Wine Tech NZ

Volume 11. Winter 2013

Oak options in the East

Reynolds Group and Linx, Best in Glass Coding www.rgl.co.nz Reynolds Group

I

WIN A TRIP TO PORTUGAL HOW GREEN SHOULD NZ BE?

WINE TESTING

THREE

WINE TESTS

SAVE $35

WINTER SPECIAL Now that harvest is over, we’re offering a great deal on our winter wine testing suite, testing for Alcohol, Malic Acid and Volatile Acidity – all for the special price of $85. That’s a saving of $35! This great offer runs from 1 June to 31 August 2013, so get in touch today.

To find out more about our winter wine testing service, call us on or visit www.hill-laboratories.com/winelab

03 377 7176

www.hill-laboratories.com

SEAL5352WTa

ONLY $85!

WINE TECH NZ

Winter 2013

02

12

20

Editorial Our land is our success

New Screwcaps Manufacturer takes out the PVDC risk.

04

14

France is in our wine DNA The story of the Marist contribution to NZ wine.

How Green Should we be?

Should their be a minimum standard of environmental care for NZ Wine?

How strong is our brand?

Andrew Jefford gives his view on the strengths of brand NZ in the UK.

07

16

WIN a TRIP to PORTUGAL Engage in the debate and win a big prize.

The oldest is new again.

Ceramics could be the fermentation solution you are looking for.

09 Are you covered for injury to customers?

10 The Copper Condunrum Research into reducing copper sprays.

18 Oak and winemaking France is not the only source of quality barrels.

22 Science – pesticides in waterways.

26 Pilot waste systems Test runs an attractive option before development.

27 TacMap More efficient planning and control of vineyard activities.

29 News updates from around the wine world.

Our land is our success Keith Stewart In this magazine we are launching our conversation competition, which asks the very big question, what standard of sustainability should the brand New Zealand Wine represent.

The environmental challenges that we face are one critical aspect of this question, and opinions on this matter are as varied as they are strongly held, but what is unchallenged is the fact that the qua l it y of our w ine a nd the sustainability of our viticulture and winemaking practises are fundamental to the continued success of New Zealand wine, domestically and internationally.

I n t h e m o st pr o s a ic s e n s e , sustainabilit y is dema nded to ensure that the land we have continues to produce for us into the future.

We are not a tiny nation, but we h ave on ly a limited quantity of land su itable for com mercia l viniculture, which makes preservation of that resou rce ou r over -r id i ng responsibility.

Our land also happens to be where we, and most of our customers, live, so beyond the commercial imperative sustaining our land is a matter of both qualit y of life and positive public relations. Wine is, above all, a feel good product, one that depends on good social relations for its continued health.

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the global environmental challenge currently facing us, the pressure to be seen to be sustainable is more than good marketing strategy, it is a requ irement for trade. T h is requirement will only get stronger in the coming decades as the pressure of a constrained environment grows, especially in those metropolitan areas where want our wine to have enough

cachet for it to travel across the world and still gain in perceived value.

This perception of value is another aspect of Brand New Zealand Wine that needs nurturing through attention to its environmental source. While much is made of the regionality of our wine offering, we must begin work on the definitions that underlie those regions, definitions that must be

EDITOR Keith Stewart keith@keithstewart.co.nz sales manager Pam Brown pamb@mediaweb.co.nz GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jan Michael David GROUP SALES MANAGER Lisa Morris ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Pip Maclean ads@mediaweb.co.nz ACCOUNTANT Pam King pamk@mediaweb.co.nz CREDIT CONTROL Gladys Hooker gladysh@mediaweb.co.nz CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Sue McDiarmid Rates: $45 for 4 issues including GST and post.

Overseas rates available on request.

Address to: Subscriptions Dept, Mediaweb, PO Box 5544, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141 Email subs@mediaweb.co.nz www.mediaweb.co.nz PUBLISHED BY

deeper than the superficiality of the reg iona l ad m in istrative boundaries that now define them.

For Marlborough to have real value, it must have real meaning in the same way the Champagne has real meaning, in short it must define cultures of winegrowing and winemaking. These in t urn must ref lect the nat ura l resources that underpin those cultures, identities based on physical as well as social geographies.

A nd here we come back to the environmental standards by which our wines will be known to the world. In the same way that a bottle of Portuguese wine that claims some quality status must be closed with a cork, because Portugal’s Amontado cork oak forests are a prime regions of crucial biodiversity as well as being of immense national social and economic value, what are the packaging standards by which New Zealand wine should be know.

