When Lin Meiqing bought an 80-hectare wine property in South Australia to grow red grapes for the booming Chinese wine market, he had no idea his cherished dream would be met by disaster.
By Sandra Fulloon, Jeff KuanStanding on a levee at his flooded property outside Renmark, in South Australia’s Riverland, Lin Meiqing is putting on a brave face.
This is usually a busy season for South Australian wine growers, with the grape harvest starting in February. Not this year, on this property. However, Mr Lin’s once-prosperous vineyard and winery suffered a further downturn during the pandemic.He once employed four full-time workers, but has now been reduced to just himself working multiple jobs to save costs.While the river levels are slowly falling, the outlook for his business is not good, with financial losses soaring past $1 million.READ MORELyndall Rowe is the executive officer of Riverland Wine representing 950 members, both wine growers and winemakers.
"In areas like the Riverina and Murray Valley by some estimates, the vintage could be down by 50 per cent,” he says.READ MORE “It has been one crisis on top of the other. Prior to the floods, the wine industry faced tariffs imposed by China, plus uncertainty in freight and increases in on-costs.'No warning from local authorities'
Director and winemaker Dimitrios Markeas says tourists have stayed away from flood-affected areas, so revenue from wine tours, cellar door sales and restaurant trade is down by around 30 per cent.Dimitrios Markeas at Mallee Estate Winery and restaurant.“Now we have to cut back on staff, because tourists haven't come to the region. So, you have to look at your cash flow, you have to look at your business model.
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