The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

eNews – January 2016

27 January 2016 >

Investigation of grape and wine production practices

New AWRI website launched

60th anniversary review papers now in print

New smoke taint resources available

Grape samples needed for smoke taint background data

Getting predicted alcohol right – juice samples needed

AWITC registrations opening soon

Order the latest AWRI staff publications online

Acknowledgement

Investigation of grape and wine production practices
practices-360px How common are different winery methods for pressing and clarification? Which different yeasts are being used by Australian winemakers? What are the most popular lab methods for assessing heat and cold stability? How widespread is cane versus spur pruning? How common are multi-row sprayers of different sizes and spray recovery units? For these and numerous other aspects of Australian grape and wine production there is limited data available on the prevalence of different practices and how they are changing with time.To address this gap, the AWRI is establishing a survey of Australian grape and wine production practices to be performed for the first time in 2016. The survey may be repeated at a later date to give a picture of changing practices over time.

The survey will provide aggregate anonymous data on the prevalence of different production practices. It will help inform R&D efforts by the AWRI and other research organisations, allow producers to compare their practices with regional and national norms, promote discussion on the different techniques available and provide a historical record.

The survey questions are currently being developed, with the final survey planned for July and August 2016. Site visits will then follow to explore the reasoning behind different choices. If there are questions or topics relating to Australian grape and wine production that you think should be included in the study, please email simon.nordestgaard@awri.com.au.

New AWRI website launched
website The AWRI launched a brand new look for https://www.awri.com.au/. Underneath the fresh design there is significant new content on AWRI research projects, a refresh of the popular AWRI helpdesk resources, updated fact sheets and lots of other changes. Have a look around the new site, and contact the Information Services team if you have any comments or questions.

60th anniversary review papers now in print
AJGWR The special issue of the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research published as part of the AWRI’s 60th anniversary celebrations rolled off the printing press in late December 2015. The issue contains 18 review articles authored by AWRI staff on topics in viticulture, sensory science, wine chemistry and microbiology. The full list of article titles is available here. AJGWR subscribers will already have received their copy in the mail and can also access the review articles online. Non-subscribers are welcome to visit the AWRI library to read a hard copy of the special issue or browse through it on one of the library computers. Alternatively, requests for copies of specific review articles can be made by contacting AWRI library staff.

New smoke taint resources available

The Bureau of Meteorology has indicated that the 2015/2016 El Niño event currently influencing Australia’s weather is one of the top three strongest of the past 50 years. The potential effects of El Niño on Australia include warmer, more extreme temperatures and increased fire danger. This makes the 2016 vintage a high risk one with respect to bushfires and the associated possibility of smoke taint.

With this in mind, the AWRI has recently put together two new smoke taint fact sheets to help inform grapegrowers and winemakers. One discusses the entry of smoke-related compounds into grapes, as well as vineyard risk factors, while the other looks at possible options for managing smoke-exposed fruit. The AWRI Commercial Services fact sheet about smoke taint analysis has also been recently updated. Other resources to help grapegrowers and winemakers with concerns about possible smoke contamination are available on the AWRI’s smoke taint webpage. For further information or assistance, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Grape samples needed for smoke taint background data

Did you know that the compounds found in smoke-tainted grapes are also found in grapes that have not been exposed to smoke? The AWRI has a database of these ‘background levels’ that is used when assessing the risk of smoke taint in grapes that have been exposed to smoke. This allows a simple ‘traffic light’ indication of risk to be provided. The current database only covers five grape varieties, so an expansion is planned for this vintage.

To make this happen, the AWRI is seeking 2 kg samples of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Semillon, Merlot and Grenache grapes that have not been exposed to smoke. The samples will need to be frozen once picked and then transported to the AWRI post-vintage.

The AWRI will organise and pay for transport of samples to the AWRI and assist with quarantine requirements by supplying the relevant forms. Can you help out? Please follow this link and provide your details. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QDBJN6J

For any extra information, please contact the AWRI helpdesk team on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Getting predicted alcohol right – juice samples needed

Accurately predicting the final alcohol of wine is one of the big challenges in wine production, with many winemakers relying on simple ‘rules of thumb’ that can be more than 1% (v/v) alcohol out. One of the keys to achieving more accurate alcohol predictions is a clear understanding of the actual fermentable sugar levels in juice and how they compare to total dissolved solids (TDS) levels measured as Brix or Baume. This vintage the AWRI is seeking juice samples to help in the development of a more accurate online calculator to predict final alcohol.

Participants will be asked to provide frozen 50 mL juice samples along with their measured Brix and TA and then information on the fermentation characteristics used, the yeast type, and the final alcohol of the wine. The AWRI will be measuring the content of fermentable sugars (glucose and fructose) in the juice as well as quantifying the non-fermentable component of the TDS. The information will be collated and used to develop an online calculator for next vintage. To participate in the trial, or for more information, please contact Eric Wilkes on 08 8313 6600 or eric.wilkes@awri.com.au.

AWITC registrations opening soon
awitc-360px It’s now less than two weeks until registrations open for the 16th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference on 8 February. The conference program is shaping up well, with a wide range of overseas and Australian speakers now confirmed. Details of the workshop program are also available, with 39 workshops to be held on Sunday 24 July and Wednesday 27 July 2016.

Poster abstract submissions remain open, and all submissions will be considered for inclusion in one of the ‘Fresh science’ conference sessions. Trade Exhibition sales are continuing to progress – further details about the exhibition are available on the AWITE website. To keep in touch with all things AWITC & TE, add your email address to the AWITC mailing list and follow the AWITC on twitter.

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).

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

1753 Ward, S.C., Petrie, P.R., Johnson, T.E., Boss, P.K., Bastian, S.E.P. Unripe berries and petioles in Vitis Vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon fermentations affect sensory and chemical profiles. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 66 (4): 435-443; 2015.

