Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker by Provincial Press Group

AUGUST 2012

Bulk

wines overtake

bottled exports

welcomes new leaders

Young Vine Decline Avoid buying infected propogated vines WISA winner

Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award

2011

™

August 2012: Issue 583

Contents features

winemaking

Spring vineyard planning

New WFA president optimistic

Wine storage

Plenty of action in India's wine sector

Bottling and labelling

– Part 2

104

Bulk wine

Non-invasive spectroscopic screening: a

108

Export and insurance

new approach to assessing damaged wines – Part 2

news

74 Choosing the right bentonite 80

Bottle shock: causes and remedies

My view: Paul Evans

In profile: Chris Tyrrell

Outstanding vintage counters supply issues

Roundtable: Best options for oak and tank

WFA Regional Vintage Reports

‘Drip fed’ payments fail to nourish growers

Vintage luncheon reveals new opportunities

Wine engineers show faith at conference

Regional round-up: New South Wales

grapegrowing

storage

sales & marketing

Engagement key to wine club success

Port: the great export boom

WCA: effective international communications

business & technology

Young Vine Decline studied closely in NSW

Winegrowers seek harmony in biodynamics

Symposium unveils the latest in smoke taint

104 Bulk wines overtake bottled exports

Is the Shiraz berry the biggest loser?

108

Ask the AWRI: strobilurin resistance

Survival and spread of downy mildew

83 AUGUST 2012

Bulk

wines overtake

welcomes new leaders

bottled exports

Avoid buying infected propogated vines WISA winner

Chairman’s Award

2011

Insurance: preparing for total recall

cover

regulars

Meet the new faces at WFA, Tony D'Aloisio and Paul Evans. Photo: Matt Waugh Photography.

5 on the grapevine 33 grapegrowing 65 winemaking 110 export snapshot 111 looking forward 113 marketplace classifieds

In this issue August 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

Welcome to our August issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker, where this month we welcome newcomers to key roles in the industry and focus on the Winemakers' Federation of Australia and its directions under new leadership. The highlight of this issue is the WFA Vintage Report 2012, a document that defines the recent vintage and provides useful information on the realities of the industry’s current position. We also canvassed opinions on vintage from a variety of people around the country. It is gratifying to note that although not everyone agrees on everything, there is an apparent consensus that 2012 is set to produce some of the finest wines we have seen, in some cases for decades.

These are big claims, but it is wonderful to share in this spirit of optimism and we certainly look forward with immense anticipation of savouring some especially fine wines in the years to come. Bulk wines are booming and we look at a fundamental shift taking place as bulk overtakes bottles on export markets in an ever-changing world of wine. Ninety per cent of Australia's wine exports now travel in flexitanks, delivering significant economic and environmental advantages.

Grahame Whyte Editor editor@grapeandwine.com.au

Contributors Danielle Costley, Blair Hanel, Jeni Port, Peter Bailey. Advertising Sales Chas Barter sales@grapeandwine.com.au Circulation: Melissa Smithen subs@winetitles.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 2012.

4 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Contributors Danielle Costley has worked as a journalist and editor throughout the Australasian region for more than 15 years. After working as a television 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. She is now happily pursuing her passion for wine and food, while enjoying watching her young family grow. This month, Danielle looks at how bulk wine has overtaking bottled exports (page 104).

Blair Hanel is the director of HANEL Consulting, based in Tanunda. Blair has been working in the wine industry for more than 26 years and has a background in production, winemaking, engineering and sales. Blair is a regular contributor to the Grapegrower & Winemaker. This month, he talks to winemakers about options for wine storage (page 83). Blair can be contacted at: blair@hanelconsulting.com.au or 0459 116 461.

Jeni Port is a Melbourne-based wine writer, author and wine judge and a monthly columnist in Grapegrower & Winemaker. She is also the longest-serving wine writer at The Age and the author of several books including Choosing Australian Wines and Crushed By Women: Women and Wine. Jeni’s column this month is found on page 91 and she writes about lessons learned from the great export boom.

www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

on the grapevine Industry welcomes new Wine Australia chairman Former CEO of McWilliam’s Wines Group George Wahby has received a warm welcome since taking up the job as Wine Australia chairman. Respected wine writer and judge James Halliday gave a glowing endorsement for Wahby’s appointment. “The appointment of George Wahby as chairman of the Wine Australia Corporation should be greeted with great enthusiasm,” Halliday wrote on his website on 12 July. “He has excellent communication skills, whether on a one-to-one basis or to corporate/statutory bodies. I add my personal endorsement to his appointment.” Wahby, who stepped into the role on 1 July, will lead Wine Australia as it develops new programs to increase sales of Australian wine and improve profits in the local wine industry. Prior to working with McWilliam’s, Wahby served for six years as director and vice-president president of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia. The WFA was also quick to welcome Wahby to his new role. “This is an outstanding appointment. George has extensive experience in the industry, a broad range of skills, a passion for Australian wine and a good understanding of the issues the industry faces and the opportunities we need to chase,” WFA president Tony D’Aloisio said. Wahby takes over from retiring Wine Australia chairman Jim Dominguez.

Bordeaux strengthens marketing machine BORDEAUX’S WINE INDUSTRY is working hard to strengthen its ties with Asia and the United States by focusing on bilateral events. The French wine region is also gaining a reputation as being marketing savvy after the Bordeaux Wine Festival attracted a large percentage of the 500,000-plus visitors from overseas at its Bordeaux Mile, near the Garonne River, in June. By inviting Hong Kong as its guest region, it gave voice to Asian culture and cuisine, while at the same time portraying an image of proximity between the two. In November, Bordeaux will focus on the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival. Its focus isn’t limited to China – Bordeaux is also looking after its North American clients. The cruise ship Prinsemdam moored along the quay in the city with 3000 Americans on board. Its choice of Los Angeles as guest city at the next festival in 2014 is evidence of Bordeaux’s commitment to the US. Bordeaux is also keen to engage with Canadian consumers and will be hosting the Bordeaux Wine Festival in the city of Quebec at the start of September.

Barossa winery sets sights on China

Study: Wine intolerance an issue About seven per cent of adults suffer from an intolerance to wine, researchers in Germany have found. Researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz said wine is an ancient food across cultures all over the world, and its effects on health have been extensively studied – but only a few case studies of wine intolerance or wine allergy have been reported. The study, published in Deutsches Arzteblatt International, found almost 9 per cent of women self-reported wine intolerance versus 5.2 percent of men, reports United Press International.

New winery set for 2013 vintage Marlborough will have the capacity to produce about 10 million litres more wine next vintage with a new contract winery proposed for the Riverlands Industrial Estate, near Blenheim. The company behind the project is VinLinks Marlborough, a joint venture between Gisborne-based winery GisVin, and Napier-based winery LINKS. The proposed site at 33 Liverpool St houses Taylors Engineering, which is to be refitted and expanded for VinLink winery, reports the Marlborough Express.

Wine assets go on block A Macquarie Group fund may be forced to crystallise a hefty loss on a large NSW vineyard bought four years ago for a reported $40-$50 million. The bank is sifting through expressions of interest for the 800-hectare Chalmers vineyard, near Mildura in the state’s far west, but has yet to launch an official sales campaign. It is not clear what price Macquarie is hoping to achieve for the vineyard, but a person familiar with the property said it could well be short of the initial outlay, reports The Land.

.com.au

BAROSSA VALLEY ESTATE (BVE) has signed a deal with BCW International Tradition that will help expand sales of its most iconic wine brands in China. This includes Ebenezer and the E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, which has averaged 94 points over the past 11 years in Wine Spectator magazine. “We have been working with BCW for the last 12 months and felt the time was right to enter into a longer-term agreement to seize the opportunities offered by the rapidly growing Chinese wine market,” BVE chief executive Christine Hahn said. BCW is the Australian arm of Archibald Wine, which sells premium wines across China.

August 2012 – Issue 583

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my view Federation is in listening mode Paul Evans, chief executive Winemakers' Federation of Australia

I joined thE Winemakers' Federation of Australia because I wanted to play a part in the next chapter of one of Australia’s great success stories. It was a unique leadership opportunity in an industry that is an overwhelmingly economic and social positive for the country. My first priority is to ensure the Federation continues to lead and to be the voice of a united winemaking industry. That means working with the WFA board to provide our members and the industry with relevant analysis and thoughtful leadership on the pathways to sustained and benchmarked profitability. We also need to ensure the wine industry’s licence to operate with consumers, the community and decision makers is maintained in a period where the entire alcohol sector is under considerable scrutiny. After only a few weeks in the role, I am still very much in listening mode. I am getting to know my board and membership and I am doing my due diligence on the key issues that are facing the Federation at the moment. It is a very issues-rich environment, but the feedback I have had

so far from the industry indicates that there is some quiet optimism developing over the potential long-term recovery of the sector. There is also some genuine excitement over the quality of the 2012 vintage in most regions. I am also greatly enthused by the level of goodwill within the industry and between the industry’s statutory authorities and member associations. The willingness of individual industry players to put aside their self-interest and think long term about the health of the sector is also impressive. There is a genuine sense of ‘we are all in this together’ and a determination to collaborate in the best interests of the industry. The relationship between WFA and Wine Grape Growers Australia, for example, is a good one and very constructive despite the odd difference of opinion. I have met with Lawrie Stanford, my WGGA counterpart, several times already on a number of issues. We are also working closely together on the Wine Australia and GWRDC merger.

I am also greatly enthused by the level of goodwill within the industry and between the industry’s statutory authorities and member associations.

6 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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This is an issue that brings us together regularly, but there is also a broad range of other matters that we have talked about and will progress. There is also a commitment by both organisations to formally and regularly meet at the CEO, chair and board member level, to move the relationship on to a more strategic footing. That doesn’t mean that there are any attempts on the cards to merge WFA and WGGA. It has come up in the past but, to be honest, all of our attention is currently focused on the Wine Australia – GWRDC merger. Lawrie and I will be making sure we undertake a good consultation with stakeholders and members, that we provide good advice to the Minister on next steps and that we get the drafting of the relevant legislation and direction right – that really is the priority right now for both of us. The Federation strongly supports the proposal of merging the two statutory authorities. It will provide a single point of contact for grapegrowers and winemakers and will reduce the planning and operational inefficiencies created by the current division. It will enable consolidation and coordination of the services that the statutory authorities provide and it will align the strategy and advice to government on the key issues. That said, we have undertaken with WGGA an extensive consultation process and will take the feedback from all our stakeholders, put that into the mix and then deliver our final advice to the Minister. WFA’s relationship with Wine Australia is also a good one. One of my key responsibilities as CEO of the Federation is to make sure our board has the best possible advice on marketing strategy, how it complements our other efforts to open up new markets and consumer opportunities and what our specific project priorities should be. It is then up to WFA to work with Wine Australia on making sure we get it right and that our marketing initiatives are relevant and taken up by the industry. It’s a good working relationship that will continue throughout the merger process. All in all, I’m expecting a busy and rewarding next few months. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can. Don’t be shy in coming forward with your ideas and suggestions on how we can take this exceptional industry into the next chapter of its history. August 2012 – Issue 583

Outstanding vintage expected to counter ongoing oversupply issues Grahame Whyte

In its annual Vintage Survey, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia estimates the 2012 vintage to be 4 per cent higher than last year, with unanimous reports of above-average quality across most regions and varieties. Expectations are that it will be recognised as a standout vintage. WFA estimates the total national crush at 1.66 million tonnes, compared with 1.6 million in 2011. This figure is close to the latest five-year average of 1.63 million, but well below the peak of 1.93 million in 2005. The warm inland regions are estimated to have accounted for nearly one million tonnes – an increase of 70,000 tonnes (7%) over last year. Treasury Wine Estates chief supply officer, Stuart McNab said his company had expected the 2012 crush would be similar in size to 2011. “So, it was surprising that the WFA 2012 Vintage Report estimated the crush to be slightly above last year, particularly given the lower yields we saw in some of the warm and cool climate regions,” McNab said. “In our experience, we saw slightly below average yields in some key areas such as the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and the Coonawarra where there were yield decreases around 15-20%. Many other areas experienced average or slightly below average yields, except Western Australia where the crush was significantly higher than average. “It was pleasing that 2012 was relatively disease free compared with 2011 and the quality of grapes picked from most regions is outstanding. At this stage, we’re seeing high quality white wines and exceptionally high quality red wines. It’s likely that vintage 2012 will be remembered as one of the standout vintages in the last couple of decades. “Given WFA’s estimated 1.66 million tonnes, it’s sobering to consider that if yields had been average in the cool and warm areas, it is likely we would have had a crush of around 1.8 million tonnes, which is above the current dollar-impacted demand. In fact, seasonal conditions have impacted the size of the last three vintages and this is effectively hiding the potential production capacity that still exists.” According the WFA Vintage Report, production of red and white wines was August 2012 – Issue 583

just about equal in 2012, and Chardonnay and Shiraz continued the trend of trading the crown for highest individual variety by volume. Shiraz took it back again, but not by much. Pinot Gris/Grigio continued its rapid growth – up by around 40%. The higher crush comes despite many individual regions reporting lower yields. The explanation appears to be that high yield propensity in 2011 primed vines for a level of fruitfulness lower than in 2011, but closer to average. There was no significant change in bearing area during the year and anecdotal evidence suggests unharvested fruit and production caps were not a factor in determining vintage size. There was some yield loss at fruitset and localised losses due to rain events occurred in some regions in the eastern states. However, seasonal conditions were generally favourable and ripening conditions were ideal, which was greeted with delight in many regions. Consensus is that the quality of the wine produced in 2012 will be high, irrespective of yield size or weather impact. Regional reports collated by Wine Australia include such phrases as 'truly special', 'excellent to exceptional', 'one of the strongest on record' and 'one of the region’s finest'. A summary of these regional reports has been produced as a companion to this document and can be downloaded at www.wfa.org.au/vintage_reports.aspx

Fast facts • 2012 a standout vintage for quality • Vintage estimated at 1.66 million tonnes, 4% up on 2011 • Shiraz again overtakes Chardonnay to take top spot by volume • Grape prices show first signs of firming • 2012 has assisted in reducing inventory overhang but industry vulnerable to reversal of this gain based on yield potential of current bearing area • Industry restructuring still required to restore profitability across sector • Future demand opportunity offers promise.

The following pages present the detailed results of the WFA Vintage Survey. While the average purchase price from the survey (covering about 80% of all purchases) of $457 per tonne was the second lowest in the last decade, it was 11% higher than the 2011 average of $413 per tonne.

2500 Total crush

5 year average

10 year average

2000

1500

1000

500

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Total winegrape crush ('000 tonnes) in Australia. www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

news South Australian Wine Industry Association (SAWIA) chief executive Brian Smedley said the release of the 2012 Vintage Report reflects the more positive mood that is evident within the South Australian wine industry. “While some varieties in some regions reported a reduction in yields for various reasons, the overall grape quality has allowed many winemakers to be elated with the fruit that will no doubt contribute to the very special 2012 vintage wines,” he said. “The report continues to focus our attention on the need for balance in supply and demand. The industry must ensure that quality and the costs associated with grape production are matched to markets and sales. Business viability is essential for all participants in the supply chain. “The regional remarks made in South Australia about an earlier harvest than has been typically the case and a compressed vintage period should also provide some attention. That provides a timely reminder to not only plan to deal with the inherent logistics challenges including adequate infrastructure, but ensuring plans are in place to move to adapt to these changes. “With increased grape prices evident and standout wines expected from the quality fruit the South Australian industry is well placed for strong sales from vintage 2012,” Smedley said. WFA’s manager economics and policy, Paul van der Lee, said the reports showed some positive signs for growers and winemakers and great news for wine consumers, but also underlined the need to continue the restructuring process to restore profitability more broadly across the sector. “On the positive side, the figures show the sector’s inventory-to-sales ratio is down to the lowest level since 1995, which means a slight easing of the inventory overhang – the oversupply – that has caused us so many problems over recent vintages,” he said. “However, while overall grape production appears close to balance with total sales, we are vulnerable to returning to oversupply because our current bearing area could produce higher yields in future vintages.” WFA believes there are still mismatches between the cost and quality composition of grapes produced and wine demand, and analysis suggests a significant amount of current production and sales are not viable in the long term, because they provide an insufficient return on capital. Nevertheless, the demand for quality wine continues to expand in markets such as the US, China

8 Grapegrower & Winemaker

100%

Warm inland

Rest of Australia

90% 80% 70%

Average

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Share of crush by region type 2004-2012.

Grenache 2% Ruby Cabernet 1% OTHER red 4% Petit Verdot 2% Pinot Noir 4%

Merlot 15% Shiraz 45%

Cabernet Sauvignon 26%

Red Varieties.

Riesling 4% OTHER white 9% Pinot Gris/Grigio 7% Colombard 7%

Chardonnay 45%

Muscat Gordo Blanco 8%

Semillon 10% Sauvignon Blanc 11%

White varieties. www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

CEOS KNOW GLASS IS A GREAT DINNER GUEST. “S. Pellegrino® is the perfect companion to fine foods,” says Stefano Agostini, Chairman and CEO of Sanpellegrino S.p.A. “And glass is a perfect packaging for our brand. Our mineral water is sophisticated, the bottle is elegant—together, we add sparkle to the meal.” GlassIsLife.com makers of charming, tasteful, food-loving glass packaging

news

10 Grapegrower & Winemaker

the economic viability of the vineyards over time. “Large volumes of production were taken up as concentrate at well below cost of production, which will impact on the statistics. Without these sales, industry could be mistakenly thinking of a turnaround. However, with growers forced by their own economic circumstances to deliver fruit at almost any price, a trend that has been exacerbated by declining asset values brought about by the Murray Darling Basin Planning process, a recovery is a long time away. Financial institution pressure is slowly being applied on growers, more heavily pronounced among growers that now need to seek finance to produce the 2013 crop.” Chief executive of Murray Valley Winegrowers, Mark McKenzie said the surprise was the firmer than expected production figure compared with 2011, which he described as at odds with

almost every region across southeast Australia, except the Riverland, expecting to be below or well below average yields. “However, the upside is that stocks to sales ratios appear to be continuing back into balance,” McKenzie said. “Certainly we are seeing this reflected in good winegrape demand in 2012 and strong signals on winery demand again for 2013 with very early activity amongst the leading companies to secure fruit. Wine Australia Corporation data showed a 27% increase in Murray Valley prices in 2012, but we will need to see something similar in 2013, to get most varieties back above the cost of production line – particularly our two biggest varieties of Chardonnay and Shiraz,” he said. “While we see inland regions broadly in balance, the potential for cool to temperate zone oversupply is concerning – particularly off the back of a 1.66MT crop in a supposed off-yield year!”

450 400 350 300 Tonnes ‘000s

and other parts of Asia, providing an avenue for committed brand owners to convert some of the surplus into sustainable sales. Riverina Wine Grapes Marketing Board chief executive officer, Brian Simpson said the 2012 Vintage Report by the WFA was very telling for industry. “Grape prices will take years to recover as the decline has trended for the past 10 years, during which solid-priced contracts have dropped off the agenda and currency and market impacts have increased,” Simpson said. “Without a strong percentage of the industry supported by priced contracts, the market will remain quite volatile. “Growers that are holding out for any strong increases in price offers will need to wait patiently for the recovery as the restructure agenda has barely impacted on the overall production of the industry. We need to grow markets urgently or continue to remove vineyards; the latter will impact individual producers negatively. “While the industry waits to confirm the data presented by WFA with the ABS figures, a good quality vintage amidst a difficult harvesting season for much of eastern Australia is not surprising. WFA’s data accuracy is reliable enough to tell the story that the industry is still in trouble and has been since the last decade. “In the Riverina production has yet to achieve an average 14 tonnes per hectare. Of the region's approximately 22,000 hectares (which has remained quite stagnant over the past years) average production is highly variable between varieties and wineries. Some growers have existed on a capped production regime for many seasons, which has been hard to achieve and may even impact of

250 200 150 100 50 0 Shiraz Chardonnay Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Sauvignon Semillon Blanc

Muscat Gordo Blanco

Colombard Pinot gri/ Pinot Noir Grigio

Comparison of 2011 and 2012 vintages – top 10 varieties. www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

WFA 2012 regional vintage reports Western Australia Margaret River Consensus amongst winemakers is usually difficult to achieve, but all agree the 2012 vintage is going to be truly special; Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends are rated as outstanding with Cabernet Sauvignon a step further ahead and universally declared as show-stopping brilliant. Harvest began two to three weeks early, after a warm, dry summer.

Great Southern A wet winter and spring continued until December, but there was then little rain until vintage, which began slightly early. Yields were just above average and the quality is considered excellent to exceptional. Riesling, one of the region’s signature varieties, is aromatic and flavoursome, with classic characteristics to the fore.

Swan District A welcome return to more normal weather patterns; excellent spring rain and mild summer temperatures produced one of the earliest and best WA wine vintages in years. Outstanding white fruit with fresh aromas and vitality were harvested, along with deeply flavoured reds.

Geographe Winter was the ninth warmest since comparable records commenced in 1950 and with no rainfall post-Christmas, Geographe had ideal ripening conditions and the fruit quality is excellent. Yields were generally higher (except for some Shiraz), thanks largely to increased berry and bunch weight due to good early soil moisture.

Blackwood Valley Vintage 2012 was kind to Blackwood Valley growers, with spring rains and few frosty mornings allowing for good canopy and fruit development. There were very few reports of disease, yields were good and the quality of the fruit was a selling point. Almost all growers with fruit for sale found a buyer at an acceptable price.

Peel The region’s west recorded its earliest ever harvest, but elsewhere was normal. Yield was about 10% down, with hail in the east either side of Christmas causing large losses in Semillon and Shiraz. Otherwise, it is looking to be an outstanding vintage for all varieties. A number of growers introduced new varieties that will come on line over the next two vintages. August 2012 – Issue 583

Mount Barker While the region had some difficulties, caused in part by late summer rains, 2012 still looks to be a stellar year, with extra points to Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Vine growth was amazing compared with recent dry years. Yields were above expectation for Riesling and Shiraz, but lower for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

South Australia Clare Valley Most winemakers have described the vintage as one of the strongest on record. Yields were slightly lower than an average year, but this was offset by the higher levels of flavour intensity, fruit purity and natural acidity levels in the whites and superb colours, tannins and ageing potential of the reds. Similarities are seen with the standout 2009 vintage.

Barossa Valley Cool conditions and below average yields (Shiraz down by 25% and Cabernet Sauvignon by as much as 40%) led to great varietal expression in whites and reds – with reds exuding brilliant colour. Overall, the quality of reds was exceptional. Harvest was up to a month early, with most whites picked by late February and early red varieties starting to come off in early February.

Eden Valley As in the Barossa, picking began up to a month early. Milder summer conditions and cool nights helped develop great flavours and good sugar to acid ratios, particularly in Riesling. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling were outstanding in 2012, with flavour development and acids progressing smoothly.

Adelaide Hills The season was dry and conditions during ripening were excellent, with mild days and cool to cold nights. The generally lower crop potential and large canopies resulted in rapid ripening in early varieties and some of the best quality fruit for a number of years. Flavours are well developed, with good sugar to acid ratios.

McLaren Vale The 2012 vintage was one of the most condensed seen in McLaren Vale, with crushing completed by the end of March compared with the middle of April in 2011. Some wineries finished pressing out their wine before Easter. The yield was 15-30% down across almost all sites. Wine quality is very promising, with the reds having excellent colour and flavour. www.winebiz.com.au

regionality MUST BE EVOKED, SAYS LOWE Australian winemakers need to produce premium wines that evoke regionality or produce wines that offer consistent value for money if they want what’s best for the industry. That’s the view taken from NSW winemaker and Winemakers’ Federation of Australia vice-president David Lowe. Lowe, who runs Lowe Wines in the Mudgee region, said the Australian wine industry needs to play to its strengths if it wants to secure a reputation as a quality wine-producing nation. “If the stars align, we could have a massive increase in stock levels and excess wine driving the prices all the way down to the grapegrowers,” Lowe warned. “We need to be playing to our strengths: to make value for money, well-grown and made wines of Australia – or the other extreme of top-end wine where the message has been more of regionality or the personal angle of the winemaker.” He said the NSW vintage had fared well early in the season, but said fruit was compromised later in the season by poor weather conditions. On the upside, he said wineries chose not to harvest fruit that was of low quality. “Where the quality was low, they just didn’t harvest them – it’s indicative that people realise they have to sell quality for a change,” said Lowe, who estimates about 50-100,000 tonnes across NSW were not harvested. “It’s a terrific sign – it’s controlled by winemakers who don’t want to buy rubbish anymore.”

Langhorne Creek Yield was down 10-40% across various varieties, but the quality is fantastic. All reports have extolled the outstanding colour and flavour development of the fruit across all varieties and the wonderful retained natural acidity in white grapes. Words such as superb, fantastic, sensational and exceptional have been bandied about. Grapegrower & Winemaker

WFA 2012 regional vintage reports A hint of dark cherries Dark cherries for the reds and concentrated aromatics for the whites are what can be expected from the wines to come from the 2012 Tasmania vintage. Glaetzer-Dixon winemaker Nick Glaetzer, who was named Winemaker of the Year in 2011, said this year’s vintage has reaped quality fruit comparable with that of the 2009 vintage, particularly with the Pinot Noir. “Quality-wise, this year’s vintage has been great. There’s been good colour within the reds and concentrated aromatic whites. We’re seeing a lot more darker fruit flavours than light red flavours, with a bit more tannin as well,” Glaetzer told Grapegrower & Winemaker.

Robe A drier than average year with high temperatures early in the growing season saw yields in all varieties down (as forecast), due mainly to lower bunch numbers and some bird damage. However, the quality of the reds is very good, particularly for Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Whites are of average quality and yield.

Wrattonbully The 2012 vintage will be remembered as one of the region’s finest. Fruit quality is exceptional across all varieties, driven somewhat by a below-average yield. Budburst was particularly early. Whites look very strong and have good acid retention due to the lack of intense heat late in the ripening period, but arguably the standout variety was Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mount Benson

New South Wales/ACT Cowra Cowra experienced a very mild year with temperatures being up to 5C below average. Rainfall was on average until a major downpour at the start of March. The whites are extremely varietal, showing great natural acid; this could be one of the best white vintages in the last 20 years for the area. Shiraz before the rain showed some great spice and pepper characters.

Tumbarumba This year brought mixed emotions. Some growers suffered one of their worst seasons after three major hail events and untimely November rain. Others were thrilled with the quality of their fruit – which also excited winemakers purchasing it. Whites were the standout, with Chardonnay showing complex flavours and both Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc also impressive.

Harvest began two to three weeks earlier than the recent norm and wineries had an ideal season in terms of managing fruit intake. Whites already in bottle are riper and more in the tropical spectrum than last year (particularly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) and quality is very good. Reds show intense colour and flavour across the board and all reports suggest exceptional quality.

New England

Mount Gambier

Orange

In terms of yield, he said Pinot Noir has been down about 30 per cent in some vineyards, owing to the windy weather. He said whites were likely to be down about 4% below average yields.

The season was 2-3 weeks earlier than the norm for Mount Gambier, with virtually all fruit having been harvested by mid-March (the earliest ever). While yields were generally down across all varieties, primarily due to the cool, wet conditions at flowering, grape quality was sensational, reaching full physiological ripeness in ideal conditions.

Most vignerons are extremely positive about the quality of their wines, despite crop yields being affected by wet weather and one of the coolest growing seasons and latest harvests ever. The whites are showing great elegance and fine flavours, and the reds are presenting with rich, dark colours. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the standout red varieties.

Currency Creek

Southern Flinders Ranges

Canberra District

Overall, the 2012 vintage will be classed from a quality perspective as probably the best that the Currency Creek wine region has experienced since its inception. While all varieties produced high quality fruit, the standout for reds was Cabernet Sauvignon (followed closely by Merlot). For whites, it was Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

Harvest was up to two weeks earlier than average, with yields down by 30-50% in some areas due to small bunch sizes and small berries with lower extraction. However, colour extraction was excellent and flavours were great. Fruit was flavour ripe at lower Baume than usual, so should produce excellent flavours with lower alcohol.

The 2012 vintage was the coolest since 1996 and among the wettest on record, but produced some excellent wines (particularly white wines and earlier ripening reds) at lower volumes. As in 2011, fruit came in with excellent flavours and colours at lower than usual Baumé, creating opportunities for winemakers to craft interesting, complex and elegant wines at lower alcohol levels.

He expects Cabernet, Riesling and some of the unoaked Chardonnay to be the standout performers from 2012. “While it’s hard to assess reds at the moment because they’re going through malolactic fermentation, I’d like to say Cabernet is looking really good ... the Riesling is also looking very strong ... there’s a good balance of acids.”

Coonawarra This year has been described as excellent by all winemakers and promises to be a vintage to collect. Crisp acidity and good varietal definition is well-noted in the Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. Shiraz shows classic red fruits with hints of spice – medium bodied and fresh. Cabernet Sauvignon is highly coloured, concentrated and varietal. Tonnages were below average overall.

12 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Riverland Overall, yields were on estimate at around 400,000 tonnes, though there were reports of slightly lower yielding Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay crops. Generally speaking, fruit was delivered to the wineries in exceptional condition and this, combined with higher demand and a slight firming of prices, has given rise to restrained optimism in the Riverland wine industry. www.winebiz.com.au

If persistence of birds is any indication, 2012 should be an absolute cracker for New England. Disease pressure was high, but good vineyard management and low crop yields (in all varieties except Merlot) produced some excellent fruit. Cooler conditions delayed harvest on the top of the range by two-three weeks, but timing was normal elsewhere.

Mudgee A much wetter than average season from budburst through to early March made disease control a challenge, but the cool conditions resulted in some exciting fruit amongst the whites. Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon and Pinot Gris show great flavours and aromas and real cool climate characteristics. Yields were lower than in 2011, especially for Shiraz. August 2012 – Issue 583

nothing but the fruit

Yarra Valley Chardonnay, Vintage 2012

As fruit is harvested it travels through a high-frequency linear destemmer to resonate berries from stalks. Individual berries fall through the grid belt and bypass the destemmer to avoid unnecessary damage.

The berries then travel to the linear sorting table which consists of different sized rollers and allow berries to fall through into the bins.

Stalks, petioles, MOG and other waste are then oriented towards the edge of the sorting table and are ejected onto the vineyard floor, meaning no waste in the winery.

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The result is an almost perfectly clean harvest that allows you to go straight from the harvester to the fermenter or press!

WFA 2012 regional vintage reports Hilltops

Goulburn Valley

Hilltops recorded its second cool, wet vintage in a row, with flooding and disease resulting in some blocks not being harvested. However, the quality of the harvested grapes was generally high, especially for clean fruit. Some late selective harvesting to avoid infected areas attracted a lot of interest from boutique wineries, along with high prices.

Heavy rain in late February and early March had a significant impact on the vintage, yet overall quality is above average, with parcels of Riesling, Chardonnay and Shiraz tending to excellent. Harvesting started as early as the first week of February, and varieties picked ahead of the rain fared particularly well, with Chardonnay and Riesling showing great vibrancy.

Hunter Valley

King Valley

Vintage started later than in recent years and many senior winemakers commented that it was closer to traditional Hunter timing. Pre-harvest weather was ideal, but intermittent rain in February and a major deluge in March impacted on fruit condition. A high proportion of red fruit was not harvested. White yields were average, with Semillon up slightly.

Mild conditions provided steady ripening, resulting in good natural acidity in white varieties and excellent colour accumulation in reds. Great varietal expression was observed across most varieties, with winemakers very pleased with the quality. Time will define the standouts of the 2012 vintage, but Prosecco sparkling bases are very fresh and show a great acid backbone.

Shoalhaven Coast Shoalhaven Coast experienced a wet vintage very similar to that in the Hunter, but was less affected by the massive deluge in February. Disease pressure was great, but growers are accustomed to it. Overcast conditions caused slow ripening and low Baumé, but fruit flavour was great and acid was fantastic (no acid was added this year).

Riverina January and February brought perfect weather (harvest started early January) but vintage ended early when regional flooding hit in March. Many growers could not enter their properties and major wineries were inaccessible. Subsequently yields were down but quality was outstanding, with winemakers touting 2012 as the best vintage in 20 years.

Victoria Murray Darling/Swan Hill Murray Valley Winegrowers estimates a vintage intake of 320-340,000 tonnes for Murray Darling and Swan Hill. Despite a condensed vintage that started up to three weeks earlier than average, winemakers are lauding the quality of grapes and wines as probably the best in 20 years – with reports of outstanding quality Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet in particular.

Mornington Peninsula Growers reported a much easier season than in 2011, despite some significant rain. Warmer areas started harvesting in late February/early March and were finished by the end of March, while cooler, elevated areas started at the end of March and finished mid-April. Yields were slightly down, but the fruit flavours are fantastic.

