The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

Christmas closure and support during the break

20 December 2021 >

The AWRI will be closed over the Christmas/New Year period from midday on Friday, 24 December and will re-open at 8:30am on Tuesday, 4 January 2022.

AWRI Commercial Services
The Commercial Services laboratories will be closed from midday on Friday, 24 December and will re-open at 9:00am on Monday, 10 January 2022.

Industry support
Telephone and email support will be available during the office closure. If you require assistance over the holiday period, please contact:

Library
The John Fornachon Memorial Library will be closed from midday on Friday, 24 December and will re-open at 9:00am on Tuesday, 4 January 2022. Access to the library’s online database will continue to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the AWRI website.

eNews – December 2021

17 December 2021 >

Best wishes for the festive season and vintage 2022

Vale Randell Taylor

Resources on wet weather conditions

Still seeking reductive white wines

AWRI decanted season 1

Aeration workshop recording available

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia update

Order the latest staff publications online

Acknowledgements

Have you listened to AWRI decanted?
The AWRI wishes everyone in the grape and wine community a safe and happy festive season, with a chance to relax and recharge before vintage 2022. We look forward to working with you next year.

Vale Randell Taylor
All of us at the AWRI have been incredibly touched by the many kind messages received from across our industry since the tragic death of our friend and colleague Randell Taylor on 27 November. Randell had served the AWRI and the grape and wine industry for more than 25 years. He was known and respected for his expertise in trace analysis of wine, but is remembered most for his infectious smile, positive energy and incredible zest for life. We are devastated by his loss and will miss him enormously. An online tribute board has been created where people can share photos and memories of Randell: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/vpiEOvWM

Resources on wet weather conditions

The Bureau of Meteorology declared a La Niña event on 23 November 2021, which was not a surprise to many parts of Australia already been experiencing wet and cool weather. A wide range of resources including eBulletins and webinar recordings are available to help growers and winemaking dealing with wetter conditions and the associated disease risks:

Still seeking reductive white wines

Do you have a white wine with a reductive character? The AWRI and Charles Sturt University are working on a study to better understand copper addition practices and ‘reductive’ aromas in white wine. A large number of white wines with some degree of reductive aroma are needed for analysis. The researchers leading this study would greatly appreciate if producers could provide examples of wines with sulfide-related aromas. All information regarding the wines will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and no reference to producers will be made. Only information regarding the variety, region, and vintage will be included in the study. This work ultimately aims to provide winemakers with tangible guidance on the best practice use of copper and how to prevent ‘reductive’ aroma formation in white wine. Please contact Dr Marlize Bekker (marlize.bekker@awri.com.au) if you can help or for more information.

AWRI decanted season 1
The first season of the AWRI’s podcast wrapped up recently, with an episode featuring Matt Zadow from Yalumba’s Oxford Landing Winery. Matt shared his experiences adding oxygen to red ferments and the benefits he is seeing from this practice. This was a great follow-up to the previous episode where Dr Simon Schmidt discussed the AWRI’s research on oxygen use in winemaking. All seven episodes of season 1 are available on the major podcast apps (e.g. Apple, Spotify) and via the AWRI website. Season 2 will go to air after vintage. Subscribe to AWRI decanted in your podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available.

Aeration workshop recording available

On 30 November the AWRI hosted an online workshop on aeration of red ferments, the recording of which is now available on the AWRI’s YouTube channel. This workshop was designed for both winemakers who currently use aeration during fermentation and those who would like to try it next vintage. It covers the equipment needed, how to set it up and use it, as well as insights into technology for measuring oxygen during fermentation. Presenters include Luke Wilson (Yalumba Wines), Jeremy Nascimben (Calabria Wines), Prof. Roger Boulton, University of California, Davis, USA and Anthony D’Onise (Windowrie Wines). For further information or assistance with adopting aeration of red ferments, contact the AWRI helpdesk team on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia update
Thanks to support from across Australia, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is continuing to grow and now has more than 800 members in 48 wine regions. Demand for certification is also increasing with more wine labels carrying the trust mark and more signs going up around the country. If you’re certified, we’d love to receive a photo of your sign to add to our gallery. If you’re thinking of a creative way to use the trust mark, remember to check the rules and style guide and get in touch (helpdesk@awri.com.au) for assistance.

