The National Vineyard Register (NVR) is a planned register or database of all grapevine plantings in Australia. It is set to become an important resource for the Australian grape and wine sector that will assist in balancing supply and demand and supporting industry initiatives.

The core data will include vineyard variety, area, location and age, planting changes and ownership.

Options will also be considered for collecting additional information that could further benefit the sector.

The sector lacks detailed, accurate and up-to-date national information on vineyard plantings. Previous attempts to collate data have had limited success, largely due to lack of participation from a majority of growers. The NVR aims to fill this gap by providing a complete, accurate, up-to-date and reliable data source.

The grape and wine sector needs these insights to guide growers and winemakers in making informed planting decisions and help them to better meet market needs and help balance supply and demand. The data collected may also support other industry priorities including biosecurity, sustainability, compliance with legislated requirements, adoption of agricultural technology, bushfire response, land management, climate change adaptation and other growth strategies for the sector.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry is funding this project as part of its $3.5 million Grape and Wine Sector Long-term Viability Support Package to support the Australian grape and wine sector to reach long term sustainability through new initiatives to assist growers and producers.

The project is already underway with an industry consultation paper available for comment during November 2024. A framework for the NVR is expected by June 2025, with full implementation by June 2026, subject to the framework being feasible, including the investment required and likely completion times for legislative amendments (if required).