The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

Technical Review October 2018 issue available online

15 October 2018 >

The October 2018 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
  • Removal of sulfide-bound copper from white wine by membrane filtration
  • Predicting protein haze formation in white wines
  • A robust automated flower estimation system for grape vines
  • Ask the AWRI: lightstruck character
  • Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in the analysis of clinical and biological materials, foods and beverages
Current literature – oenology
  • The organisation, culture and values of family wine businesses: a comparative analysis between Australia, Germany and Italy
  • Tools in cap management: innovations in tank mixing as well as new devices for small-lot fermentations
  • Cold stabilization and malolactic fermentation; commentary: a call to action
  • New tools to limit wine spoilage: interaction of temperature and ethanol may help control Brettanomyces
  • Interaction between cork and yeast: application to sparkling wine processing
  • Effects of berry maturity and wine alcohol on phenolic content during winemaking and aging
  • The viticultural and marketing road to alternative varieties – part 1: varietal selection and viticulture
  • How Australian wine benefits from FTAs
  • Wine beyond normal
  • Does blind tasting work? Investigating the impact of training on blind tasting accuracy and wine preference
Current literature – viticulture
  • Australian vintage report 2018
  • Viticultural mapping by UAVs, part 1: unmanned aerial vehicles provide data for precision viticulture
  • Soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium alter β-damascenone and other volatiles in Pinot Noir berries
  • Compound synthesis or growth and development of roots/stomata regulate plant drought tolerance or water use efficiency/water uptake efficiency
  • An investigation of trends in viticultural climatic indices in Southern Quebec, a cool climate wine region
  • The newer canopy management … avoid too much sunlight on your grapes
  • Virus distribution and seasonal changes of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses
  • Assessing rootstocks and wine quality: rootstock trial yielding results
  • Disease-resistant cultivars pass their latest exam
  • Managing vineyard water security: the challenges of improving water efficiency for winegrape irrigation

6 new AWRI webinars – registration is open now!

5 October 2018 >

Starting 11 October, Dr Everard Edwards from CSIRO provides insights into how vine balance can directly affect fruit composition. The next five webinars address weather forecasting tools, the benefits of undervine cover cropping, soil salinity, increasing wine flavour, and a Bureau of Meteorology outlook for vintage 2019.

Each webinar includes a presentation and an opportunity for audience members to ask questions and is usually held on a Thursday at 11:30 am Australian Central Daylight Time (Adelaide, GMT+10:30). All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

After registering for a webinar, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the session.

The next six webinars for the program are:

11 October 2018: Targeted manipulation of vine balance: does vine balance directly affect fruit composition? – Dr Everard Edwards (CSIRO)

18 October 2018: Unravelling the mystery of probability in weather and climate forecasts – Veron Carr (Bureau of Meteorology)

25 October 2018: Vine medication – the benefits of undervine cover cropping – Chris Penfold (University of Adelaide)

8 November 2018: Salinity – practical information for growers – Kerry DeGaris (AWRI)

20 November 2018:  Increasing wine flavour with glycoside additions – Mango Parker (AWRI)

6 December 2018:  Bureau of Meteorology Seasonal Outlook for vintage 2019 – Darren Ray (Bureau of Meteorology)

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 information services team.

eNews – September 2018

24 September 2018 >

High-quality genome assembly for Chardonnay released

Project to demonstrate value of sustainable practices

New technique to study Brettanomyces yeast

Software shared with research community

Looking for answers? Browse the ‘Ask the AWRI’ archive

Events across Australia

AWRI publications

Acknowledgements

High-quality genome assembly for Chardonnay released
Chardonnay is the basis of some of the world’s most iconic wines and its success is underpinned by a historic program of clonal selection. With numerous clones available showing differences in key viticultural and oenological traits, the potential diversity of Chardonnay wines and blends has never been greater. Despite this, the genetic variation that underlies most of these differences has, for a long time, remained a mystery. The AWRI, in collaboration with partners at Macquarie University, the University of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, spearheaded an ambitious project to produce a high-quality genome assembly for Chardonnay and use this to unravel the great puzzle that is clonal genetic diversity.

