Adelaide now has what is being hailed as the world’s most dynamic mix of grape and wine researchers in any one precinct with its new Wine Innovation Cluster.
Its $28 million building at the Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide is to be officially opened today (November 19), bringing together the resources of a range of bodies in a bid to create the world’s premier research, development, extension and education facility servicing the wine industry.
The bodies involved include the Australian Wine Research Institute, CSIRO Plant Industry, private research agency Provisor Pty Ltd, South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) and the University of Adelaide.
Featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, the centre also has a range of offices and meeting rooms, experimental vineyards and there are coming plans for a Plant Accelerator.
Some of the early projects to benefit from the collaboration include studies on the effects of climate change on vines, breeding new yeasts to enhance fermentation and research into the remediation of bushfire taint.