One contributing factor in determining vineyard viability is vineyard size. Other factors affecting profitability include yield (tonnes per hectare) and price per tonne.
At 30 April 2024, Vinehealth Australia had 4,642 vineyards on the South Australian Register. The average vineyard size was 16.1 hectares, however, this varied considerably by wine region.
Including only wine regions with 50 vineyards or more (Figure 1), the average vineyard area ranged from 5.8 hectares in the Adelaide Plains, up to 68.6 hectares in Padthaway. All three major regions in the Limestone Coast showed almost double or more the state average vineyard area; being 68.6 hectares in Padthaway, 38.8 hectares in Wrattonbully, and 31.0 hectares in Coonawarra. The average vineyard area in Langhorne Creek of 41.1 hectares is also considerably higher than the state average.
