Congratulations to Barossa grapegrower Adrian Hoffmann who has been appointed chair of the Wine Grape Council of South Australia (WGCSA), replacing Heather Webster.
Adrian is a sixth-generation Barossan and a fifth-generation grower, in charge of 135 hectares of vines in the northern part of the region. He’s been the Barossa rep on the WGCSA for many years and was a board member of Barossa Grape and Wine for six years.
Adrian isn’t afraid of hard work. “I’m a hands-on manager and I really enjoy getting out in the vineyards and checking the irrigation, or jumping on the tractor,” Adrian said.
“All great wine is made in the vineyard and that requires great planning, hard work and critical decision making. I’m in close contact with the 30 wineries we supply, and I listen to what they want and make sure we deliver it.”
Adrian said biosecurity was critical for protecting the wine industry’s most important assets – the vines. “Everyone has a part to play when it comes to keeping our vines healthy,” he said.
“South Australia is home to some of the oldest vines in the world and we all have to work hard to protect them. I’d like to see how far we can push biosecurity with more use of technology such as precision mapping, which also has a big role to play with grape quality.”
Adrian would also like to see a single body formed to represent all members of the South Australian wine industry. “We’ve talked about a merger between WGCSA and the South Australian Wine Industry Association for a long time and we need to make this happen,” he said.
“There is no longer any reason to have separate grape and wine associations. Our industry is so connected, and we need our representative bodies to reflect that.”
Adrian is also busy renovating the Stockwell Hotel which he co-owns and is preparing to reopen in 2021. “This hotel will be a showcase for great Barossa wine,” he said.