Tasmania produces about $420 million in wine a year, which is projected to grow to $2 billion by 2040, according to new research commissioned by Wine Tasmania.
This will make the wine sector the most significant contributor to the Tasmanian economy, outperforming all other sectors.
With 3,600 full-time equivalent jobs in the wine sector, Tasmania is the only state where its grapegrowing workforce grew over the past decade – up by 74 percent compared with a 29 percent reduction nationally.
During the same period, Tasmania was also the only state where females in grapegrowing roles increased, up by 115 percent.
“The Tasmanian wine sector is founded in agriculture, but its value grows exponentially through winemaking and wine tourism,” Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies says.
“Nearly every community in Tasmania is directly or indirectly linked to the wine sector, including through employment, investment and tourism in our regional areas.
“A quarter of visitors to Tasmania call into our regional cellar doors, with these visitors staying longer and spending more than others.”
“From humble beginnings in the 1950s, so many people have worked tirelessly for a long time to make this sector the impressive success it is today.
“This is despite many challenges along the way and official advice that the island was too cold and unpredictable to ever be a regional wine champion.”
Sheralee says Tasmania is now leading the country, through its global profile, the value of winegrapes and wine, visitation to its cellar doors and market-led growth as well as regional employment and investment.
“This reputation, coupled with a changing climate and wine preferences, will see even further growth over the coming years,” she says.
“While growth reflects confidence in the Tasmanian wine sector, it also comes with quite a lot of risk.
“There is an opportunity for future growth to be carefully considered and managed to ensure Tasmania builds on its strong platform of today.”
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