is valued at $1.5 million after five years, then the landowner gets a return of 7% of that.”

Radich describes the arrangement as “an attractive one” from the point of view of a landowner who doesn’t want to be actively involved in viticulture themselves, but is looking for a secure investment that ensures they do not lose their land forever.

“We have got people who say, ‘we are now in our 60s and we don’t want the hassle of developing a vineyard – but we have owned the land for donkeys years and we don’t want to sell it. We want to hand something on to our children’. Yes they won’t be able to get access to it for 30 years or more, but they will have a nice income from it.”

Some good reasons for landowners, but why are wine companies so keen to lease land?

“Security of supply, and I think it

22 Grapegrower & Winemaker

is probably evident to wine companies that they can produce their own grapes, even if they are leasing land, at a more favourable price than by paying contract growers to do so.”

For wine companies owned off-shore, the ability to increase supply without having to go through the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) is another reason why leasing has become more popular in recent years, Radich says. As the OIO tightens its rules on who can buy New Zealand land, more off shore companies are looking for alternatives. Given there are also certain restrictions relating to off shore companies leasing land, Radich says one at least, is using a profit-á prendre arrangement. This is defined as the “right of taking the produce or part of the soil from the land of another person”, and is allowed under OIO rules.

While Radich couldn’t say exactly how much Marlborough land is currently being leased, he described it as “an awful lot”.

THINGS TO CONSIDER So what are the issues – what should a landowner consider before going into a lease agreement?

“First thing is the certainty of arrangements,” Radich says. “In other words, how long is a lease for? Does the wine company want a right of renewal and if so, how long would that be for?

When are the rent reviews due? How are the rent reviews dealt with? Who is responsible for the outgoings, rates and everything else? Is the rate of return sufficient and is it a fair rate of return on your capital value?”

He also says the landowner needs to be happy with the way the land is going to be farmed – and the effect that form of farming will have on the long term value of the land.

“There are also issues if you are remaining living on the land. To what extent will the activities of the vineyard development affect you in your home?

The presence of wind machines is one of those sort of issues.”

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Another critical issue is who controls the water rights. Given Marlborough like so many other places in New Zealand has an over allocation of water, (even if not all that water is being used), there are risks that if the wine company does not adhere to the rights, they can be withdrawn.

“Water rights are an asset of huge value. You have to be sure that you ultimately have control of your water right when you get your land back. No more rights are being given out, so once it is lost, you are unlikely to regain it.”

Another consideration to take into account, especially given the events of November last year, is what happens if a natural disaster strikes – such as an earthquake?

“This is important and it has got to be addressed. The usual situation is, if the land you are leasing is wrecked, then you can’t expect a return on that. If the land is destroyed, ordinarily the obligation of the lessee to continue paying rent would stop. And in situations for example, where you are near to a river and the river may take away some of the land, the issue becomes one of some importance.”

While weather events that affect crop will be the lessee’s responsibility, anything that impacts on the land remains the landowners.

Radich also advices taking legal advice if you are considering such a contract – given every individual lease has its own idiosyncrasies.

“Every lease is different, with its own set of issues. All of those issues need to be carefully worked through.”

As for the future, he doesn’t see the current trend abating in a hurry.

Especially as the growth of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc continues to grow and wine companies struggle to keep up with demand.

This article was first published by the New Zealand Winegrower and has been reprinted with permission. For more articles from the NZ Winegrower, visit www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/wine-grower

May 2017 – Issue 640

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grapegrowing

Protecting his patch of the peninsula Wine writer Steve Leszczynski recently caught up with David Lloyd, from Eldridge Estate on the Mornington Peninsula. Lloyd has been busy ‘future proofing’ his business, literally working from the roots up.

“IF YOU DON’T have an insurance policy, you’re an idiot,” said David Lloyd, Eldridge Estate owner/winemaker.

He goes on to explain he is concerned about phylloxera.

“It (Phylloxera) is just up the road in the Yarra Valley and it’s only a matter of time before it comes here.”

So Lloyd has turned his thoughts to not only improving his vineyard, but taking more dramatic steps to rip up and replant his vines – and help to ‘future proof’ his business.

He’s already made solid inroads with other areas of the business – reducing his carbon footprint to zero. With a vast array of solar panels taking the load for the cellar door and winery, various pieces of equipment are now also battery powered.

But it’s the threat of the vine-root munching phylloxera that has been on his mind for a while.

The journey started a decade ago. He realised when Phylloxera issues became apparent in the Yarra Valley was a wake-up call for his nearby Mornington Peninsula. As a result, from 2009 Lloyd has set about gradually converting the Red Hill vineyard to resistant rootstock.

While Eldridge Estate is only a small producer, production is usually about 1000 cases a year from the eight acres, the process hasn’t been cheap – but “well worth the investment” Lloyd said with assurance.

From the cellar door balcony Lloyd can pin point eight rows of Chardonnay which has a delivered its last crop for the winery.

“After this vintage they are coming out. There’s nothing wrong with them, but we’ve got to do something,” Lloyd said.

These vines are 30 years old and will be replaced by Gamay, with the French variety which currently makes up approximately 10% of his production.

Rootstock 101-14 was previously trialled, but was found to be surface rooting and therefore struggled in dry weather, so Lloyd settled with Richter 110.

The process to change the vines over is not quick, nor is it cheap. It started 12 months ago, when the Department of Primary Industries was engaged, charging Lloyd by the hour as soon as the staff members left the Melbourne airport.

Lloyd’s own Gamay cuttings were tested and dipped in 54°C water for five minutes and then given a cool bath for another minute, according to the set criteria. The cuttings were then grafted to the Richter 110 rootstock. They will be back at Red Hill later this year.

Going forward, approximately 25% of the vineyard will be on resistant rootstock. Little by little, Lloyd hopes to continue the process. The love for his vineyard and for the Mornington region is clear. But he’s not alone on those fronts, nor is his case of vineyard replanting an isolated one – vineyards at Yabby Lake, Paringa and Moorooduc are all going through a similar process, although Lloyd is unsure of their numbers.

There’s plenty of merit in future proofing, but as Lloyd points out, “you’d be a mug if you suddenly had Phylloxera and you had done nothing about it”.

AT A GLANCE Vinehealth recommends vineyard owners and managers check they align with the top 10 best practice farm-gate hygiene steps, outlined in a downloadable poster on its website: www.vinehealth.com.au/media/Vinehealth-best-practice-farmgate-hygiene-poster-black-A3.pdf

Eldridge Estate is located at Red Hill on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

24 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

NEW F E 811 & LCO 811B

FELCO Model Typical use

801 Vineyards

Cutting capacity Handpiece weight

30mm 745g

811 Vineyards with older vines 35mm 815g

811B Mixed use including larger branches 35mm 815g

820 Orchards/ larger trees 45mm 980g

grapegrowing

Berry stress and wine quality Many compounds linked to a wine’s quality originate from stresses experienced by grape berries.

Philip Young and Melané Vivier report on carotenoids and stress response.

WHEN CONFRONTED with a potential hazardous situation, most organisms capable of movement, including humans, animals and insects; can choose between a ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

Plants, however, are sessile and as such are literally stuck where they grow and, therefore, need to be more adaptable and acquire greater tolerance to multiple stresses. Plants develop sophisticated responses to adapt and survive a range of stressful conditions, as well as intensities of these stresses.

A plant’s response to a stress is affected by a number of factors that include the developmental stage and the ambient environmental conditions. Due to the complexity of these responses, stress research in plants has historically attempted to study the response(s) to individual stresses in isolation. One variable can be perturbed, and the plant’s response is assessed over time, and evaluated relative to untreated control plants.

These studies have demonstrated that plants use various ways to perceive and react to a stress stimulus, typically via plant hormones. Plants can utilise specific hormones in response to specific stresses. For example: Abscisic acid (ABA) is used to modulate the response to drought stress; whereas the hormones salicylic acid and jasmonic acid are utilised during pathogen and herbivore attack. It has, however, become evident that how plants respond to multiple stresses (as occurs in field grown situations), cannot be predicted based on the plants response(s) to the individual stresses (in isolation).

26 Grapegrower & Winemaker

STRESS METABOLITES Studies have shown that field grown plants exposed to multiple stresses perceive each individual stress via a specialised system, but often activate similar molecules to deal with the stress combinations. Numerous stress-related pathways are directly related to the biosynthesis of quality-associated wine compounds.

Carotenoids are C40-tetraterpenoids that play essential roles in photosynthesis. Due to their chemical structure carotenoids effectively increase the proportion of the light spectrum of sunlight that can be utilised by chlorophyll for photosynthesis. In addition, some carotenoids are essential to protect the plant tissues against the dangers of excess light. Carotenoids further serve as precursors to apocarotenoid compounds with diverse biological functions that include some of the plant hormones and volatile C13-norisoprenoids. From a grape and wine perspective, the volatile C13norisoprenoids are considered impact odorants that contribute to varietal floral and fruity attributes.

The carotenoid metabolic pathway are relatively well conserved and the pathway is well established in plant research. Research at the Institute for Wine Biotechnology of the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University has made contributions to carotenoid research in grapevine in measuring the type and amounts of carotenoids in different grapevine tissues, including grapevine berries.

Due to the involvement of carotenoids in photosynthesis, abiotic stress (via

www.winetitles.com.au

ABA) and flavour and aroma production (via the norisoprenoids); carotenoid research in grapevine provides numerous promising opportunities.

MEASURING CAROTENOIDS The genetics underlying the respective pathways for the biosynthesis and degradation of compounds of interest are ideally required to fully understand their regulation and ultimately the functions of the compounds in the plant.

To this end the genes and enzymes of the carotenoid metabolic pathway of grapevine (Vitis vinifera cv. Pinotage) were identified, isolated and the functions of the products were studied. We confirmed that oxygenated carotenoids (xanthophylls) play an important role in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage caused by lightinduced oxidative stress.

This response is observed in photosynthetically active tissues (e.g. leaves), including green berries. Apart from light, it has also been demonstrated that carotenoids provide crossprotection to other stress factors that result in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation (e.g. drought, chilling, heat, senescence or salinity stress). This is due to the carotenoids directly functioning as antioxidants in biological systems.

The extraction and measuring of carotenoids is a prerequisite to study the impacts of the metabolic pathway. This is, however, particularly challenging due to the sensitivity of this class of compounds to numerous ubiquitous factors, including temperature, light, oxygen, pH and oxidising agents.

May 2017 – Issue 640

An ext raction and liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was, therefore, optimised specifically for the analysis of photosynthetic pigments (carotenoids and chlorophylls) from grapevine samples (leaves, berries from various developmental stages and callus tissue). The optimised method enables researchers to accurately identify and quantify changes in individual compounds during, for example, development or in response to a stress or viticultural treatment.

It has been shown in carotenoid accumulating fruits, such as tomatoes and peaches, that volatile norisoprenoids are derived from carotenoids. The C40 carotenoid substrate is broken down into volatile C13-noripsorenoid products via both enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), are enzymes that cleave the carotenoid substrates to form these volatile norisoprenoids.

The grapevine CCD enzymes were studied and it was possible to link the activities of some of the enzymes to the formation of specific volatiles. Cultivar differences in terms of these CCD enzymes could contribute to cultivar typicity with regard to aromas and needs to be studied further. An analytical method was also optimised to analyse volatile flavour and aroma compounds from grape tissues.

A second group of carotenoid cleavage enzymes, the 9-cis epoxy carotenoid dioxygenases (NCEDs), are also of interest in grapevine research. The NCEDs have received much attention in plant crop sciences due to their role in the biosynthesis of ABA. ABA

May 2017 – Issue 640

is a phytohormone that is required for a number of divergent physiological responses including seed germination, abiotic stress responses and development.

In grape berry development, ABA is involved in the initiation and progression of ripening. During abiotic stress responses (e.g. water stress) increased NCED activity has been linked to ABA accumulation.

Our own research has shown that when a grapevine NCED was produced at high levels in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, it significantly increased the levels of ABA which improved the photosynthetic performance of the plants under high light conditions, as well as dramatically increasing the drought tolerance of the plants (relative to the control plants).

CONCLUSION Collectively the research conducted has contributed to our understanding of the carotenoid metabolic pathway in grapevine; and how specific carotenoids are utilised in, for example, stress responses. The analytical methods developed for the analysis of the carotenoids, and the derived volatile norisoprenoids, has made it possible to follow how these classes of compounds are modulated during berry development, and following viticultural treatments and/or environmental stresses.

This remains the focus of ongoing projects in Sauvignon Blanc (Elgin) and Shiraz (Robertson) vineyards where it is now possible to evaluate the impacts of different stresses and/or viticultural manipulations on berry and wine quality impact molecules.

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The inherent sensitivity of the carotenoids for degradation, and their specific cleavage by the cleavage enzymes, establishes an important link between the carotenoid content of grapes (in early developmental stages), and the final norisoprenoids content of grapes (at harvest).

Early viticultural treatments that modulate the bunch zone microclimate (causing moderate stress, but not damage) can, therefore, have a profound impact on the final berry composition at harvest.

The carotenoid metabolic pathway is central to a number of these stress responses since plants predominantly react to protect the photosynthetic apparatus of the plant. From a winemaking perspective the breakdown/degradation products of the carotenoids are impact odorants in many commercially relevant wine cultivars.

Understanding and exploiting the links between the cultivar, environment and stress response molecules in grapevine, and known quality associated impact odorants, provides the plant’s physiological response underlying a number of elusive and esoteric concepts of importance in oenology, such as cultivar typicity and terroir expression.

FOR MORE INFORMATION This article originates from research funded by Winetech in South Africa which can be downloaded from www.sawislibrary.co.za.

The article was first published in Wineland (www.wineland.co.za) and this version has been reproduced with permission.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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grapegrowing

Phylloxera spreads north in the Yarra Valley Fine tuning glyphosate and paraquat/diquat use Over-reliance on glyphosate for weed control under vines is leading to an ever-increasing number of Group M resistant Annual Ryegrass populations across Australia. Incorporating different Modes of Action in your weed control strategy will ensure you have a robust rotation of chemistry to help delay the onset of any resistance problems. The next important step is to make sure you maximise the result from both the Group M glyphosate products and the Group L products, which includes GRAMOXONE® and SPRAY.SEED®.

Glyphosate and SPRAY.SEED have broad-spectrum grass and broadleaf weed activity. Diquat added to paraquat in SPRAY.SEED brings together this annual broadleaf and grass weed control. GRAMOXONE contains paraquat only, which has activity mostly on annual grass weeds.

The first decision you will face is what are your target weeds and that will dictate which product is right for your situation.

No matter which product you use, herbicide rate is critical for successful results. Use too little and you increase the risk of resistance. Match the selected rate and water volume to the size of the key weeds present.

Follow the instructions on the labels.

The optimum water rate largely depends on the herbicide. As a rule, glyphosate works better when sprayed in a concentrated manner. It is a very systemic herbicide so coverage is not as critical as it is with SPRAY. SEED or GRAMOXONE, which are both contact herbicides. With dense and/or large weed populations, increase the water volume when spraying contact products. If you use more than 100 L/ha (of water volume), the SPRAY.SEED label instructs you to add additional wetter. It’s a good idea to read the specific instructions for adding adjuvants to GRAMOXONE 250 and GRAMOXONE 360 PRO as they differ for each product.

