Bryce Rankine brings deep wine science links to heading South Australia's Roseworthy college oenology in 1978
Roseworthy college winemaker Jeff Anderson and head of the school of oenology and viticulture Dr Bryce Rankine with a Cuno stainless steel cartridge filter donated by the American Machine and Foundry Company (said to be "the latest advance in non-asbestos wine filtration"). At right: Rankine's classic text Making good wine.
Bryce Rankine enhanced the international reputation of South Australia’s Roseworthy Agriculture College oenology when he brought his deep wine science to running its course in 1978.
After working in CSIRO oenological investigations at Waite Agricultural Research Institute, Rankine joined the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) with Dr John Fornachon just after its started in 1955. His initial work was on yeasts, fermentation, ethanol, lead content and other metals in Australian wines, treating wine with ion-exchange resins and preventing potassium bitartrate in wine.
Rising to principal research scientist, Rankine, over 22 years at the research institute, published more than 250 papers, including for peer-reviewed journals such as: American Journal of Enology and Viticulture; Annales de Technologie Agricole; Australian Journal of Applied Science; Connaissance de la Vigne et du Vin; Food Technology in Australia; Mitteilungen Klosterneuburg Rebe und Wein Obstbau und Früchteverwertung; and Vitis.
Rankine visited wineries and regions to help winemakers with production issues, and he started AWRI’s help desk service. He brought back information from overseas conferences about production practices in other countries, preparing papers for the Council of The Australian Wine Research Institute: Observations on wine making and wine research in France, Germany, Switzerland and California (1967); and The South African wine industry – a technical appraisal (1971). When Rankine became head of school of viticulture and oenology at Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1978, he was probably Australia’s most prominent wine scientist and well-known internationally.
He presided over the diploma of oenology’s change to a bachelor of applied science (Oen), with more emphasis on basic sciences, and the graduate diploma in wine from 1980, allowing many science graduates to enter the wine industry. He raised Roseworthy’s profile through his extensive network of wine scientists and high-level contacts. He encouraged greater emphasis of the viticulture in the oenology degree and the degree in viticulture had its first intake of students soon after he retired.
A prolific writer, Rankine’s books included Making good wine (1989, with a Spanish edition), Wines and wineries of the Barossa Valley (1971), Tasting and enjoying wine (1990), Sparkling wines: (with Armstrong and Linton, 1994), History of the Australian wine industry – evolution of the modern Australian wine industry: (1996), Refrigeration for winemakers ( with White and Adamson, 1989).
Dr Rankine’s many honours included: Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1969); American Society of Enology and Viticulture Outstanding paper of the year (1971), first Australian on the editorial panel of their Journal, honorary life member (1993); fellow, Australian Institute Food Science and Technology (1971); Member of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin of Burgundy (1973); fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1976); member of the Order of Australia (1986), Maurice O’Shea Award (1998).
