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Wine production climbs 27pc

Posted on November 28, 2008, 11:11am

Wine production has gone up, but lower domestic sales and a drop in exports has led to increased wine stocks according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The total grape crush for 2007-08 came in at 1.8 million tonnes, up by nearly a third (31pc) on last year; this produced 1.2 billion litres of wine, up just over a quarter (27pc).

The total area of grape vines (166,000 hectares) was slightly higher than last year, and with production up, yield rose to 11.8 tonnes per hectare (from 9.3 last year).

Red/rosé wine production grew by 40pc to 673 million litres; white wine production was 553 million litres (up 15pc).

While production was up, exports of Australian wine fell 9pc (to 715 million litres) and domestic sales dropped by 5pc (to 426 million litres); the United Kingdom remained the largest importer of Australian wine, taking 268 million litres valued at $895 million.

The combination of higher production and lower sales saw winemaker’s inventories rise 5pc to 1.9 billion litres, with red/rosé wines representing nearly two thirds of the stock on hand.

Australia’s largest winemakers crushed a total of 1.3 million tonnes of grapes (71pc of the total crush), averaging 92,000 tonnes each, while the smallest winemakers averaged 97 tonnes each.

A third of all winemaking locations were in South Australia, representing 45pc of the national crush.

Nearly all (88pc) vineyards in Australia used irrigation this season; average water consumption was 3.2 megalitres per hectare, with drip or micro spray irrigation the most common form of watering.

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