Wine Australia’s 2026 national vintage report, released last week, paints a stark picture of the state of play Down Under. At 1.27 million tonnes, it’s the smallest crush since the turn of the millennium, with all the major grape varieties down significantly from last year: most dramatically, Shiraz was down 39% and Cabernet Sauvignon 27%. (The exception was the Chardonnay crush, which was the same as 2025, making it the number-one grape in Australia by volume – but we’ll...
Penfolds in a time of crisis
• 2 min read
Big reds continue to rule in Penfolds Land, but changes are on the horizon. Penfolds’ Magill Estate is pictured above.
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