The AWRI’s bioinformatics team identified 1,620 genetic markers that distinguish 15 Chardonnay clones. These markers were used in a proof-of-concept experiment to reliably identify Chardonnay clones, and many of the markers were identified as having the potential genetics to explain some of the differences between clones.

The most surprising finding however involved the genetic analysis of Chardonnay’s parents—Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. While Chardonnay might be a noble cultivar, it has a less than dignified heritage. The genomic data shows evidence of inbreeding – with Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir potentially being first-degree relatives.

More work is required to develop a method for Chardonnay clonal authenticity testing, as well as testing to determine the viticultural and oenological effects of the markers. However, the groundwork has been laid for a much better understanding of the Chardonnay genome, and of clonal variation within grapevine cultivars.

Project to demonstrate value of sustainable practices

The AWRI has been successful in achieving funding for a new project as part of the Food Agility CRC. This collaborative project with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and National Australia Bank (NAB) will bring together traditional agricultural financial risk assessment and natural capital accounting to gain new insights into the value of sustainability investments and practices. Preliminary models will be developed and potential sustainability indicators will be identified. The project will lead to improved assessment of business sustainability, decreased investment decision risk and improved access to finance by growers.

Phase one of the project will be the identification by the QUT research team of potential financial parameters from the natural capital literature and through interviews with NAB frontline bankers, agronomists and growers. This will be followed by collection of financial and environmental data including energy, water and fertiliser use, from a pilot group of growers through the Entwine survey. Preliminary modelling will be focused on generating insights and patterns of related metrics to inform the broader data analytics and on which to base grower case studies that demonstrate improved economic returns achieved using sustainable practices and investments. Deeper analysis of the larger Entwine dataset will highlight the dependencies of relationships across metrics, identify critical factors in financial decision-making and provide preliminary benchmarking of financial performance. Upon the completion of this research, the AWRI will communicate the project results and discuss future research directions with wine industry stakeholders. For more information about this project, contact Dr Mardi Longbottom on 08 8313 6600 or mardi.longbottom@awri.com.au.

New technique to study Brettanomyces yeast
Genetic transformation is a foundational technology that enables the comprehensive study of a species. When available, it opens up a multitude of molecular biology tools, such as gene overexpression, gene deletion, incorporation of marker genes and tagging for visualisation or purification. Transformation has been available in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for well over 30 years, with much of the knowledge that has been generated for this species due to the early development of this technique. While, genetic transformation for Brettanomyces bruxellensis was developed recently, it suffered from a very low efficiency that limited the scope of tools that could be developed. To address these shortcomings, AWRI scientists have developed a new gene transformation protocol for B. bruxellensis.

As part of this process constructs have been created which enable Brettanomyces cells to be labelled with either green- or blue- fluorescent proteins. Cells that express these proteins glow when exposed to certain wavelengths of light and this enables the rapid identification and counting of these cells during fermentation.

This work has recently been published in FEMS Yeast Research. The full paper is accessible via the AWRI library: Varela, C., Lleixà, J., Curtin, C., Borneman, A. Development of a genetic transformation toolkit for Brettanomyces bruxellensis. FEMS Yeast Res. 18(7): 1-6; 2018.

Software shared with research community

AWRI scientists based within Metabolomics South Australia have just released a piece of code (known as MStractor, written in the R programming language) on the software development and sharing platform GitHub. The software is designed to help researchers process data from non-targeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) experiments and can be downloaded for free by any interested party from https://github.com/MetabolomicsSA/MStractor. This is one example of a relatively new area for AWRI scientists to be involved in – sharing code that has been written in-house with the broader research community via an open access licence.

Metabolomics SA is the South Australian node for Metabolomics Australia – a nationwide, government-funded initiative established to enable the development of, and access to, state-of-the-art metabolomic analysis, through investment in infrastructure, method development, collaboration and integration. Metabolomics Australia acknowledges funding and leadership from Bioplatforms Australia under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. The term metabolomics refers to the comprehensive analysis of the complete set of all low molecular weight metabolites that exist within a biological system such as grape juice or wine. For more information about Metabolomics SA, contact the team on metabolomics@awri.com.au.

