The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

eNews – October 2021

29 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

Agrochemical update October 2021 – Using sulfur to protect vines, particularly under cool conditions

13 October 2021 >

13 October 2021

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungal pathogen Erysiphe necator, is one of the most economically important diseases of grapevines worldwide. It infects all green tissues of a grapevine, affecting vine health and vigour as well as berry quality. Growers rely on fungicides for disease control and sulfur is the most widely used chemical for this purpose. Sulfur offers very effective protection when good spray coverage is achieved. There are, however, several factors that can reduce the efficacy of sulfur, including incorrect spray timing, poor coverage and adverse weather conditions.

This eBulletin addresses concerns raised by some growers about the efficacy of sulfur under cooler conditions, as the vapour activity of sulfur is reduced in lower temperatures (15°C and below).

KEY POINTS

Good spray coverage is vital for good control. Sulfur kills the spores of powdery mildew on contact; therefore, good coverage of plant tissue ensures a high level of contact and contro It is well established that good coverage is the key to controlling powdery mildew with sulfur.

25°C to 30°C is the optimum temperature. Sulfur’s efficacy is improved at temperatures above 18°C as it becomes volatile and begins to ‘fumigate’ the foliage and bunches, reaching areas not contacted by the spray.

Phytotoxicity can occur above 32°C. Phytotoxicity has been identified as a risk at temperatures over 32°C when the humidity is above 70%. High humidity slows the drying process of the acidic sulfur solution and can result in damage to fruit and foliage.

Sulfur is still effective under cool conditions. At temperatures below 15°C the vapour activity of sulfur is limited; however, good control can still be achieved with good spray coverage. A study on the effect of temperature on the efficacy of sulfur at controlling powdery mildew on grapevine in Australia by Emmett et al. (2003) involved laboratory and field experiments and found the following:

  • No significant differences in sulfur efficacy between 15°C and 20°C at sulfur rates of 200 g/100L in all laboratory experiments except one on detached leaves.
  • No significant differences between 15°C and 20°C at sulfur rates of 300 g/100 L in all laboratory experiments on seedlings.
  • No significant differences between sulfur rates of 300 and 600 g/100 L if the coverage was good in all laboratory experiments. However, there was a large difference between these two rates when the coverage was poor.
  • No significant differences between sulfur rates of 300 and 600 g/100 L in field experiments conducted in cool or warm conditions, especially with regards to the severity of the disease.

Higher rates of sulfur can affect beneficials. Sulfur product labels recommend higher rates when there is high disease pressure or in cooler climates; however, this practice should be considered in the context of the impact of sulfur on beneficial biological agents. Conventionally managed vineyards can choose from a long list of registered agrochemical options to protect against powdery mildew, as detailed in the AWRI ‘Dog book’. Organically managed vineyards have fewer options but can use potassium bicarbonate as an alternative to sulfur.

TAKE HOME MESSAGES

✓ Uniform coverage is critical when using sulfur in cool conditions.

✓ The low label rate is adequate with good spray coverage.

✓ There are alternatives to sulfur under cool conditions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The AWRI acknowledges Drs Ismail Ismail, Suzanne McKay and Mark Sosnowski from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Primary Industries and Regions and Liz Riley from Vitibit Pty Ltd for their contributions to this eBulletin.

FURTHER READING
Emmett, B., Wicks, T., Hitch, C., Rozario, S., Hawtin, J., Deland, L., Jaeger, C. 2003. Final report to the GWRDC. Strategic use of Sulphur in integrated pest and disease management (IPM) programs for grapevines.

Kunova, A., Pizzatti, C., Saracchi, M., Pasquali, M., Cortesi, P. 2021. Grapevine powdery mildew: fungicides for its management and advances in molecular detection of markers associated with resistance. Microorganisms 9(7): 1541.

Madge, D. 2005. Organic Farming: Managing grapevine powdery mildew. State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries. Agriculture Notes.

Magarey, P. 2010. Managing Powdery Mildew: (Doing it better!). GWRDC innovators network fact sheet.

Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture

Wine Australia’s powdery mildew resources

The AWRI’s powdery mildew resources

 

Opportunity to provide feedback on proposed changes to AWRI Board composition and appointment processes

12 October 2021 >
12 October 2021

The AWRI is committed to applying best practice corporate governance principles, which effectively balance skill representation, industry connection and diversity in the composition of its Board. To ensure that it remains best placed to meet the evolving needs of the Australian grape and wine industry and model contemporary principles of best practice governance, the AWRI is proposing the first substantive changes to its Board composition and appointment processes since 2006.

