Industry data
Wine industry statistics
The numbers behind the Australian wine industry, for the growers, winemakers and contractors who run vineyard tractors, grape harvesters and winery plant: the winegrape crush and where it comes from, how much wine is made and exported, how much land is under vine, and how many businesses and jobs the industry has. Each figure links to the agency or industry body that published it and shows the period it applies to.
Reviewed 30 October 2026
Key figures
- 1,265,671 tonnes of winegrapes crushed, as estimated by Wine Australia
- 2.25 billion dollars of wine exported, free on board
- 590 million litres of wine exported
- 2,156 wineries, as estimated by Wine Australia
- 146,244 hectares of winegrape vineyards, measured from satellite imagery
The winegrape crush
How many tonnes of winegrapes Australian wineries crushed at the latest vintage, split into red and white grapes and by variety. Wine Australia surveys wineries on their grape intake each year and scales the answers up to cover the wineries that did not reply, so these national figures are estimates.
1,265,671 tonnes
of winegrapes crushed, as estimated by Wine Australia
Wine Australia's estimate, which it rounds to 1.27 million tonnes and calls the smallest crush since 2000. It applies the change reported by wineries that answered the survey in both years to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry levy figure for 2025 of 1,572,005 tonnes.
Link to this figure19%
fall in the winegrape crush compared with the vintage before
As published by Wine Australia, comparing its 2026 estimate with the levy figure for 2025.
Link to this figure596,226 tonnes
of red winegrapes crushed, as estimated by Wine Australia
Down 29% on 2025. Grapes are classed by skin colour, so some red grapes, such as Pinot Noir, may go into white wine.
Link to this figure669,445 tonnes
of white winegrapes crushed, as estimated by Wine Australia
Down 9% on 2025. White grapes made up 53% of the crush.
Link to this figure837 million dollars
estimated total value of the winegrape crush
Wine Australia's estimate of the value of all grapes crushed, purchased and winery-grown, adjusted for wineries that did not respond to the survey. Winery-grown grapes are valued at the average paid for purchased grapes of the same variety and region. Down 26% on 2025.
Link to this figure| Variety | Estimated tonnes crushed |
|---|---|
| Chardonnay | |
| Shiraz | |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | |
| Sauvignon Blanc | |
| Pinot Gris/Grigio | |
| Merlot | |
| Pinot Noir | |
| Muscat Gordo Blanco | |
| Semillon | |
| Colombard |
Tonnes, as estimated by Wine Australia. The ten largest named varieties in Table 3 of the report, leaving out its grouped other red and other white rows.
Link to this chartWhere the grapes are crushed
The crush by state and by wine region. Wine Australia publishes the state figures as estimates, scaled up for wineries that did not reply to its survey. It publishes the region figures only as the tonnes wineries reported, which are not scaled up, so they sit below the estimates.
658,087 tonnes
of winegrapes crushed in South Australia, as estimated by Wine Australia
Down 12% on 2025. Wine Australia puts South Australia's share of the national crush at 52%.
Link to this figure782,716 tonnes
of winegrapes reported crushed from the warm inland regions
Reported tonnes, not scaled up for non-response. The warm inland regions are the Riverland, Murray Darling - Swan Hill and the Riverina. Wine Australia says they made up 71% of the reported national crush.
Link to this figure319,796 tonnes
of winegrapes reported crushed from the cool and temperate regions
Reported tonnes, not scaled up for non-response. Covers every region and zone outside the warm inland regions.
Link to this figure| State | Estimated tonnes crushed |
|---|---|
| South Australia | |
| New South Wales | |
| Victoria | |
| Western Australia | |
| Tasmania |
Tonnes, as estimated by Wine Australia. Every state for which the report gives an estimated tonnage. It gives no tonnage for Queensland, saying only that its crush fell 21%.
Link to this chart| Region | Reported tonnes crushed |
|---|---|
| Riverland (SA) | |
| Riverina (NSW) | |
| Murray Darling - Swan Hill (Vic) | |
| Murray Darling - Swan Hill (NSW) | |
| Barossa Valley (SA) | |
| Coonawarra (SA) | |
| McLaren Vale (SA) | |
| Padthaway (SA) | |
| Langhorne Creek (SA) | |
| Adelaide Hills (SA) |
Tonnes reported to the survey, not scaled up. The ten largest rows below state level in Table 5 of the report. Wine Australia reports Murray Darling - Swan Hill, which crosses the Victoria and New South Wales border, as a separate row for each state.
