Grapegrower & Winemaker - August 2016 by Provincial Press Group

AUGUST 2016

Innovations for smarter solutions

Cool Climate Wine Symposium

WineEng 2016

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contents features 21

WEA Conference

Fertilisers & Nutrition

Vineyard Machinery

Training & Trellising

Wine Storage

Bottling

Export

AUGUST 2016

news

Innovations for smarter solutions

Cool Climate Wine Symposium

WineEng 2016

Central membrane press technology

COVER The Clare Valley wine region has been highlighted through a photographic exhibition titled Palate and Pixel which was launched in July. This mid-vintage image features Hilary Mitchell captured by John Kruger at Mitchell Wines. Read more from Page 18.

grapegrowing

Your Say - Is brand Australia dead? ..........6

From the editor .........................................7 I learned more from one quick phone call than dozens of social media comments

Movers & Shakers.....................................8 On the grapevine ...................................10 Regional Roundup: Queensland ............... 12 Industry ‘cautiously optimistic’ as winegrape prices increase ..................14 Australian Women in Wine Awards back for 2016 ............................16 Clare Valley captured..............................18

Facing challenges; and optimising quality ............................37 A summary of information shared at the ninth International Cool Climate Wine Symposium

Selective harvest with a fluorescence optical sensor ......................45 Blaxland branches out ............................48 Grapegrowers and winemakers set to join forces .....................................50

Early buyer interest ahead of 2017 vintage ......................................52 Organic ‘wine of the year’ ......................53 Sustainability program bolstered by government funding ................................55

regulars 6 What’s online 33 R&D at Work 86 Ask the AWRI Wine Australia for Australian Wine

Understanding costs should be as easy as ABC Adelaide-based business and engineering consultants 2XE have bought to light some valuable news for the Australian wine community’s bottom line. In a recent project, funded by Wine Australia, to undertake a life-cycle cost analysis of wine processing, it revealed the enormous potential of what is known as activity-based costing (ABC) as well as some large holes in just how much many wineries know about what their production costs actually are.

This then highlights where changes to processes could increase profits.

A tailored ABC model was prepared for each winery, showing mean costs per kilolitre (kL) of wine for activities such as bottling, barreling and maturation. The aim was to create an easy-to-use framework that could be customised to suit the needs of each and every wine business.

4 Grapegrower & Winemaker In fact, 2XE CEO Nick Palousis would go so far as to say it is ‘one of the biggest knowledge gaps we’ve seen in the sector’.

Wine Australia is now studying the project report to determine how best to progress the findings. Nick said ABC represented a different way of looking at costs and their implications. ‘Typically a winery would take its balance sheet and look at the things an accountant usually

92 Calendar 93 Industry profile 94 Marketplace classifieds

help wineries target their efficiency projects towards activities that have the greatest opportunity for increasing profit. ‘For example, the total cost per kL of wine pressed is significantly different when comparing different techniques such as basket press, bag-press and screw-press’, the report says. ‘Also, the way a press is used varies the cost of production per kL. For example, a winery with a bag press using automated pressing cycles may use less labour than one that requires continual monitoring and adjustment.

‘Likewise, a winery that can schedule and separate red and white batches on different days can minimise cleaning and increase labour efficiency

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

August 2016: Issue 631 winemaking Sparkling explosion ................................80

McAtamney’s Market Report

Direct email marketing tips ......................82 Barrel cooling technology ........................84 Cellar operations qualifications now available ........................................85 30 years of Eileen Hardy Chardonnay .................................68

Design features & benefits of central membrane press technology....................70 Winery sustainability CO2 sequestration ................................... 74 Australian trade tour of Tasmania............ 76 Young Gun: Dirty Black Denim for days .....................78 78

business & technology Wine Law: Trademarks protect global brands..............................88 Exports above $10 FOB hit record value ......................................90

PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hartley Higgins

PRODUCTION Simon Miles

GENERAL MANAGER Peter Muscet

CIRCULATION: Melissa Smithen subs@winetitles.com.au

EDITOR Nathan Gogoll editor@grapeandwine.com.au EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Denis Gastin, Dr Steve Goodman, Dr Terry Lee, Paul van der Lee, Bob Campbell MW, Prof Dennis Taylor, Mary Retallack and Corrina Wright EDITORIAL Emilie Reynolds journalist@winetitles.com.au ADVERTISING SALES Maria Stephenson sales@grapeandwine.com.au August 2016 – Issue 631

WINETITLES MEDIA ABN 85 085 551 980 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9500 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 info@winetitles.com.au www.winetitles.com.au @Grape_and_Wine Printing by Lane Print Group, Adelaide © Contents copyright Winetitles Media 2014. All Rights Reserved. Print Post Approved PP535806/0019 Articles published in this issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker may also appear in full or as extracts on our website. Cover price $8.25 (inc. GST) www.winetitles.com.au

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

your say what’s ONLINE Is brand Australia dead? Pokémon Go: Wineries catch on The ‘pocket monsters’ have shown up in vineyards in the US, France and Australia. Wineries and restaurants around the world have been among those tweeting sightings of the pocket monsters after the launch of the Pokémon Go app earlier this month on iPhone and Android phones, reports Decanter.

New Zealand wine families A group of 12 families at the heart of the New Zealand wine industry have come together to forge an identity to face the global consolidation that has reached their islands. The Family of Twelve hopes to remind the world that familyowned producers remain among the major influences of the industry, reports The Times Tribune.

Wine club is in a world of hurt The Wine Society has lost money for years, squeezed by discount bottle shops and rival online retailers. Now the nonprofit cooperative wants its 25,000-plus members to ratify a restructure that would see external investors provide a $3 million banking facility. The money will be used to help pay down debt, including $4.2 million owed to suppliers, reports The CourierMail.

Conte family sells McLaren Vale vineyards SOUTH AUSTRALIAN winemakers the Conte family have sold their long-held premium vineyards in McLaren Vale. The three Conte Estate Wines vineyards have 35 hectares planted to Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay, reports The Australian Financial Review.

IN OUR MAY edition (Issue 628) Emilie Reynolds reported on the latest initiative from Treasury Wine Estates to put a spotlight on the regionality of their wines. The message was clear. Australia’s biggest wine company was moving away from ‘brand Australia’. When this article appeared on our blog (grapegrowerandwinemaker.com) the responses it prompted included these: Jenny Semmler 919 Wines, Riverland SA It’s no surprise that we’re seen as one dimensional, as that is the way we’ve portrayed ourselves as our ‘unique selling point’ – think larrikin country lad or surfy chick, with exotic creatures as our totems. We’ve never gone overseas portraying ourselves as sophisticated urban dwellers with a fine culture of music in many genres (think Carl Vine, Percy Grainger, Paul Kelly, INXS, AC/ DC, The Angels), of fine regional foods, sophisticated art. Concentrating on regionality will not only give regions (and brands) the freedom to express the individuality of

their geographies – from the sweeping oceans to the rugged high country – but will show the world what a diverse, exciting and quality range of wines we produce. Surely this will then be seen as a more authentic narrative than the stereotypes we’ve portrayed in the past. Neville Mander Mander Consulting, Adelaide SA The positives of Australian Wine far outweigh the negatives. It’s simply a matter of wine marketing overseas, and the South Australian Tourism commercials are brilliant. Search in YouTube for ‘Barossa. Be Consumed’, or Clare Valley ‘Fall in Love’. This tells you that regional marketing is certainly what it is about. More of those, specifically for the wine regions. Individual winemakers are doing some brilliant productions too, using VR and drones. We have some of the most cultured wine regions, sophistication in wine making and sustainability, and a brilliant wine culture. We have a lot of positives to promote. Forget the negativity.

Sweet Tweets Huge response to @ASVOtweet scholarship sponsored by @SeguinMoreauAus for the @The_AWRI AWAC. Who will be this year’s recipient? @ASVOtweet Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (June 28)

We’re not always fancy pants in the #wine industry... but I do love my #deconstructed #fritz & sauce #sandwich #food @WISAInc Wine Industry Suppliers Australia (June 29)

It’s been Australia’s hottest Jan–June period on record! June #ClimateSummary @BOM_au Bureau of Meteorology (July 1)

Toasting a win! The House of Arras 2007 Grand Vintage is the first sparkling to win RQWS Grand Champion #rqws #wine @rqfws Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show (July 8)

A little too fresh to prune at Fighting Gully Road this morning. Wind chill is extreme! Mark Walpole @fightinggullyrd (July 13)

Daily Wine News is a snapshot of wine business, research and marketing content gleaned from international wine media sources, with a focus on Australian news and content. To subscribe visit www.winetitles.com.au/dwn. 6 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Now we can all work out how to adapt as: Scientists Prep for Effects of Climate Change on Wine (from @WinesandVines) @winetechnology Mark Gishen (July 15)

Great to be at the Outlook Conference. Cautious optimism on the Australian Wine Industry. #16AWITC #taylorswines #affw #wfa #wineaustralia @Taylors_Wines (July 25)

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

from the editor

Nathan Gogoll Editor

I learned more from one quick phone call than dozens of social media comments I RECKON YOU can tell a wine tax topic has got most of the industry talking when you can find the discussion in your Instagram feed. And that’s where I stumbled across the latest WET Rebate debate flare up in July. No surprise that eligibility was the key topic, but for some reason there was a bit of angst directed at the Australian First Families of Wine. An Instagram photo of what appeared to be a complicated suggestion for WET Rebate eligibility appeared with a caption that read: “Wow! Check out the First Families of Wine proposed eligibility list for WET Rebate”. It didn’t take me very long to uncover a string of comments across different social media platforms which were very clear – people weren’t impressed. But had the First Families group really come up with a position on tax? It seemed out of step to me, so I set about finding out what was really going on. I started with some emails to a few of the key people in the First Families fraternity; spoke to Ralph Dunning who works as First Families executive officer; found out it was an Alister Purbrick ‘discussion paper’ and had an email conversation with him; and then checked with Wine Victoria about how the ‘discussion paper’ had been presented at a workshop. What I discovered was… 1. There has never been a policy position from the Australian First Families of Wine on WET Rebate eligibility; and 2. Alister Purbrick’s ‘discussion paper’ was meant to promote discussion, and he is concerned the proposed eligibility put out by the Federal Government is far too tight. As Dunning told me: “This is not a position of the Australian First Families of Wine.” August 2016 – Issue 631

“But I can tell you where this has come from, it is a position paper put forward from Alister Purbrick as he is looking to get the government position on the eligibility softened.” “The photo shows a small extract of a three-page document.” As my fact-finding mission was winding up, both the Australia’s First Families of Wine and Purbrick (through the Tahbilk Winery account) responded to the original Instagram post. Purbrick re-stated what he had emailed to me… it was incorrect to attribute the position to the First Families and he had written “a much bigger document of which this excerpt is part”. All of this was neatly summarised in a short email from Colin Campbell, the proprietor/chief winemaker at Campbells Wines. “An unfortunate misinterpretation and once again shows the danger of social media, none of which do I read, Cheers.” But the WET Rebate conversation continues. As I was following up the First Families members, I’d also put through a call to Bill Downie because he has been outspoken about the WET Rebate – and was the first person to comment on the Instagram post which got this all started. “Part of the eligibility problem is to try and tighten it up so there’s never going to be any rorting. But then it either becomes arbitrary or ineffective,” Downie said. “My view is – it has formed over a few months, but I’m now quite firm on it – that everyone should be paying some tax. I think the industry needs to come up with a system so the government is happy and it needs to be an equitable system where there’s no rorting. For me, the obvious answer is volumetric.” While Downie gave Senator Anne Ruston credit for the work she has been doing with the industry on this topic, www.winetitles.com.au

he also acknowledged her position is a volumetric tax is “off the table”. Downie said he heard The Treasury (that’d be the department, not Treasury Wine Estates) declared it wanted to collect and extra $100million per year in tax revenue from the wine industry – so I’ll try to get to the bottom of that one as well. He also said he’s done some sums on the back of an envelope to look at how an extra $100million might be achieved. His idea has any wine business turning over more than $20million becoming ineligible for a rebate and a sliding scale of eligibility below that turnover figure. “It’s a really big issue and it needs to be discussed,” Downie said. Those discussions actually took place in the days that immediately followed all my fact-finding conversations. The Winemaker’s Federation of Australia held a meeting in Adelaide on July 24 which brought together state and regional bodies and associations (and even let grapegrowers into the room) to again address the proposed changes to the WET Rebate as outlined in this year’s Federal Budget. I’m waiting to hear it officially from Tony Battaglene, the acting CEO at the WFA, but I believe the meeting was productive and there will be more news to present in our September edition. The other thing to mention on the tax topic… is just to confirm that Senator Anne Ruston was re-elected as a South Australian Senator in July’s Federal Election and because she’s aligned with the mob that formed government and because she has retained her assistant ministerial role – she will still be the key politician the wine industry will need to work with on the WET Rebate changes. Enjoy the read.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

movers & shakers Jodie Opie joins Evans & Tate EVANS & TATE announced Jodie Opie has joined their wine production team in the role of winemaker. Growing up in Perth, Opie completed a Bachelor of Science (Human Biology) at Edith Cowan University before moving to Adelaide to study a Bachelor of Science (Oenology) at Adelaide University. Matthew Byrne, Evans & Tate senior winemaker, said Opie’s wine industry experience was impressive. “In her career spanning two decades, she’s focused her attention on Margaret River where she’s held winemaking roles, most recently as Chief Winemaker for Aravina Estate, and has been inspired by some of the region’s local industry

Jodie Opie has joined Evans & Tate as their new winemaker.

leaders. Jodie has also exported her own wine to the UK and has lectured at

Margaret River TAFE,” he said. Opie said she was “thrilled” to be joining the wine company. “The McWilliams name gives extra pedigree to the Evans & Tate brand which itself has a long-established reputation. Plus, I’m delighted to be joining a talented team of winemakers and hope to contribute to the wonderful wines being made by Matt and the team.” “Jodie’s wealth of experience, coupled with her endearing passion for making wine in Margaret River, will be an asset to McWilliams Family Winemakers and we look forward to her contributing to Evans & Tate’s continuing success,” Byrne said.

Stanton & Killeen Wines appoints Déjà Vu Wine as its national distributor STANTON & KILLEEN Wines announced a new distribution partnership with Déjà Vu Wine Company, effective August 17, 2016. The announcement follows Stanton & Killeen’s recent complete vineyard rejuvenation, enabling the 141-year-old wine company to create environmentally sustainable pathways to deliver unsurpassed fruit quality, thus a significant improvement in wine quality. Wendy Killeen, Stanton & Killeen Wines chief executive officer, said there

were strong synergies between Stanton & Killeen and the Déjà Vu Wine Company. “The timing of the new partnership with Déjà Vu Wine Company is perfect as we release the new vintage wines from our beautiful vineyards,” she said. “We’re excited to join forces with this dynamic and progressive operation lead by Andrew Cameron, Peter Crannage and their team.” “We look forward to championing Stanton & Killeen in the industry. The brand has an enviable reputation with

visibly strong family values, not to mention superb quality table and fortified wines,” Cameron said “A 5 red star Halliday rating and 141 years of continuous family ownership will also help sell the story of such a credible brand.” Killeen added that Stanton & Killeen would like to thank Domaine Wine Shippers for the 24 years of service they have provided the brand.

A first for Yealands with Official Green Company GC-Mark YEALANDS FAMILY WINES has become the first winery in the world to carry the DQS Green Company GC-Mark for its winery operation at their Seaview winery in Marlborough. DQS Group (DQS) based in Germany are one of the leading certification bodies for management systems worldwide. The company developed a checklist of criteria to obtain a Green Company GC-Mark that is based on national and international recognised standards and regulations. To receive a Green Company GC-Mark, a company must succeed in “minimising its negative impact upon the

environment.” Peter Yealands, Yealands founder and principal, said sustainability was at the core of their business with many positively impactful initiatives in place, such as the use of miniature Babydoll sheep, burning of vine prunings and solar and wind power. “From inception in 2008 it has been our goal to be the world’s leader in quality sustainable wine production, so it is particularly pleasing to be again recognized globally for our fine winemaking processes at our Seaview winery,” Yealands said.

Along with their own grape marc waste, Yealands has partnerships with the aquaculture and forestry industries that has driven compost production to more than 50,000 tonnes annually providing benefits to the wider Marlborough region. The Green Company GC-Mark was approved alongside an ISO 14001 certificate, the international global standard for an Environmental Management System within businesses. This ISO maps out a framework that a company or organisation can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.

Yalumba partners with Royal Adelaide Club YALUMBA is the first wine company to showcase at the world’s second largest international beer and food festival in Shandong Province, China. Yalumba will represent South Australian wine at the Qingdao Beer Festival, within a unique exhibition created by the team at Royal Adelaide Club, producer of Adelaide’s own Royal Croquet Club. Nick Waterman, Yalumba Family Vignerons managing director,

8 Grapegrower & Winemaker

said China is important for the entire Australian wine industry. “Recently China elevated its position to become the second largest market for Australian wine exports, by value, behind USA and is predicted to become the largest market, by value, in the foreseeable future,” he said. Yalumba will use the festival to showcase its ‘Rare and Fine’ folio during this significant consumer event www.winetitles.com.au

and introduce key Chinese retail and restaurant trade to Yalumba’s portfolio. “We are using this opportunity to showcase Yalumba in what is a very significant consumer festival in China and introduce key Chinese retail and restaurant trade to our wines in association with our recently appointed distributor, ASC Fine Wines. It is about building sustainable sales and strong brands.” August 2016 – Issue 631

Finance for irrigation that won’t tie you up. Wouldn’t it be great to get a complete irrigation system for your farm without it costing you anything? Yes it would! And if someone offers you that deal you should definitely take it up. Rivulis can’t quite go that far, but they can offer you the next best thing – a complete irrigation system that doesn’t cost you anything until a bit later! Rivulis has set up their own financing arm specifically to make it easier for farmers to get a full irrigation system. The rates are competitive and the loan terms are flexible, but best of all, you don’t have to put up your property as security, as the irrigation system itself is the security. This is great for farmers, as it allows them the immediate benefit of irrigation without the immediate huge hole in their bank account. And it’s great for Rivulis because more and more farms use their products. So, you know, win-win and all that.

rivulis.com.au

on the grapevine Wolf Blass wins ‘red winemaker of the year’

Chris Hatcher and Steve Frost accepting the red winemaker of the year award on behalf of Wolf Blass.

WOLF BLASS has been named ‘red winemaker of the year’ at the recent International Wine Challenge in London. The South Australian winery topped more than 15,000 entries from over 50 countries, demonstrating their strength and consistency of winemaking across wine styles.

Chris Hatcher, Wolf Blass chief winemaker, said he was humbled to receive the award on for the third time on behalf of the winery following wins in 2008 and 2013. “Being named Red Winemaker of the Year for the third time is humbling. It is a great triumph for Wolf Blass, reinforcing our reputation as one of Australia’s truly iconic winemakers with a strong history of major global award wins. “Wolf Blass is renowned for making wines of ‘quality, character and consistency’ and this accolade cements this; given wines across our entire range contributed to this outstanding win.” Andreas Clark, Wine Australia chief executive officer, said Wolf Blass’ win reflects the high regard that the international wine community has for Australian fine wine. “I offer my congratulations to Chris, Steven and the entire Wolf Blass team on this exceptional win, made even more impressive by the fact that it’s the third time Wolf Blass has earned the title,” Clark said. “In this year’s International Wine Challenge, Australian wine took home 815 medals, a testament to the high quality of Australian wine and the talent of our grapegrowers and winemakers. The world is taking notice of Australia and appreciates the great diversity of our wines and regions.” The IWC assesses every wine blind and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region and vintage. Throughout the rigorous judging processes, each medal-winning wine is tasted on three separate occasions by at least 10 different judges and awards including medals (trophy, gold, silver, bronze) and Commended and Great Value awards.

Sydney International Wine Competition explores science behind food and wine pairing

Entries are now open! WHO is eligible?

All Moscato producers from anywhere in Australia

WHY enter the National Moscato Challenge? To benchmark your Moscato in a competition focussed solely this popular wine style…. And to win a really funky trophy!

WHEN?

Entries Close – Friday, 2nd September 2016 Wines to be received – Friday, 16th September 2016 Judging – 1st - 3rd October 2016

To enter, or for more information go to our website

www.nationalmoscatochallenge.com 10 Grapegrower & Winemaker

BUMPER VINTAGES in Australia’s and New Zealand’s major wine regions over the past two years are expected to translate into a record entry for this year’s Sydney International Wine Competition. Entry for the 37th Sydney International Wine Competition – the only international wine show that judges all its finalists in combination with appropriate food – has opened, with up to 2000 wines set to compete for inclusion in the prestigious TOP 1OO. To enhance further the role of food in the wine judging process, the Sydney International Wine Competition has brought in Marcell Kustos, a PhD student from the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine. Kustos will work with Celebrity Chef Michael Manners to develop the menus for the final rounds when wines are tasted “with appropriate food”, exploring if more science can be brought to matching food and wines. “Better understanding the secret of successful wine and food pairings opens up innovative and revolutionary combinations,” Kustos said. “Without any doubt, the joy of eating and drinking is more than defining food and wine as simple chemical molecules and textures. However, knowledge is an important tool to support creativity, novelty and to improve dining experience.” Warren Mason, Sydney International Wine Competition founder, said this year’s innovation builds on the founding philosophy of the competition. “The reality is, for most of us, wine is best enjoyed with food, and it is pleasing to see many winemakers and their corporate marketeers responding,” he said.

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

“The judging of wine, with food, in the right environment, is the best way for a wine show’s awards to have relevance for consumers, and that is what Sydney International Wine Competition has been doing for the past thirty plus years.” The competition is open to wines from all countries and has no minimum production requirements. Last year entries were received from eight countries and over 100 wine regions.

Entries need to be made by Friday 18th September 2016, with judging taking place in October and official announcement of the awards and trophies will be by mid-November, 2016. Online Entries can be made via the competition’s website www.top100wines.com which contains full details of the judging criteria, conditions of entry and a current listing of all award winners from last year’s competition.

Barossa’s stories inspiring environmental best practice BAROSSA’S WINEGRAPE growers are forging ahead with modern viticultural practices to prepare for the changing climate – highlighted with the first launch of a poignant sixpart video series that demonstrates Barossa’s environmental best practices. The video series, entitled Environmental Champions of the Barossa is an initiative of the Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA), which represents Barossa’s 550 independent grape growers and 170 wine brands. Nicki Robins, BGWA viticultural development officer, said being able to deliver a succinct, simple message was important. “The issue of climate change is so big and scary – and the amount of information so overwhelming – people sometimes just switch off,” Robins said. “Our strategy of working with all our community to better prepare for a changing climate is to work from the ‘ground up’ and engage people through inspirational stories. “If the actions of certain growers can affect change in the behaviour of their neighbours or peers, then that will help build the momentum for the good of the region.”

Funded by Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges (AMLR NRM), the video series was launched on Tuesday at the AMRL NRM session Smarter Farming on Adelaide’s Doorstep at the Climate Adaptation Conference hosted by NCCARF and CSIRO at the Adelaide Convention Centre this week. Robins said the conference illustrated how the climate is changing. “Growers are responding by improving the ‘resilience’ of their vineyards to mitigate the highs and lows of these extreme conditions.” The video series, filmed by renowned photographer, Dragan Radocaj, featured viticulturist Prue Henschke, Barossa wine grape growers Anthony Scholz, Evan Gobell and Sam Dahlitz, Eden Hall viticulturist Dan Falkenberg, and Barossa-based SARDI principal research scientist Dr Michael McCarthy. The videos tell each growers’ environmental ‘story’ and will be available on the Barossa website www.barossa.com and BGWA’s own website www.barossadirt.com. The BGWA also recently joined McLaren Vale’s Sustainable Australia Winegrowing program to further record, benchmark and communicate positive actions for the natural environment.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

The latest news from Queensland Ridgemill Estate winemaker claims bursary prize RIDGEMILL ESTATE winemaker Peter McGlashan was awarded the prestigious Queensland Winemaker Bursary in July. The bursary, which aims to prepare Queensland winemakers by developing and finessing their sensory analysis capabilities, will see McGlashan take part in an Advanced Wine Assessment Course at the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide. “It’s a pretty amazing prize,” McGlashan told The Stanthorpe Border

Post. “It’s a great opportunity for Queensland winemakers, because it’s an expensive course and there’s not too many of us that get the opportunity to do it for nothing.” McGlashan’s interest in wine peaked when he moved to the Granite Belt around 18 years ago and began working for two of the founding families of the modern Granite Belt wine industry in a variety of roles. In 2004, he was appointed winemaker

at Ridgemill Estate where he remains today finessing and producing wines that have received accolades locally, nationally and internationally. To qualify for the bursary, McGlashan presented three wines he had created, along with a written piece about his visions of Queensland’s wine industry. “It was just a matter of having a look at the wines and just putting forward the wines that really are the best that we have,” he said.

Australia’s finest wine sparkles as it makes history at Queensland wine show

Grand Champion Wine of Show winner - Derek Burden representing House of Arras (Chief Judge David Bicknell in the background sampling the sparkling).

A TASMANIAN wine has made history by becoming the first sparkling to take out The Courier-Mail Grand Champion Wine of Show at the Royal Queensland Wine Show (RQWS) Awards announced at the Brisbane Showgrounds in July. The quality of the House of Arras 2007 Grand Vintage has been described by Chief Judge David Bicknell as being “up there with some of the great champagne houses”. “The complexity and depth was outstanding, it’s just such a high quality product,” he said. “It’s rare for sparkling wines to get the recognition in wine shows they often deserve.” The historic Stodart Trophy for ‘best young red of show’, went to Yabby Lake in the Mornington Peninsula for their 2015 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir.

12 Grapegrower & Winemaker

It’s the first time in recent history a Pinot Noir has taken out the Stodart Trophy, with Shiraz usually dominating. “The Pinot Noir managed finesse and power at the same time, which is very tricky to get right in that variety,” Bicknell said. “It shows where we’ve managed to get to in making pinot noir in this country in a relatively short time, even the South Australian judges were voting for it.” A total of 1,801 entries were received from 243 wineries in some of Australia’s top wine regions including the Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley, Margaret River, Tasmania and the Granite Belt in Queensland. Bicknell said it was great to see a cross section of winning wines from across the country with no state dominating the awards. www.winetitles.com.au

“The competition was very close which delighted the judges, as the wines were all at the top end,” he said. Representing the home state, Symphony Hill took out the ‘best Queensland wine of show’ award with their 2013 Reserve Petit Verdot and were also named ‘most successful Queensland exhibitor of show’. Symphony Hill winemaker Mike Hayes said the win was “surreal” for him and his winemaking team- Tom Battle, Erin Wilkinson, Ian Dopson and Belinda Gray. “What we set out to do was to make beautiful wines that were high quality and for everyday people,” he said. “It’s further testament now that the Granite Belt is the best wine region in the world. “All the wineries are producing outstanding wines of world class quality, consistently.” The 26 strong panel of expert judges were also pleased to see alternative varieties doing well, along with the fine wines from small producers. “It was good to see alternative varieties like Roussanne winning a trophy,” Bicknell said. “The quality of some of these alternative varieties has greatly improved - they’ve moved from being a bit of a circus show to being part of the main show. It’s also great to see small producers from far flying corners winning trophies, alongside the large companies.” This was Bicknell’s first year at the helm of the prestigious competition, after taking over the chief judging role from PJ Charteris. “It was a pleasure to be the chief judge of the competition which has gone through significant positive change in the last three years and I look forward to adding to these improvements,” he said. August 2016 – Issue 631

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14 Grapegrower & Winemaker

AUSTRALIA’S wine sector recorded increases in the average purchase price of winegrapes and its overall crush this year, according to the Vintage Report 2016 released yesterday at the 16th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference. The report, released by Wine Australia, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and Wine Grape Growers Australia, showed an increase of six per cent in the national crush to an estimated 1.81 million tonnes. The report also found the average price paid for winegrapes grew by 14 per cent to $526 per tonne across Australia, the highest average price since 2009.

It is vital that this positive trend continues and that all in the wine sector are focused on continuing to build demand in key markets The increase in the weighted average purchase price was supported by an increase in the amount of fruit sold in the top graded categories of above $1500 per tonne. Andreas Clark, Wine Australia chief executive officer, said it was encouraging to hear reports of outstanding quality translated into an increase in the average purchase price. “In the last 12 months, we’ve seen Australian wine exports grow to $2.11 billion and the strongest growth has been in wines of $10 or more per litre FOB. This increased enthusiasm for our fine wines internationally is helping to support a stronger demand for premium fruit in Australia,” Clark said. “The positivity for Australian fine wine is resonating within our key export markets and we’ll continue working closely with our grape and wine community to increase the demand and the premium paid for Australian wine.” The report showed the amount of premium fruit sold for more than $1500 per tonne increased to account for seven per cent of the total crush this year. Premium Shiraz in the top graded categories of more than $1500 per tonne rose to 13 per cent of the variety’s total crush and the national average price per tonne for Shiraz increased by 14 per cent. Similarly, premium Cabernet Sauvignon in the top categories grew to nine per cent of the variety’s crush and its national average price increased by 17 per cent. Overall, the average price paid for red winegrapes increased 13 per cent to $651 per tonne and white winegrapes grew 12 per cent to $398. Tony Battaglene, Winemakers’ Federation of Australia Acting CEO, said the Vintage Report showed the weighted average price has increased over the last two vintages. “It’s not uncommon to see peaks and troughs across vintages due to different factors such as fluctuations in demand,” he said. “However, this year, there is an increase in pricing for the second consecutive year and an increase in the overall crush, which is encouraging. We need to remain pro-active as a sector

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

Wine Australia to continue to grow demand, particularly in our key export markets of the United States and China.” Vintage Report 2016 also found the average purchase prices for winegrapes increased across most Australian wine regions. The warm inland wine regions increased eight per cent to $313 per tonne and cool/temperate regions grew four per cent to $1,196 per tonne. Andrew Weeks, Wine Grape Growers Australia executive director, said the increase in average prices was a positive development for the Australian grape and wine community. “There is still much work to do, but with recent improvements in key markets and firming in winegrape prices across the nation, there is reason for cautious optimism,” Weeks said. “It is vital that this positive trend continues and that all in the wine sector are focused on continuing to build demand in key markets.’ The crush decreased overall in warm inland wine regions, with a two per cent increase in the Riverland offset by a two per cent decline in Murray Darling–Swan Hill and four per cent decline in Riverina. The overall national increase in the crush came from growth in many cool/temperate wine regions, including a 57 per cent increase from Langhorne Creek, 27 per cent in Tasmania, nine per cent from Margaret River, and two per cent from King Valley. The data for the Vintage Report 2016 was collected by Wine Australia through the Wine Sector Survey 2016 and gathered responses covering an estimated 88 per cent of the crush. The report provides price dispersion read-outs and average purchase prices for varieties in more than 40 Australian wine regions.

