| Summary |
 This report provides estimates of wine grape production for the 2007-08 vintage and production projections for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Estimates have been made for specialist, multi-purpose and minor wine grape varieties in each of Australia’s wine grape producing regions.
This year, reflecting the increased coverage of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) vineyards survey, it was decided to discontinue the use of the Australian Regional Winegrape Crush Survey to calibrate ABS vine bearing area data. As a result, the ABS vineyards survey is the sole source of the vine bearing area data used as the basis of the production projections.
The Victorian bushfires of 2009 caused widespread destruction and have placed significant stress on grape and wine producers. Because of this, yield estimates for Victoria at the variety and region level were not available for this report. For 2008-09, forecast yields for all varieties in all regions of Victoria (other than the Murray Valley) have been reduced by 30 per cent relative to 2007-08. This decline reflects the expected impact on wine grape production of high temperatures, bushfire and bushfire effect (primarily smoke taint). |
| Wine grape production in 2007-08 |
Wine grape production in 2007-08 is estimated to have been 1.8 million tonnes, around 30 per cent higher than the 2006-07 harvest of 1.4 million tonnes. The increase in production in 2007-08 was largely caused by a recovery in yields relative to 2006-07. Yields increased because growers purchased water to meet irrigation requirements and growing conditions in non-irrigated regions improved.
In 2007-08, warm climate regions continued to account for the majority of wine grapes produced in Australia, with a share of around 60 per cent of total production. This share was lower than in 2006-07 (67 per cent), reflecting the improvement in seasonal conditions which occurred in cool climate regions in 2007-08. Cool climate regions accounted for around 60 per cent of the total increase in wine grape production in 2007-08.
Reflecting the predominance of red wine grapes in cool climate regions and the relatively large increase in production which occurred in these regions, red wine grapes accounted for the majority of grapes produced in 2007-08. This represents a return to the historical norm, after the unusual predominance of white wine grape varieties in 2006-07. In 2007-08, shiraz accounted for the largest share of wine grape production with 24 per cent of the total, followed by chardonnay with 23 per cent and cabernet sauvignon with 14 per cent. |
| Wine grape production 2008-09 to 2010-11 |
Wine grape production in 2008-09 is forecast to be 1.6 million tonnes, a reduction of 13 per cent from 2007-08. This forecast fall reflects ongoing shortages of water for irrigation in some regions, high temperatures in late January and early February 2009, and bushfires in Victoria. These factors have placed stress on wine grape production, particularly in south-eastern Australia.
Declines in overall grape production in 2008-09 are forecast to be greatest in the warm inland regions of Murray-Darling – Swan Hill and the Riverland. Production is also forecast to fall in many cool climate regions, particularly the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and the Yarra Valley.
Assuming seasonal conditions improve, wine grape production in 2009-10 is forecast to increase by 14 per cent to 1.8 million tonnes. This forecast primarily reflects higher yields, because the bearing area of wine grapes is expected to increase only slightly. Continuing this trend, wine grape production is projected to rise to 1.9 million tonnes in 2010-11. The expected increase in the bearing area of vines reflects the maturation of recently planted vines and the assumption that there will be no net vine removals over the projection period. |
 |
| Production of wine grapes in Australia |
|
|
|
estimated
production |
projected production |
|
|
|
|
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
2009-10 |
2010-11 |
|
kt |
kt |
kt |
kt |
|
|
|
| Chardonnay |
428 |
363 |
412 |
432 |
| Colombard |
59 |
51 |
60 |
66 |
| Semillon |
100 |
94 |
103 |
106 |
| Other |
169 |
152 |
175 |
183 |
|
| Total |
757 |
660 |
750 |
787 |
|
7 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
| Cabernet sauvignon |
258 |
225 |
259 |
264 |
| Merlot |
125 |
110 |
124 |
125 |
| Shiraz |
442 |
384 |
435 |
449 |
| Other |
93 |
77 |
86 |
88 |
|
| Total |
919 |
795 |
904 |
927 |
|
28 |
24 |
28 |
29 |
|
| Total |
1 837 |
1 594 |
1 819 |
1 902 |
|
|
| |