14 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Beechworth Beechworth experienced one of its cooler vintages of recent years and one of its wettest summers on record. These conditions favoured elegant flavor development in Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, but Shiraz ripened slowly and most vineyards picked as late as they have ever done. Some elegant, Europeanstyle Sangiovese and Nebbiolo wines are expected.

Strathbogie Ranges Harvest was somewhat earlier due to reduced crop loads, smaller berries and open bunches. Disease pressure was reduced on prior vintages; small loads and everyone had learnt from last year and was ready to pounce. Whites ticked along at par, Shiraz performed well under vigilance, but the star is the region’s truly varietal Cabernet; deep colour and great acid.

Geelong Across the board, local winemakers are genuinely excited about the quality of fruit and varietal intensity from the 2012 vintage. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are showing rich, bold intensity and earlier picked reds, such as Pinot Noir and Merlot, show great cool vintage influences. Yield across the region was generally lower than the long-term average.

Upper Goulburn This year was generally reported as producing excellent quality of fruit flavours, colour and ripeness, across all varieties, although there was some www.winebiz.com.au

experience with botrytis affecting the size of the Riesling harvest. High rainfall occurred through the vintage and early disease pressure in late spring/ summer resulted in some fruit losses, but generally the crops were average to good.

Bendigo Bendigo had an excellent growing season, although rains during March had some effect on flavours. All wineries that purchase fruit were pleased, especially with the rich, intense colour of the grapes. Bunch sizes were up roughly 10% on recent vintages, but yields were down about 30% on estimates, perhaps due to berry count.

Pyrenees Warm but not extreme summer weather gave perfect ripening conditions, with winemakers reporting excellent flavour development. A couple of rain events briefly halted harvest, but appear to have little effect on reducing wine quality. Overall, quality was exceptional across all varieties – especially for Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

Alpine Valleys Thanks to its topography, Alpine Valleys avoided the worst of floods that hit neighbouring regions. Sparkling and other white varieties picked before the first rains showed good fruit flavour, as did Chardonnay and early red varieties picked in March. Later red varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet came in with slightly less sugar than usual, but an abundance of colour and flavour.

Yarra Valley This year will go down as one of those exceptional vintages where all varieties achieved excellent quality. Pinot Noir is the standout, with Chardonnay and Shiraz also shining. After some initial trepidation, a long Indian summer resulted in Cabernet also achieving the status of excellent. Harvest started as early as the second week of February for many. Yields were down across most varieties.

Rutherglen Heavy March rain came early enough to not have a major impact on the immature fruit and the following good weather allowed the grapes to develop to physical maturity at a lower Baumé than in past vintages, bringing out natural flavour. The wines produced are above average and have good fruit flavour with higher natural acidity than usual. In general, yields were lower than the norm. August 2012 – Issue 583

Heathcote Expectations are high for a vintage that will rank among the top three of modern times. Yields were strong, particularly for Shiraz. Additional moisture developed bright, vibrant fruit with good fruit definition and nice ripe tannins, but disease pressure generally was much lower than in 2011. The conditions also allowed the fruit to ripen on the vine.

Henty For some vineyards, it was the earliest harvest on record due in part to lower bunch numbers and earlier ripening. Sparkling varieties were very good, showing good structure. The majority of vineyards picked a lower than average crop, but there was compensation in the outstanding fruit quality. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling were standouts, along with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, which benefited from a warm, dry April prior to harvest.

Queensland Granite Belt Early season rains and overcast weather in late January and early February had

August 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 583

growers concerned that 2012 was to be a repeat of 2011. However, good quality Chardonnay and Verdelho was harvested in February, with reds coming off in late March and early April. Yields in some varieties were down by 50% due to limited fruit on the vines.

South Burnett The 2012 vintage was in stark contrast to 2011, with climatic conditions producing the best growing season on record. Verdelho has been the standout variety in the whites, but winemakers agree that the quality of all the fruit this year has been exceptional. The more moderate temperatures pushed vintage seven to 10 days later than average.

Tasmania Harvest commenced earlier than normal due to the warmer, drier weather. The fruit then came in a rush, with most vineyards finished by the end of April. Bunch sizes were small, contributing to a reduced harvest in 2012. Quality is very high, however, with vineyards producing clean fruit at low to moderate Baume with high natural acidity, exhibiting excellent varietal characteristics.

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news

Printed Wine New Zealand records a fine Tasters harvest in 2012 The 2012 New Zealand grape harvest has been completed in line with expectations for a smaller crop than the record 2011 vintage. Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) said that the expectation amongst growers and wineries was that the 2012 grape harvest would be smaller than last year, following a cool spring and summer. This view was supported by anecdotal reports during the vintage and has now been confirmed by the NZW 2012 Vintage Survey, he said. “The 2012 vintage is very similar in size to 2010, but given sales growth in the past two years, the reduced crop will introduce a new tension to the sector’s supply and demand balance,” Gregan said. “As a result, it is very clear that the focus in the next year will be on value,

rather than volume growth.” According to the survey, 269,000 tonnes of grapes were harvested in New Zealand in 2012, down 18% from the record 2011 harvest of 328,000 tonnes. Gregan said that while the earlier spring and summer was cool, April was the critical turning point for the vintage. “Going into harvest, the concern amongst growers and wineries was whether autumn would deliver the weather the grapes needed to ripen fully. Fortunately in most of our growing regions April saw excellent vintage conditions with many warm, dry days and cool nights. The result is that we expect there will be plenty of vintage highlights for consumers to savour and enjoy, albeit in smaller volume than 2011.”

Variety/tonnes.

2011

2012

Change

% Change

Sauvignon Blanc

224,412

181,121

-43,291

-19

Pinot Noir

31,156

23,285

-7,872

-25

Chardonnay

25,580

22,855

-2,725

-11

Pinot Gris

17,787

15,347

-2,440

-14

Merlot

9,092

8,046

-1,047

-12

Riesling

6,118

4,989

-1,129

-18

Syrah

1,741

1,431

-310

-18

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Gewurztraminer

1,836

1,249

-588

-32

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Cabernet Sauvignon

1,667

1,120

-547

-33

Region/tonnes.

2011

2012

Change

% Change

Northland

111

-18

-17

Auckland

1,464

1,220

-244

-17

Gisborne

14,450

15,590

1,141

Hawkes Bay

35,533

32,793

-2,740

-8

Wairarapa

3,598

4,271

673

244,893

188,649

-56,244

-23

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Marlborough

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Nelson

7,854

6,129

-1,725

-22

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Waipara

9,231

6,697

-2,534

-27

254

382

128

7,104

8,115

1,010

Canterbury Central Otago

16 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

‘Drip fed’ payments fail to nourish grapegrowers

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Pressure is mounting on the industry to strengthen policy as growers increasingly express concern over late payments. Kellie Arbuckle

REPORTS WINERIES ARE prolonging grape payments to the detriment of growers’ cashflow has prompted fresh calls for legislation to underpin terms and conditions of payment. Winegrape associations in New South Wales and Victoria have received several complaints from grapegrowers that wineries have been delaying payments and increasing instalments, up to nine payments over a year, without notification. Murray Valley Winegrowers’ (MVW) and the Riverina Wine Grapes Marketing Board (RWGMB) have been calling on their state governments to legislate prescribed payments. If new laws are not implemented, the associations will push for the voluntary Wine Industry Code of Conduct – which

requires wineries to pay growers in three instalments, with the last payment at the end of September – to be made mandatory. Murray Valley Winegrowers’ CEO Mark McKenzie said the situation of Neqtar Wines, which went into administration in 2009 having still owed growers about $4 million, was indicative of the need for laws for prescribed payments. “If all companies were held under the provision that they couldn’t have extended terms of payment, then we would have a clearer picture of which companies are able to trade verses those that are teetering on financial collapse much earlier, giving growers the opportunity not to supply them further,” McKenzie said. The issue flared up in late May when the administrator of Neqtar Wines sent

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Riverina Wine Grapes Marketing Board CEO Brian Simpson. August 2012 – Issue 583

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

news letters to its former growers demanding they return payments, estimated to exceed $200,000 in total, they received in the lead-up to the winery’s collapse. The administrator sought repayments after claiming the growers were given preferential treatment. Growers have raised concern over impractical payments for the past decade but, according to McKenzie, the issue has been exacerbated in recent times in light of low grape prices. “Over the past decade we’ve noticed there’s been a move predominantly from smaller and medium wineries to try and modify terms of payment from the previously accepted industry standard of three equal instalments back to an initial payment,” McKenzie said. “This is often as little as 20 per cent with the balance paid off monthly over the next 10 or 11 months. “It’s not acceptable. If wineries continue to over-stretch growers’ financial capacity, growers run the risk of losing everything.” RWGMB CEO Brian Simpson said about 50 growers had made complaints to the board over the past six months about being “drip fed” payments. He said the practice is hurting growers financially and straining the relationship with their winery. “A lot of growers are on the brink of financial collapse because of down prices so a delay in a payment means they can’t cover the cost of production,” Simpson said. “Until we see a list of pricing (dates), we’re going to see a continued downward turn of growers as they exit the industry.” Simpson said the problem has

intensified since January when NSW legislation, which gave the RWGMB the authority to set payment terms, expired. The ceasing of legislation means growers now have to rely on the terms and conditions set out in the contract or agreement with their winery. “It’s worrying because growers feel the only recourse they have is to take civil action, whereas under the previous legislation we could act on behalf of groups of growers, take action on the winery and charge a penalty interest rate.” MVW has been calling on the Victorian and NSW governments to help implement standardised terms of payment and trade between South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. As it stands, South Australia is the only Australian state with laws that require wineries to make prescribed payments. Under the South Australian Wine Industry Act 1991 (SAWI Act), wineries have to pay growers in three instalments, with the final payment by 30 September in the same year the grapes were harvested. If the winery does not pay by the due date, the SAWI Act gives the grower the right to take action to recover outstanding payments. If final payments are not made by 30 September, the grower is entitled to interest on any outstanding monies. But, according to Wine Grape Council of South Australia chief executive Peter Hackworth, the SAWI Act is flawed. “The Act has limitations in it and one of the big factors is the cost of litigation of taking someone to court. Because some of the people they’re taking action against are small operators, there’s a fear they’ll have

“Growers should be able to enter the market knowing they will be treated the same from winery to winery, which would occur under a mandated Code. It would be beneficial for the industry in the longer term and reduce the problems that are present” Brian Simpson, Riverina Wine Grapes Marketing Board.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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news no money anyway and they’ll just end up with a big legal bill,” Hackworth said. He said the council has received five formal complaints from growers needing legal assistance after wineries delayed payments – an issue made more complicated by the fact that growers are often hesitant to speak up on the issue. “There is a great reluctance on the part of growers to talk about this out of fear they’ll be unable to sell their grapes if they’re seen by the wineries to be complaining.” Hackworth said the solution lies in the Wine Industry Code of Conduct. “We’d like to see the voluntary Code be widely adopted but, if it’s not, then a mandatory Code would have to be considered,” Hackworth said. McKenzie and Simpson agree that a mandatory Code is the way of the future. “The Code has been in operation for a number of years now and has been poorly taken up by wineries, even though it was developed by wineries and growers and supported by the national industry representative body for wineries,” Simpson said. “Growers should be able to enter the market knowing they will be treated the same from winery to winery, which would occur under a mandated Code. It would be beneficial for the industry in the longer term and reduce the problems that are present.” “We need some extra protection in an environment where growers have almost no commercial or market power whatsoever,” McKenzie said. Grapegrower & Winemaker spoke with the representatives of wine associations in Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, all of who said the issue of grape payment terms was not of particular concern in their state.

Wine Industry Code of Conduct: the view from WFA and WGGA Developed by the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) and Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA), the Code was established to provide a common winegrape supply contract framework and to apply a dispute resolution system where disagreements might arise. Seven wineries, predominantly larger producers that represent some 30-40 per cent of the national grape crush, have signed the voluntary code since it was launched in December 2008. In an attempt to encourage more wineries to sign the Code, the WFA and WGGA made changes in November last year to the Code, setting a target of 25 per cent of the top 100 wine producers to sign the Code by end of 2012, and 50 per cent by the end of 2013. WGGA executive director Lawrie Stanford said a mandatory Code should be considered if these targets are not met. “We’re happy with companies that have signed up but clearly it’s not enough. If the voluntary Code fails then the mandatory option comes into focus,” Stanford said. “It’s a lamentable situation... wineries that are doing this are simply borrowing money from growers to support their businesses – it’s not good commercial practice. “If the industry is going to move on there needs to be sharing of risk and it’s not acceptable that winemakers hand all the risk to growers.” WFA general manager, policy and government affairs Andrew Wilsmore said the belief a mandatory Code would solve everything was “unrealistic”. “The mandatory focus is a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Our belief is that it’s a voluntary area for those members of the organisation who wish to be bound by the Code and the requirements in it. We encourage winemakers to join,” Wilsmore said. He said a survey conducted by the WFA found most winemakers did not see any benefit to the Code, with many claiming that their growers hadn’t expressed a demand for them to become signatories. He said it’s a matter for growers and wineries to deal with and the focus needs to be on establishing stronger contracts.

Wine Grape Growers Australia executive director Lawrie Stanford said the issue arose in regions where supply outstripped demand. Queensland Wine Industry Association president and winemaker for Hidden Creek Winery, Jim Barnes, said it would

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be a “sad day if mandatory conditions of grape payments were to be introduced”. “Small business does not need further intervention by government. Guidelines have been put forward for agreements to be negotiated and workable contracts to be put in place,” Barnes said.

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news

Vintage results reveal extraordinary opportunities for Aussie wine Kellie Arbuckle

OVERCOMING NEGATIVITY AND resisting the alcohol versus health debate are the key challenges of the Australian wine industry, the new chief executive of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia has said. In his first keynote address since taking on the top job with the WFA, Paul Evans said Australia needed to view the glass as half full, rather than half empty, when talking about Australian wine. “The first thing that immediately struck me was the negativity in this industry. While there is a place for this negativity, coming from an outsider’s point of view there is a basis to see this industry with the glass half full,” Evans said. “We’ve got a lot of excitement and a lot of optimism around this year’s vintage in the short-term but I think in the longterm, as we begin to understand more about what’s happening with demand overseas, there will be cause to be more positive about the industry.” Evans spoke about the challenges facing the Australian wine sector last month at the National Wine Centre, at the Wine Communicators of Australia vintage luncheon, which took place simultaneously in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide on Friday 6 July. His speech coincided with the official release of vintage statistics by the WFA, which estimated this year’s national crush at 1.66 million tonnes – a 4 per cent increase on last year’s figure of 1.6 million tonnes. Summing up this year’s vintage, Evans said 2012 would be a “standout” year for quality. And while grape prices are slightly on the rise, growers have a long way to go before they are completely out of the woods. He said the second major concern for the industry was one that resonated with several Australian winemakers – the alcohol versus health debate. “I think this is a general concern – it’s not instinctive anymore, it’s something we have to fight,” Evans said. “In some regards, wine has been brought into a debate with beer and spirits, and misuse and responsible consumption ... there’s a sense that we don’t have a voice on these issues and we don’t have a clear idea of where it’s all going and whether we should tell the companies to back off.”

22 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Also speaking at the event was Yalumba’s Jane Ferrari, who was named WCA Wine Communicator of the Year 2012, and News Limited’s national wine writer Tony Love. In an inspiring speech, Ferrari spoke about how storytelling had brought success to Yalumba in international markets such as the US and the UK. In telling the wine stories, she said it was important for Australia to market both sides of the coin to reflect Australia’s extraordinary wine industry.

“This vintage – it’s a cracker. Whatever you do, talk about it, open bottles and be confident because it’s really going to take us a long way.” Jane Ferrari, Yalumba.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re spending $10 or $100 on a bottle, most people see Australian wine as offering great value for money – not cheap and cheerful, just great value for money,” Ferrari said. “A lot of people want to talk about the critter wine phenomena ... but that’s just one side of the coin. There’s room for everyone. It doesn’t mean one is better than the other. “Don’t forget that in America the most interesting stat is that half of the www.winebiz.com.au

population do not drink any alcohol at all, so if we can take the drinkers from Coca-Cola and Cherry Coke and Vanilla Coke to wine by introducing them to wines like Yellow Tail ... then that’s a good thing. Then, we can come in with the other side of our coin to show that we can illustrate the concept of terroir.” Ferrari said this year’s vintage is one to be proud of and one she will market, through Yalumba’s experience, by comparing it with the differences and similarities of previous vintages. “This vintage – it’s a cracker. Whatever you do, talk about it, open bottles and be confident because it’s really going to take us a long way,” she said. Speaking of the vintage report, News Limited’s national wine writer Tony Love said of most interest was the fact that the warm inland regions accounted for 1 million tonnes of production – a 7 per cent increase on last year’s figure of 70,000 tonnes. He said the hype around cool regions could be leaving producers in warmer regions confused about their place in the industry. “There seems to be a widening drift between the warm and cool regions in the sense that cool regions are now the ‘coolest’ part of the industry,” Love said. “There’s a lot of marketing and spruiking going into ‘this (cool wine) is the future of the Australian wine industry’ and it’s possibly leaving people in warm climates a little bit concerned about where they stand.” Another clear observation, he said, was the growth and popularity of Italian varieties, particularly Pinot Grigio/Gris, which was up about 40 per cent (15,000 tonnes) compared with last year. “You could possibly make the call that Australian winemakers have raised the white flag in the Sauvignon Blanc business ... ‘We’ll surrender that to you and we’ll start looking at something else,’” he said. When asked what the public wants when it comes to wine, Love said it comes down to “finding good value for money”. “There is no clear answer. I treat it as though everyone is the audience, so it’s wine that sings to you really loudly,” he said. More: see page 78 for photos from the vintage luncheon in Adelaide. August 2012 – Issue 583

Of grape and wine: history captured as it was made Kellie Arbuckle

ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S leading wine commentators has compiled a collection of interviews with some of the most influential people in wine to provide a revealing look at Australia’s wine history. Released 1 August, The history of Australian wine: stories from the vineyard to the cellar door is Max Allen’s sixth book which, with its often controversial interviews, is likely to turn some heads in the industry. More than 40 per cent of the book is devoted to actual quotes from people in wine, as recorded in interviews (of which there were about 180) by Australian historian Rob Linn, between 1900 and 2000. “One of the best things about this book is that even though you might be familiar with the stories, you’ve never heard them be told this way before,” Allen told Grapegrower & Winemaker. “There’s only one or two references that have not been taken from the interviews themselves ... it was driven by what people wanted to talk about rather than me imposing external stuff.” Allen started the book about five years ago after being approached by Victory Books, of Melbourne University Publishing, to turn the stories into a narrative. From growers and winemakers to cellar hands and business leaders, Allen has worked hard at compiling the recollections taken from Linn throughout the 20th Century.

Among those to offer their personal insights were Len Evans, Wolf Blass, Grant Burge, Max Drayton, Brian Croser, Di Davidson, Penny Gunner, Bill Hardy, Prue and Stephen Henschke, Frank Margan, Brian McGuigan, Don McWilliam, Leo Pech, Peter Lehmann, Bruce Tyrrell, Philip Laffer and Robert Hill Smith – and many more. Unique to the book is the way each chapter, even with its own focus, captures history.

“There’s a profound disconnect in the industry which is understandably gloomy and yet, for me, I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about Australian wine as I am now” Max Allen. “The major thing I’ve done is group the book by theme ... only the most dedicated wine geek is going to sit down and read all the way through – reference books are like that. But I thought it was important for each chapter to have the whole century, in each theme,” Allen said.

The new book by award-winning wine writer Max Allen.

He said the major motivation in writing the book was driven by the need to give people hope. “No matter how bad things are now, you know it’s going to change. And once you’ve read and understood the stories from the people who have seen two or three of those cycles, it kind of gives you hope,” Allen said. “There’s a profound disconnect in the industry which is understandably gloomy and yet, for me, as a wine writer, I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about Australian wine as I am now.” Allen hopes the book will not only take up shelf space in the food and wine areas of book stores, but the history shelf, too. He said the book provides an understanding of the history of Australian wine and, in doing so, provides context for it to be appreciated.

Max Allen is the wine writer for The Weekend Australian magazine and has published several books in relation to wine. He is also a well respected wine judge and runs wine education courses in Melbourne.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

Conference reveals renewed faith in industry Kellie Arbuckle

THE SHEER SIZE of the crowd at this year’s Winery Engineering Australia conference in the Barossa Valley was evidence of a renewed sense of optimism in the industry. That’s the view of event coordinator Trevor Leighton. From winemakers, suppliers, engineers and general wine enthusiasts, Leighton estimates about 200 people attended this year’s event – not far from the boomtime 300-mark attained back in 2005. He says it’s a sign of new-found confidence within the industry. “Suppliers are suggesting that things are starting to pick up. Some were making comments that feedback from wineries is that they’re starting to expand in terms of capacity and are investing in new equipment,” Leighton said. Held yearly by WEA, the conference brings together industry experts to present the latest in technology and research. ‘Building customer value’ was the theme of this year’s event, which took place on 20-21 June at the Vine Inn. WEA speaker program coordinator David Clark said the theme was designed to remind people in the supply chain to operate with the customer in mind. “It is important that service departments, such as engineering with their customers being winemakers, provide value. This involves becoming more efficient and working smarter and not harder, so they’re giving better value to their internal customers and reducing the cost of goods,” Clark said. “This, in turn, gives the winemaker a better margin to play with.” He said the WEA conference was a key event on the industry calendar.

Ray Pender and Trevor Leighton, both from WEA.

24 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Blair Hanel from Hanel Consulting, Tilly Bowden from Vinvicta and George Willcox from Wine Industry Suppliers Australia.

Ryan Tregilgas from Sage Auto and Stephen Kershaw from Taylors Wines.

Tom Hester from Winery Technologies Australia, Geoff Price from Australian Beverage Systems and Paul Davoren from De Bortoli Wines.

“It’s unique because it deals with production from the moment the wine goes in the crusher, all the way to the bottle – no other conference in the world does it.” About 33 exhibitors presented their latest wares at the conference, including Bucher Vaslin with its Delta Oscillys destemmer, and Ridgelea with its awardwinning cross-flow filter. Other exhibitors included Pellenc, Della Toffola, Aggreko, Rockwell Automation, Cold Logic, Sage, Hanel Consulting and more. Giving the keynote address, Australian Wine Research Institute business development manager Dr Vince O’Brien www.winebiz.com.au

spoke about the need for wineries to consider customer value when making wine. “One of the things that came out in the first presentation is that wineries tend to make wine that winemakers think everyone likes – but that’s not necessarily the case,” Clark said. Leighton says next year’s event will be business as usual, with the potential to change locations to McLaren Vale or Adelaide. The New Zealand WEA conference will be held from 6-7 September at Brancott Estate, with New Zealand Winegrowers CEO Phillip Gregan as key speaker. August 2012 – Issue 583

regional round-up

NSW awards highlight strengths of a cooperative and innovative industry Pride expressed as NSW secures a distinguished reputation on international wine stage Kellie Arbuckle

HUNTER VALLEY Local wine legends honoured

Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association president Andrew Margan said the awards, which took place in May, recognise the skill, hard work and excellence of the region’s wine producers and professionals. “The shortlist of finalists was exceptional and they should all be congratulated,” Margan said.

WINNERS OF THE sixth annual Hunter Valley Legends and Wine Industry Awards were recently announced at a gala ceremony at Lindeman’s winery. Taking out the top gong for Winemaker of the Year was Nick Paterson, of Dogliani Winemaking and Consulting, while the Industry Living Legend award went to Patrick Auld, winemaker at Oakvale McGuigan shines on world stage Wines. The number and prestige of awards and Tyrrell’s Wines winemaker Chris accolades McGuigan Wines has enjoyed Tyrrell won the Rising Star of the Year over the past 12 months has given claim award, while Carl Davies of Audrey to the winery as among the best in the Wilkinson Vineyard took out the award world. for Viticulturist of the Year. The Hunter Valley winery was voted Cellar Door of the Year went to one of the world’s most admired brands Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year recipient Hungerford Hill Wines, while Tulloch by a panel of top industry experts and 3 1 0 7 7 _ v 1 C R T _ N u f a r mH . p d f Pa ge 1 1 8 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 1 1 : 0Nick 8 Paterson AM of Dogliani Winemaking and Wines picked up the Heritage Award for commentators in a survey published in Consulting. its Pokolbin Dry Red Label. May by Drinks International.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

news Speaking of the result, Drinks International editor Christian Davis said: “McGuigan is one of the most progressive, dynamic brands coming out of Australia at present”. The accolade comes off the back of a big year, which saw the winery take out the 2011 International Winemaker of the Year award and the Australian Producer of the Year award at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in November. The winer y also recently won gold at the 2012 Decanter World Wine Awards for its 2007 Shortlist Riesling.

HASTINGS RIVER Grand opening not so grand Bago Vineyards has worked hard for the past six years on growing a hedge maze which, when complete, is set to be the largest in the state. Covering 10,000 square metres and 2000 metres of pathways, the hedge has been a high priority for the past couple of years, with constant training of the hedge and plenty of hair

McGuigan’s 2007 Shortlist Riesling recently won gold at the 2012 Decanter World Wine Awards.

cuts, all in preparation for the grand opening, which had been planned for early December. The public could look at the maze from a distance – no touching or entering. But plans for an impressive launch recently came to a halt when the vineyard van, which had been parked earlier on the hilltop overlooking the maze, went on a journey of its own – straight into the hedges. “Two visitors seated on the pergola overlooking the vineyards were enjoying a cheese platter and a glass of rosé when, all of a sudden, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing,” recalls Ian Mobbs, the brains behind the maze. “Yes – they saw a driverless van heading down the hill straight for the maze, straight through the hedges and, yes, onto the walled pathway.” Mobbs said it wasn’t quite the grand opening they had been hoping for. “I call it the Claytons opening – the opening you have when not opening,” he joked.

MURRUMBATEMAN Growers optimistic about sustainability Grapegrowers from Tumbarumba, Young, Orange and the Southern Highlands came together in June to hear the latest developments in sustainability. In one of many workshops held by the Viticultural Society of the Canberra District (VSCD), growers booked out the event, held at Yarrah Wines, in Murrumbateman. Topics discussed varied from sheep grazing, soil health, cover cropping, biodiversity and composting, as well as the latest results from trials and production use of alternative disease control and nutritional products, such as tricoderma and compost teas. VSCD president Neil McGregor said the turnout was a reflection of growers’ willingness to adopt sustainable practices. “Feedback from the workshop has been very positive, with growers keen to stay in touch with the latest research, development and real world application of emerging – and emerged – sustainable practices,” McGregor said.

NEW SOUTH WALES NSW urged to ‘ask for it’ Wine drinkers in NSW have been encouraged by their state government to request NSW wines. The NSW Government announced in April it was investing $40,000 in a social media campaign called ‘Ask for it’ in an attempt to boost the sales of locally produced wines. NSW winemakers produce 38 per cent of the nation’s wine but account for only 7 per cent of those on restaurant wine lists. Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner helped launch the initiative, which is jointly funded by the NSW Wine Industry Association, at the Royal Sydney Easter Show. He said NSW wine consumers needed to ask for NSW wines when dining at restaurants. “If you go along to your local restaurants and they’ve got South Australian wines or they’ve got Victorian wines, just have a word to the proprietor or the sommelier and say ‘I want NSW wines,’” he said.

MUDGEE Wine and food fest Mudgee will next month play host to its 41st Wine and Food Festival – a celebration of the region’s wine, produce and the people who bring it to life. Several events have been planned for the festival from 7-24 September, including awards, tastings and intimate

The driverless van at Bago Vineyards.

26 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

dinners, as well as quirky events at many of the 40 family-owned wineries. For the first time this year, Flavours of Mudgee will bring the town centre alive with a night market featuring Mudgee chefs, live music and children’s entertainment. The 41st Mudgee Wine Show Dinner will celebrate the award-winning wines of the region for 2012, before the floodgates open for Go Tasting – a chance to experience up to 300 Mudgee wines, including wine show winners. Mudgee is just under a four-hour drive from Sydney. It is the third largest grapegrowing region in NSW.

ORANGE Cumulus Shiraz scoops top accolade Cumulus Estate Wines has for the second year in a row been listed in the Top 10 Syrah or Shiraz from around the world category at the international Syrah du Monde Awards. It was the Anthropology 2010 Shiraz that won the judges over at this year’s event, which had entries of more than 440 wines from 24 countries. The Orange-based winery also captured the judges’ imaginations at last year’s awards with its Cumulus 2008 Shiraz. Cumulus Estate Wines winemaker Debbie Lauritz said the award is proof that the local wine region can compete with the best wineries. “Out of all the entries from all over the world, to have our Shiraz included among the finest is a real boost to us and other neighbouring winemakers,” Lauritz said.

August 2012 – Issue 583

Entries still open for SA environmental awards Members of the South Australian Wine Industry Association who have done well by the environment are being encouraged to enter the Environmental Excellence Awards. Held annually, the awards recognise SAWIA members for adopting substantive and quantifiable improvements in key areas of environmental management including energy and carbon, land and biodiversity, water and waste. This year’s awards are themed Land and Biodiversity, with two award categories: one each for small to medium and large businesses. Entries close 17 August and winners will be announced at the annual members’ lunch on 21 September. To download a nomination form, visit www.winesa.asn.au

Reds shine at Qld wine show A Shiraz from the Clare Valley in South Australia was chosen from almost 2000 entries for the top gong at this year’s Royal Queensland Wine Show. The Annie’s Lane Copper Trail Shiraz was named Grand Champion at the awards, while the 2011 Westend 3 Bridges 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon won the Stodart Trophy for the ‘best gold medal winning one-year-old dry red table wine’. The most successful Queensland exhibitor went to Symphony Hills Wines, from the Granite Belt, while the best of the Queenslanders was judged to be Golden Grove’s Vermentino 2012.

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The Royal Queensland Wine Show is one of Australia’s oldest shows, having first been staged in 1876. As the first national wine show held in capital cities across Australia, this show allows Australia’s best wine producers to reveal their new season’s vintage.

Scholarships up for grabs Young winemakers and viticulturists are encouraged to apply for scholarships that aim to further develop their careers and future in the industry. The Peter Olsen Fellowship is open to young people aged 18-35 and offers an $8000 bursary and an opportunity to develop personal and professional skills to the benefit of their business and industry, while the Rural Youth Bursary is open to people aged 18-30 who are looking to pursue further study that will benefit the community. The winner will be selected based on each individual’s motivations, abilities and achievements in pursuing their chosen career, and will receive a $5000 grant. Primary Industries and Regions of South Australia will select applicants for the Rural Youth Bursary and Peter Olsen Fellowship to be considered for the Australian Year of the Farmer 2012 Award (AYOF). A past winner put the funding towards upgrading a boutique winery. Nominations for all three awards close on 17 August and will be announced on 10 September in Kimba, South Australia. For more information, visit www.agbureau.com.au/awards

Grapegrower & Winemaker

news

All set for Bordeaux’s upcoming Vinitech show

The VINITECH-SIFEL international trade show is being held in Bordeaux, France from 27-29 November, 2012. VINITECH is a biennial show which focuses on equipment and techniques for grapegrowing and winemaking, showcasing the latest technological innovations. As in 2010, a delegation of industry professionals from Australia will attend the trade show as guests of VINITECH. A program of equipment demonstrations, business meetings and vineyard visits will be organised for delegates. If readers would like to be considered for an invitation to join the group, they should contact Promosalons Australia at promosalons@optusnet.com.au indicating any specific projects with which a visit to VINITECH could assist. For all international delegates

28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

from Australia and New Zealand, the VINITECH organisers in collaboration with Promosalons will be offering complimentary vineyard visits during the trade show. The afternoon of 27 November will be focused on Ergonomics and Innovation in Viticulture. Participants will visit the Chateau Vieux Plantier, a 31ha property in the heart of the Cotes de Bourg appellation, just half an hour from the exhibition centre. The second afternoon will concentrate on the workings of the Margaux appellation, one of the most prestigious Medoc appellations. Participants will visit the Maison des Vins de Margaux, followed by a wine tasting at Chateau Palmer. Transport by bus from the exhibition centre is included. More info at: www.promosalons.com

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ZORK SPK wins WorldStar Award and President’s Award for Scholle ZORK SPK, THE resealable closure for sparkling wine, has won worldwide recognition by receiving the prestigious President’s Award at the 2012 WorldStar awards in Croatia. WorldStar Awards, presented by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), identify the best of the best in the world of packaging. This year’s field consisted of over 240 entries that had won a packaging award in their own countries. Twentythree judges considered graphic design, innovation and purpose to determine the winners. The ZORK SPK offers a resealable solution to keep sparkling wine bubbly and fresh after opening. This international packaging award is the latest in a series of prestigious awards for the ZORK SPK, including awards in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Judith Candy, Scholle European business development manager for ZORK, said: “We are delighted that ZORK SPK has, once again, been recognised as a truly significant innovation. Wineries using ZORK SPK have already found that the closure is useful, effective and popular with their customers.”