Regional crush

Vintage report 2016

2,168 0.1%

39,055

926,430

51%

National crush

348,441

1.81 million tonnes

Fruit price

19%

416,966 23%

Premium fruit sold for above $1500/tonne has increased to

14%

The increase in the overall national crush came from growth in many cool/ temperate wine regions.

per tonne

1.26 million tonnes

Cool/temperate regions

0.6%

Top 5 red varieties 255,074

20%

111,959

20,299

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Pinot Noir

Petit Verdot

$684

$652

$433

$891

$350

17%

406,028

100,769

73,372

11%

Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc

$382

21%

Price per tonne

The complete Vintage Report 2016 is available to download from www.wineaustralia.com/winefacts.

26%

Crush in tonnes 47,860

Shiraz

14%

548,000 tonnes

Top 5 white varieties

Crush in tonnes 430,185

of the national crush

$1196

$313 Warm inland regions

0.6%

Murray Darling–Swan Hill

per tonne

Regions

10,214

$526

The average price paid for wine grapes is the highest since 2009.

63,933

$553

64,066

56,710

Pinot Gris & Grigio

Semillon

Muscat Gordo Blanco

$619

$345

$219

11%

Price per tonne Data from the Wine Sector Survey 2016, collected by Wine Australia Full report available at: wineaustralia.com/winefacts

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people & places

Irina Santiago-Brown, winner of Viticulturist of the Year 2015; Briony Hoare, finalist of Owner Operator of the Year 2015 and Rose Kentish, winner of Winemaker of the Year 2015. CREDIT: Milton Wordley.

Australian Women in Wine Awards back for 2016 THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IN WINE AWARDS (AWIWA) returns in 2016 to give recognition to and acknowledge the work of women in the Australian wine industry. With statistics indicating that female participation in some areas in Australian wine (notably winemaking and viticulture) remains as low as eight to 10 per cent, the aim of the awards is to pursue greater gender diversity and become a driver for change. Jane Thomson, Australian Women in Wine Awards founder, launched the awards last year and said her favourite result of the event was kick-starting an important conversation in the wine industry. “We are thrilled that the Australian Women in Wine Awards is already having a strong and positive impact on the discourse around gender equality in the wine industry,” Thomson said. “But there’s so much more to do.” Thomson said the awards were an important event for both men and women to be able to recognise outstanding women in the wine industry. “If there is ever going to be a shift on gender equality both men and women have to be involved in the process,” she said. “The awards provide a platform for these important conversations and reinvigorates the subject.” Thomson said the awards shine a spotlight on women in wine, who would otherwise remain in the dark. “If we don’t see and hear about women in the wine industry, they are not visible,” she said, “Our aim is to make them visible.”

It is critical that we encourage more women to enter and stay in winemaking in Australia 16 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Rebecca Duffy from Holm Oak Vineyards who won the AWIWA 2015 owner/operator of the year award said women of the wine industry deserved to have their efforts recognised. “There are many amazingly talented women working in the Australian wine industry and having an award to recognize their achievements in a traditionally male dominated industry is a positive initiative for the Australian wine industry,” Duffy said. Irina Santiago-Brown from Inkwell Wines took out the AWIWA 2015 viticulturist of the year award said the conversation about women in wine goes beyond sexism. “Sexism is a side effect of an industry that is dominated by men,” Santiago-Brown said. “The challenge is to find ways to encourage and increase the number of women with work boots and purple hands in vineyards and wineries in Australia.” Santiago-Brown said the awards were an excellent forum for celebrating women who in a one way or another were able to succeed in the wine industry, showing that it is possible. “Hopefully, this becomes inspirational to other women to become part of the wine industry and to make a difference,” she said. “The Women in Wine Awards is a step towards the normalisation of the wine industry towards an equal representation of genders.” Santiago-Brown said being named as the inaugural Women in Wine viticulturist of the year made her feel “amazing and happy”. “My journey in viticulture has been a happy journey but also a tough one,” she said. “I came from a business administration and international relations background, working for government straight into a masters in viticulture, followed by a PhD in another country, in another language. The award was a great reassurance that I made a great decision in changing career and moving to Australia.”

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

Rose Kentish, AWIWA 2015 winemaker of the year, said there was a pressing need to engage with women in the wine industry. “It is critical that we encourage more women to enter and stay in winemaking in Australia,” she said. “By doing so, we can help to build a diversity in style, offer a sound career for women, create visible role models for young women, offer mentors for current women winemakers – the list of benefits is endless. The AWIWA is the number one vehicle to champion this issue.” The workplace champion of change was one award category open to both men and women. The award represented an individual who promoted equal opportunity, a workplace free of sexism and bullying and fair consideration to those who decided to have children. Dianne Laurance of Laurance Wines in Margaret River was the inaugural winner of the champion of change award. “We need to do more of applauding women and their accomplishments here in Australia,” she said. Thomson said 2016 winners will again be announced in a unique series of virtual awards night events held throughout the country on Tuesday 15 November. “This year we are not only working hard to continue pushing the cause but we also want to include even more women in the awards process by expanding the categories and making the entry process even easier,” Thomson said. Along with the winemaker of the year, viticulturist of the year, owner/operator of the year and workplace champion of change, Thomson said there were two new award categories. “The cellar door operator of the year and the researcher of the year have been created for women who conduct important wine industry research, and those who work at the front line

The Women in Wine Awards is a step towards the normalisation of the wine industry towards an equal representation of genders educating thousands of wine loving customers who visit winery cellar doors across the country,” she said. Conducted under the auspices of The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society and chaired by Society founder, Jane Thomson. Together with Thomson, the awards will be conducted and judged with the assistance of an advisory board made up of some of Australia’s wine leaders; Toni Carlino, Samantha Connew, Jeni Port, Corrina Wright. This year Rebekah Richardson and Brian Walsh also joined the board. Thomson said the nomination process will be similar to last year. “We want people to nominate peers, colleagues and those who inspire them by tapping them on the shoulder,” she said. “Women often don’t think of themselves as deserving of these awards, so being ‘tapped on the shoulder’ will hopefully give people a big hint to then nominate themselves for an award.” Entries will open 30 July 2016 and close 3 October 2016. Each wine region and city is being encouraged to host an event. Interest in hosting or attending an event for the awards night can be registered on the AWIWA website: womeninwineawards.com.au

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

people & places

Clare Valley captured A STUNNING COLLECTION of photographs featuring the Clare Valley wine region highlighted a photographic exhibition titled Palate and Pixel which was launched in July 2016 at the National Wine Centre. Photos by South Australian photographer John Kruger, showcase the characters, personalities and stories of the Clare Valley and the project was an initiative of the Clare Valley Winemakers Inc. to create a library of photos that capture what goes on behind the scenes. There would not be a photographer in Australia more in love with Riesling, so bring Kruger and the Clare Valley together was a perfect match. “I knew most of the people and I knew it would be fun,” Kruger said. “Plus I got to taste a few cracka Rieslings along the way!” “It’s all about the people and trying

to get the character across. There are always plenty of characters behind the scenes in a winery, whether it is people from overseas who are just there for one vintage or the big boss rolling their sleeves up to help. “I was able to get photos of grubby hands and blokes who’d done 14 hours’ worth of vintage work. “All of that makes it more ‘legit’, these are the real people in their real roles.” Some of the inspiration came from having seen some archive photos of Clare wine industry legends in their younger days. “We managed to recreate a few with the same location and set-up, but unfortunately nobody fitted into the original denim shorts.” Kruger said one of the more challenging shoots was done at night at Kirrihill with green fluoro lights to work

around. He said those photos have an industrial, gritty feel and they challenge the idea there saying “there’s no romance in stainless steel”. “It’s good to know the photos will be used, to see them out-and-about not just tucked away in the archives.” Matthew Lawson, the Chair of the Clare Valley Winemakers said the photographic exhibition will be an inspirational display of the Clare Valley. “The images aim to inspire the audience to reflect the passion, love and labour that goes into producing premium wines that the region is renowned for,” Lawson said. “We are thrilled with the quality and originality of the photos. John Kruger has done a wonderful job, beautifully capturing the region through a series of professional and creative images and portraits,” he said.

Sam Barry, Tom Barry and Peter Barry

Liz Heidenreich, Sevenhill winemaker

Kelvin Budarick, Paulett winemaker

18 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Angus Wardlaw, Kirrihill Wines assistant winemaker www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

news

Casella Family Brands brought the world to the Barossa The key to success is telling the world about our unique Australian wine story and the talented and passionate grape and wine community behind it. CASELLA FAMILY BRANDS’ recent ‘growing our future’ conference showcased Australia’s regionality and diversity to key influencers from around the world. Altogether, 140 delegates made their way to the Barossa from more than 30 countries for the event. It was part of the wine company’s education process for its global importer and distributor partners and the key theme was based around what makes Australia unique as a wine producing country. Across three days, delegates were immersed in the Australian wine industry in order to generate renewed enthusiasm for Australian fine wine. In the Barossa they visited premium vineyards, met local winegrape growers and enjoyed unique food and wine experiences. John Casella, the managing director of Casella Family Brands, was thrilled to be able to share his knowledge and passion with the company’s global partners. “The Australian wine landscape is one of the most diverse and impressive in the world,” he said. “With our family of premium brands from Australia’s most-renowned regions we now have an extensive portfolio of regionally distinct fine wines with an excellent expression of purpose and place. “By sharing our stories with key partners from around the world, we are giving them the tools they need to champion the exceptional quality and diversity that exists within Australia when they return to their markets.” An impressive line-up of experts from Australian wine and tourism industries were also invited to present to the delegates, including: Andreas Clark, CEO Wine Australia; Brian Croser of Petaluma

20 Grapegrower & Winemaker

MORRIS MOVES INTO CASELLA FOLD Casella Family Brands has purchased of Morris Wines from Pernod Ricard Winemakers. While the sale price has not been revealed, the deal includes the winery, cellar door, 80 hectares of vineyards and the Morris of Rutherglen brand. John Casella said there would be no significant changes at the Rutherglen winery. “Morris Wines is an iconic Australian winery and one of the greatest fortified wineries in the world, with over 150 years of history and winemaking tradition,” John Casella said. “I believe we are well placed to build on the strength of the brand and cellar door experience to ensure Morris Wines continues its legacy.”

Frank Casella, Daniel Casella (Casella Family Brands commercial director), John Casella (Casella Family Brands managing director), Margaret Lehmann, Andreas Clark (Wine Australia CEO) and Brian Walsh (Wine Australia chair)

and Tapanappa fame; Matt McInnes, GM of Consumer Marketing at Tourism Australia; Larry Lockshin, Professor of Wine Marketing at the EhrenbergBass Institute; Carolyn Miller, Managing Director of The Honeycomb Effect; and Lulie Halstead, Chief Executive Wine Intelligence. The guest speakers shared their insights about the future opportunities for the Australian fine wine industry. There was also a ‘mini trade show’ with wines from the range of wineries which make up Casella Family Brands presented for the guests to experience. Andreas Clark said it was important for Australia to engage with representatives from key international markets. www.winetitles.com.au

“It is great to see events like the Casella Family Brands global conference taking place as a way of promoting Australian wine overseas,” Clark said. “We need to build on the positive momentum currently surrounding the Australian wine industry, as key influencers from around the world begin to re-appraise Australian fine wine. The key to success is telling the world about our unique Australian wine story and the talented and passionate grape and wine community behind it.” While the winery conference did not receive financial support from Wine Australia, the organisers said it was “brilliant” to have Andreas Clark and Brian Walsh as part of the event. August 2016 – Issue 631

WineEng 2016 The 2016 Winery Engineering Association conference will be presented in McLaren Vale in September. It will concentrate on many aspects of wine production and will attract winemakers, engineering and maintenance staff, bottling and packaging management, general management as well winery suppliers. The common goal for those who attend is to ensure that the Australian wine industry remains competitive both in the domestic and global markets. The conference keeps key operational staff up to date with the latest global technological advancements, ensuring the Australian wine industry retains its competitive edge wherever possible.

Winery Engineers

Conference 2016

Winery Engineering Association 2016 National Conference & Exhibition Innovations for smarter solutions WineEng 2016 THE 2016 WEA CONFERENCE and Exhibition WineEng 2016 will be held at the Serafino Winery in South Australia’s McLaren Vale region across September 7 and 8. The conference is a significant and unique event on the wine calendar, concentrating on many aspects of wine production and aimed at production operations personnel (winemakers, engineering and maintenance staff, bottling and packaging management, general management as well winery suppliers). The common goal for those who attend is to ensure that the Australian wine industry remains competitive both in the domestic and global markets. The conference keeps key operational staff up to date with the latest global technological advancements, ensuring the Australian wine industry retains its competitive edge wherever possible. Registration for the conference and associated exhibition opens at 10am on Wednesday 7 September, the conference will then commence at 10.30am and with a welcome from Ben McDonald, the WEA President, and the keynote address from John Ide, the Yalumba Wine Company winery operations manager. Ide will present his views of the changes he has witnessed in the Industry across his career and will discuss how important it is for wine companies to continue to innovate and look for smarter solutions in order to remain successful and sustainable for the long term. The presentation of technical papers will follow Ide’s keynote address. The 2016 National Conference theme, ‘innovation for smarter solutions’ will focus on ways in which wineries can improve productivity and reduce costs, by applying innovative and intelligent solutions wineries can increase their potential to add value to their products via improved product quality, reduced wastage and improved efficiency. Key speakers will address these issues over two days of presentations which will provide opportunities to share and improve knowledge for the entire winery team.

22 Grapegrower & Winemaker

The variety of presentations will also provide many choices for the conference delegate’s interests which can be clearly seen when looking at the following conference program. Following on from the successful educational tasting conducted by the AWRI that was included in last year’s conference program looking at faults and taints a similar educational tasting session will be included in this year’s program looking at a particular red variety with conference delegates being shown the difference in styles from the various grape growing regions in Australia. The 2015 conference which was held at the Chateau Tanunda winery in the Barossa Valley was extremely well attended. Feedback from the conference delegates and visitors to the associated exhibition was also very positive with many of them commenting that they considered the event to be very beneficial to their business in the way that it allowed them to keep abreast of leading edge technological advancements and practices, The standard of this year’s event is expected to be even higher than those previously held and of significant benefit to all who attend. An integral part of this annual event is the great display of products and services available from Australian and international providers. With the conference and associated exhibition being one of the few that is run on an annual basis it also provides an excellent opportunity for annual face to face networking amongst key operational staff coming from wine producers ranging from small boutique operations to those representing large multinational wine companies, the number and quality of trade exhibitors gathered in the one place at the same time also provides a similar opportunity to have face to face discussions with people who are experts in their field and willing to help. The finale to the event will be the conference dinner to be held during the evening of the final day of the

www.winetitles.com.au

conference, the WEA conference dinner is always well accepted and enjoyed by all who attend and once again gives the opportunity for important networking in a relatively informal environment and of course as always there will be a fund raising section to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP A further benefit for delegates planning to attend this year’s event will be the opportunity to participate in a half day pre-conference workshop that is also planned to be held at the Serafino winery during Tuesday 6th September being the day prior to the conference, the workshop will cover technology associated with UV sanitisation of wine storage vessels of all sizes as developed by Alex Farren who is the CEO and founder of USA company BlueMorph based in Oakland, California. Alex will be conducting this workshop as well as participating in the conference speaker program and in the workshop will explain in detail the development and use of this technology in the USA and the potential that it has for wineries in terms of dramatically reducing water consumption and chemical usage. Arrangements are being made to have a UV sanitisation unit at the workshop to give participants a firsthand view of what it comprises of and a demonstration will take place to show what is required to place the unit in a wine tank and undertake the sanitisation process. This event will give participants a unique opportunity to experience the development of an innovative smarter solution for cleaning wine tanks, however participant places are limited so those interested in participating should register as soon as possible. To register, contact: Geoff Leighton E: gpuch39@gmail.com P:0412 971837 or David Clark E: djc@2bigpond.com P: (03) 5358 2059

August 2016 – Issue 631

WineEng 2016 Innovation for Smarter Solutions The National Conference and Exhibition of the WEA

September 7-8, 2016 Serafino McLaren Vale, SA

INNOVATION FOR SMARTER SOLUTIONS This year’s theme will focus on new innovations which will produce smarter solutions in winery design, production and equipment. It is aimed at production operations personnel including engineering and maintenance staff, winemakers, bottling and packaging staff, winery management and suppliers whose goal is to ensure that the Australian Wine Industry remains competitive in the market place.

• Pre Conference Workshop • Two Days of presentations • Utilising Spatial Information in the vineyard & winery • Waterless Sanitisation • Developments in Grape Sorting • Modern Safety Technology • Refrigeration & Filtration • Rapid Extraction Techniques • Using in-line sensors • Closures – Our Changing Understanding • Titanium Filtration • Exhibition of Equipment & Services in the industry • New Products & Services • Optional Site Visits • Wine Tastings

PROGRAM AND CONFERENCE DETAILS www.wea.org.au Contact: Trevorleighton@wea.org.au | Ph. 0417 597 956 Winery Engineering Association Improving Winery Production

Winery Engineers

Conference 2016

2016 WEA NATIONAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM Wednesday 7 September 9am 10.30am – 1pm

Registration and exhibition opens (tea/coffee available) Conference Opening Chaired by Ben McDonald (WEA president)

10.45am

Keynote address John Ide, Yalumba Wine Company, winery operations manager

11.15am

Using spatial information (GIS) for greater decision making in the winery & vineyard Dave Gerner, Treasury Wine Estates GIS specialist

11.45am

Innovation in viticultural machinery Sam Bowman, Bowman Viticulture director

12.15pm

Developments in grape sorting Simon Nordestgaard, ARWI senior engineer

12.45pm

Wine Industry Technical Survey Simon Nordestgaard, ARWI senior engineer

1 – 2.15pm

Annual General Meeting Chaired by Greg Schultz, Rockwell Automation executive account manager While the AGM is for members of the Winery Engineering Association (WEA), non-members are very welcome to attend but are ineligible to vote. Lunch will be available during this brief meeting and you will still have time to talk with exhibitors after.

1 – 2.15pm 2.15 - 3.45pm

LUNCH Display area Early afternoon session chaired by Chris Travers, Travhotech director & WEA committee member

2.15pm

Waterless santisation and a new look at tank cleaning protocols Alex Farren, Blue Morph founder & CEO

2.45pm

Titanium filtration Scott Russell, AMS (Advanced Metallurgical Solutions) director of business & finance

3.15pm

Increase premium wine yields while lowering cooling energy costs Peter McBratney, Climate Wizard (Seeley International) general manager

3.45 - 4.15pm

Afternoon Break Display area

4.15 – 5.15pm

Late afternoon session chaired by Matt Holdstock, AWRI oenologist

4.15pm 5.15 – 6.30pm

Educational tasting Identifying regional differences in a red wine variety Networking and ‘stress relief’ Please note the evening is free for informal networking and there are many restaurants and eating places in the McLaren Vale area including those at your motels. Further information is available at the registration desk with local brochures available.

Thursday 8 September 9.30am 10am - midday 10am

Exhibition opens (tea/coffee available) Session chaired by Ross Wilkinson, Treasury Wine Estates project manager & WEA director/deputy president & secretary Energise your winery: Solar power procurement strategies for Australian wineries toward 2020 David Buetefuer, The Solar Project director of sales & business development

10.30am

Power factor correction Ahmad Amiri, High Technology Control general manager

11.00am

Innovative IoT monitoring systems for predictive fault finding of refrigeration systems Michael Bellstedt, Minus40 principal

11.30am

End of the man-made miracle – looking over the horizon at refrigerants Adrian Dickison, Beca NZ technical director

Midday – 1.30pm

LUNCH Display area

1.30 – 3pm

Session chaired by Vince O’Brien, AWRI business development manager & WEA committee member

1.30pm

Rapid extraction techniques for red wine production Simon Nordestgaard, AWRI senior engineer

2pm 2.30pm

Using in-line sensors to monitor sugar levels during fermentation Tadro Abbott, AWRI project engineer Closures – our changing understanding Eric Wilkes, AWRI Commercial Services group manager

3 – 3.30pm

Afternoon Break Display area

3.30 – 5pm

Session chaired by Ian Walsh, Rockwell Automation SA/NT sales manager & WEA committee member

3.30pm

Mass serialisation through the Internet of Things (IoT) Deon Englebrecht, Rockwell Automation information solutions executive for Asia Pacific

4pm 4.30pm

Modern safety technology in wineries Justin Farrell, NHP Electrical Engineering specialist Real, resilient leadership Jo Marshall, Programmed Property Services general manager SA/NT CONFERENCE DINNER

6.30pm 7pm

Pre-dinner drinks Dinner MC’s: Greg Schultz, Rockwell Automation, and Jo Marshall, Programmed Property Services In the tradition of WEA conference dinners there is a BYO arrangement to encourage everyone to bring their own wines to share at the dinner. For those who have forgotten to bring something from their own winery/region, you may purchase wine at the dinner.

24 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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Conference 2016

Presentations: TITANIUM AND ITS USE IN FILTRATION

the impacts of trace metals on wine, oxygen impacts during fermentation, impacts of bulk wine transport and improved methods for the analysis of wine.

Scott Russell AMS Filtration – Director of Business & Finance

Russell has been a CEO in the Renewable Energy Sector and has had a keen interest in the Water sector for more than 15 years. He has vast experience in commercializing technologies, manufacturing, management consulting and corporate finance. Russell has a Bachelor of Economics, Post Graduate Diploma of Management, Master of Business Administration and is completing a Master of Applied Finance.

Presentation abstract:

Titanium is the fourth most-abundant structural metal and is always bonded to other elements in nature. It is a biologically inert material that is present in most igneous rocks and sediments derived from them. Titanium is obtained from various ores which exist in many countries including United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Norway, Ukraine and Vietnam and many others. The presentation will discuss Titanium’s physical properties; production process; and industrial applications. A case study will be presented on Titanium impact and role in filtration and its performance characteristics within industry.

CLOSURES – OUR CHANGING UNDERSTANDING Eric Wilkes AWRI – Group Manager/Research Scientist

Wilkes has worked for more than 19 years in wine and beverage production and research, working in senior technical roles for Rosemount Estates, Fosters and P&N Beverages. For the past five years he has been Group Manager of Commercial Services at AWRI which involves the management of a range of world leading analytical laboratories and engineering and scientific project teams as well as leading a range of research projects. He is chair of the Interwinery Analysis Group, a member of the analytical method working group of the APEC Wine Regulatory Forum and the co-author of a book on wine laboratory analysis. His current research interests include

Presentation abstract:

Across the past few decades the range of closure that are available to the wine industry has increased significantly, along with the claims and counter claims around their benefits for the storage and maturation of wine. The Australian Wine Research Institute has conducted a number of significant closure trials over the past 10 years. These trials have provided an understanding of the impact that closure selection can have on wine development and consequential shelf life, highlighting the role that oxygen and volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) can play in this. This presentation will highlight the present understanding of the impact of closures on these processes and our knowledge of the underlying drivers.

INNOVATIONS AND OPTIONS FOR GRAPE SORTING Simon Nordestgaard AWRI – Senior Engineer

Nordestgaard has worked in wine industry research and development for 12 years. This has included an engineering PhD relating to grape pressing and projects on heat stability, refrigeration efficiency, lees management, and wine transport. He has a passion for winery process and equipment innovation and has taken a particular interest in recent years in developments in grape sorting and rapid extraction technologies.

Presentation abstract:

The past 20 years have seen many developments in automated grape sorting equipment. Combinations of vibrating screens, roller screens, air-jets, density baths and optical selection have been employed. Technologies have also been integrated as a second stage on new generation shaking winery destemmers, and both destemming and sorting equipment have moved onto some machine harvesters. This presentation will discuss technological developments in destemming and sorting technology in the vineyard and winery.

NITROGEN THAT WILL NEVER RUN OUT

August 2016 – Issue 631

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RAPID EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES FOR RED WINE PRODUCTION Simon Nordestgaard AWRI – Senior Engineer

Presentation abstract: Conventional red wine production requires the use of relatively expensive fermentation tank designs or large amounts of labour to manage skin extraction and tank emptying. Vintages are becoming shorter with grapes ripening closer together. Existing red fermentation capacity may therefore increasingly become a process bottleneck. An alternative approach to conventional red fermentation is to perform some or all skin extraction rapidly prior to fermentation by using heat, thereby allowing shorter residence times in existing red fermentation tanks and/or the use of simpler tank designs for red fermentation. Using heat to accelerate extraction is not a new concept but understanding and equipment have evolved over time. This presentation will consider some of these developments and the winemaking outcomes that can be realised with different process conditions.

REAL TIME FERMENTATION MONITORING Tadro Abbott AWRI – Project Engineer

Abbott is a Chemical Engineer who has been working in the wine industry with the AWRI for the last 5 years. His role involves both assisting wineries and suppliers with projects to improve or verify their practices, as well as larger scale engineering research funded by the industry. This has included projects on fermentation monitoring and simulation, winery transfer minimisation, lees processing, bulk wine transport and

environmental life cycle assessment. Abbott is also heavily involved in the Australian wine industry’s environmental assurance program, Entwine Australia, at a technical level. His professional interests include environmental management, graphical information systems, winery fermentation and packaging performance; while his personal interests include music production and sustainable living.

Presentation abstract:

Fermentation is a natural process and, as such, it is subject to natural variation and resulting process challenges. Fermentation is often a bottleneck in the winemaking process and if the process is not well controlled, operations can become capacity constrained and wine integrity can be jeopardised. Despite this, most ferments are only monitored on a daily basis using relatively basic parameters. The use of process sensors for monitoring ferments is commonplace in other industries, such as beer production. However, there has been limited adoption in the wine industry, primarily due to the challenges that the fermentation medium brings. As a result, fermentation is still a problematic process for the Australian wine industry. Measurement tools that can be applied both on-line and off-line offer a significant opportunity for the wine industry to reduce labour and analysis costs and exert greater control of ferments, by having immediate access to ferment data in a more effective manner and in a more accessible form. This can result in improved product consistency, better resource utilisation, greater throughput and lower costs. A number of technologies typically applied to fermentation processes will be presented and case studies will be used to identify common challenges to implementation in the winemaking process as well as the benefits that can be realised from their use.

END OF THE GOLDEN WEATHER? INNOVATION, TRENDS AND THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL REFRIGERANTS Adrian Dickison

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Beca – Technical Director

Dickison leads Beca’s industrial refrigeration activity in New Zealand. A former employee of York Refrigeration (now Johnson Controls), Dickison has designed many large refrigeration systems and latterly has been active in the specification of new cold store facilities, including New Zealand’s first CO2 cold store. Dickison brings a strong safety focus to refrigeration including the safety auditing of ammonia facilities and the use of reduced ammonia charges. Dickison’s other activities include general process engineering and nickel mining and smelting environmental projects.

Presentation abstract:

With Europe leading the charge as ever, the future of the remaining synthetic refrigerants is not far off. This talk looks at the remaining synthetic options and whether or not we should bypass them and focus on the natural refrigerants that will inevitably have to replace them. Most large wineries will be already using ammonia, but small wineries may have to “plunge the cap” and migrate to natural refrigerants. Happily, the diversifying market is providing a number of safe and economic solutions. Smaller wineries will be able to take advantage of new low charge natural refrigerant package chiller units and larger wineries will be able to improve inherent safety with lower ammonia charges. Much of the change will be driven by responses to climate change including the re-introduction of carbon taxes and the first cost of new synthetic refrigerants. At some time in the future the tipping point will move towards natural refrigerants at all capacities

www.winetitles.com.au 13/07/2016 12:39:07 PM

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WATERLESS SANITIZATION AND A NEW LOOK AT TANK CLEANING PROTOCOLS Alex Farren BlueMorphUV LLC – CEO and founder

Farren graduated with distinction and earned a degree in Biochemistry in 1999 from McGill University. He worked in Canada and California before he found himself working a harvest in 2010 at a small winery. When not in the lab, he helped with general cellar duties including the cleaning and sanitizing of tanks. It was then he came up with the concept to use germicidal ultraviolet light to replace the chemicals and water used to sanitize tanks. He partnered with an optical scientist and they began working on a solution that would work within the industry. Finally, BlueMorph teamed up with the Tom Beard Company, where they applied their proprietary patented application to come up with units suited to the needs of the cellar.

Presentation abstract:

This presentation will begin by discussing the historical uses of ultraviolet light as well as current applications. Following that, a very brief explanation of the germicidal mechanism of UVC will be given in order to enrich the understanding the audience may have for the way by which UVC inactivates microorganisms, it will also allow for a better understanding of how the effectiveness can be measured and tested (which is vital to ensure the safety of the product). The key portion of the presentation will relate the approach BlueMorph took in applying UVC light to the wine industry, the various obstacles that had to be overcome and the successful

August 2016 – Issue 631

deployment of effective units as well as comparisons to current protocols using traditional sanitizers (peracetic acid, chlorine dioxide, ozone, steam, etc.). Next, the true ramifications this technology has demonstrated on the entire tank cleaning and sanitizing protocol will be discussed. BlueMorphUV LLC has performed trials demonstrated that 100% of the chemicals can be eliminated much of the time for tanks and that tank cleaning/sanitization should be done based on the condition of the tank (tartrate presence, pumice, juice, finished product). The implications are huge with massive savings in water, chemicals, disposal costs, labour and occupational hazards. This will allow the audience to see how much can truly be saved with this new application of a proven technology and how the quality of tank sanitization and cellar hand health can be vastly improved. Tank cleaning and sanitization is the most water taxing activity within a winery, the goal is that this become the industry standard and that the water issues can be alleviated globally.

