DESPITE a 50 percent production profitability loss in the last year, the Margaret River region is maintaining its stance as a strong entity in the wine industry.
According to figures released in this year’s Wine Federation of Australia Vintage Report, the Margaret River region has increased its unprofitable production to 50 percent while maintaining its profitable production at 30 percent.
Wine Australia senior analyst Mark Rowley said the figures were not commenting on what individual wineries were doing, but rather the figures acted as a generalised means to compare previous year’s production to the current.
In contrast to the production profitability loss from various areas across Australia, such as the 98 percent loss in the Swan District, a 99 percent loss in the Mudgee region and a 94 percent loss in the Hunter Valley in NSW, Mr Rowley said the loss experienced in the Margaret River region was not as substantial in the bigger picture.
“Margaret River wineries are doing better than a lot of the country,” Mr Rowley said.
“It’s almost a good thing as relatively they’re in a stronger position in a tough industry.”
Mr Rowley said although the industry was not booming, the future of the wine industry was not as dire as the figures indicate, with Margaret River being one of the best regions Australia has to offer in the field.
Margaret River Wine Association chief executive officer Nick Power said the figures released were more indicative of the overall state of the wine industry due to an averaging system used to gain the figures.
“It’s a normal year, signs are good, everything is boding well so far,” Mr Power said.
“At the end of the day we’re farmers at the will of the weather.”
Western Australia contributed 30,069 tonnes of raw crush, equalling about 2 percent of the overall crush of 1.67 million tonnes created in this harvest.
Of that 30,069 Margaret River was responsible for 16, 993 tonnes.
Heydon Estate owner Mary Burke-Heydon said this year saw a decrease in the volume of wine created due to a number of environmental influences.
“It was a very difficult vintage,” she said.
“It was the same for everybody, it is what it is.
“It’s farming, every year is going to be different… you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
Ms Heydon said the multi layered nature of the wine industry would always present obstacles depending on the year, yet she believed the Margaret River region had been very fortunate with the consistent nature of their vintages.
“It is tricky, but I think it’s important to maintain our integrity,” she said.
“We have been very, very lucky in Western Australia.”