Time of day for spraying is very important to get the best from both types of herbicides discussed here. Spray glyphosate during the morning, preferably on a sunny day and it will work more effectively than spraying in the late afternoon. The opposite is the case for both SPRAY.SEED and GRAMOXONE. These products work best when applied in low light conditions. Spraying these contact products towards the end of the day often achieves best results.

Water quality is critical for many herbicides. If your water is dirty, active ingredients like paraquat and diquat can be deactivated relatively quickly and that can greatly reduce the level of weed control. Water pH and hardness are not as critical for SPRAY.SEED and GRAMOXONE as they are for glyphosate. Many agronomists recommend adding ammonium sulphate to address hard water issues when spraying glyphosate. They will also recommend the inclusion of a pH-buffering agent if the water is too alkaline or acidic.

Adding a Group G spike can also improve the result on some hard to control weeds, so talk with your local agronomist about your circumstances.

In summary, use rates that match weed size, rotate your herbicide groups, spray at the right time of day with the right water volume, quality and correct amount of adjuvant and you give yourself the best chance of success!

Vine Talk is compiled by Dave Antrobus, Syngenta Solutions Development Lead dave.antrobus@syngenta.com 0429 133 436 28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

NEW DETECTIONS of phylloxera have seen Victoria’s Maroondah Phylloxera Infested Zone (PIZ) boundary extended to the north – incorporating four additional vineyards.

Grape phylloxera is a small insect that lives on the roots of grapevines. Once established, death of own-rooted vines is inevitable.

Because the new detections were found within the existing PIZ boundary, it has been extended to maintain a 5km buffer zone between an infested property and the PIZ boundary.

While the size of the extension appears large, Vinehealth Australia said it encompasses national and state forests and aligns with main roads. For example, the Healesville-Kinglake Road was the first main road to the north; therefore the Maroondah PIZ has been extended to this point.

Inca Pearce, Vinehealth Australia chief executive officer, said the extension to this PIZ boundary was a concern, and it is imperative that vineyard owners and managers check any links they may have with businesses operating in the extension area.

“Phylloxera doesn’t respect vineyard boundaries or state borders. We must work together nationally to ensure we stop the spread of phylloxera,” Pearce said.

“Vinehealth Australia recognises the need to act with urgency to respond to a constantly evolving biosecurity environment, with trends in trade, tourism, climate change and business ownership increasing the extent and nature of biosecurity risks.

These new detections underscore the urgency.”

Pearce said the new infestations are a reminder for growers and vineyard managers to report any suspect vine decline early.

“If your vines are declining, investigate quickly to identify the cause. If you suspect a phylloxera infestation, you must notify your state agricultural department or Vinehealth Australia,” she said.

“It’s imperative that vineyard owners, managers, staff and all visitors respect state plant quarantine standards and implement best practice farm-gate hygiene on every property. Biosecurity is a team game and we are only as strong as the weakest link.

“Vineyard owners, wineries, contractors and carriers must understand the regulations and documentation required for the movement of grapes and grape materials, machinery and equipment, diagnostic samples, soil, cuttings, rootlings and potted vines, within and between states. And ensure all people who visit your property clean and disinfest their footwear on entry and exit, in accordance with the Footwear and Small Hand Tool Disinfestation Protocol.”

This latest boundary extension is the sixth expansion to the original Maroondah PIZ, which was established in 2006 following the first detection of phylloxera in the Yarra Valley.

The extension was gazetted on 30 March 2017 and was announced by Agriculture Victoria in early May. This represents the sixth expansion to the original Maroondah PIZ, which was established in 2006 following the first detection of phylloxera in the region. The previous extension to the Maroondah PIZ was in April 2016.

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

VITECO CANE PRUNER The ERO Viteco has been developed to slash the costs and resources required during pruning. By seizing the fruiting wire and feeding it through a guide, Viteco completely strips the wire of canes and bits of vine that are immediately mulched, saving the need for a second pass.

May 2017 – Issue 640

a communications strategy to raise awareness of phylloxera and farm-gate hygiene practices.

Vinehealth recommends vineyard owners and managers check they align with the top 10 best practice farm-gate hygiene steps, outlined in a downloadable poster on its website: w w w.v i n e h e a l t h .c o m . a u /m e d i a / Vi nehe a lt h-b est-pr ac t ice -f a r m- gate hygiene-poster-black-A3.pdf Vinehealth Australia said it was imperative for vineyard owners and managers to check any links they might have with businesses operating in the extension area.

Vinehealth Australia also welcomes calls about the Maroondah PIZ on (08) 8273 0550.

For a copy of the Footwear and Small Hand Tool Disinfestation Protocol visit: w w w.v i n e h e a l t h .c o m . a u /m e d i a / Vinehealth-Footwear-and-Small-HandTools-Disinfestation-Protocol-White-A3. pdf www.winetitles.com.au

Talk to us today if you’re serious about improving the environmental and economic performance of your vineyard Call 1800 269 773 or sales@fmrgroup.com.au

CONTACT FMR GROUP AUSTRALIA: 1800 269 773 FMRGROUP.COM.AU NEW ZEALAND: 0800 367 583 FMRGROUP.CO.NZ Grapegrower & Winemaker

FMR2017VCP

Updated phylloxera zone maps can be found here: www.vinehealth.com.au/biosecurityin-practice/maps/phylloxeramanagement-zones For information about movement requirements for phylloxera risk vectors visit: h t t p: // w w w.v i n e h e a l t h . c o m . a u / essent ia ls/r eg u lat ion s-a nd-pol icies/ phylloxera-regulations/ Or: http://www.vinehealth.com.au/ essent ia ls/r eg u lat ion s-a nd-pol icies/ n a t i o n a l - p h y l l o x e r a - m a n a g e m e n tprotocol/ Vinehealth Australia conducts a rolling surveillance program, where each region is surveyed every three-tofive years using a combination of aerial imagery and vineyard inspections.

Vinehealth is also working with state regulators to strengthen plant quarantine standards, investing in cuttingedge research to improve phylloxera detection methods and implementing

29

ask the Why was there more powdery mildew than usual this season?

POWDERY MILDEW is caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator (formerly Uncinula necator). Unlike most fungi, the powdery mildew fungus relies on wet weather for only a small part of its lifecycle.

It usually develops in dry conditions but spreads most extensively at high humidity in mild, cloudy weather, inside shaded canopies. One reason for this is that the fungus grows on the surface of infected foliage and is retarded by direct exposure to sunlight.

WHY WAS THERE MORE POWDERY MILDEW THAN USUAL THIS SEASON? Several factors have contributed to high levels of powdery mildew this season. First, the weather around the time of budburst in many grapegrowing regions was extremely wet, making it difficult to get access to the vineyard and apply critical early-season sprays.

Secondly, the high levels of soil moisture triggered vigorous vine growth, which meant the rapidly developing foliage provided larger amounts of susceptible foliage.

Thirdly, the dense canopies created a shaded, humid microclimate that favoured the growth of powdery mildew but hindered the penetration of fungicide controls.

Finally, during the growing season there were relatively few extremely hot days with low humidity to inhibit growth of the fungus.

HOW CAN I IDENTIFY POWDERY MILDEW IN THE VINEYARD? Powdery mildew is identified by the grey-white mildew that develops on infected tissue. The dusty or powdery appearance is easy to identify when the infection is well established, but can be harder to see in the early stages.

A good trick to help see young mildew spots is to angle the leaf into the light and look for whitish fungal spores. After veraison, infected material is often found on aborted green berries and on bunch stems which may show greasy black infected spots when the bunch is pulled apart.

HOW DOES POWDERY MILDEW START IN THE VINEYARD EACH SPRING? Powdery mildew, if not controlled in the previous season, will carry over winter in infected buds. The shoots (flag shoots) that emerge from these infected buds provide the main source of inoculum to spread the disease early in the season.

If it is a practical option, growers should remove flag shoots to reduce the

number of fresh spores in the vineyard.

Also, by marking the area where flag shoots emerged and monitoring the adjacent foliage, growers can check for any subsequent development of powdery mildew. This can be a powerful guide to the success of a spray program.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT POWDERY MILDEW THIS SEASON? Control throughout the season relies on early management of inoculum levels.

This is achieved primarily through fungicide applications focussed on protecting all green tissue.

The sprays should ideally begin shortly after budburst and continue for at least six weeks, spraying at intervals of 10 to 14 days.

When opportunities to spray are rare, for example due to bad weather or vineyard waterlogging, it is important to make the most of every chance to apply appropriate fungicides. Achieving good spray coverage at the correct chemical label rate is essential.

Cultural practices that promote an open canopy can also assist with powdery mildew prevention. This is because an open canopy, being more exposed, will be less humid than a dense closed canopy and will provide a microclimate that is less favourable to the disease.

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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May 2017 – Issue 640

SWEEPERS & MULCHERS

LATE-SEASON POWDERY – WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS? In typical years, if good early-season control has been established, the need for late-season sprays is reduced. However, once the disease is present and has spread inside shaded canopies, regaining adequate disease control is challenging.

In this case, a combination of canopy management and thorough spray coverage is critical.

There are many effective fungicides registered for control of powdery mildew, but careful selection and rotation of activity groups is imperative because the disease is prone to developing resistance against single-site fungicides.

To reduce the risk of resistance, alternating among different chemical groups and including multi-site fungicides such as sulfur is recommended.

Guidelines to manage resistance are developed by CropLife Australia and published in the AWRI’s ‘Dog book’.

Chemical control should focus on maintaining protection on uninfected tissue to restrict the disease from spreading and potentially defoliating the vines.

Fungicides with vapour activity such as sulfur are useful because the fumes can get to hard-to-reach parts of the canopy and bunch.

Late-season canopy control strategies such as trimming and leaf plucking increase the penetration of light into the canopy and promote airflow. Importantly, this also allows better spray coverage.

May 2017 – Issue 640

WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT SEASON? It is likely that there will be higher levels of powdery mildew inoculum present in many vineyards next season, so it will be important to spray thoroughly early in the season.

Careful control of powdery at that time will also help reduce the carryover of infected buds to the following season. An effective powdery mildew spray program will begin with at least three to four consecutive sprays at 10 to 14-day intervals from budburst.

After this, vineyards should be monitored carefully to look for any sign of active powdery mildew. If active powdery mildew is detected, the spray program should be maintained. If good control has been achieved, the spray schedule can be relaxed, but continued monitoring is important.

FURTHER INFORMATION More information about the lifecycle and management of powdery mildew can be found in several fact sheets on the AWRI and Wine Australia websites.

Support is also available from the AWRI helpdesk via helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Talk to us about improving the environmental, practical and economic performance of your vineyard.

Call 1800 269 773 or sales@fmrgroup.com.au

Acknowledgement The AWRI would like to thank Peter Magarey, Magarey Plant Pathology, for his contribution to this article.

*Did you know?

While the name of the AWRI ‘Dog book’ does relate to the simple fact there’s a dog on the cover, the image of the ‘customs beagle’ was chosen because the book is a resource for those exporting wine. www.winetitles.com.au

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It is also easier to achieve good spray coverage in the hard-to-reach parts of the canopy where the disease is most likely to develop if the canopy is open.

Our undervine cane sweeping & mulching equipment helps you to keep your vineyard looking and performing at its best, creating a better environment for vines and fruit and enriching the soil to improve the health of your vineyard.

31

grapegrowing

Real-time micro-climate information delivered by drones Wine Australia research update DRONES MAY SOON have more value in the wine sector than simply filming sweeping panoramic vistas for videos and online marketing materials.

Research at the University of South Australia has been exploring whether unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) could be used to provide accurate, immediate and cost-effective snapshots of the microclimate anywhere in or above vineyards.

Professor Anthony Finn, the Research Professor of Autonomous Systems at UniSA’s Defence and Systems Institute, is certainly excited by its potential.

While his three-year project – funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program and Wine Australia – is

just beginning, there’s been some serious science and high-level collaboration to get to this stage.

Since Professor Finn had a ‘miniEureka moment’ in front of the whiteboard, he’s been talking or working with the Australian Research Council, the Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Fund, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Aerosonde, private consultants, leading wine companies, the Bureau of Meteorology and the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado.

The latter provided detailed atmospheric data (the kind you need a super computer to generate) to prove that the idea would work in theory and inspired the new project.

The theory, in simple terms, is that if you equip a UAV with a normal camera and a long-range infra-red camera set up to work as a temperature sensor you can measure the temperature of vines, grapes, buds and the ground itself.

Crucially, however, as drones make a very distinctive noise, by measuring this and converting it to sound speed between the ground sensors and the UAV you can create 3D snapshots of temperature and wind velocity up to a height of 500 metres.

“It’s very much like taking an MRI of the sky,” Professor Finn said. “Just like the scans a doctor would order if you went to hospital.”

There is a lot of signal processing involved, but when you put all the bits

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May 2017 – Issue 640

We already have data where we’ve seen thermals developing so you can literally see the temperature rise in one part of the microphone array and the wind patterns form this big circular pattern that goes up where the land gets hot and downwards when it finds a cool spot. You can literally watch the wind. together it allows you to monitor and assess temperature and wind conditions at the meso and micro scale without needing masses of very expensive equipment.

“The vision is that vignerons would have a bunch of microphones in their vineyard, solar or battery powered, and weather protected.

“They’d have a drone, and when it’s needed it would fly around, make its natural noise, take pictures and land.

“The data would then be processed and you would have a near real-time view of what’s going on in terms of temperature and wind profiles and you could decide whether turning on the frost fan or irrigating makes sense.”

Equally valuable for long-term planning is the detailed picture of how topography creates different climatic conditions throughout a vineyard.

Professor Finn saw immediate application in high-value agricultural sectors such as winegrapes and almonds, and the response from wine companies and other wine sector researchers has been positive.

May 2017 – Issue 640

For example, Penfolds has made available a 10-hectare vineyard in the Barossa for the project.

A small multi-rotor UAV will be used to collect data that will then be examined

by Professor Finn and a combination of specialists from the NCAR, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology and the wine sector, to assess micro-climate patterns and potential triggers for fruit/vine damage.

In the second year, the collected data will be combined using commercially available communications and internet protocols, allowing information processing to occur in near real time.

In the third year, the trials will move to a fully instrumented 50-hectare vineyard.

“We already have data where we’ve seen thermals developing so you can literally see the temperature rise in one part of the microphone array and the wind patterns form this big circular pattern that goes up where the land gets hot and downwards when it finds a cool spot,” Professor Finn said.

“You can literally watch the wind.” www.winetitles.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

33

grapegrowing

Hail damage response: Vineyard recovery When Steve Liebich assessed the damage following the Remembrance Day storm, the last thing on his mind would have been picking grapes after Anzac Day. Yet those two significant days on the calendar will now be little reminders for the Liebich family of the tricky 2017 growing season.

