When fire roared through vineyards around Cudlee Creek, in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, in 2019, growers were understandably in a state of panic and shock for a couple of weeks afterwards. While shopping around for irrigation line and putting out spot fires, they were desperate for information and support on what they should do next to rescue their vines and fruit.
These growers have since shared the things they wish they’d done differently in the weeks before the fire, on the day itself and afterwards. They’ve also told Wine Australia and other industry organisations about the information and resources they wish they’d had immediate access to in the days after the fire or smoke event to help them make an objective and informed decision about the best route forward for their businesses.
In the lead up to what is anticipated to be a challenging fire season in many regions, Wine Australia has reviewed the latest research findings and evidence-based advice from the AWRI, La Trobe University and other agencies and organisations to develop a web-based ‘quick reference guide’ to support growers and winemakers who are unfortunate enough to be impacted by fire or smoke this season.
The goal is a webpage (easily accessible during the fire season via the home page of the Wine Australia website) of a carefully collated series of easy-to-read, step-by-step guides on what producers could or should do if their vineyards are hit by fire (or smoke) at various key stages before and during harvest, as well as in the vineyard and winery post-harvest.
The resources will also summarise what actions producers can take at grape receival, and outline a range of juice and wine treatments that have been proven to reduce smoke taint during the winemaking process. How to manage burned vines in the weeks and months following the fire to ensure vineyards are back up to full production as quickly as possible will also be include.
The science behind the advice will still be accessible via links for those who want to delve deeper, but the priority has been to provide growers and winemakers with exactly what they need to know ‘in the moment’ to guide informed decision-making.
Preparing for fire season, paying special attention to double-checking readiness before catastrophic fire days, will stand growers in good stead.
Watch a video of growers sharing their experiences and advice after the Cudlee Creek fires.
This SAWIA fire preparation page also guides growers and wineries through their fire preparation process.
The AWRI also has a wealth of resources on its website.
The new Wine Australia webpage will be live in coming weeks — keep an eye out for links on our social media accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), or periodically visit the Wine Australia home page.