Link to this chartVineyard area
How much land is planted to winegrapes. The latest national measure is a scan of satellite imagery that Wine Australia commissioned, shown with its period below. Wine Australia still uses it as its total vineyard area, and says the country has no complete, up-to-date register of plantings.
146,244 hectares
of winegrape vineyards, measured from satellite imagery
The total area of vineyard blocks found by the scan after human review. The 2018 scan found 146,128 hectares.
Link to this figure21,816 hectares
of vineyards in the Riverland, the largest wine region by area
Region here means a Geographical Indication region. Zones, which are larger areas, are not counted as regions.
Link to this figure| State | Hectares of vineyards |
|---|---|
| South Australia | |
| New South Wales | |
| Victoria | |
| Western Australia | |
| Tasmania | |
| Queensland |
Hectares of winegrape vineyards found by the scan. New South Wales includes the Australian Capital Territory. The scan reports no Northern Territory figure.
Link to this chartWine production and stocks
How much wine Australian wineries made from the grapes crushed and how much was held in stock. These figures come from Wine Australia's annual survey of the largest wineries, scaled up to the whole industry, so they are estimates.
1,133 million litres
of wine produced, as estimated by Wine Australia
Up 9% on 2023-24. Red wine was 590 million litres and white wine 544 million litres.
Link to this figure2,056 million litres
of Australian wine held in stock, as estimated by Wine Australia
Up 5% on a year earlier.
Link to this figureWine exports
How much Australian wine is sent overseas, what it is worth and where it goes. Values are free on board: the value of the wine at the Australian border, before international freight and insurance.
2.25 billion dollars
of wine exported, free on board
Down 7% on the year before.
Link to this figure| Destination | Export value in $m |
|---|---|
| Mainland China | |
| United Kingdom | |
| United States | |
| Canada | |
| Singapore |
Millions of dollars, free on board. The five destinations Wine Australia lists as its top export destinations by value.
Link to this chart| Financial year | Export volume |
|---|---|
| 2014-15 | |
| 2015-16 | |
| 2016-17 | |
| 2017-18 | |
| 2018-19 | |
| 2019-20 | |
| 2020-21 | |
| 2021-22 | |
| 2022-23 | |
| 2023-24 | |
| 2024-25 | |
| 2025-26 |
Thousands of litres, total wine, for years ending 30 June. Every year in the monitor.
Link to this chart| Financial year | Export value in $m |
|---|---|
| 2014-15 | |
| 2015-16 | |
| 2016-17 | |
| 2017-18 | |
| 2018-19 | |
| 2019-20 | |
| 2020-21 | |
| 2021-22 | |
| 2022-23 | |
| 2023-24 | |
| 2024-25 | |
| 2025-26 |
Millions of dollars, free on board, total wine, for years ending 30 June. Every year in the monitor.
Link to this chartWineries and grape growers
How many wineries and grape growing businesses there are. Wine Australia publishes an estimate of wineries. The ABS counts actively trading businesses by main activity, including businesses with no employees, but its classes are broader than wine alone: grape growing includes table and drying grapes, and wine manufacturing includes cider, perry, mead and wine vinegar.
2,156
wineries, as estimated by Wine Australia
Wine Australia's estimate. Its economic contribution study gives the same figure and dates it to 2024. The summary does not say how a winery is counted.
Link to this figure2,332
wine and other alcoholic beverage manufacturing businesses trading
ANZSIC class 1214, which covers wine, cider, perry, mead and wine vinegar makers and alcoholic beverages not classed elsewhere, but not beer or spirits. Down 1.3% over the year. The ABS may slightly perturb class counts to protect confidentiality.
Link to this figure4,894
grape growing businesses trading, counting table and drying grapes as well as winegrapes
ANZSIC class 0131 Grape Growing. The ABS may slightly perturb class counts to protect confidentiality.
Link to this figure4.1%
fall in the number of grape growing businesses trading over the year
As published by the ABS. Businesses leaving the count are not all closures, and those joining include reactivated ABNs.
