The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

Agrochemical update

23 August 2019 >

New withholding period

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has recently approved a new maximum residue limit (MRL) for difenoconazole in grapes and a new label withholding period. The ‘Dog book’ recommendation for difenoconazole (Digger) use on grapes destined for export wine is ‘Use no later than E-L 29, berries pepper-corn size (not > 4 mm diameter)’. The label withholding period is 28 days. It is recommended that you check your winery or grape purchaser’s restriction on use for difenoconazole prior to application.

New formulation and target

POTASSIUM BICARBONATE AND POTASSIUM SILICATE

APVMA 83204

‘EcoCarb Plus’ is an Organic Crop Protectants Pty Ltd product.

‘EcoCarb Plus’ is registered for control of powdery mildew and suppression of downy mildew in grapevines. It is an activity group M2 fungicide.

Recommended restriction on use (withholding period) for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than 7 days before harvest.

Powdery mildew resistance management strategy 

CropLife Australia has updated the resistance management strategy for powdery mildew. The new strategy clarifies the requirements around consecutive applications of Group 7 and 11 fungicides. Group 7 and 11 fungicides should only be applied consecutively when used in a mixture or co-formulated with a registered, alternative mode of action for which resistance is not known. The new strategy can be found on page 19 of the ‘Dog book’ pdf.

Prosper 500 EC re-entry period

The re-entry period for powdery mildew fungicide spiroxamine (Prosper 500 EC) has changed and now includes re-entry periods for certain unprotected work activities in grapevines. Some of these re-entry requirements, where personal protective equipment (PPE) is not worn, are of significant length and need to be considered as part of the planning for post-spraying farming activities.

The revised re-entry period statement on the Prosper label (where PPE is not worn):

For treated grapevines, do not allow entry into treated areas for the following times to conduct the stated activities:

  • Transplanting, hand weeding, hand pruning, trellis repair, bird control, propagating and scouting: Do not allow entry into treated areas until the spray has dried.
  • Tying/training, leaf pulling, hand harvesting: 11 days
  • Girdling (cincturing), bunch turning: 16 days

The specific PPE required for workers to undertake these tasks prior to the re-entry periods stipulated is cotton overalls buttoned to the neck and wrist (or equivalent clothing) and gauntlet-length chemical-resistant gloves.

The ‘Dog book’ resources available online including the pdf and search facility have been updated to reflect the changes listed in this eBulletin. The app will be updated on 26 August. Users of agrochemicals are reminded to read and follow all label directions. 

For more information, please contact Marcel Essling on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

This information is provided to inform the Australian grape and wine sector and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product.

Spoilage issues in Pinot Noir

21 August 2019 >

Read the latest Ask the AWRI article.

During the 1990s, a high number of the microbiological instability issues investigated by the AWRI’s helpdesk were associated with bottled Pinot Noir wines (Bruer et al. 1998). Looking at today’s stats, Pinot Noir wines still represent a significant proportion of the microbiological spoilage issues submitted to the helpdesk. In this article Adrian Coulter presents answers to common questions about microbial spoilage in Pinot Noir.

Technical Review August 2019 issue available online

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AWRI Technical Notes
AWRI publications
  • Wine storage temperature – investigating the impact of small differences
  • Occurrence and diversity of entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria spp. and Metarhizium spp.) in Australian vineyard soils
  • Harnessing yeast metabolism of aromatic amino acids for fermented beverage bioflavouring and bioproduction
  • Advances in dissolved gas adjustment
  • Ask the AWRI: post-harvest care of tired vines
  • Ask the AWRI: cleaning winery floors, tanks and hoses
  • Understanding carbon emissions in the wine industry
  • Getting proactive about protein
Current literature – oenology
  • Pinot Noir production – a delicate affair
  • Winemaker trial: where whole clusters are placed in fermenter determines organoleptic qualities
  • Case studies: sanitation best practices for large wineries
  • Winemaker trial: finding the right temperatures on barrel-fermented Chardonnay
  • Technology meets tradition as amphora use grows
  • Does oak grain still matter?
  • Lachancea thermotolerans as a tool to improve pH in red wines from warm regions
  • Malolactic fermentation induced by silica‐alginate encapsulated Oenococcus oeni with different inoculation regimes
  • Malvidin-3-O-glucoside chemical behavior in the wine pH range
  • The phenolic composition of orange wine – effects of skin contact and sulfur dioxide addition on white wine tannin
  • Wine’s emerging water crisis
  • Replacing bottle recycling with reuse
  • Is complexity worth paying for? Investigating the perception of wine complexity for single varietal and blended wines in consumers and experts
Current literature – viticulture
  • Spatial distribution of berry fresh mass, seed number and sugar concentration on grapevine clusters of Shiraz
  • Roundtable: which vineyard equipment are you using and why?
  • Quality up, yields down…weather all over the shop
  • Timing of floral evocation in the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay) is identified by cyto‐histological changes in the vegetative shoot apical meristem
  • Adjusting winegrape ripening to suit a changing climate
  • Insight & opinion: making organic vineyards sustainable: the Amisfield approach
  • Annual under-vine cover crops mitigate vine vigor in a mature and vigorous Cabernet Franc vineyard
  • Avoiding vine loss from nursery to vineyard
  • Predatory arthropods associated with potential native insectary plants for Australian vineyards
  • A season of nutrition

