The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

Agrochemical update – New insecticide registered

4 July 2019 >

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.

Agrochemical update – Change to EU MRL for iprodione

20 June 2019 >

The European Union (EU) maximum residue limit (MRL) for the active constituent iprodione will revert from 20 mg/kg to the default 0.01 mg/kg from 31 July 2019 (COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2019/38). All wines entering the market in the EU after 31 July 2019, regardless of vintage and provenance, must not contain detectable residues of iprodione. It is recommended that all wines be analysed for residues of iprodione before shipment to the EU. Wines that are already in the EU or that arrive before 31 July 2019, are not required to meet the new MRL.

Iprodione is not recommended for use on grapes if the resultant wine is destined for the EU. Follow the recommendations in the ‘Dog book’ for export wine

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

Agrochemical update June 2019 – New ‘Dog book’ available

18 June 2019 >

The 2019/20 edition of Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture (the ‘Dog book‘) is now available. The updated ‘Dog book’ can be viewed via the online pdf or mobile app. A hard copy will be distributed to levy payers by mail and will also be included with the next issue of Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker.

This agrochemical update summarises the major changes compared with the previous version.

New active constituent

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approved the use of the following active constituents or active constituent combinations in wine-grape production.

ABAMECTIN + CHLORANTRANILIPROLE

APVMA 81921

‘Voliam Targo’ is a Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd product.

‘Voliam Targo’ is registered for control of grapeleaf rust mite, grapevine moth, light brown apple moth, two spotted mite and suppression of garden weevil in grapevines. It is an activity group 6 + 28 insecticide. Follow the label directions.

Resistance management: DO NOT make more than two applications of Group 28 insecticides per season.

Recommended restriction on use (witholding period) for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than E-L 29, berries pepper-corn size (not > 4 mm diameter).

GLYPHOSATE POTASSIUM SALT + MONOETHANOLAMINE (MEA) SALT

APVMA 86262

‘Glyphosate 550 Twin Salt’ is a Sabakem Pty Ltd product.

‘Glyphosate 550 Twin Salt’ is registered for control of weeds in grapevines and is an activity group M herbicide. Read the full label prior to use and follow the directions.

Recommended restriction on use (withholding period) for grapes destined for export wine: Contact your winery prior to the use of 'Glyphosate 550 Twin Salt'.

Active constituents removed

The following active constituent combination has been removed from the ‘Dog book’ because the product is no longer available.

GLYPHOSATE ISOPROPYLAMINE (IPA) SALT + CARFENTRAZONE ETHYL

APVMA 63810

‘Broadway’ herbicide is still registered for use with the APVMA but is no longer supplied. Growers with this product should consult their winery prior to use.
 

Changes to the product lists in the ‘Dog book’ tables.

To reduce the size of the tables and make them easier to read, a change has been made to the way products are displayed. Products with the same first name are consolidated, with varying features shown in brackets. For example, Mancozeb 750 DF, Mancozeb 750 WG and Mancozeb DF are now shown as Mancozeb (750 DF, 750 WG, DF).

For more information or to request a copy of the new ‘Dog book’, 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.

Saignée

>

Read the latest Ask the AWRI article.

This article by Peter Godden continues a series examining treatments used in the AWRI’s winemaking treatment trials, which have been presented in tasting workshops across Australia since 2017.

Technical Review June 2019 issue available online

13 June 2019 >

The June 2019 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
  • Creating nano-engineered biomaterials with well-defined surface descriptors
  • Seventeen times with feeling
  • Latest advances in grape sorting technology
  • Ask the AWRI: leafroll viruses – what you need to know
  • Inactivating mutations in Irc7p are common in wine yeasts, attenuating carbon-sulfur beta-lyase activity and volatile sulfur compound production
  • Don’t miss the marc: phenolic‐free glycosides from white grape marc increase flavour of wine
  • Effect of passive oxygen exposure during pressing and handling on the chemical and sensory attributes of Chardonnay wine
  • Accumulation of volatile phenol glycoconjugates in grapes following grapevine exposure to smoke and potential mitigation of smoke taint by foliar application of kaolin
Current literature – oenology
  • Case studies: sanitation best practices for large wineries
  • Winemaker trial: where whole clusters are placed in fermenter determines organoleptic qualities
  • Managing wine quality using Torulaspora delbrueckii and Oenococcus oeni starters in mixed fermentations of a red Barbera wine
  • Understanding the effects of smoke taint on fruit and wine
  • Wine authentication: a fingerprinting multiclass strategy to classify red varietals through profound chemometric analysis of volatiles
  • White wine phenolics: what compounds are there and which ones cause problems?
  • Smoke taint in the bottle: how long will it last?
  • Neuromarketing meets the art of labelling. How papers and finishing on labels affect wine buying decisions
  • Does blind tasting work? Investigating the impact of training on blind tasting accuracy and wine preference
Current literature – viticulture
  • Di‐1‐p‐menthene reduces grape leaf and bunch transpiration
  • Vines and grapes put to the test with elevated temperature and CO2 exposure
  • Advancement of winegrape maturity continuing for winegrowing regions in Australia with variable evidence of compression of the harvest period
  • How is climate change affecting Australian vineyards and what are growers doing to respond?
  • On‐the‐go hyperspectral imaging for the in‐field estimation of grape berry soluble solids and anthocyanin concentration
  • What is the best time to remove leaves to minimise sunburn?
  • Delaying berry ripening of Bobal and Tempranillo grapevines by late leaf removal in a semi‐arid and temperate‐warm climate under different water regimes
  • The disease-resistant varieties
  • Turning water into wine: exploring water security perceptions and adaptation behaviour amongst conventional, organic and biodynamic grape growers
  • Irrigation strategies: maintain natural grapevine mechanisms through a drought

Vineyard and winery practices report

30 May 2019 >

The AWRI is pleased to release a major report of practices used in Australian grapegrowing and winemaking.

Based on an online survey conducted in 2016 and comprehensive follow-up visits and communications, the report provides detailed information on the viticulture and winemaking practices in-use in Australia’s grape and wine community.

On the vineyard side, the report covers practices across 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 full survey report is available now for download from the AWRI website.

The information presented will allow grapegrowers and winemakers to compare their practices with national and regional results and also provides a valuable resource for grape and wine research, development and extension activities.

The report serves as a highly detailed ‘snapshot in time’ of practices in Australian viticulture and winemaking. It is intended that the survey will be repeated every five or six years, to allow the adoption of new techniques to be tracked. The next edition will likely be performed in 2022.

For more information, contact Simon Nordestgaard on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Post-harvest care of tired vines

14 May 2019 >

Read the latest Ask the AWRI article.

After vintage, the AWRI helpdesk often receives questions about caring for vineyards following the harvest period. Dr Mardi Longbottom outlines answers to some of those questions, particularly regarding water and nutrient demands of stressed vines.