Grapegrower & Winemaker by Provincial Press Group

February 2013

Innovation &

technology issue

Refrigeration efficiency more important than ever

Effects of elevated

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February 2013: Issue 589

Contents features

winemaking

Vineyard machinery

Maintenance key to vintage success

Vineyard supplies

Using ecological diversity of yeasts

Yeast & enzymes

Flavour-active wine yeasts

66 Refrigeration

Part 1: the A-Z of wine enzymes

Bottling, labelling and packaging

Winemaker in profile: Wendy Cameron

I.T. and software

Refrigeration efficiency important now

news

sales & marketing

My View: George Wahby

What influences US resellers?

Wine producers count cost of severe heat

Marketing: image is everything

Warm start bears fruit for cool regions

Label Q&A: Rapaura Springs

Regional Roundup: South Australia, Part 2

Contract wine packagers form association

grapegrowing

business & technology

Magazine brings history to life for grower

Break into the lucrative UK market

Wine: does vine age really matter?

Wineries target ‘appy’ customers

Ask the AWRI: controlling Botrytis

Global wine export trade performances

Weather stations come a long way

Management of non-Botrytis bunch rots

Mesocarp cell death and shrivelling

Combat virus early with mealybug control

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

9 February 2013

Innovation &

technology issue

Refrigeration efficiency more important than ever

Effects of elevated

Marketing your winery – image is everything

temperature on grapes YEARS

cover

regulars

Dr. Matteo Marangon works his craft at the AWRI lab. Photo by Kellie Arbuckle.

5 on the grapevine 21 grapegrowing 47 winemaking 85 export snapshot 86 looking forward 87 marketplace classifieds

In this issue February Publisher and Chief Executive Hartley Higgins Managing EDITOR Elizabeth Bouzoudis EDITOR Grahame Whyte editor@grapeandwine.com.au Editorial advisory board Dr Jim Fortune, Denis Gastin, Dr Steve Goodman, Prof. Jim Hardie, Dr Terry Lee, Paul van der Lee, Bob Campbell MW, Prof Dennis Taylor and Mary Retallack Editorial Kellie Arbuckle Contributors Chris Herden, Gerri Nelligan, Jeffrey Wilkinson, Danielle Costley, Steve Goodman, Peter Bailey. Advertising Sales Chas Barter sales@grapeandwine.com.au Circulation: Melissa Smithen subs@winetitles.com.au

In this issue, our theme of innovation & technology is explored in a variety of ways. Our cover image shows a scientist at work at The Australian Wine Research Institute, one of our key research institutions. The AWRI seeks to support grapegrowers and winemakers through scientifically based world-class research. Its current Seven Year Research, Development and Extension Plan outlines its immediate and medium term aims, including combining scientific rigour with market-led research initiatives, along with targeted information provision and knowledge transfer, development and problem solving activities, will bring long-term benefits to the Australian wine industry. The AWRI Analytical Service conducts more than 100,000 analyses each year, offering acid, alcohol, grape and colour analysis among its many services. Modern, accurate scientific testing and analysis enables winemakers to produce quality wines for both domestic consumption and also for our burgeoning export markets. The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation R&D at Work

bimonthly newsletter highlights the achievements of researchers, this month looking at a new National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) project that aims to investigate novel methods of managing bunch rots – Botrytis, Aspergillus and Penicillum. Since infection rates as low as 1.5% can have negative effects on the sensory and quality aspects of the wine, it is important to pursue this research. A focus of this study will be the collection of near infrared spectra data. Also in this issue, we investigate how smartphone apps are assisting vineyard and winery staff to access vital information in just moments, from spray choices through to handling a stuck ferment. Please enjoy the innovation and technology articles we have prepared for you and I trust you will find our magazine useful in your grapegrowing and winemaking endeavours. Grahame Whyte Editor Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker editor@grapeandwine.com.au

Production Chris Nicholls Subscription Prices Australia: 1 year (12 issues) $77.50 (inc. GST) 2 years (24 issues) $145 (inc. GST) New Zealand, Asia & Pacific: 1 year (12 issues) $110 (AUD) 2 years (24 issues) $210 (AUD) All other countries: 1 year (12 issues) $174.50 (AUD) 2 years (24 issues) $339 (AUD) Students (Aus only): 1 year (12 issues) $66 (inc. GST) Winetitles Pty. Ltd. 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 PO Box 1006, Prospect East South Australia 5082 Phone: (08) 8369 9500 Fax (08) 8369 9501 info@winetitles.com.au www.winebiz.com.au Printing by Lane Print Group, Adelaide © Contents copyright Winetitles Pty Ltd 2013.

4 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Contributors Danielle Costley worked as a journalist throughout the Australasian region for more than 15 years. After working as a TV writer and business journalist on the east coast, Danielle was lured to the Margaret River wine region in 2000, where she began her career as a wine journalist. This month, on page 47, Danielle looks at the importance of ensuring all winery equipment has been tested and serviced to avoid a breakdown during critical times of the vintage. Chris Herden is a business, arts, entertainment and travel writer, as well as a board member of the management committee of the Queensland Writers Centre. He has discovered a valuable bonus of being a contributor is the great wine advice and tips picked up from winemakers, viticulturists and industry people he has interviewed. On page 66, Chris considers how environmental sustainability and rising energy costs are changing the way refrigeration systems are designed and operated. Steve Goodman is senior lecturer in marketing and program director higher degrees by research at The University of Adelaide. He is supervising a number of honours and PhD students in wine-related topics of tourism, cellar door, social media and management strategy. Steve also sits on the Grapegrower & Winemaker editorial advisory panel. On page 71, Steve presents research that examines ‘decision influencers’ amongst US trade, customers and distributors on which wine to buy and represent. www.winebiz.com.au

February 2013 – Issue 589

on the grapevine Barossa Valley Estate goes into administration South Australian group Barossa Valley Estate has been placed into receivership, with debts of about $20 million. The estate’s assets and affairs were last month put in the hands of Sam Davies and Rob Kirman, partners of McGrath Nicol – an independent advisory firm specialising in corporate advisory, forensic, transaction services and corporate recovery. According to an AdelaideNow report, the company’s future grape contracts remain uncertain. The report also claimed that several supplier shareholders were yet to be fully paid by the estate for their 2012 winegrapes. When asked by Grapegrower & Winemaker to comment on the claims, McGrath Nicol said: “The receivers are working closely with contracted growers and BVE management to determine and settle the 2013 grape supply requirements, including reviewing existing and domestic and export distribution arrangements.” Davies said McGrath Nicol took control of the assets and affairs of BVE upon their appointment on 15 January 2013, and were continuing the company’s operations as normal while an urgent assessment was undertaken of the requirements for the upcoming vintage, including existing contract processing arrangements. He said that it was too early to fully determine all the reasons for BVE’s failure, but noted the company was under-capitalised. BVE is a Barossa Valley based winery, with origins dating back to the 1980s. The company sources grapes from third parties (under contract) and its own vineyards for production into its export and domestic brands, which include the iconic label E&E Black Pepper Shiraz and super premium label Ebenezer.

Sommeliers Australia appoints new executive officer Caroline Tunnell-Jones has been appointed executive officer of Sommeliers Australia, the national representative body for Australian sommeliers. Caroline comes to the role with 12 years of experience in the wine trade in positions ranging from marketing, sales and PR to fine dining, retail and cellar door. Aside from developing the scope and reach of Sommeliers Australia through her role as executive officer, she consults to the wine trade on marketing, communications and social media through her company, First Growth Communications. Prior to running her own business, Caroline held positions with Treasury Wine Estates, winedirect.co.uk (UK) and emma wellings pr (UK). She is currently studying towards the WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits at the Sydney Wine Academy and runs Imbiber Melbourne, a monthly, consumer-led tasting group powered by Twitter. Caroline’s role with Sommeliers Australia will be based in Melbourne and will see her responsible for building the reputation of Australian sommeliers at home and abroad. Caroline takes over from David Clarke, who is moving to South Africa with his family.

Sydney Royal Wine Show Wine experts are preparing to put 2345 of Australia’s best drops under the microscope at the 2013 Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show. The wine show received 2345 entries, representing nearly every wine region in Australia. Thirty-seven trophies and several gold, silver and bronze medals can be awarded to wines in a range of classes covering varietal and fortified wines and brandy. Returning as Sydney Royal Wine Show chairman of judges is Iain Riggs, who will lead five panels of industry experts through four days of intense wine tasting from 79 judging classes, across the four main sections of large volume, varietal, premium and named vineyard. Chuck Hayward – the Australian and New Zealand wine buyer for US internet wine retailer JJ Buckley – will feature as the international guest judge at this year’s wine show. The final trophy to be awarded at the Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show is the Fine Wine Partners Trophy. 17,000 wines will be judged at capital city wine shows across Australia with the ‘best of shows’ wine being judged and awarded on 7 February. Trophy judging for this year marks an historical moment in Wine Show history. Sydney Royal will be hosting a collaborative meeting with the key Capital City Wine Show representatives to discuss future progress for the Australian Wine Show system with the day culminating in a celebratory closing lunch. The RAS will also host the McWilliams Wine Academy judging experience on 7 February at the Sydney Showground. Results will be released after the conclusion of the wine awards dinner on 14 February at www.sydneyroyal.com.au/wine February 2013 – Issue 589

www.winebiz.com.au

what’s online Hunter named in world’s top 10 wine regions The Hunter Valley wine region is expecting a surge in visitor numbers after being named in the world’s top 10 wine travel destinations by a US-based magazine. The publication Wine Enthusiast recognised the region for its unique styles of Semillion and Shiraz, as well as its vast history, reports ABC News.

Yellow Tail’s Casella in emergency talks with lender Casella Wines, best known for its Yellow Tail brand, is in emergency talks with its lender as it reports its first loss in over 20 years. One of Australia’s largest wine exporters, Casella Wines made a loss of AUD$30m in the last financial year, to 30 June 2012, down from a profit of AUD$43.5m a year earlier. The company blames the loss on the strengthened Australian dollar against the US dollar. Yellow Tail’s selling point is its sub-US$7 price tag, which, with the increased price of labour and grapes, is no longer profitable, reports Decanter.

Treasury Wine bidding war could net more than $4bn Australia’s largest wine company could soon be in foreign hands, with institutional investors predicting Treasury Wine Estates – owner of some of the country’s most famous wine labels – is ripe for a takeover offer with a potential bidding war netting up to $4.2 billion. And while global wine players would undoubtedly be interested in TWE’s portfolio of premium labels, including Penfolds, investors from China – the world’s fastest-growing wine market – are likely to lead the charge, reports The Australian.

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

Winetitles

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

my view Nurturing the green shoots of innovation George Wahby

I THINK IT’S fair to say 2012 continued to present significant challenges for the wine sector. These challenges are shaping our industry and have triggered an essential need to innovate, adapt to changing market conditions and positively position the quality and diversity of Australian wine around the world, to build profitable and sustainable price points. While there are still challenges ahead, the industry has started to see some green shoots, delivering cause for cautious optimism. While these are not silver bullets, we as an industry need to take advantage of these emerging opportunities, and build upon a valuegrowth based strategy. In particular I note: • more balanced inventory levels in Australia. While further alignment of the industry’s supply to sustainable demand opportunities is required to achieve profitability, there’s been a significant improvement in the last 18 months • a 4% increase in the average value per litre of Australian wine exports for both bottled and bulk wine • double digit growth in both value and volume for bottled wine exports to China and the emergence of China as the number one ranked market for Australian wine exports above $7.50 per litre. The average value per litre of Australian bottled imports to China is now for the first time higher than the average for French wines • we continue to outperform the market in the UK and remain the number one category in volume and value with double digit growth in the above £7 price point in the UK off-trade and strong growth in the on-trade • growth in some of the higher-priced segments in the US, especially in the $15-$20 price point • value growth in the domestic market is being driven by producer-owned brands. Nielsen is predicting that Australian branded wines will account for 70% of the $400 million sales growth to 2015 – a fantastic opportunity • interest in new and emerging markets for Australian wine, including the Nordics, Brazil, India and Russia, to name a few • latest reports by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine which suggest the global wine industry is

6 Grapegrower & Winemaker

moving from oversupply to a so-called deficit, with wine production the lowest in 37 years due to weather damage to grapes in France and Argentina, forcing a drawdown of stocks. This presents an opportunity for Australia • what’s expected to be a standout vintage for many of Australia’s wine regions in 2012. For Wine Australia, the need to innovate and adapt has meant a continued transformation to better position the organisation to take a leadership role, and have an agile operating platform to tackle the many challenges facing the industry and to take advantage of some of these emerging opportunities. We’ve reviewed our strategic focus to really fine tune what we do, how we do it better and how we deliver. The main game is quite simple: to identify and maximise the environment for sustainable demand for Australian wine. We focus our efforts on activities and initiatives that deliver the most value for our levy payers, industry partners and the broader wine industry. One of our main priorities is to continue to build the reputation of our category in major markets. Central to this, will be a major global campaign for 2013-14 that leverages a $2.1 million Australian Government grant and attracts funding support from tourism bodies and our major wine industry partners. The campaign, currently in development in consultation with Tourism Australia and www.winebiz.com.au

our wine industry partners, will aim to evolve the positioning of Australian wine; build a higher value, premium perception of Australian wine; and develop Australia’s food and wine to be more relevant to the decision making process for travel to/throughout Australia. Our aim is to focus not only on exciting consumers in key markets about Australian wine, but also activating the trade and unblocking the distribution chain, particularly in the US. The campaign will have two core components: 1. a global Australian wine forum in Australia from 15-18 September 2013, to launch the new era of Australian wine and the way forward for promoting it; mobilise some of the world’s most influential wine trade partners including retailers, sommeliers, distributors, top Australian winemakers, captains of industry and leading wine and lifestyle media; and launch Australian wine into the next stage of growth 2. in-market campaigns in key markets including highly visible consumer activity such as events, promotions, digital communications and retail on and off-premise activation through our trade partners. Underpinning the global campaign, and extending into our other marketing activities, we have cemented our very strong ties with Tourism Australia by entering a memorandum of understanding. Tourism Australia has a strong focus on food and wine, which is a massive opportunity for our sector. There are very obvious synergies between the wine and tourism industries, so a close alliance is vitally important. Both wine and tourism are sectors of great significance for Australia in terms of exports, their economic contribution and jobs, particularly in regional economies. This MOU is an important opportunity for Australia, with two government agencies working together to align funds and strategies to support non-mining, sustainable, regional development. There’s a big job ahead in 2013 but we stand ready to innovate, move the promotion of Australian wine firmly into the lifestyle sector and work with the wine industry to strive for a prosperous new year.

George Wahby is chairman at Wine Australia. February 2013 – Issue 589

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news

Wine producers count cost of severe heat Kellie Arbuckle

THE NOTORIOUS HEATWAVE that hit south eastern Australia last month has had a varying effect on vineyards, with many blocks suffering severe sunburn and others escaping unscathed. Tasmania was dealt a massive blow in January when a bushfire broke out in the midst of the heatwave, wiping out significant areas of two vineyards. The Clare Valley also took a hit from the fires, which caused damage to two vineyards in the South Australian region. For many growers, a major cause for concern is the potential issue of smoke taint. Grapegrower & Winemaker spoke with regional associations about the heatwave and bushfires, and their impact on vineyards.

Riverland During the January heatwave, the Riverland recorded its highest temperatures at 50°C, according to CCW Co-op senior viticulture manager Andrew Weeks, who described conditions as “extreme”. Gordo, white Frontenac, Petit Verdot, Shiraz and to a lesser extent Colombard and Riesling were all affected by the heatwave. Weeks said damage was less of an issue in well irrigated vineyards, where growers had undertaken efficient vineyard management prior to the season. “Where growers were able to put water on, damage was certainly reduced,” Weeks said.

Managing grapevines during heatwaves What to do immediately BEFORE a forecast heatwave • Apply irrigation and refill as much of the rootzone as possible • Consider applying a sunscreen spray (check with your winery before application to ensure that these products are approved) • Reconsider any planned leaf removal or canopy manipulation (eg. foliage wires) strategy that may lead to increased bunch/berry exposure. What to do DURING a heatwave • Apply irrigation to maintain soil moisture at a level that enables vines to regain their turgor overnight in preparation for the next hot day. If using overhead irrigation, apply at night to avoid foliage burn. What to do AFTER a heatwave • Irrigate to replace lost soil moisture and decrease soil temperature • Monitor for pests and diseases that may have exploited damaged berries. Note that the symptoms of heat damage may take a few days to appear. This information was taken from the Managing Grapevines During Heatwaves factsheet, available via the GWRDC website: www.gwrdc.com.au

“Growers who supplied sunscreen products in the form of sprays also helped reduce damage.” He said media reports had largely overstated the impact of the heatwave. “Growers in this region are used to dealing with heatwaves and, by and large, most have gone through this one fairly unscathed,” he said. Some blocks lost 15-30% of crop, particularly Petit Verdot, where stem tissues inside the bunch stems literally cooked to death. Cooler nights in mid-January gave growers some reprieve, with temperatures dropping to the mid-30°Cs, allowing for vine recovery. Weeks said crops that were more vulnerable to extreme heat were those on light sandy soils with limited water-holding capacity. Vines planted on a north-south orientation were also more likely to cop more heat. Despite the heatwave, Weeks is optimistic the region will have a quality vintage. “So far the season has been very good. It’s been a mild season, which means we’re hopeful the quality will be ok.”

Murray Valley The Murray Valley experienced negligible crop losses, overall, despite temperatures reaching up to 47°C under canopies. Like the Riverland, the heatwave has caused damage to certain

8 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

February 2013 – Issue 589

varieties including Gordo and Shiraz, as well as Sauvignon Blanc, in blocks where the soil profile was undeveloped prior to the heatwave. Vines with open canopies also suffered more exposure to heat. Murray Valley Winegrowers’ Inc CEO Mark McKenzie estimated crop loss at 10% for the whole region. “Overall we think there’s a yield loss of up to 5% due to sunburn and potentially another 5% due to accumulative effects, particularly in the reds,” McKenzie said. He said cases where patches of vines had been written off were more indicative of growers struggling to financially resource their vineyard, rather than the heatwave. Despite the crop loss, McKenzie said the quality of grapes shouldn’t be affected. “The heatwave will reduce tonnage in the blocks affected but, by and large, quality won’t be affected,” he said.

Riverina Riverina winegrapes suffered widespread sunburn, with some blocks reporting more damage due to high winds exposing bunches that would normally be protected. Riverland Wine Grapes Marketing Board industry development officer Kristy Bartrop said quality impacts were yet to be fully realised. She said berries with partial damage may pose a disease risk or sunburn damage downgrade – depending on the variety. “No particular variety seems to be affected, though whites – particularly Semillon – are a risk for rejection as the flavour of the fruit can be impacted by the heat,” Bartrop said. The highest vineyard temperature recorded during the heatwave was 49.3°C on 5 January.

Nicola Palmer of Skillogalee Winery assessing the fire damage to the vineyard in Clare.

Tasmania The fire that ripped through Tasmania’s south east made for a devastating start to the vintage season, with Yaxley Estate losing most of its 5 hectare vineyard and infrastructure. Sugarloaf Ridge was also affected, losing about 30% of its 5ha vineyard as well as damage to its buildings and equipment. The Meadowbank vineyard in Glenora, in the Derwent Valley, was also impacted by fires, with a large area of fencing destroyed. Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies said the risk of smoke taint was low, despite smoke having covered parts of Tasmania for several days. “Due to the stage of the 2013 season and the small size of winegrapes, smoke taint risk is low, with the greatest risk being from veraison through to harvest,” Davies said. At the time Grapegrower & Winemaker went to print, there was no further concern about vine damage due to fires. Wine Tasmania has provided

information and details of assistance available to anyone impacted by the bushfires, including an update from the Australian Wine Research Institute regarding managing impacts of heat and smoke.

Clare Low levels of sunburn in exposed varieties in the Clare Valley were recorded following the period of extreme heat. According to Elders Weather, the highest temperature recorded in the valley in January was 42.4°C on the fourth. Clare Region Winegrape Growers Association project officer Anna Baum said two wineries had a small percentage of vines burnt as a result of the Sevenhill fire, though the damage was minimal. “All in all vines are standing up well to the heat so far, but we wouldn’t want another period of extreme heat, as irrigation requirements are very high this season,” Baum said. She said smoke taint hadn’t been an issue to date.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

previntage wrap

Printed Wine A warm start bears fruit for Tasters

Australia’s cool regions

Cool climate wine producers have enjoyed a good start to the 2013 vintage, with favourable weather keeping both frost and disease pressure at bay. Canberra A WARM TO hot November combined with good soil moisture allowed vines to flower quickly and successfully in the Canberra District. Early December saw a light frost with low temperatures for Canberra, but minimal vine damage was recorded. Frank van de Loo of Mount Majura Vineyard said fruitset for Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet and most other varieties was excellent at the start of the season, with early indications showing more fruitful Shiraz compared with last year. “Last year saw one of the coolest seasons on record with damaging hail followed by record rain in mid February. In comparison, this season, with near perfect conditions coupled with low disease pressure, is shaping up to be outstanding. We hope this wonderful season continues,” van de Loo said.

Yarra Valley

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Above average winter rains and spring temperatures have set the Yarra Valley off to a good start for the 2013 season. Going into this year’s vintage, soil moisture levels and water storages were well and truly at full point, according to Wine Yarra Valley CEO Richard Howden. He said the moist soil combined with the warm spring kept damaging frosts at bay and provided conditions that favoured vine growth.

“The growing season to date rainfall has generally been slightly below average for each month and the temperatures have been slightly above average meaning the vine growth stages are slightly advanced for this time of the year and little or no additional irrigation has been needed,” Howden said. “Disease pressure has been lower so far this season compared with the previous two seasons. Any downy mildew infections that have occurred have been controlled without any serious crop losses. Some powdery mildew is starting to show up but it is also not a major problem at this stage.” Although variable, 2013 is likely to produce average yields for growers in the Yarra, with Pinot Noir in the Upper Yarra looking to be a standout variety. Howden said the season won’t be without its challenges, noting uncertainty, Eutypa, snails and grape prices as some of the issues facing the region. “Selling grapes at a profitable price is still a major challenge for many growers and so we are seeing a net reduction in vineyard area in the Yarra Valley, as is the case nation-wide,” he said. “Overall it has been a pretty favourable first half of the growing season, so hopefully the second half of the season’s tracks along the same path.”

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Frank van de Loo assessing Tempranillo vines at Mount Majura Vineyard.

10 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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February 2013 – Issue 589

Adelaide Hills Dry conditions in the Adelaide Hills wine region has resulted in minimal disease issues and excellent setting conditions for most varieties, according to Richard Hamilton of Hamilton Viticulture. “The cool summer last season affected the development of flower primordia, resulting in average to below average crop potential,” Hamilton said. “With good setting conditions all crops appear to be at average yield levels.” Despite the dry conditions, all vineyards have had adequate soil moisture levels resulting in development of medium to large canopies and well balanced crop loads. “All vineyards started supplementary irrigation early and have maintained healthy leaf function,” Hamilton said. “Early varieties are at the same stage of development as last season. However late varieties are well advanced and it is likely that the region will experience a compressed vintage. “Hopefully the season will not bring too many daytime extreme temperatures, and that normal ripening conditions and continuing cool nights will ensure optimal flavour development.”

Tasmania Vineyards in Tasmania came under threat prior to the season due to the bushfires that devastated much of the Tasmanian community. The fire that ripped through Copping destroyed about three quarters of Yaxley Estate’s vines which, until that moment, had been bearing a bumper crop, The Mercury reported.

Wine Tasmania industry development and extension officer David Sanderson said most vineyards had been unaffected. “Recent fires in Tasmania have caused damage to some vineyards, but at this stage the risk of the smoke affecting the rest of the vintage is low due to the berries not yet undergoing veraison,” he said. Winter rain filled much of the soil profile and dams in Tasmania, and dropped off in spring to offer dry, warm days. “Canopy growth has been excellent and fruitfulness is strong after a clear spring,” Sanderson said. “With flowering just underway the signs are all pointing to a high level of fruit set. Given otherwise excellent growing conditions, Tasmania is looking at a larger than average harvest in 2013.” The three month weather outlook is for most of Tasmania to have a 50 per cent chance of exceeding mean rainfall and temperatures. The expectation is that Tasmania will have warm, dry days and cool nights with occasional rain. Sanderson said these conditions should be ideal for vine growth. “Indeed with the availability of soil moisture so high, vine growth may be very strong,” he said. “Canopies growing too strong are likely to require shoot thinning, leaf plucking and trimming, which may lead to lateral shoot growth and further congesting the canopy. These operations all cost time and money to conduct but, for Tasmania’s high value winegrape crop, the operations should be carried out where required.”

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Growers in the Adelaide Hills are optimistic about the 2013 vintage. February 2013 – Issue 589

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

news Mornington Peninsula After what was a wet and early spring most vineyard soil profiles were flushed and full until a very dry November, which saw good for bud initiation and flowering. “Vine growth has been moderately vigorous showing good healthy canopies,” said Tyson Lewis, technical committee chairman for the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association. “This growth was slowed by an extended dry period from mid December through to January 2013, to date, coupled with a couple of warm days. Disease pressure is low and the grapes are in good shape heading into veraison. “We are now in a great position heading toward vintage with strong canopies, reasonable set, moderate crops and a promising weather outlook.

GWRDC awards travel scholarship winners Twelve researchers have been granted travel scholarships by the Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation to enhance their professional development in the wine industry. The scholarship holders will travel overseas in the first half of this year to develop their skills and knowledge amongst their international contemporaries. The 12 successful applicants were able to demonstrate that their travel projects aligned with the grape and wine sector’s strategic research, development and extension priorities, as outlined in GWRDC’s Strategic Research, Development and Extension Plan 2012–2017. The scholarship recipients are: • Crystal Sweetman, the Uni of Adelaide • Marcos Bonada, the Uni of Adelaide • Sam Henderson, the Uni of Adelaide • Dr Cassandra Collins, the Uni of Adelaide • Simon Dillon, the Uni of Adelaide • Catherine Kidman, Wynns Coonawarra Estate • Karlia Meitha, the University of Western Australia • Brady Smith, CSIRO Plant Industry • Christopher Blackford, CSIRO Plant Industry • Dr Roberta De Bei, the Uni of Adelaide • Sally Foletta, the University of Melbourne • Dr Marissa Collins, CSIRO Plant Industry. GWRDC considers travel applications twice a year. Applications for travel in the second half of 2013 are now open and will close Friday 7 June 2013.

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Entries open for wine design challenge Australia’s Wine Industry Design Competition 2013 is now accepting entries from Australian and New Zealand wine companies. The competition, which is devoted to label design and its compatibility with the chosen bottle, is accepting entries for wine companies of all sizes until Friday 29 March. Wine companies may enter sparkling, white, red or dessert wines into three classes: boutique (maximum of 500 tonnes production), above 500t with no size limit, plus an open class where boutique wineries can compete with the majors. Gold medals, crystal trophies and this year’s $5000 prize will be announced in Sydney on 4 June at a media and winners’ event to be held at The Winery in Sydney. Mainfreight International is offering free freight for the entries delivered to their depots in Margaret River, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, the Hunter Valley, Brisbane, Christchurch and Auckland. Special consignment notes will be available. For more information, visit: www.boutiquewines.com.au.

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Vineyard & Orchard Sweepers • Single and double sided • Spring-loaded head enables it to glide around posts and vine trunks. • Optional hydraulic lift, tilt and side shift cylinders. • Ideal for cleaning up uneven terrain • Durable powdercoated finish February 2013 – Issue 589

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regional round-up

SA wineries make a positive and lasting impression South Australian wineries are setting new benchmarks as they embrace history, culture, new investments and alternative varieties. Kellie Arbuckle

LIMESTONE COAST Culture and practices project A PROJECT DESIGNED to capture the history and cultural practices of the wine regions in South Australia’s Limestone Coast is underway. A production team has been filming on-site interviews with key identities – in some cases original grapegrowers and winemakers. “The project provided a rare opportunity to document and interview wine pioneers who were instrumental to the birth and development of the industry,” said Sue Bell, chair of the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council. “It’s important to understand the personality of each region, why it exists and its reason for being – and the only way that we can move forward is to understand the past.” Prominent national wine writers Nick Ryan, Mike Bennie and Jane Faulkner were flown in to perform the first series of interviews, in order to bring out the best in the talent, foster new relationships and ultimately help expose the Limestone Coast to a broader global marketplace. The key objective is to produce one 15-minute historical summary episode from each region, capturing the essence of why and where these pioneers planted vineyards and where they found the technical and anecdotal inspiration. The videos can be viewed at: www.limestonecoastwine.com.au

Petaluma senior winemaker Andrew Hardy is excited by the new project in the Adelaide Hills.

ADELAIDE HILLS Petaluma invests in new winery Woodside, a suburb nestled in the Adelaide Hills, will be the location of the new multi-million dollar winery by Petaluma. The new site, with views of Mount Lofty, marks the next chapter in Petaluma’s story, with planning already underway to build the winery. Petaluma senior winemaker Andrew Hardy said the announcement was fantastic news for the winemaking team. “We have always known we would eventually move to a new home and the Petaluma team is delighted to have found such a perfect location. We can now move forward with confidence doing what we love most: growing grapes and crafting regionally distinctive wines,” he said. The first Petaluma vintage at the new winery is expected to be 2015.

