History 2014-2017

The ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production (TC-IWP) was initially funded for three years in the first round (2013) of the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Research Program (project number IC130100005).

The first Centre’s key objective was to develop an integrated, whole-of-production chain approach to manage flavour and alcohol content in Australian wine production through the following specific aims:

  • Through the vineyard: curb sugar accumulation, accelerate the development of flavour compounds and minimise taint compounds in the grape.
  • At the winery: remove sugar prior to fermentation, divert sugar away from alcohol, improve the reliability and reduce the duration of high sugar fermentations, and enhance the sensory properties of wine.
  • Post fermentation: selectively remove alcohol and develop additives to adjust levels of sensory compounds in wines from under-ripened grapes or lost from wines of lower(ed) alcohol content.
  • Define current market and consumer perceptions and preferences for lowered-alcohol wine and use this knowledge to inform the production process.
  • Train at least 15 highly skilled researchers in the broad field of grape and wine science who have an excellent working relationship with industry and can therefore contribute to the industry’s success beyond this project.

TC-IWP Flowchart

The Centre was led by Director, Professor Vladimir Jiranek and administered by The University of Adelaide. The Centre brought together diverse research expertise, facilities and commercial insights of twelve partners with additional support from Wine Australia.

 

Centre partners

  • The Australian Wine Research Institute
  • Charles Sturt University
  • Laffort Oenologie Australia Pty Ltd
  • Memstar Pty Ltd
  • Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd
  • Tarac Technologies Pty Ltd
  • BioInnovation SA
  • CSIRO Plant Industry
  • Lowe Wines Pty Ltd
  • NSW Department of Primary Industries
  • SA Research and Development Institute
  • Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Ltd

Chief Investigators

  • Professor Vladimir Jiranek (University of Adelaide)
  • Professor Stephen Tyerman (University of Adelaide)
  • Professor Kerry Wilkinson (University of Adelaide)
  • Associate Professor David Jeffery (University of Adelaide)
  • Professor Alain Deloire (Charles Sturt University)
  • Professor Dennis Taylor (University of Adelaide)
  • Dr Roberta Crouch (University of Adelaide)
  • Professor Leigh Schmidtke (Charles Sturt University)

Partner Investigators

  • Professor Rob Walker (CSIRO)
  • Associate Professor Markus Herderich (AWRI)
  • Dr Theunes Johannes van der Westhuizen (Laffort Australia Pty Ltd)
  • Dr Lin Lin Low (Tarac Technologies)
  • David Lowe (Lowe Wines Pty Ltd)
  • Associate Professor Suzy Rogiers (NSW Department of Primary Industries)
  • Associate Professor Victor Sadras (SARDI)
  • Dr Vanessa Stockdale (Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Ltd)
  • David Wollan (Memstar Pty Ltd)

ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production team

Centre PhD Students and Research Associates

The Centre recruited thirteen PhD students and four Research Associates to work on collaborative projects with the Centre’s Chief Investigators and Industry Partners to progress the Centre’s key objective.  An additional senior Research Associate, Dr Renata Ristic, was recruited to coordinate the translation of ‘whole of production chain’ wine science research to industry outcomes.

The research was regularly disseminated to the wine industry through workshops held by the Centre in various Australian wine regions, national and international conferences and through the Centre’s Annual Reports and Technical Notes.

The students and ECRs were a talented group with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Together, they were able to form strong networks with each other as well as with the Centre’s industry partners.

Below you can see where the Centre’s PhD graduates secured employment, which have included a range of roles in academic, government and industry organisations;

  • Zelmari Coetzee – Senior Research Scientist with the Victorian State Government
  • Chao Dang – Founder and Director of his own wine export business
  • Ana Hranilovic – Postdoctoral Research Fellow in a collaborative project between the University of Bordeaux and TC IWP industry partner Laffort Oenologie
  • Sijing Li – Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Charles Sturt University
  • Chen Liang – Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the US Department of Agriculture
  • Rocco Longo – Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the University of Tasmania
  • Duc-Truc Pham – Research role with TC IWP industry partner Treasury Wine Estate Ltd
  • Bora Qesja – Lecturer at the Australian Institute of Business and part-time researcher on a Wine Australia funded research project based at the University of Adelaide
  • Olaf Schelezki – Lecturer in Viticulture at the University of Lincoln, New Zealand
  • Federico Tondini – Research role at biotechnology company AEB based in USA
  • Lieke van der Hulst – Research Winemaker with TC IWP industry partner Australian Wine Research Institute
  • Zeyu Xiao – ARC Research Associate in the current ARC TC IWP based at Charles Sturt University

Annual Reports

 

