2003 The drought vintage

Part 1  New South Wales

Australia has just experienced one of the worst droughts on record. While recent rains have been welcomed, many parts of New South Wales are still experiencing extreme water deficiencies. Vineyard regions of course, are not excluded from the vagaries of the drought, which has had a mixed impact on the New South Wales wine industry. In general, drought leads to lower grape yields, which can translate into higher grape quality if vineyards are managed effectively. So, although there will be less wine produced from the 2003 vintage, the quality should be good.

Droughts are shrouded in negative imagery, yet for grape growers, their impact need not be disastrous. Access to supplementary water and the use of smart, water saving irrigation techniques, means that most grape growers can survive periods of restricted water. However the loss of income associated with low yields can be difficult to sustain. Although some growers receive increased payment for high quality fruit, this is not enough to offset the economic impact of low yields. For some regions, this is the second year of yield reduction, leading to significant financial pressure.

Despite the recent drought being hailed as the worst for the last 100 years, the outlook for grape quality is bright, which is good news for consumers. When a grape vine has access to less water, it restricts its yield by producing smaller berries. Smaller berries generally have concentrated flavours, producing better wine. Sometimes, prolonged drought can upset the pH and acid balance of grapes leading to unbalanced wines. However in areas that had summer rain, such as Orange and the Hunter Valley, this has not been the case.

In the Hunter Valley, both the Upper and Lower regions experienced significantly reduced rainfall. Yields were down an average of 25% in the Upper Hunter and 40% in the Lower Hunter, with reds affected more dramatically than whites. "Although our irrigation practices were better," reported Brett Keeping of the Upper Hunter Winemakers' Association, "irrigation is no substitute for natural rainfall." Fruit quality was good, facilitated by the low yields and the absence of vintage rain, which reduced pest and disease pressures.

In Southern New South Wales, accessibility to water was the key to surviving the drought vintage. Growers in the Canberra District, who had access to supplementary water from dams or bores, experienced only a small reduction in yield. The resulting smaller berries were particularly advantageous to red grape quality, producing wines with a greater concentration of colour, flavour and tannin. However growers in the Hilltops region experienced a tough vintage, due to the lack of available water, with significant reductions in yield result.

The Central Ranges growers certainly felt the effects of the drought, with yields down as much as 50% in some regions. The upshot of this was that red grape quality was excellent. Mudgee reported the best vintage in three years, which should be reflected in the medal tally at the Mudgee Wine Show in August. In Orange, red quality was also good, with some saying it's the best year ever. Rainfall in late February gave red varieties the water boost they needed, however the same rain coincided with the white harvest, thus Chardonnay and Semillon quality suffered. The Cowra region had a solid year, suffering more from the long, hot summer than the lack of rainfall, due to solid supplementary water supplies.

The Big Rivers Zone, inclusive of the Riverina region, showed that irrigation does not replace natural rainfall. Water availability was adequate, maintaining vine health, however yields were down 17% for whites and 11% for reds. Quality was good with the reds displaying good colour and flavour due to small berry size.

The smaller regions along the north and south NSW coast found the drought a positive rather than a negative occurrence. Small yield reductions were experienced in the Hastings River region, with quality exceeding expectations. For the Shoalhaven region south of Sydney, 2003 is being hailed as the best year ever for the vineyards that had access to irrigation.

In general, the drought had a negative impact on grape growers, due to low vine yields. But the above average grape quality is a positive for consumers. Considering that Australia has a surplus of wine, the low yields and high quality in NSW can be seen as good news for the industry. But low yields mean wine quantity will be down, so best to buy your favourites early to avoid disappointment.

© Toni Paterson 2003