1754 Hixson, J.L., Bindon, K.A., Smith, P.A. Evaluation of direct phloroglucinolysis and colorimetric depolymerization assays and their applicability for determining condensed tannins in grape marc. J. Agric. Food Chem. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b04207: 31 p.; 2015.

1755 Krstic, M.R., Johnson, D.L., Herderich, M.J. Review of smoke taint in wine: smoke-derived volatile phenols and their glycosidic metabolites in grapes and vines as biomarkers for smoke exposure and their role in the sensory perception of smoke taint. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 537-553; 2015.

1756 Smith, P.A., McRae, J.M., Bindon, K.A. Impact of winemaking practices on the concentration and composition of tannins in red wine. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 601-614; 2015.

1757 Chambers, P.J., Borneman, A.R., Varela, C., Cordente, A.G., Bellon, J.R., Tran, T.M.T., Henschke, P.A., Curtin, C.D. Ongoing domestication of wine yeast: past, present and future. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 642-650; 2015.

1758 Bekker, M.Z., Day, M.P., Holt, H., Wilkes, E., Smith, P.A. Effect of oxygen exposure during fermentation on volatile sulfur compounds in Shiraz wine and a comparison of strategies for remediation of reductive character. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. DOI: 10.1111/ajgw.12172: 12 p.; 2015.

1759 Bartowsky, E.J., Costello, P.J., Chambers, P.J. Emerging trends in the application of malolactic fermentation. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 663-669; 2015.

1760 Higginson, E.G., Lloyd, N.D.R., Kravchuk, O., Ford, C.M., Thomas, M.R. A high-throughput UHPLC MS/MS method for evaluation of tartaric and malic acid concentration in individual grapevine berries. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. DOI: 10.1111/ajgw.12170: 8 p.; 2015.

1761 Longbottom, M. Ask the AWRI: Nitrous oxide and viticulture. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (621): 42-43; 2015.

1762 Scrimgeour, N. Ferment sensor technologies put through their paces. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (621): 68, 70, 72-74; 2015.

1763 Coulter, A. Ask the AWRI: Spoilage due to lactic acid bacteria. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (622): 76-77; 2015.

1764 Coulter, A.D., Holdstock, M.G., Cowey, G.D., Simos, C.A., Smith, P.A., Wilkes, E.N. Potassium bitartrate crystallisation in wine and its inhibition. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 627-641; 2015.

1765 Mierczynska-Vasilev, A., Smith, P.A. Current state of knowledge and challenges in wine clarification. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 615-626; 2015.

1766 Curtin, C., Varela, C., Borneman, A. Harnessing improved understanding of Brettanomyces bruxellensis biology to mitigate the risk of wine spoilage. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 680-692; 2015.

1767 Schmidt, S.A., Henschke, P.A. Production, reactivation and nutrient requirements of active dried yeast in winemaking: theory and practice. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 651-662; 2015.

1768 Godden, P., Wilkes, E., Johnson, D. Trends in the composition of Australian wine 1984-2014. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 741-753; 2015.

1769 Varela, C., Dry, P.R., Kutyna, D.R., Francis, I.L., Henschke, P.A., Curtin, C.D., Chambers, P.J. Strategies for reducing alcohol concentration in wine. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 670-679; 2015.

1770 Longbottom, M.L., Petrie, P.R. Role of vineyard practices in generating and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 522-536; 2015.

1771 Herderich, M., Barter, S., Black, C.A., Bramley, R., Capone, D., Dry, P., Siebert, T., Zhang, P. Terroir effects on grape and wine aroma compounds. Ebeler, S.B., Sacks, G., Vidal, S., Winterhalter, P. (eds.) Advances in wine research. Washington, D.C: American Chemical Society: 131–146; 2015. (ACS Symposium series; 1203).

1772 Longbottom, M. A successful seminar and awards night. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (6): p. 10; 2015.

1773 Gawel, R., Day, M., Schulkin, A., Smith, P. Murky winemaking: How juice solids affect the macromolecular composition and mouthfeel of white wine. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (6): 18-22; 2015.

1774 Smith, P., Schulkin, A., Kassara, S., Barter, S., Solomon, M., Cynkar, W., Capone, D., Francis, L., Bindon, K., Johnson, D. Applying the latest understanding of grape composition. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (6): 33-36, 38; 2015.

1775 Dry, P. Friulano. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (6): p. 54; 2015.
1776 Essling, M. Ask the AWRI: Skipping vineyard sprays in dry years. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (623): p. 38; 2015.

1777 Johnson, D. 2015 Report: Implementation and execution. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (623): 67-70; 2015.

1778 Lloyd, N., Johnson, D.L., Herderich, M.J. Metabolomics approaches for resolving and harnessing chemical diversity in grapes., yeast and wine. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 723-740; 2015.

1779 Johnson, D.L., Rose, L.E. Foreword to the special edition of the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Australian Wine Research Institute. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): p. 521; 2015.

1780 Black, C.A., Parker, M., Siebert, T.E., Capone, D.L., Francis, I.L. Terpenoids and their role in wine flavour: recent advances. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 582-600; 2015.

1781 Day, M.P., Schmidt, S.A., Smith, P.A., Wilkes, E.N. Use and impact of oxygen during winemaking. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 693-704; 2015.

1782 Smith, M.E., Bekker, M.Z., Smith, P.A., Wilkes, E.N. Sources of volatile sulfur compounds in wine. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 705-712; 2015.

1783 Scrimgeour, N., Nordestgaard, S., Lloyd, N.D.R., Wilkes, E.N. Exploring the effect of elevated storage temperature on wine composition. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (S1): 713-722; 2015.

1784 Dry, P. Marzemino. Wine Vitic. J. 28 (4): p. 63; 2013.

1785 Bindon, K.A., Carew, A.L., Mierczynska-Vasilev, A., Kassara, S., Kerslake, F., Smith, P.A. Characterization of macromolecular complexes in red wine: composition, molecular mass distribution and particle size. Food Chem. 199: 838-846; 2016.

