The year-on-year increase in the crush was driven by red varieties, which were up by 20 per cent, while the crush of white varieties was 2 per cent higher than in 2024
The 2025 Australian winegrape crush is estimated to be 1.57 million tonnes, 160,000 tonnes (11 per cent) more than the 2024 crush but still 140,000 tonnes below the 10-year average of 1.71 million tonnes, according to the National Vintage Report 2025, released by Wine Australia.
The smaller crush relative to the long-term average is likely to have been a result of both seasonal and strategic factors, with a decline in demand for wine globally driving adjustment in the Australian wine sector, according to Peter Bailey, Manager, Market Insights at Wine Australia.
“The 2025 crush equates to around 1.1 billion litres of wine, which is in line with current sales of Australian wine on domestic and export markets,” Bailey said.
The year-on-year increase in the crush was driven by red varieties, which were up by 20 per cent, while the crush of white varieties was 2 per cent higher than in 2024.
Despite the year-on-year increases, the crush of both red and white varieties was below the 10-year average.
“The crush of red grapes is still estimated to be the third-smallest in more than a decade (the past two years being the smallest) and was 9 per cent below its 10-year average, while the crush of white grapes was 8 per cent below the 10-year average,” Bailey said.
However, he noted that the mix of red versus white was problematic.
“The significant increase in red varieties this year could exacerbate the challenges facing the sector in terms of excess stocks of red wine, and might further reduce demand for these varieties next vintage.”