Controlling vineyard weeds

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Read the latest Ask the AWRI article.

Each year the AWRI helpdesk receives queries about weed control strategies for vineyards and if there are effective alternatives to herbicides. Senior viticulturist at the AWRI Tony Hoare presents some the options available and provides hints for selecting the most suitable weed control for different situations.

Bright future for sustainability of Australian wine

21 July 2019 >

Australian grapegrowing and wine production is going from strength to strength, with the official launch this evening of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, Australia’s national sustainability program for the grape and wine sector.

Nominations open for AWRI Board positions

4 July 2019 >

Nominations are sought for three levy payer-elected Director positions on the AWRI Board, which will become vacant on 31 December 2019. The AWRI’s Constitution provides that there will be not less than seven nor more than 11 Directors. Six of those directors are nominated and/or elected by organisations that pay the Wine Grapes Levy. Nominations close on Friday, 2 August 2019 at 5:00 pm.

Levy payers in the small (<2,000 tonnes), medium (2,001-50,000 tonnes) and large (50,001+ tonnes) producer categories are called on to nominate suitably qualified candidates for the vacant positions.

This is an excellent opportunity for an interested candidate to become involved in the Australian wine industry’s own R&D organisation and, in addition to their other duties and responsibilities, provide a ‘coalface’ perspective to the direction and priorities of the AWRI’s research, development, extension and commercialisation activities.

In the event that more than one nomination is received for a particular category, an election will be held. Levy payers in that particular category will have the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate. If an election is necessary, it will be held in August/September 2019 and further information will be published at the time.

Successful candidates will take office on 1 January 2020 for a term of three years.

All Wine Grapes Levy payers will be sent an explanatory letter and nomination form by email in the week beginning 8 July 2019. Nominations close on Friday, 2 August 2019 at 5:00 pm. Nomination forms and further information on the AWRI Board and the nomination/election process can be found on the AWRI website.

Agrochemical update – New insecticide registered

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New active constituent

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has recently approved a new insecticide active constituent combination for use in grape production. The ‘Dog book’ resources available online including the pdf and search facility have been updated to reflect this addition. The app will be updated on 8 July.

ACETAMIPRID AND PYRIPROXYFEN

APVMA 80807

‘Trivor’ is an Adama Australia Pty Ltd product.

‘Trivor’ is registered for control of grapevine scale, light brown apple moth and long tailed mealybug in grapevines. It is an activity group 4A + 7C insecticide.

Recommended restriction on use (withholding period) for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than E-L 19, 16 leaves separated, beginning of flowering (first flower caps loosening). Limit the use of ‘Trivor’ to one application per season.

Users of agrochemicals are reminded to read and follow all label directions.

For more information, please contact Marcel Essling on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

This information is provided to inform the Australian grape and wine sector and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product.

eNews – June 2019

28 June 2019 >

Launch of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

Visit the AWRI at WineTech

AWRI scientists selected for AWITC Fresh Science sessions

AWITC workshop preparations in full swing

Australian grape and wine production practices revealed

Artist in residence’s blog

New library catalogue released

Staff achievements

Order the latest AWRI staff publications online

Acknowledgements

Launch of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

Australia’s single national sustainability program, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, officially commences on 1 July. Managed by the AWRI, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia provides a unified sustainability framework for all Australian grapegrowers and winemakers to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, benchmark performance and identify opportunities for improvements. Previous members of Entwine and SAW will shortly receive email instructions on how to access the new online system and begin entering their data. Potential new members are encouraged to register their interest here and will be contacted following a short period of testing the new system with existing members. Information about the program is available on the AWRI website. For assistance, contact AWRI Senior Viticulturist Dr Mardi Longbottom on 08 8 313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Visit the AWRI at WineTech
The AWRI’s people, knowledge and services will be on display at WineTech – the major trade exhibition held as part of the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference. Come and visit the AWRI at booth 1113 to chat to researchers, analysts and helpdesk staff, take part in sensory activities and discover the latest advances in technologies and testing. WineTech is open from Monday 22 July to Wednesday 24 July at the Adelaide Convention Centre. See you there!

