Wine grapes

Australian Grape and Wine represents the biosecurity interests of wine grape producers and the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:

  • biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
  • liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
  • funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
  • participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.

Industry overview

The wine industry has a significant footprint in Australia, with more than 6,000 wine grape growers, a vineyard area of 146,128 hectares, and 2,400 Australian wine producers blending grapes into wine. The most grown wine grape varieties are Shiraz (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (18%) and Chardonnay (16%). The major varieties by colour are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for reds and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for whites.

The Australian wine industry has been fortunate to date in avoiding many of the world’s most devastating grape vine pests and as a result possesses some of the oldest vineyards in the world. Australia remains free from Xylella fastidiosa, and the industry continues to work hard to manage the spread of phylloxera. Australian grape and wine producers enjoy an enviable global reputation for producing high quality wines.

Australian Grape and Wine promotes biosecurity within the sector and the viticulture industry more broadly. Its Wine Biosecurity Committee provides a mechanism to coordinate and prioritise biosecurity work across the wine sector and to promote leadership. Australian Grape and Wine has worked to improve the sector’s capacity to respond to a pest or disease incursion through emergency response planning and training for industry personnel Australia-wide.

Industry Biosecurity Plan for the Viticulture Industry

Biosecurity planning provides a mechanism for the viticulture industry, government and other relevant stakeholders to assess current biosecurity practices and future biosecurity needs. Planning identifies procedures that can be put in place to reduce the chance of pests reaching our borders or minimise the impact if a pest incursion occurs.

The Biosecurity Plan for the Viticulture Industry provides a framework for biosecurity risk mitigation measures in the industry. For a copy, please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au.
Click here for more information about planning.

Vineyard Biosecurity Manual

The Vineyard Biosecurity Manual contains information to help producers to implement biosecurity on-farm. Manuals usually contain an overview of biosecurity, fact sheets to identify the high priority pests of a crop, tips on crop management, and how to manage people, vehicles and equipment to minimise biosecurity risks.

Manuals also contain a biosecurity self-assessment list, and templates to record pest surveillance records and visitors. More information about on-farm biosecurity for both plant and livestock producers is available from the Farm Biosecurity website.

Viticulture PostcardPostcard

Promotional item to support the exotic plant pest hotline 1800 084 881.

Exotic pests (not in Australia)

The following is a list of high priority exotic pests of the wine grape industry. These pests were identified during the development of the Biosecurity Plan for the Viticulture Industry in consultation with industry, government and scientists. They have been assessed as high priority pests based on their potential to enter, establish, and spread in Australia (eg environmental factors, host range, vectors) and the cost to industry of control measures.

PHA has a range of fact sheets, contingency plans and diagnostic protocols relevant to these pests. Pest risk review documents are also available for some pests. Please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au for more information.

Endorsed National Diagnostic Protocols are available from the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network webpage.

Common name Scientific name EPPRD Category Fact sheet Contingency plan Diagnostic protocol
American berry moth Polychrosis viteana FS
Black rot Guignardia bidwellii 3 FS DP
Bois noir Candidatus Phytoplasma solani FS
Carambola fruit fly Bactrocera carambolae FS FS FS FS DP DP
Comstock’s mealybug Pseudococcus comstocki FS
European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana FS
Glassy-winged sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis FS FS FS FS FS FS FS CP CP DP
Grape mealybug Pseudococcus maritimus FS
Grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (exotic strains) Type B 3 FS CP
Grapevine red blotch virus Grapevine red blotch virus FS
Orange tortrix Argyrotaenia citrana syn A. franciscana FS
Pacific spider mite Tetranychus pacificus FS
Pierces disease Xylella fastidiosa 2 FS FS FS FS FS CP CPDP
Spotted lanternfly Lycorma delicatula FS
Spotted wing drosophila Drosophila suzukii FS FS FS FS
Vine mealybug Planococcus ficus FS

Other pests

The following is a list of documents for other exotic and endemic pests of the wine grape industry. Please note that this is not a complete list of wine grape pests: rather it includes pests for which documents exist in the Pest Information Document Database.

Some of the documents presented here are not  tailored to the wine grape industry and are included for information only.

Common name Scientific name EPPRD Category Fact sheet Contingency plan Diagnostic protocol
Angular leaf scorch Pseudopezicula tetraspora FS
Angular leaf spot Mycosphaerella angulata FS
Bacterial blight of grapevine Xylophilus ampelinus FS
Banana spider mite Tetranychus piercei 4 FS FS
Brown-marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys FS FS FS CP
Brown rot Monilinia fructigena 3 FS FS FS
Cassava spider mite Tetranychus truncatus FS
Citrus blackfly Aleurocanthus woglumi FS
False codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta syn Cryptophlebia leucotreta 2 FS CP
Grapevine leaf rust Phakopsora euvitis 3 FS
Grapevine red blotch virus Grapevine red blotch virus FS
Japanese beetle Popillia japonica FS
Khapra beetle Trogoderma granarium 2 FS FS CP
Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata FS DP
Omnivorous leaf roller Platynota stultana FS
Orange tortrix Argyrotaenia citrana syn A. franciscana FS
Natal fruit fly Ceratitis rosa FS DP
Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis 2 FS FS FS FS FS FS FS DP
Pacific spider mite Tetranychus pacificus FS
Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni FS DP
Raspberry ringspot virus Raspberry ringspot virus (Nepovirus) FS
Rotbrenner Pseudopezicula tracheiphila FS
Strawberry spider mite Tetranychus turkestani FS
Texas root rot Phymatotrichopsis omnivora (syn Phymatotrichum omnivorum) 2 FS FS
Tomato black ring virus Tomato black ring virus (Nepovirus) FS
Western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis FS