Wine & Viticulture Journal - Volume 30 Issue 2

MARCH/APRIL · Volume 30 Number 2

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE • Microbiological stability of wine packaging in Australia and NZ • US audit of bottle oxygen variation shows size of the challenge • Current trends and future predictions for Australian viticulture • Wine labelling - future considerations and trends • Tasting: $20-40 Cabernet Merlot blends

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Publisher: Hartley Higgins General Manager: Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editor Sonya Logan Ph (08) 8369 9502 Fax (08) 8369 9501 Email s.logan@winetitles.com.au Editorial Advisory Panel Gary Baldwin Peter Dry Mark Krstic Armando Corsi Markus Herderich EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE Lauren Jones, Write Lane CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Graeme Allinson Tony Battaglene Rowen Curlewis Peter Dry Shane Harris Cathy Howard Dan Johnson Misha Kwasniewski Severine Logan Alex Mackenzie Suzie Reichman Leonnard Russell Clark Smith Benjamin Sun Adam Wightwick John Wong

Peter Bailey Scott Carslake Anthony De Leo Damian Hamilton Tony Hoare Rob Hunt Tony Keys Julian Langworthy Mardi Longbottom Neal Menzies Burke Reschke Richard Smart Dan Stocker Tina Tran Eric Wilkes

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Correspondence and enquiries should be directed to Sonya Logan. The views expressed in the Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Journal or its staff.

Sonya Logan, Editor

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any reports are suggesting that vintage 2015 has been about as fast and quick as they come with finishes of up to a month early!

Crazy! The stories I’ve heard of schedules in some wineries has made me tired just thinking about them. On the upside, I believe there was a good likelihood that many winemakers would be able to take holidays over the Easter break – again, crazy!

Well, when this crazy vintage finally lets up and you manage to take this issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal out its wrapper, put your feet up and begin enjoying the many interesting articles waiting for you to behold.

The theme of this issue is ‘Planning for Success’ which is spread across several articles in this issue, beginning with Part 2 of Tony Key’s article on wine exporting in which he talks to key people in the trade to find out where the opportunities lie in the current climate, particularly for small to mid-size producers (page 14).

Then we have a thought-provoking piece from Richard Smart which is bound to stir some pots. Prompted by the current development of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) fiveyear strategic plan, Richard explains why he thinks Australia should look to New Zealand for some guidance on the future success of its wine industry as he believes its wine sector is in better health than ours (page 19).

Cathy Howard then takes a look at alternative varieties, particularly those that produce the best natural acidity and show promise of adapting best to our changing climate (page 40).

Continuing with the theme of ‘Planning for Success, Tony Hoare looks at some trends and future predictions for Australian viticulture, asking whether Shiraz will continue to underpin the industry’s future. This is Part 1 of a twopart article. In the second instalment he will look at the viticultural developments and environmental factors that will assist or impede the future growth of Australian viticulture (page 50).

And finally on our theme, three leading Australian wine label designers give their thoughts on the sorts of things wineries should consider with regard to wine labelling into the future, offering their insights into trends in this area (page 63).

Other highlights of this issue include an opinion column by Burke Reschke, of Reschke in the Coonawarra, on why his company is standing by the humble cork and is prepared to tolerate the cost of replacing the occasional cork-damaged wine (page 23).

And, then we have a very interesting read, republished from Wines & Vines magazine, which reveals some insights into yet-to-be-published research showing the challenge wineries face in their efforts to minimise total package oxygen (page 25).

Then there’s my article on the first proven alternative solution to bentonite to be made available to Australian wine producers (page 33).

Despite the fast and furious nature of this vintage, it would seem wine quality is right up there thanks to a generally mild ripening period. So I look forward to tasting the fruits of your labour while you enjoy ours in this issue.

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@WineVitiJournal Cover: Verdelho from the southern end of the Adelaide Hills, days from being harvested in vintage 2015. Photo: Ben Heide REGULAR FEATURES

News 6 WFA 10 AGWA 12 ASVO 13 Tony Keys 14

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AWRI Report 46 Alternative Varieties 61 Varietal Report 76 Tasting 79

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IN THIS ISSUE

C O N T E N T S

V I T I C U LT U R E

R E G U L A R F E AT U R E S

10 WFA (Tony Battaglene): Innovation driving industry growth

50 TONY HOARE: Current trends and future predictions for Australian viticulture Part 1: The Shiraz Era

12 AGWA (Peter Bailey): Australian wine exports: focus on Europe and North America 13 ASVO (Mardi Longbottom): Vineyard longevity maintaining the asset 14 KEY FILES (Tony Keys): Wine exporting: understanding the ins and outs – Part 2

54 Environmental risks posed by copper fungicide use: An industry-wide risk assessment

EVENTS

8 Riesling Downunder

57 Late season sulfur application: how scared should you be?

61 ALTERNATIVE VARIETIES: Tannat

BUSINESS & MARKETING

63 Wine labelling – future considerations and trends 68 Navigating the lucrative Chinese wine market

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25 The birth of precision bottling: audit of bottle oxygen variation in winery trials shows size of the challenge 33 Brilliant ideas for alternatives to bentonite – progress and payoffs

71 The objective measurement of grapes: tradition vs opportunity

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79 Cabernet-Merlot blends

40 CATHY HOWARD: Natural acidity and varietal selection for a changing climate 46 AWRI REPORT: Microbiological stability of wine packaging in Australia and New Zealand V3 0N 2

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DEVELOPMENT OF AGWA FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN NOW UNDER WAY With the deadline for written submissions closed and meetings with key wine industry bodies and associations concluded, the drafting of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) new five-year strategic plan is now under way in earnest ahead of its expected approval by the board and submission to the Federal Minister for Agriculture by 30 April.

AGWA released a paper in December 2014 to stimulate discussion with grape and wine levy payers about its proposed strategic priorities.

Since the release of the paper, numerous meetings and workshops have been held to hear the grape and wine community’s views.

“We are really encouraged by the level of interest from our levy payers and the broader wine community and the support we’ve received for our two proposed strategic priorities thus far. Equally important are the many new ideas that have emerged from our discussions and workshops around opportunities to align activities within the strategic framework.

A five-year plan is our duty, a 30 year plan is our ambition – to help create an environment of sustained prosperity,” said AGWA chair Brian Walsh ANDREAS CLARK APPOINTED AGWA CEO Acting chief executive of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) Andreas Clark has been appointed permanently to the role.

AGWA chair Brian Walsh said, “We’re pleased Andreas has agreed to continue in this key leadership role.

Andreas’ professional background, deep knowledge and experience in the organisation and the sector make him well qualified to lead AGWA and its activities. Andreas has done an excellent job since the commencement of AGWA on 1 July 2014 ensuring seamless delivery of services to the sector, recruiting senior leaders in the Market Development team and driving the current consultations for the 2015–2020 Strategic Plan.

“Andreas was selected following a comprehensive recruitment process and I congratulate him on this appointment.”

Clark said, “I’m honoured to have the opportunity to lead AGWA as we support the Australian grape and wine community achieve sustained prosperity.

I look forward to continuing to deliver outstanding service and results for the benefit of our levy payers.”

Clark joined Wine Australia (one of

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AGWA’s predecessor bodies) in 2006 and held a number of senior management positions, including the role of chief executive from September 2013 to July 2014. He has been AGWA’s ccting CEO since July 2014. Prior to joining Wine Australia, Clark was a diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and a commercial lawyer. $22,000 STUDY GRANT FOR FINING AGENTS RESEARCH Julie Culbert, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Adelaide, has won the $22,000 Viticulture and Oenology 2015 Science and Innovation Award for Young People in Agriculture, sponsored by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA).

The study grant is one of 11 awarded as part of the Department of Agriculture’s Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Culbert will use her prize to employ computational modelling to identify the fining agents best suited to removing volatile compounds associated with common faults and taints in wine.

“This project aims to determine the binding interactions between wine components and various adsorbents, thereby improving the selection of adsorbents for specific fining or taint removal applications.

“While computational modelling techniques are yet to be explored by the wine sector, they have been commonly used in other fields such as the pharmaceutical industry.

“I’m looking forward to being able to help deliver financial benefits to the Australian wine sector by improving both the efficiency of these processes and the quality of finished wines,” Culbert said.

She expects to conclude her research in December 2015.

Jamie Goode

Jancis Robinson

Delegate tickets are now on sale for the 9th International Cool Climate Wine Symposium (ICCWS), which will take place in the UK from Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th May 2016.

The event, for which the Wine & Viticulture Journal is a media partner, will be hosted at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton, just one hour from London on the south coast of England and close to many of the UK’s emerging wine regions. It has been timed to follow the UK’s most important trade

fair, London Wine Fair, to maximise opportunities and benefits for long haul visitors.

Tickets are available from the ICCWS website www.iccws2016.com priced at £600 + VAT for the three days.

Attracting a ‘who’s who’ of the international wine community, the ICCWS is the major international forum focusing on the production and marketing of quality wines from cool climate regions. Held approximately every four years, with the last symposium taking place in Hobart in 2012, the ICCWS attracts delegates and speakers from all corners of the world to network, discuss and exchange ideas and best practice through lectures, seminars, tastings and workshops. The program is targeted at winemakers, viticulturists, wine marketers, retailers, academics, wine educators and members of the international wine media.

Jancis Robinson MW will be opening proceedings and more than 25 other keynote speakers have already been confirmed from 20 different countries. Session topics on Day One will include the latest research on climate variability, sparkling and still wine production, new winemaking technologies, emerging cool climate wine regions, effective marketing and understanding today’s new consumers.

Day Two will include sessions on soil management, wine education, achieving vine balance and developments in vineyard disease management, whilst Day Three covers the viability of organic and biodynamic production, oenotourism

W I N E & V I T I C U LTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

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COUNT DOWN ON TO THE 2016 INTERNATIONAL COOL CLIMATE WINE SYMPOSIUM

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and wine sensory evaluation. Register your interest on the website www. iccws2016.com to be kept up to date with the program as it continues to develop.

Speakers confirmed to date include: Oz Clarke, Essi Avellan MW, Professor Kym Anderson, Professor Dr Reinhardt Töpfer, Professor James Kennedy, Dr Damien Wilson, Willi Klinger, Professor Huiquin Ma and many others. Awardwinning wine writer Dr Jamie Goode will officially close the symposium on Day Three.

The ICCWS 2016 will put English and Welsh wines firmly on the international map and vineyard tours before and after the symposium will offer visiting delegates the chance to explore the development of wine production in the UK first hand.

A full program of supporting activities and networking opportunities is also being arranged in Brighton during the Symposium. These include an official gala dinner, evening receptions and a host of public events such as winemaker dinners and the Laithwaite’s Cool Wine Show.

To keep up to date with the latest news and information about ICCWS 2016, register your interest on the website www.iccws2016.com and follow the conversation on Twitter @ ICCWS2016, the ICCWS Facebook page, and LinkedIn. MORNINGTON PINOT CELEBRATION THE ‘BEST EVER’ Nearly 200 delegates tasted more than 100 wines from Australia,

Burgundy, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa and America at the Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Celebration held in early February.

Chair of the event, Kate McIntyre, described Tim Atkin MW as an “entertaining, thoughtful and engaged keynote speaker” who concluded in his final remarks that the Celebration was the best and most impressive Pinot Noir event he had ever attended.

A highlight of the event was a tasting that focussed around data collected in vineyards of the Mornington Peninsula over the past 10 years and five wines produced in 2014. The wines were from five different sites on the Peninsula, all from the same clone, picked at the same ripeness level and made by the same winemaking team.

“This is the first of an ongoing exploration of the variation of site characteristics in the Mornington Peninsula in the ongoing quest to better understand our region and her wines,” said McIntyre.

The inaugural ‘walkabout’ tasting brought more than 40 Australian Pinot Noir producers together for attendees to compare and contrast Pinot from the 2012 vintage.

“This part of the event was a highlight and the Celebration showed the amazing co-operative and supportive nature of the Australian Pinot producing fraternity,” McIntyre said.

Other highlights included a session celebrating the Pinot pioneers of Australia and their wines featuring Nat

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White of Main Ridge Estate and Michael Dhillon, from Bindi; a masterclass comprising six Aussie Pinots selected and presented by six wine writers; and a presentation by Sophie and Alain Meunier of their wines from JJ WVJ Confuron.

More than 100 Pinots were tasted during the recent Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Celebration.

From left, keynote speaker Tim Atkin MW, Kate McIntyre, chair of the Celebration, and Lindsay McCall, of Paringa Estate and chair of the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association.

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R I E S LI N G DOW N U N DE R

Riesling Downunder celebrates ‘the world’s greatest white winegrape’ and all its diversity

By John Hughes, Rieslingfreak

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or a long time, Jancis Robinson has described Riesling as “the world’s greatest white winegrape”, and how right she is. This was proven during this year’s Riesling Downunder event in Melbourne held in early February.

Previously known as the Frankland Estate International Riesling Challenge, the event is now brought together by leading Australian and New Zealand wineries Jim Barry, Pikes and Framingham Wines as well as Frankland Estate.

Riesling Downunder works in collaboration with Riesling Rendezvous (USA) and the International Riesling Symposium (Germany). Taking it in turns each year, one country holds an annual Riesling tasting attended by many people passionate about Riesling throughout the world.

This year Riesling Downunder attracted more than 90 producers, media and trade from around the world, and hundreds of consumers. The attendance included the likes of Egon Müller, Ernie Loosen, Cornelius Dönnhoff and Wilhelm Weil from Germany, as well as locals Peter Barry and John Vickery, just to name a few. The passionate Riesling lovers including Stuart Pigott, Mike Bennie, Nick Stock, Tim Atkins, Ye (Young) Shi and many more.

Riesling Downunder was a three-day event incorporating trade and consumer tastings, and two days of masterclasses.

The 69 producers featured in the event provided the opportunity to showcase many Rieslings (more than 250) to 450 consumers on the Sunday and 350 trade on the Monday evening.

Monday and Tuesday comprised structured masterclassess. Each masterclass incorporated wines throughout the world, regarded as ‘classics’ for their style and region.

The first masterclass was titled ‘Revered Residual – Beyond Dry Riesling’.

This class had 24 sweet Rieslings ranging from off dry to Trockenbeerenauslese.

Tasted in flights of five, each wine was tasted and represented its individual style nicely. The emphasis was put on alcohol, with it noted that as the alcohol decreases the wine itself plays a very important part.

This highlighted the importance of the vineyard and being able to grow clean and balanced fruit for those low alcohol wines.

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Many of these wines were made from vineyards where the berries have a cool and slow ripening period. In these wines, the sugar and acid balance is important.

As sugar becomes the feature of the wine, it is critical the winemaker has good sugar and acid balance in the wine.

Starting with some of the drier wines from Australia and New Zealand we then saw some sweet wines from the US, and finished with some of the great Kabinett, Spätlase and Auslese Rieslings from Germany. The finish was a surprise, with a trockenbeerenauslese from Farmingham Wines, in New Zealand. This was a sensational wine made by Andrew Hedley and showed all the qualities of a low alcohol wine made with fruit at optimum ripeness. Tasting the wine blind, it looked very much like a well-made German Trockenbeerenauslese.

The next tasting was titled ‘The Ancient Arts of Riesling’ and looked at some of the old traditional ways of making Riesling, particularly the influence of skin contact, fermentation and barrel regimes.

We looked at a number of wine made using skin contact, wild yeast, longer fermentation times and no filtration. Many of these wines pushed the boundaries of winemaking.

This was probably the most controversial tasting of Riesling Downunder and was a topic of much discussion. Most of us are used to consuming Riesling that shows purity and clarity. When faced with a wine that explores something beyond the norm, it raises questions. Many of the producers of these wines were present and able to comment on them. Most of the wines were still ‘clean’, with the fermentation techniques adding texture to them. Others were showing obvious faults, and left people with many questions. Overall this collection of wines were noted as ‘pushing the barriers’, showing us another ‘art’ of Riesling.

Ernie Loosen noted how he has played with wines in barrel over one, two and three years which has highlighted how wine can become more elegant in barrel over that time. He also commented that he has a barrel that has been maturing for 24 years!

Tuesday morning we looked at ‘International Dry Rieslings’ - a thought

W I N E & V I T I C U LTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

Rieslingfreak’s John Hughes

Ernie Loosen was among several German Riesling producers present at Riesling Downunder.

Photo: James Broadway. provoking and challenging tasting of 30 of the world’s most acclaimed dry Rieslings from the 2012 and 2013 vintages. The wines included were from Alsace, Austria, Germany, USA, New Zealand and Australia.

This was an amazing tasting showcasing regional difference throughout the world. Many of these wines were selected from classic producers, with the winemaking techniques and regions clearly demonstrated.

Discussions were held regarding viticulture and winemaking practices, and the various influences they have on Riesling made around the world.

Temperature, it was said, was the most significant difference with the cooler regions providing a longer ripening season compared with the warmer climates. It was stressed how important

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One of the masterclasses held during Riesling Downunder. Photos: James Broadway it is for grapegrowers and winemakers to understand the climatic conditions in which their fruit is grown as this can have a great effect on wine style.

Fermentation varies from country to country and winemaker to winemaker.

Many modern techniques are used in Australia, including cultured yeast, providing winemakers with greater control over their ferments while having an impact on the flavour or style of the wines.

Many Europeans still use wild ferments with some revealing how these yeasts can take up to 90 days to ferment a wine.

Many Australian winemakers use reductive techniques when processing their Riesling grapes to provide a very clean and modern style of Riesling. The German winemakers present told of cold soaking taking up to 48 hours, slow pressing up to 12 hours, skin contact, oxidative treatment of juice, describing how all this impacted on the texture, length and flavour of the wine. Many of us local producers would be concerned by the phenolic levels these techniques may cause, but many Alsace and German producers see them contributing to the wine style.

In Australia the majority of winemakers ferment and store their Riesling is stainless steel. In Europe oak is still used both as a ferment and storage vessel.

Some winemakers use large format seasoned oak purely for ferment and storage, while others use oak as small as 200L to influence the flavour and style of their wine.

Keeping in mind the Germans have been making Riesling for centuries, it was great to acknowledge and learn from their

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experience and encourage many modern producers to go back and try traditional techniques.

In summary the wines were exciting, with many regional and local winemaking techniques displayed. All wines were noted for their complexity, elegance and purity.

We then looked at a small panel of wines representing ‘Emerging Regions and New Wines’. This allowed us to embark on a tasting of some exciting Rieslings coming from Slovakia, Hungary, Ohio and Canada as well as look at what Mac Forbes in the Strathbogie Ranges and Greystone, in Waipara, in New Zealand are doing. The emerging regions of Australia sparked indepth discussion, with the quality Rieslings noted for being exceptional.

In these new regions winemakers are exploring new climates and viticulture sites, developing viticultural practices best suited to the region. With the effects of global warming, a number of producers are keen to explore cooler sites to ensure the longevity of Riesling. With the development of these new sites, Stuart Pigott acknowledged “there is some serious stuff happening in the planet of Riesling”.

The last tasting was probably the highlight of Riesling Downunder. We tasted Riesling ‘Through the Ages’, which explored aged Rieslings throughout the world. Like no other grape, Riesling has the capacity to evolve wonderfully with age. Like other great wines, the evolution of Riesling is one of intrigue. The bracket was an array of Rieslings over the ages, representing different regions and styles.

W I N E & VITICULTUR E JO UR N A L MARC H /APRIL 2015

We were able to taste Australian Rieslings as old as 29 years. We saw New Zealand wines as old as 13 years, and some amazing German, Alsace and Austrian wines dating back to 1989.

Listening to Ernie Loosen talk about his experience drinking Rieslings from the 1920s highlighted just how dynamic the Riesling grape is and its ability to age.

Overall there was a lot to be learned from Riesling Downunder. My biggest interest was in the winemaking. There was a great depth of discussion regarding the importance of old vines, extended pressing times, not being scared of phenolics, lengthy fermentations - some up to 90 days for dry wines - and the use of old oak for both a fermentation and storage vessel.

Riesling Downunder demonstrated the importance of the Riesling grape in the world of wine and its diversity. The future of Riesling looks exciting with many winemakers demonstrating a keenness to share and extend their knowledge of Riesling.

John Hughes grew up on an old Riesling vineyard in Penwortham in South Australia’s Clare Valley, which his family acquired in 1984 and developed the Penwortham Wines label. Surrounded by this great vineyard and inspired by his father’s cellar which included Rieslings from around the world, he developed a passion for the variety. After a number of years in the wine industry he established Rieslingfreak, a label that not surprisingly is all about Riesling, produced from different regions and in different styles.

WVJ

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W FA

Innovation driving industry growth

By Tony Battaglene General Manager - Strategy & International Affairs, Winemakers’ Federation of Australia

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s the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) consults industry as part of developing a five-year strategic plan, it is timely to revisit research and development and the central role it plays in giving us the necessary impetus to guide the Australian wine sector’s ongoing evolution.

The Australian grape and wine industry has grown and prospered through innovation and strong leadership for well over 50 years. Generations of winemakers have entered the industry striving to understand what elements are required to produce wine with the characteristics their customers want to drink and, importantly, are prepared to pay for, and then how to put that knowledge into practice. Industry has used two processes to drive this innovation – through the provision of new knowledge from research, and through industry-led and directed activity. Innovation is driven by the people and companies that make up the Australian wine industry, either individually or collaboratively, and it uses information from a wide variety of sources, such as in-house research and technical activity, publicly-funded research including through our CSIRO and many universities, extension and education, suppliers to the industry, private companies and consulting organisations and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI).

Research and development in the wine industry is undertaken by a large number of organisations. The primary stakeholders, however, are industry (grapegrowers and winemakers) and governments (Australian and state jurisdictions). Both groups invest directly in R&D as well as jointly through organisations such as AGWA (formerly Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation) and research providers. However, research providers and funders also have high vested interests in the R&D process. Efficiency in funding and provision of research outcomes are essential to ensuring scarce resources are put to the right projects and not fritted away, and the outcomes have to have real benefit in the field. Coordination of this complex structure is though the National Primary Industries Research, Development & Extension (RD&E) Framework Wine Sector Strategy (PISC Strategy).

From an industry perspective, it is important we have the necessary structures in place to initiate, fund, research and deliver R&D outcomes with

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minimal duplication and maximum results.

The capacity to innovate does not just provide industry with the resources and knowledge to do more with less or come up with new and more cost-effective ways of doing things. Innovation also stands to improve resilience and the ability to overcome external challenges – be they climatic, consumer or economic – and come out the other side with improved returns on investment and increased profitability.

Effective research depends on several factors: • capability in research organisations • adequate funding • focussed research priorities • capacity and desire to adopt R&D and put into practice.

Australia is fortunate in that we have world-class researchers working in many disciplines that can be applied to the grape and wine sector. These hubs include AWRI, CSIRO, NWGIC and many of our universities. However, the capability of research organisations to meet industry’s needs also depends on the continued availability of funding. The industry-owned AWRI is particularly important in this regard.

Much of the funding for grape and wine sector R&D is disbursed through AGWA and comes from a levy of $2 per tonne of grapes delivered and $5 per tonne of grapes crushed, matched by the Australian Government (up to 0.5% of the gross value of production). The total fluctuates with the harvest but is around $25 million per annum with $40 million in project partnerships. Research providers through state and national investment also provide funds.

In addition to the monies spent in this collaborative sense, many of our wine companies (both small and large) are active in the research space with their own departments or individuals working on their own unique value proposition.

In real terms, funding is declining and the levy system itself is always under threat as a cost-saving mechanism for Australian governments. For example, there is currently a Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee inquiry into the industry structures and systems governing the imposition and disbursement of marketing and R&D levies in the agricultural sector. This inquiry seeks to W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

assess the effectiveness of the R&D levies system and, in particular, the desirability of matching government funds. WFA is, of course, very active in defending the current system and we are committed to ensuring the Australian Grape and Wine Authority retains its focus on research funding and maintains investment of levies for research activities.

Concerns about maintaining our research ability stem from the fact there’s been a critical decline in viticulture capability in our research institutions and state governments have been significantly pulling out of publically-funded agricultural extension in recent years. On top of these pressures, AGWA’s pool of research funding, which is based on the levies collected, has also been affected by market conditions. The end result is there’s less money going into R&D to fund key research agencies and research projects, while the costs of doing this work continues to rise.

To help stay our course, we have the National Wine Strategy Implementation Committee in place which is chaired by the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia.

The committee is responsible for the development and implementation of a national strategy to ensure wine’s RD&E is responsive to industry needs, meets government requirements and is both efficient and effective.

This strategy is a collaborative effort between the Australian and state governments and industry and it was developed to build upon the existing wine RD&E arrangements so they met the requirements of the national RD&E framework. The strategy has established a process to achieve a set of agreed outcomes. Having it in place will help ensure we maintain R&D capability and capacity; industry continues to be in the driver’s seat, and there is effective allocation of resources for future R&D work.

High quality R&D is only as good as the ability to adopt the findings and improve industry’s performance and long-term viability. Our shared challenge then is to ensure industry has a plan for its future, including an integrated vision in place to guide AGWA and deliver our research priorities, and that we are ready, willing and able to embrace the positive changes possible thanks to our ongoing investment WVJ in R&D. V30N2

Wine Roadshow XXIII

This year’s topic:

Decision Time?

Bringing an investor in or buying or selling a wine business Does your wine business need capital to go to the next level?

Or have you had enough and want to retire?

If you want to sell your business or take in an investor, Wine Roadshow XXIII is for you. You need to know where to find a buyer or investor and how to make your business as attractive as possible to them. Then you need to get the process right to maximise your return and protect yourself from a subsequent claim. As always, tax issues are critical.

Attend Wine Roadshow XXIII and learn how to attract an investor in, or buyer for, your business and to optimise the financial outcome.

Dates and Venue: 30 July

Swan Valley

31 July

Margaret River

10 August

Hunter Valley

11 August

Canberra District

12 August

Rutherglen

13 August

Yarra Valley

14 August

Launceston

18 August

Barossa Valley

19 August

McLaren Vale

21 August

Coonawarra

To register your interest or for more details please contact ashleigh.falconer-edwards@finlaysons.com.au

N A G E W A S

Australian wine exports: Focus on Europe and North America

By Peter Bailey Manager, Wine Sector Intelligence, Australian Grape & Wine Authority

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he Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) is consulting widely to develop its new five-year strategic plan, and all members of the Australian wine community are invited to make their views known.

It’s an exciting time for the Australian wine community with our international exports demonstrating positive growth for the first time since 2007. In 2014, the total Australian wine export volume increased by 1.9 percent to 700 million litres and total value increased by the same rate to A$1.82 billion. The average value of exports remained steady at A$2.60 per litre.

Increasing demand for our premium wines was a major contributing factor to that growth, which has been particularly encouraging at the very high-end. The volume of Australian exports above A$10/L increased by 15% to 17ML, while the growth in value was even stronger, up 22% to A$358 million. The growth was solid in many markets, particularly Europe and North America.

EUROPE Despite a decline in consumption rates (falling on average 2% per annum over the past five years to 24 litres per head),

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Europe remains the biggest consumer of wine in the world, with sales of 14 billion litres valued at US$158b in 2013.

Australian wine exports to Europe are on the rise, up by 4% to 361ML valued at A$581m in 2014. Contributing to this were exports above A$10/L, which were up by 21% to 2.3ML. The UK was the largest European market for Australia for this price segment, growing by 36% to 1.2ML. This may be a reflection of the UK’s economy, which is the best performing among the large western European countries. There was also solid growth to the Nordic countries of Denmark (up 55% to 280,000 litres), Norway (up 113% to 91,000L), and Finland (up 29% to 72,000L), as well as the Netherlands (up 38% to 58,000L).

Our Wine Australia market development program addresses the opportunities and challenges presented in the European market through educational initiatives, trading platforms and ongoing engagement with key buyers and media through sponsored visits to Australian wine regions.

The emphasis moving forward is on our fine wine offering, primarily through trade educational events such as our Tasting Blind Club and Masterclass series, and trading environments – in particular our recent Australia Day Tasting in London which showcased more than 1000 wines to trade gatekeepers, influencers and buyers from across the continent.

NORTH AMERICA North America is a significant premium wine market with sales of 3.6 billion litres valued at US$50b in 2013. Wine consumption has grown consistently at an average rate of 3% per annum over the past 15 years. At 10 litres per head and rising, there is considerable opportunity for growth in consumption.

North American consumers on average spend more on a bottle of wine than those in other key export regions.

According to Euromonitor International, in 2013 the average spend on wine in North America was US$10.68 per bottle compared with US$8.58 in western Europe and US$8.64 in Asia.

Australian wine has been tapping into this premium market with exports above A$10/L to the region, increasing by 2% to 3.1ML valued at A$50m in 2014. Growth was achieved in both the US and Canada. Exports to the US increased by 3% to 1.6ML valued at A$29m, while to Canada increased by 2% to 1.5ML valued at A$21m.

Supporting this growth, Australia was the theme country at this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF) and our wine took centre stage.

The 37th festival, which ran from 23 February to 1 March 2015, is Canada’s premier wine show and one of the largest consumer wine festivals in North America.

Wine Australia used this opportunity to build the momentum of the Savour Australia event held in Adelaide in late 2013, aiming to challenge people’s perceptions of the sector, facilitate greater networking among attendees and uncover new North American business opportunities for WVJ Australian brands in this crucial market.

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A S V O

Vineyard longevity – maintaining the asset

By Mardi Longbottom President, Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology

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his year’s ASVO Mildura seminar will be held from 22-23 July and will present new and innovative ways to overcome the challenges of economic and production longevity in vineyards.

The program has been expanded from previous years with several networking events included in the registration. The technical side covers economic longevity, the management of biotic and abiotic threats, and innovation and adaptation for longevity.

These will be presented by leaders from both industry and research. A highlight of the presentations will be ASVO’s international guest Dr Kendra Baumgartner, from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Baumgartner will expand on the highly acclaimed presentation she gave at the grapevine trunk disease symposium in 2014, which provided insights into the economic impact of trunk disease

in the US. A second international speaker is also expected at the Mildura seminar, with confirmation to be announced in the coming weeks.

The preliminary seminar program and details can be viewed online at http://asvomildura.wordpress.com/ The ASVO is keen to facilitate further industry interaction with Baumgartner during her visit. If your region is interested in speaking with her, please contact Chris Waters at asvo@asvo. com.au One of the important roles of the ASVO is its work in the development of best practice recommendations (BPR) for the Australian wine show system.

