As has been reported from time to time in OnWine, increasing salinity is the next major challenge for Australian viticulture. I have been alarmed at the increasing incidence of wines from drought-affected Australian regions that actually taste salty, something I remember from my Roseworthy days that should never be encountered in table wine. Given that more than 20,000 ha of irrigated vineyards exist along the salinity-affected River Murray, there is plenty of reason for concern. Australian wines have already been prevented from being exported to Germany on the basis of their sodium chloride levels. Scary stuff, and anything less than total vigilance is simply not enough. Let’s hope the wine industry’s collective will is up to the test.
