Latest news with #shiraz
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Shiraz hits dry patch as wine drinkers opt for sweeter whites like moscato
An oversupply of shiraz grapes and young drinkers trending towards lighter whites are putting the number one grape variety grown in Australia in a "diabolical situation". The world's oldest continuously productive shiraz vines were planted in the Barossa Valley in 1843. But despite the long history, drinkers are falling out of love with the heavy reds, prompting wine makers to pull out hectares of vines. The managing director of De Bortoli Wines, Darren De Bortoli, said consumers were moving away from reds in favour of whites. "Shiraz is in a diabolical situation at the moment," Mr De Bortoli said. According to the 2024 Wine Australia national vintage report, the shiraz crush dropped to its lowest levels since 2007. It's a far cry from Australia's record shiraz crush of 535,000 tonnes in 2021, with just 297,868 tonnes crushed last year. De Bortoli has vineyards in several wine regions, including the Hunter Valley, King Valley, Rutherglen, Heathcote, and the Riverina. Over the past two years, they have removed 130 hectares of red wine varieties in Rutherglen and the Riverina. Mr De Bortoli said there was a range of factors at play. "Leading up to COVID, the demand from China was exceptionally strong and a lot of new vineyards went in," Mr De Bortoli said. "Then we had an altercation between our prime minister and the Chinese government and were effectively banned from sales into China." He said that had now been resolved, but demand had not returned to the same levels. "Additionally, we've seen an anti-alcohol theme as well," he said. Data by the International Wine and Spirit Record shows drinkers aged 18–39 years old were more likely to choose wines described as sweet, delicate, soft and simple. The demographic also preferred low-alcohol options and were reducing the amount they drank. One such wine is moscato, an industry quiet achiever that is low alcohol and sweet. Katherine Brown is a fourth-generation family winemaker at Brown Brothers in Milawa, Victoria. She said moscato, which is made from muscat grape varieties, had grown to become their biggest product. "We released our first moscato about 35 years ago, and at the time it felt like the wine industry was having a laugh at us," Ms Brown said. Out of the 14,000 tonnes of fruit Brown Brothers produced in their 2025 vintage, 40 per cent will go towards making 20 different moscato-based products. "We have a theory that the next generation doesn't want to be seen drinking what their parents drank," Ms Brown said. "Crouchen riesling is a sweet white wine, but it's now old-fashioned." Ms Brown said prosecco had been the other big performer. "I've never seen growth like that before." Zero-alcohol wines were also increasing in popularity across all generations. "Gen Z is not going out as much, and we're seeing the baby boomers who are asked to drink less for their health," Ms Brown said. "I think there are big pressures on people at the moment about not drinking." Brown Brothers had also seen a decline in demand for red wine varieties, however, Ms Brown noted that wines came in and out of fashion. "Yes, there's a decline in red wine, but red wine grapes also make rosé, which is growing in popularity," she said. "This issue is not new. My grandfather was doing this over 60 years ago, when there was a pivot point and it was mostly red wine production. Mr De Bortoli said he was confident gen Z would discover wine as they aged. "It's definitely a demographic the wine industry is missing out on," he said.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The $12.99 red wine named the 'best value' in Australia: 'The ultimate after work drop'
A South Australian red wine has been singled out as the 'best value' shiraz – and it retails for under $13. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, the $12.99 bottle has emerged as an affordable way for Aussies to enjoy a quality tipple. The results of Dan Murphy's 'Best In Glass' wine awards were recently announced, with the Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz named as this year's winner in the 'best value' shiraz category. The McLaren Vale red wine is priced at a highly reasonable retail price and reviews of the wine have seen it scored a respectable 4.3 out of 5 stars. Delighted reviewers have praised it as a good value drinking wine for casual occasions. 'Easy to drink and very pleasant on the palate,' read one review. 'Very well balanced,' said another, adding that it was a good drop for 'after work or before dinner'. Meanwhile, red wine connoisseurs that prefer a cabernet sauvignon over a shiraz will only have to cough up a dollar extra to try the winner in that category. The $12.99 bottle of Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz from the McLaren Vale region took out the award for 'best value' shiraz K by Krondorf Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley retails for $13.99 per bottle and took out the 'best value' title for cab sauvs, which are always popular with Aussie drinkers. There was also a budget-friendly result for white wine drinkers, with this year's 'best value' winner in the sauvignon blanc category clocking in at under $15. Noble Fellows Sauvignon Blanc, which is a New Zealand wine from the Martinborough region, won the 'best value' category with its $14.99 bottle. Dan Murphy's General Manager of Premium and Luxury Andrew Shedden confirmed that some of this year's winners offered 'unbelievable value'. Andrew noted that while 'there was fierce competition across the board' the judging panel were blown away by 'the unbelievable value that traditional reds like Shiraz and Cabernet are providing'. To be considered for the Best in Glass wine awards, a wine needs to be available nationally in Dan Murphy's stores and priced under the $50 mark. In 2025, over 700 eligible wines were considered by the panel in a multi-stage judging process. The wines were re-tasted and scored by a panel, with the final tally used to determine the winners in each category. The awards are categorised by wine type, with each category having three prizes. There's the overall 'best' winner, then a 'best value' winner and a 'best international' winner. Andrew explained that the awards were conceived as a way to help shoppers navigate the tricky wine shelves. 'Choosing a wine can be intimidating. There is so much choice on shelves, so without a clear starting point, it can be overwhelming,' Andrew said. This year's winners featured wines from a cross-section of Australia's top wine regions, with South Australia leading the charge. 13 wines produced in either the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley were among the winners list. Wine connoisseurs will have the chance to sample some of this year's Best in Glass winning wines when Dan Murphy hosts a ticketed in-store tasting events on Saturday 17 May. Tickets to the event cost $20 – but the cost is redeemable on the day for in-store purchases. The link to purchase tickets to the wine testing event is HERE. Event-goers will have the opportunity to participate in a session with a knowledgeable wine expert and sample a selection of this year's Best in Glass champions. Each participating store will host two sessions that cater for up to 200 people. The in-store wine tasting events will take place at five Dan Murphy's stores around the country, including Malvern East in Melbourne VIC, Kawana on the Sunshine Coast QLD, Marion in Adelaide SA, Bicton in Perth WA and Leichhardt in Sydney NSW.