Technical Reports

Year Title Authors Publication Name
2019 Expression patterns of genes encoding sugar and potassium transport proteins are simultaneously up- or downregulated when carbon and potassium availability is modified in Shiraz (Vitis vinifera L.) berries Coetzee Z., Walker R., Liao S., Barril C., Deloire A., Clarke S., Tyerman S., Rogiers S. Plant and Cell Physiology
2019 Applying nanoparticle tracking analysis to characterize the polydispersity of aggregates resulting from tannin–polysaccharide interactions in wine-like media Li S., Wilkinson K.L., Mierczynska-Vasilev A., Bindon K.A. Molecules
2019 Compositional consequences of partial dealcoholization of red wine by reverse osmosis-evaporative perstraction Pham D.-T., Stockdale V., Wollan D., Jeffery D. W., Wilkinson K. L. Molecules
2019 Linking gene expression and oenological traits: comparison between indigenous Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains Tondini F., Lang T., Chen L., Herderich M., Jiranek V. International Journal of Food Microbiology
2019 Accumulation of volatile phenol glycoconjugates in grapes, following the application of kaolin and/or smoke to grapevines (Vitis vinifera cv Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot) Van der Hulst L., Munguia P., Culbert, J. A., Ford, C. M., Burton, R. A., Wilkinson, K. L. Planta
2019 The role of fruit exposure in the late season decline of grape berry mesocarp cell vitality Clarke S. J., Rogiers S. Y. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
2019 Di-1-p-menthene reduces grape leaf and bunch transpiration Fahey D. J. and Rogiers S.Y. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
2018 Impact of commercial oenotannin and mannoprotein products on the sensory properties of Shiraz wines made from fruit harvested at two levels of maturity Li S., Bindon K. A, Bastian S. E., Wilkinson K. L. Foods
2018 Extraction properties of new polymeric sorbents applied to wine Liang C., Boss P. K., Jeffery D. W. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
2018 Oenological traits of Lachancea thermotolerans show signs of domestication and allopatric differentiation. Hranilovic A, J.M. Gambetta, L. Schmidtke, P. K. Boss, P. R. Grbin, I. Masneuf-Pomarede, M. Bely, W. Albertin, V. Jiranek Scientific Reports
2018 Effect of water stress and elevated temperature on hypoxia and cell death in the mesocarp of Shiraz berries Xiao Z., Liao S., Rogiers S. Y., Sadras V. O., Tyerman S. D. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
2018 Preparation of magnetic polymers for the elimination of 3-Isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine from wine Liang C., Jeffery D. W. and Taylor D. K. Molecules
2018 Genome sequence of Australian indigenous wine yeast Torulaspora delbrueckii COFT01 using Nanopore sequencing Tondini F., Jiranek V., Grbin P. and Onetto C. Genome Announcements (genomeA)
2018 Volatile and sensory profiling of Shiraz wine in response to alcohol management: comparison of harvest timing versus technological approaches. Longo R., Blackman J.W., Antalick G., Torley P.J., Rogiers S.Y., Schmidtke L. M. Food Research International
2018 Chiral polyfunctional thiols and their precursors upon winemaking with five Vitis vinifera Sauvignon Blanc clones Chen L., Capone D.L., Tondini F.A. and Jeffery D. W Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
2018 Hypoxia in grape berries: the role of seed respiration and lenticels on the berry pedicel and the possible link to cell death Xiao Z., Rogiers S., Sadras V. and Tyerman S.D. Journal of Experimental Botany
2018 Loss and formation of malodorous volatile sulfhydryl compounds during wine storage Kreitman, G.Y., Elias, R.J., Jeffery, D.W. and Sacks, G.L. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
2018 Sustainable wineries through waste valorisation: A review of grape marc utilisation for value-added products Muhlack R.A., Potumarthi R and Jeffery D.W. Waste Management
2018 Comparison of consecutive harvests versus blending treatments to produce lower alcohol wines from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes: Impact on wine volatile composition and sensory properties Schelezki O.J., Suklje K., Boss P.K. and Jeffery D.W. Food Chemistry
2018 A comparative study of partial dealcoholisation versus early harvest: Effects on wine volatile and sensory profiles Longo R., Blackman J.W., Antalick G., Torley P.J., Rogiers S.Y., Schmidtke L.M. Food Chemistry
2018 Comparison of consecutive harvests versus blending treatments to produce lower alcohol wines from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes: Impact on polysaccharide and tannin content and composition Schelezki O.J., Smith P.A., Hranilovic A., Bindon K.A and Jeffery D.W. Food Chemistry
2018 Compositional variability in commercial tannin and mannoprotein products Li, S., Wilkinson, K.L. and Bindon, K.A. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture
2018 Chemical and sensory profiling of Shiraz wines co-fermented with commercial non-Saccharomyces inocula Hranilovic A, Li S, Boss PK, Bindon K, Ristic R, Grbin PR, Van der Westhuizen T and Jiranek V. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
