The Wine Blokes

 

With the 2008 Australian vintage due to begin in less than a week in some parts of Australia, we thought we’d provide a bit of an insight into the planning and organisation that is required.  Sarah Dalkin is a former Grape Grower Liason Officer for Orlando Wyndham, one Australias largest wine producers.  Orlando grow grapes and make wine all over the country and produce a range of products from everyday drinking wine to ultra-premium styles at all price levels.  Sarah has written a short post on some of the aspects involved in Vintage planning.

By Sarah Dalkin.

Wine production is not limited to crushing grapes and making wine.  As most dedicated viticulturists well know, it all starts in the vineyard.   Behind the scenes of most medium to large size wineries is a team of people dedicated to planning for the crush of grapes each vintage. Most planning begins with yield estimates received from grape growers.  This provides the winery with an estimate of the number of tonnes which the grower estimates they will deliver for the coming vintage.  Once estimates are reviewed by the winery they are compared with their own company’s sales forecasts which are normally broken down into individual products. In the past few seasons in Australia, this is where the grape supply imbalance has arisen.  The volume of fruit being produced by grape growers has not matched the wineries sales forecasts therefore creating a surplus situation for many wine categories.  Yield estimates in them selves are difficult to carry out accurately- upto 30% error (more or less!) is common creating havoc for wineries as more tonnes than planned for may be delivered to the winery. 

 Most wine companies pay for their grapes at a market price which is determined using information such as market forces and competition. Once wineries have established their position and made an informed decision about other companies’ position with regard to supply versus demand they can set a price for the grapes that they purchase from grape growers.  Usually prices are set and released to growers early in the new year and just prior to each vintage in January to February.  Pricing may vary from region to region and from variety to variety based on the many forces including consumer preferences, exchange rates, and most importantly seasonal factors including drought, frost and bushfires.   

During vintage, extensive planning is undertaken by winemakers to ensure that each tonne of grapes is allocated a tank in the winery for fermentation and blending.  Machine harvesters, carriers and handpicking teams must also be arranged to meet the winery crushing schedule.  This usually involves numerous phone calls between grape growers and the winery to ensure everything is running to plan (and more often than not- things do not run to plan during vintage).  Another added complexity to vintage is that grapes in many regions of Australia are harvested by machine at night when it is cooler.  This can help to retain flavour and quality of the grapes and also reduces oxidation, however increases the need for long night shifts throughout vintage (which can last anything from 1 week to over 12 weeks in some regions) and which is why winemakers and winery staff often appear less than chipper towards the end of a long vintage of night shift.

 So as you take a sip of the wine you are drinking as you enjoy reading this site, spare a thought for the winemakers, winery staff and the grape grower that go the extra mile to make the wines you enjoy drinking.   Stay tuned for more vintage diary updates on The Wine Blokes TV.