GRAPES

Grapes are a temperate crop requiring predominantly winter rainfall and warm to hot summer conditions for ripening. Freedom from late spring frosts is essential to prevent the loss of the developing fruit. Grapes are grown for winemaking, drying and, to a lesser extent, for table use. Some of the better known grape producing areas are the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Riverland, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra in South Australia; Sunraysia and the Yarra Valley in Victoria; the Hunter and Riverina in New South Wales; the Swan Valley and Margaret River in Western Australia; and the Tamar Valley and Coal River Valley in Tasmania.

The gross value of grape production for 1999-2000 decreased by 7% to $1.1b (table 5). Table 6 shows the area of vines and the grapes produced by grape variety. See tables below: