Winetitles Media GWM

30/05/2023

https://fb.watch/kRgEPpsi_D/

08/02/2022

Annual tractor review, the battle against pests, flood irrigation in Langhorne Creek, exposure to Albarino grapes, and making inroads into the UK with premium Australian wine. 🚜 💧 🐞 🍇 🍷

February's Grapegrower & Winemaker highlights - out now. Read and subscribe at http://ow.ly/qFXB50HOY9o

11/01/2022

The first issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker for 2022 is out now

To subscribe and read, visit http://ow.ly/Hvpa50Hrt6Z

15/12/2021

[2/2] The last few years have brought more rain to the region and, with La Niña, they have also come at a different time which has changed vintage calendar.

Crowe explored how the landscape inspired their winemaking and how the region can accommodate a wide variety of styles.
“Traditionally rain falls in winter and spring but it has been pushing into late spring and summer,” said Crowe.
“Rapid growth and sodden soils making it difficult to get on with the tractors to protect the new growth. On the bright side, this has meant less heat stress in the vines, good canopy growth since we are a dry grown vineyard.

“The wines have been more ‘traditionally Yarra’, reflecting the cooler seasons, longer hang time on the vine resulting in very good wines: fragrant and bright fruit characters with good natural acidity.”

Like many other Victoria producers, Yarra Yering have had to work around strict COVID measures and lockdowns within the state over the past year.
At the time of writing, restrictions have only just been lifted and, like many other producers across the country, the challenge is finding staff to help take on the next season’s vintage and to accommodate guests in the cellar door.
“Being classed as Metro Melbourne; we have been in one of the longest periods globally of lockdown which has meant no visitors,” said Crowe.

The region was also hit with Phylloxera in 2006, proving a costly challenge. Yarra Yering have proven themselves leaders in fighting this challenge and hope their solution will be their legacy.

“This was initially devastating for the region and costly to address, we are now looking at it as an opportunity to adapt to now and the future,” she continued.

“This is our opportunity to make changes to our varietal and clonal mix, utilise rootstock to our advantage, adjust row orientation and update inadequate trellis systems. This will be our legacy to the next generation of Yarra Valley winemakers.
“It’s an exciting place to be making wine, I think as a region we challenge each other aspire to craft better wines each year by sharing knowledge and working together.”

Yarra Yering helped to rekindle a winemaking spark in the Yarra Valley and continue to be forward thinking, innovative producers in the region.

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Yarra Yering: Pioneers in tradition
Read FREE online: www.winetitles.com.au/yarra-yering-pioneers-in-tradition/

The Yarra Valley experienced a rebirth at the end of the 1960s, with several wineries establishing themselves in a region that had laid dormant since the early ‘20s.
Harrison Davies spoke with Yarra Yering winemaker and general manager Sarah Crowe about the winery’s audacious start in the region, where it is today, and what is next.

Subscribers to the Grapegrower & Winemaker can read the Uncorked in full each month online and in print. Subscribe online here: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm

12/12/2021

[1/2] In 1973, Yarra Yering produced its first vintage. This was not only a milestone for the young winery, but also for the region which hadn’t bore witness to any production for over 50 years.
Founding producers at Yarra Yering, Dr Bailey Carrodus and Reg Egan, focused on highlighting the signature styles of the cold climate found in the Yarra Valley and debuted their first vintage with wines that are still their flagships – Dry Red no.1 and Dry Red No.2.

The winery then expanded in 1990, when they purchased the neighbouring property to expand their range and plant more vines. It is now home to 70 acres of vines that produce between 1-2 tonnes per acre.

The vines are all grown without the aid of irrigation which leads to low yield, high flavour wines that highlight bold flavours and natural acidity.

Winemaker Sarah Crowe said the red blends are still what the winery is known for, but that they had expanded their repertoire since the early days.

“The two flagship wines are the Dry Red Wine No. 1, a Cabernet dominant blend, and Dry Red Wine No. 2, a Shiraz dominant blend, which were the first commercial wines made in 1973,” she said.

“Smaller amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were also planted in 1969 and today the vineyard is planted to Viognier, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Marsanne, Mataro, as well as small plantings of six Iberian varietals including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão and Tinta Roriz.

