During the week-long event, 200 delegates attended from 17 countries.  While the majority of delegates came from New Zealand and Australia (81 each), there was a good contingent of delegates from the UK (14 in total).  Delegates came also from South Africa, Hong Kong, Thailand, and a number of other European countries.

In advance of this conference, the Organising Committee agreed that Canterbury wineries and their wines would be showcased at the social events for the conference. To this end, a ‘Wine Committee’ was established to research and select appropriate wines, lead by Dr Jo Fountain, senior lecturer in tourism and wine tourism researcher.  Canterbury wineries were invited to offer their wines for the conference, and then site visits were arranged, where possible, to taste and select wines, including a day spent in the Waipara region and other winery visits around the Canterbury Plains.  These visits provided a wonderful opportunity to get to know the region, the wineries and their products better.

In the end, twenty wineries and more than forty local wines were able to be showcased during the conference.  The wines of Canterbury and Waipara were a prominent feature of the three main social events; a welcome BBQ, a wine and cheese event, and a formal dinner, hosted in the grounds of Riccarton House.  The wine and cheese event, held alongside academic poster presentations, was an opportunity to showcase the wines from the local Canterbury area.  Dr Glen Creasy spoke briefly to delegates about the characteristics of the wines of the Canterbury region.  The other two events included both Canterbury and Waipara wines. Throughout the conference, marketing collateral promoting the wines and wine regions was available to delegates.

 Without question, the availability and quality of these wines were one of the highlights of the conference for many delegates. In the post-conference survey there are many comments about the quality of the wine and the conviviality this created as a highlight of the conference.  Many New Zealand delegates expressed their surprise at the diversity and quality of locally-produced wines available, while local and international delegates alike praised the wine’s exceptional quality. As an example of the feedback we received, on the night of the conference dinner, a Professor of Hospitality from Australia told Jo Fountain that, without doubt, the range and quality of wines on offer were the best she had ever experienced in more than twenty years of conference attendance… High praise indeed!

Overall, we are very proud of our local wines and wineries, and are delighted that we have been able to showcase them to our academic colleagues.  We would like to warmly thank the wineries involved for their generosity in giving their time, expertise and discounts on their wines.  We do hope that this can be the first of many collaborations between the staff of the Tourism programme at Lincoln University and our fine local wineries.

The Glasnevin soil (left) is formed in the sandy gravels of the Waipara basin and there are many vineyards developed on the soil. The Omihi soil (right) is formed in the clayey floodplain sediments that form a significant part of the Omihi valley and there are a number of well established vineyards on this soil. The Omihi soils have a horizon of calcium carbonate in the subsoil and underlying gravelly sands also have free calcium carbonate. These two soils express part of the range of soils to be found in the Waipara area.

Plans are underway for an upcoming project that would interpret the geology, landforms, and soils of the North Canterbury winegrowing regions of Waipara and Waikari. 

Over the past twenty years, information characterizing the soils of North Canterbury has been collected thanks to the efforts of Mr Trevor Webb of Landcare Research, and Drs Philip Tonkin and Peter Almond of Lincoln University.  Though much of this information has been presented in revision of soil maps, reports, and informal publications, a comprehensive record does not currently exist.  The aim of the proposed project is to collate the existing information from vineyard surveys conducted over the past two decades to compile all of the information in a comprehensive manner.  This project will serve to identify the incredibly diverse soil types of the region’s vineyards.  The final form of this compilation is yet to be determined, but is intended to be comprehensive and readily accessible.  In addition, the consolidation of existing information will allow for the identification of gaps and limitations in the available knowledge, targeting future soil studies in the region. 

Another goal of the project is to assemble a history of the North Canterbury region from information about the region’s geology, landforms, and soils.  This will help to identify, define and characterise the region’s unique terroir.  This terroir characterisation will be beneficial for use in defining the style and unique character of North Canterbury wines, to the benefit of the local wine industry.  In addition, Dr Tonkin hopes to use this opportunity to clarify the language used to describe landform and soil characteristics, establishing a common vocabulary between soil professionals and the public in order to accurately identify vineyard soil types in the popular lexicon.

Dr Tonkin is a retired Pedologist who currently holds the title of Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Soil and Physical Sciences at Lincoln.

The Botroyosphaeria report comprises three sections.  In the first, the species of Botryosphaeriaceae present in New Zealand, as well as their distribution in New Zealand wine regions, is reported.  This is followed by an investigation of the epidemiology of Botryosphaeria diseases in grapevines, including an analysis of infection processes, infection risk factors, disease development, and the production and dispersal of spores.  The third section reports on an investigation into the role of grapevine propagation nurseries in the spread of Botryosphaeria, and begins the dialogue about the development of control strategies. 

The Cylindrocarpon black foot disease report describes the identification of the pathogens in New Zealand, investigations into the pathogen’s disease cycle, risk factor assessment, infection mechanisms, and possible control mechanisms.  Though the research demonstrates that eradication and control of the disease is difficult, the report outlines several control methods whose integration is believed to provide effective defence against the disease.