China to drink more white wine White wine consumption in mainland China is set to rise significantly over the next five years, according to a study by Wine Intelligence. The Emerging Opportunities in the Chinese Wine Market report highlights the growing diversification of Chinese consumer tastes, including a new-found liking for white wine. Author and research manager Jenny Li said that although red wine still accounts for more than 85 per cent of the total wine sales in China, white wine was growing in popularity, particularly in China's southern regions. According to f igu res f rom International Wine & Spirit Research on wine imports into China, 10 million 9-litre cases of still white wine were imported in 2010, compared with 8.7 million in 2009. Decanter August 2012 – Issue 583

wrdc

August 2012

GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Newsletter of the GWRDC. Published bi-monthly

Stakeholders set research priorities from vine to glass To support a competitive Australian wine sector, the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation will invest in the order of $100–125 million in research, development and extension (RD&E) over the next five years. These investments will be guided by the new Strategic Research, Development and Extension Plan 2012–17 and Annual Operational Plan 2012–13, which are now in effect. Both plans were developed following extensive consultation with the GWRDC’s stakeholders and they set out the GWRDC’s RD&E priorities over the next 12 months and five years. The GWRDC’s primary stakeholders – the Australian Government, Wine Grape Growers Australia, and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia – together with other groups including regional representatives, graduates of the Future

The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation invests in research, development and extension (RD&E) from vine to glass to support a competitive Australian wine sector. We are inviting applications for priority-driven, collaborative RD&E projects to start in 2012–13. Project applications must relate to the research priority areas identified by the GWRDC, as detailed in GWRDC Investments 2012–13. For further information, visit www. gwrdc.com.au or call 08 8273 0500. Closing dates: 24 August 2012: Consumer insights and objective measures of quality expressions of interest. 24 August 2012: Preliminary project applications for projects relating to climate change adaptability, improving spray efficacy, market access, packaging and transport, pest and disease management, and vine balance and yield variability.

Leaders Program, the National Wine Research Network and the National Wine Extension and Innovation Network, Wine Australia, and Australia’s top 20 wineproducing companies, helped identify the key priority research areas. GWRDC chair Rory McEwen welcomed Minister Ludwig’s approval of the Strategic Plan. These priority research areas have been grouped into four program areas, each of which is aligned with the Australian Government’s Rural R&D Priorities and National Research Priorities.

Environment and sustainability • ensuring the sector is resilient in the face of a variable and changing climate • finding solutions to production challenges posed by pests and diseases • managing increased pressure on and scarcity of natural resources • demonstrating and adopting production practices that minimise our environmental footprint.

Consumers and markets • developing a better understanding of what attributes consumers and potential consumers of Australian wine, both at home and internationally, find desirable.

Improving products and processes • establishing objective measures of grape and wine quality • creating fit-for-purpose yeast and bacterial germplasm • developing novel and improved practices and processes from the vineyard to wine’s point-of-sale • assisting growers and winemakers to make informed decisions through access to high quality and objective national and international statistics and analysis.

Extension and adoption • ensuring the Australian wine sector captures its comparative advantage through constant innovation in grape and wine production techniques,

packaging technologies, and various route-to-market strategies. McEwen thanked all stakeholders for their commitment and contribution to identifying the strategic research priorities. “Over the next five years, the GWRDC will place a greater emphasis on directed research and on ensuring that research outcomes can be adopted by our stakeholders. The GWRDC looks forward to working with our stakeholders to help achieve an Australian wine sector that is profitable, competitive and sustainable through innovation,” McEwen said. The GWRDC expects to continue its investment in cross-sectoral research over the next five years in the following strategic areas, which closely align with the four programs: • climate change and climate variability • plant biosecurity • water use in agriculture • soil • the efficacy of inputs • education. “These areas have become vital to our focus on investing in and directing RD&E throughout the whole value chain, from vine to glass, to support a competitive Australian wine sector,” GWRDC executive director Neil Fisher said. “We are committed to extracting the full value of our investments in RD&E for the benefit of our levy payers, the Federal Government – which provides 50 per cent of the Australian wine industry’s RD&E funding – and the wider community.” In the next 12 months, GWRDC will invest in new projects to the tune of $2.75 million. The four high-priority areas for investment are adoption strategies, biosecurity, consumer insights and objective measures of quality. A further six priority areas have been identified: climate change adaptability, improving spray efficacy, market access, packaging and transport, pest and disease management, and vine balance and yield variability. The Strategic Research, Development and Extension Plan 2012–17, and Annual Operational Plan 2012-13 are available at www.gwrdc.com.au

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Trials help wineries clean up their act A project focused on identifying, testing and communicating the use of new technologies and ideas that relate to cleaner wine production has been undertaken over the past two years by the Australian Wine Research Institute engineering group and CSIRO research scientist Dr Anu Kumar. The project specifically seeks to reduce winery wastewater, leading to lower hydraulic and pollutant loadings, by identifying new technologies and technologies already

The Australian Wine Research Institute is working with wineries of all sizes to develop cleaner production technologies to help producers improve their environmental stewardship and save money.

available but not widely adopted. As vineyards perished during the extended drought years of 2003–2010, increasing attention was placed on water use in the winery and the possible re-use of wastewater in vineyards. “Wine companies are facing everincreasing pressure to improve their environmental stewardship, which is sometimes realised in a financial way. The increase in cost of processing and treating winery wastewater in recent years is, in part, due to increased input costs, principally electricity, but also because the re-use of winery water has become more common. This, in turn, demands more complete or sophisticated treatment methods,” explained AWRI senior engineer Karl Forsyth. A series of specific trials focused on solids separation, wine transfers and cleaning processes were completed in partnership with selected South Australian and Victorian wineries, ranging in size from small to very large. A number of wine industry suppliers were also involved in the trials. The trials were designed to operate as case studies, with the aim of publishing the information via the GWRDC’s website. The case studies detail several cleaner production opportunities for the wine industry, and are intended to provide the reader with all of the necessary information to implement similar cleaner production techniques in their own wineries. “Although the primary focus is improving environmental performance, this project has also uncovered a number of interesting ways to reduce the cost, or

improve the quality of wine production. It is clear that when the key benefits of environment and cost reduction overlap, it is in the best interest of all wine companies for this technology to be promoted and adopted,” Forsyth said. Research into transfer operations at a large winery found that approximately 65 per cent of the transfers in a wine’s lifetime were not associated with specific processing equipment (filters, centrifuges etc). Furthermore, 30% of these transfers occurred with finished wine. These transfers were strongly driven by ullage management and the accurate filling of export containers. Winery tank farm layout/process zoning also had an influence. High strain was put on the winery by the breakdown of large tanks to accommodate small packaging runs. The re-blending of wine recovered from lees is a complex process and may also be a potential opportunity for optimisation in some wineries. Solids separation in wineries has received increasing attention with the newly-developed cross-flow lees filtration systems. These technologies have the opportunity to drastically change the way the products are processed, increasing efficiency and saving water. “Cleaning is one of the most timeconsuming tasks in a winery. Opportunities to improve the way that cleaning occurs, such as the now widespread use of brooms and squeegees rather than highpressure hoses to clean winery surfaces, has the potential to save money and reduce environmental burden,” Forsyth said.

Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp) under the microscope Dr Fiona Constable, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, has received support from GWRDC and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to better understand Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp), a priority pest under the Industry Biosecurity Plan for the Viticulture industry. There is currently no Australian diagnostic protocol for the disease that is recognised according to international standards. Fiona will visit centres of expertise such as the National Institute for Agricultural

Research (INRA), Bordeaux, France, Centro di Ricerca per la Viticoltura (CRAVIT), Conegliano, Italy and Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroambientali (DiSTA), Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Italy. This will give her access to live positive controls of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma to use in her study. On her return to Australia, Fiona will develop a diagnostic protocol for the detection and identification of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma according to the Subcommittee on Plant

Health Diagnostic Standards: Reference Standard 2 – Development of Diagnostic Protocols – Technical Procedures. These Reference Standards are consistent with International Plant Protection Convention guidelines for the development of diagnostic protocols. During her visit to each centre, Fiona will present an overview of grapevine phytoplasmas and viruses in Australia and their relevance to certification programs and quarantine.

R & D at Wor k

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Unlocking the secret of eucalyptol Legal disputes seeking to prevent eucalyptus plantations being established next to vineyards was the catalyst for research by the Australian Wine Research Institute to determine the source of 1,8-cineole, the compound commonly known as eucalyptol, which is responsible for eucalypt and minty characters in wine. As AWRI senior scientist Dimitra Capone explains, the AWRI also found that there was very little knowledge about the origin of 1,8-cineole in wine. “While some producers found the eucalypt flavour in their wines undesirable, others considered it an important part of their wine’s style and there was a need to understand where the flavour came from so it could be controlled, which is the main benefit to come from this research,” Capone said. In a survey of 190 commercially available Australian wines of various varieties, the AWRI found that 1,8-cineole was present above the sensory threshold in 40 per cent of red wines. The AWRI also assessed consumer response to eucalyptus flavour in red wines and found that, even at very low levels, most drinkers reacted to the flavour. Interestingly, more consumers preferred wines with the minty flavour than those who did not like it. “We now know that 1,8-cineole can be formed in wines from grapes, even those grown with no eucalyptus trees nearby. However, in this instance, the contribution is only at negligible levels. Eucalyptus trees growing close to vineyards, however, are the primary source of the flavour in wine,” Capone explained. The AWRI found that absorption of the compound by grape berries, while important, is much less a factor than the presence of Eucalyptus leaves or bark in harvested grapes. Machine harvesting of the rows closest to Eucalyptus trees will more than likely produce bins of grapes with numerous Eucalyptus leaves and these have a huge effect on levels of 1,8-cineole in wine. Even hand harvesting of grapes can result in a surprising number of eucalypt leaves in the picking bins. Unexpectedly, grape leaves or grape stems were also a major source of the compound. “The main take-home message from the research is that avoiding material other than grapes in picking bins, especially Eucalyptus leaves, will dramatically reduce the level of this flavour in wine,” Capone said.

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

Eucalyptus trees growing close to vineyards have been found to be the primary source of minty flavour in wine.

Grape bins with numerous Eucalyptus leaves included after machine harvesting have a huge effect on 1,8-cineole levels in wine.

The AWRI is continuing to work with wine producers to help them in their management strategies of controlling the minty character in wine. “We are currently assessing if there might be any other compound that contributes minty flavour that is not related

to Eucalyptus trees. The AWRI is also finalising some experiments assessing whether translocation of the 1-8,cineole compound is possible from the soil to the grape berries, or from the grape leaves to the berries,” Capone said.

wrdc GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

People in Research Simon Nordestgaard, AWRI Engineering ideas to save wineries money AWRI senior engineer and member of its Commercial Services Group, Simon Nordestgaard, followed his curious mind for how things work from childhood Lego sets, through chemistry and maths classes at school, and onto chemical engineering studies at Bachelor and PhD level, to the benefit of the Australian wine industry. The variety of industry and commercial winery process engineering projects that Nordestgaard has undertaken are ultimately helping wineries to reduce production costs, while maintaining, if not enhancing, wine quality. Earning first-class honours from his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, Nordestgaard has also earned a Bachelor of Economics, and a PhD in chemical engineering, with a thesis entitled, ‘Phenolic extraction and juice expression during white wine production’. Prior to beginning his PhD, Nordestgaard was employed as a research engineer at The University of Adelaide, on a project about alternative technologies for protein stabilisation of white wines. He says that during that job, he learnt a lot about wine production, and developed a real interest and passion for the Australian sector and the technologies used in large-scale wine production. “During my PhD, I worked with a

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.

AWRI senior engineer Simon Nordestgaard is working on a variety of winery process engineering projects, which aim to help wineries to reduce production costs and enhance wine quality.

number of large wineries and further increased my knowledge of large-scale wine production. I came up with some practical suggestions on the operation of existing draining and pressing equipment, as well as ideas on opportunities for innovation in new draining and pressing equipment,” Nordestgaard said. Since joining the AWRI in August 2010, Nordestgaard has worked on projects involving winery refrigeration, carbon and water footprinting, modelling wine damage associated with transport temperature, and studying opportunities to reduce product movements during wine production. “The Commercial Services Group has developed a simple reference guide on winery refrigeration in collaboration with several wineries and the GWRDC. Refrigeration is a major consumer of electricity in most wineries, and there are opportunities to reduce electricity use, and reduce costs and environmental impact,” Nordestgaard said. “The guide is freely available on the GWRDC and the AWRI websites for download. Indeed, it has been downloaded many times. I think this has been effective because it is short and practical. The wine industry needs this type of resource in

the current climate, as companies look to reduce production costs,” he said. The refrigeration guide is being revised based on the Commercial Services Group’s most recent work, so that it will remain a useful quick reference for the wine industry for the future. The work on product movements has demonstrated that, in some wineries, there are many more product movements than would be expected. Nordestgaard says that it has also elucidated some of the drivers behind these product movements. “Amongst other things, one issue that this work has reinforced to us is that many movements are driven by keeping tanks full for quality reasons. In subsequent projects, it would be beneficial to work specifically on different solutions, so that the only driver behind keeping tanks full is related to optimising use of available capacity,” Nordestgaard said. Looking ahead, Nordestgaard considered there to be many process engineering opportunities in the wine industry. “The pieces of equipment and systems used in wineries have a considerable influence on both wine quality and production costs, particularly in large wineries. Australia has many large wineries – 15 of which crush more than 30,000 tonnes annually,” Nordestgaard said. Likewise, Nordestgaard said there are opportunities in the optimisation of existing equipment and in the development of new equipment. “Most winery processing equipment is currently European-made (from Italy and France, in particular), with little now being designed or manufactured locally. I would like to play my part in working towards an industry where we are designing and building innovative winery processing equipment and systems and leading the world in this regard,” Nordestgaard said. “The Australian wine industry has a big future, but process innovation combined with effective marketing are required to allow us to remain competitive and thrive, in the face of pressures such as competition from countries with lower wage costs, the high Australian dollar making our exports less competitive, and the consolidation of retailers,” he said.

grapegrowing Young Vine Decline is studied closely in NSW Dr. Melanie Weckert

IN 2007 THE group of plant pathologists from the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre set out to discover what was killing young grafted grapevines in the Riverina, in NSW. Many thousands of vines had been performing poorly – many had died soon after planting, and others were slow growing and low yielding for years before finally dying (Figure 1a). In 2006, NSW DPI extension officer Leo Quirk and I sent survey questionnaires to more than 500 winegrape growers. The replies showed that more than 65 per cent had recently experienced this sort of Young Vine Decline. Many invited us to inspect their diseased young vines. Suddenly we had our first real view of the extent of the problem; growers were losing a lot of money. Some comments from these growers: “Of 6000 grafted grapevine rootlings planted, 1000 were diseased.” “Too many growers are losing money constantly – the vines are extremely slow growing in the early years, and then they often have to be removed and replaced after a few years.” “The next season (after planting) we had about 15-20% not grow or were severely stunted. There seems to have been a lot of this sort of problem about.” “My 30 acre patch (planted 2002) of Chardonnay lost 500 vines in 2004 and about another 100 vines in 2005.” “The first time I saw Young Vine Decline was in 1992 when it appeared on young Chardonnay rootstock. We lost close to a third in the two next years.” We received funding from the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation to try to find the cause of this disease which we named Young Vine Decline (YVD) because it was similar to YVD found in many viticultural regions

worldwide. As YVD can be caused by the Petri disease (black goo) fungi, we made a thorough attempt to isolate the fungi responsible: Phaeomoniella and Phaeoacremonium. However, in our case the Petri disease fungi were isolated from less than 20% of our diseased vines, casting doubt on their role in YVD in the Riverina. From the vine position infected, we reasoned that in the Riverina the Petri disease fungi sometimes originated in the nursery propagation process, but other times were infecting the scions (above the graft union) of vines already infected with other pathogens. The roots of YVD vines in the Riverina were extremely stunted, so we decided to further our investigation by trying to isolate pathogens from the roots and rootstock wood of the diseased vines. We found a very strong association between our YVD and quite different pathogenic fungi (from 89-100% of all diseased vines were infected). Further trials showed the disease was actually caused in most cases by two fungal pathogens present in planting stock. One of the pathogens, Botryosphaeria (Bot), originated in infected mothervine canes in rootstock source blocks. The other, Ilyonectria (formerly Cylindrocarpon), was introduced from the nursery environment, including field nursery soil.

Results of our study Generally, the scion (i.e. above the graft union) was clean (free of pathogens) but pathogenic fungi were found in the oldest (i.e. the innermost) xylem of the rootstocks of the diseased plants (Figures 1b, 1c) indicating that the infection occurred before, or very early in, the propagation process.

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B Figure 1. (a) Typical diseased young vine, Chardonnay on Ramsey, in a Riverina vineyard, affected by Young Vine Decline. (b) Healthy scion on infected rootstock showing discolouration in rootstock but not in graft union or scion.

Bot was isolated from the oldest xylem of rootstock stems and roots, sometimes extending up to the graft union. Ilyonectria was isolated from the roots, and from the oldest xylem of the rootstock stem, close to the roots.

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grapegrowing Both Bot and Ilyonectria can also infect mature or young vines on their own. The fact that the YVD Bot and Ilyonectria were isolated from the oldest xylem, and that the infection was found throughout the rootstock stems, indicated that these fungi must have been acquired before they were planted in the affected vineyards. Many Riverina growers said the diseased vines looked “quite healthy” to them before planting. This means the vines probably also looked perfectly acceptable to nursery staff before they were freighted out to the vineyards. Unless the stems are cut open and examined, the symptoms do not generally show until the vines are planted in the vineyard. Composts have been shown to cause grapevines to recover from Petri disease over time1. Unfortunately we found that, although composts or fungicidal soil drenches caused a short-term improvement in root structure, the diseased grapevines were not cured and yields were not improved. This is most likely because the Ilyonectria destroys the root system and prevents the plant from absorbing water and nutrients, increasing the damage caused by the Bot fungal hyphae and toxins.

Where do the Bot/Ilyonectria YVD fungi originate? Our research has shown that Bot first infected the rootstock mothervines and thus the canes harvested from them. Infected cuttings probably then contaminated others during hydration and/or storage in moist conditions in the nursery. Correctly applied hot water treatment (HWT) of the cuttings (50°C for 30 minutes) kills the fungus and reduces this risk but many Riverina growers were not asking for their cuttings to be hot water treated. We found that Ilyonectria then enterered the basal callus in the cuttings when they were rooted in contaminated nursery soil. Ilyonectria might also be present in some rootstock cuttings.

Conclusion There is no cure for Bot/Ilyonectria induced YVD. YVD-affected vineyards cannot recover with management practices reducing stress (e.g. composts or biochar), or by application of fungicide soil drenches. The best approach is to avoid buying infected propagated vines. Ask your supplying nursery to use HWT on the canes immediately before propagation. Helen Waite (NWGIC grapevine nursery expert) advises that nurseries should allow the cuttings to come to ambient temperature before moving them

34 Grapegrower & Winemaker

planting, to check the health of the vines carefully by cutting the stems below the graft, through the graft union and above the graft. Dark spots or wedges in the stem mean that the vine is probably diseased (Figures 1c, 1d, 1e). Replanting problems: Ilyonectria propagules are likely to remain in the planting holes for years, causing disease in the new replants. Brassica biofumigation may be the answer, but Australian trials are required before we can properly know whether Brassicas can kill soil-borne Ilyonectria in Australian conditions.

Acknowledgements

E Figure 1. (c) Healthy scion and infected rootstock. (d) Ramsey stem with dark staining from which Botryosphaeria and Cylindrocarpon were isolated. Cylindrocarpon was also isolated from the roots. (e) Ramsey rootstock stem. Botryosphaeria and Cylindrocarpon were isolated from roots and Botryosphaeria was isolated from rootstock wood. (f) Ramsey stem from which Botryosphaeria and Cylindrocarpon were isolated. Botryosphaeria and Cylindrocarpon were also isolated from the roots (photos: 1a, 1d, 1e, 1f by Melanie Weckert; 1b,1c by Helen Waite).

from cold storage to HWT tanks. This may take 24 hours or more. If cold cuttings are hot water treated the large temperature differential may cause fatal shock. It is also essential that the cutting bags/bins, while returning to ambient temperature, are ventilated to allow oxygen to reach the cuttings but without drying out. Nursery field site soil must be free of Ilyonectria, so the nursery should use some method of fumigation. NWGIC nematode expert Dr Loothfar Rahman has published methods for biofumigation using brassicas (e.g. mustard). Brassica biofumigation reduces not only soil parasitic nematodes, but a New Zealand study by Carolyn Bleach in 2010 showed that it also decreases soil Ilyonectria. When growers purchase new grapevine planting material, it is important, before www.winebiz.com.au

We are grateful for the support from the many Riverina NSW growers who answered the questionnaire, invited us onto their vineyards, supplied samples of diseased roots or rootstock stems and allowed their vineyards to be included in our field trial work. The NWGIC Wine Growing Futures project, titled Young Vine Decline, was jointly funded by the GWRDC, NSW, the Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University. We are also grateful to the Wine Grapes Marketing Board, in Griffith (including Jason Capello and Kristy Bartrop) for their support over the years. We also want to thank Helen Waite, professor Jim Hardie, Dr Loothfar Rahman and Suzy Rogiers, from the NWGIC. Harry Creasy (NSW DPI horticulturist, now retired) was the first to discover the Young Vine Decline problem in the Riverina and his work started this investigation. Lynne Appleby and Robert Lamont provided technical assistance. Leo Quirk then continued Harry’s work by interviewing affected grapegrowers and surveying healthy and diseased vines from over 20 affected Riverina vineyards. NWGIC chemist Dr. Andrew Clark, with assistance from Lindsay Greer, discovered that the Ilyonectria isolated from the Riverina produced a phytotoxin Brefeldin A that is known to increase virulence. Dr. Andrew Hall, with assistance from Mark Wilson, was able to do remote sensing ‘fly-overs’ and established that the position of individual low vigour plants within typical Riverina vineyards affected by Young Vine Decline could be predicted using remote sensing. Visit www.gwrdc.com.au to read the full report.

Reference

1. Edwards J, Pascoe I, Salib S, Laukart N, Richardson F, 2007. Chapter 7, “Control and management of Petri disease in the vineyard” in ‘Managing Grapevine Trunk Diseases (Petri Disease, Esca, and Others) That Threaten The Sustainability of Australian Viticulture’; Final Report to GWRDC. Project no. CRCV 2.2.1. August 2012 – Issue 583

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grapegrowing new zealand

Winegrowers seek harmony through biodynamics Max Marriott

CENTRAL OTAGO HAS fast earned a reputation as a biodynamic hub for winegrowing in New Zealand. There is a particularly high density of vineyards practising biodynamics, including Felton Road, Burn Cottage, Rippon, Quartz Reef, Carrick and Northburn Station. Why adopt biodynamics? Many people believe it opens a pathway to better quality and more authentic wines, as well as perceived benefits associated with soil, vine and human health. Felton Road proprietor Nigel Greening describes his approach to biodynamics as, “a process undertaken by curious people who are trying to observe and see what is happening, trying to make sense of something that we can’t understand”. The recent New Zealand Biodynamic Association annual conference field trips saw visits to several vineyards. Felton Road was first up on day one. Here, four workstations were set up, delving into the different practical inputs of biodynamic viticulture. The use of livestock on the property comprised goats, cattle (Highland steers), chickens and sheep. Goats are used outside of the vineyard area, primarily as weed eaters, to manage invasive scrub. The two steers provide manure for use in the biodynamic preparations and

36 Grapegrower & Winemaker

again, are usually kept outside of the vineyard. Egg shells from the free range chickens are used in the cow pat pit (CPP) and, like all of the other animals, they provide meat (and eggs) for the staff who work the vineyard – one of the many perks associated with such a regime. Compost – as with many organic and conventional regimes – is a key element of biodynamic viticulture. Felton Road recycles the grape marc from the winery for use in compost, in roughly equal parts with cow manure and straw/hay. It also incorporates other materials, including vine prunings, leaf/green matter and even used filter pads from the winery. Managing the temperature of the heap is important and Felton Road viticulturist Gareth King also likes to leave a small portion of compost as leftovers, to act as a microbe bomb when the fresh heap is made later that season. Machinery is also an integral part of biodynamic farming. The next workstation focused on the different makes and models of tractors available on the market and their various pros and cons with respect to compaction, size, turning capacity, economy and cost. There was also various equipment items on display, demonstrating the need for ownership – or access – to certain tools if biodynamics is going to be successful.

www.winebiz.com.au

Felton Road use the Braun weeder for under-vine cultivation. Those opposed to biodynamics will often cite cultivation as a contradiction of sorts, damaging soil structure and increasing erosion. While it’s true, especially here in the driest part of NZ, that erosion can be a hurdle to overcome, the soils also possess very little organic matter and require periodic aeration and incorporation of green matter to build that biomass and structure. In the fourth session, which looked at the use of biodynamic preparations, Seresin viticulturist Colin Ross piped up with this quirky phrase: Yellow Cows Never Open Doors Very Easily = Yarrow, Chamomile, Nettle, Oak, Dandelion, Valerian, Equisetum = Preparations 502-508. These preparations, made from medicinal herbs, are used to energise the compost (except for BD508) and are used in minute homeopathic amounts. BD508 is made into a tea and sprayed over the soil and vines as an antifungal agent. Its use in New Zealand is limited (due in part to Equisetum’s status as a pest plant), but its application as casurina tea seems to be more widespread in Australia, made from the leaves of sheoaks. The session ended with a loaded question – does biodynamics result in better quality wine? No one claimed this outright, instead commenting that it’s not a quality-driven process. Rather, biodynamics serves as an opportunity for greater harmony between people, vines, animals and the land. At the end of the day, it’s the winemaker who makes the wine, but the environment can foster and illuminate a stronger connection that can lead to better quality wine.

August 2012 – Issue 583

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grapegrowing

Grapevine resistance to rootknot nematode, Meloidogyne fallax G. Walker and M. Russ

Rootknot nematodes are highly damaging parasites of grapevine roots, and several species are known to be associated with vines in Australia. There are many other species of these nematodes worldwide and the resistance of vines to these species is frequently not known. The taxonomy or naming of separate rootknot nematode species is still evolving and new species continue to be identified. One such species is Meloidogyne fallax. In Australia, this nematode was, before it was identified as a separate species, commonly assumed to be another similar species, known as M. hapla. Both of these species tend to occur in cool temperate regions in Australia, especially in association with potato and pasture rotations. Although grapegrowers may not have heard of M. fallax, we now know that

this nematode occurs in many states and is widespread in, for example, the southeast part of South Australia. We know that this species has been spread on seed potatoes, so any vineyard in Australia associated with or adjacent to potato cropping may potentially be infected. At the same time, we do not know how grapevines interact with this species, as grapevine resistance to M. fallax has not been evaluated. This means we are unable to offer any meaningful advice about the potential risk from this nematode to growers who may be intending to plant into old potato and pasture cropping ground. To rectify this deficiency, we established a local population of M. fallax in the greenhouse and used it to test the resistance of both own-rooted vines and vines grafted to rootstocks. As a comparison, two other species were used

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38 Grapegrower & Winemaker

in these replicated pot experiments: M. arenaria and M. hapla, plus uninfected vines as a control. Nematode eggs (3500 or 35,000 per pot) of each of the three species were added to the sandy soil around eight replicate vines (Shiraz 1654). In a second experiment, 35,000 M. fallax eggs were added to soil around four replicate vines (Shiraz 1654) grafted on to the rootstocks Paulsen 1103, Ruggeri 140, Richter 110 or Teleki 5C. These population levels are considered very high: other species can damage vines at levels of about 100 nematodes per 500g of soil. The vines were grown in a Plant Research Centre shadehouse, at ambient temperature, from infection in October 2011 to harvest in April 2012. Nematode population levels were measured at harvest in both roots and soil, and vine growth was weighed.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Results and discussion M. arenaria and M. hapla multiplied freely on Shiraz roots, but no evidence was found for multiplication of M. fallax (Table 1). Similarly, no evidence was found for inhibition of vine growth by M. fallax. Shoot growth was lowest in vines infected with M. arenaria, which was expected as this population is known to be damaging in the field. M. fallax multiplication was not observed on any of the grafted rootstocks tested: Paulsen 1103, Ruggeri 140, Richter 110 or Teleki 5C (results not shown). It is concluded that Shiraz and these rootstocks, and quite probably grapevines in general, are resistant to M. fallax. No evidence was found to indicate that this nematode reduces grapevine growth. It appears this nematode does not pose a significant threat to vines planted into old potato or pasture ground. Extremely high numbers of these nematodes in soil could possibly cause some minor damage by penetrating roots, even if unable to multiply successfully. As M. hapla, which does multiply on grapevine roots, commonly occurs in soils associated with M. fallax, growers should be aware

that this or other species may be present and pose a threat.

Acknowledgements Thanks to Glenavon and Yalumba Nurseries for supplying vines and to J. Cobon (Queensland DPI) for supplying M. hapla. SARDI, Plant Research Centre, GPO BOX 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. Email: greg.walker3@sa.gov.au

Shiraz and the rootstocks Paulsen 1103, Ruggeri 140, Richter 110 and Teleki 5C were resistant to rootknot nematode Meloidogyne fallax in pot experiments. No evidence was found to indicate that this nematode reduces grapevine growth. However, M. hapla, which can multiply on grapevine roots, commonly occurs in potato and pasture cropping soils associated with M. fallax. Although it appears that M. fallax does not pose a significant threat to vines, growers should be aware that other, more damaging species may be present and soil should still be tested before planting vines.

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Table 1. Multiplication of M. arenaria, M. fallax and M. hapla on Shiraz 1654, and vine growth. Initial number of nematode eggs per pot

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grapegrowing

Smoke taint symposium unveils some exciting new developments Dr Mark Krstic

Some 100 industry members learnt about the advances in mitigating smoke taint of grapes and wine at the recent 2012 Smoke Taint Symposium in Melbourne, presented by AWRI and DPI Victoria. A relatively new phenomena, smoke taint was first reported in 2003 during the alpine bushfires in northeast Victoria. Since then, the research fraternity has made substantial progress towards understanding more about this complex problem. The symposium included presenters from Western Australia (David Kelly, Curtin University and Glynn Ward, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia), South Australia (Kerry Wilkinson and Renata Ristic, University of Adelaide and Markus Herderich, Christine Mayr and Con Simos from The Australian Wine Research Institute) and Tasmania (David Sanderson, Wine Industry Tasmania/ Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture). Notable highlights included Dr Mark Downey outlining the aims and objectives of the new Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Centre of Expertise in Smoke Taint Research (CESTR), a $1M/ year, four-year initiative initiated by the Victorian Government. While Victorian based, CESTR is a national collaboration that aims to find solutions for the wine industry and land management agencies responsible for managing the controlled-burn programs. CESTR has a comprehensive research and development program that aims to significantly improve the wine industry’s knowledge of how smoke impacts wine. The mode of entry of volatile phenol compounds into the grapevine still remains a bit of a mystery. Prior work had indicated that smoke entry via stomates on the underside of grapevine leaves was the most likely main mode of entry into vine. These smoke compounds are then rapidly translocated to fruit and appear to concentrate sub-epidermal in and around skins of grape berries. There are also some data that suggest that these compounds may still be absorbed directly through the waxy cuticle of the grape berry skins. Dr Nicole Cain (DPI Victoria, Mildura, CESTR) presented more of a review of the mode of entry of smoke taint compounds into the vine and is planning further experiments to elucidate the exact mode

40 Grapegrower & Winemaker

of entry into the vine. This is important to determine as it will drive any possible viticultural treatments that may be able to then minimise the uptake of these taint compounds in the future.