ON 11 NOVEMBER 2016, a massive storm cell started building momentum as it rolled off the hills east of the Clare Valley, heading towards the Riverland. The gale force winds and golf ball sized hail hit hard along a narrow path through the Riverland and Murray Darling.

Early estimates suggested the storm has stripped as many as 80,000 tonnes from the potential 2017 vintage yield in the regions.

“Events like this are few and far between, but it will be a long two year recovery,” said Mike Stone, Murray Valley Winegrowers executive officer, at the time.

Some patches of the Liebich family vineyards got hammered (the family business has seven vineyard sites between Cadell and Morgan – about 230 hectares in total).

“It was out of our control,” Steve Liebich said and his response was to roll up his sleeve and “just get on with it”.

DOUBLE-PRUNED DURIF With one patch of Durif, this meant pruning the vineyard back by hand after the hail event.

The 2017 vintage was going to be the first commercial harvest for the young Durif vines.

“We pruned it right back and it re-shot, which is why we ended up picking it a fair bit behind everything else,” Liebich said.

The delayed development needed to be matched to later spray applications, but it also meant the fruit ripened later in the year – when the weather was distinctly cooler than the usual ripening window.

“We are normally working in a pretty warm climate, but things are different when your fruit ripens so much later,” Liebich said.

“The quality was good. And we picked about a tonne-and-ahalf to the acre.”

Liebich said the fruit “hung out there for a long time” and was picked it at 13.5 Baume, which had dropped after some late season rain.

“It will be interesting to see how it goes in the winery and how much feedback we get,” he said.

“I reckon Durif is a variety to watch from the Riverland, something that has a lot of potential.”

What next…

“Our other blocks that were damaged will be pruned as usual this year and we will try to do things as normally as we can.

We will probably be able to get down some rows pretty quickly because the storm damage has already chopped back everything on one side in some areas.

“Vines are pretty hardy and I imagine they’ve still been storing nitrogen, but we will still do a post-harvest nitrogen application.

EVERYTHING BOUNCES BACK

Riverland grower Steve Liebich ended up picking double-pruned Durif in late April.

A lot of growers who were assessing the initial damage had looked at the worst-case scenario – and the initial reaction was shock and awe – but we’ve found the vines that survived have actually picked themselves back up well.

34 Grapegrower & Winemaker

“It has been interesting to see the areas of Mallee scrub that were hit hard like the vines were – they have been shooting out new growth everywhere,” Liebich said. “I’ve been wondering whether it has been the same with the vines, because what has come back has bounced responded well.

“I guess whether the health of the Mallee and the health of the vines were related to the season we had might be a bit of an unknown. But I reckon all the vines around here were looking pretty good at the end of the harvest.

“A lot of growers who were assessing the initial damage had looked at the worst-case scenario – and the initial reaction was shock and awe – but we’ve found the vines that survived have actually picked themselves back up well.”

Liebich has been willing to share his experience, just as others growers have done when faced with similar situations.

Following the November storm the Grapegrower & Winemaker spoke to Sunraysia grower Alf Sapuppo who was happy to share his recovery damage recovery efforts and the lessons he learned.

Sapuppo spoke at a Murray Valley Winegrowers hosted meeting in Red Cliffs sharing management tips for damaged vineyard infrastructure and practical insights on restoring health to hail-battered vines.

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

The vines re-shot after hand pruning and produced a crop which was picked in April.

The young Durif vines were stripped in the November storm.

When he offered a walkthrough of his property, Sapuppo hosted about 30 people for a tour and a sausage sizzle. Of course, when growers get together in this sort of circumstances there is more than just a practical vineyard focus – these are like-minded members of a community sharing their issues and offering support.

However, the individual economic impacts are still hard to face.

“When we first looked at the damage across all our operations we thought we were looking at something like a 50% crop loss, but it has ended up being about 35%,” Liebich said.

“From a mental health point of view, it’s probably a good thing to prepare for the worst and then get slightly better news.

But unfortunately the worst hit vines were those producing our best quality grapes.”

May 2017 – Issue 640

EDITOR'S NOTE: While everybody hopes vineyards recover to provide quality fruit next season, thoughts also go out to the growers who have done it tough this season.

We hope the networks within wine regions are strong enough to support individuals who might be struggling.

But if you, or someone you know, needs extra support you can call the beyondblue support line on 1300 22 46 36 or access resources online from the Black Dog Institute (www. blackdoginstitute.com.au).

www.winetitles.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

35

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Pruning

Pruning: The right cuts to improve vine health and longevity

Sam Bowman reports on the Guyot/Poussard and Soft Pruning techniques, exploring the origins from Frenchman Charles Guyot 150 years ago and the recent work of Italian Marco Simonit (pictured above).

VINEYARD OWNERS, managers and all those involved at the hands-on level in Australian vineyards are well aware of the effects of grapevine trunk diseases, having watched firsthand the available spurs on prized vineyards decline over the years. Many vineyards planted in the 1990s boom are either being pulled and replanted, or undergoing a form of remedial surgery to restore them to a more viable commercial production.

But, what if there was a method of pruning that could minimise the impact of this decline and possibly double the life expectancy of the vineyard?

First popularised by Frenchman Charles Guyot in the 1860s and later by Raymond Lafon in 1927 (later named Guyot/Poussard after the original developers), pruning in regard to sap May 2017 – Issue 640

flow or ‘soft pruning’ is nothing new by any stretch.

Soft pruning more recently gained prominence through Simonit & Sirch, a group of Italian self-proclaimed ‘pruning guys’ who offer a Masters degree in grapevine pruning and consult to many producers around the world.

Simonit & Sirch promote their own version of the Poussard method which they claim can double the life of a vineyard and dramatically reduce the incidence of grapevine trunk diseases.

I highly recommend looking up their YouTube channel (not only are the videos informative, but I could bet no-one has ever seen a man caress a grapevine quite like Marco Simonit).

While there is no concrete scientific evidence on the sap flow theory, the www.winetitles.com.au

method has shown to reduce the effects of Esca dramatically (Geoffrion et Renaudin 2006, saw a 50% reduction of Esca-affected vines using Poussard pruning versus standard double Guyot).

The use of small cuts where possible, leaving enough wood to account for desiccation at the wound site and respecting the natural flow of sap through the vine all contribute to less restriction on sap flux and, in theory, create a healthy vine with less entry points for grapevine trunk diseases pathogens.

The Guyot-Poussard method adapts a horizontal growth pattern along the cordon wire which maintains the same sap flux every year by developing cuts on the upper part of the cordon only.

Research has indicated that each cut made creates a ‘cone of desiccation’ 1.5 Grapegrower & Winemaker

37

grapegrowing

The Place of Changing Winds, a close-planted vineyard in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.

times the size of the cut itself (Crespy 2006). With this in mind, much of the decline on tightly wrapped spur pruned cordons could be a combination of both grapevine trunk diseases, and desiccation of xylem vessels brought on by large cuts made at pruning.

AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES On the home front, a handful of Victorian producers are adapting the principles of promoted and even sap flow pruning to their young vineyards in the hope that they won’t run into the same issues that have troubled the majority of the wine-producing regions in Australia.

38 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Beechworth growers Tessa Brown and Jeremy Schmolzers’ site in Thorley, close to the town of Stanley, comprises Shiraz, Chardonnay, Riesling and Nebbiolo closely planted at 5350 vines per hectare.

Setting the vineyard up in a unilateral Guyot style, Brown has begun using the Poussard methods in her own vineyard due to her exposure to international winemaker Tom Myers, who splits his time between Victoria, Burgundy and Barolo, regions synonymous with these pruning techniques.

Brown has developed her own view on pruning over the years. Spending some time working with the 30-year-old www.winetitles.com.au

vines of the Sorrenberg vineyards in Beechworth got her thinking about sap flow management.

“Pruning there got me to think about assessing a vine carefully before making big cuts; thinking about the vines’ patterns of sap flow and looking where the fresh wood was coming from and encouraging it in the right shape,” Tessa Brown said.

“I still made big cuts where I felt necessary I guess, but we were anal about painting wounds twice a day, and thinking about sap flow pattern. And we never pruned on drizzly or rain days.

That thought process, along with the Poussard principles, is now shaping how I set up vine form in our own vineyard.”

The Poussard method emphasises the bilateral flow of sap through a vine. If working unilaterally as is the case in Brown’s vineyard, this still needs to be accounted for.

“Poussard has brought into sharper focus looking at the vine as a thing with bilateral sap flow, even if we are working unilaterally,” Tessa Brown said.

“Where a few years ago I may have not left a replacement spur if one wasn’t in an attractive spot, and simply let a basal bud on the fruiting cane make the replacement cane in a more desirable zone, now I’m more careful to ensure leaving replacement spurs regardless of attractive location to keep the sap flow balanced, and I’m leaving ones that are preferably outward facing as per the Poussard philosophy”.

Discussing desiccation at wound sites and leaving protective wood, Brown opts for clean cuts and painting twice daily to mitigate the risk of infection, rather than leaving protective wood as per the Poussard/Simonit & Sirch method. She admits she is ready to be proven wrong in time as to whether painting and clean cuts will mitigate the amount of dead wood which could accumulate and inhibit sap flux.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE AUSTRALIAN VINEYARD In the tiny area of Bullengarook just outside the township of Gisbourne, Victoria, is The Place of Changing Winds. Owned and run by Bibendum Wine Company managing director Rob Walters, it is not your average Australian vineyard. Planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at density ranging between 12,000 to 33,000 vines per hectare, organically cultivated and dry grown save minimal amounts of irrigation in extreme heat events, the site is as close as possible to the Cote d’Or in Australia.

Not surprising, Walters’ pruning May 2017 – Issue 640

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One of Tessa Brown and Jeremy Schmolzers’ vineyards in the Beechworth region.

ideology and cultivation principles were developed through his travels to Burgundy, influenced in particular by Olivier Lamy, a pioneer of the Poussard method in the region and, later, through the writing of Francois Dal. “I realised immediately that this technique had enormous benefits both in terms of the health of the vine, but also in terms of preventing wood disease which, in recent times, has been treated purely symptomatically rather than addressing the cause of the problem which is the build-up of deadwood in the plant and the blockage of sap flow,” Walters said.

Two methods of vine training are employed in Walters’ vineyard: unilateral Guyot for the lower density parcels (12,000 vines/ha); and a vertical bush vine configuration for the higher density parcels (33,000 vines/ha).

The pruning method for both is a traditional Poussard method, as Walters explains: “We are looking to structure the plant to minimise dead wood or dieback and allow a continuous flow of sap along the external edge of the plant.

“To this end, we are only cutting oneyear-old wood with the spur position always on the exterior of the trunk, so there is a smooth exterior flow of sap.

“When we make pruning cuts we always aim to maximise the distance from the cut to the retained bud to allow for the injury site to be clear of the retained bud.

“We look at the vine as a whole and work out what is the best way for it to be pruned to this end – the maximum sap flow from the roots all the way to the top of the plant.”

40 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Although it is too early for Walters to discuss the long-term effects on vine health and the mitigation of grapevine trunk diseases on his own vineyard, the evidence in both Rob’s own observations throughout France and many European studies on the decline in Esca virus is clear.

THE BATTLE AGAINST GRAPEVINE TRUNK DISEASES Establishing a vineyard from year zero to minimise the effects of grapevine trunk diseases and promote natural sap flow is a less overwhelming task than trying to retrain the habits of a gnarly old ‘boom era’ vineyard already suffering the effects of mechanical manipulation.

There is, however, another part of the Poussard method that is a little more drastic than the pruning itself, ‘Curettage’. The method, traditionally employed on vines affected with the Esca virus involves sawing out the desiccated central sections of the vines trunk and leaving the external cambium (which contains the vital xylem and phloem vessels) allowing the vine to return to a more fluid sap flux and engage conversion to a traditional Poussard treatment.

The battle for large scale vineyards in the fight against grapevine trunk diseases rages on, as Walters observes: “The challenge is going to be the requirement to treat each plant individually, as is required with this approach.”

Viticultural consultant Tim Brown, who has been instrumental in promoting the Poussard method in many Victorian vineyards including Rob Walter’s site, emphasises the usability in established www.winetitles.com.au

sites. Brown attended the recent visit in Australia by Simonit & Sirch and he sees their soft pruning methods for mature vineyards as “simple and logical”.

“We have been using this system for a couple of seasons at Balgownie, in Bendigo, (48-year-old spur pruned vines) and at Ten Minutes by Tractor, in Mornington,” Tim Brown said.

“It’s too early to draw any definitive conclusions, however, it’s an easy system to use and requires only slight adjustments to technique. The main change we made was one of mindset.

“We are not too focused on always selecting the lowest spur site. This avoids the larger pruning wounds with the added benefit of simplification of shoot thinning due to slightly taller spur cordon as, over time, the spurs tend sit on top of short stubs of older cordon pruning wood rather than hard against the cordon,” Tim Brown said.

Looking comparatively at the fight against Esca in European grape production areas, it is reminiscent of our own industry’s struggles with Eutypa and Botryosphaeria. Using Poussard methodology at pruning time and giving some thought to sap flow could go a long way for Australian vineyards.

I tell all my clients that in viticulture, there are no silver bullets to cure any problem. But any small gains that can be made in different areas will not only improve vine health, but also the quality of the fruit you are producing.

A combination of existing practices in mitigating the effects of grapevine trunk diseases, with some tweaks to pruning technique could be the extra one per cent your vineyard needs. Happy pruning.

May 2017 – Issue 640

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Trellising

The radical reshaping of Babcock Vineyards

Revolutionary cane-suspension trellis system Tama Takahashi reports on a trellising system that one producer wishes he had adopted 20 years earlier.

Bryan Babcock said the system is “stupidly simple”.

SINCE 2008, Bryan Babcock in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County, California, has radically reshaped Babcock Vineyards using a new approach he calls “pedestular cane suspension” (PCS), which has reduced vineyard costs by 25%.

Babcock coined the term “pedestular” to note the innovative use of metal pedestals that support and contain the vine’s fruiting canes and support the subsequent crop.

The PCS system has a superficial similarity to a hightrellised simple curtain (or California sprawl) in that the canopy grows outward and downward. The critical difference is cane pruning in the fruit zone without wires.

“A cordon is too rigid and, over time, requires too much space in the core of the system, leading to the same problems that the industry experienced years ago, when the dominant system

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was the California sprawl,” Babcock said. “Simply taking the California sprawl and lifting it three feet higher above the ground does not solve all the congestion issues that led to powdery mildew, bunch rot and a lack of control of sunlight on the fruit prior to the advent of vertical shoot positioning (VSP).”

The PCS system employs layered cane pruning, which allows for a very strategic selection of buds in the fruit zone.

This results in higher potential for the placement of strong, productive shoots in a location on the vines that is notoriously weak (mid-cane), resulting in a more symmetric delivery of down-line crop placement overall.

Babcock’s goal is to retain approximately 18 to 22 buds per vine with his main varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. About 25%-35% of the shoots are removed during shoot and cluster thinning.

However, only 15-20 buds are retained on Chenin Blanc vines since this more vigorous variety typically yields fewer buds and the internodes are longer.

