Viticulture representative Damien Cofield said harvest could continue for the next few weeks before winemakers have a short rest before Easter.  

"Quality is universally high across the varieties, with the reds being particularly strong this year," he said.

"After a cool and dry winter, budburst was later in the Rutherglen region than in previous years.

"This was then followed by a mild and dry October and November which meant flowering took place a little later than normal.

"At this time, yields throughout the region's vineyards looked slightly lighter than average, however the positive sign was the fruit load on the vines looked balanced.

"The decrease in our region varies between 15 and 35 per cent." 

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Mr Cofield said December brought some warmer weather which forced vineyards to protect their grapes from the sun.

"During this time, the vines were managed to ensure that water was kept up in irrigated vineyards in an effort to avoid any negative effects," he said.

"The management practices employed included leaving extra leaf numbers on the western side of the vines to give protection from the harsh afternoon sun and many vineyards used a sunscreen spray over the fruiting zone.

"It is quite remarkable how much coolers the leaves are to touch with the sunscreen, compared to the leaves which were not protected.

"Generally, the vines across the region handled these extreme conditions well."

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