Yarra Valley loses $8m fruit

Tony Jordan, president of the Yarra Valley Winegrowers Association, estimates the region lost around 4000 tonnes of fruit, valued at $2000 per tonne.

The total value of lost wine sales is difficult to estimate, according to the Association.

Jordan played down the short harvest. ‘A fall of 25% is a blow but is within the range of year-to-year variation that we might expect to see,’ he said.

Producers in the region say January’s four-day heatwave was to blame for most of the crop loss, with February's fires damaging just 4% of the Valley's 3800ha of vineyard.

‘The greatest losses were down to the heat spike. Only 30 vineyards suffered fire damage. Vineyards did get burned – mainly singed by grass fires – but 85% of the all the vines hit will recover within 2 years,’ Jordan added.

Three small wineries were destroyed by fire.