1786 Sparrow, A.M., Holt, H.E., Pearson, W., Dambergs, R.G., Close, D.C. Accentuated cut edges (ACE): effects of skin fragmentation on the composition and sensory attributes of Pinot noir wines. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. DOI: 10.5344/ajev.2015.15094: 32 p.; 2016.

1787 Holdstock, M. Ask the AWRI: All things analysis. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (624): 52-53; 2016.

1788 Wilkes, E. Baume to alcohol: It’s only an approximation. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (624): 59-61; 2016.

1789 Nordestgaard, S. SIMEI 2015 – Wine, olive oil and decanters. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (624): 66-68; 2016.

Acknowledgement

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.

Managing late season wet weather

20 January 2016 >

20 January 2016

Sustained rainfall in the period from veraison to harvest can put vines under significant threat of disease. This can leave growers and vineyard managers with some difficult decisions to make. In some cases the usual control options of spraying, slashing or trimming may not be viable or may be of limited value and some crop loss may be inevitable. This eBulletin outlines a selection of points to consider when making vineyard management decisions after late season rain.

Fungicide sprays
It’s important to be aware of the range of diseases and bunch rots that the vines might be experiencing and their relative importance. For example, downy mildew on leaves late in the season will not be the highest priority if there is a risk of bunch rot. Decisions on whether to use fungicide sprays need to take into account both the impact of withholding periods and whether the spray will be able to achieve the coverage needed to be effective.

The application of any fungicide spray restricts picking date because a withholding period has to be completed before the fruit can be harvested. This can be a disadvantage in terms of reducing flexibility in the timing of picking decisions. When bad weather is around, the ability to pick a bit early (or before the next storm) can sometimes make all the difference.

When canopies are big and leafy, spray coverage where it is needed (in and on bunches) can be almost impossible. To be effective, the spray has to get across the whole berry and into the rachis. Without this level of protection, the disease can start within the bunch and spread outwards. In some cases, the most economical action may be not to spray if achieving the required coverage is unlikely.

If a decision is made to spray, there is only a short list of spray options for Botrytis in the weeks before harvest that meet export requirements. The best choice of chemical will depend on a number of factors. The ‘desiccant’ options such as hydrogen peroxide + peroxyacetic acid may not be worthwhile if more rain is due but could be very useful a few days before harvest to dry up any infected material. The ‘protectant’ options such as iprodione should only be used when good coverage is possible and the fruit is in reasonable condition. Applying chemicals where infection is well established has been shown to lead to the establishment of chemical resistance in the population and must be avoided.

Other options For high value crops it may be economical to drop infected fruit ahead of the mechanical harvester or to conduct selective harvesting by hand. Detailed block assessment may identify parcels of fruit with manageable levels of disease that could be harvested separately. Some varieties (with thicker skins and looser clusters) will manage the conditions better than others and efforts should be focused on these varieties. Slashing and trimming to promote airflow is a good strategy if access to the block is possible. This can provide a viable alternative to spraying.

Safety
Safety of vineyard operations should always be considered. Wet and slippery conditions can be dangerous on a tractor towing a heavy spray cart, especially on sloping ground. If safe access is not possible, this can limit spray, slash or trimming opportunities.

Fruit quality
The consequences of harvesting poor quality fruit should also be considered. There are significant winemaking challenges involved in processing diseased fruit and thought should be given to the eventual market for a potentially inferior product. In some cases it may be more viable to leave severely disease-affected fruit in the field rather than incurring additional harvesting and winemaking costs only to produce wine of questionable quality.

Final points
When conditions are challenging, adaptability and flexibility is important. Management strategies should be reviewed every few days as conditions, the weather forecast and fruit ripeness changes.

Technical advice and assistance are available from the AWRI helpdesk – 08 8313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Additional resources on managing Botrytis can be found here:

The AWRI thanks Liz Riley from Vitibit Pty Ltd for her assistance with the preparation of this eBulletin.

Technical Review December 2015 issue available online

8 December 2015 >

The December 2015 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
  • Chemistry of copper in white wine: a review
  • Using copper more effectively in winemaking
  • Relationship between menthiafolic acid and wine lactone in wine
  • Assessment of relationships between grape chemical composition and grape allocation grade for Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay
  • Terroir or terpenoid transformation: the origin of 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) in wine
  • The history of wine presses. Part 1: batch presses
  • The history of wine presses. Part 2: continuous presses. . . And what next?
  • Adverse food reactions from consuming wine
  • Ask the AWRI: Wine consumption and heart health
Current literature – oenology
  • The economics of wine barrels: how to determine the effect of barrel choices on profits
  • A dynamic evaluation of the oxygen transfer rate in oak barrels
  • Simultaneous must extraction and clarification: presenting a new process
  • Rootstock tolerance and resistance to different genetic strains of phylloxera
  • Thoughts on the use of pectinase in white winemaking: the benefit of adding enzymes
  • Microbial origins of key wine aromas: part III; higher alcohols and volatile phenols
  • Early fermentation volatile metabolite profile of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in red and white grape must: a targeted approach
  • The influences of different winemaking techniques on the mouthfeel of Shiraz grapes
  • Consumer perceptions of wine brand names
  • Managing reduction in wine through the choice of closure
  • Characterization of winery wastewater for reuse in California
Current literature – viticulture
  • Proanthocyanidin composition and evolution during grape ripening as affected by variety: Nebbiolo and Barbera cv.
  • Understanding vineyard soils: second edition
  • Mulching under vine – options and their benefits
  • UAS-based multi-angular remote sensing of the effects of soil management strategies on grapevine
  • Unexpected relationships between vine vigor and grape composition in warm climate conditions
  • Case study: post frost management strategies
  • Truly sustainable viticulture must start at the roots
  • Understanding the influence of vine balance on berry composition: 2013–14 season project update
  • Big changes to Entwine
  • A smartphone app could help growers optimise vine balance
  • Deadly vine disease bacteria hits France
  • Bringing Lagrein to life
  • Soil nutrient availability under cover crops: effects on vines, must, and wine in a Tempranillo vineyard

eNews – November 2015

11 November 2015 >

Cool new weather tools for a hot summer

Seeking wild ferment samples

Vineyard scale control options

Entwine Australia – the results are in!

