The Sustainable Alternative
Friday 10th November 2023
Date | Friday 10th November Venue | Quality Hotel Mildura Grand, Ballroom, Corner Langtree Avenue and Seventh Street, Mildura Time | 1.00pm – 5.00pm Cost | $120pp
Bookings Essential
The vinous landscape has come a long way in the 22 years of the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. As Australia’s wine scene has matured, so have we recognised the importance of a sustainable future. This November, join the AAVWS family for a deep dive into the way that alternative varieties can contribute to a holistic sustainable approach to wine. We will hear directly from top producers, academics and merchants about the impact of certification, investigate the suitability of alternative varieties to a changing climate, and discover brand new research looking into whether consumers think alternative varieties have automatic sustainability credentials. The 2023 AAVWS Talk and Taste will be one not to miss if you are serious about sustainability.
SESSION ONE: SETTING THE STANDARD
Australia’s national grape growing and winemaking accreditation program Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is going from strength to strength as scores of growers, wineries and wine producers sign up across the country. In it’s 10+ year history The Australian Wine Research Institute’s Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program has grown to become the most recognised industry standard and along the way gathered a swag of enlightening data about how we as an industry are tackling emissions reduction, social licence, economic viability and environmental responsibility. Program director Dr. Mardi Longbottom will provide insights on the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia take on what it means to be sustainable and share some stories and a few wines with us in this first session of the 2023 Talk & Taste.
SESSION TWO: VARIETIES FOR VARIED (AND VARIABLE) CLIMATES
How can varietal choice aid grape growers and winemakers to achieve greater sustainability? What attributes can alternative varieties bring when the discussion of a changing climate inevitably arises? Join lauded viticulturist Nick Dry, coordinator of the National Grapevine Collection, in discussion with Frank van de Loo (Mount Majura), Gwyn Olsen (Henschke) and Kate Goodman (Penley Estate) as they share their experiences working in Australia’s established and emerging regions.
SESSION THREE: WINE FOR THE PEOPLE
Hot-off-the-press consumer insights from top University researchers, plus national and international perspectives from the consumer coal-face into what the people really think about alternative variety wines and that high frequency buzzword ‘sustainability’. Whats driving their choices, what do they like? Are we delivering it? Is there an opportunity for alternative variety producers to capitalise on gaps in the market? AAVWS Chief of Judges and highly awarded Melbourne Sommelier Leanne Altmann will drive this discussion with a panel including Sue Bastian and Laura Mezei from the University of Adelaide plus International Guest Judge US Journalist Jeffrey E Porter and Aussie wine writer Nick Ryan.
