Riverland grape growers are more water-efficient and contribute to better wines than they’re given credit for, argues Waikerie grower Henry Crawford.
Last Tuesday, InDaily readers were treated to the reflections of wine writer Philip White on the change of Prime Minister and the possible ramifications for wine tax policy in this country.
Philip, like all of us, is entitled to his opinion, however his comments got the heckles up of many in the industry, particularly in the Riverland. So much so that the peak representative body for the region, Riverland Wine, cheekily ran a competition offering a bottle of the regions finest to the person who could find the most facts in White’s story. Apparently it was a rather difficult task,
So in defence of the industry I love, and a region of which I am very proud, I want to provide InDaily readers with an alternative perspective of Australia’s largest wine region.
It’s often asserted that as irrigated vineyards in a warm region, we are wasteful and inefficient with our usage of precious Murray water. In Philip’s article, he tries to emphasise this point by suggesting we use 1200 litres of water to produce one litre of wine. In vintage 2015, my vineyard yielded across all varieties about 25 tonnes per hectare using seven megalitres of irrigation water. A tonne of grapes will produce about 700-750 litres of wine, putting my water use efficiency at approximately 370 to 400 litres of irrigation to one litre of wine – less than a third of what Philip would have us believe. It’s worth noting that this ratio is pretty similar across all SA’s wonderful wine regions. Regardless of where your favourite wine is grown, vines need water.
The Riverland is often scoffed at as a wine region because of negative perceptions of the quality of our product. The reality is “quality” is in the eye of the beholder (or drinker). As a region that produces more than 400,000 tonnes of wine grapes each vintage (50 per cent of SA production and 25 per cent of national production), there must be a hell of a lot of people who enjoy what we offer. The sad part is many consumers enjoy Riverland wine blissfully unaware of its horrible warm climate goon origins!
Spoiler alert: I can assure wine drinkers that there are a lot of trucks laden with freshly harvested grapes that make their way west from the Riverland every vintage to household name wineries and labels.
Henry Crawford at his Riverland vineyard.
While some lament the low cost nature of many wines produced in the Riverland, including numerous cask offerings, as some kind of blight on the industry, this is actually something to be proud of. Simply, low cost means greater accessibility to consumers who may not otherwise be able to afford more expensive drops. The elitist attitude that pensioners, low income families or a young couple struggling with a large mortgage on their first home shouldn’t have access to a nice bottle of wine that doesn’t blow the budget is outrageous. As a lover of wine, I believe everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy consuming wine with friends and family, regardless of the deepness of their pockets or the experience of their palates.
I’m disappointed and frustrated at seeing someone who clearly has a passion for wine and the wine industry sink the boot into the Riverland. If Philip White and others don’t like Riverland wine, they don’t have to drink it. If Philip White and others don’t like the affordability of Riverland wine, they don’t have to buy it.
One of the things that makes wine so interesting and enjoyable is diversity. Every vineyard, every variety, every winery and every region has its own unique attributes, and because of that, every wine adds value to the industry and deserves a place in the market. Ultimately it will be consumers who will decide what’s good and bad, not wine writers like Philip or growers like myself.
Henry Crawford is a Waikerie grape grower. He works part-time for Liberal senator Anne Ruston.