Big questions indeed, which is why we are offering such a top prize for the opinion which our judges considers to be the most sound and well made.

Good luck, and we hope this excites the widest possible debate a winegrowing future. Which is profoundly important to us all.

PUBLISHER Toni Myers Mediaweb 115 Newton Raod, Eden Terrace Auckland 1010 PO Box 5544, Wellesley St, Auckland Phone +64 9 529 3000 Fax +64 9 529 3001 Email enquiries@mediaweb.co.nz www.mediaweb.co.nz Prepress/Printing by PMP Print ISSN: 1176-0281 Original material published in this magazine is copyright, but may be reproduced providing permission is obtained from the editor and acknowledgment given to Wine Technology in New Zealand magazine. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and may not necessarily be those of Mediaweb. We welcome material from commercial sources for publication but cannot guarantee that it will be used as submitted.

Publisher's statement of distribution Wine Technology distribution figures can be supplied by way of a publisher’s statement which can be verified if required by print and postal information.

This is the same data reviewed under the ABC system. The guaranteed minimum distribution for Wine Technology in New Zealand is 2000.

FEATURE

How green should NZ wine be?

By Keith Stewart

The clean green land of our promotional dreams is well gone, replaced from the state perspective with vaguer idea farmed by ‘pure‘, and for wine by the industry’s ’sustainable viticulture’ brand. But as the world demands more substance to claims of ethical production such as a couched in the term ‘sustainable viticulture’ the question is being asked by many within the wine industry whether we should have a clear understanding of what sustainable actually means. More than that, should we have a minimal standard of environmental practise that supports brand New Zealand Wine?

Sustainable viticulture, as it is currently couched, depends on winegrowers and winemakers managing their spray programmes and reducing their synthetic chemical applications gradually. But is this enough?

Currently New Zealand’s sustainability image is somewhat compromised by concerns from the organics sector that the term sustainable is not, well, sustainable. The more we market our wines as such the more risk there is that New Zealand wine will be perceived as a ‘green washed’ product, especially as non-synthetic sprays, such as copper, can be as detrimental in their effects on soil quality as petrochemical applicants are (see story in this magazine on page 11). There is also the problem with perennial reductions in spray becoming a matter of endless underachievement. There comes a point at which an annual percentage reduction is meaningless.

Of even greater concern for brand New Zealand’s credibility is the somewhat loose nature of the ‘standards’ by which

4 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

sustainability certification is granted. For example under the category ‘irrigation’ there is no requirement to control water use in accordance with the water availability status of the winegrowing region concerned, or to maintain water quality standards in the capture and use of available water. Concern for the aquatic environment is not a requirement of NZ Sustainable Viticulture practise, but an optional extra for winegrowers and winemakers.

Similar laissez faire governance of the other ‘standards’ for use of the sustainability brand is apparent, such as maximum spray applications, sustainable site management, soil management and site nutrition. There is, for example, no maximum residual copper level for vineyard soils (see page 10) in this standard, nor is there any standard for treated post leach ate and for disposal of used posts, as there is in the Napa Valley and other US vineyard jurisdictions.

In short our current sustainable brand is full of flaws, and is dangerously exposed to being used as evidence that New Zealand is not serious about addressing the sustainability demands of its customers. If this does happen the damage to our wine exports will be significant, and difficult to mend.

Dr Steve Wratten, Professor of Ecology at Lincoln University and head of the Greening Waipara programme that is improving biodiversity in the Waipara winegrowing region, says that any plan to provide a sustainability standard for New Zealand wine should aim at an integrated value chain that ensures the message is accurate and reinforced to consumers all the way through.

“Organics is a good example,” Professor Wratten says, “because everybody recognises it and it can be verified by strong audit support.

But organics have also had some problems, and people are put of by those, and the basis for organics in some examples is less rigorous than it could be.”

It is no point setting up your own system, and then selling it to customers unless it is based on sound ecological science that has a real story to

tell. New Zealand needs to go down that path, using science as the standard setter and doing something tangible in the vineyard that consumers can understand is of value. Something functional that is emphasised by the brand.”

Professor Wratten would not be drawn on just what those science based standards should be, and he does indicate that organic, while having the advantage of quick recognition n our wine markets does tend to lack some of the most important scientific support.

There is nothing to stop Winegrowers, or some other body, working with organics organisations to set up a standard for organic New Zealand wine that could be developed as an integral part of brand New Zealand. Whether that is a standard that the New Zealand wine industry wants to achieve, or a brand that it wants to develop is another matter, but now that the majority

VinTrade’s goal is to provide you with a simple and transparent way to buy and sell Wine, Cleanskins and Dry Goods, and to observe the NZ Wine marketplace.