“The fire temperature required to generate the volatile phenolic fraction in smoke is only around the 400-600ºC mark” David Kelly, Curtin University

David Kelly (Curtin University) also tested the impact of different vegetation fuel types, with differing lignin concentrations and lignin types, which once pyrolysed (i.e. burnt) can generate different volatile phenol fractions in the smoke. David then tested these different fuel types on their ability to be absorbed by the vine and cause taint in grapes and wine. The outcome of this work may be summarised by saying ‘smoke is smoke’ and irrespective of whether it is derived from either pine trees, eucalyptus trees or straw from a grass fire, it still has the potential to cause a taint in grapes and wine. He also indicated that the fire temperature required to generate the volatile phenolic fraction in smoke is only around the 400-600oC mark, much less that a maximum observed in a full wildfire of around 1000-1100oC. This indicated that smaller/lower intensity controlled burns still had enough heat to generate a volatile phenolic fraction in the smoke. Dr Markus Herderich from The Australian Wine Research Institute www.winebiz.com.au

(AWRI) touched on major advances that the AWRI has made in the analytical methods to assess smoke tainted grapes and wine. Firstly, he discussed the addition of syringol, m-cresol, p-cresol, o-cresol and methylsyringol to the current suite of free volatile phenol compounds being analysed by the AWRI Commercial Services (in addition to the current guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol which have been routinely measured since 2003). He also updated industry on a significant development in the measurement of the glycosidically ‘bound’ phenol fraction in grapes and wine – these are the free volatile phenol compounds which are actually bound to sugar compounds in the grapes and wine (for example there are up to seven different glycosides of guaiacol alone). These ‘bound’ glycosides can, in some cases be up to 100 times the concentration of the ‘free’ volatile phenol forms. This is important because the ‘bound’ glycosides serve as a huge reservoir of these compounds which may slowly release during wine ageing ( the majority of these compounds don’t break down during either primary or secondary fermentation). The AWRI are moving this ‘bound’ assay now from its Research Group into the AWRI Commercial Services group, and the assay will be commercially available to industry for the 2012/2013 growing season. The third major message that Markus fed to industry was that guaiacol and these other free volatile phenols actually occur naturally in grapes, even when there is no smoke around. This indicated that there are natural background levels of these compounds, and thus the AWRI has done a huge ‘background’ study to determine what the naturally occurring levels of these compounds are in grapes and wine. There were a number of presentations (Glynn Ward, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia; David Sanderson, Wine Tasmania/Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture; and Ricky James, Victorian DPI) that identified better platforms for communicating ‘risk’ to either public land management agencies (like the Department of Sustainability and Environment [DSE] in Victoria) or other surrounding landholders of smoke exposure, particularly during the sensitive veraison to harvest period. August 2012 – Issue 583

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grapegrowing

Is the Shiraz berry the biggest loser? The double-edged sword of cell death in winegrapes. Steve D. Tyerman, Sigfredo Fuentes, Cassandra Collins and Sue Bastian.

CELL DEATH IN the berry occurs in most winegrape varieties late in development. It correlates with the onset of berry shrinkage in Shiraz. There is also a correlation across varieties between the extent of cell death and berry shrinkage. However, this does not mean that cell death causes shrinkage, since flow of water into and out of berries is also involved and this differs markedly between varieties. Cell death is also linked to flavour development. Thus, cell death may be a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it is potentially contributing to berry water loss, which concentrates sugar and may lead to high alcohol levels in wine; on the other hand, it is contributing to flavour development. The challenge will be to uncouple cell death from berry shrinkage where they are correlated and develop methods to rapidly monitor cell death in the vineyard. A few years ago a significant and hitherto unrecognised stage in winegrape development was discovered by Dr Joanne Tilbrook during her PhD studies within the CRC Viticulture at the University of Adelaide (Tilbrook and Tyerman 2008). The phenomena is characterised by reduced vitality of the large mesocarp cells within the berry. This ‘cell death’ starts 90-100 days after flowering, coinciding with maximum berry weight, additional softening and the beginning of weight reduction in Shiraz berries. This event is characterised by vital stains that indicate a loss of membrane integrity, and is therefore defined as the beginning of mesocarp cell death. In the accompanying figure the dark areas indicate non-living regions in a berry cross section. The figure compares Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sultana where cell death is evident in Chardonnay and Shiraz but not in Sultana. The onset of cell death has been confirmed by two other independent reports, one published in the same year by Ken Shackel’s group at UC Davis, US, where they emphasised that loss of vitality began well after veraison and therefore did not correspond with sugar accumulation (Krasnow et al., 2008). In the second independent report, Steve Tyerman’s group at the University of Adelaide investigated the phenomena in relation to berry shrinkage, common to Shiraz in Australia, since it was reasoned

42 Grapegrower & Winemaker

that if membrane breakdown occurred then this would prevent the osmotic pull of the high sugar concentration in the berry counteracting the water tensions generated in the vine, particularly under water stress. Thus, cell death would allow the vine to pull water out of the berry. Dr Suzy Rogiers’ group at the NWGC examined the phenomena in relation to berry splitting (Clarke et al., 2010). Here the osmotic consequences of membrane breakdown were also considered but in the ‘opposite’ context to shrinkage, rather in relation to the occurrence of berry splitting. Since the osmotic pull of high sugar in the cells would not be able to draw water into the berry, then splitting would be slower or not occur at all. They found, as expected, that splitting did not occur after the onset of cell death. In Adelaide, we compared varieties that were less prone to berry shrinkage, such as Chardonnay and Sultana, and found surprising differences in both the onset of cell death and hydraulic features of the berries (Tilbrook and Tyerman 2009). Sultana showed no sign of cell death and had very little weight loss, while both Chardonnay and Shiraz showed substantial cell death (see Figure 1). So, if cell death is related to shrinkage, why is it that Chardonnay is not prone to berry shrinkage? The answer lies in differences in the plumbing of the berries. Using special micro-flow systems, Jo Tilbrook and Johannes Scharwies have been able to measure the flow rates into and out of detached berries during development. When cell death starts in Chardonnay, this variety essentially shuts off flow through the xylem conduits from the berry, thus reducing flow from the berry back to the vine. In contrast, Shiraz seems not to be able to shut off the connection back to the vine (Tilbrook and Tyerman 2009). Further studies by Johannes Scharwies for his Masters Degree at the University of Adelaide have demonstrated this in very high detail and compared other varieties such as Grenache. He has also shown that transpiration (water evaporation from the berry) does not differ between varieties. Our hypothesis is that Shiraz tends to lose weight because of a mismatch in timing of cell death, its location in the berry, and control of the internal berry hydraulics. It remains to be discovered www.winebiz.com.au

how the sugar import system (the phloem) is linked with these processes, since when sugar is translocated to the berry, there is a significant flux of water that accompanies it.

Figure 1. Comparison between varieties of cell vitality in berries late in ripening. Vital stained images of longitudinal sections of berries from Chardonnay (141 DAF), Shiraz (127 DAF) and Sultana (132 DAF). DAF = days after flowering. Each sample was taken from the field on the same day and stained with an isosmotic solution (= juice ºBrix) of fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The images were recorded with a fluorescence dissecting microscope all at the same magnification. The intense green signal indicates vital cells. Further details in Tilbrook and Tyerman (2008). Images courtesy of Dr Joanne Tilbrook. August 2012 – Issue 583

An examination of many varieties by Dr Sigfredo Fuentes and the team at the University of Adelaide showed there was a significant correlation between the degree of cell death and berry shrinkage (Fuentes et al., 2010). Three groups of varieties could be separated, with most of the winegrapes showing some degree of cell death and berry shrinkage late in ripening, while table grapes and some varieties used for both table grape and wine production showed very little cell death and shrinkage. Speculating on this point, it seems likely that when humankind first began to select grapes for winemaking, they preferred those varieties that yielded juice more easily. Cell death and membrane breakdown basically creates a bag, the berry skin, containing the juice. On the other hand, those varieties that remained crisp and turgid with living cells have been selected for table grapes. These are much harder to extract juice from. In terms of the impact on berry flavour development, it is likely that the breakdown of cell membranes will allow various compounds and enzymes, which normally would be separated, to mix, producing new secondary metabolites. We hypothesised that cell death in the berry may explain the phenomena of ‘engustment’ originally coined by Bryan Coombe and Mike McCarthy (Coombe and McCarthy 1997) to indicate the sudden change in flavour profile that can be detected in some varieties near harvest. In this context, it is interesting that certain enzymes that are involved in breakdown of lipid (components of membranes), the lipoxygenases (LOX; linoleate oxygen oxidoreductases) are present in the berry at the latter stages of ripening. The LOX enzymes incorporate molecular oxygen into polyunsaturated fatty acids. This reaction produces fatty acid hydroperoxides that are subsequently converted into a group of biologically active compounds called oxylipins. Several of these secondary metabolites include C6 and C9 aldehydes and alcohols that contribute to characteristic flavours of fruits, vegetables and green leaves. The C6 and C9 compounds can be converted to esters, which normally have a fruity scent. The involvement of the LOX pathway in the biosynthesis of fruit aroma compounds has been reported in other fruits such as kiwi fruit, tomato, olive and strawberry (Zhang et al., 2009). Our colleagues in New Zealand (Dr Chris Winefield’s group at Lincoln University) have described the LOX enzymes of Sauvignon Blanc berries (Podolyan et al., 2010), while Charlotte Jordans at the University of Adelaide has recently identified a potential candidate gene that may be associated with membrane breakdown in Shiraz. A paper from this research will soon be published detailing the association between cell death and berry sensory properties (e.g. Lohitnavy et al., 2010) by comparing contrasting industry categories of fruit quality. The role of cell death in flavour development in the berry and subsequent effects on wine quality warrants further study. Finally, it has not escaped the attention of the Adelaide group that cell death in winegrapes may be exacerbated by high temperatures and climate change scenarios. Heatwaves are predicted to become more frequent with global warming as a consequence of continued increase in our emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Earlier ripening also means grapes are subjected to warmer temperatures at harvest (double warming impact) (Webb et al. 2007). In collaboration with Dr Victor Sadras (SARDI), using his vine heating systems, Marcos Bonada has undertaken a Masters supervised by Dr Sigfredo Fuentes to examine how high temperatures may trigger cell death in Chardonnay and Shiraz. His studies have revealed some very interesting differences between varieties which will soon be published. Berry weight loss will concentrate sugars and lead to higher alcohol wines if they are fermented to August 2012 – Issue 583

dryness. So cell death, if triggered by high temperatures, would add another dimension to impacts of climate change that may lead to higher sugar and higher alcohol, which has health and taxation implications for consumers and producers. Watch this space for further updates. We hypothesise that cell death late in winegrape ripening is significant for berry water relations and flavour development, and is likely to be exacerbated by higher temperatures. But how can winegrape growers use this information in decisionmaking for harvest dates and berry quality? Unfortunately the techniques to show cell death are time-consuming, and require specialist microscopes and imaging facilities. To bring the discovery in reach of the grower, we are currently working with new postgraduate student projects within the Vineyard of The Future project at the University of Adelaide to find fast and convenient field-based techniques that can be used to

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VINE TALK

It is always good to take the time to sit down and plan your spray programme well in advance of the season. In planning a spray programme it is important to have some contingencies in place. We can’t plan for everything although being pre-prepared for likely situations such as weather extremes and machinery breakdown will help if something does not go according to plan. Consider quarantine practices ahead of time too, if your contingency plan requires the use of off-site machinery or personnel. Disease management is an integrated approach starting at vineyard establishment where decisions are made on varieties, irrigation, row orientation and trellis design. When putting together your spray programme for this season, consider each block separately and look over your notes from previous seasons to objectively determine what the pest and disease pressure for individual blocks is likely to be.

Effective disease control is also a function of canopy management and correct spray application. Timing, rate and product choice are all very important although getting these right won’t do the job if the spray is not getting to the target. Take powdery mildew as an example, there are a number of products to choose from and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each is important. The effectiveness of surface protectants such as THIOVIT JET sulphur relies on the product being in contact with the leaf or bunch surface. Over 15°C this is aided by vapour moving within the canopy although adequate coverage is still required for optimum control. Systemic products such as TOPAS are taken up and translocated by the plant to a certain degree. There are very few truly systemic products which are both xylem (think outwards) and phloem (think inwards) mobile. Most systemic fungicides are xylem mobile (including TOPAS). These can move to varying degrees outwards within the leaf although cannot move back out of old treated leaves into new untreated leaves. They do have the ability to move within the leaf to the opposite surface and outwards towards the margin. TOPAS also has strong vapour activity even at low temperatures. The systemic and vapour activity of a product will help to optimise disease control although these are not substitutes for poor coverage. Take the time to check the set-up of your sprayer, replace nozzles and fans if required and calibrate it in time for the coming season.

measure berry cell death. One method is to use Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Hyperspectral techniques. Dr Roberta De Bei (University of Adelaide researcher funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation) has been investigating these techniques recently (De Bei et al., 2010) and is currently working on this in collaboration with the group of Dr Javier Tardaquila in University of Logrono, Spain. There are also electrical techniques that can be used to investigate cell membrane breakdown and these have been used in other fruits. These will be trialled by postgraduate student Luciano Ricardo Caravia Bayer, a Chilean government -sponsored PhD student at the University of Adelaide in the coming season. To conclude, although Shiraz might be the ‘biggest loser’ in terms of weight loss, the potential link to flavour development indicates that cell death in grape berries is a double-edged sword. On one hand, there is a link with weight loss and therefore yield reduction and higher sugar concentration, which means higher alcohol. On the other hand, cell death is also likely to be linked to positive flavour components and even to varietal flavours. Although we have found a correlation between cell death and berry shrinkage across varieties, this does not mean that cell death is causative of berry shrinkage. In fact we know that cell death can occur in Chardonnay, but it does not show substantial shrinkage. It is possible that cell death and berry shrinkage could be uncoupled using either irrigation techniques (such as PRD), canopy management techniques and/ or techniques to control evaporative demand in the canopy’s microclimate. We need to continue research on this topic both to discover what triggers the onset of cell death and to uncover rapid methods of measuring it in the field for decisionmaking in optimising harvest timing.

References

Clarke, S.J., Hardie, W.J. and Rogiers, S.Y. (2010) Changes in susceptibility of grape berries to splitting are related to impaired osmotic water uptake associated with losses in cell vitality. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 16, 469–476. Coombe, B.G. and McCarthy, M.G. (1997) Identification and naming of the inception of aroma development in ripening grape berries. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 3, 18-20. DeBei, R., Cozzolino, D., Sullivan, W., Cynkar, W., Fuentes, S., Dambergs, R., Pech, J. and Tyerman, S. (2010) Non-destructive measurement of grapevine water potential using near infrared spectroscopy. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. 17: 62-71 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. Krasnow, M., Matthews, M. and Shackel, K. (2008) Evidence for substantial maintenance of membrane integrity and cell viability in normally developing grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries throughout development. Journal of Experimental Botany 59, 849-859. Lohitnavy, N., Bastian, S. and Collins, C. (2010) Berry sensory attributes correlate with compositional changes under different viticultural management of Semillon (Vitis vinifera L.). Food Quality and Preference 21, 711-719. Podolyan, A, White, J, Jordan, B, and Winefield, C. (2010) Identification of the lipoxygenase gene family from Vitis vinifera and biochemical characterisation of two 13-lipoxygenases expressed in grape berries of Sauvignon Blanc. Functional Plant Biology 37, 767-784. 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.

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 44 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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. Webb, L.B., Whetton, P.H. and Barlow, E.W.R. (2007) Modelled impact of future climate change on the phenology of winegrapes in Australia. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 13, 165–175. Zhang, B., Yin, X.R., Li, X., Yang, S.L. Ferguson, I.B. and Chen, K.S. (2009) Lipoxygenase gene expression in ripening kiwifruit in relation to ethylene and aroma production. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 57, 2875-2881.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Biopest offers grower options for powdery mildew or mealybugs Controlling powdery mildew and mealybugs are two problems facing many grapegrowers, but fortunately they now have the option of using one chemical to control both: a newly registered, IPM friendly, paraffinic oil - Biopest. Produced by SACOA, an Australianowned company based in WA, this highly refined food-grade iso-paraffinic oil formulation is designed for use as a fungicide and insecticide and is registered for control of grapevine scale and mealybug, as well as powdery mildew. “Biopest has been successfully used to control powdery mildew by growers in the Yarra Valley and Riverland for the last two years and has also been used to control mealybug by several tablegrape growers in the Sunraysia area last year. Mealybug control is becoming more difficult, with a limited number of Powdery mildew-free Chardonnay grapes at Griffith sprayed with routine applications of Biopest chemicals available for control. Biopest until bunch closure. is providing growers with an alternative which will also provide powdery mildew protection,” said SACOA’s viticulture specialist, In In n n du ew Robert Hayes. o s va t “Biopest is similar to sulphur in that it is a protectant tI ry o n fungicide, but has the advantage of working effectively in cool weather, also controls vine scale and mealybug and does not have the unpleasant odour of sulphur,” Hayes said. “It’s a great chemical for growers looking to implement IPM programs as it is very soft on predatory insects.” With this in mind, SACOA recently obtained certification CAUTION with the Biological Farmers Association for the use of Biopest in organic viticulture. Biopest is registered for use up to E-L stage 31 – berries pea size (formerly referred to as bunch closure), however, trial work conducted with the Australian Wine Research Institute showed there were no significant impacts on winemaking or 20L the sensory characteristics of resultant wine when Biopest was used at twice the recommended rate up to one day before harvest. Biopest is not subject to resistance so there is no need to limit chemical applications as with some other chemical groups. Biopest is not a magic bullet and will only control diseases BIOPEST® is the answer - a completely odourless iso-paraffinic spray oil formulation that controls and pests when used correctly. As Biopest is a protective powdery mildew and mealybugs, is safe to use and chemical, thorough application is essential and higher water assists control of common sucking pests such as mites. rates will definitely assist with achieving good coverage. Spray Advance your Powdery Mildew program NOW! intervals will also need to be tightened if disease pressure is Find out more at sacoa.com.au/grapes high. Caution is also needed when alternating between Biopest and sulphur sprays with an interval of three weeks between applications preferred. For further information on Biopest or to determine the location D Australian owned of demonstration sites for the 2013 vintage, contact SACOA’s D Specialist company D QA manufacturing viticulture specialist Robert Hayes on 0488 355 335. For more information

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ACTIVE CONSTITUENT: 815 g/L /L PARAFFINIC OIL (as ( 1888 - 1976), 1976)

unsulphonated residue no less than 98.0%

A narrow range emulsiﬁable paraffinic oil for the management of pests as per directions for use.

CONTENTS

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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D National distribution D Full product support

Grapegrower & Winemaker

ask the

Strobilurin resistance to powdery mildew in a vineyard The strobilurin group of fungicides has been registered for control of powdery and downy mildews for over a decade. However, the recent occurrence of strobilurin-resistant strains of powdery mildew is a matter of concern and necessitates a change in disease management. How does strobilurin resistance come about? POWDERY MILDEW STRAINS with a gene mutation known as G143A are not controlled by strobilurin fungicides (Group 11). This gene conveys resistance to the pathogen because the chemical is not able to act as it was designed. Resistant strains are naturally present in a population, but are low in number compared with the susceptible strain. This proportion increases after strobilurin use because the susceptible strains are controlled. Repeated use of Group 11 fungicides selects for those with resistance until they dominate the population and powdery mildew causes crop loss, often without any warning. When low levels of resistance are present in the population, strobilurins appear to be working normally until the balance suddenly tips in favour of the resistant population and control is not achieved. The way to avoid crop loss from this tipping point is to tank mix with another chemical group. The strobilurin group will be effective against the nonresistant population and the alternative active will control the resistant strain. Together, the fungicides will provide a robust powdery mildew treatment unless the frequency of Group 11 resistance has progressed to a very high level.

in these circumstances, mix Group 11 fungicides with a registered rate of a compound from an alternative chemical group for the control of powdery mildew in grapes • alternatively, if applied alone, Group 11 fungicides should be used in strict alternation with fungicides from an alternative chemical group for the control of powdery mildew.

How has the resistance management strategy changed?

How do I know if I’m near tipping point?

Until the 2010-11 season, CropLife Australia’s resistance management program allowed three Group 11 sprays per season. After that, it was restricted to two sprays only. The new restrictions on Group 11 fungicides for powdery mildew control are: • apply Group 11 and other systemic fungicides preventatively • do not apply more than two sprays per season of Group 11 fungicides • where Group 11 products have been routinely used for many seasons, field research indicates there is an increased risk of powdery mildew resistance to Group 11 fungicides occurring. To ensure continued protection against powdery mildew

The likelihood of strobilurin resistance to powdery mildew in a vineyard depends largely on the manner and frequency of use of the chemical group in the past. Because spores are known to ‘travel’, past use patterns within a region should also be considered. Where Group 11 fungicides have been used routinely, that is, over the past five to seven seasons, they should not be relied on for powdery mildew control alone, but mixed with another registered fungicide group. Resistance in the US developed quickly because Group 11 fungicides were applied frequently in the same season – a situation that promoted the resistant population. In Australia, this chemical group has been used effectively for more

46 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Severe downy mildew infection on Chardonnay clusters, Lenswood, South Australia

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than 10 years through tighter restrictions on the number of applications, effectively extending the length of time required for the resistant population to build up.

Can downy mildew strains also become resistant? Yes, the same mechanism for resistance can occur in downy mildew and is present in overseas vineyards, but no resistance has been detected in Australia. This is because Australian weather conditions tend to be unfavourable to downy mildew on an annual basis and it is less likely that this pathogen has had sufficient levels of exposure to the chemical for resistance to be a factor.

Where to from here? Group 11 fungicides continue to play a role in disease control in Australian vineyards but where they have been routinely used for a number of seasons (five plus) for powdery mildew control, to ensure continued protection, mix with a registered rate of a compound from an alternative chemical group.

Acknowledgement Trevor Wicks (SARDI); Doug Wilson (Nufarm). August 2012 – Issue 583

Survival and spread of downy mildew New cases of downy mildew raise grower fears of disease spreading from abandoned or neglected vineyards. Trevor Wicks and David Braybrook

oospores per square mm have been found in leaf tissue. Fallen leaves containing oospores are buried during cultivation or carried beneath the soil surface by earthworms and other means. In late winter and spring the oospores germinate when the soil is water saturated and at temperatures of 8-13C. This gives rise to another type of spore (zoospores) that are splashed into the vine canopy infecting leaves and causing the primary infections. Oospores do not all germinate at the same time and some persist in the soil for extended periods. For example in Italy oospores remained viable in soil for at least 5 years. The survival of oospores Survival in Australian vineyards is unknown as Downy mildew survives from one season studies on this have not been undertaken. to the other in microscopic spores However recent observations in the known as oospores. These are formed in Barossa Valley suggest that oospores infected leaves mainly towards the end may persist for up to 17 years. The of the growing season. High numbers D P 1 5 6 0 _ G W_ 1 3 0 x 1 8 5 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 8 / 0 7 / 1 2 , 3 : 2 2 implications of this for growers are that of oospores can form as more than 250

In the past two years downy mildew was reported in many grape growing areas where the disease has rarely been seen or caused a problem. Many growers were concerned that the high amounts of downy that developed in some vineyards was a result of the disease spreading from abandoned or neglected vineyards. While this issue is debatable and difficult to prove it does raise the importance of understanding the factors associated with the survival and spread of downy mildew. The impact of some of these factors on the management of downy mildew are discussed below.

if downy mildew is not controlled and spreads to form oospores in the leaves then the disease is likely to become well established in a vineyard. Oospores could remain dormant in the soil for more than 10 years with the potential of initiating downy mildew whenever conditions favour spore germination in spring. This also means that downy mildew development in a vineyard is most likely due to a previous infection in the vineyard (that produced oospores) rather than spores blowing in from elsewhere.

Spread How far downy mildew spores spread is a question frequently asked by growers, particularly those who find a neighbouring vineyard harbouring high amounts of disease as a result of poor disease control or the vines PM were unsprayed. In these situations

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grapegrowing spores could be carried downwind from infected vines and give rise to new infections on unsprayed leaves and bunches. How far they travel is difficult to determine. However in a trial carried out at Nuriootpa(South Australia) many years ago, vine shoots were artificially infected at the end of a row and showed that spore numbers decline rapidly (exponentially) at distances away from where they were formed . While some spores from the infected shoots produced new infections up to 300m downwind, it is generally considered that spread of spores from a source outside a vineyard is unlikely to be of concern unless they

give rise to the initial infections within the vineyard. This is because most downy mildew spores are spread within a metre or two from where they were formed. Long distance dispersal of downy mildew spores should not be discounted entirely as these could be important in the development of downy mildew in isolated vineyards and in the spread of fungicide resistant strains between vineyards. This should not be an issue in wellmanaged vineyards as in trials conducted to test new downy mildew fungicides we find that despite the build up of downy

mildew in the unsprayed plots (ie. often 100 % of leaves developing oil spots), few or none of the leaves become infected in adjacent plots where effective fungicides have been applied. This means that in commercial vineyards where the disease pressure is likely to be less than in the trial plots, timely applications of fungicides should be sufficient to control any downy mildew spores blown in from outside sources. Nevertheless, vineyards downwind or adjacent to unsprayed vineyards should be regularly monitored for the development of oil spots, particularly in rows near the boundary.

Monitoring water stress in vineyards Guido D’Urso, Mario Palladino and Anna Staiano.

Summary

The story

WE DESCRIBE AN experimental activity finalised to the assessment of water stress in vineyards by using modelling and observational techniques of mass and energy exchange in the soilplant-atmosphere system. The research has shown the usefulness of both dynamic water balance techniques and surface energy balance models to detect water stress in complex canopy-root systems, such as vineyards. These results allow for developing simple measuring devices based on standard agro-meteorological data and canopy temperature without needing preliminary calibrations, such as in traditional thermal infrared methods.

We have selected a typical vineyard of Sicily, Italy, (Lat 37°35’’; Long 12°38’’), with extension of approximately 3 ha, variety Grillo, planted in 2003. The distance between the rows was 2.30m; intra-row distance was 0.90m. The canopy height was 1.50m, with an average LAI value at plot scale of 0.8m 2/m 2; the fractional vegetation cover was 0.36. The plot was equipped for drip irrigation; however, during the experiment no irrigation was applied. From 5 May to 11 August 2010 we monitored the plot by using the following instrumentations: a) sap flow; b) TDR probes for soil water content at different depths; c) eddy covariance for energy fluxes; d) infrared radiometers for surface temperature. In addition, during a limited period in August prior to harvest, we installed a multispectral and thermal camera at 4m height above the canopy. This exhaustive instrumentation allowed for an accurate crossvalidation of different methods for assessing the water stress in the vineyard. In particular, we applied the dynamic water balance SWAP by adapting the root uptaking module to the vineyard by using the eddy-covariance data (Minacapilli et al., 2007), and we applied the two-sources model TSEB of Norman et al. (1995) by using radiometric temperature observations.

Background Dynamic water balance models with simulation of root uptaking have been intensively used in the past twenty years to evaluate crop water stress in homogeneous canopies, such as herbaceous crops. In a similar way, radiometric observations of canopy temperature have been implemented in simple water stress indicators, i.e., CWSI (Idso 1981) or more complex surface energy balance models. However, the mentioned approaches have found limited applications in tree crops; in the case of water balance models, the root water uptaking models need to be correctly implemented for taking into account the complexity of root systems. Secondly, in tree crops we need to evaluate separately the evaporation flux from the soil and the canopy transpiration in order to achieve a reasonable accuracy in the evaluation of crop water requirements. In the case of methods based on the radiometric surface temperature, it is needed to differentiate the elevated thermal signatures of canopy stress (i.e., indicative of rootzone moisture depletion via low transpiration estimates) from those associated with a dry soil surface layer yielding low soil evaporation values. In such cases, single-source energy balance models like SEBAL or SEBS are not the most appropriate ones. Two-sources approaches, such as the TSEB model (Norman et al., 1995), thanks to the capability of separating latent heat flux into plant transpiration and soil evaporation, are more suitable for assessing tree crop stress conditions, without the need of a sitespecific calibration.

48 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Analysis and commentary During the observation period the ratio between actual ET and potential ET was very low, in spite of a consistent foliage vigour; indeed, no irrigation was applied by the grower. By analyzing our data, we found a substantial agreement of transpiration values (Figure 1) obtained by means of sap flow measurements Tsap (upscaled), the simulated values with soil water balance and root uptaking (Tswap) and the results of the energy balance model from infrared radiometers (Ttseb). The plot in Figure 2 shows the ratio between actual and potential transpiration values, thus expressing the occurrence of water stress only towards the last part of the observation period.

Lessons learned and conclusions Considering the small value of LAI, the limited amount of water available in the soil was sufficient for the maximum transpiration of the canopy until the first week of August,

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Tsap

0.2

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Figure 1. Actual Transpiration.

1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0

31/7 31/7 31/7 1/8 1/8 2/8 2/8 3/8 3/8 4/8 4/8 5/8 5/8 5/8 6/8 6/8 7/8 7/8 8/8 8/8 9/8 9/8 10/8 10/8 11/8 11/8

Norman, J. M., Kustas, W. P. & Humes, K. S. (1995) A twosource 3 1 approach 0 7 7 _for v estimating 1 C R T _soilNand u fvegetation a r m Henergy . pdf fluxes in observations of directional radiometric surface temperature. Agric. For. Meteorol. 77, 263–293.

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0.1

mm/h

Minacapilli M., Ciraolo G., D’Urso G., Cammalleri C. (2007). Evaluating actual evapotranspiration by means of multi-platform remote sensing data: a case study in Sicily. In M. Owe, C. Neale (Eds.): Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring and Change Detection. IAHS Publ. 316: 207-219

Tswap kgr=0.80

0.3

This paper was presented at the recent Irrigation Australia conference in Adelaide. For more information contact: durso@unina.it, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.

References

Tswap kgr=0.39

0.4

mm/h

hence, at full maturation and in proximity of harvest. Simple bucket-type models of water balance or methods like CWSI from radiometric temperature would have been estimating a much higher stress than what was observed in the field, since the soil evaporation was practically zero. These results confirm the need for a separation of soil and canopy contributions to the evapotranspiration process for an adequate evaluation of crop water stress. The agreement of different experimental methods allows for a development of an operational surface energy balance algorithm based on infrared thermometers and standard agrometeorological data, without the need of a preliminary calibration.

Pa ge

1 8 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

1 1 : 0 8

Figure 2. Stress factor Ta/Tp.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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spring vineyard planning

Articulated quadtrack is a showstopper Henschke Lenswood VITICULTURIST and vineyard manager Craig Markby was enthusiastic about the new Antonio Carraro Mach 4 tractor at the July field demonstration – the first in Australia – at the 36ha Adelaide Hills vineyard growing Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Gruner Veltliner and Pinot Gris. “I’m really impressed – we’ve been waiting for this to come out to Australia for nearly two years. The reason we’re so interested is the steepness of our country. We’re pretty well organic and biodynamic here. The efficacy of synthetic chemicals, we don’t always get with organic chemicals – the weather often dictates that we have to get onto the place when we would rather not, when there has been too much rain.” This usually means sitting and waiting for better conditions. “We’ve got Carraro 4WD tractors which are absolutely fantastic with flotation tyres, but when it’s wet it doesn’t matter what you’ve got, you just haven’t got the traction. “We only need maybe 15mm of rain and that can make the surface very greasy and it’s not so much being bogged, it’s the issue of traction.” With slopes up to a dizzy 35 degrees, it is easy to see why Henschke are field testing a quadtrack vehicle. “It’s really steep, what we doing there

Tractors

Adam Loveys, Henschke vineyard hand tries the new Mach 4 with Antonio Carraro technical service manager Paul Wiig, right, explaining the details.

in the trial was some of our steepest sites. The biggest issues are sliding downhill and losing traction going uphill. Either way, your tractor and the spray unit are nearly as wide as what the rows are – if you’ve got to back out, you’ve got very little margin for error and if you’ve got no traction you’re going to be in big trouble. “Our rows are only 2.5m. The Mach 4 has a narrower wheelbase than our

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Carraro 4WD tractors, but all-up it’s got more traction.” And what does Markby think, after watching the Mach 4 go through a challenging trial in very slippery and incredibly steep conditions? “I think it’s the best thing I’ve seen – I don’t think there’s anything on the planet that can do that. You can get bigger tractors, but you can’t get them into these rows.”

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spring vineyard planning

The Antonio Carraro Mach 4 inspires discussion at the recent Henschke Lenswood vineyard demonstration day.

According to equipment sales expert, Andrew Osmond from KUBpower, broadacre farmers have been using large quadtrack tractors to avoid soil compaction for over 20 years, and now this technology is available in a compact tractor to suit horticulture. “Grape growers will see the benefits of the Antonio Carraro Mach 4, an articulated 87 horsepower tractor with four rubber tracks,” Osmond said. “Featuring reversible control, it is a purpose-built hillside tractor optimised to suit front or rear mount implements,” he said. “KUBpower has identified a need for this machine, particularly in the Adelaide Hills where a number of growers use crawler tractors on steep properties.” Conventional steel-tracked crawlers are limited in their application, since they cannot be used on the road and damage vineyard headlands when turning. The Mach 4, conversely, can be used on the road at speeds of up to 30kmh and the articulated steering is kind to headlands. Vignerons with steep hillside vineyards can benefit by using the Mach 4, particularly those with narrow rows. While narrow tractors are not very stable on cross slopes, the low profile Mach 4 with central chassis oscillation

is exceptionally stable in all steep headlands. It is 1300mm in width allowing use in 2.1 and 2.5 meter rows. The large rubber tracks reduce the chance of soil compaction in the root zone, and avoid breaking through inter-row grass cover avoiding soil erosion. “The Mach4 will be able to be used in

wet conditions where a wheeled tractor could not be used,” Osmond said. “The demonstration at Henschke’s steep Lenswood vineyard demonstrated all these capabilities and in wet conditions where a wheeled tractor could not operate, the Mach 4 climbed slopes that Henschke staff told us they normally only drove down!” he said. The Mach 4 is available with a comfortable air conditioned cabin or in open ROPS configuration. It is powered by a Yanmar 87 horsepower turbo-diesel. The demonstration tractor was fitted with the optional electronic-governed engine that gives the operator the choice of two programmable ground speeds. Also fitted was a multifunction joystick, giving the operator control over multihydraulic functions. Reversible control allows the use of forklifts, mowers, pruners, and undervine cultivators in the reverse steer mode, giving the driver vision and more precise control, while quick fitment of these implements does not sideline the tractor for one single operation. KUBpower expects to bring the Mach 4 back to South Australia for more demonstrations and customer evaluations – contact Andrew Osmond at KUBpower on 08 8139 7200 for more information.

