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Tracking technical trends Introduction The AWRI helpdesk provides technical support across viticulture, winemaking, environment, health, regulatory and trade matters to the Australian grape and wine industry. Industry personnel can contact the helpdesk by phone or email to ask for advice or to seek help solving a problem. Around 2,000 queries are received each year, approximately 80% of which are winemaking related. About 200 of the queries received each year turn into investigations that require sensory, chemical or microbiological analysis to identify the problem. These confidential services are funded by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority and delivered free of charge to Australian levy payers. As well as dealing with immediate technical problems, the helpdesk team draws on an extensive collection of information gathered at the AWRI over the past 22 years but only recently migrated into a single searchable database. That database can now be mined to identify both long- and short-term technical trends nationwide. This article provides some examples of the how this valuable historical resource can be used. Source of queries received Figures 1 and 2 show the distribution of queries received during the 2014 financial year segmented by state and by wine producer tonnage size, respectively. Note that Figure 2 only includes queries taken from wine companies. These figures show that helpdesk queries come from all states, in numbers approximately proportional to wine-grape production, and from the smallest to the largest wine companies. The annual number of winemaking queries received since the inception of the helpdesk in 1998 has remained relatively constant until present day (Figure 3). Categorising queries Helpdesk queries are assigned to 60 different ‘keywords’ describing their nature. The number of queries observed under each category is then compared to historical ‘normal’ levels that have been collected over greater than 20 years. For example, ‘cold stability’ issues might appear high in the month of July, but comparison against historical records reveals that cold stability issues are usually high during this period as it is a time when winemakers are stabilising wine. This process allows national, state and regional trends or anomalies to be identified in real time which in turn allows for prompt response and targeted extension activities where appropriate. February 2015 Technical Review No. 214 11 60 6060 50 % of total wine-grape production 5050 %% o% of foQ tfuo tetoartilae wls winien-eg-rgarpaep ep rpordoudcuticotinon 40 %% o fo Qf Queureierises 4040 % 30 % % 3030 20 2020 10 1010 0 SA NSW VIC WA TAS QLD ACT Other 00 SASA NSNWSW VIVCIC WWAAState TATSAS QQLDLD ACATCT OOthtehrer StSattaet e Figure 1. All queries received by the AWRI helpdesk in 2013/2014 by state, compared to wine-gr ap e production 25 % of Australian wineries 2525 % of Queries 20 %% o fo Af uAsutsrtarlaialina nw winienreierises %% o fo Qf Queureierises 2020 15 % 1515 10 % % 1010 5 55 0 00 Winery tonnage crushe d Figure 2. All queries received by the AWRWI hWienilenpredyre ytso tkno fnnroanmgaeg wec ricnuresuhrsieeh dse din 2013/2014 broken down by w inery tonnage crushed compared to the distribution of Australian wineries by tonnage crushed 1800 winemaking queries making queries making queries 11111111102468024680000011111000000000002468000000000000000 Number of mber of winember of wine246468000000000468000000000 NuNu2002000 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 0099 99 99 99 99 99 99 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 01 01 01 01 119931993119941994119951995119961996119971997119981998119991999220002000220012001220022002220032003220042004220052005220062006220072007220082008220092009220102010220112011220122012220132013220142014 Figure 3. Annual number of winemaking queries from 1993 to 2014 12 Technical Review No. 214 February 2015 The assignment of keywords followed a review of the type and nature of the queries received over an extended period of time. Each keyword must be used at least 20 times per year so that valid trends can be observed. Examples of keywords include: • ‘Authenticity/Provenance’, which is used where a grower or winery suspects their grapes or wine have been substituted • ‘Filtration’, which includes queries regarding difficulties encountered during filtration, advice on filter types and conducting filtration and the consequences of filtering or not filtering a wine • ‘Pest-Fungal/Viral’, which includes queries received on issues related to downy or powdery mildew, Botrytis and other fungal or viral vineyard diseases • ‘Requirements’, which includes queries regarding advice on export requirements, maximum