Throughout 2020, Australian Grape & Wine considered and implemented a number of improvements to the Code of Conduct for Australian Winegrape Purchases. The review involved significant input from our Code Management Committee, representative of both growers and winemakers. Australian Grape and Wine are now inviting all interested parties who operated under the Code this vintage, to provide feedback on both the Code itself and the supporting material for best practice grape quality assessments. To do so please contact anna@agw.org.au by email or by telephone on 0427 685 077.
The resulting amendments aim to improve practices relating to quality assessment for the purpose determining price, to replace “indicative price” based agreements with a “fair market price” alternative and to expand the dispute resolution process. The Code seeks to provide a solid foundation for encouraging fair and equitable contractual relations between winegrape growers and winemakers and the amendments aimed to strengthen the Code’s propensity to do so. Many Australian winegrape growers supplying to Signatories of the Code will have been offered amendments to Grape Supply Agreements to incorporate this Code and to reflect the new strengthened requirements.
We are particularly interested to hear whether or not winegrape growers were satisfied with the amended Code, whether or not they accepted offers to amend their contracts to reflect the new Code and whether the improvements had a positive impact on grower winemaker relationships. We would also be interested to hear feedback from any winemakers who have elected not to sign the Code.