“This is commensurate with the fact that Chenin Blanc clusters are bigger,” Babcock notes. “You need fewer of them, and thus you need fewer shoots overall to hit your production target.”

The heart of Babcock’s patented system is the pedestals, each topped with a metal spiral helix that holds two fruiting canes—one from each neighbouring vine. The canes are not tied or wired, they are loosely captured in a 5cm diameter metal helix. Vines are spaced 1.05m apart with 2.4m (8-foot) wide tractor rows.

Although the canes are not in contact with wires, there is a 10-gauge high-tensile wire that supports the pedestals 1.3m above ground. There is a lower support wire 80cm above ground with a drip line wire underneath at 45-60cmabove ground.

There are two pedestals between adjoining vines. The fruiting canes are suspended in space, creating a production platform that, on average, is 1.65m above ground (about eye level). The canopy is not confined to a two-dimensional ‘wall’ as in VSP. It can grow naturally in all directions and undulate in the wind, leading to more sunlight-exposed leaves. Increased airflow and a larger space between clusters helps mitigate the spread of powdery mildew and bunch rot. Fewer sprays translate into cost savings.

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Another advantage of PCS is a reduction in labour costs for both canopy management and pruning. In VSP or other ‘wiredense’ systems, tendrils encircle and harden around the wires, making pruning more labour-intensive.

Small pruned pieces may litter the berm and become vectors of disease or insect infestation.

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

With PCS, each vine only needs four – or at most six – cuts for the pruned wood to be free for removal and deposited in the tractor row for shredding.

The flexibility of the canopy in Babcock’s PCS leads to a 50% reduction in man hours for mechanical harvesting. “With my old VSP system, the crop was down low to the ground,” Babcock explains. “VSP has metal stakes (line posts) that are 7-10cm inches wide. Because the line posts were so thick, the harvester had to hit them extremely hard to shake the fruit off. It was hard on the equipment and very slow.

“In the PCS system, there are no wires in the fruit zone, and the stakes are only half as thick as the line posts, so they wiggle better. The energy from the harvester is now being delivered very efficiently.

“We found that if we did not go at a certain speed, the fruit would fly off the vines in front of the machine. Now we go twice as fast.”

Babcock is operating the harvester at 12.5 km/hr with a 325 rpm picking head oscillation compared to the former 6-7 km/hr with a picking head oscillation of 375-400 rpm. The shaker rods last approximately three times longer at the slower rpm.

Babcock mechanically harvests four hectares of Chardonnay, 12 hecatres of Pinot Noir and 1.6 hectares acres of Sauvignon Blanc with a 15-year-old Korvan pull-behind unit. For enological reasons, 1.6 hectares of Pinot Gris and 0.8 hectares of Chenin Blanc are hand-harvested. For the most part, mechanical harvesting has become a necessity due to costs and shortages of vineyard labour.

“We have taken mechanical harvesting to a state of the art.”

Babcock notes. “This has become more important in the past several years as we have not been able to obtain labour to hand harvest. Everyone is either tied up at bigger ranches or they are working with other fresh fruit agriculture.”

In Babcock’s mind, perhaps the most exciting aspect of the new system comes from realization that the canopy of a naturally growing vine provides a whole new set of opportunities for controlling sunlight penetration into the fruit zone. From this line of thinking, Babcock developed a new individual vine architecture approach in canopy management.

“When you farm with VSP for 20 years, you start to forget

Two fruiting canes are supported by two pedestals between neighbouring vines.

what a naturally growing vine looks and feels like. Now that the vines are growing more three-dimensionally, I have noticed that most vines have some canopy out on their periphery in a space that is often between the fruit and the sun. What we do now is ask each vine, ‘What are you giving me?’”

For Babcock’s leaf-removal crew, if a vine is offering canopy in this sweet spot, then it is taken into account during leaf removal in the fruit zone. If the desired amount of sunlight on the fruit is, for example, 50%, then the location and the number of leaves removed from the core is commensurate with the amount of shading being provided at the vine’s periphery.

To Babcock, the crews are not so much leaf pullers as they are “vine sculptors”.

“What I love about it is that it allows us to improve wine

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grapegrowing

A metal helix loosely captures the canes from two adjacent vines. There are no wires in the fruiting zone, and the trellising system reduces the number of cuts needed for pruning.

quality on an individual vine basis, and the whole thing is still practical,” Babcock said.

Babcock Vineyards, established in 1978 by Mona and Walter Babcock, was one of the first sites to plant vines in what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The Babcock’s son, Bryan, finished harvest in September 1984 instead of returning to complete his master’s thesis in enology at University of California, Davis. His 1984 estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc won gold medals at the Los Angeles and Orange County Fairs.

Babcock, along with Richard Sanford, Rick Longoria and other pioneers, submitted a petition to establish the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in late 1997, and approval was granted in 2001. The AVA has 1100 hectares planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 18 other cool-climate varieties, almost all using the VSP system.

REBOUNDING FROM THE 2008 RECESSION Babcock’s inspiration for developing a new farming system came in the wake of the 2008 recession. Beforehand, he was dead set on high-density planting and higher yield per acre farming. Babcock thought the economy of scale would be such that everything would pencil better with higher yields, and he had his sights set on doubling production to 40,000 cases.

Then came the recession, which depressed sales while material costs increased.

Babcock made the decision to halve, rather than double, the vineyard acreage and concentrate on making truly great wine that he could sell mainly direct to consumer rather than through distribution. Current production is between 10,000 and 12,000 cases per year.

“It was the same year we used a machine to pull leaves,” Babcock recalls. “When you have VSP, you create a rigid wall of canopy with a very thin wall of leaves between the grape clusters and the outer environment. You can just shave off the leaves from the fruit zone automatically, which we did, going through the vineyard three times because the machine was not perfect and did not remove enough leaves on the first pass.

“But we ran into powdery mildew, which just exploded. We made three or four mechanical passes through the vineyard and

44 Grapegrower & Winemaker

then still had to bring in a human crew because the powdery mildew was like a wildfire. This started my thinking toward a whole new system.”

The final push toward change came while working on a double-high tractor that was automatically lifting up and clipping the vine’s shoots into a VSP system. When Babcock realized that it was costing 25 cents each for thousands of little plastic clips, he began to think that there must be a less stressful, more cost effective way to farm.

Babcock used more than 20 years of experience in the vineyard and his travels, including visiting the Rias Baixas in Spain, to see how Albariño is grown and visualize a new system.

He spent hours with his vineyard manager just looking at individual vines and talking about what they needed in terms of sunlight, nutrients and support. He evaluated how grapes would grow in the wild, paying attention to their natural tendencies and the effects of gravity and wind.

Babcock wanted to raise the fruit zone and let the vines grow naturally with gravity, but he realized, “You can’t make the mistake of putting a cordon on top – you do not want a trunk going horizontally, because then it is very rigid and everything has a tendency to snarl up. You get congestion, and you cannot untangle it early enough.”

Babcock’s field workers appreciate the improved ergonomics of the raised fruit zone, and it has reduced workers’ compensation claims. Another benefit has been some frost protection. “On cold nights in the spring,” Babcock remarks, “three out of the past five years we saw frost and how the little volunteer shoots down on the trunks got burned, whereas young shoots up in the raised platform were all OK, just by virtue of being three feet higher above ground.”

There is less concern with frost when the cover crop is fully grown. With VSP, a common strategy is to mow to try to get the cold air to drain out of the field, but with PCS’s fruit zone above the sinking cold air, Babcock does not mow nearly as often.

POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES TO PCS However, converting non-PCS vines to PCS can be problematic. Babcock advises, “if you are going to do my kind of farming, get the right stake and grow the vine up to that height from the beginning.” Otherwise, to convert vines, one must turn the canes upward to extend the trunks, creating a kink in what should be vertically straight. There are also issues with row orientation, vine spacing and tractor-row width.

Most vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills are oriented north-south to provide some protection to the crop from mid-day sun. When Babcock was farming VSP, he fine-tuned vine rows to a 210° northeast-southwest orientation.

“That put our fruit under the canopy as much as possible at 1.30 in the afternoon, when the fruit needs the relief from the sun the most.”

With PCS, east-west orientation is best to take advantage of the prevailing daily breeze, which helps with mould and powdery mildew mitigation and lowers the need for aggressive early season leaf removal. A north-south vine row planted with PCS would find the eastern side of the canopy congested as the wind would push it in that direction.

There could be another downside for established vineyard managers wanting to convert to PCS. “If you have a static amount of fruit you can produce per vine,” Babcock said. “An amount that you cannot exceed and maintain fruit quality – for example three pounds (1.3-1.4kg) per vine, or one pound (450g) per linear foot along the vine row—then 6-foot-wide (1.8m) tractor rows allow for more vines per acre, and thus more yield per acre.

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May 2017 – Issue 640

In Bryan Babcock’s system, each pedestal is topped with a 5cm metal spiral helix that holds two fruiting canes from neighbouring vines. The vines are spaced 1.05m apart with 2.4m tractor rows.

“Because the vines in my system are allowed to grow naturally, it can be impossible to get a tractor in the field with six-foot-wide tractor rows. With my system you need eight-foot wide tractor rows.”

Babcock aims for three ton per acre (6.7 tonnes per hectare) for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay—more specifically, 3.6-3.7 pounds (1.63-1.67kg) per vine at 1555 vines per acre.

“The distal two buds on each of two opposing canes are strategically placed in the typically weak centers of each set of opposing canes. This results in good symmetry in the fruit placement.

“One issue growers normally have with overlapping canes is how to tie the canes onto the fruiting wire. Since the canes overlap, tying the end of one cane to the wire may lead to girdling of the opposing cane, certainly if the tie is very tight.

This illustrates one of the benefits to the helical design at the top of the pedestals. Because the canes are held loosely in space, there is no chance for girdling.”

Babcock’s yield per vine is the same with PCS as it was with VSP. “The system has not changed our yields, which are static, based on one pound per linear foot (450g per 30cm) down the trellis wire. What the system is doing is lowering production cost per ton and producing better quality fruit resulting in better wine.”

Chenin Blanc needs to be restrained to 2.6-3 tons per acre (5.8-6.7 tonnes per hectare), which Babcock refers to as TPA. “It tries to set six TPA (13.5 tonnes per hectare),” Babcock says, “but if we let it keep anything over three TPA (6.7 tonnes per hectare), it does not get ripe. If it’s ripe, it’s incredible. If it’s not ripe, it’s worthless. In fact, if it does not ripen, it has a weird green characteristic that actually reminds me of the smell of the fungicide Lorsban (chlorpyrifos based insecticide). Totally bizarre. We do not use Lorsban, so that can’t be the source.”

May 2017 – Issue 640

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grapegrowing

The PCS system allows the leaves to be exposed to more sunlight and increased air flow, which helps control the spread of powdery mildew at Babcock Vineyards.

Babcock does see potential for increased yields in varieties that have naturally high fruitfulness. Because PCS greatly increases the volume of space in the fruit zone, it facilitates a much larger number of individual, free-floating clusters, allowing more naturally fruitful varieties with large clusters to yield quality fruit that is not as plagued with bunch rot due to cluster-on-cluster contact.

For example, the Sauvignon Blanc yield is 4.5-5 TPA (10 tonne per hectare). “The flavours in our cool climate are so intense, wine quality is not as yield-sensitive. At 4.5 TPA it still screams Sauvignon. We need more sunlight directly on this variety for attractive flavours, which is fine, we just pull more leaves.” Babcock’s Pinot Gris is farmed at 3.5 TPA.

POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF TOTAL CONTROL OF SUNLIGHT One might think that after the accolades Babcock has received for his wines and the confidence of seeing PCS working well for seven years, he might rest on his laurels. Far from it.

He is busy visualizing a potential future aspect of his revolutionary farming, which he calls “shade throttling”. He is still far from proving that this method of controlling the exact amount of sunlight on the crop is viable, but early tests are promising.

On trial vines, all leaves are removed from the fruit zone, so disease problems are greatly reduced. Different thicknesses of mesh screen have been installed and are held in place with a metal device Babcock calls “the hotel” to shade the clusters.

Babcock found that the ripe fruit at 24°-26° Brix (13.3 to 14.4 Baume) hanging under a less dense shade-screen that provided a lower degree of shade (40%) had a much higher degree of dimpling, scorching, desiccation and raisining compared to fruit at the same sugar level hanging under a shade screen that provided a higher degree of shade (60%).

46 Grapegrower & Winemaker

By controlling the amount of sunlight on the grapes, Babcock could develop ripeness while avoiding damage. He is still working on this concept, but in 2016 he was not able to dedicate the acreage to the testing he feels is necessary. Babcock could not afford to commit two acres of 40% sunlight and two acres of 60% sunlight in order to make wine from different amounts of sunlight. “To really understand, you would have to make wines like this for 10 vintages. I’m not there yet,” he noted.

VALIDATION OF PCS IN REDUCED LABOUR COSTS For Babcock, proof of the superiority of the new trellis system has been in its ability to produce quality fruit with significant savings.

Babcock’s vineyards are now 95% PCS. The only vineyard remaining with a VSP trellis is a Psi Clone Vineyard to preserve his Psi, Mama #2 and Long Shot clonal material that he believes derives from cuttings from either the RomanéeConti or the La Tâche Vineyard owned by noted Burgundian winegrower Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

“I have come to the conclusion that VSP is very problematic from the get-go. You are working against gravity, and you are working against the nature of the vine.” He recalls when the idea for PCS first came to him, “why didn’t I see all this 20 years prior? Why didn’t I just open my eyes? It is kind of a weird feeling, to wonder why it took me so long to do something that is so stupidly simple.”

About the author: Tama Takahashi is a freelance writer based in Santa Barbara, Calif. In 2011 she co-founded the wine tasting group Inside Wine Santa Barbara, which has grown to more than 1000 members in five years. She is currently studying for her WSET Level 2 exam.

This article was first published in the January 2017 edition of Wines & Vines and is re-printed here with permission.

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grapegrowing Supplier Update

Frost Protection

Frost fans: Help improve yields and quality

DAMAGING FROSTS typically occur after a cold, cloudy day followed by a still night with clear skies. The earth quickly radiates any stored heat after sunset and an ‘inversion’ layer occurs when the

48 Grapegrower & Winemaker

coldest air is near the ground with a warmer layer of air above it.

The degree of injury to the vine depends on the minimum temperature reached, the rate at which the temperature falls

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and the amount of time below a critical temperature. Critical temperature is defined by Young (1966) and Johnson and Howell (1981) as “the lowest temperature a bud (or shoot) can endure for 30 minutes or less without injury”.

Professor Snow Barlow (University of Melbourne) discusses critical temperatures, biology of frost damage and managing frost affected vines in his research report for Wine Australia (available at http://research. w ineaust ra lia.com/w p-content/ uploads/2012/09/RT-06-04-1.pdf).

However, it’s not all about avoiding catastrophic loss. The aim is also to protect against cold injury to increase a grower’s current yields and improve the quality of the fruit, while ensuring continuity of supply or shelf space.

Assessing frost risk is the first step.

Grapevines are susceptible to frost damage when they are located at high elevations, in low lying areas where cold air settles as well as near obstacles which prevent air movement, such as tall vegetation, levees and buildings.

