In the green foothills of the Brokenback mountain range in the Hunter Valley, the first buds of spring have begun to flower, but this is not likely to be a season of great cheer in one of Australia’s oldest wine producing regions.

New figures show sales of Australian wine have fallen sharply as the industry faces its worst slowdown in a decade and a half.

Growers here talk of the “perfect storm” whipped up by a strong currency, oversupply and cautious consumers.

The slump will almost certainly be made worse by a bigger-than-expected harvest this year, which will add to an already bulging wine glut.

Worried shoppers are choosing to save rather than spend, and domestic wine sales have declined, while exports too have suffered.