Winestate awards Geoff Hardy top accolade

Former Lindeman’s Padthaway vineyard manager, Max Arney.

14 Grapegrower & Winemaker

One of Australia’s most influential wine magazines has awarded Wines by Geoff Hardy the prestigeous accolade of Winery of the Year. Winestate magazine reviewed more than 11,000 wines to come to its decision regarding Australia’s finest wine producer, which is awarded to the winery achieving the largest number of high ranking wines during the tasting period. www.winebiz.com.au

The magazine also credited the winery’s winemaker, Shane Harris, with the title of Winemaker of the Year. Wines by Geoff Hardy owner, Geoff Hardy, said it was wonderful to be recognised by Winestate. “The family and I have been working so hard over the last few years to ensure our vineyards are producing the best grapes possible, introducing new varieties and experimenting with what works in the various South Australian climates we can draw from. This commitment has really paid off for us with this result,” he said.

RIVERLAND Alternative varieties shine The Riverland Alternative Wine Group has received a positive response from the wine trade in Melbourne and Sydney following a recent showcase of the region’s alternative varieties. The group, in conjunction with leading wine stores and restaurants, hosted a series of sell-out dinners and activities over five days to show the cities that the Riverland does produce premium wine. “The great thing about wine consumers in those cities is they don’t have a preconceived view about Riverland wine. In fact many of them don’t even know that the Riverland is a wine-producing region,” said Chris Byrne, chief executive of the Riverland Winegrape Growers Association. February 2013 – Issue 589

regional round-up The trip proved to be a good opportunity for members of the RWGA to meet sommeliers, restaurant owners and wine retail specialists. “The feedback was strong and positive, with much encouragement to continue to developing the wines from alternative varieties grown in the Riverland,” Byrne said. Winemakers involved included Yalumba, Oak Works, Angove Family Winemakers, Bassham Wines, Whistling Kite, Kingston Estate, Selena Estate and Cock + Bull.

“Many growers sold off assets, removed parts of vineyards or borrowed to buy water to enable vines to survive,” he said. “Lessons were learned, however, and Ricca Terra Farms (RTF) – with properties in Barmera, Loveday and the Barossa – instigated a mulching programme.” For the past two years, RTF management have been conducting trials to determine the extent of potential water-savings through the use of mulch with variable irrigation outputs between 1L/hr and 2.3L/hr.

Riverland viti group holds field days

MCLAREN VALE Mature wine pays off for Fox Creek

The Riverland Viticultural Technical Group kept busy towards the Christmas break, holding two special field days on spray technology and vineyard mulching. The spray technology workshop took place on 14 December at Kingston Estate vineyards, where six spray plant manufacturers demonstrated their machines and answered questions from more than 130 growers. The workshop also featured supporting presentations from Peter Magarey and Alison MacGregor. On 21 December, more than 30 members attended a vineyard walk to observe a local mulching trial at Loveday near Barmera. During the recent drought, irrigation restrictions pushed the price of temporary water to well beyond $1000 per ML. RWGA chief executive Chris Byrne says the ongoing financial repercussions can still be observed.

The 2009 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz has won the trophy for Best Shiraz/ Syrah for its 2009 Reserve Shiraz at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London. The award comes on top of two trophies and 14 gold medals awarded to six different Fox Creek wines at international wine shows. Fox Creek senior winemaker Scott Zrna said the 2009 Reserve Shiraz was an example of wines that improve as they mature in the bottle. “We thought it was a good wine when we bottled it, but over time we have seen it open up and grow into an amazingly elegant, balanced and finessed wine, showing flavour and complexity on many levels,” Zrna said. The announcement of IWSC results come after Fox Creek 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon won the judges

2012 IWSC president, Mauricio González Gordon, presenting Fox Creek Wines’ head winemaker Scott Zrna, right, with the trophy for Best Shiraz at the IWSC awards in London.

16 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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award for the Best Cabernet Sauvignon in Class 14 at the South Australian Wine of the Year Awards in September. The same Cabernet Sauvignon also won the Australian Red Bordeaux Varietal Regional Trophy at the inaugural Decanter Asia Wine Awards in Hong Kong.

Brash on Nero McLaren Vale winemaker Brad Hickey of Brash Higgins Wines has just bottled his second vintage of Nero d’Avola – and is expecting some sound results. Planted to the Omensetter vineyard in McLaren Vale, the 2011 Nero d’Avola wine under Brash Higgins went on to win the best emerging red title at this year’s Good Wine Guide Awards by Nick Stock. Known as NDV, the 2012 Nero d’Avola spends seven months on skins in a 200L beeswax-lined amphora that was made especially for Brash Higgins by Adelaide master potter, John Bennett. “Being a sommelier in my past life, I wanted to try to make something new and interesting in McLaren Vale,” Hickey said. “Nero d’Avola seemed like it would be a good fit, since our climate in the Vale is remarkably similar to Sicily: warm and dry.” Hickey recently tasted the 2012 wine for the first time and was impressed with the results. “The 2012 Nero is clearer than the 2011 version and has a better mid palate, darker colour and more structure due to the warmer year,” he said. “It’s a finer wine, I believe, with more brightness than the 2011 wine at this stage, but a lot of the same aromatics of lavender, candied ginger and black cherries. The terrific acidity leads me to think it’s built for the longer haul, too.”

Brad Hickey’s Nero d’Avola spends seven months on skins in a 200L beeswax-lined amphora. February 2013 – Issue 589

wrdc

February 2013

GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Newsletter of the GWRDC. Published bi-monthly

People in Research Stuart Sharman Nuffield Scholar scours the globe for agricultural best practice to use on home soil Before winning and embarking on the Australian wine industry’s inaugural GWRDC- sponsored Nuffield Scholarship, Wynns Coonawarra Estates vineyard manager Stuart Sharman’s passport was decidedly bare. That has markedly changed, Sharman says, after travelling the globe both with his fellow group of scholars from the 2012 program, and on individual pursuits for knowledge about his chosen study topic; the application of continuous improvement (CI) management principles in the viticulture sector, a method traditionally used in manufacturing. According to Sharman, the application of CI to viticulture can improve communication in businesses, increase transparency and provide rationale for decision-making, while facilitating problemsolving among work teams. Prior to joining Wynns in 1998, Sharman was actively involved in the family dairy and intensive vegetable farm in Tasmania, where he practised the fundamentals of food production taught through a diploma in Farm Management from Lincoln University, New Zealand. Sharman went on to study Agricultural Commerce at Sydney University and subsequently was employed in the finance market in Melbourne. When the role at Wynns became available, Sharman grabbed the opportunity to return to production-based agriculture and joined the management team in 2000. Since 2000, Sharman has been actively involved in the resurgence of Wynns’ viticulture systems and Coonawarra’s market dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon. He was awarded the prestigious Limestone Coast Viticulturist of the Year award in 2007, which spurned him to apply for a Nuffield Scholarship in 2012. Fellow Tasmanianborn viticulturist and winemaker Matthew Pooley, of Pooley Wines, was recently named the GWRDC-sponsored 2013 Nuffield Scholar. In mid-2012, Sharman travelled to the Netherlands on a solo venture to study

2012 Nuffield Scholar representing the Australian wine industry Stuart Sharman (far left) with his fellow travelling scholars and their French host, outside the World Trade Organisation headquarters, in Geneva, Switzerland.

European farming arrangements and agricultural business structures. There, he met with primary producers who were growing niche markets and, as Sharman explains, “making significant investment in research and development to ensure the survival of their business”. Following his time in the Netherlands, Sharman flew to New Zealand to broaden his knowledge about green energy and the idea of environmental intelligence, such as carbon footprinting and sustainability statements, a concept he says is particularly applicable to the grapegrowing and wine production sectors. In spring 2012, the Nuffield Scholarship group toured agricultural businesses and organisations in India, Ukraine, Qatar, Turkey, France, and the US, including Washington and Pennsylvania, to gather information about agricultural politics, global problems facing farmers, and highquality global agricultural food production. During the six-week journey, many sectors of agriculture were visited, including vegetable, cereal and fruit growers; a packaging and manufacturing facility for sauces; and operations producing cereals, textiles, sugar beet, dairy, turf, bananas, coconuts, coffee, pigs, silk, fish, and wine. Three major themes became obvious for Sharman during the travel: “First, agriculture anywhere in the world is challenged by the same factors. Be it in India, France or Ukraine, farmers struggle to find access to

both sufficient irrigation water and good, skilled, reliable labour – despite enormous populations in many of these countries. “Secondly, free trade arrangements, or often a lack thereof, alter the level of the playing field, leading to the third point, about several countries’ obvious attempts to minimise market distortion through government intervention,” he said. Sharman has now returned his focus to the application of CI management principles to the Australian viticulture sector, and to build on the initiatives he had already commenced at Wynns Coonawarra Estates. Later this year, Sharman is planning to travel to Israel, then to the UK, France, Germany and hopefully Italy to study viticultural innovation and see CI in practice. Nearer the end of 2013, Sharman will submit his recommendations to GWRDC about the adoption of CI management principles in Australian viticulture, concluding his Nuffield Scholarship adventures and investigations. During his international travels, Stuart Sharman wrote a blog detailing his agricultural business encounters and his ideas about how continuous improvement management principles can be applied to Australian agriculture. Read more at http:// stuartsscribble.blogspot.com.au/ For more information about the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars program, visit http://nuffield.com.au/

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Challenging consumer perceptions of Chardonnay A project conducted by Charles Sturt University researchers has revealed that Australian Chardonnay is not viewed negatively by consumers, as has been a widely-held belief in recent years. The ‘Chardonnay Challenge’ project has presented a clear case for a range of Chardonnay wine styles being liked by a spectrum of consumer segments. “Chardonnay is the backbone of the Australian white wine industry, and the catalyst for the research was the concern that consumers were ‘turning away’ from the variety,” said Anthony Saliba, Charles Sturt University Associate Head of the School of Psychology. “The Chardonnay Challenge came about because (in the past) the industry misinterpreted moderate interest in Chardonnay to be of high interest. This misinterpretation was allowed through a lack of empirical information on Chardonnay attitudes,” Associate Professor Saliba explained. The research team conducted quantitative studies, along with four qualitative focus groups of wine consumers – but not drinkers of Chardonnay, as it turned out. As the researchers explained, “This was a required limitation of the work, since focus group recruitment needs to be performed agnostic to the key question – that is, we could not announce to potential participants that we were interested in Chardonnay and possibly bias their responses.” The negative perception of Chardonnay that permeated the focus group sessions was cross-checked with a quantitative survey using population sampling. The survey results revealed that Chardonnay is, in fact, generally well-liked by consumers, but a trend has developed to speak negatively about the variety when in a group setting. “In a way, to impress people that you know something about wine,” Saliba said. “As an industry, we have perpetuated this phenomenon, as some of the negative opinion has come from inside the industry,” Saliba said. Furthermore, the researchers reported that “The Australian media seems to have accepted that consumers have a negative perception of Chardonnay and this colours reports on the topic. In an environment where consistent messages are associated with Chardonnay, consumers will report those views back when asked, at least in a group setting”.

Charles Sturt University researchers have revealed that Australian Chardonnay is well-liked by a spectrum of consumer segments.

The next stage of the research involved a survey specifically on Chardonnay. The results comprehensively showed that Chardonnay is enjoyed, and that consumer attitudes to Chardonnay had not changed over the past five years, remaining high the whole time. “It is time to start talking up the prospects of Chardonnay. The competition is strong, with Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc becoming popular, but there remains a strong drinking base for Chardonnay,” Saliba said. “We probably over-supplied the oakdriven style in the past, but I think we have already redressed that to some extent. The actual size of that market was around 10% of the Chardonnay-drinking segment, so we need to keep in mind how small that is. Consumers continue to like earlydrinking, fresh, fruit-driven styles,” he said. Research findings were extended to industry in late 2012 through workshops conducted in Griffith, Granite Belt, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale. Saliba reported receiving “great feedback” from the research presented at the workshops, especially about the high, low and mid-liked Australian Chardonnays exhibited at the workshops. Among the final stages of the project was to examine Chardonnay from around the world to see where Australian examples of the variety fit. “This will help us to understand our immediate position in the flavour map and whether there are any ‘gaps’ that Australian Chardonnay can fill. “We want to determine consumer perception about Chardonnay and

know how to guard against consumers turning away from more of our important varieties in the future. We discovered that it is important to complete good research before these things happen, rather than to rely on personal opinions (about wine styles),” Saliba said. Several recommendations were made by the project team, following the multidiscipline approach to the Chardonnay Challenge: • baseline consumer attitude and taste preference research needs to be conducted for high-performing and highly-valuable varieties to the industry, before things go wrong • there is a need to re-balance the supplydemand ratio of Australian Chardonnay for the domestic market, and seek other international markets for selling Chardonnay • the sensory and consumer work completed as part of this research highlighted styles that appeal to consumers, and others that do not. This information could inform wine businesses on the appropriate proportion of wine volume to produce in given styles • there is a strong demand for flavour innovations that winemakers were unable to supply through Chardonnay, leading to other varieties ‘usurping’ Chardonnay in consumers’ shopping trolleys. The development of inexpensive methods to allow potential flavour innovations with existing varieties could afford winemakers the opportunity to be more flexible to consumer needs, without needing to consider replanting vines.

R & D at Wor k

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

NWGIC project aims to stop the rot in bunches National Wine and Grape Industry Centre Professor in Viticulture Chris Steel is leading a new project to investigate novel methods of managing three different types of bunch rots that commonly affect winegrapes, namely Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus and Pencillium. In 2011, Steel was awarded a British Society for Plant Pathology Senior Fellowship to work at Oxford University, UK, on the use of immunodiagnostic devices for the detection of bunch rots in grape and wine samples. Knowledge that Steel gathered during the fellowship will be drawn upon during this latest GWRDCfunded work. “One of the issues associated with this field of research is that when growers talk about the negative effects of bunch rots, they commonly associate Botrytis cinerea as being the culprit. There are a number of other pathogenic fungi that can cause bunch rots, and each has a different effect on wine quality. Therefore, it can be confusing when grapes are evaluated for mould contamination to characterise the likely effects on subsequent wine production,” Steel explained. The project will devise methods to distinguish the tolerance threshold of bunch rots in grape varieties and quantify the amount and type of rot in a batch of fruit, which has previously been an

imprecise and difficult task. Steel stated that examples in literature express Botrytis infection rates as low as five percent and ripe rot infection rates as low as 1.5% are sufficient to negatively affect the sensory and quality aspects of wine. “Bunch rot assessments techniques such as visual assessment, where fruit is scored for disease incidence and severity, are subjective and do not detect rot where it cannot be seen in the interior of a bunch. Other assessment methods involve molecular techniques such as qPCR, fungal antigen detection and assay of the fungal enzyme, laccase. All of these methods have their limitations, be it applicability for field situations or nonspecificity,” Steel said. A focus for this study will be the collection of near infrared spectra data, a method that has received recent attention in other projects. The project will begin with the infection of Chardonnay bunches using a single bunch rot organism under controlled environmental conditions. In the second half of the project, field samples will be collected from warm inland regions prone to bunch rots. The methodology will be evaluated using examples of mixed bunch rot infections. Steel is hopeful that depending on project outcomes and possibly further funding,

Winegrape bunch infected with Botrytis cinerea. A new NWGIC project will work to develop accurate assessment method to determine tolerance thresholds to bunch rots in grape varieties.

the work could be extended to include varieties other than Chardonnay and a greater number of fungal isolates, such as Rhizopus, Greeneria uvicola (bitter rot) and other species of Aspergillus and Pencillium.

Updated viticulture biosecurity plan is on the wing Plant Health Australia (PHA) held a meeting of the viticulture industry biosecurity group (IBG) on 12 December 2012, to undertake a review of the Viticulture Industry Biosecurity Plan (IBP). PHA program manager Brad Siebert explained that the industry-specific plans “identify and prioritise biosecurity risks and provide a framework for risk mitigation and preparedness activities”. The 15 members of the IBG that met in December represented PHA, GWRDC, Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, Wine Grape Growers Australia, Dried Fruits Australia, Vine Industry Nursery Association, Scholefield Robinson Horticultural Services, The University of Adelaide, Victorian Department of Primary Industries, and the South Australian Research and Development Institute. A wide range of stakeholder groups within

w w w.g w r d c .c om . au

the viticulture industry that were unable to be present on the day will also be involved in the project prior to it being endorsed by industry and the Australian Government. “In developing an updated Viticulture IBP, all sections of the document were reviewed through a process of expert consultation and risk assessment to ensure it captured all biosecurity risks and future biosecurity needs within all three industries (winegrapes, table grapes and dried fruits),” Siebert said. Several additional items were included on the future ‘action list’ for the industry. This list will be reviewed and refined over the coming months to provide some focus for future biosecurity activities. “Once the pest lists, known as threat summary tables, have been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the group, a high priority pest (HPP) list will be

created containing all pests that pose a significant threat to the industry. This will allow future research and resources to be directed towards developing pest-specific contingency plans, surveillance protocols, diagnostic capability, and awareness materials,” Siebert said. An additional output from the same GWRDC project will be a biosecurity manual for growers. The manual will include fact sheets with images for all the exotic HPPs, along with simple and effective practices to identify and mitigate biosecurity risks for people, products, vehicles and equipment. Other sections in the manual will include guidelines on product management and how to report suspect emergency pests. For more about the Viticulture IBP, visit www.planthealthaustralia.com.au

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Development workshop hones students’ career skills GWRDC hosted 24 of its current band of 33 sponsored students at its second annual PhD and Honours development workshop, held on 14 November 2012 in Adelaide. The event preceded the Crush Conference, a two-day national symposium dedicated to grape and wine research, held at the Waite campus of The University of Adelaide. The day’s interactive workshop program focussed on enhancing the students’ skills in professional presentations, building networks and

delivering key messages to equip them for future employment in grape and wine research and the broader industry. The students were given information about the components of a good resume, interview skills, understanding workplace etiquette, teamwork, prioritising tasks and successful networking. During the workshop dinner, Wirra Wirra managing director Andrew Kay delivered some inspiring words to the students. Co-coordinator of the event, GWRDC R&D program manager Adrian

Loschiavo, explained: “Andrew spoke about the importance of the PhD and Honours students’ roles within the broader wine industry. He said he hoped that each of the students would go on in their careers to have a positive influence on viticulture, winemaking and packaging innovations. “Andrew's key message was that the wine industry is a positive environment to work in, and there are many opportunities across several sectors if the students wish to pursue them,” Loschiavo said.

Easy steps to alleviate a slow or stuck ferment The AWRI Winemaking Services team has answered 650 queries from winemakers over the last 15 years about how to restart a stuck ferment. During years when heat waves affect harvest time the number of queries generally doubles, the AWRI has reported. Before calling the AWRI Winemaking Services help desk, there are several easy steps the AWRI recommends winemakers take to kick start fermentation again: If the ferment is slowing down: 1 Try warming the ferment up if it's too cold, or cooling it down if it’s getting hot. Yeast like the temperature to be

Ground Floor, Industry House cnr Botanic & Hackney Roads Adelaide SA 5000 PO Box 610, Kent Town SA 5071 Telephone ( 08) 8273 0500 Facsimile (08) 8373 6608 Email gwrdc@gwrdc.com.au Website www.gwrdc.com.au Disclaimer: The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation in publishing this newsletter is engaged in disseminating information, not rendering professional advice or services. The GWRDC expressly disclaims any form of liability to any person in respect of anything done or omitted to be done that is based on the whole or any part of the contents of this newsletter.

kept relatively stable and, in general, do not function well at temperatures >32°C for reds or <15°C for whites. 2 If a natural ferment is slowing down, or a difficult ferment is suspected, then it is best to use an inoculated yeast. 3 If the yeast are not that active, or are settling to the bottom of the tank, try some agitation during the initial stage of the ferment; check for budding and/ or viability by vital (e.g. methylene blue) staining. 4 Aerating once fermentation has started can also help the yeast build strong cell walls for ethanol tolerance to prevent the ferment becoming stuck; there is no risk of oxidising the wine while yeast are active. Aeration is a powerful fermentation stimulant when used correctly. 5 If the ferment is slow from the outset, make sure the ferment isn’t slowing due to any fermentation inhibitors including: • high sulfite concentrations in the must • high volatile acidity from native microorganism growth – check for high bacteria count • high Baume/Brix content. Some yeast are not tolerant of excessive sugar levels. Correspondingly some yeast don’t cope well in ethanol concentrations >15% • a grochemical residues. Grapes harvested within withholding periods can contain some metals, sulfur or other compounds that can stress the fermentation yeast • chlorine from water used during yeast hydration

• v ery low pH (typically early harvest whites); some yeast cannot tolerate pH of 3.0 or less, especially when sulfite is present. For some inhibitors such as high sulfite, a sacrificial yeast addition, or inoculation at twice the usual inoculum can be successful. Ensure the yeast have been strongly aerated to ensure aldehyde production that binds the excessive sulfite. 6 If the ferment is slow, or starting to produce sulfides, then nutrients might be an issue; particularly in highly clarified juice, or wines with some native microorganism growth. Measure the YAN level and make an addition if in the early stages of fermentation. If DAP doesn’t prevent sulfides, other nutrients such as vitamins or complex nutrients (e.g. inactive yeast products) can be tried. If sulfides persist, it might be coming from agrochemicals such as elemental sulfur. 7 Addition of yeast hulls, fresh yeast lees from a recently finished ferment, or addition to an active fermentation can help a struggling ferment go through to dryness. 8 Re-inoculate a slow ferment using strong fermenting and alcohol tolerant yeast. 9 If the re-inoculation is not successful then try the re-inoculation using a culture or scale-up (step-wise acclimatisation) restart procedure (available on the AWRI website). 10 If all else fails, call the AWRI’s Winemaking Services help desk on 08 8313 6600.

grapegrowing Magazine pages bring history to life for Rutherglen grower

YEARS

This article continues our look at Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine’s five decades of service to the grapegrowing and winemaking sector and its origins in the pages of The Australian Grapegrower. Grahame Whyte

MALCOLM CAMPBELL MUST have been impressed by The Australian Grapegrower magazine, which first appeared almost 50 years ago, in December 1963. “I’ve got a lot of those old issues – and we still get the magazine,” he said. “I think the magazine met the needs of the growers at the time – it addressed technical issues as well as general industry issues, much the same as it still does today.” After looking at the November, 1968 edition, Campbell recalled growing wine grapes 45 years ago. “The late ‘60s were pretty dry times – in ‘68 there was a stinking drought, ‘69 wasn’t a lot better. In 1970 things started to pick up. “Mechanical harvesting was only just being introduced at the time. “I brought one here to Rutherglen on a demo and All Saints got the first one in this district. They bought a Mecca. “We bought the first harvester in ‘81, from Patterson in Mildura – we’ve still got one. “Yields in those days were around 1 ton to the acre – they were not big yields. Nowadays we look for about 3 1/2 tons to the acre or thereabouts. “The quality of fruit in the 1960s was very good, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “There were no major issues with pest and disease, we don’t have all of those problems in this part of the world.

Malcolm Campbell of Campbells at Rutherglen is a big fan of Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine.

“In those days we sprayed with mainly copper and sulphur, not a lot different to today.” Fortifieds were popular in the ‘60s but surprisingly, Campbells now make more fortifieds – and also make a lot more table wines. “The balance is different now, but fortifieds are still a good seller.”

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February 2013 – Issue 589

And are the fortifieds still the best in the world? “We believe so.” In the late ‘60s Campbells were planting vines, mainly Muscat and Shiraz. And vineyard practices have changed, too. “We don’t cultivate these days,” Campbell said.

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grapegrowing “That’s probably the biggest change and of course the vines are irrigated now and weren’t then – they were the two biggest changes. “Trellising has changed too, it was very simple with two wires, one was about 18 inches from the ground and the other about 3 feet. “In the late 60s things were pretty exciting. The industry was growing at a nice steady rate and doing pretty well back in those days. “The industry today is promising I’d say. The future for Rutherglen wines lies basically in the domestic market and a little bit into Asia and the United States and Europe – fairly traditional markets. “We have about 25 employees today in the 60s we had about five. “At that time we weren’t bottling wine, we were selling in bulk, whereas now everything bottled and now we do all our own marketing and distribution. “It’s a different business now to what was in the 1960s.” The current vintage has seen some very hot weather in the mid-40s and Campbell expects to kick off harvesting the whites in about the 2nd or 3rd week of February. “Quality will be all right. We lost a little bit with heat damage and burnt fruit (in January). We don’t usually have much bunch exposure – we try to keep a little bit of cover.” Following are some of the articles from the November 1968 issue of The Australian Grapegrower.

Dual varieties for new winery The Australian Grapegrower in November, 1968.

Proven Sound Technology ThaT rePelS BirdS Our Clients tell us: “Bird Gard is very cost effective”. Peter Ceccato SA “there was rarely a Silvereye to be seen”. Spike Fokkema WA “crows and starlings are a thing of the past”. David Handyside SA “almost 100% protection”. Denzil Mortimer VIC “it was like a miracle”. Mike Verco SA

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Sunraysia’s new winery now being constructed for Hungerford Hill Vineyards Pty Ltd at Mourquong, about 2 1/2 miles from Buronga, will crush sultanas, gourds and currants during the 1969 vintage. They will be used to make sweet white and distillation wines for sale in South Australia, according to the company’s general manager, Mr Norman P. Hanckel. Initial plans are for the winery to handle 5000 tons of grapes a year from Sunraysia growers. Mr Hanckel said the winery was designed basically for table wine production and to this end contracts had been let locally for the establishment of 224 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vineyards. It was anticipated that contracts for a further 200 acres would be made next year. In October 1967 the company purchased 854 acres of land at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley, 200 acres of which has been planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Semillon. The company intends to plan a further 300 acres of the Pokolbin area in 1969, and expects it will have a new winery established in the Hunter Valley in readiness for the 1971 vintage. Mr Henkel said the general design of the new Sunraysia winery would be very modern and somewhat unique in Australia – it would probably have the appearance of an oil refinery rather than winery. All plant would be constructed of stainless steel and would not be roofed.

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22 Grapegrower & Winemaker

A new method of improving Australian dry red table wines was producing promising results, the officer in charge of the Australian Wine Research Institute (Mr B.C. Rankine) said at the institute’s Urrbrae laboratories recently. It was hoped the process would improve flavour, quality and stability. Results would be evaluated early next year. The work continued research begun by the institute’s former director, Mr J.C.M. Fornachon, who died this year.

www.winebiz.com.au

February 2013 – Issue 589

Member organisations Page 2 of the November 1968 edition said that The Australian Grapegrower was the official journal for the Federal Grapegrowers Council of Australia and the following member organisations: • Wine Grapegrowers Council of South Australia • Barossa Grapegrowers Association • Grape Vendors Association • Upper Murray Grapegrowers Association • Southern Murray Grapegrowers Association • Mildura Wine Grapegrowers Association, Victoria • Robinvale Wine Grapegrowers Association, Victoria • Wine Grapes Marketing Board, New South Wales • Viticulturist Union of WA. With the change to decimal currency in 1966, an annual subscription to The Australian Grapegrower cost just $4.

Seppelts to establish winery in MIA B. Seppelt and Sons Pty. Ltd. have purchased a property of 11 acres at Bilbul near Griffith in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and have announced that they will commence processing grapes there in 1969. Seppelts have been winemaking since 1851 when the original winery was established at Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley. During the 117 years since that beginning, they have spread their activities to other areas. At the present time they operate five wineries, three in the Barossa Valley – Seppetsfield, Chateau Tanunda, Dorrien

– and two in Victoria at Rutherglen and the famous champagne cellars at Great Western. With vast connections and outlets in the eastern states, Seppelts have recognised the need to expand production activities in an area nearer to these markets. Realising the potential of the MIA, they have selected this location as the location for their sixth winery. Operations in 1969 will be on a limited scale, but there are plans being prepared for rapid expansion in the area. Mr. Frank O’Callaghan will be Seppelts representative in the Griffith area and he will be making contact with grapegrowers. Mr. O’Callaghan is at present the vineyard manager at Seppelts Barossa Valley vineyards and prior to July this year he was manager of the company’s vineyards at Barooga in New South Wales.

