Wine Disaster Down Under? Aussies Say “Not So!”

The demise of Australia’s 2008 vintage has been grossly overestimated, according to the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, that country’s industry/government wine organization.

“Recent reports of high temperatures across parts of South Eastern Australia are likely to impact the predicted yields of the 2009 harvest,” said the AWBC, ” however it is too early in the season to make quality assessments and it is clear that Australian wine supply is not threatened. ”

California wineries whose market share has been battered by Yellow Tail and other Aussie brands, have been quietly hoping that the warm weather in Australia would start to diminish the global glut (see: Aussie Heat Wave Could Dry Up Glut).

According to the AWBC, ” Most reports from affected wine regions rate the downgrading at between 10% and 20%. The most likely impact of the sustained period of high temperatures will be to bring the season forward and to shorten it – thereby presenting Australian winemakers with some logistical challenges during harvest.”

The AWBC said its annual Harvest Update will be released on 27 February 2009.