what’s ONLINE
Frost hits vineyards as cold blast ‘like a blowtorch’ destroys crops
Farmers across the Australia’s south-east have been coming to grips with the fallout from September’s unseasonally cold overnight temperatures, with some last month calling for the event to be treated as a natural disaster in order to trigger government assistance. A series of overnight freezing temperatures hit large parts of the country in mid-September, with the damage known to have extended from Kangaroo Island to the SA border, through the Mallee in Victoria and into the central west of New South Wales. Barossa Valley vigneron Michael Kies, 66, said he had never experienced a frost event so severe in all of his 55 vintages. “I would sum it up as devastating,” he said. Source: ABC
Using microbiomes to combat trunk disease
Speaking at the Research & Innovation Forum in Wellington in late August, the Science Group Leader at Plant & Food Research explained how trials have tapped into the unique microbial signature of “disease escape” vines, which remain healthy amid a “pandemic of dead or dying vines”. By comparing the plant and microbial DNA of diseased vines with that of their resistant neighbours, aged around 20 years with no signs of chlorosis or cankers, the research team sought evidence of a “distinctive microbiome” that might offer protection against trunk disease pathogens. Source: New Zealand Winegrower
Treasury sells Karadoc winery near Mildura
Treasury Wine Estates has sold its Karadoc winery in northern Victoria to two South Australian businessmen with interests in the wool industry, who will convert it into a storage and logistics hub. The ASX-listed wine giant announced in July last year that it would shut the five-decade-old commercial winery, which produced brands like Wolf Blass and Yellowglen, as part of a strategy to focus on the more premium and profitable end of the wine market. A spokeswoman for TWE confirmed the winery had been purchased by Karadoc Logistics Hub, and will be used as a “strategic storage and logistics hub for the Sunraysia region and surrounding areas”. Source: Australian Financial Review
Daily Wine News is a snapshot of wine business, research and marketing content gleaned from local and international wine media sources, with a focus on Australian news and content.
In
this issue
“These conditions allow for the production of outstanding cool climate wines, but also means vineyards in the region are susceptible to extreme weather. These highly labour-intensive vineyards need a reliable method to increase the time vine roots and grapes can spend at beneficial temperatures, and this trial shows that composted green waste mulch is a cost-effective solution.”
Karen Thomas, page 25
“Without doubt the greatest challenge is the dark art of aging wines under flor. Any wine spending years on ullage without SO2 is going to run into issues on occasion, and we’ve seen them all. VA and Brettanomyces are the two biggest challenges we face though I feel we are gradually getting better at managing them.”
Rollo Crittenden, page 54
“While the employment contract is a legal agreement between an individual employee and the employer, the employee policies and protocols apply to all staff and can be updated as necessary by the employer. However, any changes to the employment contract itself must be mutually agreed upon by both parties.”
Linda Blackett and Ilga Horvat, page 60
“In recent years, my perspective on the wine industry has evolved. I’ve noticed that many people treat wine as a religion, where they immerse themselves in learning and teaching about wine, often to the point of fanaticism. When I first started in the industry, I acted like a zealot – reading, memorising, and trying to “convert” others into wine lovers.”
Priscilla Hennekam,
page 78
Cover: The November issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker investigates the complexities of grape pricing, as different official inquiries look into how this process can be effectively, and fairly, managed in Australia.
6 What’s online
6 In this issue 17 International briefs 82 Producer Profile: Hannah Medlock 83 Looking Back
7 NZ viticulture programme to turn vineyard productivity into profitability
8 Winners of the 2024 SAWIA Excellence Awards announced
9 Prue Henschke named a ‘Legend of the Vine’
10 Riverland leaders resign
11 Industry icon acknowledged with honorary doctorate
12 Tassie does it again…
14 Rieslings shine at Clare’s regional wine show
15 Great Shiraz Challenge celebrates 30 years
16 SIMEI returns with more than 540 exhibitors
18 Five new directors for Wine Australia
22 MY VIEW One Sector success? – Case study: New Zealand
GRAPEGROWING
24 Historic first step toward a National Vineyard register
25 Turning green into gold: Recycled compost trials yield results
30 Treasury Wine Estates highlights sustainability progress
31 NZ’s first earthworm eDNA soil test paves the way for broader applications
36 Grape and grains united in call for best practice herbicide use
38 World’first biological control for crown gall shows promise
42 Towards sustainability in winegrowing
45 Sit tight: Grapegrowers urged to wait as safe disposal methods are investigated for CCA posts
WINEMAKING
47 Molecularly imprinted polymers successfully remove smoke taint in wine
49 Going with the flow: Optimising winery pump efficiency and cost-effectiveness
54 BEHIND THE TOP DROPS Crittenden Estate Cri de Coeur Savagnin Sous Voile
58 Fumé blanc Uncorked
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
60 The critical role of employment cotracts
63 FEATURE Balancing the scales: The matter of grape pricing
67 Australian Vintage re-appoints Craig Garvin as CEO
SALES & MARKETING
69 The spritz and stress of success
74 Winemakers nurture their PET projects
78 Why is the wine industry perceived as snobbish?
81 UAE trade partnership welcomed
Five new directors for Wine Australia
Five new appointments have been made to the board of Wine Australia, which were announced by Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins at the end of September.