Many phases of colourful growth by Yalumba Wines A special correspondent’s report highlighted the ongoing expansion of the company’s vineyard and winery interests, with a new shareholding bringing in Hungerford Hill vineyards in the Hunter Valley and a winery and distillery being built at Mildura. Back in Yalumba’s own vineyard at Oxford Landing, near Waikerie on the River Murray in South Australia, plantings total 400 acres in this now wellproven venture of faith in a breakaway from the Barossa Valley tradition. It is over 10 years since Yalumba, about the same time as several other companies, entered on what were then the pioneering days of private pumping plants and sprinkler irrigation downstream from Waikerie, to gain the benefits of bigger yields, especially in shy bearers like Cabernet Sauvignon – without loss of the grape’s winemaking quality. Associated with new supplies of white grapes, Yalumba have marketed Carramar

But “Wyndy” simply says – “I still want to sell a nice claret at 85 cents” Yalumba managing director Wyndham Hill Smith

Chablis and Koorianda White Burgundy. The Pewsey Vale winery boasts new additional storage French oak – 85,000 gallons, all in 100 gallon casks, all for Galway Vintage Claret, Four Crown Claret and the Burgundies. A new chilling plant and 30,000 gallons of stainless steel containers have been made to specification for dry wines and cold fermentation. This progressive attitude stems from the top, from managing director Wyndham Hill Smith; sales director Mark Hill Smith, vineyards and grape production director John Hill Smith, secretary Alfred Wark, chief winemaker Rudy Kronberger, cellar manager Ray Ward, oenologist Peter Wall, and the men we met in the cellars – to name just a few, David Von Saldern, dry white foreman (once at Great Western and a missionary in New guinea for a time, Les Falkenberg, sweet wine foreman, Harold “Potts” Obst, bulk filling foreman completing 45 year’s service, and coming in from his outside domain, Stan Linke, local vineyard foreman. You see vast excavations by the builders. You see new bond stores, immense square footages of floor space. But “Wyndy” simply says – “I still want to sell a nice claret at 85 cents”.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Wine: does vine age really matter? New research being undertaken in the Barossa Valley could resolve the long-held debate over whether old vines produce better wines. Kellie Arbuckle

DO OLDER VINES produce more complex wines? It’s a question that has divided growers for years, largely due to the ambiguity surrounding the definition of ‘old’. From this vintage, a group of researchers will embark on a threeyear project that seeks to answer that very question, focusing on Shiraz in the Barossa Valley. The researchers, all from the University of Adelaide, will compare the performance of vine growth and berry quality in vines aged 10-125 years or more. “Anecdotally ‘old’ vines are thought to produce more complex wines. This project aims to validate these claims and if differences are found to better understand what is driving these differences,” says

Protecting old vines The Barossa Old Vine Charter was established in 2009 to register vineyards by age, so that older vines could be preserved, retained and promoted. The Charter groups vineyards into four categories by age: (in ascendant order) Old (equal or greater than 35 years of age); Survivors (equal or greater than 70 years of age); Centenarians (equal or greater than 100 years of age); and Ancestors (equal or greater than 125+ years of age). Like the Barossa, the Riverland also has its fair share of old vineyards, but unfortunately due to economic reasons many of these vineyards have been removed and lost forever. The Riverland Wine Marketing Committee wants to determine how many vineyards that are 50 years plus still exist in the Riverland to develop its own ‘Old Vine’ register. If you require more information or have an old vineyard you wish to register please contact Ashley Ratcliff on: 0411370057 or aratcliff@yalumba.com

24 Grapegrower & Winemaker

University of Adelaide researchers Devin Methven, Cassandra Collins and Roberta De Bei. Photo courtesy of Irina Santiago.

Cassandra Collins, viticultural lecturer at the University of Adelaide. Collins will work closely on the project with post-doctoral research fellow Roberta De Bei and Master of Viticulture student Devin Methven, who has received funding from the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation. “The research will aim to determine any common attributes, differences or trends with vines of similar age using assessments of vine performance, and chemical and sensory analyses of berry and wine characteristics over three seasons.” The research is being made possible after the Barons of the Barossa awarded the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine with the Bruce Thiele Memorial Trust Grant, which will provide $5000 per year in assistance over the three-year period. “This is a collaborative project with the University of Adelaide and the Barons of Barossa,” Collins said. “The Barons of Barossa, and in particular Prue Henschke and Mal Whyatt, have been instrumental in the establishment of this project and have enabled growers with Barossa signature old vines to meet with researchers from the University of Adelaide to begin this project.” As part of the research, Shiraz vines will be compared at five Barossa sites with both young and old vines on the same soil type. Where possible, the vines will also have the same row orientation, www.winebiz.com.au

management and clonal material to reduce the number of variables in the study. Plant physiological measures will be taken from all sites throughout the growing season, while berry maturity will be assessed from veraison to harvest. Berry sensory assessments will be made just prior to harvest, and wines will be made from all sites for quality assessment by an expert panel of winemakers from the region. Collins said the research findings could provide validation of the perception that many winemakers hold about the increase in complexity in wines from old vines. “A better understanding of vine age would provide growers with more confidence in investing in proactive management options,” she said. “A better understanding of how vine balance relates to vineyard profitability for growers should reduce conflict between grape producers and end-users.” The value of the research to the Barossa vignerons will be an acknowledgement of the great old pre-Phylloxera genetic stock existing in the Barossa. The research will also form part of a larger GWRDC-funded project that investigates vine performance in Australian vineyards by developing a toolbox for industry to ensure best practice, sustainability and profitability. The findings from the Barossa vines will later be compared with other experimental sites in Australia. February 2013 – Issue 589

AWRI ‘Dog Book’ now available via smartphone and tablet

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Organic Powdery Mildew Control

Kellie Arbuckle

GRAPEGROWERS CAN NOW use mobile devices to search for the preferred agrochemical for use on grapes for export wine with the development of new app. Designed for use on the go, the app can be accessed on smartphones and tablets to enable producers to quickly access all the information that is contained the Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture booklet (also known as the Dog Booklet). Users can search for agrochemicals by selecting the ‘target’ (the pest or disease) and the ‘growth stage’ of the vines. The results provide a list of active constituents based on recommended withholding period for export grapes and the chemical products available. The app has been developed by the Australian Wine Research Institute and can be downloaded for free from iTunes or Google Play. AWRI information and knowledge manager Linda Bevin said the app is a must for grapegrowers and winemakers who export wine. “AWRI Agrochemical Search app complements a suite of tools informing grape and wine producers of the range of agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture,” Bevin said. “For growers who might be working out in a vineyard where data connection is not strong or there is no data connection, an app that can work

7 day withholding period

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offline would deliver the convenience of a printed version of the Dog Book but with superior search and retrieval functionality. “Automatic notifications ensure users are kept up to date with new data updates which can be downloaded via the Agrochemical cloud.” The app also provides information on restrictions for use on certain chemicals and is able to save recent search entries, to save time and improve efficiencies.

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Barossa Grape and Wine Association CEO resigns SAM HOLMES HAS resigned as CEO of the Barossa Grape and Wine Association to take up a new role with Negociants International. Holmes, who was with the BGWA for almost five years, said it was the right time to move forward. “Leaving the position earlier rather than later gives me and the board the opportunity to carefully work through finding a new CEO who can bring fresh energy and new thinking to the role,” Holmes told Grapegrower & Winemaker. Holmes will take up the position of international sales manager with February 2013 – Issue 589

Negociants International, which is also based in the Barossa and will allow him work with a team based around the globe to grow the Negociants portfolio. Holmes said he would remain involved with the BGWA and Barossa community. “I am hoping once I have settled into the role to be able to support the BGWA through participation in their committees,” he said. “I will dearly miss this job – it is diverse and challenging but has been the greatest privilege to represent the grapegrowers and winemakers of the Barossa,” Holmes said. www.winebiz.com.au

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Bayer’s The Grower’s Edge: Helping Grape Growers get ahead In a competitive market place, having a technical or information edge can mean the difference between a high quality fruitful crop and a potential disaster. Bayer’s ‘The Grower’s Edge’ online service keeps you on the front foot with industry and disease pressure information to support you in the success you strive for. Launched in 2009, The Grower’s Edge is evolving to become a dynamic source of information for the wider industry.

information, The Grower’s Edge allows all relevant information to be kept close at hand and easily accessible for quick and accurate referencing.

Keeping you on the front foot The hub of The Grower’s Edge is a personalised website (PURL). Within this, you can source weather information from a selection of nearby weather stations. It is the only online tool that uses live weather data to give you real time alerts for powdery mildew and downy mildew threats. Delivered via email and SMS, you are notified when conditions are conducive to costly disease threats within your local area. These alerts put you in the best position to act before the threat of disease becomes a potential disaster for your crop. The Grower’s Edge can also be a good tool for agronomists to share with their customers when disease pressures are rife. According to Hugh Armstrong, Bayer CropScience Market Development Manager – Viticulture, the disease models and alerts are one of the most popular features of The Grower’s Edge. “They have even been responsible for saving crops in some situations.”

The weather module includes a daily forecast and observations that are updated every hour from your selected weather station

Informing your plans Featuring a comprehensive product database of Bayer viticulture products, The Grower’s Edge also gives you a recommended timing and usage guide. Knowing what product to use and when ensures you have the best possible crop protection plan that suits your conditions and growth stage. Martin Gransden, Viticulturist – Cumulus Estate Wines stated, “As a large operation we see The Grower’s Edge as another tool in our toolbox. I find it particularly useful from a cross-referencing point of view.” A compliant spray diary function allows you to input your spray data, save it and print entries straight from the site. The Grower’s Edge also features the only online compatibility database within the viticulture segment. Acting as another touchpoint for

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Disease risk models and weather data are used to calculate the likelihood of ascospore release or downy mildew and powdery mildew

Rewarding your efforts At Bayer, we know that gaining the edge in a competitive market goes beyond sourcing information solely on crop protection products. The Grower’s Edge provides regular industry and business-related information through newsletters, peer-to-peer sharing and tangible rewards. “Through The Grower’s Edge, Bayer aims to bring solutions; quality expertise and information, not trinkets”, Darryl Stretton, Bayer CropScience Product Manager – Viticulture said. Learning opportunities such as study tours and one-on-one time with industry experts are some of the recent rewards offered to members. There are more exclusive rewards planned in the coming months.

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We recently organised a competition open only to members of The Grower’s Edge to join a study tour to Bundaberg, Queensland. As Martin Gransden explained, “The opportunity to extend our knowledge of practices and issues within the larger horticulture industry allows us to be more innovative in our vineyard management approach and gives us a competitive edge over our competitors. The tour was a huge success and highlighted that the issues viticulturists face are common across all other perennial horticultural businesses.”

ask the What can you tell me about controlling Botrytis bunch rot without the use of fungicides? THE BOTRYTIS FUNGUS mainly attacks dead, injured (e.g. light brown apple moth damage) or senescing tissues such as wilting flower parts and ripening fruit. Infection and development are optimal in warm (1525°C) and humid conditions. Young fruit can become infected via attached f lower parts, with the infections remaining latent (dormant) until the berries start to ripen, leading to bunch rot. The establishment of just a few early infections leads to significant spread as the berries ripen. Therefore, practices that can reduce the incidence of susceptible tissue or injuries and that alter the canopy microclimate can be very effective at controlling Botrytis bunch rot.

Canopy management Opening up the canopy to produce well-exposed bunches can be achieved directly by various canopy management procedures; or indirectly by control of shoot vigour. This will increase aeration and reduce the time that berries are wet thereby reducing risk of splitting and making the microclimate less favorable for infection. If fungicides are applied before fruitset, this will permit better penetration and coverage of bunches. Canopy management practices include training systems, shoot thinning, shoot trimming and leaf and lateral removal in the bunchzone. Extensive research in many countries has conclusively demonstrated that training systems such as Scott Henry, Smart Dyson, Geneva Double Curtain or Lyre have much reduced incidence of bunch rot than non-positioned canopies or VSP. Reduction of shoot vigour can be achieved by deficit irrigation, ‘grassing down’ or crop loading followed by bunch thinning at veraison.

Bunch thinning improves aeration Also, early bunch thinning to reduce the incidence of ‘bunch-on-bunch’ contact can significantly improve bunch aeration and reduce the possibility of inter-bunch fungal spread. Keep in mind that well-exposed bunches are susceptible to sunburn in warm to hot and sunny climates. Furthermore, extensive research has shown that excessive exposure can also have detrimental effects on wine quality in such situations.

28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Bunch architecture plays a major role in determining bunch rot incidence. The looser the bunch, the greater the airflow and the lower the risk of berry to berry spread of the fungus. Research has shown that, with the same incidence of latent infection or veraison infection, loose bunches have less bunch rot than compact bunches. How to make bunches looser? For some winegrape varieties, there is significant variability among clones for bunch looseness. For example, the Mariafeld clone of Pinot Noir has looser bunches than many other clones and as a result has been found to have less rot. Retaining more nodes at pruning so as to increase shoot and bunch number per vine can be effective. These bunches should set fewer berries per bunch to compensate for the increased bunch number. Furthermore, the increased crop load will compete with shoot growth and thus potentially reduce shoot vigour. If the resulting bunch number is excessive for the planned end use, bunch thinning can be done prior to veraison in order to adjust yield to the desired level. This should be done as late as possible so as to maximise competition with shoot growth.

Reducing fruit set An alternative approach to loosen bunches is to deliberately reduce fruit set by removal of the eight or so basal leaves on fruiting shoots at the beginning of flowering (E-L 19). This can be done either manually or mechanically. This practice has been successful in experiments with several winegrape varieties including Semilllon, Trebbiano, Graciano and Sangiovese. Not only has bunch compactness been decreased (mainly as a result of fewer berries per bunch) but also less bunch rot has been observed. This technique works because the basal leaves, prior to flowering, are the most important source of resources for the developing inflorescence. The increased bunch exposure that will result might need to be compensated for by the manipulation of shoots to provide protection of bunches, particularly on the west side of north-south rows. If vines are sufficiently vigorous, growth of lateral shoots in the bunchzone might provide adequate protection of bunches later in the season (the lateral shoots should not be removed at the time of defoliation). An alternative to leaf removal is the www.winebiz.com.au

application of an anti-transpirant spray to the whole canopy from the start of flowering. This temporarily reduces photosynthesis in those leaves and thus greatly decreases the supply of photosynthate to the developing inflorescences. The anti-transpirant used in most research has been Vapor Gard1 (a water emulsifiable concentrate of terpenic polymer known as pinolene) and this is available in Australia.

Varietal tolerance Some varieties are more tolerant of bunch rot infection than others due to either loose bunches or thick skinned berries that are less prone to splitting, or a combination of both. For example, emerging varieties Fiano, Gruner Veltliner, Montepulciano, Petit Manseng, Saperavi and Tannat are said to have such characteristics. Deficit irrigation strategies can result in looser bunches mainly due to a reduction in berry size. Spray application of gibberellic acid (as GA3) at early flowering can be used to lengthen the bunch framework, reduce berry number per bunch and increase berry size of seedless tablegrapes such as Sultana (syn. Thompson Seedless). However, this practice is not recommended for seeded grape varieties (wine, table or drying) because it has been found to reduce bud fruitfulness and increase the incidence of primary bud necrosis (PBN), collectively resulting in reduced bunch number in the following season.

Nitrogen a factor in Botrytis Plant tissues high in nitrogen are most susceptible to infection by Botrytis. Furthermore, excessive nitrogen supply will result in increased shoot vigour and dense canopy. Therefore, carefully monitor vine nitrogen status by tissue analysis and avoid over-fertilisation. Reduce berry damage by controlling light brown apple moth and other pests. Consider alternatives to cover crops that might host the fungus and/or harbour light brown apple moth. Vapor Gard is a registered trademark.

Ask the AWRI is a monthly column focusing on viticulture and oenology issues in alternate months. AWRI winemaking and viticulture specialists are available to help Australian wine and grape producers. Call (08) 8313 6600 or email winemakingservices@awri.com.au February 2013 – Issue 589

Weather stations come a long way In this article, previously published in Wines & Vines (US) December 2012, we look at how innovation helps growers gather data and put it to better use. Paul Franson

WITH ERRATIC CLIMATE events occurring globally as the earth warms, it’s never been more important to monitor the conditions in vineyards. Fortunately, weather instruments have come a long way from the days when observers had to manually record temperatures and measure rainfall with calibrated collection cups. Sophisticated instruments collect measurements, such as leaf water content and soil moisture, transmit it by cell phone or satellite and present it via the internet for vineyard managers to monitor from anywhere using smartphones and other portable devices. Vineyard weather sensors can monitor wind speed, temperature, dew point, humidity and barometric pressure, and interconnected network subscriptions give even deeper understanding of patterns. Wines & Vines interviewed several vineyard owners and managers who use the new technology to see how it’s helping them; then we asked companies supplying the technology to share product information.

about phomopsis cane and leaf spot,” Valente said. “If we have a hot summer with days reaching close to 100°F past 4 July, we need to be concerned with mites and leaf hoppers. In 2011 we were lighter due to the blossoms getting rained on, but we expected 8-10 tons of grapes per acre for our normal yield.” Valente knows the importance of integrated pest management and how the technology has evolved during the past several years. “Using IPM we follow the degree days so we are not spraying just to be spraying. We use sulfur on a normal rotation to control mildew, but the treatments are dependent on the weather, and pesticides are expensive. Some go up

Highlights • climate change is making weather monitoring even more important • modern instruments include leaf and soil sensors • sophisticated software helps target pests for treatment. to $200 per acre – and that is just for the chemical, so you have to know when and where to use them. If we see mites as a potential threat, we check the field and depending on the number of them per leaf we know if we need to use a miticide. Mildew index 100

IPM using weather stations John Kautz Farms in Lodi, Calif., has had a Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 weather station with integrated pest management (IPM) in the field for more than a year. The Kautz family owns and manages 5,500 acres of grapevines in and around California’s San Joaquin Valley. It also has a crushing facility in Lodi called Bear Creek and owns Ironstone Vineyards in the Sierra Nevada foothills region, along with other labels. Joe Valente has been the vineyard manager for Kautz Farms in Lodi for the past 32 years, during which time he’s learned a lot about pest and disease management in grapes. “Every year is different,” he said. “You can’t duplicate the weather.” Weather is the most important factor when it comes to disease and pest management, and IPM takes the proactive approach that if you know the current and past conditions you can treat for potential pests and diseases. “Every year we know if we have a cool spring that we need to be concerned about mildew, and if we have rain during the spring bloom we have to be concerned February 2013 – Issue 589

Terra Späse maps the Napa Valley region. www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing “Mites can be tricky because you have to watch when you use the miticide. You can’t pick fruit within 30 days of spraying,” Valente said. Valente has been monitoring the weather for many years using a wireless solar-powered Davis Instruments Vantage Pro, but this season he obtained new technology, the IPM for Grapes software plus a wireless leaf-moisture sensor mounted in the canopy of his Zinfandel vines. The Davis Instruments Vantage Pro weather station tracks changing conditions in the field and sends them wirelessly to Valente’s office, where the Vantage Pro console reports real-time readings and automatically uploads information to the Weatherlink software for analysis and monitoring by the IPM module. “Every year we have more and more insects and invasive species with people bringing them in; this year two of our outbreaks were from nurseries,” Valente said of the continuing battle. Another Davis system for IPM is at La Bella Rosa, a boutique winery in the Sierra. Its IPM for Grapes software identified a pest attacking the leaves, allowing the grower to take corrective action, treat leafhoppers and save the 2011 crop.

Monitoring a mountaintop vineyard Peter Molnar, general manager and partner at the 105-acre Obsidian Ridge Vineyards in the Red Hills of Lake County, Calif., uses a Ranch Systems weather station to monitor the weather at the diverse property. “Obsidian Ridge is planted at 2,700 feet on the Mayacamas Ridge,” Molnar said. “This presents a triple challenge of extreme environmental variability, rugged terrain and remote location. Ranch Systems’ durable wireless nodes and user-friendly analysis software

provide an effective and affordable way for us to monitor a range of climate factors all the way down to block level. Furthermore, the internet component means that the vineyard managers, winemaking team and consultants all have shared access to the real-time data wherever they are, greatly improving daily decision making.” Molnar continued, “In our 10 zones we have over 35 wireless nodes measuring humidity, temperature, wind speed, rainfall, dew point, soil moisture, UV radiation and irrigation water flows. We access all this data and view graphical charts in real time via the internet and can quickly create custom historical comparisons and drill downs. We now adjust watering, canopy management and harvest sampling much more quickly based on daily climate analysis – not easy in such a remote location. Plus, in the winter the system acts as a 35-point frost alarm system, which with the radical morphology of our site is a huge help; the systems sends alarms to the complete vineyard team’s cell phones 24/7.” He added, “Finally, we can use all this information not only for decision-making during the season, but also later on to look for hidden relationships between vineyard factors and wine quality, ultimately letting us grow and make ever-better wine.” Napa Valley-based Beckstoffer Vineyards uses the weather system to control irrigation remotely. Vineyard manager Gaspar Roby said, “After testing Ranch Systems on a 10-acre vineyard block in St. Helena in 2006, we decided to contract their services to remotely operate and monitor the whole 20-acre ranch. Ranch Systems allows us to operate irrigation valves as well as to monitor soil moisture at different soil depths. Not only that – it operates the 12 irrigation valves that we have in the ranch, but also collects very valuable

Surprising diurnal discovery One surprise the instruments demonstrated at Pride Mountain Vineyards was a smaller than expected diurnal swing. “I have been astonished to learn from the weather stations just how narrow our diurnal temperature fluctuation is on the property,” Pride said. “Most mornings during the growing season there is a temperature inversion, in which temperatures rise the higher you head up into the mountains. We have learned that the warmest point on the property is always at the highest elevation of 2,180 feet. “Low temps for us on a morning in which the valley has fog and 54°F will typically be in the low 70°s at 2,100 feet and in the mid 60°s at the 2000-foot elevation. On a day like that, high temps might get up into the mid-80°s, while it could be low 90°s down in the valley. During the warm weather of the second week of August this year, we had low temps of 80° or 81°, with high temps of only 94° or 95°. We would never have guessed the low temperatures were that warm at 4 a.m.”

30 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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information that we use in fine-tuning irrigation frequencies and amounts.” He said the software was easy to use and partnered with good customer service.

Networks bring benefits While standalone stations are powerful, the biggest benefits come from integration with other stations nearby. Picovale Services is a consulting firm specialising in accurate data collection and dissemination for the agricultural community. Picovale’s weather-monitoring and alert services provide accurate real-time weather information at what the company calls an affordable price. Utilising direct satellite communication and solar power, the weather stations can be placed anywhere in a field where there is a clear view of sky. The company’s online web interface provides the mechanism to retrieve real-time weather information and includes various models for pests, irrigation and disease management. Additionally, it has included an interface to provide alerting capabilities when critical weather thresholds are met. Another supplier of networked stations is Terra Späse of St. Helena, Calif. It has been a reseller of the Adcon Telemetry line of weather stations and environmental monitoring systems since 1995. Adcon systems typically used in vineyards include: • weather stations for climate monitoring and disease risk assessment • soil moisture monitoring stations for irrigation management • frost alarm devices for protecting vines from early season cold. The McCrometer companies recently acquired Adcon Telemetry, giving Terra Späse customers access to a wider range of vineyard-related technology including water level sensors, flow meters and supervisory control systems allowing the remote operation of valves and switches. Terra Späse operates extensive networks of Adcon devices in Napa and Sonoma counties. Typically, customers enter into a data-sharing agreement to use data from other customers’ weather stations in exchange for making their data available to other users. The weather station data are collected, archived and, in many cases, made available for sale. Terra Späse has assembled a historical data set covering Napa and Sonoma counties that dates back to 1996. This is one of the largest and highest resolution weather data sets compiled for a North Coast viticulture region. February 2013 – Issue 589

VINE TALK

Weather data from the network also generate daily regional maps of various weather parameters including temperature and rainfall as well as disease risk assessment data such as powdery mildew and botrytis risk indexes. These maps are available on a subscription basis at terraspase.com. In addition, weather station data are used by Terra Späse’s partners at Fox Weather in making region-specific, agricultural weather and disease risk forecast products that also are available by subscription at terraspase.com.

Weather stations at Pride Mountain Steve Pride is CEO of Pride Mountain Vineyards at the top of Spring Mountain, straddling Napa and Sonoma counties. Pride has three Adcon weather stations from Terra Späse set up on its 235-acre property. The system has been up and running for more than two years. The stations record temperature, cumulative growing degree days, humidity, powdery mildew index, botrytis index and rainfall. The data is recorded continuously, and managers can look at it remotely (or download it) from a computer. “All the data ever recorded is available online, which makes it convenient to go back and quickly review past episodes of weather,” Pride said. “It is amazing how quickly you can forget precisely how many rainfall events occurred, for example, in May and June of 2011 (other than to just say vaguely ‘a lot!’).” “In seconds, I can now print out a continuous reading of rainfall during those two months and see exactly what happened on the three different parts of our property. These data are always quite distinct from what is recorded somewhere down in the Napa Valley.” Pride said he imagines that different vintners use this information in different ways. “We tend not to use it so much in a proactive way but in a historical way that allows us to correlate weather, viticultural practice and subsequent wine quality.” He added, “Although we looked carefully at the powdery mildew index during the early parts of the past two growing seasons to make sure our spray program was adequate (and not overkill), our spray schedule is set ahead of time and only needs to be slightly adjusted depending more on weather forecasts than the weather of the current day. “We definitely looked closely at the botrytis index from 27 Sept. through 5 Oct., 2011, when rain events gave valley vineyards so much trouble. Fortunately, at our elevation of 2100 feet, we had only a mildly enhanced index 3 Oct. that was not followed by any botrytis outbreak whatsoever.” During sustained warm weather, Pride likes to be able to look at the continuous record of temperature from the previous couple of weeks as a means of quantifying the severity of the heatwave. Pride added, “Similarly, in the spring it is nice to have a record of the temperatures from the past few evenings to be better prepared for a freeze. Although we still have alarms that go off in our vineyard foreman’s house that are independent of the weather stations and that allow him to light smudge pots prior to freezing temperatures, having the actual recordings of the temperature and humidity during those scary spring mornings helps us to better understand the severity of the cold spell.” Another index that Pride uses quite often is growing degree days. “Was 2012 a particularly warm year, or was 2011 particularly cold?” Most growers have access to region-wide or countywide degree days, but Pride finds it useful to count his property’s unique experience. Looking at growing degree days lets a vineyard manager know how the growing season is developing relative to February 2013 – Issue 589

Post-harvest vineyard management practices vary greatly, influenced largely by climate, target yield and quality parameters. There should also be seasonal considerations for individual vineyards based on crop load, soil moisture, salinity, disease pressure and overall vineyard performance. Leading up to vintage is a good opportunity to objectively measure some of these parameters and consider how best to manage your vineyard going into dormancy.

The post-harvest period is a critical time for the vine to store carbohydrates. A functioning canopy is necessary for this to occur and high-yielding vines may take up to eight weeks to replenish carbohydrate stores in preparation for next season. Post-harvest sulphur sprays are less common now than they once were. Each spray pass should be carefully considered and current research points to the relative importance of early season fungicide applications over the post-harvest timing. Established powdery mildew and the visual leaf-bronzing caused by rust mites make a tempting target for a post-harvest sulphur application, although this is not the optimum time for control. Early sulphur (e.g. THIOVIT JET®) applications next spring will be much more effective. It is important to understand the optimum timing for these spring applications as the timing for rust mites is different to that for bud mites and powdery mildew. An established powdery infection would have likely infected next season’s buds before harvest and produced chasmothecia. It’s important to recognise that both buds and chasmothecia are impervious to fungicide applications. Next spring, these will release spores to infect new growth which is when sulphur will be most effective. Commence spraying right on budburst for effective powdery and bud mite control. A post-harvest sulphur could be well worthwhile in certain situations though to help maintain an effective canopy and potentially reduce disease pressure going into next season. Current best practice for rust mite control relies on suitable rates of sulphur and canola oil pre-budburst. Optimum timing varies although may correlate with a growth stage such as Chardonnay woolly bud in cool regions. Timing is critical for both efficacy and crop safety as this mixture will burn any green tissue and mites are only exposed for a short period before they find shelter and lay eggs in the expanding woolly buds. Refer www.crcv.com.au/viticare/ vitinotes - “Spring control of rust mites” for more information. Also consider removing trash and pruning to set up an open canopy to assist with light penetration, airflow and spray coverage next season.

Richard Lillingstone B.Ag.Sc. M.Oen Technical Lead - Viticulture Syngenta Crop Protection richard.lillingstone@syngenta.com - 0407 868 697 For details, please call the Syngenta technical product advice line on 1800 067 108 or visit www.syngenta.com.au

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grapegrowing previous years. Pride has 15 years’ worth of growing degree day records from neighboring Paloma Vineyard for comparisons. Pride says, “The stations allow us to quantify our growing and ripening seasons, which means we can make the correlation between weather, viticultural practices and subsequent wine quality each vintage. Having the weather part continuously recorded is important to making these linkages.”

WSU’s AgWeatherNet In the Pacific Northwest, Washington State University operates AgWeatherNet. Each weather station collects the full suite of weather data required for vineyard management including air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, leaf wetness, soil temperature and precipitation, etc. The data is available in near real-time, and its quality is monitored on a continuous basis. In addition to providing the real data, the net has a range of tools, models and decision support systems based on the weather data. Recent advancements include cold hardiness, an updated growing degree day tool and various disease models. In collaboration with an irrigation engineer, an irrigationscheduling tool was developed that can be accessed from a hand-held device like a phone or computer.

More than curiosities Weather stations have long been interesting for grapegrowers, who have so much riding on the weather. But with the addition of better digital tools, weather stations have become more than curiosities, and potentially important ways to use weather data continue to unfold.