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.

The AWRI has been considering these changes for almost 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.

If you would like to receive more information about the proposed changes, ask questions or provide feedback, please contact AWRI Company Secretary, Shiralee Dodd, at Shiralee.Dodd@awri.com.au prior to 12 November 2021.

Yours sincerely,

Louisa Rose
Chair, AWRI Board
 

Recognition for a talented taster

1 October 2021 >

The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) announced this week that Andrew Kenny, senior winemaker at Pikes Wines and Pike & Joyce in South Australia, was the dux of the 53rd Advanced Wine Assessment Course.

eNews – September 2021

1 September 2021 >

Video tips for SO2

Mapping microbes in the winery

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia – membership is growing

AWRI events update

ShowRunner

AWITC – program themes revealed

Register now for spring webinars

Order the latest staff publications online

Acknowledgements

Video tips for SO2 analysis
Analysing wines for SO2 is a very common in winery labs – but are you following best practice? The AWRI YouTube channel has three demonstration videos on SO2 analysis by the aeration/oxidation method, with tips and tricks for the analysis itself, quality assurance and troubleshooting. Check them out now and make sure your SO2 analysis is up to scratch.

For more information, visit the SO2 analysis page on the AWRI website.

Mapping microbes in the winery

Have you ever wondered about the yeast and bacteria in your winery? Are there different species in different areas and do they change throughout the year? AWRI Principal Research Scientist Dr Cristian Varela asked himself these questions and in response designed a project using metagenomic techniques to investigate the microbes in the Hickinbotham Roseworthy Wine Science Laboratory on the Waite Campus. That project has now been completed, with results published in the open access journal Fermentation. Key findings were that microbial communities changed over time and space, and that some populations persisted over several months. It was also possible to identify locations inhabited by spoilage microorganisms, which could be targeted with cleaning procedures to reduce the risk of wine spoilage. The full text of the article, including maps of where microbes were found, can be accessed at https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/7/3/134/htm.

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia – membership is growing
The past two months have been very busy for Sustainable Winegrowing Australia team, supporting members entering their annual sustainability data metrics and completing their online workbooks. The data entered will be used to create benchmarking reports for members as well as regional and national reports. Excitingly, more than 125 businesses have joined the program since 1 July 2021, including 100 new vineyard sites and 25 wineries.

The team presented a webinar on 5 August, with updates from the three partner organisations Australian Grape & Wine, Wine Australia and the AWRI. The webinar covered information on the global environment and Australian policy developments, a marketing update and technical aspects including certification, membership types and use of the trust mark. If you didn’t have a chance to catch it live, the webinar is available now via the AWRI’s YouTube channel. For more information about Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, visit sustainablewinegrowing.com.au or contact the AWRI helpdesk team on helpdesk@awri.com.au. You can also sign up to a short email series to help you get started with membership.

In addition, the new Annual Operating Report was published last Friday outlining the strategic goals and key performance indicators for the year ahead with a focus on three key strategies: attract and retain members, deliver extension and continuous improvement of the program and raise Australia’s sustainability credentials. You can read it here.

AWRI events update
The AWRI has a range of events planned for the rest of 2021 in regions across Australia, including workshops, tastings and webinars. Given the current COVID-19 situation, the decision has been made to present all events in locations outside South Australia online. The AWRI events team has developed a range of successful online formats (including for tastings) to ensure a smooth transition from face-to-face to virtual. While it is disappointing not to be able to visit regions across Australia in person, this decision allows certainty for participants, associations and presenters that the events will be able to proceed. Stay up-to-date with all of the AWRI’s planned events for 2021 via the Events Calendar or contact the AWRI events team on events@awri.com.au for further information.

ShowRunner upgrade

The AWRI’s all-in-one show management software has been given a new lease of life and is now entirely web-based. This update makes it much simpler for wine shows to run the software themselves (with the ShowRunner team assisting virtually when needed). A further exciting milestone is that now more than half of the wine shows in Australia have adopted the platform. For more details, visit the ShowRunner page or contact showrunner@awri.com.au.

AWITC – program themes revealed
With the 18th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference locked and loaded for 26-29 June 2022 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, the program themes for this major wine industry event are now taking shape. The program outline can be viewed here.

