Wine

Vintage 2016 – the facts

Just released by Wine Australia, Winemaker’s Federation of Australia and Wine Grape Growers Australia, the Vintage 2016 Report shows some interesting trends in Australian wine.

The overall national crush was up by 6 per cent or 1.81 million tonnes. The top five white varietals by tonnes crushed were Chardonnay (406, 028), Sauvignon Blanc (100, 769), Pinot Gris and Grigio (73, 372), Semillon (64, 066) and Muscat Gordo Bianco (56,710). The top five red varietals by tonnes crushed were Shiraz (430, 185), Cabernet Sauvignon (255, 074), Merlot (111, 959), Pinot Noir (47, 860) and Petit Verdot (20, 299).

Interestingly, the overall national increase in Australia’s 2016 vintage crush has come from the growing cool climate and temperate regions that saw a 26 per cent increase in fruit crushed. There was a 57 per cent increase from Langhorne Creek, 27 per cent in Tasmania, 9 per cent from Margaret River, and 2 per cent from King Valley.

Source: Wine Australia. http://www.wfa.org.au/information/noticeboard/vintage-2016/