1329.0.55.002 - Vineyards, Australia, 2011-12 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 16/10/2012   
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Image: grapevines RED WINE


  • 806,000 tonnes of red wine grapes were harvested in the 2012 season, a fall of 5% since 2010. There were 91,000 hectares of red wine vines (a fall of 3,000 hectares since 2010 or 4%), accounting for 62% of all vines planted in Australia.
  • The most popular varieties produced were Shiraz (almost half of total red wine production) at 362,000 tonnes (down 10% or 41,000 tonnes since 2010), Cabernet Sauvignon at 208,000 tonnes (down 3% or 6,000 tonnes) and Merlot at 117,000 tonnes (down by 12% or 13,000 tonnes).
  • Notable movements in other varieties include a 16% fall in production of Pinot Noir grapes (down to 35,000 tonnes), and a 17% rise in production of Tempranillo (up to 3,400 tonnes) accompanied by a 15% increase in area planted.
  • South Australia produced the majority of red wine grapes in 2012 with 474,000 tonnes (59% of total production), followed by New South Wales (175,000 tonnes or 22%) and Victoria (126,000 tonnes or 16%).
  • More detailed information is available in datacubes under the Downloads tab.
Graph Image for Red wine varieties

Footnote(s): (a) Data only available for 2008, 2010 and 2012 seasons.

Source(s): Vineyards, Australia 2011-12