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Counterfeit concerns Chinese wine drinkers are being discouraged from buying premium imported wines in shops due to fears the wine will be a fake, according to Wine Intelligence. A survey of 1000 drinkers of imported wine in China has found that 44 per cent of respondents are put off buying wine in the off-trade because they fear the wine will be a counterfeit. The second biggest barrier to purchasing wine was concern about the taste (38%) followed by lack of information on the back label (34%). The survey respondents represented the Chinese, urban, educated and affluent imported wine drinking community aged 18-49, which Wine Intelligence estimates to be about 19 million consumers in 2012. La Journée Vinicole

UNITED STATES

Wine media merger US media company Wines & Vines has merged with the quarterly journal Practical Winery & Vineyard. Starting with the April issue, the editorial content of Practical Winery & Vineyard will appear in a special section within each monthly print edition of Wines & Vines, in its digital editions and on its website. Don Neel, publisher and editor of PWV, will continue to source and edit content about grape and wine production for the new section. The two companies have been collaborating on circulation management and were already linked by ownership under parent company Wine Communications Group of Sonoma, in California. Wines & Vines

FRANCE

OIV proposes change to ‘bulk wine’ definition The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) has proposed the term ‘bulk wine’ be redefined to distinguish wines shipped in bulk from wines shipped to consumers in containers. The move comes as bulk wine shipments worldwide continue to increase; in 2011 the world bulk wine market was estimated to be in the range of 38 million hectolitres, 38 per cent of the total volume of trade. The OIV argues that that the proposed amendment “would improve transparency and clarity to the collection of data required for statistical analysis”. La Journée Vinicole

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Consumers are finding more reasons to “celebrate” with a bottle of wine or drinking more wine when a bottle is opened, and in some cases doing both, according to new research. Research by the Wine Market Council shows that of all wine drinkers, 57% are now considered “core” drinkers, meaning they drink wine on a fairly consistent weekly or monthly basis, and they account for 25% of the US’ adult population. This group consumes an astounding 93% of the 175 million cases of wine sold off-premise last year. Wine Business Monthly

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February 2013 – Issue 589

Identification and management of non-Botrytis bunch rots David Waters, Dr. Andrew Hall and Professor Chris Steel

Types of bunch rots Bunch rots have long been associated with losses of grape yield and reductions in wine quality in vineyards. Their correlation with particular climatic conditions, namely warm temperatures and high moisture, and the grapevine's growing stages can influence infection and affect yields. Bunch rots are caused by a range of fungi, yeasts and bacteria. A common and much researched rot is Botrytis (grey mould), attributed to the Botrytis cinerea fungus. However, there are a variety of other bunch rots that can cause significant declines in grape yield and wine quality, given favourable climatic conditions and opportunities to infect the plant (Table 1).

Influences of bunch rot infection and consequences As with many fungi-related plant diseases, the likelihood of bunch rot occurring is enhanced by warm, wet conditions, particularly post veraison. While the disease is often expressed later in the season, the period of initial infection for the sub-tropical ripe and bitter rots can often occur earlier at flowering, when it coincides with warmer temperatures (Figure 1). While the incidence of bitter rot appears to be linked to temperatures above 25°C, both for inflorescences and berries, ripe rot has a much wider temperaturerelated range of infection. Furthermore, in related research from NWGIC, two species

Figure 1. Percentage of detached Chardonnay flowers infected with ripe rot (Colletotrichum acutatum = Ca) and bitter rot (Greeneria uvicola = Gu) versus temperature. Different letters indicate significant differences.

of Colletotrichum were shown to be responsible for ripe rot found in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay berries at three vineyards in the Hastings Valley. Many of the bunch rots are opportunistic. That is, they take advantage of damage to the fruiting structure to enter and infect the plant. Berry skins, normally a natural physical barrier to fungal infection, can be damaged through piercing by fruit flies (associated with sour rot), wounded by earlier diseases such as Botrytis, or damaged from weather events such as frost, rainfall (berry splitting during ripening), high temperatures (sunburn) and storms. Growers may find that canopy management that reduces the likelihood of Botrytis infection (i.e.

reduced foliage and more open canopies), may actually increase the susceptibility of the vineyard to ripe rot through berry sunburn. However, most of the other bunch rots will find open, well ventilated canopies less conducive to infection. The incidence of ripe rot in berries from one season to the next not only relies on suitable climatic conditions, but also suitable overwintering material for the fungus. Colletotrichum acutatum, the causal agent for ripe rot, was found to overwinter on mummified berries and stems, winter spurs and canes in Chardonnay samples taken from a vineyard in the Hunter Valley. These infected plant tissues are likely to be the primary source of infection in the next growing season.

Table 1. Non-botrytis bunch rots – causal organisms and favoured conditions. Bunch rot

Underlying organism

Visual symptoms

Favoured conditions

Alternaria rot

Alternaria spp.

Tan fungus, brown with age

Opportunistic High humidity, wet bunches

Cladosporium rot

Cladosporium

Black circular area. Velvet, olive green spores

Opportunistic Late/post harvest after rain

Black mould

Aspergillus

Tan to brown with dusty black/brown spores

Opportunistic Warm to hot regions

Blue Mould

Penicillium

Masses of dusty blue-green spores

Opportunistic Cooler regions following rain or Botrytis

Rhizopus rot

Rhizopus

Soft, brown with web-like black mycelia

Opportunistic High humidity

Sour rot

Complexes – associated with Aspergillus and Rhizopus rots

Juice from infected berries smells like vinegar

Opportunistic Berry damage

Botryospaeria bunch rot

Botryosphaeriaceae fungi

Water-soaked appearance, white mycelium growth, occasional cracking of the skin. In more severe cases, berries dry out and turn black before being mummified and susceptible to secondary infection

Bot canker infected grapevines/vineyards with a history of Bot canker

Ripe rot

Colletotrichum spp.

Round redish skin spots to salmon/orange coloured spores, berries shrivel

Sub tropical regions, associated with open canopies, sunburn

Bitter rot

Greeneria uvicola

Series of rings of black spores may be present

Sub tropical regions

February 2013 – Issue 589

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grapegrowing Yield and quality Bunch rot of grapes can cause serious losses in grape quantity and wine quality and accurate estimates are difficult to assess although in some vineyards in some seasons, yield losses can approach 100%. Bunch rot management practices frequently fail in growing seasons where rain falls close to harvest (e.g. Riverina, February/March 2010). Wine quality is compromised in several ways: formation of taints, off flavours and undesirable aromas, loss of red wine colour and oxidation problems and also potential formation of carcinogenic mycotoxins in wine. Quantifying the value of these losses to the industry is difficult. However rough estimates can be made if one assumes an overall 1% loss due to bunch rots and an average yield of 10 tonnes per ha across the 160,000ha of vines grown in Australia; this would then equate to $8 million if the average value of the national crop was $500 per tonne. It would be expected that wetter or warmer seasons may incur a greater percentage of losses in those regions.

Management of bunch rots Given the strong relationship climate has with the incidence of many bunch rots in vineyards, the choice of what grape variety to grow can have a bearing on the development of the disease. For example, varieties that are harvested before the onset of autumn rains (e.g. January harvest of Semillon in the Hunter Valley) could have a reduced likelihood of developing the disease compared with later harvested

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Table 2. Percentage of suppression of ripe rot and bitter rot by variety of fungicide active chemicals when tested at standard concentration (1µM). Fungicide

C. acutatum

G. uvicola

27.5

37.1

Boscalid

0.0

Captan

10.5

4.9

12.12

Fluazinam

87.3

99.6

Iprodione

16.2

Azoxystrobin

Chlorothalonil

Pyraclostrobin

81.9

Pyrimenthanil

16.2

1.5

Trifloxystrobin

35.9

30.4

varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Vineyard management can also affect the chances of bunch rot infection in a grape vine. Practices that reduce vineyard humidity or the source of disease could include: • pruning to improve ventilation of the canopy • selection of row direction to take advantage of prevailing winds • improved drainage and soil management to reduce surface water pooling • removal of diseased and old wood from the vineyard. Another component of vineyard management may include fungicide spraying. Research from the NWGIC compared the suppression of ripe and bitter rots from the application of nine commercial fungicides (Table 2). It showed that the most effective suppressants of the two diseases were Fluazinam and Pyraclostrobin (active ingredients). Further NWGIC research showed that the application of the strobilurin fungicide (active ingredient pyraclostrobin) on Chardonnay inflorescences reduced the incidence of ripe and bitter rots at veraison from 88% to 0% and from 86% to 2%, respectively.

Future management issues Long-term climate forecasts suggest a future with generally warmer conditions and changes in precipitation patterns that are likely to worsen the incidence of grapevine fungal diseases. Projected mean temperature increases during a winegrape growing season, modelled using a mid-range climate change scenario, are likely to be between 0.5°C and 1.0°C by 2030 and 0.9°C and 1.9°C by 2050, varying with geographic location. Higher mean temperatures are expected when berries are most vulnerable to disease due to phenological progression moving ripening periods closer to mid-summer. Overall warmer temperatures increase the incidence of heatwaves and increased overnight minimum temperatures which will likely further worsen the incidence of disease. www.winebiz.com.au

Long-term precipitation forecasts are less clear than future likely temperature increases. Precipitation changes outlined by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report include an overall decrease in precipitation in southern Australia. A general tendency for a poleward expansion of the subtropical dry zone (that historically has kept most of the Australian continent arid) is widely reported in the literature, which may result in generally drier conditions for southern Australia. However, with the majority of the decrease modelled to occur in winter and spring, summer rainfall totals are projected to remain relatively unchanged or even increase, particularly on the east coast. Coupled with a likely increase in extreme rainfall events, levels of humidity favourable to the development of grapevine fungal diseases will likely continue to occur. Detailed information about climatic variability in the Australia region can be found at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ ahead/. For a less formal but fun look at drivers of inter-annual variability of climate (with a NSW focus) go to http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/ r e s o u r c e s /c l i m a t e - a n d -w e a t h e r / variability/climatedogs. David Waters, extension officer, Ph: 0478 034 938 dwaters@csu.edu.au, Dr. Andrew Hall, research associate and Chris Steel, viticulture professor; researchers: Dr Suren Samuelian, Lindsay Greer, Dr John Harper and Dr Sandra Savocchia, National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC), Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga NSW.

Further reading Steel C.C., Greer L.A., Savocchia S., 2012. Grapevine inflorescences are susceptible to the bunch rot pathogens, Greeneria uvicola (bitter rot) and Colletotrichum acutatum (ripe rot), European Journal of Plant Pathology Samuelian S.K., Greer L.A. Savocchia S., Steel C.C. 2012. Overwintering and presence of Colletotrichum acutatum (ripe rot) on mummified bunches, dormant wood, developing tissues and mature berries of Vitis vinifera. Vitis 51, 33-37 Greer L.A., Harper J.D.I. Savocchia S., Samuelian S.K., Steel C.C. 2011. Ripe rot of south-eastern Australian wine grapes is caused by two species of Colletotrichum: C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides with differences in infection and fungicide sensitivity. February 2013 – Issue 589

Effects of elevated temperature on mesocarp cell death and shrivelling in Shiraz and Chardonnay berries Marcos Bonada, Victor Sadras and Sigfredo Fuentes

Introduction Berry mesocarp cell death is a common process during berry senescence of some grapevines cultivars late in ripening (Fuentes et al. 2010). This process involves enzymatic reactions leading to the breakdown of membranes, mixing, disassembling and reallocation of cell compounds. It has been speculated that mesocarp cell death favours berry flavours and aromas, whereas recent studies showed a relationship between cell death and berry shrivelling (Tilbrook and Tyerman 2008). In Shiraz, for example, the onset of mesocarp cell death matched the inception of berry net water loss. In contrast, Chardonnay berries maintained water content beyond the onset of cell death. Cultivar differences in the hydraulic connections between the berry and the plant seem to contribute to these contrasting behaviours (Tilbrook and Tyerman 2009). Shrivelling can reduce yield of Shiraz in Australia, particularly in warm seasons; indirect evidence suggests environmental modulation of shrivelling in Shiraz (Sadras and McCarthy 2007). Furthermore, shrivelling contributes to concentration of sugar and high alcohol wine, which has both health and tax implications. In light of these observations, and considering warming trends in Australian grapegrowing regions, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of elevated temperature on berry mesocarp cell death and its relationship with berry shrivelling in two contrasting cultivars. Our hypothesis is that elevated temperature during ripening alters the dynamics of mesocarp cell death and that accelerated cell death, as triggered by temperature, offsets shrivelling.

Both varieties were located in the same block and received the same management; vines were spur pruned to 40-50 buds per vine and trained to a single-wire trellis, and were drip irrigated weekly from mid January at a flow rate of approximately 4L/h, during 12 hours per irrigation event. Using a staining technique with fluorescein diacetate (FDA) solution, which indicate membrane integrity, and digital images taken with a fluorescence dissecting microscope, berry tissue vitality and morphometrical analysis were assessed from veraison onwards. We used a morphological index to quantify shrivel based on changes on berry shape associated with a progressive reduction in mesocarp cell viability. This index, that shows the relation between berry diameter and perimeter, ranges from 1 (maximum turgor) to 0 (maximum shrivel) (Fuentes et al. 2010).

Results and discussion As shown in Figure 1, the dynamics of cell death has two stages. In the first stage, cell death progresses slowly. In the second stage after a characteristic threshold, the rate increases markedly. This pattern was characterised by a two-line model with three

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Methods We used an established trial located at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), in the Barossa Valley. Open-top passive chambers were used to elevate day temperature (Sadras and Soar 2009). Heated Chardonnay (clone 277) and Shiraz (clone NSW) vines were compared against controls at ambient temperature. The experiment included three replicates per treatment and was established in October 2009.

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Figure 2. Relation between shrivel and proportion of living tissue from the onset of rapid mesocarp berry cell death for Shiraz (•) and Chardonnay (o). Adapted from Bonada et al. (2012).

or uncouple cell death and shrivelling during berry ripening. Palliative measures to counteract thermal stress are necessary that reduce energy load in the canopy, maintain plant water status and shift the timing of critical periods onto cooler conditions.

Acknowledgements

Figure 1. Dynamics of mesocarp living tissue in (a) chronological and (b) thermal time scales for Shiraz berries in control (•) and heated vines (o). The solid lines are a two-line model; note the different rates of cell death before and after the inflection point (onset of cell death). Adapted from Bonada et al. (2012).

important biological parameters: the onset of rapid cell death, the rate of cell death before and the rate of cell death after the onset of rapid cell death (Bonada et al. 2012). Elevated temperature advanced the onset of mesocarp cell death and accelerated the rate of cell death after the onset for both cultivars. Most of the differences in the onset and rate on a chronological scale (days after anthesis) were removed with comparison on thermal time scale (growing degree days) (Figure 1). Thus, the observed differences can be confidentially attributed to temperature rather than to experimental artefacts. The proportion of living tissue from the onset of mesocarp cell death was high correlated with the shrivel index for Shiraz (R = 0.83, P < 0.0001) but not for Chardonnay (Figure 2). This supports previous assumptions about the functional link between mesocarp cell death and shrivelling in Shiraz (Tilbrook and Tyerman 2008). On the contrary, water relations in Chardonnay appear to be unrelated to mesocarp cell vitality. The hydraulic isolation of the Chardonnay berries seems to explain the lack of shrivelling in late ripening stages. In conclusion ripening under warmer conditions is expected to interfere with the time course of mesocarp cell death and the severity of shrivelling in Shiraz. Further research should focus on management practices that both delay the onset of cell death, possibly at the expense of flavour and aroma development,

36 Grapegrower & Winemaker

This work was funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Complementary State NRM Program (S.A.). Marcos Bonada’s work in Australia was supported by the Instituto National de Tecnologia Agropecuaria de Argentina (INTA). Thanks for the technical inputs of Fabrizio Battista, Martin Moran, Paul Petrie and Treva Hebberman for vineyard management. This article is a summary of the paper, ‘Effect of elevated temperature on the onset and rate of mesocarp cell death in berries of Shiraz and Chardonnay and its relationship with berry shrivel’ published in the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. Marcos Bonada: School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus. Victor Sadras: South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Campus. Sigfredo Fuentes: School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne.

References

Bonada, M., Sadras, V.O., and Fuentes, S. (2012) Effect of elevated temperature on the onset and rate of mesocarp cell death in berries of Shiraz and Chardonnay and its relationship with berry shrivel. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research Accepted. Fuentes, S., Sullivan, W., Tilbrook, J., and Tyerman, S.D. (2010) A novel analysis of grapevine berry tissue demonstrates a variety-dependent correlation between tissue vitality and berry shrivel. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 16, 327-336. Sadras, V.O. and McCarthy, M.G. (2007) Quantifying the dynamics of sugar concentration in berries of Vitis vinifera cv. Shiraz: a novel approach based on allometric analysis. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 13, 66-71. Sadras, V.O. and Soar, C.J. (2009) Shiraz vines maintain yield in response to a 2-4 degrees C increase in maximum temperature using an open-top heating system at key phenostages. European Journal of Agronomy 31, 250-258. Tilbrook, J. and Tyerman, S.D. (2008) Cell death in grape berries: varietal differences linked to xylem pressure and berry weight loss. Functional Plant Biology 35, 173-184. Tilbrook, J. and Tyerman, S.D. (2009) Hydraulic connection of grape berries to the vine: varietal differences in water conductance into and out of berries, and potential for backflow. Functional Plant Biology 36, 541-550.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

Launching the new Silvan Financial Solutions package are, from left, Silvan executives Michael Frost and Gavin Wheatcroft.

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SILVAN AUSTRALIA HAS developed a retail finance facility to allow members of its national dealer network to offer tailored financial packagers to meet purchaser needs. Michael Frost, general manager of Silvan Australia, said the facility was created to aid machinery purchases on attractive terms. “For many farmers and small to medium sized agricultural enterprises, sourcing the finance from traditional lenders including mainstream financial providers to upgrade or purchase new machinery is not always suitable,” Frost said. “Silvan has tailored financial solutions packages specifically to assist farmers and rural businesses to purchase our latest advances in new technology. Silvan Financial Solutions offers low deposit finance, with varying repayment schedules that can be tailored to suit seasonal or annual cash flows at different times. The financial package is based upon a minimum loan per transaction of $10,000. Frost anticipates the finance offer will be taken up by purchasers of products like the Silvan G2 sprayer range, regarded as the most significant new product release for the horticultural industry in the last decade. “Another new release is Silvan’s comprehensive range of Agrex Linkage and Trailed Fertiliser Spreaders which offer significant productivity and efficiency benefits to both broad acre farmers as well as contractors,” Frost said. “We anticipate there will also be instances where a farmer may wish to acquire a new tractor plus a complementary range of attachments.” Silvan Financial Solutions can also be tailored to allow customers to bundle all items into one easy-to-manage loan. “The package provides streamlined documentation with a fast response in terms of quotation and confirmation of the finance offer within 24-48 hours,” Frost said. Interested machinery purchasers can access the offer through their local Silvan Australia authorised dealer. For more information, visit: www.silvan.com.au. February 2013 – Issue 589

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Growers combat virus early with new mealybug insecticide Kellie Arbuckle

A NEW INSECTIDE that targets mealybugs in hard-to-reach places is helping New Zealand grapegrowers keep a nasty virus at bay. Grapevine leafroll virus (GLRV) has become problematic in eastern wine regions of the North Island, where it is often spread via infected propagation material or insect vectors – most notably mealybugs, which carry and transmit the virus from vine to vine. Mealybugs are sucking pests that feed directly from the phloem tissue in plants. As GLRV is present in the phloem, the bugs can be infected and transmit the virus when feeding on uninfected vines. While slow-spreading, the virus can cause serious declines in vine health in both red and white varieties. It can delay ripening, reduce yields and lead to poor fruit quality with reduced colour and flavour compounds. Some of Hawkes Bay’s premium vineyard owners have been forced to remove infected vines that have become unproductive and to prevent infections spreading. Chris Miln of Bayer CropScience says while the New Zealand industry has been working hard to defeat the spread of the virus, restrictions over detectable residue in wine are having an impact on the chemicals available to help growers. “New Zealand wineries are quite restricted with what chemical options they can use because a lot of insecticides are restricted before flowering,” Miln said. Chemical control options are limited with the industry wishing to phase

Mealybugs are considered a hidden pest and often nest in hard-to-reach places, including bark.

out the use of older organophosphate products. According to Miln, the act of targeting mealybugs effectively is also complicated. “Mealybugs are difficult to control on grapevines as they are hidden pests (found under bark, in crevices, on the undersides of leaves and in bunches), being difficult to directly target with insecticides,” he said. In an effort to help growers safeguard their vines from spread of GLRV, Bayer has developed a product that uses a unique two-way mode of action to effectively target mealybugs. “Movento 100SC has a unique ‘twoway systemicity’ being distributed through the plant both upwards in the xylem and downwards in the phloem, so that it can reach the covered inner leaves

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where sucking pests are often found,” Miln said. The active ingredient in Movento 100SC is Spirotetramat – a new generation of low-toxicity insecticides. “It’s what we called IPM (integrated pest management) friendly, which means it’s safe to most other beneficial insects,” Miln said. “The product is rapidly degraded in soils and has a low leaching potential. It is not toxic to birds, earthworms and soil organisms and is of low to moderate toxicity to aquatic organisms.” Application of Movento 100SC is restricted to pre-flowering, to avoid any residues. Two applications are recommended, the first at 20-50cm shoot extension and the second immediately before flowering.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

www.ecotrellis.com

The patented Eco Trellis System has been engineered to replace traditional CCA wooden posts used in vineyard trellis systems. Eco friendly and fully recyclable, the high strength galvanised steel products are free of contaminants so potential ground leaching is eliminated. The system comprises of strainer systems, intermediate posts and clipping systems interchangeable for your specific application.

Hand inserted trellis clips for general, permanent capture and automated vine stripping applications.

Conventional, box and tie-back strainer posts are available as standard NEW AGPOST CLIP POSITIONING. See www.ecotrellis.com for more detail. The patented footing at the base of the strainer and intermediate posts gives up to four times more retention than a parallel post. If you have soft or loose soils we recommend the use of a GRF plate which slips over the top of the post to prevent lifting or under the bottom of the post to prevent sinking - no more welded anchors.

www.ecotrellis.com

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Grapeg

Only available to subscribers. visit www.winebiz.com.au/gw

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO THE WINE INDUSTRY

T: +618 8369 9500 F: +618 8369 9501 E: subs@winetitles.com.au W: www.winebiz.com.au

New Braud harvesters achieve economic savings and better performance THE NEW HARVESTER from Braud provides growers with results in minimal maceration, Vineyard high juice collection machinery and fuel savings. The Braud 909XD is the latest machine produced by New Holland that offers an array of features which make it arguable the most advanced grape harvester. Its standard features include a unique soft basket collection system, which ensures the baskets are always stationary to the ground, vines and posts. All the fruit and juice drops directly into the baskets which then transport the contents to the upper conveyors. There are bottom fans that draw any leaves or canes as the fruit drops, which minimises the MOG going into the baskets. The final cleaning is done by fans at the two-top drop zone as the fruit is sent to the bin or side discharge conveyor. The soft basket one-stop collection results in minimal maceration and the most grape and juice collection. Other standard features include the well researched long, hollow shaker rods. Each of the 1800mm long rods can shake at least 1200mm of canopy with each stroke, resulting in lower picking head speed, and reductions in vine damage, leaf removal, maceration, juicing, and faster harvesting or travel speeds. The rods are also mounted on a quickrelease system, which allows for rod removal/deactivation or installation/ activation within minutes simply by locking or unlocking a single bolt. Other features also include uphill and downhill assist, transmission anti-skid, swinging head, parallel hydraulic pinch adjustment and a multifunction chassis. The new 6.5 litre 175HP IVECO diesel now has common rail injection and is load-sensing such that it only revs up when it senses load by the hydraulic pumps. This new system now allows up to 30 per cent fuel savings to the previous models. Furthermore, the radiator fan blades reverse, to blow out any dust or leaves which may be caught in the radiator. The new Cambus system using New Holland’s field proven Intelliview system allows for the display of variables such as picking head speed, fan, conveyors and machine speeds all at the same time, on the one screen. It also allows February 2013 – Issue 589

The new Braud 9090XD model includes a unique soft basket collection system.

for adjustments to be made on the screen from the multifunction hand joystick – the hand never needs to leave the joystick to adjust a function. The new Cambus system ensures all delicate electrical control boards are inside the cabin and not exposed to elements such as water and dust. Electric rear vision mirrors and machine selflevelling, cruise control and reversing alarms are now all standard. The cabin is the largest and quietest in its class and a monitor allows for coloured pictures to be viewed from any of three cameras, which have been strategically located on the machine. The seat is multi-adjustable air type and the hand joystick for all function control moves with the seat. Popular options include auto greasing and washing, larger rear tyres, GPS, weight monitors, multi-row spray units, pruning, trimming and grass-mowers. Essentially the same as the Braud 909XD, the Braud 9090XA has 2-bins instead of a side discharge conveyor. www.winebiz.com.au

Braud will have three destemmer machines working in Australia during the 2013 vintage in top quality vineyards that require picking top quality grapes. Braud can do this work with the least wastage and at speeds that can pick up to 4.5kg per second, which equates to about a vineyard of 8-10t/ ha being picked at 4kph (however the length of the rows will be critical as the bins fitted with destemmers will only have about 1-1.2t each bin or 2-2.4t in total). The advantage with the Braud is that the destemmers on a destemmer machine can be deactivated at the push of a button, meaning it can be used as a simple 2-bin machine. In Australia, Braud is sold by Braud Australia and through selected experienced New Holland dealers who know the New Holland Products. For more information, contact Kubpower/Braud Australia managing director Angelo Dicesare on: 0408 856 418 or (08) 8139 7200. Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing

Kiss trouble goodbye with a reliable vineyard tractor FIVE KIOTI TRACTORS add up to more than 45,000 trouble-free hours of hard work for Fleurieu Vintners in South Australia. Based in Clarendon, with 420ha of vineyards in and around the Fleurieu Peninsula, Fleurieu Vintners crushes 5000 tonnes of grapes each year and has its own winery producing high-grade wines, including the popular Blackbilly and Clarence Hill labels. Vineyard manager, Mick McDade, who has worked for the company for 10 years, looks after the Currency Rise and California Rise vineyards. “When I first arrived there were some pretty unreliable tractors here,” he said. “But a neighbouring vineyard had two of the South Korean Kioti Daedong tractors and they recommended them as good machines.” McDade said the reputation of Perkins engines for reliability was another strong factor in their favour.

Fleurieu Vintners boasts five Kioti tractors to keep the vineyard at its productive best.

That DK90 has done 18,000 hours for us over 10 years and given us no trouble at all. Fleurieu Vintners vineyard manager, Mick McDade.

“We bought our first Kioti Daedong, a DK90 model, from Tony Cross at Central Hills Machinery in 2002. You do your research but there’s always an element of risk when you buy a new machine. You can’t know exactly how it will go. Well, that DK90 has done 18,000 hours for us over 10 years and given us no trouble at all,” he said. A few months after buying the DK90, they bought a DK80 which has since clocked up 14,000 hours. These two early tractors played a big role in establishing vineyard beds, trellises and tracks as the property grew from 52-ha. As vineyard operations continued to expand, they added another DK90 to the

42 Grapegrower & Winemaker

fleet and to date it has given them 11,000 worry-free hours of hard work. In 2010, the purchase of two Kioti DX9010 machines brought the fleet up to five cabin tractors. Mick said they are averaging 15001800 hours a year on all the tractors. “These are the kind of hours a contractor would do, yet the only problem we’ve ever had is when a seal went on a pump and Centrals Hills Machinery had it fixed in two hours, even though they are 60km away from the vineyard. “I can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t go straight for a Kioti, save themselves a lot of trouble and save a lot of money too,” he said. www.winebiz.com.au

Fleurieu Vintners has a self-propelled Grégoire G120 grape harvester and also a Grégoire G65 trailed harvester which is pulled by one of their Kioti DX9010 tractors. “We use all the tractors with threetonne spreaders, turbo sprayers, slashers, chaser bins, three-tonne tipping gondolas and for front-end loader work,” McDade said. “We work them hard, service them regularly and we only buy genuine Kioti parts. “The earlier tractors were simple and tough and very reliable. We have many different operators at harvest time and we didn’t want to buy anything overcomplicated.” February 2013 – Issue 589

AgroThermal Systems introduces new technology to viticulture industry Multi-purpose Thermal Plant Treatment technology shows promising results with improved fruitset, yields and pest control. IN CALIFORNIA, A unique patented technology, Thermal Plant Treatment, using heated air expelled from a tractor-pulled machine onto crops to help reduce pesticide needs, has shown surprising beneficial side effects with improved fruitset and yields. Since the inception of the technology in 2001, the basic treatment protocol has remained consistent. The tractor-pulled machine, moving at 5-6km/h, applies heated air at over 100°C at a wind velocity of 135-160km/h onto crops. The Thermal Plant Treatment machine is built exclusively for AgroThermal Systems by American Grape Harvesters of Fresno, California. The machine is engineered and built to configure the treatment properly onto each crop. The company has focused sales efforts on wine and table grape crops where it has a longer term history of successful results while developing more experience with bush and cane berries as well as orchard crops such as pears and cherries.

