Grapegrowers look to sell amid “vicious cycle”

A high proportion of grapegrowers are looking to sell long-held family vineyards, say industry insiders, amid continuing poor profitability for some South Australian operations. The Winemakers Federation 2015 vintage report shows that on average just one per cent of the crop from South Australia’s Riverland was sold at profit this year. The vast majority of the crush – 92 per cent – was sold below the average cost of production, four per cent broke even and three per cent turned a “low profit”.