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April 2022 Edition
INSIDE
THIS EDITION Varroa responsible
p3 Hydroponic tech
p20 Award winners
p33 New gun laws
Harvest time: North Canterbury Winegrowers Association chairperson Mike Saunders and Hurunui Mayor Marie Black inspect vines at Greystone Wines prior to harvest.
Tough harvest conditions for Canterbury vineyards Harvesting in the North Canterbury wine region is underway in what has been described as the ‘toughest season ever’.
] by Kent Caddick p47
Hurunui District Council mayor Marie Black recently picked the first grapes of harvest at Greystone, one of the region’s vineyards. “The North Canterbury Wine Region is a crucial part of our district’s fabric and I can only imagine all the hours and hard work that has gone in to getting to this point,” Black said.
Also dubbed ‘the coolest little wine region’ North Canterbury is the fourth largest wine region in New Zealand, with nearly 1400ha planted in vines, and employing over 600 people across the 71 wineries in the area. Mayor Black said the combination of challenging weather and operating in a Covid environment placed additional pressure on local vineyards this season.
North Canterbury Winegrowers Association chairperson Mike Saunders joined the mayor at Greystone Wines for the first pick of the crop. Saunders said wineries across the region were harvesting with Omicron at their doorsteps, meaning many are working under restricted harvest conditions.
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