Cath Kidman
A CURIOUS MIND
Viticulturist and researcher Dr Catherine Kidman is helping to unlock the mysteries of Cabernet Sauvignon and shape the future of grape growing in Australia.
At Coonawarra’s famous Wynns Coonawarra Estate, renowned for its world-class Cabernet and Shiraz wines, Cath is involved in cutting-edge trials and new technologies to improve the quality of the vines and wines. She’s also looking at ways to make the vineyards more environmentally sustainable in a changing climate. It all started with a childhood fascination with plants.
Life among the vines
At a leading winery in one of Australia’s most celebrated wine regions, Cath is experimenting with innovative ways to produce better fruit while leaving a smaller environmental footprint. She joined Wynns Coonawarra Estate in 2011 and has played a key role in keeping the winery at the forefront of viticulture and winemaking.
It’s a job well suited to her curious nature. Growing up near Victoria’s Yarra Valley wine region, Cath was always fascinated by plants. Her parents were wine lovers – and today run Kidman Wines in Coonawarra – and Cath became intrigued by grapevines. She studied and worked in agriculture and viticulture and completed a PhD in 2014.
“The grapevine as a plant is constantly challenging you and behaving differently each season, and I love that,” says Cath. “I think of the grapevines as having these little personalities, they’re all quite unique. I’m still learning even after all this time and I think that’s what keeps me going.”
Viticulturist and researcher Dr Catherine Kidman is helping to unlock the mysteries of Cabernet Sauvignon and shape the future of grape growing in Australia.
As part of Wynns’ acclaimed viticulture team, Cath is exploring ways to improve the quality of the vineyards while mitigating the effects of climate change. She’s helping to trial new technologies and techniques to take Wynns into the future.
“There’s so much scope within this field for innovation and new knowledge,” she says.
Cabernet is a challenging vine to grow, and Cath and the team are exploring new irrigation techniques to improve their vines. They’re also pinpointing the vines that produce the best fruit and working to propagate them.
“We have some of the oldest Cabernet vines in Coonawarra and we’re really wanting to unlock what makes these vines so special,” says Cath. “I’ve been really excited to work with a team that’s keen to unlock some of the mysteries of Cabernet.”
There’s so much scope within the field of viticulture for innovation and new knowledge.” – Cath Kidman
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