Summer dreaming: 2012 vintage property sales start bearing fruit

The year ended with some signs of optimism for the wine industry and vineyards with fruit prices higher, more interested buyers, some long-listed properties selling and fewer distressed sales.

There was also good news for the South Australian vineyard owners and winemakers with state government announcing that the Barossa and McLaren Vale regions would be protected from residential subdivision, following the passing of both the Character Preservation (Barossa Valley) Bill 2012 and the Character Preservation (McLaren Vale) Bill 2012.

Announcing the plans to protect wine-growing land, South Australian planning minister John Rau, said “a line in the sand has now been drawn on Adelaide's urban sprawl”.

South Australia is Australia’s wine-country heartland with nearly one-third of vineyards in the state, representing nearly half (48%) of Australia's wine production, according to ABS figures.

The state also dominates current vineyard listings with 14 of the 26 properties listed for sale on realestate.com.au being South Australian vineyards.

Investors with a penchant for these trophy assets can still pick up picturesque vineyard properties under the $1 million mark including the historic Craigie Knowe Vineyard and Homestead (pictured above and below) on the Tasmanian east coast up for sale with offers sought over $800,000. It has five hectares of vineyards and a B&B.

Another sub-$1 million offer is this (below) vineyard estate in Victoria’s Pyrenees seeking around $750,000 and promising plenty of kangaroos, sweeping views of the Pyrenees ranges plus 13 hectares of vines.

Investors with a bit more cash to spare and seeking vineyards plus a much-admired homestead may be interested in the 1904 Nyrang Homestead at Molong (pictured below) listed for sale with $1.5 million hopes in November. The homestead is regarded as one of the finest examples of Australian architecture and construction and comes with five hectares of productive vineyards with plantings of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, ruby cabernet, sauvignon blanc, merlot, chardonnay, pinot noir and sangiovese.