The Australian Wine Research Institute Annual Report 2003 2003 DIRECTOR’S REPORT 2 Council Members The Company Mr R.E. Day, BAgSc, BAppSc Chairman The Australian Wine Research Institute was incorporated under the South Australian Elected a member under Clause 6(e) of Companies Act on 27 April 1955. It is a company limited by guarantee, it does not the Articles of Association have a share capital and it has been permitted, under licence, to omit the word ‘limited’ from its registered name. The Constitution of The Australian Wine Research Mr J.F. Brayne, BAppSc(Oen) Institute sets out in broad terms the aims of the Institute and the Report of the Elected a member under Clause 6(e) of Committee of Review for the Institute published in March 1977 identified the the Articles of Association following specific aims: Mr P.J. Dawson, BSc, BAppSc(Wine Science) 1. To carry out applied research in the field of oenology. Elected a member under Clause 6(e) of 2. To service the extension needs of the winemakers of Australia. the Articles of Association 3. To be involved in the teaching of oenology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Mr P.F. Hayes, BSc, BAppSc, MSc, DipEd 4. To assume responsibility for the co-ordination of oenological activities, and the Elected a member under Clause 6(e) of collection, collation and dissemination of information on oenological and the Articles of Association viticultural research to the benefit of the Australian wine industry. Professor P.B. Høj, MSc, PhD The Institute’s laboratories and offices are located within an internationally renown Ex officio under Clause 6(d) of the research cluster on the Waite Precinct at Urrbrae in the Adelaide foothills, on land Articles of Association as Director of leased from the University. The original lease is for a term of 99 years, with a right of the Institute renewal clause for a further 99 years. The Institute formally affiliated with The University of Adelaide in 1990. The first buildings were erected and opened in 1957 Mr T.W.B. James, AssDip(WineProd) and alterations and extensions were completed in 1976. The buildings have been Elected a member under Clause 6(e) of extensively modified and refurbished since that time with major extensions being the Articles of Association undertaken in 1994 and 1999, and further expansion is planned. Mr G.R. Linton, BAppSc(AppChem), The Institute is clustered with the following research and teaching organisations: GradDip(SysAnal) Australian Wheat Management, BiometricsSA, three different Cooperative Research Elected a member under Clause 6(e) of Centres (CRC), including the CRC for Viticulture, three divisions of CSIRO, the Articles of Association Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), Provisor Pty Ltd, South Australian Research and Professor G.R. Scollary, MSc, PhD, BEd, Development Institute (SARDI) and The University of Adelaide’s Faculty of Sciences BAppSc(Wine Science), FRACI (which includes the Schools of Agriculture and Wine and Earth and Environmental Charles Sturt University Representative under Sciences). Currently under construction to expand the research cluster is a new Clause 6(c) of the Articles of Association building to accommodate the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (APFG); Australian Genome Research Facility (AGFR); and Australian Grain Professor S.D. Tyerman, BSc(Hons), PhD Technologies (AGT). The University of Adelaide Representative under Clause 6(b) of the Articles of Association Dr R.R. Walker, BAgSc(Hons) PhD CSIRO Representative under Clause 6(a) of the Articles of Association Postal Address: PO Box 197, Glen Osmond, SA 5064 Telephone (08) 83 03 66 00 Fax (08) 83 03 66 01 Internet: www.awri.com.au ABN: 83 007 558 296 Acknowledgement Compiled and edited by Professor Peter Høj, Professor Sakkie Pretorius and Rae Blair Design by Geoffrey Reed Communications Photographs by Jacqui Way 49th Annual Report Presented to The Australian wine industry 30 June 2003 Two Chairman’s report Three Council notes Four Director’s report Six Staff Seven Highlights of the year Nine Staff activities Eleven Research Teams’ reports Thirty-five Industry Services Teams’ reports Fifty-five Abridged financial report Fifty-seven Appendices 1–5 2 Chairman's report The year that has just passed seems to have done recognized, factored in and appreciated as an producing very valuable spin-offs which could so very quickly, but there is time to reflect on a investment in greater research productivity. never be planned, budgeted or anticipated. number of events with significant portent for the future of The Australian Wine Research Institute. During the year, the AWRI made a submission to In recent months, the process of examining the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia’s R&D existing resources in conjunction with our Provisor Last year, when