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52 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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spring vineyard planning

Vineyard manager savours performance A Fendt vineyard tractor first caught the eye of Peter Duncan at a field day. Manager of Kaituna Vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand, he knew of the Fendt’s reputation because a friend owned one and was very impressed with it. Kaituna Vineyard now has two Fendts: a 209P and 211P. Like all Fendts, they have Vario transmissions but with a width of just 1.8m, they are smaller than the average tractor so they can fit down vineyard rows. Kaituna Vineyard is on the northern bank of the Wairau River, between Kaituna and Tuamarina. It is 105ha and has six varieties of grapes, with Sauvignon Blanc the most abundant. The new tractors arrived in December 2011 from Tractor Repairs and Spares in Blenheim. Duncan is already impressed with the Fendts. “They are smooth and comfortable to drive and very well made.” He said they are very smart machines and he expects to get more out of them as he learns what they’re capable of doing. So far a particular favourite is cruise control, which foreman Phil Dixon uses in conjunction with headland management. He puts the tractor on cruise control going down the rows and with a push of a button headland management stops the implements and raises them as the tractor prepares to turn. With another push of a button every thing is lowered and

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54 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Kaituna Vineyard manager Peter Duncan, left, and foreman Phil Dixon praise their Fendt 200P vineyard tractors’ fuel efficiency, comfort, sophisticated hydraulics and Vario transmission.

restarted again in the programmed order. Then Dixon flicks the tractor back into cruise control. “I can focus on what I’m doing and leave the Fendt to choose the most efficient gear for the set speed. There’s a lot of turning in an vineyard, so it saves the driver a lot of work. “The steering also saves us time and effort. You can turn on a dime,” Dixon said. Headlands in the vineyard are vulnerable to damage, which is why Dixon mentions another feature he likes – the automatic four-wheel drive. If a turn exceeds 15 degrees, the four-wheel drive automatically switches off, saving the ground from getting ripped up. Dixon said the Fendt are famous for their suspension but are even better with water in the tyres. Peter Duncan also likes the quiet cab. “It is especially good over harvest, when the drivers are in there a lot. You can hear the phone ringing and hold a conversation without shouting.” With the Vario transmission, Dixon only uses the clutch when he starts the tractor. He then controls everything with the joystick. “Push the gear stick forward and it changes automatically, or a quick flick forward and it changes one gear.” He likes that every button is within reach of his right hand. It minimises the number of arm movements he needs to do www.winebiz.com.au

in the course of a day. The Fendts do a variety of tasks at Kaituna Vineyard – towing the sprayer, leaf plucker, defoliator and trimmer. One of Fendt’s strengths is its ability to accommodate any brand of implement. Dixon and his crew often have a trimmer on front and the mower on the back. Being able to adjust the hydraulic flow rate on every implement with the twist of a dial makes the job more efficient. Fuel efficiency is another attribute that is noticeably better than their other tractors. “When we work with the big sprayer we can turn down the hydraulics because it doesn’t need the high revs. That saves fuel,” Duncan said. He bought the Fendt 200Ps in association with two other vineyards, and the tractors will be harvesting all the properties. Duncan also contract harvests once all the owners’ properties are done. In a normal week the tractors work 40 to 45 hours and that will increase over harvesting. The Fendts have made a positive impression. “There are so many things you can do with them,” Duncan said. They’re totally different from any other tractor. The more you find out about them, the more you like.” August 2012 – Issue 583

spring vineyard planning

Record tractor sales as pent-up demand finds an outlet EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia Richard Lewis said that following the best first-quarter tractor sales overall since 1989, sales continued at record levels in May this year, with 2012 sales to May at 4680 units compared with 3882 in the same period of 2011. “Tractor sales have improved about 20 per cent – there was a lot of pent-up demand,” he said. “It’s the best May we’ve had since we started keeping records. “And pricing is pretty good at the moment with the strong Australian dollar – we’re selling more than we did when the government incentive was going.” Western Australia led the growth spurt, with broadacre equipment at the forefront of demand in a market that expects to see total annual sales levels at around 11,000 units.

Undervine weeder in action.

FRANCE

Smaller vintage predicted in France after cool, wet spring This year’s wine harvest in France could be as much as 8 per cent lower than last year’s peak of 50 million hectolitres, according to early estimates. With overall volumes currently estimated at 46.7 million hectolitres, vintage 2012 is close to the previous

five-year average, according to the statistics department of the Ministry of Agriculture, who compiled the figures on 1 July. Cool, wet weather in the spring delayed flowering, so much so that in some regions vines are still in flower.

The conditions caused varying degrees of coulure as well as inconsistent fruitset while rainfall raised the spectre of shot berries and led to the outbreak of downy mildew in many wine regions La Journée Vinicole

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56 Grapegrower & Winemaker

UNDERVINE SLASHING

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· For slashing between & around vines & posts. · Suitable for use on mounded or flat ground. · Single or double sided. · Rear or front mounted. · Hydraulically driven.

Heavy/Medium Duty Cutter Bars · Available in a range of lengths. · Adapt to all trellis styles. · Meet all your winter pruning needs. · Also for Summer trimming.

McLaren Vale – Phone: +61 8 8323 9001 www.ledgardpruning.com sales@ledgardpruning.com www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

spring vineyard planning

Tractor purchases require planning and assessment What is the total area under vines that you manage? Anthony Fedele Vineyard manager, Andrew Peace Wines, Piangil, Swan Hill, Victoria

Fedele: Currently 283 ha, but we aim to get to 400 ha over the next three years. Watson: 109 ha Mammone: 50 ha including leased vineyard area. Stratford: 165 ha

What grape varieties do you grow?

Daniel Watson Vineyard manager, Craggy Range Vineyards, Martinborough, Nth Island, NZ

Fedele: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Colombard, Crouchen, Durif, Grenache, Malbec, Mataro, Merlot, Muscat Gordo Blanco, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Ruby Cabernet, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Verdelho, Viognier. Watson: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc & Riesling. Mammone: Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Stratford: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz.

How many tractors do you use in the vineyards? Fedele: 11 tractors Watson: Four Mammone: Three Stratford: Four

What brand(s) do you currently use? Fedele: 1 Izeki, 2 Case, 2 New Holland, 3 Fiat and currently slowly changing to John Deere. Watson: We use Deutz, New Holland, John Deere and Pellenc. Mammone: Same, John Deere, Kubota. Stratford: John Deere, Kubota, Deutz.

How long do you expect a tractor to operate each year? Fedele: We have some old ones but we tend to keep vehicles for at least 10 years. Watson: From 500 – 750 hours. Mammone: Just depends, because we are organic and biodynamic we do a fair bit of groundwork, maybe anywhere between 1200-1500 hours. Stratford: Anywhere between 650-1500 hours.

Can you describe your ideal tractor? Fedele: In 2011 we bought a John Deere 5100 narrow track and we were so happy with it we take delivery of another in September and are thinking maybe another one, too. Watson: Comfortable, cab, 4wd, reliable, modern (under 4000 hrs), enough horsepower to do all tasks on the vineyard with capacity to spare, quiet (so you don’t need ear muffs), correct width for row (not over or under size).

Peter Mammone Vineyard manager, Cullen Wines, Margaret River, Western Australia

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Mammone: Something with good vision, comfortable and easy to use, no tricky bits and pieces – being a bit picky, I like the John Deere. Stratford: Reliability is the main thing.

What are the prime considerations in purchasing new tractors for your vineyards, including specific needs to suit the terrain or row spacing? Fedele: Big horsepower to pull 4000L spray carts, user friendly, good gear range, vision, built to meet our needs, large cabs, narrow wheel base, reliability and after-sales service. Watson: Width is the most important consideration as we have rows down to 1.6m in width, sufficient horsepower to operate all the equipment, a reasonable size cab and comfortable seat, local service back-up and support, which is important to ensure servicing is done correctly and breakdowns repaired quickly. And reliability – some makes of tractors have a better track record in terms of reliability. Mammone: Row spacing is not an issue since we have 3.6m rows – the ideal is the John Deere, they are comfy, visibility is excellent and they are maneuverable. Driver comfort is important – as long as

August 2012 – Issue 583

it has good air con it’s fine. Stratford: Reliability, comfort, but it’s all about the operator, the operator must be happy. After that, it’s the specifications.

Has the strong AUD influenced your tractor purchase plans? Fedele: No, we tend to put things into a cashflow 12 months prior to purchasing. Watson: (NZ$) Not really.

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Mammone: I don’t really go by that, but by how many hours the tractor’s got. Once you start getting too many hours the trade-in price decreases quite a bit, so I like to keep them for only 5000-7000 hours. Stratford: No, my last purchase was a secondhand tractor. The price of tractors hasn’t really dropped.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

spring vineyard planning

Casella Wines switches to steel trellising solution It is an industryaccepted average by the Australian wine Training & industry that between five and 15 per cent of trellising pine posts break during harvest every year. This creates sustainability issues as stockpiles of timber posts are created with few ways to dispose of them. This is one of the reasons why Casella Wines is switching to steel, either as a replacement for timber or in new plantings. Casella Wines is Australia’s largest family-owned winery and greatest wine exporter, with its [yellow tail] brand comprising 20 per cent of all bottled wine products leaving Australia. Chris Forwood, vineyard manager for Casella Wines, located near Griffith in New South Wales, has installed over 100,000 Waratah Gripfast posts in the past eight years and has 11 years of managerial experience in the wine industry. “Stockpiles of timber posts are an

industry problem, as timber does have a high turnover rate,” he said. “By using steel, we have a recyclable product that can be turned back into just about anything. Steel is also less likely to break in the first instance, so the turnover rate is lower, too.” Progressively, Casella Wines is replacing existing timber that have broken with Waratah Gripfast posts. “As a replacement post, Gripfasts are more durable than timber and in the long run more sustainable,”Forwood said. He said that steel also has installation advantages over timber, with Gripfast posts being easier to install than pine. “We can have one person with a pneumatic post-driver installing the posts, as opposed to several people, a tractor and other equipment for timber. “The steel posts are also lighter, meaning less wear and tear on workers and significant OH&S benefits.” Steel posts can also increase yield by allowing harvesters to get closer to the

vines – some operators estimate they can remove around 98 per cent of grapes from around steel compared to 90 per cent from around pine. “The smaller profile of steel posts means you can pick a lot closer to the vine than with the greater diameter of pine posts,” Forwood said. Waratah Gripfast trellis posts are a cost-effective alternative to traditional trellising systems and they are made from strong, galvanised Australian steel. A unique slot design along the length of the post allows easy height adjustment of foliage wires and they require no staples or clips, which means reduced installation costs. Also, a six-crescented design profile allows mechanical harvesting right up to the post and supports closer row spacing, giving increased productivity. “Gripfast posts are a product I’d recommend to any vineyard manager – they are a durable, easy to install and costeffective trellis system,” Forwood said.

Strong. Simple. Versatile.

With rapid pneumatic or simple manual installation, Tuckaway Staple is the robust cost-effective trellis solution for timber and plastic posts. “We have now installed Tuckaway Staples on over 300 Ha of vineyard to allow use of a Klima cane stripper. The staples proved to be fast and easy to install, and hold the trellis wires in the required positions. We will be using this product in all our new plantings.” Andrew Blakeman Regional Vineyard Manager Indevin Estates Gisborne Ltd

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www.tuckaway.com.au 60 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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

spring vineyard planning

VINSTAKE™ The HEAVY DUTY steel vineyard Trellis Post

• HEAVY DUTY 1.9 and 1.6 thick steel 1.5 is standard • LONG LIFE Heavy galvanised and Lanoline coated • SPRINGY High tensile • WIRES “Snap into” Tags • EASY TO INSTALL Just drive in • NO Aresnic or Creosote poison • COMPLETE Vine trellis package • COST Very low cost “bump resistant, no staples, no splits, no worries and fix old trellises.”

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Environmentally friendly trellising is here to stay Eco Trellis is a complete trellising system primarily working with the viticulture industry to future proof the industry. The Eco Trellis System is comprised of four key components: • trellis post - AgPost • trellis wire clip - Rotalock clip • ground retention flange - GRF • stay post structures. The Eco Trellis System has been designed in conjunction with growers throughout New Zealand and Australia, to overcome many of the difficulties faced in today’s competitive grape growing arena, such as: • disposal of damaged CCA treated timber posts • yearly post replacement, due to brittle timber post breakages • metal posts bending in high wind, due to the inherent weakness of open rolled sections • no more punctures, due to nails lying on the ground when clips pull free from a post • no more nails getting mixed in with the harvested crop, eliminating the need for magnetic separators • reducing cost through ease of installation, no need for tools, nails, hammers, etc • eliminating post sinking, and lifting issues, via the systems unique ground retention features • compatible with automated cane pruning systems. The Eco Trellis strainer systems are based on standard farm fencing designs that have been tried, proven and accepted over many years in the industry. Strainer system assemblies are available in the following formats: • conventional strainer and diagonal buried stay • box strainer and horizontal stay • single strainer post with tie back All strainers assemblies are comprised of unique components that create a sturdy and neat structure, which is easy to assemble and install, while the versatility of the manufacturing process allows the trellis to be custom built to individual requirements. For more information call 13 10 80 or www.onesteelwaratah.com.au.

New CCA restrictions New restrictions on the use of copper chrome arsenate (CCA) for treating timber came into place on 1 July 2012. CCA has been used to preserve wood in a variety of situations such as for telegraph poles, decking and fencing. It was also used for children’s playground equipment. A review of CCA treated timbers commenced in 2003, following concerns that arsenic could be absorbed through the skin or after swallowing or inhaled if the timber was burnt. In March 2005, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) advised that CCA was not to be used in timber for playground equipment or other high-contact structures. Following this review, CCA has now been declared a restricted chemical product and may only be supplied to, and used by persons authorised under a relevant state or territory law. www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

Biodynamic Paste helps fight dying arm disease Established in 1982 by Nelly and Alan Cooper, Cobaw Fertilisers Ridge, in the Macedon & nutrition Ranges of Victoria, is a family-owned vineyard producing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Lagrein. The Coopers were the first Australian commercial producers of Lagrein, a rare northern Italian variety. The family wanted a healthy workplace and long-term sustainability and decided to convert to organic and then biodynamic, and recently, Cobaw Ridge became the fifth Australian producer accepted into the elite Biodynamic group Return to Terroir, joining Ngeringa, Castagna, Jasper Hill and Cullen Wines. “There’s no doubt that the vines do look better using the biodynamic preparations,” Alan Cooper said. “They have thicker leaves, thicker skins on the grapes, better tannins and therefore produce better wines. “We have been using a biodynamic paste for two winters as a direct postpruning application onto the fresh cuts and around the crown of the vines. The paste is simply mixed into a thin slurry and hand applied with a brush. “Given that most of our vines are now 25-plus years old, we have been seeing more and more Eutypa Lata (dying arm disease), occurring in the vines. Coating the fresh cuts with the protective paste aides the healing process and blocks the entry of the fungus that causes the Eutypa in the first place. It is also a very economical alternative to some of the commercial treatments for Eutypa. “The end point of Eutypa is vine death, so anything we can do to help build the strength of the vines should assist them to fight the infection. The paste has most of the preparations mixed in, so it nourishes as well as heals. For more information visit www.cobawridge.com.au.

To advertise in the Grapegrower & Winemaker, contact Chas Barter on (08) 8369 9513 or email,

sales@grapeandwine.com.au August 2012 – Issue 583

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing

Small players the big winners for tomorrow’s vineyard The Vineyard of the Future is being plotted as a test bed for research projects that seek to provide more efficient ways of monitoring vines under the pressure of a changing climate. Kellie Arbuckle

PICTURE THIS: AN ordinary vineyard, plus a few poles with built-in cameras and solar panels to provide power. There are less people working on the ground. Instead they’re busy occupying an operations centre, controlling the spraying, pruning and harvesting, and integrating the data within an advanced logging system. There’s even a shade complex set up for heatwave events. If you’ve managed to visualise this image, then you’ve successfully seen into the future – the vineyard of the future, 20 years from now. That’s according to University of Adelaide professor Stephen Tyerman. Together with viticulture lecturer Dr Sigfredo Fuentes, Tyerman is spearheading a project, aptly called the Vineyard of the Future (VOF). The project will see the establishment of a 1ha vineyard that will serve as a testing ground for various research projects that will provide grapegrowers with adaptive solutions to climate change. Funded by the University’s Waite Research Institute, the VOF will be based at the Waite Campus in Adelaide, where

the main focus will be on monitoring vine performance to understand vine behaviour under increased carbon dioxide and heat. “The system is designed to accommodate a range of projects that require continuous monitoring of vine performance, such as growth, leaf responses and transpiration rates. However the main project is to continuously observe the vines during potentially unfavourable weather events, particularly heatwaves,” Tyerman told Grapegrower & Winemaker. “To adapt to climate change we need a complete picture of how the vine is responding to climate variables and soil conditions at any particular time. This is relevant to the predicted, more frequent high temperature events and reduced supply of water. “Continuous monitoring systems can provide us with needed information about potential impacts of climate change on grapevines.” The motivation behind the project was first realised after the release of The Garnaut Report, which indicated the

The Vineyard of the Future project will be set up as an imaging system using the visible and infrared spectrum, combined with soil, plant and atmosphere monitoring using advanced systems.

64 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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need for the Australian wine industry to adapt to the impacts of climate change in order to maintain its competitiveness well beyond the mid-twentieth century. “All growers are facing cost pressures. We believe that some of our techniques to be trialled in the VOF might reduce costs for growers and improve operational procedures and accuracy,” Tyerman said. He said the integration of technology and data would be pivotal in addressing the complexity needed for innovation. “This will be achieved through the development and deployment of an Advanced Integrated Vineyard Monitoring and Logging System (AIVMLS), initially as a proof of concept,” he said. “The AIVMLS provides an integration of technologies monitoring the major components of the soil-vine-atmosphere continuum, including real-time measurements of growth, plant health, water use and berry quality. It is designed so that technological components can be added as further research investment is achieved and as a test bed for developing technologies from our commercial partners.” If Tyerman’s visualisation of what a vineyard will look like in 20 years turns out to be correct, there will be some happy smaller wineries. “The cost is not high. In fact, the imaging systems are the same as the security camera systems that might be set up around a winery, ” Tyerman said. “Our pilot system will cost less than $200,000 and this incorporates technology that might not be required for a more practical system in the industry.” What is more likely to stress smaller players is the high labour costs in Australia, he said. That’s where the benefit of the VOF comes in. “The VOF may be a way to employ more people, with better monitoring skills, with a lower total wage bill. It is analogous to the mining companies having remote controlled trucks at their mining sites,” he said. The VOF is expected to be in operation for the coming season, at least in rudimentary form, and some PhD programs will use it immediately. August 2012 – Issue 583

winemaking New WFA president optimistic about a bright future for wine Tony D'Aloisio.

What was your inspiration in coming to this position? That’s an interesting question in the sense that someone with my financial background wouldn’t ordinarily take on the presidency of the WFA. My interest in my own winery was certainly a factor. More importantly, when I spoke to the selection committee that approached me, I saw an opportunity to put something back into the industry and to assist the WFA board with some of the issues they are confronting with my business, commercial and government background.

Do you think you bring a new vision to the organisation? It’s more for me to assist with consensus building among the different stakeholders and then go forward with agreed policy directions through Paul (Paul Evans, the new WFA CEO). I might say that Paul was an outstanding appointment. Stephen (Stephen Strachan, the immediate past CEO) did a great job and wanted to move on and that change has been very important, but it is not about me bringing my vision. It is more about working with Paul and the WFA members to work through the issues that are confronting them. It’s a great industry, yet it has profitability problems and it’s got capital problems. My role is really about bringing things together and, with the board and membership, develop a vision and direction for the Federation.

What are the big challenges facing the wine industry? When I was speaking at a recent meeting of the WFA board with politicians and ministers at Parliament House, I did refer to the fact that basically I’m optimistic about this industry. It’s an industry that has delivered a lot of value to Australia, particularly in export. It is not a huge industry when you look at it in size but it’s an important industry, an important export earner and it has got quality products that the market responds to and buys. I am optimistic that the basics of a good business are there. I like to see the industry as a glass half full rather than half empty. It is a manufacturing industry and an agricultural business and it also exports, so it’s got a triple whammy of issues. There are also challenges on both the supply side and on the demand side. There is a need August 2012 – Issue 583

to continually open new export markets, particularly emerging markets. On the supply side there is always a potential mismatch that can occur between what you planted 10 or 15 years ago and what consumers want now and what particular price points they want now. The business of the Federation is really very much about trying to distil those issues in that supply and demand equation. Then it can influence the industry’s position by working with government. Ultimately, however, the challenges do need to be dealt with by the industry itself.

You have expressed your optimism – what are the big opportunities for the wine industry? When you look at the industry there are a lot of successes going on in terms of people opening up new markets and new varieties. There is great diversity in the offering from the industry. The opportunities will lie in clearly matching the consumer demand as it changes and being able to get access to export markets. Ultimately, the end result needs to drive up margins and profitability across all of industry – the grapegrowers, the winemakers and the retailers. The industry’s profitability and its ability to reinvest is being stretched at present and unless you lift margins and reinvestment levels, you are going to have difficulties long term. The way to do that is to grow the demand side and go into new markets and get more efficient in the way you do things.

Speaking of new markets and exports, many people seem to see China as a saviour for the industry – is that the case? I don’t think there’s any silver bullet for the industry. I think it’s a case of tackling a range of issues. China will clearly play a role, but there is a lot of work to be done. Hard questions remain around what price points, what varieties, who can actually meet the costs of entry and so on. So yes, China is important, the US is also important and there are other emerging markets but there is no silver bullet. It’s not just a demand issue, there are both demand and supply issues to be tackled. www.winebiz.com.au

What’s the top item on your desk today? I’m very impressed with our board in terms of the time they are putting in and who they are. I have worked with many boards throughout my business career and people know that I don’t give praise lightly. I am very impressed with the WFA board and its commitment. At my first board meeting we focused on many strategic issues. I am now working with and assisting Paul who has got the job of distilling those priorities and getting them into a three-year plan.

Finally, where will you go next to represent the organisation? I am committed to continuing the dialogue and consensus building with our members and other stakeholders. I will also be spending a lot of time with our board and with the other organisations that are involved in the industry. I have started that process and over the next few months I will also be visiting some of the regions and the regional associations to get their input. That will take me through to the Outlook Conference in October, where I will make a major statement about what WFA is doing and where we are going. In the meantime, I see my role very much as assisting Paul and staying close to the members, who in corporate terms are our shareholders. Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Plenty of action in India’s wine sector – Part 2 Denis Gastin

The first part of this article appeared in last month’s issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker, with an in-depth look at Australian involvement in India’s flourishing wine industry, now in its

Sula Wines winemaker Rajeev Samant.

third decade of accelerating growth. This second and final segment concludes that there are significant opportunities for both Indian winemakers and viticulturists to study here, plus for adventurous companies seeking opportunities in the sub-continent. Sula Wines introduced Shiraz to the vineyards of the central-western Indian state of Maharashtra and its early vines were sourced from Australia. Sula also had Langhorne Creek identity Steven Brunato as a viticultural consultant between 2006 and late 2011, working on vineyard issues such as irrigation, canopy management and pest and disease control. Other Australian viticultural experts who have been very active in India for the best part of the past decade are Di Davidson and Mark Gilbert, of South Australia’s Davidson Viticulture. They have mostly been working with contract growers to improve the quality of grapes they are supplying to big wineries, such as Sula, and are presently working with some major investors in a new worldclass facility. They have introduced Australian vines, trellising systems and equipment, as well as other viticultural products. At another relatively new winery in Nashik, Vallée de Vin (Zampa label), Australian viticulturalist Simon Robertson was engaged to enable them to launch with high standard viticulture practices. An interesting footnote is that

Vallée de Vin has this year merged with Grover Vineyards to create a new entity, Grover Zampa Vineyards, to capture critical mass and style diversity across both of India’s major producing states. It will be India’s second-largest wine producer. A very significant development in recent years has been the commitment to local winemaking by major national and multinational beverage companies like the UB Group (producer of India’s Kingfisher beer), Pernod Ricard and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH). One of the more prominent roles played by Australian industry specialists in India recently is in LVMH’s project to produce premium sparkling wines. Now in its fifth year, the project is 100 per cent managed by the company’s Australian/ New Zealand branch. The technical side of the venture is being managed by Cloudy Bay-based Australians Jim White (viticulture) and Tim Heath (winemaking). They are supported by a local team of three people at this stage, with considerable expansion on the planning table. The LVMH vineyards are in the premium Dindori sub-district of Nashik and some other fruit is being sourced from contract growers elsewhere in Nashik and in Baramati. The winemaking is currently being carried out by LVMH staff in dedicated facilities at York Winery, and a permanent winery is being

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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winemaking designed. The first sparkling wine from the venture is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2013. White says that there are plenty of viticultural challenges, but he is pleasantly surprised at the results they have achieved so far. He says one of the biggest challenges is that Pinot Noir does not do well in local conditions, and Chardonnay is only marginally more productive. He sees considerable work that needs to be done to make this happen – including the introduction of new clonal material from France. In the meantime, Chenin Blanc will be the core variety for the sparkling white and a sparkling rosé from 100 per cent Shiraz is in the pipeline. He says both varieties produce good results for them. White says he sees “huge potential in India” but there are challenges. “The biggest challenge is at the viticultural end of the spectrum and, if we can get better vineyards and improved vineyard practices in the future, then wine quality will come from that.” York Winery also presents another very interesting link with Australia. The new winemaker is Kailash Gurnani, a younger member of the family that established and operates this winery. He is a graduate

of the University of Adelaide’s oenology program. He said:“when I knew I was going to study winemaking I did some research and found that Adelaide had one of the best wine schools in the world. So that’s it, I went to Australia!” He says that, for him, the most important outcome, “is that I studied in a research-based university which was open to new ideas and technology – as is the Aussie wine industry. “So, an important thing I have learnt is being open to new things, new thinking, and doing your own research before getting things right.” Deeksha Baljekar is a winemaker at another new Nashik winery, Good Earth. She completed a postgraduate diploma in oenology at the Curtin University of Technology, in Margaret River, in 2010, majoring in Wine Science. It may be a reflection of her experience in Australia that she believes blended Cabernet and Shiraz produce India’s finest wines. A new project just getting underway in Karnataka State is currently canvassing Australian participation – with viticultural and winemaking expertise, or as a joint venture, if the interest is there. The project has been launched by a group of people who own

a major construction company based in Bangalore and now want to diversify into the wine industry. They have engaged a local company called All Things Nice to consult on the entire project in which five separate parcels of land are currently being soil tested for viticulture with the intention of setting up, in stages, a one million litre winery to produce premium wines. Plantings will begin with proven varieties such as Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, and with Cabernet Sauvignon. There will be experimental plantings of other varietals as well. Australia is also making contributions to the general appreciation of wine in India at the trade and consumer level. For example, the director of All Things Nice, Nikhil Agarwal, won the WSET/ Wine Australia Scholarship in 2012, encompassing an extensive experience in Australia’s leading vineyards. His portfolio in India includes a handson experience of over 10 years with industry giants Moet Hennessy, Diageo and Sula Vineyards. He writes for several leading food and lifestyle magazines in India and works extensively with food and beverage sector professionals. Delhi-based Shri Magandeep Singh, who operates the Institute of Wine Beverage

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Studies, has also completed a course with Wine Australia that qualifies him to conduct classes and provide course content on Australian wine. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Indage Vintners and the University of Adelaide in 2007 to develop an Institute in Maharashtra offering a three-year diploma program, a four-year degree program and a two-year masters degree program in various fields of viticulture, winemaking, marketing and finance. This was undoubtedly another dimension of Indage’s plans to expand its presence in Australia, after its acquisition Tandou Vineyards and Barossa winery Vine Crest. But it was bad timing: Indage hit a serious financial hurdle and then walked away from its commitment to acquire the Loxton winery from AVI. The plans for the Institute subsequently stalled. However, there is a modest flow of students from India into Australian academic programs with a viticulture and wine focus. The University of Melbourne has had Indian graduates in its wine technology and viticultural program, including at least one Masters degree graduate. Given the trends in India now it could

India’s vineyards have attracted international attention from major wineries.

be expected that the numbers of Indian students in wine and viticulture-related programs in Australia will rise, as will

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Non-invasive spectroscopic screening: a new approach to assessing damaged wines – Part 2 In the July issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker we looked at the practical application of BevscanTM and its capacity to identify damaged wine in the bottle. This is the second and final part of that article. Neil Scrimgeour, Wies Cynkar and Eric Wilkes

Creating a classification model In order to create a BevScan classification model for screening, the spectra from Group B samples were removed from the entire data-set and the remaining spectra from Group A were used to describe acceptable spectral characteristics. An acceptable tolerance limit was set to allow samples to be classified correctly with about 95 per cent confidence. Based on the information gained from the PCA, the wavelength range was restricted to 600-1000nm. This removed regions where absorbance levels were either in saturation, or were not contributing to the differences observed across the sample set. The classification model allows new samples of unknown condition to be screened non-destructively and provides a simple pass/fail response, which is defined by the characteristics of the acceptable set (Group A). The BevScan provides a ‘score’, which is an arbitrary

Table 1. Chemical analysis data for 10 randomly selected samples (five from each group). Bottle code

Colour density

Colour hue

SO2 free (mg/L)

SO2 total (mg/L) 55

Group A e1

0.83

0.78

0.82

0.77

0.84

0.80

0.85

0.80

0.84

0.80

c11

1.00

0.80

<4*

1.04

0.82

0.98

0.80

e10

0.95

0.80

c12

0.96

0.82

Group B

* Limit of detection by flow injection analysis (FIA) method.

1.5

0.5

PC2 (11%)

A RANDOM SELECTION of 10 bottles was collected, with five taken from each of the apparent groups to assess the comparative degree of oxidation. Free and total SO2 levels were measured, along with colour density and hue measurements. Analysis showed that the five samples with typical (expected) SO2 levels, lower colour density and hue were all found in Group A, while the five samples showing significant SO2 depletion and elevated colour levels were all in Group B (Table 1).

-0.5

-1

-1.5 -4

-3

-2

-1

PC2 (11%) Figure 2. PCA plot based on spectral analysis of the Angove wine. Each bottle was scanned once. Numbers in ellipses indicate the concentrations of total SO2 (mg/L).

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August 2012 – Issue 583

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winemaking Sample passed as acceptable

Sample C2

Ellipse indicates acceptability of samples scanned.

Figure 3. BevScan showing identification of an acceptable sample.

determination of the mathematical similarity between the average spectral response of the samples used in developing the model and the sample being tested. A score of 10 or less indicates the sample is spectrally similar to the samples in the classification model, while a score of 1 indicates the sample is spectrally identical to the average of the samples in the classification model. Figure 3 shows the identification of an acceptable sample (c2) when the classification model is being applied to a sample of unknown condition.

Screening of damaged wine stock In order to allow screening of the retained stock of the Angove wine, the BevScan instrument was loaned to Angove Family Winemakers for a three-week period. The instrument was set up in the finished products warehouse at Angove’s Renmark

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facility and the Australian Wine Research Institute provided a brief training session for winemaking staff. Using the BevScan classification model, all 716 cases were screened by Angove staff to identify acceptable bottles of wine. Stock was segregated solely on this classification result. The screening was carried out in an environment where temperatures peaked at about 32°C. While temperature can affect measurements in the NIR spectrum, the choice of wavelength range and the robustness of the calibration meant that this effect was minimal. At worst, the effect would result in the rejection of a small number of samples that may have been borderline-acceptable, based on their analytical profile. Imperfections in a small number of the bottles led to their rejection at the initial scanning stage; it was considered more economic to reject the bottles, rather than utilise them excessive times to optimise the spectral signal through the bottle. The net effect of these issues was that Angove would expect to have higher than 95% confidence that acceptable samples were being identified correctly. Of the 716 cases assessed, 375 cases of acceptable wine were accumulated and 341 cases were rejected.

