Musical celebration of wine science – you’re invited!

In a new arts-science collaboration, AWRI and songwriter Max Savage are bringing unique stories from seven decades of wine research to life through music, comedy and live performance. A one-off cabaret-style event titled ‘Songs from the Grapevine’ will be held at Lambert Estate in the Barossa Valley on 18 January 2025. Tickets are $20 each, with food and drinks available for purchase from 5pm. Book now from https://www.exploretock.com/lambertestate/event/519220 or for more information contact Dr Mango Parker (mango.parker@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600). For those who can’t attend the event in person, keep an eye on AWRI social media channels for upcoming videos.

Seeking Shiraz must samples for research on reductive aromas

This vintage, AWRI researchers are investigating the propensity for Shiraz wines to become reductive and are seeking samples of Shiraz must (approximately 30 L) from a range of wineries to use in laboratory-scale fermentation experiments. Please contact Allie Kulcsar on allie.kulcsar@awri.com.au if you can provide a sample to support this research or if you would like more information about this project.

Looking for a calculator to help you in the winery this vintage?

The AWRI Winemaking Calculator app allows you to take the guesswork out of a wide range of calculations needed to make red, white and fortified wine. This app is free for Australian-based users and can be purchased by users outside Australia. The app contains tools for calculating:

• acid addition and removal
• SO₂ addition and removal
• wine additions – DAP, copper, oxygen
• wine fining rates – tannin, PVPP, isinglass, gelatine, carbon, bentonite, potassium hydrogen tartrate
• heat and cold stabilisation requirements
• wine fortification and sweetening
• wine label and export requirements – methanol level, standard drinks calculator
• conversions – mass, volume and concentration equivalents, acidity conversions.

For more information, visit the winemaking calculators page on the AWRI website or download the AWRI Winemaking Calculator app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Note: The Android app has recently been updated on the Google Play Store. Existing users are asked to delete the app from their devices and download the new version. This is not needed for the Apple version of the app.

New knowledge of how smoke characters develop in aged wines

The AWRI research team has just published the latest in a series of articles stemming from smoke research conducted during and following the 2020 vintage. In this work smoke markers in grapes have now been linked with sensory outcomes in wines that have been bottle-aged for three years, for the varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. The risk of producing wine with noticeable smoky flavour, when young or when aged, can now be estimated from grape analysis, noting that not all smoke-exposed grapes produce smoky wine. Table 5 in the latest paper summarises the critical concentrations of volatile phenols and phenolic glycosides in grapes, with these values providing a reference for future interpretations of grape analysis for aged wine styles, which has not been available until now. A copy of the paper can be requested by contacting the AWRI library.

Need to get vintage samples to AWRI or Affinity Labs?

Affinity Labs offers free sample courier services and sample drop-off points for some locations around Australia. The SA sample courier visits the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare, Langhorne Creek and Adelaide Hills regions each week. The Sunraysia region can take advantage of our Merbein courier and laboratory facilities. Sample drop-off points are also available in Geelong, Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and Hunter Valley in NSW. Visit the Affinity Labs website for more information on these services: https://affinitylabs.com.au/sample-courier-and-drop-off-point-services/

New database gives easy access to industry articles

Australian grapegrowers and winemakers are now able to access EBSCO’s extensive food science database through AWRI’s John Fornachon Memorial Library. The database includes full-text journals and magazines related to food and beverage sciences, agribusiness, biochemistry and packaging and is accessible directly from the AWRI library catalogue.

Search the complete contents of many favourite industry publications such as:

• Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker
• Australian Journal of Grape & Wine Research
• Wine & Viticulture Journal
• Journal of Wine Research
• Journal of Wine Economics
• Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition
• and 759 other food industry publications.

Visit the library catalogue for immediate online access! Don’t have access yet? Get your login by subscribing here: https://www.awri.com.au/subscribe/, or email our librarian for assistance or training.

Affinity Labs named WISA Supplier of the Year

Late last year, AWRI’s commercial arm, Affinity Labs, was recognised at the Wine Industry Suppliers Association Impact Awards – winning both the Winemaking and Oenology award category and the coveted overall Supplier of the Year award. These awards acknowledged the support provided by Affinity Labs to Australian winemakers to help them meet new EU labelling standards without incurring significant extra analytical costs.

In announcing the awards WISA remarked that this service helps to foster transparency and trust and gives consumers clear, reliable information on wine labels, enhancing brand reputation globally. Congratulations to the whole Affinity Labs team for this recognition of their hard work and dedication to industry! More information about labelling requirements for the EU can be found in the AWRI fact sheet How to calculate wine energy values for wine exported to the EU.

Reminder: AWRI Annual Report available

The 2024 AWRI Annual Report was released in December and is available for download from the AWRI website. This year’s report includes the latest updates on AWRI projects, highlights from the year, financial statements and summaries of a wide range of activities. Take the time to look through it and discover what we’ve all been up to!

AWITC registrations opening soon

The 19^th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference & Trade Exhibition is back and bigger than ever! Mark your calendars because early bird registration for the 19^th AWITC opens on Wednesday, 12 March 2025. Attend plenary sessions, workshops, posters, the student forum, social events and more from 20 to 23 July 2025. The AWITC is your one-stop-shop for the latest technologies and techniques in viticulture, winemaking and wine business management! Sign up now to join our mailing list and be the first to receive a reminder when registrations open! Early bird pricing will be available for a limited time only. Contact info@awitc.com.au if you have any questions about the upcoming event.

Acknowledgements

This eNews is supported by Wine Australia, with levies from Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers and matching funds from the Australian Government. The AWRI is a member of the Wine Innovation Cluster in Adelaide, South Australia.