Research between Simon Tolley Wines and University of Adelaide could provide new income stream for bushfire-hit vineyards

A Hills winemaker is hoping to salvage grapes tainted with smoke from the 2019 Cudlee Creek bushfire into something valuable – spirits.

A Hills winemaker has found good spirits among the ashes following the part destruction of his vineyard in the Cudlee Creek bushfires.

Simon Tolley of Simon Tolley Wines experienced extensive property damage as a result of the December 2019 blazes, including the loss of 30 per cent of his vines.

In a bit to help salvage huge financial losses, the Woodside winemaker has joined forces with the University of Adelaide to see whether his smoke tainted grapes could be distilled into brandy or gin.

The research project is being led by University of Adelaide PhD candidate Hugh Holds who is investigating the impacts of climate change on brandy production in Australia.

Mr Tolley said around 200 litres of spirit were now in production with bottles of smoke-flavoured brandy or gin to be sold at his cellar door from next year.

Simon Tolley and Hugh Holds have joined forces to find a way to turn smoke-tainted grapes into brandy or gin. Source: Simon Tolley

“Fires are something we all have to live with and every year, there’s going to be a vineyard which will have to make a decision on what to do with their smoke-tainted grapes,” he said.

“There will be growers who will be in the same situation as us, so this will give people another lead of what to do with the fruit instead of just putting it on the ground.

“So giving up fruit for this research was a no-brainer and hopefully this will give an answer to a problem for a lot of people who get affected by fire and smoke.”

Mr Tolley said he had his first taste a few weeks ago and so far the project was progressing well.

“There is definitely a smoke flavour coming through so it was definitely interesting,” he said.

Mr Holds said the first bath of brandy would be assessed in early 2022 once it had matured in the barrel for one year.

Simon Tolley Wines after the Cudlee Creek bushfire tore through the Woodside property. Source: Simon Tolley Wines

“The question is, can we come up with a path for this waste material that is better than just dropping it on the ground,” he said.

“It might not result in as much income as you were getting, it might not be what you intended it to be; but it will still be something that has hopefully been turned into a value-adding product that will lessen the loss.

“Who knows, it might even become something mildly expensive because of the rarity of it, although I don’t think it will go that far.

“But at the very least, people can sell their grapes to the distillers for a couple of hundred dollar a tone, which is better than what they are current getting for tainted grapes, which is nothing.”