Regional evaluation of new mildew-resistant grapevine varieties

Disease-resistant grapevine varieties will play an important role in sustainable viticulture in the foreseeable future. Social and economic pressures including ever-increasing human health awareness and the need for environmental
preservation contribute to the necessity for breeding and developing disease resistant grapevines. The costs involved in the annual spray programs to control powdery and downy mildew can drastically be reduced by establishment of disease-resistant vineyards in Australia. New red and white grapevine selections have been developed by the CSIRO and are under field evaluation in various regions across Australia by CSIRO and NSW DPI. A site in the Barossa Valley was
established first, followed by a planting in the Riverina. More recently, sites have been established in Sunraysia and in the cool climate region Orange, allowing for the evaluation under contrasting climates. These selections present diverse viticultural characteristics including vegetative growth, yield parameters and time of ripening. Furthermore, these genotypes give rise to different wine styles, which can be useful as both, single varietals or blending components. The aim of
this workshop is to introduce some key characteristics of the new varieties under differing regional conditions and to present the different wines made from these varieties