Other than a few bright exceptions in some of the more southerly cool regions, the longer this vintage lasts, the more depressing it’s becoming. And it’s only just begun. Here is some of the latest news: The extended drought has had the dual effect of stressing vines beyond normal levels and reducing crops. Furthermore, the scarcity of quality water in the river areas has led to possibly unprecedented incidence of salinity problems, which is exacerbating the stress issue. The lack of substantial foliage to protect the fruit from the sun’s influence during the heat of the summer has also led to sunburned fruit, which in turn will greatly negate the likely skin quality and therefore the quality of tannins. Additionally, the very rapid ripening being experienced in the lower crops than normal is likely to lead to wines that might yet be made from sugar-ripe fruit, but not from physiologically ripe fruit. Consequently, we are likely to see a large percentage of wines showing under-ripe and over-ripe characters. And if all that wasn’t enough, the recent rains that have pleased so many people have effectively been the final nail in the coffin for many vineyards, especially many in the King Valley and the Pyrenees in Victoria and the Barossa Valley in South Australia. A large number of vineyards in these regions have been affected by widespread fruit splitting, as moisture is quickly pumped up from suddenly saturated soils, through the vine and into the berries. The internal pressure of the fluid inside the grape becomes greater than their skins’ ability to expand and withstand, so the grape skin simply splits open. The fruit’s potential to produce quality wine is immediately compromised and the likelihood of disease is increased dramatically. So, the next time anyone tells you that a small crop is a good crop, do something on behalf of the way Australian grape growers are feeling right now and belt them a solid, low one. If the situation gets any worse, the national crop could fall below 1.2 million tonnes, significantly below last year’s 1.65 million. At least nobody’s talking about a red wine glut any more!
