Cover: For our August edition we take a close look at mighty Tasmania, exploring the young winemaking talent, issues with irrigation and of course, the remarkable wines that are emerging out of the southern-most point of Australia. Dr Richard Smart explores the cancer risks to wine professionals, Michael Downer details the secrets to his Rocket Chardonnay’s soaring success and Mark Neal reveals an innovative approach to optimising vineyard space (hint: it involves bunking up). Cover photo of Tasmanian winemaker Penny Jones.
REGULARS
6 What’s online
6 In this issue
7 Winetitles insights
14 International briefs
15 R&D at Work
110 Producer Profile: Matt Fowles
112 Looking Back
112 Calendar
113 Marketplace classifieds
NEWS
8 New $80 million logistics hub to address ‘critical gap’ in Barossa Valley wine industry
10 Ed Carr first Australian to be named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at International Wine Challenge
11 Two Aussies announced as finalists in global wine communicator awards
12 Australian Vintage sells Barossa vineyard amidst financial struggles
13 Connecting classrooms to careers in wine
13 Pernod Ricard offloads international wine assets to Accolade
GRAPEGROWING
18 FEATURE 2024 Vintage Report part 2
44 FEATURE Dual trellis system shelters white varieties with reds
52 FEATURE Vale Scott Henry, the rocket scientist who developed a grapevine training system
54 FEATURE Tasmania - the little island with latitude
56 FEATURE Water surety critical to meet growing demand for Tasmanian wines
64 FEATURE Young Gun: Marco Lubiana
69 Vice-regal vines a domain of Tasmanian engagement
WINEMAKING
80 FEATURE Cold cuts: Slashing winery refrigeration energy costs by 20-50%
88 FEATURE Sparkling wine and temperature
92 FEATURE Murdoch Hill’s Rocket Chardonnay 2022 shoots for the stars
95 ‘World-first in winemaking’
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
98 WinePro NZ trade show hits the mark
100 Is winemaking a risky career?
SALES & MARKETING
104 FEATURE How does your marketing translate in international markets?
108 Dan’s Dan’s: F1 legend takes over bottleshop in new campaign
PART 2
COOL REGIONS
Whites overtake reds in Australian winegrape crush for first time in a decade
The National Vintage Report 2024 was released by Wine Australia, revealing that the Australian winegrape crush increased year-on-year by nine per cent in 2024 to an estimated¹ 1.43 million tonnes.
Despite growth, this year’s crush is still well below the 10-year average of 1.73 million tonnes, following the Vintage 2023 crush which marked a 23-year low.
The white winegrape share of the crush increased to 51% – the first time since 2014 that the white crush has been higher than the red crush.
Market insights manager at Wine Australia, Peter Bailey, said there had been a declining trend in the Australian winegrape crush over the past few years.
“This is the third vintage in the past five that has been below the 10-year average. As a result, we’ve seen the five-year average decrease by over 100,000 tonnes in the past two years,” Bailey said.
“The overall reduction in the red crush is entirely driven by Shiraz, which decreased by nearly 48,000 tonnes while
most other red varieties increased. This decrease was not just from the inland regions, with the Barossa and Clare Valleys accounting for one-third of the reduction,” Bailey said.
“Seasonal factors have contributed to 2024 being another small vintage. However, the significant further reduction in the red crush can be largely attributed to decisions made by grapegrowers and wine businesses to reduce production. These decisions are being driven by low grape prices, significant red wine stock overhangs and reduced global demand for wine.”
“However, the reduction in the crush doesn’t necessarily reflect a decrease in the underlying supply base. There is no indication that the vineyard area has declined significantly, so the potential for a large crop still exists without active management of yields.”
The overall year-on-year increase in the crush was 112,000 tonnes. This was driven entirely by white winegrape varieties, which increased by 117,000 tonnes (19%) to 722,000 tonnes. Despite the 19% increase, the white varieties crush was still 10% below the 10-year average and the second smallest in 17 years.
The crush of red grapes declined by just under 5000 tonnes (1%) to 705,000 tonnes, the smallest since the droughtaffected 2007 vintage, and 40% below its peak of 1.2 million tonnes in 2021.
Chardonnay increased by 31% to 333,000 tonnes, overtaking Shiraz to resume the title of largest variety by crush size that it last held in 2013. Shiraz decreased by 14% to 298,000 tonnes – its smallest crush since 2007.