Looking for answers? Browse the ‘Ask the AWRI’ archive
Since 2012 the AWRI’s helpdesk team has published a monthly ‘Ask the AWRI’ column in Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker. Each column focuses on a technical issue relevant to growers or winemakers and provides practical information in a Q&A format. The full archive of Ask the AWRI columns is now available on the AWRI website, with permission from the publisher, Winetitles. So, if you would like to know more about carbonic maceration, spray drift, taints in wine or countless other topics, check out the collection now.

Events across Australia

As spring gets underway, there are a number of workshops and seminars coming up in wine regions across Australia. The AWRI’s ‘Addressing regional challenges’ workshop will be held in Mudgee, Orange and Canberra from 9 to 11 October. These workshops present regional-specific data and include information on the latest technologies and process options for grapegrowing and winemaking, with specific topics selected by each regional association.

AWRI seminars will be held in Western Australia (Mt Barker, Pemberton, Margaret River and Swan Valley) from 6 to 9 November and in Victoria (Gippsland, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and Yarra Valley) from 27 to 30 November. These will feature a selection of presentations covering the latest in viticulture and wine research.

Workshops on spray application are also planned for Stanthorpe, Orange and Canberra from 13 to 16 November.

Visit the AWRI events calendar now for a full list of upcoming events or contact the events team on events@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600 for more information.

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’ published in Wine & Viticulture Journal (PDF format).
  • Read the full text of ‘Ask the AWRI’ and ‘Vineyards of the world’ columns

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

2023 Kontoudakis, N., Mierczynska-Vasilev, A., Guo, A., Smith, P.A., Scollary, G.R., Wilkes, E.N., Clark, A.C. Removal of sulfur-bound copper from white wine by membrane filtration. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. DOI: 10.1111/ajgw.12360: 1-9; 2018.

2024 Varela, C., Lleixà, J., Curtin, C., Borneman, A. Development of a genetic transformation toolkit for Brettanomyces bruxellensis. FEMS Yeast Res. 18 (7): 1-6; 2018.

2025 Hendriks, H.F.J., Stockley, C.S., Calame, W. The 2015 Dutch food-based dietary guidelines for alcohol consumption – a critical review. J. Nutr. Health Sci. 5 (3): 1-9; 2018.

2026 Hixson, J., Grebneva, Y., Glameyer, N., Vollmern K. Black, C., Krstic, M., Herderich, M. Shedding light on the modulation of key Riesling wine aroma compounds in a changing climate. Siegmund, B., Leitner, E. (eds.) Flavour Science: Proceedings of the XV Weurman Flavour Research Symposium, 18-22 September, 2017, Graz University of Technology, Austria. Graz, Austria; Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz. 19-24; 2018.

2027 Parker, M., Barker, A., Pearson, W., Hayasaka, Y., Hixson, J., Francis, L. Flavour release from wine glycosides during tasting. Siegmund, B., Leitner, E. (eds.) Flavour Science: Proceedings of the XV Weurman Flavour Research Symposium, 18-22 September, 2017, Graz University of Technology, Austria. Graz, Austria; Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz. 31-36; 2018.

2028 Hixson, J.L., Durmic, Z., Vadhanabhuti, J., Vercoe, P.E., Smith, P.A., Wilkes, E.N. Exploiting compositionally similar grape marc samples to achieve gradients of condensed tannin and fatty acids for modulating in vitro methanogenesis. Molecules 23 (7): 1-13; 2018

2029 Siebert, T.E., Barter, S.R., Pearson, W., de Barros Lopes, M.A., Darriet, P., Herderich, M.J., Francis, I.L. Why does this wine smell like apricots? Siegmund, B., Leitner, E. (eds.) Flavour Science: Proceedings of the XV Weurman Flavour Research Symposium, 18-22 September, 2017, Graz University of Technology, Austria. Graz, Austria; Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz. 245-248; 2018.

2030 Stockley, C.S. Ask the AWRI: Alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (655): 83-84; 2018.

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.

