Winetitles reports that Australia’s Margaret River wine region has secured six trophies at the 2026 International Wine and Spirit Competition, more than any other individual wine-producing region worldwide. The competition assessed more than 6,000 international entries, with Australian wines receiving eight trophies overall, placing the country alongside France among the leading national performers. Margaret River’s awards included three Cabernet Sauvignon trophies, two Chardonnay trophies and one Semillon trophy. House of Cards Ace High Chardonnay 2025 achieved a perfect 100-point score, while other successful producers included Stella Bella, Xanadu, Lenton Brae, Nocturne and Willespie Estate. Industry representatives highlighted the achievement as evidence of Margaret River’s consistent quality and growing international reputation, particularly in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Australia
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South Australian Government Commits $109 Million to Help Struggling Wine Industry
ABC News reports that South Australia has announced a A$109 million support package for its wine sector, including A$100 million in loans intended to help growers move unviable vineyards into other crops or land uses. Smaller growers can seek loans of up to A$250,000 and larger operations up to A$500,000, with no principal or interest payments for the first two years. The package comes amid persistent oversupply and weak grape prices, particularly in the Riverland, where 72% of wine-grape operations reportedly made losses in the most recent season. Other measures address surplus wine stocks, disposal of treated vineyard posts and international market development.
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IWSC Awards Perfect 100-Point Score for the First Time to House of Cards
Winetitles reports that Margaret River producer House of Cards has become the first winery to receive a perfect 100-point wine score from the International Wine & Spirit Competition since the IWSC introduced its 100-point system in 2019. The score went to the 2025 Ace High Chardonnay following blind judging during the IWSC’s Margaret River Global Tasting, making it the highest-scoring wine awarded under the competition’s current system. House of Cards also collected gold medals for its 2025 Royals Chardonnay and 2024 Kings in the Corner Cabernet Merlot, while more than 230 medals were awarded to Western Australian wines overall.
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Australian Winemakers Turn to Ancient Cypriot Grape
Greek City Times reports that Australian growers are increasingly experimenting with Xynisteri, an ancient Cypriot white grape, as drought, extreme temperatures and higher irrigation costs put pressure on conventional varieties. Riverland grower Yianni Koutouzis says Xynisteri has cut his water use by about 75% compared with Shiraz and Chardonnay, while the thick-skinned grape has also performed well during temperatures approaching 49°C. Commercial trials are expanding in the Riverland and Barossa Valley as producers search for varieties capable of coping with climate change and Australia’s difficult grape-price environment.
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Australian Wine Exports Drop to 22-Year Low
The Drinks Business reports that Australian wine-export volumes fell below 600 million litres for the first time since 2004, declining 6% to 598 million litres in the year ending June 2026. Export value dropped 7% to A$2.3 billion, with weaker shipments to mainland China, the UK and the US outweighing growth in Canada and several Asian markets. Wine Australia attributed the downturn to falling global consumption, cost pressures and changing consumer preferences, although premium wines proved more resilient in the UK.
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Australia Records Its Smallest Winegrape Harvest Since 2000
ABC News reports that Australia’s 2026 winegrape crush fell to 1.27 million tonnes, the smallest harvest since 2000 and 25% below the ten-year average. The reduction represents approximately 33 million fewer nine-litre cases, with weaker international demand and excess red-wine stocks contributing to the contraction, while average grape prices also declined despite the smaller crop, indicating continued financial pressure on growers and wineries.
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Why The Australian Wine Industry Is In Peril
7NEWS reports that Australia’s wine sector is facing one of its worst downturns in decades, with Darren De Bortoli ripping out vines in the Riverina as weak global demand, oversupply and the long shadow of China’s former tariffs continue to hurt growers. The article says Wine Australia estimates more than 2 billion litres of wine are sitting in storage, while Australian Grape and Wine chief executive Lee McLean argues the industry needs both export-market work and stronger domestic promotion to recover.
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Treasury Wine Estates Cuts Brands In Bid To Revive Growth
The drinks business reports that Treasury Wine Estates has unveiled a major overhaul, called Ascent, which will reduce its portfolio from 76 brands to fewer than 30 and shift investment towards luxury wine, lighter styles and no/low-alcohol categories. The company said it will focus on “Power Brands” and “Regional Heroes”, while investors responded positively, with shares rising around 10% after the announcement.
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Australia’s Endeavour to Slash Wine Production Amid Asset Sell-Off
Harpers reports that Endeavour Group will cut grape production by 80%, close four of its seven wineries and one packaging facility, and sell vineyards and assets linked to three premium brands. The Australian retail giant, owner of Dan Murphy’s and BWS, says the move is part of a strategic reshaping of its Pinnacle Drinks business, with more focus on brands showing proven retail demand and greater reliance on bulk wine and grape sourcing from the wider market.
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Australia Details New Mandatory Wine Grape Code Of Conduct
ABC Rural reports that Australia’s federal government has released details of a mandatory wine grape code of conduct, due to take effect on 1 January 2027. The code will require wineries to publish payment terms, face monitoring of payment practices and allow anonymous complaints from growers, though some industry voices say it does not yet solve deeper oversupply and ageing-grower pressures.
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Australia Considers Turning Surplus Wine Into Fuel
News.com.au reports that Australia’s Nationals are pushing a wine-to-fuel plan to help ease the country’s wine oversupply crisis, with around 262 million litres of surplus wine recorded by Wine Australia as of December 2025. The proposal would explore converting excess wine into ethanol for sustainable aviation fuel or renewable diesel, though industry figures warn wider support is still needed for struggling growers.
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Yellow Tail Owner Slips into Loss as Costs Rise
The Drinks Business reports that Yellow Tail owner Casella Wines swung to an AU$5.5 million loss in its latest financial year, reversing earlier profits as weaker US demand, tariffs and higher supply chain, energy and freight costs bit into performance. The article says the US, long central to Yellow Tail’s export success, has become markedly tougher, although growth in the UK, Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia has helped cushion the blow. It also points to higher debt and a covenant breach that was later waived, making this one of the clearest signs yet of how pressure on global wine brands is feeding back into Australia’s wider grape and grower economy.
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Treasury Wine Estates Pushes Back Against Bankruptcy Talk
The Drinks Business reports that Treasury Wine Estates has rejected suggestions that its debt load could push it towards bankruptcy, saying it remains comfortable with its funding and has ample liquidity. The concern was raised by Plato Global Alpha Fund, which argued that debt, weaker consumer confidence and higher interest rates could leave the Australian wine giant exposed. The story matters because Treasury is Australia’s largest wine producer, so market anxiety around its finances feeds directly into wider concerns about the health of large listed wine groups.
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EU Enters ‘Last Mile’ of Trade Deal Negotiations With Australia
Reuters reports that the EU is in the final phase of negotiating a trade deal with Australia, and wine and spirits are explicitly among the sectors expected to benefit if tariffs are reduced. For the wine trade, the significance is clear, Brussels says the agreement could lift EU exports to Australia by a third over 10 years and remove up to €1 billion in duties, making this one of the more consequential policy developments for European producers and exporters today.
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Australia Moves to Build a National Vineyard Register
ABC News reports that Australia’s federal government plans to develop a National Vineyard Register to improve transparency and planning, tracking vineyard ages, sizes and grape varieties. The article says Wine Australia will lead the project and Map of Ag will design and build the platform in consultation with the industry, with the register expected to be operational by the end of 2026. It notes uncertainty about whether participation will be mandatory, while highlighting that growers have long called for a system like this, particularly amid difficult decisions across the sector.