When catastrophic hail storms lashed south-east Queensland earlier this month, Sirromet's Mt Cotton vineyards were hit hard.
The property, nestled in the Redlands area south-east of Brisbane, was pummelled with golf ball-sized hailstones that stripped vines and destroyed 70 per cent of the crops.
Sirromet's chief winemaker, Mike Hayes, said the damage bill totalled $250,000.
"It's devastating to say the least," he said.
"It was well and truly smashed. We had a fantastic crop on and it's just shredded the leaves … knocked full bunches on the ground.
"The locals say they've never seen a hailstorm like this."
Frosts, flood, fire and drought
It's the latest blow in a series of weather-related calamities for the business.
Its other vineyard, located in the Granite Belt, has endured frost, flood, insect attack, bushfire and one of the worst droughts on record — all in the last 18 months.
"It's a reminder of what's happening with the climate at the present time — it's becoming very unpredictable and I think this is where the world has to unite," Mr Hayes said.
This season has been particularly tough for the wine industry across Queensland.
Drought has caused crop losses, which has led to a 95 per cent reduction in yield across the board.
With warmer temperatures here to stay, many grape growers are learning to adapt to the changing climate.
Some have opted to plant fruit that is better suited to warmer temperatures, while others have become reliant on sustainable farming techniques.
Michelle and Tim Coelli own Twisted Gum Wines, a small vineyard east of Ballandean in the Granite Belt region that focuses on producing low-yield, premium-quality grapes.
"We've seen catastrophic events that you wouldn't expect to see very often at all, and they're becoming more frequent," Ms Coelli said.
"There's [also] a lot less rain during winter and spring and slightly warmer conditions."
But the Coellis have fared better than most this year — they harvested 10 per cent of their crop and managed to preserve all their vines without irrigation.
"We have trucked in eight semi-trailer loads of mulch over the years and laid it as a deep layer under the vine," Ms Coelli said.
"I believe it's one of the main reasons that we did come through the drought OK."
Bushfires tore through their vineyard five years ago and threatened the property again last year.
They have since brought in sheep to keep fuel loads down.
Future-proofing Queensland's vineyards
University of Southern Queensland climatologist Chelsea Jarvis said preparing for sudden changes in the weather will be the key to success for the wine industry.
"If you have vineyards and wineries that can already manage for these more extreme temperatures and changes in rainfall, then they're future-proofing their business," Dr Jarvis said.
Another way forward may lie in using grapes that have not been traditionally grown in Australia.
The University of Southern Queensland has established a Vineyard of the Future in Stanthorpe, where more than 70 grape varieties from around the world have been grown to see how they perform in the Granite Belt climate.
"We're looking at new varieties, which have thousands of years of history in places that have much warmer climates, like Greece and Croatia, as opposed to what we usually see like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz," Dr Jarvis said.
Adaptation alone will not be enough to save the industry if global temperature rises are not kept to a minimum.
This stark outlook has prompted industry leaders to call on state and federal governments to take stronger action on climate change and assist farmers through the transition.
"The farmer and the government can work hand in hand and start planning for the long-term future," Mr Hayes said.