The AWRI sustainability team has been extremely busy over the past few months delivering certification training to more than 400 members of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia across 31 regions. Participants at these workshops rated the usefulness of these workshops at 98% and more than half said that they’d take the information they heard and change their practices in their vineyards and wineries. Attendance at a certification training workshop is the first step towards becoming a certified member. These workshops deliver everything needed for growers, winemakers and wine businesses to interpret and implement the program for the best outcomes at audit and ongoing program management. If you would like to participate in an upcoming certification workshop, please complete the expression of interest form here.

Order the latest staff publications online

Accessing the latest AWRI publications is easy. Visit the AWRI Publications web page to:

  • View the 10 most recent AWRI staff publications and order the articles online from the AWRI Library
  • Search the staff publications database
  • Read the full-text of ‘Technical Notes’ from Technical Review (PDF format)
  • Read the full-text of ‘AWRI reports’ and ‘Vineyards of the world columns’ published in Wine & Viticulture Journal (PDF format)
  • Read the full text of ‘Ask the AWRI columns’ published in Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker

The AWRI’s most recent publications are listed below.

2261 Xing, F., Gao, D., Habili, N., Wang, H., Zhang, Z., Cao, M., Li, S. Identification and molecular characterization of a novel carlavirus infecting rose plants (Rosa chinensis Jacq.). Arch. Virol. doi: 10.1007/s00705-021-05260-2: 1-4; 2021.

2262 Longbottom, M. Ask the AWRI: Carbon accounting. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (694): 44-45; 2021.

Acknowledgements

The AWRI acknowledges support from Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body, Wine Australia, with matching funds from the Australian Government. The AWRI is a member of the Wine Innovation Cluster in Adelaide, South Australia.

Technical Review December 2021 issue available online

16 December 2021 >

The December 2021 issue of Technical Review is now available online. Articles and abstracts can be viewed individually, or the full issue can be downloaded. The online format of Technical Review allows you to browse the list of the latest articles on grape and wine production by keyword, view article summaries and order journal articles from the AWRI Library.

For copyright reasons, access to abstracts is available only to Australian winemakers and grapegrowers who pay the Wine Grapes or Grape Research levies. The technical notes authored by the AWRI are, however, freely available. If you have forgotten your password for the AWRI website, please use the forgotten password link to reset your password.

Below is a snapshot of what’s in this issue:

AWRI Technical Notes
AWRI publications
Current literature – oenology
Current literature – viticulture

Statement – Sustainable Winegrowing Australia legal proceedings

22 November 2021 >

The Australian Wine Research Institute advises members and stakeholders of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia that legal proceedings have been commenced by Dr Irina Santiago-Brown, in the Sydney Registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, against the AWRI and Australian Grape & Wine.

Downy mildew update

18 November 2021 >

Issued: 18 November 2021, updated 19 November 2021

Recent weather conditions have been conducive to downy mildew infection and symptoms of the disease have been reported in some regions. This eBulletin provides a reminder about downy mildew control.

CHEMICALS REGISTERED FOR USE
The recommendations section of Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian Viticulture 2021/2022 (‘Dog book) lists the active constituents registered for downy mildew control in Australian viticulture that can be used on grapes destined for export wine. The restrictions on use are imposed to ensure that the chance of residues is minimal. A list of all the active constituents registered for downy mildew control can be found on the AWRI online search portal here.
Phosphorous acid and captan are active constituents that are not currently (2021/22) accepted for use on grapes for export wines. The use of phosphorous acid is discussed on the AWRI’s phosphorous acid webpage.

