An Australian Government-funded initiative aimed at improving market transparency in the wine sector and addressing information imbalances between winemakers and grape growers has delivered strong results.

Concluding in June, the project provided a suite of practical tools and insights designed to support more informed decision-making for growers in the inland regions.

Led by Wine Australia and overseen by a consortium comprising Australian Grape & Wine, the Inland Wine Regions Alliance and Wine Australia, the project was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, under the Improving Market Transparency in Perishable Agricultural Goods Industries program. 

The program was established following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) inquiry into bargaining power imbalances in supply chains for perishable agricultural products in Australia.

Among the key outcomes:

• The Grape Price Indicators dashboard, launched in November 2023, which brings together 12 data sources in an interactive, user-friendly tool that gives a clear picture of the factors influencing grape prices.
• An independent price forecast for key inland wine grape varieties, developed through a new collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES).
• Improved domestic market insights, including greater access to retail sales data, a domestic sales dashboard, commissioned research into the on-premise channel and enhanced analysis of wine consumption trends.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins said: “The wine sector plays a big role supporting jobs, tourism and the economy in Australian regional communities.

“From vineyard to cellar-door, improving access to information supports growers and winemakers to make informed decisions and build a stronger sector now and into the future.”

The Grape Price Indicators dashboard, which has been accessed by more than 1830 users in the past 12 months, provides a summary of data trends related to grape prices and an arrow showing the overall indicated direction of prices, based on these data sources. The model underpinning the arrow has so far proven to be reliable, with the price direction indicated by the arrow for 2025 matching the actual price changes published in the National Vintage Report earlier this month, for almost all varieties.

Chair of the Inland Wine Regions Alliance and project steering committee member Jim Caddy said the dashboard enabled growers to assess the market, evaluate price offers and make better decisions regarding investments for the season.

“It is not a silver bullet, but it provides growers with an independent source of information that can help them negotiate more confidently with their wineries by challenging offer prices that are not consistent with the market signals shown on the dashboard,” he said.

While the dashboard does not provide an actual price forecast or guarantee outcomes, it offers visibility of the factors influencing pricing and can be used in tandem with other insights and resources to support more informed business decision-making.

The establishment of a partnership with the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) now delivers independent price forecasts for key varieties in the inland regions as part of the quarterly Agricultural Commodities Report, viewed by an estimated 4000 people each quarter.

Australian Grape & Wine Director of Economic and Environmental Policy and project steering committee member Anna Hooper, said the relationship with ABARES had been a standout achievement of the project.

“Their involvement has brought improved credibility and objectivity to pricing and forecasting models and gives growers reassurance that the information is coming from an independent source,” Hooper said.

The project also addressed a critical gap in the sector’s understanding of wine sales and trends in the domestic market, Australian wine’s largest single market, by delivering:

• a stand-alone Domestic Sales Dashboard, to be officially launched at the Wine Australia Global Market Update on 18 July
• improved insights into consumer behaviour around wine consumption
• a commissioned report into the specific challenges and opportunities in the on-premise channel, and
• increases in the accessibility of retail sales data through improved relationships with wine retailers and commercial data providers.

Wine Australia General Manager Marketing and project steering committee member Paul Turale said: “Having clearer visibility of domestic consumption trends and potential opportunities has already shown benefits, allowing the entire supply chain to adapt and identify emerging opportunities.  This helps support more sustainable and profitable outcomes,” he said.

Caddy added that a better understanding of sales on the domestic market was crucial to supporting market transparency.

“While Wine Australia has always supplied detailed pricing and volume for export wine, this project has enabled the industry to develop much improved domestic sales insights, allowing growers to source more comprehensive information to help them make decisions,” he said.

Wine Australia CEO Dr Martin Cole said: “The thoughtful and collaborative nature of this project, coupled with extensive consultation and co-design with grower organisations, means we’ve delivered practical tools with long-term value.

“The in-house skills and capability developed through this project will ensure these tools continue to evolve to meet the sector’s changing needs.”

Access the Grape Price Indicators Dashboard at: https://marketexplorer.wineaustralia.com/grape-price-indicators