Earlier trials of the technology dating as far back as 2005 indicated potential side benefits beyond pest control. Some of these side benefits that positively impact the crop are aiding with higher fruit set, when applied at blossom, developing thicker skins on fruit, and drying off crops after rain storms to reduce fungal development. The machine was field tested during 2012 on winegrapes in the Napa Valley, Sonoma and central Oregon. Tests have also been conducted in Hood River, Oregon on pears and cherries, along with additional field trials on blueberries in central Oregon. CEO Marty Fischer said successful fruitset verification had now taken place on multiple winegrape varieties and the company was now ready for the next step. “We are launching a sales and marketing effort in California and Oregon to help wine and table grapegrowers set more fruit on difficult to set varieties,” Fischer said. “Wine is being developed from thermally treated winegrapes, as well as non-treated winegrapes from the same vineyards. Wine chemistry and taste testing will be

completed early in 2013 and it is expected to be available for public release soon. “The company expects to continue developing test data for the wine and table grape industry in the years ahead, working with leading growers and university experts to further reveal added benefits of the technology and to perfect protocols for various viticulture problems,” he said. “In addition, testing will continue in 2013 on a number of crops including blueberries, cane berries, cherries and pears.” AgroThermal Systems launched its sales efforts at the Napa Valley Viticulture Fair last November. Lazo TPC Global, Inc., doing business as AgroThermal Systems, is a California corporation formed in January 2007 to develop the global market for thermal technology. The company holds patents for Thermal Pest Control and has patents pending on other aspects of Thermal technology under the umbrella of Thermal Plant Treatment. For more information visit: www.agrothermalsystems.com.

An AgroThermal System TPT machine. February 2013 – Issue 589

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing

Ausvine seek solid solutions for vineyard trimmers Flexibility is the key to effective use of this latest design in vine trimming technology, along with the added attraction of lower running costs. IN KEEPING WITH the motto, ‘Providing innovative canopy management solutions,’ Ausvine Machinery P/L in conjunction with Collard Company of France has developed a range of implements that are specifically suited to Australian conditions. The varying row widths, canopy styles and individual grape variety requirements of the Australian viticultural landscape often make it difficult to use a traditional style vine trimmer. Clark Skinner, operations manager for AV&M, a Barossa Valley based viticultural management company, was faced with this problem, so he approached Ben Stephen of Vinetech Engineering.

The recently appointed Collard dealer for the Barossa region, Vinetech Engineering was able to provide the solution in the form of the Collard Parasol vine trimmer. Ausvine Machinery’s Dennis Hutton said the modular design of the Collard Profilmatic vine trimmer provides great flexibility in achieving desired cutting lengths, since it is married to an innovative frame which is able to achieve width adjustment from 400mm to 2000mm, vertical height hydraulic adjustment of 500mm, along with the standard range of cutting element angle adjustments, providing the operator with the canopy shape they require. “Collard Profilmatic vine trimmers

Not only does it offer exceptional cut quality, at high ground speeds and in vigorous growth, but the Collard rotary trimmer is the fastest trimming system available. Ausvine Machinery’s Dennis Hutton

INNOVATION – QUALITY WWW.COLLARDAUSTRALIA.COM

• Pre pruner • Vine trimmer • Pulse air leaf remover WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSVINE MACHINERY P/L Margaret River Dennis Hutton 0427-663330

44 Grapegrower & Winemaker

SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA G & J East Strathalbyn Mathew Keast 0427-396971 VINETECH Engineering Barossa Ben Stephen 0439-666500

VICTORIA TATURA ENGINEERING P/L Alex Carter 0408-241998 PATON’S MACHINERY Mornington Pip Jewson 0407-856854 www.winebiz.com.au

TASMANIA MARSHALL MACHINERY Rod Marshall 0418-508645

NEW SOUTH WALES PastroCustomAg Griffith John Pastro 0447-635255

February 2013 – Issue 589

offer proven reliability and cutting efficiency, resulting in lower tractor/ man hours, reducing operating costs,” Hutton said. “Not only does it offer exceptional cut quality, at high ground speeds and in vigorous growth, but the Collard rotary trimmer is the fastest trimming system available,” he said. Collard Profilmatic Vine trimmers are available from half row configuration thru to two full rows. Modular design allows for addition or removal of blades to achieve the cutting length required. Stainless steel blades are mounted on the sealed maintenance free bearing units which are driven by a hydraulic motor via a flat belt, which requires no adjustment. “We a lso act ively embrace individual customisation to customer requirements, Hutton said.” For more details of Collard products including pre-pr u ner and pulse air leaf defoliators see www.collardaustralia.com, or call on 0427 663330 Ausvine Machinery’s Dennis Hutton; Vinetech Engineering Ben Stephen 0439 666 500 or Clark Skinner at AV&M on (08) 8562 2222. This high quality solution for canopy management is now available to growers.

The intelligent way to spray Now available in Australia and New Zealand…

DON'T RISK YOUR SPRAYING PROGRAMME!

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THINK MR NOZZLE FOR EXPERIENCE, NOT EXPERIMENT IN SPRAYING TECHNOLOGY Lechlerhollow hollow cone nozzles or without air Lechler cone nozzles withwith or without air induction induction Bertolini and other chemical pumps Bertolini and other chemical pumps Lechler PocketWind IV series Weather Meters Lechler PocketWind IV series Weather Meters Arag Sprayer Arag Sprayercomponents components Sprayrate ratecontrollers controllers Spray Filters,fittings, fittings, camlocks Filters, camlocks Filling pumps, Chemical transfer pumps Filling pumps, Chemical transfer pumps and flowmeters and flowmeters Electric valves Electricand andmanual manual valves Hatsuta [Metters]pump spares Hatsuta [Metters] pump spares Large range of Imovilli pump spares Large range of Imovilli pump spares All spraying components All spraying components

On Target produces an electrostatically charged spray system that offers the following benefits and more: • Small, evenly sized charged spray droplets which are physically attracted to all surfaces of the vine • Reduction in spray applications • Reduction in soil compaction • Less time spent spraying and refilling • Savings in water and chemicals • Savings in fuel and labour • Less noise than traditional fan • Environmentally friendly and socially equitable • Made in the USA • Local support 24/7 Demo units currently available, as new condition.

Mr Nozzle is your South Australian based spraying component specialist, offering fast reliable service Australia wide.

To read about the On Target Spray System, see the Grapegrower & Winemaker, October (P. 62) and December (P. 46) 2012 editions, or visit our website. For further information please contact: Greg Marshall Sole Australasian Agent P: 61 8 8388 4414 M: 0407 014 627 F: 61 8 8398 0779 E: electraspray@live.com W: www.ontargetspray.com

February 2013 – Issue 589

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MR NOZZLE Ph: 1800

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515 Cross Keys Rd, CAVAN, SA 5094 www.mrnozzle.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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New tippers boost safety and efficiencies USING AN A.I.M. Forward Bin Tipper can increase safety and efficiency in any bulkVineyard handling application. Supplies The A.I.M. Forward Bin Tipper is the ideal choice for transferring an unlimited range of products including grapes, stems, oak chips, spent earth and more. A.I.M.’s tipper has a capacity of 1 tonne and is designed to provide years of service in the most demanding environments. The A.I.M. Forward Bin Tipper stands out through its unique, innovative design. The tipper quickly and easily mounts on any standard forklift without expensive modifications and minimal effort. Simply slide the attachment on tines and connect the auxiliary hoses. Through an extensive design process A.I.M. Sales has mastered the Forward Bin Tipper to allow for normal forklift use while the tipper is fitted, without disrupting clear view of the forklift tines – an important safety requirement. The A.I.M. Forward Bin Tipper can handle a variety of bin types and sizes. Its unique design enables the Forward Bin Tipper to pick up a bin from a stack, and effortlessly empty the bin through a 135-degree forward tipping motion. Through the tipper's smooth and fully controllable forward tipping motion, the

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tipping area is better regulated, bin life is extended and greater efficiencies are achieved. Once the tip is complete the operator is able to tightly restack bins allowing greater use of floor space. A.I.M. Sales recommends the industry tried and tested Nally Megabin for all storage and materials handling needs. The bins are manufactured from UV stabilised food grade HDPE, are able to

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SA wine council appoints chairperson THE WINE GRAPE Council of South Australia has reappointed Simon Berry as its chairperson until the 2014 annual general meeting. Berry has held the position since August 2010 and is the Council’s second chair since it was established in 2007. He has a vineyard at Kuitpo and is the principal of berry2wine – a vineyard consultancy service. He has been a grapegrower for 20 years and has held numerous industry positions, including

on the wine industry’s National Strategic Directions Group, Innovation Policy Committee and Wine Grape Growers Australia. He is also a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Programme. Berry announced at the 2012 AGM the adoption of a new strategic plan for WGCSA. “The Council has a relatively small budget and we have looked at how we can maximise our return to our members. We realise the importance of

focusing on a few key areas, those of most importance to winegrape growers, rather than trying to respond to all issues,” Berry said. The Council will be working closely with WGGA in 2013 to address national issues including enhanced biosecurity and reducing compliance costs. The WGCSA represents about 3500 South Australian winegrape growers who contribute to the South Australian Grape Growers Industry Fund.

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JohnDeere.com.au February 2013 – Issue 589

winemaking Machinery maintenance is key to vintage success Danielle Costley

WEATHER IS VITAL to a successful vintage, not just at harvest but throughout the year. But we cannot rely on nature alone. To achieve the crucial balance required for a great vintage, winemakers must plan ahead to ensure fruit quality is not severely compromised by equipment failure, rather than a bout of bad weather. Imagine this scenario. You’ve forecast optimal harvest schedules to maximise the utilisation of your crushers, pressers and fermenters, but during a crucial stage of vintage a key piece of machinery breaks down. Juniper Estate winemaker, Mark Messenger, is all too familiar with this situation and after 15 vintages at this Margaret River winery, has fortunately only experienced serious equipment failure on two occasions – both involving the press. “The first breakdown occurred when

the press was new and the technician was unavailable to commission it before the first press load. We were about a third of the way through the cycle and there was an almighty bang as the drum spun out of control because the bolts on the rotation motor had worked loose during transport, ripping it from its mounting. Luckily, we were able to get it fixed quickly by local tradespeople,” Messenger explains. The second was a split in the press membrane a few years later, but this time Messenger was able to patch it up, as the lead-time on a new membrane was three weeks. Messenger and his team have certainly learnt from those experiences and undertake a combination of internal maintenance and specialised contractors to service its equipment pre-vintage. “The key is to test all machinery at

2010 estate reds being processed under the watchful eye of Juniper Estate winemaker Mark Messenger. February 2013 – Issue 589

least a month prior to the start of vintage so there aren’t any nasty surprises,” he adds. “It is not viable for a small winery such as ours to have back-up vintage equipment, so that is why servicing is so important. Over the years as the Margaret River wine industry has grown, so too has the ability to source spare parts for our equipment. In the early days, if you couldn’t fix it yourself you were in dire trouble and that’s where it pays to be on good terms with your neighbouring winery. Despite even the best maintenance program, machinery does have a use-by date, which is why Juniper Estate recently changed its receival hopper from a screw type to a vibrating hopper to achieve gentler handling of grapes. This move has seen the winery achieve positive results with its wines, due to there being lower

The TurboPiguer is used for pumpovers of reds at Fraser Gallop Estate.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking phenolic pick-up and minimal juicing prior to the destemmer. “A few years ago we also invested in a mechanical sorting machine, mostly for use on red grapes, and I have found it a wonderful tool for reducing green matter and overripe/damaged grapes from entering the fermenter. It works quite effectively in removing most petioles, shot berries, leaf matter, stems, shrivel and even insects from hand- and machine-picked grapes,” says Messenger. “I have observed a significant decrease in astringent phenolics and green vegetative characters in our red wines since its commissioning. The addition of the vibrating hopper has also further enhanced its effectiveness.” Juniper Estate uses a combination of hand-picking and machine harvesting for its fruit. Its premium batches are hand-picked because they are selective picks and small in batch size, whereas machine harvesting is favoured for most of the varieties in its second tier wines. Messenger says this is purely a matter of cost efficiency and the ability to pick them in the coolest part of the night or day to maintain freshness. “We use a contract harvester and this year we will be trialling a harvester with on-board sorting, which is expected to further lift quality by greatly reducing matter other than grapes,” he says. Fraser Gallop Estate’s winery facility was built five years ago under the watchful eye of winemaker, Clive Otto. This winery was built with the capacity to process slightly more fruit than originally anticipated and features the latest equipment, including a TurboPiguer.

We use a contract harvester and this year we will be trialling a harvester with on-board sorting, which is expected to further lift quality by greatly reducing matter other than grapes. Otto says this machine is one of the gentlest ways of pumping over red ferments. “The TurboPiguer allows one person to do all the red ferments without the need for assistance, while at the same time temperatures and baumè levels can be checked, and any necessary additions can be made,” he says. “We are finding that one pumpover a day is generally sufficient. The TurboPiguer is able to pump whole, intact grapes without grinding pulp and skins at up to 70,000 litres/hour, allowing better homogenisation and extraction of the must. This is equivalent to two tank volumes initially backing off to twice a day pump-overs to equivalent half a tank volume below 2°Be. We are thrilled with the outcomes in terms of tannin profiles of the resulting wines.” The winery has only experienced one serious breakdown with the TurboPiguer, when its motor exploded

on a Saturday morning mid-vintage. Fortunately, Otto was able to borrow a tank torpedo from a winery down the road until the machine’s motor was able to be repaired on the Monday. Although the winery is still quite young, Otto is always on the lookout for new technologies and efficiencies in both the winery and the vineyard. “We may consider a peristaltic pump in the near future as it’s the gentlest pump available. The pump works rather like a human intestine or snake, as the substance moves along in a peristaltic fashion, ensuring the grapes don’t get smashed as much in the process. Whereas, our existing mono-type pump has some shearing action that could crush seeds and skins,” Otto explains. “Sorting tables are another potential investment for us, as they will further improve quality so that only the best grapes make it into the fermenter. They will allow us to select out green, diseased or damaged grapes. You can also eliminate vegetal material like stalks, petioles, canes and pests, such as snails.” Otto also has his eye on a Delta Oscillys 100 Destemmer. This machine operates without beater shafts or rotating cages so it removes grapes from the stem by a swinging motion and the grapes fall off the stems with less juicing. “The berries are more intact, the stems are more preserved without crushing or grinding, and the machine comes with a sorting table incorporated to take out petiole and vegetal parts. It is up to 10 times more qualitative than our existing destemmer,” he adds.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

Reflections of terroir Winery challenges traditional Australian styled Shiraz with French-inspired practices Kellie Arbuckle

ON THE SHALE soils at Victoria’s Pyrenees lie vineyards where the Australian arm of M. Chapoutier picks grapes for wines of complexity and longevity. Known worldwide for his Rhone-produced Syrah, French winemaker Michel Chapoutier set out to Australia in 1997 to unearth the best spot to grow Shiraz under the name M. Chapoutier Australia. To do this, he had more than 1000 holes dug around south east Australia to study the soil profile of each location. Starting out in Mount Benson and the Limestone Coast, Michel eventually found what he was looking for in the Pyrenees. “Michel uses block selection methods for creating simply amazing wines in France,” says Edouard Guerin, general manager and winemaker of M. Chapoutier Australia. According to Guerin, who has been winemaker at M. Chapoutier Australia since July 2012, the winery aims to capture not the best wine for any given market, but rather the essence of terroir. “Terroir is a combination of soil, climate and human tradition and choices,” Guerin said. For Guerin, terroir starts in the vineyard and continues throughout the winemaking process, with all grapes 100 per cent destemmed. As for the winemaking process, reds are fermented in closed concrete tanks to reduce contact between the wine and the air. Following fermentation, the wine stays on skins for a further four to five weeks – a process inspired from winemaking practices in France. During fermentation, a gentle extraction is performed by pumping-over to obtain fine and delicate tannins. The wine is then aged in 100% French oak barrels, with a low proportion of new oak (10-14%) for 12-18 months. Guerin says the objective is to produce very lightly oaked wines of elegance and structure. Less interested in the fruit, he is more concerned about producing wines of minerality and longevity: “wine that we can drink now or age for 20 years and with a long finish in the mouth.” “We’re looking for a true stamp of terroir,” he said. “Mouth-feel and length are important to us, not a full body – we want to make the best wine from the vintage, hence why we do block selection.” While not officially certified, biodynamics is another value practised at M. Chapoutier: Guerin encourages natural seeding of the must with native yeast and deliberately excludes the use of enzymes. Today, M. Chapoutier has more than 70 hectares of vineyard established in Australia, concentrated in Victoria’s Heathcote and Pyrenees regions.

February 2013 – Issue 589

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Using the ecological diversity of yeasts to modify wine fermentations The metabolic pathways of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are optimised to produce ethanol and it is difficult to engineer these yeasts to produce less ethanol. Dr. Kate Howell

THE AV E R AG E CONCENTRATION of alcohol (ethanol) in wine has been steadily Yeast & increasing, particularly enzymes in red wines. Grape sugars at harvest have increased, but this is a problem with many causes. In Australia, grape sugar at harvest has been linked to crop yield reductions, soil drying, changing vineyard management practices and climate warming over a 60-year period (Webb et al. 2012 Nature Climate Change 2; 259-264). The problem is only likely to increase in Australia, with similar trends being noted in Europe (Mira de Orduna 2010 Food Research International 43; 1844-1855). Simple microbiology tells us that the ethanol in wine is produced from grape sugars by yeasts during fermentation. So, increased sugar in harvested grapes leads to more available sugar for yeasts to convert into ethanol. And the problem is exacerbated by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to conduct the fermentation. This yeast is particularly good at converting sugar to ethanol, and relies on this to modify the fermentation environment and ensure numerical dominance. The metabolic pathways of S. cerevisiae are optimised to produce ethanol, and it is difficult to engineer these yeasts to produce less (see for example Kutyna et al. 2010

Trends in Food Science and Technology 21(6); 293-302). S. cerevisiae is just one part of the microbiological story in winemaking. There are considerable populations of non-Saccharomyces yeasts present on grapes and in wine, with differing abilities to produce ethanol. There are some unpleasant side effects to fermenting with non-Saccharomyces yeasts, which include sluggish or stuck fermentations, disagreeable aromas, and lead to increased risk of fermentation failure. The non-Saccharomyces yeasts exist in grape must inoculated with S. cerevisiae, but appear not to make a big contribution to normal fermentation conditions. Experiments looking at non-Saccharomyces yeast metabolism show that there is much biochemical and metabolic diversity in these yeasts. There is potential to harness this ecological diversity to alter aroma of wine, or in this case, change the yield of ethanol in a normal fermentation. Controlled use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts is an emerging technique in winemaking, and using these yeasts in altered inoculation regimes could give the winemaker control over the fermentation outcomes. What has been given little attention is the ethanol yield of these yeasts, particularly when grown with S. cerevisiae. A review of the literature shows that the potential yield of ethanol, and the amount of

Simple microbiology tells us that the ethanol in wine is produced from grape sugars by yeasts during fermentation. So, increased sugar in harvested grapes leads to more available sugar for yeasts to convert into ethanol. And the problem is exacerbated by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to conduct the fermentation.

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February 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 589

Grape juice/must containing 200-300g/L glucose + fructose

S. cerevisiae

Sugar 100% Ethanol +++ CO2 +++ Glycerol ++

Candida spp.

Sugar 30- 60% Ethanol ++ CO2 + Glycerol +++ Acetic acid +

Hanseniaspora

Sugar 10-100% Ethanol + CO2 + Glycerol + Acetaldehyde + Ethyl acetate +++

Pichia spp.

Sugar ? Ethanol ? CO2 ? Thiols +++

Torulaspora spp.

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Figure 1. A review of the literature cited shows that the usage of sugars and fermentation products differs widely in non-Saccharomyces yeasts. Sugar is given as a % of that converted into other compounds, and the ethanol is given from + < 4%; ++ < 10%: +++ < 17% measured as alcohol by volume.

sugar used varies widely between non-Saccharomyces yeasts (Figure 1). These studies have been performed in single-culture fermentations, where the inoculated non-Saccharomyces yeast is the sole fermentative microorganism. Clearly, this is an oversimplification of a wine fermentation, where these yeasts will co-exist with other yeasts, in particular S. cerevisiae. Yeasts such as Torulaspora delbrueckii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Candida spp. are common fermentation partners, and investigation of the fermentation outcomes shows that common wine components are altered (Figure 1). Compounds such as acetic acid and glycerol could have a sensory impact on the resultant wine. And of course importantly, wine ethanol can be reduced by 1-2%. Sequential inoculation is a technique where non-Saccharomyces yeasts are inoculated and allowed to ferment for several days before the addition of a selected S. cerevisiae to complete the fermentation. Our industry partners practice a form of this modified protocol at a well-known Victorian winery. The freshly crushed red grapes are allowed to sit at ambient winery temperatures for several days before inoculation with an industrial strain of yeast. The winemakers feel that these wines show more complex aromas and flavours that with other wines, and they often see a disparity between the Baumé to ethanol conversion (in most cases, 1°Bé converts to 1% ethanol (w/v)). This indicates that non-inoculated yeasts could be using some of the sugar otherwise available for fermentation. Could it be that sugars could be diverted from S. cerevisiae’s efficient sugar to ethanol conversion pathways, and into growth and metabolism of a non-Saccharomyces February 2013 – Issue 589

yeast? However, growth of these ‘wild’ yeasts can be a source of concern for the winemaker as other (un)desirable compounds could be produced to affect the aroma of the resultant wine. Careful strain selection and yeast combinations will allow intelligent use of yeasts for sequential fermentations. Different strains of the same species may behave differently in mixed culture, and should be tested under fermentation conditions. Yeasts collected from a wild fermentation at a Victorian winery were selected to ferment a chemically defined grape juice. The example given here is Hanseniaspora uvarum, a common isolate from grapes and uninoculated wine fermentations (Figure 2). When grown in isolation, H. uvarum cannot complete the fermentation, but when grown with S. cerevisiae added after 3 days in a sequential fermentation, the sugar is utilised. Most importantly, the alcohol yield is reduced to 9% (w/v) compared with 10.3% (w/v) when the juice is fermented with S. cerevisiae alone (Table 3). Reductions in the order of 1-2% of ethanol yield are commonly found in these experiments in our laboratories. How do metabolic modifications in a sequential fermentation occur? There are a few possibilities. All yeasts, regardless of genera need carbon compounds (sugar) to grow, replicate and metabolise. The carbon from sugar would be channelled into cellular structures and machinery- and would thus be unavailable to S. cerevisiae to convert into ethanol. Monitoring the ca rbon f low in these nonSaccharomyces yeasts have not been done in wine fermentation conditions, but with the technology of systems biology, and metabolic engineering we now have the tools to understand how www.winebiz.com.au

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1.00E+12

250

S. cerevisiae Total sugar content

1.00E+10

200

1.00E+08

150

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1.00E+04

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0 0

Glucose + Fructose (g/L)

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1.00E+12

250

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1.00E+08

150

1.00E+06 100

1.00E+04

1.00E+02

1.00E+00 0

Glucose + Fructose (g/L)

B- H. uvarum only

1.00E+12

Co-fermentation S. Cerevisiae Co-fermentation S. Cerevisiae Co-fermentation H. uvarum

Log10 CFU/mL

1.00E+10 1.00E+08

250 200 150

1.00E+06 100

1.00E+04

1.00E+02 1.00E+00

0 0

Glucose + Fructose (g/L)

C-Coinoculated Sc+Hu

D-Sequential Sc+Hu

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250

Sequential H. uvarum Sequential S. cerevisiae Total sugar content

200

1.00E+08

150

1.00E+06 100

1.00E+04

1.00E+02 1.00E+00

Glucose + Fructose (g/L)

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0 0

Figure 2. Fermentation profiles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora uvarum grown in single culture (A and B), co-inoculated (C) and sequentially inoculated (D). S. Cerevisiae was inoculated at day three (arrow). Fermentations were done in a chemically defined grape juice media containing 100 g/L each of glucose and fructose. www.winebiz.com.au

February 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 589

Table 1. Analytical details of wines made using the fermentation protocols in Figure 2. Results are the means of three independent experiments. Alcohol (% w/v)

Acetic acid (g/L)

Glycerol (g/L)

10.3

0.4

4.6

H. uvarum only

2.4

0.8

8.6

65.6

Co-inoculated

10.1

0.4

4.5

9.0

0.7

9.2

1.7

S. cerevisiae only

Sequential inoculation

flux through the fermentation pathways occurs. An intriguing suggestion may be that mixed-yeast fermentations lead to yeasts ‘talking’, where aromatic compounds act as signalling molecules between different yeasts. Chemical cues such as these mediate cellular behaviour and metabolism in many bacteria, but have only recently been described in S. cerevisiae. This type of behaviour is dependent on cell number, and often proceeds when a quorum of microorganisms is reached. Production of these chemicals has particular poignancy for the winemaker, as they are welldescribed aroma compounds in wine. The most important aroma compound, 2-phenylethanol, has a ‘rose water, floral’ aroma descriptor. Preliminary evidence from the laboratories at the

Residual sugar (g/L)

University of Melbourne has shown that cellular cross-talk is enhanced during fermentations with more than one species of yeast. This exciting result indicates that a wild fermentation – or indeed any fermentation with different yeast species present – is a dynamic and interacting environment, where the chemical signals also may affect wine aroma. Understanding these interactions further will give us a better appreciation of the high quality wines which result from ‘wild’ fermentations. Modif ying the content of wine is never easy, and the challenge of increasing ethanol in Australian wines is going to be difficult to solve. I would suggest that it will involve a few different techniques, where sequential inoculation of non-Saccha romyces and S. cerevisiae yeasts is just one

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strategy. This method does provide an innovative and circumspect method to modif y ethanol yield in wine, without harming the quality of the product. Indeed, it could be argued that distinctive and unique wines are the main result, with a nod to the microbial biodiversity which makes it possible. Dr. Howell is a teaching and research academic in the Department of Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests have been informed by her upbringing in the small Canberra winery of Jeir Creek Wines, postgraduate studies at the AWRI and the (scientific) enjoyment of many fine wines. Email khowell@unimelb.edu.au. The experiments shown here were performed by Ying (Gloria) Wang, a Masters student at the University of Melbourne as part of her minor thesis.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

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winemaking

Flavour-active wine yeasts: little things that have a big impact All yeast strains are ‘flavour-active’, meaning that during fermentation of grape juice to alcohol they produce a range of metabolites that are volatile, and we perceive these compounds as flavours. This paper, presented at the recent Crush 2012 symposium, summarises the concept that yeast strains can be grouped according to their ‘flavour’ characteristics and that choice of yeast strain on this basis provides winemakers with greater control over wine style. Chris Curtin and Toni Cordente

WHILE THERE IS a range of external factors – particularly price – that influence consumer purchase of wine, how much a wine is ‘liked’ depends upon its aroma and flavour. What’s in the bottle does matter. One proven method to change what’s in the bottle, is to change the yeast strain used to conduct alcoholic fermentation. The yeast strains available to Australian winemakers today have been selected for several reasons, chief amongst them the ability to efficiently and reliably ferment grape juice into wine. Yeasts with this most crucial characteristic, or ‘phenotype’, are not difficult to find – conduct a series of spontaneous fermentations and isolate yeast from those that went well. There is a lot more to it, of course – we expect more than the basic performance of our yeast. As they convert sugar to alcohol, wine yeast produce an array of secondary metabolites – esters, higher alcohols, volatile fatty acids and acetic acid, to name a few. All yeast make these compounds,

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54 Grapegrower & Winemaker

meaning there are no truly ‘neutral’ yeast strains – they are all ‘flavour-active’; albeit to varying degrees. The relative balance of these ‘yeast bouquet’ flavour compounds determines whether a wine might be perceived as ‘fruity’-‘confectionary’, or ‘cheesy’‘spiritous’ (Figure 1). This balance is determined in part by the grape must composition and more so by the genetic predisposition of the yeast strain. Yeast strains described as ‘aromatic’ typically produce higher levels of ethyl- and acetate-esters, whereas yeast strains used to barrel-ferment Chardonnay, for example, generally produce relatively low levels of acetate-esters, instead producing higher alcohols and volatile fatty acids (Figure 2). In other words, the ‘flavour phenotype’ of yeast can be matched to desired wine styles, and the plethora of wine styles produced today has provided impetus to yeast strain development beyond fermentation performance – everyone wants a yeast strain that accentuates their wine style. Indeed, there is evidence from the genome sequences of industrial wine yeast, and strains used for other industrial applications, that Saccharomyces species should be counted amongst those we have domesticated. By choosing strains that not only complete fermentation, but enhance the sensory qualities of wine through their ‘flavour phenotypes’, we have favoured certain genome types – wine yeast exhibit a genomic signature. While much research into the influence of choice of yeast strain on wine flavour has focused on the balance of esters, higher alcohols and volatile fatty acids, a yeast strain’s ‘flavour phenotype’ is heavily influenced by sulfur containing compounds – sulfides and polyfunctional thiols. These compounds are potent, with perception thresholds in the parts-per-billion and partsper-trillion ranges, respectively. Whether a wine is perceived as ‘sulfidic’, or ‘tropical’, depends upon environmental influences on yeast metabolism (i.e., precursor concentrations) and yeast’s

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February 2013 – Issue 589

genetic predisposition – particularly in the case of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) formation. While production of esters might vary over a 2- to 3-fold range for different yeast strains, the difference between highand low-H2S producing strains is much larger, encompassing a range over several orders of magnitude. Research conducted during the 1990s and early 2000s provided a sound understanding of H2S formation through the sulfate reduction sequence from inorganic sources, which enabled development of wine yeast that produce negligible amounts of H2S. More recent work at the AWRI has focused on formation of H2S from other, organic, sulfur sources, which has revealed interesting parallels between H2S formation and the release of ‘tropical’ thiols from their non-volatile precursors. This understanding will better enable prediction of how sulfur compound metabolism influences a yeast strain’s ‘flavour phenotype’. Based upon current research, some aromas – such as ‘floral’ – are more difficult to influence by choice of yeast strain. Major contributors to ‘floral’ aromas are the monoterpenes, which are largely derived from the grape, although microbial enzymes can release the monoterpene fraction present in grapes as glycoside

Volatile acidity

Monoterpenes

Vinegar Floral

Volatile phenols Medicinal Higher alcohols

2-phenylethanol 2-phenylethyl acetate

Spiritous Fruity Ethyl esters

Volatile fatty acids Confectionary ary

Cheesy/rancid

Acetate esters

‘Varietal expression’

‘Barrel-fermented Chardonnay’

Sulfidic

‘A ‘Aromatic tropical white’

Tropical

Sulfides

Polyfunctional thiols

Figure 1. Wine yeast ‘flavour phenotypes’ (reproduced from Cordente et al. 2012). The ‘phenotypes’ are in bold type, while volatile compounds responsible for them are light-grey. Three examples of wine fermentation applications are provided (barrel-fermented Chardonnay, varietal expression, aromatic tropical white), along with their relative position amongst the ‘flavour phenotypes’.

conjugates. Saccharomyces yeasts do not play a significant role in this release, however, due to their relatively weak glycosidase activity. ‘Floral’ nuances can nonetheless be modulated by yeast that produce relatively high concentrations of 2-phenylethanol and its acetate ester; this

particular ‘flavour phenotype’ is associated with Saccharomyces bayanus wine yeast. Genome sequencing, and related research efforts, are providing scientists with greater ability to understand genetic and environmental factors that affect how Saccharomyces wine yeast shape wine style.