Vineyard design should allow for orienting vine rows in the direction of predominant slopes to promote air movement downslope and through the vineyard. In flatter areas, orient vines in the direction of prevailing wind.

After selecting the location and vineyard design and orientation, methods to protect against frost and cold injury fall into one of four main groups - wind (frost fans or helicopters), water sprinkling, heat introduction, and vineyard management and maintenance practices (such as removing ground cover).

At the feasibility stage, there are a number of tools and services available to understand the microclimate, even within the vineyard. Data loggers can be used to capture night time temperatures both at ground level and above the ground to see how strong the ‘inversion’ layer is.

Climate consultants can also provide site-specific scientific assessments to help growers make an informed decision on the most effective type of frost protection for their situation and how best to place it throughout the vineyard.

Frost fans are a proven technology May 2017 – Issue 640

for mitigating the devastating losses that can occur from a significant frost event.

Many growers use frost fans as a tool to combat cold injury by programming them to start automatically based on a preset temperature. Where once frost protection systems would have been used only when a serious frost was forecast, now frost fans will start automatically to prevent damage from cold events that may only last a few hours in the middle of the night or early morning.

Frost fans work by using warmer or drier air from the ‘inversion’ layer to create air movement at the fruiting or flowering height in orchards on still cold nights preventing damage to flowers, soft tissue and fruit.

Many growers have moved away from using water sprinkling in preference for frost fans. Their reasons include the amount (and cost) of water, risk of sprinklers freezing and the mud created which makes vineyard maintenance and access harder.

Anecdotal evidence from growers has shown that while the use of frost fans can save a crop from total loss in a severe frost, they can also play a significant role in improving the yields and quality of fruit that can slowly be eroded by multiple previously unrecognised cold events.

Many growers have moved away from using water sprinkling in preference for frost fans. Their reasons include the amount (and cost) of water, risk of sprinklers freezing and the mud created which makes vineyard maintenance and access harder.

Frost fans are prevalent in New Zealand’s grapegrowing areas, with FrostBoss™ fans being used in vineyards managed by large corporates through to independently owned, family run businesses. The same is true in Australia with clients ranging from Casella Wines through to small, boutique vineyards.

“Whilst the uptake of frost protection has been at lower levels than New Zealand we’re now seeing a change,” explains Ben Daking, manager of Australian Frost Fans. “This is probably on the back of recent improvements in grape prices and greater levels of integration between growers and wineries, making security of supply more critical across the asset base.”

AUSTRALIAN FROST FANS Australian Frost Fans is the sister business to New Zealand Frost Fans, which manufactures the FrostBoss™ range of frost fans. The FrostBoss C49 (four-blade machine) is the best-selling machine in Australia and New Zealand.

The FrostBoss C49 was developed with help from former Team New Zealand aerodynamics research engineer, Richard Karn, to optimise noise reduction by using a greater blade working area and slower rotational speed than a two-blade fan. In addition, the much higher blade passage frequency of the four-blade fan means the noise signature no longer has a low frequency beating sound, similar to an Iroquois helicopter.

Along with the FrostBoss C59 (fiveblade machine), the FrostBoss C49 is the quietest machine on the market. More than 400 FrostBoss wind machines are sold annually throughout New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Portugal and Canada covering a variety of crops.

Together, the two businesses regularly service more than 2000 machines in NZ and Australia, and its sophisticated computer programming option enables growers to access real-time monitoring of fans around the world.

As well as supply and installation of FrostBoss frost fans, Australian Frost Fans service and upgrade most makes of frost fan. You can read more about Australian Frost Fans and the FrostBoss range at www.aussiefrostfans.com.au For more information, contact Ben Daking at Australian Frost Fans P: +61 4 4811 1384 or 1800 797 629 E: ben@aussiefrostfans.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

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winemaking

Peter McGlashan, Ridgemill Estate winemaker, with one of his 2017 vintage ferments.

Whole bunch red ferments While the mention of whole bunch fermentation appears on plenty of back labels from emerging and artisan wine brands, there are lots of reasons this method is more than just a marketing tool. When executed correctly it adds complexity, structure and soft tannins. Camellia Aebischer reports.

PRIOR TO MODERN machinery, most of the world drank wine that was fermented in whole bunches. It’s only in the past 160 years or so that the process of destemming was adopted. After the practice of stripping grapes from stems was hailed as producing a purer form of wine, the technique took off and whole bunch was almost laid to rest.

Recently there has been a resurgence in winemakers carefully exploring whole bunch fermentation. The results can be more complex and savoury, and are even claimed to bring structure to fruit from young vines. But with everything, there’s a right and a wrong way. As Timo Mayer (of his namesake Yarra Valley label) puts it, “if it tastes like stalks, you f..ked up.”

A lack of care can turn a complex May 2017 – Issue 640

batch in to an astringent green mess, so picking should be done late, when the stalks are older and the grapes are sweetest. Mayer recommends avoiding the process for cool climates, as the extra tannic skins don’t balance well with the addition of stalks.

However, cool climate shouldn’t be ruled out. Peter McGlashan, of Ridgemill Estate – in Queensland’s Granite Belt, has had success enhancing his Shiraz through the addition of whole bunches.

WHICH RED VARIETIES? Some winemakers choose to select the grape varieties according to their flavour profiles, since doubling up on herbaceousness can become overpowering. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon www.winetitles.com.au

The most important part about whole bunch is making sure that the stalks are ripe and have started to lignify (become woody), because if they’re under-ripe you’re going to get a lot of green tannin which will make the wine aggressive.”

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winemaking

Grenache grapes destined for a whole bunch ferment at Ridgemill Estate, Granite Belt.

Whole bunch is a lot more savoury, you get different tannins and it’s more structural.

usually don’t meld well with whole bunch if care isn’t taken, but Mayer is challenging that idea by producing a whole bunch Cabernet Sauvignon, along with his Pinot Noir, Gamay, Nebbiolo and a Shiraz.

In Burgundy, Pinot Noir is made using whole bunch ferments, as well as a number of wines under a variation of the label ‘Nouveau’. The stalks absorb pigment and add a little extra water, which gives the wines their lighter colour and slightly lower alcohol content.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS? When grapes are left on the stems, the berries are often kept fully intact, which allows fermentation to begin on the inside. This is known as ultra-cellular fermentation, and is brought on by the

52 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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enzymes in the berries, instead of yeast.

First, the berry consumes its stored carbon dioxide (CO2), then moves on to its sugars, which it converts and, in turn, produces more CO2 to sustain the process. If there is exposure from the air for added CO2, the berry will consume it. The benefit of leaving bunches whole during this initial fermentation is that the stalks make space between the grapes, providing airflow, which is ideal for absorbing CO2.

After one to two weeks, the level of alcohol from enzyme fermentation reaches its tipping point and the enzymes die off.

During or after this process, winemakers often choose to crush a portion of the berries to encourage a typical fermentation alongside, whether

May 2017 – Issue 640

winemaking AT A GLANCE To include whole bunches in a ferment or not is a controversial topic for many, and there are wide and varying opinions on the technique.

Cathy Howard reported on this topic for the Wine & Viticulture Journal back in 2015 (another Winetitles Media publication) and her insights were presented in an AWRI webinar late in 2016 (a recording is still available from the AWRI website).

Howard said the use of whole bunches in fermentation can be a bit of a wild card depending on site and vintage, if not used wisely and judiciously taking into account vintage and vineyard variations.

“Stem inclusion can be quite unpleasant for many tasters if it is a dominant character in a wine, unbalanced with overriding herbal, stemmy and vegetative characters,” she said.

“Getting the balance right, and using the whole bunch inclusion technique to achieve the best results comes from a carefully planned and trialled practice with your own fruit, getting to know what suits and doesn’t suit your vineyard sections, and adapting the amounts of whole bunch included from vintage to vintage.” it be a puddle in the bottom of the tub or submerging the berries in fermenting juice. The latter produces more tannins – as the juice has more direct contact with the stems.

When the enzyme fermentation process is solely undertaken, without crushing the berries or adding yeast, it’s known as carbonic maceration.

For this process, grapes are usually sealed in bins and CO2 is pumped in for maximum exposure. This produces a soft, fruity wine with low tannins.

Although this technique is seldom used in Australia, winemakers like Mayer adopt some of its practices by leaving fruit undisturbed to do its business.

“I ferment them in the picking bins, I sort the fruit in the vineyard and then that’s it,” Mayer said.

“I do start crunching a little corner of the bin if I need, because we don’t add yeast and I’ll stomp accordingly.”

His secret for getting the ferment going is to throw in a bucket of grape must that’s already begun fermenting, as a sort of ‘starter’.

“I can regulate the tannin with the number of berries crushed,” Mayer said.

“A lot of people fine their wines to make them drinkable but we don’t.

“We just crush the berries to regulate the tannin content.”

VARIATIONS IN TECHNIQUE Winemaker and owner of Spinifex Wines in the Barossa Valley, Peter Schell, has a different technique for regulating his wines. When the grapes come in, he divides them up and will ferment each portion differently, blending to achieve the right end result. Some are processed as whole bunch fully carbonic, some crushed and a majority crushed with some bunches added.

“I don’t have wines that are bottled as 100% whole bunch but there would be some that are, it’s just not on the label,” says Schell. He’s considerate that each year the conditions always vary, meaning that stems can be greener at harvest some years, and riper in others, so his technique changes to suit the season.

“You just sort of make it up on the spot.

Shiraz would be 25-35% whole bunch and Grenache more, because it’s a lighter more aromatic style, but it depends on the crops. Grenache can have very thick green stems,” says Schell.

Peter McGlashan said, “The most important part about whole bunch is making sure that the stalks are ripe and

have started to lignify (become woody), because if they’re under-ripe you’re going to get a lot of green tannin which will make the wine aggressive.”

McGlashan’s process differs from Schell in that he ferments his whole bunches in the same container as the grape must, allowing the carbonic maceration to take place alongside a typical ferment. His ratio is 20% whole bunch, which is all processed together.

“I started off slowly, using small vats of whole bunch and worked up to twenty percent. I’ve done a few projects with Gamay using 100% whole bunch which is how I improved my technique for the Shiraz. The colour isn’t as intense, but it has a different dimension, I call it a cuddliness.”

Although these three methods all differ, they can agree on one thing, and it’s that there’s technique in processing the stem correctly. If this is done right, the result is silky tannins and an added complexity. “Whole bunch is a lot more savoury, you get different tannins and it’s more structural,” says Mayer.

Depending on the region, stems and grapes will ripen at different rates.

Not all regions have the luxury of picking whenever they want due to climate and rain, but regardless of when the grape is picked, it’s easy to tell when the stem is ripe.

“They’re a bit woodier and the colour isn’t as vibrant, not green like grass anymore, much duller,” explains McGlashan.

“If the peduncle, which joins the cane to the bunch, is brown, 90% of the time you know that the stalk is going to be ripe. As that peduncle lignifies there’s a little elbow join, and as it ripens at a certain point that closes off [stopping supply of nutrients to the bunch].

“When the fruit is at the correct point and the peduncle is brown, you can easily just pick the bunch with your hands. If it’s the right level it can be quicker than picking with snips.”

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What actually happens when you add water to must?

THE ADDITION of water prior to fermentation is a legal and commonly used technique in a number of countries, including the United States, but surprisingly there has been little formal research into how the wine composition and sensory aspects are affected.

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) recently announced a decision to allow the limited addition of water to high sugar musts and juice to reduce the chance of problems arising during fermentation.

Following this decision – and as soon as Shiraz grapes were available from the 2017 vintage – Dr Paul Smith and his colleagues at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) will be running a comprehensive range of trials involving 36 separate ferments, then bottling the wine and analysing it for a year before undertaking the allimportant sensory evaluation.

The obvious question is what does changing the solid-to-liquid ratio by choosing to add water do to the complex web of extractions and chemical reactions that take place during fermentation.

“Your first instinct is that you’ll dilute everything, but there is evidence from previous work that, for example, with tannins you don’t end up with a dilution because they are there in such excess that you’re really just providing more opportunities for them to be extracted

It will be the stepping point for people to better understand the impact of water addition to high sugar must, compared to the anecdotes. out, so you more than compensate for the dilution,” Dr Smith said.

The first part of the trial will be a straight dilution of high sugar juice with water. Dr Smith and AWRI colleagues Drs Keren Bindon, Paul Petrie and Bo Teng will take juice that comes in at around 15.5 Baumé and add water to bring it back to 14.5 and 13.5 Baumé – the latter being the new legal baseline.

They’ll then measure tannins, polysaccharides and colour, flavour and aroma compounds in the resultant wine to gauge whether there has been any significant change.

A separate set of trials will test what happens when some of the crushed juice is replaced with an equal amount of water. The juice is diluted, leading to lower alcohol, but the total volume and solid-to-liquid ratio don’t change.

There are also plans to test what happens with the traditional method of saignée, where some juice is removed and not replaced, thus increasing the solid-toliquid ratio.

“You might expect it to be more concentrated and it’s certainly the way people have approached it in the past, but we need to develop a body of evidence to show the effects,” Dr Smith said.

“Theoretically, you can reach a saturation equilibrium where you can’t extract more; less wine but with the same alcohol concentration. We will find out for sure whether it concentrates the flavours or changes texture.”

In a related trial already under way, University of Adelaide PhD student Olaf Schelezki, working with Assoc. Prof David Jeffery and collaborating with AWRI, is testing the impact of replacing some juice with a ‘green harvest wine’ – essentially an acidic low alcohol wine made from grapes harvested at very low sugar levels, or with added water.

“We want to look at obvious combinations of what you could do,” Dr Smith said. “It will be the stepping point for people to better understand the impact of water addition to high sugar must, compared to the anecdotes.”

From a scientific perspective, it will add another piece to the puzzle that is understanding the complexities of the fermentation and extraction process.

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May 2017 – Issue 640

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

55

young gun

Despite working in the Riverlands and Barossa Valley, Grigoriou enjoys Adelaide’s city lifestyle where he has an apartment and warehouse office.

Photo: Camellia Aebischer.

Young Gun: Greg Grigoriou Taking the long route on his career path, Greg Grigoriou of Delinquente spent time among the vines as a child, but it took a commerce degree, an expat trip to Shanghai and a four year advertising role in Melbourne before he succumbed to the wine industry. Camellia Aebischer reports.

WHEN GREG GRIGORIOU finished his University Commerce degree he moved to Shanghai. The Chinese city, with its 25 million people, was just a bit different to his hometown of Berri, in South Australia’s Riverland.

He had seen his father carve out a career in grapegrowing before starting his own bottling business, South Australian Wine Bottlers, but Grigoriou admitted he “didn’t want to be involved in the wine industry at all”.

Shanghai solved that issue.

But a couple of moves later – first back to Adelaide then relocating with his partner, Josie Withers, for work in Melbourne – the interest in the wine industry was sparked.

“It wasn’t until Jo started working for local media. So she was getting sent out to shoot all these new places opening. I started drinking wine more and was like

56 Grapegrower & Winemaker

‘huh, you don’t see any wine from the Riverland do ya?’.”

