Wine Industry Newsletter

WAVIA Chairman’s report 

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February 2015 - January 2016

WAVIA has had another busy year. Orders continue to be low but managing the collection, assisting research bodies, submitting applications for research and involvement on state and national research and development working bodies has kept the committee looking at how WAVIA can help keep the Western Australian industry developing and progressing.

 WAVIA would not operate without the hard work of the committee who dedicate their time and expertise to vine improvement for the future of the viticultural industries. I would especially like to thank those on the committee from industry and from DAFWA. 

Chris Harding as secretary has been especially busy building the new website www.wavia.org.au  (please check the website for variety information and order forms), submitting R&D funding applications and maintaining the running of the association. Many thanks also to Colleen Gillespie for managing the association’s finances and organising funding for research projects.  I would also like to thank Patrick Bertola for his help as vice Chairman and also to Anne Mitchell and Stephen Kirby for their work. 

We are very grateful to Glynn Ward from DAFWA and his staff for their support and assistance. Particular thanks to Ian Guthridge, Manager of the Manjimup Horticulture Research Institute (MHRI) together with Alan Jacob and George Morris and Chris McMullan for managing the WA Germplasm Collection and for assistance with cutting collection and distribution. Many thanks to Richard Fennessy for his help with many aspects of vine improvement.  The roles that DAFWA carried out for WAVIA was clarified and efforts were made to document what material is available from the Harvey Agricultural College.

Orders in 2015 were again low in number at 5 852 cuttings. The majority of orders in 2015 were for alternative varieties, with the MHRI Germplasm Collection and MHRI Alternative Variety Trial block playing a vital role in WAVIA's ability to supply material.  Alan Jacobs and George Morris of DAFWA and Colleen Gillespie did a great job of collecting, packing and dispatching all the material for the orders.

Interstate customers were thrilled to be able to find clones and varieties that they have been unable to source from anywhere in South Australia, Victoria or NSW. Orders from Victoria and South Australia were able to be supplied via a nursery in Victoria where they were hot water treated prior to movement by the customer into SA. Cuttings in the WA grape growing regions were dispatched by WAVIA regional representatives with help from Alan Jacobs.

A key role of WAVIA is to source new and improved varieties and clones. This work continues and the Germplasm Collection was boosted with the introduction of Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino (donated kindly by Chris Harding of Viticlone Supplies), Carignan D9V11 (generously made available from Happs Karridale Vineyard).  Pinotage FPS-O1 has now also been established into the Germplasm Collection. 

Chris Harding of Viticlone Supplies also provided six cuttings of Shiraz clone 1127 which will be introduced into the Germplasm Collection following virus testing. WAVIA has tried to import Nero D'Avola, but unfortunately due to virus infection were unable to introduce the variety into WA.  WAVIA (with thanks to Patrick Bertola) is attempting to source the variety Flora (a hybrid of Gewürztraminer and Semillon developed in California by Professor Harold Olmo produces a full bodied aromatic white wine) and again this depends upon its virus status.

The first cuttings from the recently imported variety Montepulciano were supplied to a vineyard in the Great Southern region to commence the establishment of a WAVIA Source Block of this variety. WAVIA is keen to hear from growers in regional WA who are interested in planting varieties and clones available from the WA Germplasm Collection. There is the potential to establish these new plantings as WAVIA Source Blocks for future supply of quality propagation material to industry. WAVIA prioritises supplying material from the Germplasm Collection for establishing new WAVIA source blocks and offers the cuttings at a discounted price for approved growers.  

The ‘Genomic basis of clonal variation in Cabernet Sauvignon’ project, managed by Dr Michael Considine of DAFWA & UWA is progressing. The goals of the project are to determine the genomic basis of clonal identity of elite Cabernet Sauvignon clones via whole genome sequencing of 12 clones, from which markers will be designed to distinguish between them. A further goal is to explore whether molecular differences exist between clones in relation to biosynthesis of known wine flavour and aroma precursors. Staff recruitment and collecting of sample material has been done. Sequencing of SA126 will continue and a further 11 Cabernet clones will be sequenced using the new short read technology. 

WAVIA has assisted with fund collection and administration of this project, many thanks especially to Colleen Gillespie for the administrative work. A newsletter has been sent to contributors and a workshop was held on January 27th.

WAVIA submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Grower Group Research and Development (R&D) Grants Program for a "Warm climate alternative wine grape variety trial – meeting needs of the future". The aims of the project were to determine alternative wine grape varieties suitable for growing in WA regional areas in a warming climate considering the entire value chain with collaboration with DAFWA, Harvey Agriculture College, Margaret River Curtin Education Campus, Wines of WA and regional associations. 

Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful but special thanks to Chris Harding who put in many hours preparing the submission. We were hoping to use the vines in the alternative variety trial at the Harvey Agricultural College to carry out this work, but as this is an important resource WAVIA will look at other opportunities.  Richard Fennessy entered some alternative variety trial wines made from Saperavi, Fer, Barbera, Brachetto and Touriga Nationale into wine shows with excellent results and has been acknowledged by OCC.

WAVIA wrote to DAFWA and the board of the Australian Grape & Wine Authority regarding the future funding of germplasm  collections and the possibility of extending funding to the WA Germplasm Collection to allow expansion of its listed clones and varieties.  WAVIA also supported the proposal by the board of Wines of WA to introduce an industry Agricultural Produce Commission (APC), a state statutory body established to collect fees on behalf of industry participants to provide services for their industry.  This has now been passed and Wines of WA will work collaboratively with regional associations to develop an APC model for the WA wine industry. 

WAVIA continues to support AVIA.  WAVIA supports the proposal that AVIA's new direction will include management of a national online variety register database, advising vine improvement groups of virus testing protocols, advise on the national standard for grapevine material and be the peak body for vine improvement advocacy.

WAVIA is concerned about the capacity of the current reduced grapevine nursery industry in WA, to supply adequate propagation material to the rest of industry in the advent of renewed demand and expansion of plantings.

I look forward to industry prosperity improving and WAVIA will continue to help with sourcing, propagating and distributing improved propagation material.

Jim Campbell-Clause, WAVIA Chairman