While the world and all our lives have changed significantly since the last conference, the importance of coming together to discuss the key issues for our industry remains as important as ever. This 18th program will explore the ever-present challenges of supply and demand, the latest in wine quality, technology, vineyard health and market trends, as well as innovations of significance for the whole sector. New and emerging themes will include wine’s social licence, a focus on carbon and water and a sustainability roadmap for the industry.

The 18th AWITC will be run in a COVID-safe manner but will still include ample opportunities for networking and social interaction. If you haven’t already marked the dates in your calendar, do it now! Visit the AWITC website for more information and sign up to our mailing list to keep in touch.

Register now for spring webinars

The AWRI’s spring webinar series kicks off on Thursday, 2 September, with a presentation on non-chemical weed control from Chris Penfold, Dr Thomas Lines and Robyn Dixon. This will be followed through September and into October by webinars on smoke testing, organic and sustainable production, building soil carbon and improving the shelf life of wines in cans. Visit the AWRI webinar page for more details and to register for upcoming webinars.

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.

2236 Taraji, M., Haddad, P.R. Method optimisation in hydrophilic-interaction liquid chromatography by design of experiments combined with quantitative structure-retention relationships. Aust. J. Chem. https://doi.org/10.1071/CH21102

2237 Modesti, M., Szeto, C., Ristic, R., Jiang, W.W., Culbert, J., Catelli, C., Mencarelli, F., Tonutti, P., Wilkinson, K. Amelioration of smoke taint in Cabernet Sauvignon wine via post-harvest ozonation of grapes. Beverages 7: 44; 2021.

2238 Wu, Q., Kehoe, M. A., Kinoti, W. M., Wang, C. P., Rinaldo, A., Tyerman, S., Habili, N., Constable, F.E. First report of grapevine rupestris vein feathering virus in grapevine in Australia. Plant Dis. 105(2): 515; 2021.

2239 Godden, P. Ask the AWRI: Effects of fermentation temperature on red wine composition. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (690): 50, 52; 2021.

2240 Bartel, C., Roach, M., Onetto, C., Curtin, C., Varela, C., Borneman, A. Adaptive evolution of sulfite tolerance in Brettanomyces bruxellensis. FEMS Yeast Res. 21:36; 2021.

2241 Nicolotti, L., Hack, J., Herderich, M., Lloyd, N. MStractor: R workflow package for enhancing metabolomics data pre-processing and visualization. Metabolites 11, 492; 2021.

2242 Varela, C., Cuijvers, K., Borneman, A. Temporal comparison of microbial community structure in an Australian winery. Fermentation 7, 134; 2021.

2243 Dixon, R. Getting the most out of your water. The importance of irrigation system efficiency. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (691): 40-42, 44-45; 2021.

2244 Coulter, A. Titratable acidity increase during fermentation. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (691): 68, 70; 2021.

2245 Cordente, A.G., Espinase Nandorfy, D., Solomon, M., Schulkin, A., Kolouchova, R., Francis, I.L., Schmidt, S.A. Aromatic higher alcohols in wine: implication on aroma and palate attributes during Chardonnay aging. Molecules 26: 4979; 2021.

2246 Ntuli, R.G., Saltman, Y., Ponangi, R., Jeffery, D.W., Bindon, K., Wilkinson, K.L. Impact of fermentation temperature and grape solids content on the chemical composition and sensory profiles of Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from flash détente treated must fermented off skins. Food Chem. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130861 52p.; 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 August 2021 issue available online

11 August 2021 >

11 August 2021

The August 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

Time to spring into the next five AWRI webinars – registration is open now!

10 August 2021 >

As we head towards the welcome warmth of spring, registrations are now open for the next series of the AWRI’s 2021 webinar program. Starting on Thursday, 2 September, Chris Penfold (AWRI), Dr Thomas Lines (University of Adelaide) and Robyn Dixon (AWRI) will co-present a webinar on non-chemical weed control, covering the wide range of options now available for grapegrowers to manage weeds. Additional webinars through September and October will cover organic and sustainable production, testing grapes for smoke taint, building soil carbon, and how to extend the shelf life of wine packaged in aluminium cans.

Each webinar will include a presentation and, where appropriate, a practitioner to provide real-life examples and scenarios. There will also be an opportunity for audience members to ask questions.  Sessions are held on Thursdays at 11:30 am (SA time).

