Tasmania's wine harvest bubbles over

THE Tasmanian 2025 wine grape harvest has crushed all previous records, producing almost double the 2023 vintage and 37 per cent more than last year.

An impressive 23,002 tonnes of grapes were picked – equating to 20 million bottles of wine.

Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies said that the combination of exceptional quality, strong value and record-breaking yields is a well-deserved reward for the tireless efforts of the island’s grape growers and winemakers.

“Tasmania may only be a small wine region, producing 1.2 per cent of the country’s total wine, but it represents 6.5 per cent of the national value and is ranked fifth most valuable wine region based on its farmgate value,” Ms Davies said.

The 2024/25 growing season was slightly warmer than average, but the island’s maritime and southerly-influenced climate moderated temperatures, while timely rainfall was received.

Harvesting began earlier than usual in 2025, with this earlier, condensed and larger vintage applying some pressure to winery capacity.

Despite some challenges, like localised frost and hail, Tasmania’s viticulturists managed their vineyards to achieve the best possible quality.

“This record vintage comes at a time when Tasmania is building on strong demand for its wine, including undertaking a new export market program,” Ms Davies said.

“While global wine consumption is decreasing, people are prioritising and preferencing higher quality wines, such as those Tasmania produces.”

She said makers can’t keep up with international demand.

Supported by the Tasmanian Government, detailed research into export markets offering the greatest potential for Tasmanian wine has recently been undertaken.

Singapore and South Korea have been identified as the initial priority markets, and a Tasmanian wine masterclass will be held in Singapore next month.

Reflecting the island’s focus on value over volume, the reported value of Tasmanian wine grapes reached a new record of $3924 per tonne across all varieties, far surpassing the national average of $604 per tonne.