our Director Professor Peter Høj Review. The fact that the peak political body of our partners has highlighted the limitations imposed accepted the Maurice O’Shea Award for the AWRI industry places sufficient importance on R&D to on our researchers by the physical constraints of he did so on behalf of 47 years of history at the undertake a review of its direction and routes to its our existing buildings. The rapid growth in R&D forefront of wine research and on behalf of the destination, speaks volumes for the ongoing role of output from highly focussed medium term projects combined efforts of several hundred past and R&D. Equally, this review process offers a valuable being funded from a very competitive funding present research staff and office holders. No doubt opportunity to improve communication of the environment, has invariably meant that we are, in the founders of the Institute would have been benefits of R&D to the industry at large. It presents wine R&D, on ‘a beer budget.’ The rhetorical pleased to see their vision recognised. It seemed also the opportunity to drive home the point that question is: How do we identify the wine R&D that this award underlined one of the intangible while, by many measures, we may pat ourselves philanthropists who will catalyse provision of the aspects of the Institute – its broader role in the on our collective back and claim great success, our kind of Institute worthy of a $4 billion industry wine industry. That the Institute has always had a spending on R&D is neither large nor assured. and soon to be demanded by it? minor and reluctant role in providing independent and objective commentary, when needed, is In what will no doubt prove to be a very important Last year I mentioned the unflagging energy and obvious enough if one cares to examine wine assemblage of research work for the industry, the task orientation of the Director, Professor Peter ‘issues’ of the past. Indeed, it is hardly surprising AWRI has, during the last year, made a start on a Høj, as deserving of special mention. During the that this role should have evolved in an industry major research project into the area of Brettanomyces last year, in very difficult personal circumstances, that uses technology as an important part of its spoilage of wine. What Brettanomyces spoilage Peter has made it even more difficult to choose positioning. Our involvement in providing the seems to lack in straight out destructive capability, worthy descriptors to record his efforts. I would technical and research input to support the compared to some other forms of spoilage, it more also like to acknowledge the efforts of all staff regulatory activities of the AWBC has been than makes up for this in terms of its insidious nature. who have been so supportive both on a personal longstanding and essentially a behind-the-scenes As a spoilage at the near edge of the envelope, it and professional basis. activity. The current trend is for technical trade produces a great deal of emotive response from barriers to be invoked more frequently and with ignorance and denial to preoccupation and paranoia. Many Institute staff members again put a great more vigour and emotion than in the past and, if As a result, collecting the valid observations is deal of effort into extending the message into the this continues, the AWRI role in these areas is difficult and the science shows every sign of being industry via Roadshows, seminar and conference likely to become more important. We don’t make more and more complex as greater information is presentations and workshops. It is particularly policy at the AWRI, but the willingness and the uncovered. The successful prosecuting of this little gratifying to see staff members blossom into expertise of our staff means that we are well criminal critter will be a great challenge and will be excellent presenters, a process which is reflective placed to help those who do, with the goal of indicative of a cohesive research and production of the pride and professionalism applied to their achieving a holistic success for our industry. community working together. primary research tasks. Early this year, we were very pleased to welcome Some years ago, the work of our researchers on Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Councillors Professor Isak (Sakkie) Pretorius to the position of the key flavour compounds of oak cooperage led for their energy and thoughtful insights in helping Director of Research. Even for an incurable to techniques being developed to analyse the to shape the strategic direction that we hope will workaholic, the exercise of reading Sakkie’s CV is a volatile phenolic constituents of wine, one of enable us to meet best the next set of challenges. very revealing one and likely to result in feelings of which (4-ethylphenol) was shown to be a key having underachieved.