INNOVATIVE IOT MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR PREDICTIVE FAULT FINDING OF REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS Michael Bellstedt Minus40 – Principal

Bellstedt studied mechanical engineering in South Africa, and holds a Ph.D.Eng in Thermal Engineering. He founded Minus40 in the year 2000 after many years in Germany and Australia within the refrigeration contracting industry. Bellstedt is a frequent public speaker at industry events, panellist and contributor of editorial material.

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He has served on a number of industry working groups and committees, and is actively involved with industry associations that serve related industry sectors.

This talk discusses trends in manufacturing that have driven safety to become an integral part of machinery and looks at how that fits into today’s wine production.

Presentation abstract:

Conventional reactive or preventative maintenance strategies for refrigeration, cooling and heating applications are expensive and are often ineffective at preventing product or quality losses as a result of equipment failure. Modern IoT (Internet of Things) solutions are both effective and cost effective in reducing the costs of maintenance and consequential damages due to such equipment failure by alerting to impending failure, rather than to the consequences of failure. Such systems use remote monitoring techniques in combination with cloud-based advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence routines to identify and predict equipment failure prior to the event. This allows planned corrective action rather than emergency repairs in response to equipment failure. Such IoT systems are easily retrofittable to existing equipment and are non-invasive, i.e. they do not interfere with existing system controls or automation systems. This presentation will provide a technical insight into how IoT solutions work and why this will change the way maintenance of refrigeration, cooling and heating systems will be managed in the future.

MACHINE SAFETY MATURING IN THE TECHNOLOGY AGE Justin Farrell NHP Electrical Engineering – Specialist Manager

With 25 years in Industry Farrell has used his Electrical Engineering background to develop Safety Solutions for a variety of industries including Food and Beverage, Mining and Oil and Gas. He has been working with machinery and process safety since 1999 and in 2006 Farrell became a TUV certified Functional Safety Engineer. In recent years Farrell has been able to share his safety knowledge across an even wider spectrum as the leader of NHP’s Technology Specialist Group encompassing Process Automation, SCADA systems, Hazardous Areas, Energy Management as well as Machinery Safety. A self-described wine lover Farrell has seen both sides of the counter in numerous wineries, tasting for relaxation but also solving safety challenges in areas such as bottling and packaging. He works closely with our sponsor Rockwell Automation who are leaders in Safety Innovations for smarter solutions.

Presentation abstract:

Machine Safety is a bit like wine. In the late 90s the first dedicated machine safety standard AS4024 was just being released. Like a first release from a young vine, it was quite tight but showing potential and certainly better than nothing at all. Fast forward to 2016 and it’s been developing now for some 20 years. The way we apply safety to our machines has evolved similarly. 20 years ago safety was really just bolted onto machines as an afterthought. A bit austere to those just wanting to get on with what they needed to do and make things. Today manufacturers like Rockwell Automation have blended safety into pretty much everything they do, whether it be access gate handles, programmable controllers or variable speed drives the idea is that much like a good blend with just the right oak, it becomes seamless to the structure but enhances the overall result.

28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

REAL, RESILIENT LEADERSHIP Jo Marshall Programmed Property Services – General Manager SA/NT

Marshall (B.Bus, Dip Franchising) is currently the General Manager SA/NT for Programmed Group. She has had more than 15 years experience leading teams in a diverse range of industry sectors including Grocery, Pharmaceutical, Health and Fitness and trade related sectors. In many of her roles she has pioneered organisational change around increasing the presence of women in leadership and modernising working cultures. At Programmed she is responsible for a team of 210 and has achieved world class employee engagement across that group who operate throughout SA and NT. She has a strong commitment to diversity in the workplace which means her team includes a wide range of people from different backgrounds, gender, ethnicity and needs. She has presented to industry sector groups and is involved in advisory panels to State government on the topic of job creation and inclusive leadership. Marshall’s end of conference presentations have become a tradition at the WEA Conference. Being a passionate leader of people Jo will be talking about how more and more organisations and professional bodies around Australia and the world are increasing their focus on the well-being of their members. Increasing pressure and stress in the workplace, it has been proven that stress related symptoms not only impact on people’s ability to function on a day to day basis, but also upon our physical health and wellbeing. As she does every year, Marshall (previously Stagg) will challenge our thinking about how we can be better leaders and this year she will focus on the power of being real and being resilient. She will challenge the conventional notions of power in management and will get us thinking about the meaning of resilience and how we can manage our competing daily challenges to build resilience in ourselves and our teams. In accordance with tradition Programmed will once again be offering refreshments for those who join this session after a long day in the conference room.

MASS SERIALISATION THROUGH THE “INTERNET OF THINGS” (IOT) Deon Englebrecht – Rockwell Automation / Geoff Nunan – Nukon Deon Englebrecht, Rockwell Automation’s Information Solutions Executive for Asia Pacific, is an Information Solutions Executive at Rockwell Automation in the Pacific. He has more than 20 years’ experience in providing sustainable information solutions to the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, food & beverage and consumer packaged goods industries. His expertise lies in continuous improvement strategies, total quality management, constraints management, advanced process control, total quality management, lean and six sigma. Geoff Nunan, Nukon Principal Consultant, works with customers to create value through the innovative use of Information Technology. Specialising in manufacturing and logistics, Nunan works across production processes, packaging, quality management, supply and demand planning, logistics

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and Operational Analytics. As a founding partner of Nukon Pty Ltd, Nunan now works within a team of over 20 consultants delivering value to customers across Australia and internationally.

Presentation abstract:

Our valued customers face tremendous pressure to continue to be relevant in the market while managing cost so they can compete on the global stage. One of the key methods for achieving this is to find ways to achieve new levels of innovation and productivity. Successful manufactures and governments are investing in initiatives such as Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 to deliver this promise for their organisation and productivity of their countries. In this presentation we will explain how to safely connect information across the plant floor to an enterprise network that in turn can transform the efficiencies of your supply chain. We call this “The Connected Enterprise”. “The Connected Enterprise” is Rockwell’s interpretation of Smart Manufacturing and focuses on how you can take advantage of information generated on your plant floor to make better decisions, faster. As a global manufacturer, we face the same challenges you see every day. By implementing The Connected Enterprise in our own operations, we’re now more agile and flexible, we’re able to make faster, smarter decisions so we have better control and we have a standardized approach across our global facilities.

GEA Westfalia Separator Australia Pty Ltd

INCREASE PREMIUM WINE YIELDS WHILE LOWERING COOLING ENERGY COSTS

No. 1 Wine Centrifuge

Peter McBratney Seeley International – General Manager Climate Wizard

As a professional engineer, McBratney has been involved in most facets of manufacturing from initial employment as a project design engineer, through production supervision and management, quality assurance, national sales and general management. After an extensive and rewarding career that culminated in owning and running his own manufacturing business for nine years, Peter sold the business and in mid-2002 joined the board of Directors of Seeley International. After five years on the board Peter resigned as a director. In 2009, Peter returned to Seeley International in the role of General Manager Climate Wizard, where his focus has been to guide the development, product release and promotion of Climate Wizard indirect evaporative air conditioners, now a proven technology that has been adopted across the world.

The GSC Series Centrifuge 

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Presentation abstract:

The use of the indirect evaporative air conditioning system for cooling barrel storage facilities represents a new and innovative application of the technology, which has been proven in hundreds of installations in other applications. This innovative system can provide very effective cooling at a fraction of the operating cost of refrigerated systems because it has reduced energy consumption. Furthermore, it maintains a high humidity in the cooled space, which can minimise wine evaporation losses. Installations of this lower energy requiring technology may obviate the need for power supply upgrades. The system is environmentally friendly because it contains no hazardous or expensive refrigerants, and can reduce the winery’s carbon footprint. It creates a fresher and cleaner working environment in the barrel store, and is designed, manufactured and supported in Australia. August 2016 – Issue 631

GEA Mechanical Equipment GEA Westfalia Separator Australia Pty Ltd 47 Northgate Drive, Thomastown, Victoria 3074 Phone: 03 8877 9924, Fax: 03 9464 5455 Mobile: 0408 322 524 Email: kevin.dawe@gea.com, www.gea.com

engineering for a better world

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ENERGISE YOUR WINERY: SOLAR POWER PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES FOR AUSTRALIAN WINERIES TOWARD 2020

USING SPATIAL INFORMATION FOR GREATER DECISION MAKING IN THE WINERY & VINEYARD Dave Gerner

David Buetefuer

Treasury Wine Estates – GIS Specialist

The Solar Project – Director of Sales & Business Development

Gerner is a native Adelaidian with a background in environmental management and spatial sciences. Following seven years as Director and principal consultant with Avante Mapping, Dave made the switch to Treasury Wine Estates in 2014 to take on a role as GIS Specialist. In his time with Treasury Wine Estates Gerner has been instrumental in applying spatial and precision viticultural technologies to the wine industry, in a time when agriculture is beginning to capitalise on the benefits of location intelligence. As an avid technologist and advocate for all things spatial and cartographic, Gerner has successfully rolled out numerous spatial programs at Treasury Wine Estates that are delivering value via greater quality wines, produced in a sustainable and safe manner.

Buetefuer has 13 year’s continuous experience in the Solar Industry in Business Development, Project Management and Consulting roles. He is the founder and co-owner of The Solar Project, and Wine Industry Suppliers Australia award-winning national contracting and consulting services business headquartered in South Australia. His solid understanding of commercial project development and delivery, technology limits and pathways to successful implementation and market acceptance has seen The Solar Project deliver some of the Wine Industry’s largest solar energy projects to date. Working with his business partner and Director of Engineering Theo Strecker since 2008, he has helped deliver numerous iconic projects including Australia’s first MW scale solar photovoltaic power generation facility. Buetefuer and Strecker are joint authors of Energise Your Business: Solar Power Procurement Strategies for Australian Corporates Toward 2020, Publishing October 2016. Buetefuer returns to WineEng 2016 after well attended and received presentations in WineEng 2014.

Presentation abstract: Solar power generation has become a mainstream mitigation strategy for a number of Australian Wineries for dealing with energy market price volatility, and a handy way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In many parts of the country it is now cheaper than grid energy and the rollout of solar energy is on. Technical viability is clear and demonstrable, but designing projects focussed on optimising financial viability based on individual site conditions and corporate objectives has proven hit and miss for many in the industry and vendor claims can often prove wildly off the mark. “Energise Your Winery” explains how to cut through the competing claims related to commercial solar projects, and shares lessons from some of Australia’s first movers with solar in the Australian wine sector. Attending engineers will be introduced to a simple yet powerful, framework to assist evaluation of a solar projects’ feasibility from a capital or operational procurement perspective and avoid the mistakes that even the best have made.

Proudly Australian Made AMS Filtration 24 Cooroora Crescent PO Box 333 Lonsdale, SA 5160 Australia

30 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Presentation abstract: Treasury Wine Estates are proud to have been pioneers and ambassadors for spatial technologies within the agricultural sector, and have been using GIS within the business since the late 1990s to manage their land, grape supply and natural assets. The business has been through a number of changes in the past decade with mergers, demergers, changes in business management and, typical of agriculture, responding to the dynamic whim of market fluctuations and changing supply and demand for wines across the globe. Technology plays a major role in taking the guess-work out of decision-making, especially in a time when climate change is driving rapid change in agricultural practice and the certainty of delivering consistent products. To this end GIS is a pivotal technology for the supply side of the business, with many emerging commercial applications becoming more evident. Dave will discuss the various core applications of GIS within the wine industry and how this has supported TWE’s capability for securing a sustainably viable wine business for decades to come. The Winery Engineering Association provides a forum for those who engineer the winemaking process and is intended to compliment the existing forums for Winemakers. For more einformation about activities and membership, visit www.wea.org.au.

AMS Viti-flow Ti© Crossflow Filtration

AMS SmaRtDV Ti©

• Robust, non-tainting asymmetric Titanium membrane with low shear crossflow that is gentle on wine • Consistently cleans back to day-one condition • High wine yields – designed for minimal wine loss • High flux rates minimize heat pickup • Even higher yields in combination with the SmaRtDV© • Titanium membrane compatible with aggressive cleaning regimes • Simple operation, durable membrane and economical operation

• Asymmetric Titanium microfiltration membrane • No filter media required • Outstanding separation and dewatering • Simple operation, durable membrane and economical operation. • Fully enclosed, oxygenfree option available

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Sales: sales@ams100.com Technical: technical@ams100.com August 2016 – Issue 631

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Innovation for Smarter Solutions WEA National Conference & Exhibition – Exhibitor listing Aggreko Australia Pacific

AMS Filtration Exhibitor booth: 4 AMS is the sole manufacturer of the world’s smallest diameter and longest continuous length sintered Titanium microfiltration membrane as well as the world’s only Titanium Rotary Drum Vacuum (RDV) membrane microfilter. They offer semiautomated and fully automated crossflow filtration systems, gas spargers and membrane retrofit on existing crossflow systems. AMS is a wholly Australian owned and operated company in Adelaide with more than 18 years of experience in powder metallurgy. They use advanced manufacturing techniques to produce their patented membrane and filtration systems. For more information, please visit: www.ams100.com Contact: Gilbert Erskine Phone: 08 8326 7823 Mobile: 0419 810 285

Exhibitor booth: 21 Contact: Natalie Delaps Phone: 03 9586 5047 Mobile: 0419 989 114 Email: natalie.delaps@aggreko.com.au

compressed air installations. Atlas Copco is your partner for all your nitrogen and compressed air requirements. Contact: Jonas Holmdahl Phone: 02 9621 9795 Mobile: 0417 799 366 Email: jonas.holmdahl@au.atlascopco.com

Byford Fluid Solutions Atlas Copco Compressors Exhibitor booth: 3 Atlas Copco provides nitrogen generation equipment and energy efficient air compressor solutions for the wine industry, with a focus on operational and energy efficiencies. Our on-site nitrogen generators will help you become self-reliant by enabling you to produce your own nitrogen at purity levels of up to 99.999%, and substantially reducing your cost of nitrogen. Our nitrogen generators commonly have a return on investment in as little as 18 months. Our energy efficient air compressors can deliver energy savings of up to 50% compared to traditional

Exhibitor booth: 6 Contact: Nathan Rowbottom Phone: 03 5482 0622 Mobile: 00427 682 043 Email: manager@byfordfs.com.au

CAPS Australia Exhibitor booth: 14 Contact: Paul Issai Phone: 03 8527 6842 Mobile: 0410 489 718 Email: paul.issai@capsaust.com.au

“With the PolarCryo unit we can achieve cold stabilisation in less than two days, with little or no potassium bitartrate required.”- Julie Montgomery, Dorrien Estate (Wine & Viticulture Journal, 2013)

Over 40 years of innovation and technology in winemaking solutions. Our extensive product range includes crushers/destemmers, pumps, presses, flotation systems, filters, storage, stabilisation, refrigeration and fermentation equipment, as well as complete turnkey solutions.

dtpaciﬁc.com • ph: +61 3 9924 4040 • fax: +61 3 9924 4041 • email: info@dtpaciﬁc.com August 2016 – Issue 631

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Continental Water Systems

JMA Engineering Pty Ltd

Exhibitor booth: 24 Contact: Erin Buckingham Phone: 02 8814 2800 Mobile: 0404 935 952 Email: erin.buckingham@continentalwater.com.au

Exhibitor booth: 19 Contact: Mark Johnson Phone: 08 8582 9500 Mobile: 0408 822 434 Email: mark@jmaeng.com.au

Creekwood Projects

Minus40 Pty Ltd

Exhibitor booth: 13 Contact: Angela Wallis Phone: 08 8285 6881 Mobile: 0400 775 576 Email: creekwp@bigpond.net.au

Exhibitor booth: 12 Contact Linda-Sue Karkowski Phone: 02 8850 4811 Email: linda-sue.karkowski@minus40.com.au

MTA Australasia

Della Toffola Pacific Exhibitor booth: 22 Serving both large and small wineries and vineyards, as well as many other food/beverage producers, Della Toffola has over 50 years of experience in winemaking, food and beverage production equipment, packaging lines and stainless steel processing. The extensive Della Toffola winemaking equipment range includes crushers/ destemmers, pumps, presses, fillers, labellers, flotation systems, filters, storage, stabilisation, refrigeration and fermentation equipment, as well as complete turnkey solutions. With an emphasis on innovation, Della Toffola has developed exclusive and unique technologies to produce higher quality wines, make the winemaking process more efficient and environmentally friendly. Contact: Roberto Cea Phone: 03 9924 4000 Email: robc@thebeveragefoodgroup.com

GEA Westfalia Separator Aus P/L Exhibitor booth: 23 GEA Westfalia Separator is a global technology leader in the manufacturer of high-performance centrifuges to the wine/beverage/food industry with over 100 years’ experience. GEA Westfalia Separator is a market leader in the wine industry and supplies centrifuges for juice, wine, sparkling wine clarification, lees processing and a special process for tartrate stabilisation. Sustainable success is the best basis for long term co-operation; this is why we are consistently working on innovative solutions to strengthen our competitive edge. This approach has made us the global technology leader in mechanical separation technology and we are continually working on keeping it this way. Contact: Grace Del Grande Phone: 03 8877 9999 Mobile: 0400 078 081 Email: grace.grande@gea.com

32 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Exhibitor booth: 5 Contact: Soula Groves Phone: 03 9702 4348 Mobile: 0409 944 436 Email: csgroves@mta-au.com

Oomiak Exhibitor booth: 1 Oomiak is a leader in winery refrigeration in Australia. A full service provider in industrial refrigeration from tailored design and professional engineering to installation and ongoing maintenance. Oomiak’s technicians and engineers are handpicked and have spent many years specialising in the sector. They operate from Oomiak’s fully equipped workshops, and are qualified to work with Freon, ammonia and secondary refrigerant systems and major equipment brands. Oomiak has teams in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Mildura, Perth and Rockhampton and works with customers throughout Australia and Asia. We know refrigeration in the winery industry and as a result we work with wineries on large capital works right through to small projects. Contact: Ashleigh Fechner Phone: 08 8231 5800 Email: ashleigh.fechner@oomiak.com.au

Pentair Flow and Filtration Solutions Exhibitor booth: 9 Contact: Colin Tume Phone: 64 7958 7183

services together with a flexible approach to meet your individual needs. Plus we can also tailor payment schedules to suit budgetary requirements. Our services include: • Grounds maintenance and landscaping; • Painting; • Signage, fit-out and branding; • Audio visual; • Building services and repairs; • Data communications; • Electrical; and • Sustainability. Contact: Jo Marshall Phone: 08 8346 9944 Mobile: 0417 054 135 Email: jo.stagg@programmed.com.au

Rockwell Automation Exhibitor booth: 15 Contact: Anne-Marie Ward Phone: 03 9896 0607 Mobile: 0407 556 747 Email: award@ra.rockwell.com

Roxset Exhibitor booth: 20 Contact: Susan Hutchinson Email: susan@roxset.com.au

Seeley International Exhibitor booth: 11 Contact: Oksana Pure Phone: 08 8328 3229 Mobile: 0416 222 734 Email: opure@seeleyinternational.com

Travhotec Pty Ltd Exhibitor booth: 2 Contact: Chris Travers Phone: 08 8240 3029 Mobile: 0407 976 033 Email: trav@travhotec.com.au

Winetitles Exhibitor booth: 10 Maria Stephenson Phone: 08 8292 0888 Email: sales@grapeandwine.com.au

Xylem Water Solutions Australia Programmed Property Services Exhibitor booth: 17 Every day Programmed empowers organisations just like yours to concentrate on growth, expansion and profitability. As a leading property services and maintenance provider, we offer a comprehensive range of

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August 2016 – Issue 631

Wine Australia for Australian Wine

Another big step on the road to a national germplasm collection Dr Mark Thomas’s first job as a Postdoctoral Fellow with the CSIRO was to develop an objective way to identify grapevines using DNA markers known as microsatellites or SSRs. It quickly became the accepted method globally. Twenty-five years on, he has developed an even better system and is about to use it to take perhaps the biggest step yet towards equipping Australia to create a national winegrape germplasm collection.

Institute (SARDI) – have not been fully accessible to the Australian grape and wine community for several years. As a precursor to the new project, four key things happened in 2013. First, the then GWRDC commissioned a review to document what germplasm collections existed and examine best-practice germplasm management in other industries. The final report noted not only the number of different varieties, but also that some pre-phylloxera heritage material is probably unique to Australia. individual

‘For each He will lead a twovariety in Australia, such ‘We do know that year project, funded as Cabernet Sauvignon, by Wine Australia, some of the varieties – we want to compare our to DNA profile – and at least in the CSIRO examples with ones from collection, based on thus confirm the France, Italy and Germany, work done many years identity of – around if we can find them’ 500 unique varieties ago – don’t exist in the and nearly as many French collection or clones currently held anywhere else, simply in collections around Australia. because they were early imports into Australia and they’ve been lost and don’t This will be an international project that exist in Europe anymore’, Dr Thomas will also include collections in France, said. Italy and Germany. Following the release of the review, Germplasm collections house the mother Wine Grape Growers Australia formed a vines that are used to stock source Germplasm Management Working Group blocks, which then provide cuttings to be to develop a business plan for the future propagated by nurseries for on-sale to management of the various collections. commercial vineyards. At about the same time, GWRDC funded Being able to authenticate a variety’s two other projects: one to develop an identity and source is important in Australian Vine Quality Standards Australia, given our stringent label Scheme for Vine Assurance and the integrity provisions, but there has been other for Dr Thomas to evaluate a growing concern in the sector about the new marker type for DNA identification health status, management and future know as SNPs (Single Nucleotide of numerous grapevine collections and Polymorphisms). source blocks. SNPs will be used to assess all The two biggest germplasm collections – varieties as part of the new project. It’s those managed by CSIRO and the South a sophisticated technology and not that Australian Research and Development August 2016 | www.research.wineaustralia.com

difficult or time consuming to use. The complexity comes with the task at hand. ‘For each individual variety in Australia, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, we want to compare our examples with ones from France, Italy and Germany, if we can find them’, Dr Thomas said. ‘And in theory they should match. ‘We expect there to be some mismatches. We know from the scientific literature, based on the DNA markers that have been used so far, that all collections are finding errors.’ The reason is historical. All national collections were created before DNA typing existed; everybody relied on where they got something and what they believed it to be, which was supported where possible by ampelographic assessment. And that’s what was recorded. Dr Thomas is less concerned with what discrepancies might exist overseas than with creating a definitive list of what Australia owns and uses. The question for the Australian grape and wine community will then be how it wants to use that list, and what sort of germplasm collection(s) it wants to create.

www.research.wineaustralia.com | August 2016

Managing Australia’s grapevine assets for a prosperous future

Wine Australia invests in research and development into Australia’s grapevine germplasm collections as a key element to supporting the competitiveness of the Australian grape and wine community. In July 2013, Wine Australia released a commissioned review that examined what Australian grapevine germplasm collections exist and the best-practice germplasm management in other sectors (project GWR 1112).

Wine Australia taking a leading role in delivering the outcomes.

our collections is important for our competitiveness.

As a first step towards a coordinated management approach, the need for unambiguous identification of varieties and clones held in key germplasm collections is considered to be the highest priority.

Through our increased understanding of epigenetics, we know that over time the selections that now exist in Australia have adapted to our environment since their original importation, so the potentially valuable traits in pre-existing selections may not be present in new cuttings from the same vines imported from overseas collections.

A major reason for this is risk management, as Australia could not necessarily rely on importation of grapevine material to meet future needs ‘Maintaining our current for major replanting collections of heritage and or vineyard pre-phylloxera varieties is redevelopment also important, as these are following natural unique assets that provide disasters, biosecurity a point of difference for issues etc.

Following the release of the review, Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA) formed a Germplasm Australian wine and they Management represent a valuable resource In such cases, Working Group in further grapevine breeding quick access to that developed reliable grapevine programs.’ a business plan material of known for the future origin and identity management of would be crucial Australian grapevine collections. and quarantine requirements may make importation impractical in terms The plan identified the need for national of timeliness and cost. However, there strategic oversight of Australia’s are many other reasons why preserving grapevine foundation assets, with

August 2016 | www.research.wineaustralia.com

Maintaining our current collections of heritage and pre-phylloxera varieties is also important, as these are unique assets that provide a point of difference for Australian wine and they represent a valuable resource in further grapevine breeding programs. Wine Australia will work with the sector to preserve and manage access to grapevine germplasm resources to support a prosperous Australian grape and wine community.

For more information, visit www.research.wineaustralia.com

Researcher in focus: Dr Alastair Reed Where wine meets genetics and big data An Australian winemaker going to Argentina to tell wine economists about the potential of ‘big data’ to understand consumer wine choices is a little out of left field – and the back story is even more surprising. Alastair Reed studied science, majoring in genetics and forest science at the University of Melbourne in the late 1990s, before moving into a role with the Victorian Government’s firefighting authority. When he decided to return to university to complete a PhD he combined his two areas of academic interest by looking at the dynamics of tree populations and how they are adapting genetically to climate change. Four years later, the now Dr Reed did a bit of consulting work in agro-forestry (farm-based forestry), but a new passion had been kindled through a chance meeting.

Meanwhile, the academic in him started ‘day dreaming about the inefficiencies of the classic vox pop approach we use’ to gauge wine tastes. ‘With teaching and running the winemaking degree we do a lot of wine surveys looking at different attributes of wine and I always found it a strange process where you get together a small sample of people, as random as possible, and then you provide them with wines and they give feedback’, he said. ‘I always thought that bottle shops and other retailers are accumulating massive datasets that are really telling us about every possible trait in wine on the front line where there is actually money being handed over, so it’s a true test of someone’s opinion.’

He got hold of a couple of datasets The coordinator (proportional sales, ‘I always thought that of the viticulture not actual raw bottle shops and other and winemaking figures, but good retailers are accumulating degree at the enough for the massive datasets that are Northern Melbourne really telling us about every purpose) and an Institute of TAFE Honours student possible trait in wine on (now Melbourne completed a proof the front line where there Polytechnic) was of concept study to is actually money being studying part-time see if sales details handed over, so it’s a true at the university showed the impact test of someone’s opinion.’ and Dr Reed helped of the weather. her in the lab. She They did – Shiraz mentioned there was lecturing work sales increased, but Sav Blanc fell as at TAFE, he got a position teaching temperature dropped. entomology, found his way into the wine ‘I then thought “how far can we take course teaching the science component, this” and that’s where my genetics then took the coordinator’s job when she background informed the method. left. I was looking at the datasets, which His previous experience wasn’t were these specific sales for each day, wasted, however. ‘As a forester you and it was exactly the same as genetic are constantly talking to different frequencies in populations that I used to segments of the industry who have analyse. So I thought, surely we can use different points of view. Looking back, the same analytical tools to look at a it was a good training ground for the geographic distribution of wine tastes.’ wine sector where one minute you’re He plugged in preference data from talking to growers and the next talking to different bottle shops and started to distributors.’ reveal how different populations in At TAFE, Dr Reed got increasingly Melbourne are related based on their involved with the commercial winery on varieties. He talks about a Chardonnay campus, and it is now one of the places corridor and a Riesling belt. where he and partner Sam Cook – a ‘What really surprised me was how, former student – make Shiraz, Semillon, if you look at the genetic tree of Chardonnay and a little Tempranillo Melbourne based on their varietal under their Konpira Maru label (which preference, it is almost a perfect will mean something to fans of Ninja distribution of Melbourne. I can tell Warrior). which suburbs are next to each other or

demographically similar based purely on their varietal preference.’ Assisted by a travel bursary from Wine Australia, Dr Reed presented his findings at last year’s annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Mendoza and he has since generated interest at home and abroad. He is negotiating to get hold of further datasets to continue testing the potential of his model and during August will travel to Chile to collaborate with likeminded academics he met in Mendoza and then again at this year’s AAWE conference in Bordeaux. And in September, he and Sam will be making wine in Majorca. Applications for Wine Australia’s travel and visiting scholar bursaries are available to the Australian grape and wine community. For more information, visit www. research.wineaustralia.com/researchdevelopment/applying-for-funding/ Applications for travel between 1 January and 30 June 2017 close on Friday 7 October 2016.

www.research.wineaustralia.com | August 2016

VinSites: Insights from vine to glass Wine Australia would like to introduce VinSites to the Australian grape and wine community. VinSites is a free-to-use, web-based tool where winegrape producers can store their vineyard and vintage information, and measure and compare their performance against regional aggregates over time. VinSites is currently being piloted in Western Australia and the Riverland, and winegrowers and winemakers in all other regions are encouraged to register their interest.

Image 1: All vineyards within a region are detected by satellite. The red areas denote all the vineyards detected within the Riverland region.

To date, each vineyard in the Riverland and Western Australia has been identified and mapped in VinSites using satellite technology and wineries have provided production data about their intakes during vintage 2016, including grower identification numbers but not the growers’ names or addresses or any other identifier. Now vineyard owners in the pilot areas can ‘claim’ their vineyard in VinSites and enter their own specific varietal, harvest, rootstock, block and water information. They can also link their vineyard information with the relevant production data from the wineries. This will provide winegrowers and winemakers with accurate and timely information about yields by variety and by region. Is VinSites data collection mandatory? Entering data into VinSites is not mandatory. Once vineyard owners claim their vineyard it will be matched with the known crush information. It is then up to each individual how much extra information they wish to enter for their vineyard. The more information entered, the more accurate and valuable the reports and comparisons become for the owner. Providing a service to levy payers Currently, the wine sector has access to many disparate data repositories, all with slightly different content or out-ofdate information. VinSites will provide an accurate single source of truth for all wine producers

Wine Australia for Australian August 2016 | www.research.wineaustralia.com Wine

Image 2: The vineyard block boundaries are automatically detected with VinSites.