In 2004 it published recommendations for wine shows that were developed by an industry-based ASVO Wine Show Committee, to act as guidelines for Australian wine shows to assist them in achieving their objectives of improving and promoting the

wine quality and style offering of the Australian wine industry.

A decade later, the ASVO and the broader wine industry are undertaking a review to update these recommendations, as well as considering issues that were not addressed in the last review. The ASVO has established an industry-based wine show technical advisory group (TAG) with members drawn from the wider industry to review, revise and update the BPRs. Dr Tony Jordan is chairing the TAG and is joined by ASVO director Dr Anthony Robinson as secretary. Both Jordan and Robinson bring considerable experience in the Australian wine show system and, along with the TAG members, have made significant progress with the review. The final document is expected to be complete in November and WVJ available on the ASVO website.

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Wine exporting: understanding the ins and outs – Part 2

By Tony Keys

Tony continues his look into the business of wine exporting and where the opportunities lie in the current climate, particularly for small to mid-size producers.

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his article was composed as the 2015 vintage got into its stride when it was looking like the volume of grapes harvested will reach around 1.7 million tonnes.

We have the grapes and we have the means to turn them into wine.

The resulting wine will cover the full spectrum, that is, all colours and many varieties producing still, sparkling and fortified styles. In the main the wine produced is of good to excellent quality.

It all counts for nothing if we cannot find markets. Nor does having abundant grapes and great wine amount to much if it is not returning sufficient profit to support all involved in the process from grapegrower to retailer including enough for reinvestment.

We make too much wine for the domestic market to absorb, therefore, exports are crucial.

The theory is easy, the practice somewhat harder. Due to the retail landscape in the 21st century, especially in Western countries, wine producers are price takers not price setters.

Australian wine producers woke up to that fact around 2005. It took somewhat longer for them to understand consumers are not that loyal or indeed that interested in wine.

Many smaller producers still haven’t grasped that simple fact.

Recently Paul Evans, chief executive of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA), in an interview with ABC rural said: “We’re really focussing on demand for wine in our traditional markets, particularly North America, so the US and Canada, but also capitalising on the emerging Asian markets like China.”

The focus of the interview was to do with WET rebates, but one can see where the WFA focus regarding export is now being directed. Evans is after increased marketing funds for these markets.

The great success of the UK market in the 1990s and into the 21st century

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also taught hard lessons. Although Australia remains the leader for imported wine in the UK, its reputation is somewhat bedraggled.

Ever postive Paul Schaafsma, Accolade Wines’ general manager for the UK and Ireland, said the UK offtrade for the 52 weeks to 8 November 2014, according to AC Nielsen data, was worth £1.13 billion (A$2.54 billion).

But the good news is principally for the big brands, such as Hardy’s, which grew 7.2 percent, and Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), which said in its annual report “despite a four percent decline in the UK bottled wine market in financial year 2014, TWE outperformed Nielsen channels by volume and

that can negotiate the deal. Schaafsma says, “Accolade has been instrumental in driving Australian growth in the UK with 31 percent of the category.

We have delivered 63 percent of the additional volume in the Australian category this year.” A positive sweeping statement; what we don’t know is, are they making money?

It also demonstrates the UK market is more about the big and powerful rather than artisan producer. There are niches and some long-term players have found them but for those newlylooking at the UK it’s bleak.

Schaafsma points out it’s the £5 to £5.50 that is the fighting price point for a bottle of Australian wine in the UK but “reassuringly it is £6 to £7 which has seen the most significant …the UK market is more about the big growth of over 30 percent year and powerful rather than artisan producer. on year.” He adds, “Australian growth in the UK is not solely There are niches and some long-term price and promotion-driven; players have found them but for those consumers are happy to tradeup within the origin and spend newly looking at the UK it’s bleak. over £6.” Sounds good but take a £6 bottle, deduct VAT, and the value, up 14 percent and 11 percent, price is down to £4.80. Deduct retailer respectively.” That was across the TWE margin and roughly we are down to £3. brands; Lindeman’s, which can be Take away duty and it’s now £1. That’s considered a brand comparable with £12, or around $24, for a case of wine Hardy’s, reported an 8 percent growth or equivalent if shipped in bulk, that is in both volume and value. before the cost of grapes, production, TWE includes the UK in its European packing and shipping. section and exports to the whole region Australian Vintage strongly vies with were slightly down, totalling 6.6 million Accolade Wines in the UK market for nine-litre cases against 6.7 million private label business but this year cases the previous year. What’s worth announced it’s retreating from bulk noting is the average value per case wine sales in the UK and concentrating increased from $37.08 to $41.41. on its brands. The reason given is the The other sector doing well in lack of profitability in the bulk sector. volume terms is private label products.

That’s undoubtedly true, but losing Those losing out are what Schaafsma the big Tesco supermarket account to calls Australian minor brands and Accolade in 2014 might have also been exclusives. The change, in my opinion, a contributing factor. is that the independent retail sector In an interview with Harpers in early February, Julian Dyer, general has moved away from Australia as it manager of Australian Vintage UK/ no longer has the lure of being new Europe said, “We’ve had a strong year and exciting. Therefore, there are less (2014) in terms of branded wine sales – individuals pushing brand Australia. in particular with the McGuigan brand The big retailers’ main focus is in the – so that’s a key focus for us. We had deal and it’s only the largest producers

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and one only needs to look east to the wine. He says he loves Australian wine some good successes with brand share Kiwis to find how controlled supply can “and would love to see my countrymen this year – we’re now the fifth biggest elevate brand perception and pricing. drinking more Australian product, yet, global wine brand in the UK market and Clearly, the result of the surplus and this is easier said than done”. over Christmas we moved into fourth category under-investment did cause He points to high residual sugar position.” damage to the global perception of wines as one area where he considers Troy Christensen is chief executive of Australian wine, but I do think we Australia lost out, especially Moscato, UK-based importer/distributor Enotria saying, “We were too busy in Australia overstate the importance of this issue but was chief executive of Accolade working on the wines that may win and miss a few other key factors.”

Wines for many years. His view on an the next circuit medal, we missed export strategy is, “If you are a winery this opportunity. The large in Australia, based on the and premium branded current dynamic, you had The [UK] off-trade is shrinking and under wellAmerican wine labels would better have a good onpublicised problems at this stage. Trying to beat the buy Moscato from Australia trade strategy and export big branded competitors in the off-trade is a tall order. (and a few other countries) strategy that is built on a slap it in their bottle long-term view. Also needed Get a great distributor and go into the on-trade and then with hardly a notation that are realistic expectations, the wine was from Australia. independent specialists who are seeing some good a clear USP (unique selling This wasn’t own label brands, proposition) and disciplined growth, investment, innovation and excitement.” but most of the big brands execution.”

- Troy Christensen, chief executive, Enotria in the US. That would have For the smaller been a great opportunity to producer looking to the UK re-engage consumers to Christensen advises, “The off-trade is THE AMERICAS explore Australia, yet we worried that shrinking and under well-publicised it may not have been a great image for problems at this stage. Trying to beat the Angela Slade is Wine Australia’s Australia.” big branded competitors in the off-trade regional director for North America and He doubts if US consumers have a is a tall order. Get a great distributor and maintains, “There is space for all price negative opinion of the Gallo Barefoot go into the on-trade and independent points from Australia in the US market brand (total sales 2012 15.7 million specialists who are seeing some – we need them all to be successful for nine-litre cases) because it contains good growth, investment, innovation the category to truly be successful and Moscato. According to Christensen, and excitement. There are many sustainable.”

Australia can’t be all things to all opportunities for good national account Her advice for the US is much the listings of quality mainstream and above people. But it needs a better focus on same as Christensen’s for the UK. Do wines that British consumers love.” consumers with a clear understanding not be pigeon-holed or defined by price For Europe, he says, “Target Benelux of Australian category strengths point. She warns, “Not every brand will through distributors and look for tender and the ability to jump on market be successful in this market. Not every opportunities in Scandinavia. Germany opportunities. “Australia missed brand needs to be in the US. requires larger upfront investments Moscato (although Yellow Tail is doing Have clear pricing and brand strategy with long paybacks and risky return well with it and sweet reds); how profiles. Germany has good ondoes the industry jump on the next …the result of the surplus and category trade opportunities, but limited trend?” he asks. wholesalers of quality with already Spotting the next trend may under-investment did cause damage to the full portfolios.” work for larger producers but what global perception of Australian wine, but about the smaller operation? If a Christensen upbraids my reference to the UK in Part 1 of this I do think we overstate the importance of producer in the Barossa whose focus article (Wine & Viticulture Journal, is old vine Shiraz or in McLaren this issue and miss a few other key factors.” Vale concentrating on Grenache is January/February 2015 issue) saying, “You spend a good deal in - Troy Christensen, chief executive, Enotria it possible to become a large-scale the article noting the deterioration producer of Moscato? of Australian wine quality at the Slade gives some pointers for US first to determine if the US is suitable lower price points as a precursor to the aspirants: for your brand.” larger industry problem. I have always • Be cautious of rapid success; What she is advocating is plenty found so many people in the industry are conditions can and will change in the of research; do the homework first, employed based on their supposed expert USA, be ready with a B and C plan understand how pricing works in the ‘palate’ and, thus, exclaim it is only taste US market and work backwards from • Be careful of being perceived as that will dramatically impact the future of what price you as producer thinks the a short-term marketing trend or a particular grape/brand/origin. wine should be on the shelf or wine basing the brand on unsustainable “We know the data suggests that is list to be competitive and successful. supply or price conditions not the case for most consumers. I do She says, “It might not make financial not dismiss that Australia’s wine surplus, • Be cautious r.e: over-reliance on sense at this time and it’s guaranteed which funnelled into most markets, was wine reviews and scores that it won’t sell in the USA if it’s not detrimental to the health of the category. priced right. It creates a struggle for Also, as retailers put pressure on the • Be authentic, think small and the importer, the distributor, and the suppliers quality did deteriorate as targeted and grow sustainably. account because it’s simply too hard.” growers and wineries tried to scrape a Christensen is an American who has living from particular markets.

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but perceptions and humour separate all three. Slade does warn to not let your US industry partners know how much you don’t like the US market if you want to sell there. Therefore, sarcastic sharp Australian humour on the downside of American retail or lifestyle is best avoided.

Christensen thinks the USA is still a great market but dominated by large players who have sewn up the major wholesalers. The three-tier system is preserving value chain margin but also establishing a barrier to entry for aspiring importers. Cynically he says, “Australia is not the flavour of the month in the US with Malbec, tawdry lifestyle brands and sweet wines still holding their own. Yet, Americans love Australians, the food connection can work in the US, but there needs to be another inflection point to migrate from Yellow Tail and private label into the next wave of Australian imports. It is America, find a new movie, movie-star, reality TV show, etc.”

Summing up the Slade and Christensen comments it appears we need to take a new approach to re-engage the US consumer.

The first time around we did, says Slade, via the movie Crocodile Dundee, released in 1988 – “a Hollywood blockbuster with two sequels”. “The Crocodile Hunter TV show was very popular and aired from 1997 until Steve Irwin’s death in 2006. There was broad consumer awareness, whether Australians liked the outback/charming bogan message or not; people were enjoying and talking about Australia,” Slade says.

What is needed is to update from the outback and Mr Dundee to Christensen’s new movie or star or TV show.

Champagne has rap stars representing them, what can Australia find or indeed afford?

Slade believes 2015 is Australia’s second chance and there is unlikely to be a third, so the opportunity is to be grasped. She ponders on what passed, “Our first efforts in the market or our real volume/value success in the market came in waves and the category was in high demand due to quality wine, good pricing, great exchange rate, marketing/ perception, dynamic packaging and buzz from high-level wine journalists.

“The conditions that led to that initial success cannot be repeated - now we are older and smarter - we are not the newbies coming in as renegades to take the established wine world by storm.

Now we are established and we will be

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here for the long term - as a category we need to think long term, invest in our brands and invest in the market.”

Slade concedes Australian wine is in a soft position in a tough market but is adamant there is a renewed interest in Australia. She also advocates caution, “This is not like before. This is simply a second chance to position ourselves and define ourselves. The market is different, the demand is different, buying patterns are different.”

She maintains there isn’t an ‘American consumer’ but there are demographics. Australian producers need to understand the demographics rather than think there is an American consumer, the advice offered being, “There are a lot of young new buyers who are driving the business carrying no baggage about Australia’s past success or styles. They simply haven’t seen

to visit markets needs money and the sales have to be more then the odd pallet of wine. Slade is also adamant the poor lingering exchange rate “killed any chance of category recovery and premium/fine wine perception building.

We often speak of a perfect storm with the recession and exchange rate plus journalists and trade turning away from the ‘Australian wine style’ but it was more the long-term exchange rate that has not allowed recovery.” Again, it’s a subject that I could debate.

Slade maintains retailers won’t take risks more than once which means Australian brands need to think long-term. Time is needed to build up a brand/market strategy for each individual export market. Her advice, “It’s critical to have consumer pull-through tactics if you want to be successful in the traditional, large retailers. No one sells your wine for you. The brand has to have a There are a lot of young new buyers who story and appeal. The category isn’t going to carry anyone and the are driving the business carrying no really strong demand isn’t there baggage about Australia’s past success or yet, it’s still a tenuous time.”

Much of the above can also be styles. They simply haven’t seen enough translated to Canada although Australian wines and they are very open Christensen points out, “Canada to taste and discovery and they are is a great market, but requires a similar tender process to delighted with our premium and higherScandinavia and a local distributor end offering. - Angela Slade, regional to work that process. It is a healthy market, but difficult director North America, Wine Australia competition and hard to get the foot in the door without some enough Australian wines and they are connections.” very open to taste and discovery and Slade says collaboration is the real they are delighted with our premium and industry strength and a competitive higher-end offering; there is no issue advantage in these crowded North there.

American markets. The industry is “The exchange rate has signalled starting to do this again and the results that Australian wine could be financially are showing. viable again. Importers and sales reps speak of getting meetings again ASIA with buyers, where a year or two ago many doors were still shut. We are Asia, especially China, is creating a also showing new wines, or revitalised ripple of excitement in many Australian packaging or even new brands to buyers industries at the moment. There appears so there’s a sense of discovery again and a belief the recent free trade agreement a sense of needing to get up to speed on with China will strengthen ties and Australian wine.” be beneficial to Australia. One should Slade maintains sommeliers, wine consider it will not only be beneficial to educators and the media are once again Australia it will also be beneficial to the on the side of Australia. Therefore the Chinese. Each country looks to its own approach needs to be more personal, benefit but it’s not a guaranteed win-win more grassroots. “It’s brand building situation; there may well be losers. and Australian premium-messaging As Christensen says there are many that is being rebuilt, one sale at a time. wine regions and their producers jump That is why it is critical the winemakers from export market priority to the next and proprietors visit the market; this as each new opportunity comes along is a new time of relationship-building, and they think it a better proposition. friendship-building,” she says.

“This ‘shiny object’ syndrome was There is no doubting the truth of the exacerbated in Australia as the country statement but, as said in the last article, needed the next silver bullet to solve

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the surplus problem and contribute does again highlight the importance in signing a free trade agreement with immediate effect rather than a staged some margin to the long-suffering wine of North America. It is a structured approach put forward in other markets industry,” Christensen says. marketplace with clearly identified roles over several years.”

Australia needs the Chinese market for wholesalers, importers and retailers but it mustn’t be at a cost too hard to and has an established wine culture. For The one aspect the Australian wine this reason, in my opinion, it remains the bear. Michael East is Accolade Wines industry did not expect was the Chinese general manager for Asia who says, most highly attractive developing market buying vineyards to secure their supply.

“It’s fair to say that China remains the for Australian wine. Much of the Asian Some see it as bad, others a good most challenging of the thing. The point is, it is Asian countries and that is happening not only here but The lack of clear breakthrough into China does despite years of continued in California and France as investment. It remains well. again highlight the importance of North America. dominated by ‘wide range Christensen thinks the It is a structured marketplace with clearly identified distributors’ who spend “bloom is off the rose” considerable time in in Asia, but the market roles for wholesalers, importers and retailers and recruiting brands to their is a huge opportunity has an established wine culture. For this reason, in portfolio but are still for Australia. His advice, developing their intensity “Every winery in Australia my opinion, it remains the most highly attractive at a local distribution level. should have a clear plan developing market for Australian wine.

This is a generalisation but to build the market in one that does accurately Asia, not just China but - Michael East, general manager Asia, Accolade Wines reflect the current state Singapore, Vietnam, of play in China. The Korea and Indochina. alternative is to deal on a direct basis landscape remains burdened by high Ensure the distributor has access to with the major retail groups, however, taxation and political uncertainty.”

HORECA (hotel, restaurant and catering relationships with them are closely East is not anti-Asia but very much for it companies) and not just driving towards held.” as he understands the issues better than the off-trade accounts. I do think there Interestingly, East compares China most. He sees the potential saying, “Hong is a great opportunity for Australia to with America summing up (very Kong has stabilised and is strengthening leverage a food culture and wine pairing at the entry level and premium end of briefly) the pros and cons. “The lack to its advantage. Someone in Australia the spectrum. Korea has been pro-active of clear breakthrough into China should increase the scale of restaurant/

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all wine-producing countries, including India, want a share of it as the possibilities are enormous.

Looking long term, Pernod Ricard has established a winery there, as has Domain Chandon. India comes under the eye of Accolade Wines general manager Ted Popov. He says, “There is potential for growth in India (off a small base), with a strong local partner (Sula), and a government that is keen to support trade. However, that is offset by the complexity of local excise EMERGING MARKETS structures.” Christensen is in agreement with Popov also There is excitement surrounding emerging markets, or pointing out, “Regulatory complexity and import restrictions maybe it's desperation. The big two destinations for our enabled by the influential beer and spirits producers will wine are the UK and USA, hamper any successful wine accounting for 413.5 million business for years to come.”

As yet India doesn’t find a place in Australia’s litres of the 700 million litres As with India, Mexico exported last year. The need to doesn’t hit the top 20 export top 20 wine export destinations. The main destinations. It also has its find markets that take over 50 reason is Indian wine consumption is very low own wine industry but imports million litres is essential. At most of its wine requirements the moment the only country but there is expectation it will grow and all winefrom Spain, Argentina and above that figure is China at producing countries, including India, want a Chile. Slade’s feeling is 60.6 million litres. The plus 50 Australia won’t be able to share of it as the possibilities are enormous. million litre mark is important take on those countries but to keep the inland regions alive will have better luck tackling to shift the bulk of wine produced. The alternative is to reduce the next tier down, which comprises the likes of the USA, Australian production considerably, ensuring what remains is Portugal and Germany. “I just visited Mexico City and was really profitable. intrigued,” Slade notes. “It’s a small and growing market; just The other way of looking at the issue is to think that 10 as we are rebuilding our perception in the USA and Canada markets at 20 million litres each taking a range of wines across we can use those same tactics for premium education and the price spectrum is spreading the load wider, hence, more category perception within Mexico. There’s a growing luxury safely. class segment which is increasingly interested in wine. I’m able As yet India doesn’t find a place in Australia’s top 20 to tuck Mexico into our existing USA/Canada programming so wine export destinations. The main reason is Indian wine we are able to support them due to proximity and being part of consumption is very low but there is expectation it will grow and North America activities.” chef and hospitality education with a focus to attract key Chinese and other Asian students intending on taking this skill and Australian affinity back to their home country. Australia could leverage its foodie culture to pair Asian delicacies with Australian wine to bridge cultural gaps and increase brand affinity (e.g. wine with Hairy Crab).”

Some facts on Mexico: • Australian exports have increased from three brands to 40 brands since 2012 • Year end September 2014, Australian imports to Mexico by value was just under USD$1 million • Year end September 2014, the average value of Australian imports to Mexico was up 4 percent (this is also a global premium trend).

There are differing views from Christensen and Popov on Eastern Europe. Christensen says the political turmoil combined with the Euro’s uncertainty “would suggest these markets are not high in the priority lists for those just developing an export strategy”.

Looking at the markets from the more established brands such as Hardy’s and Banrock Station Popov says, “There has been substantial growth in Eastern Europe. Our growth in Russia over the last 12 months with Hardy’s is close to 100 percent, a combination of having the right distributor partner and long- term brand strategy. There is a similar situation with Banrock Station in Poland.”

There is plenty of sage advice above from people with the knowledge of export. The bigger players appear to be getting a handle on the situation but it’s an uneven road for smaller players.

Wine industry commentator Tony Keys has spent more than 30 years in the wine industry including the retail sector in the UK and roles with the Australian Wine Export Council and the Australian Wine Bureau in London. He is author of The Key Report, a weekly report containing news, views, analysis and opinions on the wine industry: www.

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Will New Zealand exceed Australia’s wine export earnings soon?

By Richard Smart Smart Viticulture. Email: richard@smartvit.com.au

Prompted by the current development of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) five-year strategic plan, Richard Smart argues Australia should look to New Zealand for some guidance on the future success of its wine industry.

WHY COMPARE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND? Why, indeed? There is compelling evidence that the New Zealand wine sector is in better health than that of Australia. Figure 1 shows the patterns V3 0N 2

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in 2022. It’s not a bad effort for a country with a quarter of the vineyard area of Australia (NZ had 35,500ha in 2014 and growing, Australia had 148,000ha in 2012 and shrinking).

There are other signs as well. A Kiwi wine, Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, is the biggest selling white wine in Australia.

The average value of NZ wine into the UK is the highest of any country. The US is about to become the largest market for NZ wine, and NZ Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are the in-demand varietal wines according to recent reports.

These varieties also represent the top two plantings in New Zealand, so that is ▶ encouraging for continued growth.

EXPORT VOLUME

800.0

MILLION LITRES

I am prompted to write this article because of the strategic review of the Australian wine sector that is currently taking place, sponsored by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA). I hope that some of the viewpoints expressed here might lead to reconsideration of how the Australian wine sector goes about its business and, indeed, how its performance might be improved.

I certainly do not suggest this offering as a panacea to the Australian wine sector’s problems at large. My understanding of the reasons for the present problems were much helped by reading the succinctly presented article

by Geoff Lewis and Tatiana Zalan, 'The commoditisation of Australian wine in export markets', in the November/ December 2014 issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal (pp61-64). Their presentation of the background to the present boom and bust cycle is compelling, and the Strategy 2025 document and tax concessions are implicated. I can recommend it.

I worked as a government viticultural scientist in New Zealand in the 1980s in the early stages of growth of the present sector. I have been a frequent visitor since, speaking and consulting, and have witnessed the continuing growth and development. Since then the Australian wine sector has boomed, then crashed. The New Zealand industry has boomed, then stalled, and is now growing again.

Many Australian producers bemoan the WET tax, but the issues are much greater than this. Here I present my perspectives on what I see and hear on both sides of the Tasman.

of export volume and value for both countries, from 1990 to present. In 2007 Australia’s export value began to fall.

There was a decline at an average rate of A$148 million per annum from 2007 to 2014, compared with an increase of NZ$79m per annum for the same period. At these rates of change, New Zealand would surpass Australia’s export earnings in 2018 on a dollar for dollar basis. The exchange rate at the time of writing was AUD = 1.04 NZD. The rate of decline of Australia’s earnings has slowed since 2011 (see Figure 1). Using the last three year’s data only this would indicate that NZ exports by value will surpass those of Australia

Australia New Zealand

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Figure 1. Export volumes and value, Australia and New Zealand, 1991 to 2014.

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ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT SAUVIGNON BLANC No doubt NZ was lucky with Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, developing a reputation as it now has as a classic wine, and maybe the world’s best Sauvignon. It is certainly well known, and very distinctive.

Interestingly, on a competitive basis, similar climates occur in Australia, in Tasmania mostly; the widely planted clone in New Zealand is not so widely planted in Australia, which is unfortunate for Australia. I have never understood why.

I believe there are other reasons why New Zealand is outperforming Australia (and other countries), and in this article I want to review them. They are not presented necessarily in order of importance.

at www.ruralnews.co.nz/winegrower Industry solidarity is an important difference between New Zealand and Australia, and surely contributes to the overall performance. New Zealand has wisely opted for an annual industry-wide conference, the Romeo Bragato conference, named after the Italian-born pioneering viticultural scientist of New Zealand. This threeday event rotates around the regions more or less, and offers a program of technical, sustainability, marketing and advocacy issues, with the focus and theme changing yearly. There is a wine competition, a young viticulturist award, a trade exhibition and a conference dinner. Last year there were 540 attendees.

The Australian approach does not, in my opinion, encourage such solidarity across all sectors of the industry. There is the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (AWITC) held every three years. It is a large event with more than 1000 attendees, and limited to capital cities. It is organised by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). The 16th AWITC in 2016 is scheduled over six days from 23-28 July. There are many international speakers, poster presentations, and a conference dinner. All in all, it will be a grand affair, but very expensive to attend.

Once essentially covering viticulture and oenology, conference presentations in marketing and sensory evaluation are now more common, and more recently presentations of limited discussion about industry issues have been included. I do recall suggesting a forum on the Wine

organisation. Then there is the SA Wine Industry Association’s one-day Wine Industry Environment Conference.

NEW ZEALAND WINES ARE BETTER, SO SAYS THE CONSUMER, AND SOME WINE JUDGES

Of course, this is a generalisation that will cause much angst among readers, but the facts remain about the average value of Australian and New Zealand wines in many markets. The reasons are simple: New Zealand wine regions are cooler. For the varieties important in today’s marketplace, wines are acknowledged as being better appreciated when not grown in hot regions. Australia’s inland irrigation regions are euphemistically called ‘warm’, and the rest ‘cool’, but these terms are not appropriate and surely their use should be discouraged.

NEW ZEALAND WINE SECTOR IS Mean January Temperature (MJT) BETTER ORGANISED is an index used to describe the heat in a viticultural region. The majority of NZ has one industry organisation, New grape production in Australia occurs in Zealand Winegrowers (NZW). Australia temperatures ranging from 19.5-24.5°C had four, but only recently changed to (and the majority of production is at three (AGWA, Winemakers’ Federation of the hotter end, around 23°C), while in Australia (WFA) and Wine Grape Growers New Zealand the corresponding figures Australia (WGGA)). NZW represents some are 17.5-19.5°C. To put these figures in 850 growers and 700 wine producers; it some perspective, the MJT for Sunraysia was formed in 2002 by merging the Grape is 23.9°C, Griffith 23.8°C, Barossa Growers Council and the Wine Institute.

Valley 21.4°C, Yarra Valley 19.4°C, It has roles of advocacy at all levels, Adelaide Hills 19.1°C, Hobart 17.7°C, providing a global marketing platform, and Launceston 17.2°C. Corresponding facilitating research, providing strategic values for New Zealand are Hawke’s information and organising sector Bay 18.8°C, Marlborough 17.6°C, and wide events such as the annual Romeo Central Otago 17.1°C. I present data for Bragato Conference and Air New Zealand Tasmania, where I recently lived, as it is wine awards. It is funded by compulsory an important potential area for vineyard levies on grape and wine development, but there production. NZW has are other cool climate strong connections with the regions on the mainland, There are historical and social reasons why Australia government, presumably typically associated with because it is easier to the Great Dividing Range has planted so many grapes in such hot regions, but deal with one than many and southern coast, which the question remains why these hot area plantings industry bodies. It also could also warrant vineyard helps to present a united expansion. expanded so much in the most recent boom. industry position. If you There are historical want to see what I mean, and social reasons why compare websites and the Australia has planted so industry information available on both Restructuring Action Agenda (WRAA) at many grapes in such hot regions, but sides of the Tasman. an earlier conference, to be told “No, this the question remains why these hot An important contribution to the is a technical conference”. area plantings expanded so much in solidarity of the NZ wine sector is the There is a lot that can happen in a the most recent boom. Australia could bi-monthly publication the New Zealand dynamic, export-oriented wine sector plant vineyards in cool regions with over three years. I wonder if the size, temperatures like those in New Zealand.

Winegrower, mailed to each levy paying length, expense and especially frequency For example, I can see that plantings of member, grower and winery. The of this conference is out of date and the present size of those in New Zealand magazine is sizeable (the last issue was inappropriate to current needs? could be accommodated in Tasmania 76 pages) and well presented, containing There is also the biennial Outlook alone. I have done the surveys. The up-to-the-minute information on new Wine Industry Conference organised by climate, land and water are available techniques, research, practical advice, WFA, held over two days and dealing (see my article, 'Tasmanian wine ripe sustainability, marketing and local and more with industry matters, but from the for investment', in the March/April 2014 export markets. The magazine contains viewpoint of the hosting single industry issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal, advertising and is available online

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pp57-59). For reasons best known to itself, the Australian wine sector has failed to significantly invest in genuine cool climate regions. It could, and it should, if it wants to be globally competitive, at least in the premium wine sector.

The relative climate position of Australian vineyards becomes worse with anticipated global warming. New Zealand, as for Tasmania, are small islands in a large, cold ocean, and are predicted to suffer less impact from global warming. Already the impact of heatwaves is experienced in Australian vineyards, especially damaging to fruit ripening and leaf health, a situation that is predicted to worsen.

Of course, some varieties are adapted to warmer regions, and Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale have international reputations. Sadly, this is being challenged by concepts of improved quality for Shiraz grown in cool climates.

The International Three Nations competition, now expanded to Six Nations (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and the US) see http://boutiquewines.com.au/6nations-wine-challenge/), has often seen Shiraz wines from the Gimblett Gravels of Hawke’s Bay outperform those of Australia.

In 2014, New Zealand was named the Nation of the Show.

Another general comment is that Australian vineyard development and wine promotion has emphasised variety, whereas in NZ there has been more variety by region development. The latter approach is arguably more relevant to today’s market, and to regional promotion.

SUSTAINABLE VITICULTURE New Zealand has taken an early lead in sustainable viticulture programs, being established in 1994 and commercially adopted in 1997. It is now supported by NZW, which is conspicuous on its website, and is embraced by growers through all regions. The program is seen as a ‘framework for viticultural and winemaking practices that protect the environment while efficiently and economically producing premium winegrapes and wine’. This is seen as being

important in today’s wine markets, part of the New Zealand ‘story’ of clean and green. There is a goal of having 100% of grapegrowers and winemakers operating under the approved and independently audited sustainability programs, and there are published standards and auditing procedures.

There is an Organic Winegrowers New Zealand Growers Association, founded in 2007, dedicated to the production of high quality organic wines. This organisation has proclaimed a goal in 2011 of 20% of all of New Zealand’s vineyards being organic.

