ONLY winemakers who reinvent their businesses will survive economic and environmental downturns.

Winemakers need to limit irrigation and chase lower yields of high-quality, organic, heat-loving grapes.

That's according to a controversial new wine book.

Wine writer Max Allen in his book The future makers: Australian wines for the 21st century, released recently, argues climate change, the wine glut and global financial crisis will hit "business-as-usual" winemakers worst.

Mr Allen said unconventional winemakers, big and small, who grow drought-tolerant grape varieties were in the best position to survive the "fine mess the wine industry has got itself into over the last 15 years".

"These people aren't cranks. Most have solid, scientific training in viticulture and making wine. It's just that they have decided to do things differently," said Mr Allen, writer for The Weekend Australian and Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Mr Allen said while the number of winemakers who had adopted unconventional methods was small, they were influential and growing larger.

The book details success stories around Australia, including De Bortoli in the Yarra Valley, which has reduced chemical use, and Chalmers at Heathcote, which composted and significantly reduced water use through such Italian, drought-tolerant grape varieties as sagrantino and aglianico.

"These new wines sell out and at impressively high prices, and are showered with critical acclaim," Mr Allen said.

"The Australian wine industry is not, en masse, embracing organics, ripping out its chardonnay to plant drought-tolerant alternative grape varieties ... but an increasing number of growers and winemakers have realised that business as usual simply isn't going to cut it any more.

"Old ways of growing grapes are clearly unsustainable in Australia's big irrigated inland regions."

Mr Allen said he was aware that critics would argue he was "idealistic and living in a bubble".

"But I can't understand why you wouldn't want to go down this path when reports, and winemakers themselves, show it is a good business decision."