residue limits or general wine production requirements. Recent changes to requirements for wine export to China, particularly regarding manganese levels in wine, fall into this category. Examining query data When looking at the data with an annual or monthly perspective, trends become quite easily apparent. Figure 4 shows the queries received per month for the 2013/14 financial year. An increase in the number of queries in January and February compared to the historical average is quite obvious. A closer examination of the keywords then reveals that this trend was mainly caused by an increase in queries related to the keyword ‘smoke taint’, due to the bushfires across South Australia and Victoria during January and February (Figure 5). Trends can also be observed by individual state. As an example, Figure 6 shows the percentage of enquiries received from Victoria for that state’s top ten query keywords compared to national levels from July 2013 to June 2014. Victoria had more than double the proportion Total queries 350 300 y 250 c en200 u q150 e Fr100 FY 1314 50 Historical Average 0 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Month Figur e 4. Frequency of queries by month during the 2013–2014 financial year compared to the historical mont hly average calculated for the period 2010–2014 February 2015 Technical Review No. 214 13 120 100 FY 1314 80 y c n Historical average ue 60 q e Fr 40 20 0 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Month 18% % Total National Queries 16% es 14% % of VIC Queries eri12% u q10% otal 8% of t 6% % 4% 2% 0% Keyword of requests for information on smoke taint compared to Australia as a whole. Queries were received in both October 2013, with early fires that occurred across Victoria and NSW, and also later in January and February 2014 as a result of fires that followed extended heatwave events. This type of analysis can also be extended to the regional level, allowing targeted Total queries workshop35s0 and communications to be delivered . Total queries 300 350 MTshreounwltdsis- Frequency ty hoe1122ab50505ats000000 reth Frequency rtver e11223eh505050den000000 ladpcdsroessks mdiudl ntioptl er eyceeairvse c aanny aqlusoe rpiFHerYoiss 1tvro3eir1digc4eaaFl r YaAd nv1ie3 nri1ang4gt e‘esrmesotkine gta pinert’s ppreicotriv teo. tFhieg u2r0e0 37 bushfires. The JfiulresA uagt tSheapt tOimcteN sotvimDuelcateJadn caFellbs fMorar heAHlppirs tofMrriocaamyl AJ uvinenredaguestry which quickly led 0 to a research projecJtu lthaAtu gexSaempinOecdt MsNmoonvothkD ee-crelJaantedF eabnaMlyasrisA tperchMnaiyquJuense and management Month strategies. High numbers of requests for information on smoke can be seen i n years where Australia was affected by major bushfire events (2003, 2009 and 2014). 120 120 100 80 100 FY 1314 Frequency 4600quency 6800 HistoricaFHlY ias 1tvo3er1riac4gael average e 20Fr 40 0 20 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 0 Month Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Month Figure 5. Frequency of queries by month for the keyword ‘smoke taint’ during the 2013–2014 financial year compared to the historical monthly average calculated for the period 2010–2014 18% 16% % Total National Queries % of total queries 111468024%%%%%%otal queries 11111802468%%%%%% % of VIC %%Qu Toeofr tVieaIslC N Qautieornieasl Queries 2%of t6% 0%% 4% 2% 0% Keyword Figure 6. Proportion of queries against ten keywords from Victoria compared to proportion of nat ional Keyword queries, during the 2013–2014 financial year 14 Technical Review No. 214 February 2015 Similar trends can be observed during cooler and wet vintages for fungal or mould- related queries. Figure 8 highlights the two recent 2010–11 and 2011–12 La Niña events which resulted in particularly wet vintages. These vintages saw a rise in queries regarding management of Botrytis in grapes and wine. This same trend was also seen in the last very wet vintage prior to that, in 1999. Predicting issues that are likely to be prevalent in a particular vintage allows the appropriate information to be packaged and delivered to growers and winemakers. An example of non weather-related trends is the keyword ‘closures’ which includes queries relating to closure choice (natural, synthetic, screwcap, crown, glass or other) and effects of wine ageing under different closures and leakage issues (but not closure-related taints or post bottling oxidation). The topic of closures was very much a concern from 2001 to 2006 which coincided with the time the AWRI released its first publication on its 1999 closure 12% eries 1102%% ng queries 180%% nemakiking qu68%% wima of total al wine2446%%%% % ot % of t02%% 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 0% 19191919191919202020202020202020202020202020 3456789012345678901234 