Are you on the AWAC mailing list?

One-day wine show judging course returns in November

AWITC & TE update

Order the latest AWRI staff publications online

Acknowledgement

Cool new weather tools for a hot summer

vineyard-hot-620px

With hot weather having arrived early in spring and the strongest El Niño system ever having been declared, there are some concerns across our industry about the weather between now and the 2016 harvest. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast a hotter and drier October and November, likely to dry out the country and bring forward extreme fire conditions that would usually only be faced in late January and February. Fire ban dates have thus also been brought forward, starting from 26 October to 1 November in many regions.

The BOM continues to release new weather tools that can help you track and adjust to changing weather conditions. For example, recent access to the Japanese satellite Himawari-8 allows near real-time weather tracking. Some of the key tools offered by the BOM, including 7-day, 14-day and seasonal forecasts and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) tracker (important in this strong El Niño year), are outlined below.

New near real-time imagery from Japanese satellite Himawari-8 has recently become available in Australia. This satellite web viewer lets you zoom in to your state, to 0.5-2 km resolution, with new colour images uploaded every ten minutes. This allows you to see cyclones, storm events, fog, volcanic ash and perhaps bushfire plumes, potentially giving an indication if your vineyard has been exposed to smoke. An overview of the satellite’s capabilities can be viewed here.

How hot is it going to be in the next few days? The best way to navigate weather on your smart phone, by your location, is using the mobile BOM pathway http://m.bom.gov.au/.

MetEye is a great tool that has been constructed by BOM meteorologists to give a better representation of local weather as a 7-day forecast across Australia on a 3-6 km map grid. Forecasts are updated twice per day during the early morning and late afternoon. Multi-week to seasonal forecast tools (including temperature, rainfall or extreme temperatures) can now also be trialled through http://poama.bom.gov.au.

Want the seasonal outlook translated in three minutes? The BOM releases three-month climate and water outlook videos on YouTube and social media. The November 2015 to January 2016 outlook was released on 29 October 2015. Due to the El Niño, the next outlook will be released early on 19 November 2015.

The latest information on El Niño is updated fortnightly on the BOM’s ENSO Tracker page. With an El Niño system, clearer skies can often mean an increased frost risk season. The BOM is trialling Frost Potential maps specifically for agriculture that show forecast low temperature thresholds for various locations across Australia. The maps are updated each day and show forecasts for the next 48 hours. The BOM also offers a heatwave forecast service. Primarily designed as a health tool to assist people to cope through heatwaves, it also has applications for agricultural planning around heat events.

Seeking wild ferment samples

Are you currently performing wild ferments? Would you like to know which species of yeast and bacteria are present in the fermentations and how these differ between batches or vintages?

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then the AWRI would like to hear from you. Planning is underway for a large research project that will investigate the regional differences in microbial species that participate in wild fermentations around Australia. The project will use a new analytical technique called metagenomics that provides the identities and proportions of yeast and bacterial species present at specific points during fermentation.

To accomplish the project’s aims, your help is needed in providing samples from wild fermentations of Chardonnay, Shiraz or Pinot Noir, ideally all processed at the same location for a particular winery.

Ferments will need to be sampled at four points during fermentation (based on sugar consumption). All the equipment necessary for the sampling will be supplied by the AWRI. You would only need to contribute your time to take the samples and to store them at 4°C until you’re ready to post them to us. The metagenomic analysis will be performed at no cost to you and results for your samples will be provided once the analysis is complete. Winery anonymity will be maintained, with results to be published identified only by region, variety and general winemaking practices.
If you are planning on performing wild fermentations in 2015/2016 and beyond, and are interested in taking part in this study, please contact Dr. Anthony Borneman on 08 8313 6600 or anthony.borneman@awri.com.au.

Vineyard scale control options

scale-image_620

The AWRI helpdesk has recently noted an increase in queries about scale insects in vineyards and the options available for controlling these pests. The 2015/16 ‘Dog book’ recommends paraffinic oil or petroleum oil sprays applied at dormancy for grapevine scale. The effectiveness of this treatment relies on good coverage as the oil kills the scale via suffocation. During the growing season, the registered options have until recently been limited to a number of organophosphate insecticides: azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, maldison and methidathion. These active constituents are broad spectrum and not typically compatible with integrated pest management (IPM) programs because they also affect the natural enemies of scale, including parasitic wasps, lacewings and ladybirds. Growers are advised to contact their winery or grape purchaser before using any of these insecticide sprays. A new active constituent, spirotetramat, that targets sap-sucking insects, has now been registered for the suppression of grapevine scale in vineyards.

Unlike the organophosphate products, spirotetramat is claimed to be compatible with IPM programs. The recommended restriction on use for grapes destined for export wine is “use no later than E-L 18, 14 leaves separated, flower caps still in place, but cap colour fading from green”.

For more information about scale pests, consult this list of resources or view the AWRI webinar on scale presented by Jenny Venus in July 2015.

Entwine Australia – the results are in!

One of the important functions of Entwine Australia is to provide Australian grapegrowers and winemakers with data that allows them to identify opportunities to improve their environmental performance. Through the Extension and Outreach project ‘Building Resilience and Sustainability in the Grape and Wine Sector’ funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, the AWRI has updated the Australian Wine Carbon Calculator and developed a benchmarking ‘dashboard’ for all members. All Entwine Australia members now have access to their personalised dashboard of data for the 2014/15 season. To access results, members can log in here.