AWRI scientists selected for AWITC Fresh Science sessions

The Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference recently announced the presenters for the conference’s two Fresh Science sessions. The presenters were chosen by a panel of industry and research organisation representatives from more than 170 abstracts submitted for the technical poster display. These sessions represent the most recent and relevant grape and wine research – direct from the lab bench or field trial. Five of the twelve Fresh Scientists selected are researchers at the AWRI, along with one AWRI Visiting Student from Italy. They are:

  • Caroline Bartel – presenting on SO2 tolerance of Brettanomyces strains in industry
  • Allie Kulcsar – comparing options for treating wines affected by reductive characters
  • Dr Michael Roach – exploring what has been learned about Chardonnay clones and parentage from genome sequencing
  • Dr Julie Culbert – discussing the effects of activated carbon products on smoke-tainted juice and wine
  • Eleanor Bilogrevic – presenting results from a trial of different levels of whole bunches in Shiraz and Pinot Noir ferments
  • Elia Romanini (visiting from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy) – discussing research on grape seed powder as a novel and sustainable alternative to bentonite.

In addition to these Fresh Scientists, AWRI staff have contributed more than 70 posters to the AWITC. For more information, or to register, visit http://www.awitc.com.au.

AWITC workshop preparations in full swing
The AWRI events team is flat out working on the workshop program for the upcoming 17th AWITC. Thirty-three workshops will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Sunday 21 July – the day before the formal plenary program commences. With 20 of the workshops involving tasting, it’s going to take more than 16,000 wine glasses and an army of volunteers to make this workshop program happen!

Workshops allow participants to explore in depth selected topics across business, marketing, winemaking and viticulture. A few highlights to consider include:

  • W03: Accelerate your wine tourism and export growth
  • W07: Biosecurity from the frontline
  • W09: Regulatory challenges for the production and marketing of Australian wine
  • W11: Oak alternatives: the good, the bad, the ugly
  • W12: Using the latest research to grow your wine sales in China
  • W20: Making your laboratory work for you
  • W25: Closures and packaging: getting it right and maximising shelf life
  • W27: Muscat of Rutherglen masterclass
  • W31: How to grow sales in the US wine market
  • W34: Wine taxation reform

For more information and to register for workshops, visit https://awitc.com.au/program/workshops/

Australian grape and wine production practices revealed
Have you had a chance to look at the AWRI’s Vineyard and Winery Practices survey report, released in late May? Based on a major survey conducted in 2016, it provides a highly detailed snapshot of practices in Australian viticulture and winemaking. On the vineyard side, the report covers areas including vineyard layout, pruning, pest and disease management, canopy management, irrigation, nutrition, vineyard floor management and harvesting. For wineries, it covers grape intake and handling, draining and pressing, juice processing, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, maturation, fining, filtration and packaging. The information presented will allow growers and winemakers to compare their practices with national and regional results. The full survey report is available now for download at http://www.awri.com.au/survey. For more information, contact Simon Nordestgaard on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Artist in residence’s blog
The AWRI’s artist in residence, Elizabeth Willing, is documenting her experiences at the AWRI via a blog – updated weekly. It’s fascinating to see an outsider’s perspective on the grape and wine science we might otherwise take for granted, translated with an artistic eye. Follow Liz’s adventures at http://willing2019.blog.anat.org.au/ and stay tuned for more about the art that will be produced from this collaboration.

New library catalogue released

The AWRI’s John Fornachon Memorial Library has released a brand new online catalogue. This tool is available to industry stakeholders via the AWRI website and delivers improved search and discovery capabilities within the library’s collection of more than 100,000 grape and wine resources. The new catalogue allows users to manage loans; request articles, books and literature searches; and access advanced search options. It provides full integration with online resources, including the library’s eBook collection. This upgrade also delivers improvements in user experience, with library users able to submit purchase suggestions, review their search history and create personalised reference lists. The new library catalogue will be on display at the AWRI’s booth at WineTech in Adelaide from 22 to 24 July.

Users already holding an AWRI website account can access the new catalogue immediately. New users can sign up for access here. For assistance with the new catalogue, contact the library team on infoservices@awri.com.au or 08 8 313 6600.

Staff achievements
Congratulations are in order for a number of AWRI staff, following several notable achievements in recent weeks. AWRI Senior Scientist Mango Parker was the inaugural winner of the Gold Manfred Rothe Excellence prize, supported by Nestlé, for her presentation on in-mouth flavour release at the 12th Wartburg Symposium on Flavour Chemistry and Biology in Germany. Mango received a prize of 3000 euros and a commemorative paperweight. AWRI/UniSA PhD student Jana Hildebrandt was awarded a Great Wine Capitals Knowledge Exchange Bursary, which will allow her to visit the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin in Bordeaux to collaborate on research investigating overripe characters in red wine and grapes. And finally, AWRI Emeritus Fellow Dr Peter Dry was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours, in recognition of his significant service to viticulture, particularly to wine-grape research. Congratulations to all!