Working with NZ Winegrowers, the organisation developed an Organic Focus Vineyard Project in 2011 to document the impact of changing from conventional to organic production over three seasons and in three regions. The results, which are freely available (see http://www.organicfocusvineyard.com/) have been the subject of seminars and vineyard visits.

Sustainable wine and grape production is not so well developed in Australia. Entwine Australia was launched in December 2009 by WFA with initial support from the Federal Government. It was developed with wineries and vineyard operators in mind. The program currently has about 735 members spread across all wine-producing regions. Entwine does not set requirements of performance criteria, nor does it provide auditing. It operates in the context of a voluntary use of a process standard.

In April 2012, the McLaren Vale Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program was developed. The program is based on self-assessment, and there is no auditing. It is open to growers throughout Australia. It remains to be seen how popular it becomes, despite its self-proposed excellence. For more information, see http://mclarenvale.info/saw/overview/ By any measure, New Zealand has taken the high ground on the sustainability issue.

RESEARCH Having a background in viticulture research in both countries gives me a particular interest here. I am aware that

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research can significantly assist local industries, especially when targeted to local problems.

NZW runs an extensive portfolio of research projects with the aim of ‘Providing and promoting a technological basis for the New Zealand grape and wine industry to remain internationally competitive as the leading producer of premium quality wines’. See http:// www.nzwine.com/research/what-wedo/. NZW contracts research from government research institutes and both Lincoln and Auckland Universities, and some other government funding agencies. NZW co-invests significant levy funds into these programs to create a critical mass of research activity in the grape and wine area.

Major research programs are directed

by NZW, co-funded by government, and can involve extended timeframes (up to seven years). One interesting R&D program is into ‘lifestyle wines’, namely high quality but with lower alcohol and calorific content.

A feature of the NZW research program is that it has significant industry input. The program is managed

by NZW’s permanent staff, but there is a NZW research committee comprising industry representatives who are currently active in grape and wine production. This provides for a strong industry focus on research activities, and local problem solving has high priority.

An equally strong focus is in the extension of research results. Research progress reports and summaries are carried in the New Zealand Winegrower.

Research results are not limited to scientific paper reporting, but deliberately extended for industry use.

Researchers have an obligation to write popular articles. The NZW website lists research reports (some of which are available only to members), online tools, archived New Zealand Winegrower articles and excellent fact sheets.

NZW’s research program is particularly active in grapevine diseases threatening the industry.

There was a significant problem with the spread of grapevine leafroll virus 3 (LRV3) in the Gimblett Gravels, one of New Zealand’s most important terroirs. Based on local research and international cooperation, and the support of landowners in the area, the NZW program appears effective in overcoming the problem, which is a notable achievement. I know Australian vineyards where LRV3 is spreading and attracting little response. There is currently much emphasis on grapevine trunk diseases, not surprisingly since

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Sauvignon Blanc is so susceptible.

Grape and wine research administration in Australia is in transition, with the responsibility passing to the recently formed AGWA from the previous Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC). AGWA is funded by grapegrowers and winemakers through levies and user-pays charges and the Australian government, which provides matching funding for R&D investments.

Currently the interim board of AGWA has strong industry representation, but whether this will persist remains to be seen. There is no website information available on industry input to the allocation of research funds. There were certainly complaints about the lack of current industry experience among members in prior GWRDC boards, which were responsible for funding allocations.

Research and extension providers include the Australian Wine Research Institute, the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, CSIRO, universities and state agencies. Regional programs are a key initiative of AGWA that seek to actively encourage and support innovation, extension and adoption across wine regions. AGWA has a stated strong commitment to innovation and adoption principles.

The AGWA website lists previous research reports, as well as fact sheets. The fact sheets were not as comprehensive as those for New Zealand, nor as up to date, but this may reflect the organisation being in transition.

In any event, I would conclude that research to support the grape and wine industry is more relevant and better managed in New Zealand, with more industry input. This opinion is subjective, and the Australian effort may be disadvantaged by the recent change of governance. Only time will tell if the game will be lifted.

CONCLUSION From the attributes considered here, New Zealand could be considered to be outperforming Australia, which I believe is contributing to the better export effort.

There are other issues that could be considered, like why New Zealand has not gone down the geographical indication route for regional definition, as Australia has done. That could be interesting.

Has the plethora of small GIs helped Australia’s export effort? I doubt it.

I had a fear while writing this article that some may be inclined to shoot the

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messenger. After all, I could be seen as critical of many organisations in the Australian wine sector. Most have been mentioned in this article. Be that as it may, I would hope that my opinion and observations may lead to opportunities to improve the lot of the Australian wine sector, which was the intention.

I do not want to suggest that all is rosy in NZ. I hear grumbles about NZ Winegrowers being too powerful, and about the costs and efficiency of the sustainable winegrowing program.

There are sure to be other problems that I do not hear about.

Furthermore, I do not want to appear to be overly critical of the Australian wine sector’s achievements. I do care that this wonderful industry might again regain economic stability for all of its stakeholders, and begin to reverse its fortunes. Don’t abuse me because I care.

What do I think should happen in the next five years? First, and most importantly, WFA and WGGA should merge some functions to create an industry-wide body, as was done in New Zealand. The existing joint policy forum whereby WFA and WGGA come together ‘to agree on national policy to be taken to their respective executive committees for adoption’ seems to hardly be the answer. It is not the same as a merger, which has been demonstrated to work in NZ. When should a merger happen? The sooner the better, given the Kiwis have a 13-year head start! Then negotiations can begin to combine with the statutory AGWA, to have a serious one body for one industry.

The second task of relocating vineyard investment and production to cooler climates is more difficult. It will not be easy, nor quick, but the next five years should hopefully show significant change. Some vineyards in present hot areas will benefit from better-adapted varieties, but markets need be created.

As to sustainability adoption and strategic industry research, the Australian wine sector could be better served than at present. This may flow from better industry organisation and representation.

Is there the will and courage to change?

Richard Smart has been involved with viticulture around the world since the mid-1960s as a researcher, scientist, teacher, author and consultant. Since the mid-1980s he has been involved in international consulting, initially on behalf of the New Zealand Government, followed by full-time consulting since 1991.

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Waiter, this wine is screwed!

By Burke Reschke, Managing Director, Reschke, Coonawarra, South Australia

Screwcaps have all but taken over the closure market in the Australian wine industry but Reschke is one winery standing by the humble cork, with Burke Reschke revealing why his company is prepared to tolerate the cost of replacing cork-damaged wines.

I

n my view, if you want your wine to age well, produce a premium product and put it under a cork; if you want your wine to stay fresh or it drunk early, use a screwcap.... Or don’t, it doesn’t really worry me, but think about it at least.

Any good marketer listens to their final consumer. The only people I hear wanting just screwcaps are industry people. I’m not going to tell the consumer what he or she wants.

I’m going to listen and provide. This feedback will go deeper than just the closure and will be varied. Some consumers might lack knowledge but ask for something that will age well, not just for one or two years, but one or two decades. The right variety of a well-built wine under a cork will be far more suited than a wine under a screwcap for this. Or it may be a minority market, but still provide an opportunity. For instance, if only 30% of people want cork and only 10% provide them, there is obviously an opportunity in a minority market. Go for it, we need diversity.

I use cork for my better Cabernets as these wines are built to improve with age. Without question, I would use a screwcap or closure with similar properties (such as a glass stopper for instance) for wines that I want to keep fresh - Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Pinot Gris, etc. Then there are wines that could go either way because they are made to sell younger and ready to drink. For people that want to simplify it even more than that and pretend there is only one closure for every type of wine and wine market, good luck to them. But I think they need to broaden their thinking and get out more and talk to the consumer, not some young writer that has just done a research study into the incidence of TCA and what it is costing the industry, because if we lose 50% of our market because they want a wine with a cork then, without getting my calculator out, I can tell you it would cost us a lot more.

The market is all too often being

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A BIT ABOUT RESCHKE •

Produces up to 30,000 cases per annum, including a couple of private labels.

•

100% of production is reds of which 90% is Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Wines retail from $14.00 to $150.00 a bottle

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60% of Reschke’s premium range is sold on premise

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80% of production is distributed nationally, with exports to Canada, Japan, Germany and China.

influenced by people that want to save money (the chains maybe?) and that is fine while they are making a product down to a price but when you are trying to produce a wine that stands out and at the top end of the market, we have to budget on a few more costs: more new oak, the cost of less fruit per hectare (both a lot bigger cost than the odd corked wine), longer maturation, hand pruning, etc. One of these costs for me is replacing any cork-damaged wines.

People ask why I tolerate that cost?

The short answer is nearly always the same: I would prefer that 90% of my wine is at 100% of its potential than 100% of my wine be at 90%.

Any aspiring maths student might tell you the calculation should come to the same figure - 90%; that is until you work out that the top 10% of wine prices climb exponentially. To put that another way, if your quality slips 10% you might slip 30% in price and that price difference might mean 100% of profits or more. That’s when the economist will come out in front of an accountant every time.

A quick look at the market for Australian wine would tell you that it is no longer Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide; it is now New York, London, Paris, Munich and everywhere in between. We need to consider their wishes. The rest of the world didn’t venture as far into screwcaps as Australia did and they are now retracting back towards cork.

We need to take note. There is more to this market than your accountant will understand.

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Also, I don’t know how to put this next bit, so I’ll just say it: They have more money than we do, and there are more of them, lots more. So produce something they want to consume, especially in an industry steeped in centuries of tradition and value that tradition greatly.

Wine is an aspirational product, it is a luxury, even at the cheaper end of the market. People want to feel good about their purchase, often in the buying process as well as when consuming the product. If it loses its gloss, expect the price to fall.

Finally don’t be scared of corks.

The cork industry is not what it was 10 years ago. The resources and technology were outstretched back then; technology has improved, there are better sensory detectors, and companies are producing better levels of good quality cork. At the end of the day, cork is a natural product, so it’s understandable that the industry will face inconsistencies. However, as a high-end boutique wine brand, we have more time to focus on pushing quality to the next level and spend time on the monitoring of our hand-selected cork supplies.

At the end of the day, I like that the best wines do have the occasional problem. It shows that it is hand made and isn’t just a mass-produced commodity. A conscientious consumer and one that is likely to spend more on a premium product will understand this.

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Complex

Technically perfect sparkling wine cork....

Just ask the winemakers and even the critics....

As you know, I have been writing on the science of closures actively for more than a decade, and most recently in my focus on sparkling wines.

I’m currently in the midst of reviewing wines for the Halliday Companion (James has appointed me his exclusive sparkling reviewer) and my (large) bin of corks currently contains more DIAMs than natural corks!

In my instructions to winemakers sending samples for the Halliday Companion or The Champagne Guide, I request them to include: •

Two bottles of each cuvée (natural cork seals)

•

One bottle of each cuvée (crown seal or DIAM)

This is a statement of my faith in the reliability of crown seals and DIAM closures.

Tyson Stelzer,

Black BG

Multi Award Winning Wine Writer, annual readership of 4,000,000 globally Author & Publisher of 13 wine books and a universally respected Wine Closure Scientist Author of The Champagne Guide 2014-2015 Winner Best Wine Book of the Year

“At Grant Burge Wines we use DIAM exclusively in our Icon and Sparkling wines and could not be happier with the faultless results. DIAM gives me the opportunity to present my wines knowing they will be in pristine condition, consistent and without any closure derived modification.

“DIAM offers winemakers and marketers a fantastic closure option, and I have no hesitation in recommending this product.”

Craig Stansborough, Chief Winemaker, Grant Burge Wines

Reverse Colour

“Producers spend billions globally trying to recruit new customers, and it’s no big secret that keeping a customer is cheaper than recruiting a new one. Consumers rarely understand that a wine is faulty and frequently just put it down to the wine being just ‘not as good as it used to be.’

The difficulty is that the producer will never hear that, and therefore can’t do anything about it. They just lose the customer.

Bottle variation is a hidden cost.”

James Gabbani Wines & Vines

“At Wines by Geoff Hardy we have been using DIAM cork in our premium red and sparkling wines since 2005.

Through continued innovation and development DIAM have now released the new DIAM 30 which is guaranteed for long term cellar maturation of 30+ years. A guarantee that removes the stress surrounding cork selection for our premium wines. This long term view adds significant value to our relationship and confidence with DIAM as our premium closure of choice. It’s a beautiful thing knowing I can open a bottle of our wine at anytime, anywhere around the world and be guaranteed of a sensorially neutral closure that provides consistency in seal and respects the aromatic profile of each wine from bottle to bottle”

“The experience of one bad bottle can cancel out several good ones in a consumer’s mind, and the winery almost never gets feedback about it”.

Jim Gordon Editor W&V USA "DIAM closures have undergone the most rigorous technical trials in the industry.

The results have been nothing but positive and we remain committed to the DIAM closure."

Andrew Gale, Technical Category Manager (Tesco)

“DIAM is the perfect closure for Sparkling!”

“In 2003 we swapped from natural cork to DIAM. Before then, we had a real issue with spoilage due to cork taint. Since then we have used over 700,000 DIAM closures – for table wine and sparkling wine - with not one complaint or recorded case of spoilage.

Our endorsement of the product is unqualified.”

Lucy Cléments, Winemaker, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets (England)

John Ellis, Winemaker/Owner/experienced Show Judge, Hanging Rock Wines, Macedon

Shane Harris, Winemaker & Brand Ambassador Wines by Geoff Hardy.

by Vinocor =

NO TAINT NO FLAT WINE NO BOTTLE VARIATION NO COMPLAINTS NO LOSS OF CUSTOMERS NO PROBLEMS.

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WINEMAKING

The birth of precision bottling Audit of bottle oxygen variation in winery trials shows size of the challenge

By Clark Smith

This article, first published in the December 2014 issue of the US Wines & Vines magazine, gives a sneak peek into the soon-to-be-released results of a study in which a survey of variation in total package oxygen (TPO) among 17 Californian wineries reveals startling challenges for wineries large and small.

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f all beverages, wine is the most varied. While one can classify beers into a handful of types, and spirits into 10 basic bar pours and a hundred cordials, wines cannot be lumped into any less than 1000 significant varietal types and European appellations, plus any number of proprietary blends. There are more than 250,000 wine brands for sale in the US market alone, and easily 1 million for sale somewhere in Europe.

Yet within this variation lies one prime directive: that a given specific label shall be consistent within itself.

Wines do not exist to slack thirst, but to spark the intellect. Specific wines

of any stripe are presupposed to be as consistent as movies, with every copy identical. Without this cardinal rule, the entire edifice of wine sales—Wine Spectator scores, Parker reviews, tech sheets, gold medals, flash sales, blogs, point-of-sale advertisements— collapses.

Sophisticated collectors have come to expect and tolerate the bottle-tobottle variation that accompanies decades of ageing, but the workaday wine world is founded on the assumption of product consistency. Like the public faith that sustains the dollar, the economy that pays your salary is firmly rooted in the unshakable belief

that for any wine we choose to evaluate, its replicate bottles will behave likewise.

There is just one problem. It isn’t true.

I am not talking about cork taint.

That unhappy phenomenon, which first bloomed in the public consciousness in the late 1980s, is easily identified by an expert and exists in no more than one bottle per case under cork. Wineries took action, and this incidence has been further reduced by the growing prevalence of alternative closures. The media, for once, has embraced these new technologies and cooperated in educating consumers. This threat to the

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FORMATION OF THE COLLABORATIVE COUNCIL

Growing evidence suggests that no matter how good the closure, bottling equipment and procedures can turn out highly inconsistent levels of total packaging oxygen. Photo: Tono Balaguer, 123RF.COM industry has been, in my estimation, artfully avoided.

That mouldy compound TCA is no longer Public Enemy No. 1. A five-year average of the incidence of technical flaws leading to rejection at the London International Wine Challenge reveals that cork taints were found in 1.8% of wines submitted, comprising 27% of expulsions, with oxidation (27%) and reduction (26%) together comprising more than half of flawed wines, dual artefacts of winemakers’ inability to manage oxygen. As we peel the quality onion, total package oxygen (TPO) management is now in the spotlight.

A NEW TOOL Though it has grown into the second largest supplier of wine closures behind Portuguese natural cork firm Amorim, when Nomacorc appeared on the scene in 1999, its stated objective was to eliminate bottle variation. It turns out to be utterly impractical to attempt this through the simple expedient of a reliable co-extruded cork alternative. Without a consistent closure, to be sure, even the most consistent bottling will turn out inconsistent wines.

But growing evidence suggests

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that no matter how good the closure, bottling equipment and procedures have turned out highly inconsistent TPO levels. Wines in the same shipping case, particularly fragile white wines, were exhibiting substantial sensory quality variation.

Nomacorc’s response to this challenge was to develop an optical sensor system capable of reading oxygen concentration through glass.

Christened NomaSense, this system allowed winemakers for the first time to study oxygen pickup inside fully sealed tanks, hoses, pumps and bottles.

Much of the new instrumentation’s reason for being involved bottling line auditing procedures that were simple, non-destructive and noninvasive, enabling differentiation on a scale never before contemplated, such as assessment of individual filler valves. Measurement of TPO for each bottle immediately after filling was calculated by combining O2 in the headspace (HSO) plus oxygen dissolved in the wine (DO). Headspace and filled wine volumes were used to compute TPO for a specific bottle as opposed to its adjacent fellows. This level of granularity had never before been imagined.

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In 2012, Nomacorc organised a panel of 40 industry experts including production winemakers, academic oenologists, quality-control specialists and winery research team leaders to oversee collaborative studies that might shed light on the sources and extent of TPO variation. The Wine Science Forum (WSF) advisory council now meets regularly to coordinate research, discuss results and organise seminars to share the group’s work and solicit input from wine producers at large.

Initial findings presented at the Conference on Oxygen and Wine Quality in March 2013 were not encouraging.

TPO was seen to vary typically by 1mg/L within the spouts from a standard 30-spout filler. Research was presented to suggest that such variability caused differences in freshness, fruit intensity and other key quality determinants in whites. Even in reds, where oxygen pickup can be beneficial, sensory effects also varied bottle to bottle.

On the bright side, the NomaSense apparatus proved itself a valid scientific instrument, and the methodology of calculating TPO entered the mainstream of academic oenological parlance.

GETTING SERIOUS Subsequent to the conference, the WSF advisory council determined that a more wide-reaching study of bottling variation should be undertaken that could account for variability in practices among producers in order to gain a sense of the overall situation in the industry.

The team formed to conduct the survey was led by Dr. Hend Letaief, newly-recruited to California State University, Fresno, after cutting her teeth under leaders in the phenolics research field at the University of Montpelier. She was assisted by Ashley Heisey, one of Napa’s most clued-in and meticulous winemakers. Added to this team were Pauline Martinaggi and Bertille Goyard, French interns on loan from ESA Angers School.

Seventeen Californian wineries of varying size were chosen for an indepth audit of a single day’s bottling.

Bottlings of nine red wines and eight white wines were studied. Wineries varied from 22 to 550 bottles per minute, employing between eight and 100 filler heads, and bottled volume

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ran from 525 gallons (2387 litres) to 27,000 gallons (122,744L). Eight runs employed natural corks, five used Nomacorc synthetic closures, one inserted agglomerated cork alternatives, and four were sealed with screwcap closures.

Most wineries reported use of inert gas before and after the process; liquid nitrogen drops and wine recirculation for priming also were evaluated.

For each winery, dissolved oxygen (DO) was monitored throughout the day in the bottling tank bottom valve and at the filler at one, 50, 150, 300 and 500 bottles into the run as well as at the end. Individual bottles from up to 16 heads were assessed for HSO and DO at the beginning, middle and end of the run.

Triplicate samples enabled estimation of error bars. As you will soon see, this beautiful study allows us to discriminate between measurement precision and actual sources of variability; between the noise of our instruments and the signals that help us fix the right problems, such as valve performance, vacuum variability, time of sampling during the run and closure ▶ selection.

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Figure 1. A U-curve of dissolved oxygen in wine throughout the bottling run for one of the wineries in the study.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF RESULTS Pending formal publication of the study’s findings, I offer here some extracted juicy nuggets in advance. Let’s begin by examining a typical ‘U-shaped’ bottling curve (Figure 1).

It is worth noting that despite the 500-bottle descent to the running DO level, this winery claimed to inert the line before commencing, maintain an inert gas headspace in the sending tank and prime the line with recirculated wine.

Well, it didn’t work. I bet your winery thinks it’s doing all the same things. The Wine Science Forum study reveals a world divided into wineries that actually achieve a flat curve and others that only imagine they surely must. It is extraordinary to note here that it took all of 500 bottles to get down to a normal

Figure 2. Total package oxygen (TPO) measured by 18 trials at 17 California wineries. running DO. Many wineries recirculate a few gallons and call it good. Measuring would be better. Inerting the filler bowl might also have helped.

Once the run moves beyond initial oxygen incursion, DO tends to run steady throughout the run if interruptions do not occur such as malfunctions or lunch. The base DO rate is primarily determined by oxygen exposure during recent treatments (racking, filtration) and the oxygen appetite of the wine.

Failure to maintain inert gas headspace in the sending tank will cause the last bit of wine to rise in DO, augmented by pumping of air bubbles and other job end phenomena.

Most everything you need to know to eliminate TPO bottle variation is hidden in Figure 2.

Let’s walk through the high points of the graph. The gray

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bit at the bottom of each winery’s bar is the average DO in the body of the wine, and the yellow above it reports the headspace. The two together give you the TPO. The differences between wineries are alarming. Good wineries can manage TPO less than 1ppm. That looks like the goal. The other wineries are getting 2-3ppm. We have already discussed the sources of high initial DO. Now check out those errors bars.

The first thing you notice is the very high variability in HSO. Wine DO is practically constant. That means that we can stop worrying about the splash patterns of individual spouts.

Far more important are causes of HSO variability, which include bottlegassing equipment, vacuum at the filler and multi-head corker. There is a lot of variability in HSO error bars, so some wineries do get it right.

Wineries 5 and 10 illustrate the special problems of small wineries, bottling small lots of red wine through small fillers. Winery 5 had a lot of initial DO and a moderate but highly variable headspace oxygen. Winery 10 did much better on the wine DO and the variability of DO, but it had a very high headspace oxygen when one considers that an inserted closure was used (leaving a tiny headspace), so the lack of variability was probably simply a lack of any vacuum at all. If these were big, young reds with high oxygen appetites, there would likely be little cause for concern until these wineries went to bottle their Sauvignon Blancs on the same systems.

Scanning for the remaining high HSO wines, we highlight wineries 2, 4, 14 and 17, which include some very high-volume, highly professional facilities. The common thread? These are the four screwcap closures.

Particularly telling is the comparison of wineries 14 and 15— actually the same winery bottling the same wine with screwcap in the morning (14) and synthetic closures in the afternoon (15). Despite the use of a liquid nitrogen drip post-filling to inert the headspace of the screwcaps only, we see a huge increase in the TPO due to headspace O2.

This highly professional configuration is actually the exception.

In general screwcap bottlings displayed both high HSO levels and variability.

These data do not challenge the widely held belief that when properly applied and spared from physical damage, screwcap closures (at least the ones based on tin liners) can

W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

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provide a nearly hermetic seal with a consistent and very low oxygentransmission rate. The trade-off with today’s technology is that they leave a very large headspace that cannot be evacuated with vacuum. In addition, half measures such as liquid nitrogen drops to minimise HSO may result in very high product variability in sensitive whites.

THE BOTTOM LINE 1. Set yourself up for measuring DO pickup in your finishing process prior to bottling. Good auditing equipment is available and expertise is valuable. You can also consider hiring a consultant to help you get your act together by auditing your line, reconfiguring your procedures, selecting measuring equipment and training your team.

2. Eliminate the U-shaped curve by back-gassing your sending tank with a pancake regulator at high flow/ low psi. Inert the filler bowl and other sources of oxygen. Recirculate adequate quantities of wine.

3. Inert gas and oxygen are invisible.

It’s really easy to fool yourself by enacting procedures in name only.

Liquid nitrogen drops and other measures may look good on paper, but make sure they work.

4. Measure your wine’s oxygen appetite, and suit it to the ageing trajectory you require and the closure you choose.

The study’s full findings will be released this year. Visit www. winescienceforum.com for more information.

Clark Smith is winemaker for Californian-based WineSmith and founder of the wine technology firm Vinovation. He lectures widely on an ancient yet innovative view of Amer ican winemaking.

This article was originally published in the December 2014 issue of Wines & Vines and reproduced with permission of the author and publisher.

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Brilliant ideas for alternatives to bentonite – progress and payoffs

By Sonya Logan

The small article we published about it in the January-February issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal didn’t make enough song and dance of its significance, so here’s the lowdown on the first tried and tested alternative to bentonite to be available to Australian wineries following its approval by Food Standards Australian New Zealand (FSANZ). We also look at other alternatives that are on the horizon.

D

evelopment of an effective and economically viable alternative to bentonite has been the object of many a researcher’s endeavours - including some from our own Australian Wine Research Institute -(AWRI) - for some years and now it seems we finally have one ready for use.

Late last year the AWRI announced that Food Standards Australian New Zealand (FSANZ) had approved its application to have a couple of enzymes – with the tongue-twisting names Aspergillopepsin I and II - approved as processing aids in wine sold in Australia and in New Zealand.

A1 and A2 (as I shall call them) are proteolytic enzymes that break down the proteins that can cause haze in wine when exposed to high temperatures or after prolonged storage. As reported in the Journal previously (see ‘Beyond bentonite’, November/December 2012 Wine & Viticulture Journal ), scientists have long thought enzymes such as these could be viable alternatives to bentonite and have carried out trials to confirm their views. But due to the resilience of the target proteins against enzyme attack and the fact that the enzymes are not sufficiently active under normal winemaking conditions, these trials have been met with limited success.

doesn’t have any negative sensory effect on wine. Indeed, there are even studies that show such heating may release other flavour compounds.

“The sensory effect of heating the wine and adding the enzyme is slight,” says McRae. “You might get a few more volatile compounds in the wine than you would compared with using bentonite and that’s largely from heating the juice. So, you might see different characteristics post-ferment after enzyme treatment.”

Whether or not such characteristics are desirable is up to the winemaker. However, AWRI sensory assessments using experienced panellists showed no marked or commercially significant differences in quality score between the wines made from the enzyme-treated juices with heating compared with the bentonite-fined equivalents.

Peter Godden, manager of industry engagement and application at the AWRI, says differences between the wines would be expected because the two processes for protein

The two main types of protein responsible for haze in wine are thaumatin-like proteins and chitinases. For decades scientists have trialled proteolytic enzymes to break down these proteins but they’re so stable under normal winemaking conditions that nothing has been able to break them apart.

That was until researchers at the AWRI discovered the enzyme combination of A1 and A2 is active at temperatures of 60-80°C which is exactly in the zone that the main hazeforming proteins unfold and become much more susceptible to attack.

“The two main types of protein responsible for haze in wine are thaumatin-like proteins and chitinases. For decades scientists have trialled proteolytic enzymes to break down these proteins but they’re so stable under normal winemaking conditions that nothing has been able to break them apart, yet once they’ve been in a bottle of wine for a while they can unfold and start sticking together to form a haze,” explains Jacqui McRae, research scientist for the AWRI. “We discovered that between 60-80°C Aspergillopepsin I and II are active and at 70°C the proteins automatically unfold allowing the enzymes to break them apart. So, if we add them to juice just prior to fermentation and heat the juice to 70°C for one minute, the proteins open up and the enzymes get to work.”

Although heating juice may sound alarming from a sensory viewpoint, AWRI trials have shown this short-term heating

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removal are quite different. There is the potential release of additional flavour and aroma compounds with heating, and the potential loss of such compounds with the use of bentonite. “The question then becomes whether those differences are important, and from what we’ve seen in all our trials to date any differences are marginal and of no commercial consequence.”

Indeed, heating may have additional benefits.

“In the past it was recommended to heat juice if wineries were having issues with laccase for example. In our trials, we have seen much lower laccase activity in juice that has been heat treated. What has also been observed is that the treatment results in a faster fermentation. We’re not sure yet whether that’s due to the heating or the influence of the smaller particles that occur once the proteins have been broken apart,” says McRae. Despite the discovery of A1 and A2’s effectiveness at removing haze-causing proteins, it’s not about to cause wineries to cancel their bentonite orders en masse – not yet anyway.

First, there is only one commercial supplier of the A1 and A2 combination in the world - a Japanese-based

Sauvignon Blanc wines treated with Aspergillopepsin I and Aspergillopepsin II (right) are completely heat stable after the heat test compared with the untreated control (centre). The same wine was also heat stable when treated with 1.9 g/L bentonite (left). company marketing it under the name Proctase which was originally intended as a digestive drug for humans.

However, the discovery of its use in winemaking leaves the door open for other manufacturers to step in.

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Secondly, heating juice is paramount for the process to work, particularly ensuring the juice reaches the desired temperature for sufficient time. Peter Godden says many wineries in Australia have invested in flash pasteurisation

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units in recent years to process botrytis-affected fruit, and while these same units can be used to heat juice for the enzyme treatment it is important when applying the technique in an in-line process that a constant temperature is maintained so that all the juice gets treated.

“What if part of a batch of juice goes through at a time when a boiler has stopped working and it doesn’t get to the necessary temperature, or for long enough? The process doesn’t need a full minute to work, but the conditions of heating and ‘residence time’ we’ve defined are needed to be absolutely confident that all the juice has been sufficiently heated for long enough to avoid the negative consequences of some of the batch going through untreated,” Godden says.

To overcome this problem during commercial-scale trials at DeBortoli Wines in 2012, researchers pumped juice through nearly 200 metres of hoses to keep it warm, before it went through a second heat exchanger to cool it down and the heat recovered which greatly improved the efficiency of the process.

Godden said wineries wanting to carry out the necessary heat treatment would inevitably fine-tune their practices to ensure the all-important temperature and duration is always achieved.

For those wineries that don’t have a flash pasteurisation unit handy or can’t justify the investment in one, Godden said he could envisage mobile units coming into play.

“It should be possible to stick a boiler and heat exchangers on the back of a truck which could go from winery to winery processing juices batch by batch,” he says.

A third hurdle is the current heat test used by wineries to check their wines for stability – where a sample of wine is heated at 80°C for six hours and its turbidity compared with an unheated sample.