MANAGING THE DISEASE
There are two main types of downy mildew fungicide, classified according to their timing in relation to infection events (pre-infection and post-infection), which also describes when they are most effective.

Pre-infection fungicides (protectants)
These protect the vine by preventing infection. Some protectant fungicides are taken into the grapevine tissue, but most provide a protective barrier on the surface of the foliage where they stop spores germinating. Since downy mildew invades through the stomates, contact fungicides should be applied to cover the undersides of leaves – the most difficult place to spray. They must be re-applied prior to an infection event if there is sufficient growth of leaves or of developing berries. Sprays should be applied as close as possible before infection events while allowing time for the spray to dry. Access to forecasts of downy mildew events will help time these sprays best.

Post-infection fungicides (eradicants)
These kill the pathogen inside infected tissue if they are applied at the right time. They do not eradicate the disease from the vineyard but, being systemic, are quickly absorbed into the sprayed foliage and are ‘rain fast’ within two to three hours of spraying.

The post-infection fungicides are more expensive but are able to stop the downy pathogen from within infected tissue, provided they are applied before oil spots appear. Consequently, these fungicides should only be applied when needed, as soon as possible after an infection and before oil spots appear (i.e. in warm conditions, within five days post-infection). In cool conditions oil spots may take three weeks to appear, so the monitoring period needs to be extended. Like all fungicides, good coverage is important.

The post-infection fungicides include metalaxyl and metalaxyl-M (Group 4) and phosphorous acid (Group 33). Because metalaxyl and metalaxyl-M are mixed with mancozeb or copper (protectants) these mixtures simultaneously provide a protective shield against new infection while treating infected tissue. However, as post-infection fungicides are single-site ‘actives’ and sprayed while the disease is present, they are at a high risk for resistance development. Resistance to metalaxyl and metalaxyl-M (Group 4) has been detected in Australian vineyards. Follow resistance management guidelines in the ‘Dog book’.

Spray timing
In wet seasons, weather conditions may prevent sprays from being applied when desired. Protectant fungicides should be applied to restrict the disease from getting established. Growers may need to shorten the window between protectant applications if weather conditions promote disease development and active growth is occurring. Relying on curative agrochemicals will not work if sprays cannot be applied. In low disease pressure years, timing sprays in relation to primary and secondary infection events may be a viable strategy. For this to work, growers need to monitor weather forecasts and at predicted times of high disease risk spray before the disease develops. Monitoring and interpreting the weather that follows is important to determine if infection occurred and adjust spray type and timing accordingly. If available, seek assistance from regional disease alert services.

Checking spray efficacy – the ‘bag test’
The efficacy of sprays can be checked by ‘bag testing’ oil spots to see if the downy mildew is still active. The bag test aims to stimulate sporulation conditions and involves putting the oil spot leaf in a ziplock plastic bag with a moist tissue and storing it at room temperature (ideally above 13°C) in a drawer overnight. If fresh sporulation (down) is present on the underside of the oil spot the following morning then the downy mildew is still active. Sometimes, the centre of the oil spot is dead but the margins can still remain active. Conducting bag tests on multiple oil spots from across the vineyard can provide a good picture as to whether the downy mildew is active or not.

