Watershed cool climate wine research to be unveiled

Nov. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- The cornerstone of the ICCS will be the presentation of results of an innovative, three-year, $1.8-million research project funded by a Tasmanian-based consortium led by Wine Tasmania and AusIndustry’s Industry Cooperative Innovation Program; ‘Improving the Quality of Cool Climate Pinot Noir and Sparkling Wines’.

Benefiting the cool climate wine community in Australia and beyond, the major research project, led by Dr Richard Smart and Dr Bob Dambergs, undertook more than 30 individual trials in several research areas across Pinot Noir and Sparkling viticulture and vinification. The project resulted in the establishment of The Australian Wine Research Institute’s first external node in Tasmania, led by Dr Dambergs.

Lead researcher, Dr Richard Smart, described the key research programs; ‘One of our key research achievements evaluated factors effecting Pinot Noir quality. We developed a micro-vinification process, fermenting down to half a bunch, to precisely study origin, location, structure and exposure to sunlight.

‘In other programs, Dr Jo Jones and Fiona Kerslake undertook a unique study of how to best grow grapes for sparkling wine, including crop levels, pruning and regional factors on sparkling wine composition, whilst Dr Tim Gale developed a novel tunnel sprayer prototype that minimises spray drift.

‘This has been an ambitious research project, which will be of great consequence to cool climate wine into the future,’ Dr Smart explained.

Dr Bob Dambergs discussed the importance of the research; ‘It’s quite a unique project, in terms of its strong focus on cool climate viticulture and winemaking, on a scale that hasn’t been attempted before in Australia or indeed, abroad. Tasmania is becoming recognized for its cool climate wine styles and is uniquely placed to adapt to the challenges of climate change, making it a region of sustainable cool climate wine production. The research is of an applied nature and through close collaboration with wine producers has already generated some tangible benefits,’ said Dr Dambergs.

Collaborating producer, Frogmore Creek winemaker and recent Jimmy Watson Trophy winner, Nick Glaetzer, will co-present the practical application of these trials in the tasting workshop, ‘Taming the Pinot Noir terroir’. ICCS delegates will taste 16 batches from the same vineyard and harvest date, made under different regimes and using a different yeast strains.

‘Of course, terroir is important, but we believe it isn’t the end of the wine’s journey. We’re challenging the notion that good wine is only made in the vineyard; we can drive complexity using leading-edge techniques,’ Glaetzer said.

The 8th ICCS will explore four themes: cool climate viticulture, oenology, sparkling wine and marketing. For the full program, visit http://www.winetasmania.com.au/iccs/program.

What:  8th International Cool Climate Symposium for Viticulture and Oenology
Who:  Keynote speaker, Jancis Robinson OBE, MW, supported by international and Australian speakers specialising in viticulture, winemaking, academia, research, writing and marketing.
When:  Tuesday 31 January – Saturday 4 February 2012
Where:  Hotel Grand Chancellor, 1 Davey Street Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Registration:  $1205pp (prices quoted in AUD, including GST)

http://www.winetasmania.com.au/iccs    Twitter TasUnbottled #ICCSTas  Facebook Tasmania Unbottled

ENDS
To arrange interviews or for more information, contact: Sheralee Davies, CEO, Wine Tasmania, +61 (0)3 6223 3770, 0407 004 959, sdavies@winetasmania.net.au or Kim Pearce, Dig Marketing Group, +61 (0)3 8606 3700, 0413 120 385, kim@digmarketing.com.au