There’s an old saying in the industry: ‘A late Easter equals a late vintage.’ This was not the case in 2025. Easter fell in late April, yet winemakers across the country almost universally reported an early vintage, with many claiming the earliest ever. This was mostly thanks to the warmer than average conditions that were also experienced in most Australian regions, particularly those in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
Challenges were faced by growers in New South Wales, where conditions were a little too wet at times, and swathes of South Australia were devastated by spring frosts. Things were better in Western Australia, where most regions described a ‘textbook’ vintage.
Overall, despite what was for many a hard and fast harvest, and the other challenges that arose, reports overwhelmingly indicate an outstanding 2025 vintage across the board, with high-quality fruit and excellent wines expected from many regions.
Find detailed vintage notes on each of the sub-regions of Victoria right here, or get to know what happened across different states by inspecting the complete 2025 Australian Vintage Report.
Yarra Valley
After a wet start to winter, the Yarra Valley saw relatively normal temperature and rainfall patterns throughout spring. Summer arrived early, bringing warmer than average temperatures but lower than average rainfall, which, after consecutive La Niñas, resulted in the first prolonged dry period in 5 years. Harvest also arrived early, and while overall a snapshot 63 yields were average, some producers said theirs were down due to the dry conditions, while those in areas where water supply was less critical said they were higher. Most wineries were finished picking by mid-March and the fruit that was harvested was generally high quality, with pinot noir, chardonnay, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon among the highlights.Mornington Peninsula
On the Mornington Peninsula, challenging conditions during early spring fortunately resolved in time for budburst and were near-perfect around the time of flowering and fruitset. Low rainfall during summer reduced disease pressure and above average temperatures accelerated ripening and the onset of a very compressed vintage. Yields were mostly good, especially for red varieties, and overall quality was high, with pinot noir, shiraz and chardonnay the standouts.Gippsland
In Gippsland, spring saw above average rainfall and humid conditions, followed by warm and dry weather up to and during harvest. Despite low yields and small berries, and a very compressed vintage, fruit quality was very high.
Alpine Valleys
Nearby in the Alpine Valleys, the season wasn’t quite so smooth. A dry winter gave way to a very wet spring with high disease pressure but, thankfully, the weather began to dry out in early January. The following months of warm to hot and dry weather resulted in the earliest vintage on record and, despite the challenging conditions, yields were great and pretty much every variety looked outstanding.King Valley
In the King Valley, good rain in early spring set the region up well for what was a textbook vintage. Temperatures were warm but not extreme, disease pressure was low and ripening conditions were optimal. Yields were balanced and healthy, and prosecco (glera) and pinot grigio were the stars.Beechworth
Beechworth also experienced an excellent 2025 vintage: spring was cool, summer was warm and, while both were quite dry, the absence of any extreme weather or climatic events led to above-average yields of excellent quality fruit across the board.
Upper Goulburn
Conditions were dry in the Upper Goulburn throughout winter and spring, as well as throughout January and February, although there was some decent rain in early summer. Higher than average temperatures led first to early budburst, and then moderate yields of very good quality fruit with slightly lower levels of acid than usual. Tempranillo and shiraz were the picks.Geelong
Geelong experienced a dry start to the season, with above-average temperatures in late winter leading to early budburst across the region. Like on the Mornington Peninsula, favourable conditions during flowering resulted in excellent fruitset. The growing season was warm, although dense canopies and cloud cover protected fruit from extreme heat, and while rainfall was below average, it was regular enough to reduce the amount of irrigation water required. Vintage was early and fast, yields were above average in most vineyards and quality was high.
