Industry Development and Support

AWRI Technical Roadshows 2007-2009

The Australian Wine Research Institute conducts a series of Roadshow seminars and workshops throughout Australia each year. These roadshows are a component of the AWRI’s seven year Research, Development and Extension stream entitled “Transfer of knowledge relating to winemaking". This project aims to ensure that current research and the provision of technical information is regularly available and delivered to the Australian grape and wine industry. Research being conducted at The AWRI is presented at Roadshow seminars. Roadshow workshops are focussed toward providing practical winemaking advice to winemakers and technical staff. These roadshows are presented on a rotational basis throughout different wine regions in each state of Australia over a 3 year period. The AWRI has presented approximately 65 days of roadshows to 1800 winemakers throughout the last 6 years.

The months and locations where we will be conducting Roadshows from 2007-2009 can be found on the following roadshow schedule (click here to see the schedule). Once specific dates are confirmed by the respective associations they will be entered onto this schedule. Notification of the roadshow events when they approach will be by the respective association and/or by The AWRI.

Roadshow seminars

Seminars are presented by at least six senior AWRI staff, with up to twelve presentations at each seminar. Each seminar is tailored to meet the interests of each region. The AWRI has compiled a comprehensive list of presentations on current research topics which is provided to the relevant wine industry associations involved. Wineries within each region are then able to choose the subjects of most interest to be presented to their region.

Roadshow workshops

Workshops are tailored to deliver practical winemaking advice to winemakers. These workshops are aimed primarily at winemakers who will be guided through a comprehensive and interactive discussion of the winemaking theory behind common problems that have the potential to negatively impact on wine quality. This will include tastings, simple and practical winemaking diagnostic tests and practical exercises that can be used in day to day winemaking. The workshops are developed in conjunction with a web-based technical reference manual where further information is always accessible.

A number of these workshops have been developed specifically to manage relevant industry based issues. We are currently developing a workshop for trouble free bottling which we are aiming to present progressively throughout Australia over the next 3 years.

Previous workshops the AWRI's Industry Development and Support Team have presented include:

• Trouble free winemaking – avoidance and management of common wine instabilities
• Trouble free winemaking – managing wine instabilities, understanding and managing nitrogen and identifying wine faults
• Trouble free winemaking – managing wine instabilities, identifying wine faults and quantifying grape colour and tannin
• The avoidance of taints and chemical instabilities during winemaking
• Brettanomyces – latest research and control strategies.

If you have another area of interest that you think we should be developing, or that is particularly relevant to your region, please forward your suggestion to us.

These roadshows have been developed with GWRDC funding and thus The AWRI provides the roadshows free of charge. It is particularly important that you register your interest in attending the roadshow workshops with the AWRI directly, or with your local association, as places will be limited to approximately twenty-five people at each workshop, depending on the space and facilities available at each venue. If there is substantial excess demand, we will endeavour to hold an additional workshop the following day. Note that each association may impose a small fee to cover venue and catering and for this reason it is necessary that the associations have some idea of the number of people likely to attend. For further details please contact your local association.

Wine industry personnel from other areas are also welcome to attend. Please contact us either directly at the AWRI, or your local association.

Additional information can be obtained from the AWRI's Winemaker/Manager – Industry Services (Con Simos, telephone: 08 8303 6600, fax: 08 8303 6601, email: Con Simos [Con.Simos@awri.com.au]).