Image 3: Every vineyard row is detected and identified within VinSites for the appropriate varietal and rootstock information to be entered by the vineyard owner.

to access – no more unreliable or unconfirmed data. The information entered will come straight from the user, in as much or as little detail as they choose. The user can choose who sees what: what the public see, what other growers see and what Wine Australia can see.

Winegrape producers nationally are encouraged to register to receive regular updates and participate at VinSites.wine or by scanning the QR code below.

The information will give grape and wine producers an insight into their position in the sector, but the value they get out of VinSites will only be as good as the details they enter. Wine Australia will review the pilots in Western Australia and the Riverland before the national rollout, which is planned for 2017.

Wine Australia Industry House cnr Botanic & Hackney Roads Adelaide SA 5000 | PO Box 2733 Kent Town SA 5071 T: 08 8228 2000 | F: 08 8228 2066 | E: research@wineaustralia.com | W: www.research.wineaustralia.com

Facing challenges; and optimising quality A summary of information shared at the ninth International Cool Climate Wine Symposium Tony Proffitt from AHA Viticulture/Precision Viticulture Australia, Dunsborough, WA attended the 9th International Cool Climate Wine Symposium held in Brighton, UK during May 2016. This article provides a brief summary of information shared between delegates. For more information, you can access a copy of the Abstract publication or slide presentations which have been uploaded to the ICCWS2016 website.

SINCE 1984, grape and wine professionals have met every four years to discuss issues surrounding the growing of grapes and the production and marketing of wine from cool climates. These symposiums have become key events where new research and innovative techniques are presented alongside tastings of wines made from different varieties across a range of styles. More than 550 delegates gathered in Brighton, Sussex, from May 26-28 to discuss the latest research; to learn and engage with practitioners and academics; and to taste wines. Only three people have attended all symposiums since inception and all three were present. These are Richard Smart (Smart Viticulture, UK), Don Neel (Practical Winery & Vineyard, USA) and Jon Leighton (retired UK wine producer). Across the three day event there were 28 sessions presented by 29 guest speakers and 62 delegate speakers. There were also 48 posters available to view. During the symposium there were tastings of English sparkling wines, facilitated by Essi Avellan from Finland, and English still wines, facilitated by Oz Clarke from the UK. Delegates also had the opportunity to visit Plumpton College which is the UK’s main centre for wine education, training and research. The symposium was privileged to have two well-known wine judges, writers and commentators to give the opening and closing keynote addresses – Jancis Robinson and Jamie Goode.

Jancis Robinson delivered one of two keynote addresses. Photo Julia Claxton

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UK WINE INDUSTRY During the 350 years of Roman occupation, there is evidence to show that vines were grown in England. However, the archaeological remains of equipment for wine production is missing. By the time of the Norman conquests, wine was being made at a number of monasteries and the Domesday Surveys (1086-87) record viticultural activity at 42 locations. The start of the modern era of viticulture began in 1946 when it was shown that some French-American hybrids and earlyripening German varieties could be grown successfully in the open and wine could be produced at commercial scales. In the late 1960s the rate of vineyard expansion increased so that by 1975 the total vineyard area was 196 ha and by 1993 it was 1065 ha. However, by 2004 the total area under vine had fallen to 761 ha as a result of the British public buying and drinking wines from the New World. In the mid-1980s the climate in the south of England began to change which made existing varieties (e.g. Műller-Thurgau, Reichensteiner and Bacchus) and hybrids (e.g. Seyval Blanc) easier to ripen, thereby allowing higher quality, predominantly still wines to be made. During the 1990s there were significant plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier which paved the way for the current surge in sparkling wine production. In 2015 there was about 2000 ha of vineyard which is forecast to reach about 3,000 ha by 2020. August 2016 – Issue 631

Greg Jones, Southern Oregon University USA, and Hans Schultz, Geisenhein University Germany, at the Emerging Cool Climate Regions session. Photo Julia Claxton

CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY Hans Schultz (Geisenheim University, Germany) and Greg Jones (Southern Oregon University, USA) discussed climate change and how it has shifted the regional distribution of wine producing areas in the world with the result that there are ‘new’ cool climate producers appearing on the map. They examined the development of cool climate regions over the past 50 years

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and then looked into the future potential over the next 50 years. Even though temperatures are increasing, factors such as day length, solar radiation, the adaptive capacity for photosynthesis, winter chill and spring frosts, water supply, and the suitability of varieties and rootstocks must also be taken into account. Cornelis van Leeuwen (Bordeaux Sciences Agro, France) provided insight into current research and the tools required for managing climate-based variability in the vineyard and winery. In his presentation he made the point that adaptation to a changing climate is possible but necessitates modifications to both plant material and management techniques. Monika Christmann (Geisenheim University, Germany) discussed how traditional viticultural and oenological practices in cool climate regions may no longer be appropriate to deal with the impacts of climatic change. As a result, the OIV has responded and adopted various technologies to deal with the challenges. Alistair Nesbit (University of East Anglia, UK) discussed modelling work that has identified suitable areas for viticulture in the UK that have lower degrees of growing-season variability.

NEW VARIETIES FOR COOL CLIMATE REGIONS Reinhard Töpfer (Institute of Vine Breeding, Germany) provided insight into recent developments in grapevine breeding programs using markers and the analysis of the grapevine genome. Several powdery and downy mildew resistance genes are now available and marker-assisted selection has improved the monitoring of their performance. Genetic analysis of further traits will accelerate the selection of new cultivars and the breeding of new resistance into Vitis Vinifera. Vine protection in cool climate regions Pat Bowen (Agri-food Research Centre, Canada) discussed vineyard techniques to support the production of high quality wine grapes in regions prone to either winter freeze damage or delayed budburst and crop development due to low growingseason temperatures. Trials have shown that the application of polythene sleeves to vine cordons help to trap heat, advance

38 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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budburst and accelerate shoot and bunch development which results in earlier fruit maturation and fruit quality. Richard Smart (Smart Viticulture, UK) presented his trial work on the use of translucent plastic sheeting to protect fruit and basal leaves from low temperatures, wind, rain, dew and fungal diseases in UK vineyards. Results show that these ‘cloches’ improve yield, fruit ripening and fruit/wine composition. Jim Willwerth (Brock University, Canada) shared his knowledge about an interactive, on-line, web-based platform called VineAlert. This is a cold hardiness database and risk management system that is helping growers from around the world to decide when to apply temperature mitigation/freeze avoidance methods. André Hoffmann (Geisenheim University, Germany) discussed his work in defining, characterising and quantifying factors related to frost hardiness in grape vine varieties. His findings show that there are differences between varieties. Paul Read (University of Nebraska, USA) explored the use of vegetable oil and naphthaleneacetic acid sprays as a method to delay bud burst as a strategy to avoid frost or cold injury to grapevines.

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‘Optimising Cool Climate Wine Styles’, International Cool Climate Wine Symposium 2016, Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Photo Julia Claxton

stages where berries assimilate, accumulate, degrade and redistribute amino acids. Initial results using Nanostring nCounter technology were presented. Glen Creasy (Lincoln University, New Zealand) showed results where leaf removal three weeks after fruit set resulted in higher flavanol concentration in Pinot Noir vines. Low leaf area to crop load ratios were not found to be beneficial for fruit composition. Pangzhen Zhang (Melbourne University, Australia) presented information on the influence of ‘terroir’, vine management and physiological responses in the production of rotundone. Models have been developed to allow real-time estimation of rotundone production in berries during the growing season and in final wines.

PESTS AND DISEASES Mark Sosnowski (SARDI, Australia) discussed the latest developments in grapevine trunk disease detection and management. The focus was on cool climate diseases such as Eutypa dieback, Botryosphaeria rot and Phomopsis which generally affect mature grapevines and Petri disease and black foot which generally affect young vines. Moustafa Selim (Geisenheim University, Germany) introduced delegates to Esca which is another significant grapevine trunk disease with no control options at present. He provided details of a new approach to improve the phytosanitary status of propagating material during the production process. Wayne Wilcox (Cornell University, USA) presented information on Sour rot and Botrytis rot and discussed management options, as well as the integration of knowledge into decision support systems. Robert Beresford (Institute for Plant & Food Research, New Zealand) discussed Botrytis Decision Support which is an on-line suite of interactive tools for predicting Botrytis rot. Beate Berkelmann-Löhnertz (Geisenheim University, Germany) outlined a new approach for combatting Botrytis in the vineyard using UV-C irradiation. Gareth Hill (Institute for Plant & Food Research, New Zealand) presented a new ‘app’ (RotBot) as an alternative methodology for quantifying the level of Botrytis rot in vineyards. Xiangming Xu (East Malling Research, UK) discussed the

40 Grapegrower & Winemaker

use of an integrated approach to Botrytis management using fungicides with bio-pesticides. Pallavi Mokekar (Oregon State University, USA) told delegates about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. Three bugs per bunch can taint wine to above its consumer rejection threshold, with destemming and pressing being major contributors to the taint. Winemaking practices to control taint levels include the use of bentonite, yeast cell walls, gelatin, egg albumin and potassium caseinate. Vittorio Rossi (Rossi Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy) discussed recent advances in our understanding of links between pests, plant growth, vineyard management and weather conditions. A new generation of mechanistic models are now available which can produce accurate and robust predictions for inclusion in decision support systems. Andrew Landers (Cornell University, USA) presented information on a newly patented spray device which allows air and liquid flow to vary in accordance with changes in canopy characteristics. Dean Metcalf (Biocontrol, Australia) discussed how a combination of two strains of Trichoderma can be an effective and environmentally friendly way to manage Botrytis rot in the vineyard. Mary Retallack (Retallack Viticulture, Australia) provided an insight into how native insectary plants boost beneficial arthropod populations to enhance the natural biological control of a number of common vineyard pests.

VINEYARD SOILS Michela Centinari (Pennsylvania State University, USA) discussed soil management practices with a primary focus on cover cropping. Her research has shown that an understanding of vine root responses assists grape growers make more informed groundcover management decisions. Randolf Kauer (Geisenheim University, Germany) has looked at the benefits, or otherwise, of organic viticulture for wine business entrepreneurs. His findings suggest that organic viticulture/wine production is mainly driven by non-financial reasons. Glen Creasy (Lincoln University, New Zealand) provided

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August 2016 – Issue 631

some results on the impact of reduced irrigation on vine and fruit development grown on different soil types. Matthew Goddard (University of Lincoln, New Zealand) discussed how he used genetically different populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae derived from different regions to show that populations differentially affect wine phenotype. This suggests that vineyard micro-organisms contribute to regional differences in wine.

NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES Tony Proffitt (AHA Viticulture, Australia) looked at commercially-available and emerging technologies which can be applied in the vineyard to save time/costs and to add value to the final product. Topics covered included pruning and harvesting machinery, sensing technologies and the application of spatial data, ‘apps’ and robotics. Javier Tardaguila (University of Rioja, Spain) presented a video of a new robot (VineRobot) that has been developed for monitoring aspects of vine physiology and grape composition using non-invasive sensing technologies. Maria Diago (University of Rioja, Spain) presented the VitisFlower ‘app’ which can be used to determine the number of flowers per inflorescence under field conditions. Marty Fischer (AgroThermal Systems, USA) discussed thermaculture as a technique to heat vines with the aim of improving fruit set and wine quality, as well as helping to dry leaves and bunches after rain.

ECONOMICS AND OTHER OMICS Kym Anderson (Adelaide University, Australia) explored the economics of cool climate wine production and the economic forces that are altering the global competitiveness of cool climate regions. Estimates of the global importance of cool climate regions were presented which included bearing vineyard area and their geographic distribution and wine grape varietal specialisation. Ma Huiqin (University of Beijing, China) outlined the role of various omic techniques in helping researchers to understand how quality attributes in wine grapes are formed and regulated. The collection and analysis of various forms of omic data is likely to provide an opportunity to improve vineyard practices in order to better manage berry quality.

Oz Clarke hosts the ‘English Still Wine Tasting with Oz Clarke’ session, International Cool Climate Wine Symposium 2016, Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Photo Julia Claxton

MANAGING PHENOLICS James Kennedy (California State University, USA) explained why phenolic compounds are so important to the overall quality of wine and why phenolics in wines produced from fruit grown in cool climates can be particularly variable. His presentation provided information on recent developments in grape and wine phenolic management. Angela Sparrow (University of Tasmania, Australia) presented an innovative skin fragmentation technique that increases skin-derived red wine phenolics. The technique provides a viable alternative to maceration techniques. James Harbertson (Washington State University, USA) compared the effects of regulated deficit irrigation, extended maceration and the ‘saignée’ (bleeding) method of winemaking on the phenolic content of Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Gary Pickering (Brock University, Canada) presented practical options for winemakers when faced with grapes or must containing high methoxypyrazine levels. Anna Mansfield (Cornell University, USA) presented results on her research comparing traditional tannin extraction methods for hybrid

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Peter Hayes gave an overview of the key drivers for attaining uniform and predictable grape production. Photo Julia Claxton

cultivars. The work suggests that there are cultivar-specific stable-state phenolic profiles. Stephane Vidal (Nomacore) discussed the electrochemical method for the rapid analysis of phenolic compounds in grapes and must. Bin Tian (Lincoln University, New Zealand) discussed how the concentration of pathogenesis-related proteins in juice can influence the degree of protein haze formation in wine. It is now possible to predict how much bentonite will be required to clarify wines. Belinda Kemp (Brock University, Canada) discussed nutrient type and timing for low pH base wines during yeast acclimatisation and tirage. The addition of DAP in yeast acclimatisation and yeast culture is often discouraged but results suggest that it can be beneficial in low pH wine compared to addition at bottling. Engela Kritzinger (Institute for Viticulture & Oenology, Germany) discussed the benefits of skin contact and fermentation on skins for white wine production. Short, cool skin contact reduces acidity and increases the transfer of bound aroma compounds into the juice, thereby improving flavour and longevity. Debbie Inglis (Brock University, Canada) discussed the appassimento technique where grapes are further ripened off-vine in order to concentrate flavours and sugars. John Forrest (John Forrest Wines, New Zealand) presented his vineyard strategy to reduce sugar levels in Sauvignon Blanc while harvesting at the normal time with a typical flavour profile and acid analysis.

MICROBIOLOGY Paul Henschke (Australian Wine Research Institute, Australia) outlined current research into metagenomics profiling to reveal the origin and dynamics of microbial communities throughout the grape development and winemaking processes. He also described how traditional and biotechnological techniques are being used to develop novel starter cultures to address the deficiencies in conventional Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeast. Maret du Toit (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) presented information on how to ensure successful malolactic fermentation under low pH conditions and how to use these techniques to drive the aroma profiles of wine. Reni Schneider (Institut Francais de la Vigne et du Vin, France) presented a review on varietal thiols in wine, their aromatic contribution and how they are liberated from precursors present in grapes and must. Hugo Cambell (Lallemand) shed light on the existence of bacterial components associated with given ‘terroirs’ and the possible effects of this on the microbial genomic diversity in quality attributes of regional wines.

42 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Richard Halsted (Wine Intelligence, UK) asked a number of leading questions. What is an emerging market? Who are the new consumers driving growth in these markets? Do we care about new markets and consumers? What needs to change in the way we produce and market wine? He was joined by other experts and together they provided a lively debate centred on these questions. Damien Wilson (Sonoma State University, USA) presented case studies to show how it is possible to adopt traditional marketing practices to benefit the modern wine business environment. Success in e-business requires not only being aware of the latest innovations, but an understanding of how to plan and implement marketing strategies using the technologies. Justin Howard-Sneyd MW (Direct Wines, UK) identified the best ways to market cool climate wines to different consumers and at different purchase points. He described how brand messages should be focused to appeal to different target groups and discussed ways in which to turn wine buyers into cool climate consumers. Willi Klinger (Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Austria) provided insight into techniques to create strong regional brand identities, with a focus on emerging cool climate wine regions. David Menival and Steve Chartres (Burgundy School of Business, France) discussed the challenges of collective brands and used Champagne as a case study region. Natalia Velikova (Texas Tech University, USA) discussed how wine tourism is capable of advancing a wine region’s economy by attracting tourists from across the world. The presentation identified the different types of tourist, strategies to attract first-time and repeat visitors and factors that affect purchasing decisions.

SENSORY Ian Harris (Wine and Spirit Education Trust, UK) argued the case for educational activities in the marketing of wine. Many benefits of wine are only activated when the purchaser knows and cares about a wine’s distinguishing features. Charles Spence (Oxford University, UK) described how recent studies have shown that all the senses, including sound, are important in our perception and enjoyment of wine. 142 delegates were invited to taste wines accompanied by different soundtracks. Analysis of the results showed that sound influenced wine evaluation significantly in terms of body, balance, length, and final grade. Manuel Malfeito-Ferreira (University of Lisbon, Portugal) provided insight into a new tasting approach based on emotional expectations induced after smelling a wine. Wendy Parr (Lincoln University, New Zealand) discussed the potential sources of the mineral character in wines. Elizabeth Tomasino (Oregon State University, USA) discussed retronasal aroma on mouth-feel and suggested that we need to include aromatic compounds. During the Gala Dinner, money was raised for the ‘The Benevolent’ which is the UK trade charity for people either currently working or who have worked in the drinks industry in any role and in any sector. Founded in 1886, The Benevolent’s mission is to help colleagues who are facing serious medical or financial hardship or any other workplace or home difficulties. Foot note: The 10th ICCWS will be held at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. The University is home to the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) which is charged with addressing the research priorities and knowledge transfer of the Canadian grape and wine industry with partnerships across Canada and internationally.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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Selective harvest with a fluorescence optical sensor A study on Sangiovese in Maremma (southern Tuscany) Thanks to vineyard mapping and a precision approach in grape management, it is possible to differentiate the production of a vineyard – or to intervene with farming practices in order to make it more uniform. This report was originally published in Il Corriere Vinicolo and is authored by Valeria Fasoli, viticulture consultant, and Lorenza Tuccio, researcher at the Nello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics - CNR Florence. IN RECENT YEARS, interest in precision viticulture has grown thanks to the significant development of new technology and the ever-increasing need to improve the competitiveness of wineries. The strength of precision viticulture lies in the fact that it enables the survey and management of the spatial variability of vineyards and consequently provides a valid support in reducing management costs, improving grape composition and wine quality. The monitoring techniques used can be divided into two categories: ‘remote sensing’ when measurements are taken from a great distance (aircraft, satellites) and ‘proximal sensing’ when measurements are taken in direct contact with the target or over short distances (manually-controlled portable sensors or mounted on all-terrain-vehicles or machinery). In the former case, vast surface areas can be measured, but in the second case there is a higher degree of spatial resolution. Regardless of how the surveys are carried out, they provide georeferenced maps of the spatial variability of the parameters observed in the plots of land that can provide a valid support to the producer’s decisions.

August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing Table 1: Chemical parameters of Sangiovese grapes picked separately at the harvest

Valeria Fasoli (agronomist) and Lucio Brancadoro (professor DiSAA, Milan)

Parametri

Sangiovese A

Sangiovese B

pH1

755 a

642 b

0.039

pH3.2

275 ns

222 ns

estraibilità

63.8 ns

65.0 ns

DO 208

27.0 a

17.2 b

0.039

Contrib. % tannini vinacc.

59.4 ns

48.3 ns

peso medio acino

2.35 ns

2.15 ns

zuccheri g/L

231.2 a

204.7 b

0.044

alcool prob. 0,058

13.41 a

11.87 b

0.044

341 a

3.26 b

0.044

acidità totale

5.4 ns

5.7 ns

chlorophyll fluorescence

SCREENING EFFECT OF THE ANTHOCYANS

ripening

Figure 1: Attenuation effect of anthocyans on the chlorophyll excitement signal, proportional to their accumulation in the upper cell layers

Figure 2: Localisation area with the highest (in red) and lowest (in green) sugar and anthocyan content according to non-destructive optical measurements (re-elaborated from a Google Earth image)

chlorophyll index anthocyan index

Total Acidity

Sugars

Total acidity Sangiovese A Total acidity Sangiovese B

Figure 3: Ripening curves of sampling grapes in the areas with the highest and lowest sugar and anthocyan contents estimated on the basis of non-destructive optical measurements in the Sangiovese vineyard at the La Corsa estate, in the Il Giardino area, Orbetello Scalo – Grosseto

THE STUDY Very often in the countryside (Photo 1), when faced with rather uniform vineyards, there may be the complex situation of needing to guarantee grape differentiation based on the winemaking and cellar requirements. For example, it may be necessary to separate grapes with higher or lower sugar/acidity levels, or higher concentrations of polyphenols, to obtain wines in line with the winery’s market targets. An effective solution is the use of fluorescence optical sensors within the

46 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Figure 4: Values of the indices of chlorophyll fluorescence and anthocyans of grapes of the Sangiovese cultivar measured in harvest bins. The indices are inversely correlated to the sugar and anthocyan content respectively, therefore the higher the index, the lower their content in grapes. The differences between Sangiovese A and Sangiovese B are statistically significant for both indices (P= 0.001)

field of precision viticulture. Years of studies and data gathered in this field, thanks to research coordinated by Dr Giovanni Agati from the Nello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics of the CNR in Florence, have given a solution that is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. In 2015 an active collaboration began between the authors of this article, which led to a study conducted in Maremma on five hectares of Sangiovese considered uniform, in order to obtain the maximum possible differentiation of production. www.winetitles.com.au

THE CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE OPTICAL METHOD The grapes can be monitored directly in the vineyard using a portable optical sensor equipped with GPS (Photo 2). The bunches are irradiated in sequence by different-coloured lights and a chlorophyll fluorescence signal is recorded for each one, which is used to extract chlorophyll and anthocyan indices in grapes. The chlorophyll index is a direct measurement of the chlorophyll fluorescence that gradually deteriorates with grape August 2016 – Issue 631

ripening inversely to sugar accumulation, whereas the anthocyan index exploits the attenuation effect of the anthocyans on the intensity of chlorophyll excitement. By exploiting this “filter” effect, an anthocyan index can be calculated in proportion to their accumulation in the upper cell layers (Figure 1). On the basis of this mechanism, it is possible to determine a flavonol index in white grapes correlated to the level of bunch exposure. Another application is to measure the chlorophyll and flavonol indices in leaves: the ratio between these indices gives us the nitrogen index, which is particularly useful in targeted fertilisation of the soil and canopy management. Recent studies have been carried out on the application of this method in monitoring plant resistance to disease by measuring the resveratrol fluorescence produced by the plant to defend itself from fungal attacks. The results are provided by reproducing the plots of land on the computer in colorimetric maps indicating the uniformity of the vineyards and the progress of grape ripening. The mapping allows various applications such as selective harvest, which makes it possible to differentiate production depending on the desired winemaking purpose.

THE RESULTS In the 2015 season, on the basis of anthocyan and chlorophyll maps drawn up the previous year, the sampling of grapes targeted during ripening was carried out in the areas that differed the most, so as to select the grapes with the highest levels of both anthocyans and sugars in one area and those with

August 2016 – Issue 631

the lowest levels in another (Figure 2). The significant difference in ripening observed between these two areas (Figure 3), guaranteed the validity of the method for separating the grapes being harvested. At the time of the harvest, the chemical analysis (Table 1) and the optical measurement carried out on the grapes directly in the harvesting bins confirmed the difference between the two areas and highlighted the potential use of optical measurement in the selection of grapes entering the cellar (Figure 4). Thanks to vineyard mapping and a precision approach in grape management, it is possible to differentiate production in a vineyard or to intervene with farming practices in order to make it more uniform depending on the winemaking aims and the organisation of the winery. In our case, the need was to differentiate the winery’s production, but very often the vineyards have a high degree of diversification, which there is an attempt to reduce in order to improve the overall production. Anthocyan monitoring proves particularly useful considering that polyphenols have a higher variability than technological parameters like sugars and pH, being more sensitive to seasonal climate variations. The optical sensors not only solve the problem of analysing a representative number of bunches in a vineyard but, by carrying out a non-destructive measurement, they also enable the ripening to be followed by measuring the same bunches. From this experience conducted on Sangiovese in Maremma, it is easy to see how this method could be developed on a large scale, for example by installing the sensor

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onto harvesting machines to provide a real-time average value of anthocyans of the grapes harvested or, thanks to recently introduced new models of harvesters, to automatically separate the grapes into different containers based on maps loaded onto the special software of the machine.

Acknowledgements The research was carried out for a undergraduate degree dissertation. With the collaboration of: Lucio Brancadoro (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Milan University - DiSAA), CAIM Group, Ruffino Srl, La Corsa Società Agricola Srl. This article has been made available in cooperation between Corriere Vinicolo and Grapegrower & Winemaker magazines. Corriere Vinicolo (corrierevinicolo. com), edited since 1928 by Unione Italiana Vini, is the most authoritative magazine of the Italian wine industry. Established in Milan in 1895, Unione Italiana Vini is the historical association of Italian wine firms: its core business, further to a lobbying activity, is focused on high quality services to the wine industry: analysis laboratories, supply chain checkup, SIMEI exhibition, sustainability program Tergeo. Articles shared between the two publications focus on technical and economic issues, in order to give each readership a broader vision both on Italy and Australia/New Zealand.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing

Blaxland branches out A VINEYARD BUSINESS that has branched out into winemaking has won a major award at the Decanter World Wine Awards, held in London. Blaxland Vineyards, a vineyard business that was formed in 1995, currently owns about 600 hectares of vineyard in the Barossa and Limestone Coast regions. The ‘platinum award’ for Best in Show (under GBP15.00) went to one of the vineyard’s labels, the Tanunda Hill 2014 Barossa Shiraz. In a neat twist, the business is actually named in memory of Gregory Blaxland who was an English pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia, noted for initiating and co-leading the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by European settlers. Gregory Blaxland was noted as being one of the first settlers to plant winegrapes, using material he brought from the Cape of Good Hope. His claimed awards at London wine events more than 190 years before the win by the business named after him. The Tanunda Hill Shiraz was the only Australian red wine to win the award this year’s Decanter awards and the business founder and owner, Ron Collins, said it was a major coup for a grapegrowing company that only began producing and selling 4407Metarex185x88 2016-02-17T14:32:12+11:00

wine 10 years ago. “While we’ve been growing grapes at our premium Barossa Valley vineyards since the 1990s, we’re still a relatively small wine producer,” Collins said. “This award is an outstanding achievement for us, which highlights our evolution from vineyard owner and manager, to an award winning Barossa Valley wine producer.” Blaxland grows more than 5500 tonnes each year across vineyards in the Barossa Valley and Limestone Coast. The 267 hectare Limestone Coast vineyard is located at Mundulla, 35 kilometres north east of Padthaway, and is planted completely to red varieties including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mataro, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Two adjoining vineyards in the western Barossa make up almost 330 hectares, predominantly planted to red varieties including Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Grenache and Tempranillo with some small plantings of white varieties. In recent years some newly emerging varieties such as Nero D’Avola and Sagrantino have been planted. The vines are irrigated with water from the Barossa Infrastructure Limited (BIL) water scheme which owns an extensive delivery infrastructure that

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48 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2016 – Issue 631

What this award for our wine actually does is showcase the quality of our grapes. It recognises the Blaxland quality – it puts us on the map. transports water from the Murray Valley water system. The Tanunda Hill Vineyard is one of the largest shareholders in the BIL scheme. Since the appointment of Craig Thomas as commercial director in 2011, Blaxland Vineyards has gone from producing grapes for a number of Barossa brands, to selling their own wine to a small number of key export markets and through some independent domestic retailers. Before arriving at Blaxland, Thomas had spent 10 years as an export manager for Australian Vintage. “Our focus over the last four years has been to move up the value chain, away from just being a grape grower, to developing our own brands and selling our own wine, both domestically and internationally,” Thomas said. “It’s a decision that has paid off with our wine sales increasing by $2.5 million over the past five years.” The brand development has not just focussed on Tanunda Hill, but has included Barton Steer Limestone Coast and seen the recent acquisition of established brands Duck Duck Goose and Domain Barossa. Blaxland’s wine sales figures rose from $500,000 in 2010 to $3 million in 2015, allowing them to employ more staff and grow their international markets. “While we’re still relatively small, we’re committed to providing local employment and we’re also planning on re-opening the Domain Barossa Cellar Door in the main street of Tanunda in August, which will see further growth,” Thomas said. The Decanter award hasn’t been the only positive news for the wine quality, either. The 2014 Barton Steer Limestone Coast Shiraz scored a gold medal win at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show last year. Thomas is confident that Blaxland is producing the competitively priced and great tasting wines Australian and international consumers are looking for. “The Decanter World Wine Award is the wine industry’s equivalent to an Oscar, so it really is a great honour to be seen as one of the ‘best’ in this category,” he said.

Neil MacKenzie, Blaxland executive chairman, said the business has always worked with the top 10 Australian wine companies. “When we diversified into making wine we initially did that through the bulk market, then moved into bottle product,” MacKenzie said. “About 90 per cent of our output is still sold as grapes and we are engaged with all the major wine companies. “What this award for our wine actually does is showcase the quality of our grapes. It recognises the Blaxland quality – it puts us on the map.” MacKenzie, a Chartered Accountant, has more than 25 years of wine industry experience in senior roles. He was the chief executive officer at ASX-listed Simeon Wines from 1994 to 2003, prior to its merger with Brian McGuigan Wines. More recently he was the chief executive officer of Warburn Estate from 2007 until 2011. Blaxland Vineyards has a team of more than a dozen vineyard staff and also engages consultants. It has a serious focus on water conservation programs and has spent about $300,000 recently on a mulching project to help in this area. Blaxland actually invests in all the raw ingredients and makes its own mulch. “We buy in the manure, chips and grape marc; then we ferment it and prepare it ourselves,” Thomas said. “What we’ve found is we can get all the ingredients and do it ourselves for about half the price of buying in the finished product. Now we have established that, it might even become another branch of the business for us.” While the winemaking is contracted out to local production sites, the process is overseen by Blaxland’s own contract winemaker, Chris Polymiades, who also has a background with Australian Vintage. “Owning a winery is a very tough gig,” MacKenzie said. “We processed about 1400 tonnes of our own fruit for the 2016 vintage and for what we are doing, that doesn’t merit owning our own winemaking facility.

