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 Western Australia right here, or get to know what happened across different states by inspecting the complete 2025 Australian Vintage Report.
Margaret River
Margaret River was blessed with abundant rain throughout winter and into spring that refilled dams and soil profiles around the region. Fine, warm and sunny conditions followed; the only challenge was increased bird pressure due to the total lack of marri blossom. Yields were moderate and overall fruit quality was excellent, with the stars of the region – cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay – shining brightest.
Great Southern
In Great Southern, a dry and mild winter preceded a dry and warm growing season, which meant irrigation was crucial for many producers. Harvest was on the early side, yields were low to moderate, and fruit quality was very high – clean, concentrated and with good acid retention. Riesling, pinot noir and syrah all looked great.Pemberton
Weather conditions in Pemberton mimicked those in Margaret River, with plenty of dam-filling rain falling in winter and then clearing to fine and stable in the months leading up to harvest. High yields of pristine, quality fruit have been reported, with chardonnay, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc performing particularly exceptionally.
Geographe
Geographe saw a return to ‘usual’ vintage conditions, with lots of winter rain, followed by moderate daytime temperatures and cooler nights during the growing season. Early bird pressure was mitigated by a late bloom of eucalypt flowers. Yields were a little high in some white varieties such as sauvignon blanc, although were average overall, and chardonnay and shiraz performed the best.Swan Valley
Like much of Western Australia, winter was wet in the Swan Valley, which was crucial for replenishing moisture in the soils. Both temperatures and rainfall were ‘normal’ in spring, although there was some disease pressure (notably downy mildew). The first few weeks of summer were warm and dry, although temperatures became hot from mid-January onwards, which accelerated ripening and put pressure on vintage planning, although, in the end, the timing of harvest was in line with the average. While some producers reported moderate to high yields, others said theirs were low, either due to the fruit lost during January’s heatwave, or due to prolonged flowering and budburst, which led to some unevenness in fruitset. But overall, an excellent vintage, particularly for chenin blanc, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, shiraz and chardonnay.
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: Vasse Felix.
