I will try to write down daily my favourite bits of information.
The Premier Lara Giddings opened the conference with the usual "this is a great state for wine..." phrases. I thank the Government for their support for the conference, but it would be nice if they filled the position of State Viticulturist, 3 odd years after the last guy.
She handed off to JanCIS Robinson, who gave a great keynote address about what the rest of the world is doing. The consumer is now after lighter, refreshing styles of wine, and the world is chasing those flavours by moving closer to the poles, or up in altitude. California is moving west to the ocean, Chile is going up to 2,500m, Argentina is going south to Patagonia, and England, pound for euro, is making decent sparkling. There are now even sizable wine regions in northern Europe: Norway, Denmark and Belgium. Canada is now moving further north to protect their Ice Wine, and from Richard Smart, China is going to explode. One producer is planting 40,000 Ha.
Dr Richard Smart gave a great chat on the research that has come out of the pilot winery in the north of this state. Of note was:
- berry size has no effect on tannins or anthocyanins
- bunch is the biggest variable
- Tamar Ridge has some new Tasmanian Pinot Clones from Pommard
Dr Bob Dambergs talked about his Bodum Coffee Plunger winery for trialing different treatments of Pinot Noir fermentation. Of note was:
- extended maceration decreases anthocyanins, increases tannin and pigmented tannin
- oak powder reduces anthocyanins, tannin and pigmented tannin (fail)
- cold maceration increase anthocyanin
And I want to start something new. The quote of the day.
Today's quote of the day goes to Dr Richard Smart
"The best time to fruit thin is just before the wine writer walks in the vineyard, and the best time to stop fruit thinning is just as they leave."
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