Do you know that Vinehealth Australia has been keeping records of all vineyards planted in South Australia since 1899?
The records show that of the total area of vines planted in SA:
- There are 66,665 hectares of vines aged 0-34 years.
- There are 6,153 hectares of vines aged 35-69 years.
- There are 597 hectares of vines aged 70-99 years.
- There are 147 hectares of vines aged 100 years to 124 years.
- And there are 103 hectares of vines aged 125 years plus.
These 125-year-old-plus vines can be found in the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale, the Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Langhorne Creek and the Riverland. They include 58 hectares of Shiraz in the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare, Coonawarra and Langhorne Creek.
“This rich tapestry of old vine material helps to populate the state with irreplaceable vine stock that underpins our viticultural traditions but also our ambitions,” said Inca Pearce, Vinehealth Australia CEO.
“We also know the importance of vine age to marketing stories, so we’ve been working on the validation steps in our Vineyard Register to ensure vineyard records are always accurate.
“And this year, as part of our 120th birthday celebrations, we’ll be delving into the historic handwritten Vineyard Records and sharing some of the stories of our wonderful old vines here in SA.”