Queensland wine shortage flagged after bad weatherdamages vineyards

By Alyse Edwards

Posted April 30, 2015 15:44:21

Grape growers in southern Queensland have wrapped up a season blighted by bad weather whichhas damaged up to 90 per cent of some crops.

Hail and storms ravaged many vineyards in the usually prosperous Granite Belt and MountTamborine regions in the state's south, which is expected to lead to a shortage of Queensland winesin two years' time.

Angelo Puglisi, from Ballandean Estate Wines, said his crop on the Granite Belt was one of the worstaffected.

On Christmas eve one of his vineyards was hit by hail, damaging 90 per cent of the crop.

That particular vineyard normally yields between 120 to 130 tonnes of grapes, but only about sixtonnes has been salvaged.

"It was a bad Christmas present to get," he said.

To worsen the situation, weeks of wet weather pushed the harvest back later than usual, meaningthat some of the remaining crop has over ripened on the vine.

"After three days of rain, the fruit was getting a lot of mould on it and we had to harvest."

The Granite Belt is not the only region to suffer.

Vineyards closer to the coast, near Mount Tamborine, also reported losses of up to 50 per cent.

Less wine from the region will be made this year which will lead to a shortage on the shelves inabout two years' time.

Leeanne Puglisi Gangemi, also from Ballandean Estate Wines, said it may affect their wholesalecustomers.

"We will be running out of some wines, mostly red wines," she said.

"So our customers may miss out on some of their favourites but it will be a little while coming sothey'll be well prepared for it."

Sales at the cellar door will sustain the business.

The wine glut across Australia has allowed her family to bottle extra wine during the good seasons,so there will be enough to sell to the thousands of tourists who travel to their winery every year.

"Tourism seems to be growing and we're very excited by that," she said.

"We've got to come up with reasons for peopleto come back to the Granite Belt and keepvisiting us.

"As far as we're concerned it's certainly agrowth industry."

Despite the unpredictability of the job, AngeloPuglisi will not be walking away any time soon.

"What else am I going to do with my life? hesaid.

"I love what I'm doing - lose a crop, well, we wait until next year."

Topics: rural, rural-tourism, agribusiness, viticulture, weather, small-business, ballandean-4382,mount-tamborine-4272, toowoomba-4350

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-30/queensland-wine-shortage-flagged-after-bad-weather/6419176