Wine & Viticulture Journal Summer 2023 FREEVIEW

SUMMER

• Trends in the composition of Australian wine: titratable acidity and pH

• Canned wine - looking for a silver lining

• Impact of climate change on Pinot Noir berry and wine quality

• Towards net zero: how the finance industry is supporting growers

• Tasting: $30-$50 Australian and New Zealand Pinot Noir

Established 1985

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PUBLISHER: Hartley Higgins

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL: Gary Baldwin, Peter Dry, Mark Krstic, Armando Corsi, Markus Herderich

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Roberto D’Ambrosio

Florian Bahut

Calanit Bar-Am

Eveline

Bartowsky

Marion Bastien

Tony Battaglene

Emanuele

Boselli

Rachel Boyd Darren Burke

Caterina Capri

Luciano Caravia

Justin Cohen

Justine Cohen

Angelica Crabb

Irene Diti

Rob Dolan

Peter Dry

Gavin Duley

Tomasso Frioni

Alessandra

Garavani

Matteo Gatti

Peter Godden

Rachel Gore

Jose-Maria Heras

Kieran Hirlam

Brooke Howell

Denny Hsieh

Jo Marsh

Mark Krstic

Stefano Poni

Julie Rynski

Carla Scotti

Neil Scrimgeour Nathalie Sieczkowski

Cecilia Squeri

Liz Waters

Luke Whittle

Eric Wilkes

Cooper Wolfden Amir Zanj

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Cold bursts, damaging winds, flooding and even snow — this spring has sure been one for the record books for much of Australia’s grapegrowing regions! As transitions go, this year’s shift from winter to summer has proceeded at an almost glacial pace (pun intended). As I write these words in late November, summer seems a whole continent away despite it officially beginning in days! The temperature here in Adelaide can barely manage a couple of days in the 20s or (if we’re lucky) the 30s at the moment before dropping back to 20 degrees or less, with likely rain as well.

Hans Mick, my colleague and editor of the Grapegrower & Winemaker, sister publication of the Wine & Viticulture Journal, returned from Milan just a few days ago after attending the International Enological and Bottling Equipment Exhibition (SIMEI) and barely noticed a change in climates!

With reports of mildew in some regions on account of the weather, it’s going to be interesting to see how the conditions are going to impact flowering and ripening should they persist for too much longer.

I had the pleasure of attending the Australian Society of Viticulture & Oenology’s Awards for Excellence on 16 November (see this issue’s ASVO column on page 8 for all the winners). As usual, it was a great event – held in person for the first time in a couple of years to the delight of attendees. This year’s awards had a new MC in Associate Professor Armando Corsi from the University of Adelaide, assuming the role from long-time host Peter Hayes. Armando, who, like Peter, has authored many articles in the WVJ over the years, demonstrating his prowess in wine marketing is matched by his MC skills, so much so that I suspect he’ll be asked to do the job again.

I was delighted to accept an invitation by the ASVO to interview the winners of the Viticulturist of the Year and Winemaker of the Year (no, I won’t spoil the surprise by mentioning their names here in case you haven’t yet heard) as well as new ASVO fellow

Russell Johnstone for the ASVO’s podcast series. Keep an eye on Winetitles Media’s socials and our e-newsletter Daily Wine News for confirmation of when those podcasts will be available to listen or watch.

For many of you, this issue will be the last before vintage ’23 gets under way so enjoy the read before you get your hands dirty.