Confirmation of rejected wine samples

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Six cases of the rejected wine samples were sent to the AWRI for subsequent chemical analysis to confirm the unacceptable (chemical) nature of these samples. A random selection of nine bottles was taken from the six cases to assess the comparative degree of oxidation. Free and total SO2 levels were measured, along with colour density and hue measurements, as before. The nine samples were also re-screened at the AWRI laboratory using BevScan to determine if measurement temperature or bottle imperfections at Renmark had played a part in producing a higher incidence of false negatives.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Table 2. Chemical analysis data for nine randomly selected confirmation samples. Bottle code

Colour density

Colour hue

SO2 free (mg/L)

SO2 total (mg/L)

Rowe Scientific

PTY LTD

Classification score

RBB 1

1.01

0.84

100

RBB 9

1.01

0.85

100

RBB 8

1.01

0.84

100

RBB 4

1.01

0.84

100

RBB 6

0.99

0.83

RBB 5

0.92

0.82

RBB 3

0.90

0.81

RBB 7

0.89

0.81

RBB 2

0.85

0.80

Re-scanning of the samples at the AWRI confirmed that eight of the nine rejected samples were unacceptable. The only sample deemed acceptable – the only sample that showed typical (expected) SO2 levels, lower colour density and hue – was sample RBB 2 (Table 2). Samples RBB 5, 3 and 7 all exhibited borderline-acceptable chemical characteristics, but were deemed to be unacceptable when evaluated with the classification model (classification score >10).

Summary BevScan has been shown to be a valuable tool for nondestructively screening and classifying wine stock affected by random patterns of oxidation. By using this tool, Angove Family Winemakers has been able to mobilise what would otherwise be worthless stock and supply their customers with wine that tastes the way the winemaker intended.

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winemaking

Save money and wine by choosing the right bentonite With bentonite influencing aromas and wine quality, winemakers are urged to consider options carefully. Simon Kinley and Darko Obravovic

study conducted by a NATA accredited laboratory (The Wine Clinic – Barossa Valley, SA). Two areas were investigated by The Wine Clinic for this trial to investigate the real cost differential between currently available bentonites. Firstly, three 2012 white wines (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling) were chosen for bench trials to determine the dosage rate required to achieve stability between sodium bentonite (Na bent), Pluxcompact activated bentonite, and two different sodium calcium bentonites currently in the marketplace (Na/Ca Bent #1 and Na/ Ca Bent #2). Stability was defined by a difference of less than 1 NTU between the control and the bentonite-treated wine.

extended settling times and longer swell times. Bentonite clays are hydrated aluminium silicates that posess latticelike structure containing layers of negatively charged sheets. The chemical composition of these layers govern not only the swelling process, but more importantly the cost effectivness of the bentonite depending on the dominant cation present within these layers. Technologial advances have allowed a new generation of activated bentonite called Pluxcompact to be produced, allowing the winemaker to recover more wine or juice while still creating protein-stable wines. Enartis Pacific and E.E. Muir & Sons have collaborated to form an independent

12 Stable

Turb (NTU)

Bentonite has long been used as a fining agent for wine to remove protein and prevent the formation of unattractive sediments. Studies into the hidden costs of bentonite fining have estimated the loss in revenue to the world’s wine industry to be around one billion dollars, with a volume equivalent to the total white wine production of New Zealand (Majewski et al. 2011). Bentonite can also be detrimental to wine quality if used in excessive levels and has been proven to significantly remove volatile compounds (Sanborn et al. 2011) such as Ethyl dodecanoate that contributes to black cherry and chocolate aromas (Tomasino et al. 2012). Some studies have indicated the benefits of adding bentonite in two stages to try and reduce the amount used, thereby minimising the amount of aroma removed (Marangon et al. 2012). This requires a prediction of the amount of bentonite required to achieve stability which is not always feasible due to both varietal and vintage variation. These studies illustrate the significant cost bentonite has and the importance of not treating bentonite simply as another commodity purchased for vintage. Different ions or combinations of ions can exist in bentonite and traditionally sodium bentonites have been favoured for their low cost and efficient protein removal. However, this has been at the trade-off of excessive lees production,

Na Bent Na/Ca Bent #1

Pluxcompact 6

Na/Ca Bent #2

4 2 0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 Rate (g/l)

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

Figure 1. Chardonnay – bentonite comparison.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

4 Stable Volclay Siha Pluxcompact Nacalit

3.5

Turb (NTU)

3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0

0.2

0.4

0.6 Rate (g/l)

0.8

1.2

Figure 2. Riesling – bentonite comparison.

12 Stable Volclay Siha Pluxcompact Nacalit

Turb (NTU)

See Figures 1, 2 & 3 for results. Secondly, an investigation into the volume of lees generated between these four bentonites was performed on the Chardonnay wine with a standard dosage rate of 2g/L. Lees levels were measured in volumetric cylinders and calculations were then performed to estimate the amount of lees of each bentonite at the dosage rate required to reach stability (determined in part one of this trial). Calculations of the combined cost of bentonite and the cost of wine lees was then performed for a range of different fruit costs. The aim was to quantify the real costs of bentonite fining and the potential cost savings of switching from sodium bentonite to an activated bentonite with grapes purchased at $250, $500 and $1000/tonne and an assumed yield of 750L/tonne. Results indicate that the least amount of sodium bentonite is needed to achieve heat stability in the Chardonnay and Riesling wines. The Sauvignon Blanc wine was very close to being stable at 0.8g/L with both the sodium bentonite and Pluxcompact. The sodium bentonite’s performance was expected, since it was the only sodium bentonite

8 6 4 2 0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8 1 Rate (g/l)

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Figure 3. Sauvignon Blanc – bentonite comparison.

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winemaking trialled and these are more efficient at removing protein due to the prevalence of the sodium cation (Bowyer and Moine-Ledoux 2007). Notably, the next bentonite with the lowest dosage rate was Pluxcompact in all three wines tested. To determine the levels of lees created between the four different bentonites, a dosage rate of 2g/L was applied to the 2012 Barossa Valley Chardonnay. Volume of lees created was able to be calculated using the graduated measuring cylinders. Refer to Figure 4 for a photo and table of results. Results indicate a significant variability between the amounts of lees formed but lower levels of variation between turbidity in the clear wine above the lees. From the photo it is obvious that Pluxcompact and Na/Ca bentonite #1 exhibit much better compaction properties and produce significantly lower amounts of lees than both the Na bentonite and the Na/Ca bentonite #2. If we now combine the results from these two trials, we can extrapolate the real cost differential between using a straight sodium bentonite compared to the Pluxcompact-activated bentonite by including not only the dosage rate required to achieve stability, but also the volume of wine that is lost via lees. Looking at the 2012 Barossa Valley Chardonnay lees results, we can extrapolate the lees levels at the specific dosage rates required to achieve stability based on the assumption that there is a linear relationship between dosage rate and levels of lees. The grey cells highlighted in Figure 5 indicate a heatstable result for both bentonites and the estimated percentage of lees at these dosage rates. Assume the following plausible parameters, 750L/tonne extraction and cost price of $1/kg for the Sodium bentonite and $2/kg for Pluxcompact. When we look at the several examples based on these assumptions and using

NEW!

Figure 4. – From left to right : Na/Ca Bent #2, Pluxcompact, Na/Ca Bent #1 and Na Bent (2g/L add) Added to wine at a rate of 2g/L

Percentage of wine lost as lees

Turbidity of clear wine above lees

Na/Ca Bentonite #2

1.82

Pluxcompact

2.58

Na/Ca Bentonite #1

2.33

Na Bentonite

1.80

Figure 5. Lees percentage in 2g/L Chardonnay trial. 2.0g/L (real)

1.5g/L (estimate)

1.3g/L (estimate)

1.0g/L (estimate)

Na Bentonite

13.0

9.8

8.5

6.5

Pluxcompact

4.0

3.0

2.6

2.0

Figure 6. Examples based on grapes costed at $250/tonne. $250.00

Cost of tonne of grapes

Cost of Bentonite Add

Cost of Juice

Losses Rate

Volclay

$0.0010

$0.3333

Pluxcompact

$0.0026

$0.3333

Cost of Losses

Real Cost

6.5%

$0.0217

$0.0227

2.6%

$0.0087

$0.0113

Cost saving/L

$0.0114

Figure 7. Examples based on grapes costed at $500/tonne. $500.00

Cost of tonne of grapes

Cost of Bentonite Add

Cost of Juice

Losses Rate

Cost of Losses

Real Cost

Volclay

$0.0010

$0.6667

6.5%

$0.0433

$0.0443

Pluxcompact

$0.0026

$0.6667

2.6%

$0.0173

$0.0199

Cost saving/L

$0.0244

Figure 8. Examples based on grapes costed at $1000/tonne. $1,000.00 Cost of Bentonite Add

Cost of tonne of grapes Cost of Juice

Losses Rate

Cost of Losses

Real Cost

Volclay

$0.0010

$1.3333

6.5%

$0.0867

$0.0877

Pluxcompact

$0.0026

$1.3333

2.6%

$0.0347

$0.0373

Cost saving/L

$0.0504

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76 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

grapes costed at $250/tonne (Figure 6), $500/tonne (Figure 7) and $1000/tonne (Figure 8) we can see the significant cost savings in using activated bentonites in both commercial and premium wine parcels even when it is double the cost of a sodium bentonite. This proves that the cheapest bentonite option will not always give winemakers cost savings that the initial purchase price and addition rates might suggest. Add to this the ease of use for Pluxcompact bentonite, with maximum pre-swell time of three-six hours in cold water (no hot water required) and even greater savings can be achieved. This clearly demonstrates that activated bentonites like Pluxcompact can improve the winemaking process by providing an increased wine volume at a reduced overall cost.

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References:

Saury Cuves

Majewski, P., Barbalet, A. and Waters, E. (2011),”$1 billion hidden cost of bentonite fining” Aust N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker; June 58-62.

Tonnellerie LEROI

Marangon, M., Pocock, K. F., and Waters, E. (2012), “The addition of bentonite at different stages of white winemaking and its effect on protein stability” Aust N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker; May 71-73.

Kauri Silicone Bungs

Sanborn, M., Edwards, C. and Ross, C. (2011), “Impact of fining on chemical and sensory properties of Washington State Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer wines” Am .J. Enol Vitic, March vol 61 no 1 31-41.

John Falland Barrel Racks

Bowyer, P. and Moine-Ledoux, V. (2007), “Bentonite – it’s more than just dirt” Aust N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker; Feb 62-68.

Tomasino, E., Harrison, R., Breitmeyer, J. and Frost, A. (2012), Four chemicals that influence the aroma of New Zealand Pinot Noir wine-Ethyl Octanoate, Ethyl Decanoate, Phenethyl Alcohol and Benzaldehyde” 2012, 8th International Cool Climate Symposium, Feb 1-4, Hobart, Tasmania.

Stainless Steel Barrels

Oak Alternatives Domino-Blocks, Tech-Staves, Zig-Zags, Chips, Rice, Powder

Wine supplier acquires IPS Automation Torque Industries has announces the recent acquisition of IPS Automation, which will continue to operate from its current location at Prospect in Adelaide, South Australia, specialising in the application of pneumatics, nitrogen generation systems and vacuum technology as it has done during the past 25 years. General manager Leigh Thompson said Torque has experienced substantial growth in the past few years as it continuously strives to provide a ‘total solution’ to its customers in the wine industry. “Coupled with our existing motion and control technology capabilities this merger enhances our offer,” he said. Torque provides distribution and installation of a wide range of Parker products including wine filtration specialists Domnick Hunter. Torque is also the manufacturer of Hydra-Pac waste equipment and provides recycling solutions to the wine industry in the form of vertical balers to reduce plastic film waste and bottle breakers for glass recycling. “Then you have IPS Automation with their pneumatic and nitrogen expertise and they are also a proud distributor of Italian brand PATERLINI, manufacturers of pneumatic equipment for mechanised pruning and picking. It’s a perfect match,’’ Thompson said. “The teams at Torque and IPS are ready to work on your next winery project, no matter how big or small, and provide tailor made solutions to suit your particular needs and requirements.”

Fermentation Products FermControl - Yeast Supplementation MaloBacti MLF Cultures CN1, HF2, AF3 Tannins - GrapEx and ViniTannins

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For further information, please contact Kauri NZ Ltd. NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE NZ Fax: 04 910 7415 Email: winery@kauri.co.nz

August 2012 – Issue 583

www.winebiz.com.au

AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 AUS Fax: 1800 127 609 Website: www.kauriwine.com

Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Wine communicators gather to hear latest vintage stats

Introducing the

new Alcolyzer® M Series

WINE COMMUNICATORS OF Australia recently held its Vintage Luncheon at the National Wine Centre, with Winemakers’ Federation of Australia releasing the highly-anticipated vintage figures and the 2012 Winegrape Purchases Price Dispersion Report. WFA’s recently announced CEO Paul Evans also made

his debut public appearance in his new role, and was joined by Yalumba’s Jane Ferrari and News Limited’s national wine writer, Tony Love. Grapegrower & Winemaker attended the event in at the National Wine Centre, in Adelaide, on Friday 6 July. Here are some snaps from the event.

The patented NIR method that set the industry standard The alcohol meter from Anton Paar covers a wide range of applications for measurement in the laboratory

News Limited's national wine writer Tony Love.

Ben Tolstoshev from The Lane Vineyard and Lucy Harrland from The National Wine Centre.

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78 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Sparflex

& SUPPLIES hoods EQUIPMENT & muselets

Pe-Di crowns & bidules Small quantity custom printed hoods

Kellie Illingworth from Parallax and Rebecca Coombs from Wirra Wirra.

Stock hoods: Satin Gold, Silver & Pink Embossed Gold & Silver Satin, Matt, Gloss Black Gun metal grey Pearl white & Burgundy

Peter Muscet from The National Wine Centre and Sue Rana from Treasury Wine Estates.

Sam Matheson, promoter and Ben Jordan from Rabobank.

Muselets standard & custom print Tirage crowns in Aluminium & steel + final closures FDA & EU approved polyethylene liners & bidules

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National: 03 9555 5500 SA & WA Sales: 0401 560 550 NSW Sales: 0447 020 313 Keith Gillard and Alistair Long, both from IBM. August 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 583

Scott Tolhurst and Natalie Schaefer, both from Grant Burge Wines. www.winebiz.com.au

E-mail: info@grapeworks.com.au Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Bottle shock: what is it and what are the causes? Though it’s alarming, experts say the phenomenon is temporary and seems to resolve itself. Lance Cutler

ACCORDING TO US winemaker Dick Arrowood, bottle shock certainly exists but no one knows exactly what it is. He thinks it is probably caused by some sort of oxidative or reductive issue that occurs during filtration and/or bottling, but it could have to do with pressure or the mechanics of moving the wine. Arrowood said that in his experience, bottle shock diminished fruit and made the alcohol more apparent. It rendered the wine without charm. It was worse and lasted longer in white wines than red wines. Unfiltered red wines recovered in one to two months, while white wines took more time, sometimes up to five or six months. He observed that the less you did to the wine, the faster it recovered. Unfiltered wines recovered more quickly than filtered wines, but even wines that were bottled unfiltered went through it. “Whatever bottle shock is, we are fortunate that it doesn’t last. The wine does come back,” he said. Bo Barrett from Chateau Montelena should know something about bottle shock. His 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won top prize at the infamous 1976 Paris tasting that pitted famous French Burgundies against California Chardonnays. As famously depicted in the movie Bottle Shock, that wining Chardonnay went through a serious bottle shock just before the tasting that changed the colour. Barrett insists that legend aside, the wine did not suffer from bottle shock. Rather it suffered from a severe case of “pinking,” another temporary side effect of changing redox potential. Redox potential (or oxidation/ reduction potential) is a measure of the wine’s ability to be oxidised or reduced by either gain or loss of electrons. This can be related to the amount or lack of oxygen in the wine. Barrett has a rather organic explanation for bottle shock. “Wine sitting in a barrel receives oxygen that passes through the pores in the wood,” he explains. “The H2O and alcohol molecules interact with this back and forth passing of oxygen, happily. When you put that wine into a bottle, you change the equilibrium that it had in the barrel. The only oxygen it gets has to pass through the cork.” According to Barrett, this dramatic change from barrel to bottle also has a huge effect on Brettanomyces. Brett may be stable in a

80 Grapegrower & Winemaker

permeable barrel environment, but it gets decidedly unhappy in a bottle where the wine can’t efficiently rebalance. Brett becomes an oxygen pig and starts leaving its signature ‘barnyard’ aromas. Jeff McBride, vice-president of winemaking at Benziger Family Wines, believes the bottle shock phenomenon derives from several causes. Wine filtration is a major culprit. The tighter the filtration, the more “shocked” the wine becomes, especially for red wines, as tight filtration actually remove some components, mostly larger structured phenolic and colour compounds, that take time to recover through the oxidative process. This is affected by the type of filtration used. Diatomaceous earth (DE), pads and cross-flow filtration all affect the wine differently. McBride also feels the timing of pre-bottling additions or fining, especially SO2 adjustments, can have a

dramatic effect on the wine. “We have all seen what a hefty dose of metabisulphite (pre-bottling) can do to bleach a wine, especially Pinot Noir,” he explains. “The colour does recover, but the time to recover is based on the chemistry of the wine and the size of the dose.” When it comes to bottling, McBride feels that O2 pickup at bottling can www.winebiz.com.au

cause a shock, but the shock will be more permanent, and recovery to a starting-point aroma and flavour profile is not likely. If CO2 is added to achieve a desired “brightness,” the wine can seem disjointed until the components settle into a matrix. Trying to determine how filtration influences bottle shock, we spoke with Stefano Migotto. Migotto ran his father’s winery in Northern Italy for 12 years. He worked in California wineries for several years before starting Winetech, a company providing mobile wine filtration services in 1998. Stefano is convinced bottle shock is real and does everything he can to minimise its appearance after he works with a client’s wine. Migotto says that the primary culprit causing bottle shock is oxygen (O2). The more oxygen picked up by the wine during any wine processing procedure, the more likely that wine will show signs of bottle shock and the more severe it will be. After spending 15 years as a filtration specialist, Migotto feels how well a wine is treated during its production cycle is key to the amount of bottle shock it will go through, so a big part of his job is to minimise O2 pickup during his filtrations. “I have come to believe that cross-flow filtration is the best way to filter wine,” Migotto declares. “DE filtrations are particularly difficult, because the actual DE is porous and full of air. No matter how adept the operator, DE filtration will expose the wine to significant amounts of O2. Filter pads can have similar issues, and the ability and training of the operator have a big influence. Then, of course, both DE and filter pads have a distinct flavour that can affect the wine.” Crossflow filtration, performed using good equipment by an experienced operator, doesn’t introduce as much O2 to wine, according to Migotto. Zack Scott is the assistant president of Scott Laboratories, a company developing and representing products, including fermentation goods, filtration media, equipment, packaging products and laboratory services, so they have a handle on virtually every winemaking task. Scott says that when it comes to bottle shock, most of his clients want to know what they can do to minimise bottle August 2012 – Issue 583

shock and how long they have to wait to get that wine to market. Scott feels that several different factors contribute to bottle shock. Oxygen pickup during filtration and bottling is one culprit, but ingredients added to wine are another, especially SO2. He points out that any type of filtration “squeezes” the wine and affects the colloidal matrix of the wine. Comparing unfiltered wine with the same wine immediately after filtration confirms a clear loss of varietal character, but as the colloids resume their shape the wine will come back. He agrees with Migotto that cross-flow filtration has the least disruptive effect on wine given the various filtration choices. “SO2 management has a big influence on what we perceive as bottle shock,” says Scott. “Wineries are in a perpetual drive to maximise the efficiency of SO2 use, but any addition has a carryover effect. It is very expensive for high-volume wineries to have thousands of cases of wine sitting in warehouses waiting to recover from bottle shock. Smaller SO2 additions at bottling might help allow for an earlier release of that wine. Of course, using less SO2 at bottling carries higher risks of spoilage or oxidation.”

Scott emphasises that using the best equipment for filtration and bottling, along with top-flight packaging and well-trained personnel, limits the wine’s exposure to oxygen, thus reducing the effects of bottle shock.

“SO2 management has a big influence on what we perceive as bottle-shock” Zack Scott, Scott Laboratories.

José Santos, president of Enartis Vinquiry, feels that all of the treatments and procedures involved in getting wine ready to bottle, like filtration, wine transfers, CO2, SO2 and nitrogen all contribute to bottle shock because they

The

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change the redox potential of the wine. Santos says, “Filtering is the biggest problem because it changes the colloidal makeup of the wine, which affects our perception of texture, mouth feel and aromatics. Over time, the colloids will rearrange themselves and return to a close approximation of where the wine started.” Bottle shock is a phenomenon all of us have experienced and have to live with. If winemakers had to watch their lovely wines lose varietal character, become disjointed and go out of balance permanently, then bottle shock would be the most researched phenomenon in all of winemaking. Because it is temporary and seems to resolve itself, there has been precious little investigation as to the causes and effects. After researching the subject, I think the best summation of this bottle shock study comes from Stefano Migotto talking about winemaking in general, “We have done so much research that we think we know a lot, but in the end, we have no idea.” This extract is an edited version of an article, "The Mystery of Bottle Shock", published in Wine Business Monthly (US) July 2012.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

National Telephone: 03 9555 5500 South & Western Australia Telephone: 0401 560 550 Hunter Valley / Mudgee / Qld Telephone: 0447 020 313 E-mail: info@grapeworks.com.au www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaker

Chris Tyrrell

was born in Maitland, in the heart of the Hunter Valley and was just 18 when he experienced his first vintage. Today, Tyrrell is the assistant winemaker of Tyrrell’s Wines and was recently named Rising Star of the Year at the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Living Legend’s Awards. Tyrrell has completed 10 vintages at Tyrrell’s Wines and has travelled extensively throughout European wine regions. He is also an active judge on the wine show circuit and is involved in the WFA Future Leaders program.

What inspired you to become a winemaker and how have you got to where you are now?

I always wanted to work in the family business but wasn’t sure which side of the business I would end up in. In between vintages I worked in sales, marketing and export before returning to the winery full-time as part of the winemaking team in 2006. Now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else – it’s the part of the business I have always felt most comfortable in and I love the fact that every year is a new year that presents itself with new challenges and I will always learn something new. Which of your wines do you most enjoy making and why?

I love making all of our wines, but I guess in the last few years I have loved working with our 4 Acres Shiraz. It’s a vineyard that was planted by my great grandfather Avery in 1879. Stylistically, it’s the most unique wine we make and I’d say it’s arguably the most unique Shiraz in Australia. It’s super medium-bodied and only ever matured in larger format French oak, and I’m always proud to show the wine to other people in the industry. What is your favourite time of year in the winery and why?

My favourite time of the year is always vintage. It’s about as hectic as it gets, but no two years will ever be the same. Tell us about your most memorable wine-tasting experience.

Recently I was invited to a family friend’s house for a BBQ after a day watching Australia play a test match at the SCG. We ended up having a great steak and salad while drinking some of the oldest and rarest wines I had ever seen: 1900 Brane Cantenac, Dr Barolet Burgundies from the 1920s and finished with a 1947 Ch. Rouget. A night I will never forget.

countries. We haven’t turned away from traditional markets either as we know they will turn around eventually. But in the end it’s just about putting your face in front of your distributors and their customers to promote your brand and tell your story because if you don’t, someone else will.

What do you like to do when you’re not making wine?

Drink new and interesting wine.

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

What keeps you awake at night?

I think the wine show system does a great job of “bettering the breed” and has served this industry very well in terms of us producing quality, consistent wines. I think the judging panels are more balanced these days than ever before. Winemakers with their technical know-how are now balanced out by media and sommeliers and their stylistic approach, which always makes for interesting discussions. I would love to see more focus on the regional shows, rather than the big capital city shows. I’m not sure what the future is of the capital city shows and their relevance moving forward.

During vintage it’s usually something silly like, “did I turn the cooling off for that tank?” How do you de-stress after vintage?

Normally, I hope we are finished by the Easter long weekend which is always a good time to relax but the fact of the matter is we are always busy and if we aren’t making wine then it’s usually time to get out on the road and sell it. What was the last big-ticket equipment purchase you made in your winery? Would you recommend the equipment to colleagues?

We recently purchased a Mori basket press. We used it for all of our top Chardonnay and Semillon and couldn’t be happier with the results. In recent years we have been using our original 100-year-old two tonne hand basket press so, now that we have a hydraulic press, the troops are very happy. 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?

Obviously Asia (and China, in particular) is a great export market at the moment, due to its proximity to Australia, the state of its economies as well as the ease of trade between the

82 Grapegrower & Winemaker

What do you think is the Australian wine industry’s biggest challenge and what is your solution to the problem?

As part of the Future Leaders program we spent a week in Canberra dealing with the anti-alcohol lobbyists. The direction they seem to be taking is the same path that cigarettes went down, which is very worrying. A change in government soon would buy us some more time. The Ark question. The world is flooding ... which two wines (white and red) would you take onto the Ark?

An old Vat 1 Semillon and some DRC LaTache would suit me just fine.

www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

wine storage

Winemakers explore best options for oak and tank storage

Since there are many wine storage options available in the market place today, Grapegrower & Winemaker has posed questions to four winemakers from various regions across Australia and New Zealand, to elaborate on how such options are viewed and managed.

Stuart Horndern

Troy Kalleske

Stuart Bourne

Bill “Digger” Hennessy

Assistant Winemaker at Brokenwood, Hunter Valley, NSW

Winemaker at Kalleske, Barossa Valley, SA

Chief Winemaker at Chateau Tanunda, Barossa Valley, SA

Chief Winemaker at Spring Creek Vintners, Marlborough, NZ

Blair Hanel

Round table

Tank storage Have you seen a lot of changes in the way wine is stored in tank over the last five years?

Horndern: The main change we have seen at Brokenwood over the last five years is that we have purchased four open-top oak Foudres and one large oak cask.

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Kalleske: The only change that I’ve seen or implemented at our winery is the installation of a concrete egg-shaped tank last year. But I am aware of perhaps other wineries using fewer barrels and storing more wine in tank with chips, planks, etc. Also, I have seen the growth in the use of plastic tanks. Bourne: Not really, although with the development of new synthetic structures, many winemakers are now considering alternatives to stainless steel. Hennessy: Not really, except the tanks are getting larger. Five years ago 45,000 litre tanks were probably the most common size, but nearly every tank we have purchased since then is quite a bit larger.

Do you plan to upgrade wine storage in future? Horndern: We are installing two new 46kL stainless steel tanks this year.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

wine storage Kalleske: No, we have upgraded fairly substantially in the past few years and at this stage have adequate storage for the foreseeable future. Bourne: Potentially, we will upgrade our storage in the future, but it will be small and incremental storage which will be incidental with growth – as our business grows so will our need. Hennessy: Further expansion is expected.

What are your key considerations with wine storage if you were planning some growth? Do you have a preference for stainless or other tank materials? Horndern: Stainless steel, insulation cost, cooling efficiency. Kalleske: Emphas is mainly on stainless. Perhaps we will look at large wood/vats as well as concrete/clay. Not interest in plastic tanks, as it doesn’t fit with our certified organic philosophy. Bourne : Functionality – single function vs multi-function (storage tanks and fermenters all in one). The development of non-stainless tanks (plastic tanks) are of interest to our business – and we are monitoring this very closely. Hennessy: Given that we process predominantly Sauvignon Blanc it is virtually all stainless in large format. We have a small but increasing oak budget, especially with the growth of Pinot Noir production.

Oak storage American vs French – have you seen a swing toward either style in the last five years? Horndern: At Brokenwood, we use approximately 90% French, 10% US oak. This has been pretty constant over the

past five years. The American oakis used predominantly on wines of specific style. Kalleske: Perhaps we swing slightly towards more French oak. However, the American oak now comes in many more different options, whereby overly overt characters are toned down and some barrels virtually give French-like characters. Bourne: I’ve seen three major swings (all driven by market demand and cost implications): • An increase in use of older oak (cost and wine style implications) • Better use of American oak – less obtrusive and overt • Increased levels of French oak highlighting spicy overtones. Hennessy: We are predominantly French or European oak-based. American oak was used with some of the Bordeaux varieties but there is not much of that grown around the Marlborough district now.

Burgundy vs Bordeaux – do you see extreme differences between barrels manufactured in the Bordeaux or Burgundy regions? Horndern: We have a blend of both. The only real difference in terms of manufacturing is the care that is required when handling Bordeaux Chateau barrels, due to their thinner staves. Bourne: Although point of origin manufacture can be important – cooperage, selection of oak, manufacture and firing is more important than that that of the shape. Aligning our business with barrel producers that work with our styles is very important.

Barrique vs Hogshead vs Larger Format Oak: this is crucial to the style of wine and also your current racking systems – explain why you would use either of the barrel types. Horndern: We have a blend of barriques, puncheons and large oak casks. This gives us a wide range of options on the

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84 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

wine storage blending bench. We find the barriques give concentration and structure, while the larger format oak gives an openness that allows the fruit to shine. Kalleske: We only use hogsheads. We find hogsheads suit our wines well in regards to surface area/wine ratio. Standardising on one barrel size also makes logistics such as stacking, storing, filling, washing, etc, very easy. We use Falland standard hogshead racks for all barrels. Bourne: We are moving away from barriques completely – because of the decreased value for dollar. (Volume to surface ratio) hogsheads and puncheons have benefit for both style and cost, and they offer slower maturation and more flexibility. Very large format is not on our radar. Hennessy: Our racking is designed for barriques and this dictates the barrel we buy. While large format oak is making some appearances in Marlborough, we are not likely to invest in this technique.

Your thoughts on extending barrel life in regards to shaving and refiring? Horndern: Well-maintained barrels with a proper hygiene routine will last many years, as such we do not find the need for refiring or shaving. Kalleske: We shave and fire when a barrel is about five years old and then may do another shave and fire a couple of years later. We find this works well and does extend the barrel life, providing positive

characters. We also high-pressure hot wash all barrels when emptied, ensuring they stay in good condition throughout their lifecycle. Any empty barrel is stored with sous solution to ensure it stays fresh and doesn’t dry out. Bourne: Shaving is an option after four to five years, but refiring is not a part of our barrel maturation program. However, washing and steaming is our current method of extending barrel life. All barrels at the Chateau are washed with a MOOG head barrel cleaner after which they are steamed with a BARRIClean low-pressure high-volume system cleaner. In a beautiful but old facility, with a long microbial history, wine contact surface cleanliness is of paramount importance. Hennessy: We refurbished 40 barriques

this year using the Phoenix system (shave, refire and replace with new heads). While it is a little early to say as most of the Pinots are still going through malo, the results from a recent tasting are encouraging, with the wines having evidence of new oak without overpowering the fruit.

How will you achieve savings on oak purchases – is this a requirement for you? Horndern: Costs of production are an important consideration for any business. Our oak purchasing will definitely be smaller this coming year due to surplus oak from this vintage, as well as a reduction in requirements. Kalleske: We are always looking to get value for money, but not necessarily looking to save on what we currently

Wine Tank Specialists

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August 2012 – Issue 583

spend. We save by buying in larger lots to get bulk discount. We are always aware of what’s on offer from different suppliers to ensure we are not getting ripped off. And if paying in foreign currency, we order and pay when the exchange rate is favourable. Bourne : Chateau Tanunda’s philosophy on oak purchases is to buy less but better quality oak barrels and to extend their life through attention to hygiene. As our

wines are more European in style, this holistic approach not only fits our cost of production parameters, but also our customers’ expectations of styles. Our wines are more elegant and not overtly oaked, so we match purchase and process to the desired result. Hennessy: Some of the lower-end Pinots are using tank inserts and MOX in stainless steel with reasonable success.

Summary Both the tank and oak markets vary between all the regions, but are somewhat joined because winemakers need to make positive decisions as they assess the differences between the variables. The competitive edge our industry needs to sharpen up starts with simple things like storage choices and more complex decisions on oak selection, to match the styles of the regions.

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8/9/11 9:04 PM Grapegrower & Winemaker 87

wine storage

Wine industry feels the pressure Steam pressure wine barrel cleaning technology now available in Australian market. CLAIMED AS The first of its kind, steam pressure technology for wine barrel cleaning was launched last month in Melbourne, offering substantial watersaving abilities. The current method of cleaning barrels in Australia is through an internal barrel water pressure washer system. This method uses large amounts of water and chemicals, but high temperature steam with just six per cent moisture can clean barrels using only several litres of water per hour. Steam is currently a common cleaning method within the European wine industry, particularly in Italy and France. Director of Australian cleaning equipment distributor, Duplex Cleaning Machines, Murray McDonald said steam pressure cleaning provides significant value for the wine industry because of its ability to target three key areas of barrel cleaning – quality, storage and infection control. “The vapour property of dry steam allows for the pores of the wood to open, releasing not only tartrates, but also old wine and bitter tannins that have been absorbed inside the wood,” he said. “The whole process increases the life of the wine barrel by 25 per cent because steam vapour revitalises and rehydrates the wood, as well as being safe on the char of the oak.” McDonald said that industries such as the health care sector are already aware that steam is the leading method for killing bacteria and disease.