Although he had never pursued a wine career path, Grigoriou had grown up around vineyards and had a number of vintages under his belt – so he knew how prolific the vineyards and wineries of the Riverland were. And he was surprised at the lack of wine labels crediting his home region.

“Jo and I decided to move back to Adelaide, and were planning a big trip overseas so I thought ‘I’ll just do another vintage and make some quick cash.”

He was back at a local winery, where he’d previously done seasonal work, but this time it would prove to be a game changer.

“I thought, I’ll go up there and work for two months then we can go away.”

And that’s when he began experimenting. www.winetitles.com.au

“The wine that I made that season was for me. We were sort of playing around with it, little half tonne ferments and stuff. Then I thought ‘ah if we sell a palate of this around Adelaide it’ll be fun!’ And that’s how it started.”

GAINING RECOGNITION His timing was spot on because as the business came together, Adelaide was on the cusp of a small bar boom.

“The first week I went out to sell, was the first week that Clever Little Tailor opened. I didn’t know anyone there.

“Jo and I just went for a drink and I thought ‘I’ll come back and show them the wine’. Turns out one of the owners, Crispian Fielke, is a Riverland boy, and that’s the only reasons they tasted it I’m pretty sure.”

Since the wine proved to be a hit, Grigoriou decided to expand his volume May 2017 – Issue 640

and export market. He quickly went form 100 cases of his first vintage (2013) to 5500 in 2017.

SOURCING THE FRUIT The graduate who wanted nothing to do with the industry has ended up becoming a passionate promoter of the Riverland, proudly sourcing all of his grapes from the region and finding a focus on organic farming.

The wines are made with Nero D’avola, Montepulciano and Vermentino grapes sourced from the Bassham Vineyard in Barmera, SA. “They’re committed to the alternative varieties and the Bassham Vineyards are organic as well.”

And there’s Bianco D’Alessano for the Pet Nat which is from the only vineyard in Australia growing the variety – Ricca Terra Farms in Loxton, SA. “The quality of the fruit is really lightyears above everything else in the Riverland. That’s why I buy them. And Bassham’s has supported me from the start. The Riverland is a region very well suited to organic production because it’s dry. And because the vines are planted for higher yields they’re also planted to minimise disease.

“If the vines are happy they’re more

alive and the quality of the fruit is better.

On the two organic vineyards that I have a relationship with, which is my family’s and the Bassham’s, there’s no difference in yield [to non-organic vineyards] and the quality of the fruit is better.”

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS Sourcing good fruit to produce the best end product is important to Grigoriou, but knowing the impact of thoughtful and careful handling is something he hopes will have a ripple effect when it comes to our export market.

“That’s what needs to change from that industry perspective, for everyone.

If everyone starts actually sending their good stuff and focuses on making and sending good stuff people go ‘oh shit, Australian wine is actually pretty great!’ and it’s nowhere near as expensive.”

As the export market grows for Australia, Grigoriou urges others to not waste the opportunity. “At the premium end we have to continue growing and showing that Australia can produce really awesome wines that aren’t just big banging Shiraz.”

From his personal perspective, the growth and change in Australia has meant more inclusion of low intervention

2016 ‘The Bullet Dodger’ Montepulciano.

Delinquente’s labels are designed by Adelaide born street artist Ankles. Photo: Josie Withers.

styles. “While those people like James Erskine and Anton Von Klopper had been doing that stuff for a long time, they only started to get recognised a few years ago.”

“Globally I think there’s a slow shift.

I think the natural movement here probably all happened alongside France, but internationally there’s an increase in demand for premium Australian wine.”

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May 2017 – Issue 640

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

57

winemaking

Wait and watch:

Accolade expansion in the Riverland BACK IN NOVEMBER 2016, Accolade Wines announced it was set to invest $40 million in its Berri Estates winery (pictured above) to support growth strategy.

At the time, a statement from the company explained: “Development on the new facility is expected to commence in early 2017 with an estimated construction time of 18 months to two years. Once complete, the new facility will employ about 40 people; have a bottling capacity of up to 8 million cases of wine annually and storage capacity of more than 22 million pallets of inventory.”

Accolade advised that once the facility was in operation, it would cease its bottling arrangement with Treasury Wine Estates that was established in 2012. But the packaging partnership was dissolved in early 2017.

My understanding is that Accolade is going to build this facility if they’re able to access this funding and secure support, and it will be an opportunity to secure more business for the region.

58 Grapegrower & Winemaker

By April, when the Grapegrower & Winemaker sought an update on the progress, Accolade’s public relations team was “unable to provide any information relating to Berri”. It was pointed out it was “early days” and more information would be available when more progress was made.

One of the factors in the project delay appears to be a local council application for a Federal Government grant under the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) for the project. A background briefing document, which sought support for the council application said “investment is contingent” on the grant. However, this seemed to contradict the feedback from the CEO of the Berri Barmera Council, who understood the project would go ahead regardless of the Federal Government grant outcome.

Based on the briefing document, the scope of the original Accolade winery upgrade looked to have broadened from new bottling and packaging facilities at Berri Estates, to a ‘Riverland Revitalisation Project’.

Tony Pasin, the Federal Member for Barker, said he was, “extremely supportive of the proposal to build a multi-user wine distribution hub in the Riverland”.

“It’s great to see local government and business banding together to help the region capitalise on the unprecedented market access we now have into Asia,” Pasin said.

“There is no doubt that this project has merit and I hope that it will receive the funding it requires.”

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May 2017 – Issue 640

BIG EXPECTATIONS The background briefing document set lofty ambitions for the project’s ability to drive growth in the Riverland, specifically: • Create 17 new direct jobs at the new wine distribution hub and 20 more at the new bottling line, with a further two distribution hub jobs and a further 10 bottling line jobs created in year five when the operation would introduce a third shift; • Create many more indirect jobs across the region; • Increase sales of exported wine from 14 Riverland wineries by $125 million and 10 Sunraysia wineries by $36 million per annum by the fifth year to destinations such as Europe, the USA and especially China where Australian wine exports are growing at 40% per annum; • Increase the production of Riverland wine grapes by around 41,600 tonnes per annum after five years with a value of $13 million per annum and increase the production of Sunraysia wine grapes by around 12,000 tonnes with a value of $3.7 million per annum by the fifth year, supporting more than 1,344 grape growers across the region; • Create demand conditions to drive the recommissioning of around 1788 hectares of wine producing land after five years; • Produce significant savings of up to nine per cent for an average case of wine due to efficiencies in packaging and logistics. This will greatly assist the cost competitiveness of the 18 wineries who currently export and help the six wineries in the region that are not currently exporting to enter the export market for the first time;

The grant funding announcement is expected by August.

Chris Byrne, Riverland Wine executive officer, said the potential Accolade development was good news for the region.

“If we look back over the past decade they have been really difficult years, but we’ve managed to reset supply and demand in a positive way – so there’s a great deal more positivity in the industry now,” Byrne said.

“The markets in Asia/China are opening up increasingly rapidly and we’re well positioned to meet those emerging markets. It’s really opportune that this development is planned for the Riverland, it will service two of the largest winemaking regions – Riverland and Sunraysia. So we’ll certainly have the critical mass to enable the venture to fulfil its potential.”

However, Byrne said there was still some uncertainty about any significant differences between the original Accolade infrastructure upgrade and the proposal put forward for grant funding support.

“What I’ve gathered is that this is a further enhancement which would enable the project to embrace more of the opportunities for this multi-function distribution hub across the region,” Byrne said. “My understanding is that Accolade is going to build this facility if they’re able to access this funding and secure support, and it will be an opportunity to secure more business for the region.

“We haven’t been included in details for the original plan nor seen the second part of the plan.

“If we, as a region, can stand behind it and indicate that there’s a lot more throughput by increasing the base to a broader Sunraysia/Riverland base and extend the value of bottling locally, then it makes sense to support the application.

“That’s why we support it and hope it is successful as it will allow us to add more value to the grape and wine industry and the region.”

May 2017 – Issue 640

• Provide substantial opportunities for suppliers of glass bottles, cardboard boxes, caps, labels and packaging materials to gain more business and generate employment in the supply chain; • Foster collaboration with regional TAFEs and RTOs to introduce more advanced curricula required by the new technology at the site in the areas of food processing, wine industry operations, logistics, maintenance and PLC programming; • Provide a generational opportunity for an investment that will drive growth in incomes in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country; • Help create a strong economic base through infrastructure that encourages cluster development and growth zones by creating an accessible focal point for regional wineries to efficiently bottle, store and then distribute to export markets, at the same time overcoming a critical infrastructure shortage in the industry; • Generate new sustainable income from the increase in demand from wine grapes which will also allow horticulturists the opportunity to diversify their production into other new areas such as almonds, citrus, melons, pomegranate and stone fruits; and • Complement the strategic plans for the region set down by the local, state and Federal governments by creating enhanced value-adding opportunities in the premium food and beverage sector to help drive exports to Asia and other target markets.

For further information, please contact Kauri AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 Email: info@kauriwine.com

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NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE Website: www.kauriwine.com

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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winemaking

Big Easy Radio: Transmitting signals between the beach and the vines Two winemakers based in McLaren Vale have chosen a location to build their new brand around. It’s not a winery and it’s not a vineyard – but it’s near the beach and a bakery. Camellia Aebischer reports.

THE TOWN OF ALDINGA, in the McLaren Vale wine region, is set a few hundred meters back from the beach and even closer to the nearest vineyards. Two of the area’s residents, Justin Lane (King & Country) and Matt Head (Parous), have noticed the charm of the place and have decided to dig their roots deeper.

The pair, who had been planning a new venture for some time, recently snapped up a property on Stonehouse Lane to house their newest venture, Big Easy Radio.

“Aldinga is just on the cusp. There’s Rosie’s, Miss Gladys, Fall from Grace, a little wine shop and, of course, the bakery,” Lane said.

“The timing was good too, Matt and I had known each other

We’ve seen a response to [traditional winemaking], in the form of natural wine. People were fed up with textbook styles and it was a bit of an overreaction. What we’re trying to do is make a correction and produce commercially viable, dependable, consistent wine that’s well made. – Justin Lane 60 Grapegrower & Winemaker

for some time. When I had Alpha Box & Dice and put it up for sale, I said ‘maybe we should do a project together’. When the sale went through I took a bit of time in hiatus, and that’s when we started formulating this plan. Which meant sitting around drinking a lot of wine by the beach.”

Throughout this time Lane kept busy tinkering with his new business, King and Country, while Head worked on Parous. But as the planned brewed, Big Easy Radio quickly became a main focus for both.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Each winemaker lives just a stone’s throw from the Stonehouse Lane property and both are passionate about the region’s offerings, so combining their careers and lifestyles generated an opportunity to create something personal and meaningful.

The appeal of the area is a huge factor that’s tied to the product’s identity and branding. “We’re selling a location and a lifestyle, which is this coastal area,” says Head. “The beach and the vineyards are only a few hundred meters apart, but I don’t think anyone has really tapped in to that yet.”

The label is essentially homeless at this stage while development and construction happens at the Stonehouse Lane property. “We have to put in a carpark and a toilet block, and won’t get much change out of $100k, so we’ve got to sell some wine first.”

Although the wine has barely been officially released, distribution is locked in for Queensland, New South Wales,

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May 2017 – Issue 640

Victoria and, of course, SA. A couple of exporters are also running the line through Lane’s old channels to parts of Europe and Canada.

“With Alpha Box we had no distribution and nobody really knew about it when we launched,” says Lane. “But with Big Easy we have some prior experience and reputation, which has made it much easier to engage with distributors.”

OFF TO A STRONG START Grapes for the first releases were sourced through contacts in Langhorne Creek and the wines made with rented equipment, which will be the continuing process. However, the property came along with six acres of Cabernet vines, which is likely to make an appearance in coming vintages.

For the first run, there’s a Grenache, a Touriga/Malbec blend and a Vermentino/Fiano blend. And there has already been positive endorsement for the wine quality, the 2016 Forget Babylon Touriga Malbec taking out a gold medal at the Langhorne Creek Wine Show.

“It’s what we’ve tagged as ‘future wine’ because they’re not traditional in any sense. None of the varieties are traditional and neither are the blends,” Head said. “The thing in Australia is that we’ve been so meat and two veg with our winemaking.

Go to the Barossa and it’s Shiraz at 16% alcohol, and you can’t have it with anything that’s not steak or mettwurst. But Australia’s food scene is evolving and it’s raced along far ahead.

These wines will support that modern change in cuisine.”

The idea is to appeal to a broad audience and take focus away from traditional styles, bottles, packaging and language.

“We’ve seen a response to [traditional winemaking], in the form of natural wine. People were fed up with textbook styles and it was a bit of an overreaction. What we’re trying to do is make a correction and produce commercially viable, dependable, consistent wine that’s well made,” Lane said.

Matt Head (left) and Justin Lane at their Aldinga property, the home of their new Big Easy Radio brand.

BENDING THE RULES A key part of that appeal and approachability lies in their disruptive style. Lane and Head have intentionally avoided using traditional jargon throughout their branding. The labels (there’s two for each bottle), don’t have a distinguishable front or back, and are attached to old-style brown port bottles.

“The bottles have some nice history, they’ve been around for a while and they kind of have that maritime feel,” Head said.

“We want people to think ‘what?’ and pick it up and have a look at it.”

Their disruptive brand has already ruffled feathers during the production process.

“The only line that can handle labelling this bottle shape is in the Barossa,” says Lane. “When we had the bottles filled, people’s minds were being blown over putting regular wine in fortified bottles, and with two labels.

“Back labels were great when there was no internet and you couldn’t Google something and find out about it. Now, they’re just not relevant,” he explained. “In the future, there will be no back labels.”

Looking to the more foreseeable future, there are some exciting plans for the bricks and mortar. After the bones of the property have come together, the ideas become far more lavish.

An area in the back field is set to host festival events – think Burning Man (burningman.org), but in Aldinga – and the main shed will soon receive fit-out for a stage.

There will be a bar and gift shop instead of a ‘cellar door’ and food options in tow. Potential for a pool area is also on the cards, but popping in straight from the beach with sandy feet will be welcomed, if not encouraged. Currently there’s no set launch date, but Lane and Head are hoping to be ready by next summer.

May 2017 – Issue 640

For further information, please contact Kauri AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 Email: info@kauriwine.com

www.winetitles.com.au

NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE Website: www.kauriwine.com

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1 uch_A4.pdf 27/08/2015 1

winemaking

Working together to find solutions In this article Greg Howell, from Vintessential Laboratories, explores recent examples of how his business works with winemakers to investigate problems in winemaking and how, together, they find solutions.

SOME, BUT BY NO MEANS ALL, samples we receive in our laboratories cause quite a bit of interest for the laboratory – and quite some angst for the winemakers who supply them. These 3:41 27/08/2015 pm 3:41 pm ‘interesting’ samples and how they are tested can present some valuable case studies when exploring what can go wrong in the winemaking process. Not all samples we are sent are wine samples – in this article we discuss how a cider sample caused some issues as well.

