SA winemaker’s legal battle against peak bodies lands in Federal Court
A prominent McLaren Vale winemaker’s years-long court battle over claims her 2014 research informed a national program is back in Federal Court on Monday.
Inkwell Wines head winemaker Dr Irina Santiago-Brown’s lawsuit against the Australian Wine Research Institute and national industry peak body Australian Grape and Wine will begin a three-week hearing in Adelaide on Monday.
Santiago-Brown is suing for an alleged copyright infringement of her 2014 research which she claims was used by the Wine Research Institute and Australian Grape and Wine to develop their national program named Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA).
Inkwell Wines has said it was being forced to pause its ‘Hacking the Future of Shiraz’ winemaking competition due to the timing of the court case overlapping with the vintage.
“Despite the incredible awareness and innovative wines that have been produced in our competition in 2024 and 2025, we are unable to devote the time and attention required by this important project in 2026 because of the resources required by this five-year-old lawsuit,” Santiago-Brown said.
“We look forward to resuming the competition in 2027.”
The Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program was launched in 2019 and is governed by the Australian Wine Research Institute, Australian Grape and Wine and Wine Australia.
According to its national program’s annual operating plan, the program “provides the framework for internationally recognised sustainability certification in the vineyard and winery”.
The Inkwell Wines boss developed work she called the “Sustainable Australia Winegrowing (SAW)” for the McLaren Vale region as part of her PhD at the University of Adelaide from 2011-2014.
Santiago-Brown alleges research from her thesis was used in the creation of the similarly named national program without her consent.
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Australian Wine Research Institute and Australian Grape and Wine has previously denied any allegations of plagiarism regarding the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program.
When contacted by InDaily, a spokesperson for both Australian Wine Research Institute and Australian Grape and Wine said: “As the above matter is currently before the courts, it would not be appropriate to comment.”
The winemaker has been embroiled in a years-long legal battle, with the lawsuit application first filed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on November 8, 2021.
The case will be heard by Federal Circuit Judge Nicholas Manousaridis over the next three weeks, beginning on February 9 at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