South Australia accounted for the largest share of the national crush size (49%) but
Trellising & Posts
MDual trellis system shelters white varieties with reds
One California vintner is doubling his production output whilst minimising his impact on the precious vineyard space in Napa Valley. Born from a desire to grow white varieties in the harsh Napa sun, Mark Neal’s unique dual trellising system has delivered a range of additional unforeseen benefits, from saving his pockets to saving the planet. He spoke to journalist Meg Riley to explain more.
ark Neal got his start in viticulture at an early age, founding the vineyard management company Jack Neal & Son with his father in 1968. Being “lucky enough” to be born and raised in California’s Napa Valley, Neal’s introduction to winegrape growing coincided with the transformation of the area into a fully-fledged wine region, as farmers pulled out their walnut and cherry orchards in favour of the promising winegrape production.
Neal’s parents bought a vineyard in 1966, and the family have been farming organically ever since. At the time, Neal explained, the landscape in Napa Valley was quite different.
“There were not many chemicals back then,” Neal said. “We developed our whole company around being certified organic.”
“We don’t use any man-made chemicals; any synthetic made materials, and we farm in that direction.”
The family’s first vineyard was certified organic in 1984, and Neal Family Vineyards now have a number of certified biodynamic and regenerative organic vineyards. Neal Family Vineyards was the first in Napa Valley to achieve Regenerative Organic Certification in 2022, and the first to achieve organic certification by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) in 1984, which has since been followed by large wineries in the Napa Valley moving towards more organic farming methods.
“I think regenerative organic is going to be the leader the pack, because it brings in the social part, the employees, as well as the animal welfare and then the organic part,” said Neal.
With over 40 years of organic winegrowing behind him, Neal is confident that biodynamic and organic approaches have been largely responsible for his success.
The dual trellising system in action at Mark Neal’s Rutherford vineyard
The little island with latitude
It’s Australia’s only wine region that’s also a state. Tasmanian wine continues to move forward in leaps and bounds, with a burgeoning vineyard and winery sector that’s gaining greater recognition – at home and abroad – for its winemaking efforts. For our special regional spotlight feature, Wine Tasmania chief executive officer Sheralee Davies provides an update on the state of the Tassie industry – highlighting both its ongoing successes and some challenges.
New research has revealed the impressive performance of the Tasmanian wine sector, as it progresses its plan for sustainable, market-led growth over the coming decade and beyond.
Research commissioned by Wine Tasmania shows the wine sector produces approximately $420 million in wine annually, is in the top ten contributors to the Tasmanian economy and is projected to outperform all other sectors to become the island’s most significant economic driver by 2040.
From humble beginnings of the ‘modern’ Tasmanian wine sector in the 1950s, so many people have worked tirelessly for a long time to make this sector the impressive success it is today. From very early days, the focus has been on quality and value rather than volume, and recognition of what makes the island’s wines so unique (including development of the country’s first appellation system,
predating the current Australian Geographic Indications legislation).
This is despite many challenges along the way and official advice that the island was too cold, remote and unpredictable to ever be a regional wine champion. It’s fair to say these detractors have since been proven very wrong!
Nearly every community in Tasmania is directly or indirectly linked to the wine sector, including through employment, investment and tourism in our regional areas. A quarter of all visitors to Tasmania called into a cellar door during their stay over the past year, with these visitors staying longer and spending more than others.
With 3,600 full time equivalent jobs in the wine sector, Tasmania is the only state where its grape growing workforce grew between 2011-2021, up by 74%, compared with a 29% reduction nationally. During the same period, Tasmania was also the only state where females in grapegrowing
roles increased, up by 115% (source: www.wineaustralia.com/news/marketbulletin/issue-283).
The good news - and the challenges…
With recognition of significant challenges being experienced in some other Australian wine regions, Tasmania is generally seen to be performing well.
The value of its winegrapes and bottled wine are among the highest in the country, the excellent quality and value of its wine is recognised globally, demand has successfully been grown to exceed its current wine production, high yielding visitors are attracted to its regional cellar doors, and growth and investment is being attracted.
However, Tasmania is one of the most expensive and riskiest wine regions, with higher costs of production, including intensive labour and capital requirements, its cool and variable climate means yields can vary by as
Sparkling wine and temperature
Low temperature key to fermentation in zero sulphur sparkling wine
By Paul Le Lacheur
Refrigeration may, at first assessment, appear to have little connection with the safe maintenance of wine fermenting with zero sulphur, However, this is not the case where work was carried out in Slovenia showing temperature provides a big boost to sparkling wines. At one of that country’s largest and best sparkling wine houses, Miha Istenic and his twin sons Mark and Nik, are making big changes.
