Hickinbotham Lecture

Listen to the podcast [ 20.8MB .mp3 ]of Louisa Rose from Yalumba speaking about Winemaking - a continuum between Art and Science? at the Inaugural A.R. Hickinbotham Lecture.

Most winemakers sit somewhere on the continuum between being pure artists or scientists. Arguably the best wines are made by those that sit somewhere between the two; knowing where to and when to rely on their instincts and experience and when to reach for the lecture notes, text book or phone. Without going into a debate on what is science, it’s fair to say that winemakers have different needs of the scientific and research community that fall into three main types. The “Oh my gosh something has gone wrong and I need help” type; the “I wonder what I can do to make this more efficient or understand it better” type, and the “blue sky – I never would have thought! – pure research but sometimes revolutionary” type. This lecture will discuss these ideas and give examples where all have been or are relevant to current Australian winemaking.

History

The inaugural A.R. Hickinbotham Lecture is named in honour of the former Roseworthy Lecturer who is regarded as the father of Australian oenology (wine-making) education. This Lecture recognises individuals that have had an impact on the wine industry and are world leaders in the field of oenology. Alan Robb Hickinbotham (1898-1959) joined the staff at Roseworthy College in 1929 as a Lecturer in Physical and Chemical Sciences. In 1936, he established the nation’s first wine-making course which evolved into the University of Adelaide’s world-renowned Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology which is now run at the Waite Campus. Alan R. Hickinbotham remained at Roseworthy College until 1948. His research and writing on wine-making under Australian conditions laid the foundation for a technically advanced Australian wine industry. The Hickinbotham family continued their father’s passion for wine through their ongoing interests in viticulture and wine production. The National Wine Centre has recognised the Hickinbotham family by naming its major function hall after the family while the Hickinbotham Roseworthy Wine Science Laboratory was established at the University’s Waite Campus in 1998 with the family’s support.