Buyers and sellers are connected as never before, with an immediacy that suits today’s fast-paced business environment. And with access to information that is unfiltered by interest groups.

Go to www.vintrade.co.nz to see what technology can do for you.

Sponsored by

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

|5

FEATURE

of the industry has adopted the Sustainable Winegrowing brand and actively promotes it on their labels there is a risk that the claims are themselves not sustainable and the brand New Zealand is at risk.

There are a number of other options that could be pursued if winemakers and growers want to established the brand as one that represents good ecological practise.

One is the provide a slightly more credible level for the existing Sustainable brand, one that does have a degree of scientific credibility, or to be more extreme and opt for a stronger brand like Biodynamics that will deliver a stronger message to consumers.

These options assume that New Zealand wine should represent a standard of wine production that it currently does not, raising questions about the role and definition of regionality under the New Zealand name, as well as grape varieties, winemaking styles, minimum quality and production standards and other factors that are included in national wine standards in the countries we have chosen to imitate in our winemaking, such as France.

Consideration of incorporating more integrity in brand New Zealand Wine demands issues about other brands, such as varietal labels (Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc etc) and regional identity.

What for example, should Martinborough Pinot Noir be defined as, and how is it different from Bannockburn Pinot Noir?

Whether or not such standardised definitions are required, and/or how they relate to the ecological standards raised becomes a central concern, raising the matter of kaitiakitanga amongst regional and national wine bodies,

as well as the long term aims of commercial winegrowing in this country. It also raises the question of community input, and how much local and central government become involved in the definitions applied to the term New Zealand, Hawkes Bay, Waiheke and other socially important names.

In Portugal, Spain and Italy, for example, wines claiming the highest quality status are obliged to be closed with cork, as the cork oak forests represent a critical biodiversity asset within Europe and the forests’ sustainability is enhanced by the use of cork as wine closures.

Part of the decision making process on the sustainability image of New Zealand wine will be the commercial sustainability of the project. Will a respected brand New Zealand wine command higher prices that justify the investment in auditing, new management techniques and promotion that are required to make that brand image strong?

The Champenoise would argue that nothing is more valuable in the international wine trade than a strong brand that carries respect and reliability to the point where it is a measurable added value for both consumers and traders.

Whether such a brand engages in the current fashion for environmental respectability is only part of the question, but as evidence mounts that organics is no longer the gold standard, but a minimum standard in the food and beverage trade, we must make a decision sooner, rather than later.

“Our goal in this study is to determine if individual bottles might be getting a lot more or less oxygen...�

6 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

competition

WORLD CLASS WINE • WORLD CLASS LOCATION WORLD CLASS TRAINING

WIN A TRIP TO PORTUGAL Send us your opinion … should all NZ wines be organic?

W

ineTechNZ magazine is calling for opinions from winemakers, viticulturists, sommeliers and anybody involved in the wine community. We want to know what you think about minimum environmental standards wine that carries the brand New Zealand.

We at WineTechNZ think this is a very important conversation that we need to have, and so to encourage participation we have put up a seriously attractive prize, a trip to Portugal flying Air New Zealand, incorporating a visit to the amontado cork oak forest to experience one of the world’s most important biodiversity environments, one that is under United Nations protection.

As guests of cork producer Amorim, the winner will be given a tour of the forests and the company’s impressive cork processing facilities in Southern Portugal, gaining an insight into how this important environment can also be one of the most productive regions in Europe and can sustain rare wildlife such as the Iberian lynx and Imperial Eagle while also contributing to the survival of one of Iberia’s most valued foods through the famous acorn fed Black Iberian pigs, Alentejano, source of Serrano ham.

THE COMPETITION Contestants need to register their interest by sending an email to corkcomp@winetech. co.nz, with their name, email address, contact phone number and current employment status, including who you work for in what capacity, or the course of study and institution at which you are enrolled.

The competition organisers will reply with your registration number, which you will need to attach to your entry when you send it.

Your entry will be a 500 word blog on the subject; SHOULD THERE BE A MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD FOR WINE SOLD UNDER THE NAME NEW ZEALAND? IF SO WHAT SHOULD THAT STANDARD BE AND WHY? Your entry should be attached as a Word document to an email that has your email address as well as your registration number on the document. In this way the judges can evaluate the entries without being aware of the individuals involved.

