Wine technology, innovation the taste of things to come

Wine industry representatives and researchers gathered recently to discuss ways of ensuring the industry's continued competitiveness in the face of climate change, water constraints and global market developments.

Held by the University of Adelaide's Australian Wine 2030 Research Network, the Wine 2030 Conference considered the challenges of the future and the technologies needed to transform the wine industry to ensure its continued viability.

"To maintain our competitive advantage, the Australian wine industry must remain at the forefront of technological innovation," said Wine 2030 leader Professor Christopher Findlay, who is Head of the University's School of Economics.

"As well as investing in incremental improvements in technology and management, the industry must also investigate the potential of technology to transform the way it operates in order to fundamentally change the economics of wine production and sale."

Professor Findlay said the conference, held at the University's National Wine Centre, generated "a lot of excitement".

"For example, researchers who had not previously worked on wine have realised the relevance of their work for the wine industry, with some startling potential applications, for instance, from research into visualisation and photonics," he said. "Likewise we've discovered previously unrecognised complementary research, where various technologies are fitting together to make something even bigger."

Professor Findlay said the conference also revealed greater scope for more micro-level management in processes from the vineyard through to wine distribution, which would help the industry respond to challenges it faces. And developments in new media were creating new opportunities in marketing and consumer interaction.

Identified "big agenda" areas where the University of Adelaide can make a significant contribution include genomics, the use of yeasts in winemaking, economics and global market analysis and bio-informatics.

The University of Adelaide established its Australian Wine 2030 research network last year with $1.25 million funding over five years to tackle the key challenges facing the industry to 2030, including climate change, changes in water policy, and shifts in supply and demand.

The Australian Wine 2030 network draws together different expertise from across the University in science, economics modelling and business analysis.

The network is a coalition of research groups pursuing a linked series of research projects alongside a series of education innovations.

"The University of Adelaide is a world leader in wine research and education. With this initiative we will be able to build capacity and draw on new strengths to more effectively respond to industry needs that will become more acute over the next years," said Professor Findlay.

Further information can be found at: www.adelaide.edu.au/wine2030

Story by Robyn Mills