2017 Impact of bottle aging on smoke tainted wines from different grape cultivars Ristic R., van der Hulst L. Capone D.L. and Wilkinson K.L. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
2017 Impact of reduced atmospheric CO2 and varied potassium supply on carbohydrate and potassium distribution in grapevine and grape berries (Vitis vinifera L.) Coetzee Z., Walker R., Deloire A., Clarke S., Barril C. Rogiers S. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
2017 Spatiotemporal changes in the accumulation of sugar and potassium within single Sauvignon Blanc (Vitis vinifera L.) berries Coetzee Z., Walker R., Deloire A., Clarke S., Barril C., Rogiers S. Vitis
2017 Potassium in the grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berry: transport and function Rogiers S.Y., Coetzee Z.A., Deloire A, Walker RR, Tyerman SD. Frontiers in Plant Science
2017 Factors affecting extraction and evolution of objective quality compounds during red wine maceration and the role of process modelling Setford P.C., Jeffery D.W., Grbin P.R., Muhlack, R.A. Trends in Food Science & Technology
2017 Harvesting and blending options for lower alcohol wines: A chemical and sensory investigation Longo R., Blackman J., Antalick G., Torley P., Rogiers S., Schmidtke L. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
2017 The evolution of Lachancea thermotolerans is driven by geographical determination, anthropisation and flux between different ecosystems Hranilovic A, Bely M, Masneuf-Pomarede I, Jiranek V, Albertin W PLoS ONE
2017 Changes in volatile composition and sensory attributes of wines during alcohol content reduction Longo R., J.W. Blackman, P.J. Torley, S.Y. Rogiers and L.M. Schmidtke Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
2017 Use of winemaking supplements to modify the composition and sensory properties of Shiraz wine Li S., Bindon K., Bastian S.E.P., Jiranek V., and Wilkinson K.L. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
2016 Spotlight on varietal thiols and precursors in grapes and wines Jeffery D.W. Australian Journal of Chemistry
2016 Retention of proanthocyanidin in wine-like solution is conferred by a dynamic interaction between soluble and insoluble grape cell wall components Bindon K., Li S., Kassara S., and Smith P. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
2016 Changes in wine ethanol content due to evaporation from wine glasses and implications for sensory analysis Wollan D., Pham D-T., Wilkinson K. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
2014 Lower alcohol wines in the UK market: some baseline consumer behaviour metrics Bruwer J., Jiranek V., Halstead L., Saliba A. British Food Journal
Year Title / Topic Source
2018 Media Release: Wild yeasts may hold key to better wines from warmer climates University of Adelaide
2018 Chen Liang’s PhD research using magnetic polymers to remove unwanted compounds from wine
2018 Centre makes lower alcohol a higher priority Wine Australia News
2018 Media Release: Researchers discover wine grapes gasping for breath University of Adelaide
2018 Zeyu Xiao’s PhD research: Researchers discover wine grapes gasping for breath
2018 Olaf Schelezki’s PhD research: Some good news about water and wine Wine Australia
2017 New centre for innovative wine production launches in South Australia The Lead SA
2017 $4.4 million for industrial transformation training centre for innovative wine production The Waite
2017 Media Release: $11.93 million for new research at Uni of Adelaide University of Adelaide
2017 Media Release: $466 million strengthen Australia’s industries Australian Research Council
2016 The ARC TC-IWP visited Coonawarra vignerons Winetitles Media
2016 Winemakers Toil to Beat the Heat of Climate Change – Interview with Prof Vladimir Jiranek The Wall Street Journal
2016 Vintage Innovation University of Adelaide Research Impact, page 22
2016 Bursary assists travel to Bordeaux for ‘non-conventional’ reasons Wine Australia
2016 Wine industry research seeking lower alcohol content The Land
2016 Baptism by fire University of Adelaide e-Science magazine, Issue 13, page 60
2015 New centre to help industry make the best wines Newsmaker
2015 Media Release: Making the most out of wine waste product University of Adelaide
2015 Media Release: New centre to help industry make the best wines University of Adelaide
2015 Media Release: Launch of the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production Ministers for the Department of Education & Training
2015 UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s backs Adelaide University research on Britons’ wine preferences ABC News
2015 From the Grape to the Glass Australian Research Council
2014 Winery teams with University to research low-alcohol wine methods Mudgee Guardian
2014 Media Release: $2.4M to help make the wine consumers want University of Adelaide
2014 Media Release: New funds to support research from vine to wine University of Adelaide
2013 Developing a taste for wine Radio Adelaide