Ground-Breaking Study Of Vineyard Sites And Climate For Tasmanian Wine Investment

A major scientific study of potential vineyard sites in Tasmania was announced by Hon Simon Crean, Minister for Regional Australia, and Lara Giddings, Premier of Tasmania on 11 April 2012 at Moorilla winery.

The $300,000 grant is part of the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement $20 million diversification package. The study will be led by Dr Richard Smart of Smart Viticulture, Australian viticultural scientist, who has over 40 years experience researching the relationship of climate and wine quality.

“The study will be the most comprehensive ever made for any wine region in Australia” Dr Smart said, “and one of the most comprehensive of its type anywhere in the world. The aim of the study is to scientifically locate potential wine regions and vineyard sites in Tasmania, aimed to provide confidence for investment in further plantings.”

“The study will build on knowledge gained from detailed vineyard studies in the Loire Valley, in France, over the last several decades, which showed that differences in vine development rate were correlated with wine quality”, Dr Smart said.

Dr Smart has a PhD on vineyard climatology from Cornell University, and has spent eight years guiding vineyard research in New Zealand in the 1980s.He has shown the climatic similarity of Tasmania to New Zealand. The recent growth to over 33,000 ha of New Zealand vineyards indicates the opportunity in Tasmania to expand plantings from the existing 1,400 ha. Demand for Tasmanian wine exists in both the Australian and international market place.

Dr Smart will be assisted in the research project by Dr Reuben Wells of Ag Logic, and the project will be managed by the Tasmanian Institute for Agriculture. The project will take two years commencing in July 2012. The investigation will involve cooperation with other programs such as SenseT and Wealth from Water .

The study has several components as outlined by Dr Smart. Firstly there will be temperature measurements made in the landscape in five potential wine regions, north of Scottsdale, the East Coast, Southern Midlands, and Derwent and Huon Valleys. This information will be used to refine existing computer models of the temperature climate in Tasmania, an important tool used in vineyard site selection.

A second important component will be to select 21 vineyards around Tasmania and to take measurements of vine growth, development and fruit composition over two growing seasons, and to compare these with temperatures measured in the vineyard. This will allow an understanding of the relationship between temperature and the growth of Pinot Noir vines and eventually wine quality for Tasmania. This study will rely heavily on cooperating vineyard owners.

A special study will be made of frost occurrence in several regions since frost can limit vineyard expansion in Tasmania. This will involve frost experts Dr Steve Wilson and Stu Powell of New Zealand and their measurements will be combined into models to allow prediction and management of frost.

The final stage of the study will be to combine all elements of climate into a definition of potential vineyard regions which will include consideration of wine quality and climate hazards. Such information will provide confidence for future investment in vineyard plantings.

Results from the study will be made available to investors and present land holders in a series of publications and presentations. The project is being managed by Dr Dugald Close of TIA on behalf of the Tasmanian Government Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts.