Oli and Tara Madgett at the site in McLaren Vale. Image courtesy Vircura

A grapegrower based in Willunga, part of the winegrowing region McLaren Vale in South Australia, said he had to pull out some of his vines because they were no longer economically viable. Working in conjunction with plant-based technology company Vircura, Oli Madgett and his wife Tara Madgett have now planted the first commercial agave crop in South Australia on their block in Willunga, growing the plants to primarily produce agave spirit.

“We were looking at what we could do with our land and how we could make it sustainable,” explained Oli Madgett.

“Wine grapes have relatively high inputs and our vines were A-grade, which meant we were hand-pruning and picking and watering. Having a three to six-year growth period with agave allows us to put all of the building blocks together and help create a strong and sustainable industry, without too many touch points.”

The Willunga site will grow 1,200 agave tequilana plants, which is also known as blue agave – the key ingredient in tequila, and is only grown and distilled in certain areas of Mexico. In Australia, it can be used to make agave spirit.

Vircura general manager Adam Djekic said that the plants would take between three and six years to grow, and once at maturity, the company would partner with the Madgetts  to find a buyer interested in distilling.

“Agave crops are completely new to South Australia and we see it as an emerging commercial industry,” said Djekic. “Tequila is one of the fastest growing spirits popularity-wise internationally, and it is an industry which could grow significantly in Australia over the coming years.

“Agave could provide a new direction for many grapegrowers who want to stay in agriculture but are questioning their future viability or wanting to diversify.”

Vircura chief scientific officer Professor Rachel Burton, who is a specialist in plant molecular biology and functional genomics, has been working on emerging plant species including agave.

“Agave is a wonder plant that has many uses and is hardy and drought resistant, making it perfect for our climate. The tequilana plants should thrive in the soils of the McLaren Vale basin,” Dr Burton said.

“There are many uses for the agave plant, including processing for bioethanol, hydrogen production or distillation for spirits.

“By growing crops in South Australia and showing the agricultural community that it’s a hardy plant which grows well here, we might encourage others to join an emerging industry where there are significant opportunities.”

The Willunga site is also being used for research and development, with the Madgetts growing other varieties, potentially testing how by-products can be used and how strategic planting can lead to more sustainable farming practices.

As well as distilling, the agave plant can be converted to silage for stock feed and potentially the fibres used in building materials, similar to industrial hemp.

Madgett said that it was also fire resistant, which meant it could be strategically planted as a firebreak around vineyards or in other regions to protect crops from bushfires.

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