“Bentonite takes out all proteins so because the heat test checks for the presence of all proteins, including those that don’t cause haze, this test is fine for bentonite-treated wine.

But, this means the heat test is not so suitable for enzymetreated wines because the enzymes preferentially remove the proteins responsible for later haze formation, leaving behind the ones that might form haze under the heat test, but wouldn’t under normal bottle storage conditions,” Godden explains. “Larger wineries may have HPLC instruments that can differentiate the various proteins and enable them to readily assess whether the haze-causing proteins have gone or not. But, HPLC is not going to be something that smaller wineries will have access to so the AWRI is currently working on a modified heat test and other methods to identify if enzyme treated wines are stable or not.”

Continues Jacqui McRae, “We’re trying to develop a new heat test that is shorter and potentially more selective. We’ve had promising results with it so far, we just need to confirm that it remains a good indicator of a wine’s haze potential under various storage temperatures over time, say, 25°C for a year.”

Irrespective of the hurdles above, most of which appear imminently surmountable, McRae says whether wineries will find enzyme-treating wines for haze stability attractive over bentonite use will largely depend on the potential savings they can enjoy by making the switch.

An economic analysis by the AWRI comparing the costs of enzyme treatment with bentonite, both batch and inline addition, for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling – which took into account processing conditions, heat and refrigeration, pumping requirements, enzyme purchase and losses in wine volume and quality in the case of bentonite treatment - showed that juices with high protein levels benefit the most from enzyme treatment processing efficiency and ▶ cost terms.

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“If a winery is losing a significant amount of wine in lees through bentonite use then certainly enzyme treatment would be something to think about. Sauvignon Blanc in particular has a lot of protein in it; something like this would be really beneficial for this variety,” she says.

The analysis also showed that inline bentonite treatment costs were lower than for enzyme heat treatment for each wine, but given the capital required for in-line bentonite dosing, it is only larger wineries that can enjoy this advantage.

However, the enzyme treatment was significantly cheaper for all three wines compared with batch bentonite addition.

Peter Godden said wineries had already jumped on the FSANZ approval with four Australian wineries contacting him regarding sourcing Proctase prior to the onset of vintage 2015.

And the AWRI is keen to hear from more wineries interested in investigating the treatment, and has pairs of wines from the commercial trials carried out at De Bortoli and Yalumba in 2012 it can supply enabling a comparison of the bentonite and enzyme treatments on the same wines – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling. To obtain these samples wineries need only contact Peter Godden at the AWRI, peter.godden@ awri.com.au or phone 08 8313 6198.

Godden said he wasn’t aware of the degree to which enzyme heat treatment with A1 and A2 was being explored in other countries, but he was made aware of a “sizeable trial” under way in South Africa while on a recent visit to the country.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether regulators in countries outside of Australia and New Zealand will object to Australian wines containing Aspergillopepsin I and II. But their approval by FSANZ should smooth the path in places such as the EU, US and Canada given Australia is a party to the likes of the Agreement between Australia and the European

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The mode of action for Proctase – a combination of the enzymes Aspergillopepsin I and Aspergillopepsin II – in breaking down haze-forming proteins.

Community on Trade in Wine and the Agreement on Mutual Acceptance of Oenological Practices via the World Wine Trade Group which acknowledge acceptance of Australian wines made with locally-approved winemaking practices. And in China, A1 and A2 are allowable processing aids hence there seems no obvious reasons why wines produced using the enzymes should be excluded for distribution in that market.

Meanwhile, the AWRI is planning a full sensory assessment of the enzyme and bentonite-treated wines from the 2012 trial to see if any differences have emerged during storage.

However, there aren’t expected to be any.

While it seems it is just a matter of time before wine industries the world over start to familiarise themselves with the benefits to be found in A1 and A2, other bentonite alternatives continue to be explored. One showing particular promise is enzyme BcAP8, which according to Jacqui McRae has demonstrated its efficacy in tiny 1mL ferments without the need to heat wine. The potential of BcAP8 was unearthed when it was discovered it had a role in botrytis-infected grapes “It was noticed that botrytis-infected grapes had a lot less protein in them. Downy mildew-infected grapes, for example, have a lot more protein in them,” McRae said.

Although this discovery was made some 10 years ago, researchers haven’t been able to do much about it as the enzyme has been hard to isolate and even harder to produce in reasonable quantities.

“This enzyme is not food grade and there is no commercial product of it available. The only way we can get it is from a yeast which is a complex and convoluted process,” McRae explains. The AWRI has done work to isolate the enzyme and source it in slightly higher volumes. It has recently secured more juice and hopefully isolated enough quantities of BcAP8 to carry out 200mL ferments.

“If we can prove BcAP8 works at room temperature that would be great but it is a long way from being marketable,” McRae admits.

Adsorbent resins have also been explored with the AWRI looking to collaborate with other research institutes to take the work to the next level.

“Resins could be revolutionary,” says McRae. “But, we don’t have the facilities at the AWRI to make or test them, that’s why we’re looking into a collaboration.

“Resins can be more difficult to manage and can potentially impose a taint and be more expensive than bentonite.

Bentonite is so cheap. The resins need to be either recoverable to enable the removal of the proteins for reuse or the lees have to be reusable.“ WVJ

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Natural acidity and varietal selection for a changing climate

By Cathy Howard

Which alternative varieties are showing promise for retaining high natural acidity and withstanding our changing climate?

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twitter conversation a couple of months ago about the retention of high natural wine acidity in red varieties, and which varieties perform well under our (generally) warmer Australian conditions has been the catalyst for this article. The twitter conversation centred around alternative varieties with Montepulciano highlighted, in particular, as being rather good at retaining natural acidity.

This certainly sparked my interest as in my experience, it’s not just alternatives that hold good levels of natural acidity. Our Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance, grown in our Chapman Hill vineyard close to Busselton (south-west of Western Australia), always retains good natural acidity levels. I have never had to add any tartaric acid to either the must or the wine post-malolactic fermentation.

We have always believed that this is due to the fact that we have planted the right variety in the right place, and that our specific site terroir is, and will be, the key to growing and producing our flagship red wine.

Grape and wine quality can be judged by a number of different criteria, and the retention of good levels of natural acidity is just one. Other criteria used routinely in the wine industry include a long flavour ripening period, ease of vineyard management, berry and bunch size, colour (for reds), flavour length, and tannin structure.

The final decision as to what to plant on a particular site should come down to matching a variety’s growth characteristics and requirements with specific site characteristics - planting the right variety in the right place.

Summertime ripening temperatures, available water resources, soils, site topography and site microclimate should all be taken into consideration as part of that decision-making process, along with the potential success or ease of marketability of the variety into the target market.

In recent years, there has been a marked change in Australian winemaking techniques with many

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Chalmers' Mildura vineyard comprises four blocks: three commercial-sized blocks of Vermentino, Sagrantino and Nero d’Avola, and a fourth block containing every single clone and variety the Chalmers have imported as well as a few private selections. winemakers moving towards a minimal intervention philosophy. Combine this trend with a warming and changing climate, and varieties that retain higher natural acidity levels, as well as having a long ripening period, are becoming more desirable and will consistently produce superior quality wines, seemingly with minimal effort and input from the winemaking team.

To investigate this topic further, I spoke with Kim Chalmers, from Chalmers Wines; Alex Head, from Head Wines; and Mark Warren, from Happs Wines; and Marq Wines, and explored their thoughts on varietal selection and their experiences with varieties that retained high natural acidity, particularly focussing on alternative varieties.

KIM CHALMERS, DIRECTOR, CHALMERS WINES, MILDURA AND HEATHCOTE, VICTORIA Chalmers Wines has two vineyards, one in Mildura and one in Heathcote.

W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

The Mildura vineyard is planted out to 35 varieties and a total of 70 different clones. In Heathcote, there are 20 varieties and six individual clones. All the plantings are alternative varieties, apart from Pinot Nero (AKA Pinot Noir), and two Italian Merlot clones.

The source of many of the alternative varieties has been southern Italy, which shares many similarities in climate to the warmer inland grapegrowing areas of Australia.

Chalmers varietal wines are made under several different labels and include Felicitas, Vermentino, Greco, Fiano, Rosato, Nero d’Avola, Lagrein, Aglianico and Sagrantino.

Chalmers' Mildura vineyard has four blocks planted. Three are commercialsized blocks of Vermentino, Sagrantino and Nero d’Avola, which were selected due to their performance at Chalmers’ previous Euston vineyard. The fourth block contains every single clone and variety the Chalmers have imported as well as a few private selections (for detailed data on all these varieties

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visit www.chalmersnurseries.com.

In terms of the marketability of the alternatives varieties, Chalmers Wines targets on-premise outlets with its wholesale sales, building rapport with sommeliers and restaurant managers who understand the varieties, and can pass that knowledge onto their staff and customers. This bypasses the inherent sales and marketing problems of placing an alternative varietal wine, often with a strange looking, unknown name, on a bottleshop shelf.

Since 2013, Chalmers has also been producing small batch experimental wines from its numerous alternative varieties, some of which have never been vinified before in Australia.

The experimental wines are made on-site at the Mildura vineyard in batch sizes ranging from five to 35 litres. The Chalmers call this part of their enterprise Bucket Wines, and the wines are made by Kim Chalmers’ husband and winemaker Bart van Olphen and her sister Tennille. No additions are made at all to these wines, and the wines retain flavour, balance and acidity. Even wines with a higher pH than desirable are balanced.

Kim Chalmers adds, “It shows that you are able to make good wines in a hot

WINEMAKING

A wintry view of a section of Chalmers' Heathcote vineyard, which includes plantings of the Italian varieties Vermentino, Fiano, Greco di Tufo, Moscato Giallo, Nero d’Avola, Lagrein, Lambrusco Maestri, Negro Amaro, Aglianico and Sagrantino. climate that are balanced and taste good without any additions.”

In the Chalmers’ Heathcote vineyard, the Italian varietal plantings established to date include Vermentino, Fiano, Greco di Tufo, Moscato Giallo, Nero d’Avola, Lagrein, Lambrusco Maestri, Negro Amaro, Aglianico and Sagrantino. There is also a planting of six different clones of Malbec which were selected from the Mendoza

region in Argentina. Compared with the Mildura vineyard, Heathcote has colder winters, more rainfall and slightly higher elevation. In the Mildura vineyard, the soils are sand over limestone, and Chalmers stated, “The wines produced here have a purity and clarity to them, there is a chalkiness to the whites, and we make them in a distinctively elegant style. Heathcote has rich red soil and is a sloping site,

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Chalmers’ says Aglianico (left) and Vermentino (centre) are among the varieties grown by her family that perform better in dry and hot conditions, while Nero d’Avola (right), although a naturally high-yielding variety, when combined with the right rootstock and suitable canopy management techniques, requires minimal vineyard management. with the rows orientated down the sloping ground. The top of the rows are at an elevation of 220m, with rockier and leaner soils. The bottom of the block is at an elevation of 150m and the soils here are much more fertile.”

Generally, the different terroirs shine through in the wines. Slatey, robust wines come from the richer soils in Heathcote, and savoury wines from the leaner soils in Mildura.

An example of these differences is evident in the Nero d’Avola, Chalmers says. “Nero d’Avola growing in Heathcote and in Mildura are quite different, but it performs very well in both sites”. In Heathcote, there are also marked differences between the top and bottom of the rows due to the differences in soil and vine vigour.

Chalmers adds, “Fiano, Aglianico, Vermentino and Sagrantino generally perform better in dry conditions with heat. Sangiovese does better in Heathcote, as the heat knocks it around too much in Mildura, and it certainly does better in Heathcote”.

She firmly believes that the retention of higher natural acidity is an indication that the variety is suited to the site, confirmation that the “right variety has been planted in the right place”.

At the top of her criteria for varietal selection is high natural acidity, along with long ripening and heat and drought resistance. Disease resistance is also a benefit to reduce management costs in the vineyard. “A huge advantage of late ripening red varieties in a warm climate is that in the hottest part of the season, red varieties such as Aglianico,

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Montepulciano and Negro Amaro are at around 11 Baume, and are still hard berries which are little affected by the heat and don’t suffer from sunburn. The climate here is better suited to later ripening varieties and more conducive to optimal flavour development. Later ripening red varieties also tend to have a lower Baume at harvest in hot climates as they are ripening during the cooler part of the season. This late ripening can, however, be a problem in cooler areas. In Italy, Aglianico may be harvested as late as early November, which can be an issue especially if it has started to snow! Right now [11 March] our Aglianico in Heathcote has a Baume of 11.4, pH of 3.31, and a TA of 8.4. It is still another two weeks away from being harvested,” Chalmers explains.

When asked about berry size Chalmers says, “Larger berries in heat do better due to their thicker skins.

What really determines quality in warm climates is crop level. We have trialled various cropping levels and found that if you decrease the cropping level too much, the berries ripen too quickly, leading to a faster accumulation of sugar in the berries, but the flavour development and length is less than optimal. We have found that you need a decent amount of crop, and one in balance to achieve an overall optimal result in regards to wine quality.”

In relation to site specific influences on varietal selection, Chalmers says “soil is not so important, but climate certainly is, in particular the temperatures during the ripening

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period, and the amount of annual rainfall”. She says there are seasonal influences on the levels of natural acidity retained. A cool start to the season in Mildura will lead to higher natural acidity levels at harvest. “With a hot spell in Mildura, the acid plummets and drops out rapidly in Shiraz and Malbec. With the Italian varietals, the natural acid level does drop, but not so dramatically.”

To keep vineyard management costs low, vines need to have minimal work done to them during the year, and ideally are naturally carrying a balanced crop level without the need for labour requirements for activities such as shoot and crop thinning.

Chalmers notes, “Nero d’Avola, for example, is a naturally high yielding variety but if you combine this variety with the right rootstock and suitable canopy management techniques, the vineyard management work required is minimal”. The Chalmers started with Nero d’Avola trained with arched cane and rod pruning, but now they spur prune to one bud spurs. “The resulting yields are lower and the canopy is more even and open, and no crop thinning is required,” Kim Chalmers says.

Her advice to others considering planting alternative varieties is “do lots of research!” “Obtain advice from others on what to plant and which rootstock will be best for your particular needs, not just for your site characteristics but also for optimal varietal flavour, your desired wine style and optimal wine quality. Keep in mind that rootstocks do play a major and

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significant role in final wine quality.”

At Chalmers, winemaking styles have changed over the years. For example, “Fiano started out being made whole bunch pressed, with 30% into old wood and 70% into tank. Now, it’s all tank fermented, and this coming vintage, we will be trialling a cold soak on skins for 24 hours prior to pressing to gain a textural component in the wine. With our Nero d’Avola Mildura-grown grapes, we want to retain the purity of the vibrant cherry flavours, so we use plunging in open fermenters with minimal pump overs and aerations. In Heathcote, however, the opposite is used for this variety, less plunging, more pump overs and

more aeration, and it goes into older oak for maturation to better suit the more robust wine style”.

Chalmers’ champion variety, without a doubt, is Vermentino. It is Chalmers Wines largest make at around 2500 cases in total (1500 for their own label and 1000 cases for Vintage Cellars).

Kim Chalmers adds, “A decade ago, our Vermentino was the only one made in Australia, now there are about 80!”

Her pet variety is Aglianico. “It’s an amazing variety, not many are being made in Australia currently, and it’s a beautiful wine, perfect for ageing and more people are drinking it,” she said.

When asked about varieties better suited to cooler growing areas in

Table 1. Grape maturity analysis from the 2015 vintage for Vermentino from Chalmers Heathcote vineyard. All results are from the same block. Fruit harvested on 11 February was destined for Chalmers own wine, while the subsequent picks were harvested at later dates from the same block.

Date

Baume

pH

TA

11 February

11.6

3.20

7.7

16 February

12.4

3.22

7.3

27 February

13.6

3.36

7.1

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Australia, she suggested Moscato Giallo, Garganega, Malvasia Istriana, Arneis, and Pinot Grigio. Further, she adds, “Mildura and Heathcote may be warm areas by Australian standards but many of the alternatives we have sourced come from cooler areas in Italy. For instance, Friuli is a north-eastern Italian variety, and grows well in this part of Italy where summers are warm and humid. Chalmers have this planted at Heathcote. Lagrein is planted in Mildura, and is from the foothills in the Italian Alps bordering Austria. This may sound very cool, but south-facing valleys in that region of Italy mean that summer temperatures regularly reach 35oC.” Her advice is “to give things a go and see what works”. Chalmers freely share their knowledge and R&D information with others.

Chalmers is hosting the 21st Century Vino event, in Melbourne, in May this year. ‘One vine can start a revolution’ is the philosophy behind the day, and as Kim Chalmers says, “One vine of Nero d’Avola that we imported many years ago is now widely distributed and planted in vineyards across Australia.”

More information about this event can be found at www.21stcenturyvino.com. ▶ au

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ALEX HEAD, WINEMAKER, HEAD WINES, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Alex Head does not grow any alternative varieties himself, but sources Montepulciano and Touriga from the western Barossa from around Greenock, Seppeltsfield and Marananga. He sees characteristics of blue fruit and stone fruit, high tannins and colour as the hallmarks of this western Barossa sub-region.

Montepulciano is late ripening with a high acidity, and it is not a huge sugar producer. Touriga is another late ripener, but seems to pause its sugar development at around 13 Baume. The acid does drop

canopy architecture to protect the fruit from sunburn. Wind can also be a problem in the Barossa, creating problems with canopies rolling and exposing the grapes to the sun.

He does consider site selection to be important, but soil he considers to be less important than the moisture retention capability of the top soil. A major issue in the Barossa is access to water, and with a changing climate, dry-grown vineyards do have difficulties now maintaining a sustainable crop level year in and year out. Indeed, Head believes the dry-grown concept is no longer viable. The ability to access water during the growing and

trying to find the best way of fermenting each of these alternative varieties.

Montepulciano behaves a lot like Pinot Noir, and he has trialled stem inclusion as well as whole bunch inclusion. Head says, “You need to be careful as to the amount or mass of stem included. Too much is too green, so trialling is still in progress.” He is also bottling his alternatives earlier after six to nine months.

Head says he gets more out of Touriga “by shallow fermenting it, with lots of plunging and aeration, and allowing it to hot up during ferment. Add to that a couple of weeks post-ferment macerating on skins, and I obtain the desired colour and flavour extraction, but you have to work at it!”

Head says, “Montepulciano is my champion variety. It’s robust and can deal with anything. It always has good figures (natural acidity and Baume) and requires no adjustment. It holds its acid and it more or less makes itself, much like Cabernet.

Touriga is my workhorse, year in year out, apart from this year as I have lost it all to frost!”

MARK WARREN, WINEMAKER & OWNER, MARQ WINES AND WINEMAKER, HAPPS WINES, MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Montepulciano about to be fermented on stems (left) and the wine it makes at Head Wines, in the Barossa Valley. out and acid additions are a challenge due to the buffering effect in this variety.

Head considers both Montepulciano and Touriga to be robust varieties, whereas Shiraz is delicate, and at the first signs of stress, it quickly bags up and demands water (Head produces several different Shiraz wines, some blended and some straight varietal wines).

Head values a high natural acidity and length of flavour as his two top criteria for varietal selection. “You can fix many things in a wine, but you can’t manufacture length of flavour.”

A long ripening period is important, as is various vineyard establishment and management techniques, such as row orientation (east-west is best in his opinion), and allowing dappled light onto bunches, and aiming for an expansive

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ripening season in the Barossa is essential for growing premium quality fruit.

Over the years, Head has changed his winemaking techniques. He has moved away from using new oak and now uses a mix of tank and older barrels for storage.

He is aiming to retain freshness of fruit characters and natural acidity. This vintage, he will back off on heavy handed elevage, and will hold the ferment for 2-2.5 weeks post-ferment maceration on skins. He has been making his wines in what he calls “typical Barossa style” made in open fermenters. The tannins are riper and he believes they are lost during ferment, with a resulting loss in wine structure. “In cooler areas I see fresher tannins, less extract and overall fresher wines which I am striving to achieve ultimately with my wines,” he says. As a consequence he is

W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

Under his own Marq label Mark Warren produces wines made from a number of alternative and conventional grape varieties, incorporating various winemaking techniques such as wild yeast ferments and Amarone techniques in the vineyard. One of his aims with his own label is to showcase Margaret River’s capacity to grow and produce alternative varieties, and he sources grapes from the Willyabrup, Yallingup and Karridale sub-regions.

Warren’s Marq Range includes Vermentino, Fiano, Petit Manseng, Gamay, Tempranillo, and Malbec. At Happs, he has also had experience with Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Touriga, Souzao Graciano, Tinta Cao and others. Warren says, “Each one has its own story but basically, they were varieties that I encountered when travelling and loved drinking with the local cuisine. I think it’s no coincidence that regional wine matches regional foods so well.”

“My top criteria when selecting which varieties to make were that they each made exceptionally good tasting wines that I could easily champion in the marketplace and that I thought would have a place on restaurant wine lists. I also wanted each to be somewhat different in terms of not only their flavour spectrum, but also in their weight and texture. The Vermentino is light, delicate and chalky, while the Fiano is richer and more textural. The Gamay is light to medium bodied, whilst the Malbec is big and powerful.”

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“In terms of suitability to the region, I think I am lucky because Margaret River has a climate that allows most varieties to grow well and ripen under moderate temperatures. I wasn’t thinking that the varieties need to be climatically matched to their native homeland; it has been more of a case of ‘let’s see what Margaret River can do’. As I don’t have a vineyard myself, I also obviously needed to find someone who actually grew each of these varieties. However, in saying this, Gamay was a variety that I did consider its native growing conditions in as much as Margaret River struggles with Pinot Noir as it’s too warm. So my thinking was that if I go to the coolest part of Margaret River [Karridale] it might be suitable for that variety to grow at its best, as it does in the warmest part of Burgundy.”

When asked about which alternatives perform best in warm versus cooler climates, Warren states, “In my experience I think Vermentino, Fiano and Touriga would perform really well in warmer climates, which is not really a mystery given they are all traditionally grown in warm areas. I definitely think Gamay is a cooler region variety and I actually like the savouriness of Tempranillo in cooler areas as opposed to the Shiraz-like Tempranillo wines made in warmer areas. I think you would struggle to ripen Petit Manseng in climates much colder than northern Margaret River. We picked it last year a month later than any other white.”

Warren ranks flavour development as his most important criteria for varietal selection, and that the retention of natural acidity through ripening “is very important though, of course, acid can always be added. Having said that, harvesting a variety with desirable flavours and close to optimal acidity is in many ways, a good gauge to the variety’s suitability to a certain site in my view.”

For Warren, “bunch and berry size are not as important, but they do affect my processing decisions. Vermentino, for example, with its larger berries, is always crushed and pressed. With Fiano and Petit Manseng with their smaller berries, I choose to whole bunch press.”

Warren continues, “With my red wine range, I have tried to make different weighted wines. For example, a ‘serious rose’ from Grenache (barrel ferment and wild ferment); a medium weight Gamay; a medium-to-full bodied Tempranillo; a full bodied Malbec; and a monstrous Amaroneinspired Shiraz. In every case, it’s flavour development which is most important.”

When asked which variety is his champion Warren states, “I like all the ones I have chosen and they have all shown a great deal of consistency, both conventional and alternative varieties.”

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When asked about his Vermentino style compared with those produced in warmer areas, Warren states, “I personally like the richer, riper, more textural style from warmer areas a lot. I choose, however, to pick early to obtain a fine, chalky style.

I harvest around 10.5 Baume, with a TA around 8.0-8.5g/L. I want to make a low alcohol style, and an 11% alcohol wine is a selling point in the marketplace. I did make four different Vermentino wines last vintage, one of which was picked riper, and fermented and matured on lees. It has more weight and texture, but for me it had lost its wonderful perfumed character from too much yeast lees contact.”

EM N GR E V IWTI N I C U ALKTI U

winemaking costs, and we will produce higher quality grapes and better balanced, complex and interesting wines. We have the measures, anecdotal evidence from our peers within the industry, and the R&D results on hand to draw upon to determine which varieties are best suited to our own unique and individual sites. I certainly see that the retention of high natural acidity at harvest along with flavour length are two of the main criteria that can be used to find the ideal varietal planting mix for a particular site. Final varietal selection may be a conventional variety, or it may be an alternative, and I think that the exciting thing now for us as an industry

Table 2. Crusher analysis from the 2014 and 2015 vintages for a range of varieties from four regions. Data courtesy Mark Warren (Margaret River), Cathy Howard (Geographe), Alex Head (Barossa Valley) and Kim Chalmers (Heathcote).

Region

Baume

pH

TA g/L

Vintage

Fiano

13.9

3.23

7.7

2014

Vermentino

10.0

3.10

7.3

2014

Petit Manseng

12.6

3.03

8.5

2014

Gamay

15.2

3.24

7.7

2014

Geographe

Cabernet Sauvignon

13.6

3.36

6.7

2014

Barossa Valley

Montepulciano

13.2

3.35

7.5

2014

Touriga

12.5

3.8

5.5

2014

Greco

12.6

3.34

9.3

2014

Nero d'Avola

13.0

3.38

7.1

2014

Fiano

13.1

3.04

8.2

2015

Aglianico

12.7

3.34

6.5

2013

Margaret River

Heathcote

wVariety

Warren concludes, “I think generally in a cooler climate you get fine chalky wines as opposed to the richer, rounder, broader palate of the warmer regions. It’s early days here in Margaret River with these alternative varieties and I don’t think we are even clear about what good versions should taste like. This variation makes the wines exciting to taste and to watch the evolution. I like the delicacy of the cooler climate versions but, ultimately, the wider wine drinking public will decide what they want to drink.”

CONCLUSIONS It is more important now than ever with climate change challenging our industry and fierce competition out in the marketplace both domestically and internationally, to change our approach to how we decide which variety to plant.

Planting the right variety in the right place to begin with will reduce our vineyard and

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is that we have a huge range of varieties and clones now to select from, and there is a wealth of knowledge out there for all of us to draw upon to make an informed decision. To quote Kim Chalmers, “Let’s hope it flows through to greater diversity and more sustainable viticulture in our vineyards, and more liquid options on our shelves and wine lists.”

Cathy Howard is winemaker and, together with husband Neil, proprietor of Whicher Ridge Wines, near Busselton in Western Australia, and has been making wine for more than 20 years. She also consults part time to some wineries in the Geographe region.

REFERENCE Chalmers, K. (2013) Hot climate wine growing: making and marketing in southern Italy and its application in Australia. 2011 Agrifood Skills Australia Overseas Fellowship.

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A W R I

Microbiological stability of wine packaging in Australia and New Zealand

By Tina Tran, Eric Wilkes and Dan Johnson The Australian Wine Research Institute, PO Box 197, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064

Managing director Dan Johnson

One of the last processing steps that takes place before a wine reaches a consumer is the packaging process. Whether a wine goes into a cask, bottle or other vessel, the decisions and processes carried out at the point of packaging will have a significant impact on the characteristics of the wine when it is consumed. Ensuring that wines are free from microbes that can grow in the packaged product is one of the key considerations of the packaging process, and one of the more difficult to manage. This article presents knowledge gained through the conduct of microbiological audits of packaging processes across the Australian and New Zealand wine industries. It includes a brief overview of industry practices, some common misconceptions regarding the microbiology of bottling and an audit case study.

INTRODUCTION Packaging is an integral step in the wine production process that strongly influences the integrity of the wine that reaches consumers.

The packaging process can have a significant impact on a wine’s longevity, including its microbiological stability. If microbial contamination occurs during packaging it may not only result in off-flavours but can also cause hazes and deposits, both of which negatively affect consumer perception. Each year the AWRI helpdesk is contacted about packaging-related microbial spoilage issues such as filter failures, refermentation in bottle and sporadic yeast or bacterial growth. The worst cases of such problems can result in costly product recalls and brand damage.

In response to these issues, AWRI Commercial Services developed a microbiological audit service for wine packaging facilities. This service adopts an investigative approach to assess the efficacy of sanitisation regimes and search for any underlying issues that could lead to microbial problems.

After an audit is completed, detailed information is provided to the facility describing areas of increased risk and

recommendations on improvements to procedures or facilities. More than 20 packaging line audits have been conducted in Australia and New Zealand since 2011.

WHAT STEPS ARE CARRIED OUT DURING AN AUDIT? Each packaging audit is slightly different, because it will depend on the design of the packaging line and the type of issues (if any) that have been reported. The following general steps are carried out: • a review of past and current microbial issues • an evaluation of current sanitisation methods and procedures • identification of design or infrastructure risks (e.g. degraded o-rings, unused valves) • testing of inputs into the packaging line (e.g. wine, rinse water, dry goods) for viable microbes • swabbing of numerous points throughout the packaging line, and plating out the swabs to check for the presence of viable microbes (yeast, bacteria, or moulds).

Audits are ideally carried out directly after a full sterilisation procedure,

and access is required to the internal surfaces of the bottling line to be able to conduct thorough testing. Key areas to focus on are filter integrity, streamlined piping, incoming water, routine maintenance of o-rings on valves and filler heads, vacuum lines and minimisation of bypass line use.

WHAT PROCEDURES ARE BEING USED IN INDUSTRY? From the audits that have been conducted, it is clear that there is no single industry standard for packaging wine and this has led to widely varied practices for controlling microbial contamination. For packaging lines a common practice used to ‘sterilise’ the line is to flush the entire unit with 80°C hot water for 20-30 minutes, or to use steam in conjunction with caustic cleaning agents. When hot water is used for sterilisation, a minimum temperature of 80°C is critical since the heat is absorbed by the stainless steel ensuring hard-to-access points that may harbour microbial contamination (such as joints, seals and valves) are reached. Such points can be difficult to reach when using chemical cleaning/ sanitation agents. Another method is to use ozone; however this is less

AT A GLANCE •

Microbiological spoilage issues occurring in wine after packaging are reported to the AWRI helpdesk each year, and can cause costly product holdbacks or recalls. Examples include refermentation of an entire batch of packaged wine and cases of sporadic yeast or bacterial spoilage.

•

Audits of packaging facilities have found that packaging practices designed to avoid microbiological contaminations vary throughout industry.

•

Key areas to target include: cleaning procedures, testing of inputs, water treatment, routine maintenance and implementation of QA specifications.

•

Changes to procedures and infrastructure can significantly reduce occurrences of microbiological failures.

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common and may also not be effective in reaching all critical points in the packaging line.