“Cabernet and Shiraz remain the highest production.”

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Yarra Yering: Pioneers in tradition
Read FREE online: www.winetitles.com.au/yarra-yering-pioneers-in-tradition/

The Yarra Valley experienced a rebirth at the end of the 1960s, with several wineries establishing themselves in a region that had laid dormant since the early ‘20s.
Harrison Davies spoke with Yarra Yering winemaker and general manager Sarah Crowe about the winery’s audacious start in the region, where it is today, and what is next.

Subscribers to the Grapegrower & Winemaker can read the Uncorked in full each month online and in print. Subscribe online here: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm

10/12/2021

[3/3] South Australia is home to the oldest surviving Grenache vines in the world. The vines thrive in the warm, dry climate and the variety’s growing popularity in the state is encouraging more producers to make use of their ancestral vines.

The availability of Grenache grapes has also contributed to their price and made them an accessible variety for winemakers, particularly in SA, to work with.

“Depending on the clones, Grenache can produce wines that are fragrant and elegant or quite concentrated and tannic,” Kustos said.

“Younger winemakers tend to champion Grenache’s light yet defined character that is often paralleled with Pinot Noir.”

Young winemakers have been leading the Grenache revival. Producers like Silent Noise Wine’s Charlie O’Brien, 23, took it upon themselves to create something new with a variety that had been overlooked.

“I feel like winemakers, especially the younger ones, are open and able to experiment with Grenache more than Pinot Noir and Gamay,” he said.

“These varieties have their own issues with a combination of cost and availability.

“Grenache is a versatile variety. When I first started working with it I was doing a 100 per cent crushed fruit, savoury style of wine. I have been lucky to spend time with other winemakers discussing and tasting Grenache and looking at different styles that I like.

“McLaren Vale is an amazing place to work with Grenache. The diversity of the geology here is so interesting.

“The expression of fruit within the wines that come from the sandy vineyards of Blewitt Springs and some smaller pockets of sand in the Vale are so elegant and pure.

“Grenache is cool because it can sustain a fair amount of carbonic maceration which is something that I think really suits the fruit and it can still retain savouriness on the palate.”

In a piece written for Wine Australia, writer Jamie Good described the style as the Pinot Noir of the South, and that winemakers had misjudged the variety in the past by making Grenache that was too dark and too bold.

“At the moment, grape prices are still much more affordable than Pinot Noir. The availability of old vine material provides an opportunity to winemakers to make wines like nowhere else in the world,” Kustos said.

“It’s a similar story to Zinfandel in California, Pais in Chile and some forgotten varieties in Spain.”

Artwine’s success with their Grumpy Old Man Grenache correlates with the success of the variety across the country.

Kelly said viticulturists at Artwine, like many others in recent years, had embraced the lighter qualities of Grenache and explored what makes it unique.

“The resurgence, I believe, is due to the lighter style of wines that are being made which is reaching the changing consumer demand and tastes,” Kelly said.

“They are lighter, fruity and food friendly, which is what we all want. Mostly the old-style heavy Grenaches are a thing of the past.”

--

Grenache Uncorked: A varietal renaissance

Read FREE online: www.winetitles.com.au/grenache-uncorked-a-varietal-renaissance/

The story of Grenache is not dissimilar from that of the ugly duckling. It was long misunderstood but has seen a resurgence in recent years that has brought it to the forefront of Australian winemaking. Journalist Harrison Davies explores how the stars aligned for this long ignored variety to enter the spotlight.

Subscribers to the Grapegrower & Winemaker can read the Uncorked in full each month online and in print. Subscribe online here: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm

07/12/2021

[2/3] Grenache took off in South Australia largely because of the similar Mediterranean adjacent climate and for many decades was the most planted variety in the entire country.

Grenache was first brought to Australia by famed viticulturist James Busby, along with several other varieties, in 1832. It was quickly adopted by winemakers in South Australia after vines were planted in the Barossa, McLaren Vale and
Clare Valley.

“Grenache is thin-skinned, early-budding, late-ripening, and well suited to hot, dry climates like most of South Australia. There are some more than 100-year-old, own-rooted bush vines. A legacy of the country’s former fortified stronghold,” said Kustos.

In the early days of the Australian wine industry, when a majority of the product was fortifieds, Grenache was amongst the most widely used varieties due to its high yield when grown as an un-trellised bush vine.

“Grenache used to be the work horse variety for fortified wine production,” Kustos said.

“It grew all over the country and was a winemaker’s darling due to its high crop/yield ability. However, if the vine is irrigated and cropped heavily, it may lose these characteristics. Not surprisingly, Grenache became synonymous with mass produced, diluted red wines.”

Judy Kelly, co-owner of the Adelaide Hills based Artwine Estate, specialises in alternative varieties and has several Grenache vines in the Clare Valley.

“We have beautiful old dry-grown bush vines on our Clare Valley vineyard that we believe are a hundred years old,”
she said.

As tastes changed and table wine began to rise to prominence, attention shifted to cooler regions that specialised in varieties like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

After a dip in popularity in the ‘70s, the government encouraged producers to pull their vines and either replace them with varieties that were more in vogue, or clear the land for development. Thankfully, many producers opted
not to.

“Clare Valley only started keeping records of vines planted in 1932 – so prior to that we are unsure but believe they were planted before then and fortunately survived the government encouragement vine pull of the ‘80s,” Kelly continued.

“Grenache, like many reds, needs warmth to ripen so Clare Valley to us is perfect. It’s slightly cooler but the vines are extremely happy in their environment and being dry-grown makes them sustainable.

“We believe that old vine Grenache is superior to any younger vines and fortunately SA is blessed with many old bush vine vineyards.”

Since 2010, a change in style has led Grenache to re-enter the forefront of South Australian winemaking.

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Grenache Uncorked: A varietal renaissance

Read FREE online: www.winetitles.com.au/grenache-uncorked-a-varietal-renaissance/

The story of Grenache is not dissimilar from that of the ugly duckling. It was long misunderstood but has seen a resurgence in recent years that has brought it to the forefront of Australian winemaking. Journalist Harrison Davies explores how the stars aligned for this long ignored variety to enter the spotlight.

Subscribers to the Grapegrower & Winemaker can read the Uncorked in full each month online and in print. Subscribe online here: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm

03/12/2021

[1/3] Grenache could be described as Australia’s red. The world’s oldest Grenache vines are found in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale and interest in the variety is higher there than anywhere else.

While Australia may now be the home of Grenache’s oldest vines, its true home can be found in Europe, in south-western France and northern Spain.

Known as ‘Garnacha’ in its homeland, it is characterised by its bright, floral flavours with notes of raspberries, pepper and strawberries and makes for a light-style red that pairs well with game.

Looking across the Old World, Grenache was is found in places like the Southern Rhône region, where it is a principal variety due to its inclusion in the Rhône blend – typically 50 per cent Grenache with Shiraz and Mourvèdre.

It is also widely grown in Sardinia, where is it known as Cannonau, as it grows well in hot, dry soils.

Marcell Kustos, a lecturer at Le Cordon Bleu Australia and Sommelier at Restaurant Botanic in Adelaide, detailed the variety’s rich history in Europe.

“Grenache Noir likely originated in Aragón, Spain. Plantings stretched over the Pyrenees, notably in Roussillon, and vineyards were established in the southern Rhône by the 19th century,” he said.

“Legend has it, the variety made its way from Sardinia to Spain when the island was under Aragón rule.”

Disaster struck European vineyards in the Second World War, when many of the oldest Grenache vines were wiped out by a wave of Phylloxera – unchecked due to the severity of the war.

--

Grenache Uncorked: A varietal renaissance

Read FREE online: www.winetitles.com.au/grenache-uncorked-a-varietal-renaissance/

The story of Grenache is not dissimilar from that of the ugly duckling. It was long misunderstood but has seen a resurgence in recent years that has brought it to the forefront of Australian winemaking. Journalist Harrison Davies explores how the stars aligned for this long ignored variety to enter the spotlight.