Important considerations when spraying

  • Spray coverage is critical for good control. It’s important to calibrate sprayers and check coverage. Make sure the water volume applied is sufficient to wet the entire canopy to the point of run-off. Sunscreen products can assist in assessing spray coverage on all tissue including hard to reach targets such as inflorescences.
  • Confirmed resistance to metalaxyl has been identified in some regions. This is the result of ongoing use in high pressure sites after an infection (i.e. as an eradicant). The key lesson is that if you can’t apply metalaxyl immediately post-infection (i.e. prior to oil spots), you shouldn’t use it.
  • To be effective, a post-infection spray must go on a dry canopy. A canopy carrying moisture will not take up the chemical and will not provide adequate control. Cultural practices such as trimming to allow more air into the canopy to assist with drying can help reduce disease pressure and improve coverage on remaining and new foliage.
  • Flowers, caps and anthers hold water for longer than leaves. This means they can meet the conditions for infection even if the leaves appear dry and are no longer susceptible. To reduce primary infection conditions, cultural practices such as trimming allow more air into the canopy to assist with drying.
  • Reduce spray intervals in high pressure seasons to maintain protection. Copper sprays at 10-12 day intervals are recommended while the vines are growing strongly and rain persists. Vines can ‘grow out of cover’ at longer intervals of 14 days, allowing downy mildew a chance to infect unprotected new growth.

PHOSPHOROUS ACID
Phosphorous acid is a registered fungicide with post-infection capabilities, but residues in wine are to be expected if it is used at any time during the growing season. For this reason, some exporting wineries have no tolerance for fruit that has been treated with this active ingredient. The ‘Dog book’ recommendation states that phosphorous acid should not be applied to fruit destined for export wines. Growers should contact their winery or grape purchaser prior to any phosphorous acid application.

Information about the tolerance for phosphorous acid residues in different markets can be found on the AWRI’s phosphorous acid webpage.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON DOWNY MILDEW:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Liz Riley, Vitibit and Andrew Taylor, WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are thanked for their contributions to this eBulletin.

For more information or assistance, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Managing disease in wet conditions

12 November 2021 >

12 November 2021

Most grapegrowing regions across Australia have experienced some rainfall in the past week. The Bureau of Meteorology has maintained the ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) Outlook at La Niña ALERT. The chance of a La Niña forming in the coming months is around 70%, or roughly three times the normal likelihood of an event forming in any year. For grapegrowers, La Niña events typically mean increased rainfall and cooler daytime temperatures. A cooler than normal summer is forecast for some parts of eastern Australia, but for other parts a hotter or average summer is forecast. Refer to the Bureau’s latest climate outlook video.

Control of fungal disease is much more challenging in wet seasons, which means it is even more important to get the most out of every spray. The 4Ts of effective spray application are a good reminder of how to do this.

TIMING: Time spray applications to coincide with the most vulnerable life cycle stages of the target disease or when the disease is most destructive. Grapevine flowers are very susceptible to Botrytis and should be protected when conditions favour the disease. Downy mildew and powdery mildew are a threat to any unprotected green tissue, which means that rapid leaf expansion can dilute the protective cover last applied. It may be necessary to shorten spray intervals at times of rapid growth to ensure grapevine tissue is adequately protected. Heavy rainfall or multiple wet days can restrict vineyard access. Consider spraying ahead of wet weather to make sure you can get protective sprays on as required. Spraying in windy conditions is not recommended as it can affect spray coverage and cause off-target impacts.

TARGET: Focus your efforts on making sure you are delivering sprays to the target. It is not easy to get good coverage of all plant tissue, but it is the best chance you have of managing diseases when pressure is high. In low pressure years, this is less important because the climatic conditions (temperature, UV, low humidity) are helping to manage diseases. Sunscreen products can assist in assessing spray coverage on all tissue including hard to reach targets such as inflorescences. Mix up a partial tank, spray a part row, allow a few minutes to dry, assess coverage, adjust sprayer as needed to improve coverage (see TECHNIQUE) and repeat.

TREATMENT: The type and amount of chemical (the treatment) must be appropriate for the pest target. Follow the chemical label instructions with regards to rates and be aware of CropLife resistance management strategies. If you have relied heavily on a few chemical groups in the past, choose a new chemical group. Make sure you are using the appropriate concentration factor if you are doing concentrate spraying – underdosing will result in failure to control and may increase the risk of fungicide resistance.

