Oz Wine Facts – Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre is a red wine grape variety popular in various parts of the world – albeit by distinct names such as Monastrell and Mataro. Although it has proven difficult to pinpoint where this variety originated, most wine historians believe that Mataro first blossomed in Spain.

The wines produced using this variety are tannic and highly alcoholic in nature. They often feature wild game and earthy notes, fusing with soft red fruit flavours.

Below is a data compilation of the growth, production and export of Aussie Mourvèdre in the year 2017 –

Viticulture

Of a total of 135,133 hectares of grapes planted all across Australia, about 751 hectares of the land was lined by Mourvèdre grapes. This makes up just 1% of the total grapes blooming across the nation.

Grape Production

In 2017, the total grape crushing across various Australian wine regions amounted to 1,929,630 tonnes. Of this, the crushing of Mataro grapes was calculated to be approximately 7,494 tonnes. Although this makes up less than 1% of the total grapes crushed, it makes up roughly 1% of the total red grapes crushed in wineries across the different wine districts in Australia.

The top 5 Aussie regions responsible for the crushing of Mourvèdre in 2017 were – Riverland (39%), Barossa Valley (19%), Limestone Coast zone other (11%), McLaren Vale(9%), and Riverina (6%).

Export Data

During the year 2017, the Aussie wine industry exported about 811,001,000 litres of wine to various countries across the globe. Of this, the export of Mourvèdre varietals and blends was found to be 1,585,000 litres, which once again equalled less than 1% of the total wine exports that year.

The countries that came out on top with their purchase of Mourvèdre wines were as follows – China, Pr (39%), United Kingdom (13%), USA (10%), Finland (7%), and Japan (6%).