Subscribers to the Grapegrower & Winemaker can read the Uncorked in full each month online and in print. Subscribe online here: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm

ArtWine Estate

29/11/2021

December 2021 Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker out now

Read now online or subscribe at http://ow.ly/7eN350GXWGK

09/11/2021

For a short time only, 2021 Wine Industry Directory FLASH CLEARANCE SALE

Simply use the code WID30 at the checkout to receive 30% over the next week.

Don't miss out, order now at https://winetitles.com.au/product/WID/

08/11/2021

Get your vote in for the Winejobs TOP DOG!

13/10/2021

So many dogs!

Dogs have long held working roles in wineries and vineyards and we’d like to know more about the TOP DOG of the Australian and New Zealand wine industry.
So we’re on the hunt for a dog who has the best job in your winery or vineyard – from winery mascot to security to pest controller – dogs can work hard, be skilled at their job and be loved by the community. Send in a photo of your TOP DOG on the job, your winery/vineyard logo, plus in less than 100 words, tell us about the job your dog is charged with in the winery or vineyard.

06/10/2021

October 2021 Grapegrower & Winemaker out now!

Get a snapshot of the industry’s winery equipment purchasing intentions and as spring continues, there's a refresher on the major disease pressures in Australia.

To subscribe and read more, visit https://winetitles.com.au/gwm/current-issues/

31/08/2021

September out now!

This month, Grapegrower & Winemaker focuses on the role of oak: we find out from suppliers about the options for winemakers wanting to invest in barrels and oak products.

We hear from Bill Moularadellis, chair of Australian Commercial Wine Producers Limited, who explains the story behind this newly-formed representative body for Australia’s three largest winegrowing regions – the Riverina, Murray Valley and Riverland.

For growers, we include results from a trial in the Barossa looking at a new approach to tracking bunch weights, while we also feature Gemtree Wines’ Melissa Brown, who tells about the journey of her family’s McLaren Vale vineyard operation to become a leading certified organic and biodynamic producer.

For Behind the Top Drops, Sonya Logan talks to Moppity Vineyards’ Jason Brown to learn about Coppabella of Tumbarumba Sirius Chardonnay, and we also meet Young Gun Matt Godfrey from iconic Margaret River producer Devil’s Lair.

Meantime, writer Brendan Black shares the story of a unique secondary school learning program in Victoria that teaches the basics of viticulture and winemaking. Finally, journalist Samuel Squire examines the importance of GIs when it comes to the marketing of Australian wines.

Subscribers can access the digital issue here: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm/current-issues/

26/08/2021

Happy International Dog Day 2021!

What a fantastic day to launch our new competition:
Winejobs TOP DOG 🐶

Dogs have long held working roles in wineries and vineyards and we’d like to know more about the TOP DOG of the Australian and New Zealand wine industry.

So we’re on the hunt for a dog who has the best job in your winery or vineyard – from winery mascot to security to pest controller – dogs can work hard, be skilled at their job and be loved by the community. Send in a photo of your TOP DOG on the job, your winery/vineyard logo, plus in less than 100 words, tell us about the job your dog is charged with in the winery or vineyard.

To enter, visit www.winejobs.com.au/topdog

Terms and conditions apply, visit website for details.

06/08/2021

Survey callout: share your winery equipment plans

The Grapegrower & Winemaker is conducting a survey to inform the industry of current trends and sharing the results in the October issue.

To assist us, please visit http://ow.ly/hXB350FJ475

Winery equipment is a hot topic in the industry. Please help us inform the industry by telling us your winery equipment plans. The Grapegrower & Winemaker is conducting a survey to inform the industry of current trends and sharing the results in the October issue. Respondents can go into a draw to w...

02/08/2021

Visit Winetitles Media to stay updated with Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine news.

New Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine just launched!
www.winetitles.com.au/gwm/current-issues/

In this August issue, we focus on cool climate regions in part two of our annual vintage report.

AWRI senior viticulturist Robyn Dixon provides insights into irrigation system efficiency, while we receive an update on a McLaren Vale project utilising mapping technology. We’re introduced to this month’s Young Gun, Marlborough’s Jess Wilson, before shining a spotlight on SA’s Riverland wine region.

