Our second industry expert from our autumn 2023 edition of SA Farmer. Wine Grape Council of SA Region Two chair, Adrian Hoffmann, speaks about the 2023 vintage, grower optimism and fruit quality.
Will it be a later vintage in the Barossa this year?
I would say at this stage it will definitely be a week or two later than a usual season. Most people are starting to see a little bit of colour in the southern Barossa, but I don’t think there’s too much poking through at the moment.
How did wet conditions in summer affect the vines?
The cooler temperatures during spring led to more vegetative growth, and there was high disease pressure during spring, but most growers got through that. People could see some remnants of downy and powdery mildew that was in the vines, but most of the vines have come through well.
People are a bit concerned if it might turn into a wet February and wet vintage, but at this stage most growers are cautiously optimistic.
How is the quality of fruit looking heading into vintage?
Crop levels seem to be average, or slightly below average, but it all depends on how they pull out. We would like warm weather to bring the vintage forward, but warm weather would also restrict the berry size a bit.
We’re aiming for a good-quality season, and we don’t need too much surplus. The growers that have their fruit sold are looking at a good quality marc.
The fruit is developing at a different time. It was good to have some heat because that slowed down the growth of the vine, and we needed some heat to start the vines transitioning to putting energy into the fruit.
It’s all looking pretty good and fairly manageable at this stage. From a wine perspective the grenache is lighter than last year, and the shiraz quality will be there. We’ve got some blocks that are quite light and others that have a reasonable amount of fruit, so there’s a degree of variability and opportunities for many qualities to be grown.
Will there be any challenges accessing equipment for vintage?
I don’t think there’ll be any issues in getting equipment for vintage. There were some challenges early in the season, but we’re looking at a pretty normal season at this stage. The vineyard has dried out and most people are looking at their preparations for vintage.
What are the most important factors for growers leading into vintage?
Growers just need to be diligent. If they haven’t sold their fruit, make their blocks look presentable for potential buyers coming in. Winemakers don’t want to be wading around in knee-high grass when looking at fruit.
The little bit of water people are putting on now goes a long way, because there’s plenty of subsoil moisture as well. We can make the vines work a bit harder this year because the moisture is in the soil.
There’s optimism among growers despite the current industry challenges?
Some growers are doing it extremely tough, but for growers who are building those relationships with the wineries, there’s no reason to be pessimistic. It’s looking like a very good season for 2023.
Those lines of communication have to keep going. The industry is in a tough spot.
Shiraz, cabernet and merlot are the varieties in oversupply, but most of the other varieties are in balance, or in demand.
