Free The Wine is stoked to be a recipient of the Federal Government’s new Advancing Australia Fund (AgFund). Partnering with the Margaret River Wine Industry Association, our WineSMART initiative will help Margaret River wineries by providing podcasts on best practice in the local wine industry in areas of viticulture, wine making, water management and market development.

AgFund grants are used to help those in agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors tackle industry issues at the local level by supporting the adoption of research ideas and concept improvements to improve sustainability and profitability. Association President Peter Wood welcomed the grant saying, “It will be used to trial the innovative use of podcasting to communicate relevant and timely knowledge to local grape growers, wine producers and the many others in the Margaret River region”.

“The local wine industry as a whole has suffered in the past 5 – 6 years due to oversupply market conditions that are only just easing because of the drought in the Eastern States and the grant could not have come at a better time. It will allow the Association to continue its push for excellence in viticulture, winemaking and wine marketing.” Peter Wood said.

Peter Wood continued and said, “Margaret River is a cool climate wine producer that cannot readily access economies of scale available to other wine regions therefore it is paramount that we concentrate on quality wines and strive to continue improving what we offer the consumer within Australia or overseas.”

AgFund is part of the Federal Government’s Agriculture – Advancing Australia (AAA) package designed to help the farm sector respond to changing business and operating conditions. This year’s Federal Budget provided the AAA with $254.7 million over the next four years.