We preview the WEA’s upcoming WineEng 2021 event and also look at techniques to reduce alcohol during winemaking. For Behind the Top Drops, we feature Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon from WA.

Meanwhile, we invited leading professionals to share their thoughts in a special roundtable looking at wine business HR. The global bulk wine trade is also examined to reveal challenges and opportunities for local producers.

Subscribers can read online: www.winetitles.com.au/gwm/current-issues/

Winery Engineering Association Riverland Wine The AWRI

26/07/2021

We are moving! Please like Winetitles Media to stay updated with all things Grapegrower & Winemaker!

High calibre career: Mango Parker

Research is one of the pillars of industry and discovery. Mango Parker, a research scientist with the Australian Wine Research Institute, is making efforts in the wine sector to help understand more about wine’s sensory aspects. More recently, she presented her findings on the effect of smoke on pre-veraison winegrapes at the National Bushfire Conference. Journalist Samuel Squire caught up with Parker to chat about her high calibre career in the wine industry so far and how research makes its mark.

Read the full article FREE here: www.winetitles.com.au/high-calibre-career-mango-parker/

Pictured: Mango Parker with the joint AWRI/Wine Australia team in the 2019 CSIRO ON Prime program for innovation

The AWRI

18/07/2021

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Like our Winetitles Media page for all future updates.

3/3

Market experience

Italian Barberas are imported frequently into Australia. One importer, who has been working with Italian varieties since the mid-1980s, and Barbera specifically since the mid-1990s, David Ridge (pictured), says the wines aren’t nearly popular enough here as they should be.

“While I couldn’t really say how much Barbera is sold in the Australian market definitively, it’s not enough!” he said.
“However, Barbera is growing in popularity and is inexorable.
“I honestly see it as one of the next big things – a serious niche – at least the size of something like Fiano, if not Sangiovese, in time.”

Ridge’s fondness of the variety, he says, is somewhat perplexed by the reality of its popularity here, with other Italian varieties performing better than Barbera, which he argues is a much better fit to Australian drinking habits.

“It could be lacking a bit in the personality department in truth – many of us thought the following behind Barolo/Nebbiolo/Piedomont wines, and the growth of that trend as a wine, food and tourism entity, should bring Barbera along for the ride,” he said.

“After all, it’s what they drink there in the restaurants and piazzas. Barbera’s following here has been harder to increase than I expected or hoped for, which is strange considering its simpler sibling Dolcetto seems to sell better here overall.
Barbera is a variety so well-suited to Australian dining,” he continued, “It’s light and mid-weight, it’s fresh, fruity and zingy”.
Barbera has mostly been very accessible, easy to open and enjoy, and very, very adaptable with a wide range of foods – seriously weighty cuisines like Mediterranean, Malayasian or Morroccan.

“This may be where the confusion lies in Barbera’s variation. Barbera can also be a deadly serious wine. It can be complex, age-worthy and able to speak of its terroir.”

“Frankly, I get my Barbera fix (I use it more than once-weekly in my household) from Piemontese versions.

“But until recently, and while I still strongly believed in Barbera’s future here, I had stopped looking and subsequently had dismissed local Australian offerings as too much: whether it was to do with oak or uncontrolled ripeness; I thought they were without personalities, structure or enough of a savoury finish.
“But a recent Wine & Viticulture Journal tasting was a real eye-opener,” he continued.

“Nearly every one of the 20+ wines was drinkable or a lot better than that, were authentic (i.e., they were recognisable as the variety and were not that far behind the four Piedmont versions in the tasting as benchmarks).

“In fact, the tasters all agreed, it was one of the strongest style/varietal tastings ever experienced. Few other wine line-ups could have been so almost universally acceptable or better.
“The best versions moreover, while not being confused for Italians or quite as good as the best Italians, were super. We are underway with Barbera now, for sure!”
As of Wine Australia’s 2019 Variety Snapshot report, about 56,000 litres of Australian Barbera were exported, which sits lower than the figures for 2017-18. The UK sat as the top export destination for Australian Barbera and Barbera blend wines in 2019, taking 57% of Australia’s total Barbera export volume.
The full results of the recent tasting of Australian and imported Barbera wines can be found in the Winter 2021 issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal.
---
Barbera Uncorked

High natural acidity in wine is something typical of the Italian red powerhouses Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. Journalist Samuel Squire dives into some of the history of one of Italy’s most-planted winegrape varieties, and speaks to Australian producers and an importer of Italian Barbera wine to find out where it stands in the local market.