Initially, the family tried experimenting with lower sugar and higher acid fruit to prevent microbial activity in bottle. More recently, trials with the use of commercial Champagne yeast on wines made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Rumeni Plavec, yielded surprisingly encouraging results. The latter named variety is an indigenous variety to the region near the Croation-Slovenian border.
According to production leader Istenic, Rumeni, “is a great variety to incorporate into this sparkling wine because it adds a lot of freshness and acidity to the blend. That acidity prevents anything developing in bottle”. The flow process for their sparkling reveals attention is paid to minute details. First, the fruit
is hand-picked into the winery where whole bunches are dosed with citric acid to prevent oxidation. Then it’s off to the pneumatic press for gentle pressing after which the juice is clarified through floatation. Stainless steel tanks are inoculated with the selected Champagne yeasts. Importantly, a low fermentation temperature of 13-14°C is maintained after which racking occurs. During this phase, the base wine is prepared for long ageing at persistently low temperatures.
Jetting as an oxygen scavenger
Another key to producing high class, no added sulphur wine is ‘jetting’ during disgorgement. This simple but effective style-determining step involves the introduction of a very thin ‘jet’ of wine which is squirted into the bottle’s neck. This promotes ‘foaming’: as the wine rises the foam acts like a piston that forces out any air present in the neck of the bottle.
The Institut Oenologique de Champagne asserts that when this method is adopted just before final corking, its scientists have measured levels of dissolved oxygen of only 0.2 parts per million (PPM).
Mark Istenic proudly stated that “what’s left is an empty space with no air. In that moment we apply the cork, leaving no oxygen left inside the bottle”.
Zero sulphur
The main downside to a zero-sulphur regime, according to Mark, is that the wine (all other oenological treatments being equally applied) has a shorter life. Additionally, given that the wine made in this way requires super healthy bunches, it can only be made in the best vintages, thus drastically lowering the output volume expected over the longer term.
Temperature and stability
Bolney Estates, in Sussex, England, state that not only lowered temperatures during production, but lack of vibration during storage, can improve the sensory characters in the wine. For this reason, although low temperatures are a boon for production, prolonged storage at low refrigerator temperatures can alter acid and alcohol levels, producing “undesirable sourness and other sensory changes,” explained Bolney Estate owner Rodney Pratt.
Dan’s Dan’s: F1 legend takes over bottleshop in new campaign
To promote the release of his new collection with St Hugo wines, Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has taken over Dan Murphy’s and renamed it ‘Dan Ricciardo’s’ in a playful new campaign.
From 12-14 July, the ‘Dan Ricciardo’s’ store in Alexandria in Sydney featured the face and “notable cheeky grin” of Daniel Ricciardo, replacing the original 1950s Dan Murphy motif, to celebrate Ricciardo’s collection of DR3 x St Hugo wines.
“When I found out that Dan Murphy’s was taking on DR3 Wines, I immediately knew I needed to step into the shoes of Dan, the man himself – we share a name and a love of wine,” said Ricciardo.
“It’s truly rewarding to share this journey with winemaker Pete [St Hugo chief winemaker, Peter Munro], and I’m excited to see our wines reach even more wine lovers across the country.”
Throughout the weekend promotion, shoppers were able to experience DR3 x St Hugo wine tastings as well as pick up exclusive merchandise.
“I am incredibly proud to see DR3 Wines out in the wild on shelf and available to share with so many Aussies,” said Ricciardo. “My passion for winemaking stemmed from my family, but it’s now developed to bringing quality and some unique Australian character to each and every bottle.”
St Hugo’s chief winemaker, Peter Munro has seen Ricciardo’s life-long passion for wine turn into a winemaking reality.
“Working with Daniel is an absolute pleasure”, said Munro. “To be able to help transform his passion into premium wine; it’s a very proud partnership for St Hugo. He has a strong palate and appreciation
for quality, which in turn guides his instinct in the winemaking process.”
This unique collaboration results in DR3 x St Hugo South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 and DR3 x St Hugo South Australian Shiraz 2021, as well as Ric Red by DR3, an approachable red blend.
“This is such an amazing opportunity to have such an Australian sporting legend take part in an entire Dan’s store takeover in Alexandria,” said Dan Murphy’s managing director Agnieszka Pfeiffer-Smith.
“Dan Ricciardo’s energy, commitment to wine quality and of course being a crowd favourite [is] something that our own Dan Murphy really prided himself on as well. Both Dan’s really share a passion for wine – it’s clearly in their DNA!
“I know our own Daniel Francis Murphy would have given a personal seal of approval to have such an eponymous takeover with this Australian star.”
