2026 Wine Victoria Field Days Insights

What are growers thinking about as they navigate a changing climate?

What's working in vineyards today?

And where does the Greater Victorian grapegrowing community need more support?

To find out, Wine Victoria asked.

During the 2026 Field Days, more than 140 participants contributed to workshop discussions exploring climate, vineyard systems, technology and business resilience. Their collective insights have been distilled into five key themes that reflect both the challenges and opportunities facing Victorian wine businesses today.

These insights provide a valuable snapshot of the industry's priorities and will help inform future Wine Victoria initiatives, resources and partnerships.

Explore the five insights below.

Insight 1. Every drop of water counts

Water continues to shape many of the decisions being made in vineyards today. Members spoke about running out of water, improving water retention, reducing losses through leaky dams, damaged dripper lines, bare earth and over-irrigation not matching vine requirements. The conversation reflected a growing focus on making better use of the water available.

Practices delivering results

Composted grape marc or commercial compost application (banded or spread)
Soft pruning
Native grasses under vine
Grazing
Soil moisture monitors
Ground covers / mulch
Increased soil carbon
Efficient pump filtration systems
Infrastructure upgrades reducing wastage
Cover crops

Where support is needed

Moisture probes for site-specific information
Weather stations
Water > wastewater / water use
Historical data and regional averages
Real-time tracking data

photo credit: Yarra Yering

Insight 2. Technology must prove its value

Technology is generating plenty of interest, but members consistently spoke about the barriers to adoption, including cost and perceived ROI, understanding what the data means, lack of data integration, connectivity in vineyards, scale v cost, uptake fatigue, trust and mindset change.

What's working

Data collection
CropX moisture management
Goldtech irrigation control
Weather stations

What members would like to automate

Mowing
Under-vine weeding
Spraying
Weather monitoring linked to software
Irrigation
Desuckering
Trimming
Crop estimates / berry sampling
Fertigation
Nets
Pruning
Selective weeding
Fruit bin transport
Bunch count / Crop establishment

Where support is needed

Practical advice / solutions for new technology & research
Translating research into practice
Shared equipment program for new/large capital purchases
A Chat BCG equivalent for wine research

photo credit: Wine Australia

Insight 3. Climate is increasing business complexity

Climate discussions extended well beyond rainfall. Members spoke about frost, heatwaves, summer heat and bushfires, winds, timing of climate events, synthetic input reduction, grape varieties not suited to the region, labour versus automation, financial versus environmental decisions, water sources, which tech to use and the broader uncertainty of climate.

The decisions becoming harder

Financial v environment
Variety selection
Labour versus automation
Operational decisions – when to spray and what to spray
How far to move toward low-chemical or organic vineyard systems while maintaining sustainability and financial viability
Water sources – options
Which tech to use
Expenditure

What preparedness looks like

Transparency/Communication of risks across the team
Planning for different scenarios – labour, equipment, forecasting and tools
Collecting data and using it to implement changes
Being clear on brand vision
Flexibility mentality
Ecosystem thinking / holistic philosophy
Planning for multiple 'what if' scenarios
Balanced vineyard ecosystems
Correct equipment
Calibration
Educated and upskilled

photo credit: King Valley Wineries

Insight 4. Efficiency does not equal resilience

One of the strongest observations from the workshops was that efficiency does not equal resilience.

Members recognised that preparing for an increasingly variable climate requires more than simply improving efficiency. It also means planning for uncertainty, investing in capability and building flexibility into business systems.

The discussion highlighted the importance of:

Planning for multiple 'what if' scenarios
Collecting data and using it to implement changes
Transparency and communication across the team
Being clear on brand vision
Flexibility mentality
Ecosystem thinking / holistic philosophy
Educated and upskilled teams
Secure channels for product purchase, fungicide and calcium nitrate

photo credit: 1860 Vines Tahbilk Winery

Insight 5. Members know where support is needed

Across both workshops, members were clear about where future support would provide the greatest value.

Better data

Trial data from projects in our region and others
Historical data and regional averages
Real-time tracking data
Auto-tracking data (e.g. GPS feeding multiple platforms)
AI

Better support

Greater inclusion and communication
Viticulture resources (e.g. Birchip Cropping Group App)
Education options for staff
Apprenticeship and trade pathways for emerging youth
Biosecurity support – educator/info for the public and other stakeholders, and hardware – footbaths etc.
Connections + access to resources for viticulture

Future priorities

Practical advice / solutions for new technology & research
Translating research into practice
Resource / Info sharing within and between regions
Shared equipment program for new/large capital purchases
Consumer education
Centralising data collection to benefit members
Resources for growers on varieties for changing climate/drier conditions

photo credit: Wine Australia