You can find the Barbera Uncorked article in print in the latest issue of the Grapegrower & Winemaker or READ FREE ONLINE in full here: www.winetitles.com.au/barbera-uncorked/

3/3

Market experience

Italian Barberas are imported frequently into Australia. One importer, who has been working with Italian varieties since the mid-1980s, and Barbera specifically since the mid-1990s, David Ridge (pictured), says the wines aren’t nearly popular enough here as they should be.

“While I couldn’t really say how much Barbera is sold in the Australian market definitively, it’s not enough!” he said.

“However, Barbera is growing in popularity and is inexorable.

“I honestly see it as one of the next big things – a serious niche – at least the size of something like Fiano, if not Sangiovese, in time.”

Ridge’s fondness of the variety, he says, is somewhat perplexed by the reality of its popularity here, with other Italian varieties performing better than Barbera, which he argues is a much better fit to Australian drinking habits.

“It could be lacking a bit in the personality department in truth – many of us thought the following behind Barolo/Nebbiolo/Piedomont wines, and the growth of that trend as a wine, food and tourism entity, should bring Barbera along for the ride,” he said.

“After all, it’s what they drink there in the restaurants and piazzas. Barbera’s following here has been harder to increase than I expected or hoped for, which is strange considering its simpler sibling Dolcetto seems to sell better here overall.

Barbera is a variety so well-suited to Australian dining,” he continued, “It’s light and mid-weight, it’s fresh, fruity and zingy”.

Barbera has mostly been very accessible, easy to open and enjoy, and very, very adaptable with a wide range of foods – seriously weighty cuisines like Mediterranean, Malayasian or Morroccan.

“This may be where the confusion lies in Barbera’s variation. Barbera can also be a deadly serious wine. It can be complex, age-worthy and able to speak of its terroir.”

“Frankly, I get my Barbera fix (I use it more than once-weekly in my household) from Piemontese versions.

“But until recently, and while I still strongly believed in Barbera’s future here, I had stopped looking and subsequently had dismissed local Australian offerings as too much: whether it was to do with oak or uncontrolled ripeness; I thought they were without personalities, structure or enough of a savoury finish.

“But a recent Wine & Viticulture Journal tasting was a real eye-opener,” he continued.

“Nearly every one of the 20+ wines was drinkable or a lot better than that, were authentic (i.e., they were recognisable as the variety and were not that far behind the four Piedmont versions in the tasting as benchmarks).

“In fact, the tasters all agreed, it was one of the strongest style/varietal tastings ever experienced. Few other wine line-ups could have been so almost universally acceptable or better.

“The best versions moreover, while not being confused for Italians or quite as good as the best Italians, were super. We are underway with Barbera now, for sure!”

As of Wine Australia’s 2019 Variety Snapshot report, about 56,000 litres of Australian Barbera were exported, which sits lower than the figures for 2017-18. The UK sat as the top export destination for Australian Barbera and Barbera blend wines in 2019, taking 57% of Australia’s total Barbera export volume.

The full results of the recent tasting of Australian and imported Barbera wines can be found in the Winter 2021 issue of the Wine & Viticulture Journal.

---

Barbera Uncorked

High natural acidity in wine is something typical of the Italian red powerhouses Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. Journalist Samuel Squire dives into some of the history of one of Italy’s most-planted winegrape varieties, and speaks to Australian producers and an importer of Italian Barbera wine to find out where it stands in the local market.

