new south wales
CONTENTS
Includes: Sparkling, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc & Blends, Riesling, Semillon & Blends, Chardonnay & Blends, Other White Varietals & Blends, Rosé, Pinot Noir, Other Red Varietals & Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends, Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Malbec, Shiraz & Blends.
A PLAGUE OF PANDEMIC PROPORTIONS
The New South Wales year in review, by Rick Allen.
“Most producers picked what they could sell without damaging their brand, the rest they let go.”
IN short, if the smoke didn't get you, the drought did - and for some, it was a double whammy. That's the sorry story of vintage 2020 across the regions of NSW.
Generally speaking, the Riverina probably came through it best, although it's a vintage NSW would rather forget.
HUNTER
The vines were struggling from a crippling drought anyway, but the bushfire smoke that had threatened for weeks finally proved too much. With the vast majority of wineries seriously weighing up whether it was worth picking at all, Mount Pleasant - producers of the back-to-back 2018 and 2019 NSW Wine of the Year - announced they would not pick a single grape. As the Hunter tends to pick early because of the warm climate, it was big news at the time. A sign of potentially what was to come.
Mount Pleasant winemaker Adrian Sparks stressed not all the Hunter had