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Grapegrowers and winemakers set to join forces We will have a new vision for Clare Valley, where the entire region is a brand, not separated into growers and winemakers. It will help maintain viability of the whole industry, where we are all working towards the same goals. THE CLARE VALLEY Winemakers Inc. and Clare Region Winegrape Growers Association are working towards an alignment of the two bodies, planning to unite as one and create a stronger voice for the region in the next 12 months. The decision to plan to unite came after much discussion from both groups to reach a more cohesive approach, with all members working towards the same overall vision for the region. While the transition may take up to 12 months, both organisations have included the merger in their strategic plans with similar objectives, which will be discussed at their Annual General Meetings (AGMs) in August and September respectively. John Bastian has been engaged to facilitate and explore the positives and negatives of an amalgamation should

it occur, and to assist with putting a proposal together for presentation at the respective AGMs. John was previously the President of the CRWGA and has a vineyard in the Clare Valley. Matthew Lawson, chair of Clare Valley Winemakers Inc. said the amalgamation will be a positive step forward for the Clare Valley wine region. “It makes sense to have one cohesive body in the Clare Valley, whereby we are all working together for the region,” Lawson said. “We see this body as a stronger organisation, not just for the spread of time and resources, but also as a more financially stable body. “Feedback from other regions has been that their union has made for less duplication with one association, the need for one executive committee and the

power of one voice. We are all time poor, so one group might mean less people are required on various committees and resources are not spread thinly.” Troy van Dulken, president of the Clare Valley Wine Grape Growers Association, said he sees the merger as an opportunity for grape growers to work with winemakers in the region for a more consistent supply chain. “When we unite, it will make sense for us all to see the big picture, which will include the whole supply chain from vineyard to consumer,” van Dulken said. “We will have a new vision for Clare Valley, where the entire region is a brand, not separated into growers and winemakers. “It will help maintain viability of the whole industry, where we are all working towards the same goals.” The plan for the next 12 months will be to propose new fee structures for the members of the new combined association, propose a new organisation structure of the combined body, communicate these new structures to the region and members, and draft a new constitution. Planning for the amalgamation will commence as soon as possible.

Funds for research into to smoke-taint protection A $3 MILLION PROJECT is set to help grapegrowers and winemakers manage smoke taint. The new $3 million project will examine practices and advanced technologies to safeguard the supply of grapes and improve profitability for Australia’s grapegrowers. Wine Australia has welcomed a recent $1.5 million Federal Government grant funding announcement for a project aiming to reduce the impact of controlled burns and bushfires near wine regions. “It’s vital that we’re able to provide the Australian grape and wine community with innovative and cost-effective tools to minimise the unintended impacts of controlled burns and wildfires,” said Andreas Clark, Wine Australia chief executive officer. Depending on the stage of the fruit’s development, smoke from controlled burns and bushfires can affect

50 Grapegrower & Winemaker

winegrapes so that they develop tastes such as smoked meat, disinfectant, leather or char. It is an issue that affects many wine regions across the world. “By investing in this research, we will help the Australian grape and wine community’s competitiveness by reducing the risk, ensuring the certainty of supply and improving profitability in our sector,” Clark said. “This project will also help public land management agencies to implement effective planned burn programs that have a significantly lower chance of unintended negative impacts on winegrapes. “We look forward to delivering this project’s practical outcomes that will help contribute to a prosperous Australian grape and wine community.” Outcomes from the project for the grape and wine sector will include: • The development of an early warning

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system for smoke exposure, which will enable the targeted application of protective sprays in vineyards at risk of smoke exposure; • Determining the critical distances that reduce the risk of controlled burns to vineyards; and • The development of practical technologies and processes that prevent smoke taint compounds entering the grapes, and removing these compounds from grape must and wine. The three-and-a-half-year program Mitigation of Climate Change Impacts on the National Wine Industry by Reduction in Losses from Controlled Burns and Wildfires and Improvement in Public Land Management is a collaborative project between Wine Australia and its partners the Australian Wine Research Institute, Agriculture Victoria and LaTrobe University.

August 2016 – Issue 631

End of an era PETER SCHOLEFIELD, the principal consultant and managing director at Scholefield Robinson Horticultural Services, has retired after being at the helm of the company since 1989.

AT A GLANCE

Refining spray recommendations

Peter Scholefield’s tertiary training at the Universities of Adelaide and Melbourne prepared him for a successful research career with CSIRO in Sunraysia and Darwin working with projects on grapes and tree crops. Extension work in the McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills regions gave him a good understanding of the needs of growers. As founding Director of Scholefield Robinson Horticultural Services Pty Ltd, he has provided growers with practical solutions to problems and participated in project teams in Australia and overseas. Scholefield Robinson has provided technical horticultural advice to the grape and wine, nut, fruit, vegetable and ornamental industries, as well as to R&D agencies, government agencies and the legal profession. At its peak, Scholefield Robinson had offices in Adelaide and Mildura with a total of 12 staff. Ben Robinson, the other co-founder of Scholefield Robinson, retired in 2004 after 15 years of service to Scholefield Robinson and the horticultural industries. Many young horticultural graduates joined Peter and Ben and learnt about the complex role that consultants play in horticulture. Some have moved on and started their own small consulting businesses with much lower overheads than Scholefield Robinson. Others went on to more secure employment in larger organisations. Over the past five years Scholefield Robinson has been made up of three very experienced consultants, Prue McMichael, Charles Drew and Peter Scholefield, plus sub-contract consultants engaged for specific project work. This small team was in demand, particularly for high-level expert work that required experience, confidentiality and professionalism. The time has now come for Peter to retire and Scholefield Robinson is also closing down its business. For Peter, this decision came with some sadness but also with a lot of satisfaction derived from working across a broad range of horticultural industries and with so many of the leaders within these industries. Peter Scholefield said that he has witnessed enormous changes in horticulture since he graduated in the late 1960s. He reflected on: • Reduction in government extension services; • Rapid growth in the wine and nut industries; • Development of large corporate agribusiness organisations; • More market-driven focus; and • More professional industry leadership. Peter believes the future for young graduates in horticulture today is excellent, “but they must be flexible in the approach to their role and be prepared to work where the exciting horticultural developments are happening, often in country regions rather than near cities”. Peter would like to thank all the staff members who have supported Scholefield Robinson, the many clients who trusted our team to provide them with advice, and the industries we have worked with for making our lives so interesting across nearly 30 years. August 2016 – Issue 631

We have come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years towards better refining application technology and product mixing recommendations for canopy sprays. Good spray results rely on applying the correct product, to the correct target, at the correct rate, at the correct time. It is also recognised that the area of canopy in a vineyard will vary dramatically depending on canopy configurations, row widths, varieties and plant spacing. Canopy sizes can vary by up to 10-fold from bud burst to harvest and vary considerably between different grape growing regions and climates. A key change has been to recommend product label rates in terms of rate per 100 litres of water (mL/100 L), rather than rate per hectare (L/ha). The change has been a success, particularly as a rate per hectare did not take into account canopy differences. It is, however, worth taking some time to refresh your understanding on why this change was made, as well as ensuring those responsible for providing recommendations or applying these products are aware. The question you need to ask is, “Is the volume of spray being applied appropriate to the target, growth stage and the product being used?” Inadequate spray volumes may result in too lower dose rate, which may lead to poor results. On the other hand, application of systemic chemicals in very high water volumes can cause the product to wash-off the vine leading to poor disease control and potential environmental risks. Dilute spraying refers to the water volume needed to cover the total plant surface with spray solution to the ‘point of run-off’. The spray volume is key to ensure enough chemical is applied to control the disease or pest. The amount of water needed to achieve point of runoff is often referred to as the ‘theoretical volume’ and in grapevines, it depends on the size of the canopy. For example, at the start of the season when vines are breaking out of dormancy, low water volumes, say 300 L/ha, are recommended. Whereas, large canopy vines such as those in some vigorous table grape vineyards, may require up to 1500 L/ha. When calculating or spraying to the point of runoff, coverage of the whole canopy, including inner foliage and bunches, needs to be considered, not just the outer leaves closest to the sprayer. Issues arise when the assessment determining the ‘point of runoff’ is inadequate, especially with large canopy vines. Usually, the outer leaves of the canopy is the first instance where you will see the spray running off. However, if you have a good look in the inner sections of the canopy you can often find leaves or bunches where spray coverage is considerably less. Runoff has not been reached if the inner canopy is mostly dry even if spray solution is dripping from outer leaves. It is important that the sprayer has been set up to ensure even coverage of inner foliage and bunches, not only outside leaves. Utilising tools such as Surround (a vivid white sun protection product) can assist in making spray coverage assessments in a visual way. Also, having in-vineyard discussions with a trusted adviser throughout the season and at various canopy growth stages will assist in making the correct adjustments to the spray volume. Concentrate spraying is more complicated because it involves applying an amount of water less than the point of runoff, but a sufficient volume to achieve acceptable coverage. Acceptable coverage may be achieved at a lower volume of water if the air volume is high enough and is well directed. Adequate coverage at lower volumes may be possible by increasing the number of smaller droplets with a narrower size range. The important thing to remember is that the same amount of chemical (per hectare) is sprayed that would have been applied if dilute spraying had been used. For this to be achieved, the concentration of product in the spray mixture increases proportionally as the volume of water is decreased from the theoretical volume. The amount that this must be adjusted is termed the ‘concentration factor’. This article only scratches the surface of application technology. I hope it is a catalyst for you to discuss this subject with your adviser, contractor and your wider network. The industry is to be commended on strong progress over the last 10 to 15 years, but we need to continue to move forward and strive for continuous improvement.

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

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Early buyer interest ahead of 2017 vintage AT A GLANCE The Wine Industry Code of Conduct, established in December 2008, has two main aims: • To establish a common Australian wine grape supply contract framework; and • To provide a dispute resolution system to manage disagreements which arise over price or quality assessments. The Code was developed by Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA) and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) and is supported by the Federal Government’s Department of Agriculture. For more information, visit the website: www.wineindustrycode.org

WINERIES HAVE BEEN actively sourcing and securing winegrape supply ahead of the 2017 harvest. “There’s far more interest at this time of the year than is usual because wine stocks have declined and the export demand for Australian wine is growing,” said Mike Stone, Murray Valley Winegrowers executive officer. “It’s promising that wineries are wanting to source fruit now, but it’s disturbing that prices generally aren’t included in the conversation. Growers could be signing supply agreements now for 2017 without being informed of prices until harvest starts, by which time it’s too late to make other arrangements.”

52 Grapegrower & Winemaker

If agreeing this far in advance to sell grapes in 2017, growers deserve to know what they’ll be paid

Mike Stone, Murray Valley Winegrowers executive officer

Stone said pricing provisions of the Australian Wine Industry Code of Conduct have inadvertently hindered the process of growers’ being able to engage in genuine price negotiations. “As signatories to the Australian Wine Industry Code of Conduct, several of Australia’s largest wine companies release indicative prices in December,” he said. “These companies are significant purchasers of fruit in the MurrayDarling and Swan Hill regions and other companies tend to follow their lead in setting prices. “This means that the majority of growers don’t receive formal price advice

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until harvest arrives. “If agreeing this far in advance to sell grapes in 2017, growers deserve to know what they’ll be paid, particularly as most of the cost of producing wine grapes is incurred between now and harvest. As too often is the case, growers risk being stuck with prices that fall short of covering costs.” To help generate more competition, Mike Stone says the indicative price provisions of the Code of Conduct should be scrapped to encourage more wineries to engage in meaningful price negotiations when sourcing fruit, not waiting for the release of indicative prices on the eve of harvest.

August 2016 – Issue 631

Organic ‘wine of the year’ AUSTRALIA’S ORGANIC ‘wine of the year’ for 2016 is the Rosnay Organic Wines Garage No.1 Cowra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, the first wine made by grower Sam Statham. Rosnay Organic Wines is based in Canowindra, a small town between Cowra and Orange in the NSW Central Ranges. It was the first organic and biodynamic vineyard of the Cowra Wine Region, planted by the Statham family as part a unique certified organic rural farming subdivision, now known as Rivers Road Organic Farms. The Stathams are dedicated to the principles of organics and sustainable living and are proving that organic wines can hold their own in the wine world, winning a number of medals and trophies in recent years. They established the property as an organic property and winery in 1997, naming it after a maternal French ancestor Alberic Dulong de Rosnay, a Beaujolais vigneron. It is a diverse family farm enterprise, which spans production, processing and tourism. “Rosnay – the farm and the idea – encompasses all of my passions; family, eco-living, community, self-reliance, cooperation, natural farming systems, and an almost spiritual

– call it biodynamic – connection with this place,” said Sam Statham. “My first knowledge of wine I gained in France in 1995 as a result of my mum, Florence, being French, so I did university in southern France and studied Geography. Part of that course was a subject called ‘Terroir’ - a word I’d never heard in Australia. But in France it’s in the blood. My field assignment was to visit a vineyard, and I had to do a visual report of the interactions of soil, hydrology, climate, microclimate, native vegetation, grape varieties and cultural methods – that result in a site’s unique flavours. I also heard reference to a mentor I never met, Emile Peynaud, whose book, ‘Knowing and Making Wine’, is my winemaking bible today.” Statham’s first winemaking experience came after 15 years of growing organic grapes, olives and other crops with his parents. In 2012 he won a trip back to France from the NSW Department of Agriculture – the Inaugural NSW Organic Pioneers Award. It was in this second visit that he decided to stop just “hanging out” with winemakers, but to actually have a go. “The next vintage, inspired by the organic wines of southern France, and with Peynaud’s book in hand, I made my first wine,

Sam and Simone Stratham from Rosnay Organic Wines

August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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With the ongoing interest in organic products it shows that there is an exciting market for this segment. and called it Garage Wine Number 1,” he said. “Two tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon, hand-picked with friends and customers and then a complex process of trial and error over a month, with hand plunging twice daily and then to further lengthy malolactic fermentation. “The challenge for me is to try and do it again, but I’ll definitely have fun, and hopefully more Statham good luck along the way.” The third annual NASAA (National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia) and Winestate organic wine judging was open only to wines grown and produced in Australia that are certified by a Department of Agriculture Accredited certification body such as ‘NASAA Certified Organic’. To qualify the wines have been made from grapes that are grown without the use of any “artificial chemicals” such as systemic fungicides, herbicides and synthetic fertilisers. The judging the process, reviewing 139 wines from five states plus the ACT, evaluated all wines ‘blind’ by three independent, expert wine industry judges. Peter Simic, Winestate publisher, said the panel was very pleased with the number of entries. He said this was evidence that organic wines have “now moved beyond the amateur field and are now being supported by professional commercial winemakers”.

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“This is a major step forward. In fact the quality of the fruit involved in the wines overall was as good if not at a better standard than the average tasting that Winestate would do for general, non-organic wines,” Simic said. “However, whilst the judges acknowledged the value of organic grape growing practices, some work needs to be done on winemaking techniques or practices to lift the standard even further. “With the ongoing interest in organic products it shows that there is an exciting market for this segment and Winestate is very pleased to be involved in promoting this sector that has great export potential.” Meanwhile, the 2016 New Zealand Organic Wine Awards results were revealed recently with Greystone Wines from North Canterbury earning the overall trophy for ‘vineyard of the year’. This follows gold medal awards this year for their Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer wines. After a successful debut in 2014, the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards are now in their third year with 123 entrants in 2016 from across the length of New Zealand. “Greystone is our 2016 Vineyard of the Year, claiming three gold medals in their debut season partaking in the awards,” said Luke Thomas, the founder of the awards. “The general standard of wine created by this Waipara Valley vineyard has been outstanding, a true testament to the region, and to winemaker Dominic Maxwell and viticulturist Nick Gill.” Nick Gill, Greystone’s viticulturist, said it was “pretty special” to earn such an award in the first year the wines were eligible to enter. “We are in the conversion process to full organic certification,” Gill said. “I look forward to seeing more of New Zealand’s top vineyards make the transition. “While we certainly can’t make the most wine in the world, we can have a real shot at making the best. With organics we rely heavily on the quality of our vineyard crew and this award is a reflection of their skills.” Nik Mavromatis, Greystone sales and marketing manager said the customers across both domestic and export markets are demanding ever higher levels of information and traceability on the production of our wines, “especially in regards to organics”. “This award allows us to showcase New Zealand organics to a greater audience. With the quality of wine that Greystone can produce we show there is no need for the use of synthetic chemicals to make great wine here in North Canterbury,” Mavromatis said. Other wineries to feature strongly in these awards included Terrace Edge, Black Estate and Muddy Water. In 2015 Muddy Water won ‘wine of the show’ for its 2011 Hares Breath Pinot Noir from Waipara. The New Zealand Organic Wine Award’s doesn’t have large commercial sponsors or a glitzy award ceremony; it doesn’t even have entry fees. The only entry requirement is that the wine is produced from certified organic grapes by one of the four NZ certifiers. The awards are dedicated to finding, and awarding New Zealand’s best certified organic wines, regardless of the size of the vineyard, or their ability to compete in a high cost award ceremony. For more information about the Australian awards, visit www.nasaa.com.au. For more information about the New Zealand awards, visit www.organicwineawards.co.nz.

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Sustainability program bolstered by government funding THE MCLAREN VALE developed Sustainable Australia Winegrowing (SAW) program has been officially opened for the 2015/2016 grape growing season. The season launch was attended by Wine Australia’s Chairman Brain Walsh, a number of State Government and South Australian wine region representatives as well as more than 70 of the region’s passionate growers. The event was also cause for celebration with the State Government, through Primary Industries and Regions SA providing $40,000 in funding to support the program’s further development. “Funding to develop the McLaren Vale conceived program was generously provided by State Government in 2012, and through inter-regional collaboration led by McLaren Vale, the program’s uptake now extends to an additional four South Australian wine regions including the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills, as well as Granite Belt wine region in Queensland,” said Jennifer Lynch, McLaren Vale Grape, Wine & Tourism Association general manager. “It is incredibly encouraging to receive additional funding from the State Government for the program’s further development, which will ensure its on-going success continues to support wine grape growers and the broader Australian wine industry.”

Photo: Ben Heide

The grant will fund a peer review of the entire seven chapters of the program as well as the spray diary component. SAW currently reports on 40 per cent of McLaren Vale’s total vineyard area and accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total region’s crush for the 2015 vintage. The region’s grant announcement follows the State Government's recent news of Adelaide’s acceptance into the

Great Wine Capitals Global Network – the SA capital becoming the network’s ninth member. “The State Government grant, coupled with Adelaide’s inclusion in the internationally renowned Great Wine Capitals Global Network demonstrates our State’s commitment to sustainability in its truest sense which continues to attract international attention and drive tourism,” Lynch said.

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Helping map a path to better soil health NEW SOIL PH MAPPING technology is arming SA farmers with the right information to improve soil health and increase crop and pasture productivity. Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) recently launched its new Veris soil pH on-the-go mapping machine and mapping service with a field demonstration. More than two million hectares of agricultural land in South Australia is susceptible to soil acidification and in many areas the problem is increasing – as well as the costs to treat it. Across the past four years PIRSA Rural Solutions SA has been collaborating with other agencies, agricultural bureau groups and farmers introducing and trialling the new technology. In 2015, in response to growing interest and demand in soil pH precision mapping, PIRSA purchased a Veris soil pH on-the-go mapping machine from the United States and it is now being offered to farmers across the state as a Rural Solutions SA service on a cost-recovery basis. Daniel Casement, Rural Solutions SA executive director, said the Veris mapper was a great example of how agricultural innovation was supporting the state’s economic priority of premium food and wine produced in our clean environment and exported to the world. “What’s particularly exciting about this new technology is at the same time it’s helping improving soil health, it will also save farmers money and earn them money with increased production and profitability,” Casement said. “PIRSA’s purpose is to assist primary industries and regions to grow, innovate and maximise their economic growth potential – and this technology and service is doing exactly that.” Rural Solutions SA Senior Consultant, Sustainable Agriculture, Andrew Harding said as part of the trial work, more than 15,000 hectares of land had already been mapped across SA. “Many of the soils prone to soil acidification have a pH less than 5.0 (CaCl2) in the 0-10 cm layer and soil acidity in the sub-surface layer is also becoming a significant problem – but unfortunately soil pH can vary greatly across paddocks,” Harding said. “Lime is the most effective and economical method for the treatment and prevention of acid soils. Previously, the amount of lime required for a paddock has generally been based on a single soil

56 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Fertilisers & Nutrition

What’s particularly exciting about this new technology is at the same time it’s helping improving soil health, it will also save farmers money and earn them money with increased production and profitability. test and the lime applied as a uniform rate across the whole paddock. “However, in recent years the cost of lime and associated freight has significantly increased, so there’s been a growing awareness and need to find another way to manage this problem. “Our trials have already shown that with more targeted lime applications there are potential costs savings of more than 30 per cent for farmers. From just one case study a farmer saved $4,728 in a 113 hectare paddock, which amounted to a 50% cost savings in lime, as well as associated freight and spreading costs.” PIRSA was the first to purchase its own new pH mapping machine in South Australia, and it is one of three now www.winetitles.com.au

currently available in the state. The Veris can take 10 readings per hectare, automatically collecting soil samples, measuring the pH of each soil sample and recordings its geographic position. From this data, pH maps are produced showing pH zones and liming recommendations can be calculated for each zone. As a result farmers can accurately apply lime at the required rates, where it is most needed - rather than applying lime across the whole paddock. Rural Solutions SA is PIRSA’s key delivery agent for major programs and projects across South Australia, and provides consultancy services to private and public sector organisations locally, nationally and internationally. August 2016 – Issue 631

It might be time to test your dirt This information is an excerpt from Managing grapevine nutrition and vineyard soil health, written by Tony Proffitt and James Campbell-Clause. The complete publication can be found on the Wines of Western Australia website, www.winewa.asn.au. THE ANALYSIS of soil sampled from within the vine row and/or mid row area can provide information about the physical, chemical and biological nature of the root zone and the distribution of previously applied fertiliser. This analysis can provide information on what nutrients are in the soil… but not necessarily how much nutrient is available for vine growth. Samples should be collected at the same time and at the same location each sampling year (e.g. Autumn before fertilisers are applied). In new vineyard developments, samples should be collected several months prior to planting to allow time for the application of soil amendments if required. For vine row samples, soil should be collected from the edge of the wetted dripper zone. For mid row samples, soil should be collected from across the whole width. Laboratory analysis is usually conducted on a sub-sample (e.g. 500g) of soil collected from a composite of samples taken across the vineyard in order to account for spatial variation. As the variation in soil properties across the vineyard increases, so should the number of samples collected to ensure that the sub-sample is representative.

For topsoil (0–10 cm) at least 20 individual samples should be obtained. For subsoils (20–60 cm), this number can be halved. It is important when mixing the soil samples to form the composite sample, that the soil is not exposed to external influences (e.g. other soil, dust or fertilisers). The samples should be labelled appropriately (i.e. name, vineyard/block identification, depth interval and date). Analytical testing of soil is one of three parts to the vineyard assessment process, the others include the analysis of vine tissue or sap; and irrigation water. In each case, it is advisable to use the same commercial National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) or Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council (ASPAC)accredited laboratory since this avoids variation in results which arise from the use of different analytical techniques. In a vineyard that is performing satisfactorily, nutrition monitoring should include soil analysis every two-to-four years (linked to tissue analysis where possible), tissue analysis (petiole or leaf blade) every spring during flowering, and irrigation water analysis every year. If vine performance is poor, then the monitoring process should be conducted more frequently.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Supplier Update

Roots are the brains of the plant CROP SCIENTISTS at Stoller refer to the roots as the brains of the plant. The root zone is like the control centre for the vine. Besides being an important site for water uptake, nutrient uptake and hormone production, the roots are where signals and regulation of all plant parts take place. Proteins and hormones move around the plant triggering growth response at the shoots, fruits, roots and leaves. Roots are sensitive to temperature change and moisture variation so we want them to grow in a stable environment with not all the root mass in one place or right near the soil surface. When the roots shut down, there is less messaging from the ‘control centre.’ Temperature is also important, depending on the tree variety, soil type etc., roots have optimal temperature ranges for growth. Below about 15 degrees C, it is unlikely that very much active root growth is happening. Some vines/root stocks are more or less sensitive to drought, salt and flooding. There is no point applying nutrients to the root zone if the roots are not functional. Many nutrients such as nitrates will move from the root zone quickly and never be absorbed if the root activity is low.

WHERE DO ROOTS GET THEIR FOOD? When asked this question, vine roots get their food from the fertiliser and nutrients applied to the soil. The truth is that the roots get their food from the leaves. The water and nutrients move to the leaves where photosynthesis occurs and then sugars are sent back down to the roots as food. This means that the whole vine needs to be functioning to keep the roots alive. Active root hairs only live for about 14 days then new root growth is required.

PROGRAMS FOR ROOT HEALTH A holistic program is needed to keep the roots healthy. We need to consider a number of points. • The environment around the roots must be able to hold water and nutrients (good cation exchange capacity, salt management and sufficient organic matter); • The moisture must not be too great or too little (irrigation management must be right); • A good balance of the right nutrients at the right time (good nutrition program); • Control of pests and diseases; • Stable temperatures (achieved by deeper roots); and • Constant observation and monitoring (using soil moisture probes and eyes and shovel).

Oppmise Root Growth Increase Root Mass Enhance the Brains of the Plant

WHAT STOLLER HAS TO OFFER Stoller has been developing programs for viticulture for more than 40 Years. Our expertise starts with nutrients and ensuring a feed of the required nutrients through the soil, leaves and woody tissue. Stoller has also developed products such as RootFeed (containing stabilised nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and cofactors) designed to optimise root growth, increase root mass and enhance the brains of the plant. Stoller also offers programs to balance soil nutrition and to move undesirable salts such as sodium chloride out of the root zone. The products and programs are aimed to balance the vineyard for optimal production and return. August 2016 – Issue 631

Promote healthier, more produccve vines with RootFeed 1800 FERTILISER INFO@STOLLER.COM.AU WWW.STOLLER.COM.AU

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Essential spray equipment cleaning knowledge The following information has been adapted from information available from the Cornell University, where Andrew Landers is the pesticide application technology specialist. are using one sprayer to apply different chemicals to different crops. In some cases, only a small amount of a pesticide remaining in the sprayer can cause significant crop damage or lead to unacceptable residues on a crop. Crop contamination can even occur several months after a sprayer has not been properly cleaned.

Vineyard Machinery

REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF CLEANING

SPRAYERS MUST BE thoroughly cleaned inside and out after use. Ideally, a sprayer should be cleaned at the end of each day and especially before switching to a different pesticide. Residues on the inside of the tank or left over pesticides trapped inside the sprayer plumbing system can contaminate the operator and possibly lead to crop damage. Growers should be concerned about this, especially if they

The need for cleaning can be reduced by good planning and equipment maintenance. The following are suggestions to help reduce cleaning needs: • Carefully plan how much pesticide to mix so that all mixed pesticides are used up when you are finished with the field; • Be sure that the sprayer is clean before you use it; • Make sure all parts of the sprayer are in good condition. Corroded or pitted surfaces are prime areas for pesticide residue to hide. Replace any worn parts; • Mix the chemicals in the correct order. Some chemicals, when mixed in the wrong order, can actually become more difficult to remove from the equipment. Consult the pesticide label for the proper mixing order; • Follow any label instructions for cleaning spray equipment; • Be sure that cleaning solutions contact ALL equipment surfaces; and • Remove and clean filters, strainers and nozzle screens separately from the rest of the sprayer.

OTHER CLEANING TIPS Sprayers can retain tremendous amounts of pesticide solution. Depending on the size and design of the sprayer, there can be nearly 20 litres of solution left in the sprayer’s plumbing. Tests have shown that triple rinsing the spray tank is better than using just one single rinse. For example, using 400 litres clean water in one single rinse to clean a 400-litre sprayer tank reduced the concentration of the original spray solution from 100% to 5% both in the tank and at the nozzle. If triple rinsing was performed using 130 litres (a third of the capacity) of clean water per rinse, a concentration of 0.2% to 0.5% was gained. The aim is for maximum dilution with minimal use of water. Before rinsing a sprayer, read the sprayer manufacturer’s instructions for specific guidance on the best methods for cleaning your equipment. Also consult the pesticide label for any special cleaning instructions. When cleaning spray equipment, you should use the protective clothing listed on the pesticide label. Sprayer cleaning should be done so that rinse water does not enter any waterway or drainage system. Ideally, sprayer rinsate should be applied to a labeled crop rather than dumped at the cleaning location. If rinsing needs to be done at the mixing/loading site, it must be done on an impervious surface. All contaminated rinse water must be trapped and either used to mix another load of the same pesticide at the label recommended rates or disposed of at an approved pesticide waste handling facility. For more information visit the ‘pesticide application technology’ pages via Cornell University’s extension pages, www.entomology.cals.cornell.edu/extension.