You can find the Barbera Uncorked article in print in the latest issue of the Grapegrower & Winemaker or READ FREE ONLINE in full here: www.winetitles.com.au/barbera-uncorked/

13/07/2021

2/3
Hunter Valley producer Margan Wines was the first in the region to adopt the variety into its own vineyard in Broke Fordwich at its Ceres Hill property.
Margan Wines has just completed its 20th vintage with Barbera, having first planted the variety in 1998 using cuttings taken from the original Montrose Mudgee vineyard planted by Carlo Corino back in the 1950s.
Andrew Margan (pictured), owner and chief winemaker of Margan Wines in the Hunter, says the variety takes some time to acclimatise to Australian conditions, in his experience.
“As a young vine, it used to defoliate with extreme heat conditions,” he said, “However, as it has aged, it is now appearing to cope much better”.
He says Barbera is generally quite disease resistant and “our clone tends to distribute fruit so that bunches don’t sit one on top of the other, and the berries are quite loose”, making bunch rot rare.
“It doesn’t seem to mind wet weather and continues to ripen under waterlogged conditions.”
Margan has worked with Barbera across the Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. He says that, in Australia, the variety isn’t necessarily suited to one particular region over another, but that each region shows its character in the wines produced.
However, he says the characteristics the Hunter Valley brings out in the variety are quite unique.
“[There’s] no such thing as a ‘best’ region for me,” he said, “[Each region’s Barbera] is different and represents the individual regions’ particular growing characteristics. I have good and bad grapes from all the areas I worked with it.”
Margan says his Barbera block (planted in Broke Fordwich) is managed using VSP with permanent mid row sward and is managed using an undervine cultivation machine.
Margan spur prunes his Barbera to 16-20 buds per arm, however he is currently in the process of cutting the vines back to canes.
In the winery
Barbera is naturally acidic and high in tannin levels, but if managed correctly in the winery, can produce bright and fresh wine to pair with delectable Italian cuisine.
In the 1970s, a French oenologist – Emile Peynaud – recommended Barbera producers use small oak barrels for fermentation and maturation (Italian Wine Connection 2017).
This was suggested in order to add a subtle oaky characteristic to the wine, which allowed limited levels of oxygenation to occur through maturation, letting the single varietal wine soften that way. Peynaud discovered that the polysaccharides in the oak increased the variety’s richness.
Some winemakers will use Barbera as a blending variety with red grapes that may lack those acidic and tannin levels themselves, to make a softer, more rounded and potentially more balanced wine, but Margan says that it is a variety best crafted into a single varietal wine.
“Over the years we have looked at blending options but at the end of the day, because the wine is shaped around its acidity rather than its tannins, it really needs to be left alone and not blended,” he said.
“I ferment in closed stainless steel to two Baume and then press into stainless steel for malolactic (malo) fermentation.
“Post malo, the wine is run into one and two year old barriques for three months with some left in stainless. Given the low tannin content of the variety, the use of oak isn’t to soften the wine as such, so oak is not the answer for this variety.”
Margan says that there has been a couple of issues with Barbera in the winery, but there are ways to work around it.
“I have had Brettanomycese enter the winery twice from the vineyard and both times it was traced back to the Barbera,” he said.
“With that knowledge, we ensure we increase the use of SO₂ during the picking and crushing. Otherwise, as a low tannin and high acid variety, I look at acid levels for picking times as we would normally have colour and flavour ripeness present whilst having TA (tannin) levels above where we would pick.
If Barbera is presenting some issues in the winery, Margan’s ‘top tip’ is to “not pick it without getting your acid under 9 TA”.
Australian Barbera wines are often somewhat similar to those from Italy – the similarities, of course, being the high acidity and savoury fruit flavour profile.
Margan’s Barbera is the best-selling red wine at his cellar door, which has given him confidence to plant an additional six acres of Barbera vines, bringing his block total to 18 acres.
“Barbera is a great variety for the Hunter,” he said, “It is not prone to disease and can ripen in wet years so, all in all, it works very well here”.
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Barbera Uncorked
High natural acidity in wine is something typical of the Italian red powerhouses Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. Journalist Samuel Squire dives into some of the history of one of Italy’s most-planted winegrape varieties, and speaks to Australian producers and an importer of Italian Barbera wine to find out where it stands in the local market.
You can find the Barbera Uncorked article in print in the latest issue of the Grapegrower & Winemaker or READ FREE ONLINE in full here: www.winetitles.com.au/barbera-uncorked/

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Hunter Valley producer Margan Wines was the first in the region to adopt the variety into its own vineyard in Broke Fordwich at its Ceres Hill property.

