The Australian Wine Research Institute

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people, communities and businesses across the world. During the pandemic, the AWRI is committed to continuing to provide its full range of services to support the Australian grape and wine community, while taking all possible steps to ensure the well-being of its staff and the broader community.  The AWRI can continue to be contacted during business hours on 08 8313 6600 and enquiries@awri.com.au.

The AWRI helpdesk has received a number of technical enquiries about the virus, mostly focusing on how to sanitise wineries in the event that a staff member becomes infected or suspected of being infected. An AWRI eBulletin was sent out on 27 March 2020 on this topic. An update to this bulletin, clarifying some of the safety issues to be aware of when using ethanol solutions was made on 1 April 2020. This page provides a collection of technical and scientific resources relevant to COVID-19 and the Australian wine industry.

Technical resources on COVID-19 for grapegrowers and winemakers

• Effects of COVID-19 on sense of smell
• Is there a risk of contracting COVID-19 from consuming wine?
• AWRI eBulletin – Winery sanitation and COVID-19 (updated 1 April 2020)
• ASVO’s recommendations for COVID-19 hygiene requirements for wine shows and wine tastings
• Keeping safe – COVID-19 health and safety guidelines for vineyard workers
• Australian Grape & Wine Cleaning and Disinfection Guidelines
• Food South Australia’s COVID-19 guidelines for food and beverage businesses
• Australian Government Department of Health (DOH) – Cleaning and disinfection in the community
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand – Novel coronavirus and food safety
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Environmental cleaning and disinfection recommendations
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Disinfecting your facility if someone is sick

References

Cowey, G. Ask the AWRI: Effects of COVID-19 on sense of smell. Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker (700): 48-50; 2022.

Kampf, G., Todt, D., Pfaender, S., Steinmann, E. 2020. Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents. J. Hosp. Infect. 104(3): 246–251.

Pagat, A. M., Seux-Goepfert, R., Lutsch, C., Lecouturier, V., Saluzzo, J. F., Kusters, I. C. 2007. Evaluation of SARS-Coronavirus decontamination procedures. Appl. Biosaf. 12(2): 100-108.

Poitou, X., Pilatte, E., Pallas, S., Fages, D., Deroussen, C., Teissedre, P-L. 2020. Disinfection and cleaning of cellars, what are the practices during the Covid-19 times? Rev. Française d’Oenologie (299): 18-23.

van Doremalen, N., Bushmaker, T., Morris, D., Holbrook, M., Gamble, A., Williamson, B., Tamin, A., Harcourt, J.L., Thornburg, N.J., Gerber, S.I., Lloyd-Smith, J., de Wit, E, Munster, V.J. 2020. Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. New Eng. J. Med. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2004973

Wolff, M.H., Sattar, S.A., Adegbunrin, O., Tetro, J. 2005. Environmental survival and microbicide inactivation of coronaviruses. Schmidt, A., Weber, O., Wolff, M.H. (eds) Coronaviruses with special emphasis on first insights concerning SARS: Basel, Switzerland: Birkhäuser: 201-212