All webinars are free to attend but do require pre-registration.

The next five webinars for the program are:

See the full program here.

System requirements 

You will need a computer or mobile device with an internet connection. Audio is connected over the internet using your computer or mobile device’s speakers (voice over internet protocol – VOIP). Participants joining a webinar via a mobile device will need to download a free app available from iTunes or Google Play.

If you’ve missed a previous AWRI webinar, you can watch online via the AWRI’s YouTube channel.

For further information on AWRI webinars, please contact the AWRI events team.

eNews – June 2021

30 June 2021 >

Citizen science project empowers students to seek out new yeasts

Bushfire and smoke videos available

Brush up on your pruning skills

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia – now is a great time to join

Save the date – the 18th AWITC will be held in Adelaide, 26-29 June 2022

18th AWITC – call for workshop convenors

Register now for winter webinars

Order the latest staff publications online

Acknowledgements

Citizen science project empowers students to seek out new yeasts
The AWRI was recently awarded a grant from the Australian Government under the Citizen Science Grants Round 2 Program. The funded project will engage school students to act as citizen scientists, isolating yeasts found in the Australian environment and contributing to a significant collection of yeast strains. With yeast and other fungi playing a key role in industries such as baking, brewing, pharmaceuticals and biofuels, this project has potential to contribute to future agricultural and food production and the transition to a bio-based economy. Students will also be introduced to real-world scientific research methods and gain an understanding of microbiological and molecular techniques. AWRI scientists are very excited to be involved in this project, both from the perspective of what it will reveal about distribution of yeasts across Australia and the opportunity to inspire future scientists. For more information about this project, contact Dr Anthony Borneman on 08 8313 6600 or anthony.borneman@awri.com.au.

Bushfire and smoke videos available

New videos have recently been added to the AWRI’s YouTube channel to assist wine producers with different aspects of managing smoke-affected fruit. These include a step-by step guide to conducting mini-ferments, a smoke sensory assessment procedure and an animation about why rigorous sensory evaluation is so important in cases of suspected smoke taint.

Wine Australia has also recently uploaded all the presentations from the National Bushfire Conference held in May. If you missed Dr Mark’s Krstic’s national overview, Dr Mango Parker’s presentation on early-season smoke exposure, Damian Espinase Nandorfy’s discussion of smoke sensory evaluation or Dr Eric Wilkes’ presentation on smoke taint diagnostics, they are all now available, along with the rest of the excellent presentations delivered on the day.

Brush up on your pruning skills
Last year the AWRI worked with Nick Dry from Foundation Viticulture to produce three demonstration videos on grapevine pruning. If you’d like to refresh your pruning skills this season or help guide novice pruners, check out these videos now:

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia – now is a great time to join

For vineyards and wineries that are not yet members of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, now is a fantastic time to join the program, as it’s the time of the year when members collate and provide their sustainability data, leading to the availability of highly useful benchmarking reports in October and the compilation of regional and national reports. If you are interested in joining, sign up here to receive a short email series with tips to help you get started or join straight away here.

In other sustainability news, the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia working group has been busy reviewing the program’s metrics and workbook to ensure the content is simple, best practice, practical to apply and nationally relevant. In addition, the workbook is now aligned with the vineyard and winery certification standards, which means that it can be used as an internal audit or ‘checklist’ of things to do when preparing for or maintaining certification.

The Sustainable Winegrowing Australia trust mark is also starting to show up on wine labels – keep an eye out for it! Margan Family Winegrowers, Rymill Coonawarra and Yalumba Wine Company are some recent examples of members who are now displaying the trust mark on their wines. A selection of wines showing the trust mark were also recently part of a promotion for Sustainable Winegrowing Australia held in collaboration with Freshcare at the Hort Connections conference and exhibition in Brisbane.

For more information about any aspect of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, visit the new website or contact the AWRI helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8 313 6600.

Save the date – the 18th AWITC will be held in Adelaide, 26-29 June 2022

It’s hard to believe, but it’s now less than a year until the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference returns to Adelaide! Next year’s program will feature Outlook sessions, plenary presentations, hands-on workshops, Fresh Science, an extensive poster exhibition and the popular student forum ‘In the wine light’. The conference will be staged side-by-side with the extensive WineTech trade exhibition, delivered in partnership with Expertise Events and WISA. There is also a strong social element to the conference, with plenty of opportunities for networking. Make sure the dates of 26–29 June 2022 are locked in your diary, as you won’t want to miss the Australian wine industry’s biggest technical event. For more information visit the AWITC website or contact the Conference Manager, Kate Beames on kate.beames@awitc.com.au.