Course Examiner Dr. Glen Creasy, Senior Lecturer in Viticulture at Lincoln University, said the establishment of the course is a significant milestone for the programme. “For Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology students, this course represents an expansion of the grape and wine-related information available to them in their studies.” In addition, “for students in other programmes, such as science or commerce, this course represents an entry point for learning about how wine is made, marketed and incorporated into regional tourism.”

Dr Roland Harrison, Director of the Centre for Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, is also pleased with the new course. “The involvement of researchers in the Commerce and Tourism areas as lecturers in the programme means much wider exposure of the Centre’s investigations in those areas, which are of importance to the industry.”

Professor Jordan (right) receiving the Honorary Doctorate Diploma.

                Professor of Plant Biotechnology Brian Jordan travelled to Sweden in February to receive an honorary doctorate from Örebro University.  He was recognized for his many achievements during the two-day graduation ceremony, where he shared the honour with two other honorary doctorate recipients.

A vineyard in the Awatere Valley . The large cuts visible in the hillside are the result of recontouring processes.

Scott will work to map the soils in affected areas and build a database of the physical and chemical properties of three types of sites:  the untouched soil, the soil that has been moved from the ridges or crests of hills into basins and gullies, and the soil that is now exposed on the surface of sites that were formerly ridges.  He also plans to investigate the stability of recontoured slopes using soil engineering tests that provide insight into the infrastructure and erosion potential, and the increasing problem of soil creep in these areas. 

He is conduction the research with support from the Marlborough District Council, and expects to see long-term benefits of this research  as the project will elucidate “how landscape recontouring affects plant growth and erosion processes” which he hopes will lead the New Zealand wine industry to choose sustainable land management practices in the future.

Sharon Forbes presented work analysing the use of formal environmental management systems (EMSs) in New Zealand wineries.  The plenary paper focused on the use of multiple EMSs and on assessing the tangible environmental, social, and economic benefits of EMS implementation in the wine industry.  Despite not finding significant marketing and economic benefits through the use of EMSs, the study did find significant environmental benefits from the use of EMSs.  In particular, the  findings suggest that many New Zealand wine companies choose to implement multiple EMSs.  The widespread use of multiple EMSs could indicate areas where individual EMSs are seen to be insufficient in their ability to improve environmental performance, which could lead to improvements in the individual programmes. 

In the same plenary session, Jo Fountain presented a study on the impact of the Greening Waipara biodiversity trails.  The Greening Waipara project was launched in 2005 in an effort to re-establish native flora in the wine growing region of Waipara and to encourage sustainable agricultural practices in the Waipara wine industry.  One component of the project was the construction of biodiversity trails near the cellar door or restaurant of several Waipara wineries, with the intention of educating visitors about the importance of restoring biodiversity in the vineyard environment.  The study, based on the PhD research of Lincoln postgrad Jean-Marie Tompkins, examined the effectiveness of the trails as both educational and marketing tools, and found that the trails had a positive impact on the overall visitor experience, effectively conveyed knowledge about biodiversity, and often resulted in an increased sense of connectedness to the winery, but this did not necessarily translate directly into an increased likelihood of purchasing wine from the winery. 

Lincoln was represented by several other papers presented at the conference as well, including papers on Generation Y wine consumption practices and socialisation, sustainable wine production practices in New Zealand, and place-based marketing and wine tourism.  All of the articles from the conference can be found on the AWBR website and the Lincoln research archive.

I have continued my education through the Advanced Wine Assessment Course at the Australian Wine Research Institute and as a scholar at the prestigious Lens Evans Tutorial in 2002. Following this training, I have become a regular and respected senior wine show judge and panel chair at wine shows throughout Australia.

My philosophy for trying to make great wine is simple. Firstly, regional, varietal and stylistic integrity are essential; and secondly, winemaking is an ongoing learning process with constant experimentation in both viticultural and vinification techniques which are fundamental in the quest to transform good wines into great wines.

This philosophy combined with my winemaking skills and educational background has led me to be highly rewarded, most recently with the prestigious title of International Red Winemaker of the Year at the 2007 International Wine Challenge in the UK.

WineSkills is an EU-funded project that aims to provide training for the rapidly growing UK Wine Industry.  WineSkills hosts workshops, master classes, and mentorship opportunities that bring global expertise to UK wine industry professionals. 

Over the past several years, Lincoln University has established links with Plumpton College.  Recently, Belinda Kemp finished her PhD from Lincoln on “the Effect of the Timing of Leaf Removal on Berry Ripening, Flavour, and Aroma Compounds in Pinot Noir Wine” and took a position at Plumpton as wine lecturer and the Wine Department Research Coordinator, strengthening the link between the two institutions.  Dr Harrison’s involvement with WineSkills served to further strengthen this relationship and helped to bring Lincoln’s cool-climate wine expertise to Great Britain’s burgeoning wine industry.