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Rae Blair and Dr. Paul Chambers are thanked for editorial assistance. Research at The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is financially supported by Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body, the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, with matching funds from the Australian Government. Data presented in Figure 2 was generated as a result of work funded by Anchor Yeast.

Cordente, A.G., Curtin, C., Varela, C., & Pretorius, I.S. (2012). Flavour-active wine yeasts. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. doi:10.1007/s00253-012-4370-z.

Barrel-fermented Chardonnay

ICVD47 Melody

References

Varietal expression

N96

Acknowledgements

Chris Curtin and Toni Cordente, The Australian Wine Research Institute, PO Box 197, Glen Osmond South Australia, 5064.

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Non-conventional (non-Saccharomyces) yeasts are becoming increasingly popular as tools to further diversify wine style, and as the genomes of these yeasts are sequenced, yeast strain developers will have at their fingertips an ever broader range of options to facilitate development of yeast with target ‘flavour phenotypes’. For winemakers, this will mean new yeast strains with clear winemaking applications and fewer ‘trade-offs’.

Figure 2: Heat-map of key volatile compounds produced by different yeast strains in Chardonnay fermentations, revealing ‘flavour phenotype’ groupings. Red indicates relatively high levels of a particular compound, while green is indicative of low levels.

Curtin, C.D., Bellon, J.R., Bartowsky, E.J., Henschke, P.A., Chambers, P.J., Herderich, M.J., Pretorius, I.S. (2011) Harnessing AWRI’s yeast and bacterial research to shape ‘nextgen’ Chardonnay part 2: influence of yeast, nutritional management and malolactic fermentation. Wine & Viticulture Journal 26(2): 15-24.

Borneman, A.R., Pretorius, I.S., & Chambers, P.J. (2012). Comparative genomics: a revolutionary tool for wine yeast strain development. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2012.08.006. Henschke, P., Bellon, J., Curtin, C., Chambers, P. (2012) Breeding for success: yeast strain development at the AWRI. Wine & Viticulture Journal 27(3): 35-39.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

The A–Z of wine enzymes: Part 1 Karien O’Kennedy and Rose-Marie Canal-Llaubères

Introduction THE USE OF commercial enzymes is widely accepted as an integral part of winemaking today. With countless suppliers offering a vast array of enzymes under different brand names, the choice available to winemakers is staggering. Many view enzymes as commodity products, purchased on price only. However, significant differences in quality and performance exist between suppliers’ offerings and a good understanding of enzymes is necessary to make informed decisions. This article explains the different types of commercially available winemaking enzymes.

Why use enzymes from fungal origin? In addition to having polysaccharides in their cell walls, grapes also have some enzymes (mostly pectinases) to break these polysaccharides down. This is an important feature in grape berry (and fruits in general) ripening. Ripening

February 2013 – Issue 589

is associated with fruit softening to the point where birds and insects can break through the skins and release the seeds. This ripening is due to the change in pectins resulting from the grape pectinases becoming active as the berry matures (1). In winemaking, however, the grape pectinases show weak performance due to must conditions (low temperatures, low pH, SO2, levels, etc.). Some wine yeasts can secrete polysaccharide degrading enzymes, but their activities are also limited under winemaking conditions and they don’t necessarily occur during the prefermentation stages. Fungi produce a much broader range of polysaccharide degrading enzymes than grapes. They are much more active under winemaking conditions. For example, pectinases produced by Aspergillus niger are active at wine pH (2.8-4), resistant to 500 ppm SO2, resistant to 17% alcohol – sometimes higher in the case of glycosidases, which are enhanced by

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ethanol – and are also active between 5-65°C.

Pectinases Pectinases are derived from Aspergillus sp., often A. niger. There are at least six different enzymes responsible for the breakdown of the pectin molecule (2). The main pectinases are: pectin lyase (PL), pectin methyl esterase (PME), polygalacturonase (PG), arabinanase, rhamnogalacturonase and galactanase. Many of these enzymes exist as isoenzymes (a different version of the same enzyme) that have different pH and temperature optima and affect different parts of the pectin chain. Therefore, the protein patterns obtained by electrophoresis are specific for a given enzyme preparation. Most of the enzymes hydrolyse the sugar chains according to an endo and exo mode of action, the endo mode of action being more efficient in terms of reaction speed and performance (viscosity reduction).

Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking In the same way that yeast producers culture different strains of Saccharomyces, various strains of Aspergillus are used to produce different enzyme preparations. This is the first point of differentiation between commercial pectinase preparations, since different fungal strains under different production conditions will produce different combinations of enzymes.

Plant cells

}

Middle lamella Primary cell wall

Hemicellulases The breakdown of hemicelluloses involves the action of, amongst others, at least three different types of enzymes: xylanases, galactanases and arabinanases. Technically, galactanases and arabinanases are also classified as pectinases since arabinan and galactan form part of pectin side chains. They might be present in limited amounts in pectinase preparations.

Plasma membrane

Pectin

Cellulose mircofibrils

Hemicellulose

Figure 1. The grape cell wall consisting mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin.

Cellulases Typically cellulases are produced by strains of Trichoderma longibrachiatum (former T. reesei). Aspergillus sp. also produces some cellulases as minor activities during pectinase production. There are various enzymes involved in the breakdown of native cellulose, a linear ß-1.4 glucan. These enzymes are used in fruit total liquefaction. In oenology, their role has not clearly been defined yet.

Glucanases Glucanases for winemaking applications are produced by a different fungus than for pectinases – Trichoderma harzianum, as Aspergillus niger might produce a ß-1.4 glucanase (cellulase) as minor activity

A similar type of ß-(1.3–1.6) glucan secreted by Botrytis is found in yeast cell walls (yeasts are considered the simplest form of fungi). This glucan is liberated from the yeast during fermentation and while ageing on lees. The release of glucans into the wine is accompanied by the release of various other wanted yeast compounds such as mannoproteins, amino acids, low molecular weight peptides and nucleotides, that can have a significant effect on wine mouthfeel. Pectinase/glucanase enzyme preparations such as EXTRALYSE significantly enhance the yeast autolysis process and thus the release of these positive compounds.

but no ß-(1.3-1.6) glucanases. When Botrytis infects grape berries, it secretes a significant amount of a branched long chain glucan molecule (ß-1.3-1.6 glucan) into the grape juice. This glucan has a very high molecular weight (more than 5000 glucose units) and is responsible for very high viscosity. Wines produced from this grape juice will contain these long chain glucans, resulting in poor clarification and filtration (3). Treatment of the wine with glucanase enzymes can reduce the glucan chain length and thus improve the wine’s aptitude to clarify and filter. An enzyme preparation known as EXTRALYSE has been specifically developed for this application.

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Glycosidases Glycosidases, like hemicellulases and cellulases, are present as minor enzyme activities in pectinase preparations. Glycosidases are a group of enzymes responsible for releasing aroma compounds linked to sugar molecules (1). When these aroma molecules are linked to sugar molecules (called glycosylated aroma precursors) they are non-aromatic. Once the sugar molecules are removed they become aromatic. Monoterpenes (linalool, citronellol, nerol, geraniol) and C13-norisoprenoid derivatives (ß-Ionone, ß-Damascenone) responsible for floral and fruity notes (rose, violet, citrus) are examples of grape varietal aroma compounds that occur in glycosylated precursor forms. The main glycosidase enzyme is a ß-Glucosidase – an enzyme that releases glucose from the aroma compound. Glycosidases are inhibited by high glucose concentrations and can therefore only be used towards the end of the alcoholic fermentation. Sweet dessert wines can benefit from the addition of glycosidases to lift their aroma: in this case a higher enzyme dosage should be applied to balance the glucose inhibition. They can significantly enhance the aromatic profile of grape varieties containing mainly terpene aroma compounds such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. These aroma compounds are also present in smaller quantities in many other varieties (4). The use of such enzymes on red wine is not advisable as they can impact red wine colour, since anthocyanins are also glycosylated (5).

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What are purified enzymes? Purification is one of the major advances in winemaking enzymes in recent decades (2). During enzyme production, the fungi produce a whole cocktail of enzymes, including various wanted and unwanted side activities. Typically Aspergillus sp. produces cinnamyl esterase activity as an example of unwanted activity. Hemicellulases are examples of wanted activities. Depending on the application of the enzyme, ß-Glucosidase can be a wanted or an unwanted enzyme activity.

The importance of cinnamyl esterase free enzymes Cinnamyl esterase (CE) catalyses the first reaction in the production of vinyl-phenols. This activity is always present in pectinase preparations (6), if not removed by a specific purification step. The second reaction, resulting in the production of vinyl-phenols, is catalysed by a wine yeast enzyme (decarboxylase activity). Yeasts that have the ability to catalyse this reaction are categorised as POF (Phenolic Off Flavour) positive yeast strains. Vinyl-phenols are responsible for the loss of freshness, fruity character and, in worst case scenarios, medicinal smells in white wines. Most commercial wine yeasts are POF positive, so it is important when using these wine yeasts that careful consideration be given to the choice of settling and skin contact enzymes. Laffort’s LAFAZYM CL, LAFAZYM EXTRACT and LAFAZYM PRESS are examples of CE purified (cinnamyl esterase free) white wine enzymes, and are therefore safe for use with POF positive yeast strains. Laffort also offers a range of POF negative strains, such as ZYMAFLORE VL1, VL2, X16 and Alpha. In red winemaking, this same occurrence may result from the use of cinnamyl esterase contaminated enzymes. The cinnamyl esterase activity is not fully inhibited by wine tannins as previously thought, and therefore in the presence of non CE-purified enzymes, the concentration of vinyl-phenol precursors will increase. The danger with the formation of vinylphenol precursors is that, should Brettanomyces spoilage occur, they will be first decarboxylated into vinyl-phenols, (cinnamate decarboxylase activity of Brettanomyces) and then reduced into ethyl-phenols (vinyl-phenol reductase activity present in Brettanomyces). These ethyl-phenols have a much more intense February 2013 – Issue 589

REF 212

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking medicinal / barnyard aroma than vinyl-phenols. The use of cinnamyl esterase contaminated enzymes in red winemaking can therefore lead to increased substrate for Brettanomyces off-flavour production. There is then a clear trend to use CE free enzymes in red wine production as well. We also have to note that vinylphenols formed during fermentation can combine with anthocyanin to pr oduce m a lv id i n-v i nylphenol s adducts of orange colour (7). However, vinyl-phenols formed a few months after alcoholic fermentation due to Brettanomyces spoilage will most definitely be converted to ethylphenols, since very little monomeric anthocyanin remains to bind the vinylphenols. The use of purified (cinnamyl esterase free) enzymes such as LAFFORT’s LAFASE HE GRAND CRU and LAFASE FRUIT is therefore very important for red wine maceration.

The importance of glucosidase free enzymes ß-Glucosidase belongs to a group known as glycosidase enzymes that can free monoterpenes from their nonaromatic precursors. Targeted use of these enzymes after fermentation on specific grape varieties can, therefore, have a very positive outcome (2). However, ß-Glucosidase can also remove the glucose molecule that stabilises anthocyanin, forming an unstable aglycon that spontaneously morphs/changes into a colourless form. This is why ß-Glucosidase activity is often referred to as “anthocyanase” activity. It is important that any enzyme used for the production of red or rosé wines should therefore not have any anthocyanase activity. LAFFORT’s LAFASE HE GRAND CRU and LAFASE FRUIT (red wine enzymes) are purified from this activity. LAFAZYM CL,

NEW!

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]

RG-I

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Figure 2. A graphical representation of the pectin molecule structure. The molecule consists of linear portions as well as highly branched portions of different sugar molecules. The sugar molecules can be linked with proteins. AG: arabino-galactan, AGP: arabino-galactan protein, RG: rhamno-galacturonan (8).

LAFAZYM EXTRACT and LAFAZYM PRESS (white wine enzymes) are also free of anthocyanase activity and therefore safe for use in the production of rosé wines. In conclusion, the extra purification steps in the production of wine pectinases as major enzyme family used in winemaking, is a guarantee for the winemaker to extract and clarify the must in a safe manner allowing them to keep freshness and enhanced aromas in their finished wines.

References:

Lafase and Lafazym are registered trademarks of Laffort.

Barbe, C. and Dubourdieu, D. (1998). Characterization and purification of a cinnamate esterase from Aspergillus niger industrial pectinase preparation. J. Sci. Food. Agric. 78, 471 – 478.

Karien O’Kennedy Laffort, www.laffort.com and Rose-Marie Canal-Llaubères RCL-BIOPROCESS, Bordeaux, France. www.rcl-bioprocess.com.

Ducasse, M.-A., Canal-Llaubères, R.-M., De Lumley, M., Williams, P. Souquet J.-M. Fulcrand H. Doco T. and Cheynier V. (2009). Effect of macerating enzyme treatment

Van Rensburg, P. and Pretorius, I.S. (2000). Enzymes in Winemaking: Harnessing Natural Catalysts for Efficient Biotransformations – A Review. S. Afr. Enol. Vitic., Vol. 21, 52 – 73. Special Issue. Canal-Llaubères, R-M (2010). Enzymes and wine quality. In: Managing wine quality Vol. 2, 93 – 132. Edited by Andrew G. Reynolds, Woodhead Publishing. Villettaz, J. –C., Steiner D and Trogus H. (1984). The use of glucanase as an enzyme in wine clarification and filtration. Am. J. Enol. Vitic., 35, 253 – 256. Canal-Llaubères, R. –M. (1994). Enhancing the aroma of wines. Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker Magazine Vol. 368, 49 – 51. Huang, H. T. (1956). The kinetics of the decolorization or anthocyanins by fungal “anthocyanase”. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 78, 2390 – 2393

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February 2013 – Issue 589

Figure 3. The production of vinyl- and ethylphenols as a result of cinnamyl esterase and Brettanomyces contamination. The image also demonstrates the formation of orange Malvidinvinylphenol adducts (9).

Control

Lafase® HE Grand Cru

Non-purified Enzyme 1904

Wine 1

107

Wine 2

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261

737

Wine 3

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Figure 4. A comparison between a control wine (no enzyme and no Brettanomyces contamination) and two enzyme treated wines, contaminated with Brettanomyces. The values represent the concentration of ethyl-4-phenol (perception threshold – 400 µg/l) (10).

on polyphenol and polysaccharide composition of red wines. Food Chemistry 118, 369 – 376.

Etude de l’évolution de ces composés en milieu modèle. Université de Montpellier II.

Doco, T. et al. (1995). Les polysaccharides pectiques de la pupe et de la pellicule de raisin. Quel devenir pendant la phase préfermentaire? Rev. Fr. Oenol. 153, 16 – 23.

Gerbaux, V., Vincent, B. and Bertrand, A. (2002). Influence of maceration temperature and enzymes on content of volatile phenols in Pinot noir wines. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 53, 131 – 137.

Ducasse, M.-A. (2009). Doctoral thesis. Impact des enzymes de macération sur la composition en polysaccharides et en polyphénols des vins rouges.

Corresponding author: Karien O’Kennedy (karien@ laffort.com.au)

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winemaking

Global influencers to tour Australia’s winescape WINE AUSTRALIA WILL bring eight of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) top graduates from around the world into some of Australia’s wine regions in March as part of the Wine Australia/WSET scholarship program. The recipients of the scholarship, announced in London last month are from Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Canada, Sweden, the US and Australia, and were selected based on their exceptional performance as part of WSET’s Diploma or Level 3 Awards programs. Wine Australia’s regional director, Australia, Asia and emerging markets, Aaron Brasher, said the trip would give scholarship participants a first-hand experience of the quality and diversity of Australian wines and create passionate advocates. “This scholarship program and its associated visit to Australia will give participants the opportunity to experience the regions, meet the people and hear the stories that make Australian wines stand out on the world’s stage,” Brasher said. “In educating these scholarship recipients and providing a first-hand experience of our top drops, we’re also creating ambassadors for Australian wine, who will take their experience and taste for Australian wines back to their jobs, customers, families and friends when they return home. “Wine Australia’s support of this scholarship is part of our commitment to invest in and educate some of the world’s

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emerging key influencers through the WSET – the leading provider of wine knowledge and education around the world.” The scholarship winners will have the chance to taste the wines and explore the wine regions of the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Tasmania and the Yarra Valley from 17 to 25 March 2013. Scholarship winners include: • A manda Parker, general manager, The Fine Wine Centre, at Berry Bros & Rudd (Hong Kong) • Hong Min Luo (Amber), brand ambassador, Treasury Wine Estates (China) • Jennifer Brook, wine educator, international sommeliers guild and Wine Boutique Sales Associate - Bin 905 Distinctive Wines and Spirits (Canada) • Niklas Bergqvist, freelance sommelier and wine educator (Sweden) • Lisa Mroz, founder and director of Collabria Inc (USA) • Kylie Javier Ashton, restaurant manager, Momofuko Seiobo at The Star (Australia) • Kate Swain, store manager, Vintage Cellars (Australia) • Seah Wei Lien (William), area manager, Wine Trade Asia Pty Ltd (Singapore)

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Meter range offers efficient testing with one click A NA LY T IC A L I NST RU M E N TS PROVIDER Mettler Toledo has shifted its attention towards products for the wine industry, with a particular focus on new laboratory equipment. The latest offering by Mettler Toledo is the SevenExcellence – a meter range for the precise measurement of pH, conductivity, ion concentration and oxidation reduction potential (ORP). Mettler analytical product manager Nic Camm said the new products were developed in response to industry demand. “The feedback is that winemakers want a smooth run during vintage. They want a greater level of automation, so they don’t have any holdups,” Camm said. “We want to focus on the wine industry and provide more specific solutions to them, particularly in the way of pH.” SevenExcellence is a modular tool that is available as individuallyconfigured single, dual or triple channel instruments – depending on the number of modules included. All pre-configured versions are sold as instrument-only or kit versions, with a choice of Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM) technology sensors. These sensors help eliminate mistakes by automatic identification of the sensor upon connection. The sensors also ensure that the most recent calibration is used for future measurements. Featuring a seven-inch touch screen, SevenExcellence is designed for easy operation and is also available in 10 different languages. According to Camm, what sets the SevenExcellence apart from other meters is its smart method concept One Click operation. “A single click on a shortcut is required to start a method. Very easily, a standard operating procedure can be

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appointments & accolades Wilsmore steps down from WFA, joins Woolies Winemakers’ Federation of Australia general manager, policy and government affairs, Andrew Wilsmore, has taken up a position with Woolworths Liquor Group. Wilsmore resigned from WFA last month to accept a newly created position as public affairs manager with Woolworths. “The wine industry has been very good to me and it has been a pleasure representing a group of people as kind and as generous as they,” Wilsmore said in an email statement. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have had carriage of some very interesting and exciting policies and responsible for strategic direction on issues of import.” Wilsmore will head to Sydney for his new job after spending 13 years in Canberra, of which four years were with WFA.

Master of Wine, Justin Knock, has joined bottling specialist Cobevco.

Piper Heidsieck distributes Down Under

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Champagne Piper-Heidsieck is has announced new arrangements for the distribution of the Piper-Heidsieck champagnes in Australia. Effective from 1 January, Robert Oatley Vineyards (ROV) assumes responsibility as the exclusive distributor of the full range of Piper-Heidsieck champagnes in all on-premise channels of the Australian market. Distribution of the Piper-Heidsieck champagnes in the offpremise channels will be undertaken by Coles Liquor with effect from the same date. Coles Liquor business development general manager Grant Ramage said he was looking forward to working with Champagne Piper-Heidsieck to grow the brand in Australia. “Piper-Heidsieck is an iconic champagne, and we’re very keen to grow and promote the brand across the country,” Ramage said.

Qualified Master of Wine, Justin Knock, has joined bottling specialist Cobevco as its official winemaking consultant. Knock will advise Cobevco’s technical and product teams, helping them to develop packaging solutions for global customers and communicate the latest technology developments in bulk shipping and in-market production. Having produced wine across Australia in the Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale, Yarra Valley and Margaret River, as well as in France and Spain – and with degrees in Food Science and Industrial Chemistry – Knock has a deep understanding of the winemaking process backed by practical industry experience. While working for Southcorp Group in Australia he undertook research on Brettanomyces, micro-oxygenation and yeast nutrition. He has previously worked as the group’s European-based winemaker and, in 2008, launched his own wine brand.

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DELTAGEN Australia Pty Ltd 31 Wadhurst Drive Boronia Vic 3155

Phone (03) 9801 7133 Fax (03) 9887 0019 Email : info@deltagen.com.au Web: www.deltagen.com.au

64 Grapegrower & Winemaker

For further information, please contact Kauri NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 NZ Fax: 04 910 7415 AUS Fax: 1800 127 609 Email: winery@kauri.co.nz Web: www.kauriwine.com

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February 2013 – Issue 589

winemaker

Wendy Cameron

works at Brown Brothers as the head of winemaking, in north-east Victoria. Born in Sydney, Wendy moved to Glenrowan in 1972 and eventually studied wine science (biochemistry) and education at Charles Sturt University. Professional winemaking experiences include numerous holiday jobs at Bailey’s winery and running the family winery HJT Vineyards throughout the ‘90s. Wendy is currently working towards her Master of Wine qualification and was recently named Winemaker of the Year by ASVO. What inspired you to become a winemaker and how have you got to where you are now?

Initially I was discouraged from being a winemaker because in the late ‘70s the industry was in the doldrums. But it seems it is impossible to grow up in a winemaking family and not be lured there eventually – even the 2.00am fortifications seemed exciting. All the people I have ever met in the industry have been so enthusiastic and motivated about their wine it is inspirational. Who do you think is the most influential person in the Australian wine industry today?

I would say, especially now with the power of social media, the customer is the most influential person in the Australian wine industry. Which of your wines do you most enjoy making and why?

My favourite wine I made was Cienna (a CSIRO-bred cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Sumoll). This is a low alcohol, fruity, frizzante wine with residual sweetness. What was exciting about this wine was that I was able to develop a new wine style with a very new variety so there were few rules and a blank canvas, so to speak. What is your favourite time of year in the winery and why?

other than making wine, has been spent with them and much of that on our sheep farm. I also play the flute in a two flutes and piano group. What keeps you awake at night?

Climate change. I am distressed by the lack of urgency on this issue. I also lose sleep wondering if the kids are okay. How do you de-stress after vintage?

Stress? I’ve got such a great team it’s busy but not so stressful. But fortunately the end of vintage coincides with the start of the AFL footy season and my team Geelong’s recent form has meant that the post-vintage time of year hasn’t been too stressful, either. What was the last big-ticket equipment purchase you made in your winery? Would you recommend the equipment to colleagues?

Crossflow filtration. In truth it was probably my colleagues that recommended it to me. What has been the best business decision you’ve made for your winery?

Not alone of course but our decision to buy a winery in vineyards in Tasmania two years ago I think will prove to be a great business decision.

Definitely vintage. It’s hard work but fun and rewarding – and brings a great sense of team achievement.

Which export markets are of most interest to you and what do you think is the key thing that will help you succeed in that market?

Tell us about your most memorable winetasting experience.

China and India are going to require patience and well-targeted products but they look to provide excellent potential.

This may be memorable for the wrong reasons but I was hosted at a dinner during my first visit to Burgundy. The wines were fabulous, the food amazing and as the night progressed my confidence in my French speaking increased. With confidence, my pronunciation improved but unfortunately not my grammar. At one point my French-speaking host asked me how I liked the wine. I meant to say “I love it” but accidentally said “I love you”, the table went silent ... then laughed. Very memorable (and a little embarrassing). What do you like to do when you’re not making wine?

I’ve got three kids, the youngest having just finished school so mostly my time, February 2013 – Issue 589

What do you think of the Australian wine show system? Do you enter wine shows? Why/why not?

We enter Australian wine shows. I think they are a terrific opportunity to benchmark our wines and see evolving wine style trends. The wine shows are also a great opportunity to catch up with all the great people we have in the industry. What do you think is the Australian wine industry’s biggest challenge and what is your solution to the problem?

Climate change is the industry’s biggest challenge. Firstly because we are an agricultural industry so naturally the climate matters. Secondly, if the climate www.winebiz.com.au

We subscribe to the Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine and find it a useful publication. The technical articles and case studies are the most useful.

heads down the current path, there will be so much more to worry about other than wine production. From a research and development perspective, is there one single piece of research in the wine industry that has really influenced you or your directions in winemaking?

Leanne Webb’s work on heat effects on vines was very influential as well as research relating to improving grape quality and objective measures of this. The Ark question. The world is flooding... which two wines (white and red) would you take onto the Ark?

My favourite varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling so I would take one each of them. Choosing the actual wines would be very difficult as there are so many good ones. Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Refrigeration efficiency is more important now to the Australian winemaker than ever before Rising energy costs and a focus on environmental sustainability are changing the way cooling systems are designed and operated. Chris Herden

REFRIGERATION IS TYPICALLY the largest consumer of electricity in Australian wineries. Refrigeration It is essential that a winemaker has a basic understanding of how refrigeration works so that they can choose or upgrade a system to appropriate capacity. Because energy costs are soaring as electricity providers (striving to get ‘clean and green’) look for ways to reduce or offset their greenhouse gas emissions, refrigeration efficiency is a vital interest to a forward-looking wine industry. “Not having sufficient refrigeration capacity is something that can be a problem during vintage as there are

simultaneous and differing cooling requirements, such as fermentation, must cooling, and juice cooling to facilitate settling,” says Dr Simon Nordestgaard, senior engineer at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). Nordestgaard is the lead author of a concise and helpful guide to winery refrigeration called Improving Winery Refrigeration Efficiency, a booklet prepared in 2010 by Commercial Services, the business unit of the AWRI. The booklet suggests that off-the-shelf cooling units which use a secondary coolant (brine) and requiring minimal control system modifications are commonplace in Australia’s smaller wineries. However, these refrigeration systems have a high power usage and are

“The original system was only eight years old when we began upgrading and was a good design in some respects.” – Mark Davidson.

INDUSTRIES

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February 2013 – Issue 589

seldom tailor-made for the winemaking industry. A major market for these types of products are airconditioning systems in commercial buildings where the operating conditions and consequent capacity demands are markedly different to those of a winery. “It is important that data provided by manufacturers is relevant to the brine and ambient temperatures of a winery operation.” Nordestgaard and a team of researchers noted that a common practice of the nation’s wineries is to maintain very low brine temperatures all year round. “These operators could indeed realise increased refrigeration efficiencies (and lower electricity costs) by using as warm brine temperatures as practicable for as much of the time as practicable.” There are gains to be made in shifting power consumption from the hot day hours to the cooler evening hours. This methodology yields less total kilowatts used and generally each kilowatt costs less at night. Alternatively, cooling can simply be paused during peak times to reduce spikes – the aim is to prevent chillers running unnecessarily during peak hours to cool wine that is in a non-critical state. Some winemakers are readily accepting they need to change how they approach refrigeration. “Ref rigeration technology is improving all of the time and the payback of plant upgrades is worth evaluating,” says Mark Davidson, managing director and winemaker at Tamburlaine Wines and who acknowledges that off-theshelf systems are often installed without proper analysis of annual running costs. In 2012, Tamburlaine Wines was announced a grant recipient of the Clean Technology Food and Foundries Investment Program, a central element of the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Future plan. The program provides grants for investments in energy efficient capital equipment and

What are the key factors winemakers should consider when determining their refrigeration needs? • Dr Simon Nordestgaard, senior engineer The Australian Wine Research Institute: “A winery should carefully consider the capital and operating costs associated with possible systems, deal with more than one supplier, and ask these suppliers lots of questions. They should ensure they purchase a system that will provide sufficient cooling capacity for now and the foreseeable future.” • Thomas Honnef, winery/vineyard manager Oceanview Estates: “Invest in a chiller unit a bit larger than capacity needs. Insulate everything: buildings, pipes and tanks. Install electronic controllers on everything. There are a number of different systems that are very reasonable and easy to do but the control in production and improvement in product is priceless.” • Mark Davidson, managing director/winemaker Tamburlaine Wines: “Find a very good engineer who is interested in the efficiency of refrigeration plant to provide advice. Old systems will eat more and more at the bottom line with increasing electricity costs and maintenance. Excess cooling capacity of well-engineered winery fridge plants may be a cost-effective option for other cooling needs besides must chillers and tanks.”