TECHNIQUE: Good technique involves sprayer adjustment, calibration and evaluation of spray performance using a method to test coverage such as wettable paper or the addition of a sunscreen product (as described in TARGET above). Consider adjustments to:

  • nozzle type, operating pressure, distance from the canopy and direction
  • air volume, speed, and direction
  • water volume applied to the canopy
  • ground speed of the sprayer.

Additional resources on spray application

For more information or assistance, contact the AWRI helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8 313 6600.

Managing vines after hail: webinar and key resources

9 November 2021 >

8 November 2021

Major hail events have recently been experienced in South Australia. While the damage caused by hail can be severe and devastating, there are important actions and decisions to be taken in the wake of a hail event.

To assist grapegrowers dealing with hail-affected vines, the AWRI has organised a webinar on bouncing back from a hail event for Friday, 12 November at 12.30pm central daylight time.

This panel-style webinar brings together technical expertise and industry experience to support growers dealing with the aftermath of hail. Dr Paul Petrie from SARDI will provide a summary of the physiological response of grapevines to hail damage; Chris Rogers from Rogers Viticulture will discuss the recent hail event in the Barossa Valley and the management options available to growers; and Lee Haselgrove from Mure Viticulture will provide insights from the hail event experienced in the Frankland River region, WA in October 2014. There will also be plenty of opportunities for participants to ask questions of the presenters and other industry panellists.

Register now to attend this webinar. The recording will also be available on the AWRI’s YouTube channel following the webinar.

In addition to the webinar, the AWRI has also updated the Managing grapevines after hail damage fact sheet to include the latest knowledge on the effects of hail.

Other useful resources on managing hail-affected vines include:

For more information or assistance, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Advice for growers dealing with hail damage

29 October 2021 >

29 October 2021

Hailstorms hit several grapegrowing regions in South Australia yesterday and hail has been reported today in Victoria. The extent of the damage has yet to be assessed . Most of the affected vineyards are at a phenological stage between E-L 15 (eight leaves separated) and E-L 23 (50% cap fall). At this stage of growth and development the following symptoms can be observed in affected vineyards:

  • Vines can be completely stripped of leaves and inflorescences
  • Leaves can be bruised, torn, tattered, holed, or completely knocked off
  • Shoots and trunks can be broken or bruised and scarred
  • Inflorescences can be knocked off or damaged, although the full extent of the damage may not be obvious until after a few days when the damaged inflorescences start to shrivel
  • Compound/lateral buds located on current season’s shoots can be damaged, affecting the development of fruiting buds for the following season.

While the damage caused by hail can be severe and devastating, there are important actions and decisions to be taken in the wake of a hail event.

Key actions

  • It is recommended to assess damage as soon as possible after a hail event, to determine the level of crop loss and the best management strategy before the damage is obscured by new growth. A follow-up assessment may be needed to determine the full extent of the crop loss as damage to inflorescences may take several days to become obvious.
  • Protection of damaged tissue from Botrytis should be a priority, particularly in wet or humid conditions. Treatments to protect against Botrytis should be applied immediately after hail damage and before any further wet weather.
  • Where the trunk or cordon has been damaged (particularly in young vines), a spray aimed at reducing the risk of Eutypa and Botryosphaeria should be considered. The active ingredient tebuconazole is registered for use against both Eutypa and powdery mildew and can be used up to E-L 29. To be effective against Eutypa, the spray must be applied within a week of the damage occurring.
  • Damage to shoots may result in shoots from lateral buds or secondary and tertiary buds. This can lead to clumping of shoots and/or uneven ripening that may affect fruit quality. Additional canopy management and/or selective harvesting may be needed to maintain quality.
  • If the majority of shoots are significantly damaged, the damaged shoots can be cut off down to the basal buds and the vine left to re-shoot from secondary and tertiary buds. This will promote the development of healthy canes for the following season. However, given that secondary shoots are less fruitful than primary shoots and tertiary shoots are most often not fruitful, yields are expected to be 50-70% of the full crop and harvest delayed by 3-4 weeks.
  • Avoid exposing vines to any further stress. Nutrition and irrigation management are important to keep vines healthy and promote even shoot growth and development. Consider applying a foliar fertiliser that contains micronutrients and amino acids to help the vines recover from the stress caused by hail damage. Foliar fertiliser and fertigation applications should be delayed until the majority of shoots have five leaves separated.
  • Vines may require additional fertiliser inputs after sustaining hail damage, due to the loss of significant reserves used to push secondary shoot growth.

