Extensive new plantings and decent weather combined to create a new Australian vintage harvest record of 1,301,000 tonnes in 2001, up by 14% on the comparatively dismal 2000 season. Comprising 55% of the crush, grapes harvested for red wine have surged over whites, against last year’s 50:50 split. Of the major Australian producers, Beringer Blass propelled this trend towards red wine with 73% of its 89,153 tonne harvest being red grapes, up from 65% in 2000. Its Australian crush was 46% up on 2000 figures, but to offer some perspective, the company’s global take in 2001 (including the 2000 Californian vintage) was 230,521 tonnes. Wine holdings now account for 60% of Foster’s Brewing Group Ltd’s total assets.