The timing of when and how often a line is ‘sterilised’ is again varied. In the majority of facilities that have been audited, the line is ‘sterilised’ every day prior to a bottling run and rinsed with water at the end of the day. Often it is standard practice for high risk products that contain residual sugar and are low in alcohol to be run at the end of a round of bottling to reduce the risk of cross contamination between products.

For the assessment of cleanliness, a common practice is to use swabs which detect the presence of ATP (a molecule associated with the presence of organic material). However, it is important to note that false positives can occur with this type of testing, as it can detect dead cellular material as well as viable microbes.

Another common practice is the storage of unused filtration units in potassium metabisulfite (PMS)/citric acid solution. While this is an effective storage medium, it must be carefully managed because the anti-microbial sulfur dioxide released from the potassium metabisulfite can deplete rapidly in the acidic solution, resulting in a citric acid solution with little anti-microbial activity. Monitoring the sulfur dioxide concentration and topping up the solution with PMS when needed can overcome this issue; however few of the facilities that were audited were found to conduct such monitoring.

‘STERILE’ IS NOT REALLY ‘STERILE’ ‘Sterilisation’ is a term commonly used in the wine industry to describe hot water sanitisation of a packaging line. The term ‘sterile’ suggests that a surface or wine is ‘free from living organisms’. In general, this is a misconception since the standard environment in which wine is bottled does not allow for true sterilisation; there are always some environmental microorganisms present.

Additionally, what is generally termed ‘sterile filtration’ in the wine industry (filtration using 0.45µm membrane filters) does not necessarily always exclude bacteria or yeast spores. Filtration is certainly effective in removing the majority of microorganisms from wine; however the wine may still become contaminated after filtration if there are areas in the packaging line after the filter where cleaning has been insufficient or biofilms have formed. Biofilms are communities of microorganisms attached to a surface that form a protective extracellular layer over time. This layer can make them resistant to sterilisation efforts and, therefore, a source of sporadic microbial contamination. Biofilms commonly form at ‘dead spots’ or unused valves in packaging lines - areas that are not flushed out regularly and/or where hot water cannot easily penetrate.

QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) SPECIFICATIONS - HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? QA testing for the presence of microorganisms in wine after packaging is usually conducted by taking filled bottles or casks off the line, filtering 100-200mL of wine and placing the filter onto a generic medium favourable to the growth of yeast and bacteria. Samples are left to incubate and then assessed for the number of colony forming units (cfu) of yeast or bacteria that grow. AWRI audits found that incubation times used to assess colony growth varied from three to 10 days.

Shorter times could increase the risk of not picking up the presence of slow growing bacteria such as Oenococcus oeni.

There is also a lack of standard guidelines specifying

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V I T I AC W U L R TI U R E

the limits for the maximum number of yeast, mould and bacterial counts detected that represent acceptable levels of risk. ‘Pass’ results have been found to vary from one up to 20 colony forming units (cfu)/100mL for yeasts and up to 50cfu/100mL for bacteria. The acceptable level of viable microorganisms in a wine depends greatly on that wine’s characteristics.

For example, dry red and white wines with standard alcohol and sulfur dioxide levels have lower risk of microbial spoilage and, therefore, detection of 10cfu/100mL might be considered acceptable. In contrast, 1cfu/100mL could cause serious microbial instability issues in a high-risk product with higher residual sugar and low alcohol. It is also important to keep in mind that usually only a relatively small sample volume from each bottle

is subjected to QA testing for viable microorganisms and this reduces the probability that microorganisms will be detected if they are present in low concentrations. Therefore, if a facility is concerned with detecting very low levels of microorganisms, greater sample volumes need to be tested.

In general if organisms are detected sporadically it can be a sign that there is an underlying microbial issue.

Results from the standard plating tests, where microorganisms are grown in optimum conditions, do not necessarily reflect whether the organism isolated will be able to grow in wine, which is quite a harsh environment from a microbe’s point of view. In some facilities colonies grown during plating are then placed into a wine-like medium and observed for their ability to re-ferment – an ability

which might suggest that they pose a greater risk. Fluorescence viability assays are an alternative method for the detection of microorganisms used in some facilities. This method provides a more rapid assessment of samples, but requires specialised equipment and training and has not been widely adopted in the wine industry.

WATER, A HIDDEN RISK In a number of the audits undertaken wine handling and filtration met the highest standards, however, the water used for rinsing and cleaning did not undergo the same rigorous treatment.

This water can come into contact with almost every surface in the packaging chain and often has totally separate filtration and sanitation regimes. If these water treatment processes are not monitored to the same level as those used for wine, the water can pose a significant risk factor for microbial contamination. Ideally all water that comes in contact with fillers and bottles should undergo filtration and monitoring immediately before use. In some facilities water is stored in tanks after it is treated until it is needed, increasing the risk of the growth of new microbial populations.

CASE STUDY

Figure 1. Example thermal image of filtration system to verify temperature of water during sanitisation.

Figure 2. Swab sample being taken from bottling line piping which appears to be ‘clean’.

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AWRI Commercial Services was contacted by a packaging facility experiencing a problem with sporadic detection of microbes in bottled wine.

Increases in microbe detection were being seen at start-up and at the end of long bottling runs (more than 12 hours). This was causing samples to fail QA testing, meaning that products had to be held back. An audit was requested to identify the cause of the microbial contamination.

The first step of the audit was to review the packaging facility’s procedures, practices and infrastructure, as well as the history of the issue. Existing practices were verified where possible, for example the effectiveness of the hot water sanitisation of the line was checked using a thermal imaging camera. The internal surfaces of the bottling line were examined closely and swabs were taken throughout interior surfaces of the line, particularly at critical control points.

Overall the hygiene standard of the facility was high and generally accepted practices were in place and adhered to.

Thermal imaging showed that the hot water sanitisation was effective, with temperatures reaching 80°C from end to end of the line, with no visible cold spots (Figure 1).

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During the audit several components were identified as probable sources of contamination. For example, Figure 2 shows a portion of a bottling line where the internal surface was swabbed after a full hot water sanitisation. The part tested appeared ‘clean’ on the surface but plating of the swab showed that this surface actually had a high microbial loading of yeast and bacteria not visible to the naked eye (Figure 3). It is possible that this microbial load was in the form of a biofilm and, thus, resistant to hot water sterilisation.

Figure 4 is a microscopic image of a plated swab sample showing mould filaments (known as hyphae) with yeast cells attached. Black mould is common in dark and humid packaging environments.

This sample was swabbed from a filler head and shows that the yeast were able to use the mould as a ‘scaffold’ and release spores into the bottled product sporadically.

A mechanical failure was also found, where the o-ring for a filler head had disintegrated allowing wine to leak, potentially providing a location for microbial growth (Figure 5).

The following recommendations were made to minimise the risk of further issues: • upgrade and re-design the filtration system to streamline it, removing leaky non-crucial valves and ‘dead spots’ • purchase a unit to dispense the microbial control agent dimethyldicarbonate for use with high-risk products • implement a decision-making system to determine the appropriate packaging regime depending on the type of wine • consider seeking Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification • use UV light to sterilise the water used in packaging • apply specifications for the maximum levels of viable microorganisms and minimum free sulfur dioxide concentrations in the wine holding tank prior to packaging.

A follow-up audit a year after implementation of the recommended changes found the level of microbial failures had been significantly reduced.

This example shows that even in an established and well-run facility an external review using ‘fresh eyes’ can resolve long-running and seemingly intractable issues. The recommended changes did, however, require capital investment and significant changes in protocols which may not be possible in all facilities.

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SUMMARY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A detailed independent assessment of a packaging facility can be used to investigate an existing microbial contamination problem or to take steps to prevent such problems occurring.

Verifying the effectiveness of cleaning protocols, seeking out ‘dead spots’ in lines where microbes may gather and generally increasing awareness of the risks of spoilage can all help to improve the quality of wine packaging and reduce the occurrence of costly spoilage problems.

The AWRI’s communications are supported by Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body the Australian Grape and Wine Authority, with matching funds from the Australian Government.

The AWRI is a member of the Wine Innovation Cluster. Ella Robinson is thanked for her editorial assistance. WVJ

Figure 3. Plated swab sample showing a high microbial loading indicated by yeast and bacterial growth.

Figure 4. Example of 400x magnification microscopic image of mould with yeast attached, sampled from a bottling filler head.

Figure 5. Example of degraded o-ring in filler head component.

W I N E & VITICULTUR E JO UR N A L MARC H /APRIL 2015

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U LL TT U UR R EE VV II TT II CC U

TONY HOARE

Current trends and future predictions for Australian viticulture

Part 1: The Shiraz Era

By Tony Hoare

Hoare Consulting, PO Box 1106, McLaren Flat 5171 South Australia.

Email: tony@hoareconsulting.com.au

In keeping with this issue’s them of ‘Planning for the Future’, Tony explores what might be on the horizon for Australia’s viticulture industry. In this article he asks whether Shiraz will continue to underpin the industry’s future. In Part 2, which will be published in the May/June issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal, Tony will look at the viticultural developments and environmental factors that will assist or impede the future growth of Australian viticulture.

I

n 1839, my great great grandfather found work tending the vineyard of Sir John Jamieson at his Regentville estate in the New South Wales colony. He threw in the towel after just six months to work in an iron-mongery. I have days in the vineyard when I can appreciate his decision however, I wonder what may have been if only he had stuck it out? Might he not have died bankrupt and could my own career path in the wine industry have been a little more direct and less financially draining? He ended up in politics after his stint in the iron-mongery and had some other odd jobs along the way before helping to create the Federation of Australia. Some would argue he made the right career choice.

While Sir Henry Parkes helped create the birth of our nation, the birthdate of the Australian wine industry is still uncertain. The

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industry is between 195 and 227 years old depending on which significant vine importation event you favour. Nevertheless, we will always be regarded as a New World wine producer despite now having at least four generations of wine production. So it begs the question, what is on the horizon for us currently employed in the industry and, more importantly, further into the future for our successors?

If a time capsule was made for the wine industry in 1825 it would have had a copy of James Busby’s book A Treatise on the Culture of the Vine and the Art of Making Wine. It became the first text book for the Australian wine industry. In it he wrote about his experiences travelling through wine regions of France and Spain. I wonder if Busby foresaw the development of an industry that now produces 1.7 million tonnes of winegrapes annually and exports 60 percent of that production as wine (AGWA, September 2014)?

How many of the 650 winegrape varieties that he imported in 1831 remain in production? Undoubtedly, it was this initial importation that created the viticultural industry in Australia. Of the 650 varieties only 362 survived the journey and from those it seems we have built an industry on less than 10 - a great legacy from which an industry was created that in 2014-15 generated $1596.3 million (IBISWorld, December 2014) and directly employed 16,186 people in 2014-15 (IBISWorld, December 2014), underpinning regional economies around the country and creating indirect jobs through service and tourism industries.

Of all the wine exported in 2014, 64% was made from three varieties – Shiraz, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chalmers family are the modern day version of Busby with their 2001 importation of around 150 winegrape varieties and clones never before seen in Australia. Yalumba and Brown Brothers have also been speculative and other individuals have followed with their own private importations. We are now seeing a new generation of winemakers who are exploring winemaking of varieties that were traditionally kept in European villages and only consumed locally. Despite the enthusiasm for new varieties, they remain ‘alternative’ to the key varieties of which there is one dominant variety, Shiraz THE SHIRAZ ERA In 2012 there were 42,000 hectares of vines in Australia planted to Shiraz. This represents almost 30% of the total vineyard area. The dominance of this variety continues to grow as underperforming varietals are removed permanently or topworked to Shiraz, especially in regions where there is a reputation for the variety which is reflected in pricing. This variety has proven to be suited to both hot and cold climate viticultural regions within Australia which has cemented its reputation as the world leader in Shiraz production. Australia’s reputation for

W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

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V I T I C& U MARKETING LT U R E BUSINESS

TONY HOARE

Despite the Australian wine industry’s enthusiasm for new varieties, they remain ‘alternative’ to the key varieties of which there is one dominant variety, Shiraz. Image: Dragan Radocaj Photography. Copyright Barossa Grape & Wine Association the variety in international wine markets, forged mainly by Barossa and McLaren Vale producers over a long period of time, has established markets at many price points and allowed brand Australia to benefit, thus allowing other regions to benefit from Shiraz production as well.

From a viticultural point of view, Shiraz is considered well suited to our variable soils and hot, dry climate due to its relatively high vigour and high disease tolerance. There are multiple price categories based on quality and yield and a large market for the variety relative to other varieties. In recent extreme hot weather it has been shown to succumb to ‘bagging’ of fruit where yield is reduced through loss of berry turgour. This can lead to winery issues of low extraction rates, stuck ferments, low natural acidity, high alcohol and increased volatility as must and during barrel maturation. While powdery mildew is a constant threat, it seems Shiraz is less susceptible than other varieties. Being an open bunch cluster, botrytis is really only an issue close to harvest when sugar is present and skin damage has occurred from rain-induced split or bird damage. The biggest single issue affecting the variety currently and into the future from my observations is Eutypa lata. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon appears more susceptible, Shiraz yield decline in recent years of hot weather and increased eutypa incidence is forcing growers to look at options of refreshing vineyards through reworking, top working or replanting.

Vine improvement groups are still working to refine clonal variations of Shiraz.

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Dr Mike McCarthy’s research work with Shiraz clonal quality in the Barossa Valley is underpinning the next generation of clones for Shiraz. Internal trials by major wine companies looking at phenotypical yield and quality characteristics of their own vineyards, mainly old vines, is another example of a refinement of our industry and its maturity. Based on the current world demand for our Shiraz it is my prediction that we are likely to continue to refine our production of this variety to develop the marketing significance of sub-regional identities for regional variety champions.

This is already a work in progress in regions such as McLaren Vale and the Barossa.

A patch of dirt aligned with a winegrape variety. Not a new concept, however, and a challenge for us all to perfect to set the world standard for Shiraz even higher with sub-regions.

Shiraz is grown using a variety of viticultural techniques. It is highly versatile.

The type of viticulture is largely dependent on the yield and quality targets for the vineyard. It is a variety that responds well to manipulation from vineyard managers.

The beauty of Shiraz is that it can respond positively to dry soil moisture conditions when managed under an irrigation regime using either regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) or partial rootzone drying (PRD).

These strategies, developed in Australia, are particularly important to the future success of the Shiraz in Australia in light of rising water and power costs and the need to maximise irrigation efficiency. In the hot, dry climates of Australia, Shiraz can be

W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

grown successfully with organic principles with a low risk of crop loss from pest and disease.

Shiraz is the variety I believe will underpin the future growth of the Australian wine industry. A grower in the Barossa recently voiced his concerns that there was heavy reliance on this single variety in his region. What if the Shiraz bubble bursts? Never say never, however, with three of the world’s most populated countries developing a taste for Australian Shiraz, it’s difficult to forecast a decline in demand from external factors. I appreciate the concerns of the Barossa grower who has lived through vine pulls and changes in winery requirements, however, it seems the world has changed as well and is unlikely to lose its taste for our Shiraz. Perhaps there are some internal factors that may restrict the future growth of our industry.

In Part 2 of this article in the May/June issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal, I will discuss the viticultural developments and environmental factors that will assist or impede the future growth of Australian viticulture.

Before setting up his own vineyard and winery consultancy business with wife Briony, Tony Hoare established and managed the Ablington Vineyard Estate block in the Lower Hunter for five years before joining Wirra Wirra in McLaren Vale in 2002 where he managed the winery’s estate and contract vineyards. He and Briony also have their own wine label and cellar door, Beach Road Wines.

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COPPER

Environmental risks posed by copper fungicide use: An industry-wide risk assessment

By Adam Wightwick1*, Graeme Allinson2, Suzie Reichman3 and Neal Menzies4

1 Coffey, 2School of Applied Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, 3School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, 4School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland

*Corresponding author: adam.wightwick@coffey.com

Globally there is community and regulatory pressure on agricultural industries to restrict the use of copper-based fungicides due to potential environmental risks. A study was undertaken to assess the relative environmental risks posed by copper-based and alternative fungicides within an Australian viticultural context to inform industry-wide risk management strategies.

INTRODUCTION Copper-based fungicides, such as copper sulfate and copper oxychloride, have been mainstays to preventative fungal disease spray programs in vineyards both in Australia and internationally for many decades. However, the regular application of copper-based fungicides can potentially pose a risk to the environment due to persistence and accumulation in surface soils and off-site migration to waterways. Globally there has been societal, regulatory and market pressure to restrict the use of copper-based fungicide use in agricultural production systems due to these environmental concerns (Komarek et al. 2010, Wightwick et al. 2010a). This has led to restrictions in some jurisdictions around the world. For example, copper fungicide use is banned in the Netherlands

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and restricted to 8kg/ha each year in organic farming.

Compared with other countries, in particular in Europe, the environmental risks related to copper-based fungicide use in Australian agricultural production systems has not been well studied (Wightwick et al. 2010a). As such there is limited scientific basis to inform evidence-based industry policies and risk management strategies around ongoing copper-based fungicide use.

To address this gap an industry-wide risk assessment study was undertaken to research the potential environmental risks posed by copper-based fungicide use in Australian viticultural production systems. The study focussed on accumulation of copper-based fungicide residues in vineyard soils and potential risks to the biological health and fertility of these soils. Consideration was also given to the relative environmental risks posed by alternative fungicides. This article summarises the key aspects and findings from the study in the context of industry-wide risks management considerations.

EXTENT OF COPPER ACCUMULATION IN AUSTRALIAN VINEYARD SOILS Several surveys have generated information on the concentrations of copper in the soils of vineyards in different regions of Australia. These surveys have showed evidence of a build-up of copper in surface soils in vineyards with a history of copper-based fungicide use (Pietrzak and McPhail 2004; Wightwick et al. 2010a). The extent of copper accumulation in Australian vineyards has generally been lower than other reporting in other viticultural regions of the world, as summarised in Table 1.

It is known that copper binds strongly to clay and organic matter in soil, which reduces the bioavailability and toxicity of copper to plants and soil organisms. As part of this study the bioavailability of copper-based fungicide residues was investigated in vineyard soils from 10 different viticultural regions of Australia. The bioavailability of copper in the Australian vineyard soils was found to be relatively low, typically being <0.5% of the total copper concentration (as determined using the calcium chloride extraction method), in the majority of the vineyards (Wightwick et al. 2010b).

This supports the notion that much of the copper-fungicide residues in vineyard soils exists in the inert ‘aged’ form, thus, reducing the potential for toxic effects.

The concentrations of total and available copper measured in Australian vineyards soils were reported to be in a range that could potentially cause adverse effects to soil microbial activity and soil invertebrates based on laboratory toxicity studies (Wightwick et al. 2010b).

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COPPER

Table 1. Summary of copper concentrations reported in the surface soils of vineyards in different viticultural regions of the world (adapted from Wightwick et al. 2010a).

Country

No. of vinyards surveyed

Region

France

Total copper (mg/kg) Mean

Range

Years of Cu use

Bordeaux

20

458

305 - 845

NR

Languedoc

42

140

32 - 1030

NR

Italy

Northern

NR

297

NR

NR

Germany

NR

NR

1280

NR

NR

Spain

North-West

20

144

40 - 301

> 100

Brazil

Southern

21

2198

1214 - 3216

NR

New Zealand

Nation wide

43

35

1 - 259

1 - 100

Australia

Victoria

5

59

51 -77

> 90

Victoria

9

90

9 - 229

20 - 30

Nation wide

35

73

24 - 159

40 - 100

Nation wide

63

53

6 - 223

1 -38

NR - not reported

Phosphomonoesterase (µ µg p-nitrophenol/g dry soil/h)

1000 800

All regions south east, SA Grampians Murray Valley

600 400

*

* *

200 0

Vineyard

Reference

Figure 1. Phosphomonoestrase activity in vineyard and reference site soils from three different viticultural regions of Australia (after 54 days incubation). All regions; vineyards n=60, reference site n=21. *Significant difference (P ≤ 0.005) from reference soils for each regional grouping (adapted from Wightwick et al. 2012).

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TOXICITY OF COPPER FUNGICIDE RESIDUES TO SOIL ORGANISMS Copper-based fungicide residues that have built up in agricultural soils can potentially cause toxic effects to soil organisms, such as earthworms and microbes, which play a key role in nutrient cycling and maintaining the soil fertility. However, it is challenging to make generalised conclusions regarding the potential toxicity based on comparisons with laboratory toxicity studies that have used ‘artificially’ contaminated soil. This is because they do not account for copper ageing and adaptation of soil organisms due to the gradual increases in soil copper concentration experience in vineyards.

As part of this study we conducted toxicological experiments to evaluate the effects of long-term exposure to copperbased fungicide residues (Wightwick et al. 2012). These experiments used field collected soils with differing copper concentrations from a range of vineyards in three different regions of Australia. The field collected soils were incubated in the laboratory under controlled conditions for up to 93 days. The microbial function of the soils were measured during the experiment using enzyme activity assays representative of the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur cycles in soil to evaluate the effect of copper-based fungicide residues.

In general, vineyard soils had greater copper concentrations and lower enzyme activities than reference site soils which had not been impacted by copper-based fungicides (Wightwick et al. 2012). However, the results from the experiment suggested that the lower enzyme activities (i.e., reduced microbial function) in vineyards soils were predominately due to differences in soil properties (e.g. organic carbon and soil pH) rather than the increased copper concentrations. The results from the experiment indicated that copper-based fungicide residues may be having some negative impact on the phosphorous cycle as indicated by phosphomonoesterase ▶ activity, as shown in Figure 1.

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COPPER

Table 2. The relative environmental risks of the five key classes of fungicides registered for use in Australian viticulture (adapted from Wightwick et al. 2013).

Risk factor

Copperbased

Phthalimide

Dithiocarbamate

Triazole Strobiluriin

Mobility in soil Persistence in soil Toxicity to earthworms Toxicity to aquatic invertibrates Toxicity to fish Toxicity to aquatic primary producers Risk rating Low

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Moderate

Overall the results from the experiment suggested that increased soil copper concentrations from the regular use of copper-based fungicides is unlikely to pose a risk to the microbial activity of Australian vineyard soils based on the copper concentrations currently reported in Australian vineyards. However, continued use of copper-based fungicides will lead to further increases in soil copper concentrations and may have implications on the use of impacted land for sustainable agricultural production in the future, particularly if land use is changed to more sensitive shallow-rooted crop species.

RELATIVE RISKS OF ALTERNATIVE FUNGICIDE COMPOUNDS The potential environmental risks posed by continued copper-based fungicide use needs to be placed in context with the relative risks posed by alternative fungicide compounds in considering industry wide implications, i.e., are alternative fungicides safer for the environment? To begin to address this question, information on the expected behaviour, environmental fate and toxicity of alternative synthetic fungicide compounds was reviewed and initial laboratory experiments and field studies conducted (Wightwick et al. 2013).

The relative risks of copper-based fungicides compared with four other key classes of fungicides used in viticultural production are summarised in Table 2.

This comparative analysis suggested that increased use of phthalamides (e.g. Captan), dithiocarbamates (e.g. mancozeb), and strobilurins (e.g. trifloxystrobin) over copper-based

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management options to demonstrate environmental responsibility on this issue.

Given the current risks posed by copper-based fungicides in Australian vineyards are relatively low, it would seem appropriate for industry to adopt passive risk management approaches rather than ‘heavy handed’ enforcement. Industrywide risk management strategies need to give consideration to the relative risks of alternative fungicide compounds. Such industry-wide management strategies could be formulated though key industry bodies. For example, the Australian wine industry is well positioned to formulate an industry-wide copper-based fungicide risk management plan through the Wine Industry National Environment Committee (WINEC) and the voluntary environmental assurance program Entwine Australia.

High

fungicides is likely to result in decreased risks to soil organisms due to lower persistence in the environment. Alternative fungicide compounds are also generally considered to be less toxic to aquatic organisms should they migrate to offsite waterways. However, further studies are needed to understand the potential risks to aquatic ecosystems as relatively little is known about the toxicity of fungicide compounds to aquatic organisms.

Catchment-wide studies in horticultural areas in Australia and overseas have frequently detected traces of fungicide residues in surface waters (Wightwick et al. 2010a; Wightwick et al. 2013).

INDUSTRY-WIDE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS Globally, societal pressures are driving regulators to a move towards restrictions on copper-based fungicide use and pesticides in general. For example, the European Commission via its Plant Protective Products Directive is requiring countries to set agrochemical risk reduction targets. International market pressures around demonstrating environmental credentials are also driving agricultural industries to restrict copperbased fungicide use.

Copper-based fungicide use does not appear to be currently posing a significant environmental risk in Australian viticultural regions. However, international policy and market pressures may dictate the need for copper-based fungicide restrictions in Australia. As such, the Australian wine and viticultural industries should be proactively considering formulating appropriate risk

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This study was completed as part of Adam Wightwick’s PhD studies through the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland.

Financial support was provided by the Co-operative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. Wightwick is currently employed as an environmental consultant at Coffey. He provides specialist environmental and human health risk assessment expertise to a range of projects for government, agribusiness, industrial and commercial clients.

REFERENCES Komarek, M.; Cadkova, E.; Chrastny, V.; Bordas, F. and Bollinger, J. (2010) Contamination of vineyard soils with fungicides: a review of environmental and toxicological aspects. Environment International 36:138-151.

Pietrzak, U. and McPhail, D. (2004) Copper accumulation distribution and fractionation in vineyard soils of Victoria, Australia. Geoderma 1222:155–166.

Wightwick, A.; Walters, R.; Allinson, G.; Reichman, S. and Menzies, N. (2010a) Environmental risks of fungicides used in horticultural productions systems.

In Fungicides (Ed. Carisse, O). pp. 273–304. InTech, Reijka, Croatia. ISBN 978-953-307-266-1. Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/fungicides/ environmental-risks-of-fungicides-used-inhorticultural-production-systems Wightwick, A.; Salzman, S.; Reichman, S.; Allinson G. and Menzies, N. (2010b) Inter-regional variability in environmental availability of fungicide-derived copper in vineyard soils: an Australian case study. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58:449 - 457.

Wightwick, A.; Salzman, S.; Reichman, S.; Allinson, G. and Menzies, N. (2012) Effects of copper fungicide residues on the microbial function of vineyard soils. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 20:1574–1585.

Wightwick, A.; Reichman, S.; Menzies, N. and Allinson, G. (2013) Industry-wide risk assessment: A case study of Cu in Australian vineyard soils. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 224:1702.

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BUSINESS & MARKETING MARKETING V I T I C U L T U R E BUSINESS &

Late season sulfur application: how scared should you be?

By Misha T. Kwasniewski Assistant Research Professor, Grape and Wine Institute, University of Missouri, United States. Email: kwasniewskim@missouri.edu

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Sulfur&Residue&Present&(μg/g)&

F

rom a viticultural standpoint, elemental sulfur is a godsend. It has been able to effectively control arguably the most devastating pathogen, powdery mildew (PM) cheaply and with comparatively low environmental problems and no risk of resistance development. Talking to some winemakers, however, you can get the impression that sulfur is the root of all problems. Stinky fermentation? That must be from sulfur. Stuck fermentation? Sulfur. Cabbage or burnt rubber aromas in bottle? Sulfur.

Unfortunately, the sulfur question potentially puts growers and winemakers at odds with each other: growers are responsible for consistently producing quality fruit in the most sustainable way possible, and winemakers need to avoid production of a faulted product at any cost. As is the case with many potential conflicts, the argument emerges in the grey area where there is little scientific understanding, enabling fear and dogma to rule the discussion. At the heart of the concern is hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gas produced during fermentation with a very low aroma detection threshold. At high enough concentrations the ‘rotten egg’ or ‘bog-like’ aroma of H2S can dominate. Given time, H2S may react within the wine to produce other undesirable sulfurous compounds, such as mercaptans and disulfides.

While evidence is fairly conclusive that concentrations above 10μg/g will increase H2S and negatively impact wine aroma, the conditions needed in the vineyard and winery to exceed this elemental sulfur concentration are poorly characterised.

Worries about vineyard-applied sulfur fermentation problems have caused some growers to severely curtail their use of sulfur in their spray program. In some cases due to contractual obligations with wineries, growers must stop sulfur use as early as fruitset. In less strict instances growers may still stop use of elemental sulfur early for fear of residues impacting wine quality. Either way, growers turn to relying on alternatives that are more costly and prone to resistance formation for the rest of the season to control PM. The question of when to stop sulfur sprays to avoid bad wine has huge economic implications for the wine and grape industries, but it has been sparingly researched.

About every 25 years, a few studies are published on a part of this question before going back into hibernation for the mythology of sulfur application to again dominate the discussion. The lack of research is partially due to the expensive equipment and cumbersome methodology needed to quantify sulfur residue.

Paired with previous research, our recent work indicates that elemental sulfur residue is not as scary as some fear. Nearly all the factors that cause differences in grape cultivation throughout the world, or even within the same vineyard (e.g. climate, cultivar, canopy management, etc) likely impact residue persistence in the vineyard. Likewise, different vinification techniques used may impact both how much sulfur ends up in fermentation, and how much H2S this will yield. When in doubt there are now relatively easy methods to selectively quantify elemental sulfur residue on grapes and in must, as well as an easy method to quantify H2S production, both with minimal laboratory resources.

Micronised "Sulfur"ceased" 124days"before"harvest"

25" 20"

Micronised "Sulfur"ceased" 544days"before"harvest"

15" 10" 5" 0"

Harvest"

Juice"a2er" 14Hour" 144Hours" Press" Measurement&Timing&

244Hours"

Figure 1. Sulfur residue concentrations found at different times of processing Riesling fruit in 2011, in the Finger Lakes region of New York, US. The fruit had received applications of micronised sulfur in the vineyard until either 12 days or 54 days before harvest.

IN THE WINERY The best characterised part of elemental sulfur’s impact on wine aroma is what happens in the winery. There is, however, some disagreement as far as how much elemental sulfur needs to be in a fermentation to cause problems. Some researchers have found levels as low as 1μg/g is enough to cause a measurable increase in H2S production, while others put the limit higher, with a general consensus that levels above 10μg/g are deleterious to wine quality, particularly perceived aroma (Rankine 1963, Acree et al. 1972, Schutz and Kunkee 1977, Wenzel and Dittrich 1978). There is evidence that factors such as yeast strain, must nutrition and sulfur particle size may all impact H2S production.

Not all wines are made using the same process, e.g. red styles leave the skins in contact with the pressed juice longer than for the white styles. This may be one of the most critical concepts to keep in mind while assessing risk for elemental sulfur to have a deleterious effect on wine quality.