The newly appointed directors will serve a three-year term from 1 October 2024:
• Dr Angeline Achariya, Victoria
• Roslyn Baker, Queensland
• Andrew Kay, South Australia
• Elizabeth Riley, New South Wales
• Peta Slack-Smith, Victoria
They join the current chair, Dr Michele Allan AO, and replace outgoing board members Catherine Oates, Catherine Cooper, Frances-Anne Keeler, Mitchell Taylor, Justin Brown and John Lloyd.
Minister Collins stated that the new Wine Australia directors are “suitably qualified and together possess a wealth of skills, expertise and board experience”.
Dr Martin Cole, chief executive officer at Wine Australia, welcomed the new appointments.
“I thank the Minister for appointing the new board members and look forward to meeting and working with them over the course of their three-year term,” said Dr Cole.
“The recent launch of the One Grape & Wine Sector Plan has highlighted urgent and longer-term priorities for the sector, with a need for strong leadership through a time of significant commercial, technical and environmental challenges.
Newly appointed Wine Australia director Elizabeth (Liz) Riley. Photo: Scarborough Wine Co
Fertilisers & Soil Health
Turning green into gold Recycled compost trials yield results
Three separate composting trials in Victorian wine regions have been assessed for results, with outcomes breaking down the benefits of applying recycled organic material undervine and providing lower barriers to entry.
Athree-year composting trial using urban green waste at vineyards in the Macedon Ranges has produced higher yields and healthier vines when used as mulch.
With funding from Sustainability Victoria, the trial was executed by Melbourne Water using recycled green waste collected from suburban bins. When applied beneath vines in springtime, the mulch supressed weeds and led to moister soil. The mulch also kept the soil at the optimal temperature – a range known as the ‘Goldilocks zone’.
Two vineyards tested recycled organic fine compost and composted mulch in vine rows, and compared these to a control row which used standard practices of brush cutting and herbicide undervine.
Electronic data loggers monitored temperatures in the vine canopy and in the soil, while the assessment of grape quality and yield took place during
The result is higher yields and reduced need for chemicals compared to conventional practices such as brush cutting, herbicides or application of other mulch types such as straw
Karen Thomas
every annual harvest. Soil temperature measurements showed that the composted green waste mulch created cooler soil in summer and warmer in spring, allowing the roots an extended period of time in the ‘Goldilocks’ soil temperature zone.
Lead researcher Erika Winter from GrapeLinks said results showed that weed control was excellent in the vineyards using the composted mulch, meaning that the vineyards did not have to undertake a summer herbicide application.
Lab testing also found that the composted mulch improved nutrient levels in petioles, vine vigour and yield. Yield varied year-on-year, which was attributed to the different make-up of the recycled organics.
At harvest, the Brix was slightly enhanced by mulch and compost, with titratable acidity, colour and phenolics all found to be higher in vine rows using recycled composted mulch than over fine compost or the control.
The researchers suggested that custommade recycled organic composted mulches and composts for viticulture could be a useful next step for both
Karen Thomas (centre), sustainable agriculture facilitator at Melbourne Water, on site at the Macedon Ranges trial. Image courtesy Melbourne Water
Molecularly imprinted polymers successfully remove smoke taint in wine
University of Adelaide researchers have evaluated a new method to remediate smoke tainted wine, incurring less damage to the final product.
Smoke-derived compounds can build up in the skins and pulp of grapes after exposure to smoke, and can lead to the development of unpleasant smoky, medicinal and ashy characteristics after fermentation.
Currently adsorbents like activated carbon are used to remove the taint compounds, but they can also remove some of the desirable colour, aroma and flavour attributes from wine.
In a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Professor of Oenology from The University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Kerry Wilkinson, and her team used molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) tailored to specifically bind smoke taint compounds to remove them from Pinot Noir wine, Semillon juice and wine, and Merlot must and wine.
The selectivity of MIPs is compelling as it helps retain key varietal characteristics of the wine.
Dr Sylvia Baars
“The need for methods that address smoke taint in wine has increased as the impact of bushfires on wine regions around the world grows,” said Prof Wilkinson.
“I see an ongoing need for various strategies for mitigation and/or amelioration of smoke taint in the vineyard and the winery, into the future, as bushfires are predicted to continue
Amaea’s molecularly imprinted polymers are imprinted with billions of binding sites to target capture volatile phenols in wine. Image courtesy amea