Good news for lovers of Champagne

The news from the 2022 vintage is all good for lovers of Champagne.

The last grapes have been picked, the pressing centres have delivered their final musts and fermentation is under way,

The Champagne harvest that started on August 20 for the earliest-ripening crus is now complete and despite the summer drought, some well-timed rain ultimately produced good conditions for ripening the grapes.

The year 2022 has been described as a “solar” Champagne vintage, yielding substantial volumes, with a quick and easy winegrowing season and "perfectly healthy" grapes.

Winegrowers and Champagne Houses are delighted.

Quantity was variable from sector to sector, but has proved sufficient everywhere to meet the 12,000kg/ha available volume set for the year.

Winegrowers’ president Maxime Toubart said: “Thanks to a bountiful, high-quality harvest and with the exceptional permission of the INAO (governing body for protected designations of origin), winegrowers have been able to rebuild reserves that were substantially depleted by the 2021 winegrowing year.”

Champagne Houses president David Chatillon said the 2022 harvest was most fortunate, given “market demand is strong (up 9% at the end of August compared to the previous year) following on the already remarkable figures for 2021.

"The profession remains optimistic for the future, despite the uncertain economic climate. The fine grapes harvested this year are set to make great wines that will surely satisfy the expectations of consumers.”

Image: Brianna Curtis on Scop.io

Australian wine grape harvest back to normal in 2022

The 2022 Australian wine grape crush is estimated to be 1.73 million tonnes, just 2% below the 10-year average but 13.5% below the 2021 record crush of 2.01 million tonnes, the National Vintage Report 2022 released by Wine Australia shows.

The total estimated value of the 2022 crush at the weighbridge was $1.21 billion.

The estimated value was a decrease of $335 million (22%) compared with the record 2021 value, but $60 million more than in 2020 and $8 million higher than in 2018, a year when the crush was 2% larger.

The value reduction compared with 2021 was a result of the reduced crush, combined with a reduction in the overall average value.

The reduction in crush compared with 2021 is the equivalent of approximately 190 million litres of wine.

Wine Australia manager for market insights Peter Bailey said the reduction in volume was likely to be the result of a combination of seasonal influences and adjustments made by winemakers to market conditions and winery production capacity limitations.

“After a record-high vintage in 2021, a lower yield in general was expected due to reduced cropping potential," he said.

"This natural variation was compounded by a number of significant seasonal effects – in particular heavy widespread spring and summer rainfall across much of the eastern half of Australia and a number of significant hailstorms,” Mr Bailey said.

“Apart from seasonal effects, the 2021-22 season was challenging as a result of winery production capacity limitations going into vintage following the record harvest in 2021, compounded by reduced exports to mainland China and severe shipping disruptions that caused delays and escalated costs.

“Lack of winery production capacity, together with reduced exports and softening prices for red wines, may have resulted in wineries and growers reducing their overall production and/or intake of grapes - particularly red varieties."

Demand is shifting back in favour of white varieties, the latest figures show.

“The average value for white wine grapes has increased every year since 2014, and in 2022 was the highest since 2008,” Bailey said.

The full report is available from www.wineaustralia.com/market-insights/national-vintage-report

From famine to feast: McLaren Vale celebrates winning vintage

Here's an insider wine tip. 

Keep an eye out for 2021 vintage wines from McLaren Vale, with the South Australian wine region experiencing its best growing conditions in recent years.

Picking throughout the region started in early February with initial reports indicating vintage 2021 is set to exceed expectations.

Winemaker Renae Hirsch (above) from Chalk Hill Wines said both yield and quality were looking exceptional, which is a relief for local vignerons and winemakers following a tough 2020.

“So far, it’s been an extremely great vintage for McLaren Vale," she said. "Yields are up on the last couple of vintages, which is pleasing. We needed a decent crop. 

"The season started well with a wet winter, allowing the vines to produce a good canopy and a good number of bunches. Favourable weather throughout summer, being unusually cool but also quite dry, allowed even ripening.

“We have revelled in the low summer temperatures, which have given us even, slow ripening; producing good flavours, particularly in shiraz which is vibrant, with fine tannins and lovely acid.”

The McLaren Vale region was hit hard in 2020, with vintage conditions reducing the quantity of high-quality fruit, and Covid-19 restrictions impacting cellar door sales and visitation.

“Although the past 12 months have been particularly challenging, we are a forward-thinking community and I sense there is a real drive in the region to revel in the positive outcomes and quality wines from this vintage,” Hirsch said.

Hither & Yon has become McLaren Vale’s first carbon neutral certified wine brand, with co-owner Malcolm Leask saying climate change and sustainability have played a large part in the biodiversity management of their vineyards.

“Vintages are more difficult to predict, so we focus on long term soil health, hence growing conditions like we have experienced in 2021 are very rewarding, it’s very balanced and happy out here," he said.

“We all try to do our part to improve our impact on the landscape – being carbon neutral is a way for us to continuously improve our care for the environment and give back to our local community.”

Oliver’s Taranga Winemaker Corrina Wright acknowledged the optimism surrounding the 2021 vintage.

“It’s really great to be blunt; shiraz is spectacular with intense flavour and delicate tannins and we are seeing average yields, not the lows of the past two years,” she said.

“Fiano and whites are coming off with balance and natural acidity. The long, slow ripening this season allowed flavours to develop naturally and evenly in the vineyard and helped reduce the added pressure of disease.”