Long-time Talent Jungle network partner Khem R Lakai interviews Mark Davidson in Nepal. Mark Davidson is a renowned Australian chief wine maker and Managing Director of Tamburlaine, the largest organic grape producing vineyards in Australia which is spread into over 140 hectors. Award winning organic series “Gestalt” ranges are already soaring new height in viticulture through innovative concept as the brand has made genuine commitment to minimizing its environmental impact over the past decade, analyzing each areas of its operations, including the vineyards, winery and waste management systems, to identify where improvements could be made. Revamping from the conventional viticulture to organic growing, Tamburlaine is working towards achieving a zero carbon footprints. 90% of wine produced in his vineyard is sold to the registered members only.


Mr. Davidson famous for his pro-environmental policy believes in Quality rather than the quantity and he says “We did not inherit the Earth from our forefathers; we are borrowing it from our descendants.” Khem R. Lakai, Director - International affairs “Food & Wine Magazine” took this interview.

Name: Mr. Mark Davidson

Current company and job title: Managing Director, Tamburlaine Wine – NSW, Hunter Valley, NSW Australia.

Khem: Would you tell us little bit about your career background in understanding and producing wine?

Winemaking and viticulture are my personal passion - and in the last 30 years I have not stopped learning and enjoying the industry (how could it not be fun - it took me places including USA, Japan, UK, Sweden, China for my work and took me also to country like Nepal recently). My parents enjoyed wine when most Australians didn’t drink much at all (40years ago), but going to Uni to study oenology back in 1978 was entirely my idea. I have always been passionate about preserving environment and health, therefore switching to organic was a logical progression from the eco-friendly viticultural practices I always pursued. And much of the inspiration for this eco awareness came 20 years ago when I bought Tamburlaine, "a degraded farm" with shallow, over-cultivated clay soils. Tamburlaine, my company, remains one of the largest organic grape producing private companies in Australia with friends & family as shareholders, and I absolutely enjoy everything about it.



Khem: What inspired you to choose the oenology career in Australia?

As I decided to buy the vineyard in Hunter valley, I knew that the challenges were persistent but at the same time opportunities were equally abundant. Tamburlaine has range of plantation starting year from 1966, 1971, and 1985 and of the newest plantation started in 1997 was completed in only 1999. I thought this is where I could implement my ideas to produce great wine organically because wine industry always talks a lot about the preservation and enhancement of terroir, and the uniqueness and character of the wines, and yet adheres and continually adds to chemical management systems that can have such a profound effect on changing the natural attributes of the vineyard environment. I think I did the right thing in the right place.

Q3: Would you share us the challenges that you had in the beginning of your career and how is it different now?

Of course, every great endeavor is full of challenges and viticulture is no exception, particularly organic farming. It was an attempt to an adoption of new natural science, new technologies and a serious and conscious effort to avoid detrimental environmental side effects found in farming principles sold to farmers since World War 2, not only simply giving lip-service to the environmental issues. When the first blocks were audited for the organic certification during the 2001 vintage, Tamburlaine began informing its consumers of what it saw as the advantages of ‘Sustainable’ quality viticulture; as they referred to it, thereby opening the door to the possibility that one day the wines would be entirely organic. But this was by no means a foregone conclusion. 8.5 hectors were used over the few seasons for just testing methods and inputs.

There are a number of reasons that organic wine is slower to catch on here. The main one is that, with more than 2000 wineries in Australia and countless brands, we are spoiled for choice. Australia already has a reputation for "clean and green" viticulture - many grape growers practice eco-friendly viticultural techniques without being certified as some of the nation's 80 or so organic growers - and, in NSW at least, tough liquor licensing laws mean that wine can't be sold in specialty organic shops as it is in Victoria.

While exports of organic wine have increased, especially to Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, local consumption is not growing as rapidly as in other First-World countries. During 2003 in the UK, for instance, sales of organic wines soared by 41 per cent. In Australia, there aren't even any figures on organic wine's market share.



Khem: What are the challenges to maintain organic grape harvesting?

Weeds are a huge issue. This is the last great hurdle for everybody [in organics], But every other aspect of vineyard management, such as fighting fungal diseases and caring for soil and vine nutrition, can be handled "very, very effectively".
I have explored the use of alternative weed controls, including thermal weed control using a steaming unit. But, all organically approved technologies for weed control "are less efficient and ... up to double the expense of a herbicide program".

Similarly, seasons do provide un-expected where serious odium conditions arose (like this year in the Hunter) when our program was geared towards downy and botrytis management. White sulphur is an allowed organic input which we had been avoiding where possible because of its strong biocidel effect but we are obliged to detect and use white sulphur in nominal amount.

