Home | What's on in 2006 | For Exhibitors | Sponsors | Seminars | For Visitors
Agricultural Research Western Australia Viticulture and Oenology Research Forum Seminars
THERE was plenty of interest in the
Agricultural Research Western
Australia Viticulture and Oenology
Research forum, attended by a
capacity crowd of 110 during the
2006 Landmark Wine Industry Field
Day.
The day’s program was set by ARWA
who identified the latest industry
research efforts and
developments.
These included
presentations on
weevil management,
cover crops and the study
of green characters in
Cabernet Sauvignon.
The
afternoon sessions focused
solely on the University of
WA and Evans & Tate’s
Chardonnay Project, now
in its fourth year and beginning
to show results.
Kristen Kennison’s update
on the Department of Agriculture
and Food, and Curtin
University’s research into smoke
taint in grapes and wine was particularly
topical to Margaret River growers
this year.
Research hopes to identify compounds
in smoke, looking at the
affect on grape characteristics, wine
and vines.
It will also investigate
amelioration techniques after fire
incidents.
With the field component completed
earlier this year, the resulting wine
will undergo its sensory and chemical
analysis in June this year, with
studies continuing into 2008.
The five-year, $817,000 Chardonnay
Project is a whole of system assessment
of the factors affecting the
production and sensory
attributes of chardonnay
wines in the Margaret
River GI.
The program
has evolved to concentrate
on precision viticulture,
climate and weather,
experimental winemaking
and sensory sciences,
and biostatistics and data
mining.
- Bridget Tighe
Forum speakers Dr Leigh Francis, A/Prof Mark Gibberd, Tony Robinson, Kristen Kennison,
Prof John Considine, Colin McDonald, Gabby Pracilio, Prof Tom Lyons, Mark Baigent,
Chris Shedley and Stewart Learmonth
