By Romy Stephens
A Yarra Valley wine body is confident the region’s industry will remain strong, despite concerns a large percentage of Australia’s wineries could be lost due to Covid-19.
In an ABC report on 17 April, the wine industry’s peak national body, Australian Grape and Wine, warned coronavirus could wipe out about 30 per cent of wineries across the country.
Wine Yarra Valley president and Hoddles Creek Estate owner Franco D’Anna said that figure was “highly speculative.”
“There might be an impact where people can’t go forward or don’t have the income,” he said.
“We’re lucky with government support, with JobKeeper, it will help a lot of small businesses survive.”
“To put a figure on how many businesses are going to go broke, we don’t know what their financial position is so it’s really hard to say.”
Mr D’Anna acknowledged that local wineries were suffering as a result of the pandemic, but said he was confident the industry would bounce back.
“What people don’t understand is, going on reports, wine retail is up between 30 and 40 per cent,” he said.
“In one way, one door shuts but it’s an opportunity for some of our businesses to look at other ways to get more penetration into the market.
“I think we’re in a great position to get over this.
“I wouldn’t call our industry fragile, it’s been thriving over the past five years.”
Numerous wineries across the Yarra Valley have been forced to close their cellar doors, rely on online sales and think of new ways to do business since the Covid-19 outbreak began.
Rochford Wines has opened up a grocer in its cellar door and Rob Dolan Wines has created a Cellar Boot to Car Door initiative for easy wine access during Covid-19.
Australian Grape and Wine is Australia’s national association of winegrape and wine producers.
The organisation provides leadership, strategy, advocacy and support for more than 2,500 winemakers and 5,000 winegrape growers.
Wine Yarra Valley is a non-profit industry association the helps further the development of viticulture, winemaking and tourism in the Yarra Valley.
