Free resources help Australian winegrape growers adopt ecological practices

Australia's winegrape growers can now access a series of free, practical guides designed to support vineyard management with minimal ongoing intervention and promote long-term ecological practices.

The four best practice management guides have been developed through the Wine Australia-funded national EcoVineyards program and provide step-by-step, easy-to-apply advice across three focus areas: soil health, ground covers and functional biodiversity.

The guides are now available on the EcoVineyards website, alongside a growing library of free resources and tools on a variety of ecological vineyard practices.

EcoVineyards is delivered by Retallack Viticulture in partnership with regional communities. Dr Mary Retallack, Managing Director of Retallack Viticulture and founder of the program, said these resources are designed to support growers, whether they are already using ecological techniques or looking to adopt new practices.

“This is a ‘grass roots’ program that works with growers in nine wine regions across four Australian states. We’re supporting effective ecological practices and sharing knowledge and outcomes through regular events, region-specific resources, demonstration sites and on-the-ground support from regional coordinators.

“We are equipping wine growers with the practical knowledge and resources to help future proof wine production while growing in harmony with nature,” Dr Retallack said.

“Ecological and biologically-focused principles are complementary to existing vineyard practices; they help break the cycle of intervention, saving time and resources, and assist wine growers with their environmental stewardship reporting requirements.”

After six years of collaboration on the ground, the EcoVineyards program has established nearly 80 demonstration sites in vineyards across regions including Margaret River, Hunter Valley, Orange, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Clare Valley, Kangaroo Island, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, Adelaide Hills, Langhorne Creek and Riverland.

Dan Falkenberg, of Eden Hall Wines in South Australia's Eden Valley, is one of the program’s ‘EcoGrowers’, and said the new guides offer clear, actionable information.

“The EcoVineyards best practice management guides use a wonderful combination of personal experiences, easy-to-follow case studies and evidence-based science from leading practitioners,” Mr Falkenberg said.

“They provide a simple guide on how to implement ecological and biological practices to restore landscape function and deliver results to viticulturist that include regenerative production and ecosystem biodiversity.”

To ensure the new resources are accessible to as many growers as possible, Wine Australia will be releasing a series of short, step-by-step visual, audio and web-based resources, carefully designed for growers at different stages of their eco-journey, which will become available from later this year.

“We want to make it easier for growers to engage with ecological management, no matter their starting point,” said Alex Sas, Wine Australia Senior Research & Innovation Program Manager.

“Whether you’re already using ecological techniques or just beginning your journey, the EcoVineyards program and resources are designed to support real outcomes, helping growers save time, reduce inputs and improve vineyard resilience,” he said.

The new best practice management guides are available from the EcoVineyards website at www.ecovineyards.com.au/bpmg. Hard copies can also be purchased at www.ecovineyards.com.au/shop.

For further information on the EcoVineyards program and to access the knowledge hub, visit www.ecovineyards.com.au.