Link to this figure| Employees | Businesses |
|---|---|
| No employees | |
| 1 to 4 | |
| 5 to 19 | |
| 20 to 199 | |
| 200 or more |
ANZSIC class 1214, businesses trading at 30 June 2025, by the ABS annualised employment size ranges. Non-employing means no active pay-as-you-go withholding role with a remittance to the ATO. The ABS may slightly perturb these counts.
Link to this chart| State | Businesses |
|---|---|
| South Australia | |
| Victoria | |
| New South Wales | |
| Western Australia | |
| Queensland | |
| Tasmania |
ANZSIC class 1214, businesses trading at 30 June 2025 by main state. The six states are shown. The ABS table gives the Australian Capital Territory 12 and the Northern Territory none. Businesses operating in several states are counted in one. The ABS may slightly perturb these counts.
Link to this chart| State | Businesses |
|---|---|
| South Australia | |
| Victoria | |
| New South Wales | |
| Western Australia | |
| Tasmania | |
| Queensland |
ANZSIC class 0131, which counts table and drying grape growers as well as winegrape growers, trading at 30 June 2025 by main state. The six states are shown. The ABS table gives the Australian Capital Territory 13 and the Northern Territory 5. The ABS may slightly perturb these counts.
Link to this chartJobs in the wine industry
How many jobs the wine industry accounts for. The ABS Labour Force Survey reports employment by broad industry only, so it does not separate wine. These figures come from a study prepared for Wine Australia, which starts from ABS Census employment for grape growing and winemaking and models jobs in wine tourism and in the businesses that supply the industry. They are modelled estimates, not counts of people.
84,151
jobs directly in grape growing, winemaking and wine tourism, a modelled estimate
Full-time and part-time jobs, including employers, own account workers and contributing family workers. The study adjusts this total to avoid counting the same activity twice across the three parts. Grape growing and winemaking jobs in the study are based on the 2021 Census.
Link to this figure203,392
jobs supported directly and through flow-on effects in the wider economy, a modelled estimate
Input-output model result: the direct jobs plus jobs in businesses that supply the industry and jobs supported by the spending of its workers. Wine Australia's at a glance summary describes the same figure as employees.
Link to this figure| Part of the industry | Direct jobs |
|---|---|
| Wine tourism | |
| Winemaking | |
| Grape growing |
Modelled estimates of full-time and part-time jobs. Grape growing is the 2021 Census count for all grape growing less an allowance for table and drying grapes. Winemaking is the 2021 Census count for wine and other alcoholic beverage manufacturing less an allowance for cider and other drinks. Wine tourism is modelled from visitor spending. These add to more than the study's direct total, which removes double counting.
Link to this chartCommon questions
How big is the wine industry in Australia?
Wine Australia estimates that 1,265,671 tonnes of winegrapes were crushed at the latest vintage, and that there are 2,156 wineries. Australia exported 590 million litres of wine, worth 2.25 billion dollars free on board. A study prepared for Wine Australia estimates 84,151 jobs directly in grape growing, winemaking and wine tourism.
How much wine does Australia export?
Australia exported 590 million litres of wine, worth 2.25 billion dollars free on board, to 112 destinations. The charts of exports each financial year above show the volume and value year by year.
Where does Australian wine get exported to?
Mainland China was the largest destination by value in Wine Australia's latest export figures, ahead of the United Kingdom and the United States. The chart of export destinations above shows the value sent to each of the largest markets.
How big was the winegrape crush?
Wine Australia estimates that 1,265,671 tonnes of winegrapes were crushed at the latest vintage, a fall of 19% on the vintage before. White grapes made up 669,445 tonnes and red grapes 596,226 tonnes . Chardonnay was the largest single variety, ahead of Shiraz.
Which wine regions crush the most grapes?
The Riverland in South Australia reported the largest crush of any region. The warm inland regions of the Riverland, Murray Darling - Swan Hill and the Riverina together reported 782,716 tonnes . The chart of wine regions above shows the largest regions by reported tonnes, with Murray Darling - Swan Hill split by state as Wine Australia reports it.
How many wineries are there in Australia?
Wine Australia estimates there are 2,156 wineries. The ABS counts 2,332 wine and other alcoholic beverage manufacturing businesses, a group that also takes in cider, perry and mead makers and includes businesses with no employees.
