The Grapevine: Pop star signs up to sell premium drop
In this edition of the latest news in SA’s wine industry: Crows footy club makes its partner pick and Chapel Hill shares some sparkling news.
- Pop star enlisted for top SA drop
- AI could improve vine health
- Chapel Hill’s first sparkling in 20 years
- New scholarship for Australia’s young wine guns
- Crows pick The Lane
Pop star enlisted for top SA drop
Australian pop star Troye Sivan has been picked by iconic South Australian wine label Penfolds to design two limited-edition Penfolds Bin 389 bottles, a giftbox, and a rare 1.5L magnum.
Sivan – now a Penfolds Creative Partner – will work with the brand over a multi-year period to help promote the luxury label in new territories and demographics.
“This partnership with Penfolds is a dream creative dialogue for me,” said Sivan, behind hits such as ‘My My My’, ‘Rush’ and ‘Got Me Started’.
“Penfolds and I share a passion for culture and creating moments that matter.”
Penfolds chief marketing officer Kristy Keyte said Sivan was a “visionary”.
“He embodies many values close to Penfolds’ heart,” Keyte said.
Each 750ml bottle is carefully hand-wrapped in tissue paper printed with one of twenty images selected from Troye’s personal camera roll – ranging from .
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AI could improve vine health
New Adelaide University research has found that using artificial intelligence and machine learning in vineyards can help growers make better decisions for the health of their crops.
A research team worked with SA-based Serafino and Victorian growers to see how AI-powered personal assistants could support decision-making, resource management and agricultural productivity.
The three most significant grapevine diseases – powdery mildew, downy mildew, and Botrytis, also known as bunch rot – cost the Australian wine industry up to $300 million annually, researchers said.
At Serafino, the university researchers deployed drone-based canopy-weighted false-colour vegetation mapping and deep-learning-based disease-risk mapping to enable regular, accurate assessments of vine health.
The information gathered supported vital interventions to prevent the onset of common diseases that threaten grape quality.
“These digital innovations empower farmers and vineyard managers to improve canola farm and vineyard performance, and also strengthen education and training pathways – equipping the next generation of agricultural professionals with cutting-edge digital skills,” Adelaide University Professor Volker Hessel said.
Work also looked at canola cropping in Victoria.
Chapel Hill’s first sparkling in 20 years
For the first time in two decades, Chapel Hill has added bubbles to its line-up, this year releasing a Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sparkling.
Winemaker Michael Fragos said the brand looked to the Adelaide Hills for the drop that is priced in the mid-$20 price range, noting the region was one of his favourite sparkling wine regions.
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“The very first sparkling wine from Chapel Hill was released in 1979, only four short years after Chapel Hill released its very first wines,” Fragos said.
“The wines were primarily available through cellar door, with many of our returning guests reminiscing about these sparkling wines for years to come.”
He said sparkling required a different set of skills from still wine production: “Sparkling winemaking is very unforgiving”.
“Absolute attention to detail is required in both the vineyard and winery to avoid any blemishes,” Fragos said.
New scholarship for Australia’s young wine guns
A new bursary will give young wine professionals the opportunity to attend an internationally-renowned wine symposium in 2027.
Ten successful applicants aged 35 and under will receive financial support to attend the Institute of Masters of Wine International Symposium 2027, in the program designed for those who want to accelerate their careers.
“Young professionals want to be part of global conversations early and gain confidence that their ideas belong in the room,” Wine Australia head of education development Emma Symington said.
“But often the cost to attend experiences like the International Masters of Wine International Symposium are out of reach for many. As an organiser of this event, I genuinely want to see more young people attending.”
Applications are open now and close at 11:59pm ACST, Friday, April 24, 2026. Successful applicants will be announced in June 2026.
Crows pick The Lane
Adelaide Hills Winery has been selected as the Crows’ Official Wine Partner, with the brand’s wines to be poured in function rooms at home games and key club events.
The Lane will also have naming rights for the Crows’ Premiership Suite in the Riverbank Stand at Adelaide Oval.
The Lane CEO Jared Stringer said the partnership was a natural fit for the two names.
“We’re incredibly proud to partner with the Crows and to see The Lane poured at every home game at Adelaide Oval,” he said.
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