Why viticulture in South-Eastern Australia needs to change

Viticulture in South-Eastern Australia needs to change if the region is to put an end to its current oversupply, believes former CEO of Accolade Wines, Paul Schaafsma.

Drawing attention to the well-publicised problem of excess grapes in Australia’s biggest source of bulk wine, the Riverland region (pictured), Schaafsma said that growers and companies were failing to find a market for their fruit and wines because of the way the vineyards are managed. Schaafsma, who is currently MD of Benchmark Drinks – a business that specialises in celebrity-backed wine brands – has held top positions in a range of companies with a strong base in making and selling affordable Australian wines, from Hardys’ owner Accolade Wines to Australian Vintage – the company behind McGuigan Wines. Commenting on the current oversupply affecting Australia, and the troubles being faced by some of the country’s biggest wine producers, including Pernod Ricard, which has decided to sell off its wine business – which includes Australia’s well-known Jacob’s Creek brand – Schaafsma stressed that the issue was structural, and not related to any short-term shifts in demand. “There is a stylistic problem with eastern Australia,” he told db during a meeting in London earlier this month. This issue, he said, relates to the climate and the way viticulture is organised in the Riverland region, which accounts for around one-third of the country’s wine production. Speaking about the conditions, he said that increasingly-prolonged periods of intense heat was making it hard to produce wines with freshness unless