WINE grape growers north-west of Waikerie are frantically trying to rescue their crops ahead of vintage after “tornado-like” winds hit their vineyards during a severe thunderstorm earlier this month.
Oxford Landing Estate’s Qualco vineyard manager and regional viticulturist, Glynn Muster, said the storm was expected to cost his company at least $100,000 prior to vintage.
The wine grape harvest across the region is expected to start in the next few days.
Mr Muster said up to 60 rows of vines were blown over at Oxford Landing Estate’s Qualco vineyard and 30mm of rain fell in the area on January 12.
He said the wind must have ripped through parts of Qualco like a tornado, as a few other neighbouring vineyards were also affected.
“The thunderstorms were very localised, it was like playing a game of Russian Roulette looking at the radar and thinking, ‘Has it hit the vineyard or not?’,” he said last week.
“Some people were lucky and others not so lucky.”
Mr Muster said it was crucial for all the vines to be picked up off the ground as quickly as possible to prevent grapes from botrytis damage.
“We have six or seven people working with tractors and purpose-built machinery to pick up trellises, and put in new trellises and new droppers,” Mr Muster said.
“They have been working eight to 10 hours a day and we will probably work through to Australia Day.”
Mr Muster said staff were praying for no more rain in the area this week while vines laden with fruit were still on the ground, as this would increase the risk of grapes developing bunch rot.
“If we can lift the trellis up and ensure the bunches, and canopies are above ground and get plenty of air flow and dry out, we will be fine,” he said.
Mr Muster said it was the worst part of the wine-grape growing season for vine trellises to be blown over.
“It was a bit strange,” he said. “The front path of the vineyard was not affected at all, but there was a strip of about half a kilometre of vines that were blown down.”
Mr Muster said dozens of gum trees were also blown over, with about 40 to 60 landing on vines.
He said growers in Sunlands and Ramco also experienced hail during a thunderstorm on January 11.
Mr Muster said the Riverland vintage overall still looked promising for growers who were unaffected by severe thunderstorms and hail in November and two weeks ago.
“If you missed all that, I think we are shaping up for a pretty healthy vintage,” he said.
Mr Muster said the mild summer temperatures were ideal conditions for producing wine grapes.
“Crop levels look solid, quality so far looks pretty good,” he said.