Additional resources

For more information or assistance, contact the AWRI helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

eNews – October 2021

>

Have you listened to AWRI decanted?

New resources on non-chemical control of vineyard weeds

Seeking reductive white wines

Calling on the grape and wine community to join Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

Stakeholder consultation re: changes to AWRI Board composition and appointment

Call for AWITC posters

Register now for spring webinars

Order the latest staff publications online

Acknowledgements

Have you listened to AWRI decanted?
In September, the AWRI launched the first series of its new podcast ‘AWRI decanted’. This podcast introduces some of the scientists working behind the scenes for the Australian grape and wine industry and discusses how their discoveries are being adopted by grapegrowers and winemakers. So far, four episodes have been released, with new ones coming fortnightly on Wednesdays until early December. The first series centres around the theme of wine flavour. AWRI decanted is available on all the usual podcast apps including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Subscribe now, so you won’t miss an episode, or if you prefer, listen directly from the AWRI website.

New resources on non-chemical control of vineyard weeds

To support growers in the adoption of non-chemical weed control practices, the AWRI, with funding from Landcare Australia, has developed a range of resources, accessible from a new Non-chemical weed management webpage on the AWRI website. The resources include several case studies and a decision tool to help growers make decisions about which non-chemical weed control options are best suited to their vineyard. The intention of the decision tool is to narrow down the list of options to consider, rather than providing a single recommendation. Non-chemical weed control workshops were also delivered to more than 300 participants in 11 regions and a webinar was presented to more than 450 participants. The webinar recording, along with all other AWRI webinars, can be accessed from the AWRI’s YouTube channel. For more information on non-chemical options for controlling vineyard weeds, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Seeking reductive white wines
Do you have a white wine with a reductive character? The AWRI and Charles Sturt University are working on a study to better understand copper addition practices and ‘reductive’ aromas in white wine. A large number of white wines with some degree of reductive aroma are needed for analysis. The researchers leading this study would greatly appreciate if producers could provide examples of wines with sulfide-related aromas. All information regarding the wines will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and no reference to producers will be made. Only information regarding the variety, region, and vintage will be included in the study. This work ultimately aims to provide winemakers with tangible guidance on the best practice use of copper and how to prevent ‘reductive’ aroma formation in white wine. Please contact Dr Marlize Bekker (marlize.bekker@awri.com.au) if you can help or for more information.

Calling on the grape and wine community to join Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

Grapegrowers and winemakers looking to demonstrate their sustainability credentials are encouraged to join Australia’s national sustainability program Sustainable Winegrowing Australia – a joint initiative by Australian Grape & Wine, the AWRI and Wine Australia. Consumer and retailer demand for products that can demonstrate they are produced sustainably continues to grow around the world – so now is the time to act.

Currently supported by more than 700 grapegrowers and winemakers across the country, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia enables members to measure, monitor and report their vineyard or winery’s environmental, economic and social initiatives each year. This not only allows members to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, it also puts them on the pathway to continually improve their practices.

To find out how you can benefit from becoming more sustainable, and prepare for membership, sign up today for a short email series packed with tips.