Margan Wines has just completed its 20th vintage with Barbera, having first planted the variety in 1998 using cuttings taken from the original Montrose Mudgee vineyard planted by Carlo Corino back in the 1950s.

Andrew Margan (pictured), owner and chief winemaker of Margan Wines in the Hunter, says the variety takes some time to acclimatise to Australian conditions, in his experience.

“As a young vine, it used to defoliate with extreme heat conditions,” he said, “However, as it has aged, it is now appearing to cope much better”.

He says Barbera is generally quite disease resistant and “our clone tends to distribute fruit so that bunches don’t sit one on top of the other, and the berries are quite loose”, making bunch rot rare.

“It doesn’t seem to mind wet weather and continues to ripen under waterlogged conditions.”

Margan has worked with Barbera across the Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. He says that, in Australia, the variety isn’t necessarily suited to one particular region over another, but that each region shows its character in the wines produced.

However, he says the characteristics the Hunter Valley brings out in the variety are quite unique.

“[There’s] no such thing as a ‘best’ region for me,” he said, “[Each region’s Barbera] is different and represents the individual regions’ particular growing characteristics. I have good and bad grapes from all the areas I worked with it.”

Margan says his Barbera block (planted in Broke Fordwich) is managed using VSP with permanent mid row sward and is managed using an undervine cultivation machine.

Margan spur prunes his Barbera to 16-20 buds per arm, however he is currently in the process of cutting the vines back to canes.

In the winery

Barbera is naturally acidic and high in tannin levels, but if managed correctly in the winery, can produce bright and fresh wine to pair with delectable Italian cuisine.

In the 1970s, a French oenologist – Emile Peynaud – recommended Barbera producers use small oak barrels for fermentation and maturation (Italian Wine Connection 2017).

This was suggested in order to add a subtle oaky characteristic to the wine, which allowed limited levels of oxygenation to occur through maturation, letting the single varietal wine soften that way. Peynaud discovered that the polysaccharides in the oak increased the variety’s richness.

Some winemakers will use Barbera as a blending variety with red grapes that may lack those acidic and tannin levels themselves, to make a softer, more rounded and potentially more balanced wine, but Margan says that it is a variety best crafted into a single varietal wine.

“Over the years we have looked at blending options but at the end of the day, because the wine is shaped around its acidity rather than its tannins, it really needs to be left alone and not blended,” he said.

“I ferment in closed stainless steel to two Baume and then press into stainless steel for malolactic (malo) fermentation.

“Post malo, the wine is run into one and two year old barriques for three months with some left in stainless. Given the low tannin content of the variety, the use of oak isn’t to soften the wine as such, so oak is not the answer for this variety.”

Margan says that there has been a couple of issues with Barbera in the winery, but there are ways to work around it.

“I have had Brettanomycese enter the winery twice from the vineyard and both times it was traced back to the Barbera,” he said.

“With that knowledge, we ensure we increase the use of SO₂ during the picking and crushing. Otherwise, as a low tannin and high acid variety, I look at acid levels for picking times as we would normally have colour and flavour ripeness present whilst having TA (tannin) levels above where we would pick.

If Barbera is presenting some issues in the winery, Margan’s ‘top tip’ is to “not pick it without getting your acid under 9 TA”.

Australian Barbera wines are often somewhat similar to those from Italy – the similarities, of course, being the high acidity and savoury fruit flavour profile.

Margan’s Barbera is the best-selling red wine at his cellar door, which has given him confidence to plant an additional six acres of Barbera vines, bringing his block total to 18 acres.

“Barbera is a great variety for the Hunter,” he said, “It is not prone to disease and can ripen in wet years so, all in all, it works very well here”.

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Barbera Uncorked

High natural acidity in wine is something typical of the Italian red powerhouses Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. Journalist Samuel Squire dives into some of the history of one of Italy’s most-planted winegrape varieties, and speaks to Australian producers and an importer of Italian Barbera wine to find out where it stands in the local market.

You can find the Barbera Uncorked article in print in the latest issue of the Grapegrower & Winemaker or READ FREE ONLINE in full here: www.winetitles.com.au/barbera-uncorked/