How many grape growers are there in Australia?
The ABS counts 4,894 grape growing businesses, a count that takes in table and drying grape growers as well as winegrape growers. The number fell 4.1% over the year. South Australia has the largest number of grape growing businesses.
How many hectares of vineyards are there in Australia?
The latest national scan of satellite imagery found 146,244 hectares of winegrape vineyards. South Australia has the largest area under vine, and the Riverland, with 21,816 hectares , is the largest wine region by vineyard area.
How much wine does Australia make?
Wine Australia estimates that 1,133 million litres of wine were produced in the year covered by its latest report, and that 2,056 million litres of Australian wine were held in stock at the end of that year.
How many people work in the wine industry?
A study prepared for Wine Australia estimates 84,151 jobs directly in grape growing, winemaking and wine tourism, with wine tourism the largest part. Counting flow-on effects in the businesses that supply the industry and the spending of its workers, it estimates 203,392 jobs in all. These are modelled estimates rather than counts of people.
Using these figures
You are welcome to quote any figure on this page. Please credit the original publisher named beside it, and link to this page if it saved you time. Each figure has its own link, so you can send readers straight to it.
How these figures are put together
Every figure on this page comes from the published source linked beside it and applies to the period shown with it. Figures are copied as published. Nothing is estimated, adjusted or combined from different sources.
Each figure is checked against its source when the page is reviewed, and the review date is shown at the top of the page. If a source publishes a newer figure before then, or you spot an error, let us know through the contact page.
Sources
- Wine Australia: National Vintage Report 2026. The National Vintage Survey 2026 of wineries' grape intake. The national, state and variety figures are scaled up for non-response from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry levy figure for 2025; the region figures are tonnes reported to the survey. Released 15 July 2026. Updates: Annual, each July. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- Wine Australia: Export Report infographic, 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. Wine Australia export data for the 12 months to 30 September 2026. Values are free on board (FOB): the value of the wine when loaded onto the ship or plane, before international freight and insurance. Updates: Quarterly. The full Export Report is updated twice a year. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- Wine Australia: Australian Wine Exports Annual Monitor (financial year), 2026. Wine Australia export data for each financial year from 2014-15 to 2025-26, released 29 July 2026. Values are free on board (FOB). Updates: Annual, after the end of each financial year. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- Wine Australia, with Consilium Technology: National Vineyard Scan 2019: summary report. Machine learning scan of satellite imagery of the 2019 growing season by Consilium Technology for Wine Australia, with human review of the results. Report dated 18 December 2019 and published by Wine Australia on 29 January 2020. Updates: The 2019 scan is the latest Wine Australia publishes. Wine Australia is building a National Vineyard Register of all grapevine plantings. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- Wine Australia: Australian Wine Sector at a glance 2024-25. A one-page summary dated December 2025 and published on 20 January 2026, drawing on ABS, AgEcon Plus, Circana, IWSR and Wine Australia data. Updates: Annual. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- Wine Australia: Australian Wine: Production, Sales and Inventory Report 2024-25. Wine Australia's annual Wine Production, Sales and Inventory Survey sent to the top 50 wineries, whose 38 respondents accounted for an estimated 81 per cent of the 2025 grape crush, with other industry data. Published 1 December 2025. Updates: Annual, in late November or December. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- AgEconPlus and Gillespie Economics, for Wine Australia: Economic Contribution of the Australian Wine Sector 2025. Input-output modelling of grape growing, winemaking and wine tourism, using 2024-25 data where available. Direct jobs in grape growing and winemaking start from ABS 2021 Census employment. Published by Wine Australia on 1 September 2025. Updates: Irregular. Earlier editions were published in 2016 and 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, July 2021 to June 2025 (data cube 2). ANZSIC classes 0131 Grape Growing and 1214 Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing, released 16 December 2025. Updates: Annual. Industry class detail is released each December. A newer edition, July 2022 to June 2026, was released on 18 August 2026 without class detail, which is due on 18 December 2026. Retrieved 30 October 2026.
More reading: Farm machinery finance: the complete guide for operators
Financing equipment for your business?
One form, and free quotes matched to your kind of asset. Business and commercial use only.