Wine Australia has selected Adelaide-based Consilium Technology to scan all of the vineyards in the country using high-resolution satellite images and advanced machine learning.

As part of this initiative, 65 wine-growing regions in Australia will be mapped to form a  national vineyard census.

The scans will be repeated for two years using geospatial artificial intelligence for agriculture (GAIA) software.

The first scan is expected to be completed by mid-next year. It will record the geo-location of every vineyard block in the country, the area of vineyards for each geographical indication and the length of the vineyard rows in each region.

“The maps will be delivered in an online interface that will be able to be accessed by Australia’s grape growers.”

The information gathered from the scan is also expected to help Australia’s biosecurity activities and wine label integrity.

Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark said: “The national scan is an exciting opportunity as it will allow Australia for the first time to have a scalable and repeatable method to measure vineyard area.

“Through the investment, the maps will also be delivered in an online interface that will be able to be accessed by Australia’s grape growers.”

Wine Australia’s agreement with Consilium Technology builds on a successful pilot scheme, which was carried out in the Margaret River and Tasmania regions earlier this year. In the pilot, the GAIA software delivered scans with more than 90% accuracy.

Clark added: “GAIA’s pilot of Margaret River and Tasmania demonstrated the technology can deliver accurate, timely and cost-effective information about Australia’s vineyards and it is exciting that its capabilities will continue to grow as it learns from the information it receives. We are extremely pleased with the results.”