Rate My Professor Leigh Schmidtke

Professor Leigh Schmidtke is a Professor of Oenology in the Faculty of Science and Health at Charles Sturt University, affiliated with the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences. He obtained his PhD in Oenology from Charles Sturt University in 2011, with a thesis on the effects of micro-oxygenation on oak flavour compounds in Shiraz wine. His earlier qualifications include a Master of Applied Science (Research) in Microbiology from the University of Tasmania in 1996, investigating Enterococcus seriolicida L-forms and antigen recognition by rainbow trout, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Tasmania in 1991, and a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning from Charles Sturt University in 2004. Schmidtke has been with Charles Sturt University for over 23 years. He served as Director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre since 2016 and as Director of the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation from 2019 until the launch of the Gulbali Institute in 2022. His career emphasizes leadership in agricultural innovation and wine science research centers.

Schmidtke's research focuses on analytical chemistry relating to grape and wine analysis, wine production systems, and wine microbiology. Key areas include chemometrics, metabolomics, complex data analysis, natural product chemistry, data modelling, and rapid methods using infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to assess abiotic and biotic impacts on grapevine performance, berry composition, and wine style. Notable publications comprise 'Grapevine bunch rots: impacts on wine composition, quality, and potential procedures for the removal of wine faults' (2013, 224 citations), 'Production technologies for reduced alcoholic wines' (2012, 216 citations), 'Oenological traits of Lachancea thermotolerans show signs of domestication and allopatric differentiation' (2018, 146 citations), 'Changes in volatile composition and sensory attributes of wines during alcohol content reduction' (2017, 118 citations), 'Effect of leaf removal and ultraviolet radiation on the composition and sensory perception of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon Blanc wine' (2014, 105 citations), and recent works such as 'Discrimination of Healthy and Botrytis cinerea-Infected Grapes Using Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis with Direct Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry' (2025). He has earned the ASVO Viticulture Paper of the Year Award (2014), Australian Awards for University Teaching in Microbiology (2013), Office of Learning & Teaching Citation for Team Teaching (2013), Vice Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Microbiology (2012), Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award for Team Teaching (2012), and contributed to the National Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision (2020). Schmidtke serves as an editor for the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research (2024).