BOTRYTIS IN CHARDONNAY AND POSSIBLE STUCK FERMENT A customer had Chardonnay fruit that had some Botrytis infection. He also had concerns about the fermentation kinetics.

We were asked to test for laccase enzyme activity and also for the presence of glucans; then provide recommendations for products that might assist with fermentation.

The winemaker had completed a bench test to obtain a qualitative result – the sample had been poured into two wine glasses and covered; one sample was placed in a fridge and other left out for 24 hours. The two glasses of wine were then compared for changes in colour. The non-refrigerated sample was browner, indicating laccase activity. The results of our tests indicated medium laccase activity and high glucan levels.

The recommended treatment was an addition of a complete yeast nutrient (Maxaferm) to help the fermentation reach completion; as well as treatment with a glucanase enzyme product (Rapidase Batonnage) to allow the glucans formed by the Botrytis to be degraded.

Once the glucanase treatment was complete (as checked by benchtop trials), Bentonite fining was used to remove the laccase enzyme and then more sulfur dioxide was added. Testing for gluconic

acid in the other ferments that may be affected was also recommended.

TITRATABLE ACIDITY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CLIENT’S OWN LAB AND OUR LAB A customer had been doing their own testing of Titratable Acidity (TA) on their wine samples and was consistently getting higher TA results than ours. To find out what was causing the difference, a comparative analysis of TA on samples they had already analysed in their own lab was done in one of our labs.

Upon discussion with the customer, it became apparent that there were several steps in their in-house procedure that could be having an impact on their results. The impact of each in isolation would be minor, however each one would create a bias towards a higher result and so had a cumulative effect.

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May 2017 – Issue 640

The issues were: • Not degassing the finished wine; • Using 10.00 mL of wine diluted with distilled water; • The distilled water not being degassed or neutralised prior to use; and • The 0.1M NaOH was not standardised before use.

To resolve the issue we recommended the following changes to the procedure used by the client: 1. Degas the wine. This is a standard step and removes the carbon dioxide which forms the weak acid carbonic acid in water, thus adding to the overall acidity of the sample. Our experience is that many winemakers skip this step.

2. Consider using 25.00 mL of sample. This ensures there is enough volume in the sample container to cover the pH electrode with sample without having to add distilled water. And so it also avoids the extra work of ensuring the distilled water is neutral.

3.

Use 0.333M Sodium Hydroxide instead of 0.1M. The benefits of this are that the pH and TA can be done sequentially on the same 25.00 mL of sample. Other benefits are that the more concentrated 0.333M NaOH has greater stability than 0.1M NaOH with respect to absorption of carbon dioxide from air.

And finally using 0.333M means that the volume of titrant used is simply the value for titratable acidity without having to apply a multiplication factor.

The customer changed their method to what we had suggested and started getting TA results consistent with ours.

CRYSTALLINE DEPOSIT IN BOTTLED WINE A white wine was submitted which had developed a deposit in the bottle that looked crystalline in nature. The wine had been treated with a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) product and had been thought to be potassium bitartrate (KHT) stable.

However, the winemaker requested that the cold stability test be carried out to check this. The cold stability test (72 hours at -4oC) was carried out on a filtered sample of the wine (that is without the crystals) and the wine was found to be cold stable.

The winemaker felt that it was unlikely that the deposit would be calcium tartrate as no calcium products had been used in the winemaking process and none that he knew of had been used in the vineyard.

However, after discussion, he requested that further tests be carried out on the May 2017 – Issue 640

deposit to determine what it was.

Our investigations revealed that the deposit was indeed potassium bitartrate.

Since the sample tested in our lab was found to be cold stable it appears that the wine was not cold stable at the time of bottling and had then precipitated KHT in the bottle.

Once the KHT had precipitated out, the wine in the bottle was then cold stable. The winemaker unfortunately decided that the only course of action was to re-filter and re-bottle this wine.

CIDER SEDIMENT We recently received a cider sample that contained a large amount of white sediment. The customer was concerned that it was precipitated concentrate that had been added to the cider, or that it was a microbial contamination.

The customer was interested in testing alcohol, carbon dioxide and doing a sterility check; however since we only had limited sample volume we suggested that we could do a micro deposit identification test to try to establish what was in the sediment.

We therefore went ahead with the micro deposit identification and upon examination of the sediment under the microscope we identified that the deposit contained yeast cells. We then plated some of the sediment onto WL agar plates to determine whether these cells were viable. After a few days of incubation, growth was observed on the agar plates and microscopic examination confirmed the presence of viable yeast cells.

It was recommended that the customer filter the cider to remove the yeast cells and add the appropriate level of sulfur dioxide; these steps making it unlikely that any re-fermentation could occur.

CONCLUSION There are always samples that are submitted to a specialist fermentation beverage laboratory such as ours that call for collaborative attempts to solve problems for the producer.

As can be seen above, most of these issues can be resolved using some advanced testing techniques and in some instances, particular winemaking products can be employed to ensure good quality stable wine.

Greg Howell founded Vintessential Laboratories in 1995; he can be contacted by email on greg@vintessential.com. au. More articles on related topics are available on the Vintessential website: w w w.vintessential.com.au/resources/ articles/ www.winetitles.com.au

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M333_DMA35_2010_BRIXBAUME_59x272Strip 20170405.indd 05/04/2017 1 13:34

sales & marketing Tax spat between anti-alcohol lobby and the Winemakers' Federation FARE question: Are wine companies paying their fair share?

The Winemakers’ Federation insists the industry does pay its way, with some of the highest tax rates in the world.

THE WINEMAKERS’ FEDERATION of Australia (WFA) has called for the anti-alcohol lobby to play fair with tax facts.

Tony Battaglene, WFA chief executive said the latest allegations were “outrageous” as well as “insulting to the 170,000 workers” across the grape and wine community.

These allegations are outrageous and insulting to the 170,000 workers who rely on the wine sector for a living. The wine industry takes corporate governance seriously, and plays a significant role in Australia’s regional economies.

64 Grapegrower & Winemaker

In early May, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) published its latest research and promoted it with a media release headlined ‘Australians denied millions by alcohol company tax dodge’.

FARE claimed the alcohol industry was using “aggressive and questionable tax avoidance measures” to rob Australians of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

The research, commissioned by FARE and the Uniting Church, was undertaken by the University of Technology Sydney. It analysed 13 of the largest Australian and foreignowned alcohol enterprises operating in Australia, looking into effective tax rates and book tax gaps using Australian Taxation data for years 2013-14 and 2014-15, comparing the companies’ total Financial Statements across the period. (The report is available from the FARE website, http://fare.org.au/) The WFA said it was deeply disappointed with the allegations that Australian Winemakers were deliberately rorting the Australian Taxation system, pointing out the Australian wine industry was a significant economic contributor, particularly in rural and regional areas.

The Australian Wine Industry Contributes $40.2 billion in gross output to the Australian economy. Gross output includes $19.7 billion in value (value-added) and $10.4 billion in wages and salaries from full and part time employment. It also supports 172,736 full and part time jobs, most of which are located in regional Australia (numbers sourced from the ‘Australian Grape and Wine Authority Economic Contribution of the Australian Wine Sector Report’ December 2015).

“These allegations are outrageous and insulting to the 170,000 workers who rely on the wine sector for a living.

The wine industry takes corporate governance seriously, and plays a significant role in Australia’s regional economies. It is disappointing that an anti-alcohol lobby group once again slurs the whole industry and regional Australia,” Battaglene said.

“The rather superficial analysis does not reflect the reality of either Australian wine businesses or tax law. A company paying lower levels of tax than the headline rates, reflects that either this year or in an earlier year they made a loss which they can apply to current profits. The wine sector, mostly family owned businesses, have weathered difficult trading conditions but remain long term and consistent providers of jobs and economic growth in regional Australia.”

Battaglene also said the Australian wine sector has been instrumental in the current Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) Reforms and is working closely with the Federal Government to achieve a fairer and tighter tax system for wine.

“Our industry pays its way, with some of the highest tax rates in the world. We have also recently worked closely with the government to tighten the current Wine Equalisation Tax System. I would encourage FARE to look at the facts for once, and acknowledge the recent reforms undertaken by the government, and the importance of the wine sector to Australia’s economy.”

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May 2017 – Issue 640

Do wine bottles need a design update?

Labels, seals and boxes are all accustomed to change in the wine industry. But choice of glass bottles has seen less design innovation.

Camellia Aebischer talks to a selection of winemakers about their unique bottle options.

THE IMPORTANCE of having a unique brand sees many trends come and go. Some are welcome, like a tidy wax seal, but some others just won’t seem to disappear, like glitter-covered bottles of sparkling.

The wines vessel often remains the same. Glass; clear, or tinged with green.

In fact, wine bottle styles have barely changed across the past hundred years.

But some makers are thinking outside (or inside) the box and exploring new shapes for a point of difference.

“We bottle our wines in Calvados bottles, typically used to package French brandy,” says Fraser McKinley, of Sami Odi Wines. “I always really liked the packaging of Calvados, it kind of has this faux old-style feel.” “[As a winemaker], you put all of your effort in to something, so you want the best for it,” he explains. “We change the labels every year but the bottle stays the same. It’s a part of our brand, it keeps us recognisable.”

research. I practically had a mild heart attack seeing all the wine stacked in rows, and I thought ‘How do I make my wine stand out here?’.”

When it came to choosing a bottle for his Pinot Noir, Scott took the matter seriously. “The Pinot bottle is like a work of art, it’s very impractical. It’s about as wide as a sparkling bottle and tall as a Riesling.”

Although he has some challenges with packing and freight, he believes its artistic nature is important to the consumer experience. “If you look at it from the top it’s got this lean elegance, but from the side it’s huge and imposing and beasty. I think if someone’s spending $35plus on a bottle of wine, I want it to be an experience for the consumer,” says Scott.

BREAKING THE MOULD

EXPERIENCING THE DIFFERENCE

Having a unique bottle can benefit a winery’s trademark, especially those who like to have variation in their labels. It’s also useful for brand identity in places like a bottle shop or restaurant display, where a sea of wine bottles all start to look the same.

Winemaker James Scott, of Shiny Wines, noticed the trend and decided to curb it. “I remember once, before starting Shiny Wines, I went for a walk to the shopping street to do a bit of market May 2017 – Issue 640

Aside from having a point of difference on the shelf, a bottle can help to set your brand apart in a way that a label can’t.

Yoko Luscher-Mostert and husband Andries Mostert, of Brave New Wines, have seen plenty of success using a scalloped bottom, clear Burgundy bottle. “Retailers have loved it because www.winetitles.com.au

Shiny Wines Pinot Noir bottle is as wide as a sparkling and as tall as a Riesling bottle.

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sales & marketing

is one of the go-to suppliers for many Australian winemakers and distillers looking to set their bottles apart. The company is based in Normandy, France, and is famed for producing the clearest glass in the world.

Because of Saver Glass’ location, bottles have to be shipped from Europe and can sometimes take months to arrive.

Aside from making sure to pre-order in advance, shipping can provide all kinds of new disasters.

“Once I had the shipping container opened on arrival to Australia and all the bottles were broken. It takes about 12 weeks to get bottles from France to Australia,” says Scott.

The disaster meant his cash flow took a temporary hit and that year’s rosé had to be released at the end of summer, once the new order arrived.

Luscher-Mostert and her partner missed the order window for 2016 and subsequently have had to produce that year’s vintage in typical Burgundy bottles. “(Saver Glass) only manufacture the lightweight bottles twice a year. It’s just teething problems”.

“As soon as we could, we placed a big order for this year’s vintage so we can get back to normal.”

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

The Sami Odi bottles are usually seen filled with French brandy rather than dry red wine.

it’s something different. People are tactile creatures and they want to touch it and pick it up,” says Luscher-Mostert.

“We weren’t specifically looking for a weirdly shaped bottle. We were just looking for a Burgundy bottle with clear glass and a Stelvin closure, which turns out to be surprisingly difficult.

The supplier was reluctant, saying ‘Oh well, there is this one bottle, but it’s lightweight and has a funny punt’. But once we saw it, we loved it and thought ‘this is exactly what we’re all about’.”

Brave New Wines is a small batch winery and most of the work is done by hand, by the couple. Luscher-Mostert designs the personalised labels and the bottles have helped to solidify their brand identity as an alternative product.

“The bottles can be quite polarising, but we love them,” she says.

THE COST OF STANDING OUT Unfortunately, interesting shapes and

66 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Brave New Wines are packaged in a scalloped bottom, clear Burgundy bottle.

proprietary bottles carry extra costs. Part of the reason that the shelves of wine stores are filled with generic bottles is due to their price point and availability.

“A typical Australian-made wine bottle might cost a buyer somewhere between 10-40 cents each, depending how large the order is,” says Fraser McKinley.

Bottles imported from Europe (where most of the experimentation happens) can cost from $1 to $3.50 or more per unit. This can add up when each palette contains around 1000 bottles.

Although it’s a steep cost increase, it’s easily the best item to be flexible with according to McKinley.

“When you buy a box of corks, it arrives and looks like the size of a bag you’d take on a sports trip as a kid. Buy the same number of bottles, and you’ll get a box the size of a room. The cost of the cork is easily twice that of a bottle,” McKinley said.

Manufacturing giant Saver Glass www.winetitles.com.au

Once orders are out of the way, packaging challenges can arise. McKinley has vetoed 12 packs of his signature Sami Odi Pinot Noir because of its immense weight. “To actually put it in a 12-pack is an occupational health and safety risk.”

Even with the six-packs, the cardboard becomes strained quickly.

Scott avoids these issues by custom making his boxes for Shiny Wines.

Brave New Wine put all of their varieties (except for the pet nat) in the same bottles - which fit in to standard boxes.

Even through all the hassle, the consensus is the same when it comes to asking if it’s worthwhile. “We’re 11 years in and it’s never occurred to us that it’s too hard,” says McKinley.

For small scale wineries like the three listed, labelling and packing is less of an issue since it’s all done by hand.

For larger wineries, or those with less flexibility on the bottling line, making the switch wouldn’t be so simple.

Although, some larger producers might be onto the scalloped bottom Burgundy bottle before too long.

Their modern design means that the bottles are lightweight (which is better for exports), and sturdier. LuscherMostert has dropped a few during the hand-bottling process and says “they kind of bounce”.

May 2017 – Issue 640

The future is now

Unsurpassed Innovation in Bottling & Packaging horst@viniquip.co.nz aaron@viniquip.co.nz www.viniquip.com AUT Freephone 1 800 209 370 NZ Freephone 0 800 284 647

business & technology Education

Hilary Sheedy, Faith Lutheran College Year 10 student loads the school crusher. The Shiraz is grown on a small block at the Barossa school.

Educating the next generation Camellia Aebischer reports on the impact of wine education programs in Australian high schools.

AT HIGH SCHOOLS, where plenty of important life-directing decisions are made, new pathways into the grape and wine industry are being fostered. A small number of high schools, mostly located in and around Australia’s wine regions, offer hands-on viticulture and winemaking programs where students get involved in the different step of the process. Many produce their own school wines, some in small commercial quantities and some even sell grapes from their own vineyards.

