During his presentation at the workshop entitled Pinot Noir – ‘the heartbreak grape’ – mending it in the vineyard and winery, held as part of the 14th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, which wrapped up yesterday in Adelaide, Dr Richard Smart thanked the Northern Hemisphere “for polluting the Earth’s atmosphere so that the Southern Hemisphere could make better quality wines (than countries in the north)”.

Smart’s reasoning for the statement was because the Southern Hemisphere receives more ultraviolet (UV) radiation, thanks to the ‘ozone hole’ over the South Pole, caused by global atmospheric pollution.

In recent experiments at Tamar Ridge Estates, in Tasmania, Smart showed that increased UV radiation caused improved wine quality. Filters that excluded UV light were mounted over the fruit zone, and compared with bunches in the open and in shade. Screening UV radiation reduced anthocyanin, wine colour and total pigment, also polyphenols and tannin, the latter by almost 70%. Similar effects were shown by shaded bunches.

Smart said, “These results clearly show the need for appropriate bunch exposure to UV radiation for wine quality, as has been proven in New Zealand vineyards”.

For further information, contact Richard Smart by email, vinedoc@bigpond.net.au