Entwine members are encouraged to compare their data to others in their region or business size category to see how their production performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compare. In the example below, the dial shows that this grower’s diesel use is ranked in the top quartile (75%) of all growers in the region. With this knowledge that there is room for improvement, the grower can look at some of the other benchmarking dials to assist with the identification of opportunities for improvement. Yield and water use are average for the region, which suggests that the high diesel use is not associated with the diesel pump being used for irrigation and that the grower should review other sources of diesel consumption. By reviewing their spray and soil management practices against what is considered best practice for the region, this grower can potentially make changes and improve their ranking in the region with associated significant cost savings on diesel and lower GHG emissions.

entwine

Example of how to use information from the Entwine benchmarking ‘dashboard’ to achieve cost savings, reduced GHG emissions and continuous improvement.

The AWRI Extension and Outreach team will be presenting the results of the Entwine benchmarking data in a series of workshops around Australia in the coming months. Workshops will be publicised through regional associations, email notifications, the AWRI website, the Australian Grape and Wine Events Calendar and Twitter.

For assistance with the interpretation of benchmarking data, please download this user manual. For more information about Entwine, watch the recent Entwine webinar or contact the AWRI helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Are you on the AWAC mailing list?

Group_tasting_620

The AWRI’s Advanced Wine Assessment Course is an intensive wine tasting course, held over four days and including more than 320 wines. In each course guest judges share their advice and experiences of tasting under wine show conditions. The course program challenges and develops the ability of participants to assess wine reliably and helps to develop a common wine vocabulary. Many participants undertake the course as a step to becoming a wine show judge, while others value the ability to benchmark their wine assessment ability and improve their skills. Places in the course are determined by ballot. To take part in the next ballot, join the AWAC mailing list by completing this online form.

One-day wine show judging course returns in November

The AWRI’s newest one-day course Wine show judging – an insider’s view of panel tastings will be held for the second time on 20 November. This course gives small groups of participants the opportunity to taste under wine show conditions with guidance from three experienced wine show chairs. Places in this course are limited to 15 participants and can be reserved online. For more information on the AWRI’s tasting courses, please contact the events team on 08 8313 6600 or events@awri.com.au.

AWITC & TE update

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With less than nine months to go until the 16th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference and Trade Exhibition, activity is ramping up for the planning committee and staff. The preliminary conference program is now available and the majority of speaker invitations have been sent out. Keep an eye on the AWITC twitter account for announcements about speakers and topics.

Submit your poster abstract now for a chance to win a prize or be selected to present your research in one of the ‘Fresh science’ conference sessions. The technical poster display is a key component of every AWITC, giving researchers a chance to present their latest results and interact directly with delegates.

In case you missed the news when it was announced, WFA’s Outlook Conference and McWilliam’s Maurice O’Shea Award Dinner will be held in Adelaide in conjunction with the 16th AWITC. Outlook’s comprehensive business and marketing content will be presented in sessions on Monday 25 July with the Award Dinner that evening. The Award Dinner will take the place of the traditional conference dinner and will provide a fantastic opportunity to network and celebrate the latest winner of industry’s most prestigious award.

Sales of space at the Trade Exhibition are progressing well – further details are available on the AWITE website.

To keep in touch with all things AWITC & TE, make sure your email address is on the AWITC mailing list.

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).

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

1737 Smith, P. Assessment of relationships between grape chemical composition and grape allocation grade for Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (620): 30-32; 2015.

1738 Hill, M., Cowey, G. The adoption of innovations by Australian grapegrowers and winemakers. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (620): 70-72; 2015.

1739 Nordestgaard, S. The history of wine presses: Part 2: Continuous presses… and what next? Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (620): 73, 75-76, 78-79; 2015.

1740 Cowey, G. DIY haze and deposit identification. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (620): p. 87; 2015.

1741 Francis, I.L., Williamson, P.O. Application of consumer sensory science in wine research. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12169; 2015.

1742 Stockley, C.S., Johnson, D.L. Adverse food reactions from consuming wine. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12171; 2015.

1743 Longbottom, M. ASVO Mildura seminar – was it the best yet? Wine Vitic. J. 30 (5): p. 15; 2015.

1744 Reschke, S., Tran, T., Bekker, M., Wilkes, E., Johnson, D. Using copper more effectively in winemaking. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (5): 35-37, 39; 2015.

1745 Powell, K., Krstic, M. Rootstock tolerance and resistance to different genetic strains of phylloxera. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (5): 48-51; 2015.

1746 Dry, P. Lagrein. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (5): p. 61; 2015.

1747 Giaccio, J., Curtin, C.D., Sefton, M.A., Taylor, D.K. Relationship between Menthiafolic acid and wine lactone in wine. J. Agric. Food Chem. 63 (37): 8241–8246; 2015.

1748 Bachhuka, A., Christo, S.J., Cavallaro, A., Diener, K.R., Mierczynska, A., Smith, L.E., Marian, R., Manavis, J., Hayball, J.D., Vasilev, K. Hybrid core/shell microparticles and their use for understanding biological processes. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 457: 9-17; 2015.

1749 Clark, A.C., Wilkes, E.N., Scollary, G.R. Chemistry of copper in white wine: a review. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 21 (3): 339-350; 2015.

1750 Sternes, P.R., Moyle, R.L. Deep sequencing reveals divergent expression patterns within the small RNA transcriptomes of cultured and vegetative tissues of sugarcane. Plant Mol. Biol Rep. 33 (4): 931-951; 2015.

1751 Moyle, R.L., Sternes, P.R., Birch, R.G. Incorporating target sequences of developmentally regulated small RNAs into transgenes to enhance tissue specificity of expression in plants. Plant Mol. Biol Rep. 33 (3): 505-511; 2015.

1752 Stockley, C.S. The relationship between alcohol, wine and cardiovascular diseases – A review. Nutr. Aging doi: 10.3233/NUA-150052; 2015.