Another major factor is that sulfur is very poorly soluble in water and hard to keep in suspension (a fact anyone that has ever tried to keep sulfur suspended in a sprayer tank can attest to). While this is annoying for a grower, this is a factor a winemaker can take advantage of to reduce sulfur’s potential impact. At its most basic this means that if you are fermenting on skins (as would be done with a red), all the sulfur that was on the fruit in the vineyard will be present during fermentation. With white wine productions, the act of pressing the fruit does not transfer all the sulfur that was on the fruit to the must; less than 50% of sulfur on the fruit ended up in juice collected immediately after pressing (Kwasniewski et al. 2014). If a must is clarified, either through settling, centrifuging or other means, concentrations of sulfur can further be reduced (Figure 1).

In a worst case scenario, it was observed that fruit that had

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received sulfur applications up to 12 days prior to harvest had 25μg/g of sulfur on the fruit at harvest; after pressing the must contained 12μg/g; and after settling for 24 hours the clarified juice only contained 0.2μg/g (Kwasniewski et al. 2014). With this level of reduction, one would need far more elemental sulfur on the fruit than has ever been measured immediately after a spray application to obtain sulfur concentrations in a clarified white fermentation. When no must clarification is practised or skin contact is increased, the level could be much higher than clarified must and, therefore, either warrants additional caution, or elemental sulfur testing to know where you stand.

Unfortunately, in red wine production no great solution has been devised to reduce sulfur levels on harvested fruit or through vinification processes. The best option is still to manage sulfur residue through vineyard spray schedule decisions and experience. If a grower or winery is concerned or just wants to monitor sulfur concentrations, the method below describes an inexpensive and relatively easy way to assess where they stand. If they find levels in ‘danger’ concentrations of 1-10μg/g there is some evidence that careful yeast selection may prove beneficial

as not all yeast strains produce H2S at equal rates. While there is limited information in this area, use of H2S detection tubes allow for an easy way for a winery to evaluate its favourite yeast strains and find which are the least likely to hurt wine aroma (Park 2008).

IN THE VINEYARD Despite the fact that elemental sulfur has numerous advantages over alternative control, its use is often shied away from due to concern for wine quality. While the concentration of elemental sulfur needed to impact fermentation odours has definitively been found to be in the 1-10μg/g range (likely closer to 10μg/g to impact wine aroma), very little research has looked at concentrations found in the vineyard. Those that have been done have had greatly different findings, with some finding residue levels <14μg/g immediately after application that had declined to less than 3μg/g at harvest, while others have found concentrations as high as 8μg/g at harvest when spray application ceased seven weeks prior (Thomas et al. 1993, Wenzel et al. 1978). The two studies took place in different climates (California and Germany), using different application methods and formulations (dusting

versus sprayable sulfur) making it unsurprising that residues ranged from safe to problematic at harvest. Without data tracking application persistence, and knowing the impact of typical spray variables like formulation and application rate, it is almost impossible to answer the question of how late is too late to apply sulfur.

One of the challenges that has limited research and the number of samples analysed has been how cumbersome and costly it has been to selectively measure elemental sulfur residue. With a fairly simple and inexpensive new test (detailed below) it was possible to characterise not just final concentration at a chosen harvest date, but also how the residue persists through the season. Application rate, timing, sulfur formation and season all seemed to play a role in the concentrations found on the fruit.

Generally, increased application rate and frequency resulted in higher residue levels. An application rate of double resulted in roughly twice as much residue on the fruit, however, a week later this residue level would be about half to two-thirds what it had been. This pattern drove sulfur levels in 2010 to their maximum levels in treatments, receiving sulfur application up until one week before harvest.

Sulfur&Residue&Present&(μg/g)&

40" 35"

2010(Micronized"@"5.38kg/ha"

30"

2011(Micronized"@"4.48kg/ha"

25"

2011"We;able"@4.48kg/ha"

20" 15" 10" 5" 0"

50(54" 35(38" 22(25" 8(12" Days&Before&Harvest&of&Last&Applica?on&

Figure 2. Sulfur residue concentrations found on Chardonnay (2010), and Riesling (2011) that had received micronised or wettable sulfur application up until a given point where treatment was ceased at a certain date before harvest. For all treatments, 35 days or longer was sufficient to achieve levels below 10μg/L, but concentrations above 1μg/L persisted in some treatments, even when application ceased 50 days before harvest.

Figure 3. Small-scale fermentations outfitted with H2S detection tubes to monitor the impact of elemental sulfur on H2S production.

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One treatment received 5.38kg/ha of wettable sulfur, having 86μg/g of sulfur residue. Another treatment received 2.69kg/ha, having 30μg/g. The micronised sulfur treatment applied at 5.38kg/ha contained 67μg/g of sulfur.

One week later at harvest, these had declined to 27, 14 and 39μg/g of residue, respectively. The two points that this example illustrate are i) applying sulfur a week before harvest probably isn’t a great idea, ii) if sulfur is consistently applied at a lower rate, even such a late application may be close to acceptable residue levels. In fact, in the same year of this study when 2.69kg/ha of wettable sulfur was applied up until 22 days before harvest, residue was only 6.4μg/g at harvest.

Looking at roughly the same application rates, and applications ceasing close to the same harvest date over two years, a consistent story emerges (Figure 2). Application of elemental sulfur close to the maximum recommended rates will cause residue levels above or close to the 10μg/g limit, which is known to hurt wine quality. If application stops 35 days or earlier before harvest, this threshold wasn’t crossed. Residue

levels more than 1μg/g may persist even if applications stop 50 days before harvest, but how much of an impact this may have on wine quality is questionable.

METHOD FOR MEASURING SULFUR RESIDUE There are circumstances where growers may want to push the limits of how late they can apply elemental sulfur, or a winemaker may want to adjust vinification practices according to the residue levels on the fruit. In these cases there is now a relatively simple and inexpensive method to quantify sulfur residue (Figure 3).

Hydrogen sulfide detection tubes, classically used by the mining industry for health and safety monitoring, have recently been adopted for measuring H2S in wine (Park 2000, Ugliano and Henschke 2010). With the correct sensitivity chosen, it is possible to quantify H2S production in small fermentations (0.5-20L) or to quantify sub-threshold levels in wine. These tubes are widely available either from suppliers producing wine calibrated tubes, or by repurposing those used

BUSINESS MARKETING V T V II T T II C C U U& L L T U U R R E E

by the mining industry. By either letting an active fermentation carry the gases formed through the tube, or by sparging a sample with inert gas through a tube, it is possible to quantify either H2S production or H2S in a sample with minimal equipment or supplies.

Having an easy method for H2S measurement in any modestly equipped winery laboratory was then extended to elemental sulfur quantification (Kwasniewski et al. 2011). Ground grapes are heated in a benign solvent.

The sample is degassed (by antacid tablet), reacted with a chemical that selectively turns all elemental sulfur in the sample into H2S. The H2S is then measured by sparging the sample with CO2 (produced by another antacid tablet). A video demonstrating this procedure is available at http:// youtu.be/yH83vDX8ORQ, ‘Assay for measurement of elemental sulfur residues on grapes’.

Balance accurate to 1g • 120mLf Jar • Tubing • Glass pipette

▶

• Detection tube

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8. Add DTT to jar and quickly re-attach jar to apparatus. Allow to react for five minutes.

9. Add second Alka-Seltzer to jar and quickly re-attach jar to apparatus. Then allow to continue until fizzing stops (about five minutes). At this point you should start to see the bottom of the detection tube change colour from white to brown/grey.

10. Add a third Alka-Seltzer tablet and allow to fizz until it stops. After fizzing has stopped, measure the length of the detection tube reacted to the nearest 0.5mm.

Calculations Micrograms of sulfur residue per gram of sample = (0.468 x mm of 4M tube* exposed) - 0.218)/grams of sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Figure 4. Representation of the apparatus needed to measure hydrogen sulfide, or elemental sulfur. This can be inexpensively constructed using readily available items.

Reagents • PEG 400 (a make-up and food additive) • Dithiothreitol (DTT) (reagent for sulfur conversion) • Effervescent antacid (Alka-Seltzer™) Steps 1. For fruit samples, blend until completely homogenised.

There should be no pieces of skin or stem clearly distinguishable; it should be the consistency of a smoothie.

Juice and wine can be added directly.

2. Weigh out 1-5 grams of sample into the 120mL jar. A mere 5g allows for the detection of lower concentrations of sulfur, however, this is at the expense of the ability to measure higher concentrations of sulfur above the range of the detection tube (1g of sample will be appropriate for most situations).

3. Add four times the weight of the sample of PEG (i.e., if 5g of sample, add 20g of PEG).

4. Add jar to water bath for five minutes, swirling periodically to mix sample with PEG. 5. Add water to jar for a total volume of 80ml.

6. Swirl contents of jar until well mixed.

7. Add first Alka-Seltzer tablet and quickly attach apparatus, allow to continue until fizzing stops (about five minutes).

This step is to remove dissolved oxygen, after this point care should be taken to minimise oxygen getting inside the jar. _________________________________________________________________ *While many different brands and sensitivities of H2S detection tubes can be used they will first require calibration using known amounts of elemental sulfur. A Gastec 4M tube is used for the example.

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Taken as a whole, the research into sulfur persistence in the vineyard and winery and its impact on wine aroma shows that, in many cases, the risks are fairly clear cut. With white wine production it will take very late application of elemental sulfur to exceed levels of concern. If a winemaker is worried about a white wine, must clarification will reduce sulfur concentrations in nearly any scenario to below levels of concern. For grapes destined to be fermented on skins, more care must be taken to ensure that no problem will arise. In all studies, ceasing application prior to harvest by 35 days or more will allow time for sulfur concentrations to dip below the 10μg/g level. For residues to get below 1μg/g, which seems to impact H2S production (but not necessarily wine aroma) ceasing application two months prior to harvest might not be enough. This stringent limit is likely to be unnecessary in most cases because it appears that concentrations closer to 10μg/g will produce meaningful sensory differences in most cases. The best way for growers and winemakers to understand how their choices may impact sulfur persistence and H2S production is to measure them for themselves using recently developed methodology.

REFERENCES Acree, T.E.; Sonoff, E.P. and Splittstoesser, D.F. (1972) Effect of yeast strain and type of sulfur compound on hydrogen sulfide production. Am.J.Enol.Vitic. 23:6.

Kwasniewski, M.T.; Allison, R.B.; Wilcox, W.F. and Sacks, G.L. (2011) Convenient, inexpensive quantification of elemental sulfur by simultaneous in situ reduction and colorimetric detection. Anal.Chim.Acta. 703: 52 Kwasniewski, M.T.; Sacks, G.L. and Wilcox, W.F. (2014) Persistence of elemental sulfur spray residue on grapes during ripening and vinification.

Am.J.Enol.Vitic. 65.4:453.

Park, S.K. (2000) Hydrogen sulfide detection tube for alcoholic beverages.

6:133,041. – publication?

Rankine, B.C. (1963) Nature, origin and prevention of hydrogen sulfide aroma in wines. J.Sci.Food Agric. 14:79-91.

Schutz, M. and Kunkee, R.E. (1977) Formation of hydrogen sulfide from elemental sulfur during fermentation by wine yeast. Am.J.Enol.Vitic. 28:137.

Thomas, C.S.; Gubler, W.D.; Silacci, M.W. and Miller, R. (1993) Changes in elemental sulfur residues on Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grape berries during the growing season. Am.J.Enol.Vitic. 44:205.

Thoukis, G. and Stern, L.A. (1962) A review and some studies of the effect of sulfur on the formation of off-odours in wine. Am.J.Enol.Vitic. 13:133-140.

Ugliano, M. and Henschke, PA. (2010) Comparison of three methods for accurate quantification of hydrogen sulfide during fermentation. Anal.Chim.Acta.

660:87-91.

Wenzel, K. and Dittrich, H. (1978) Zur Beeinflussung der SchwefelwasserstoffBildung der Hefe durch Trub, Stickstoffgehalt, molekularen Schwefel und Kupfer bei der Vergärung von Traubenmost. Wein-Wissenschaft 33:200-213.

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ALTERNATIVE VARIETIES

VV II TT II CC U U LL TT U U RR EE

Tannat – both beast and gentleman

By Shane Harris, Winemaker, Wines by Geoff Hardy, South Australia

TANNAT

By Peter Dry Emeritus Fellow, The Australian Wine Research Institute BACKGROUND

Wines by Geoff Hardy winemaker Shane Harris.

T

annat has a formidable reputation as the most tannic winegrape variety. Analytically, the numbers do affirm this reputation with two to four times the antioxidant of most other varieties and an average resveratrol concentration of 4.2%.

The beacon on the hill for this variety in Australia may not be its homeland France. Rather, South America, where Tannat has found its way into the hearts and minds of the Uruguayan wine industry where it now represents approximately a third of wine produced, may hold the key to success.

Tannat, also known as Harriague in Uruguay, is made into many styles from fuller-bodied roses, Beaujolais-styled light and bright wines to more serious structured dry reds often blended with Pinot Noir and Merlot. The thread that ties these wines together is their elegance, softer tannins and dark berry fruits that are achieved by good site selection, picking at phenological ripeness, awareness of extraction during ferment and constant innovation.

The most notable innovation in winemaking terms is the claim that Tannat is the origin of the development of microoxygenation.

Geoff Hardy first became interested in Tannat while walking through the Nuriootpa grapevine variety collection towards the end of the 1999 vintage. He came across three robust looking Tannat vines that were pruned to a low bud number, yet had a very even and healthy crop. He thought the Tannat was in much better condition than most of the 50 or more varieties he had seen to that point in the collection and was impressed with its resilience in the harsh conditions of the 1999 summer.

Geoff then went about organising planting material for a small plot in a vineyard at Kuitpo, in the southern Adelaide Hills. As the variety would be quite late ripening for the area, he thought it would likely handle the tougher conditions and the site would bring the fruit on a couple of weeks earlier, helping to avoid the early autumn rains.

As it happened, the variety proved to be quite resilient to ▶ disease.

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Tannat (tann-UTT) has been known in the HautesPyrénées in south-west France since the 18th century. It is likely that it originated there given that it is genetically related to other varieties from that region such as Courbu Blanc, Crouchen, Manseng Noir and Petit Courbu. It is best known in the red wines of Madiran (40 to 80%) and Saint-Mont (minimum 60%), mainly blended with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Synonyms include Moustron or Moustrou (France), Madiran (France), Harriague (Uruguay) and Bordelez Beltza (Spain). Globally there were 5940ha in 2010: 2914ha in France, 1815ha in Uruguay (24% of national share), 705ha in Argentina and 295ha in Brazil. There are also small areas in Italy, USA (California, Virginia), Canada and South Africa. There are currently at least 31 wine producers in Australia, in 19 regions from cool to hot climates. McLaren Vale, New England and the Granite Belt have the most producers.

There are 9ha planted in SA, mostly in McLaren Vale.

VITICULTURE Budburst is late and maturity is mid to late. Vigour is high with erect growth habit. Bunches are large and normally compact with medium tough-skinned berries; however, moderate susceptibility to poor set may result in loose bunches in some seasons. Yield is usually moderate but may be low in some seasons as a result of poor set. Cane pruning is used in France but both spur and cane have been successfully used in Uruguay, USA and Australia. In Virginia, Tannat is said to have moderate susceptibility to downy and powdery mildews, and slight susceptibility to Botrytis. In Australia, it is tolerant of heatwaves.

WINE Tannat is one of the most phenolic of all grape varieties and, as a consequence, wines are deeply coloured and high in tannins. Micro-oxygenation is often used in both France and Uruguay to ‘soften’ the tannins of young wines. Acid is high. Wine descriptors include sweet cherry, raspberry, plum, currant and spice. Wines are concentrated with medium body and good ageing potential. In some countries it is considered to be most useful as a blender.

For further information on this and other emerging varieties, contact Marcel Essling (marcel.essling@awri. com.au or 08 8313 6600) at The Australian Wine Research Institute to arrange the presentation of the Alternative Varieties Research to Practice program in your region.

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I first got my hands on Tannat in 2009 – the vintage from which we produced our first straight varietal. The fruit was sourced from a 1ha planting at McLaren Vale and I set about producing a wine that was individual and distinctively McLaren Vale.

I wanted the generosity of McLaren Vale’s mid-palate weight to shine through the blueberries of the fruit in the vineyard. We took the fruit right through to the point of phenological ripeness where the seeds had not only browned but had become bright red in colour as we continued to see an accumulation of flavours into the blue fruit spectrum and a softening of tannins after 14.5Be. We ended up picking it at 14.8Be and retained 20% whole bunches on the bottom of an open fermenter, while the remaining fruit was destemmed and chilled to 10°C and placed on top of the whole bunches.

After 48 hours the must was seeded

with a half rate of yeast and the ferment was kept cool with hand plunging and during mid-ferment was turned over with filtered compressed air.

After 10 days on skins the wine was pressed, all pressings returned to the wine and racked to barrel after 12 hours to retain solids in the wine. Fifteen percent new French oak was included in the barrel selection along with second and third use both French and US hogsheads for 20 months. The wine was kept on full lees for the first 12 months of maturation.

At pressing the wine smelt like blueberry pie and was the most insane purple colour I have ever seen. With further maturation came complexity. The blue fruit had developed to also show purple fruits like mulberry and a hint of blackberry along with black pepper.

Now I know I haven’t yet mentioned the tannins and that’s because they deserve to be discussed in isolation. At

no stage of production was there any sense that the wine was overly extractive or aggressively tannic. Sure, the tannins are there in volume but I often marvel at how fine and powdery they are which highlights the mid and back palate fruits beautifully.

Wines by Geoff Hardy has now had 14 years experience with Tannat and its beautiful colour and rich, full flavour of wild berries and very solid structure never ceases to astound us. The initial straight varietal releases were under our Pertaringa label, but we have since moved them over to our Hand Crafted range along with the other alternative varieties we produce.

Today, our sole source of Tannat comes from the 1.4ha we have planted in the K1 vineyard at Kuitpo. The best barrels produced each vintage end up as a straight varietal while the balance makes its way into blends, particularly WVJ Cabernet and Merlot blends.

The distinctive blue-skinned colour of Tannat grapes, growing in the K1 vineyard at Kuitpo, in the Adelaide Hills.

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LABELLING

BUSINESS & MARKETING V I T I C U LT U R E

Wine labelling – future considerations and trends We asked the principals of three leading Australian wine label design houses – Rowena Curlewis of The Collective Design Consultants; Scott Carslake and Anthony De Leo from Voice; and Damian Hamilton from Cornershop Design - for their insights into what’s hot and what’s not in wine labelling right now and their thoughts on trends into the future, how important label design is likely to be in the coming years given the increasing adoption of online wine purchases and how often wineries should be looking to reinvent their labels in the current climate and beyond.

Rowena Curlewis, Global Managing Director, The Collective Design Consultants, Sydney, New South Wales, www.thecollective.com.au

Anthony De Leo & Scott Carslake, Voice, Adelaide, South Australia. www.voicedesign.net

What is your advice to wine companies with respect to how often they should consider redesigning their labels? Is this likely to increase/decrease or stay the same into the future?

Rowena Curlewis (RC): At The Collective, we are always reluctant to put a time frame on when a brand requires a redesign, as every brand differs. Where is the brand within its lifecycle? How is the brand currently seen by consumers?

How big is the brand and how loyal are its followers? These are some of the questions we ask our clients before we determine either the rate of change, or the amount of change required. Ideally a label design should last over a decade or more. We designed Yabby Lake in 2002 and, with no changes since then, it still looks as contemporary and sleek 13 years on. Other brands such as Lindeman’s require minor evolutionary changes every five years or so and our latest redesign on the Bin range in 2014 has been done in order to increase the ‘premiumness’ and modernity of this range, especially in the European markets in which it has a strong presence. This approach will remain the same into the future: there are no set rules, we need to be guided by both consumers and the marketers’ ambitions for their brands.

Scott Carslake and Anthony De Leo (SC/AD): Branding and packaging have a lifecycle—they are living entities.

Ultimately they must remain relevant and be open to shift (modest or extreme) to ensure brand loyalty and engagement is continually strong. Companies need to continually assess how their packaging is performing across all aspects of the brand and business. When a brand or product no longer resonates with its market, or is showing the slightest glimpse of decay, it’s time to apply some ▶ careful thinking about how to evolve or reinvigorate.

Damian Hamilton, Cornershop Design, Adelaide, South Australia, www.cornershopdesign.com.au

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Turn Heads, Attract Attention

Let your bottles speak for themselves True freedom in design begins with excellence in technology.

Self-adhesive technology opens up entirely new creative options, with greatly improved converting and labelling performance.

Nobody knows this technology like Avery Dennison: we invented it.

Every day, in millions of purchasing moments, Avery Dennison helps bring brands to life.

Visit www.label.averydennison.com.au and learn how advanced material technologies from Avery Dennison can enhance your brand and provide you with the premium look your wine deserves.

www.label.averydennison.com.au Š 2014 Avery Dennison Corporation. All rights reserved. 11/14

LABELLING

Damian Hamilton (DH): Cornershop’s objective is to create timeless solutions that tell a unique story and are relevant to our clients’ target market and product price point. If a wine company’s objectives change or the brands’ position in the market changes, a redesign may add value. Evolving the brand/label design can also be valuable every five years or so to communicate that the wine company is forwardthinking and growing. Whether the frequency to redesign labels increases or decreases in the future will depend on how quickly a wine company grows or its objectives and the market changes.

With the growth in online wine purchasing, how important are wine labels in attracting consumers’ attention in this market?

RC: Like any retail market, online or other, packaging is extremely important in attracting consumers’ attention. Within an online search, it is likely that you will bring up dozens of wines and your brand needs to look desirable in order to ensure that the ‘buy now’ button is clicked. A brand needs to be attractive, standout, be unique and memorable. La Bohème, by De Bortoli, is strikingly different and appealing to its target audience with its art deco styling. A search of rosé on a popular online retailer’s site demonstrates the result of the unique and engaging packaging appeal of La Bohème.

SC/AD: No matter where a product is placed, the packaging plays an intrinsic role in attracting consumers.

We (consumers) make immediate decisions on what we ‘see’, before we actually decipher what it is. So whether the actual product is poor or extremely good, we will make a decision on the perceived quality of the product by its packaging first.

DH: Wine labels are important, but the bigger picture of creating an identifiable brand is more significant. All wine products are brands that require an identity. Without a unique identity, how can one brand be distinguished against another.

Online and on shelf, brands can be communicated/identified by copywriting, a unique name, logo, symbols, colours and overall tone of voice.

BUSINESS & & MARKETING MARKETING BUSINESS

relevant. Such considerations should always be considered and deemed important.

QR codes – have they had their time on wine labels, and any other product for that matter, or do they still have value for some?

RC: I think consumers have moved beyond QR codes. They were a novelty for a while as winemakers/marketers tried to keep up with the ever-evolving nature of technology, but nowadays consumers use other methods such as the Vivino app, or simply the power of Google to find out more about the wine in question.

SC/AD: We have never used QR codes or advised a client to use them. They hold little value in our opinion, and are annoying and distracting.

DH: Cornershop has worked with a select number of wine and other clients, with a distinct market, who value and use QR codes. They can be good for brand building; to direct consumers to a company website, social media platform or to promote a product/service.

Bottle counterfeiting label technology – is there much interest in this from the wine companies you deal with? How do you see the interest in these technologies going over the coming years?

RC: We have worked with high-end brands such as Penfolds since we started The Collective in 2002 and, of course, counterfeiting label technology has been of the upmost importance. The most interest we see is from brands that have wines retailing for more than $200 in export markets,

How much do you factor in a wine’s intended market or distribution outlet into your wine label designs and will these considerations become more or less important in the future?

RC: These factors are vital to the way we approach the design and strategic intent of a brand. The distribution strategy, for example, gives us guidance as to the way a brand needs to capture attention. Excellent shelf presence is required for retail brands, and the ability to engage and win over a sommelier with unique and layered design will take a different approach. Plantagenet’s Juxtapose is a good example of a brand designed specifically for on-premise.

While it also has great shelf standout by virtue of its quirky creature illustrations, the concept of Juxtapose – a brand that celebrates the combination of the winemaker/viticulturist duo – is communicated at many levels on this pack from the name, the illustration of two quite different creatures coming together, the copy on the back label and even the design of the back label.

SC/AD: Male/female, millennial/baby boomer, on-premise/ off-premise, cheap/expensive, cellar door/retail, high volume/ low volume, etc. etc. are all important factors. Aligned with brand, people and culture, a designer should have all the information they need to bring great packaging to life.

DH: It is an integral part of the strategic process.

Cornershop always considers target markets and distribution outlets when developing concepts. We always aim to create an innovative solution to engage consumers as long as it is

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particularly Asia. Collotype Labels is always a great partner when it comes to counterfeiting technology on the labels particularly, and its R&D department continues to innovate to try and keep one step ahead of the counterfeiters.

No easy task…

SC/AD: No. DH: Of late, Cornershop has typically been working with small to medium wine producers, so bottle counterfeiting label technology has not been of interest or relevance.

Pushing the design and printing envelope - the label for Treasury Wine Estates’ sub-brand of Pepperjack comprises an angled label that wraps twice around the bottle - the longest label TWE has ever applied on the bottling line, and the largest label the printer had ever printed.

Pushing the design and printing envelope - Shattered Rock by Moolanda is produced in limited quantities and only in years when the fruit excels. Selling at around A$75RRP, the label is made up of graphics screen printed in white directly on and around the bottle and a complementary cigar band to add to the premium statement.

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Digital printing – how much of your wine label design work utilises it these days? Do you generally encourage your clients to embrace designs that utilise it or does it still have its limitation?

RC: Digital printing has come in leaps and bounds in the past decade.

We recommend this approach for many brands that have small print runs given that these machines can foil, emboss, screen print and even do textured backgrounds. It’s a process we recommended for Thomas Wines back in 2007 with printers CCL, and with great success. However, while the set-up costs are far lower, the unit costs are higher so there comes a point where offset printing is a more cost-effective solution. Additionally, there are some techniques that digital printing cannot do, and so we will recommend offset in this case.

SC/AD: Only a very small percentage of the labels we produce are printed digitally. For small runs where the artwork is primarily CMYK, it’s a great option, but our preference is offset.

DH: If our client has a short print run or if digital printing is going to be more cost-effective than offset/conventional printing without compromising quality, Cornershop will recommend it. We have found that Collotype’s digital printing solutions are fantastic; in fact, we could not tell the difference between comparable offset and digital samples.

Embellishments such as foiling, embossing and high build varnishes are available in digital print solutions too.

Can you share some recent marketing research you’ve read about lately that you found particularly interesting, or share the most interesting thing you know about the visual cues and language that appeal to certain audiences when it comes to labels?

RC: Having opened a studio in London in the past year, we have been devouring every piece of research we can in order to understand the nuances

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between the Australian and European markets. Harpers published results of its research into the British market in May 2014 and we were astonished that the majority of consumers (54%) would not buy a bottle of wine priced above £6, and that only 7% of UK consumers would pay over £10. More than onethird of consumers researched were unable to name a single grape variety, so the implication for that market is to make sure our wine packaging for certain brands is approachable and not alienating for these consumers who have low wine knowledge.

DH: All brands have a unique story to tell. Here are two quotes that inspire us at Cornershop: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Oscar Wilde Can you share a recent example in which you pushed the envelope from a design a perspective?

RC: When Treasury Wine Estates briefed us to design a sub-brand of Pepperjack that would be double the price of its core range and only available to Pepperjack Club members and at cellar door. The tier, called Graded Collection, needed to feel very special and exclusive. Given Pepperjack’s recognisable asset is its angled cream label, we knew we needed to incorporate this into the Graded design to connect back to the core range. We developed an angled label that kept going, and going, and going! Wrapping twice around the label this was the longest label TWE had ever applied on the bottling line, and certainly the largest label the printer had ever printed. The angle of the label was extremely important and we worked closely with TWE Capability and Collotype Labels to tweak the design so that it could be applied. The label itself was incredibly detailed with aspects of the wine’s connection to a particular steak cut communicated throughout the label design. This particular design has had an extraordinary impact in the design world: best of show 2014 winner in London for Drinks Business, first place statuette and best of show nomination for the notoriously difficult Mobius Awards in the US, gold trophy at Harpers Drinks Awards, and another best of show award to be announced shortly.

SC/AD: Longview Vineyard’s The Piece Shiraz is a design consisting of four overlapping labels that wrap

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Pushing the design and printing envelope - Longview Vineyard’s The Piece Shiraz label consists of four overlapping labels that wrap around the entire bottle around the entire bottle. We knew the production was going to be extremely challenging, considering the use of three different stocks, process printing and screening and foiling; not to mention application. As it stands, it was all achieved with careful planning between Voice, the printers and label applicators, with three labels being applied online and one by hand.

DH: Shattered Rock by Moolanda is a recent example where Cornershop pushed the envelope from a design and production perspective. Moolanda’s unique story is about the importance of the terroir (particularly the abundance of rocks) in the grapegrowing process and the vineyard site’s Aboriginal connection. Shattered Rock Shiraz is the finest wine brand in the wine company’s portfolio. It is produced in limited quantities and only in years when the fruit excels. Selling at around A$75RRP, the packaging design needs to be arresting and sophisticated to captivate a targeted audience and reflect the price point. The product is to be distributed through various direct sales channels and maybe one or two on-premise outlets in eastern seaboard capitals. Similarly a couple of high-end off-premise outlets may be sought.

Cornershop created an understated solution; graphics screen printed in white directly on and around the bottle and a complementary cigar band to add

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to the premium statement. The feature of the package is an abstract design inspired by shards of rock.

Have you noticed an emerging trend in wine label design, like the use of ‘critter’ designs, an emerging technology or design element?

RC: There has been an increase in retro inspired labels of late with the idea that these appeal predominantly to millennial consumers, although I haven’t seen any research yet that supports this. They are certainly working in the market and brands that we have done in this vein are showing good signs of success. How long this trend will last though is unknown, and I suspect the market will one day be saturated with them like the critter designs of the ‘90s.

SC/AD: We don’t take too much notice of wine label trends in the broader sense, but rather concentrate on developing the brands we work on.

But the one trend that is still as strong as ever is how most wine brands fail to get the most out of this medium, and continue to blend in with each other.

You only get one chance—so don’t waste the opportunity.

