Lumen Winter 2023 - Flipbook - Page 22
“The challenge in
Australia is that we’ve
got significant production
located in regions which
are already hot and dry
and which are going to
become hotter
and drier.”
“Over the years we’ve been evaluating just
about anything we can think of to mitigate
the impact of smoke exposure, whether
that be protective coverings or sprays in the
vineyard, through to remediation strategies
that try to remove smoke taint either
during the fermentation process or from a
finished wine.
“We use our expertise in chemistry and
sensory science to evaluate those techniques
to give industry confidence in strategies
that are going to work, and to support them
to make decisions before a bushfire event
happens so that they know that if smoke
exposure occurs they are prepared to
evaluate and manage the impact.”
Staff and students at the Waite campus know
all too well how changes in culture, climate
and consumer choice sway their industry’s
direction. The challenge is to stay ahead of
the changes, and for education and research
to focus on how practices in the vineyard,
and in the winery, impact the composition
of wine and the sensory properties.
“When I worked in industry,” says
Richard, “I interacted with winemakers and
viticulturists who, when confronted with
technical or sustainability challenges, were
often not really sure who they should
speak to or how they might go about
addressing them.
‘What appealed to me about applying for
my job here at Waite, moving from industry
to the University, was the opportunity to
teach and impact students before they
embarked on their careers.
“I see the work we do here at the Waite
campus as a fulfilling opportunity to help
put our students in a good place and to
really set them up so they’ll at least have
a leg up on the generation before, and be
better equipped to tackle the sustainability
challenges of the future.”
Dr Simon Behenna is the University’s
Internal Communications Coordinator.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