Implications of fumigation and heat treatment on imported oak barrels and other products

10 September 2018 >

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has announced that mandatory fumigation and/or heat treatment will be applied to high risk imported goods shipped between 1 September 2018 and 30 April 2019 as a seasonal measure to protect Australian agricultural industries from the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). Wood products such as oak barrels and cork have been categorised as one of a range of high risk products for biosecurity incursions and will require mandatory treatment. Other winemaking additives may also be subject to treatment through random inspection or if they are part of a consignment that contains target high risk goods.

A recent media release issued by WFA and WISA details the likely additional lead times and costs for shipment, treatment and clearance of imported products for vintage 2019. This eBulletin addresses concerns over possible implications of these treatments on oak barrels and other winemaking products.

Fumigation
The two fumigation treatments announced by DAWR are methyl bromide or sulfuryl fluoride. These agents have been used as insecticides for more than 50 years, mainly due to their toxicity to a wide variety of pests and their ability to rapidly penetrate into materials and then dissipate after aeration leaving minimal, if any, residue.

Winemakers may be concerned about the possibility of taints resulting from the fumigation of oak barrels. The AWRI has carefully considered the chemistry of formation of halophenol and haloanisole taints and reached the opinion that the fumigation of oak barrels with methyl bromide or sulfuryl fluoride is highly unlikely to cause such a taint unless a strong oxidising agent (e.g. hypochlorite or ozone) is also present, or unless the barrel is already tainted with a halophenol.

The AWRI’s helpdesk has not encountered any issues in the past of taints resulting from fumigation of oak barrels. However, if an oak barrel has a high moisture content, there is a possibility it could contain residual bromide (from methyl bromide) or fluoride (from sulfuryl fluoride) ions after fumigation. Consequently, it is advisable for fumigated barrels to be filled with treated (i.e. chlorine-removed) water for 48 hours after airing, to minimise the risk of residual bromide or fluoride ions.

There is also potential that winemaking additives and processing aids present in fumigated containers could adsorb methyl bromide or sulfuryl fluoride, and that it could take some time for the adsorbed fumigants to dissipate.

Heat treatment
The third treatment option put forward by DAWR is for containers to be heat treated at 50 degrees Celsius or higher for at least 20 minutes. Note that the DAWR website only lists offshore treatment providers, so it appears that heat treatment must be performed before departure from the country of origin. A possible issue arising from heat treatment is the drying out of oak barrels and the resulting potential for leakage.

What to do if a pest is found?
The AWRI advises grapegrowers and winemakers who transport or receive goods from overseas to be vigilant in checking for BMSB and other biosecurity risks. If any type of live pest is found while unpacking or moving goods, it must be reported immediately to the DAWR Hotline on 1800 798 636. If a live pest is found:

  • Collect and contain a specimen.
  • Re-seal any opened boxes, re-pack the container where possible, and shut the container doors.
  • Do not move the container, especially to an outside area.

If growers or winemakers think they have seen BMSB (or any other exotic pest) in the vineyard or winery, they should phone the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

For further information on methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride, including their chemical reactions and relevant research papers used in the preparation of this eBulletin, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Disclaimer
The AWRI has prepared this eBulletin based on a review of available relevant research papers. The information presented is for guidance only; the AWRI has not performed any research on the effects of fumigation on oak or other products with the above-mentioned fumigants, and therefore cannot guarantee that adverse effects will not occur. Winemakers that have concerns over residual levels of methyl bromide or sulfuryl fluoride in fumigated barrels are advised to have the barrels tested by a reputable laboratory and not to rely solely on the information contained in this eBulletin.

Safe spray application reminder

4 September 2018 >

As the spray season gets underway across Australia’s wine regions, this is a good time to think about some of the key factors that ensure safe and effective spray practices for pest, disease and weed control.

Selection of chemicals
Only use chemicals registered for use on grapevines. Refer to the ‘Dog book’ for a full list of registered and recommended chemicals. Rotate chemicals to avoid agrochemical resistance. Follow the CropLife Australia chemical resistance management strategies on pages 15 – 18 of the ‘Dog book’ and in the AWRI fact sheet on managing chemical resistance.

