Vineyard recovery following fire

In the summer of 2019-20, Australia was devastated by a significant bushfire season that impacted large areas of the country. For grape and wine businesses affected by the fire or smoke, the impacts were significant.  

However, it provided the opportunity for significant research on the effects of smoke on grapes and wine. As a sector, we learnt a lot and cemented Australia’s position as the global leader in R&D in this space. 

Colin Hinze of Pinion Advisory and Richard Hamilton of Hamilton Viticulture have been undertaking a multi-year field trial on the recovery of vines from the 2019 Cudlee Creek bushfire in the Adelaide Hills and the best ways to return a vineyard to productivity.