The Hardy Wine Company has announced a 2005 vintage of 363,550 tonnes, the largest annual grape crush in Australian history by any winery group.
Peter Dawson, Hardy Wine’s chief winemaker, said this represents about 20% of the total Australian wine vintage and is a 10% increase on the Company’s 2004 vintage wine grape intake, which was just under 330,000 tonnes.
"Favourable seasonal conditions contributed to higher than expected yields in the warmer inland regions of the Riverland and Sunraysia. This was a stark contrast to the cool regions, which generally had lower yields" Dawson said.
Most regions finished their vintages ahead of schedule, on average about two to three weeks earlier than normal. The company purchased in excess of 336,000 tonnes of grapes from 1,400 contracted growers.