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE Since schools that offer these programs are usually located in wine regions, they tend to work closely with wineries to offer students a practical understanding.

“We have found this experience to have a really positive impact, particularly in building good relationships among the students and in building their confidence when engaging with adults in industry,” said Matthew Brown, Head of Mathematics, Science and Technology at St Joseph’s in Stanthorpe, QLD. At St Joseph’s, Year 10 students are able to apply to the course as an enrichment option through a written application.

The course is run in partnership with Symphony Hill Wines in Ballandean.

The class have access to full scale facilities at Symphony Hill which they use to produce their own wines each year.

“The program engages students with all aspects of the wine industry, including the vineyard, harvest, winter pruning and

68 Grapegrower & Winemaker

spring thinning of vines, processing & production of grapes, wine chemistry, bottling, label design & marketing through the cellar door,” Brown said.

At Casterton Secondary College in Victoria, wine education is run as a “real life science and biology experiment” with all the year 10 science students.

The science department holds a strong relationship with Wynns in the Coonawarra wine region.

“Wynns provides our students with an excursion every year where we are taken through the entire wine making process in a large scale. They also donate Shiraz grapes to us which the students are given the opportunity to pick themselves,” said science teacher Pedro Mello.

Aside from using grapes from the Wynn’s vineyard, students are able to interact closely with the school’s own small vineyard.

The grapes from their vines are combined with the ones picked at Wynn’s and brought back to the Applied Science Centre where they are crushed and fermented with yeast.

“A week later the students press the must and barrel the wine. The next year they bottle it, design a label and market their finished product,” says Mello.

At Nuriootpa High School, in the Barossa Valley, the students are fortunate enough to have their own vineyard to look after, as well as a small scale winery which is the home for the production of a range of wines that are released under the Nurihannam label.

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

Vintage action at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism, Stanthorpe.

A RETURN INVESTMENT Aside from being a fun learning experience, the skills the students learn in their wine ventures are valuable to their work life after education.

“Many of our ‘young winemaker’s’ have gained casual or holiday employment both at Symphony Hill and other local wineries,” said Brown. “Some of our students also work in local restaurants and the experience gained from this program enables them to interact and relate more effectively with the tourism trade and winery patrons.”

For Mello, sustaining jobs in the local area is also important.

“The Coonawarra wine region is within 50 minutes of our small rural town, so we wanted to open the door for our students to seek future employment in an amazing industry so close to home.”

The program has also helped increase interest in topics surrounding viticulture. “Since the inception of our wine making program our students have undertaken more VCE [Victorian Certificate of Education] Sciences especially Chemistry, Biology and Agricultural Science.”

Encouraging students to study the sciences will open up new pathways toward an oenology and viticulture degree in future if they wish to pursue it.

Although giving out career path options in year 10 might not seem too late, Brown has noticed that many of his students at St Joseph’s are set in their ways.

“Talking to students, it doesn’t seem to be an industry that young people want to progress into, despite the opportunities it offers in terms of travel. Most of our students seem to have pathways set around engineering, health and business, or are seeking trades and apprenticeships,” Brown said.

At Casterton, the program is still in its infancy, but has been received well. Mello hopes that awareness created during the program and the increased interest in VCE Science will eventually take students into the field of wine making.

A Skills Tasmania report highlighting skills and education shortages in Tasmanian wine from 2007, concluded that education programs in viticulture and oenology had seen a decline in enrolments, despite the industry boom. The reason behind the lull is cited as a lacking in certified skills needed to enter the field of winemaking and viticulture.

If this is the case, at least the programs are encouraging students to become familiar with wine production and are offering important connections should they choose to pursue the path off-paper. Success with casual employment at local wineries is a promising start.

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May 2017 – Issue 640

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AVAILABLE AT www.winetitlesbookstore.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

69

business & technology

The importance of choosing the right closure?

The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has been continuously conducting closure trials since the late 1990s. Camellia Aebischer sat down with Dr Eric Wilkes to talk about their findings on the effects of closures and ageing.

A certain type of closure will impact the way wine ages, and a core factor in variation when ageing, is oxygen. Some oxygen is good, and cork provides a breathable seal. But, because of natural variation in corks, there’s always a risk of oxidation or cork taint.

The invention of the screw cap seal gave winemakers a less variable way to close their wines and reduced the risk of oxidation. However, screw caps have been associated with producing reductive characteristics, which can occur when there is too little exposure to oxygen.

“Reduction comes through in its worst cases as smells like rotten cabbage or rubber, that’s in really bad situations. Quite a lot of press has said that the problem with screw caps is that they cause these negative characteristics to develop,” says Wilkes.

If this has left you confused about your closure decision, there’s a silver lining.

“Yes it is true that the amount of oxygen going through the closures can shift the amount of these compounds that are generated, so if you have a cork you might see slightly less of those reductive characteristics “But what we are finding in our recent studies is that compared to the amount of variation that the winemaking process has introduced, the closure has a relatively small impact on the development of reductive or oxidative characteristics.”

This means that the development of reductive or oxidative characteristics can vary slightly due to which closure type you choose. However, factors in the winemaking process like when and how much oxygen was introduced during its lifetime, the nature of the fruit, how the wine was produced and what

metals have been introduced, all will have a greater impact on the variation of those characteristics than the closure type will.

Wilkes’ advice? “Don’t rely on just choosing a closure to resolve issues that you’re seeing. They may help, but the actual winemaking process is a much more important part of the game.”

ASVO Scholarship to attend the Advanced Wine Assessment Course THE 2017 ASVO Scholarship to attend the Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) administered by the Australian Wine Research institute (AWRI) is now open for applications.

The ASVO Scholarship is a nationally competitive scholarship which offers high-achieving individuals an opportunity to undertake vocational or professional development in wine assessment.

The ASVO Scholarship is part of the highly valued ASVO Awards for Excellence program which has attracted a high calibre of entrants and are now recognised within the industry as a demonstration of expertise for wine industry professionals to aspire to and achieve.

The ASVO awards aim to promote excellence through recognition and reward of high achievers in innovative practice; those who are striving to raise practice standards and, individuals who, through their professionalism, provide a model of practice which others seek to emulate.

70 Grapegrower & Winemaker

The ASVO scholarship will be offered to one talented individual to attend the AWRI’s highly regarded, four-day intensive Advanced Wine Assessment Course.

Last year’s recipient Stewart Byrne from Josef Chromy Wines said he felt, “incredibly fortunate to have attended” the 41st AWAC. “I will carry the skills and knowledge that I have gained from this course throughout my career in the wine industry,” Byrne said. “I would like to thank the ASVO for the opportunity to attend, and I strongly encourage all aspiring show judges, or individuals looking to refine their tasting skills to apply.”

Applications are online, open to all fields of study and there is no age limit for applicants.

Applications for the 2017 Scholarship close on Friday 23 June 2017.

More information is available at the ASVO website (www. asvo.com.au).

www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

Incentives and support for increased employment A JOB ACCELERATOR Grant Scheme has been established to encourage South Australian businesses to employ additional full-time, part-time and casual employees, and maintain them for at least 12 months.

A Job Accelerator Grant of up to $10,000 ($5000 each year for two years) per new full-time equivalent (FTE) job created is available for businesses liable for payroll tax in SA with total Australian wages of $5 million or less.

A Job Accelerator Grant for Small Business & Start-ups of up to $4000 ($2000 each year for two years) per new job created is also available for most businesses that are not liable for payroll tax. This includes businesses

with Australian wages below the payroll tax free threshold (currently $600,000) and most organisations that are exempt from payroll tax (e.g. public benevolent institution).

Businesses that increase their number of SA employees will be eligible to receive a grant for each additional worker employed by them in a new position between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2018.

The grant will be paid at the first and second anniversary date of employment.

Businesses must register a new employee within 90 days of the employee’s commencement date.

The number of employees in a business will comprise: • For the Job Accelerator Grant – the

total number of full-time employees plus the total number of hours worked in the preceding pay week by all South Australian part-time and casual employees during the past pay week, divided by 35 (which is the fulltime hours definition used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics); and • For the Job Accelerator Grant for Small Business & Start-ups – the total number of full-time employees plus the number of South Australian part-time and casual employees that worked more than 22 hours in the past pay week.

For more information, visit Revenue SA (www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au).

Stuart McGrath-Kerr retires THE NEW SOUTH WALES Wine Industry Association recently announced that Stuart McGrath-Kerr, the organisation’s executive officer, had retired.

McGrath-Kerr started in this role in 1997, just a few years after the association was formed, and has seen great change and growth in the wine industry in NSW. He regards some of the highlights of his time in the role as the creation of the NSW Wine brand as well as “the work done through the NSW Wine Awards, along with Sydney Cellar Door, to raise the profile of NSW wine – a task far from complete”.

“I would like to acknowledge the great contribution made to the association by many who served on the committee including past presidents Chris Barnes AM, David Lowe and more recently Tom Ward, and I thank them all for their support. I wish the association every success in its future endeavours.”

Tom Ward, the NSW Wine Industry May 2017 – Issue 640

Association (NSWWIA) president, thanked McGrath-Kerr for his many years of service to the wine industry.

“Stuart has been a focal point for NSW wine and has played a vastly important role in making sure that the interests of NSW wine are fostered both locally and nationally,” Ward said.

“I would particularly like to thank Stuart, and his wife Noni, for the role they have played in making the NSW Wine Awards an important and successful part of the NSW wine calendar. I wish Stuart and Noni all the best for the future and hope that they continue to drink the great wines of NSW once they move to Tasmania.”

Ward also announced that Angus Barnes had accepted the role of Acting Executive Officer – a temporary role that would assist in the transition process.

Barnes has a long and distinguished wine career starting from his childhood in the vineyards in the Hunter Valley. He has most recently held senior global roles www.winetitles.com.au

with Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

Barnes is well known to the NSWWIA as he is currently the vice president in charge of Government Relations (a role that he will step down from in order to take up the Acting EO position).

He is also the current national chair of the Wine Communicators of Australia as well as a past graduate of the wine industry future leaders program.

Over the next few months, there are a number of key activities Barnes and the executive will focus on, these include: • The launch and implementation of NSW Government and industry joint strategy 2028; • An independent review of the NSWWIA in order to ensure that we are providing for our members; and • The agreement and implementation of the Federal Government’s Export and Regional Wine Support Package, making sure that NSW is represented strongly in these outcomes.

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people & places

Robert Powell, Cherry Chen and John Harley from Salena Estate Wines.

Thea Petros and Monique Warren from Norwood Payneham St Peter’s Council.

Salena Estate urban cellar door RIVERLAND WINERY, Salena Estate, opened a new urban Adelaide cellar door, tasting and functions area in April. To celebrate the opening, the winery gathered industry, trade and media at the venue on Payneham Road in St Peters. The space features a shopfront, where the Salena wines are now available for tasting and purchase, as well as a warehouse space which will be slowly fitted out as a function and private tasting area.

There are plans for the venue to host international clients and larger groups, as well as be available for function hire.

Adriana Marafiotti from Salena Estate Wines was on hand to capture these photos.

Tom Fitzgerald, Meg Bourne and Nick Fitzgerald.

72 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Casey Smith, Salena Franchitto, Heidi Beech and Brooke Duffield.

Bob Franchitto (Salena Estate owner), Cherry Chen and Sylvia Franchitto (Salena Estate owner).

Ella Coulter, Natalie Di Sisto, Georgina Hollit and Lucy Fitzgerald. www.winetitles.com.au

May 2017 – Issue 640

calendar

looking back

Australia & New Zealand May 1-31 Aussie Wine Month 2017, Australia Wide, www.aussiewinemonth.com 1-30 June Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival, Pokolbin, New South Wales, www.winecountry.com.au/events/wine-andfood-festival

20-21 Lovedale Long Lunch, Various locations, Lovedale, New South Wales, www.lovedalelonglunch.com.au 20-21 Tasmanian Red Wine Weekend, Princes Wharf No. 1, Hobart, Tasmania, www. winesouth.com.au

5-21 The High Country Harvest, Various locations, Victoria, www.highcountryharvest.com.au

22-23 International Cool Climate Wine Show, Mornington Racing Club, Mornington, Victoria, www.coolclimatewineshow.org.au

12-13 Riverina Field Days, Griffith Showgrounds, Griffith, New South Wales, www.riverinafielddays.com.au

26 Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Awards Dinner, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, www.winecountry.com.au

June 2-4 The Good Food & Wine Show – Melbourne, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, www.goodfoodshow.com.au

4-5 Fantastic Food+Drink, ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, www.fantasticshow.com.au

3-4 Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland International Wine Show & Mediterranean Challenge, Toowoomba, Queensland, www.rasq.com.au

25-29 New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, www.nowfe.com 27-30 World Wine Meetings - WWM ASIA, Singapore, www.wwm-asia.com

22-24 The London International Wine Fair, Olympia Exhibition Center, London, UK, www.londonwinefair.com

29-31 Wine Prague 2017, PVA Expo, Prague, Czech Republic, www.wineprague. com

23-25 Salón de la Alimentación, Valladolid, Spain, www.feriavalladolid.com

29-1 June 8th Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, www.wdsc2017.org

25-27 BioFach China 2017, Shanghai, China, www.biofachchina.com 25-27 17th Interwine China - Spring Edition, (International Wine & Spirits Trade Show), China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China, www.wineinternationalltd.com

June 5-11 Shanghai International Wine Challenge (SIWC) 2017, Shanghai, China, www.siwc.org.cn

Draconian restrictions Mathew Percival, corporate affairs manager at Lindemans fumed at a proposed National Health Policy on Alcohol that suggested restrictions on advertising and marketing, plus increased taxation.

“The Draft Policy, if accepted by the government, would penalise an already over-regulated industry and discriminate against the vast majority of people who use alcohol sensibly,” said Percival.

“A far more effective strategy would make use of positive education programmes and extended counselling services.”

The Chinese wine boom

May

22-24 8th TopWine China, China National Convention Centre, Beijing, China, www.wineinternationalltd.com

May 1987

May 1997

International 15-31 Sitevinitech China 2017, Penglai, China, www.wineinternationalltd.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.

7-10 Bio Brazil/BIOFACH America Latina, Säo Paulo, Brazil, www.biofach-americalatina.com.br

6-8 ExpoVinis Brasil 2017, Säo Paulo, Brazil, www.expovinis.com.br

China export market begins with plenty of talk about Japan. A report from Strategy 2025 named the UK, US, Germany and Japan as the four major export regions to fuel the Australian industry for the next 30 years.

With reports of red wine bringing about positive health impacts, the Chinese market has become increasingly curious.

Chinese tourism to Australian cellar doors has started to become notable, which suggests wines growing popularity.

May 2007

Strategy 2025 outdated The Directions taskforce, together with the AWiBC and the WFA has launched a new strategy for the Australian wine industry. The strategy, named Directions to 2025 will replace the prematurelyoutdated Strategy 2025.

During its development, the taskforce identified that the Australian wine industry has even greater value potential than originally thought. Its export sales target for the period of 2007-2013 had been raised to a predicted $30 billion up from the $26 billion previously predicted.

JD = judging date CD= closing date May 2017 – Issue 640

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May 2017 – Issue 640

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