Wine’s a plenty

When most vignerons would be pushing the panic button, the team at James Estate is using the global wine glut as an opportunity to perfect their product.

Concern has been raised over the global demand for wine, with research revealing the international wine market is inundated with wine.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics vineyards around Australia are producing less wine in order to combat the excessive supply.

But James Estate general manager and senior wine maker Graeme Scott said while they harvested fewer grapes this year compared to last year, the glut was not the reason.

Last year’s harvest saw the winery, situated at Baerami, produce 960 tonne, whereas this year they produced about 600 tonne, only due to weather damaged grapes.

The amount of wine they took in from outside growers also decreased from around 90 tonne to 20 tonne.

The vineyard is currently harvesting with the cabernet to be harvested in about a week.

Mr Scott said the vines were producing great fruit so far this year; however it has been a very different vintage for whites, shiraz and merlot.

“They have ripened very early, about two weeks earlier, which has meant they have produced very concentrated wine,” Mr Scott said.

When asked how the glut was affecting James Estate, Mr Scott said they were quite positive as far as wine sales were concerned with an increase of 51 per cent in cellar door sales last year.

James Estate has established a base in China, where most of their international selling occurs.

Mr Scott said the decreased demand had allowed James Estate the opportunity to try different things in the vineyard, including different pruning and irrigation methods.

“It’s allowing us to see how much we can improve the product with reduced yielding,” he said.

Mr Scott said he believes a massive period of over planting right throughout Australia may have contributed to the glut.

“Because of the success of the Australian wine industry people thought lets jump on the band wagon.

“There will be people that will have to remove grapes because of it,” Mr Scott said.

“Ideally, I’d like to think we will all continue to grow.”