Dear Valued Customers,
Welcome to the Fourth Edition of the Winechek Newsletter in December 2025, called Precision Matters.
As we wrap up 2025, we’re raising a glass to a year defined by community and collaboration across Australia’s wine and cider landscape. Winechek’s footprint has grown further than ever, with proud support Australia-wide.
In October-November, we celebrated innovation through our sponsorship of the ASVO Science & Technology Awards, connected with industry leaders at the IWAG Interwinery Analysis Seminar, and cheered on creativity as sponsors of the 25th Australian Cider Awards in Sydney. We’re also delighted to support excellence in cool-climate winemaking as sponsors of the Best Red Blend in Show at the 2025 Mornington Peninsula Wine Show.
Thank you to everyone we’ve shared a conversation, tasting, or idea with this year. Here’s to an even more connected and flavour-filled 2026!
Cheers from all of us at Winechek—see you in 2026!
November brings the community together once again with the Interwinery Analysis Group (IWAG) Conference, a key annual event focused on wine analysis, laboratory practice, and emerging technologies. We look forward to connecting with colleagues, sharing insights, and diving into the latest developments shaping the future of quality assurance in the wine sector.
As part of the program, Winechek contributed a presentation on the present and future of Vintessential test kits, exploring how evolving tools can support more efficient and accurate wine analysis. The team also took part in the panel discussion, adding perspective to the broader conversation on industry challenges and opportunities.
A big thank-you to the IWAG organisers for hosting such a valuable and engaging event. We look forward to continuing the conversation and supporting industry growth.
Picture above left to right: Dr Victoria Hughes - Vintessential R&D Manager/State manager Winechek VIC; Dr Carly Gamble - Technical manager/State Manager WA; Karen Rosenzweig - SA Laboratory supervisor; Dr Alana Seabrook - Operations manager/ Vintessential international sales.
On November 13th, the spotlight shone brightly at the ASVO Awards, where excellence in viticulture and oenology was recognised nationally. A special congratulations goes to Prof Kerry Wilkinson, winner of the prestigious ASVO Science & Technology Award, honoured for her innovative work and ongoing contributions to advancing analytical excellence in winemaking.
The Science and Technology Award was created to support scientific minds in the wine industry who don't always get the limelight. Prof Kerry Wilkinson has contributed enormously to the knowledge we have on Smoke taint and is a wonderful collaborator with industry and other research bodies alike.
Picture above left to right: Dr Victoria Hughes, R&D Manager, Vintessential test kits/State manager, Winechek VIC, Prof. Kerry Wilkinso, The University of Adelaide; Dr Alana Seabrook - Operations manager/ Vintessential international sales.
Celebrating the Cider Awards 2025!
The Australian Cider Awards for 2025 were held in Sydney on October 30th. It was a fantastic celebration of craftsmanship, innovation, and community within the cider industry — and Winechek was proud to be a sponsor of this year’s awards night.
It was inspiring to see so many passionate producers, judges, and supporters come together to recognise the best in Australian cider. Congratulations to all the winners and participants who continue to raise the bar for quality and creativity in the industry!
Winechek are pleased to support the Mornington Peninsula Wine Show, with the presentation lunch being held on Thursday, the 13th of November at Crittenden. The lunch was a great celebration of the Trophy Winners as well as a wonderful opportunity to come together as a wine community.
Winechek sponsored the Best Red Varietal or blend - won by Foxeys Hangout with their 2024 Shiraz. Winechek would like to congratulate all the winners on their win.
Our latest fact sheet is now live, offering clear guidance on how the Vintessential Acetic Acid Test Kit can be used to measure volatile acidity (VA) in wine expressed as acetic acid. The resource explains why acetic acid is the major contributor to VA, and how these results typically correlate with VA values reported by laboratories.
ACEDIT ACID VS VOLATILE ACIDITY FACT SHEET - NEW WINECHEK 2025
For a limited time, Vintessential is offering incredible deals to help you perfect your winemaking analysis.
Here’s what’s on offer:
Buy 1 Get 1 FREE – SO₂ Autoanalyser Kits
Purchase one SO₂ Autoanalyser Kit (Free or Total) and receive the Standard Kit FREE
Buy 1 Get 1 FREE – Spectro Kits
Buy one SO₂ Standards Spectro Kit and receive a Total Spectro Kit FREE — double the value for the same price!
20% OFF – SO₂ Standards - New 2025
Stock up and save 20% on all Vintessential SO₂ Standards — ideal for maintaining precision and consistency in your lab.
Free and total SO₂ kits with every Absorbance one CORE pack - New 2025
Now with new customised software, the Vintessential Absorbance ONE portable spectrophotometer enables you to perform absolutely accurate sulfure results in your own site. Ideal for maintaining precision and consistency in your lab.