Just some of the highlights of this issue include: Tony Battaglene’s final column as chief executive of Australian Grape & Wine (page 8); Part 1 of an analysis by the Australian Wine Research Institute which provides a snapshot of the trends in Australian wine composition (page 20); regular contributor Rachel Gore lays out the differences between the in-tank sparkling wine methods carbonation and charmat (page 25);in a second contribution, the AWRI reveals the outcomes of a series of studies that explored the reason why some canned wines have been affected by reductive characters (page 28); I chat with two producers – one in Australia and one in New Zealand - who have undergone the organic certification process and report on what they’ve learned through their respective journeys (page 35); ahead of the Pinot Noir Celebration due to be held on the Mornington Peninsula in February (see page 11 for further details on that one), researchers report on a project they undertook in the Adelaide Hills which provides some insight into the potential impact of climate change on the quality of Pinot Noir from steeply sloping sites (page 42); this is complemented by the results from our tasting of $30-$50 Australian and New Zealand Pinot Noir (page 75); and we bring you the first of a series of articles that we’ll be publishing throughout 2023 which will look at some of the mechanisms and methods that will drive the wine industry to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – the first of these is by NAB, one of the biggest providers of loans to Australia’s agri-business sector, which outlines how it aims to support growers in achieving this target (page 69).

Is it time for the Australian wine industry to embrace advanced grapevine breeding methods?

By Tony Battaglene, Chief Executive, Australian Grape and Wine Incorporated

It’s time we started to question some of the conventional wisdom and looked at innovation as a way of driving our sector forward. Climate change is having a significant impact on the global grape and wine sector. We are seeing earlier and more compressed vintages, more extreme weather events, and a warming of temperatures. These are all leading to management changes in both the vineyard and the winery. Overlaying these physical changes are the megaconsumer trends that are demanding more

sustainable production patterns. These trends are changing consumer attitudes to many previously held beliefs.

Solutions with a trend toward a sustainable and agrochemical-free agriculture and production chain are needed. Technological advances in plant genetic engineering, coupled with the sequencing of the grapevine genome, has enabled new techniques that can rapidly be used to enhance positive characters in grape vines and wine.

Changing consumer attitudes have led to a

number of regulators reviewing their existing food regulations for genetically modified (GM) food. The debate around the definitions for GM food and whether these are fit for purpose since the emergence of a range of new techniques for genetic modification has the potential to dramatically change the landscape for grape and wine production internationally.

New Breeding Technique (NBT) foods are at an early stage of development. Currently, there are no NBT foods in the food supply in Australia and New Zealand. The majority

In his final column as chief executive of Australian Grape & Wine, Tony says it’s time the Australian wine industry had a debate on whether to take advantage of technological advances in plant genetic engineering that its competitors are already leveraging.

of GM foods in Australia and New Zealand are from GM crops grown overseas. Various food ingredients from these crops (e.g., oil, flour, sugar) are used in processed foods, some of which are imported into Australia and New Zealand. Foods derived from these GM crops must be approved and listed in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code before they can be imported here. Imported food that contains GM ingredients must also comply with the GM labelling requirements (see below). Only three GM crops (canola, cotton and safflower) are approved for growing in Australia (by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator). No GM crops have been approved for growing in New Zealand.

In Australia and New Zealand all GM foods must undergo a safety assessment by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), before they can be approved. This assessment allows FSANZ to ensure GM foods are as safe as other foods already in the food supply. Approved foods for sale that are GM or contain GM ingredients must be labelled with the statement ‘genetically modified’. On packaged food this statement would appear next to the name of the food or next to the specific GM ingredient in the ingredient list.

If the food is unpackaged, the information must accompany the food or be displayed with the food. The labelling requirement applies to food produced in, or imported into, Australia and New Zealand.

Certain GM foods or ingredients are exempt from labelling. For example, GM flavourings that are present in food in a concentration of no more than 0.1% are exempt from the labelling requirement.

In February 2020, FSANZ commenced work on a proposal to amend the definitions for ‘food produced using gene technology’ and ‘gene technology’ in the Code (Proposal P1055). The first of two rounds of public consultation was for eight weeks and closed on 3 December 2021. FSANZ invited interested parties to comment on its proposed approach to:

• revise and expand the process-based definition for ‘gene technology’ to capture all methods for genetic modification other than conventional breeding

• revise the definition for ‘food produced using gene technology’ to include specific product-based criteria for excluding certain foods from pre-market safety assessment and approval as GM food; Foods that do not meet all relevant

exclusion criteria would still require an application to FSANZ.

