PROJECTIONS FOR THE 2006 AUSTRALIAN GRAPE HARVEST

The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation reported last week that the 2006 wine harvest will likely fall below last year’s record performance. Although it is expected to be good to excellent in quality, the crop will probably return to the average volume coming in close to 1.8m tonnes, 7% lower than the 2005 harvest. AWBC analyst Lawrie Stanford told local news sources, “The tonnage figure does not take into account grapes that may be left on the vine. It is estimated that 2% to 3% of last season’s crop was left on the vine and there is every possibility of a repeat this season.” He added, “This will allow wine reserves to be reduced to more reasonable levels while the good quality grapes from the 2006 harvest will enhance Australia’s competitiveness in vital overseas markets.”