60 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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grapegrowing

Supplier Update

Case IH Farmall’s complete package ‘made for vineyards’ A “COMPLETE, SOLID PACKAGE, designed particularly for vineyards” is how viticulture consultant and vigneron Paul Georgiadis describes his Case IH Farmall 95C. Paul and his wife Mara recently bought the tractor to replace a Case IH 4210 they purchased back in the late 1990s, having begun planting their 14-hectare Barossa Valley vineyard, Georgiadis Estate at Marananga in 1995. They are also partners in a 25 hectare property Paradigm Vineyards, nestled in the heart of Maranaga, which has eight hectares of 50-year-old vines. “Before we bought the new Farmall C, I certainly checked the market to see what was out there,” Paul Georgiadis said. “A friend of mine even owns a franchise for another brand, but one of the main reasons we chose Farmall again is the complete package that’s offered in the size tractor you need for vineyards; it’s narrow enough to fit easily down our three-metre vine rows, yet has enough horsepower for any activity, including a front-end loader. “I think what Case IH have done really well is communicate with the operators and come up with a tractor that’s really suitable for vineyards. It’s got both the capabilities and the ease

62 Grapegrower & Winemaker

of functionality. Sometimes, I think a lot of new equipment is a little bit too electrical and computerised, which may cause problems when things go wrong. The Farmall C has moved with the times, yet isn’t too technical.” And that, said Georgiadis, makes it exceptionally easy to use whether it’s himself or his workers driving – his late father also found it simple to operate. “In the early days, my parents had other brands; we’ve had quite a few tractors. But after a few problems with the others, I’ve just found the Case IH’s to be a more solid package, with the comfort required for enduring hours in the cabin,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of narrow tractors where you feel like a sumo wrestler trying to get into the small cabin. It’s not a good thing, and I’m not a big guy! You still need to be relaxed in the cabin, because you’re going to be in it for hours, so you need room.” Consulting across the Barossa, McLaren Vale and South-East region, Georgiadis sometimes uses the tractor as an outdoor office. “While the Farmall C is narrow, the cabin’s very comfortable. What’s also important to me is that it’s soundproof. I don’t do it all the time, but when I do www.winetitles.com.au

need to take or make phone calls, I can actually drive and communicate with my clients at the same time.” For Georgiadis, the other part of the equation is the relationship with the dealer, Lyndoch Motors, which has a branch at Lyndoch and at Angaston, both in the Barossa Valley. “Having that good relationship is very important. If something does go wrong, I need it repaired immediately, and I rely on the support of Lyndoch Motors to help get me back up and running quickly.” Georgiadis said he was impressed with the new Farmall C’s reliability and efficiency, which will help his businesses with improved productivity. “I’m impressed with it; it’s a good vineyard tractor with all the capabilities that I need to run a vineyard. I’ve got a smaller tractor as well, but I just enjoy driving the Case IH Farmall a lot more — it’s got the horse power that I need for any job, it’s more comfortable and soundproof, and the air conditioning works really well, especially during the warmer months. It just does everything I need it to do.” For more information see your local Case IH dealer or visit www.caseih.com. August 2016 – Issue 631

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Training & Trellising

Reworking old vines in NSW

A WORKSHOP featuring the best techniques to rework old vines with new grapevine varieties was held in Pokolbin recently, providing local vignerons with expert knowledge from winegrape researchers and experienced exponents of grapevine grafting.

DPI researcher, Bruno Holzapfel and industry consultant, Sam Bowman, delivered the latest information on the performance of new clones and varieties, some of which were yet to be released. Darren Fahey, NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) viticultural development officer, said the workshop gave local winemakers and grapegrowers insights into the latest information on varieties that look well suited to the Hunter region, helping them to stay ahead of the game. “DPI researcher, Bruno Holzapfel and industry consultant, Sam Bowman, delivered the latest information on the performance of new clones and varieties, some of which were yet to be released,” Fahey said. “Tony Hoare has successfully transformed thousands of hectares of vines across Australia and Richard Hamilton outlined detailed case studies of reworking vines from his 12 years of vineyard experience with Treasury Wines. “Dr Nuredin Habili from the University of Adelaide was on hand to offer tips on how to best manage virus risks during the grafting process.” Fahey said a special presentation from DPI biosecurity liaison officer, Bev Zurbo, highlighted the risk of the grapevine pest, phylloxera, and outlined how growers could ensure their vineyards remained free of the pest. “Phylloxera is a tiny, soil-borne insect which feeds on vine roots and once introduced it can’t be eradicated,” he said. “The Hunter produces some of the world’s best wines and phylloxera is not wanted here.” DPI advised a ‘Come clean – Go clean’ approach to stop its spread by infested vines, soil and machinery, with industry playing a significant role in keeping NSW’s wine growing areas of free of phylloxera. The workshop aimed to raise grower awareness of the pest, how it spreads, and its effects on production, market access, testing, associated costs and potential impacts on rural communities. For more information about the information and services provided by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, visit the ‘Grapes’ page of the website: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au Here you will find case studies alongside the latest information and research updates. From this page growers can also subscribe to the DPI's VineWatch newsletter. August 2016 – Issue 631

NSW Department of Primary Industries researcher Bruno Holzapfel presented his findings at the workshop.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing Product Update

A fast guide to slow-drain (anti-siphon) drip line ARE YOU FAMILIAR with drip line acronyms? PC, FR, SD, AS and ND are just some of the product names used by different manufacturers to attribute different drip line functions. To add to complexity, sometimes these acronyms are interchangeable. SD and AS, although being the same feature, can sometimes be a source of misunderstanding when deciding what drip line should be used. SD (slow-drain), or anti-siphon (AS) (as it is sometimes known), is a feature in many drip lines that helps prevent suckback by creating a seal when the drip line has negative pressure. This makes SD/AS drip lines ideal for some forms of pulse irrigation, subsurface irrigation, and also sandy soils where soil ingestion is a risk. Unlike standard flow regulating drip lines, SD and AS drip lines regulate water emitted and also have a sealing function. Matt Clift, Rivulis Irrigation Marketing and Business Development Manager, explained how D5000 SD / AS drip lines function. “If there is positive pressure in the hose, the membrane in the dripper rises to allow water to flow into the dripper and the drip line to function,” Clift said. “Then at shut-off, a vacuum will occur in sections of the tube. “When there is this negative pressure in the hose, the D5000SD dripper membrane lowers against the raised edges of the dripper inlet, which in turn slows the reverse of water. “The stronger the vacuum in the drip line, the stronger the seal that the membrane makes against the inlet filters,” Clift said. “If your drip line is on a slope, the

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66 Grapegrower & Winemaker

The choice between using ND and SD depends on a number of factors that include topography of land, soil type and irrigation scheduling requirements. lower elevation drippers will drain as there is positive pressure in tube. “While these drippers are draining, the drippers at a higher elevation will seal to help prevent soil suck-back.” This sealing mechanism is the reason SD/AS drip lines are often chosen where soil ingestion at shut-off is a high risk. It is important however, not to confuse SD/AS drip lines with ND (no drain) drip lines. Instead of sealing at negative pressure, a ND drip line such as Rivulis HydroPCND creates a seal when the pressure of the drip line drops below 100 kPa.

The choice between using ND and SD depends on a number of factors that include topography of land, soil type and irrigation scheduling requirements. This is why it’s best to contact a drip line manufacture such as Rivulis Irrigation to receive hydraulic design advice based on your needs. Rivulis D5000SD is available in 16 to 27 mm drip line diameters, with 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 lph flow rates. For more information on Rivulis Irrigation D5000SD, please visit Rivulis. com.au or phone 1800 558 009.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

Botanic garden vineyard WINES MADE from grapes grown in a tiny vineyard within a city botanic garden will be launched in South Australia in September. Produced with the support of Jacob’s Creek winemakers, the limited edition wines are believed to be the world’s first wine produced solely from grapes grown within a botanic garden. The 1200 bottles of wine in two styles – a rose and a dry white – are the result of a partnership between National Wine Centre, Botanic Gardens of South Australia and Jacob’s Creek. The CBD vineyard is located in the south-eastern corner of the Adelaide Botanic Garden on land owned by the University of Adelaide land and managed by the National Wine Centre (if you have visited the centre you may have walked right past it). The vineyard, which features 16 grape varieties including Shiraz, Merlot, Tempranillo and Riesling, has been used as a demonstration site for drought-tolerant vine varieties suitable for South Australia’s dry climate since 2011. Botanic Gardens of South Australia Acting Director Janice Goodwins said the project was a unique and exciting partnership, and a reminder of the importance of plants to culture, the South Australian economy and our daily lives. “Wine is intrinsically linked with South Australia – as a state we have some of the oldest grape vines in the world and we produce 75 per cent of Australia’s premium wine, bringing in just under $2 billion in gross wine revenue to accompany international acclaim,” Goodwins said. “To be able to demonstrate this ancient process of cultivating a crop, fermenting its grapes and transforming it into a

tantalising product for people to consume – all in the green lungs of our city – is a massive coup for all involved.” National Wine Centre General Manager Adrian Emeny said the partnership had been a true collaboration from vine to bottle. “The vineyard has long been admired by visitors and it’s fantastic that through this partnership the fruit will be turned into wines that carry a unique story. They’ll have a real point of difference being produced from grapes grown in the heart of the city,” Emeny said. Following an official launch on September 14, the wines are expected to be available at the National Wine Centre and Botanic Gardens Restaurant. The team from iconic Barossa Valley winery Jacob’s Creek provided critical viticulture and winemaking expertise, including managing the harvest and making the wine at the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide. Jacob’s Creek Vineyard Manager Tim McCarthy, who oversaw the harvest of the grapes in February, said the project showcased the collaborative and innovative approach to producing wine in South Australia. “We created two ‘field blends’, which involves combining different varieties of grapes in the vineyard as we harvest them, and fermenting them together,” he said. “It’s an unusual way of making wine, and it adds an extra element of challenge, but also excitement.” The partnership aims to produce a similar exclusive vintage from the vineyard each year until 2018.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

30 years of Eileen Hardy Chardonnay Tom Newton, Hardy’s group white winemaker, said he has been “involved since day dot”. So when he reflects on the history of this premium wine, he provides a great insight into the journey of Australian Chardonnay across the past three decades. Nathan Gogoll reports. IT SEEMS STRANGE that Chardonnay, Australia’s most widely planted white variety, only arrived at Hardy’s about 35 years ago. For Tom Newton, Hardy’s group white winemaker, that means he remembers when it “first came along”. From about 1984 the winery started to release a ‘reserve’ wine – and that became the Eileen Hardy in 1986 when it join the premium Shiraz that had carried the name of the company’s matriarch since 1973. “The original wine was sourced from Padthaway and there were some pretty young vines supplying the fruit in those days,” Newton said. “We were really learning a lot back then about how to treat the Chardonnay, we had been making a lot of Riesling, but when the Chardonnay came along we started looking at more Burgundian winemaking techniques. “Where we have sourced the fruit

from this wine has evolved as we’ve been looking for a finer wine style rather than the broad profile, which matches where the style of Australian Chardonnay has changed.” Across the 30 years since, the fruit source has turned steadily clockwise around the map of ‘south eastern Australia’; from the starting point in Padthaway; through the Adelaide Hills; Canberra; Tumbarumba; and most recently to the Yarra Valley and Tasmania. For the most-recent releases, Newton said fruit from Tasmanian has provided the tight structure and acid backbone and the Yarra Valley had brought “a sweeter lemon curd profile to the blend”. “We’ve got access to different vineyards and different fruit from a lot of regions – and when you’re working with them all you become really aware of

what each region, as well as individual vineyards, can bring to the blend,” he said. “In that way we’re not really limited at all, there’s a wide palate to draw from. “The style trend of Australian Chardonnay has sort-of followed what we’ve been doing – not that it’s something we were trying to do, we just set out to make the best wine we could. “Our wines, like a lot of Australian Chardonnay, have moved from the broader flavours of white peach and nectarine through to the much finer flavours. As that happened, we’ve gravitated to the even cooler climates. We’ve moved from ageing in oak to fermenting in oak and looked at incorporating some of the Burgundian techniques into what we do. “I’ve never made wine for the shows or for the style of the day; it’s always been about making the best Australian Chardonnay we could.”

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68 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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August 2016 – Issue 631

Today different parcels of the Eileen Hardy Chardonnay are fermented with natural yeast and the whole process takes place in French oak barriques, and half of them are brand new. Different parcels of fruit are matched with oak from different coopers and the approach to malolactic fermentation is based on the acid structure of the wine. “We’ve started using malolactic ferments from the late 90s, but it varies depending on the year,” Newton said. “Generally in the cooler years we look for more malo ferments because it reduces acidity. “We have tended to look for tightergrained oak for the fruit from the coolest climates, but we have oak we know provides some vanilla to help express fruit sweetness and then we have other options to provide more structure. “It took probably 10 years to get the oak regime we’ve got these days – and it had a lot to do with finding finer oak to match finer wines.”

IT STARTS IN THE VINEYARDS “I’m out in the vineyards all the time, I make sure I do three visits at least during vintage. I need to be out there – I was a vineyard hand before I became a winemaker – for all the little things,” Newton said. “When it comes to things like knowing where to look for signs of disease, I’ve been in those vineyards so many times that I get to know them all.” The current vineyard mix includes the company’s own Upper Yarra plantings as well as options from several Yarra Valley growers; and a focus on the Coal River and east coast areas of Tasmania. On Tasmania, Newton believes “we’ve only just started to scratch the surface”.

LOOKING BACK ACROSS 30 YEARS Newton recently helped to host vertical tastings of Eillen Hardy Chardonnay for the wine media and trade in McLaren Vale and London – looking at everything from 1986. “What you see when you sit back and watch people, you see they get totally surprised by what Australian Chardonnay is capable of,” he said. Having looked back across the vintages, Newton said there are a couple standouts. “The 86 under cork is still a classic and the 2002 is the ‘wow’ wine for me,” he said. Bill Hardy, who participated in the McLaren Vale tasting, agreed with the quality of the oldest wines. “Tasting those early ones, the 86, 87,

August 2016 – Issue 631

Tom Newton, Hardy’s group white winemaker

88 wines, I was just blown away with the life in them still,” Hardy said. Nick Stock, Australian wine critic, said more people should know about the ageing potential of premium Australian Chardonnay. “It has a lot to give; it actually takes some time to kind-of unwind and show you everything that’s there,” Stock said. But if give Newton the opportunity, he has plenty of positives to share about many of the vintages. “I really like the 2005 and the 2004 was really tight and will be one that ages really well… “They all have their own story. There has been an evolution, and we have got to the point where we are really comfortable with presenting a premium Australian Chardonnay.” Chief Winemaker Paul Lapsey said the 30-year milestone for the wine is a “remarkable feat in many ways”. “It’s a story that the whole Australian industry should be proud of as the quality of the wines has always been exceptional,” Lapsey said. “If anyone ever wanted to demonstrate just how far Chardonnay wine styles have evolved and improved over the decades here in Australia, then this wine is surely the reference point.”

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WHAT COMES NEXT? “I think the next thing is looking for the next vineyard and to see where it can take everything,” Newton said. “We do very little filtration or fining, we’ve worked out our oak and what we have been doing with battonage, or lees stirring, has been an important part of how we make this wine since the 80s. Some of the techniques we’ve learned from making fine wines like this Chardonnay have transitioned through to our more commercial wines – things like natural ferments for certain parcels.” Newton wants the Eileen Hardy to keep being a “surprising wine”. “We are always looking at our competition from around Australia – while we don’t change our style based on what others are doing, it is great to see what’s coming from Giaconda, Leeuwin Estates, Bindi and even Penfolds with Yattarna. “There are also a whole heaps of new wines coming out that we get to see on the show circuit,” he said. “We might have set out to match the best of Burgundy when we starter, but now we are focussed on making the best Australian Chardonnay we can,” he said. “What we’re are doing with this wine is certainly world class.”

Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Design features & benefits of central membrane press technology By Paul Baggio of Della Toffola Pacific

WINEMAKERS AGREE that the more rapid the grape juice is separated and drained from the polyphenol oxidase enzymes a lower concentration of browning fractions and oxidation occurs. It would hold then that a juice extraction design that more effectively efficiently ensures juice separation would be the press of choice for winemakers. By virtue of the membrane press bag in any side bag press design taking up 50% of the tank surface area, little surface remains for drainage screens with side bag press designs by comparison to a design where by the whole tank surface is covered by drain screen. Take into account loading doors the typical drain screen surface available for side bag presses is only 22% - 24% of the press tank surface. When compared to the Della Toffola press design which provides 88% of its tank surface area with drain screens, it is clear why a Della Toffola press design is on many levels the superior pressing technology. Central membrane press design by comparison to Side Bag press design: • The whole inner press tank wall gets covered with drain screen surface; • The axial feed can be positioned in the centre of the press tank (ref attached) to ensure more effective organic distribution of in-fed grapes occurring along the drain screen surface. With an axial infeed positioned at any one end of a tank press as per a side bag press design the pumped in grapes fall ultimately all at one end of that tank press. Positioning the axial feed at the end of any large tank press imposes the requirement to

70 Grapegrower & Winemaker

constantly rotate the tank using the flights within the press tank to distribute the grapes within the tank to any drain screen available. The larger the press the more significant the problem. The process of grinding skins continuous along the flights we know increases solids generation significantly. The design of the Della Toffola press with the axial feed pipe positioned in the center of the press tank is the suitable position to enable the in-fed grapes, in a static position (not requiring drum rotations) to distribute left and right screen areas. A significant reduction in suspended solids generation by comparison; and • The juice drainage in central membrane presses occurs without the back pressure as occurs in side bag presses. The back pressure within side bag membrane presses has nowhere to go but to sheer through the skins and juice volume competing to push through the same drain channels out of the tank, very much through the very same path the juice must travel. This is not the case for central membrane presses where by the path of least resistance for the back pressure/ air gets vented in the opposite direction of the draining juice to atmosphere out the north-facing axis. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen mixing with the concentrations of polyphenols is dramatically reduced for Della Toffola press designs. Studies performed by the University of Adelaide highlighted this dynamic, resulting in lower concentrations of browning fractions for Della Toffola extracted juice compared to side bag juice extraction.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

The popularity of vineyard destemming is changing a lot of the thinking surrounding front-end grape receival. How suspended solids and ‘lees’ are generated and how best they are managed has dominated the winemaking narrative in these last years. The investment into floatation and importantly the costs associated with high solids cross flow to process juice lees has had the most striking impact as to focusing on how juice solids can be reduced. Investing in a press technology that reduces the solids loading for down-stream processes is what is influencing the decision to invest in Della Toffola press Technology.

THE FACTS: • Della Toffola tank presses can be loaded at faster rates of 100-130m3/hr. They can simultaneously drain at rates faster than 100m3/hr and can do so in a static position with the door hatch closed. A 240hl press can have loaded some 75tn, a 100m3/hr pump would load and drain a 240hl Della Toffola press in 3/4hr. The performance of side bag presses by comparison accept 50-55tns of grapes and require 1.30hrs on average to load; • The load volumes of a Della Toffola 480hl press are 110tn to 120tns and can be loaded with a 130m3/hr pump in under an hour. Press cycles for Della Toffola presses are typically 90 to 100 minutes. The same cycle time is required for the 240hl press as for a 480hl press. The vertical channel drain design coupled with the fact that with a central membrane the distance of extension and retraction of the membrane press bag being half that of side bags the performance no matter how more longer or wider the press tank may be the press cycle remains linear. This is certainly not the case for side bag presses. The larger they get the less efficient and less effective the drain and separation becomes; • As Della Toffola presses can have positioned two marc doors on each axis the marc removal time is only 15 minutes. The time required to remove the same volumes from side bag presses is significantly more and becomes more cumbersome as the presses increase in dimension and volume; and • Cleaning time required for grape to grape processing is approximately 15 minutes. Hot water and caustic can be injected into the tank press to effect any more intensive CIP regimes or to accelerate a more intensive clean program. The ability to install three, even four doors, for a central membrane press enables the most effective ease of access of any tank press design. If internal access to tank presses are a priority concern, then the Della Toffola design better mitigates the issues of confined work space compared to other presses.

that our current advised CIP times are only 15 minutes to effect what most wineries claim is best practice, any more intensive regimes required can be easily accommodated. NB: Given per day the performance of any Della Toffola is twice as fast as any side bag press, if clients really wish to remove press screens in between each press load, they would certainly have far more time to do so with any Della Toffola press compared to a side bag press operation. Similarly with bag changes. I understand a lot is being said by our competitors about the duration of what it takes to change

The total complete turn-around press cycle time for a Della Toffola press is three hours, with one of our large clients processing per day with two 240hl Della Toffola presses 700-750 tonnes per day. It is technically possible to perform six cycles in a 24 hour period. Thus not only do central presses extract a lower suspended solid extract, with lower polyphenol browning fractions, but each tank press load can have added up to 40% additional grape volume by comparison and will process in a turn-around time nearly twice as fast as any side bag press. Do the screens need to be taken off? The resoundingly feedback by our customers is that they only remove the screens once a year post vintage. Some of our most experienced customers have concluded that they do not need to remove the screens at all. Where increasing Occupational Health and Safety legislation is encroaching on the ability of technicians being able to access confined spaces, the proven design of the Della Toffola vertical screen design not requiring any need to be removed has been welcomed. As already outlined, the mere fact August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

a bag. Sure a bag change is inevitable yet how that is managed can occur many ways. As per discussions with some wineries we have run drills off season, if the notion of down time in harvest is such a dramatic concern for the sake of what is the cost of a bag (about Euro 6,000) why not change a bag in the down time/post or pre vintage period would be a suggestion. In any case, our experienced teams using a 240hl press takes around 5 – 6 hours. The larger 480hL press, due to the weight of the press bag, our customers potentially could take up to 7 – 8 hours. Yet those times are largely due by virtue that bags are not regularly changed and customers are not expert. Our perspective is that a press is invested into as the winery has a requirement to extract juice. Without knowing the time frame the same skilled team would take to change one bag versus another let’s just accept for the purposes of discussing this issue that changing a DT press bag may possibly take two to three hours more than a side bag press bag change as per our competitors comments. Given those time frames are the worst case, if a bag change is required every 7 to 8 years would someone seriously decide on a press investment disregarding all the major benefits as to actual press extraction? The Della Toffola central membrane press is a very proven press technology that presses twice as fast as any side bag press, per press load presses significantly more volume, delivers a substantial greater proportion of extract as free run juice per press load and is faster and significantly more easier to clean. So a typical side bag 260hl press processes 55tns and turns around every 5.5 to 6 hours. This represents 9 tns/hr. The Della Toffola 240hl press processes 70-75tns and turns around in 3 hours delivering a median average of 24tn/hr. There is a subtle

72 Grapegrower & Winemaker

suggestion that the two or three additional hours being raised by competitors as being the significant problem for Della Toffola presses in respects to press bag change over times is arguably inconsequential to the more significant problems faced by side bag press operation cycle times, phenol and solids generation. This all said the real story for press investments moving forward is somewhere very different. At a recent client meeting the question was asked, ‘are there any new developments on the DT pressing front’?. The Della Toffola presses provide an extract juice 60% lower in suspended solids to side bag presses for whites and red winemaking. The Della Toffola press best enables an inline continuous drain separation of juice intake with reduced solids loadings than any press. This dynamic is influencing the effectiveness of juice clarification, down-stream with type and scale of investment towards inline continuous floatation and inline high solids recovery/cross flow technology spend. ‘Spend’ being the operative word! – Reduce the solids loadings at the press extraction point and that translates to more bang for buck investment potential with high solids separation and in line continuous clarification technology. There is a lot of new, well-proven exciting technologies that are being adopted these last years. The advantages of Della Toffola presses compared to side bag presses are very clear. The real benefit of a Della Toffola press investment is the more efficient adoption to new technologies at the front-end winery for clarification and separation technologies. It is in this space that payback is being focused on, and it is the central membrane press that is central to achieving more fluency with the far wider narrative of achieving better quality and or more effective winemaking in winery operations.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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winemaking

Winery sustainability - CO2 sequestration Ian Jeffrey has contributed this article as another look at the advanced sustainability and innovative winemaking ideas coming from the UC DAVIS teaching and research winery. DR ROGER BOULTON, UC Davis Professor of Viticulture and Enology, has been a major contributor to designing the new UC DAVIS winery and managing its construction. The winery has implemented numerous advances in sustainability and innovative winemaking technology and has an estimated annual crush of between 80 and 120 tonnes. The winery cost an estimated $20 million US, largely funded by public donations - including large contributions from Robert Mondavi ($5 million) and the Jackson Family ($2 million). There are no energy or water inputs to the winery. It is totally solar powered. Solar powered hydrogen fuel cells produce hydrogen to power winery forklift trucks and provide electricity outside sunlight hours. Winery water requirements will be met by rainwater treated by reverse osmosis and nano filtration. Water is recovered and reused up to 10 times, dramatically reducing both the waste volume and the use of cleaning chemicals compared to similarsized commercial wineries. There are a number of significant technology improvements either installed or being considered for future installation. These include use of: • Bubble columns to Sequester/Absorb fermentation CO2; • Jameson Cells for white juice settling (as reported in Issue 626, March 2016);

• • • •

A fluidised bed cold stabilisation cell, (issue 627, April 2016); A protein stabilisation cell (reducing the use of bentonite); Mixing tubes and in-tank blending (fast efficient blending); CIP (Cleaning in place) and potassium base cleaning chemicals (reduced chemical use, reduced waste water production); • Advanced/precision cellar temperature and humidity control; and • Solar power generation and storage (issue 623, December 2015). While some of these technological advances have yet to be widely implemented by the industry, yet proof of the value of each concept already exists for all these innovations. In some instances the basic process is well established in the wine industry, while in other instances the innovation is well-established in other industry but not as yet applied to winemaking.

FLOODED BUBBLE COLUMNS – CARBON DIOXIDE SEQUESTRATION Why should we Capture and Sequester CO2? The reasons given by Professor Roger Boulton include reducing winery carbon footprint and increasing sustainability. He believes wineries will first move to a “zero” carbon footprint and then be able to look towards a “negative” carbon footprint. In a future where carbon trading may become a reality, this may have positive financial impacts for wineries. CO2 produced by fermentation represents 12% of the CO2 emission related to winemaking (it is worth noting the CO2 emission from manufacture of glass bottles represents 45%). The emission from Fermentation is almost 100% CO2; at ambient temperature; and close to the ground, allowing it to be easily collected and sequestered. However sequestering fermentation CO2 will incur some significant cost. The technology is well-known and ‘mature’, in some cases decades old, and while if might not be considered economical at present, it is likely to become so in the future. Methods for Sequestration of CO2 include CO2 dehydration and compression, Calcium Hydroxide Stripping and GeoSequestration: • CO2 dehydration and Compression, which involves use of proprietary amine CO2 absorption liquids and associated processing plant. Used commercially in a number of applications (CO2 removal in hydrogen manufacture, ammonia manufacture and natural gas purification), the current costs of CO2 removal are in the vicinity of $40-to-$50 US per tonne CO2; • Calcium Hydroxide Stripping, which involves absorbing CO2 and converting it to chalk; and • Geo-Sequestration, which involves pumping CO2 gas under pressure into rock forms, then into wells, typically gas and oil wells.

CALCIUM HYDROXIDE STRIPPING

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

74 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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

Calcium hydroxide stripping using flooded bubble columns is a well proven and reliable process that has been in use for decades. In 1969 my first major project at a sugar refinery involved installing two flooded bubble columns. It is the process selected by UC DAVIS for their CO2 sequestration. As a result, UC DAVIS sells the chalk it produces to a plaster board manufacturer.

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

A French winery is using a similar process using sodium based chemistry which converts the CO2 to a component in tooth paste (which I understand they also sell). In this process CO2 gas is usually scrubbed clean first and then bubbled bottom up through water columns against counter flow calcium hydroxide solution. The CO2 and calcium hydroxide react to form fine CaCO3 (chalk) which is usually removed using plate and frame filters or rotary vacuum drum filters. Calcium hydroxide has very low solubility and it is extremely difficult to control dosing it. My recommendations are to continuously circulate the calcium hydroxide solution using a Warman rubber lined and rubber impeller mining industry centrifugal pump with a dosing value ‘teed’ off the circulation system piping. The reaction in the flooded bubble columns is controlled by conductivity and pH controller’s. A possible sustainable and future economic solution is a combined lime kiln and CO2 dehydration and compression plant that provides wineries with “clean green CO2 neutral ‘Slaked Lime’ (CaO)” for use in CO2 capture flooded bubble columns installations. (The CaO then slurried/ ‘dissolved’ in water to produce a Ca(OH)2 Solution.

FURTHER DETAILS

CONCLUSION

“Designing Wineries for Sustainable Practices”- Roger Boulton – International Conference – EcoSostenible Wine, Forum Berger Balguer, Vilafranca del Penedes, 27/11/2008.

The future of the Australian wine industry is likely to be significantly impacted by the speed with which it adopts advanced sustainability and innovative winemaking technologies. One of these technologies is Calcium Hydroxide Stripping/gas bubble column which while currently not economic is likely to become economic in the future.

Further details on CO2 sequestration gas bubble columns and other advanced sustainability and innovative winemaking technologies at UC Davis include: • “The Chemical Engineering of Sustainable Winemaking”- a three day course given by Professor Roger Boulton at the University of Melbourne, in December 2013; • “Designing Wineries for Sustainable Practices”- Roger Boulton – International Conference – EcoSostenible Wine, Forum Berger Balguer, Vilafranca del Penedes, 27/11/2008; and • “UC DAVIS experimental super winery has opened its door for business”, L. Cutler, Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker, June 2014. On of the newest faculty members at UC DAVIS is Dr Ron Runnebaum and his research plans include developing materials to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fermentation, and he hopes to investigate other opportunities to reduce and reuse winery by-products.

