The Wine Show: episode twelve – climate change

In this episode, over oysters and an especially elegant glass of Tasmanian Pinot Noir, I spoke with Ross Brown about the trials and triumphs of conquering Tasmanian terroir. Ross is the CEO of Brown Bothers which owns a leading Victorian winery that was set up in 1889. In 2010 he purchased vineyard and winery assets in Tasmania in a deal worth $32.5 million (£18.6 million). This is the first investment Brown Brothers has made outside its home state of Victoria and Ross clearly communicates the key reason was due to climate change.

It was a bold move. Ross was the first wine producer to take such action. Tasmania’s dramatic, undulating landscape is so raw and authentic. It is the inspiration of Romantic poets, not so much wine makers. It is not always the easiest to manage, especially as there are a number of different microclimates to navigate. One year a site will work fantastically; the next year those same soils could be completely sodden and bogged down from an especially harsh winter.

Walking around some of Ross’s Pinot Noir vines, it was amazing to see just how close they are to the sea. It was a valiant gamble that paid off! I would have thought the sea salt would have a damaging effect on the roots of the vine. But the refreshing minerality, fruity tang and balance in his wines come from the vines being precariously close to the water.

However, finding a new region is just a short term solution. Ross admitted to me that there are already grape shortages in Tasmania. What happens once producers have used up all the cool climate areas like Tasmania and the Mornington Peninsula? This climate is also not conducive for growing opulent Shirazes and Cabernets which first put Australia on the wine world map. How can Australia continue to create robust, spicy, full-bodied varieties that still have balance and structure?

One answer is technology. I had the pleasure of meeting Steven Tyernan, who developed the Vineyard of the Future at Adelaide University. He explained to me the various tangible signs of climate change already occurring, such as harvests happening a month earlier in order to maintain balance in the grapes. Even the University’s summer holidays for their students of viticulture has had to change around these new harvest cycles.

Although I am not very tech savvy (understatement), it was fascinating testing out various gadgets such as spectrometers and vine canopy apps. These technological tools were part of a whole tool box of viticultural management options which Steven and his university team have devised. From the data collected by these machines, innovative viticultural strategies can be put in place that are low cost, time efficient and precise in responding to climatic and disease pressures.