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By LORETTA JOHNSTON
TASMANIAN wine growers have been predicting a bumper 2008 vintage for some months but the amount of fruit harvested around the State has surpassed expectations.
Final figures are not yet available but Wine Industry Tasmania executive officer Stuart Nettlefold said estimates were at 10,000 tonnes, which is up 48 per cent on the previous record vintage of 6769 tonnes in 2004.
Tasmania's 2008 vintage has not only delivered in terms of volume, Mr Nettlefold said he was also impressed with the quality.
"Good growing conditions have been a big part of the bumper vintage but there are also some new vineyards or crops coming on that are starting to crop," he said.
Wine-making manager at Relbia's Josef Chromy Wines, Jeremy Dineen, said 900 tonnes of fruit were harvested at the vineyard, exceeding the 730 tonnes he predicted before the harvest began.
"We had almost ideal growing conditions; it was relatively dry, warm and sunny," he said.
While Tasmanian wine producers benefited from warmer temperatures, some mainland producers were not so fortunate.
Heat waves, drought and unstable water supplies all contributed to some of the country's warmer climate wine producers harvesting lower quality fruit.
Like many vineyards, Josef Chromy Wines sells fruit to other wineries, both in Tasmania and interstate.
Mr Dineen said Tasmania could only benefit from the lower quality vintage of some interstate vineyards combined with the State's high quality, high volume vintage.
TASMANIAN wine growers have been predicting a bumper 2008 vintage for some months but the amount of fruit harvested around the State has surpassed expectations.
Final figures are not yet available but Wine Industry Tasmania executive officer Stuart Nettlefold said estimates were at 10,000 tonnes, which is up 48 per cent on the previous record vintage of 6769 tonnes in 2004.
Tasmania's 2008 vintage has not only delivered in terms of volume, Mr Nettlefold said he was also impressed with the quality.
"Good growing conditions have been a big part of the bumper vintage but there are also some new vineyards or crops coming on that are starting to crop," he said.
Wine-making manager at Relbia's Josef Chromy Wines, Jeremy Dineen, said 900 tonnes of fruit were harvested at the vineyard, exceeding the 730 tonnes he predicted before the harvest began.
"We had almost ideal growing conditions; it was relatively dry, warm and sunny," he said.
While Tasmanian wine producers benefited from warmer temperatures, some mainland producers were not so fortunate.
Heat waves, drought and unstable water supplies all contributed to some of the country's warmer climate wine producers harvesting lower quality fruit.
Like many vineyards, Josef Chromy Wines sells fruit to other wineries, both in Tasmania and interstate.
Mr Dineen said Tasmania could only benefit from the lower quality vintage of some interstate vineyards combined with the State's high quality, high volume vintage.
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