REFERENCES

“The Chemical Engineering of Sustainable Winemaking”- a three day course given by Professor Roger Boulton at the University of Melbourne, in December 2013

“UC DAVIS experimental super winery has opened its door for business”, L. Cutler, Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker, June 2014. “Industrial design and optimization of CO2 capture, dehydration, and compression facilities.” , A. Aboudheir and G. McIntyre (HTC Purenergy & Bryan Research & Engineering)

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August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Australian trade tour of Tasmania TOWARDS THE END of June, Wine Tasmania hosted 10 wine trade representatives for a whirlwind wine-focused tour of the island state. The two-day visit allowed the trade representatives to taste their way around the island, meeting wine producers and sampling their wines, as well as a food, cider or whisky producer or two, while soaking up the scenery and lifestyle of the island. Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies said that visiting Tasmania was the best way to experience the island and its wine and to gain an appreciation of its diversity. “This is an outstanding opportunity for wine trade representatives to experience for themselves the spectacular island we are privileged to call home,” Davies said. “With around 40% of Tasmania’s wine being sold on-island to enthusiastic visitors and supportive locals, visiting is the best way to taste the breadth and diversity of wines available. “This is the third year we have presented this trade visitation program, with application numbers growing from 115 in 2014 to 155 last year, and even more interest expected this year. The feedback from the trade visitors we have hosted to date has been particularly positive, with more Tasmanian wines appearing on restaurant wine lists and wine retail shelves as a direct result.” The 2016 participants were: • Trent Andrews, Qantas (NSW); • Andres Aragon, Trippas White Group/Sydney Tower (NSW); • Adam Cotterell, City Wine Shop (VIC); • Nicole Blums, The Point Hotel Brisbane (QLD); • Sabine Duval, The Wine Society (NSW); • Meira Harel, The Town Mouse (VIC); • Penny Lamb, GraysOnline Wine (SA); • Yann Mengneau, Chairman Group (ACT); and • David Stevens-Castro, InterContinental Sanctuary Cove (QLD). The Grapegrower & Winemaker caught up with StevensCastro to find out what he experienced, what inspired him and how his extra insight into Tasmania might shape his wine listing. Q: Had you been to Tasmania before? David Stevens-Castro: This was my first time in Tasmania and I was very excited about, it exceed my expectations even though it was a short trip, the quality of the produce is remarkable. Q: What were your expectations for this trip? DS-C: To get to meet the makers is always great, as well as their operations, I was hopeful to get to go to MONA museum and I was thrilled that it was actually part of the itinerary, impressive venue. Also, and very important for me was to check out the dining scene of Hobart; the cafés, bars and restaurants have a great reputation nation-wide. Q: Who did you meet for the first time that really inspired you? DS-C: Penny Jones and Nick Glaetzer. Penny is making terrific wines covering sparklings, whites and Pinot Noir. The Eddystone Point range is unreal value for GI Tasmania. Also she is pretty cool and easy-going. Nick is a very stylish winemaker, his wines leave you thinking, and what he has done with Shiraz is futurist. He has also travelled well and appreciates styles and regions from other wine countries – something that I’ve always found in the best makers – they never stop exploring what others are doing.

76 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Q: What were the stand out individual wines of the trip? DS-C: Sparkling – Arras, as always, was on top but I was mightily impressed by Pirie and Moorilla too. White – Holm Oak Pinot Gris and Holm Oak Chardonnay ‘The Wizard’. Red – Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon, Peter Althaus took a bottle of 1998 to dinner at Frank Restaurant, it was showing fresh as daisy, world class. Also, I quite enjoyed the 2012 Devil’s Corner ‘Mt. Amos’ Pinot Noir over lunch at Stefano Lubiana Restaurant. It did great things with the Piedmontese sausage and lentils. Q: And what were the strongest styles and/or varieties? DS-C: The strongest has to be the sparklings, without a doubt the premium region of the New World. It is quite exciting too that they have traction in the market and that more planting is needed to satisfy demand. What was a great surprise was the Rieslings. In the past I found that the acidity was a bit sharp and aggressive, the impact of flavours was always there, due to dry extended ripening cycles achieved in Tasmania, but now there is more fine-tuned examples, where acidity is well integrated with the fruit, producing beautifully balanced results on this majestic variety that I love. Q: Which wines would easily find food matches in the restaurants you are looking after? DS-C: All wines that have well-integrated fruit flavours with the high acidity that Tasmania produces, that to me is paramount when pairing food and wine. The idea is always to grab the best of each element and blend in synergy. For instance, the sparkling rosé bracket we tasted at Stefano Lubiana show diversity and great quality, as a style is extremely flexible and versatile with food matchings. I tasted some delicious wines that can work well with many seafood based dishes, but also creamy pastas and white chocolate desserts. Q: How much has your knowledge of Tasmania improved through this trip? DS-C: It has improved but for me there is always room for more knowledge. I want to know more about the Island after this – I only explored the tip of the iceberg to be honest. Q: I can’t see a lot of Tasmanian wine on your lists (at the various restaurants/bars at the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove), do you think this might change following this trip? DS-C: That is true and that’s probably the reason why I applied in the Wine Tasmania Trade visit. As a Resort Sommelier at InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort I curate seven wine lists, but the one I spend the most time on is for The Fireplace Restaurant. There you can find six listings from Tasmania. With all the wine trips that I do, I always bring the goods back to share with our clientele, plus the stories and the experiences that I gather from each visit really enhance the dining experience of our guests. Q: What was it like to travel with nine other important wine buyers? DS-C: Fun! I always say that all wine roads have the same destination so I will expect to cross ways with a few of them along the track. Like-minded people who work with wine for a living, you cannot go wrong there!

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

Yeast research tour to France HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT yeast strains are used in wine fermentation but we’ve really only scratched the surface in terms of understanding the possible options. Nearly all commonly used strains are of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the others only represent another three or four species. So, with around 50 wine-related species out there in the world, there is a lot more to be explored. And interest is growing because of the potential for new yeasts both to differentiate product on the wine market and to result in different wine attributes, such as lower alcohol. With this in mind, Wine Australia awarded a travel bursary to University of Adelaide researcher and PhD student Ana Hranilović to help her learn more about the species Lachancea thermotolerans. Ana flew to France in late June to spend four months working with researchers at the Institut de la Science de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV) at the University of Bordeaux, which has a comprehensive study looking at a range of non-conventional yeasts. The collaboration was initiated by her PhD supervisor, Professor Vladimir Jiranek, who recently undertook a sabbatical at the ISVV. Ana’s work is largely supported through the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine

Ana Hranilovic. Photo credits Dr. Duc Truc Pham (2)

Production and Wine Australia. She has great hopes for Lachancea thermotolerans, which has shown the potential to improve wine complexity by producing all sorts of different desirable aromas and also can lower the pH in wines as it has an acidifying character. “This is of particular interest in the context of viticultural and oenological practices, underlined by observed and/or

projected climate warming, which have led to higher pH levels and lower total acidity at the time of harvest,” she said. Research at the ISVV has found interesting patterns emerging among a number of non-conventional yeasts. “One of the most interesting is the fact that some yeasts that originate from completely different geographical areas and are used in wine-related environments are genetically pretty similar,” she said. “So now our idea is to extend this research to Lachancea thermotolerans to see if there is some sort of clustering.” Ana’s study will apply a population genetics approach to analyse the species’ variability. For this purpose, she has acquired more than 100 different yeasts from all over the world, including exotic locations such as Hawaii and the Bahamas as well as wine growing regions. And in a nice twist to the story, Ana last year met eminent Canadian yeast ecologist Marc-André Lachance, the man after whom the genus Lachancea was named. Wine Australia’s travel and visiting scholar bursaries are available to the Australian grape and wine community. Applications for travel between 1 January and 30 June 2017 close on Friday 7 October 2016, visit Wine Australia’s ‘research, development and extension’ website for more information.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

young gun

Dirty Black Denim for days In an industry that often celebrates the old over the new Tim and Lawrence Scanlon are breaking the mould. The young, edgy, independent winemakers have built their brand from scratch specialising in Italian alternative varieties, and describe their wine as “smashable vino from two blokes in Coburg”. Fiercely passionate about crafting unique wines sustainably the brothers behind Dirty Black Denim have only been in the wine industry for a couple of years, but have made an impression with esteemed wine critics. Emilie Reynolds had a chat to Tim and Lawrence about being labelled ‘hipster’, their greatest inspirations and surviving as a small business in the wine industry. TIM AND LAWRENCE grew up about as far away from the mainstream wine world as you could imagine in Toowoomba, Queensland. Lawrence, 29, said he jumped into the hospitality industry after high school in 2004 while he mapped out his future. “After a few years of kicking around University, working out what career path and industry I wanted to work in, I eventually decided to move to Melbourne and study winemaking at NMIT (Now Melbourne Polytechnic),” he said. Lawrence said he had been working in bottle shops for around five years while studying politics at university. “I quickly realised that it wasn’t a career path that I was overly keen on following. I had also become really interested in the wines that I was drinking and wanted to learn as much as I could,” he said. “I was living in Bowral in New South Wales and had started to meet some of the local winemakers and vignerons and that’s when I decided to take the plunge and enrolled in a winemaking degree.” Tim has a similar story. At just two years younger, the 27-year-old said he was halfway through his degree at Melbourne Polytechnic and also worked fulltime at Galli Estate in Sunbury. “In 2013 I had moved to Melbourne and was toying with the idea of going to university and changing career paths. I really enjoyed the landscaping work that I was doing in Brisbane before I moved, and Lawrence said I should take a look at viticulture. At the same time, the job at Galli came up and it all fell into place from there.” Lawrence and Tim created Dirty Black Denim three years ago. As their passion for the wine industry grew, the brothers decided to branch out on their own and use their skills to craft lo-fi Italian inspired wine. They described it as “smashable vino from two blokes in Coburg”.

ABOUT THAT NAME The name Dirty Black Denim has two meanings for the brothers. “Black jeans are basically our

78 Grapegrower & Winemaker

We’re happy to be called hip, but when it’s used to dismiss our wines or us as winemakers it gets our back up a bit uniform,” Tim said. “We sleep, work and live in them, so it felt kind of fitting to name our wines after them. We also wanted something that we would happily name our garage punk band, if we weren’t tone deaf.” A love for alternative varieties inspired the young winemakers to push the boundaries and experiment with grapes like Fiano, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. “There are so many wine people that have been a huge inspiration for us,” Tim said. “Drinking the wines of James Erskine, Tom Shobbrook and Anton Van Klopper were really eye opening when we first came across them and probably were the very early inspiration for us starting to make our wines.”

THEIR PHILOSOPHY Lawrence said he and Tim have very similar views on winemaking and vineyard management. “Ideally we want to show off variety and site in our wines,” he said. “We try and make sure that we source grapes from vineyards that treat the vines and soil with respect and manage them sustainably.” Lawrence said finding vineyards managed with a similar philosophy was difficult so when the opportunity arose to lease a small vineyard in the Macedon Ranges, they jumped on it. “In terms of winemaking, we believe that the best way to show off fruit and site is to manage everything minimally,” Lawrence said. “So that means, for us, that we don’t bomb the fruit with sulphur and acid at crush. If the fruit looks like it needs a www.winetitles.com.au

decent portion of whole bunch or skin contact, we always prefer to leave them in. “Our ultimate goal for every wine is to make them with zero additions, but if the wines need some S02 or have a TA that is less than the pH, we’ll definitely add what is needed to make it a greater wine. But we’ll always be open and up front about what is in our wine.” Tim and Lawrence hand-sold their first Dirty Black Denim wines. Lawrence said they scouted out places they enjoyed drinking at and developed personal relationships with the owners. “We now sell through our distributor Anonymous Wines, who are absolute legends,” Tim said. “As anyone who has met Stu Northey will tell you.” Dirty Black Denim started to gain momentum after receiving favourable praise from popular commentators in the wine industry, including Huon Hooke and James Scarcebrook (The Intrepid Vino). The quirky labels and natural methods meant the wine was quickly branded as “hipster”. “I guess you could easily label us as hipster,” Lawrence said. ”We like good coffee, wear skinny jeans and listen to vinyl. “But I’ve met and worked with people in the industry that turn up to work in their favourite punk band t-shirt, complain about bad coffee and ferment white wines on skins. But once you put a fun label on a bottle of wine you quickly get a reputation.” Lawrence said “hipster” was a label they would generally embrace, unless it’s used to write-off their efforts as winemakers. “We’re happy to be called hip, but when it’s used to dismiss our wines or us as winemakers it gets our back up a bit,” he said. After three sold-out vintages, Tim and Lawrence have proved themselves to be serious winemakers. “Selling all of the wines we have released over the past three years has been pretty amazing,” Tim said. “Even if the volumes we produce are quite small.” August 2016 – Issue 631

Tim and Lawrence Scanlon

THEIR PLACE IN THE INDUSTRY As owners of a small, independent business, Tim and Lawrence said the debate surrounding Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) reform was worrying. “If the proposed changes do go ahead, I can’t really see how Dirty Black Denim will survive,” Tim said. Lawrence said although there were a lot of serious conversations to be had about WET, sustainable agriculture and oversupply, he was also concerned about the lack of diversity in the Australian wine industry. “I’d really love to see more diversity in the industry. It’s still very much a boys club at times and I would love to see more women in the industry and the ones who are, receiving much more praise for what they do. I’ve been pretty lucky to work with some very talented and smart women, and I think the industry would be a better place if we started to realise this.” As they both still work for other businesses, Tim and Lawrence craft their wines during rare bouts of downtime and said their aim was to be able to commit 100 per cent of their time to Dirty Black Denim. “The end goal for us is to be in a August 2016 – Issue 631

position where I can stop working 40 hours a week for other people and put my whole focus into Dirty Black Denim and our vineyard,” Tim said. “Hopefully we can think about purchasing some land and vines at some stage too.” Tim and Lawrence both said staying positive was the most important advice they could offer young winemakers looking to break into the industry. “Do what you want and follow what inspires you. There are many people that are happy to beat you down and dismiss what you believe. But if you have the skills and know what you want to do, do it. Although, the industry is full of the most generous wonderful people you could hope to meet, seek them out and don’t let go of them.” Tim and Lawrence said producing Dirty Black Denim hasn’t been an easy feat, but they were thankful for the strong support network around them. “Dirty Black Denim would be nothing without the amazing and generous support we have received from peers and friends such as Ben Rankin and John Armstrong (Galli Estate), Adam Foster, Lincoln Riley have also helped us out a lot and been great supporters of what we do.” www.winetitles.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker M1511_ALEX500_59x272Strip.indd 1

15/06/2015 09:02

winemaking

Sparkling explosion McAtamney’s market report

Peter McAtamney, from Wine Business Solutions, sets his sights on sparkling wine and the local market. McAtamney is principal of Wine Business Solutions (WBS), an Australian and New Zealand based consultant with a focus on providing strategic, advisory, research outcomes and management consultant services to wine business owners.

AND NOW for something completely different – sparkling wine. A unique drink category with its own market dynamics, it is vitally important to understand these differences before committing capital to developing inventory. Sparkling wine has long lead times and weighs heavily on cashflow. Firstly, it’s about brands. This is a business that suits the largest scale operators best. The bigger the scale, the lower the unit cost, the greater the margin, the larger the A & P fund and the heftier the bag of money with which to build the brand. Think Freixenet and Moët Hennessy, the global leaders in their respective price categories. Freixenet Export Director, Bernd Halbach recently informed me that Freixenet is now the largest selling sparkling wine brand in France. The Top 20 Most Listed Australian Sparkling Wine Brands On-Premise Brand

2016

2015

Chandon

7.8%

8.1%

CHG -3%

Jansz

5.2%

4.1%

29%

Seppelt

3.5%

1.5%

132%

Croser

2.2%

1.7%

27%

Redbank

2.0%

1.3%

48%

Dal Zotto

1.9%

-2%

Clover Hil

1.6%

0.9%

66%

Dominique Portet

1.6%

0.6%

182%

Dunes & Greene

1.4%

1.6%

-8%

Arras

1.2%

0.7%

70%

Stefano Lubiana

1.2%

0.7%

84%

Brown Brothers

1.2%

1.6%

-26%

Robert Oatley

1.2%

0.0%

Rothbury

1.2%

0.5%

132%

Ninth Island

1.1%

0.3%

227%

De Bortoli

1.0%

The Lane

1.0%

Yellowglen

1.0%

2.1%

-50%

42 Degrees South

1.0%

1.1%

-10%

Deviation Road

1.0%

0.6%

72%

So anything is possible with the right strategic brand building approach. Making some sparkling wine to ‘fill out your range’ is not that. Secondly, recognised quality producers are now winning out. You can see that brands like Clover Hill, Dominique Portet, Stefano Lubiana, Arras and Deviation Road are all experiencing a big surge in listings as a result of a lot of recent accolades and related publicity, the sum of which has been enough to engender wide ranging on-trade support for quality Australian sparkling. Only a year or so ago this wouldn’t have been an effective strategy. The market simply wasn’t sophisticated enough. Champagne has helped.

80 Grapegrower & Winemaker

So whilst there are brands in our ‘Top 20 most listed’ list that exist solely to cover low price pouring opportunities, quality is now winning out. Thirdly, wine is a fashion product and fashion can be explosive. Moscato and Prosecco have stablised in the past 12 months but these two Italian wine ideas now account for around a quarter of all sparkling wine listings after just two-to-three years of spectacular growth. Only Victoria positioned itself properly to take advantage. It was an overnight success 20 years in the making for King Valley producers like Dal Zotto and Pizzini. The lack of preparedness to service the relevant consumer market segment meant that South Australian producers in particular, who are normally given to chasing any emergent market trend where table wine is concerned, missed their biggest single growth opportunity of the past five years. Style

2016

2015

CHG

Other Sparkling

45.3%

43.2%

Champagne

25.8%

26.6%

-3%

Moscato

13.5%

14.6%

-7%

Prosecco

10.5%

10.3%

Sparkling Red

3.0%

4.0%

-26%

Cava

2.0%

1.4%

41%

So what is there left for Australian producers to attack in term of future sparkling wine opportunity? Currently about half of sparkling wine listings only are Australian origin, a quarter are Champagne and the other quarter, mainly European sparkling wine. French sparkling wine, other than Champagne, does not have a defendable premise as Freixenet have clearly demonstrated. There are few brands and a lot of inconsistency within the appellations they otherwise rely upon to act as brands. Italian producers are good at flooding markets, as we have seen with Prosecco, not so good at patiently building brands. Expect local prosecco brands to get much stronger. New Zealand had a huge head start with sparkling wine but has become distracted. Altogether, therefore, there are very good prospects for strengthening Australia’s position within the local market driven by quality. Much better prospects still exist for those who realise that a 750ml bottle provides 12 inches of display space that hasn’t even started to be properly exploited. This provides unlimited opportunity as a creative communication medium and the audience is very open to new ideas. The Champenoise have proven that. Lastly the consumer that likes the taste profile of Moscato and/or Prosecco is still waiting for respect. More premium, better dressed, better tasting and yes, better quality products in this space have massive potential.

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

New Barossa winery backed by Argentina ONE OF THE WORLD’S leading wine consultants has teamed up with an Argentinian oil and gas billionaire in a multi-million dollar vineyard and winery development in Australia’s Barossa Valley wine region. Alberto Antonini, who was named last year by Decanter magazine as one of the world’s top five wine consultants as well as by The Drinks Business in 2013, is advising Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni on the development of Greenock Farm, a 40ha property at the northern end of Australia’s best known wine region, an hour’s drive north of the South Australian capital Adelaide. The 72-year-old Bulgheroni bought Greenock Farm in October last year for AUD $1.95 million. With only 12ha currently planted to Barossa iconic grape varieties – Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro and Semillon – there are imminent plans to plant a further 18ha with the same varieties, while restoration work has already begun on the 150-year-old stone barns and farm buildings on the site. A budget has not been revealed for the new development but the company’s Australian managing director Amelia Nolan says it will include a 180-tonne winery, a cellar door and possibly some high-end accommodation. The first vintage, under a label name that is still going through the international trademarking process, is expected in 2018. While it is considerably smaller than the Bulgheri Family Vineyards recent US$85 million vineyard and winery development Bodega Garzón in Uruguay, Nolan promises that, like Bodega Garzón, it will be a cutting edge development that will push boundaries in all directions. Bodega Garzón, will feature a luxury hotel and a $180,000-entry-fee wine club where members can create their own wines. Bulgheri, who spent three years exploring Australian wine regions with Antonini and Nolan before settling on the Barossa, has now added Australia to a portfolio that includes multiple estates in California, Argentina, Uruguay, France and Italy. He is the first South American billionaire to build such a far-flung international wine business and he’s done it in a remarkably short period of time, snapping up most of his estates since 2011 at the rate of two a year. “We like the Barossa a lot,” said Antonini, who announced plans for the development in Adelaide today. “We had many options, but this was a place of inspiration. “The Barossa has great terroir and has built a great reputation, but what I taste now is not what we think the Barossa is capable of delivering. We will focus on the origin of the grapes, the unique place, not the variety. Varieties are generic, but places like the Barossa are unique.” Nolan says Bulgheroni and Antonini felt that the Barossa provided “a unique and special place to make wine”. “We looked at all of Australia,” she said. “We wanted a unique vineyard site that was not only a good fit for our portfolio, but also provided an opportunity to do something new on old bones.” August 2016 – Issue 631

For further information, please contact Kauri AUS Tel: 1800 127 611

NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE

Email: info@kauriwine.com

Website: www.kauriwine.com

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Direct email marketing tips As a winery owner, we understand you have a full plate. With a vineyard to attend, wines to make, labels to be designed, bottles to be filled, tasting room to be operated, wine shows to enter – the list goes on – there’s simply not enough time to do everything that needs doing. Lynda Schenk, marketing expert and founder of Adelaide-based Purple Giraffe, reports.

WITH GROWING COMPETITION in a fragmented market where retailers are squeezing margin, wineries are constantly looking at ways they can increase their direct sales options. Email marketing is a cost effective means of communicating with their consumers while increasing sales. So to make sure your email marketing efforts received the greatest return, here are my top email marketing tips based on what I’ve seen work well:

EMAIL FROM SOMEONE Make sure your email ‘from’ address is from an actual person with an actual name. Personalising your emails has a significant effect on your email open rates. An email from peter@ creates a link to a person within your wine business that can’t be matched by the info@address. Here are a couple of good examples: • ‘The Team’ at Shinglefile Wines; • Pud Smith, Pikes Wines; and • Matt at Ekhidna.

WORK ON YOUR SUBJECT LINE Like in your own email communication, the subject line is an opportunity to tell the ready what benefit they are going to receive from opening the email. Eventually you will want to provide some motivation for people to buy your wine – but you need to get them to open the email first, so don’t go with a hard sell in the subject line. Normal email conventions apply – if you use FULL CAPS you are shouting at people. And if you think using seven exclamation points is a good idea, you’re probably not the right person to choose the email subject line. There’s also a chance the recipient email system will send your message straight to the ‘junk’ folder if your sales pitch is too strong. Try to avoid these sorts of thing… AFFORDABLE WINE DIRECT FROM THE WINERY TO YOU!!! FREE FREIGHT FOR ORDERS OF SIX OR MORE OUTSTANDING WINES 919 Wines are very good at capturing your attention with their subject lines, some of my favourites are:

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‘What’s hot at 919 Wines this summer?’ ‘We turn ten, and you’re invited to the party!’

KEEP IT SHORT

• • • •

Distributor partners; Staff; Restaurant guests; and Newsletter subscribers.

USE IMAGES

People spend less that one minute reading an email before they decide to read on or close. So keep your message short, to the point and interesting throughout. It’s a tricky balance but try to leave people wanting more, rather than wanting to leave. If you have a great of information to share, you are better to offer a leading paragraph and providing a link to your website for the full article. S.C. Pannell are good at offering a short, sharp and shiny, clear message in their newsletters. With one main focussed call to action, it makes it very simple for the consumer to know what to do with the information provided to them.

Try to use professional images that have relevance to your brand and email newsletter. Poor quality images do nothing for your brand. Consumers respond well to interesting images. Engaging images are always a winner in capturing the attention of the ready. Matt at Ekhidna Wines displays an excellent example of using great images. Matt can be seen in every newsletter doing something interesting, like dancing in the vineyard, drenched in fermenting wine, interesting and different product images or standing in front of vast sundrenched vineyards. The images tell a story, consistently displaying Matt’s fun nature.

GREAT CONTENT

MEASURE YOUR RESULTS

• • • •

The mail purpose of your email is to: Build relationships; Stay top of mind; Promote your winery; and Make a sale.

Please take note of the order. Your first motivation for any direct email marketing should be to build a relationship with your consumer. Your message needs to be consistent and aligned with your brand values. The wording you use needs to appealing to your target market and attractive enough to maintain the interest of the reader.

TARGET YOUR EMAILS Segment your email lists into relevant categories so you are sending out information that is relevant to the receiver. It will reduce your unsubscribe rate, create better call to action, and reduce emails being flagged as spam. Here are some examples of segments you could produce: • Wine club members; • Tasting room visitors; www.winetitles.com.au

Measure things like open rates, click through rates and wine sales conversions. Create split/A&B testing emails to find out what gains the best results. So what are these things? Your open rate is the number of subscribers who opened your e-newsletter divided by the total number of emails successfully delivered. You should aim for over 50 percent open rate. Your click through rate measures what percentage of people clicked on your email newsletter. This measure the immediate response to your newsletter but not the overall response. A high click through rate will indicate that you have grabbed the reader’s attention. Split/A&B testing is a method for figuring out the best e-newsletter strategy for your business. Well executed split/A&B testing can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. It helps to narrow down the most effective elements of your promotion and combine them to make the ultimate e-newsletter. To find out more about Lynda Schenk, visit www.purplegiraffe.com.au. August 2016 – Issue 631

I M M E R S E Y O U R S E L F I N O U R N E W O A K FA N S Y S T E M S OFFERING STRUCTURE AND BAL ANCE.

STANDING THE TE ST OF TIME F OR MORE TH AN 125 YE AR S . C ALL 08 8563 2178 OR VI SIT APJOHN.COM.AU

winemaking

Barrel cooling technology WINERIES FROM the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and Wine McLaren Vale grape Storage g row ing regions, i nc lud i ng Peter Lehmann Wines, have been quick to adopt, install and benefit from the ground breaking new Climate Wizard Supercool system that provides exceptional control of barrel hall temperature and humidity. Wine evaporation through oak barrels, commonly known as ‘Angel’s share’, can account for up to nine per cent* wine loss during the ageing process. Needing to compensate for that by topping up every six weeks or so, increases the cost of production and can compromise the wine quality. Having to do that over longer ageing periods for premium wines, compounds the cost. Controlling the barrel hall conditions with expensive refrigerated cooling and extra humidification equipment has been the Winemaker’s only answer to the extremes of the Australian climate, until now. Sorry, Angels. Climate Wizard Supercool now gives winemakers the control over both temperature and humidity to create the constant environment they need, and the benefits don’t stop with a drastic reduction of ‘Angel’s share’. Au xilia r y equipment, like humidification, are no longer needed. And wineries, including Peter Lehmann, Smith & Shaw and McLaren Flat’s Yangarra Wines, can operate with cooling costs up to 80% less than they would be if conventional refrigerated equipment was used. Seeley International’s General Manager of Commercial Sales, Michael Hamilton highlighted his team’s cooling challenge from Peter Lehmann Wines. “The challenge for Peter Lehmann Wines was providing cooling for three wine barrel halls, maintaining low temperatures and high humidity throughout the harsh Barossa Valley summer,” Hamilton said. A Climate Wizard Supercool , which has an indirect evaporative section and a direct evaporative section was installed at the Peter Lehmann barrel hall and achieved the winemakers desired storage temperatures while increasing air moisture to around 80% Relative Humidity. Hamilton emphasised the amount of wine actually lost is a major concern, particularly for premium wine brands.

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Large units at Barossa Valley Estate

Climate Wizard technology installed at the Yangarra Winery

In her article on humidification, Cathy Howard from Whicher Ridge Wines, WA, advised that during cooler months, an average topping volume per 225 litre barrel is 1-1.5L; with warmer months being closer to 2-2.5L/barrel. This equates to a loss in volume per barrel of 5% per year. For reds, this was 10% over the twoyear period that the wines are maturing in barrel. The Climate Wizard Supercool system can provide very effective cooling at a fraction of the operating cost of refrigerated systems because of its low energy consumption. Along with the reduction of ‘Angel’s Share’ and the reduced disturbance of the ageing process, Climate Wizard maintains a high humidity in the cooled www.winetitles.com.au

space, which helps minimise wine evaporation losses. Installations of the Climate Wizard lower-energy technology reduces need for power supply upgrades and dismisses the auxiliary equipment including humidification. Designed, manufactured and supported in Australia, the Climate Wizard system has no hazardous or expensive refrigerants, reduces a winery’s carbon footprint, and creates a cleaner barrel store environment. For more information about Climate Wizard Supercool please call 1300 991 245 or email commercial@seeleyinternational. com. August 2016 – Issue 631

Cellar operations qualifications now available NEW ZEALAND WINERIES have played a key role leading up to this month’s launch of New Zealand’s first nationally recognised qualifications for cellar operators in the wine industry. The qualifications, developed by New Zealand wineries in tandem with industry training organisation Competenz, will help the wine industry maintain New Zealand’s reputation as one of the world’s top winemaking countries. Wine is one of this country’s fastest growing exports with a value of $1.5billion (2015) and is the largest horticultural export product by value. Domestically, it is estimated that the wine industry will export $2 billion by 2020. “The New Zealand Certificates in Cellar Operations are a first for New Zealand, and it’s been exciting to be part of their development,” said Nick Best, Production Manager at Marlborough’s Isabel Estate. “Nationally recognised qualifications benefit the industry and everyone in it. New Zealand wine is well regarded round the world. These qualifications will help us invest in, lift and standardise the skills of the people in our industry. And that will help us maintain the quality and consistency that’s won New Zealand our good reputation.” Both employers and employees will benefit from the new qualifications. “If you’re an employer who takes on someone with a qualification, you’ll know you’re employing someone who can do what they say they can do,” Best said. “They’ll have the skills they need to be productive and work safely. Investing in training is a great way to promote our industry across New Zealand too. “If you’re employed in a winery and hold a qualification, you can show employers you’ve reached a standard that’s recognised across the country.” Competenz Industry Manager Mathew Vandy says strong industry representation played an important part in helping the Competenz team understand the technical and commercial skills cellarhands and managers need to gain to keep New Zealand “up there on the international wine map. The New Zealand Certificates will support and formalise the high level of skills I’ve seen in cellar operators across New Zealand”. “And now that the qualifications are available, we’re really excited to be able to support the industry to formally recognise the skills and knowledge their teams are gaining on-the-job,” Vandy said. Employers and those interested in finding out more about the qualifications and how to start training towards them,

NZ cellar qualifications - Hayden Lawrence, Pernod Ricard

can contact the industry training organisation, Competenz on 0800 526 1800.

Three New Zealand Certificates in Cellar Operations have been developed: The first is an entry-level qualification aimed at cellarhands carrying out routine tasks in the winery, and has a strong focus on understanding New Zealand wine and winemaking processes, and operating within food, health and safety, and quality processes. The intermediate qualification equips graduates with both the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to process grapes, manage vintage operations, and carry out wine production processes. The high level qualification builds the specialised technical skills needed to manage employees, vintage workers, production and quality. Competenz recently launched the first two qualifications, with the third high level qualification on track for launch at the Romeo Bragato Wine Conference in August 2016. Together, these three certificates form a pathway of learning over several years.