Chemical labels
Agrochemical labels are legal documents that must be observed. Always follow the label recommended application rates, recommendations for personal protective equipment and re-entry periods. Label withholding periods (WHPs) provide a guide which assumes that the wine will be sold in Australia. The ‘Dog book’ WHP recommendations assume that the wine will be sent to a range of overseas markets, each with differing maximum residue levels (MRLs). If you only sell wine in Australia, or to only a few countries, contact the AWRI to discuss how the recommendations might differ. The AWRI can also provide advice regarding the persistence of chemicals on grapes or through winemaking. MRLs for most major export destinations can be found in the AWRI’s MRL database.

Record-keeping
It is a label requirement that specific details of all agrochemical applications be kept for a minimum of two years. Australian states and territories also have their own legislation regarding accreditation for applicators, information to be recorded and the length of time for which records must be kept. The AWRI, in collaboration with industry, has developed a spray diary format and set of terminology that meets basic winery requirements. It is, however, recommended that growers follow applicable state or territory rules and check with their winery or grape purchaser in case additional information is required.

Agrochemical application
Effective chemical control is dependent on the correct timing, coverage and application rate. A number of fact sheets on spray application are available from the spray application page of the AWRI website. Key points to consider include:

  • Spray drift – Monitor weather conditions before and during spraying to ensure the conditions are favourable. Practical tips for spraying can be found in this fact sheet.
  • Safety – All staff handling and applying agrochemicals should be adequately trained to perform the task safely. Check state regulations for training requirements.
  • Disposal – Dispose of used chemical containers and unused chemical responsibly through programs such as drumMuster and ChemClear.

For more information on spray application or any other grape and wine technical issues, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on (08) 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

5 new AWRI webinars – registration is open now!

21 August 2018 >

 
The AWRI has released five sessions to launch the 2018-19 webinar program. Registration via the AWRI website is now open!

First up, the AWRI’s Josh Hixson reveals the vineyard and winery drivers associated with formation of aged characters in Riesling. The next four webinars address the latest in biosecurity news, use of antitranspirants as a tool to help combat vintage compression, global supply and demand trends in key export markets and compounds responsible for ‘apricot’ aroma in white wine.

Each webinar includes a presentation and an opportunity for audience members to ask questions and is held on a Thursday at 11:30 am Australian Central Standard Time (Adelaide, GMT+09:30). All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

The next five webinars for the program are:

30 August 2018: The flavour of bottle-aged Riesling – predicting and controlling future chemistry – Dr Josh Hixson (AWRI)

6 September 2018: Biosecurity – current and future risks – Dr Mardi Longbottom (AWRI)

13 September 2018: Antitranspirants – can they enhance wine-grape production? – Darren Fahey (DPI NSW)

27 September 2018: State of play – key markets for Australian wine – Kirstin Hannan (Wine Australia)

4 October 2018:  Why does this wine smell like apricots? – Dr Tracey Siebert (AWRI)

 
 

After registering for a webinar, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the session.

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 it online via the AWRI’s YouTube channel

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

Technical Review August 2018 issue available online

9 August 2018 >

The August 2018 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
  • Ask the AWRI: brown marmorated stink bug
  • Brettanomyces yeasts still have potential to give wine producers a headache
  • Hyperspectral imaging of Botrytis in grapes
  • Novel wine yeast with ARO4 and TYR1 mutations that overproduce ‘floral’ aroma compounds 2-phenylethanol and 2-phenylethyl acetate
  • Ask the AWRI: understanding whole-bunch fermentation
  • Late pruning impacts on chemical and sensory attributes of Shiraz wine
  • Exploring links between sustainability and business resilience
Current literature – oenology
  • Managing green flavors in the winery: sorting, clarification and heat treatments are among the most successful options
  • The art of oak, revisited: the toasting process and extraction techniques are the keys to using oak alternatives for quality wine
  • Nitrogen requirements of non-Saccharomyces yeast: impact on primary fermentation and aroma profile
  • Making natural sparkling wines with non-Saccharomyces yeasts
  • Evolving approaches to the development of sulfur compounds after bottling
  • Development of smoke taint in wine during bottle ageing
  • Grape-derived fruity volatile thiols: adjusting Sauvignon Blanc aroma and flavor complexity
  • What does your wine label mean to consumers? A semiotic investigation of Bordeaux wine visual codes
Current literature – viticulture
  • Root temperature regulated frost damage in leaves of the grapevine Vitis vinifera L.
  • Spatial analysis of frost risk to determine viticulture suitability in Tasmania, Australia
  • Efficacy of steam and hot water disinfestation treatments against genetically diverse strains of grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) on viticulture equipment and machinery
  • Australia prepared for the exotic grapevine disease angular leaf scorch
  • Further evaluation of disease-resistant scion selections in NSW wine regions
  • Optimising management strategies for grapevine trunk diseases