“The system has a very small differential and this allows us to control all 18 Vats. These range from 100lt to 3000lt capacity.” – Thomas Honnef, Oceanview Estates winemaker.

ISECO Engineering Services Pty Ltd Specialist Refrigeration Consultants

723 Burwood Road Hawthorn East Victoria 3123 Australia

iseco.com.au email: iseco@iseco.com.au tel: (03) 9882 7340 fax: (03) 9882 7339

With over 12 years of specialist winery engineering experience We provide reliable and impartial engineering design and review services for a range of winery size and type: • Energy Audits OEH Energy Saver panel member • Winery & tank farm refrigeration capacity • Australian Refrigeration Standard AS 1677 Compliance audits

February 2013 – Issue 589

• Brine and glycol system design • Cold rooms, grape & must cooling • Hot water systems design • Compressed air design

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• Advice on alternative refrigerants and how to reduce winery refrigeration carbon emissions • Engineering support for Clean Technology Investment Program grant applications

Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking and voltage optimisation equipment. low emission technologies, processes The project is expected to more than and products. Tamburlaine’s energy halve the carbon emissions intensity of conservation upgrades began in 2011 Tamburlaine’s wine refrigeration and – before the grants program had even warehousing, and deliver energy costs commenced. Refrigeration accounts for 87 savings of more than $40,000 per year. per cent of Tamburlaine’s electricity use “The current improvements (the glycol and seemed an obvious place to start. brine system has been retained) will be “The cost of the first stage was operational as we harvest our first 2013 recovered in one year,” says Davidson. fruit this month – that will be a five year “The heat exchangers were undersized, payback.” pumps didn’t have variable speed drives Although not a large winery in world and the control system needed extensive terms, Tamburlaine is Australia’s largest upgrading. The tank temperatures were producer of organic wines. computer controlled but the brine pumps “Smaller wineries usually use much ran most of the time and the plant more electricity per tonne of grapes crushed maintained the brine temperature set by than large wineries, and they often also pay winery staff. These settings were often higher unit electricity prices. Furthermore, unnecessarily low for long periods. An cellar doors and restaurants are commonly easy saving was achieved by introducing on the same meter,” says Nordestgaard. simple control settings which took into “These smaller operators rely on a solitary account differing seasonal requirements. refrigeration plant to cool the brine, which Plant and pumps were shut down more “Our system has had a pressure switch is then pumped around the winery through often automatically, and turned off added on the chiller unit to make the fixed piping and distributed via takeoff completely most of winter. Off-peak ventilation fan cut in when needed instead of points to all operations requiring cooling. operation was all that was necessary for running all the time.” – Thomas Honnef Tank jackets are fitted with solenoid valves a significant part of the year. These first which are regulated by a central control improvements halved our total electricity system which open and closes the valves depending on the tank’s bill.” temperature.” Tamberlaine Wines’ manufacturing facility at Pokolbin NSW Some winemakers are adopting control interface systems is currently upgrading its main and cask room refrigeration [Nordestgaard mentions the American prototype VinWizard systems, insulating external brine lines, as well as installing a as an example] which require negligible additional hardware. 30kW solar photovoltaic system, liquid sub-cooling economisers, Brine temperature is automatically regulated to be as high as is realistically achievable and based on the coldest temperature tank/ operation on the brine loop. “I haven’t seen any evidence of winemakers trying to take on the role of winery engineer more than they have to,” says Nordestgaard. “In a small business you inevitably do need to be a bit of ‘jack of all trades’ to get the job done.” Thomas Honnef fits that job description perfectly. He oversees the vine planting (including two hectares of the incredibly challenging Rhone Valley grape Viognier) and winemaking at Oceanview Estates in Queensland, a fully operational winery • Must Chilling located 45 kilometres northwest of Brisbane. • Tank Cooling Honnef, who has a background in biochemistry, commissioned • Barrel Stores a wine maker from Victoria to teach him the winemaking process • Portable Chilling and to help him produce Oceanview’s first three vintages. He • Air Conditioning recently upgraded the plant’s refrigeration which consisted of a dairy industry chiller which pumped glycol around the tanks. Designed in Australia “This system worked fine, however control of tank temperature Manufactured in Australia was poor and the system chewed up a lot of power,” says Honnef. For Australian Conditions “The most painful thing was trying to control ferments while still cold-settling juice. I used to be continually adjusting valves at the • 10 kW to 230 kW (nominal) capacity back of the tanks, night and day. We reduced our power bill by a • Galvanised shell & tube evaporators third after I installed the Rica 2000 and automated tank controllers. • 12 fins per inch condenser coils It helped me work out what I needed and how to go about it.” • Powder coated galvabond sheet metal frames The winery’s lofty altitude at 450 metres above sea level provides and panels a micro-climate which facilitates the production of high quality • Optional tank & pump(s) can be factory fitted red and white wines, though humidity did cause the glycol lines • More than sixty wineries are now using Fluid to sweat. Chiller units “All the pipe works and vats are now fully insulated and I am very impressed with the improvement in both efficiency and wine quality. We’ve reduced the need to run the refrigeration at full white grape processing by two weeks. Two years ago I installed an Exweb 500 controller which connects my refrigeration system to the internet, making it available to me anywhere in the world. It’s very cool!”

WINERY REFRIGERATION PACKAGED BRINE CHILLERS

Phone: 1300 360 166 Email: sales@fluidchillers.com.au Web: www.fluidchillers.com.au

68 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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February 2013 – Issue 589

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winemaking

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Refrigeration solutions are on hand IRS HAS BEEN providing refrigeration solutions and expert advice for more than 25 years, together with back up on-site service. IRS Refrigeration services the wine industry in SA with long and short term, temporary and semi-permanent on-site temperature controlled storage environments. There are two power options available: three phase and single phase. Managing director Jeff Millar said the company’s range of refrigerated containers was extensive so wineries can be confident that IRS will have the container that exactly suits their needs or can be modified to make sure it does. “No job can throw us – we always find innovative and cost effective solutions to every situation in ambient temperature control, blast freezer, side or easy doors, locks, alarms and lights,” Millar said. “Dual zones (freezer/cool) are our specialty. IRS also has a supply of two-pallet wide refrigerated containers. “We are the only South Australian company with on-staff refrigeration mechanics who service every container prior to departure. “This means that you can be assured the container delivered will perform to optimum temperature controlled,” he said. “We will ensure the equipment is well serviced prior to going out and provide the backup service in the unlikely event it is needed.” Refrigerated containers are ideal for storing perishable goods for short or long periods. IRS Refrigeration has the expertise and experience to advise on the most suitable equipment for products and conditions. IRS can provide a smaller 10’ container or the more standard 20’ or a larger 40’, with ambient temperature control, a blast freezer, side or easy doors, locks, alarms and lights. “The choices become very simple when you are speaking with people who really know what works best in different environments,” Millar said. “If you require storage for short periods or don’t want an upfront cost, hiring is a good option. IRS has the largest and best quality range of refrigerated containers for hire in South Australia. “Remember, dual zones (freezer/cool) are our specialty and IRS is also able to offer onsite powered storage for refrigerated containers.” Contact IRS on 08 8287 1505 for more information.

Adelaide (08) 8447 8800 11 Bellchambers Road, Edinburgh North 5113

www.irssa.com.au Installation • Repairs • Sales • Container & Commercial Refrigeration 70 Grapegrower & Winemaker

IRS can assist wineries with temperature controlled storage options.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

sales & marketing What influences US resellers on which winery to represent? This is one of a series of papers presenting results from research funded by the GWRDC that examines ‘Decision Influencers’ amongst trade customers and distributors on which wine to buy in, promote and represent. Dr Steve Goodman and Dr Cullen Habel

CHOOSING A WINE to buy is a complex decision. Couple that process with the impact on business performance and the selection decision made by importers, wholesalers and distributors takes on another level of complexity. Earlier papers in this series (Goodman 2012 – Australian Data; Goodman and Altschwager 2012 – China Data – contact author for details) have outlined some of the literature and rationale behind decisions in this area. This paper presents the results of the USA data which questioned importers, wholesalers and distributors about ‘what influences you when you look to represent a new wine?’ The Best-Worst Choice method is used: respondents are asked the same question a number of times, but each response has a selection of a different combination of attributes. The research design ensures each att ribute appea rs an equal number of times and against the other attributes a constant number of times.

The respondent is asked to say which 1 Most and which 1 Least influences their decision. The results arise from a count of the number of times an attribute is mentioned ‘Least’ is taken away from the count of each time it is mentioned as ‘Least’. The number is then transformed using a simple process whereby the attribute with the highest score (the most powerful influencer) is 100 and the remaining attributes are reflected as their comparative likelihood of being the strongest inf luencer. The appeal of this method is that you actually get a comparative strength of influence of each attribute, unlike other methods where the difference between a score of say 3.15 and 3.75 is not actually known. Further detail on this is available in Cohen (2009) and Goodman (2009) Figure 1 shows the influence on decision at the US sample level, before we consider how different customer

groups perceive the various wine attributes. While the results at this level are unlikely to surprise anyone, it is interesting to note that the actual Price Point of the wine is almost equal to the Margin likely to be received, similar where the Brand and Liking the Taste and the Range of Wine as equally important an influence as the Origin. Splitting the sample into High and Low sales volumes we see the difference in influence beginning to emerge. Lower volume distributors are more influenced by Like the Taste, Origin and Vintage/Aged Wine, where Higher Volume Distributors are more influenced by Margin and Brand. How does this help? Like all marketing insights, one of the key things is the importance of understanding your customer. This data shows us the importance of understanding your wholesale customer, their business and the

Figure 1. Overview of the US sample: What influences your decision on who to represent? (n=106). February 2013 – Issue 589

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

sales & marketing

Retail price point

Margin

Tasting stock allowance

Advertising and Promotion Contribution

Press write ups and features

Medals and Awards won

Vintage/aged wine

Merchandise support from the winery

Grape variety

Range of wine offered by the winery

Brand

Origin/Region

Like the taste

Figure 2. Differences between Low (n=51) and High (n=40) volume wine distributors.

understanding your customer, seeing your proposition through the business eyes of the customer. While you may have a product that means the world to you and is truly unique and top level quality – to the distributor it is ultimately a business decision that needs to fit with several other (hundred other) business decisions that they have made. Through doing this you have the opportunity to craft not just the wine that you make, but how you present it to business customers for sale. As well as producing a great product, you can also highlight key information that resonates with what is important to them.

Steve Goodman's wine business research includes tourism, cellar door, social media and management strategy. For updates across these areas – steve. goodman@adelaide.edu.au or facebook.com/ stevegoodmanwine.

Figure 3. Differences between market focus.

likelihood that they are similar to the respondents in this work. If you are pitching your wine to a new distributor that has High volume sales, you may be wise to consider emphasising Brand and Margin – rather than concentrating heavily on the taste and vice versa if you are pitching to smaller volume resellers. Similar is the value likely to be gained through understanding who your reselling customer has a focus on. Figure 3 shows the results comparing On and Off-Premise and Direct Sale businesses. Overall, the On-premise and Direct sales focused business have a very common overlay, where the Off-premise focused business differs

72 Grapegrower & Winemaker

markedly. If you are pitching your wine to a business with an Off-Premise focus, be mindful that they are far more influenced by Retail Price Point and Margin and much less than by Taste, Origin, Range of Wines produced and Varietal. When you think about this it is straightforward to understand that a distributor that focuses on On-premise customers is more likely to ‘buy in’ a wine that has a larger range of varieties, that is Origin based – where that origin is a marketable factor.

Conclusion Similar to the China data and other wine choice work undertaken, we see the importance of knowing and then www.winebiz.com.au

Cullen Habel, independent market research consultant and adjunct lecturer in marketing and market research at the University of Adelaide – see www.cullenofadelaid.com.

References

Cohen, E (2009) ‘Applying best-worst scaling to wine marketing’, International Journal of Wine Business Research, 21(1), pp.8 – 23 Goodman, S (2009), ‘An international comparison of retail consumer wine choice’, International Journal of Wine Business Research, 21(1), pp.4149 Goodman, S, (2012) ‘What influences a distributor’s decision on who to represent?’ Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker Journal, January Goodman, S and Altschwager, T, (2012) ‘What influences the Chinese Distributor’s choice on what winery to represent?’ Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker Journal, April

February 2013 – Issue 589

Marketing: image is everything Marketing your winery is an integral part of ensuring its success and arguably as important as the quality of the wine you produce. Opportunities to promote your brand often arise at unexpected times and you need to have resources on hand to make the most of them. In Part 2 of this feature series we look at image libraries: what to include, creating images and how to get them organised. Gerri Nelligan

IN THE LAST edition we looked at marketing via media opportunities: how to identify them, and the need to have good, relevant information prepared and at hand when they arise. An article about your company can promote both sales and brand awareness but when it comes to gaining reader attention, you’ll get far more ‘hits’ if it’s accompanied by a great image. So what is a great image? It’s a highquality, well constructed shot that is relevant to the subject and represents you and/or your products and business. And a collection of them, organised and filed into an easily-accessed image library, translates into valuable marketing materials for your business.

Relevance To ensure you can provide images relevant to the subject, you need a range of images on file covering the various aspects of your business: people, products and place. Key personnel and bottle shots are a given, as are images of your cellar door and

‘Best practice’ for the media-savvy marketer: • • • • • • • • • •

k now your brand profile and marketing messages have background information on winery, brand, key players and products keep the information up to date and accurate when you achieve, put it out there when you have a story to share, put it out there relevance is all-important: provide information specific to each situation provide dot point information and quotes, don’t write the article yourself accumulate a library of high-quality images of your people, products and property faces need names – keep a record of the people in your images file it all with easily identifiable names in a Media or Marketing folder.

vineyard, especially if it’s a dynamic design or in a picturesque location. And anyone with a good set of images of their business “in action” would be a top choice for an article on some aspect of winery operations: quotes about crushing procedures are helpful shared advice but if you’ve got images to run with them, you’re an editor’s dream.

Quality For those of us in publishing, this is the big one. The introduction of digital cameras means more people are now choosing to take their own images. Unfortunately, however, they don’t always have the technical knowledge to ensure those images are as good as they could be. The rise of the internet, which

Watch for heavy shadows that can make a photo unusable in a quality publication. Simply by using flash in the daytime it is possible to remove the harsh and ugly shadows that can spoil an otherwise perfect picture. Always check your camera's resolution settings first, or you may end up with a low resolution image (inset, above) that cannot be used for reproduction. Grapegrower & Winemaker requests that digital cameras be set on the highest resolution possible.

February 2013 – Issue 589

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sales & marketing

The good, the bad and the ugly: Put some thought into your marketing photographs and consider how useable a photo will be before you click the shutter. No-one wants people's backs in a photo and an otherwise acceptable vineyard image is wasted. Never underestimate the value of a smiling face or two. Our industry is made up of many people who need recognition for the work they do.

Mr. Magic? If you are fortunate and have a winemaker with a larger than life personality, make the most of it. Capture images of them in a hands-on role and these photos will have wide appeal. Is there anything different about your vineyard? Vine nets (pictured above right), visiting kangaroos or a scenic location will offer an opportunity to market your winery and gain attention for your business.

is less demanding than print production, also means people are accepting lower quality images as the norm. So while digital equipment gives us the capacity to produce higher quality images than ever before, publishers are increasingly receiving dismally low quality pictures – most of which we just can’t use. A low quality image may look great on your computer screen but it will turn to visual mush in print. So the golden rule is always provide highresolution, uncropped originals. Why uncropped? Because when the average photo-editing program crops an image, it reduces the image size and lowers the resolution. Resolution refers to the ‘dpi’, or dots per inch, so if you reduce an image from 600 dpi to 300 dpi, you’re basically halving the amount of information in each inch of image. The rest gets filled in with white space, giving you a blurry, poor quality picture. So if you hate the background but love the photo when it’s cropped a certain way, by all means suggest that when you send it through. But don’t do it yourself:

74 Grapegrower & Winemaker

So while digital equipment gives us the capacity to produce higher quality images than ever before, publishers are increasingly receiving dismally low quality pictures.

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the publishing team can do it better. They know the style of image they want, the space they have to run it and the other elements on the page they need to work with – and most importantly, their professional software program can crop your image without affecting the quality.

Attachments The other important element to retaining image quality is how you send your images, and the golden rule here is always send original files as attachments. When you use the ‘send as email’ option your image is reduced in size and sent in the body of the email or as a smaller attachment. The reduction in size also reduces the quality and, again, they won’t reproduce in print. Sending original images as email attachments retains the properties – and therefore the quality – of the original files. And if you’ve got a lot of large file images to send, be aware of the capacity of most internet servers and send them individually. Better still, look into one of the free file-sharing services like February 2013 – Issue 589

This image of Christie Schulz of Turkey Flat shows what can be achieved by a professional photographer. The winery setting, bright, even lighting and symmetry combine to make a perfect marketing photo.

Dropbox to ensure you don’t jam the recipient’s server with a barrage of oversized emails.

Content Quality also relates to what’s actually in the photo – especially when it’s people. If their backs are to the camera, don’t send it. People are faces, so make sure they’re readily identifiable, in full view and well lit, and not hidden by sunglasses or wide-brimmed hats. And if you can’t provide names for the people in the image, don’t send it. You don’t represent your business with nameless people and neither will an editor.

Organising your image library It’s no good having great images if you can’t find them. In reality, though, most people’s ‘image library’ is just a mess of unidentifiable photos lying somewhere in their computer. Creating an easilyaccessed image library is just a matter of getting organised and setting up a practical filing system which works for you. The day after a regional awards dinner, Bill Jones downloads his camera and finds some great shots he could use to promote his business, Jones Wines. It’s the impetus he needs to start organising an image library. So let’s take Bill through how to go about it, step by step: • create a new folder in your Pictures file and name it ‘Jones Wines images’ February 2013 – Issue 589

However, even with the perfect setup, if you are taking your own photos, check the resolution settings on the camera, which someone else may have been using, or the results may be less than satisfactory.

• open that folder and create a subfolder, name it ‘2013 Orange Wine Show’ and download the images into that folder • create a text document and save it into the sub-folder with the images • look at each image and re-name it with a suitable descriptive name – e.g. ‘OWS-Best SB’ • add the relevant information for each image to the text document. Once Bill does this with all of his images, he ends up with a Media images folder with a number of sub-folders: 2011 Vintage, 2012 Gourmet Weekend, Product shots, Personnel etc. Each of those contains images filed by easilyrecognised descriptive names, along with a text document (or spreadsheet, if you prefer) with all the relevant information for each image. And the next time he gets a phone call from a journo wanting input for a story, it takes Bill less than 10 minutes to source a couple of relevant images and all the necessary details to go with them and send them through. When the magazine comes out, his images make up half the total space of the article. That’s great promotion – and the value of a wellorganised image library. Next month: Part 3 in this handson marketing series looks at sourcing images, working with a photographer and copyright issues. www.winebiz.com.au

Quality first is a great approach. Aim to compile a library of suitable, clearly named images in accessible computer files.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

sales & marketing

Superior profitability through innovation Jeffrey Wilkinson

WE KNOW CONSUMERS do like change, even if they will don’t admit it sometimes. If this fact wasn’t so, the whole business model of fashion would be flawed, and the wine business is no exception. However our permanent viticultural crop, historical backdrop, traditions and climatic limitations provide built in limitations to purely ‘fashionable’ changes in wine. This can actually be a good thing as we know that part of the reason wine consumers enjoy visiting wineries, is to get in touch with the history of a winery or region, and normal mass marketing concepts of fashion have little place there.

Rewards and profitability However, genuine and correct innovation in the wine business is rewarded, and the companies that have managed this correctly enjoy superior profitability. There are many examples in our proud history. The introduction of refrigeration, insulation, cultured yeast and sterile bottling revolutionised white wine making and allowed for distinctly new types of wine to be marketed to consumers in the 1960s and 70s. This led to an expansion in the marketplace and a growth in consumption of wine. There were similar innovative developments in red winemaking which delivered friendlier and more consistent red wines than had been available to consumers previously. One can argue whether the introduction of new grape varieties is in fact ‘innovation’, which leads us to consider a common definition of innovation.

Genuine and correct innovation in the wine business is rewarded.

flavour profile and packaging imagery. In summary, don’t just rely on planting a new grape variety to be the basis of your innovation program. It is expensive to plant or graft grape vines, an established variety cannot be protected with intellectual property rights, and the whole concept is easily copied.

An example of innovation

Macquarie Dictionary says: ‘the introduction of something new. A new idea, method or device’ While a new grape variety may be new to the Australian viticultural scene, it is not really new in the sense of innovation. That doesn’t mean that the use of new varieties won’t be rewarded. We have some wine companies in Australia who have enjoyed superior profits with new grape varieties.

We briefly mentioned packaging innovation. The absolute master of wine innovation in Australia must be the Stelvin screw cap. However it required an innovation in marketing to ensure its ultimate success in Australia. This ‘paradigm shift’ in wine bottle closure was technologically available well before it eventually went on to dominate the Australian scene. Having had a false start in the 1970s, the screw cap languished for decades, as consumers regarded the closure with disdain. An innovative marketing plan, with an intimate dialogue with the consumer in the 2000s saw the screw cap commence its rise to where it dominates today. In 2013, the premium wines not closed with a screw cap are in a rapidly diminishing minority. The marketing innovation of the screw cap has drastically reduced consumer complaints, wastage and has made the delivery of wine flavour more reliable than in any point in history. It was the innovation in consumer communication of this long known technical closure that led to its success. In a national and global market that seems to grow more complex, fragmented and competitive by the day, we continue to require innovative approaches to the dialogue with consumers.

Consumer marketing

Membership

However, a closer examination of the business model of these companies shows that the use of a new variety is often an intrinsic part of a much larger consumer marketing proposition to deliver a new

And that’s where Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) can assist. WCA is an independent association of wine professionals and a not for profit organisation.

Innovation defined

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It is open to anyone and is not just for communication types. Membership should be a must for anyone who talks about and talks up wine for a living – whether you are a winemaker, winery owner, cellar door staff, wine retail or responsible for sales and marketing. WCA’s members have a voice that shapes the future of Australian wine, and the organisation’s primary objective is to be the communication forum for issues, ideas and innovations. WCA seeks to stimulate the debate, as well as provide the education and motivation that is required by a dynamic and confident Australian wine industry. WCA believes the only way for the wine industry to move forward is to arm the troops with the tools, knowledge and confidence to connect professionally and effectively with media, retail and consumers. To achieve this WCA delivers a broad and evolving range of professional development and education-based programs, events, and information for those employed in the Australian wine industry.

National events In 2013, WCA will continue to deliver its major national events including Consumer Insights (April), the Vintage Report (June) and the Annual Lecture series (August) in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth and the end-of-year Chair’s Dinner & Great Debate. In addition to this, the excellence of Australian wine quality is celebrated each year at WCA’s flagship event Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners’ Lunches held in Australia’s State Capital cities.

Join today Become a member of the Wine Communicators of Australia today and take advantage of the opportunities and programs designed to engage, connect, learn and inspire. For further information go to www. winecommunicators.com.au or contact WCA executive officer Jeffrey Wilkinson on eo@winecommunicators.com.au. February 2013 – Issue 589

Innovative research into dissolved oxygen management Portavin seeks to continually improve quality systems and support the wine industry through technical projects, while also recognising the importance of supporting the next generation of winemakers. AUSTRALASIA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT wine services company, Portavin recently Bottling identified an opportunity to support a Curtin Labelling & University (WA) wine science student in researching and producing their final year Packaging technical project. Prerequisites for the research were that the topic needs to: innovate and be relevant to the winemaking process; provide a hands-on testing experience; satisfy the requirements of the wine science course and allow for a statistical evaluation of the data collected. Aside from financial assistance, the student benefits from having access to a commercial laboratory and bottling situation at Portavin’s premises, making the results as relevant as possible. Always a hot topic, research around dissolved oxygen (DO) management at bottling was selected for the first project, which began in late 2012. The research focused on the use of three different inert gases in the filling system: nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide. The aim of the project was to determine the performance of each of these gases in controlling DO pickup during the filling stage of the bottling process and then evaluate any changes to SO2 and CO2 levels at three and six weeks post bottling. At completion of the trial the key findings were: • At six weeks there was no statistical difference in the ability of each gas to control DO. Immediately post bottling, the use of nitrogen and argon resulted in lower DO levels than CO2. The inverse was true at six weeks which was a surprising result and may be the result of chemical interactions between the gas type and the wine. • There was negligible change in free SO2 during the trial. A 4ppm change in total SO2 was observed at the six week mark of the trial. Dissolved oxygen levels predictably fell in bottle at three weeks however this was not accompanied by a fall in free SO2 concentration. • There was no statistical difference in dissolved CO2 levels between the treatments, suggesting no significant difference in headspace pressure between the treatments. • These findings raise new questions and provide direction for future trials. • Portavin plans to continue the initiative in 2013 in collaboration with Curtin University (WA) and a final year wine science student. Portavin recognises the need to support such innovative research with robust quality systems – to give winemakers peace of mind at the critical stage of bottling. Portavin Melbourne recently received the highest possible rating during recent recertification audits with rare “zero non conformance” ratings from both the British Retailer’s Consortium (BRC) and ISO. The independent auditors took three days to thoroughly investigate procedures and policies at the Cheltenham site before declaring Portavin Melbourne to be one of the most comprehensive and impressive systems they have seen across any industry. February 2013 – Issue 589

Research into dissolved oxygen at bottling is supported by Portavin.

Dissolved oxygen levels are critical at point of bottling.

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sales & marketing

Controlling dissolved oxygen pickup during the filling stage is a Curtin University project.

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The three audits were for: • BRC, including HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical control points) • ISO 9001: 2008, a business-wide, general quality management system • ISO2200: 2005, specific to food safety. The auditors praised the depth of detail of Portavin’s quality systems, the ease of record retrieval, as well as the transparency of the whole operation. They also noted the commitment from management and the team to continually improve and implement preventative actions. Portavin Melbourne’s production manager, Gavin Wade, who oversees the audit processes said: “The results reassure customers that when Portavin bottles their wines and/or manages logistics, it unequivocally meets quality requirements in a safe and legal manner. We work continuously to innovate and improve our processes to offer the highest quality standards possible”. All Portavin sites are now BRC certified except WA. The WA sites were audited in December and were recommended for an A-grade certification, awaiting final approval by the certification body. Portavin NSW has also been awarded WQA (Woolworths),Tesco, ISO9001:2008 and Australian Certified Organic. More at www.portavin.com.au

February 2013 – Issue 589

label design

A label with a purpose Alexander Lloyd began his design career as a compositor and finished artist in Wellington, New Zealand, before launching Lloyd’s Graphic Design in 1992. The growth of his business has mirrored the expansion of the wine industry in the Wellington area. From the home where his studio is located, Alex has spent the past 21 years providing clients with graphic design services for print projects. While logo and identity design are his passion, Alex has become increasingly involved in packaging and label design. The following responses relate to the 2012 Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. What inspired you to work in design, and what aspect of label design do you enjoy the most or derive the most satisfaction from?

What are the most important labelling concepts to impact on wine sales and marketing success?

From an early age I enjoyed the idea of well-conceived concepts and design with a purpose – whether it’s the beauty of form with function found in industrial design or the persuasive, engaging nature of commercial art. For me the challenge of expressing a brand within the limited confines of your typical label proportions is equally the greatest challenge and satisfaction of label design.

There are numerous aspects of label design that can ultimately determine sales and marketing success of any particular wine. No doubt having a concept that is distinctive, genuine and memorable from the obvious visual elements to the creation of the brand name, itself, are key drivers in any successful label design. Overall the tone must be authentic from the story that is told, to the visual representation of that story across all media including, and most importantly, the point at which the buying public are most intimately connected with the brand – the label.

What was the inspiration or key branding message behind this particular wine label?

Rapaura Springs is a young, energetic winery with a focus on purity of providence, process and product. This is an unashamedly Kiwi brand that is proud of its location and wanted to convey a sense of youthful enthusiasm, tempered by an appreciation of the natural environment from which it is sourced. Hence the concentric circles of river stones, symbolic of the stony free-draining soils of the Wairau Valley, and the flowing interwoven horizontal lines representing the springs themselves. What are the technical specs used in the production of the label, i.e., printing technique, processes and colours?

The label is printed using a single spot colour, PMS Black 7C, plus gold foil for the icon and logo type. The label is sealed with a matt varnish and finished with a special high build varnish on the gold foil and the wavy lines that stretch across the label through the stones in the centre. February 2013 – Issue 589

Have you seen many changes in label designs over the past decade and what labelling trends do you see emerging into the future?