Acknowledgement

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 2015 issue available online

8 October 2015 >

The October 2015 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
  • Environmental factors and seasonality affect the concentration of rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz wine
  • Towards a scientific interpretation of the terroir concept: plasticity of the grape berry metabolome
  • Interaction of grape skin, seed, and pulp tissues on tannin and anthocyanin extraction in Pinot Noir wines
  • Bunch stem necrosis
  • Developments in destemming and sorting technology. Part two: harvester-mounted destemmers and sorters
  • Vintage 2015 – observations from the AWRI helpdesk
Current literature – oenology
  • Impact of maceration times on the structure and perception of tannin in Pinot Noir wines
  • The influences of different winemaking techniques on the mouthfeel of Shiraz grapes
  • The effect of half plunging and no plunging as alternative winemaking techniques on phenolic extraction and pigment composition of wine
  • Influence of different yeast strains on metabolism of tryptophan and indole-3-acetic acid during fermentation
  • A new look at an old practice: how sulfur dioxide additions influence microbial diversity during fermentation
  • Non-Saccharomyces killer toxins: possible biocontrol agents against Brettanomyces in wine?
  • Rationale for a stronger disposition of Chardonnay wines for stuck and sluggish fermentation
  • Influence of berry size on red wine colour and composition
  • Influence of grape composition on red wine ester profile: comparison between Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz cultivars from Australian warm climate
  • HACCP considerations: plastic polymers in the wine industry
  • Assessing the sensory profiles of sparkling wine over time
Current literature – viticulture
  • Delayed pruning shifted Shiraz maturity by two weeks in 2015
  • Indicators of soil quality in viticulture: Part 1: Physical and chemical properties
  • Soil management systems: effects on soil properties and weed flora
  • Spatial and temporal scales of future climate information for climate change adaptation in viticulture: a case study of user needs in the Australian winegrape sector
  • Impact of elevated temperature and water deficit on the chemical and sensory profiles of Barossa Shiraz grapes and wines
  • Accumulation pattern of flavonoids in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in a low-latitude and high-altitude region
  • Temporal stability of within-field variability for total soluble solids in four irrigated grapevines cultivars growing under semi-arid conditions
  • The relative sustainability of organic, biodynamic and conventional viticulture. Part 2: vine health and grape yields
  • Recommendations for summer vineyard work: defoliation and shoot positioning to better manage disease
  • Growing wine quality: thiols. Adoption of vineyard practices can enhance fruit aromas in certain cultivars
  • Effect of water deficit and severe shoot trimming on the composition of Vitis vinifera L. Merlot grapes and wines
  • Natural enemies of soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae) in Australian vineyards
  • Managing resistance to anti-botrytis fungicides in the Champagne region: another example of collective success

eNews – September 2015

10 September 2015 >

Time for a spring MLF check-up?

Entwine – new benchmarking data available

Drones, frost, flotation and making lower alcohol wines

Yeast matchmaking delivers low VA breeds

Looking to the past and future of grape pressing technology

Seminar and workshop update

Two government reviews out for comment

Don’t miss your chance to attend tasting courses in November

Order the latest AWRI staff publications online

Acknowledgement

Time for a spring MLF check-up?

barrels_569px

It’s been a cold winter – but September is here and this is a good time to take stock of wines that have been going through maloloactic fermentation (MLF) during the colder months. The start of spring can be a critical opportunity to act to prevent wine spoilage because wines that are slow to complete MLF have low levels of SO2 and are therefore vulnerable to spoilage organisms.

If analysis shows that wines are progressing through MLF very slowly or VA levels are creeping up, then it’s time to take action – warming or re-seeding might be required. Key steps for preparing a MLF starter culture can be found in this protocol. Where barrels of wine have completed MLF, it’s important not to leave them with low SO2 levels – racking and SO2 additions should be carried out as soon as possible after MLF completes to minimise the risk of spoilage.

For more information on managing slow MLFs, please contact the helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Entwine moves to the AWRI

entwine-benchmark

The recent change in management of Entwine Australia, the Australian wine industry’s national environmental assurance program, was well timed to coincide with membership renewals and collection of the annual environmental benchmarking data. This year, for the first time, all members will receive a personalised benchmarking report to assist them to identify areas of environment expertise and also opportunities for improvement. The new Entwine Australian Wine Carbon Calculator (AWCC) and benchmarking tool convert the raw environmental indicators provided by members into a ‘dashboard’ display which shows the performance ranking of each member. The displays can be modified to compare an individual member’s data against others in their region, the data of all members nationally or against other vineyards or wineries of the same size. This enables a grower to compare their environmental performance to that of others in their region and elsewhere.

The next stage of this project, due for release in October, is to expand the reporting of regional benchmarks to assist growers to effectively identify opportunities to reduce greenhouse emissions and increase production efficiency. These results will be extended to industry in a series of 27 workshops being held across all regions in the next ten months. Workshops will be publicised through regional associations, email notifications, the AWRI website, the Australian Grape and Wine Events Calendar and Twitter.

The upgrades to the AWCC have been made available through the Extension and Outreach project which is funded by the Australian Government. More information about Entwine and the Australian Wine Carbon Calculator can be accessed on the AWRI website here or check out the other resources from the Extension and Outreach project here.

Drones, frost, flotation and making lower alcohol wines

What do these topics have in common? They are all coming up soon in the AWRI webinar program! Each Thursday morning at 11.30 am Australian Central Standard Time (Adelaide, GMT+9:30), you can tune into a webinar from your desktop. You will hear the presenter’s voice, see their slides and can ask questions after the presentation. A full list of this year’s topics and links to register can be found here. If you have any questions or need help, contact the information services team on 08 8313 6600 or infoservices@awri.com.au.

Yeast matchmaking delivers low VA breeds

yeast

Who doesn’t enjoy the exquisite taste of a ‘sticky’? Botrytis wine styles are popular with consumers, but wine yeast can find them challenging to ferment due to the very high sugar concentrations in botrytised juice. Robust commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are generally the yeast of choice for such products; however, even these yeasts can find the conditions difficult and, as a result, the wines can suffer from elevated levels of volatile acidity.

