Festivities are underway to once again celebrate the wine of the Mudgee Region, but how does the worst drought in 100 years affect this important local industry?
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In 2019 the Mudgee Wine + Food Festival marks 40 years. While the Mudgee Wine Show has reached 47 consecutive years.
But it's an industry that comes from the land - which is becoming increasingly parched.
The Department of Primary Industries recognises 63 per cent of the Mid-Western Regional Local Government Area is drought-affected, 31 per cent is in drought, with just five per cent non-drought affected.
Furthermore, the Mudgee Airport weather station has recorded just over 60 per cent of the average rainfall received by this time of year. And in the last three months the location saw just 22.2mm of all-important winter rainfall.
Last week the region's drops were scrutinised for the Mudgee Wine Show. During which, winemaker and Show chairman Jacob Stein, said that while the industry isn't high water usage - and many vineyards are in a position to cope in the meantime - the effects will set in the longer drought continues.
"It's certainly not ideal, drought's not a good thing for anyone on the land. Vineyards need adequate winter and spring rainfall, so we're definitely up against the drought," he said.
"A lot of people have water for irrigation for their vineyards, but a lot of people don't as well and it's those who aren't in a good spot.
"We're not in the high water usage category of farming - there's plenty of dry land vineyards around. The good thing about the wine industry is that we've all got plenty of wine in tank and numerous vintages in bottle, so we can keep business progressing.
"But if we had drought for another three to five years it would be terrible, for everyone, so we need the drought to break soon to have a strong future in the short-medium term."
More immediate is the possibility of a smaller, but more concentrated next vintage.
"At the moment we're forecasting much lower crop levels for next year. So there'll likely be less Mudgee wine," Mr Stein said.
"We've already had some bud burst in the region, so our growing season starts now, and everyone has been busy watering to try and remediate and get a bit of soil moisture.
"Lower crop levels sometimes mean better quality, more concentrated, but it's also got to be viable. We can't be having such little crop that costs so much to produce, it's got to be right in the middle.
"The only thing that we don't really want is high summer rainfall, as a rule of thumb, not too much after Christmas until March/April. Although, with conditions like this we're not fussy."
Spring is forecast to be drier than average, with a 70 to 80 per cent chance of below average rainfall in the Central West.