18th AWITC – call for workshop convenors

p>The Australian Wine Industry Conference is seeking expressions of interest to convene workshops at the 18th AWITC in Adelaide in June 2022. Approximately 30 workshops will be staged, covering a range of themes, across three 2.5-hour sessions on Sunday, 26 June 2022.

Being a workshop convenor is a rewarding experience and can be a relatively straightforward commitment. As a convenor you will take the primary responsibility for organising your workshop with guidance from the AWITC workshop team. You will also receive one complimentary registration to the conference.

To express your interest in convening a workshop, please complete this application form before 13 August 2021. For more information, please contact the AWITC workshop coordinators, Con Simos and Francesca Blefari, on 08 8 313 6600 or workshops@awitc.com.au.

Register now for winter webinars

The AWRI’s winter webinar series kicks off on Thursday, 8 July, with a presentation from Jeremy Giddings and Peter Henry on irrigation systems. This will be followed by webinars on wine provenance, the National Vintage Report, trunk diseases and Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Visit the AWRI webinar page for more details and to register for upcoming webinars.

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.

2225 Modesti, M., Szeto, C., Ristic, R., Jiang, W., Culbert, J., Bindon, K., Catelli, C., Mencarelli, F., Tonutti, P., Wilkinson, K. Potential mitigation of smoke taint in wines by post-harvest ozone treatment of grapes. Molecules 26(6): 1798; 2021.

2226 Pitcher, L. Ask the AWRI: Organic and sustainable production. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (688): 94-95; 2021.

2227 Jiang, W., Parker, M., Hayasaka, Y., Simos, C., Herderich, M. Compositional changes in grapes and leaves as a consequence of smoke exposure of vineyards from multiple bushfires across a ripening season. Molecules 26(11): 3187; 2021.

2228 Pearson, W., Schmidtke, L.M., Francis, I.L., Li, S., Hall, A., Blackman, J.W. Regionality in Australian Shiraz: compositional and climate measures that relate to key sensory attributes. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12499: 1-14; 2021.

2229 Schulkin, A., Smith, P.A., Espinase Nandorfy, D., Gawel, R. A little dissolved CO2 goes a long way in a wine glass. WBM US 28(5): 16, 19-20, 22, 24; 2021.

2230 Cordingley, B. Ask the AWRI: Torulaspora delbrueckii – An ancient yeast creating new wines. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (689): 64-65; 2021.

2231 Xing, F., Gao, D.H., Wang, H.Q., Zhang, Z.X., Habili, N., Li, S.F. Molecular characterization of rose spring dwarf-associated virus isolated from China rose (Rosa chinensis Jacq.) in China. Arch. Virol. 166(7): 2059-2062; 2021.

2232 Pearson, W., Schmidtke, L., Francis, L., Li, S., Blackman, J., Carr, T., Krstic, M. Shiraz terroir – linking regional sensory characters to chemical and climate profiles. Wine Vitic. J. 36(3): 36-39; 2021.

2233 Dry, P. Trincadeira. Wine Vitic. J. 36(3): p. 67; 2021.

2234 Varela, C., Cuijvers, K., van den Heuvel, S., Rullo, M., Solomon, M., Borneman, A., Schmidt, S. Effect of aeration on yeast community structure and volatile composition in uninoculated Chardonnay wines. Fermentation 7(2): 97; 2021.

2235 Zhang, X.Y., Kontoudakis, N., Wilkes, E., Scrimgeour, N., Hirlam, K., Clark, A.C. The removal of Cu from wine by copolymer PVI/PVP: Impact on Cu fractions and binding agents. Food Chem. 357: 129764; 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.

New version of winemaking calculator app

28 June 2021 >

28 June 2021

The winemaking calculators app is one of the AWRI’s most popular tools. It takes the guesswork out of a whole range of calculations needed during wine production, including conversions, additions and label requirements.

The app has recently undergone a refresh and a new version is now available. The updated app includes a new Total Package Oxygen calculator and an improved Fining Trial calculator.

The app is free to download from the Apple app store or Google Play.

Existing users of the winemaking calculators app are asked to delete the app from their devices and download the new version.

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