The past decade has seen a proliferation of second, third, and fourth tier labels from wine producers to extend their market reach, plus an increase in home-brand wines from many large retailers. This has seen an associated rise in the number of brands that are less concerned with the immediate providence of the wine and more focused on much less traditional concepts. This has allowed for greater scope in concept, content and creativity. Perhaps improved digital printing techniques will be something we see greater use of in the years to come as technology improves. To what extent do countries respond differently to labels and/or wine marketing images?

Response to labels is possibly less driven by nationality than by age and gender www.winebiz.com.au

demographics. Relative experience in wine appreciation is also an important factor, with aficionados less concerned by current label trends. Broadly speaking the younger, more image conscious market (both male and female) are easily swayed by emotive and current design trends and campaigns. On the other hand, your older more established age group look towards tradition and a proven history and quality when purchasing. Perhaps as labels from New World wine producers have become more prolific there has been a gradual move away from the classic European label design to more image driven brands, but those traditional brands still hold their position of prestige like fine vintage furniture. How can label designers overcome the challenge of helping a wine bottle stand out as the market becomes increasingly congested?

The ongoing challenge for every brand is to establish and maintain a shelf presence amongst a sea of other brands all seeking to do the same. The real key for any designer is attempting to create a label that defies the ‘wallpaper’ nature of your average shelf display – all the while never knowing what other labels your design might be displayed amongst. Grapegrower & Winemaker

sales & marketing

Contract wine packagers form association Kellie Arbuckle

AUSTRALIA’S CONTRACT WINE packaging providers have united to establish their own organisation. The Wine Packagers Association (WPA) was formed last month by eight contract wine packaging companies to enhance communication and skills resources between the providers. Vinpac International general manager David Hutton put the idea to several contract wine packagers last year and received a positive response, with many keen to be involved. The founding members are: • Best Bottlers Pty Ltd, Mildura, Victoria, represented by Ron Treffene • Barossa Bottling Services Pty Ltd, Nuriootpa, South Australia, represented by Nick Walter • Hunter Bottling Company, Pokolbin, New South Wales, represented by Russell Smith • McLaren Vale Bottlers, McLaren Vale, South Australia, represented by Vince McMullan • Ozpak Pty Ltd, Nagambie, Victoria represented by Andrew McPherson • Portavin Pty Ltd, Busselton West Australia represented by Mike Davies • Prowine Pty Ltd, Gawler, SA represented by Steve Peake • Vinpac International Pty Ltd, Angaston, South Australia, represented by David Hutton. Hutton said there was a need for a forum for packaging specialists. “I’ve been in the contract packaging industry for about 15 years and in the industry we’re all isolated,” he said.

“We have a lot of experts in individual businesses, but there’s no collective forum – despite that we all have the same issues. “Collectively, we believe we’ll have a greater voice which will help us improve our businesses and services to our customers – the suppliers and the winemakers.” Hutton said there is a big disconnect between what the supplier and winemaker expect of the end-product which can put the packagers in an awkward situation. “There’s a lot of non-conformity in what we can and can’t do. We want to work with people on both sides of the supply chain to come up with a product that satisfies the requirements of both suppliers and winemakers,” he said. The WPA will also provide trials for new initiatives and proposed changes to materials or components. The association was registered in South Australia on 8 January and is expected to have quarterly meetings. Membership is valued at $5000 per year, which will go towards research and development, and is open to contract wine packagers by invitation; though there is likely to be an avenue for suppliers to be involved further down the track. “The association is a long time coming. We’ve all known each other but haven’t openly spoken about issues we face and how we want overcome them in. We all have similar issues but if we can work on them together, it’s better for our whole industry.” For more information, contact David Hutton on 0417 846 686 or (08) 8561 0738 or email: david.hutton@vinpac.com.au.

Vinpac International general manager David Hutton.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

business & technology

How to break into the lucrative UK market Be prepared to do your homework and invest your focus and energy – and presence – if you want to achieve success in marketing your wine labels. Mike Paul

Essential questions for Australian producers IF I WAS a small to medium-sized Australian producer with an interest in selling in the UK, I’d be asking myself a number of questions: 1. What’s my target volume in the market, and over what timeframe, and what level of return do I expect? 2. How realistic is this given the state of play of the Australian sector in the UK and the broader market dynamic? 3. Who are my key competitors and what are my points of difference that make me stand out? Are there differences in my range, my quality/price relationship, my presentation and the way I communicate or promote my brand which will perceived by the UK market (not just by myself) as giving me a competitive advantage? 4. What are the options in terms of my route to market? On which trade sector should I focus? What are the distributor options or should I go it alone? Now clearly in terms of coming up with a plan of attack on the UK all these points are interrelated but in this piece I’m going to focus on the last point, the route to market, because in my experience this is the area which is generally given the least thought. First of all though let’s tackle the issue of the financial viability of the UK. As a rule of thumb, and taking account of duty and the spectrum of margin expectations of retailers and distributors, if your wine was to retail at say £7 per bottle in the UK off-trade then you could expect an ex-cellars price of between $22 and $28 per dozen and this would increase by $8/9 per dozen for every £1 per bottle you could command over £7. This assumes an FX of $1.56 and does not take into account any promotional support. If this is broadly acceptable, then the key questions are about which sectors of trade are appropriate for you – and the best way through to them.

Ten most common mistakes There is never just one correct way forward, but there are plenty more incorrect ones and I would note the top 10 most common mistakes producers make as follows: 1. Having no medium-term (three-year) plan or vision so the decisions you make on the route to market, the appropriate range and price positioning, are too opportunistic and may well need reviewing sooner rather than later, which could seriously jeopardise your chances of success. 2. Ruling out the major retailers as potential customers, but having volume expectations that are just not viable through the rest of the trade. 3. And, linked with the above, launching through the independent retail sector and/or the on trade and then having built up sales to a certain point, and, deciding you want more, jumping into the major retailers with the same brand/ range and expecting the independents/on trade to continue supporting you. 4. Selecting an agent with a great reputation, status and February 2013 – Issue 589

Photo: Laithwaite’s Wine. The Arch, Borough Market, Stoney Street, London.

coverage but without any real understanding of how you get the focus and empathy you require. 5. Getting the necessary amount of focus and empathy, but with an agent who has no real ability to achieve your goals. 6. Relying on your agent for all market information and

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business & technology feedback. You need to be in a position to have a proper discussion on the right approach/strategy. 7. Assuming your job is done when the wine leaves your cellar. However good your agent, the market needs your presence and input. 8. Discounting your wines to a level that is unprofitable in order to secure the support of an agent, or listing by a customer, in the expectation that once ‘successful’ you will be able to increase prices appropriately. This is not easy. You will have been listed to hit a price and will be perceived by the customer/agent and consumer as being within a certain price segment; you will have become in effect a ‘known value’ item. It’s very difficult to escape from that situation. 9. Having no proper agreement with your agent or distributor. 10. Not using the services of the generic office in London for advice and support. They understand the market dynamics from an Australian point of view.

Time and attention needed in UK market Tackling the UK market is therefore a minefield and needs an appropriate amount of time and attention. Part of that attention not directly covered in the above is the need to put yourself in the mind of not just your target agent or customer in the UK, but your target consumer. This consumer will obviously be somebody quite prepared to buy a bottle of Australian wine at your target price, but the likelihood is that they will also be equally (or even more) likely to buy wines from other countries at the same price and/ or may have some loyalty for other Australian producers who you will need to replace or co-exist within their ‘portfolio’.

So how do you secure their support? Well, this I find a particularly interesting question. In Australia, the chances are you have a strong cellar door operation and/or a strong on line presence through which you’ve built up a database which you are using not only for sales but to spread the word about your wines. The fact that the consumer can visit you and then you can follow up that contact on line is hugely advantageous. In an export market many thousands of miles away, the chances of the target consumer having visited your cellar door, or even having a particular affinity with your region, are pretty low and yet looking at producers’ labels or even visiting their websites the impression is too often given that this level of affinity is assumed. If you are going to market your wines internationally, your communication must be pertinent to the market in question.

Co-operative approach could help winemakers In an ideal world you would build up a direct relationship with consumers in each key market (and even consider selling to them direct) so that you can personalise your message. The practical (and financial) constraints involved in doing this for a single small producer are considerable but I believe what we will see increasingly are groups of producers getting together in some shape or form to do just that, given the increasing costs and competiveness of traditional routes to market. Mike Paul is a UK-based wine industry consultant and former European director of Southcorp Wines.

Winemakers, record keeping NSW Wine Festival need not be a chore With Wine File... • Winery records are easy to create and maintain • Winery records are completely auditable • Additives can be tracked to the material batch level • Augments HACCP/Standard Operating Procedures • Your NZ WSMP record keeping needs are met • You will be using software that is widely used in Australia, New Zealand and the USA These are just some of the reasons why Wine File is the winemaker’s choice for winery record keeping.

NOW MOBILE

www.winefile.com.au sales@winefile.com.au Tel: +61 02 9807 6077 82 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Now in its sixth year, the 2013 NSW Wine Festival returns to celebrate the state’s award-winning wines and outstanding wine regions. Taking place from 22 February to 31 March, this year’s festival will comprise a five week-long celebration involving restaurants, bars and artisan food producers from across NSW. The festival kicks off with Sydney Cellar Door in Hyde Park, where visitors can wine, dine and enjoy more than 90 of the state’s finest food and wine producers. Extended this year to include Friday night, the event will see wine aficionados and novices alike taste their way across NSW. The Tour of the Regions Dinners is a series of specially created dinners at select Sydney and regional restaurants, which will offer attendees the chance to meet the chefs and winemakers, and learn the tricks of the trade. Sydney’s best bars get in on the action with NSW Wine of the Month and NSW Wine Flight of the Month (new for 2013), offering a stellar line-up of wines paired with bar snacks throughout the duration of the festival, starting at $15. The state’s best restaurants will host Dine with NSW Wine, offering food lovers a perfectly matched lunch or dinner dish paired with a NSW wine, starting at just $30. And for those with a sweet tooth, Sticky and Sweet (new for 2013) will offer a delectable dessert and matching wine at selected venues across the city. Finally, NSW Wine will host a takeover of the Pyrmont Growers’ Market offering guided tastings and food matching with a selection of winemakers.

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February 2013 – Issue 589

Wineries target ‘appy’ consumers Australian wineries are shifting their attention to online mobile purchasing in an effort to increase their reach to customers in an increasingly competitive market. Kellie Arbuckle

WITH MOBILE COMMERCE sales expected to surpass $5 billion in Australia in 2012, it’s little wonder wineries are embracing digital channels to sell their wine. I.T. and Research analyst Nielsen estimated Software that, in 2012 alone, mobile penetration in Australia would drive $5.6 billion worth of retail purchases by consumers on mobile devices. That’s compared with just $155 million in 2010. In an attempt to put small businesses (including wineries) on the same playing field as their customers, Australian entrepreneur Brad Moran established NoQ – a company that provides businesses with custom apps that allow consumers to place online orders using their smartphone. “NoQ grew from a desire to make online purchasing more convenient for customers and retailers. As consumers ourselves, we don’t like to wait and we don’t think small businesses should either,” said Moran, CEO of NoQ. “We also wanted to level the playing field. The market has been crowded recently with many large retailers that have technological advantages, so our aim was to provide the same technology only affordably and scalable to small business’ needs.” With Australian wineries already competing with buyersown brands for shelf space, NoQ quickly recognised wine as an industry that could stand to benefit from its business. In addition, a sales app designed specifically for wineries would provide them with another avenue of attracting customers, including the younger generation. “We saw the opportunity for wineries to not only connect with their customers wherever they are, but also make it easy for these customers to buy over and over again, and become loyal to their brand,” Moran said. So far, NoQ has developed wine sales apps for two Australian wineries: Grant Burge and Lake Breeze, both from South Australia. The apps can be downloaded for free via iTunes and are accessible on the iPhone and Android. Once installed, users can browse wines and special deals, place an order and pay at any time and place where there is an internet connection. The app also features a secure four-digit pin that allows users to make purchases with a peace of mind and convenience; the pin negates the need to re-enter purchase details at every checkout. Lake Breeze marketing manager Robyn Follett says the Lake Breeze app is a user-friendly product that works handin-hand with the winery’s website. “We could see that we needed to keep up with the changing expectations of wine consumers and a free app would additionally be a good opportunity to attract a younger audience to our wines,” Follett said. “In such a competitive climate, you need to be aware and embrace any new channels in which to make your wine available to new customers. “The benefits of the app apply to wineries of any size.” Founded in Adelaide, NoQ has expanded to have offices in February 2013 – Issue 589

The Lake Breeze app, designed by NoQ, allows consumers to browse and purchase wine at their convenience.

Sydney and Melbourne. The company is currently working on a development that will allow wineries to create and launch their own custom app in a matter of minutes. “In addition we’re also working on developments that will allow wineries to identify and reward their regular, loyal customers as well as take advantage of a whole range of mobile marketing tools such as push notification and coupons,” Moran said. For more information, visit the NoQ website at: www.noq.com.au

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business & technology

Global wine export trade performances Peter Bailey

DESPITE THE ECONOMIC uncertainty in many countries around the world, global wine exports have continued to grow (Figure 1). France, Italy and Spain remain by far the biggest exporters by value and volume. Australia maintained fourth position by value but has fallen slightly behind Chile in volume. The export trading performance of Australia’s major competitors in the wine export market will be explored here, in this article.

France French wine exports increased but volume growth was stronger than value growth. This was mainly due to French sparkling wine exports declining by 1% in volume and 3% in value. As a result the average value of French sparkling wine exports declined by 2% to US$20.26 per litre. In contrast, French bottled wine exports increased by 4% in volume while value increased by 6% on the back of a 2% increase in the average value to US$6.40 per litre. The volume of French bulk wine exports increased by 10% but the average value declined by 7% to $US1.27 per litre. Just over half of the volume of French wine exports was destined for four markets: Germany, UK, Belgium and China. The UK was the biggest market for French bottled and sparkling wine exports while Germany was the largest destination for French bulk wine exports.

Italy While the volume of Italian wine exports declined by 7%, value increased by 1% due to an 8% increase in the average value per litre. The decline in Italian export volumes was the result of a 20% decline in bulk wine exports offsetting increases in bottled and sparkling wine exports (each up 1%). The average value of Italian bottled wine exports was US$3.66 per litre and for sparkling was US$4.32 per litre – both were below the averages recorded by Australia (US$4.56 per litre and US$4.75 per litre respectively). Germany, the UK, and the US were the three major destinations for Italian wine exports, accounting for 56% of the volume.

Spain Spanish wine exports declined by 1% in volume but increased by 3% in value, with the average value rising by 4%. Spain is predominantly a bulk wine exporter, with bulk accounting for a

84 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Figure 1. Wine exports for key exporters in the year ended September 2012. Country France

Value (US$M)

Value change

Volume (ML)

Volume change

10096

1478

5% -7%

Italy

5982

2142

Spain

3002

2031

-1%

Australia

1896

-5%

708

-2%

Chile

1755

709

United States

1372

402

-4%

Germany

1261

-6%

399

-2%

New Zealand

963

178

Argentina

916

15%

379

35%

South Africa

728

-3%

394

10%

Source: Global Trade Atlas

54% share of the country’s exports. Like Italy, a decline in Spanish bulk wine exports (down 6%) offset increases in bottled and sparkling wine exports (up 1% and 5%, respectively). The average value of Spanish bottled exports at US$2.38 per litre was the lowest among the 10 countries listed in Figure 1. Four countries accounted for just over half of Spanish wine exports: France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.

Chile Chilean wine exports increased by 9% in both volume and value. The volume of Chilean bottled wine exports increased by 3% and recorded an average value of US$3.18 per litre. Bottled exports to Chile’s two biggest destinations, the UK and the US, declined by 12% and 2% respectively. These declines were offset by strong growth to a number of countries, the most significant being Japan, Brazil, the Netherlands, and China. Chilean bulk wine exports grew by 20%, with greatest growth coming from the US and China.

United States Total US wine exports declined by 4% in volume but grew 5% in value. An 11% decline in bulk wine exports offset a 1% increase in bottled wine exports and a 19% increase in sparkling wine exports. The value of US bottled wine exports also increased (by 7%) with the average value rising by 5% to US$5.03 per litre. Bottled exports to the country’s biggest market, the UK, declined by 12% but increased by double-digit growth rates to Canada, Japan, Germany and China. Just over 60% of US bulk wine exports went to the UK and Italy and exports to both destinations declined by 12% and 20%, respectively. www.winebiz.com.au

Germany Total wine exports from Germany declined by 2% in volume and 6% in value. The overall decline was driven by a drop in German bottled wine exports (volume down 4% and value down 7%) offsetting increases in sparkling and bulk wine exports. Exports declined to Germany’s four biggest bottled wine markets, Netherlands, the UK, the US, and Russia. Sparkling wine exports from Germany increased by 6% in volume, with the strongest growth achieved in Austria and Belgium. German bulk wine exports increased by 2% in volume, with the country’s largest bulk wine destination, Sweden, recording strong growth.

New Zealand New Zealand wine exports recorded solid growth, with volume up 8% and value up 9%. Bottled wine exports increased by 11% in volume, however, this growth came at the expense of price, with the average bottled value falling by 3% to US$6.68 per litre. A third of New Zealand bottled wine exports were destined for Australia while the UK and the US each accounted for around a quarter. Bottled exports from New Zealand increased by 27% to Australia, declined by 3% to the UK and grew by 5% to the US.

Argentina and South Africa Of the countries covered here, Argentina recorded the strongest growth in wine exports, with volume up 35% and value up 15%. Total wine exports from South Africa increased by 10% in volume but declined by 3% in value. Bulk wine accounted for 61% of South African wine exports. February 2013 – Issue 589

Australian Wine Export Market Snapshot The Australian Wine Export Market Snapshot is prepared by Wine Australia and provides the latest key statistics on exports of Australian wine. Updated monthly, the snapshot looks at the movement in total volume and value

for the past 12 months and then drills down into more detail such as the top five destinations by value growth, movements in container type, colour, winestyle, and price point, and the top five varietal and regional label claims on bottles.

The main purpose of the report is to provide some high-level trends for the Australian wine category. For more information please visit www. wineaustralia.com/winefacts, email to info@ wineaustralia.com or ring 08 8228 2010.

Highlights â&#x20AC;&#x201C; year ended December 2012 Key statistics Total

2012

Change

Volume ML

721

Value $AM (fob)

1853

-2%

Destinations (by value growth)

$Am

Growth ($Am)

China, Pr

241

Hong Kong

Japan

Germany, Federal Republic

New Zealand

% point change

Glass bottle

Container type (by volume)

45%

-5.5

Bulk

54%

5.5

Soft-pack

0.0

Alternative packaging1

0.0

% point change

Red

Still wine by colour (by volume)

0.61

-2.9

White

39%

2.9

% point change

Red still wine

60%

-2.7

White still wine

38%

2.9

Sparkling

-0.2

Fortified

0.2%

0.0

Other

0.2%

0.1

Price points (by volume)

% point change

Wine style (by volume)

$A2.49/L and under 2

57%

3.5

$A2.50/L to $A4.99/L

34%

-2.6

$A5.00/L to $A7.49/L

-0.8

$A7.50/L to $A9.99/L

-0.1

$A10.00/L and over

0.1 Share

Top five varietal label claims on bottles (by volume)

Shiraz and Shiraz blends

114

37%

Chardonnay and Chardonnay blends

20%

NOTES & DEFINITIONS

Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon blends

18%

Merlot and Merlot blends

Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc blends

Top five regional label claims on bottles (by volume)

South Eastern Australia

202

71%

South Australia

11%

Prepared: January 2013, updated monthly 1 Alternative packaging includes flagon, tetra, PET and other packaging types 2 The growth in this segment is due to growth bulk shipments as more Australian wine is being packaged overseas for a combination of reasons, including economic, environmental and scale rationale together with meeting the requirements of some customers. The change in share represents percentage point change in share between the current twelve month period compared to the preceding 12 month period. Based on data compiled from the AWBC Wine Export Approval System. Average Value ($AUD) calculated on FOB value. Free on Board (FOB) value includes production and other costs up until placement on international carrier but excludes international insurance and transport costs. Data is based on wine shipped from Australia to the country of destination - in some instances, wine is then transshipped to other countries for consumption.

Barossa

2.5%

McLaren Vale

2.1%

Barossa Valley

1.3%

February 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 589

Disclaimer: While Wine Australia makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of information within this report, we accept no responsibility for information, which may later prove to be misrepresented or inaccurate, or reliance placed on that information by readers. Provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 apply to the contents of this publication, all other right reserved. For further copyright authorisation please see the www.wineaustralia.com website

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

looking forward 2013 Australia & New Zealand

March

February

1-3 (JD) Royal Easter Show Wine Awards

15-17 Canberra Food & Wine Expo Canberra, ACT. www.foodandwineexpo.com.au

Auckland, NZ. www.wineshow.co.nz

16-17 Devenport Food Wine & Music Festival. Auckland, New Zealand. www.devenportwinefestival.co.nz 17 Declaration of Vintage. Tanunda, SA. www.baronsofbarossa.com 17-18 Shakespeare in the Vines Sevenhill, SA. www.sevenhill.com.au 17 February-14 March Champagne Cabaret @ Adelaide Fringe Festival 2013 Adelaide, SA. www.ozcabaret.com 17 February-14 March Wine Cabaret @ Adelaide Fringe Festival 2013 Adelaide, SA. www.ozcabaret.com 21 Alternative Varieties Vineyard Walk and Wine Tasting Monash, SA. www.rvic. org.au 22-24 Cellar Door Wine Festival – Adelaide Adelaide, SA. www.cellardoorfestival.com 22 February-31 March NSW Wine Festival Sydney, NSW. www.nswwine.com.au 23 Awards and Trophies Presentation Banquet Sydney, NSW. www.top100wines.com

1-17 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Melbourne, VIC. www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au 3 Porongurup Wine Festival Porongurup, WA. www.porongurup.com 3 Upper Goulburn Vintage Celebrations Long Lunch Mansfield, VIC. www.uppergoulburnwine.org.au 9 The Dog Point/Logan Brown Classik Kiwi Picnic Marlborough, NZ. www.dogpoint.co.nz 9 Taminick Cellars Vintage Long Lunch Taminick, VIC. www.taminickcellars.com.au 9-10 Tastes of Rutherglen Rutherglen, VIC. www.winemakers.com.au/products.asp 9-17 Tastes Of Rutherglen @ Pfeiffer Wines 2013 Wahgunyah, VIC. www.pfeifferwines.com.au 10 Peninsula Piers & Pinots Mornington Peninsula, VIC. www.mpva.com.au

International February 16-17 Boston Wine Expo Boston, USA. www.wine-expos.com/boston

23 Wood, Wine & Roses Festival Heywood, VIC. www.woodwineroses.com

20-23 ExpoVin Moldova 2013 Chisinau, Moldova. www.vinmoldova.md

24 The Age Harvest Picnic at Hanging Rock Hanging Rock, VIC. www.harvestpicnic.com.au

26-28 Vinisud Asia Shanghai, China. www.adhes-asia.com

28 February-1 March (JD) Australian Highlands Wine Show Mittagong, NSW. www.australianhighlandswineshow.com.au

JD = judging date CD = closing date For a comprehensive list of events, visit www.winebiz.com.au/calendar

Winebiz Calendar Australia’s most comprehensive list of wine industry related local and international events and courses – available online FREE! Search for conferences, trade shows, competitions, courses, festivals & Australian & international wine shows. www.winebiz.com.au/calendar 86 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

looking back 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. February 1983 The chairman of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Robert Hesketh has moved to encourage public debate of evidence submitted to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal’s current review of the advertising code governing alcohol commercials on television. Options the Tribunal is considering range from freeing the code of anomalies which restrict alcohol advertising to introducing a total ban on all alcohol commercials. He said submissions made to the Tribunal by a large number of special interest groups, including the AWBC, should be subjected to the “hard, cold light” of open examination.

February 1993 Australia and the European Community have finalised negotiations on a bilateral wine agreement which recognises the legitimate basis for each other’s winemaking practices and aims to foster trade in wine between both parties. The finalisation of the agreement was welcomed in a joint statement on 6 December by the Australian Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, Simon Crean, the chairman of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, George Paciullo, and the president of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, Brian Croser.

February 2003 The Board of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation has agreed to investigate the prospects of a merger with the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation. In his address to the annual meeting of the AWBC, held recently at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide, AWBC chairman David Brownhill said that the merger had been one of the recommendations of the Federal Government-funded report, ‘Pathways to profitability for small and medium wineries’, released in October. February 2013 – Issue 589

Marketplace

For Sale

Grapes for Sale

4 tonnes Pinotage grapes. Upper Yarra Valley Inspection welcome

Canberra district grapes renowned for award winning wines. www.canberragrapes.net.au

0410 167 939

VINE GRAFTING Bruce Gilbert 0428 233 544 Brian Phillips 0417 131 764 fax 03 5025 2321

brucethegrafter@gmail.com www.brucethegrafter.com

BIRD NETTING USED VINEYARD POSTS FOR SALE - CCA

x Hillston & Orange NSW (bundled) Intermediate - $1.65 Strainers - $5.50 Tom - 0428 443 263 www.vinesight.com.au

• Permanent canopy or throw over net • Fully UV stabilised • Cable, wire and all canopy supplies in stock

PO Box 207, Rozelle, NSW 2039 Phone (02) 9660 6845 Fax (02) 9518 8372 e-mail: sales@otcobirdnet.com.au

Visit our website at: www.otcobirdnet.com.au

For Sale - Adelaide Hills Winery Equipment (Prices + GST)

GALLI ESTATE WINERY

Wine Grapes For Sale – Harvest 2013 Port Phillip (Sunbury) & Central Victoria (Heathcote) Regions. Low Yielding Vineyards Varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Viognier, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Grenache.

FOR SALE

OBLOMOV TRADING CO.

• 5 variable capacity and fixed volume tanks for sale $1.00 per litre • 2 x open 1500 L milk vats s/s fermenters $800 each • 2 closed barrel shaped 1600 s/s tanks $1100 each • 5 open top pallecon 1100 litre fermenters $80 each • 1 pallecon 1100 Litre without lid $120 • 86 American design painted barrel racks $35.00 each • 25 galvanized Australian design barrel racks $50.00 each • 20 kegs for garden use $40.00 each

Phone Chris 0417859133

3 x 23,000 litre stainless tanks. 316 grade. 50mm bottom and racking valve + door + sample cock Stainless steel plinths included Situated in Barossa. Excellent condition Price : $11,000 per tank.

Call 08 8563 3606

Qualified vintage staff

Details upon request Contact Office: 03 9747 1444 e: vineyard@galliestate.com.au

e We hand pick th

staff for you!

www.galliestate.com.au

WINE PRESS SERVICING

03 9455 3339 • www.rapidfil.com.au

info@bibber.com.au February 2013 – Issue 589

www.winebiz.com.au

www.bibber.com.au Grapegrower & Winemaker

Marketplace

• Preventative maintenance & breakdown repairs for all makes and models. • 24/7 coverage during vintage • Large inventory of spare parts. • Membrane replacement. • PLC upgrades and design improvements. Electrical & mechanical expertise.

f? f a t s e g a t n i 77! v 0 0 e 74 ut 3 n 8 i 08 m t n o s a w l o n d r Nee ll Bibbe

Melbourne

Adelaide

New Zealand

FOR ALL YOUR

VINTAGE REQUIREMENTS

Hydraulic Presses with Lift Up Cage Hy

Flexible Impeller Pumps Fle F

S/ S/Steel Drain Plate with forklift pockets The Th lift cage allows easy & quicker removal of the drain plate with cake. re Available in 80cm, 95cm and 130cm Av S/ S/Steel cage sizes

25, 40, 50, 60 & 80mm units 25, Forward & Reverse Flow of Wine & Must. F or Variable & Single Speed Units. Va ar

Peristaltic Pump

Red Fermenting

Models with outputs of 2000 – 30,000L/Hr Very Gentle Multi-Purpose Pump. ow Self-Priming with Forward/Reverse Fl Flow ch h Use for wine/juice with solids or attach Motorised Hopper for pumping of berries or skins Variable Speed Drive and By-Pass are e options

Variable Capacity Tanks With Sloping Base, Large Door, Cooling Jacket. Capacities of 2000 – 10,000 Lts Variable Capacity Tanks For Smaller Quantities of 100 – 2000 Ltss Flat Bottom Tanks with Optional Stand

Destemmer/Crusher D

Monobloc cooling/Heating units M

M Models available with productions of 5 5, 8, 12, 18 & 25 Tons/hr Variable Speed unit with rubber V d destemming pegs C Crushing unit can be removed for destemming only d O Optional Motorised Hopper and Polypropylene Cage available P

Capacities: C a 6 – 100Kw available

For further details, contact us on: Melbourne 59 Banbury Rd Reservoir, Victoria Adelaide 12 Hamilton Tce, Newton New Zealand 4c Titoki Place, Albany Auckland E. sales@winequip.com.au www.winequip.com.au

Ph. 1300 882 850 Ph. 08 8365 0044 Ph. 0800 699 599