Characterising the distinctive flavours of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon wines

Background

Photo: D-T. Pham

Grapegrowing and winemaking to suit the market will enable Australia’s wine sector to be more competitive in a challenging environment. There is demand for wines that express the unique characteristics of their place of origin but in many cases those characters are not well defined. Many grape components strongly influence wine quality and style, including certain varietal wine aroma compounds that can be traced to specific grape metabolites. However, there is little information linking vineyard management practices and environmental effects on grape metabolism that subsequently affect wine chemistry and aroma/flavour, and ultimately impact on the expression of place.

Objectives/aims

This project aims to understand the chemical and sensorial basis of regional typicity of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, a commercially-important red variety, and to determine how pragmatic and cost-effective vineyard and winemaking practices can be used to alter grape and wine characteristics to meet consumer-preferred wine styles, whether in traditional Western or booming Asian markets.

Industry partners