2026 Limestone Coast Grape Harvest: A Season of Uncertainty
A Season of Weather Whiplash
The weather in the lead-up to the 2026 grape harvest on the Limestone Coast has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Heavy rainfall combined with warm temperatures has made predicting the season’s outcome an exercise in chance—like rolling the dice and hoping for the best when it comes to how the fruit will hold up. As someone remarked recently, “it’s like fishing, you just don’t know what you’re going to get. It could be a rubber tyre or a beautiful fish.” This year, I’ve certainly witnessed a few “rubber tyres” myself.
Harvest Outcomes for Cuvée-Co Wines
This season, Cuvée-Co Wines has managed to pick only the Mundulla Prosecco, and even then, just in very small quantities. Unfortunately, the Pinot Noir destined for our Ivy Elliot Rosé began to split due to the persistent rain. Meanwhile, the vines from Mount Gambier experienced a surge in vegetative growth following the rainfall, which delayed flavour development and made it impossible to hand-pick the fruit before the threat of botrytis disease set in.
Limited Production and Vintage Decision
We only produce wines in limited quantities and solely when the quality meets our standards. This year, however, Mother Nature has made her intentions clear: there will be no vintage wines produced. It’s a tough business being a winemaker—let alone a grape grower—and with the lateness of the season, my hope now is that at least the table reds will ripen in time and make it through.
Upcoming Prestige Releases and Past Successes
Despite the challenges of 2026, I am pleased to announce the upcoming release of the 2023 Cuvée Nessa Blanc de Blancs. There are only a few cases left of the 2021 Cuvée Nessa Blanc de Blancs, the winner of the 2025 Limestone Coast Wine Show trophy for Best Sparkling Wine, (available via the website or at our tasting room in Penola), so this new release is particularly exciting. The 2023 chardonnay grapes were handpicked on the morning of March 8, amidst cool climate conditions that ultimately yielded top-quality fruit.
2023 Vintage Conditions Summary
The season has been described as cool, long and late, the result of a cool and wet spring.
- Weather Shift: After the wet spring, the weather transitioned to warm and dry conditions in early 2023, which helped with the ripening process.
- Disease Management: The wet spring increased downy mildew pressure, requiring vigilant canopy management and preventative spraying from viticulturists.
- Yields: Grapevine yields across the region have generally been lower than average due to difficult flowering conditions.
- Quality: Despite these setbacks, the long, cool growing season has enabled full flavour development and excellent natural acidity in the fruit.
