Australian Wine Research Institute


The Australian Wine Research Institute is a research institute about Australian wine.

Location

It is based at the Wine Innovation Cluster is situated in the Waite Research Precinct, in the Adelaide suburb of Urrbrae, South Australia.

History

The institute was established in 1955 at the Waite campus of the University of Adelaide. It is funded by grape growers and wineries. Its first scientific chief was John Fornachon. An early researcher was Bryce Rankine, who later taught at the Roseworthy College, an oenology institution. The primary aim of the institute in the 1950s was to create good Australian table wines as opposed to traditional fortified wines.
Research done by the institute has looked at "oxidation, hazes and deposits caused by trace amounts of iron and copper, and the need for better yeast strains, more effective use of sulphur dioxide, and pH control" as well as "research into new grape varieties."