DH: Cornershop is familiar with the latest wine label designs, but we do not follow trends. We create brands that tell a unique story and help our clients WVJ grow.

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Navigating the lucrative Chinese wine market

Benjamin Sun

John Wong

By Benjamin Sun and John Wong, ThinkChina, Sydney, New South Wales

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he signing of a free trade agreement between Australia and China sparked a flurry of interest among Australian business and consumers, which was not surprising given the country is one of the last untapped markets for Western brands.

For Australian businesses, including the wine industry, selling into China presents an opportunity and a risk, with many businesses wasting significant investments on ill-conceived marketing strategies that fail to understand the market and the unique challenges the country presents.

We have researched the most populated online Chinese market spaces to understand the consumer demographics, their tastes, potential markets and the key learnings for Australian businesses.

CURRENT WINE MARKET The growth in the Chinese economy over the past 20 years has ultimately led to a rise in income and consumer preferences. In 2013, China (including Hong Kong) confirmed its position as the largest red wine-consuming nation in the world.

This has been driven by a broadening middle class, who are beginning to change the consumer landscape as they demand brands of luxury and sophistication. For this market, the

concept of drinking wine is as much a symbol of lifestyle as a taste preference, which is demonstrated by the popularity of imported wines into the country.

There is a significant gap between the value of French imports and other producers, as measured in US dollars, but Australia remains well-placed. Not only is it consistently the second largest Chinese wine import, it is also the highest value wine. The brand recognition of ‘Australia’ as a byword for quality, particularly among agricultural products, is gradually being recognised.

Chinese consumers have typically favoured wines from Old World suppliers such as France and Italy, because of perceptions these are higher quality products. The known lack of product and varietal awareness among consumers, outlined in previous research, suggests this preference is more likely linked to brand awareness than quality.

MARKETING MISSTEPS: WHAT NOT TO DO Larger producers have previously focussed on retail and the government consumption markets. This was a considered, strategic approach, given the scale of both of these markets and the fewer marketing contact points required.

But for producers now trying to gain a foothold in China, there are three common mistakes we observe.

Failing to see the importance of the consumer side to the Chinese market Many wine companies tended to focus their market towards government consumption, however, with new government austerity measures in place and a crackdown on gifts to government officials, the consumer environment has shifted.

This change has resulted in lower sales for foreign wine companies, with bottled wine exports decreasing by 7 percent

The most up-to-date, relevant information to support decision-making for SA grapegrowers Global economic outlook and trends Expected demand by variety Analysis of grape prices, wine sales figures and vineyard land values Seasonal conditions forecast for 2016 Issues and opportunities for sustainable vineyards PLUS showcase of local vineyard innovations and presentation of inaugural WGCSA “Vinnovation Award” Prices

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$125

$110

Others

$190

$165

More information: wgcsa.com.au or phone 8351 4378 @winegrapessa

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Many wine brands seeking to expand into China make the common mistake of marketing their culture, heritage and wine tasting. What they fail to realise is that Chinese consumers lack interest in wine due to their premature knowledge. What they desire is simply a good time with friends and to enjoy nice tasting wine.

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in 2013, and individual brands seeing double digit percentage reductions.

Several Australian brands last year warned of this drop in sales and the reasons behind it. In March, Pernod Ricard, the world’s second-biggest drinks group and the owner of Jacob’s Creek, cited the upcoming crackdown on luxury gift giving.1 In October, Treasury Wine Estates, owner of Penfolds and Wolf Blass, followed suit and warned shareholders of the decreased demand of wine in China.

By focussing on government and failing to capitalise on a shift to consumers, one that is advantageous for small and medium producers, companies have already missed potential markets and sales.

This change not only impacts on the volume of sales, but the price-point as well. The high-end wine market in China is in decline and mass-market consumption growth is expected to be in the low to mid price range.

Recommendation: For small to medium wineries wishing to develop long-term relationships in China, there are market gaps in targeting middle class consumers. This market can only be expected to grow as China’s economy builds a more prosperous middle class and a consumption-based economy.

With China’s business-to-consumer e-commerce sales set to surpass US$180 billion, many brands have begun to rethink their retail strategy. ASC Fine Wines has reported an opportunity in focussing on the ‘real market’. In rethinking its retail strategy to focus more on online marketing, it has reached an additional 30,000 consumers.

Overestimation of knowledge of wine Due to the relatively new exposure to the wine market, many Chinese are not knowledgeable in this area. Many wine brands seeking to expand in China make the common mistake of marketing their culture, heritage and wine tasting.

What they fail to realise is that Chinese consumers lack interest in this area due to their premature knowledge. What they desire is simply a good time with friends and to enjoy nice tasting wine.

Singaporean Chinese wine journalist Ch’ng Pho Tiong recommends the average consumer values the right label above the right taste. He notes there is ‘no such thing as a typical Chinese palate’ due to China’s vast area and existing preferences for a diverse array of cuisines. Therefore,

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attempting to create a wine to suit all those different palates is unfeasible.

There are opportunities for producers to focus on younger consumers who are interested in drinking with friends and family. This requires marketing more focussed around the packaging, attracting ‘buzz’ and leveraging word of mouth between friends and family.

Recommendations: Lifestyle factors, including the status attached to imported brands, are the predominant factor in driving customer choice and should, therefore, be the predominant factor in marketing.

Once an initial market is established, educating consumers about the wine’s ‘back-story’ can support repurchasing. There is an appetite for further information, in particular the unique stories behind smaller and medium-sized wine companies. But this must support, not lead, lifestyle factors.

By subsequent promotion of the story behind the production of wine in Australia and offering educational masterclasses, the smaller and medium-sized brands are likely to increase in popularity, build repurchasing and widen the interest and appetite for Australian wine as a viable alternative purchase.

Digital approaches Our research identified wine as the second most popular alcoholic beverage to be sold online in China. This represents a large potential market that can be effectively tapped by Australian wine exporters.

About 75% of Australian businesses attempt online marketing strategies in China before establishing a physical presence. It’s an approach that requires a lower investment ▶ than a mainland physical presence, but one not without risks.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.smh.com.au/business/australian-wine-sales-hit-hard-by-chineseausterity-drive-20140330-35rst.html (Greenblat, E. (2014), Sydney Morning Herald)

1

Table 1. Best selling alcohol on Tmall&Taobao in 2014 (type).

Categories

Share of overall alcohol sales (%)

Chinese spirits

64.66%

Wine

21.47%

Beer

3.25%

Yellow rice wine

2.67%

Whisky

2.16%

Alcopop

2.03%

Brandy

1.07%

Vodka

0.69%

Liquer

0.64%

Rum

0.34%

Others

1.02%

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CHINA

Figure 1. Age structure of Chinese internet users. Source: CNNIC – Statistical Survey (June 2014)

marketplace. While behind the learning curve of Western online shoppers, many Chinese residents are beginning to trust in online shopping to complete their transactions.

This is particularly the case for internet users who are in the target demographic for Australian wine producers. Currently, Chinese internet users between the ages of 20-29 account for 30.7% of the market. According to CNNIC’s latest survey results, more than 55% of Chinese internet users are 20-40 years old.

It is also relevant for small to medium exporters who wish to expand their businesses. As the digital market is set to develop and improve, it presents costeffective opportunities for businesses to expand and grow.

It is also important to note that not only should brands be selling their wine online, but also selling their brand online. Advertising is expanding online in China, with one of the most popular social networking sites, WeChat, expected to offer advertising space this year.

Advertising should naturally support the marketing efforts by focussing on the lifestyle benefits of the brand.

To ensure maximum benefits, Australian businesses should ensure their online presence is accessible to Chinese consumers, is hosted on the mainland and has the government’s ‘tick of approval’, in order to build confidence among users.

SO, WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Figure 2. Percentage of the number of bottles sold in November on Alibaba e-commerce platform by country of origin.

Our research shows Chinese internet shoppers will not consider buying from a Chinese website without an ICP licence (a government issued permit for Chinabased websites to operate in the country) because of the risk of fake websites selling counterfeit products.

on customers because the Chinese Government’s filtering software can dramatically increase loading times.

Recommendations: We examined alcoholic beverage sales on the popular Alibaba platform (Table 1). The most popular choice of alcohol remains

Online sales represent a credible first step for those seeking to gain a greater presence in the market, as long as companies that choose this path take the required digital steps to establish a trusted, locally hosted presence.

A further 79% will abandon a website if it takes more than 10 seconds to load and 49% of consumers expect it to load within three seconds.

Businesses that host their website outside of China are missing out

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Chinese spirits, making up 64.66% share of alcohol sales.

This reflects the broader market, however, given 21.47% of online alcohol sales are wine, there are significant opportunities open in the online

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The Chinese marketplace has unique challenges and potentially limitless opportunities. But those companies that benefit from this new frontier will be those that understand there are as many differences in the markets as there are similarities.

Online sales represent a credible first step for those seeking to gain a greater presence in the market, as long as companies that choose this path take the required digital steps to establish a trusted, locally hosted presence.

Ultimately, wine producers that will succeed in China will be those with a clear understanding of the market they are approaching, are aware of the unique challenges they will face, and have a solid plan that is flexible enough to overcome those challenges.

ThinkChina specialises in digital marketing and analysis, working across e-commerce, data research and analysis to help customers seeking to access the Chinese market build brands and develop deeper relationships with mainland consumers.

WVJ

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Canadian market poised for growth as Australia and its competitors prepare to capitalise

By Mark Rowley, Industry Analyst, Wine Australia

C

anada’s largest wine event, Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF), was held between 20 February and 1 March this year and, in a coup for Australian wineries, Australia was the festival’s theme country with Shiraz the focus variety. In recognition of VIWF and the renewed enthusiasm for Australian wine that we’re seeing in the North American market, it’s an ideal time to look at the market in more detail and its importance to Australia, with an analysis of the top 100 performing SKUs and what those top performing wines have in common.

Over the next 12 months, momentum in the North American market is expected to pick up pace, led by AGWA’s significant marketing investment at VIWF. Attended by media, trade and consumers, most events sell out as each year more than 175 international wineries from up to 20 countries participate.

AGWA’s regional director for the Americas, Angela Slade: "The festival gives the perception of the Australian category a significant boost. AGWA worked with a number of industry partners including Tourism Australia to create a dynamic Australian wine, food, travel and lifestyle experience for festival-goers under the theme ‘history, evolution, revolution’.

‘In total, we had 55 Australian wineries participate in tastings, seminars and consumer events with widespread promotion via VIWF channels, local media and social media conversation. We hosted key media and trade throughout the event and supported the activity with a targeted public relations campaign."

With a similar mix of industry, Australia’s economy is often compared with Canada’s. Both are rich in natural resources, prime agricultural land and have an educated populace. As such, the AUD:CAD exchange rate has been relatively stable with minimum to maximum variance of 38 percent (minimum $0.77, maximum $1.07) compared with the AUD:USD rate which recorded a 124% variance (min. $0.50, max. $1.10) from 2000 to 2014. This means that exporting to Canada has 600

Volume (million litres)

500

400

300

Assumed Canadian wine production Wine imports into Canada Total Canadian wine market

200

Total Australian wine market

100

0

Figure 1. Canadian wine market versus Australian wine market. Source: Euromonitor and Global Trade Atlas V3 0N 2

less currency risk and should result in lower costs for trade.

In contrast to Australia’s domestic market, Canada is one that is still growing. Figure 1 illustrates that in four years, Canada’s wine market is forecast by Euromonitor to exceed Australia’s market in volume terms. However, in value terms, Canada’s market exceeded Australia back in 2006.

This growth is being driven not just by a growing population but also a preference shift towards wine, benefiting both the burgeoning domestic wine industry and imports.

With its projected growth, it’s no surprise that Canada is a highly competitive market. According to Association of Canadian Distillers (ACD), there were 24,806 wine stock keeping units (SKUs) available in Canada during 2014, with an extra 3263 SKUs added by Canada’s wine retailing monopolies during the year. With the increase in competition it’s understandable that the US’s Wine Institute is fighting British Columbia’s Liquor Distribution Branch policy which states, ‘B.C. Vintners Quality Alliance wines will be available on regular shelves in grocery stores, while imported wines will be located elsewhere, in a store-within-a-store model,’ giving them a significant competitive advantage over all other wines.

Of the 24,806 SKUs, a total of 11,010 saw volume growth (2523 were new SKUs, which inherently recorded growth), while 6372 recorded a decline in sales and the remaining 7424 were delisted. Of those that were delisted, 4788 SKUs recorded higher sales in 2014 than 2013, while the remaining 2636 recorded lower sales indicating that many of these delisted SKUs may have been promotional and short lived, with 97% recording less than 500 cases of sales in 2014.

Therefore, increasing sales does not guarantee a SKU will continue to be given shelf space. The old adage ‘that a rising tide lifts all boats’ does not seem to hold true here and the growing market by no means guarantees success.

With the growth opportunity in this market but increasing competitor interest what, then, is the profile of the most ▶ successful brands (in volume terms)? The following analysis examines the top 100 SKUs by volume growth (sales value data is not available from ACD). Please note that many lower volume yet successful brands have not been included in this analysis.

At 30 SKUs, Canadian brands are the most prominent in the top 100 list. Most of these wines are varietal labelled from big volume brands such as Black Cellar and JacksonTriggs Winery. It’s important to note that although these wines are classified as Canadian, much of the wine is sourced internationally. The US ranks second with 12 SKUs and, unsurprisingly, five of these SKUs are Cabernet Sauvignon. Australia is ranked third with 11 SKUs and its top performing SKUs are split equally between varietal labelled wine and non-varietal wine. Italy and France accounted for 10 SKUs each. Interestingly, France has persisted with its traditional labelling approach using appellations, whilst Italy’s successful brands have been identified with the varietal designation.

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Tempranillo Riesling Prosecco Pinot Noir Pinot Grigio Petit Syrah Moscatel Montepulciano Chenin Blanc Bianco Primitivo Moscato Merlot Malbec Sangiovese Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay Shiraz Pinot Gris/Grigio Cabernet Sauvignon Non Varietal

Varietal Non-varietal

30

25

20

15

10

5

0 Canada 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

USA

Australia

45

Italy

France Imported South Africa

Spain

New Argentina Zealand

Chile

Portugal

Figure 2. Varietal mix of top 100 growth stock keeping units.

Source: ACD

Figure 3. Country of origin mix of top 100 growth stock keeping units. Source: ACD

Figure 2 illustrates that 40 of the top 100 performing SKUs were not identified as a particular varietal. There are three major categories within this segment. First, the European set of SKUs which do not label their wines with a varietal. Secondly, a set of SKUs sold in the grocery channel which cannot be labelled by varietal (Wallaroo Trail, for example) and, thirdly, the blends which have been growing in popularity in North America (Yellow Tail Big Bold Red).

The Cabernet Sauvignons were predominantly North American SKUs (six from Canada and five from US) with one originating from Australia. The Pinot Grigios were also predominantly North American with two Italian SKUs. Despite Shiraz being Australia’s flagship varietal, half of the Shiraz SKUs were Canadian with

Australian Shiraz SKUs accounting for just two of the eight. The prominence of these Canadian brands illustrates that having ‘cellared in Canada’ on the label is a selling point despite most of the wine in the bottled being imported. It also explains how Australian wine exports have recorded growth in the last year despite sales figures recording a slight decline.

The Canadian market is poised for growth, however, our competitors are also looking to capitalise on this expansion. AGWA regional director for the Americas, Angela Slade, is ready to help exporters who want to enter the market. AGWA’s Wine Sector Intelligence team can also provide exporters with detailed market intelligence to support a strategic plan. Send an email to senior analyst Mark Rowley at mark.rowley@agwa.net.au WVJ

The objective measurement of grapes: tradition vs opportunity

By Rob Hunt, Agricultural Consultant. Email: tn.tnuh@gmail.com

The wine industry is probably the last major sector of Australian agriculture still entrenched in subjective standards for product grading and price discovery, writes Rob Hunt, drawing on his recent presentation at a seminar in Adelaide organised by Wine Grape Growers Australia. He highlights the meat industry as an example of how a relatively complex product can be objectively assessed to establish grade and price qualities.

T

here is an outstanding volume of notable and defining research by the Australian wine industry into the objectively measurable characteristics of winegrapes and the wine made from those grapes. What’s more, it continues apace with just one example being the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (formerly Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation). In its Strategic Research, Development and Extension Plan 2012-17, the then GWRDC proposed: ‘Over the next five years the GWRDC will potentially make new investments of $100–125 million in research, development and extension (RD&E) to support a competitive Australian wine sector’. The focus of Program 3 of the plan titled ‘Improving Products and Processes’ states: ‘Enhancing the value proposition for the consumer and the producer will require a set of new tools, as well as changes in practice by the grape and wine sector. This program aims to improve products and processes along the value chain’. It further states, ‘In the

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vineyard, establishing objective measures of grape quality will make it easier to define the relationship between grape quality and vine yield, and to develop viticultural practices that achieve vine balance while optimising quality and yield. These same quality measures are also required for more precise specifications for supply requirements and more streamlined processing of fruit at the winery’.

Despite this extensive and ongoing research the wine industry is probably the last major sector of Australian agriculture still entrenched in subjective standards for product grading and price discovery.

The dictionary1 defines ‘subjective’ as: • placing excessive emphasis on one’s own moods, attitudes or opinions • related words are: arbitrary, inconsistent, unaccountable or unscientific.

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• The antonym of ‘subjective’ is ‘objective’. The dictionary1 defines ‘objective’ as:

Table 1. Example data – contract standards.

• something that one’s efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose, goal or target

Standard Baume (Be)

• related words are: equitable, unbiased, unemotional or strictly business.

pH

THE OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT OF MEAT

MOG

Total Acid (TA) Temperature

While the variability and intricacy of winegrapes is probably without peer, the Australian meat industry does provide an example of how a relatively complex animal (for example, a 16kg prime lamb can provide more than 45 different cuts of meat) can be objectively assessed to establish grade, price and eating qualities.

The umbrella standard is governed by Meat Standards Australia (MSA), which is typically identified to the retailer in butcher shops and on restaurant menus. It is a meat grading system for beef, sheep and goats that has been established specifically to improve the red meat eating experience for the consumer.

To use beef as an example: specific information is collected on each carcass including carcass weight, sex, tropical breed content, hanging method, ossification, marbling, rib fat, pH, temperature, meat colour, eye muscle area and fat colour. All of these elements are recognised as important to the eating experience so they are noted, measured and scored. Once scored the carcass is given a grade code: zero if all the specifications are met and the cuts can be graded under MSA or, if not, a grade code that indicates which of the specifications were not met. After carcass measurements have been taken a boning group number identifies each carcass.

Boning groups are a grading mechanism used to collate carcasses of similar eating qualities2.

The compelling outcome is that the subjective eating qualities for meat, specifically including tenderness, juiciness and flavour, have been successfully and consistently identified by objective assessment and a score.

The MSA procedure has been embraced by the meat and livestock industry. It works for all parties in the chain: the producer, the meat processor and the consumer. Thanks to the availability of performance information feedback, it also drives continuous productivity improvement both on the farm and in the abattoir.

A promotional by-line in the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Meat Standards Australia, sheepmeat brochure states: Meat Standards Australia (MSA) is designed to take the guess work out of buying and cooking Australian lamb and sheepmeat.

Just as the wine industry has done for grapes and wine, MLA has spent prodigious funding, time and effort to establish the characteristics of meat that impact on the ultimate eating experience. In addition to that though, it has created an interface or scoring system, one that provides a relationship between those meat characteristics and the consumer outcome. MLA has done enough supporting research to be satisfied that MSA will, more reliably than any previously used subjective method, provide consumers with the opportunity to cook up a great eating experience – time after time.

BUSINESS V A R I E T A&LMARKETING REPORT

Target

Range

Allocated Points

13.5°

12.5° to 15°

50

3.60

3.55 to 4.15

25

6.5 g/l

4.4 to 7.6 g/l

15

0

0 to 4

5

< 22°C

22°C to 28°C

5

winemaker believes is important to the winemaking result. Added to that, it can link seamlessly to an existing grape contract using an attached schedule to include the elected standards, targets, ranges, points allocated to each standard and price structure. Typically the standards would be measured at the weighbridge, with final score and price established prior to the grower passing title to the winery.

Any rejection issues related to standards would also be managed at that point.

Take, for example, Riverland Shiraz, the largest South Australian regional grape variety by volume. The 2014 vintage produced approximately 113,000 tonnes with more than 91,000 tonnes, or more than 80% contributed by independent growers3.

Riverland Shiraz supplies the premium and basic wine sectors, the commodity wine sectors that together represent more than 80% of the wine market. It, therefore, could reasonably be argued that Riverland Shiraz is an agricultural commodity that could quite effectively be traded by objective measurement. As an example, a selection of contract standards for Riverland Shiraz might be as set▶ out in Table 1. ____________________________________________________ Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board publishes the South Australian Winegrape Crush Survey (WGCS) 2014,

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premium timber packaging and pallets process packaging pallets fumigation timber display boxes labelling/delabelling bins/crates

FROM RED MEAT TO GRAPES A similar opportunity is available to the wine industry by way of a 100-points scoring system for grapes. The system does not presume to score quality, which is a subjective value, but the standards chosen to reflect the final quality outcome. Standards such as Baume, pH, acid, colour, tannin, matter other than grapes, temperature or, in fact, any other standard or combination that the ____________________________________________________ Dictionary.com Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Meat Standards Australia, How MSA beef is graded.

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p: 08 8562 4855

e: rick:collis@barossaent.com.au

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The price range might be represented by: • 80 to 100 points $375/tonne • 60 to 79 points

$350/tonne

• 40 to 59 points

$325/tonne

Rejection standards: any measure that falls outside a standard triggers a rejection or re-negotiation option for the winery. The winery may also contract to reject or re-negotiate grapes that do not reach the lowest price range score; in this example, 40 points Using an interactive web-based software program, points are calculated for each standard according to the measurement results at the weighbridge. For example, a Baume result of 13.5 would receive 50 points, while a result of greater or less than 13.5 would receive a points penalty.

The further the result is away from the target, the target being the most desirable outcome for the winery, the more significant the penalty. A Be result of 12.5 or 15 would attract zero points, while a result outside the range would typically allow the winery to renegotiate the price or reject the grapes.

The same process would apply to all nominated standards and provide a final score out of 100. The final score establishes the contracted grape price.

THE IMPACT What then are the issues, the plusses and the minuses of using an objective measurement system such as this?

There are certainly some potential issues.

For the winery: • understanding how to choose and apply the grape standards to achieve the desired winemaking outcomes • conceding subjective control of grape purchase and intake to objective standards.

For the grower: • learning how to manage the vineyard to best achieve the grape standards in the contract • accurately monitoring maturity to be able to harvest at the optimum combination of standards.

For both parties: • commitment to a grape contract that has a new set of measurable obligations • the timing of harvest to maximise grape performance versus the capacity of the winery to receive the grapes at optimum readiness.

What then are the potential benefits?

For the winery: • the ability to be specific about the standard of grapes to be delivered • the ability to immediately downgrade or reject grapes, with reason, that don’t meet contract standards – grapes not fit for purpose • the transfer of all vineyard management decisions and harvest obligations to the grower • a grower pool that clearly understands, and is focussed on, the type of grapes that will provide the best possible winemaking outcome for the winery • immediate price discovery and financial monitoring of the grape intake • streaming of fruit – fermenting like with like based on weighbridge score results, which then provides: • downstream wine handling and cost efficiencies • improved wine inventory, reducing the write down cost of unsuitable wine stock.

For the grower: • specific, measurable standards for grape delivery • grape price related to standards • price discovery at the weighbridge prior to control and title passing to the winery • knowledge of vineyard performance and the opportunity to adjust management programs to create better vineyard returns • total responsibility and control of vineyard management.

For both parties: • a reduction in disputes associated with grapes fit for purpose, rejection and price • measurable knowledge of product performance • opportunities for significant productivity improvement in both the vineyard and the winery.

CONCLUSION The MSA example is precise and prescriptive – even down to the cooking recommendations. Being an industry-wide accreditation standard, compliance is paramount.

Like all accreditation standards, the only alternative is to choose not to embrace it, and that can have serious detrimental consequences in the marketplace for both producers and suppliers.

The wine industry probably doesn’t need such a prescriptive, objective measurement program. The success of wine is in large part due to the variation it presents to the consumer.

The scoring system described is not prescriptive; it has an infinite capacity to meet the requirements of the individual winery or grower. The example presented is just that – an example. Each winery has its own grape purchasing and winemaking program, so the system provides focus on those standards important to that winery.

Further to that, the system does not have to be used just for price discovery. It can be an excellent tool for the grower to compare vineyard performance year on year, as well as provide factual data for grape contract negotiation. Similarly, it can be used by the winery for own vineyard performance and vintage intake planning.

Finally, a statement by Linda Bisson, from the Department of Enology and Viticulture, at UC Davis, on tasting grapes for flavour4: “Although berry taste is often regarded as the most accurate assessment of flavourant status, this can, in practise, be quite difficult to perform in an unbiased manner. The phenomena of flavours masking other flavours, and the fact that many aroma compounds are present as glycosylglucose (GG) precursors released during fermentation and ageing, make tasting only a rough approximation of the flavour potential of the wine.

“Also, humans can differ markedly in their thresholds for detection of many compounds, so one can never be certain whether grapes will taste the same to different individuals.”

Rob Hunt has a Diploma in Business Management & Marketing, was manager of a family agricultural business based in South Australia from 1971-94 involving wool, prime lambs, beef cattle, hay and winegrapes, was a board member of Australian Bottling Co, a start-up wine bottling and packaging services company based in Adelaide from 1975-85, and was chief executive of Boar’s Rock, a start-up grape processing and winemaking services company based in McLaren WVJ Vale, from 1996-2010.

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Bisson, L. (2001) In search of optimal grape maturity, Department of Enology & Viticulture, UC Davis

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APPS & OPS

ADVERTORIAL

BUSINESS & MARKETING

This is the first of a regular feature in which we profile applications and operating systems designed to make running wine businesses easier, creating better efficiencies and improving their bottom line. We kick off by looking at WithWine.com, and invited founder and director Richard Owens to give us the lowdown on this solution which promises to give wineries the power to sell more wine directly to those who are inclined to want it.

Everything goes better WithWine

By Richard Owens, Director - WithWine.com In a nutshell, what does WithWine do?

It’s a sales and marketing platform specifically designed for the wine industry – connecting supply with demand - where wineries can interact with their customers through a single, useful, simple, mobile app (rather than 1000 separate clunky websites).

It’s a little bit of Facebook and Twitter mixed with a little bit of eBay. We are working to do for the wine industry what iTunes did for the music industry. One platform that does it all.

What about some nitty-gritty about WithWine?

Wine drinkers can make their personal favourites list viewable to their friends, turning word-of-mouth from a reactive process to a proactive one. Don’t know what to buy? Have a look to see what wines your friends like. Drinkers are also provided with a barcode scanner which retrieves the profile for the wine they are drinking. Just by scanning the wine stores its details in a history list, and from there users can ‘like’ it (which shares its details with all those that are ‘following’ them), ‘follow’ it and receive updates on that bottle of wine, and buy it.

When buyers enter their credit card and shipping details for the first time they’re good for all purchases from all wineries all the time. No more forms, no more logins, no more lost opportunities.

For wineries, WithWine helps them attract more customers. The online wine world is completely fragmented.

By creating a single marketplace that houses multiple brands we can attract a huge range of wine drinkers. By providing those drinkers with simple and effective referral tools, drinkers can be guided towards the wines they are most likely to enjoy.

WithWine also helps wineries sell more wine. No more lost opportunities.

It also increases customer loyalty. We give wineries the ability to turn their customers into the cheapest and most effective marketing team possible.

What was the reason behind WithWine. com’s initial development?

I realised that there are people who want to buy wine but there are too many barriers preventing them from doing so easily. One of the biggest barriers is the length of time between the decision to buy and the act of buying. With every passing minute in that gap, the chances of a sale taking place dwindles precipitously.

WithWine provides customers with the means to purchase a wine immediately after they’ve decided that they want to buy it.

Is WithWine.com a stand-alone system or can it be linked with other similar solutions in the production chain?

Our solution is a stand-alone one.

How does WithWine.com differ from similar solutions in the marketplace?

There are other solutions out there but all they do is provide another ‘buy’ button. I don’t have a problem clicking a buy button - I have a problem making the decision to click the buy button.

There are plenty of people who try to help wineries sell more of their wine. We are the only offering that helps the wine sell itself.

to all wineries across Australia (and their customers) right now. We are working to make the platform available internationally.

Can you name a few wineries in Australia already making use of With Wine.com?

Tyrrell’s, Brokenwood, Kevin Sobels, Pepper Tree, First Creek Wines, Margan Wines, Tulloch, Bimbadgen, McLeish, to name a few…and a bunch of others.

Following our launch we’ve been focussing on the Hunter, hence why all these wineries are Hunter focussed.

Within two weeks we have just shy of 20% of Hunter wineries either on the platform or agreeing to sign up to the platform.

How much it would cost to purchase and install WithWine’s management solution?

We’re here to help wineries sell more wine. As such, we only get rewarded when we succeed in that goal. We only make money when they make money.

Zero upfront. Zero monthly fees. 12.5% commission. All a winery needs to do is visit withwine.com, register their winery, load up their details and they’re good to go.

How easy is WithWine.com to operate?

Greg Silkman, from First Creek Wines, said, “I’ve heard it’s simple, which is good because simple works.” He downloaded the app and remarked, “It doesn’t get much simpler than this, this is perfect.”

On the backend – the wineries’ desktop website – when we built the first prototype I put my laptop in front of my mother and said, “pretend you’re a winery… go”. She had a bottle ready for sale within 15 minutes.

Three main attributes we focussed on – simple, effective, cheap How long has WithWine.com been available to the wine industry?

We launched on 29 January 2015 at Tyrrell’s. The platform is open For further information visit www.withwine.com

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Mastering the mix of a Bordeaux blend The Wine & Viticulture Journal’s latest tasting comprised Australian-made Bordeaux blends, specifically those in which Cabernet Sauvignon made up at least 50% of each wine and Merlot the second highest component, with recommended retail prices of $20-$40 a bottle. Two wines from Margaret River – Watershed’s 2012 Cabernet Merlot and Deep Woods Estate’s 2012 Cabernet Merlot – were judged to be the best two wines of the tasting, with the panel making a notable mention of the Annie’s Lane 2013 Cabernet Merlot naming it best value for money wine of the tasting. We asked the producers of these three wines to tell us the story behind their making.

