This winery has shaped Australian wine history and is now celebrating its 100th anniversary

The wine industry in South Australia's Riverland region involves hundreds of winemakers, thousands of trucks and hours of manufacturing to create a product that is transported around the world.

Key Points: Berri Estates is the largest winery in the southern hemisphere Celebrating 100 years of being one of the largest employers in the Riverland Estate crushes around 30% of Australia's annual grape crush South

But 100 years ago, when Berri Estates first entered the industry, a horse and cart was the fastest way to transport wine.

"There are very few organizations that go the distance and it's important that we stop and reflect on the larger community that makes Berri Estates," said Tim Molloy, COO of Accolade Wines.

"Producers are one and the same to us, and contractors, suppliers and local industry are all an achievement worth celebrating."

In the 1920s, it took a horse, a cart, a shovel and a lot of effort to create Riverland wine. (Supplied: State Library of South Australia B 22713)

The winery, now owned by multinational Accolade Wines, is located in the country's largest wine region and is the largest southern hemisphere winery.

In 2019, its home site was transformed into a $40 million facility that houses three cask lines, two glass lines and a 25,000 pallet warehouse, with an additional $30 million spent on equipment and packaging lines.

During Riverland harvest time, typically January and February, over 10,000 trucks drive in and out of the winery.

Upgrades to the Berri Estate warehouse mean it can now hold 25,000 pallets of wine. (ABC Rural: Eliza Berlage)

"It There's no such thing as a typical day, but every day we could pack hundreds of thousands of liters of wine,” Molloy said.

"Half of our production goes overseas and the other half goes domestic."

Grape Expectations

Despite being the daughter of a winemaker, Vikki Wade said she fell into a job that became her career for more than 30 ans.