Stakeholder consultation re: changes to AWRI Board composition and appointment

The AWRI has been considering some changes to its Board composition and appointment processes over the past 18 months and has conducted a number of initial consultations with industry. Input is now being sought from stakeholders prior to the changes being implemented, with an industry feedback period open until 12 November 2021. A summary of the proposed changes is provided below. If you would like to receive more information, ask questions or provide feedback, please contact AWRI Company Secretary, Shiralee Dodd, at Shiralee.Dodd@awri.com.au prior to 12 November 2021.

Key proposed changes:

  • Introduce a position elected by Grape Research Levy payers (Grape Research Levy payers are not currently eligible to vote in AWRI Board elections).
  • Reduce the number of positions elected by Levy payers from six to four, including one position nominated and elected by small, medium and large category Wine Grapes Levy payers and one position nominated and elected by Grape Research Levy payers.
  • Increase the maximum number of Special Qualification Director (SQD) positions from four to six, to ensure an appropriate balance of skills and diversity (including geography).
  • Introduce a Nominations Committee, made up of a mix of independent members and current Directors, to assist in the selection and reappointment of SQDs.
  • Incorporate an open recruitment process for the appointment of SQDs, seeking expressions of interest to address identified gaps in the Board’s skills and diversity.
  • Introduce a gender diversity quota for non-executive Director positions, specifying a minimum of at least four Directors of either gender.

Call for AWITC posters
Poster abstract submissions are now open for the 18th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, to be held in Adelaide, 26-29 June 2022. All poster abstracts submitted will be considered for the opportunity to present in a ‘Fresh Science’ conference session or at the student forum ‘In the wine light’. Posters presented at the conference are also in the running for a range of prizes. Abstract submissions of no more than 250 words are due by Friday, 11 March 2022. For more information and to submit your abstract, please visit http://www.awitc.com.au/poster-presentations. Poster questions can be directed to the Poster Coordinators (Marlize Bekker and Josh Hixson) via email at posters@awitc.com.au.

Upcoming webinars – seasonal outlook and vineyard pests

The final webinar in the AWRI’s current series is coming up on Thursday, 11 November. Dr Paul Bierman from the Bureau of Meteorology will present a summary of the recent rainfall and temperature conditions and an explanation of the climate drivers influencing Australia’s weather over the coming months. He will also cover the Bureau of Meteorology’s temperature and rainfall seasonal outlook for summer. Details and registration here.

A week later, our friends at the Bragato Research Institute in New Zealand are presenting a webinar on two insect pests present in New Zealand’s vineyards, but also relevant in Western Australia – the harlequin ladybird and garden weevil. This webinar is scheduled for Thursday, 18 November from 10:30am to 11:30am (Adelaide time). Register here.

This webinar will include:

  • Harlequin ladybird – research project findings and guidance to the New Zealand wine industry by Vaughn Bell, Senior Scientist, Plant & Food Research, New Zealand
  • Garden weevil – introduction to the industry funded weevil project, including advice on identification and monitoring by Len Ibbotson, Viticulture Research and Extension Manager, Bragato Research Institute
  • Harlequin ladybird and garden weevil – a biosecurity perspective presented by Jim Herdman and Sophie Badland, New Zealand Winegrowers Biosecurity Advisor and Biosecurity Manager, respectively.

Order the latest staff publications online

Accessing the latest AWRI publications is easy. Visit the AWRI Publications web page to:

  • View the 10 most recent AWRI staff publications and order the articles online from the AWRI Library
  • Search the staff publications database
  • Read the full-text of ‘Technical Notes’ from Technical Review (PDF format)
  • Read the full-text of ‘AWRI reports’ and ‘Vineyards of the world columns’ published in Wine & Viticulture Journal (PDF format)
  • Read the full text of ‘Ask the AWRI columns’ published in Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker

The AWRI’s most recent publications are listed below.

2247 Culbert, J.A., Jiang, W., Bilogrevic, E., Likos, D., Francis, I.L., Krstic, M.P., Herderich, M.J. Compositional changes in smoke-affected grape juice as a consequence of activated carbon treatment and the impact on phenolic compounds and smoke flavor in wine. J. Agric. Food Chem. 69(35): 10246-10259; 2021.

