The latest world views on alternative varieties and news from AAVWS
New Database project
In celebration of our Tenth Anniversary, the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show is proud to announce a brand new online entry system. This unique entry system has been custom made especially for our show by Advanced Scripting. The next stage is a new database structure which will be the most comprehensive collation of information about alternative variety wines in the country and will be officially launched in November.
PROJECT OUTLINE
In its tenth year the AAVWS has come to realise that it now holds an extremely valuable set of data relating to what is an enormously important, growing sector of the wine industry in Australia. At a time when markets are tightening and producers are looking for an edge for their products, alternative grape varieties are providing a way forward. Until now there has been no centralised national data collection and archiving system relating to peoples experiences of growing and producing these new varietals. The Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show intends to utilise its existing decade worth of data, conduct further, more detailed research into past entries and collect much more comprehensive data relating to future entries in order to create a resource which will provide a reference for the Australian, New Zealand and indeed international wine industries.
Additional data to be gleaned for each wine entered will potentially include viticultural and winemaking information such as geographical indication, scion clone, rootstock, soil type, elevation above sea level, planting density, vine age, crop yield, harvest date, organic, ferment, oak treatment, bottle closure. Once these data sets are established one may search the database by variety, by region, by clone etc. All this data will then be able to be filtered by any one of the parameters to show, for instance, where the best wines have been produced from a certain variety, or which clones perform better in which regions or in which soil types, according to the number of medal winning or high scoring wines which match the search parameters.
PROJECT RATIONALE
Growers and producers all over the country have been making forays into these alternative varieties for many years but until now there has been no simple and accessible flow of information about these experiments other than word of mouth. The AAVWS has been creating a medium for this exchange of experiences each year during the event, when attendees and entrants come together to discuss their trials and tribulations. The proposed database and web-based access to its information will take this knowledge to a new level. It will ensure that any grower, winemaker, student or wine enthusiast who wishes to know more about alternative varieties in Australia can find out at the click of a mouse.
PROJECT TIMELINE
The AAVWS tenth anniversary celebrations are scheduled during in the first week of November 2009. The new website and online entries will be launched in the months prior to the show. Data collection and research as well as acquiring the software and upgrading the online capabilities of the website would begin immediately with a view to having online entries up and running by July and the database site active by November 2009.
