The Granite Belt Viticulture and Oenology Group (GBVO) was formed in 2008 with the aim of identifying and sharing best practice in both grape growing and wine making. The group has achieved this through a number of activities including:
- Developing a calendar of vineyard walks in the growing season. Growers and winemakers meet once per month at one of the region’s vineyards to discuss current growing season issues and share practices. The walks may include guest speakers who are experts in the latest aspects of viticulture.
- Supporting the Strange Bird Trail initiative. This is done by organising regular varietal wine tastings where winemakers and growers can assess and discuss alternative varieties and their application to the Granite Belt region.
- Developing and actively participating in relationships with external organisations including the Queensland Wine Industry Association (QWIA), University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Biosecurity Queensland and the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA).
- Providing submissions to QWIA for AGWA funded research and extension projects of specific interest to Granite Belt wine producers. Further information on current and previous projects can be found on the Research and Extension Projects
- Arranging quarterly dinner meetings where growers, winemakers and cellar door staff can be updated on industry developments and research and extension activities relative to the Granite Belt.
As a result of the work done by the GBVO group, viticultural and winemaking practices in the Granite Belt region are among the very best in Australia. The wines of the region enjoy a reputation for high quality across a range of traditional and alternative varieties.
Current GBVO initiatives include:
- Benchmarking meetings to assess local, national and international wines across the alternative varieties of interest to the Granite Belt growers. This is to continue to support and develop the Granite Belt’s “Strange Bird Trail” which allows visitors to the region to try a large number of alternative wine varieties.
- Developing a proposal for an AGWA funded project to assess the potential of the various Shiraz clones grown in the Granite Belt region. This will include micro-vinification of a number of grape samples from different clones and different rootstocks.
- Supporting a monitoring programme for leaf-roll virus.
- Assessing the feasibility of purchasing UV detection equipment to allow growers to measure effectiveness of spray applications in the vineyard.
- Continue to support QWIA in the development of Phylloxera exclusion zones in Queensland.