Two of the area's major wineries are set to suffer significant losses from this year's harvest.
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Between bushfires and recent floods, it is estimated Coolangatta Estate and Silos Estates could both lose around 80 per cent on this year's harvest.
The Silos Estate at Jaspers Brush has reported a loss of three quarters of their crop this year after two metres of floodwater inundated the property during the recent big wet.
So powerful was the floodwater that estate owner Raj Ray says some of the vines, 20 to 30-years-old, were simply torn from the ground.
"We survived the fires but couldn't survive the floods," he said.
"We have the Berry to Bomaderry Princes Highway upgrade right outside our business and that sort of acted like a dyke wall.
"The water from Wileys Creek just rushed in which is fine we are used to that in big rain events. This wasn't as big as the rains in November '07 or '16 but with the highway work the water just sat there and had nowhere to go.
"It was about two metres deep - some of the grapes were underwater for more than 24 hours.
"And like you, if you were under water for 24 hours you wouldn't feel great - the grapes are the same and many, especially down on the flat adjoining the highway have been seriously affected.
"We've lost 70 to 80 per cent of our crop for this year. But that's farming, we'll get on with it.
Two metres of water has a lot of power. It was that strong it just ripped 20 to 30-year-old vines out of the ground. Some grapes were under water for more than 24 hours and like you or me they don't like it.
- Silos Estate owner Raj Ray
"We survived the bushfires - we were fortunate we weren't specifically impacted, and with our topography we managed to avoid a lot of the smoke damage other wineries have experienced - our grapes weren't sitting in a bowl like are filled with smoke.
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"But we couldn't survive the floods. But compared to so many other areas on the South Coast that have been decimated by bushfires we are incredibly fortunate."
Mr Ray and his wife Sophie threw their business open in December/January when the area was being ravaged by bushfires.
They closed the winery down and opened it up as an evacuation centre during the crisis.
They had 40 to 50 families stay at the property since December 20 and had lots of stock using the winery as a refuge.
The estate also lost Infrastructure in the flooding.
"We've lost fences, posts and even vines themselves," he said.
"Two metres of water has a lot of power. It was that strong it just ripped 20 to 30-year-old vines out of the ground.
"About 300 vines were damaged - I've never seen anything like it.
"It was only Monday [February 24] we were actually able to get down to all the lower parts of the vineyard."
But Mr Ray remains positive.
"The sun still rises, the earth still spins, we're still here and we'll continue to get up tomorrow and go again," he said.
The sun still rises, the earth still spins, we're still here and we'll continue to get up tomorrow and go again.
- Silos Estate owner Raj Ray
"But it will be tough. It's going to take a lot to recover."
He said being that old, some of the vines are "irreplaceable".
"We'll start planting again and harvest those vines in three to four years," he said.
"We might have to come up with a new name for those wines - maybe smokey red, a watery white or the Floods 2020.
"This will be a difficult challenge for us to overcome."
Mr Ray said initial conversations had started with the RMS and contractors Downer and Seymour Whyte, who are undertaking the highway upgrade over the damage.
"They have been sympathetic to our situation."
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And it's not just Silos - a number of local wineries are expected to be impacted this year, with reports 80 per cent of the multi-award winning Coolangatta Estate's crop this year has been tainted by smoke.
Parts of that property was also well underwater in the recent floods however they were harvesting a small amount last Friday.
Owner Greg Bishop said testing by the Australian Wine Research Institute for smoke taint following the recent bushfires has shown a large percentage of this year's harvest has been impacted.
"Based on results from the tests and advice from our winemakers and long time friends at Tyrrells our harvest this year will be significantly reduced," he said.
"We will only harvest about 20 per cent of our fruit which will be hand selected to make our 2020 vintage."
He estimates they will only harvest between 10 and 11 tonnes of grapes from this year's harvest.
That's a long way down from the hoped-for and estimated 50-60 tonnes.
Mr Ray said it will be a challenging year for the industry.
"If you haven't been affected by smoke from the bushfires, it's been the floods," he said.
"And we've also had the challenge of getting visitors to the area this year.
"But every day is getting better. But 2020 is a year the wine industry in NSW, Victoria and South Australia will certainly talk about for a long time.
"It has been a really tough year, a lot of individual growers have lost a lot.
"But the industry as a whole will get through it. It is a very supportive industry, it looks after its own and people will help each other.
"The community support we have received has been great and there are programs like the empty esky etc have been fabulous.
"And the people outside the region are supporting the area, not just the winemakers, the farmers, the restaurants, the motels who are all taking a hit."
Coolangatta Estate loses 80 per cent of its 2020 crop
Coolangatta Estate owner Greg Bishop estimates they will only harvest between 10 and 11 tonnes of grapes from this year's harvest.
Certainly a long way down from the hoped-for and estimated 50-60 tonnes.
That reduction, of around 80 per cent of this year's crop, is mainly due to smoke taint from the recent South Coast bushfires.
"Over the last month we have had a number of our grapes tested for smoke taint by the Australian Wine Research Institute following on from the recent bushfires," Mr Bishop said.
"Based on the results from the tests and advice from our winemakers and long time friends at Tyrrells, we have determined that our harvest this year will be significantly reduced.
"We will only harvest about 20 per cent of our fruit which will be hand selected to make our 2020 vintage.
We will only harvest about 20 per cent of our fruit which will be hand selected to make our 2020 vintage.
- Coolangatta Estate owner Greg Bishop
"The fruit looked and still looks quite good. Three weeks ago we had our first round of tests and the results weren't too bad. The fruit really was looking excellent.
"Then we got the rain. A small portion of the Semillon vines on the flat down near the road entrance actually went underwater. Just from the amount of rain we received.
"We then did more taint testing and it all came unstuck."
He said the smoke taint gets into the skin of the fruit and bound up in the sugars.
"You don't know until after fermentation if it [smoke favour] will come out or not," he said.
"Sometimes they might not come out until three years later. With the wine we do and our cellaring operation we can't run the risk.
"It was a very tough decision but we have a reputation for high quality and we don't want to risk that."
He said the decision would impact on a number of varietals including the Semillon.
"However, we are doing a couple of our sweeter wines and have harvested some of them," he said.
"I think a lot of regions will be affected, not just us. We have heard the Canberra region has issues and we are keeping a close eye on the Hunter."
Mr Bishop said the unharvested fruit was proving a bonus for local wildlife.
"There are a lot of birds in there and the bats are hitting it hard each night," he said.
"It's just feeding the wildlife."
But he says he is determined to bounce back next year.
"I'm more determined than ever to get it right next year," he said.
"We still have a lot of stock but there might be some shortages in some varieties in the coming years."