AU: Wet spring shortens Swan Valley table grape season

The table grape harvest in the Swan Valley will be delayed for several weeks because of a wet spring. Third generation grape grower Graeme Roscic said the grapes had yet to reach full maturity, and harvesting would not begin in earnest until early in the New Year. “The grapes will be held back in the market, so fruit from Carnarvon will be available first,” he said. “This can often prove beneficial to local grape growers because it means they won’t be all in the market at once. “Usually, the Swan Valley grapes are in the market from Christmas until April. But a cool, wet spring has kept the grapes from ripening, and will result in a bit of a delay this year.”

Mr Roscic said despite the threat of fungal disease, he anticipated the volume of the harvest would be about the same as last season. “It has been a difficult year for some growers, with some losing fruit,” he said. “But it should be business as usual for us. You get to know the soil and you can anticipate how much the vines will produce.” This will mark Mr Roscic’s 33rd season as a grape grower. “My grandfather came to Australia from Croatia in 1926 and came to the Swan, where table grapes were already growing,” he said. “I have seen a lot of change over the years. “Table grapes have increased in popularity due both to the health aspect and the push for people to eat more fruit. “The area has also changed, with urbanisation and commercialisation. And the population has seen a huge increase. “My friends and I used to ride on our bikes three abreast on West Swan Road and have no problems. You could not do that now because of all the traffic and trucks.”

Source: inmycommunity.com.au