Managing dry winter conditions

7 August 2018 >

Much of the southern part of Australia is currently experiencing a very dry winter, with many regions having received less than 40% of their normal winter rainfall to date.

Insufficient winter rainfall creates a range of challenges for grapegrowers. These include dry soil profiles in spring and dams that may not have filled due to low water run-off during winter. There are several steps that growers can take to manage dry conditions, depending on their circumstances.

If irrigation water is available during winter

When irrigation is available during winter (for example from a bore or piped from the Murray River), then the best advice is to maintain some moisture in the soil profile by applying irrigation throughout winter. Trials have shown that waiting until spring to fill the soil profile can result in excessive vegetative growth and reduced yields. As temperatures rise in spring and the canopy starts to develop, close attention should be paid to soil moisture, as regular irrigation is likely to be required much earlier than in a wetter season.

If only limited irrigation water is available

If the soil profile is dry and only limited water is available (e.g. from an on-farm dam), then the use of this water needs to be carefully budgeted. A small canopy will use less water, so irrigation should be avoided until canopy growth has stopped. Depending on the amount of water available, irrigation can be applied strategically to prevent defoliation; this would often start sometime between fruit set and veraison. The aim of any irrigation applications is as much to sustain the vines as it is to reach a target yield. Blocks with a better return may also be prioritised over blocks where the value of the fruit is likely to be lower.

Vineyard floor management

Cover crops and weeds compete with vines for valuable water. In a dry winter cover crops should be slashed, rolled or a desiccant herbicide applied earlier than usual, to help conserve water. Dry springs are also associated with an increase in frost risk. Midrow cover crops should be kept short in frost prone areas.

Other useful resources

The AWRI helpdesk provides technical support and advice to Australian grapegrowers and winemakers. Contact the AWRI helpdesk on (08) 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Exploring the scientific past and future of wine

>

Wine lovers will learn more about the scientific breakthroughs that have made wine what it is today at an event filled with wine tastings and stories in Adelaide on 14 and 15 August. They will also look to the future with discussions of the challenges and emerging technologies that will change how wine is produced, viewed and consumed.

eNews – July 2018

30 July 2018 >

New method to assist yeast strain development

A chance to taste the shipwreck beer

Science week event explores future of wine

Discover vineyards of the world on the AWRI website

Registrations for CRUSH 2018 now open

AWITC less than a year away

eBook collection expands

Notes of congratulations

AWRI publications

Acknowledgements

New method to assist yeast strain development

Hybrid yeast strains that have a traditional wine yeast as one parent and a non-traditional yeast as the other parent are an important part of the AWRI’s yeast strain development research and can bring interesting new characters and behaviours to wine, without any genetic modification. As part of this work, AWRI researchers have developed a new method to isolate hybrid yeast strains with improved fermentation kinetics. The approach uses ‘adaptive evolution’, similar to that described by Charles Darwin as ‘survival of the fittest’, in a fermentation environment and has been recently published in the high-impact journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

Initially, an interspecific hybrid strain was generated (through traditional breeding techniques) which it was hoped would reduce the volatile acidity generated in high-sugar fermentations. However, the new hybrid strain showed reduced fermentation robustness compared to the wine yeast parent strain. To understand this further, the hybrid was placed in a fermentation environment, and progressively evolving cells were screened for loss of chromosomal material and evaluated for fermentation fitness. While a number of chromosomal alterations were identified, by the end of the experiment all the ‘fittest’ hybrid yeast cells were found to have lost Chromosome 14 from the non-S. cerevisiae parent. Evaluating the evolved hybrids that had lost Chromosome 14 from the non-S. cerevisiae parent showed they retained the targeted trait of reduced volatile acidity production while also exhibiting improved fermentation kinetics. This highlighted chromosomal mutations as a potential new method for screening hybrid yeast.