Steam pressure technology offers wineries significant water savings.

“When heated above 100 degrees Celcius, steam penetrates and eliminates the most common bacteria found during the wine production process, Brettanomyces. “We are confident that our latest wine barrel cleaning technology is not only efficient but will increase the quality

of wine, giving wine companies a competitive edge.” Duplex Cleaning Machines is the exclusive distributor of Duplex, Tecnovap and Duplex Industrial brands in Australia and New Zealand.

...when ...when tradition tradition meets meets the t highest standard of quality... Family owned and enriched by the history and experience of three generations of coopers Saint Martin is used by the highest quality references overseas and the finest wines in Australasia. Garry King Director Australasia E gking@saintmartin.com.au M +61 (0)439 766 777 T +61 (0)8 8358 5657 F +61 (0)8 8358 5658

www.tonnelleriesaintmartin.com 88 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

sales & marketing

Co-creation and engagement key to wine club success A recently launched wine club that allows consumers to fund winemakers to produce wines and, in turn, receive discounts, could help foster brand loyalty. Kellie Arbuckle

SELLING WINE THROUGH wine clubs has become a trend for Australian wineries trying to establish relationships while maintaining cashflow. But, with most wine clubs in the retail domain controlled by the big supermarkets, it’s no wonder many wineries are now operating their own wine clubs. Using e-newsletters to promote what’s going on in the winery and the vineyard, offering special deals on back vintages and seeking feedback via the occasional follow-up call are common offerings from wineries with their own clubs. University of Adelaide senior marketing lecturer Dr Steve Goodman has been involved in setting up wine clubs – both large and small – for several years. He says there are benefits of both retail- and winery-driven wine clubs. The limitation, he says, is that they’re all starting to look the same. But an outside company from the UK that has recently launched in Australia has Goodman excited. Naked Wines is the UK’s fastest growing online wine retailer and has recently announced plans to invest $1.5 million into Australian vineyards. It’s not just any acquisition but, rather, forms the basis of a unique wine club where customers, known as ‘angels’, pay a monthly $40 fee to fund a winemaker who uses the money to produce wines they desire and sell wines to the angels at a discount of about 25-50 per cent off. Naked Wines Australia founder and managing director Luke Jecks says the money will go towards the winemakers’ processing costs. “All of the $40 goes to the winemakers – in fact, it is held in a trust account, separate to the core business, so that it can only be used on winemakers,” Jecks said. “It allows them to buy grapes, go into grape contracts, fund the entire process, not to have to finance anything and have a known home for their wines, once made.” Six Australian winemakers are August 2012 – Issue 583

currently onboard the venture. They are Sam Plunkett, Adrian Santolin, Hamish Maguire, Bryan Fletcher, Jock Harvey and Geoff Merrill. What makes Goodman excited about the concept is the idea of co-creation. “What I like about the Naked Wines thing is that it’s really involving people in the process to the point where people feel like they’re informally financing the winemaking venture,” Goodman said. “The success I have seen with wine clubs stems from the relationship between the consumer and the winemaker, rather than the marketing manager. That’s what Naked Wines is tapping into – the idea of co-creation. The idea of ‘angel investment’ will allow consumers to feel like they’re well and truly part of what they’re doing.” Jecks came up with the business model after realising there was a gap in the Australian market. “We worked hard at devising a business model that delivered value back to the customer and the winemaker. Once we started looking into it, it was pretty obvious that by stripping everything else out you could easily deliver for both,” he said. “Australia is being strangled by the dominance of Coles and Woolies – they own a total of 60 per cent of liquor sales in this country. They don’t hide that they aspire to grow their mix of ‘own label’ sales to capture more margin. This means less opportunities for winemakers and less choice for customers.” Goodman says the limitation of retailer-operated wine clubs is that they don’t offer an alternative avenue to market. “For the producer, it’s the same as supplying into Woolworths. That’s what’s exciting about Naked Wines – it actually offers an alternative route,” he said. He says the best thing about the concept is that it helps Australian producers to get started. “It’s going to mean that the person looking to make that wine doesn’t www.winebiz.com.au

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WINE CLUB University of Adelaide senior marketing lecturer Dr Steve Goodman shares his top five tips for a successful wine club: • Store details of your customers and give them a reason to engage with you and purchase your wines. This could be by promoting different varieties, early releases, museum wines or clubonly tastings. • Communicate regularly with your customers: not too often so as to be annoying, but not too rarely so as to be forgotten. Goodman recommends quarterly newsletters and monthly Facebook status updates, at a minimum. • Recognise that having a wine club and having people interested in being in the club is a willingness to engage, so you actually need to treat it as a relationship that you need to invest time and effort into. • The biggest mistake wineries make is thinking that people want to buy wine because it’s different and better than every other wine. Thinking that giving people 10 per cent off is enough is not enough. • Offer free postage and shipping from time to time.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

Taylors Wines named Australia’s best in US

Strathbogie Ranges winemaker Sam Plunkett is confident his involvement with Naked Wines Australia will allow him to make wines he desires and communicate more with his customers.

have to pay upfront for processing and facilities, and then trying to sell it two or three years down to the track to recoup it.” Strathbogie Ranges winemaker Sam Plunkett is involved in Naked Wines’ venture. What appealed to him was the opportunity to make wines with less financial risk. “For me, the fantastic support is where they take out a lot of those monster expenses. It removes risk in the business

because I don’t have to carry those big costs and it means I can make wines at a lower margin,” Plunkett said. Via the Naked Wines Australia website, Plunkett also has an opportunity to speak directly with consumers. “It’s almost like a backlash to that very impersonal buyers-own brand market that is driving the two big wine retailers in Australia, where you have no sense of who the producer is. This is the other way around, because consumers absolutely know who the winemaker is.”

Family-owned Taylors Wines has taken out the Best of Australia award at the largest and most influential US wine competition, the San Francisco International Wine Competition. This is a record-breaking fourth time the Clare Valley-based winery has won this prestigious title, having won in 2007, 2009, 2011 and now 2012. The triumph is backed up by Taylors solid medal wins at the show. The 2011 Promised Land Riesling won a Double Gold Medal and the 2010 Taylors Estate Merlot also won Gold. The winery has a great association with the competition as last year it won a Double Gold for the 2007 Taylors St Andrews Riesling and a Gold Medal for the 2009 Taylors Jaraman Shiraz. Now in its 32nd year, the San Francisco International Wine Competition is considered one of the most important and comprehensive wine competitions in the world. This year a panel of 48 wine experts from around the world gathered from June 15-17 under the stewardship of renowned American wine authority and competition founder Anthony Dias Blue. The 2012 competition was the biggest in its three-decade history, with more than 4,500 wines from 29 countries entered. To win the prestigious Best of Nation award, a winery must collect multiple individual wine awards – Taylors, took home 12 Silver and eight Bronze medals on top of its Double Gold and Gold medal hauls.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

The great export boom: lessons learnt Jeni Port columnist

With ‘2025 Vision’ the first of the Australian wine industry’s many grand visions for the future released way back in 1996, wine drinkers in this country took a serious wake-up call. Our wine world would never be the same as the industry sought to increase its global prestige and power with a plan to massively increase production and, along with it, exports. Drinkers felt the change almost immediately. Some of our favourite Aussie wines became limited in availability. And it wasn’t just the big names. The change was obvious not only on retail shelves but mailing list regulars also felt the squeeze. Customer loyalty became an outdated

concept; some wines became scarce and prices rose. ‘On allocation’ became a byword. The export surge started without a lot of warning for most drinkers. Some companies jumped feet first, exporting up to 80 per cent of their wine production overseas, leaving little for us at home. Today, of course, it’s a different story. Wine producers want consumers to drink up the slack created by the falling demand in their global markets – but drinkers aren’t rushing to help. Maybe it’s the industry’s turn for the wake-up call. The lesson here is turn your back on your home market at your peril. By rushing to capture market share offshore the producer’s attention was diverted from what should be his or her most important market. While they were looking elsewhere their competitors pounced. Enter the New Zealanders, the Italians, the French and the Spanish. By concentrating so obsessively on

export it could be argued Australian wine producers contributed to a change in the drinking habits of Australians. Imported wines now account for 12.6 per cent of total domestic wine sales in this country. It has risen quickly off a low base with growth now running at around four per cent a year. By comparison, exports of Australian wine declined 10 per cent last year. There are many lessons to be learnt from the export boom and bust. This is just one. Chris Pfeiffer, a small Rutherglenbased winemaker, headed the Victorian Wine Industry Association during the boom period, representing a state industry made up of the largest number of small producers in the nation. He suggests small producers didn’t have a lot of influence on the great export boom but it can – or should – be a different story as the industry adjusts and moves forward. ”From my perspective that’s the thing we seemed to miss when the initial (export boom) wave was growing

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sales & marketing with tremendous momentum. We (the Australian wine industry) just got caught up with satisfying what we were doing well – which was making wine at a very attractive price and still making margin – and we forgot about the fact that we had to build diversity to build our image.” Pfeiffer adds that while Wine Australia’s Regional Heroes program has helped address some of those issues, he still worries about the next potential boom, the burgeoning market for Australian wine in China. “There is no way known we (Pfeiffer Wines) can supply bulk wine at under $1 a litre which is the commodity end which is the big volume end and our brand isn’t powerful enough to attract a lot of interest at the top end,” he says. “There are a lot of people like me out there I would suggest.” Are past mistakes already being repeated in China? For Roland Wahlquist, chief executive at Brown Brothers – a medium-sized producer – the main lesson to be learnt is the value of a “sustainable” long-term philosophy. “There was too much focus on entry level wines,” he says. “There are plenty of countries now that have come into that

market, in a lot of ways they have followed the Australian winemaking formula: well branded wines, varietal labelling. “Australia spent a lot of time building that (overseas) market but it actually wasn’t a sustainable option with a vulnerable exchange rate and Australia’s competitive advantage being copied by other producers both New and Old World. “We thought that was going to be our market forever.” Premium Wine Brands (including Jacob’s Creek) is a major producer of note that appears to have travelled through the export boom and subsequent decline better than some. What were the lessons learnt? ”Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, to use an old phrase,” says Nick Blair, global communications director. “You need to prepare for the future in a sensible and sustainable fashion.” Industry forecasting, he says, became an issue especially so when the GFC and the rising value of the Australian dollar caught many in the wine industry flatfooted. “The big lesson is we need to protect Brand Australia or individual brands and be vigilant that we don’t lose sight of the power of Brand Australia which took us

to where we are today.” And there is also a plea not to forget the bread and butter wines, the commercial wines which took Australia far. Blair stresses the future is about quality and value. And the last word comes from a wine industry association that represents the state with the least number of export wine producers (around 12 in all) but one that still wishes to learn from the mistakes of the past. Tasmania is growing in plantings and with it, supply. “We do need to look at case studies and look at what has worked for different people and worked in different markets and to learn from that as we take bigger steps in terms of export,” says Sheralee Davies, chief executive for Wine Tasmania. “In terms of prioritising our markets it is unquestionably mainland Australia and then export. That’s from an association perspective our focus is on growing the mainland market followed by export. “We have to look at the realistic ability to service these markets.” Servicing markets? Maybe that is one more lesson learnt.

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August 2012 – Issue 583

Aiming for effective international communications Jeffrey Wilkinson and Rosemary Scott

To be effective, you need to be doing the right things. So what does this mean when it comes to communications in international markets? The number one priority for your i nter nat iona l com mu n icat ions strategy actually starts with business communications with your new distributor. The target is the creation of a true business partnership. Secondly, creating a shared market communications plan with your importer that is tailored to that market’s level of maturity and in line with your brand objectives. And thirdly, collaborate where appropriate to achieve synergies. Because you cannot be in the market all the time, your ideal international situation will be where your importer behaves and operates as a seamless extension of your own business. To get that outcome, simply place yourself in their position. The wine producers who add value, create solutions, minimise problems and are a pleasure to work with are the ones that the importer and their staff will be motivated to deliver effective market communications for. This means that your team takes the time to understand how the importer operates, and is consistent with those procedures. Actions speak louder than words. This sounds basic, but really is the essence of a sustainable, successful relationship. In formulating your market communications plan, there are two key elements you need to consider: • market maturity – the level of maturity of wine as part of consumer lifestyles • your brand’s objectives – level of brand maturity/penetration in the market, your aspirations in terms of volume and/ or value goals and your channel or route to market strategy. Market maturity plays a key role, as in more developed wine markets where penetration of wine drinking is high, such as the UK, focusing on brand differentiation, or reasons to buy your brand versus other brands, is key. Therefore, directly influencing and building a relationship with consumers for your brand plays an important role. In emerging markets such as China, the focus is more on growing the wine category or wine consumption. To achieve this, work with key stakeholders such as wholesalers and retail customers. Thinking about your own brand and your strategies becomes the second element. August 2012 – Issue 583

In the early stages of market development, building distribution in your desired channels is a priority. The communication strategies you adopt must focus on convincing customers to range your wine. Deciding on the best type of messages will assist your goal. Should it be wine reviews, success in other markets, awards, rate of sale, etc? Then you must decide on the correct communication platform, i.e. how the customer wants to receive the message. Consider other activities or strategies you can employ which will build your relationship with these customers or distributors by adding value, rather than just overloading them with brand messaging. For example, sharing best practice or market/consumer trends. Importers often ask for media point scores as an avenue for communication. Although useful, it is a competitive and crowded platform and cannot be relied upon year after year. It is not the only pillar of communication to use. Awards in Australia’s wine show system, promoted on bottle with medal labels, provide a highly visual and controllable message. China is a market that is showing excellent response to this communications format. Australians are good collaborators and numerous opportunities exist in international markets for collaborative communications. Wine Australia has recently changed its country program activities to a user-pays model that allows producers to choose the market activities that are most effective for them, on a per unit, per wine cost basis. In summary, build a strong relationship with your importer and minimise problems that could become barriers to progress. Understand the differing levels of market maturity and your brand objectives for that market. Select the most appropriate messages and platforms to use to achieve your objectives. Create synergies through collaboration and be consistent in those activities. International partners need to know they can rely on you. Exporting wine is a demanding business activity that brings substantial rewards for those who understand it and communicate effectively.

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www.procork.com Jeffrey Wilkinson is executive officer of WCA and Rosemary Scott is an experienced wine marketer and exporter. www.winebiz.com.au

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sales & marketing

Regional reputation is all in the bottle It’s what’s IN the bottle that counts. It’s a true enough Bottling & adage, especially when it comes to wine, but labelling you’ve got to get the bottle sold and opened first to make the impact. This is a tough ask in an already-overcrowded marketplace continuing to expand in terms of brand and origin choice. That’s where provenance and reputation come into the equation – particularly when the wine hails from an internationally renowned wineproducing region like the Barossa. The name itself can sell a wine over those from other regions, so the benefits of a wine being instantly recognisable as Barossa in origin are obvious. The question lies in how you do that. The team at Vinpac International believe they’ve got the answer in their recently released proprietary Barossa bottle. The aim was to provide a bottle that is “unique to the region, in order to establish a stronger, more visible

link between the area and its wines.” In practice, the bottle is a bold packaging concept created to make the region’s wines stand out from the crowd. The second chapter of Vinpac’s foray into proprietary packaging, the Barossa bottle follows on from the Eden Valley bottle released in 2011. While that was conservative in design – a standard Riesling bottle with ‘Eden Valley’ embossed around the shoulder – the new bottle is comparatively radical. In essence a premium Claret bottle, visually the bottle differs greatly from the norm: the word ‘Barossa’ features in prominent debossed bold text along the side of the bottle – and it’s unarguably eye-catching.

The purpose Vinpac Packaging national sales manager Lisa Ashby says it’s about recognising both the region and the Barossa’s reputation as a marketing tool. “Rather than making your brand the hero, this is about making the Barossa the hero,” Ashby said. “That message will hold producers

in good stead both nationally and internationally, given that it’s such a highly esteemed region.” “The aim is to help increase regional brand awareness among both industry members and consumers, to further build the brand of the Barossa. It’s a proprietary bottle that clearly stamps itself as Barossan, and will provide a strong brand presence which reflects the style, heritage, tradition and history of the region. “The standout bottle design will also help consumers to readily identify exactly what they’re looking for on a crowded supermarket shelf.” Ashby said the proprietary bottle will also be used to differentiate wines of particular quality. “Barossa winemakers have long been regarded as some of the best in the country, so this bottle first says ‘Barossa’ and then says ‘premium’,” she said. “We envisage it will predominantly be used for higher-end wines, as obviously there’s a cost factor involved. That’s an added bonus for producers, as people will

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August 2012 – Issue 583

immediately identify the wine as higher quality as well as from one of Australia’s premier wine regions.”

The design While the final bottle design may appear relatively simple, the creative process took well over a year. It combined input from a wide variety of stakeholders, with ongoing consideration as the design evolved. “You can’t just get a group of people together and get them to decide on a design, as it is quite a qualitative process. Especially as this design is quite bold,” Ashby said. “We had a number of concepts put forward, which we narrowed down to two or three. We then put those to key players to get their feedback, and this was the final result.” From a practical point of view the bottle is both regular and challenging – but positively so, Ashby says. “The height and width is consistent with the standard industry bottle, so packaging can remain unchanged using existing cartons and dividers,” she said.

August 2012 – Issue 583

Chateau Tanunda

“Most producers are having to design specific labels, however, as the debossing means standard labels won’t work. “The up-side of that is the opportunity to be creative with labelling. There are a number of options and they all work really well: you can run a label to the de-bossing feature, a strip label underneath or run a large label alongside. “We’ve also put a lug in the bottle to facilitate the various options, which is used by the labelling machine to orientate the label to the debossing feature.”

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The launch The Barossa bottle was officially launched at Chateau Tanunda on 27 July, highlighting the winery’s new Grenache Shiraz Mataro medley blend. Chateau general manager Matthew McCulloch said the wine was a natural choice for the bottle’s inaugural use. “There are two archetypal Barossa wines, Shiraz and the GSM blend, so it’s linking the launch of the bottle with the heritage of both the Barossa and the Chateau,” he said.

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sales & marketing “The decision to use the bottle was also an easy one. Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers have been embossing their bottles since 1939 and they are now among of the most easily recognisable wines in the world. We’d love Barossa wines to have that same recognition.” McCulloch said an embossed bottle adds to a brand in a number of ways. “It represents authenticity, heritage, provenance and tradition,” he said. “An embossed bottle also implies quality, adding value and elevating the consumer’s perception of a wine. And as part of a larger trend toward product differentiation in a crowded marketplace, it allows producers to project a distinctive image. “There are very few regionally branded wine bottles in the New World and we at Château Tanunda are proud to be associated with a proactive partner in Vinpac who are striving to add value for their customers in a tough global market. “The combination of proprietary bottles with the quality of our wines has helped us to secure new listings for

future vintages, by offering a genuine point of difference with packaging that possesses real shelf or table presence.” Ashby says the success of the Barossa bottle will obviously be proven by its uptake, but there is already strong interest in the development of proprietary bottles for other regions. “Pre-production we had three producers committed to the Barossa bottle, and another 20 have expressed interest,” she said. “We’ve also talked to McLaren Vale and Tasmanian producers about regional designs, and there’s interest from Victoria as well.” “It’s a tricky market at the moment, so new product development is more difficult and getting people onboard is a big ask. But when times get tough you need to be innovative and dynamic. We believe that, in today’s increasingly competitive international market, these proprietary bottles are just that.” For more information, contact Lisa Ashby on 08 8561 0600 or go to: www.vinpac.com.au

Chateau Tanunda general manager Matthew McCulloch said using the Barossa bottle for the new Chateau Tanunda GSM blend links the launch of the bottle with the heritage of both the Barossa and the Chateau.

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Tel: +61 2 9698 1355 www.irwinandsheehan.com.au 96 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

label design

HeineJones is an award-winning consultancy specialising in brand identity, wine, beer and spirits label and packaging design, as well as environmental graphic design. The Melbourne-based company travelled to New York in June for the 2012 SEDG Global Design Awards, where they picked up a Merit award for a project for Maribyrnong City Council and Melbourne Water. HeineJones has delivered major brand identity and packaging solutions for many of Australia and New Zealand’s best-known wine brands, as well as for large corporations such as Freedom Furniture and Ausgrid. Answers are from Mike Heine, who leads the HeineJones wine, beer and spirits brand and packaging design team. Tar & Roses is a wine range by Narelle King and Don Lewis, in central Victoria. What was the inspiration or key branding message behind this particular label?

The Tar & Roses brand is made by Narelle King and Don Lewis, both extremely talented and experienced

August 2012 – Issue 583

Labels compare tar with roses in personal wine package winemakers in their own right. Don brings a wealth of experience to the wine and Narelle brings a quiet and youthful energy. They are quiet and modest people, who are focused on making great wine. At the end of the day, it was the winemakers who were the inspiration for this label design – their quiet confidence, and delightful mix of experience and youth, the contrast between one and the other formed the basis for not only the product name, but also the design approach. The wine package is, quite deliberately, designed to reflect that contrast. While the design is comfortable, polite and composed, it is, at the same time, slightly at odds with itself with its unexpected presentation and quirkiness. The front label looks traditional enough that you might expect the back label would say a lot about the winemakers and the wine, yet it does none of that – no tasting notes, no long-winded spiel about the winemakers – just the legal requirements, a carefully crafted photograph of Don and Narelle and the most matter-of-fact of captions. There is a general tradition, symmetry and classicism to the front label, which is opposed by an asymmetrical top-to-thefront label ‘shield’ and the brand name key words, which are unexpectedly and unusually broken across two lines for each word (making the viewer consider them with more than usual care and attention). The front label presents a contrast between the formal and masculine expression of the word TAR and the feminine and decorative expression of the word ROSES, along with the ampersand and decorative flourishes which connect the two key brand name words. The back label design is also in contrast to the front – it is unexpected and, aside from the small expression of the Tar & Roses brand mark in silver foil, could at first impression almost be a back label from another wine package altogether. Don and Narelle craft their wines both in Australia and in Spain, and there are varieties from both of those countries in the Tar & Roses range. Each is presented with a different photograph

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of the winemakers on the back label – in the vineyard or region from which the fruit for that variety was sourced – whether it is in Australia or in Spain. So, collectively, the label range is a little documentary of the winemakers travelling lifestyles. What technical specs were used in the production of the label, i.e., printing technique, processes and colours?

Although deceptively simple, the labels employ quite a complex print specification, including a textured base stock, two spot colours, four colour process, silver foil, high build UV screen and matt and gloss varnish. The print specification was developed collaboratively with the proposed printer. What are the most important labelling concepts to impact on wine sales and marketing success?

The HeineJones design approach is to create and inspire confidence in the consumer, present a point of difference, tell an evocative story of the brand and wine, and to create an impression that reflects the product itself. It’s all about engaging the potential buyer (or recipient of the wine) in a meaningful and intelligent way, and in a way that creates an emotional and functional connection with the brand. Our label design solutions focus on two steps in the buying process, the first step being to create a design that invites a closer inspection so the product ends up in the consumer's hands. Then, to design in a way that encourages interaction and engagement with the package with the aim of securing the product's purchase. While creating a beautiful package is important to us, the focus is on the communication – which needs to be just right. The Tar & Roses design is the epitome of this approach, because it does all of these things, and does them well, without the assistance of any support text on the back label – the consumer can build an impression of, and connection to, the winemakers, brand and the wine only through the design elements of the package and nothing else.

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sales & marketing

Covering the full spectrum in packaging Patrick of Coonawarra is a smaller boutique wine company who set out to review and improve their packaging and on-shelf image, to better reflect the quality of their wine products. Sales manager Matt Stephenson said the winery’s packaging journey was very successful – and the results have been outstanding in packaging, sales increases and brand awareness. “To be honest our packaging was very basic and not in keeping with our premium wine producer image, so we commissioned Spectrum Packaging to assist and improve our packaging with a view to making our carton packaging match the quality of our premium wines. “The visual results speaks for itself, but the increase in awareness and subsequent sales has been extraordinary,” Stephenson said. “The elegant single bottle gift pack was also created and developed by Spectrum Packaging for our iconic award winning wine – The Grande Reserve – Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The

gift pack has exceeded our expectations and has visually put our iconic wine onto the top shelf, where it belongs,” he said. “The gift pack cylinder is textured and the Grande Reserve bottle inside is wrapped with Patrick of Coonawarra tissue paper, another element of quality and prestige that matches our wine.” In a marketplace full of products fighting for the consumers' purchasing dollar, it is the packaging and presentation that can cut through the maze of products and make the purchasing difference. Spectrum Packaging sales and marketing manager Grant Kentish said the major focus for the business was in providing creative packaging solutions. “Packaging quality is all in the detail – literally and aesthetically,” Kentish said. “If you’re going start with a clean sheet, it starts with the bottle, at the boutique or super premium or the mainstream or middle position, the same process applies, we’ve got to start with the bottle or selected bottles and make it

fit,” he said. “Our specialty is the design engineering, how the packaging is shaped, how it opens, how it closes. “In some cases smaller boutique companies who don’t have the volume of production they need to fit two or three profiles of bottles, so they split it over their red and white wine and then they do have the volume to produce, in various heights of bottles and various dimensions.” Kentish said the situation where people came to Spectrum most is where they have a project on or they are looking for point of sale material. “We often get asked to review current packaging with a view to improving it or present something innovative and new,” he said, noting that it was very gratifying to see the results of the consultation and design and package engineering work after several months. “When you see it on the shelf it’s extremely satisfying, especially when the customer achieves their goals such

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August 2012 – Issue 583

as increased sales or product awareness. “Standing out in a crowded marketplace means creating a point of difference in packaging – it may be a different way of opening the box or a viewing panel,” he said. “To make an impact it doesn’t have to be much different – just a little different. “There are a few that want something special – they may be seeking anniversary packaging to celebrate 100 years for example and they want it to look a certain way. Our high-end packaging can achieve that. “Our industry experience and knowledge is crucial when we set out to design and engineer and then put the graphics into place. “We have a very strong marketing focus so when we sit with the customer to understand what they are trying to do in a marketing aspect – we are part of that project, not just a supplier. “Attention to detail is another element that we believe we are very conscious of and competent in. “From our perspective, it’s definitely the packaging that will get the first purchase – after that it’s up to the quality of the wine.”

HUNTER BOTTLING COMPANY PTY LTD

Principles of Wine Marketing

The Hunter’s leading wine packaging experts! Wine & Olive Oil Bottling & Packaging

By Steve Goodman

to New i t tles Wine 2 1 in 20

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Steve Goodman captures over a decade of experience as a wine marketer (consulting and research) to discuss the principles of marketing for the wine business.

Professional Lab Services Torque on accredited machinery including LUX, WAK, NOVATWIST and 187ml SINGLZ Our aim is to provide our customers with exceptional bottling and packaging services and to ensure that extreme care is taken with your product whilst in our care. We invite you to inspect our bottling facility and welcome any questions you may have.

Designed to generate the reader’s ability to use marketing thinking to apply to their wine business Covers a wide range of marketing principles specific for the wine industry, from marketing strategy, research, segmentation and targeting, consumer behavior, building brands, price, distribution and promotion. An extremely useful handbook for anyone involved in the sale of wine, including students, business owners, retailers and marketers. Visit our bookstore at www.winebiz.com.au for further details or to order your copy today. Email: orders@winetitles.com.au Ph: +61 8 8369 9500 August 2012 – Issue 583

For all enquiries please call (02) 4998 7966 or email us at admin@hunterbottling.com.au

RA 861 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320 PO Box 246 Cessnock, NSW 2325

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sales & marketing

From bud to bottle Located in Orange, New South Wales, Cumulus Estate Wines maintains a unique approach to both winemaking and bottling, with strong dedication to environmental sustainability from the vineyard right through to the bottling process. In 2011, the company installed a new custom-designed, state-of-the-art bottling line at its winery site, with the capacity to fill and package eight million bottles a year. This new bottling line forms part of Cumulus Estate Wines winemaking and supply chain solution, a service that begins in the vineyards. Commitment to sustainability Cumulus Estate Wines’ approach to sustainability includes a variety of factors. For the company’s estate-grown grapes, pressings are composted back into the soil, along with local wheat stubble and cow manure. Native grasses are grown between the rows to assist with soil structure, while 100 per cent drip irrigation is delivered to the vines using 0.7 megalitres of water per hectare each year. Minimal herbicides and fungicides are also used, and Cumulus Estate Wines is continually seeking and testing new ranges of biodynamic techniques.

require a one-off bottling run or a full dry goods supply, fill and pack, or warehouse and distribution service to the major liquor retailers and wholesalers,’’ he said. “The service also offers grape supply from the company’s premium cool climate estate vineyard as well as first-class winemaking. As part of this offering, the company supplies eight million litres of temperature-controlled stainless steel bulk wine storage, ranging in sizes between 2KL through to 155KL. There is a fully equipped in-house quality control laboratory and a bottling line with various bottling size and packaging configurations catered for.” Cumulus Estate Wines also provides experienced staff, warehouse and storage facilities and winery management systems to manage all aspects of the operation.

Contract winemaking

The bottling line

According to James Karbowiak, production and logistics manager, wine companies who utilise Cumulus Estate Wines’ contract supply chain services will appreciate the benefits on offer. “We can offer a tailor-made solution for all supply chain issues, whether they

Cumulus Estate Wines still wine bottling line has a bottling speed of 4500 bottles per hour, with a fully automated system that accepts full size glass pallets. It can perform a host of different tasks including: • rinsing of all bottles using inversion

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and nitrogen blow • low vacuum filling • performing a nitrogen flush before screw capping • self-adhesive labels, including medal application • date coding • cartoning, neck tag application and glue sealing • palletisation or containerisation for export.

Packaging As part of its commitment to sustainability Cumulus Estate Wines was one of the early adopters of the O-I Lean & Green bottles. These bottles are significantly lighter in weight while retaining approximately the same dimensions as the standard premium claret bottle. “We are enormously optimistic about the future of the wine industry,” Karbowiak said. “By offering our expertise to the wider winemaking community and remaining dedicated to environmental sustainability, we will continue to lead the way in the preservation of Australia’s natural resources – all the way from bud to bottle.”

tel +64 (0) 6 879 6074 fax +64 (0) 6 879 6974 mob +64 (0) 274 200 002 email info@awiclosures.co.nz WineWorks Complex 7 James Rochfort Place, RD 5 Hastings 4175, New Zealand

fine corks, hand-selected by Alberico Miranda for the Artisan Winemaker

100 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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www.awiclosures.co.nz August 2012 – Issue 583

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business & technology

Quality wines expected from 2012 crush Peter Bailey

THE 2012 AUSTRALIAN winegrape crush is complete and three recently released reports provide valuable insights into the seasonal conditions, the size of the crush and the prices paid for winegrapes. Wine Australia’s 2012 Vintage In Review provides a summary of the 2012 vintage from 49 of Australia’s wine regions. The review highlights the prevailing vintage conditions, as well as quality indications for key varieties in each region. Overall, seasonal conditions

were generally favourable and ripening conditions were ideal. While there were some localised losses due to rain events in some regions in the eastern states, the consensus is that the quality of the wine produced in 2012 will be high. Examples of regional comments include “excellent to exceptional”, “truly special”, “outstanding” and “one of the strongest on record”. The expectations are that 2012 will recognised as a standout vintage for most regions and varieties. The Winemakers’ Federation of

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

Figure 1. Australian winegrape crush (‘000 tonnes). Source: ABS, WFA Vintage Report for 2012.

1000

Average purchase price ($ per tonne)

900

800

700

600

500

400

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Figure 2. Winegrape average purchase prices over time. Source: Australian Regional Winegrape Crush Survey, Australian Winegrape Purchases Price Dispersion Report.

