The identification of a shortfall of information on clones of wine grape varieties in WA led to the South West wine grape clonal forum being held last week in Margaret River.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development facilitated the forum, where the availability and key attributes of almost 200 wine clones were presented to winemakers, viticulturists and vignerons.
Department research officer Richard Fennessy and development officer Diana Fisher presented their findings at the forum, attended by about 60 industry representatives, where the availability and attributes of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Tempranillo clones were discussed.
Mr Fennessy said industry wanted more information on the performance of clone wines in Western Australia.
There is no single resource that provides comprehensive information on the performance of clones available within WA...
- Research officer Richard Fennessy
“I started to research materials, peer reviews and industry journals, noting the performance of varietal clones in certain circumstances,” Mr Fennessy said.
“There is no single resource that provides comprehensive information on the performance of clones available within WA, so I developed the concept of presenting my findings to industry representatives at a wine grape clonal forum and to produce a booklet listing those clones available to WA.”
Mr Fennessy said the one day event also provided the opportunity for a panel of viticulturists and winemakers to share their experiences and views on a number of clones for each of the varieties.
“We encouraged participants to contribute to discussions and provide input and feedback throughout the day,” he said.
“We ended the forum by offering tastings of clonal wines made from department trials as well as from commercial wineries.”
Mr Fennessy said the booklet, Review of Five Wine Grape Varieties in Western Australia, was provided to forum participants and would now become a reference source for industry.
“Information presented at the forum and feedback gathered will be made available on the department’s website,” he said. “Western Australian wine producers will be able to refer to this information to assist them in future decision making.”
