Wine Industry Newsletter

New WAVIA website launched

The Western Australian Vine Improvement Association is pleased to announce the launch of its new website www.wavia.org.au, which will provide multi-platform access to vine improvement information and how to order propagation material.

Since around 2002, WAVIA has been importing new varieties and clones to the WA Grapevine Germplasm Collection in collaboration with DAFWA. Some of these have been established in the Alternative Variety Trial Block at the DAFWA Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute and are producing good quantities of high quality cuttings each year for industry.

Evaluation trials have been conducted by DAFWA on the varieties in this block. A similar trial block for some of the warm climate suited alternative varieties has now been established at the Harvey Agricultural College.

The WA Grapevine Germplasm Collection has been recognized as a grapevine resource of national importance, and has been consistently managed and virus tested through collaboration between DAFWA and WAVIA.

The wine industry has already proved its growing interest in many of the emerging alternative varieties, through the orders received by WAVIA over the past 12 years for the supply of quality propagation material from its source blocks, the trial blocks and the germplasm collection.

WAVIA encourages more WA vineyards and wineries to consider planting a WAVIA Source Block as part of any vineyard expansion plans. These source blocks are vital in enabling WAVIA to bulk up the supply of high quality grapevine cuttings for the Western Australian wine industry in times of increased demand. There are also clear advantages for the source block grower, such as priority discounted access to first release cuttings of new imports enabling the grower to gain early marketplace entry, and a royalty payment from WAVIA for cuttings cut from the source block for WAVIA customers.

Growers interested in establishing a WAVIA source block in 2016 are advised to contact the association before orders for cuttings close on 30 April 2016.

The varieties and clones listed below are some of those not currently planted in WAVIA source blocks, and the association would like to hear from growers who may be interested in planting any of these varieties.

The full list of the varieties and clones available from WAVIA as dormant cuttings, as well as DAFWA alternative wine grape variety evaluation information, can be found at the WAVIA website.

WAVIA can be contacted via the form on the new website, or by contacting one of the WAVIA management committee whose contact details are also listed on the website www.wavia.org.au.

Chris Harding, WAVIA Secretary and Jim Campbell-Clause, WAVIA Chairman, inspecting the Alternative Variety Block at Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute