The Australian Wine Research Institute Annual Report 2007 Board Members The Company Mr R.E. Day, BAgSc, BAppSc(Wine Science) The Australian Wine Research Institute Ltd was The AWRI’s laboratories and offices are located Chairman–Elected a member under Clause incorporated on 27 April 1955. It is a company within an internationally renowned research 25.2(d) of the Constitution limited by guarantee that does not have a cluster on the Waite Precinct at Urrbrae in the share capital. Adelaide foothills, on land leased from The Mr J.F. Brayne, BAppSc(Wine Science) University of Adelaide. Architectural plans are Elected a member under Clause 25.2(d) of the The Constitution of The Australian Wine well underway for AWRI’s new home to be Constitution Research Institute Ltd (AWRI) sets out in completed in 2008, within the Wine Innovation broad terms the aims of the AWRI. In 2006, Cluster (WIC) central building, which will also Mr P.D. Conroy, LLB(Hons), BCom the AWRI implemented its ten-year business be based on the Waite Precinct. In this new Elected a member under Clause 25.2(c) plan Towards 2015, and stated its purpose, building, AWRI will be collocated with The of the Constitution vision, mission and values: University of Adelaide and the South Australian Research and Development Institute. The Wine Mr P.J. Dawson, BSc, BAppSc(Wine Science) Purpose Innovation Cluster includes three buildings Elected a member under Clause 25.2(d) To contribute substantially in a measurable which houses the other members of the WIC of the Constitution way to the ongoing success of the Australian concept: CSIRO Plant Industry and Provisor. grape and wine sector Mr T.W.B. James, AssDip(Wine Prod) Along with the WIC parties mentioned, the Elected a member under Clause 25.2(d) Vision AWRI is clustered with the following research of the Constitution To deliver high value to the Australian grape and teaching organisations: Australian Centre and wine sector through world-class research for Plant Functional Genomics (APFG), Australian Mr G.R. Linton, BAppSc(AppChem), and integrated solutions and to provide Genome Research Facility (AGFR), Australian GradDip(SysAnal) thought leadership to the research activities Grain Technologies (AGT), Australian Wheat Elected a member under Clause 25.2(d) of the Australian wine sector Management, BiometricsSA, two different of the Constitution Cooperative Research Centres (CRC), three Mission divisions of CSIRO, Department of Water, Land Mr S.B. Millar, CPA, DipMgmt To underpin our world-class research and and Biodiversity Conservation, Primary Industries Elected a member under Clause 25.2(d) integrated solutions with: and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), and of the Constitution The University of Adelaide’s School of Science • a tenacious pursuit of understanding; (which includes the Schools of Agriculture and Ms J.S. O’Connor, BEd (P.E.) Wine, and Earth and Environmental Sciences). Elected a member under Clause 25.2(c) of the • the development of a unique, extensive Constitution (from 8 May 2007) and usable knowledge base; and Professor I.S. Pretorius, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD • a focus on contributing substantially to Registered office Ex officio under Clause 25.2(b) of the stakeholders achieving their needs Constitution as Managing Director of the AWRI Waite Road, Urrbrae, SA 5064 AWRI’s values provide guidance in how it will Professor S.D. Tyerman, BSc(Hons), PhD deliver on its mission. These values are: Postal Address: The University of Adelaide Representative PO Box 197, Glen Osmond, SA 5064 under Clause 25.2(a) of the Constitution (until • scientific integrity and excellence; 15 January 2007) Telephone: (08) 83 03 66 00 • a culture of delivering results; Fax: (08) 83 03 66 01 Internet: www.awri.com.au • internally and externally collaborative; ABN: 83 007 558 296 • accountability and transparency; and • focused on the Australian wine sector and industry driven 53rd Annual Report 30 June 2007 2 Chairman’s report 3 Board notes 4 Managing Director’s report 6 Staff 8 Highlights of the year 10 Staff activities 11 Visitors to the AWRI 13 Team reports 40 Financial report 52 Appendices 1-5 Presented to the Australian grape and wine sector Chairman’s report particularly Shiraz are significant in the current • Staff members gave 159 oral presentations, environment of climate change, given that its conducted 15 workshops, presented impact is generally more significant in cool 9 posters papers and 49 lectures. climate grapes. The second very important development was the discovery that the • In total AWRI staff members recorded and unknown compound, Factor X, which is required responded to 5,277 requests for information for protein haze formation in white wines, is during the 2006/2007 year. the sulfate anion. This knowledge enables a better understanding of the mechanisms and During the year, the development of the Wine participants in protein haze formation with Innovation Cluster has proceeded rapidly as potential implications for both wine quality planned. The building arrangements, the fruits and production economy. of which are eagerly awaited by our staff whose working conditions have come to include a new Other important discoveries during the degree of intimacy, are finalised and construction year include: has begun. The bigger challenge, that of ensuring workable collaborating relationships between • A prototype wine yeast was developed that very diverse partners is still work in progress is able to substantially increase fruitiness but the will to achieve scientific outcomes for levels in wine. the benefit of Australian wine is the driving Robin Day Robin force for the future of the cluster. • Two new natural oak lactone precursors The first priority in the 2006/2007 year was were identified for the first time in oak We welcomed grapegrower nomination, Jan the completion of two of the most important wood extracts. O’Connor, to our board as the second of our initiatives commenced the previous year. The special qualification directors during the year. 7-year Research, Development and Extension • It was confirmed that the malolactic Jan’s inputs from the perspective of business Plan for the AWRI was presented to key stake- bacterium Oenococcus oeni is able to and grapegrowing are insightful and valuable holders and local wine association meetings liberate cis-oak lactone from its glucoside as are those of Foster’s Legal Affairs Director, around Australia and the 7-year investment precursor, supporting anecdotal evidence Paul Conroy, who took up the first of these agreement between the AWRI and the GWRDC that malolactic fermentation contributes positions last year. Our other board members was executed. The agreement backs the plan, to wine oak character. have continued to deliver carefully considered providing for about $65 million over the seven guidance from their diversity of perspectives. years which will be directed towards industry • The development of a method for in-bottle Our Managing Director, Sakkie Pretorius, has designated outcomes for the benefit of the oxygen measure which allows the calculation again shown that he is capable of pushing the grape and wine sector of Australia. This agree- of not only the oxygen ingress rate but also rate of change, backed by his personal ment means that AWRI is funded by about the initial amount of oxygen in the head- energy, to new limits and the AWRI benefits 30% of GWRDC’s levy generated budget and space of a wine bottle and the amount of enormously from his energy and professionalism. this funding represented 76% of the AWRI’s oxygen entrapped in the closure. As previously mentioned, our staff have operating budget in 2006/2007. endured increasingly challenging tasks and • A better understanding of fullness and body conditions, but the output of the AWRI is testa- Consistent with the identified strategy of moving of Riesling wines. Increasing ethanol has a ment to their positive spirit and willingness to to diversify the AWRI’s funding sources the AWRI surprisingly small impact on perceived body rise to challenges. was successful in obtaining two significant and fullness of Riesling wines. additional tranches of funding during the year. There is little doubt that the future challenges The AWRI successfully applied and lobbied for • It was found that Brettanomyces flavour in facing the AWRI will redefine its identity and its a $2.0 million grant under the National red wine, even at a surprisingly low level, contribution to the grape and wine sector. Its Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme strongly decreased consumer acceptance. new situation as a pivotal partner in the Wine (NCRIS). A total of $1.2 million of Australian Innovation Cluster will enable it to take an impor- Government and $800,000 of South Australian Apart from the ongoing research work of the tant place in delivering key research outcomes to Government funding will be directed towards AWRI the highlights of which are listed above, counter drought, effects of climate change and establishing the South Australian node of a large amount of effort was channeled towards difficult economic conditions. The past record Metabolomics Australia at the AWRI. The AWRI industry problem solving. Investigations into will suggest optimism in dealing with these was also successful in gaining a grant of $533,745 the nature and source of ‘plastic’ and ‘chemical- issues but success will surely be dependent from the South Australian Premiers Science and like’ taints in wines from the 2005 and 2006 on embracing new and more effective ways Research Council Fund which will permit fast vintages were successfully concluded. A range of finding and communicating the technical tracking of yeast strain development. Together of chlorophenol compounds were found to be information needed by a sector with a proven these two funding sources will be important contributing to the taints, some at concentrations history of embracing change.