The figures released by Wine Tasmania for 2026 don't paint a particularly pretty picture.
Just 11,163 tonnes of grapes were harvested across Tasmania this year — down 52% on the enormous 2025 vintage.
For Tasmania's wine producers, that's tough. Wine might be romantic, but vineyards and wineries are businesses. Growers and winemakers still need enough fruit and wine to make a living for the year.
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But Tasmania has been here before.
Wine Tasmania described 2020–2023 as four consecutive low-yielding seasons before yields recovered in 2024, followed by the record-breaking 2025 harvest.
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It's important to note - low yielding doesn't mean poor quality.
Some of Tasmania's difficult, cooler vintages have produced outstanding wines.
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Take 2017, yields were restricted around the state, yet Tolpuddle's Chardonnay went on to win the Australian Chardonnay Trophy and Australian White Trophy at the International Wine Challenge.
In 2020 yields fell 28%, yet Wine Tasmania described quality as exceptional. Then 2022 and 2023 again delivered limited volumes, along with some seriously impressive Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
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Early reports suggest 2026 may follow that pattern:
🍇 very long, cool season,
🍇tiny crops
🍇fruit with intensity and freshness.
That's an exciting prospect for wine drinkers, but less so if you're the grower with half the amount of wine to sell.
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I suspect 2026 Tasmanian wines will cost us a little more. Our small, premium producers simply can't absorb a shortfall of this size while costs continue to rise.
But history tells us something else too.
We are going to see some remarkable wines from 2026.
And that's where we get down to business.
As the 2026 wines begin to appear, I'll be keeping a close eye on the producers and bottles that really stand out.
Yes, some will cost a little more. But some may also prove to be among the best wines in Australia.
We'll make sure you hear about those ones. 🍷
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