Order the latest AWRI 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

A list of AWRI publications published since the last eNews is included below:

2079 Visalakshan, R.M., MacGregor, M.N., Cavallaro, A.A., Sasidharan, S., Bachhuka, A., Mierczynska-Vasilev, A.M., Hayball, J.D., Vasilev, K. Creating nano-engineered biomaterials with well-defined surface descriptors. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 1(6): 2796-2807; 2018.

2080 McRae, J., Mierczynska-Vasilev, A., Herderich, M., Johnson, D. Getting proactive about protein. Wine Vitic. J. 34(2): 33-34; 2019.

2081 Hoare, T. A letter from your vineyard soil. Wine Vitic. J. 34(2): 40-41; 2019.

2082 Dry, P. Cinsault. Wine Vitic. J. 34(2): p.58; 2019.

2083 Abbott, T., Wilkes, E. Understanding carbon emissions in the wine industry. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (663): 71-72; 2019.

2084 Cowey, G. Ask the AWRI: Cleaning winery floors, tanks and hoses. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (663): 75-76; 2019.

2085 Bekker, M.Z., Day, M.P., Smith, P.A. Changes in metal ion concentrations in a Chardonnay wine related to oxygen exposure during vinification. Molecules 24(8): 1-20; 2019.

2086 Longbottom, M. Ask the AWRI: Post-harvest care of tired vines. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (664): 37-38; 2019.

2087 Nordestgaard, S. Advances in dissolved gas adjustment. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (664): 41-42; 2019.

2088 Cordente, A.G., Schmidt, S., Beltran, G., Torija, M.J., Curtin, C.D. Harnessing yeast metabolism of aromatic amino acids for fermented beverage bioflavouring and bioproduction. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 103(11): 4325-4336; 2019.

2089 Wilkes, E., Huckaba, P., Hodson, G. Harmonizing expression of measurement results in wine analysis: Best practices when testing and reporting sugar in wine. BIO Web of Conferences 12 (03021): 1-3; 2019.

2090 Li, S., Wilkinson, K.L., Mierczynska-Vasilev, A., Bindon, K.A. Applying nanoparticle tracking analysis to characterize the polydispersity of aggregates resulting from tannin-polysaccharide interactions in wine-like media. Molecules 24(11): E2100; 2019.

2091 Godden, P. Ask the AWRI: Saignée. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (665): 91-92; 2019.

2092 Johnson, D. Industry heads to Adelaide. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (665): p. 22; 2019.

2093 Teng, B., Hayasaka, Y., Smith, P.A., Bindon, K.A. Grape seed and skin tannin molecular mass and composition affects the rate of reaction with anthocyanin and subsequent formation of polymeric pigments in the presence of acetaldehyde. J. Agric. Food Chem. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b01498: 1-37.; 2019.

2094 Korosi, G.A., Wilson, B.A.L., Powell, K.S., Ash, G.J., Reineke, A., Savocchia, S. Occurrence and diversity of entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria spp. and Metarhizium spp.) in Australian vineyard soils. J. Invertebr. Pathol. 164: 69-77; 2019.

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.

Agrochemical update – New fungicide registered

26 June 2019 >

New active constituent

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has recently approved a new fungicide active constituent for use in grape production. The ‘Dog book’ resources available online including the pdf, search facility and app have been updated to reflect this addition.

MEFENTRIFLUCONAZOLE

APVMA 84344

‘Belanty’ is a BASF Australia Ltd product.

‘Belanty’ is registered for control of powdery mildew in grapevines. It is an activity group 3 fungicide.

Resistance management: Apply no more than two consecutive sprays of Group 3 fungicides per season, and no more than three in total per season. Use a fungicide of a different mode of action should further applications be required.

Recommended restriction on use (withholding period) for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than E-L 31, berries pea-size (not > 7 mm diameter).

For more information, please contact Marcel Essling on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

This information is provided to inform the Australian grape and wine sector and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product.

Wine storage temperature – investigating the impact of small differences

24 June 2019 >

Read the latest AWRI Report

What is the ideal temperature to store your wine? Do you need an underground cellar or a dedicated airconditioned space, or will the dining room cupboard do the trick? In the past some have thought that it is extremes of temperature that are the greatest enemy of wine longevity; however, a recent study suggests that even relatively minor differences in storage temperature may have a significant impact over time.