Henty
After a dry autumn and winter in Henty, early spring rains were a welcome relief. Summer was warm (but not too hot) and drier than usual, which reduced pressure from disease and allowed vines to recover after a series of cool, wet seasons. Vintage was early and while yields were low to moderate, there was excellent flavour development in the berries and quality overall was high, especially riesling, pinot noir, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
Macedon Ranges
Although rainfall was low throughout winter and spring in the Macedon Ranges, it was sufficient to ensure adequate soil saturation. Spring was generally mild and disease pressure was low, although some producers were impacted by frosts. Concerns around rain at flowering were thankfully unfounded which meant fruitset was very good, and while a very dry summer saw the younger vines struggle for shoot length, yields were generally excellent. Vintage was the earliest it’s been in at least 30 years thanks to consistently warm weather during February and March and fruit was of a very high quality, particularly pinot noir and chardonnay. Overall, an outstanding vintage.
Bendigo
In Bendigo, rain in winter and early spring provided some protection against the dry spell that hit in November and carried through until harvest. Hot weather led to above average yields and, while there was plenty of flavour in the fruit, the reds were a little high in alcohol.Heathcote
Heathcote saw relatively normal temperature and rainfall patterns throughout winter and most of spring, although conditions were dry from late spring onwards. Those long dry periods and warm to hot conditions prevailed throughout summer, but thankfully there were no extreme days of heat. Harvest was slightly earlier than usual and produced good yields of high-quality fruit. Shiraz, the stalwart of the region, was again the standout variety, with very deep colour and serious extract.Grampians
Aside from a bit of rain in November and March, the weather in the Grampians was dry from winter through to and including harvest. Temperatures throughout spring and summer were above average, the hot days and warm nights encouraging even ripening and intensity of colour and flavour in the fruit. Overall yields were moderate, although some producers reported lower than average yields while others reported higher than average yields, depending on variety and water management. Riesling, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon are the universally agreed standouts.
Nagambie Lakes
Winter and early spring were dry in Nagambie Lakes but lots of rain in November and no frosts laid the foundations for a successful vintage. December and January were dry and warm and fruit was picked earlier than in previous years. Yields were moderate – higher for whites – and, while quality across the board was excellent, viognier (followed by marsanne and chardonnay) came out on top.
Strathbogie Ranges
Winemakers in the Strathbogie Ranges were thrilled to report another strong vintage, with one producer saying it was up there with the best in his 20 years in the region. Rainfall patterns throughout winter and spring were normal and, although summer was largely dry and brought periods of intense heat, conditions throughout the 4 or so weeks leading up to harvest were absolutely ideal. Warmer than average temperatures throughout the growing season are expected to produce wines with slightly more body and weight, with riesling, chardonnay and shiraz the standouts.Pyrenees
Conditions were extremely dry in the Pyrenees, which led to lower yields yet a greater concentration of flavour in the red varieties – particularly shiraz and grenache. Temperatures overall were warm but not hot, and the producers with irrigated vineyards were blessed with high-quality whites.
Glenrowan
In Glenrowan, vintage was compressed and frantic – ‘an avalanche’, describes one producer – but fruit quality was outstanding and, while everything from fiano to muscat performed well, the standout was durif: dark, dense and concentrated.Rutherglen
Despite the frosts that followed budburst, conditions in Rutherglen were generally benign throughout spring and, although rainfall was below average, there were a handful of rain events around flowering. Summer was hot and dry but, except for a few extreme peaks, temperatures were largely stable up until harvest. Like in many regions across the state, vintage was the earliest on record, and with many varieties ripening at the same time, there was a lot of pressure on both producers and winery infrastructure. Yields were moderate to low – one producer reported normal yields, while another said that even with irrigation they were down by 20% on average – but fruit quality has been very good, particularly red and fortified varieties.Murray Darling
And finally, in the Murray Darling, warmer than average temperatures from late winter onwards also resulted in an early vintage. But despite low rainfall, yields were moderate and fruit quality across the board was good, especially pinot gris, vermentino and shiraz.
Discover more regional insights from the 2025 Australian vintage with the Halliday Vintage Chart.
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This is an edited extract from the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Katrina Butler, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale and Toni Paterson MW.
Top image credit: TarraWarra Estate.
