Hugh Schuitemaker, Murray Pioneer

Riverland grape growers have been left devastated by last week’s frost damage, which has been described by some as the worst they can remember.

Ongoing low temperatures, which saw -2.2C recorded in Renmark on Tuesday 17 September, caused extensive damage to vines across the region, however low-lying areas such as Monash and Glossop were particularly impacted.

919 Wines director and winemaker Eric Semmler said approximately 98 per cent of his Glossop vineyard was lost.

Meanwhile, Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone is among local political figures calling on the State Government to provide support measures for the impacted growers. 

‘Decision time’ follows frost

A Glossop grape grower says it is time for “big decisions” to be made after the large majority of her vines were lost to frost damage.

Susan Yabsley was among those who experienced extensive damage to her vineyard following last week’s frost conditions.

Ms Yabsley, a single mother of two, estimated 50 acres of her vines were lost to the frost damage.

“I run my parents’ block as well as mine, and only their shiraz survived because it’s higher, everything low is gone,” she said.

“Fifty acres is gone, and maybe two or three acres survived. We’re so low here.

“That’s it. Season over.”

Ms Yabsley, who took over operation of the block following her husband’s passing three years ago, said the lost crop meant she would need to assess the vineyard’s viability.

“This was only my fourth solo vintage, so I’m new to this,” she said.

“We’ve been wiped out before by hail in November a few years back”¦ but that hail wasn’t as devastating as this is.

“It’s brought us to a big decision time”¦ what do we do now? I can’t physically do the work myself, so I’ve got to call people in, and for me it’s just not worth it.

“I now need to make a decision, do we stay, or do we go? It’s crunch time for me.”

Ms Yabsley said Riverland growers were being continually impacted financially through issues they had little influence over.

“The China issue, the oversupply, it’s just been out of our hands,” she said.

“They say it will turn around in three or four years, but some people can’t wait three to four years.

“Is it really worth it?”

Ms Yabsley said little financial incentive existed to allow the vines to recover.

“Some say there can be a second (bud) burst, but the yield is never as good, and with prices where they are, that’s a no for me,” she said.

“I need to make a decision. I don’t want to give up, but at some point your brain has to kick in.

“Decision time, that’s what it comes down to for me. Decision time. 

Glossop vines gone for 919 Wines

One of the region’s most popular wineries saw almost the entirety of its Glossop vineyard wiped out by last week’s frost.

Numerous vineyards across the region last week experienced extensive frost damage, after -2.2C temperatures were recorded in Renmark last Tuesday morning.

919 Wines director and winemaker Eric Semmler said approximately 98 per cent of the vines at his Glossop block – where the 919 winery is located – was lost.

“I was on frost watch at Loxton, came home about 7pm and there was ice right over the roof of the house, so it was a fairly deep (and) cold layer,” Mr Semmler said.

“All this part of the vineyard was just burnt off.

“We’ve lost all the crop on that. The aim will be just to grow out new shoots and canes on those vines now for next year.

“Ninety-eight per cent of it would be gone.”

However, Mr Semmler said damage to his Loxton vineyard was less severe.

“This block (at Glossop) was pretty much devastated, but at Loxton we’ve been fortunate,” he said.

“We’ve got overhead irrigation on our lower chardonnay blocks, which I’ve been able to keep in good condition, and our shiraz and Durif blocks over there are looking good.

“We’ve lost a couple of the smaller premium blocks over there, particularly our sangiovese, but we have got stocks of those wines in our warehouse.”

Mr Semmler was optimistic the damage vines would recover for future production.

“What we’ll do is water them, look after them, fertilise them”¦ they’ll grow new canes out, and we’ll select canes in the coming winter, prune back to spurs and if everything goes well, they will fruit again,” he said.

“It’s a hit. It’s taken a few days to get over the shock of it, but we’ll keep going.”

However, Mr Semmler said further financial pressure on grape growers would be felt through the wider community.

“It’s a severe hit for the contracted growers,” he said.

“There’s been big areas that have been lost to the frost.

“It’s not good, and those effects flow on into the community as well.” 

This article appeared in the  Murray Pioneer,  25 September 2024.
Related story: Calls for frost support