2248 Culbert, J.A., Krstic, M.P., Herderich, M.J. Development and utilization of a model system to evaluate the potential of surface coatings for protecting grapes from volatile phenols implicated in smoke taint. Molecules 26(17): 5197; 2021.

2249 AWRI. Vineyard management practices to improve soil health. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (689): 50, 52, 54-56 ; 2021.

2250 Carrau, F., Henschke, P.A. Hanseniaspora vineae and the concept of friendly yeasts to increase autochthonous wine flavor diversity. Front. Microbiol. 12: 702093; 2021.

2251 Onetto, C.A., Borneman, A.R., Schmidt, S.A. Strain-specific responses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae to competition by non-Saccharomyces yeasts. Fermentation 7(3): 165; 2021.

2252 Coulter, A., Cordingley, B., Cowey, G., Dixon, R., Essling, M., Holdstock, M., Longbottom, M., Pitcher, L., Simos, C., Krstic, M. Vintage 2021 – observations from the AWRI helpdesk. Wine Vitic. J. 36(4): 30-31; 2021.

2253 Dry, P. Aligoté. Wine Vitic. J. 36(4): p. 65; 2021.

2254 Essling, M. Ask the AWRI: Best practice weed management and the future of herbicides. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (692): p. 20; 2021.

2255 Culbert, J.A., Jiang, W.W., Ristic, R., Puglisi, C.J., Nixon, E.C., Shi, H.M., Wilkinson, K.L. Glycosylation of volatile phenols in grapes following pre-harvest (on-vine) vs. post-harvest (off-vine) exposure to smoke. Molecules 26(17): 5277; 2021.

2256 Gnoinski, G.B., Close, D.C., Schmidt, S.A., Kerslake, F.L. Towards accelerated autolysis? Dynamics of phenolics, proteins, amino acids and lipids in response to novel treatments and during ageing of sparkling wine. Beverages 7(3): 50; 2021.

2257 Hixson, J., Pisaniello, L., Parker, M., Grebneva, Y., Bilogrevic, E., Stegmann, R., Francis, L. Methods for predicting and assessing flavour evolution during white wine ageing. Guichard, E., Le Quéré (eds) Proceedings of the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium, May 4-6, 2021. 10.5281/zenodo.5346589: 1-6; 2021.

2258 Wheal, M.S., Wilkes, E.N. Application of multi-isotope calibration to analysis of wine samples by ICP-MS. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. doi: 10.1039/D1JA00269D: 1-8; 2021.

2259 Cowey, G. Ask the AWRI: How much wine to expect per tonne of grapes. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (693): p. 52-53; 2021.

2260 Ward, C.M., Perry, K.D., Baker, G., Powis, K., Heckel, D.G., Baxter, S.W. A haplid diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella L.) genome assembly resolves 31 chromosomes and identifies a diamide resistance mutation. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 138: 103622; 2021.

Acknowledgements

The AWRI acknowledges support from Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body, Wine Australia, with matching funds from the Australian Government. The AWRI is a member of the Wine Innovation Cluster in Adelaide, South Australia.

Technical Review October 2021 issue available online

14 October 2021 >

The October 2021 issue of Technical Review is now available online. Articles and abstracts can be viewed individually, or the full issue can be downloaded. The online format of Technical Review allows you to browse the list of the latest articles on grape and wine production by keyword, view article summaries and order journal articles from the AWRI Library.

For copyright reasons, access to abstracts is available only to Australian winemakers and grapegrowers who pay the Wine Grapes or Grape Research levies. The technical notes authored by the AWRI are, however, freely available. If you have forgotten your password for the AWRI website, please use the forgotten password link to reset your password.

Below is a snapshot of what's in this issue:

AWRI Technical Notes
AWRI publications
Current literature – oenology
Current literature – viticulture