Smoke taint – Past, current and future research. Building a better relationship between Natural Resource Management Agencies and the wine industry

Abstract

This project aimed to build awareness of the latest smoke taint research with regard to viticultural and winemaking within the general wine industry. It was determined by the project team that the most efficient method of communicating this knowledge to the broader industry was through the creation of a DVD.

Summary

Smoke from bushfires and prescribed burns of forests have negatively impacted on grape and wine quality in Australia. Recent large bushfires caused downgrading of fruit and the resultant wine. Unharvested fruit from North East Victoria in 2006/07 led to an estimated loss in value of wine of $75-90m. (Whiting and Krstic, 2007.) Other wine producing areas in Victoria that have been affected by smoke in recent years include Gippsland, Grampians/Pyrenees and Central Victoria.

In keeping with an innovation and technology theme, DPI Victoria filmed the Wine Australia Smoke Taint Technical Workshop and also conducted brief interviews with the keynote speakers. DPI Victoria then condensed and formatted a version of the Smoke Taint Technical Workshop into a 1-2 hour information DVD for growers, wineries and government agencies. The final production was applicable to the wine industry throughout Australian wine regions that have been and will be affected by bushfires and fuel reduction burning in the future. The areas in Victoria alone cover such wine regions as the King/Ovens Valley, Upper Goulburn, Yarra Valley, Gippsland, Central Victoria and Grampians/Pyrenees in Western Victoria.