To address this issue, researchers at the AWRI have used traditional yeast breeding techniques to produce interspecific hybrids between a robust S. cerevisiae wine yeast and S. uvarum (the yeast previously known as Saccharomyces bayanus that is known for its ability to produce wines with lower acetic acid levels). The hybrid progeny display the targeted properties from each parent: robust fermentation in botrytised Riesling juice and low volatile acidity production.

Two S. cerevisiae x S. uvarum hybrid strains (AWRI 1571 and AWRI 1572) show suitability for use in producing wine styles that are traditionally troubled by excessive volatile acidity levels. While these strains are not yet available for winemakers as active dried yeast products, they can be accessed through the AWRI Wine Microorganism Culture Collection (culture@awri.com.au).

A report on this work entitled ‘Designing and creating Saccharomyces interspecific hybrids for improved, industry relevant, phenotypes’ was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnologyand is available from the AWRI library.

Looking to the past and future of grape pressing technology

grape-press

AWRI Senior Engineer Simon Nordestgaard recently shared his in-depth knowledge of grape pressing technology (past, present and future) at the Winery Engineering Association Conference in the Barossa. Simon studied grape pressing as part of his PhD studies at the University of Adelaide. His presentation went back to presses used in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, through technological developments of the 19th and 20th centuries, to present day and beyond.

Simon has also recently authored two articles on the history of grape presses for Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker. The first article, which looks at the history of batch press technologies, was published in the August edition. The second article, which focuses on continuous presses and some future perspectives, will come out shortly in the September edition.

For those who’d like to hear more about this subject, Simon will be repeating the presentation he gave at the WEA conference on 9 September in Adelaide at an event hosted by Engineers Australia, the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology. For more information, or to register, visit the event webpage.

Seminar and workshop update

The AWRI Grape and Wine Roadshow team has been busy over the past few months delivering seminars and workshops across Australia. Seminars have recently been presented in: Rutherglen, Bendigo, Avoca, McLaren Vale, Canberra, Orange, Mudgee and Clare.

The next roadshow seminar will be in the Barossa Valley on Tuesday, 8 September and the ‘Adapting to Difficult Vintages’ workshop will be presented in Mudgee, Orange and Canberra in late October. In addition, ‘Opportunities in a new climate’ workshops will be delivered across SA over the next few months, presenting the latest on climate change mitigation and the recently acquired Entwine Australia program.

For more information on upcoming seminars and workshops, visit the AWRI events calendar, contact your local association or contact the events team at the AWRI.

Two government reviews out for comment

Two government reviews relevant to the grape and wine sector have recently been announced, where comments or submissions can be made by interested parties. The first is an inquiry into agricultural innovation and the second is a review of Safe Food Australia – the explanatory guide to food safety standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

  1. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry is conducting an inquiry into agricultural innovation.

    The Committee will inquire into and report on the role of technology in increasing agricultural productivity in Australia. The inquiry will have particular regard to:

    • improvements in the efficiency of agricultural practices due to new technology, and the scope for further improvements;
    • emerging technology relevant to the agricultural sector, in areas including but not limited to telecommunications, remote monitoring and drones, plant genomics, and agricultural chemicals; and
    • barriers to the adoption of emerging technology.

    The Committee has set Friday 25 September 2015 as the closing date for the receipt of submissions. Details on how to make a submission are available here.

  2. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has released a consultation paper on a review of Safe Food Australia.

    Safe Food Australia is an explanatory guide to the food safety standards in Chapter 3 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which is used as a practical tool, by both industry and regulators, to help understand and implement safe food handling practices.

    Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is currently reviewing Safe Food Australia to address current food safety issues and trends, provide new guidance for mobile vendors and home-based vendors and to update the evidence referenced in the guide. FSANZ is also considering the format and delivery of the publication, for example by providing it in mobile friendly formats.

More information is available here and comments can be provided through submissions@foodstandards.gov.au.

Don’t miss your chance to attend tasting courses in November

The AWRI will hold two Advanced Wine Assessment Courses in November. The ballot for places will be held shortly, so register your details if you’re not already on the list. Anyone who has registered previously will be automatically entered into the ballot.

The AWACs will be followed on Friday 20 November by a return of the one-day course ‘Wine show judging – an insider’s view of panel tastings’ which was successfully held for the first time in July. This course gives small groups of participants the opportunity to taste under wine show conditions with guidance from three experienced wine show chairs (Sam Connew, PJ Charteris and David Bicknell). Places in this course are limited to 15 participants – reserve your place now!

For more information on the AWRI’s tasting courses, please contact the events team on 08 8313 6600 or events@awri.com.au.

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).

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

1725 Nordestgaard, S. Developments in destemming and sorting technology. Part two: Harvester-mounted destemmers and sorters. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (618): 27-29; 2015.

1726 Petrie, P. Ask the AWRI: Bunch stem necrosis. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (618): p. 36; 2015.

1727 Sparrow, A.M., Dambergs, R.G., Bindon, K.A., Smith, P.A., Close, D.C. Interaction of grape skin, seed, and pulp on tannin and anthocyanin extraction in Pinot noir wines. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. doi: 10.5344/ajev.2015.15022; 2015.

1728 Coulter, A., Cowey, G., Petrie, P., Essling, M., Holdstock, M., Stockley, C., Simos, C., Johnson, D. Vintage 2015 – observations from the AWRI helpdesk. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (4): 38-40; 2015.

1729 Longbottom, M. Compressed, crushed and crowned. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (4): p. 10; 2015.

1730 Dry, P. Cortese. Wine Vitic. J. 30 (4): p. 60; 2015.

1731 Cordente, A.G., Capone, D.L., Curtin, C.D. Unravelling glutathione conjugate catabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: the role of glutathione/dipeptide transporters and vacuolar function in the release of volatile sulphur compounds 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol and 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. doi: 10.1007/s00253-015-6833-5; 2015.

