The 2023 vintage for Australian wine is predicted to be the smallest in over two decades, according to the National Vintage Survey 2023, due to adverse weather conditions and a decline in global demand.
The 2023 Australian winegrape crush is expected to be the lowest reported since 2000, with a 24% decrease from the 2022 crush of 1.73 million tonnes and a 26% drop below the 10-year average of 1.78 million tonnes.
This decline translates to a reduction of 465,000 tonnes compared to an average vintage, representing approximately 325 million liters of wine.
However, a silver lining to this small crush is that it alleviates stock pressure from previous vintages. The reduced vintage is anticipated to relieve some of the inventory strain experienced by wineries as a result of China’s wine freeze.
By color, the crush of red grapes in 2023 is estimated to be 711,777 tonnes, reflecting a 26% decrease of 247,120 tonnes compared to 2022 and a 25% drop below the 10-year average of 943,146 tonnes.
In contrast, the white grapes’ crop is estimated to be 605,321 tonnes, indicating a decrease of 169,601 tonnes or a 22% decline from 2022, and a 28% decrease below its 10-year average of 839,013 tonnes.
South Australia remains the largest contributor to the crush in terms of wine producing regions, holding a 55% share of the total, despite experiencing its second-smallest crush since 2007. New South Wales follows as the second-largest contributor with 27% of the crush, while Victoria accounts for 13%. Western Australia, which had an overall successful season, increased its share to 3.5%, while Tasmania and Queensland each contributed slightly less than 1%.
