Viti Daily - 25/6/25

Welcome to Viti Daily, your go-to podcast for the latest in viticulture, wine industry news, and cutting-edge grape and wine research. 

Whether you’re a winemaker, vineyard manager, or a passionate wine enthusiast, this daily podcast keeps you informed on what’s happening across global wine regions—from Coonawarra to Bordeaux.

Each episode delivers bite-sized updates on wine grape growing, breakthroughs in winemaking techniques, and key trends in sustainability. 

Viti Daily is where viticulture meets innovation—perfect for those who live, work, or simply love life in the vineyard.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
This is a Vitte Chats media podcast.
Lets get to the news you need to know today! The following has been written by the Vitte Chats team and turned into a podcast using A.I. 3 00:00:09,208.662 --> 00:00:11,478.662 It is Wednesday, June 25th, 2025. 4 00:00:11,749.297 --> 00:00:21,459.297 Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), the maker of Australian wine, Penfolds, has advised investors of a projected slowdown in earnings for its most famous brand. 5 00:00:21,803.877 --> 00:00:29,593.877 Penfolds alone makes up more than half of TWE’s earnings, accountable for 58% of the company’s EBITS. 6 00:00:30,473.877 --> 00:00:51,3.877 For context, Treasury Americas (housing brands such as Stags Leap and Daou) accounts for 28% of earnings, and the recently restructured Treasury Collective (the company’s “premium” portfolio, which includes the likes of 19 Crimes, Squealing Pig, and Wolf Blass) the remaining 14%. 7 00:00:51,402.539 --> 00:01:03,82.539 The results of this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards have been revealed, and Australia has reaffirmed its status, earning four Best in Show, 11 Platinum, and 65 Gold medals. 8 00:01:03,502.539 --> 00:01:13,182.539 Additionally, Australia claimed the #1 spot for medal yield a new, key metric recognising the number of medals earned relative to a country’s vineyard area. 9 00:01:13,497.936 --> 00:01:24,297.936 Australia earned 643 medals the fourth-highest total overall and achieved the world’s highest medal yield at 4 medals per 1,000 hectares. 10 00:01:24,614.195 --> 00:01:44,38.458 “Australia continues its well-established history of punching above its weight, placing fourth in total medal count behind the big three—France, Italy, and Spain,” “While there was a slight dip in the number of ‘Best in Show’ awards, a strong overall medal count has placed Australia first in the new metric of medals per hectare of vineyard area. 11 00:01:44,528.458 --> 00:01:54,978.458 The mix of regions and producers was also heartening, with some of our most renowned wineries performing as expected, but also some lesser-known names emerging to receive well-deserved recognition.” 12 00:01:55,230.975 --> 00:02:05,460.975 The production of winter wines in the Southeastern Brazil represents a relatively recent but expanding viticultural approach, with increasing adoption across diverse wine-growing regions. 13 00:02:05,950.975 --> 00:02:17,260.975 This system relies on the double pruning technique, which allows for the harvest of grapes during the dry and cooler winter season, favoring greater accumulation of sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds. 14 00:02:17,940.975 --> 00:02:34,50.975 This study aimed to characterize the phenological stages, thermal requirements, yield, and fruit quality of the fine wine grape cultivars ‘Sauvignon Blanc’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Tannat’, ‘Pinot Noir’, ‘Malbec’, and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ under double pruning management in a subtropical climate. 15 00:02:34,472.698 --> 00:02:44,142.698 The cultivars exhibited distinct phenological, physicochemical, and productive characteristics, with ‘Sauvignon Blanc’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Tannat’, and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ standing out. 16 00:02:44,550.158 --> 00:02:54,210.158 Based on the results, the cultivation of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ under double-pruning management is recommended to obtain high-quality grapes for winemaking. 17 00:02:54,567.618 --> 00:03:03,857.618 Red grape cultivars were notable for their higher phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, both of which are essential for the production of premium wines. 18 00:03:04,317.618 --> 00:03:11,77.618 Double pruning proved to be an effective technique under subtropical conditions, although it requires precise technical management. 19 00:03:11,438.865 --> 00:03:18,728.865 The findings contribute to production planning and cultivar selection, reinforcing the potential of viticulture in non-traditional regions. 20 00:03:19,248.865 --> 00:03:23,798.865 Further production cycles are recommended to ensure continuous validation of these results. 21 00:03:24,143.4 --> 00:03:33,163.4 Halliday Wine Companion has unveiled its shortlisted wineries, winemakers, and viticulturists ahead of the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. 22 00:03:33,673.4 --> 00:03:39,653.4 Winners will be crowned on August 20, 2025, at Melbourne’s Ormond Hall at The Commons Collective. 23 00:03:39,906.529 --> 00:03:46,676.529 This year, the Halliday tasting team reviewed over 8,000 wines across more than 945 wineries. 24 00:03:46,908.955 --> 00:03:50,408.955 The Halliday Wine Companion Awards judging was conducted in March. 25 00:03:50,668.955 --> 00:03:56,898.955 Over two days, across a blind tasting, the winners were determined collaboratively by the Halliday tasting team. 26 00:03:57,288.955 --> 00:04:08,348.955 The 2026 Companion will include over 60 new producers who submitted their wines for the first time, along with thousands of tasting notes and scores for wines reviewed throughout the year. 27 00:04:08,662.833 --> 00:04:19,532.833 While the annual Halliday Wine Companion Awards recognise the best of the best from across Australia’s wine industry, the Halliday People’s Choice Award honours the best winery experience from around the country. 28 00:04:19,768.411 --> 00:04:25,648.411 Wine lovers can cast their vote for the 2026 People’s Choice Award on winecompanion.com.au. 29 00:04:26,88.411 --> 00:04:30,488.411 Entrants will go in the running to win a prize pack valued at over $1,300. 30 00:04:30,908.411 --> 00:04:36,808.411 The 2026 People’s Choice Award winner will be announced on Saturday August 16, 2025. 31 00:04:37,106.937 --> 00:05:06,986.937 Seven major trophies will be awarded in August, including Wine of the Year, Winemaker of the Year, Winery of the Year, Viticulturist of the Year, Best Value Winery, Best New Winery, Dark Horse Winery, together with the third inductee into the James Halliday Hall of Fame: The winners of 17 varietal categories will also be announced, including Sparkling of the Year, Shiraz of the Year, and Riesling of the Year, alongside White Wine of the Year and Red Wine of the Year. 32 00:05:07,289.998 --> 00:05:12,489.998 That’s it for today! If you’ve enjoyed this quick news roundup, make sure to subscribe wherever you’re listening.