AWRI survey to determine common production practices

Last week, a survey was launched to determine how common different production practices are in the Australian grape and wine sector to help inform research, development and extension activities at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI).

The AWRI Vineyard and Winery Practices Survey asks the Australian grape and wine community about topics such as pruning, spraying, harvesting, fermentation, stabilisation and packaging. It is intended that the survey will be repeated in five years’ time to allow adoption trends to be captured.

Survey project leader, Dr Simon Nordestgaard said ‘At present, it is difficult to know how many Australian grapegrowers are using new mechanical pruning equipment or harvester-based grape sorting, or how many winemakers are using techniques like flotation or wild ferments. There’s also a lack of data on how common stuck ferments are or the relative importance of different pests and diseases across different regions.’

‘This type of knowledge would be highly valuable when designing research and extension projects.’

Australian grape and wine producers are asked to complete the survey online at www.winesurvey.com.au. All survey data submitted will be treated with strict confidentiality.

Survey participants will receive information from the overall survey, allowing them to compare their practices with regional and national trends.

They will also go into the draw to win a trip to attend the Vinitech-Sifel vineyard and winery equipment exhibition in Bordeaux in late November 2016. (See www.winesurvey.com.au for terms and conditions.)

The survey closes 22 September 2016.