The full paper detailing these results is accessible via the AWRI library:

Bellon, J.R., Ford, C.M., Borneman, A.R., Chambers, P.J. 2018. A Novel Approach to Isolating Improved Industrial Interspecific Wine Yeasts Using Chromosomal Mutations as Potential Markers for Increased Fitness. Front. Microbiol. 9 (1442): 1-12.

A chance to taste the shipwreck beer
A further brew of ‘The Wreck – Preservation Ale’ has been made, giving scientists, historians and beer lovers across Australia a chance to try this unique beer. Brewed with the yeast isolated by AWRI scientists from bottles found in the 1797 wreck of the Sydney Cove, the beer is the result of a partnership between the AWRI, the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery in Launceston and James Squire. Kegs of ‘The Wreck’ are being distributed across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA and Tasmania in early August. A 750 mL bottle of the beer will also be available in very limited release through Dan Murphy’s from 23 August. Contact the AWRI for more information about where to try the beer in your state.

Science week event explores future of wine
Wine as you see it today isn’t the same drink it was 200 years ago – It’s better! Find out how scientific breakthroughs have made wine more delicious than ever! The wine-loving scientists from the AWRI have put together another fun evening of science, wine tasting and story-telling for National Science Week – to be presented in Adelaide on 14 and 15 August. This event – Grape Expectations! The Future of Wine – will explore some of the key discoveries that have made wine what it is today, as well as the emerging technologies that will change the future of how wine is produced, viewed and consumed.

Featuring tastings, activities and stories, this event is suitable for anyone with an interest in wine. Register now via the AWRI events page or find out about other National Science Week events at https://www.scienceweek.net.au/.

Discover vineyards of the world on the AWRI website
From 1999 to 2004, Dr Peter Dry published a series of articles in the Wine Industry Journal (now Wine & Viticulture Journal) profiling key grapegrowing regions across the world. While it is some time since these articles were published, the information they contain is still highly relevant today. The full set of articles has now been reproduced on the AWRI website with permission from the original publisher, Winetitles. So, if you’d like to know more about how grapes are grown from Franciatorta in Italy to Vancouver Island in Canada, check out the collection now.

Registrations for CRUSH 2018 now open

CRUSH is the key grape and wine science forum for early career researchers. It provides a unique opportunity to share the latest knowledge in viticulture and oenology research, and to network with industry peers and academics. This year’s symposium takes place on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 September at the Charles Hawker Centre on the Waite Campus, Urrbrae (SA), with a conference dinner on the Wednesday night. The event will run back to back with the Australian Society for Viticulture & Oenology seminar on Fermentation – converting research to reality, which will be held in the same venue on Thursday 27 September.

To register for CRUSH, please visit http://www.thewaite.org/crush. CRUSH is coordinated by the Wine Innovation Cluster, a partnership of the four leading Australian grape and wine research agencies (the AWRI, CSIRO, University of Adelaide and SARDI).

AWITC less than a year away
It’s now less than a year until the Australian wine community gathers in Adelaide for the 17th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (21-24 July 2019). To receive the latest news about the conference program and associated events, subscribe to the AWITC email mailing list and follow @The_AWITC on Twitter.

Expressions of interest are currently being sought from people interested in convening workshops at the conference. A program of 30 workshops will be presented across a range of themes, with all workshops to be held on Sunday, 21 July 2019. Follow this link to express your interest in presenting relevant, practical content that would work well in a workshop format. Applications close on 10 August 2018. For more information about the workshop program, contact Con Simos and Francesca Blefari (workshop coordinators) on 08 8313 6600 or workshops@awitc.com.au.

eBook collection expands

Eleven new titles have recently been added to the AWRI’s Grape and Wine eBook Collection. Highlights include an exploration of glass and its central importance in both transporting and enjoying wine, the rising popularity of rosé, a history of Margaret River’s wine industry and strategies to capitalise on the emergence of the Chinese wine visitor boom. To review the latest titles, visit the eBooks page on the AWRI website and browse the two eBook platforms. Access to the collection is reserved for Australian growers and winemakers who pay the Grape Research or Winegrape levy. For further information on using the collection, please consult the online guides or contact the AWRI information services team.

