WGCSA leads Vineyard Mapping Assessment Project

The Wine Grape Council of South Australia is proud to be leading the Vineyard Mapping and Assessment project with support from Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA).

The project was created in response to the Cudlee Creek and Kangaroo Island bushfires and involves the mapping and assessment of bushfire affected vineyards and providing technical advice and management options to those participating grape growers. The aim of the project is to help enable rapid recovery and return to production. The project is well underway with Colin Hinze from Rural Directions currently carrying out the on-site detailed vineyard assessments.

As part of the project, a series of free webinars organised by the Australian Wine Research Institute is being produced to assist growers dealing with these fire-damaged vineyards. The first webinar was held last week. Colin from Rural Directions discussed methods for assessing and mapping vine damage in fire-affected vineyards. To watch a recording of this webinar, click here.

There are four more webinars in this series and I encourage affected or interested growers to register and attend. All of the speakers have a great deal of knowledge and insights into viticulture as a whole. Topics include what to consider when purchasing grapevine planting material and using bud dissection as a tool for informing pruning decisions. Click here to see all of the webinar topics and to register your interest. 

This project has been funded by the South Australian Wine Industry Development Scheme and was approved by the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Tim Whetstone. The project is incredibly collaborative thanks to amazing support and input from Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Vinehealth Australia, University of Adelaide, Adelaide Hills Wine Region and Rural Directions.

COVID-19
PIRSA continues to provide regular updates regarding COVID-19 with all past updates available on their dedicated webpage here.  The advice provided is based on the best available information at that point in time and may change. For the most recent information on the State Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic visit the webpage.

Australian Grape and Wine (AGW) are currently working closely with us and others on some pruning protocols around COVID-19.   With thanks to AGW, I expect to be able to share these protocols with you all shortly.

Finally, times have been and continue to be challenging for many and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed.  A great independent, confidential and free resource is the Family and Business (FAB) support program administered through Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA).  More information on how they may be able to help can be found here.

On a positive note, opening rains over the past week has brought a much-needed reason to smile for many of us.  With more of the ‘wet stuff’ forecast in the next few days, it’s a welcome sight bringing hope and opportunity to grape growers and our many agriculture friends on the land.

Stay safe and take care everyone!

Regards,
Lisa Bennier
Business Manager

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