Vineyards impacted by floods in Victoria

Words Harrison Davies. Image Mt Emu Creek Wines

Storm surges in Victoria have left vineyards underwater and vintages ruined.

Water levels rose by several metres and vineyards were completely inundated, with floodwaters carrying everything from vines to irrigations systems with them.

Mt Emu Creek Wines were once such winery to be affected by the flooding and winemaker David Farnhill said the damage was enough that Vintage 2023 is all but a write off now.

“[The water] was about half a metre higher than the actual vines themselves,” he said.

“All told there would have been about three and a half thousand vines in the vineyard. This one was our premium block.”

Farnhill said the team would likely have to rip everything out and start the vineyard from scratch, as everything had been damaged by the floodwaters.

“I’m not too sure which way we’re going to go and how we’re going to do it. It looks like we’ll just have to pick up all the posts that are over, roll all the wires up to the drip line, or what’s left of it, a lot of it’s been completely washed away,” he explained.

“Then we’ll try and stand the vines up. We’ve got to clean them up first as they’re all covered in all the weed and everything else. They’re flattened over completely and lying on lying on the ground.

“When we take all the weed and stuff off, and we’re obviously going to take all the bugs with it as well.”

Farnhill said the damage was significant and that the insurance he had been paying for years, which he thought was comprehensive, was unclear about whether he had coverage for flooding.

“If we’re not insured, then that changes the whole ballgame,” Farnhill said.

“It’s going to cost us $100,000 plus to redo the whole thing and most of that would been in clean up and trying to redo it again.

“It might be easier to do a new vineyard rather than try and re-establish one that’s wrecked.”

Elsewhere in Victoria, the Tahbilk winery also had vines affected by floodwaters.

The Bureau of Meteorology reported that while the rain has subsided for now, more storm could be on the horizon of the South-East of Australia.

“Significant rain and thunderstorms are forecast for central and eastern Australia this week. The impact will cause renewed or prolonged river rises and flooding across flood affected areas,” the report stated.

“Widespread rainfall totals of 25 to 50 mm are likely across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria this week.”

Flooding at Tahbilk Winery. Image Tahbilk Facebook

 

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