Managing Climate risk
Climate management starts with understanding the conditions shaping your vineyard and winery today and preparing for those that may arise tomorrow. Victorian wine businesses are increasingly balancing climate variability with practical business decisions - from variety selection, water security and vineyard practices to labour, technology and financial investment. Building resilience isn't always about predicting what comes next. Often, it's about creating the flexibility, knowledge and systems needed to respond with confidence when conditions change.
What's important to consider
Climate variability is influencing almost every decision made in vineyards and wineries today. Understanding the risks, opportunities and trade-offs associated with changing conditions can help wine businesses plan ahead, build resilience and adapt with confidence.
Weather and seasonal variability influence vineyard and winery operations throughout the year. Understanding rainfall, frost, heat and moisture conditions can help improve planning and decision-making.
Extreme events can significantly impact wine businesses and often require rapid responses. Preparing for bushfire, smoke, heat, wind and other climate risks is critical to building resilience.
Climate variability is changing the way vineyards are managed and developed. Variety selection, vineyard systems and sustainability practices will continue to shape future vineyard performance.
Building resilience requires planning for uncertainty and changing conditions. Investing in people, systems and processes can help businesses respond confidently to future challenges and opportunities.
What's working in Victoria
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing climate risk. Victorian wine businesses are responding to their unique environments, challenges and opportunities in different ways. Explore practical examples from across the state to see what's working, learn from others and discover ideas that could be applied in your own business.
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Your store hasn’t published any blog posts yet. A blog can be used to talk about new product launches, tips, or other news you want to share with your customers.
Example post title
Your store hasn’t published any blog posts yet. A blog can be used to talk about new product launches, tips, or other news you want to share with your customers.
Example post title
Your store hasn’t published any blog posts yet. A blog can be used to talk about new product launches, tips, or other news you want to share with your customers.
Example post title
Your store hasn’t published any blog posts yet. A blog can be used to talk about new product launches, tips, or other news you want to share with your customers.
Australia's Wine Future: A Climate Atlas
Australia's Wine Future: A Climate Atlas is an interactive tool that provides climate projections for every Australian wine region.
It helps grape growers and winemakers understand how temperature, rainfall, frost risk and aridity are expected to change over time, supporting better decisions around vineyard management, variety selection and long-term climate adaptation.
Explore climate information for your region to help plan for future risks and opportunities.
Information & Insights
Explore the latest information and research to develop your own insights and make informed decisions for your wine business.
Frequently asked questions
The best resource is Australia's Wine Future: A Climate Atlas which provides climate projections for every Australian wine region, helping businesses understand how temperature, rainfall, frost risk and aridity are expected to change over time. Use this information to inform long-term decisions around vineyard investment, variety selection and climate adaptation.
Wine Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) have developed practical resources on bushfire preparedness, smoke exposure and smoke taint management. These resources can help businesses understand risk periods, vineyard preparedness and options available following smoke events. In Victoria we have developed a Fire and Smoke Emergency Plan which is helpful to be aware of.
Climate variability may influence decisions around variety selection, vineyard systems and management practices. Wine Australia climate adaptation resources and regional case studies can help businesses understand future opportunities and trade-offs when planning for changing conditions.
Weather forecasting tools, climate projections, monitoring technologies and regional climate resources can support day-to-day and long-term decision-making. Understanding your climate risks is often the first step in building resilience.
Planning for frost, heatwaves, bushfire, wind and seasonal variability requires a combination of preparedness, communication and flexibility. Scenario planning and data-driven decision-making can help businesses respond more confidently when conditions change.
Wine Victoria's Future Fit Hub, technical support and industry partnerships provide access to practical resources, peer learning opportunities and climate-related information relevant to Victorian wine businesses.