Khem: Is there any significant differences in maintaining organic vineyard?
The starting point is the same in organics as for all good viticulture. Look at the factors that exacerbate dieses risk and fix them. This includes implementing a total vineyard drainage plan, amending canopy management, cropping level, fruit shading and trellising height as required. If there is good water availability and soil permeability, ploughing can be kept to a minimum. Cover cropping is useful to manage grasses and multiply organic matter – the organic paradigm is to add to biodiversity rather than create a sterile environment; have nature working for you.

To keep our objectives intact, we have made the following commitment in wine making:
About our vineyards and wine making:
• Vineyards are the key to great wine - the natural expression of each site needs to be preserved and can be degraded.
• No systemic chemicals are used on our fruit.
• The soils are sustained with composts, minerals & natural extracts, and most of all need to be 'alive' with healthy biology.
• Real understanding of vineyards is essential to success with wine - this can't be learnt in books.
• Our continuity of winemaking experience is strength.
• Natural, powerful & distinctive grape flavors are the essence of great wine.
• We avoid over-use of chemical fining and excessive sulphur dioxide.
• We are striving towards a 'zero carbon footprint' for our ongoing business.
• We recycle everything possible to create an unpolluted physical environment as a legacy.


Khem: What is special about your winery from others? In what degree do you involve in issues such as environment protection and public health?

First of all, “we did not inherit the Earth from our forefathers, we are borrowing it from our descendants” therefore it become our primary responsibility to maintain it.
Secondly, we follow two simple philosophies –“Quality not quantity”.

We are a privately owned wine company, with an organic philosophy underpinning our viticulture and winemaking. From two distinct regions of NSW - the Hunter Valley and Orange Highlands, Australia we grow quality grapes using certified organic methods to make our Members Reserve and Gestalt ranges of organic wines.

How it started? Story goes back to 1998 when Mike Daniels (an Environmental Consultant) put in place a series of trials at the vineyard to add value to winery waste solids, previously seen as having little value, by processing these through windrow style worm beds. The resulting product was transformed into a valuable soil conditioner with the potential of reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers.



Khem: What are the remarkable achievements that you can tell us about Tamburlaine?

The most important one is that we have happy and loyal clienteles. On top of that Tamburlaine has bagged the following major awards such as 5 Star rating in James Halliday’s “Australian Wine Companion -2008”, New Castle Environmental achievement awards (Cleaner production & winner overall), Small business award for innovation & Technology (1998),Hunter farmer of the year/ Hunter regional awards for excellence (Wineries)/highly recommended – Australia Post NSW small business awards and winner NSW awards for excellence in Tourism (wineries).

Khem: What are the criteria for wine to be organic?

The main difference between an organic and a non-organic wine is the progeny of the grapes and the use of sulphur dioxide. A standard wine may have 200 parts per million or more of sulphur, but organic winemakers are limited to 125 parts per million and often try to achieve less.

Many people confuse "organic" with "preservative-free" wine. The former is always made with organic grapes using organic methods, whereas the latter has a radically reduced amount of sulphur dioxide, perhaps as few as three parts per million, and is not always made with organically grown grapes. There are three major official certifying buddies in Australia namely: Demeter is the oldest certification seal in Australia, National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia Ltd (NASAA), and Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA), which merged with the Organic Vignerons Association of Australia to get a big toehold in organic wine production.

Khem: Would you share us some of your unforgettable moments during your travel?

Of course, having just been in Nepal on the day the Republic began and witnessing the celebrations - history in the making - that was unforgettable and something very few Australians can talk about. Also waking up in Pokhara on a perfectly clear morning and seeing the Himalayas clearly for the first time (other times they were covered with clouds) was awe-inspiring. It is a truly unique Nepali attraction.

Khem: How do you evaluate the overcome of this entire endeavor?

I see better vineyards, technically –excellent, world-class wines with positive health benefits, environmental benefits beyond a zero carbon footprint, business cost advantages and, now the correct market positioning for the more discerning current and future generation consumer.



Khem: Based on your decades-long experience would you like to give any suggestions to wine consumers?

My tips to wine consumers - find screw cap wines from reputable wine producing countries. Cork is old fashioned and very unreliable. Try and find out if the wines in the shop are kept year round in a cool (below 25deg Celsius) temperature - if not they can be prematurely aged or off altogether. Look at white wines through the bottle - you can see if the same wine in different bottles has become darker in colour (brown) - AVOID these wines, they are oxidized and undrinkable. If the wine tastes bad when you take it home, immediately re-seal it, put it in a refrigerator, & SAP (within a day) take it back to the retailer, show them, ask them to return it to the distributor & to give you a different bottle.

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