Yields up in local winegrape crush

THE Bendigo wine region has bucked the national trend by recording a sixty-nine percent increase in grapes crushed for the 2024 vintage.

Figures from the National Vintage Report 2024 reveal a total of 1123 tonnes has been crushed, valued at $1,179,516 (up 59 percent).

The Australian winegrape crush increased year-on-year by nine percent to about 1.43 million tonnes, well below the 10-year average of 1.73 million tonnes.

The Bendigo vintage was made up of 33 percent shiraz grapes, 17 percent cabernet sauvignon and 17 percent merlot, 15 percent pinot gris/grigio, six percent pinot noir, six percent chardonnay, four percent riesling and one percent viognier.

Wine Australia manager, market insights, Peter Bailey said this is the third national vintage in the past five that has been below the 10-year average.

“As a result, we’ve seen the five-year average decrease by over 100,000 tonnes in the past two years,” he said.

“However, the reduction in the crush doesn’t necessarily reflect a decrease in the underlying supply base. There is no indication that the vineyard area has declined significantly, so the potential for a large crop still exists without active management of yields.”

The first grapes were planted in the Bendigo region in 1856, just after the start of the gold rush.

Bendigo’s first vignerons were Jacques Bladier and a German named Delscher, both of whom planted vineyards at Epsom about 1855, and Jean-Baptiste Loridan.

Access the National Vintage Report 2024 on the Wine Australia website.