Superior planting material is the foundation of the Australian wine sector

High-quality germplasm that is true-to-type, of known origin and high health status is key to healthy, profitable vineyards.

Wine Australia-funded research continues to breed and evaluate rootstocks, varieties and clones which produce desirable wine quality and styles as well as being resilient to climate and environmental challenges.

Current activities relating to planting material are captured by the One Grape & Wine Sector Plan theme Our sustainability: Future proof our supply base.

Resources on this page provide knowledge from research and innovation in planting materials for the Australian grape and wine community.

National Grapevine Collection (NGC) program

Grapevine foundation resources help to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian wine sector through the health, quality and integrity of its vineyards.

The National Grapevine Collection (NGC) is a Wine Australia initiative which began in January 2022. Led by a co-ordinator, Nick Dry of Foundation Viticulture, it is a large, integrated program of work which aims to: 

1. Protect and preserve Australia’s grapevine genetic resources
2. Facilitate and promote the supply of healthy, true-to type grapevine planting material to Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers
3. Support propagation supply chain activities that build and strengthen sector resilience.

The NGC program supports a system of fit-for-purpose, coordinated collections and resources that are aligned to specific functions associated with NGC objectives. The collection is underpinned by two supporting pillars: a certification standard to cover the entire grapevine propagation supply chain; and a national register of grapevine varieties, clones, rootstocks and propagation assets. 

One-pager summary

Find out more about the certification standard (VitiCert Australia).

Success of the program relies heavily on input and engagement from a wide range of stakeholder groups, which provide ongoing strategic guidance and ensure that activities and outputs serve the needs of the entire value chain. Benefits include:

• More rapid access to new varieties, clones and rootstocks from Australian and overseas breeding programs
• Greater assurance of varietal and label integrity on Australian grape and wine products
• Reliable access to planting material of known identity and health status
• Access to DNA-verified and virus-free grapevine rootstocks for the establishment of high health source blocks
• Greater efficiency in the management of exotic biosecurity threats and outbreaks of endemic pests and diseases

Read more about current NGC activities

Improving confidence in the identify of Australia’s vines

The supply of true-to-type grapevine planting material to the wine sector is heavily reliant on correct variety identification. However, tracing of supply records to the point of origin is not always available or reliable, particularly for older accessions. Traditional vine identification, known as ampelography, involves a visual inspection of the grapevine - mainly the leaves - but has largely been superseded by DNA testing. 

Wine Australia has been funding work at the AWRI for over a decade to allow clonal identification of vines based on DNA analysis. The method combines the latest next-generation genome sequencing technologies, high-performance computing and customised bioinformatics. The complete database contains over 800 sequences and will allow clonal typing of the majority of grapevine varieties and clones of economic importance in Australia, including Shiraz, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2024-25, the technique was applied to uniquely Australian heritage grapevine germplasm, focusing on ancestor vineyards (pre-1900). More than 300 individual vine samples were obtained from 53 sites across eight different GIs in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales and covering seven varieties. This will provide insights into the origins of Australia’s unique plantings and an indication of how they relate to current, commercially available planting material.

Read more about the project in an R&I News article Shedding light on Australia’s ancestral plantings.

The AWRI recently launched a commercial service for clonal identification of grapevine material, following a successful beta-testing phase with samples of known or suspected identity from the propagation sector.

Find out more about the Grapevine clonal identification service.