Riverland Wine Industry Hub

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. This episode features Sheridan Alm, she is the business manager at her family’s Starr’s Reach Vineyard at Yatco, between Loxton and Moorook in South Australia’s Riverland. She says investing in the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification is about building a relationship with winemakers as part of a long-term plan – not just getting a sale this season. She says being certified has proven to be a good marketing tool for their grapes.

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. Grower’s Wine Group at Waikerie is well on its way to having all its growers certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Cindy Kroehn is the health, safety, environment and quality officer at the winery. She says the majority of their customers are wanting a consistent product year after year. Cindy says the certification process is helping Grower’s Wine Group achieve that consistency. Lucy Clements is the general manager of Growers Wine Group at Waikerie. She says, the sustainability requirements of their customers, vary from country to country.

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. Bridget Murray is a grower liaison officer with Treasury Wine Estates, she says the winery has been on the front foot with encouraging growers to undertake this process. And it’s not just the larger growers who are taking on board the accreditation process, Ann Biele from Loxton became certified in the lead up to last vintage as it was a requirement of Treasury Wine Estates, of which she is contracted to.

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming accredited through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. In this episode we meet Seamus O’Farthataigh, the owner of Wine Movement who has a personal mission to reduce his own environmental footprint and that of the wines he produces. He says, it’s also what the market is beginning to demand, particularly the Scandinavian countries. Erin Jones is a wine grape grower from Waikerie, she admits it’s been a bit of process to become accredited after she and her husband took over the family vineyard in 2022. But she says, it’s also been a good opportunity to gain a better understanding into the business.

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming accredited through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. In this episode we speak to Ashley Ratcliff, from Ricca Terra Farms and Ricca Terra Vintners. Sustainability is something Ashley and his wife Holly have been working on since they bought their first vineyard in the Riverland in 2003 by planting varieties of vines best suited to the region’s climatic conditions. They’re now Sustainable Winegrowing Australia accredited and they’re requiring the same of their suppliers.

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming accredited through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. In this episode we shine the spotlight on a company which was one of the earliest adopters of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, Yalumba, owned by the Hill-Smith Family Estate Group. The winery’s spokesperson Marc van Halderen says in the 2023 vintage, the winery reached its aim 100% of its growers being Sustainable Winegrowing Australia accredited. David Zadow is a winegrape grower from Blanchetown, his family first planted grapes in the 1960s and have supplied to Yalumba from the very beginning. He says he undertook the certification process as it was a requirement to deliver his grapes to the winery. He shares his experiences and hints and tips about becoming accredited.

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores what’s involved in becoming certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and why it’s important for Riverland wine grape growers.  We start this series with Riverland Wine’s grower engagement officer Charles Matheson. He says the organisation is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices. Dr Mardi Longbottom is from the Australian Wine Research Institute. Her role is to help growers become certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. She says as consumers and the global supply chain begin to demand more sustainable wines, the program provides the opportunity for growers to get on the front foot. Dr Longbottom says the cost and requirements vary depending on vineyard and business size. More details can be found within the program terms. 

Sustainable Riverland Wine: Growing a Legacy is a podcast series produced by Riverland Wine and supported by Wine Australia. Hosted by Kerrie Lush, it explores sustainable winegrowing and why it's crucial for Riverland wine grape growers. Riverland Wine is committed to helping growers focus on product diversity, upskilling for market growth, and adopting environmentally friendly viticulture practices.

Sandy Hathaway from Wine Australia details the current on-demand varieties and changes in the varietal mix globally from the Riverland Wine Outlook for the Grape and Wine Industry Event on the 20th of September.

Robyn Dixon from AWRI presents vineyard considerations around pest and disease, vine nutrition, and scenario-based planning from the Riverland Wine Outlook for the Grape and Wine Industry Event on the 20th of September.