Hot start to grape harvest

HOT, dry weather has given an uninterrupted start to this year's wine grape harvest in Victoria's North East.

But last month's heatwave conditions have taken a toll on the crop, with yields dropping an average 10-20 per cent in Rutherglen vineyards.

Dryland vineyards have struggled with low rainfall, resulting in small berry size and bunch weights.

Growers also fear this year's vintage could be affected by bushfire smoke and have been testing samples for chemical compounds causing smoke taint.

Rutherglen, King valley, Alpine valley, Glenrowan and Beechworth vineyards are expected to harvest 28,700 tonnes from 3100ha this year.

Victorian Department of Primary Industries' Grapecheque facilitator Ricky James said the dry season and lighter yields would result in some good-quality wines.

Rutherglen grape growers began picking chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, reisling and marsanne in late January.

Further east in the King Valley, some promising sauvignon blanc and pinot gris are emerging.

Hand and machine harvesting of the King Valley's cool-climate varieties began early last month.

The region's 75 growers will harvest 11,000 tonnes of grapes from 1600ha to supply 22 local wineries.

King Valley Vignerons Incorporated president Neville Bussell said mild growing conditions had resulted in growers saving irrigation water until early January.

Mr Bussell said isolated patches of vines had succumbed to the drought but the major concern was smoke taint from the bushfires.

He said samples had been taken from a range of grape varieties throughout the valley on a weekly basis to test for chemical compounds that cause smoke taint.

"Up until February 25, all results showed no detected levels of smoke-indicator compounds," Mr Bussell said.

"Testing will continue until harvest is finished in late April."

Mr Bussell said the valley had escaped relatively unscathed from heatwave-induced sunburn in January and February.