1732 Anesi, A., Stocchero, M., Dal Santo, S., Commisso, M., Zenoni, S., Ceoldo, S., Tornielli G.B., Siebert, T.E., Herderich, M., Pezzotti, M. Guzzo, F. Towards a scientific interpretation of the terroir concept: plasticity of the grape berry metabolome. BMC Plant Biology 15 (191): 1-17; 2015.

1733 Zhang, P., Howell, K., Krstic, M., Herderich, M., Barlow, E.W.R., Fuentes, S. Environmental factors and seasonality affect the concentration Rotundone in Vitis Vinifera L. cv. Shiraz wine. PLoS ONE 10 (7): e0133137; 2015.

1734 Nordestgaard, S. The history of wine presses. Part 1: Batch presses. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (619): 64-71; 2015.

1735 Stockley, C. Ask the AWRI: Wine consumption and heart health. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (619): p. 72; 2015.

1736 Capone, D.L., Sefton, M.A., Jeffery, D.W., Francis, I.L. Terroir or terpenoid transformation: the origin of 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) in wine. Hofmann, T., Krautwurst, D., Schieberle, P. (eds.) Proceedings of the 10th Wartburg Symposium on Flavor Chemistry and Biology, Eisenach, Germany, 16-19 April, 2013. Freising, Germany: Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Lebensmittelchemie: 130-136; 2014.

Acknowledgement

The AWRI acknowledges funding 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 September 2015

4 September 2015 >

New active constituent for sap sucking pests

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has approved the active constituent spirotetramat for use on wine-grapes. Movento 240 SC (APVMA 61864) is registered for control of longtailed mealybug (Pseudococcus longispinus) and tuber mealybug (Pseudococcus virburni) and for suppression of grapevine scale (Parthenolecanium persicae), plague thrips (Thrips imaginis) and northern plague thrips (Thrips safrus).

Movento 240 SC is a Bayer CropScience Pty Ltd product. The label withholding period (WHP) is four weeks before harvest.

Recommended restriction on use for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than E-L 18, 14 leaves separated, flower caps still in place, but cap colour fading from green.

New withholding period for azoxystrobin and tebuconazole

The WHP for active constituents azoxystrobin and tebuconazole has changed to ‘Use no later than E-L 29, berries peppercorn size (4 mm diameter)’. This recommendation is for grapes destined for export wine and applies to all products containing these actives, either alone or in combination.

The changes to the ‘Dog book’ can be viewed in the online pdf or mobile app. For more information, please contact Marcel Essling on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

AWRI webinars – what’s on in September?

27 August 2015 >

New approaches and technologies feature strongly in the four AWRI webinars coming up in September. If you’re interested in new ways to do things or concerned about the potential for frost in the upcoming spring, then you’ll want to set aside some of these Thursday mornings to hear the latest research and advice.

3 September: What are the relationships between grape chemical composition, grape allocation grade and wine style? – Paul Smith, AWRI

10 September: Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the vineyard – Tony Proffitt, AHA Viticulture and Precision Viticulture Australia

17 September: Vineyard frost management strategies – Paul Petrie, AWRI

24 September: Juice Flotation: a better winemaking tool than cold settling? – Toby Barlow, St Hallett

To register to attend a webinar or to view the full program, visit: http://www.awri.com.au/industry_support/courses-seminars-workshops/webinars/.

Each webinar consists of a presentation followed by a Q&A session and is held at 11:30 am Australian Central Time (Adelaide, GMT+9:30), usually on a Thursday. All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

Registration confirmation

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 with an internet connection. Participants can dial in via phone using the provided number or audio can be connected over the internet using the computer’s microphone and speakers (voice over internet protocol – VOIP). A headset is highly recommended.

Questions or help needed?

Please contact infoservices@awri.com.au or phone 08 8313 6600.

Agrochemical update: new captan restriction on use

13 August 2015 >

13 AUGUST 2015

The European Union have notified of a change to the maximum residue level (MRL) and residue definition for captan. The MRL for captan has changed from 0.02 mg/kg (limit of quantification) to 0.03 mg/kg (limit of quantification), and the residue definition is now the sum of captan and THPI (expressed as captan). THPI (tetrahydrophthalimide) is the main metabolite when captan breaks down. The change is expected to enter into force in early January 2016. To comply with the new residue regulations, captan is not recommended for use on grapes destined for export wines.

The AWRI is supporting Wine Australia and Winemakers’ Federation Australia who are working through the Federal Department of Agriculture to resolve this trade issue.

Alternative chemical options for control of black spot, botrytis bunch rot, downy mildew and phomopsis cane and leaf spot are listed in the ‘Dog book’. The AWRI recommends growers consult with their winery and follow their winery guidelines for agrochemical sprays.

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

AWRI webinar series kicks off with four webinars in August

30 July 2015 >

The AWRI webinar series for 2015-16 gets started next week. A series of 22 webinars will be presented between now and April 2016, covering a wide range of winemaking and viticulture topics. Each webinar consists of a presentation followed by a Q&A session and is held at 11:30 am Australian Central Time (Adelaide, GMT+9:30), usually on a Thursday. All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

The four webinars in August will be:

6 August: Field grafting winegrapes – Tony Hoare, Hoare Consulting

13 August: Monitoring Brett, what are your options? – Tina Tran, AWRI

20 August: Soil health – Robert White, University of Melbourne

27 August: Understanding fungicide resistance in Australian vineyards – Barbara Hall, SARDI

Register now or find out more at: http://www.awri.com.au/industry_support/courses-seminars-workshops/webinars/.

Registration confirmation

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 with an internet connection. Participants can dial in via phone using the provided number or audio can be connected over the internet using the computer’s microphone and speakers (voice over internet protocol – VOIP). A headset is highly recommended.

Questions or help needed? Please contact infoservices@awri.com.au or phone 08 8313 6600.