Rootlings is a new national network that will harness the energy of young grape and wine professionals to foster the next generation of talent in Australia’s wine sector. The targeted program will support under-35s working as winemakers, viticulturists, cellar door staff, wine judges and other roles, often in regional areas, to build connections with each other and develop their skills.
Leaders of some of Australia’s most prominent agriculture representative groups were in Taiwan this week in a collaborative effort to increase export opportunities for Australia’s premium wine and food.
Grape and wine sector stakeholders are being invited to provide input and feedback on the framework for the National Vineyard Register (NVR). The consultation paper can be viewed on the Wine Australia website and submissions made directly or via an online form until 30 November.
In the 12 months ended September 2024, Australian wine exports increased by 34 per cent in value to $2.39 billion and by 7 per cent in volume to 643 million litres, according to Wine Australia’s Export Report released today.
Wine Australia is urging growers and vineyard managers to continue to safely store unwanted CCA-treated timber trellis posts as the sector seeks solutions for their sustainable disposal.
A recent survey of vineyard owners, funded by Wine Australia, revealed there was an estimated 89 million timber posts installed in vineyards across Australia to trellis vines, of which 78% are treated with CCA — a timber preservative containing copper, chromium and arsenic that protects it from fungal and insect attack.
Growers from McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek gathered in McLaren Vale in early November to attend a one-day workshop on spray application. Titled ‘Hitting the Target’, the workshop was funded by Wine Australia under its Regional Program.
Entomologist Dr David Logan’s love of nature sprouted while growing up in New Guinea where his parents were missionaries. Born in Wudinna, South Australia, but raised in New Guinea, Dr Logan’s career has taken him from the Northern Territory to Queensland and then New Zealand before returning to Australia last year to take up a position as Senior Research Fellow in Pest Management, funded jointly by the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI).
A smoke sensor system that has been trialled in vineyards in north-east Victoria over the last couple of seasons is a step closer to being ready for roll out across the sector following the recent signing of a commercial partner to progress the technology to market.
With a new three-year research project underway by Agriculture Victoria that will enhance our understanding and control of phylloxera, it is timely to reflect on the findings from the previous phase of the project which was also conducted by Agriculture Victoria by researchers Catherine Clarke and Jessi Henneken.
With spring well and truly underway, growers and vineyard managers may have started to notice stunted shoots in their vineyards. This can be a symptom of Eutypa Dieback (ED).
Consumer research from market research company Growth Scope, based on an analysis of the consumption occasion, provides a new lens for understanding the drivers of wine consumption in Australia. This market bulletin looks at how understanding the consumption occasion can help answer the question: why do people drink wine?
The 2024 Australian vintage was most distinctive for the increase in tonnage and share of white varieties, while reds – and Shiraz in particular – were well down on their long-term average crush. This market bulletin looks at whether the latest retail sales figures for the Australian domestic market reflect these same trends, and identifies which varieties are most in demand.
Shiraz is one of the world’s major red winegrape varieties, ranking fourth in global red plantings behind Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. As of 2016, there were about 180,000 hectares of Shiraz under vine around the world – with the largest area located in France, ahead of second-placed Australia.
The Agricultural Commodities Report published by ABARES on 5 March shows that the outlook for Australia’s major red winegrape varieties remains very challenging and has forecast that the average prices for Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will reduce in vintages 2024 and 2025. This Market Bulletin will discuss the influences on the declining price for these three varieties in the warm inland regions.
ABARES has published its latest Agricultural Commodities Report, which contains their forecasts for the value, volume and price of Australia's agricultural production and exports for the next five years, including wine and winegrapes.