For generations, wine drinkers have asked each other the same simple question: red or white?
Well, Australia has answered, and in 2026, it’s white.
Chardonnay has officially become the country’s most-crushed wine grape, overtaking Shiraz for the first time in years and marking a significant shift in an industry long associated with big Australian reds.
According to Wine Australia’s 2026 National Vintage Report, Chardonnay now accounts for almost a quarter of the national crush. But Wine Australia Manager of Market Insights Peter Bailey says the result isn’t being driven by Australians suddenly planting huge amounts of Chardonnay.
“It’s driven by declining red grape demand, rather than a surge in Chardonnay production,” Peter said.
Wine trends have always moved in cycles, from the varieties people plant to the styles filling restaurant lists and bottle shop shelves. But the change appears to reflect a much broader structural change in the global wine industry.
Drinking habits are shifting as health and wellness trends skyrocket. Consumers are drinking less, thinking more carefully about when and what they drink, and increasingly reaching for styles that feel lighter and fresher.
The state remains the powerhouse of Australian wine, producing more than half of the country’s grapes. However, it is also home to some of Australia’s most renowned Shiraz regions, from the Barossa and McLaren Vale to the Riverland.
“Regions like the Riverland are really feeling these impacts most acutely,” Peter said.
This year, the state’s overall crush declined, with red varieties taking a particularly sharp hit. Nationally, Shiraz accounted for just 19% of the total vintage, the first time in 15 years its share has fallen below 20%.
The numbers also arrives at a time when Chardonnay itself looks very different to the wine many Australians remember from decades past. The heavily oaked, buttery styles that once defined Australian Chardonnay are now only part of the picture.
Today, winemakers are producing everything from rich and textured expressions to bright, restrained and mineral wines, with cool-climate regions such as the Adelaide Hills producing some of Australia’s most celebrated examples.
Shiraz may still be one of the defining grapes of Australian wine, and particularly South Australian wine, but for now, Chardonnay is sitting at the top.
Lean more in Wine Australia’s National Vintage Report 2026.
