SA winemakers and grape growers go green

Premier Mike Rann has announced an agreement that makes South Australian winemakers and grape growers the first industry group in the nation to accurately track and reduce greenhouse emissions.

The Premier and representatives from the SA Wine Industry Association and Wine Grape Council SA signed the agreement at the London Wine Trade Fair.

McLaren Vale Growers Development Group welcomes the agreement, according to viticulture officer Amy Richards.

“As an industry we have an obligation to reduce our environmental footprint; it is fitting that winemakers and grape growers lead the way for other industries to follow,” Richards said.

“As a region we identified the need to be more environmentally accountable a number of years ago and have taken steps to ensure that McLaren Vale is a sustainable premium wine-producing region.

“We have recently completed our own climate change risk assessment in conjunction with the City of Onkaparinga, and are days away from the McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association being carbon neutral.”

The risk assessment was funded in partnership with the Australian Greenhouse Office Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board (AMLR NRM) and the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation (DWLBC).

The report, Developing Industry Climate Change Adaptation Strategies, identified a number of potential risks facing McLaren Vale including the emergence of soil salinity, water insecurity and damage to quality and yield of grape harvests as a result of increased heat.

The report outlines a number of recommended actions to be carried out. Some of the actions outlined in the report include:

• Develop business strategies for remaining viable through periods of drought;
• Promote salinity management as a key pillar of industry environmental management;
• Encourage growers to shift to least saline water supplies;
• Identify areas at risk of salinity accumulation;
• Establish working relationships with weather forecasters specific to the needs of the industry;
• Establish working relationships with research bodies investigating climate change impacts on wine grape varieties.