Several major events have been confirmed for South Australian wine regions for 2025, including Tour Down Under in McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa in late January, and Gather Round in the Barossa in mid April.
With an influx of interstate and international visitors expected, planning to protect your vineyards is important.
“Footwear, clothing and vehicle tyres can pick up and spread pests, diseases and weeds. It is therefore important to assume all visitors to your vineyard could be infested and incorporate baseline biosecurity practices during regional events,” said Vinehealth Australia CEO Sam Scarratt.
Erecting a barrier, such as a temporary fence or bunting, between your vines and likely visitor entry points including roads, will help to deter visitors from entering your vineyard. You can also display signage to communicate to visitors that they shouldn’t enter the vineyard. Vinehealth Australia sells a range of consumer-facing signs to assist with visitor education.
Vinehealth Australia has free resources to help you plan your biosecurity activities, including a simple Healthy Vines Checklist and a more in-depth Biosecurity Planning for Vineyard Owners Hosting Visitors Fact Sheet.
Now is a great time to plan and implement biosecurity practices rather than when time is short later in the season.
“And it’s also important to remember that biosecurity should be front of mind all year round, not just for major events,” Sam said.
Note: The Tour Down Under routes have changed. Vinehealth Australia will contact vineyard owners along the updated route directly to discuss biosecurity.
For more information about Tour Down Under stages, click here. For more information about Gather Round 2025, click here.
