An initiative designed to bring together PhD wine industry research students and regional vignerons commenced today in the Coonawarra wine region; and the first-time in regional South Australia. Under the ‘Regional Program’ funded by Wine Australia, the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council partnered with the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production (TC-IWP) – based at the University of Adelaide, to deliver the unique program. Each of the eleven students gave a 10-minute snap-shot presentation on topics ranging from: berry shrivel and cell death; optimization of early harvest regimes; the alcohol ‘sweet spot’ and the use of RO; and, extracting greater benefit from waste components of vinification.

Vintage is fast approaching. Are you a wine producer looking to get real performance data on that new equipment you’ve had your eye on? Are you interested in one of the numerous new winemaking additives on the market, but unsure how to properly assess it? Are you a supplier looking to prove how effective your product is?

The on-going trend of falling alcohol consumption is continuing with IBISWorld revealing that in 2016-17 domestic consumption of alcohol is expected to reach its lowest level for 50 years. The trend of consistently declining alcohol consumption has played out over the last decade, falling from 10.53 litres per capita of total consumption in 2009-10 to 9.37 litres per capita in 2016-17. This trend is forecast to continue, with alcohol consumption in Australia expected to fall to 8.54 litres per capita by 2023-24, down from 10.57 litres in 1990-91.

REBECCA Duffy is a wife, a mother to spirited six- and seven-year-old sons, Tasmania’s 2016 Rural Woman of the Year and the 2015 winner of the inaugural Australian Women in Wine Awards owner-operator of the year title. Bec, as she’s mostly known, has run Holm Oak Wines at Rowella, north of Launceston, with her viticultural agronomist husband Tim since 2006. She has emerged as one of the bright young stars of Tasmania’s growing wine industry and Holm Oak holds a red five-star rating in James Halliday’s 2017 Wine Companion.

PUTTING a minimum price on alcohol will “demonise and denormalise” drinking and raise prices on all products, peak body Alcohol Beverages Australia has warned. The State Government has pledged to raise the issue of minimum pricing at a national level in response to recommendations in a review of the state’s liquor laws. But ABA says it won’t stop risky drinking – because many problem drinkers and alcoholics will pay whatever it costs to keep drinking.

Buyer Ana Sapungiu said the Australian range, which she has added to on an ad hoc basis, was ripe for review as the quality of the wines had improved so much – but admitted that Chile had been more of a challenge. “There are so many good wines and such a choice coming out of Australia,” she told db at Friday’s tasting. “Lot of people are going back to doing an Australian wine as it should be, rather than doing a European-style wine in Australia as they have done in the past. And as well as going back to what they are good at, it is at an accessible price point.”

The installation of what claims to be the largest solar PV array at an Australian winery – and one of the largest commercial solar installations in the state of South Australia – has reach the half-way mark. The progress of the 1.4MW array, which began construction in August, was marked on Wednesday by project partners AGL Energy and Yalumba Family Vignerons at the site of the iconic Barossa Valley winery. The PV system, made up of 5,384 panels, is being installed across three locations, including the Angaston Winery, Oxford Landing Winery and the Yalumba Nursery. It is expected to cut the wine maker’s energy bill by 20 per cent, annually.

A Marlborough winery has so many solar panels it could power 86 houses. The Seaview Vineyard winery, owned by the Yealands Wine Group, has a total of 1314 photovoltaic panels across its roof. The company first had solar panels fitted at its Seddon winery over the course of 2012 and 2013, which at the time was the largest installation in the country before it was surpassed.

We have available up to 500 wet French Oak wine barrels. These have seen 2 vintages and are white. Available Melbourne Warehouse. Contact Rob Ford 0424570081 or provincialplatters@gmail.com.

QUEENSLAND winery Sirromet has taken home a large haul of awards from recent international wine shows. The Mount Cotton winemaker has won over international critics at both the Austrian Wine Challenge in Vienna and China Wines and Spirit Awards, bringing home 14 gold, silver and bronze awards. The awards included a double gold for its 2014 Signature Collection Merlot and its 2016 Vineyard Selection Verdelho at the China Wines and Spirit Awards, as well as a gold medal at the Austrian Wine Challenge for its 2014 Sirromet Le Sauvage Pinot Noir.