Rigorous biosecurity protocols around a demonstration vineyard at Taylors Wines in the Clare Valley are reducing the risk of spreading pests, diseases and weeds to commercial vineyards.
These actions saw Taylors Wines named a finalist in Vinehealth Australia’s 2024 Biosecurity Champion Award.
Viticulture Manager Nelson Heywood, who manages Taylors Auburn vineyard of 288 hectares and its Wrattonbully vineyard of 31.2 hectares, says the Clare Valley demonstration vineyard, consisting of six vines of six different varieties, was set up 18 months ago.
“A risk assessment was carried out before we set up the demonstration vineyard and the viticulture team actually recommended not to set it up,” Nelson said.
“But as the business wanted it, I then moved on to establishing the protocols that needed to be in place to manage the risks.”
Key actions include:
- The vineyard was established with a gravel surface to avoid the movement of soil.
- Work in the demonstration vineyard is done by a groundsperson and not by vineyard staff.
- The groundsperson uses a footbath for footwear disinfestation and has their own equipment for vine maintenance.
- If vineyard staff visit the demo vineyard, they wear shoecovers and the work is scheduled for the end of the day, so that they change their clothes before they commence work back in the commercial vineyard.
- The demo vineyard has a concrete washdown area with a hot water pressure washer, and wastewater goes to the winery wastewater treatment plant.
- Clean, virus-free planting material for the demo vineyard was purchased from Yalumba Nursery.
- Education sessions are regularly held with vineyard staff about biosecurity.
“I came from the perspective that there is a likelihood that a visitor may inadvertently bring a pest into the property, such as phylloxera. Therefore, we put all the quarantine protocols in place that I would if I owned a vineyard next door to a phylloxera-infested vineyard in Victoria,” Nelson said.
“Importantly, the entire public area, including the demo vineyard, is gravelled to reduce risk, because the vector for moving it out of the demonstration vineyard into the vineyard is most likely soil. So, if there’s no soil exposed in the demo vineyard, you mitigate most of that risk.”
Taylors Wines also focuses on visitor education through the cellar door, where brochures and posters talk about the risk that visitors pose to a vineyard.
“And we have a few Vinehealth Australia signs near vineyards that are visible from the cellar door that tell people not to walk into vineyards. They are some of the best signs I’ve seen in terms of trying to educate as well as deter, because it’s a simple message and very straightforwardly delivered,” Nelson said.
“We know it’s a bit of a contradiction to have those signs up and then have a demonstration vineyard that people can walk in, but we’re doing our best to educate.
“We’ve monitored it, and less than 10% of people who visit the cellar door go into the demo vineyard, so maybe our education efforts are working.”
Entries for the 2025 Biosecurity Champion Award will open soon. Keep your eye on this page for details on how to enter.
