One of the world’s largest wine industries is facing an aging problem

Grace Flynn and Kyle Stenner had always dreamt of starting their own wine label.

The 26-year-olds made the move from the Gold Coast to the rolling hills of McLaren Vale more than two years ago, making the dream a reality.

“We met a lot of people that had started their own labels, and it just felt very accessible to us,” Ms Flynn said.

Mr Stenner works as an assistant winemaker, and Ms Flynn holds a marketing role.

“It was exciting to see [other winemakers] come to a dinner party and be like ‘this is our bottle’ and we said that would be so cool if that was us one day,” he said.

So, they reached out to a local grower and purchased nearly two-and-a-half tonnes of grapes.

“Once you reach out to a grape grower … you do the pick yourself, and have access to [certain] rows of grapes,” Ms Flynn said.

Friends and family flew in from all parts of Australia to help the couple pick their grapes, and with that their wine label was born.

According to Wine Australia, Australia is the fifth-largest wine producer in the world and last year produced more than 900 million tonnes of wine.

For states such as South Australia and Tasmania, wine regions are a tourism drawcard.

But the industry is facing a dilemma: an ageing workforce.

Luke Andree, 32, launched his own wine label in Tasmania four years ago.

“I think the journey that I’ve been on, and you can see it in the wines, it’s been like a journey of exploration and learning,” Mr Andree said.

He said in the beginning, he moved away from Tasmania to get the industry experience he needed.

“The industry’s heaps bigger than it was then, and there’s plenty more opportunity for young people,” Mr Andree said.

Mr Andree sources his grapes from growers across Tasmania.

“It’s been a crowded market for purchasing fruit in the past couple of years, so it’s kind of whatever we can get … making styles from whatever fruit sort of pops up.”

Mr Andree also works as an assistant winemaker in the Coal River Valley.

“I’ve never had the chance to put fruit that I’ve grown under this label, but that’s sort of the ultimate goal,” he said.

Targeting young Australians

Ms Flynn, Mr Stenner and Mr Andree are the target demographic for Wine Australia, who want to see more young Australians enter the industry.

Jenna Vaughn works with Wine Australia, connecting young winemakers.

She said the ageing winemaking workforce, combined with a declining number of graduates in agriculture-focused university and tertiary studies, has left the industry in a tricky position.

She said the industry needs all sorts of workers, from grape growers, to winemakers, to cellar-door workers.

“If you talk about grape growing and winemaking, they’re very physical jobs,” Ms Vaughn said.

Mr Stenner said he has noticed an older demographic of workers in bigger wineries, which he says can be a sign of generational wealth and presence in the industry.

“[Grace and I] can’t afford a vineyard, yet alone a house,” he laughed.

A New South Wales survey found that 62 per cent of young winemakers were the first members of their families to be involved in the wine industry.

That’s true for Ms Flynn, Mr Stenner and Ms Andree.

“There’s a lot less nepotism going on [in the industry] and being around first-generation winemakers is so inspiring,” Mr Stenner said.

“It’s just a dynamic industry and fascinating for young people. No matter whether you have parents that have grown grapes or have drunk burgundy, or if your parents drank Moscato and thought that was high class,” she said.

Mr Andree said he wanted to see more education in Tasmanian schools about the career possibilities in the industry, given the prominence of wine in the state.

“Without having a family history in the wine industry, it can be a bit difficult to be interested in wine,” he said.

Retaining younger workers

Ms Vaughn said the issue of retaining younger workers came to the forefront during the pandemic.

“It was really shaky and it continues to be shaky,” she said.

She said the reasons are varied, such as the physical nature of the work; and the lure of other, better-paying industries that exist alongside agriculture, such as mining.

Mr Stenner said the main obstacle he sees for young people is knowing the right people to connect with.

“Just having access to approach a grower … and having the knowledge to go: ‘This is what I want to do, how am I going to do it?'” he said.

“Nothing is given to you in this industry and you do have to work hard for it.”

Wine Australia has launched their Rootlings program, to connect and attract workers under the age of 35 to the industry.