Hickinbotham Roseworthy Wine Science Laboratory
The Wine Science Laboratory (winery) was built by the University with generous support from the Hickinbotham family in the early 1990s.
The facility brings together the wine science teaching programs from the former Roseworthy Agricultural College with the wine and grape research based at Waite. It is also shared with the Australian Wine Research Institute and other campus partners.
A teaching and research facility
Built to standard commercial winery size and specification, the winery offers the following unique capacity/capabilities and range of winemaking tools:
- Crusher and de-stemmer
- 3 x small scale membrane presses
- 50kg research winemaking membrane press
- Crossflow filtration unit
- Pulsair - 300L, 900L, 1000L, 1500L and 2200L stainless steel tanks
- Potter, vinimatic, and open stainless steel fermentation tanks
- Small-scale research fermenters (50kg)
- Monitoring and temperature control system
- Cold room storage at 0, 10, 15, and 20 degrees Celsius
- Wine chemistry teaching laboratories
- Tutorial room
- Barrel storage room (225L oak barrels on racks)
- Barrel steamer
- Positive displacement, peristaltic, centrifugal, and mono pumps
- Bottling and labelling line
- A 600L pot-still
- Forklift, high-pressure cleaning, and other standard winery equipment
During vintage, up to 120 tonnes of fruit are processed annually from both Waite Campus vineyards and beyond.
70% of Australia's wine research and development is conducted through small-scale, proof-of-concept winemaking trials at Waite.
The winery undertakes contract pressing and fermenting for local growers/ industry, particularly from the Adelaide Hills wine region.
The winery has been an important asset in the University's top-three global ranking in winemaking teaching and research.
Location: Hartley Grove, Urrbrae
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