Jason Kinsella
February 20, 2017
A two-week heatwave that struck the South Burnett earlier this month has claimed a casualty: a big slice of the region’s 2017 grape harvest.
What was looking like a bumper harvest at the start of February has been wiped away, with tonnages down by between 10 and 60 per cent across the region’s vineyards.
At the South Burnett Wine Industry Association’s first meeting for 2017 on Monday night, local wine producers reported they had all suffered crop losses from the heat.
Some smaller growers didn’t bother to harvest at all this year, leaving their vines for lorikeets to pick clean.
In Kingaroy, Kingsley Grove winemaker Simon Berry estimated his crop will be 50 to 60 per cent below normal.
“The quality will be very good,” Simon said, “but we lost a big amount because of the weather.”
Cranes Winery owners Bernie and Judy Cooper said they had only finished harvesting on Friday, but were disappointed with the amount they collected.
Dr Susan Mercer, from Clovely Estate, said she thought tonnages were down too, but noted the effect varied from one grape variety to another.
Early harvest wine grapes, which had been picked before the heatwave struck, suffered fewer losses than the late harvest varieties.
Moffatdale Ridge owner Jason Kinsella estimated his own harvest was 10 to 15 per cent below normal this year, too, and also attributed it to the heat.
Mr Kinsella, who is also president of the Wine Industry Association, said he was confident the quality of the grapes harvested in the region this year will produce outstanding wines.
Historically, hot dry summers in the South Burnett usually produce better grapes at harvest. And most of the region’s medal-winning wines have come after hot, dry growing years.
But this year the heatwave – which included three days of record-breaking temperatures on February 11-13 – lasted too long for many vines to withstand.
Mr Kinsella said the crop losses were disappointing, particularly since they came so close to harvest, but the wine industry weren’t the only agricultural producers in the South Burnett having a tough summer.
“Many other farmers have been struggling with the weather,” he said.
“All we can really do is hope for a better year next time around.”