A second public consultation was scheduled for 2022.

Internationally, our competitors are already permitting grapevines using these techniques. This improves their environmental footprint and enhances quality as we enter an environment where agri-chemicals are becoming more and more restricted in their use.

If these techniques are permitted under regulation and treated differently to ‘traditional’ genetic modification techniques it will provide significant opportunities in the areas of:

• levels and cost of agricultural inputs (e.g., plant protection products, fertilisers), use of natural resources, development of more resilient varieties (e.g., to environmental or specific geographical conditions and plant diseases and pests), capacity to support local agricultural solutions and reduce costs and time in plant breeding

• innovation and research in agri-food systems, as well as in bio-based and biotechnology industries, will benefit from a framework providing legal clarity and a more adapted regulatory environment for plants produced by targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis

• impacts for organic and GM-free agriculture and their premium retail sector (e.g., due to compliance, certification and segregation costs).

The grape and wine sector has always respected and adopted innovation while respecting its traditions and needs to seriously consider where its future lies.

It is time we had a debate within Australia on this issue.

“The debate around the definitions for GM food … has the potential to dramatically change the landscape for grape and wine production internationally.”

Food Standards Australia New Zealand is proposing to update the definitions of ‘food produced using gene technology’ and ‘gene technology’ in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to accommodate food produced using existing, emerging and future genetic technologies.

Beyond glutathione Protecting wine aroma and colour using a unique glutathione-rich inactivated yeast

By Florian Bahut1, Marion Bastien2, Jose-Maria Heras3, Eveline Bartowsky4 and Nathalie Sieczkowski2

Wine oxidation is a concern for every winemaker. Traditionally, sulfur dioxide is used to manage oxidation, but with increasing interest in reducing the use of SO2, natural alternatives are being sought. Glutathione, a tripeptide which is formed through the natural metabolism of yeast, is a potent antioxidant. Inactivated yeast rich in glutathione offer a non-chemical means to manage grape juice oxidation.

OXIDATION MECHANISMS THROUGHOUT WINEMAKING

Oxidation in oenology is a big word that covers many different dimensions, from the colour of a wine through to its aromatic composition to its longevity. It could be defined as “all the chemical or physical reactions happening in a must or in a wine in the presence of oxygen”. Managing oxygen is still challenging, so most of the solutions to

reduce oxidation are dedicated to neutralising or minimising the first oxidation product, the quinones that are oxidised polyphenols.

Indeed, quinones in wine are involved in many reactions leading to the accumulation of aldehydes (source of off-flavours), the first steps of wine browning and are involved in the trapping of varietal thiols (Figure 1).

Traditionally, sulfites (such as SO2) are used as the main antioxidant compound

to reduce quinones back to polyphenols, but other compounds naturally present in wine are also able to trap quinones and thus minimise the oxidative damage. One of the most abundant and known of these compounds is glutathione.

GLUTATHIONE IN WINEMAKING

Glutathione is a tripeptide, which contains three constitutive amino acids: glutamate,

IN BRIEF

■ With the growing trend towards reduced use of sulfur dioxide in winemaking, other methods of managing oxidation are being sought.

■ In its reduced form, glutathione, a tripeptide, can scavenge quinones responsible for browning and aroma loss due to oxidation mechanisms.

■ Although pure glutathione cannot be used in winemaking, inactivated yeast rich in reduced glutathione are approved for use.

Figure 1. Quinones at the centre of the main oxidative damage to the wine. The objective in using inactivated yeast naturally rich in glutathione is to compete with aroma compounds that could bind to quinone, notably nucleophilic addition, thus leaving the aroma compounds free to contribute to a wine’s sensory qualities and minimise wine oxidation (adapted from Oliveira et al 2011).

■ A new inactivated yeast naturally enriched with reduced glutathione was trialled on rosé for its effectiveness against oxidation and aroma compound loss.

1Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR 02.102 Equipe Physico, France

2Lallemand SAS, Blagnac, France

3Lallemand Bio Spain

4Lallemand Australia