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Koonunga Hill canopy

Unexpected benefits from a recent weather event


Looking to find new ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change, ‘Young’ Koonunga Hill vineyard in the Barossa Valley had an enclosed nylon vineyard canopy installed to help protect 14-hectares of planting of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

The $1 million infrastructure investment helps us adapt to a changing climate in the region and protects the fruit for some of Penfolds best-known wines including Grange, Bin 797 Cabernet Sauvignon, St Henri Shiraz and RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz.

Early assessments have delivered promising results with grapes harvested in the 2024 vintage ripening earlier and producing vibrant coloured fruit that’s superior in quality and flavor to fruit harvested outside the canopy.

With the experiment still underway to help us understand the full benefits of the canopy, an unexpected benefit was discovered following a recent frost event in South Australia; the grapes underneath the canopy were protected from the impacts of the frost.

Article: Koonunga Hill canopy

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Hear from Vineyard Operations Manager George Taylor on the recent frost event impacting the region, how the canopy protected the fruit underneath and the early benefits of the nylon vineyard canopy.

 

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