Leonnard Russell, Viticulturist, and Severine Logan, Head Winemaker Watershed Premium Wines Margaret River, Western Australia Wine: Watershed 2012 Senses Cabernet Merlot (RRP$29.95) (84% Cabernet Sauvignon/16% Merlot)

pruned using a barrel pruner, then cleaned up by hand. Between 26 and 28 buds are retained in both varieties.

There are the usual three pest and disease concerns in these two varieties – botrytis and powdery and downy mildew. In the Cabernet Sauvignon there is also an issue with bud mite that requires careful monitoring and control.

The average yield of the Cabernet Sauvignon is 6-7 tonnes per hectare while in the Merlot it’s 7-9 tonnes/ha.

WINEMAKING

Watershed head winemaker Severine Logan with viticulturist Leonnard Russell.

VITICULTURE The location of the estate-grown blocks from which the fruit for this wine is harvested is five kilometres south of Margaret River, along the Bussell Highway. The elevation of the Cabernet Sauvignon block is 99 metres above sea level with a slightly northward facing slope. The Merlot is 88m above sea level with a southward facing slope. Both blocks are growing in Forrest Grove loam - a free-draining soil – to approximately 1.5m over clay.

Margaret River has a Mediterranean climate. The blocks are 9.5km east of the Indian Ocean and therefore have a strong maritime influence. There are no extremes in temperature and the chances of frosts are very low. The vineyard receives a cool afternoon sea breeze.

The majority of the rainfall occurs between June to August, leaving the growing period reasonably dry and disease free.

The vineyard was planted in August 2001. The Cabernet Sauvignon is the Houghton clone while the Merlot is D3V14.

The row orientation of both varieties is north to south. Rows are three metres apart with 1666 vines per hectare. All vines are trained to a vertical shoot position. In the Cabernet Sauvignon the vines are shoot thinned to remove unproductive shoots and to space out shoots. Vines are summer pruned/trimmed to remove any access vertical and lateral growth. Depending on the growing conditions leaf plucking may occur on the morning side. Bunch thinning occurs at between 50-80% veraison. If there are excess bunches or bunches that are not fully developed they are removed.

The Merlot is treated the same but there is no leaf plucking.

The irrigation water is sourced from a gully dam on the property. Irrigation scheduling depends on upcoming weather events, the phenological growth stage of the vine and soil moisture readings. Soil moisture is monitored by C-probes.

Winter pruning is carried out in August. First, the vines are pre-

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All fruit is machine harvested in one-tonne bins during the day aiming for a start temperature in the tank of between 2025°C. It is destemmed and crushed - aiming for 50% of berry split - into seven or 10-tonne static fermenters depending on the batch size. The tank is inoculated 12 hours later using Lallemand BDX strain. The Merlot is usually concentrated by drain-off between 10 and 20% depending on berry size, flavour and tannin profile.

Fermentation temperature ranges between 25-30°C. Pumpovers are short but regular, four times/24 hours. Usually two delestage are done early in fermentation for aeration and breaking the cap. Both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for this label stay on skins for about 10-12 days. After pressing, the wine is racked to barrels for malolactic fermentation using a combination of commercial and naturally-occurring bacteria.

The number of rack and return is unique to each batch, with Cabernet Sauvignon often receiving three rack and returns and the Merlot often only two. Maturation for the Merlot occurs in between 20-30 % new French oak barriques for between 12-16 months and the Cabernet Sauvignon in 40% new French barriques for up to 18 months. All batches are kept separate until two months before bottling for blending. The wine received a light egg white fining and was sterile filtered to bottling.

There have been subtle changes to our practices in making the Cabernet Merlot in recent years. We tend to pick the Merlot riper than, say, five years ago. Maceration time has actually been reduced on some of the Cabernet Sauvignon component to retain brightness of the fruit and silky tannins. We have also spent a lot of time fine-tuning our oak selection for each batch of fruit selected for the blend.

MARKETING The Cabernet Merlot sits in our second tier of wines in our Senses range. The Cabernet Merlot is a classic Margaret River blend that we can produce consistently. The blend is important to our brand as it represents the essence of Margaret River from a red wine perspective.

Having a recommended retail price of $29.95 this range aims to showcase typical Margaret River characteristics with the wines showing concentration and complexity through careful site selection and extended maturation in barrels.

Our brand philosophy and visual identity has remained consistent from day one, which includes the window and our

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Deep Woods Estate chief winemaker Julian Langworthy

Cabernet Sauvignon in the Deep Woods Estate vineyard in Margaret River.

colour which ensures customers easily recognise our brand.

The wine is available in most markets across Australia, with fine wine outlets and on-premise venues being our primary focus.

Cultured yeasts are used to ensure a strong and regular fermentation. We aim for neutral yeast influence, preferring to allow the fruit to express itself.

Fermentation lasts from eight to 14 days, during which time we incorporate plunging, pump overs and rack and returns.Any cap management is based on daily ferment rounds, where each parcel is assessed individually. Our Bordeaux varieties are fermented in a mix of open and static fermenters, depending on the intrinsic fruit qualities and batch size.

Parcels are assessed individually for press times, which will vary from 0°Be to confirmed sugar dry. Pressings fractions are almost always included.

All parcels are inoculated for MLF once we have confirmed sugar dryness. The wine will go through MLF either in tank or barrel, again depending on what we believe is best for it.

The wine will be racked off gross lees and transferred to oak which is 100% French (the percentage of new oak will depend on the parcel). Time in barrel is assessed regularly, based on what suits the wine style. Traditionally the wines will spend 16-20 months in oak with two rack and returns during that time.

Barrels are assessed individually for blending, traditionally during early spring of the following year. Once blended, the wines are lightly fined with egg whites and filtered prior to bottling. Bottling is through sterile membrane to ensure both quality and consistency in the final product. Traditionally there is approximately 20 months from picking to bottling

Julian Langworthy, Chief Winemaker, and Dan Stocker, Winemaker Deep Woods Estate, Margaret River, Western Australia Wine: Deep Woods Estate 2012 Cabernet Merlot (RRP$35.00/bottle) (72% Cabernet Sauvignon/21% Merlot/4% Cabernet Franc/3% Malbec) VITICULTURE The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in this wine are estate-grown on a site 249km south of Perth that experiences temperatures ranging from 11.2°C to 30.1°C from October to April. The vines are on an east-facing slope with an elevation of between 125-141m above sea level and are growing in gravel loam. The site experiences no frost issues.

The vines are on own-roots that were originally sourced from Houghtons and are vertically shoot positioned, with 1.5m vine spacings and 2.5m row spacings.

The vines are shoot and bunch thinned and drip irrigated from a dam at 0.7 megalitres/hectare for 6-8 hours once a month.

Soil management practices include green manure, cover crops and compost.

The vines are mechanically pre-pruned followed by hand-spur pruning to 20 buds per vine.

Weevils and powdery mildew are the main pest and disease concerns for these vines, and we are currently looking at introducing mechanical weeding to eliminate the use of herbicides on the site.

The Cabernet yields an average of 4 tonnes/ha and the Merlot 7 tonnes/ha.

WINEMAKING The fruit is harvested in the early morning to maintain cool fruit temperatures. Most of the fruit is machine harvested however, for our best parcels we do look at either hand picking or selectively machine harvesting (essentially a harvester with a built in destemmer) to maximise fruit quality.

We aim to deliver fruit to the fermenters at between 15-18°C, so will use must chilling if necessary. Given that most of our Cabernet/Merlot/Cab Franc/Malbec is harvested later in the season (that is, after mid-March) night time temperatures are quite cool and chilling often isn’t required.

We destem only (no crushing) and aim for as many intact berries as possible.

We aim to maintain a pH level of 3.4-3.5 during fermentation and acid adjust early (preferably as must) as we find additions post-primary fermentation rarely integrate with the overall wine.

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MARKETING Our Cabernet Merlot sits at the premium end of the middle tier of Deep Woods’ wines - the ‘estate’ range. Launched nationally in 2012, it has since been picked up by Vintage Cellars and Dan Murphy’s stores Australia-wide, and is also sold at cellar door. It is also available in quality on-premise outlets, specifically hotels and restaurants nationally. The wine has won gold medals at the Royal Queensland Wine Show, Perth Royal Wine Show and Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, as well as four silver and four bronze medals, which have helped to drive sales.

Alex Mackenzie, Winemaker Annie's Lane, Clare Valley, South Australia Wine: Annie’s Lane 2013 Cabernet Merlot (RRP$21.99/bottle) (72% Cabernet Sauvignon/16% Merlot/12% Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot) VITICULTURE The fruit is sourced from the Clare sub-regions of Auburn in the south, through to Armagh in the north, and Polish Hill River in the east, with most of the fruit coming from the central Watervale subregion. Most of the fruit sourced for Annie’s Lane comes from vineyards located in the eastern range of Clare with an elevation

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Annie’s Lane winemaker Alex MacKenzie. from 400–500m above sea level. This eastern range catches the westerly winds coming off the Spencer Gulf during the warm summer months creating some cooling and respite. A mix of company and grower fruit is sourced for Annie’s Lane.

The 2013 Clare Valley growing season was defined by warmerthan-average days, especially in spring, and cooler-than-average nights, together with a distinct lack of spring rain.

In spring, the maximum and minimum temperatures were 1.5°C above and 0.5°C below average, respectively. Spring rainfall was 81.0mm below the long term average (LTA). As the season progressed, temperatures became increasingly warmer.

The average maximum in September was 0.9°C above LTA, and 1.4°C and 2.3°C above LTA in October and November. Minimum temperatures were well below LTA in September and October but just above in November. Spring rains were below half the LTA in September and November and just over half in October.

In summer, the maximum and minimum temperatures were 0.4°C above and 0.5°C below average, respectively. Summer rainfall was 14.2mm below the LTA. Maximum temperatures were above LTA, but especially in January. Minimum temperatures hovered just below and just above LTA in December and February but were substantially (>1°C) cooler in January.

Water is very expensive in Clare and is used sparingly.

Consequently, some vineyards are dry-grown, however, most vineyards use drip irrigation and less than 400kL is used per hectare per season. Irrigation is applied as required with moisture monitoring undertaken via C-probes. Surface water (dams) and some imported mains water are used later in the season.

The majority of the source material was planted in the 1990s.

The Cabernet clones include CW44, SA125, Reynella, LC6, LC10 and LC14. The Merlot clone is typically D3V14 and all vines are on own roots. The vines are grown on a single wire trellis with a conventional planting density of 1666 vines/hectare (3m wide rows and 2m vine spacings).

Soils are generally red clay loams over limestone. Most of the soils have high pH and low phosphorus. Compost and mulches, including straw and soil conditioners, are applied to low yielding areas to improve soil structure and soil moisture retention as well as improve uniformity within blocks. Plant cell density (PCD) mapping and rugged computers are used to identify the areas of application.

Most of the vineyards are machine pruned followed by a hand clean-up with a target of 60-80 buds/vine for Cabernet and 36-40 buds/vine for Merlot. The target yield was 6-8 tonnes/hectare but the dry spring/summer led to actual yields of 4-6 tonnes/hectare from the source blocks. Some cold damage in the spring also affected yields and set in both the Cabernet and Merlot. In most grower blocks, all pruning is done by hand to 40 buds per vine.

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A mix of company and grower fruit goes into the Annie’s Lane Cabernet Merlot which is sourced from the Clare subregions of Auburn, Armagh and Polish Hill River with most coming from the central Watervale sub-region.

Shoot thinning is carried out in the spring if necessary followed by a green bunch thin at veraison.

The main concern for sustainability of these vines is eutypa – this directly affects yield and can cause a 10-year-old vineyard to become unviable. There is a trend among the blocks towards organics and away from the continual use of chemicals.

WINEMAKING Annie’s Lane Cabernet Merlot is made with a minimal intervention approach, retaining and enhancing the natural expression of the fruit. Deep red in colour, with lifted aromas of blackcurrants, spearmint and dried herbs. The palate is rich and generous, displaying varietal Cabernet and Merlot characters including redcurrants, and ripe brambly fruit balanced by subtle oak influence. This medium-bodied Cabernet Merlot finishes with savoury tannins.

The 2013 Annie’s Lane Cabernet Merlot is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (16%), Shiraz, and small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. All fruit parcels were harvested, fermented and matured separately until the final stages of blending. Fruit was fermented in a mix of 10t open fermenters, 23t static fermenters and 45t rotary fermenters.

Fruit was fermented on skins from a range of 6-12 days, before pressing and racking to barrel. Sixty percent of the wine was matured in seasoned barriques with 5% new oak. The balance of the wine was kept in stainless steel tank. All parcels were tasted individually before blending and the final wine was unfiltered to bottle and released within 15 months from harvest following 9-12 months barrel maturation.

MARKETING The Annie’s Lane Cabernet Merlot sits in our core range of wines, and is our second highest priority wine behind Shiraz in terms of production and scale. This wine is sold primarily in the off-premise space in Australia, across national and independent customers. It is a consistent favourite of Annie’s Lane consumers year after year thanks to its approachability, structure, and quality. Packaging differentiates our various wines by colour so as to prevent consumer confusion, while maintaining consistency and brand recognisability across the range.

The cellar door is located in Watervale at the heritage listed Quelltaler Estate and provides daily tastings of this wine, as well as a range of cellar door exclusive wines.

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Cabernet Merlots - an Aussie twist on a Bordeaux classic

By Sonya Logan

The Wine & Viticulture Journal recently held its first tasting of the classic Bordeaux blend Cabernet Merlot with the entries overall pleasantly surprising the tasting panel.

O

ur recent tasting of Australianmade Cabernet Merlots was restricted to those with recommended retail prices of $20-40 and containing at least 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot being the second highest component. For comparison, we also slipped in three blends in which Merlot didn’t make up the second highest proportion, but were nonetheless blends of at least two of the traditional Bordeaux grape varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon still making up the lion’s share.

Joining the panel for the tasting were Dan Graham, winemaker and manager for Redheads Studio, based in the Barossa Valley, and Richard Gawel and Mark Solomon, research scientist and scientist, respectively, with the Australian Wine Research Institute.

The panel admitted that overall the wines had pleasantly surprised them.

“I came into this tasting thinking there would be more greener wines with leafy, minty characters,” Dan Graham said. “But I can see producers are working hard to draw back from that. In fact, I’d go so far as to suggest that I think this is a price point that

wineries are really aiming for now – they’re not aiming for minty, leafy Cabernets because they’re no longer consumer friendly at a lower price point.”

Richard Gawel had similar thoughts.

“At the lower end of the Cabernet Merlot market there are some really awful wines in which flavours like asparagus dominate. Coming into this tasting I was expecting to see a lot of those types of wines, but I didn’t. Some had a little bit of greenness to them but that can be part of the style if done properly, even though I’m not a fan of them,” Gawel said.

“When looking at Cabernet Merlot you want a well-structured, complete wine,” Gawel continued. “A couple of the wines in the line-up nailed it. And, positively, there were hardly any wines that were over-oaky which is good.”

Graham said Cabernet on its own can make hard wines which was why blending it with other Bordeaux varieties was “a good option”.

“There were still some wines in this tasting that I found were quite hard and tannic, but there were some nice plush ones in there too that showed good use

Mark Solomon (foreground), from the Australian Wine Research Institute, joined winemaker Dan Graham (rear), from Redheads Studio, and Richard Gawel, also from the AWRI to make up the tasting panel for our Cabernet Merlot tasting.

WATERSHED 2012 CABERNET MERLOT

DEEPWOODS ESTATE 2012 CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT

ANNIE’S LANE 2013 CABERNET MERLOT

(72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec) Margaret River, Western Australia 14.0% v/v – screwcap RRP$35.00/bottle

(72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 12% Shiraz) Clare Valley, South Australia 14.0% v/v - screwcap RRP$21.00/bottle

(84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot) Margaret River, Western Australia 14.5% v/v - screwcap RRP$29.95/bottle Best of tasting: Bright and deep crimson. Dense and brooding blackcurrant notes on the nose with hints of herbs, mint and eucalypt. Powerful blackcurrant fruit on the palate which has lots of depth and persistence and good roundness. Firm drying tannins that become powdery. “A very generous, well-structured wine that will get better with age,” one taster said. “Classic Cabernet,” noted another.

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Best of tasting: Deep bright red in colour. Fresh, vibrant blackcurrant and blackberry aromas on the nose with hints of mint, eucalypt, leather, spice, cedary oak and some herbs giving complexity. Generous fruit on the palate which has a round and rich mouthfeel. Nicely structured wine with a chewy tannin finish. One taster found the eucalypt character too predominant.

W I N E & VITICULTUR E JO UR N A L MARC H /APRIL 2015

of oak,” he said. “Overall, it was a very solid, very classical line-up.”

The panel rated two wines from Margaret River and made from the same vintage as best in the tasting: the Watershed 2012 Cabernet Merlot and DeepWoods Estate 2012 Cabernet Merlot, with a notable mention going to the Annie’s Lane 2013 Cabernet Merlot as the best value for money wine in the line-up.

Value for money wine of tasting: Deep crimson with purple hues. Big, fresh and ripe nose with red berry and blackberry fruits, savoury and dried herb notes and spicy oak. Beautiful freshness on the palate with some firm, grippy Cabernet tannin; lots of ripe cherry and red currant fruit. “Suffers from the Cabernet donut in lacking some fullness,” noted one taster, “but is a great young wine.” “Perhaps a bit over-extracted,” said another. www.wine biz. com . au

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TA S T I N G N O T E S

SQUITCHY LANE 2013 CABERNET MERLOT

SCOTCHMANS HILL 2012 HENRY FROST CABERNET MERLOT

ARAVINA ESTATE 2012 CABERNET MERLOT

(55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc) Yarra Valley, Victoria 13.0% v/v - screwcap RRP$26.00/bottle

(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot) Clare Valley, South Australia 14.0% v/v - screwcap RRP$24.00/bottle

(55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot) Margaret River, Western Australia 14.5% v/v - screwcap RRP$30.00/bottle

Intense crimson colour with a purple hue. Simple cherry fruit on the nose with some briary and cedary oak and a hint of blackberry; slight VA evident. Fresh dark fruits upfront on the palate which fall away from the mid palate; lots of drying tannin and a slightly hard finish.

Simple, drinkable wine.

Bright mid-straw in colour with yellow and green flashes.

Mid red in colour with brick hues. Chocolate, earth, dark fruit, herbal, green bean and capsicum characters on the nose along with slight mint and dusty notes. Lean palate which is alcohol dominant and somewhat acidic; lacks fruit. Slight bitterness and sourness on the finish. “Nice nose but lacks a bit of fruit weight in the mouth,” noted one taster.

Bright colour of mid red. Characters of fresh plum conserve, dark cherry and mocha as well as hints of mint, eucalyptus and fruit cake. Good, round mouthfeel with generous fruit, spicy flavours and plummy fruit sweetness; firm grainy tannins. “Good approachable wine with a pleasant, soft mouthfeel,” noted one taster.

“A classic Cabernet with good use of oak and nice tannin structure,” noted another.

WHIPHAND 2012 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

CAPE MENTELLE 2013 TRINDERS CABERNET MERLOT

ANGUS THE BULL 2013 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

(91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot) Barossa Valley, South Australia 14.0% v/v – cork RRP$35.00/bottle

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot) Margaret River, Western Australia 13.5% v/v - screwcap RRP$34.99/bottle

(89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) Central Victoria 13.7% v/v – screwcap RRP$21.99/bottle)

Mid to deep red in colour. Low intensity nose with cherry and some slight eucalypt and blackcurrant characters.

Lovely fresh fruit on the palate with some quite dry tannins which are not quite in balance with the intensity of the fruit. Falls away quickly. Hard/metallic tannic finish. “Lovely fresh wine but tannin needs to settle,” noted one taster. “A bit green,” noted another.

Deep bright red in colour. Aromas of spearmint and menthol on the nose with lots of lovely bright and ripe dark fruits like blackberry and blackcurrant. Slight cedary oak note.

Beautiful fresh fruits on the palate; quite big tannins and hard acid; falls away a little. “Lots of acid, tannin and flavour but didn’t quite come together. Everything is there but probably needs a bit more time to integrate,” noted one taster.

KARRIBINDI 2011 CABERNET MERLOT

ROCHFORD 2013 LA GAUCHE CABERNET

GLENERRON 2010 CABERNET MERLOT

(75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot) Margaret River, Western Australia 13.5% v/v - screwcap RRP$25.00/bottle

(90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) Yarra Valley, Victoria 14.5% v/v - screwcap RRP$30.00/bottle

(75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot) Eden Valley, South Australia 14.0% v/v – screwcap RRP$28.00/bottle

Deep red in colour with some developed brown hues.

Big and ripe nose featuring jubey blackcurrants, jam, strawberries and cream and sweet fruits. Sweet jubey fruits carry through to the palate, which also features some Christmas cake spice and almond kernel-like oak.

Lovely firm tannins and good acid balance. Long finish.

Mid to deep red brick in colour. Green bean, capsicum and cooked vegetable notes on the nose, as well as a boot polish/lethary character with some nice cedary oak in the background. Herbaceous and green palate that carries through the green bean and capsicum notes from the nose. Firm and slightly drying tannins and some sweet oak.

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Deep red colour. Blackberry and ripe berry notes on the nose with some slight reduction. Medium weight palate with good, ripe blackberry fruit upfront as well as some asparagus and stewy fruit flavours; reduction character still evident. Dry tannins. Hard extracted character on the finish.

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Medium brick red in colour. Mint, eucalypt, soy sauce and savoury aromas on the nose along with some vanilla oak; lacks freshness. Rich, round and soft palate with some complex aged characters including plum pudding and Christmas cake. Soft tannins upfront. Slightly metallic, acidic finish.

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VA TA RS I ETTI N AL G R N EOPT O ER ST

TAYLORS 2013 WINEMAKERS PROJECT CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT, MALBEC, CABERNET FRANC (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 8% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc) Clare Valley, South Australia 14.5% v/v – screwcap RRP$32.00/bottle Mid to deep red in colour. Oak-driven characters on the nose with green aromas underneath. One taster thought the nose had a hot ferment character. Lean and slightly sweet palate with cooked vegetable notes and some bitterness. Lovely oak put to good use but palate lacks depth overall.

JUNIPER ESTATE 2011 SOUTH

BY SOUTHWEST HIGHER PLANE CABERNET MERLOT (73% Cabernet Merlot, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec) Margaret River, Western Australia 14.0% v/v – screwcap RRP$22.00/bottle Bright brick red in colour. Good use of oak evident on the nose along with some intense, ripe blackberry fruit.

Rich mouthfeel with some lovely fruit sweetness and oak upfront. Big jammy finish; acid and tannin a bit hard.

BLEASDALE 2012 FRANK POTTS (65% Cabernet Merlot, 15% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc) Langhorne Creek, South Australia 14.0% v/v – screwcap RRP$35.00/bottle

ADELAIDE WINEMAKERS 2012 CLARENCE HILL RESERVE CABERNET

JUNIPER ESTATE 2012 JUNIPER CROSSING CABERNET MERLOT

(80% Cabernet Sauvigon, 20% Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot) Langhorne Creek, South Australia 14.5% v/v – cork RRP$40.00/bottle

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot) Margaret River, Western Australia 14.0% v/v – screwcap RRP$20.00/bottle

Deep plum red in colour. Vanilla characters on the nose with lovely dark fruit notes in the background; slightly Bretty. One taster noted aromas of jonquils and jasmine.

Good oak evident on the palate which delivers some lovely sweetness and structure; good dense dark fruits apparent too. Oak a little too predominant.

Deep crimson in colour. Jammy, ripe, cooked berry aromas with hints of vanilla as well as a jubey blackcurrant note. Blackcurrant lolly note carries through onto the palate which has good, ripe berry fruits.

Drying tannins and good persistence. One taster thought the wine had a soapy mouthfeel.

BLEASDALE 2013 FRANK POTTS

YARRA YERING 2012 WARRAMATE CABERNETS

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot) Langhorne Creek, South Australia 14.0% v/v – screwcap RRP$35.00/bottle Deep crimson with purple hues. Fresh and vibrant nose with jubey fruits, blackberry and blackcurrant and some vanilla oak. Palate has ripe pretty fruit upfront, lovely sweetness and a reasonable length. “Pretty and pleasurable and a crowd pleaser,” said one taster.

(70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc) Yarra Valley, Victoria 13.0% v/v - screwcap RRP$28.00/bottle Deep brick red in colour. Slight green bean note on the nose as well as some blackberry, cloves, leather and Christmas cake character. Green bean note carries through onto the palate where there is also some nice fruit sweetness. Hard acid and drying tannins.

Cabernet Merlot

Deep crimson in colour with purple hues. Dense blackcurrant and blackberry characters on the nose with a slight ‘dirty’ lees character. Round fleshy mouthfeel that is sweet, jammy and ripe. Some nice oak although the tannin and acid is a little green. “Lots of generosity all round – one for the Shiraz drinkers,” said one taster.

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES

New 913 pH meter from Metrohm excellence in pH measurement of wine

M

etrohm has released a new generation of benchtop and portable pH meters - the 912 conductometer, the 913 pH meter and the 914 pH/conductometer.

The 913 pH meter in particular is a useful addition to any winery. It’s an easyto-use measuring instrument for routine operation in the laboratory and on the road. pH and temperature can be measured in parallel with one analog and one intelligent sensor with the output connected to a large colour display. Important information such as charge state, quality of the calibration, calibration interval, etc. can also be clearly viewed at a glance. A PIN-protected expert mode protects the instrument against unintentional changes of various

parameters by routine users.

In order to permit mobile use, the 913 pH meter has an accumulator that can be charged both in the laboratory using the power supply unit and on the road via a 12volt in-car connector.

A stand plate allows the mobile meter to be easily converted into a laboratory meter and vice versa.

The memory can hold up to 10,000 data sets. Back in the office the meter is simply plugged in the USB port of a PC and the collected data exported straight to LIMS or Excel or can be managed in tiBase, the Metrohm titration software.

Ergonomic design ensures the 913 pH meter fits comfortably in one hand. Each key on the clearly organised user interface

The 913 pH meter from Metrohm a useful addition to any winery lab, big or small. comes with a secure pressure point. Hence, the meters can be operatedintuitively with the operator’s left or right thumb while the other hand remains free to hold the electrode(s) in the medium in which the measurement is done.

The 913 pH meter is available in Australia from MEP Instruments, visit www. mep.net.au, phone (02) 9878 6900, email: info@mep.net.au.

Reducing injuries on changeovers

E

verybody recognises there are OHS risks associated with lifting heavy change parts – it can be dangerous.

There is a responsibility to keep personnel safe. And one way to reduce these risks may be the manufacture of lightweight change parts. Reducing the weight involves alternative materials and design changes, determined through many hours of Research and Development.

“It is not unusual for us to be able to reduce the weight of scrolls, guides or star wheels, from between 30 and 50 per cent which is remarkable really,” said Peter Hetherington, from Alternative Engineering.

Star wheels, guides and feed screws are all key components of wine bottle filling, capping and labelling line equipment. And lighter weight parts means that reduced numbers of people required to carry out

a changeover; one person can safely and easily manage the role. “Some of our clients are changing perfectly functioning machine parts for lightweight change parts purely and simply from an OHS point of view. They recognise how much safer it is and how easy it is for them to reduce the risks for their staff,” said Hetherington.

Because the change parts are designed and produced in a 3D format, it is possible to determine how much the new change part will weigh prior to manufacture. The added bonus is that changeovers can be quicker and keep machinery operating to higher efficiencies and capacity.

Carts for parts can also be sourced, which allows change parts to be stored in an organised and easy to access place.

This helps to further reduce the danger of accidents and damage by ensuring the change parts are stored safely. If OHS

and the wellbeing of your personnel is something that concerns you then maybe a bit of a closer look at lightweight change parts would be recommended?

For further information phone 1300 558 220 or email sales@alternativeengineering. com.au.

The ‘holy grail’ of crossflow filters

T

he Omnia crossflow filter is the ‘holy grail’ for winemakers looking for that piece of machinery that will filter all their winery needs – all year round.

Della Toffola has manufactured a machine that can rid wineries of diatomaceous earth forever! Just imagine, no dust in the winery or spent earth blocking up the drains. The unit will handle juice bottoms, juice flotation solids, and wine lees and can also undertake regular wine filtration tasks for bottle-ready applications.

The filter is easy to use with operators needing only to simply enter two separate

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levels of data on the touchscreen (volume to filter and level of Difficulty) and it’s ready to run.

The OMNIA has three key features: on-board rotary brush strainer to eliminate heavy impurities rotating head brush strainer with vacuum head to sweep and remove any fibrous material from the ceramics during filtration. Ceramic filtration media with a multitude of micron and channel sizes to suit everyone’s needs.

Omnia units have been operating throughout Australia and New Zealand during vintage 2015 and experiencing W I N E & V I T I C ULTUR E JO UR NA L MARC H /APRIL 2015

excellent results. Models start with the smaller Omnia 50/24 and range up to the larger Omnia I versions that can be built to suit wineries’ outputs.

For further information contact Della Toffola Pacific, email: info@dtpacific.com, phone (03) 9924 4040.

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Melbourne

Adelaide

New Zealand

Great Range of Quality

Bottling Equipment

Borelli monoblocs Automatic monobloc ďŹ llers with Filling, rinsing, corking and screwcapping options available.

Fillers available from 6 to 40 heads with capacity of 1000 to 16000 bottles per hour

Enos Euro Labellers Automatic labelling systems for up to 2500 bottles per hour, suitable for adhesive labels for front and back label and year sticker, both on round and square bottles.

Bottle Rinsers Tardito 20 head automatic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; up to 1500 bottles per hour Smaller 2 head units also available

Screw Cappers

S/Steel Bottle Fillers

Bench Units Electric or Electric/Pneumatic

4 & 6 head Bench or Freestanding Units Available as Gravity Fed or with Electronic Float for Pump Control

For further details, contact us on: Melbourne 59 Banbury Rd, Reservoir Ph. 1300 882 850 Adelaide 12 Hamilton Tce, Newton Ph. 08 8365 0044 New Zealand 4C Titoki Place, Albany, Auckland Ph. 0800 699 599 E. sales@winequip.com.au www.winequip.com.au www.winequip.co.nz