But joy soon turned to misery when an exceptional heatwave hit south-eastern Australia, deadly bushfires ripped through regional Victoria and hailstorms reached the Riverina, shrinking the nation's crop and already low grower returns.

In the face of such extreme conditions, grapegrowers still continue to battle, setting their sights on the potential quality of fruit 2009 could deliver.

And while a dip in yields brings no immediate relief to struggling growers, it may be the solution to the oversupply headache that has been hanging over the Australian wine industry for several years.

The nation's revised crop forecast - which has been reported as low as 1.42 million tonnes (down for the original 1.8mt) - may bring the industry back into balance.

In the March edition of GrapeGrowers & Vignerons, Shay Bayly speaks with Wine Grape Growers Australia chief executive Mark McKenzie about which states have been hit hardest by Australia's weather extremes, the likely impact on the nation's wine industry, and one of the most pressing issues - low grower returns.

The magazine also reports on how a Australian Wine Research Institute survey is helping Australian producers pinpoint reds suitable for the Chinese palate, how one small Barossa winery will attract business with the help of one of the nation's most beloved icons, and the next biggest concern for Australian wine producers - the threat of volumetric tax.

GG&V is Fairfax Media’s premier monthly national grape and wine publication. It is a one-stop shop for Australia's growers, winemakers, suppliers and industry bodies, covering all aspects of viticulture, winemaking, wine marketing and wine technology. To subscribe to GG&V, please phone 1300 131 095 or email subscriptions.netcirc@ruralpress. com.