Manufacturers of TAYLORMADE Tipping Bins - Tipping Tanks - Slot Drains - Wine Tanks Leaders in the Design and Manufacture of Wine Making Equipment Taylors Engineering (Blen) Limited Liverpool St Riverlands Estate Blenheim New Zealand Phone Conway Taylor: +64 (3) 579 4783 Email: sales@taylormadenz.com www.taylormadenz.com August 2016 – Issue 631

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

ask the Not so pretty in pink WHAT IS PINKING? Pinking is a term used to describe the sudden and unexpected development of a salmon/bronze colour in white wines after bottling or when poured into a glass. Although the aroma and flavour of the wine generally remain unchanged, the pink colour often can be misconstrued as the brown colour more typically associated with wine oxidation. This appearance can subconsciously influence the consumers’ expectation of the taste of wine, with pink wines often considered oxidised.

WHEN DOES PINKING OCCUR? To preserve freshness, colour and aroma, some aromatic white wine styles are produced in almost the complete absence of oxygen, by using inert gases and higher amounts of preservatives such as sulfur dioxide (SO2). When such wines are suddenly exposed to oxygen (during bottling or when poured into a glass), a pink colour can sometimes develop.

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? The chemistry: Margalit (1997) suggested that pinking is due to a slow accumulation of flavenes (a colourless anthocyanin compound with SO2 attached). Normally, precursors to these compounds are oxidised during white winemaking by the presence of oxygen and converted to yellow-brown pigments. In some reductively made wines, however, these accumulated flavenes can convert to the red-coloured form of anthocyanins upon sudden exposure to oxygen. Another possible route for flavene formation has recently been identified, due to the discovery that small amounts of anthocyanins are produced in white grapes (Arapitsas et al. 2015). High SO2 levels during winemaking can cause these anthocyanins to form flavenes. However, as SO2 levels drop during ageing or upon exposure to air, the red form of the anthocyanin is released, forming a pale red colour in the wine. The anthocyanins can then polymerise to a more stable form that is insensitive to SO2 or pH changes, creating a permanent red colour in white wine (Andrea-Silva et al. 2014).

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR WINE IS AT RISK? Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscat wines have been found to be most susceptible to pinking. The pinking risk of a white wine can be estimated using this method from Iland et al. (2004): 1. Label a 100 mL clear glass screwcap bottle as ‘control’ and another as ‘test’. 2. Completely fill the ‘control’ bottle with wine. 3. Measure 40 mL of the same wine into the ‘test’ bottle and add 0.5 mL of 0.3% w/v hydrogen peroxide. Mix. 4. Place the ‘test’ sample in a dark cupboard at approximately 25° overnight. 5. Observe the degree of pinking of the ‘test’ wine compared to that of the ‘control’. As well as this visual assessment, spectral measures of the ‘test’ and ‘control’ wine at 520 nm can be quantified and compared.

TREATMENT OR REMOVAL Pink colour and/or pinking precursors can be removed from wine by fining with PVPP. It is also possible that the formation of pink colour in wine in clear glass bottles can be reversed by exposure to UV light; however it is suggested that this be trialled in the first instance by placing a couple of bottles that are considered pink on a window sill in direct sunlight.

PREVENTION For white wines that have been made under reductive conditions, using a combination of SO2 and ascorbic acid is recommended to protect wine from pinking during bottling. When only SO2 is present, it is assumed that the pinking precursors may compete with free SO2 for available oxygen or oxidants. However, when both SO2 and ascorbic acid are present, the dissolved oxygen reacts almost exclusively with ascorbic acid, with the free SO2 then combining rapidly with the hydrogen peroxide that is produced. This means that oxygen will be consumed before it can react with any of the pinking precursors. Winemakers should be cautious when using ascorbic acid, ensuring there are adequate levels of SO2 to prevent any generated hydrogen peroxide from oxidising other wine components. Note that the peroxide produced from about 2.8 mg/L of ascorbic acid could potentially react with 1 mg/L of SO2, so appropriate additions of SO2 should always be made before ascorbic acid addition, to ensure there is an excess of SO2 and that the final level of SO2 in the wine is appropriate for the desired shelf life.

ABOUT THE HELPDESK The AWRI helpdesk provides a free-of-charge advice service to Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers who pay the Winegrapes and/or Grape Research levies. Advice is available on winemaking, viticulture, regulatory and health-related issues from experienced winemakers, viticulturists and scientists. Phone: 08 8313 6600 during business hours Email: helpdesk@awri.com.au

References

Andrea-Silva, J., Cosme, F., Ribeiro, L.F., Moreira, A.S., Malheiro, A.C., Coimbra, M.A., Domingues, M.R., Nunes, F.M. 2014.Origin of the pinking phenomenon of white wines. J. Agric. Food Chem. 62(24): 5651-5659. Arapitsas, P., Oliveira, J., Mattivi, F. 2015. Do white grapes really exist? Food Res. Int. 69: 21–25. Iland, P.G., Bruer, N., Ewart, A., Markides, A., Sitters, J. 2004. Monitoring the winemaking process from grapes to wine: techniques and concepts. Adelaide, SA: Patrick Iland Wine Promotions: 86. Margalit, Y. 1997. Concepts in wine chemistry. San Francisco, CA, USA: The Wine Appreciation Guild Ltd: 255–257.

CAN YOU MEASURE PINKING? Simpson (1977) detailed a spectral method to quantify the pink colour, pinking susceptibility and pink precursor content.

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This analysis is offered by AWRI Commercial Services. Results can be interpreted as follows: • Pink colour value >5 is generally recognisable as ‘pink’ in most white table wines; • Pinking susceptibility values >15 might be capable of developing pink colour; and • Pinking precursor content values >50 are considered high and at risk of pinking.

Simpson, R.F. 1977. Oxidative pinking in white wines. Vitis 16: 286-294.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

Top tips for filtration FILTRATION is one of the many tools winemakers have in their tool box, should they choose to use it. However, there are many types and applications for filtration that can be used at various stages of production, so there are a few questions to ask first about when, where, what, how and why.

Matt Holdstock, a Senior Oenologist at the AWRI, works with Australia’s winemakers and production staff on a daily basis to solve production issues and support them in implementing best practice wine production.

Here are his top tips for filtration: When to sterile filter – Know your wine’s composition. If it contains residual sugar, then it should be sterile filtered to reduce the risk of spoilage post-bottling. Using the wine’s history and composition can help you assess the risk and know if sterile filtration is required.

Membrane fouling – This can still occur in cellar bright wines with turbidity <1 NTU due to the presence of macromolecules such as polysaccharides. Filterability testing can tell you whether or not a membrane filter is likely to foul easily.

Nominal versus absolute – Use absolute membrane filters when sterile filtering. Nominal filters have a wider tolerance to the stated size of the filter and are not appropriate for achieving sterile filtration.

Filterability and NTU – It is important to understand the meaning of these two terms. NTU will measure how much light is scattered, whereas the filterability index (FI) will give you an understanding of the type of material present and whether or not a membrane filter will foul easily. Low NTU does not equate to a wine that will always filter easily.

Fit for purpose – Choose the correct filtration type for the job at hand. Cross-flow filters are great for preparing wines for sterile filtration (0.45 µm membrane), but are not a replacement for sterile membrane filtration. Typically, sterile filtration in Australia involves 0.45 µm absolute membranes.

Storing filtration cartridges – It is common practice is to store filtration cartridges in an acidified potassium metabisulfite solution when not in use. Be aware that the antimicrobial part of this solution, free sulfur dioxide, does degrade and should be routinely checked and replaced.

Integrity testing of membrane – When employing sterile membrane filtration, ask the question – have these filters been integrity tested and did they pass?

7 8

Final note – A well performed filtration of the appropriate grade will not have a negative effect on wine quality.

Bottling Line Solutions Bottle National 03 9555 5500 SA & WA Sales 0401 560 550

August 2016 – Issue 631

Label

Pack

Email info@grapeworks.com.au

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wine law

Trademarks protect global brands Wine Lawyer Mark Hamilton

Grope Hamilton Lawyers

THERE IS LITTLE POINT in investing all the time, capital and patience necessary to develop a brand unless adequate trademark protection for the words constituting the brand can or has been obtained both in Australia and in export markets. In simple terms, trademark protection can potentially be obtained where the words are not in conflict with a previous trademark registration, are not common surnames and are not otherwise offensive or inappropriate for registration for public policy reasons. The best prospects are with madeup names, combination of words or rarely used place names or words. An excellent example is the Penley Estate brand which was established by leading Coonawarra winemaker Kym Tolley to reflect his family’s Penfolds and Tolley

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wine heritage. His mother is a PenfoldHyland by birth, and was a shareholder when it was still a family dynasty. However, it is possible to obtain trademark protection of words such as common surnames through usage, but this involves a substantial investment of time and money in a brand where the ability to obtain future trademark protection is not certain. Upon usage of a brand commencing, a producer without trademark protection gradually obtains a measure of common law protection against third parties by virtue of the common law tort of ‘passing off’ – referred to as ‘common law rights’. This allows a producer who has developed a substantial reputation in the words to apply for an injunction to restrain a competitor from ‘passing off’ its wine products as those of the original producer. Damages at common law can also be obtained. These common law rights and remedies are also embodied in legislative form both in the Australian Consumer Law previously known as the Trade

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Practices Act, and the various versions of the Fair Trading Act in Australian states and territories, which provide remedies for producers against other winemakers engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct. Obtaining trademark protection is very expensive, especially if one wishes to obtain protection in the major export markets before commencing brand development overseas. Some producers choose to obtain trademark protection in Australia first and then progressively apply in other jurisdictions as their export business commences. This approach brings with it the substantial risk that someone else – from Australia or some other part of the world – has or will apply for trademark protection which will potentially block the use of the brand in that jurisdiction. This brings with it the risk that a producer will end up having to use different brands in different jurisdictions which will add substantially to the cost and complexity of the producer’s business as well as diluting brand value.

August 2016 – Issue 631

An example in Australia of a producer forced to market wines under another name overseas is Taylors Wines, who traded in the US and UK under a different brand because of the long-term brand rights of Taylor’s, the leading Portugese port producer – even though Taylor’s of Portugal do not make wine and Taylors of Clare do not make port for export. Brand value is being increasingly viewed in a global sense given the increasing pace of globalisation. Australia’s wine industry has long ceased being a predominantly domestic industry with just about all participants in the Australian wine industry these days thinking in terms of a global marketplace. Brand value is based upon a legal entitlement to sell wine under a brand name and the scope and depth of distribution. Brands, including virtual brands with no winery or vineyard assets, can be worth substantial sums of money on a stand-alone basis – as was seen with examples like the float of Cockatoo Ridge Limited as a public company incorporated for the purpose of purchasing the Cockatoo Ridge brand from Yalumba. The Cockatoo Ridge brand had reportedly been selling 200,000 cases

E X P O R T

in Australia and 20,000 cases overseas, with export growth potential. When planning to commit the time, money, effort and patience necessary for effective brand development, operators should build from the secure base of trademark protection in Australia and, to the extent possible, likely export markets. The need to spend money on trademark protection up front is an excellent argument to support the adoption of the so called ‘first law of branding’, the law of brand contraction. Think twice about having more than one brand or too many or any sub-brands – which are secondary names on labels which also require trademark protection. The key to effective brand development and protection is to keep it simple. It is hard enough to get one brand widely known. The marketing gurus argue in relation to the law of brand contraction that the narrower, simpler and deeper the focus of the brand in terms of product, the better. Protecting one brand will be expensive enough. Starting with a series of brands or sub-brands has significant implications in terms of trademark costs later on as well as all the ‘business complexity’ costs which go with having a multitude of brands and products.

YO U R

W I N E S

All producers should develop and maintain an ongoing relationship with a solicitor with intellectual property experience as part of the brand planning process. A realistic plan for brand protection should be developed with an adequate annual budget provision. The trademark legislation and the caselaw relating to trademarks are complex and not easy to simply. Disputed trademark applications can take years to resolve and involve considerable expense. The fact a disputed trademark application may be resolved in your favour will ultimately be of little consolation if you cannot wait for the matter to be resolved before commencing brand development. It is cheaper and quicker in the long run to spend some money up-front identifying a brand which can be protected and paying for that protection. Mark Hamilton of Grope Hamilton Lawyers provides specialist national legal services to the Australian wine industry. He has a lifetime of wine sector experience through his involvement with Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards. He can be contacted on (08) 8231 00898 or 0412 842 359 or by email at mhamilton@ gropehamiltonlawyers.com.au.

T H E

WO R L D

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business & technology

Exports above $10 FOB hit record value WINE AUSTRALIA’S latest Export Report shows the value of Australian wine exports continued to experience strong growth in the 12 months to the end of June 2016. Export From July 2015 to June 2016, the value of exports grew by 11 per cent, driven by bottled exports, particularly at higher price points. Bottled exports grew by 15 per cent to $1.7 billion and the average value of bottled exports increased by 9 per cent to $5.35 per litre, the highest since October 2003. “Pleasingly, demand for Australian fine wine has continued to grow, particularly in North America and Asia,” said Andreas Clark, Wine Australia CEO. “Our finest wines contributed to almost half of the total value growth in the last 12 months, with exports priced at $10 FOB and over per litre up 26 percent to a record $499 million. “This increased demand for Australia’s finest wines was reflected in all of our top five export markets. “Exports priced $10 FOB and over to the United States grew by 16 per cent, mainland China by 71 per cent, the United Kingdom by 15 per cent, Canada by 12 per cent, and Hong Kong by five per cent. “This growth contributed an additional $102 million to the value of Australia’s wine exports.” Value and growth rate of exports above $10 per litre Price segment (A$/litre)

Value

Added value

$10–14.99

$153,461,758

$24,903,246

19%

$15–19.99

$78,882,812

$19,440,823

33%

$20–29.99

$70,504,545

$12,084,718

21%

Growth rate

$30–49.99

$40,508,992

$11,655,989

40%

$50–99.99

$118,513,641

$32,806,135

38%

$100–199.99

$9,106,440

$429,503

$200+

$28,427,693

$970,487

Total above $10

$499,405,882

$102,290,900

26%

EXPORTS BY REGION All export regions recorded growth in the last year, except for Europe, which declined by 1 per cent to $574 million (see Figure 1). Northeast Asia continued to lead growth, with value increasing by $158 million (34 per cent) to $618 million. Next in absolute growth was North America, growing by $46 million (8 per cent) to $646 million. Growth slowed to Southeast Asia, up $7 million (5 per cent) to $142 million.

SUSTAINED GROWTH IN NORTHEAST ASIA Australian exporters continue to see benefit in export markets with free trade agreements (FTAs). Exports to mainland China grew by 50 per cent to $419 million, despite a slowing economy. This exceptional growth was aided by the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement, and the growing Chinese middle class’ increased interest in wine. When combined with Hong Kong ($124 million), China is the largest market for Australian wine exports. Value to mainland China increased across the price segment spectrum, with the greatest growth once again in exports valued at over $10 per litre, up 71 per cent to $169 million. Exports to Japan increased by four per cent to $45 million, while exports to South Korea were up 29 per cent to $13 million.

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This increased demand for Australia’s finest wines was reflected in all of our top five export markets. Exports priced $10 FOB and over to the United States grew by 16 per cent, mainland China by 71 per cent, the United Kingdom by 15 per cent, Canada by 12 per cent, and Hong Kong by 5 per cent. UNITED STATES GROWTH The United States (US) remained Australia’s number one destination for wine by value and exports grew by 8 per cent to $449 million. The trend towards Australia’s premium wines continued with exports priced $10 and above per litre FOB increasing by 16 per cent, reflecting the improving perception of Australian wine among the US trade, with a growing number of importers taking on more premium Australian brands. “There is still much work to do in increasing the awareness and availability of premium Australian wine in the US,” Clark said. “To continue sustainable growth in our most valuable market requires a long-term approach and a focus on re-establishing relationships and confidence in the category, supported by significant, consistent investment to drive the Australian fine wine message.” John Casella, the managing director at Casella Family Brands, said it was exciting to see reinvigorated interest in Australian wine in the US market, “with consumers now considering Australian wine amongst some of the world’s best when choosing a premium wine”. “The growing preference amongst consumers and influencers is a testament to the hard work that Wine Australia has been doing in the US to promote the quality and diversity of Australian wine,” Casella said. “With the recent re-launch of Peter Lehmann Wines in the US market, we have seen renewed interest in the category, in particular at the higher price point of between US$10 - $20 RRP. We’re passionate about doing our part to tell the Australian fine wine story of provenance, quality, diversity and our winemaking craft, in order to continue the momentum.” Australia’s top five export markets by value • US: up 8 per cent to $449 million; • Mainland China: up by 50 per cent to $419 million; • The UK market continues to be our most significant market in volume terms but, because 80 per cent of wine is shipped in bulk, it ranks third in value and exports were flat at $369 million; • Canada: up seven per cent to $195 million; and • Hong Kong: up 11 per cent to $124 million. *Free on board (FOB) - ‘Free on board’ value of the wine, where the point of valuation is where goods are placed on board the international carrier, at the border of the exporting country. The FOB value includes production and other costs up until placement on the international carrier but excludes international insurance and transport costs.

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August 2016 – Issue 631

Supplier Update

Trade credit insurance: Controlling creditor risks TRADE CREDIT INSURANCE is a financial tool to hedge against commercial and political risks that are beyond a company’s control. The policy indemnifies a seller against loss from the non-payment of a commercial trade debtor. Non-disputed accounts receivable will be paid by either the debtor or the trade credit insurer within the terms and conditions of their policy. Selling goods or services overseas can be tricky, and often daunting. Exporters not only have to find their market and understand their buyers ’local’ customs, but they also need to involve their financial institution and gain their support in business ventures – a variety of hurdles to overcome in order to get successful results. Above all, exporters need to get paid for all of their overseas sales to make all of the hard work worthwhile. An option for expanding exports sales safely, and extending competitive terms to overseas buyers, is effective export credit insurance. This is a viable and secure alternative in lieu of dealing with documentary letters of credit.

BENEFITS OF TRADE CREDIT INSURANCE: Preserves profit and strengthens the balance sheet: Reinforce the balance sheet and protect it from bad debt risks; the financial position remains secure, despite exposure to unforeseen events. Protects liquidity and cash flow: With a credit insurance claim, policyholders can receive up to 90 per cent of a debt within 30–60 days from confirmation of debt, in the event of the insolvency of the buyer.

August 2016 – Issue 631

Strengthens credit management: Businesses can spend less time worrying about venturing into new markets or territories, and can be ‘in the know’ about their buyers. Increases export profits: Sales and marketing can be more aggressive through extending higher credit limits. Adds security and enhances your borrowing capacity: Export credit insurance makes international receivables more attractive to banks, financiers and other lenders. Trade credit insurance supplements and enhances businesses’ processes. It provides the right information, which allows informed credit decisions to be made, thus voiding or minimising losses. Unlike most other types of insurance, a trade credit policy is proactively monitored throughout the term of the agreement. Accounts receivable typically represents 40% of a company’s assets. Financial executives should weigh the cost-benefit of investing in a credit insurance policy to assist with mitigating trade credit risk. Many factors must be taken into consideration: size of turnover; customer quality and location; terms of payments; loss history; appetite for risk retention; policy structure; and industry, to name but a few. Premium rates have yet to exceed one per cent, with most averaging between 0.2 and 0.4%, making it a cost-effective tool to minimise a risk that could spell trouble for your business. For more information, contact Kirstin Morley from MGA P: 0434 320 006 E: kirstin.morley@mga.com

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

calendar

looking back

Australia & New Zealand August

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.

15-17 (JD) Hunter Valley Wine Show Singleton, NSW. www.hunterwineshow.com.au

August 2006:

19 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow – Adelaide Adelaide, SA. www.coonawarra.org

What’s with all this “pink marketing” to women wine consumers? Pink labels, low-calorie ‘lite’ wines, and books that compares wines to wardrobe choices. On the Women Wine Critics Board web blog, researcher Christian Miller answered some marketing questions with statistical data. He said those who drink wine once a week or more often were 46% male and 54% female. Miller’s research indicated that there was little basis for a popular belief that women prefer white wine and cute labels.

August 1996: The Australian wine industry recorded a record 885,000-tonne crush for the 1996 vintage, of which 496,000 tonnes were premium varietal grapes, according to the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA). Ian Sutton, WFA chief executive, said the high percentage of premium fruit reflected the investment of some $430 million in 12,500 hectares of new premium grape plantings over the past four years.

August 1986: Not many wines can claim to have been made from grapes that were individually checked on the vine each day during the ripening period to determine when each bunch should be picked. However, this is the case with the botrytised Chenin Blanc grapes used in making the 1985 Houghton Chenin Blanc Chardonnay due for release later this year.

Winetitles Calendar Australia’s most comprehensive wine industry related local and international events and courses – available online! Search for conferences, trade shows, competitions, courses, festivals & Australian & international wine shows.

www.winetitles.com.au/calendar 92 Grapegrower & Winemaker

16-17 Bragato Wine Awards Hawke's Bay, NZ. www.bragato.org.nz

21 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow – Perth Perth, WA. www.coonawarra.org 21 2016 Sydney Italian Wine + Food Festival Sydney Town Hall, Sydney, NSW. www.sydneyitalianwinefood.com.au

21 Vin Diemen 2016 - Melbourne Melbourne, VIC. www.winetasmania.com.au 22-24 (JD) 2016 NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show Forbes Youth & Community Centre, Forbes, NSW. www.nswwineshow.com.au 25 (JD) Swan Valley Wine Show Swan Valley, WA. www. swanvalleywinemakers.com.au 27 Vin Diemen 2016 – Sydney Sydney, NSW. www.winetasmania.com.au 31 (CD) 17th Canberra International Riesling Challenge Yarralumla, ACT. www.rieslingchallenge.com

September 3-9 (JD) Australian Highlands Wine Show, Bowral, NSW. www.australianhighlandswineshow.com.au

9 (CD) Hawke's Bay A & P Wine Awards Hastings, NZ. showgroundshb.co.nz/ hawkes-bay-wine-awards.php

5-7 (JD) New Zealand International Wine Show 2016 Auckland, NZ. www.nziws.co.nz

10 (JD) Perth Hills Wine Show Kalamunda, WA. www.perthhillswine.com

5-6 (JD) Riverland Wine Show Riverland, SA. www.riverlandwineshow.com.au

12-15 Fine Food Australia Sydney Olympic Park, NSW. www.finefoodaustralia.com.au

7 Australian drinks Awards 2016 Sydney Cricket Ground, NSW. www. drinkscentral.com.au

International August 15-19 (JD) CWSA - China Wine and Spirits Awards Hong Kong. www.cwsa.org

September 4-6 Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2016 London, UK. www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk

12-15 World Food Moscow Moscow, Russia. www.world-food.ru

7-10 Food & Hotel Thailand 2016 Bangkok, Thailand. www.foodhotelthailand.com

JD = judging date CD= closing date

For a comprehensive list of events, visit www.winetitles.com.au/calendar

www.winetitles.com.au

August 2016 – Issue 631

industry profile Name: Colin Bell Company: AHA Viticulture Location: Margaret River AHA Viticulture manages a number of properties in Margaret River and the Ferguson Valley. We also consult to wineries and vineyards throughout South West Australia. Additionally, we operate Precision Viticulture Australia which offers specialised services to vineyards nationwide.

Tell us about your current role: My role is a director and viticulturist of AHA Viticulture and Precision Viticulture Australia. Primarily this involves technical and agronomical management and consulting. We concentrate on producing fruit to set specifications, delivering financial accountability and environmental permanency to the projects we are involved with. I am also an Executive Committee member of Wine Grape Growers Australia; board member of Wines of Western Australia; and chairman of South West Capes Water Users Group Inc.

Can you tell us more about your career in the industry so far? I have been employed in the horticultural industry for more than 20 years, with 17 of those years being in viticulture. Through this time, I have taken the opportunity to further educate myself and gain work experience in all facets of the wine production chain. Predominately my career has been spent in Western Australia, but it also includes seasons in other regions across Australia and New Zealand. Completing university at Charles Sturt in Wagga and then the Future Leaders program in 2010 was a great opportunity to broaden my understanding of the Australian Wine Industry.

What part of your job do you find most rewarding? The last delivery of grapes is always the most satisfying moment in every vintage. Measuring the success of a vintage against the seasonal and industry conditions and knowing you did your best.

What are you most proud of? Being an owner of a business that has operated for 20 years, that offers a hardworking and reputable service to the industry. On an industry governance level, contributing to Wines of Western Australia and Wine Grape Growers Australia for the last four years. August 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 631

Are you confident about the future of the wine industry?

What are the current challenges you are facing?

After 10 years of tough times we need to acknowledge that living the same year again is not going to bring new outcomes. I believe the Australian wine industry is based on strong foundations, but often exists in a state of disowning its perennial problems. To regain profitability across the whole value chain we need to fix our faults rather than massage them. Greater co-operation, less duplicity, breaking down old adversary relationships and tackling the world with a clear message of how brilliant we still are, would be a strong start.

The endless challenge of producing fruit in an economy where the costs of production are inflating and our wine values are often stagnating. Knowing the only solution to stabilising profitable grape prices is to build demand for our wines at values that correspond to our production expenses.

What gives you that confidence? Australians are innovators and the people that make up our wine industry give me the confidence that we will see more prosperous times. In global comparisons we deliver high value wines, done in accordance with some of the tightest food safety standards. We offer the fairest labour relations and operate with the uppermost environmental considerations. These attributes of social and environmental responsibility are growing in importance to consumers both domestically and overseas. This unbeatable foundation of food production excellence needs to be leveraged better to counteract our globally higher cost of production. www.winetitles.com.au

Where do you go for support on these issues? I am very lucky to have a very supportive and experienced business partner in Jim Campbell-Clause. At times his patience must be close to saint like. I count myself lucky to have an extensive network of good friends in varied wine industry roles across Australia.

How important is the Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine a source of information? The GG&WM has been a media pillar of the industry through the decades. Found in every shed or book shelf right across the country (and New Zealand). A forum that brings the industry news, wisdom and innovations of professionals at every level. Essential in a country where regions can be as vast as small European countries. Grapegrower & Winemaker

Marketplace JOHAN CZANIK CZANIK

T ACCOUNTANT • Viti & Wine Business Modelling • Activity-Based Costing • Project Accounting

CHALLENGE YOUR MARGIN REACH ULTIMATE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

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A full-colour logo stands out and commands attention.

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The only colours to be used for the logo are CPA Blue and CPA Yellow. It is important that you ensure the CMYK process coloursfollowing (full-colour) colour specifications are taken into account If printing in four colour process,when use the specified placing orders with printers and suppliers involved CMYK colour breakdowns outlined. in the reproduction of the CPA public practice logo. Wherever possible, use the specified solid PMS colours and quote the PMS numbers to your printer.

0421 438 169 jbczanik@gmail.com www.acuman.net.au

The only colours to be used for the logo are CPA Blue and CPA Yellow. It is important that you ensure the following colour specifications are taken into account when placing orders with printers and suppliers involved in the reproduction of the CPA public practice logo. Wherever possible, use the specified solid PMS colours and quote the PMS numbers to your printer.

The logos available on the website are already formatted to these specifications and should not be altered.

CPA Blue C 100% M 60%

M 15%

Y 100%

C 0%

K 0%

R 0

CPA Blue

Full colour logo for public practitioners

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R 0

Whenever print requirements allow, use the specified solid PMS colours outlined.

CPA Blue

R 245

G 212

B 16 Coated stock (PANTONE 661c) Uncoated stock (PANTONE® 662u) ®

R 245

Web colours

Uncoated stock (PANTONE® 662u)

CPA Yellow

G 53

B 145

G 212

B 16

CPA Blue Web# 003f7e

WINE PRESS SERVICING Coated stock (PANTONE® 661c)

K 0%

Web colours

CPA Yellow

CPA Blue

Y 100%

CPA Yellow

Whenever print requirements allow, use the specified solid PMS colours outlined. B 145

G 53

CPA Yellow

M 15%

CPA Blue

Full colour logo for public practitioners

RGB colours Based in Barossa. Virtual Available: The Globe PMS colours

Johan Czanik is a CPA Accountant

K 10%

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CPA Yellow C 0%

Y 0%

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The logos available on the website are already formatted to these specifications and should not be altered. C 100% M 60% Y 0% K 10%

CPA Blue

Coated stock (PANTONE® 123c) Uncoated stock (PANTONE® 109u)

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CPA Yellow

Web# 003f7e

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Coated stock (PANTONE® 123c)

• 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. Uncoated stock (PANTONE® 109u)

CPA Yellow

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CPA Australia public practice guidelines 6

03 9455 3339 • www.rapidfil.com.au

CPA Australia public practice guidelines 6

Bruce Gilbert 0428 233 544 Brian Phillips 0417 131 764

VINEYARD REMOVAL

brucethegrafter@gmail.com www.brucethegrafter.com

RE-WORKING

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

Marketplace

94 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Model – SB64

NE IO CT AU BE TO Hours –7419

Head hrs- 3813

Build Year – 2001

Build Year – 2000

Hours –3210

Head hrs- 2059

IO CT

CT AU BE TO Head hrs – 3546

Machine hrs – 3987

D NE

NE IO CT AU BE TO

Model – G170 Hours –5937

Head hrs – 1836

Build Year – 2004

Model – G120 Build Year – 2001

Model – G108

Model – G140

Hours – 2551

Build Year – 1998

WWW.VINESIGHT.COM.AU

D AU BE TO

*SP-only

Ring Ashley or Angelo for demonstrations or any participating New Holland dealer. Ashley Barratt – 0419 833 606 • Angelo Dicesare - 0408 856 418 Summertown Ph (08) 8139 7200 • Adelaide Ph (08) 8139 7250 Narracoorte – (08) 8762 0123 • www.braud.com.au

TOM 0428 443 263

Model – G120 Engine hours – 2445 Head hours – 802

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Build Year – 2002

August 2016 – Issue 631

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