The South Australian winegrape crush was 661,984 tonnes in 2023. This was 18% below the state’s crush in 2022 and 14% below the 10-year average (2013-2022) of 772,799 tonnes.
That’s according to the 2023 South Australian Winegrape Crush Survey Report, which was released on 11 July by Wine Australia and can be found here. Vinehealth Australia contributed the aggregated and deidentified vineyard planting data reports from our South Australian Register.
The report is an essential planning reference and includes:
- State summary statistics by region and variety;
- Planting details for the state, zone and large regions;
- Historical trends and comparisons with previous vintages;
- Regional vintage statistics by variety; and
- Average purchase value per tonne for each variety, and total value of the crush in reported regions.
Other key Crush stats from the report include:
2023 tonnes crushed
- Wrattonbully for two years in a row has seen an over 35% decrease in year on year tonnes crushed.
- The biggest decreases compared to 2022 other than in Wrattonbully were seen in Coonawarra (44% down) and Robe (31% down).
- The Riverland’s crush of 410,888 tonnes was the smallest from the region since 2011, being 19% below 2022, and 12% below the 10-year average.
- The Barossa Valley bucked the trend. This region’s crush was up 33% compared with 2022, and 32% higher than the 10-year average.
- The top five regions by crush volume were the Riverland with 410,888 tonnes, Barossa Valley which crushed 64,952 tonnes, Padthaway with 26,706 tonnes, Langhorne Creek with 26,653 tonnes and McLaren Vale with 26,467 tonnes.
- The red crush of 408,715 tonnes was down 21% compared with 2022, but was 17% higher than the five-year average of 493,879 tonnes. Top two varieties, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, made up 75% of the total.
- The white crush of 253,270 tonnes was down 13% compared to 2022.
2023 crush value
- The total estimated value of the crush was $515 million, 21% less than the $622 million in 2022, reflecting the decreased volume combined with a slight decrease in the overall average value.
- The weighted average prices for the top variety in each major region were mixed:
- McLaren Vale Grenache up 6% to a record $2432/T.
- Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc up 26% to a record $1988/T.
- Barossa Valley Shiraz down for the second year in a row to below $2000/T for the first time since 2014.
- Most other major variety combinations were generally flat.
Planting stats from the report
- Key planting statistics were provided in Vinehealth Australia’s June e-news here and included a net decrease in vineyard area of 668 hectares over the previous 12 months leading a total area of 75,485 hectares, and a decrease of 18 registered vineyard owners on Vinehealth’s Register, to 3,234. Both these statistics have followed the recent decreasing trend over time.
Accessing the Winegrape Crush Survey
- To access the 2023 Report and previously published reports, click here.
- All vintage survey data from 2015 onwards is now also available on the Wine Australia interactive Vintage Survey Dashboard and does not require a login to access.
Got questions?
- For questions relating to crush figures, contact Peter Bailey at Wine Australia via email peter.bailey@wineaustralia.com or phone (08) 8228 2000.
- For questions relating to planting information, contact Vinehealth Australia via email at admin@vinehealth.com.au or phone (08) 8273 0550.