• The quantification methods for 2,4-D in grapes and wine were developed in a short period of time (April to June 2005) in collaboration with staff of Research groups, Industry Development and Support and Analytical Service. The methods were applied for the analysis of survey samples (more than 100) received from AWBC.
• A proposed industry 'standard' laboratory method for the measurement of the concentration of total anthocyanins in red grapes was prepared and presented to the Winemakers' Federation of Australia.
• A robust and simple assay based on a precipitation protocol was validated for tannin measurement. This assay is ideal for incorporation into the standard suite of tools used for objective measurement of wine and grape parameters. We envisage that the technical simplicity of this assay will allow for widespread research and field applications.
• The tannin team's poster 'The effects on red wine of pre- and post-ferment additions of grape-derived tannin' was awarded the prize for the best Oenology poster at the 12th Wine Industry Technical Conference (July 2004 Melbourne, Vic).
• Continuing investigations into alternative sample presentation modes for NIR scanning confirmed the feasibility of whole grape berry analysis, offering the potential to greatly speed up the testing of red grapes by such techniques.
• The NIR team commenced the development of materials for training and teaching of the principles and use of multivariate analysis techniques (chemometrics) to other AWRI staff members as well as for industrial and external research partners, including for example, a workshop for Yalumba winemakers and viticulturists (September 2004).
• Improved calibrations for the FOSS WineScan have been developed through the inclusion of Australian wine samples and NATA accreditation for the method has been achieved.
• Four genes affecting volatile thiols release were identified and a gene encoding an alcohol acetyltransferases, ATF1, was implicated in the conversion of the volatile thiol 3-mercaptohexanol (3MH) to 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA). A number of commercial wine yeasts were identified as high capacity volatile thiol releasers and high capacity volatile thiol converters. This work offers the prospects of developing wine yeast starter strains with optimised volatile thiol release.
• Hentie Swiegers was the recipient of the inaugural EDS Bioscience Scholarship.
• The sensory evaluation capacity of the AWRI has been expanded considerably with Kate Lattey having successfully achieved a professional sensory analysis graduate certificate qualification and Belinda Bramley recently joining the sensory team.
• To mark the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the AWRI, the Industry Development and Support team organised the tasting and analysis of a range of Australian red wines that were being grown and made at the time of the AWRI's founding, from the vintages 1954, 1955 and 1956.
• The AWRI Solutions section of the website was further enhanced, and a major new section on the establishment of winery laboratories was added.
• The AWRI Viticulturist responded to 547 enquiries. The majority (87%) were regarding the use of agrochemicals for pest and disease control, the persistence of residues through winemaking and their effects on fermentation, and issues related to maximum residue limits in overseas markets.
• Eleven thousand copies of the AWRI's annual publication, Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture 2004/2005 were produced and duplicated on the Institute's website. The booklet was distributed with the Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker, Technical Review and in the Research to Practice^™ IPM and Spray application manuals. The tables were featured in Australian Viticulture and The Grapevine Management Guide 2004/2005 (Somers et al. 2004).
• The Viticulturist and Jelka Software developed further the searchable database to replace the static retrieval of agrochemical information currently available from the AWRI's agrochemical website database. This database is similar to the currently existing MRL database except that it contains all the information related to and presented in the publication, Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture 2004/2005.
• A common spray diary format was developed in conjunction with industry for the 2004/2005 season and was placed on the AWRI website. This format was successfully implemented and is now the recommended format for 2005/2006.
• Several strains of Saccharomyces yeast and fermentation conditions have been identified which can not only produce monoterpenes but carry out their transformation, for example geraniol to citranellol.
• Two inter-specific hybrid yeasts, S. paradoxus-S. cerevisiae (AWRI 1501) and S. kudriavzevii-S. cerevisiae (AWRI 1503), selected on the basis of pilot winemaking trials have, for the first time, been produced in sufficient quantity by AB Mauri for winemaking trials nationally. The wines will be evaluated to determine commercial viability of these novel wine yeasts.
• A long-term study on the formation of damascenone in wine has now been completed with the synthesis of several glycoconjugated precursor compounds and analogues (models) of these precursors. These compounds gave damascenone in high yield. This behaviour is similar to that of several other glucosidic and aglycone precursors we have studied previously. The behaviour of the model compounds at wine pH has enabled us to understand what features of the various damascenone precursors are responsible for these precursors being converted to damascenone rather than to other (flavourless) products.
• We have demonstrated that decreases in damascenone content during wine maturation are mainly due to the reaction with sulfur dioxide, forming a sulphonic acid derivative.
• A new total synthesis of the nature-identical forms of cis- and trans-oak lactone has been achieved. The nature-identical cis-isomer was completely free of its trans-counterpart, and vice versa. Furthermore, the individual isomers were of a very high state of enantiomeric purity.
• The Librarian spent the four days demonstrating the AWRI Library database to Conference and Exhibition delegates at the 12AWITC and taking contact details to facilitate subsequent forwarding of access requirements to interested delegates following the Conference. Over 100 delegates requested the access details.
• Staff of the John Fornachon Memorial Library responded to 3,559 requests for information during 2004/2005.
• Over 3,900 records were added to the web-accessible database of the Library (available only to Australian winemakers and grapegrowers) during the year, making a total of over 32,000 records available for searching, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The database was used 1,723 times during the year.
• A specialist wine and environment web-accessible database was established during the year, which is available to the general public via the AWRI's website. The database was used 1,712 times during the year.
• The Twelfth Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference was conducted between 24 and 29 July 2004 in Melbourne Vic. The Conference program featured 11 international and 32 local speakers, presented over eight two-hour formal sessions and three colloquia. The conference registered 1,680 delegates and the Trade Exhibition showcased 206 local and international wine industry suppliers. Over the four days, 3,751 visitors attended the exhibition. The poster display featured 220 posters. Some 1,980 workshop places were sold to the 67 workshops.
• AWRI published 53 papers on AWRI activities in refereed and non-refereed publications.
• AWRI staff members gave 173 oral presentations, conducted 21 workshops and presented 72 posters.
• AWRI staff members presented 58 lectures and coordinated a six week subject to undergraduate students.
• AWRI staff members supervised/co-supervised 29 postgraduate students.
• AWRI staff members recorded and responded to 6,495 requests for information during the 2004/2005 year or, to put the statistics into perspective, 26 people contacted the AWRI seeking information on every working day of the year. This figure does not include the amount of problem samples investigated (1,736) or the request for work through the Analytical Service which conducted 64,700 individual analyses during 2004/2005.

Readers are strongly encouraged to read the 2005 Annual Report in detail rather than relying on the brief details above for information.