Notes of congratulations

Several AWRI staff have recent achievements that are worth celebrating:

  • Prof. Markus Herderich was elected as President of the OIV Sub-Commission ‘Methods of analysis’.
  • Jenny Bellon was awarded her PhD from the University of Adelaide.
  • Kate Beames, Ella Robinson, Dr Peter Dry and Dr Dan Johnson received a 2018 OIV Award for the Proceedings of the 16th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference. The OIV Awards reward the best books related to the vine and wine sector published in the past two years.

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’ published in Wine & Viticulture Journal (PDF format).
    • Read the full text of ‘Ask the AWRI’ and ‘Vineyards of the world’ columns

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

    2006 Chen, L., Capone, D., Tondini, F.A., Jeffery, D.W. Chiral polyfunctional thiols and their conjugated precursors upon winemaking with five Vitis vinifera Sauvignon blanc clones. J. Agric. Food Chem. 66 (18): 4674-4682; 2018.

    2007 Longbottom, M., Abbott, T. Exploring the links between sustainability and business resilience. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (652): 28-31; 2018.

    2008 Godden, P. Ask the AWRI: Understanding whole-bunch fermentation. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (652): p. 63; 2018.

    2009 Moran, M.A., Bastian, S.E., Petrie, P.R., Sadras, V.O. Late pruning impacts on chemical and sensory attributes of Shiraz wine. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. DOI: 10.1111/ajgw.12350; 2018.

    2010 Cordente, A.G., Solomon, M., Schulkin, A., Francis, I.L., Barker, A., Borneman, A.R., Curtin, C.D. Novel wine yeast with ARO4 and TYR1 mutations that overproduce ‘floral’ aroma compounds 2-phenylethanol and 2-phenyethyl acetate. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 102 (14): 5977-5988; 2018.

    2011 Skewes, M., Petrie, P.R., Liu, S., Whitty, M. Smartphone tools for measuring vine water status. Acta Hortic. 1197: 53-58; 2018.

    2012 Dambergs, B., Nordestgaard, S., Jiang, M., Wilkes, E., Petrie, P. Hyperspectral imaging of botrytis in grapes. Wine Vitic. J. 33 (3): 22-24; 2018.

    2013 Li, S., Wilkinson, K., Bindon, K., Bastian, S., Ristic, R. Winemaking supplements: what’s inside? Wine Vitic. J. 33 (3): 30-33; 2018.

    2014 Varela, C., Bartel, C., Borneman, A., Herderich, M., Johnson, D. Brettanomyces yeasts still have potential to give wine producers a headache. Wine Vitic. J. 33 (3): 36-38; 2018.

    2015 Dry, P. Gruener veltliner. Wine Vitic. J. 33 (3): p. 55; 2018.

    2016 Longbottom, M. Ask the AWRI: Brown marmorated stink bug. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (653): p. 53; 2018.

    2017 Taylor, A., Barlow, N., Day, M.P., Hill, S., Maring, N., Patriarca, M. Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in the analysis of clinical and biological materials, foods and beverages. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 33 (3): 338-382; 2018.

    2018 Coulter, A. Ask the AWRI: Lightstruck character. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (654): 76-77; 2018.

    2019 Bellon, J.R., Ford, C.M., Borneman, A.R., Chambers, P.J. Improved industrial interspecific wine yeasts using chromosomal mutations as potential makers for increased fitness. Front. Microbiol. 9 (1442): 1-12; 2018.

    2020 Liu, S., Li, X., Wu, H., Xin, B., Petrie, P.R., Whitty, M. A robust automated flower estimation system for grape vines. Biosystems Eng. 172: 110-123; 2018.

    2021 McRae, J.M., Teng, B., Bindon, K. Factors influencing red wine color from the grape to the glass. Ref. Mod. Food Sci. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.21655-7; 2018.

    2022 McRae, J.M., Barricklow, V., Pocock, K.F., Smith, P.A. Predicting protein haze formation in white wines. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. DOI: 10.1111/ajgw.12354; 2018.

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.