Three years ago, Orange viticulturist Justin Jarrett believed he had drought-proofed his vineyards. Every one of his new dams was full, and according to his irrigation strategy he thought they should never run dry again.

"Yet today we're running out of water," Mr Jarrett said.

"For 20 years we've been trying to build resilience into the farms, but I must say that this drought is showing us we've still got to work harder. Now we're saying, let's take this drought as the new normal. What do we have to do?"

See Saw Wines owner Justin Jarrett is re-orienting some of his vineyards to protect them from the afternoon sun. Credit:Janie Barrett

Climate change and the prospect of more frequent and severe droughts are discombobulating Australia's $6 billion wine industry, reliant as it is on a fruit acutely sensitive to rainfall and temperature. Grapes are ripening earlier and in drought years the vineyards are producing smaller harvests and fruit higher in sugar. Winemakers are adapting in sometimes radical ways.