WHITES THE SHINING LIGHTS IN AUST WINE INDUSTRY
PRICE increases for white winegrapes are expected to push into the double digits next year as consumer demand for chardonnays and other varietals continues to grow, the chief executive of one of Australia’s premier white producers says.
This comes as Wine
Australia’s National Vintage Report, released on Tuesday, has estimated the total winegrape crush from the 2022 harvest at 1.73 million tonnes.
This figure is 13.5 per cent below the record of
2.0 million tonnes crushed last year, and 2 per cent below the 10-year average of 1.78 million tonnes.
The reduction is equivalent to about 190 million litres of wine.
The value of the harvest fell further, down an estimated 22 per cent, or $335m, to come in at $1.21bn.
Red winegrape prices fell by 15 per cent to $707 per tonne, while the average value for whites was up 2 per cent to $548 per tonne.
Jared Stringer, the chief executive of Adelaide Hills winery The Lane Vineyard, said the 2022 vintage was high quality and demand for white grapes was intensifying.
“2022 was outstanding, another really good follow up from 2021 which was an incredible vintage,” he said.
Mr Stringer said he was not surprised to hear that white winegrape prices had continued to appreciate, with some of the major wine companies competing with their smaller counterparts for premium product.
Mr Stringer said while red wine producers had taken a hit, particularly due to the closure of the Chinese market, white sales domestically had been doing very well.
“Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and all of those white varieties are absolutely going gangbusters,’’ he said.
Mr Stringer said he expected that white prices would likely experience double digit increases next year.
“The prices are just going through the roof,’’ he said.