Figure 7 . Proportion of 99win99em99akin99g q99ue99ries99 by00 ca00len00dar00 yea00r fo00r t00he 00key00wo00rd ‘01smo01ke01 tai01nt’01 1111111222222222222222 3% eries 3% ng queries 2% nemakiking qu2% wima of total al wine11%% % ot % of t0% 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 0% 19191919191919202020202020202020202020202020 3456789012345678901234 99999999999999000000000000000000000101010101 1111111222222222222222 16% Figure 8. Proportion of winemaking queries by calendar year for the keyword ‘moulds’ eries 1146%% February 201making qu5g queries 11110224%%%% Technical Review No. 214 15 nekin180%% of total wial winema4668%%%% % % of tot0224%%%% 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 0% 19191919191919202020202020202020202020202020 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 1111111222222222222222 9% eries 89%% ng queries 678%%% nemakiking qu4567%%%% wima5% % of total % of total wine01231234%%%%%%%% 93949596979899000102030405060708091011121314 0% 19191919191919202020202020202020202020202020 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 1111111222222222222222 12% es eri1102%% king quueries 180%% aq emng 68%% winaki al em 46%% % of tototal win 24%% trial, and of talso02 %t%he increased adoption of the screwcap as a bottle closure within the Australian wine sect% or. This 93cou94ld95 re96flec97t b98ot99h a00 pu01sh02 an03d a04 p05ull 06tre07nd08, in09 th10at 11on12ce 13inf14ormation was 9999999000000000000000 0% 1111111222222222222222 disseminated abou3t c4los5ure6s t7his8 m9igh0t h1ave2 tr3igg4ere5d m6o7re q8ue9rie0s t1o b2e re3ce4ived, b ut also 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 shows a decline in 1que1rie1s i1n th1is1 are1a f2rom2 220026 o2nw2ard2s, p2er2ha2ps r2efl2ect2ing2 th2e widespread 3% adoption of screw caps as well as success in disseminating information in this area. es eri 3% AAunsottrhaeliraaking qu nqueries ke w2y%i nises.u Ae wdaurreinnegs tsh oef tehaerl iys s2u0e0 w0sa sw raesla tthivee ilyn cloidwe nprcieo or ft oB 1re9t9t9a,n aonmdy tchees nc hraamrapcetedr uipn quite quiwinemcaking kly2.% Control measures first published by the AWRI in 2003 and a comprehensive programal emof1 %associated workshops and seminars facilitated their adoption by Australian producer% of tototal wins, w1%ith a subsequent decline in queries (Figure 10) and also a decline in 4-ethyl of t0% % 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 0% 1111111222222222222222 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 1111111222222222222222 16% es 14% eri 16% aking ququeries 11110224%%%% al winememaking 16808%%%% % of totof total win 02446%%%%% % 2% 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 0% 1111111222222222222222 3456789012345678901234 Figure 9. Proportion99 of 99win99em99aki99ng 99que99rie00s b00y ca00len00da00r ye00ar 00for 00the00 ke00ywo01rd01 ‘clo01su01res01’ 1111111222222222222222 9% eries 89%% king quueries 6778%%%% % of total winema% of total winemaking q012345123456%%%%%%%%%%%% 93949596979899000102030405060708091011121314 9999999000000000000000 0% 1111111222222222222222 3456789012345678901234 9999999000000000011111 9999999000000000000000 1111111222222222222222 Figure 10. Proportion of winemaking queries by calendar year for the keyword ‘Brettanomyces’ 16 Technical Review No. 214 February 2015 phenol levels (Figure 11). Interestingly queries regarding Brett began to increase again in 2012 and 2013, which triggered the AWRI to revisit the issue and deliver more information to producers. Research is also continuing at the AWRI to understand Brettanomyces at the genomic level and stay ahead of any strains that might develop resistance to the current control strategies. Keeping track of trends The AWRI helpdesk not only provides advice and solutions for Australian grapegrowers and winemakers but can also identify industry trends occurring in real time. With trends able to be monitored at a state and regional level, many associations, growers and winemakers are now calling the helpdesk for regular updates on current technical issues in their state or region, helping them to stay ahead of the curve in adopting appropriate management strategies. Geoff Cowey, Senior Oenologist, [email protected] 3000 25 20 n.d. 15 % 10 5 ppb) 2000 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ( ol en Seminars and workshops implemented h p yl h Et 4- 1000 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (n=29) (n=46) (n=59) (n=104) (n=125) (n=147) (n=125) (n=89) (n=39) Figure 11. Declining 4-ethylphenol concentration in Australian Cabernet Sauvignon wines from five regions, with (inset) a corresponding increase in wines measured with ‘not detectable’ (n.d.) concentrations of 4-ethylphenol February 2015 Technical Review No. 214 17