A winery in Australia lost 300 acres of vines due to the Longwood bushfire in Victoria.

What happened?

The devastating bushfire in Victoria, Australia, destroyed 300 acres of vines belonging to Fowles Wines, a winery owned by Matt Fowles. Additionally, the fire burned through 1,500 acres of grazing land on the Fowles farm, killed hundreds of sheep, and ravaged two houses.

According to WBM, Fowles told The Age, "It's a moonscape. There's barely a blade of grass."

Fowles also explained that it appears the winery lost its entire crop due to the fire, along with all the infrastructure on which the crops depend. 

Another vineyard in the area, Elgo Vineyard, was also devastated by the fire, and major property loss in the Victoria region has been reported, with Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan declaring a state of disaster for 18 areas, per WBM. 

Why are fewer grape crops concerning?

As growers of all kinds face rising issues growing crops due to extreme weather events — such as wildfire, drought, and flooding — more and more crops will fail. These reductions in crop yield will result in less food (or, in the case of vineyards, less wine) being available to consumers, while potentially increasing the cost of the remaining food and wine, making already expensive grocery trips even more so. 

Additionally, a loss of crops will see farmers facing substantial income loss. On top of those losses are the costs of rebuilding vineyards and farms after extreme weather, which can be expensive. If those losses continue indefinitely and farms constantly require rebuilding, it could lead to farmers losing or giving up their livelihoods, fewer farm jobs, and the potential razing of the agricultural industry. 

As people continue using energy sources like oil and coal, global temperatures will keep rising, leading to even more extreme weather events and making growing food much more difficult, resulting in global food scarcity.

What's being done about grape crops?

Vineyards are implementing numerous strategies not only to save crops from wildfire but also to continue growing crops in harsh weather of all kinds.

Whether it's cultivating healthier soil with the help of herds of sheep or developing an AI robot meant to help vineyards during labor shortages, scientists and researchers around the globe are taking steps to protect crops.

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