102 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Australia’s 2012 Vintage Report estimates the national crush at 1.66 million tonnes, up 4 per cent on the 2011 crush of 1.6 million tonnes (see Figure 1). The higher crush comes despite many regions, particularly the cooler climates regions, reporting lower yields. This, along with heavy rains and some flooding in the eastern states, put a cap on what could have been a much larger crush than the disease-affected 2011 vintage. The red crush was estimated to be up 7% (or 56,000 tonnes) to 836,000 tonnes, while the white crush was up marginally (2,000 tonnes) to 825,000 tonnes. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir accounted for just over 90% of the red crush. Shiraz was the number one red and number one overall variety. Furthermore, it recorded by far the biggest increase in tonnes, up 54,000 tonnes to 380,000 tonnes. Cabernet Sauvignon declined by 10,000 tonnes to 221,000 tonnes, Merlot increased by 17,000 tonnes to 127,000 tonnes, while Pinot Noir declined by 2000 tonnes to 33,000 tonnes. Of the less prominent red varieties, Petit Verdot was the big mover, up 2000 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes. For the whites, Chardonnay still dominates at 45% of the white crush, well ahead of Sauvignon Blanc at 11% and Semillon at 10%. The Chardonnay crush fell by 24,000 tonnes to 370,000 tonnes, while Sauvignon Blanc was stable at 87,000 tonnes and Semillon declined by 2000 tonnes to 80,000 tonnes. Of the other reported whites, Pinot Grigio/Gris was the biggest mover, up 16,000 tonnes to 57,000 tonnes, along with Muscat Gordo Blanco, up 15,000 tonnes to 62,000 tonnes. This reflects significant growth in sales in the Australian domestic market for both Pinot Grigio/Gris and Moscato. Wine Australia’s 2012 Winegrape Purchases Price Dispersion Report presents tonnages purchased in 2012, as they are distributed across the price spectrum. The data has been collected from a relatively small sample of major winegrape purchasers and others that are significant in key regions but covers an estimated 80% of winegrape purchases. Over 34,000 separate transactions were collected and form the basis of the report. The reporting provides price dispersion read-outs and average purchase prices for varieties-by-region. The winegrapes purchases collected in the 2012 survey totalled 1,033,561 tonnes valued at $472 million, equating to an August 2012 – Issue 583

35 2012 2011 2010 2009

% share of Total Tonnes

25 20 15 10

1950-

2000+

1900-

1850-

1800-

1750-

1700-

1650-

1660-

1550-

1500-

1450-

1400-

1350-

1300-

1250-

1200-

1150-

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1050-

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-5

1000-

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650-

600-

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Figure 4. National winegrape purchases price dispersion: 2011, 2010 and 2009. Source: Australian Winegrape Purchases Price Dispersion Report.

average purchase price of $457 per tonne, up 11% on the average of $413 per tonne in 2011. However, the average purchase price was the second lowest recorded since 1998-99 (see Figure 2). A summary of the price outcomes for 2012 by key variety are illustrated in Figure 3. Of the varieties shown in the table, price increases were recorded by Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Colombard, Muscat Gordo Blanco and Grenache. Riesling maintained its price, while Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris all recorded price declines. Figure 4 shows the dispersion of the tonnages across the price spectrum for the total collection in 2012, compared with the 2011, 2010 and 2009 collections. A downward shift in prices paid, particularly at the low end of the price spectrum is observed, particularly in comparison to 2009. There was only a marginal improvement in 2012, with 79% of winegrapes sold below $500 per tonne compared with 80% in 2011, 73% in 2010 and 68% in 2009. The report also enables an assessment of the tonnages of winegrapes sold at below the cost of production. While no definitive cost of production figures are available, some reasonable assumptions can be made based on the current 2012

2011

Change

571

498

15%

configurations, ownership and scale of vineyards across Australia – they do not necessarily reflect the best practice or the most efficient operations. The analysis suggests that a substantial proportion was sold at below the cost of production, despite the increase in prices paid. The information discussed in this article is just a summary of what is available in the full reports. To access the full reports, please visit www.wineaustralia.com/winefacts

Discover the secret to simplifying your spray diary records..

Red Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache

566

482

18%

Merlot

460

402

14%

Pinot Noir

740

773

-4%

Shiraz

556

487

14%

Total red

546

484

13%

White Grapes Chardonnay

351

313

12%

Colombard

222

196

13%

Muscat Gordo Blanco

407

351

16%

Pinot Gris

499

557

-10%

Riesling

596

Sauvignon Blanc

481

527

-9%

Semillon

347

359

-3%

Total white

379

356

This is a genuine way to SAVE you time and money! ✓ Want fully compliant spray reports in all major winery formats? ✓ Have access to your data from anywhere in the world with cloud technology. ✓ Create spray instructions for your employees. ✓ Record fertiliser applications (folia, dry, and fertigation) ✓ Run inventory on a per shed basis. ✓ Track labour, machinery & chemical costs down to block and variety. ✓ Enter your spray diary on the run from any mobile device including iPad & smart phones. ✓ Upload directly into GrapeLink or email your reports to any winery. We know you’re busy and time is important to you! That’s why we’ve created the such a powerful tool to help you simplify your operation and give you back total control of your business.

Figure 3. National winegrape average purchase prices by variety ($ per tonne). Source: Australian Winegrape Purchases Price Dispersion Report. August 2012 – Issue 583

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GrowData Developments Ph: 03 58311711 www.spraydiary.com Grapegrower & Winemaker

103

business & technology

Bulk wines overtake bottled exports Danielle Costley

A STRONG Australian dollar and an increasing number of buyersown wine brands has Bulk wine resulted in bulk wine exports surpassing bottled wine exports, reflecting a fundamental shift in the way many exporters are now shipping wine to key markets. Recent years have seen the Australian bulk wine export market increase significantly, indicating that a proven track record in Australia counts for little in this ever-changing global wine world. In 2008, bulk wine represented 25 per cent of all wine exported from Australia, while now it stands at a massive 55 per cent. The UK remains the number one destination for Australian bulk wine, with the US, Germany, China, Canada and Denmark not far behind. A recent Wine Australia report shows the decline in bottled shipments has mainly been at the lowest price segments. This is a result of an increasing number of producers who are choosing to send lower-priced wine in bulk to bottle in-market, rather than in Australia for a combination of reasons, including economic, environmental and scale rationale. “While the volumes are not dramatically different to previous years, the biggest transformation in Australian wine exports has been in the shift from shipping wine in bottles to bulk containers,” the report states. Key drivers of this trend are Australia’s ongoing strong dollar and the popularity

104 Grapegrower & Winemaker

of buyers-own brands, particularly in the UK. To capitalise on this burgeoning market, many existing producers from the UK and US have started creating their own Australian brands through purchases of Australian bulk wine. In response, bulk wine export requirements and procedures have been substantially upgraded to reduce the risk of uncontrolled handling, storage and bottling practices carried out by overseas bottlers. This includes practices such as bulk wine consignees being approved by Wine Australia prior to export, as well as audits being undertaken during the loading and despatch process to ensure exporters have the required records and retention samples. Austwine’s Jim Moularadellis is not surprised by the shift from bottled to bulk wine exports. “Shipping wine in bulk can potentially halve shipping costs. A standard 20-foot shipping container of bulk wine contains 24,000 litres, which is enough wine for 32,000 bottles. Whereas, a container of packaged wine contains about 1150 dozen, or less than 14,000 bottles,” Moularadellis said. “For wine-producing nations such as Australia, which is currently experiencing very high exchange rates, bottling in the destination market rather than the point of production provides a natural hedge against soaring exchange rates and delivers improved competitiveness.” Producers are also looking to bulk wine exports as a means of reducing their carbon footprint.

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“Bulk exports are proven to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by not transporting bottles, capsules, cartons and labels from production regions to overseas markets,” adds Moularadellis. “Brand owners are aware of marketplace expectations about reducing carbon dioxide emissions and are keen to display their environmental credentials to consumers. Shipping in bulk affords them worthwhile bragging rights about corporate environmental responsibility.” When it comes to exporting bulk wine, there are a few options for wineries to consider – bottles, flexitanks or isotanks. The composition and features of flexitanks varies between suppliers, with most combining the supply of the flexitank with a freight forwarding service. Some flexitanks, such as VinBulk, are made from 100 per cent recyclable materials and have a barrier incorporated in the material that prevents oxygen migration and taint pick-up during transit. These food-grade flexitanks range in size from 10,000 litres through to 24,000 litres and will transform a standard 20-foot container into a bulk liquid transportation system. “A recent advance in the flexitank material that is used to transport wine in bulk has significantly reduced the potential for quality degradation during shipment. The new materials that are now available significantly reduce the pickup of oxygen and taints during transit. This has led, respectively, to avoiding premature ageing and avoiding quality degradation of wines during shipment,” Moularadellis said. In contrast, an isotank is a tank container that provides a safer and more reliable, yet more costly alternative to a flexitank. It can vary in size from 24,000 to 26,000 litres and can be reused. However, due to road weight restrictions, larger capacity isotanks (25,000 and 26,000 litres) may not be allowed to travel on some Australian roads. According to JF Hillebrand Australia’s Glen Brown, the flexitank represents the most cost-effective and safest way to get the wine to market. “Currently, around 90 per cent of Australia’s bulk wines are exported in flexitanks. Economically and environmentally, shipping wine in bulk delivers proven advantages,” Brown said. “Over the years, numerous temperature trials have been undertaken in conjunction with wineries and August 2012 – Issue 583

independent consultants. These trials have shown that when shipping wine in bulk, heat fluctuation has little impact on the temperature of the wine inside the flexitank. In fact, bulk shipping actually reduces the heat risk due to the mass of liquid that is being shipped. “Our customers can now load 24,000 litres of wine into a 20-foot flexitank container that would normally contain approximately 9000 litres of bottled wine.” When choosing the best way to export bulk wine overseas, Brown recommends wineries consider the ultimate protection of the wine, so that it arrives at the

destination in the same condition as it was loaded. “Traditionally, the transportation of wine in bulk represented just a fraction of the total volume of wine movements around the globe; now the popularity of bulk transport is growing,” Brown includes. “The main reason for this growth in the last five years is due to the massive cost savings involved in shipping in bulk. You get 24,000 litres bulk versus 9000 litres bottled per 20-foot container, so on transport alone there is a massive saving.” This emerging trend has significant implications for the Australian wine

industry. While bulk wine export requirements have vastly improved, more needs to be done to ensure our excellent wine reputation is maintained. This could be in the form of a new generation of contracts being developed for the business of bulk wine exports, or purchasers of bulk wine locking into formal contract arrangements. Regardless of how this industry evolves, managing wine quality and the risk of spoilage will become critical factors in maintaining bulk wine sales and ensuring Australia’s competitiveness in the global wine market.

Risk management plans are vital for contract winemakers The increase in small to large processing facilities has created an increasing number of insurance issues relating to contract winemaking. These are largely centred around contracts or agreements. A contract is an agreement (preferably written) entered into by two or more parties with the intention of creating a legal obligation. Winemaking contracts will specify responsibilities of the grower and the winemaker for production of wine. From an insurance point of view, the most important aspect of the contract is that it specifies and details who is responsible for the wine whilst at the processing facility, the storage of wine, the quality of equipment used during and after the production process. There are now a higher number of instances where damage has occurred during wine process or production where both parties have assumed the other has the stock or other items insured. For a legal point of view, unless

August 2012 – Issue 583

otherwise specified via contractual agreement, there is a bailee/bailor relationship between the grapegrower and the winemaker, where the winemaker is responsible for the safekeeping of the goods while in their possession. Of course, relying on this is problematic, as the law is always subject to legal arguments and challenges which are costly and time consuming. The easiest way to handle this situation is for both parties to know where they stand – whether this is a formal contract winemaking agreement or written correspondence. We have also seen a number of instances where contract winemakers are relying on public liability (PL) policies to cover them in the event of damage to client wine – after all, PL covers damage or injury to third-party persons or property. It’s important to note that public liability relies on negligence in order to cover damage – if there is no negligence for an event outside your control (storm/ bushfire, etc), there is no cover. Secondly,

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most liability policies have an exclusion removing cover caused by or resulting from faulty workmanship and exclusion for failure of professional services. This brings us to issue of professional indemnity (PI). We are very concerned when we see a PI policy where the insured occupation is listed as winemaking consultant (consultants provide advice, not handson production services) and even such vague occupations as ‘consultantancy services of chemical mixing techniques’. One very important rule of insurance and risk reduction is that vague definitions and concepts in an insurance cover open up the possibility of the insurer declining the intended or expected cover. We advise that you consult with an insurance professional that understands your occupation and industry to avoid any costly risks. For more information, contact Longfellows Insurance Brokers at info@longfellows.com.au or 03 9428 5444.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

105

business & technology

Bulk asserts its place as most dynamic wine segment THE WORLD BULK Wine Exhibition (WBWE) is a strictly professional, business-oriented fair, attended by more than 700 buyers and 3000 visitors from over 40 countries, whose total purchasing power exceeds 25 million hectolitres and which includes giants like Castel Frères, Les Grand Chais de France and COFCO, as well as supermarket chains like Tesco, Jimro and Unidie. The largest global event for bulk wine professionals will celebrate its fourth edition on 19 and 20 November 2012 and, just like the earlier events, will be held in the prestigious RAI Elicium, in Amsterdam. The next expo will focus mainly on the exhaustive work of breaking into new markets such as China, India, Russia and other emerging markets, in addition to all the European countries, and also on the commitment to significantly increase the diversity and quality of wines showcased at the expo. The World Bulk Wine Exhibition is the brainchild of a group of Spanish business people who, with the backing of a bank, came together to pursue their goal of maintaining the world’s area under vines as a means of supporting a substantial rural population. In line with this philosophy, a unique event was created, where the world’s major wine buyers would be able to experience the extensive variety and quality of bulk

Table 1. Bulk wine export data 2010 – 2012 Volume (Million Hectolitres)

Value (Million Euros)

Price (Euros)

Country 2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

Argentina

051

104

+103

+86

-8

France

257

265

+33

245

2635

+74

+22

114

129

+125

744

825

+11

330

391

+18

New Zealand

+27

745

160

178

South Africa

206

200

1505

162

Spain

874

1232

+41

290

430

+48

Germany Italy

wines on offer today. The main WBWE organiser is Pomona Keepers, S.L., a company with partners from a variety of countries, all linked by a common interest in marketing wine across the globe. The event is aimed principally at wineries and bulk wine market businesses looking to break into new export markets, at the main bulk wine buyers worldwide, and at wine brokers, dealers and business agents. The WBWE fills a historical gap in what is one of the broadest and most dynamic segments in the world wine sector, but which lacks transparency and opportunities for most suppliers and for many purchasers. In the wake of three highly successful events that showcased around 100

exhibitors, 2011 saw the WBWE successfully position itself as the major bulk wine event in the world and a key business platform for bulk wine purchasers and producers; all this in a year during which commercial exchanges of this type of wine increased considerably and prices picked up, in contrast to 2009, which had been dominated by financial crisis and pessimism. The world’s largest gathering for bulk wine professionals brought its third edition to a close in November 2011, having accomplished its aim of consolidation and internationalisation. One hundred wineries from 12 countries used the two-day meeting to close some of the most important deals of their season. More at www.worldbulkwine.com.

jobs .com.au

Incorporating mywinejob.com.au

106 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2012 – Issue 583

products & services

Innovative approach ensures success for McLaren Vale based wine company Fuse Wine Services, from scenic McLaren Vale, offers the wine industry a full range of commercial and winemaking services. General manager Geoff Thompson said that while the company is very well known in the bulk wine sector, it saw opportunities across the entire spectrum of wine business service provision. “We’re a forward thinking service provider offering expertise in all aspects of wine business and production; everything from viticultural consulting to contract winemaking, bulk wine sourcing and selling, label design, packaging through to distribution,” Thompson said. “We provide the ability for a wine business to tap into that process at whatever stage suits them. They can come to us purely for winemaking or for bulk wine sourcing or distribution.” Fuse Wine Services has the ability to source and sell wine through its

August 2012 – Issue 583

strong relationships in all key regions throughout Australia. “As well as South Australia, we have established relationships with Western Australian, New South Wales and Victorian producers.” “The market dynamics today are very interesting – 2011 saw challenges with quality and 2012 was a lighter vintage in some key regions – but we see a bright future for bulk wine in Australia with increasing demand from the industry for our broad range of services.” “We specialise in turn-key style relationships. We have a strong existing client base and we are one of the most frequent bulk wine purchasers in the market. Sourcing or making a client’s wine and facilitating it through to package and market is our strength – if a wine business has a need, we’re the relevant and sustainable partner to fulfil it.” For more information call Geoff Thompson on 0438 897 738.

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The Fuse Wine Services team, from left are general manager Geoff Thompson, graphic designer Chloe Fitzgerald, winemaker Jess Hardy and commercial manager Matt Brown.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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business & technology

Facing up to possibility of total recall is recommended Is your winery ready for a product recall? A majority of times, a recall incident happens as part of someone else’s error, Export & insurance but they can affect your business severely. I m a g i ne t h at you receive a call to inform you of a contamination issue recently discovered at the bottling plant your winery uses. They can’t be certain of when this issue commenced and you’ve had your entire season's output bottled there and distributed around the country (or the world) for sale. When a winery is faced with this type of scenario, the business is susceptible to an interruption in flow of product to its consumers and, in addition, the reputation of the brand could be at risk.

Types of recall claims When contamination-related recalls occur, the company’s general liability policy should protect the business against the cost of law suits resulting from that contamination, but that policy will not typically cover the expenses that can be a significant proportion of a product recall loss. Some of the other expenses that would require a separate product recall policy to be covered are: • communication expenses • transportation • warehousing • overtime and other expenses for employees • product disposal • fines payable to government agencies • costs to replace the recalled product (if you can). Direct costs such as these may be large,

however the greatest costs often come in the form of lost future profits and the additional expenses incurred to minimise losses. Then you have to rebuild the winery image and the profile of individual wines. For large and small businesses these costs can quickly escalate to an unaffordable level. To recover some of these costs it is important to take ‘business interruption’ cover as an extension on your product recall policy.

Understanding your coverage In dealing with product recall claims you will most likely have to identify coverage in several different policies, such a your liability policy, your property policy and your product recall policy, if you have one. Directors and officers liability (management liability) policies may also come into play, depending on what sort of claim is made against your business.

2012 Edition OUT NOW

Complete Wine Industry Directory NOW ONLINE

Access via www.winebiz.com.au

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO THE WINE INDUSTRY

108 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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To order your copy: Phone: +618 8369 9500 Email: orders@winetitles.com.au Visit: www.winebiz.com.au

August 2012 – Issue 583

After the recall When a product recall situation strikes, it is important to know the steps to take to file a successful and effective claim. The most critical step is to clearly and properly document all losses associated with the event. A thorough claim will contain documentation for all of the following costs: • investigation costs – outside consultants, testing and information gathering • loss of sales – the loss of physical sales as well as the ongoing downturn in profit attributable to brand damage • inventory losses – stock that needed to be destroyed • removal, transport and storage costs – expensed involved in taking the defective stock back and disposing of it • repair or replacement costs – If you were able to source similar quality stock (highly unlikely) you could get the replacement product back out to market • legal and professional fees – may include defence costs for lawsuits filed against your

company for damage caused by the defective product • public relations costs – special promotions, incentives and advertising designed to win back your previous customers and return sales to normal levels.

Conclusion Defining what risks your business faces will help you to prepare a product recall recovery plan that makes intelligent use of the many types of insurance coverage now available. Being proactive and being able to quickly answer your customer’s questions about your product’s integrity is also great assurance to the marketplace that you are on top of the issues. The choices you make now may save your business from a very hard landing if it ever faces a total recall.

Contribution acknowledgement Daniel T Young, Ernst & Young. For more information contact: Steve McInerney (QPIB, Dip FS (Brok), MGA Insurance Brokers 08 8841 4200.

Wine journal appoints new editor The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology has announced Dr Terry Lee AO as the new editor of the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. Dr Lee is a Patron of the Australian wine industry and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to the industry in 2007. He is also a member of Grapegrower & Winemaker’s editorial panel. ASVO president Paul Petrie welcomed Lee’s appointment to the Journal. “In this editorial role his extensive experience in research and senior scientific management positions in the wine industry will help to further lift the profile and impact of the Journal,” Petrie said. In 2004, Lee retired from the position of vice president and chief scientific officer at the E. & J. Gallo Winery, the largest familyowned wine company in the world. Prior to this position he was managing director at the Australian Wine Research Institute for 14 years. The Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research provides a forum for the exchange of information on new and significant research in viticulture and oenology.

PRODUCT RECALL - WINE **INSERT YOUR WINERY’S NAME HERE**

Product: Shiraz: Cabernet: Recall reason:

Bottled wine. Bottled between 10 Mar and 6 Apr 2012. Bottled between 10Mar and 6 Apr 2012. Glass contamination from bottling process.

IF THIS WAS YOUR BUSINESS WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Every week in Australia products are recalled. If it happens to you are you prepared to pay for: * Removal of product from market * Destruction costs * Investigation costs * Loss of sales

* Replacement costs * Legal and professional fees * Public relations costs * Loss of brand value

www.mga.com Ph: 1300 642 000 Control the risks you can, give MGA a call and put us to work for YOU.

August 2012 – Issue 583

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

109

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

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

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

Highlights â&#x20AC;&#x201C; year ended June 2012 Key statistics Total Volume ML

2012

Change

713

-2%

Value $AM (fob)

1859

-5%

Destinations (by value growth)

$Am

Growth ($Am)

China, Pr

214

Hong Kong

Germany, Federal Republic

Japan

Thailand

% point change

Glass bottle

Container type (by volume)

47%

-5.2

Bulk

52%

5.4

Soft-pack

-0.1

Alternative packaging1

-0.1

% point change

Still wine by colour (by volume) Red

63%

1.3

White

37%

-1.3

% point change -0.5

Wine style (by volume) Red still wine

61%

White still wine

37%

0.7

Sparkling

-0.2

Fortified

0.1%

0.0

Other

0.2%

0.0

Price points (by volume)

% point change

$A2.49/L and under 2

56%

4.0

$A2.50/L to A$4.99/L

34%

-4.0

$A5.00/L to A$7.49/L

0.1

$A7.50/L to A$9.99/L

-0.2

$A10.00/L and over

0.1

Top five varietal label claims on bottles (by volume)

Shiraz and Shiraz blends

118

37%

Chardonnay and Chardonnay blends

21%

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

207

71%

South Australia

13%

Prepared: July 2012, 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

2.3%

McLaren Vale

2.1%

Barossa Valley

1.3%

110 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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

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August 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 583

looking forward 2012 Australia & New Zealand August 15 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow - Canberra. Rydges Lakeside, Canberra, ACT. www.coonawarra.org

Finlaysons Wine Roadshow XX - Managing Difficult Vintages. 28 Murray Street Vineyard, Barossa Valley, SA 29 Penny's Hill Winery, McLaren Vale, SA. 31 Watershed Wines, Margaret River, WA. www.finlaysons.com.au

15-17 (JD) Five Nations Wine Challenge. Olympic Park, Sydney, NSW. www.boutiquewines.com.au

September

16 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow - Melbourne. Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne, VIC. www.coonawarra.org

1-8 TRAIL (Australian Rural Leadership Foundation). Canberra, ACT. www.rural-leaders.com.au

18-19 2012 NAB Barossa Gourmet Weekend. Various locations, Barossa, SA. www.barossagourmetweekend.com.au

2-30 Mudgee September Wine Festival. Mudgee township & surrounding wineries, NSW. www.mudgeewine.com.au

19-21 (JD) Bragato Wine Awards. Blenheim, NZ. www.bragato.org.nz

2-5 (JD) 2012 Perth Royal Wine Show. Claremont Showground, WA. www.perthroyalshow.com.au

19 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow Adelaide. National Wine Centre, Adelaide, SA. www.coonawarra.org 20-22 (JD) NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show. Forbes, Central Ranges, NSW. www.nswwineshow.com.au 21 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow Perth. Perth Town Hall, Perth, WA. www.coonawarra.org

3-4 (JD) Hawke's Bay A & P MercedesBenz Wine Awards. Hastings, NZ. www.hawkesbaywineawards.co.nz

4-6 (JD) Riverina Wine Show. Griffith, NSW. www.riverina-winemakers.org.au

21 Fesq 2012 Winemaker's Exhibition. Sydney, NSW. www.fesq.com.au 22-24 Romeo Bragato Conference. Blenheim, NZ. www.bragato.org.nz

5-7 (JD) Ballarat Wine Show. Ballarat, VIC. Email: manjo@hotkey.net.au

23 AWRI Seminar (Toowoomba). Toowoomba, QLD. www.awri.com.au

5-6 (JD) Wines of Gippsland 2012 Wine Show. Warragul, VIC. www.winesofgippsland.com

25-26 Sunbury Region Wine Festival. Various Wineries, Sunbury, VIC. www.sunburywines.com 25 Markhams Young Viticulturist Competition 2012. Blenheim, NZ. www.bragato.org.nz 26 (JD) Frankston & South Eastern Wine Show & Amateur Winemaking Competition 2012. Mount Martha, VIC. www.fawg.org.au 27-28 Speciality Food & Drink Fair. Sydney, NSW. www.specialityfoodanddrinkfair.com.au August 2012 – Issue 583

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. August 1982 Pioneer winemaker Samuel Wynn has died after a short illness. He was 90. Mr Wynn leaves as his most fitting epitaph the famous red wines of Coonawarra, in South Australia. He was born in 1892 in Russian-occupied Poland and immigrated to Melbourne in 1913. His total assets were four gold sovereigns and a strong knowledge of wine. He worked as a vineyard labourer, cork sorter and cellarman until 1918 when he had saved enough money to buy a rundown Melbourne wine shop.

August 1992 3-5 (JD) Mudgee Wine Show. Mudgee, NSW. www.mudgeewine.com.au

4-6 (JD) The Spiegelau International Wine Competition. Marlborough, NZ. www.thespiegelauiwc.co.nz

23-24 Taste Orange @ Sydney. Sydney, NSW. www.tasteorange.com.au

looking back

Intense political activity by the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia has forced a backdown on research and development cuts that would have decimated the Australia Wine Research Institute by some $750,000 and threatened the industry’s international competitiveness. The proposal was already installed in the August Budget and the WFA was told it was a fait accompli, with almost no chance of being withdrawn.

August 2002 BRL Hardy grapegrowers affected by the

International

company’s move to reduce payments

August

Merlot and Shiraz it purchased that year

24-26 Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival. Vancouver, Washington, USA. www.vancouverwinejazz.com 29-30 (JD) & 29-31 (Trade Show) International Beverage Exposition & Competition (IBEC). Shenzhen, China. www.ib-ec.com JD = judging date

www.winebiz.com.au

for a portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, united in an effort to have the decision reversed. The growers met in Mildura when the 60-member growers’ group was formed. A growers’ group committee consisting of six members was also formed to liaise with a solicitor over the retrospective action taken by BRL Hardy to recoup up to $2 million for delivered fruit that exceeded contracted tonnes or estimates. Grapegrower & Winemaker

111

The winegrape industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading information source

now online

Subscribers can access an online version of each print issue plus over 1000 archived articles, visit www.winebiz.com.au/gwm

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO THE WINE INDUSTRY

Subscribe by: W: www.winebiz.com.au/gwm E: subs@winetitles.com.au T: +618 8369 9522

Marketplace MALLEE POINT NURSERY Orders taken for 2012 plantings NOW. Phone 02 6968 1086 Fax 02 6968 1786 Mobile 0428 690 208 PO Box 438, Yenda, NSW 2681

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

brucethegrafter@gmail.com www.brucethegrafter.com

03 9455 3339 • www.rapidfil.com.au

BOONGALA

ADRO

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Specialising in Grafted Vines and Rootlings Orders taken for 2012 planting now. Mobile 0428 447 246

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For enquiries please contact Rosanna on

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E-mail: adrografted@bigpond.com

Order now for 2013 to ensure supply Inspection of nursery welcomed

GRAFTING?

Grafted vines, vinifera and rootstock now available.

We also do contract Field Grafting and changing varieties

Ph 0408 140 729

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

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

NEED VINES OR

VINE GRAFTING

Ph/Fax 02 6964 4288

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

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

CONTRACT BOTTLING • Wine bottling • Spirit bottling • Labelling and packing. • Container loading • 3000 b/p/hr semi auto bottling line Contact Frank at Southern Highland Wines Ph–02 4868 2300 Mob-0418630584 Email: frank@shw.com.au

Vine / Tree Guards Cane Support Tabs

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65 x 65 x 480 Most popular vine size

• Serving Australian Viticulture for over 50 years. • VINA Accredited Nursery. • Vine Improvement sourced material. • G raftlings & Rootlings supplied as dormant 12 mth old field grown or 4 mth/12 mth old container grown in bio-degradable Plant Bands. • Hot Water Treated. • Trichoderma protected. • Taking orders now for 2012, 2013 & 2014 supply.

Very competitively priced To place orders or for enquiries please give us a call.

August 2012 – Issue 583

sunraysia nurseries

P.O. Box 45, Sturt Highway, Gol Gol, NSW 2738 ph (03) 5024 8502 • Fax (03) 5024 8551 E-mail: sales@sunraysianurseries.com.au Website: www.sunraysianurseries.com.au

75 x 75 x 400

Staple around for bushier trees 75 diameter x 420

• Low cost protection against spray, rabbits, wind etc. • Long field life of18 months plus • Available in white poly coated cartonboard • Suit vines, trees, olives, citrus etc • Supplied flat in boxes • Just square up and ready to go • Comes with indent cane holder

Streamline Cartons Ph 1800-227866 Fax (08) 8260 2387

Growing for You Since 1952

www.winebiz.com.au

www.streamlinecartons.com.au sales@streamlinecartons.com.au Supplying vine growers for the past 8 years

Grapegrower & Winemaker

113

Marketplace

Phone 03 5027 9229 Fax 03 5027 9224 Mobile 0417 396 288 PO Box 2338, Mildura, Vic. 3502 e-mail: sturtsbillabong@activ8.net.au

• W e also propagate to order Avocado, Citrus, Olive, Pistachio & Pomegranate trees.

95 x 95 x 300 2 Lt Milk carton size

Marketplace Quality First, No Compromises

Quality Grapevines

www.kcvines.com.au Field Grown - supplied dormant

Paul Wright PO Box 180 Mt Pleasant South Australia 5235 Ph 08 8568 2385 www.vinewright.com.au

LATE PLANTING DECISION? No Problem, Greenhouse container grown production for same year Spring

Container Grown Using peat pots for excellent take, minimal transplant shock, easier to plant. Great start when transplanted – minimal establishment delay, earlier crop. Soil biology bonus - Vines are inoculated with compost teas to provide essential soil microbes which come with the vines and improve vineyard fertility.

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Email: info@kcvines.com.au Mobile: Andy 0407 309 961 Justin 0427 808 998 Fax: (03) 5024 8834

• BevTech is an established business with 20 years of experience in the bottling and packaging industry. • Specialising in overhauling, repair and tuning of Filling and Labelling machines. • Supply of German made spare parts for your Krones machine. • We import and install top quality new and second hand German made bottling equipment. • 24/7 after sales service. A FREE, no obligation site visit for a machine assessment or any other support you might require can be arranged.

Bev

Tech

Service and consultancy for Bottling & Packaging

P: 03 5427 4874 F: 03 5427 4924 M: 0400 136 529 E: b_tech10@bigpond.com

We are agents for:

YARRA VALLEY - Victoria Marketplace

Meroo (79.67Ha) - Bowens (69.33Ha) - McIntosh (13.11Ha)

Offered as a whole or individually. Outstanding opportunity to acquire strategic commercial foothold in this prized region. High profile, fully developed, professionally managed operation encompassing 162 Ha over 3 properties. 101.45 Ha premium vineyards in superb order. Abundant water, creek frontage, pumping rights, catchment / holding dams, fixed irrigation. Substantial improvements including excellent residence, substantial shedding etc. Wonderfully positioned on township outskirts, 1 hour Melbourne CBD. Information memorandum available upon request. Ongoing management available. ADDRESS FOR SALE CALL

Meroo - 157 Melba Hwy Yarra Glen, Bowens/McIntosh - 70 Smedley Lane Yarra Glen Expressions of Interest closing 31st August 2012 (Unless Sold Prior) Mark Sutherland 0407 103 811 Andrew Houghton 0409 438 526

rtedgar.com.au

1-3 Exeter Road Croydon

114 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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9727 5300 August 2012 – Issue 583

NOVEMBER

NOVEM

A MUST FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS An unrivalled global showcase in 2012 See a comprehensive round-up of essential equipment, products and services for the wine industry and attend talks on key international issues (with simultaneous interpreting).

International players from your sector Meet the big names and international decision-makers. Sign up for the international business convention and start identifying and making appointments with the exhibitors you are interested in now (information and registration at www.vinitech-sifel.com).

Spotlight on innovation

RCS Paris B 337 934 483 - CrĂŠdit photos : M. de Tienda, Fotolia, L. Stinus, Getty Images, Office de Tourisme Bordeaux

Enjoy a sneak preview of the latest innovations from your sector.

For more information, contact : Promosalons Australia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sandra Trew Phone : (00 61) 2 9261 3322 promosalons@optusnet.com.au

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A world of exchanges in a changing world Bordeaux Exhibition Centre

Equipment

FROM GRAPE TO THE BOTTLE

SUPPLIERS OF HIGH QUALITY TANKS To Australian And New Zealand Wineries For 50 Years • Variable Capacity • Static fermenters • Storage tanks • Square fermenters • Pallet tanks • 1.5 – 3mm thick stainless steel • Available in AISI 304 or 316

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For further details, contact us on: Melbourne 59 Banbury Rd Reservoir, Victoria Adelaide 12 Hamilton Terrace Newton, SA 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