The judges are, Dr. Steve Wratten, Professor of Ecology at Lincoln University, Erica Crawford, founder and CEO of Loveblock Vintners Ltd, and WineTechNZ editor, Keith Stewart.

Entries need to be in by July 26th, and the winner will be announced on 16th August.

Winemaking demands the very highest standards...

With our flexible study options it is now easy to study while you work.

We offer on-campus, online and distance learning options for > Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production > Certificate in Vineyard Practice Students can go onto study the Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology (Awarded by Lincoln University)

New Zealand’s specialist land-based university

Krystal Millar Diploma in Viticulture & Wine Production (Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology) and Lincoln University Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology, CELLAR HAND & LAB ASSISTANT, YEALANDS ESTATE

> ENROL NOW See nmit.ac.nz Search keywords: ‘Viticulture’

or call 0800 422 733 for more information

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

|7

PRODUCTION

MADE IN GERMANY

Fit & Forget Cobra Irrigation Clamps

Don’t use plastic fittings that can fail or blow off on your irrigation system. Unless you don’t value your time and labour, or enjoy doing things twice, insist on NORMA® Cobra Stainless Steel irrigation clamps and simply fit and forget.

• Fast and easily assembled • Low profile design • Re-opens if required • Maintenance free • Permanent, unaffected by ozone/UV • Allows for hose/tube compensation • Available to suit all popular drip line sizes.

Beware of imitations, insist on...

NOR_1175

Cobra Installation Tool For fast, positive clamp fitment.

A must have for installers.

1300 CLAMPS (1300 252 677)

8 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

COBRA www.normapacific.com

finance

Liability insurance Are you covered for claims outside New Zealand?

A recent news item from Australia on the story of a winery being charged for injury caused when a bottle of its wine broke during opening raises an pertinent question about insurance cover for New Zealand wineries.

The Australian case involved the Melbourne based Wingara Wine Group, which produces Katnook Estate, Deakin and Crackerjack wines. When a customer was opening a bottle of the company’s wine and his hand was cut, he sued the company for damages.

Wingara settled the case quickly and for a moderate sum, but was only able to so efficiently and quickly because it had product liability insurance. While a similar case would not happen to a New Zealand winery for wine supplied in this country, because of the universal coverage provided by Accident Compensation law, this is not the case in offshore markets such as Australia.

Insurance cover in such cases is obviously something that exporting wine companies need to consider, especially in jurisdictions such as Australia where the company is liable for in jury caused by a faulty product, as was the case in the Wingara matter. Two similar cases in the United Kingdom is the past few years have involved payments of £2,500 and £6,000 for customers being cut by glass from a broken wine bottle.

In the United Kingdom the liable party is the retailer who supplies the wine, while in Australia it is the wine company

responsible for producing the wine and bottling it. The point is these sums are significant, and wineries need to be aware of the law as it applies to each of their destination markets, and whether insurance against such claims is either available or appropriate.

Michael Dunning, Manager of Business Insurance at Vero offered the following advice; “As long as the wine producer has a liability policy with cover for exports to the countries to which they are exporting, then the policy should respond to protect their legal liability for any damage or injury that the insured or their products are alleged to have caused.

“The critical thing is to make sure that they have correctly declared where they export to, and that the policy includes those territories. The norm would be for policies to offer worldwide cover, excluding USA and Canada, so companies that export there need to be particularly careful that their liability policy has been extended to include North America for exports.

“As a business owner, you need to be clear about what you do. Where your products are being sold is also important, especially if your distribution extends to beyond New Zealand.

Exporting to Fiji versus America would attract different liabilities regimes, penalties, as well as costs to investigate and defend if a claim is made.”

Wine Tank Specialists

32 SPEY STREET, INVERCARGILL 9810 • PH 03 214 4817 • FAX 03 218 3354 ANDREW HORTON • CELL 021 276 9676• EMAIL ANDREW@CROWNSHEETMETAL.CO.NZ

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

|9

Viticulture

Hunt on for new bio-weapon against vineward fungi

food 65x177

11/6/13

10:32 PM

Page 1

CLEANER

BARRELS -

Fungi like downy mildew reduce wine yield and impair wine quality.

In conventional as well as organic viticulture grape growers usually apply copper for preventing these fungal diseases. In the ProEcoWine project funded by the EU, on behalf of five companies the Fraunhofer IGB, the University of West Hungary and Laboratoire PHENOBIO have developed a novel bio-plant protection product to replace copper fungicides.

Fungal diseases like downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) and Botrytis cinerea can cause enormous damage to winegrowers. Vitis vinifera grape species are especially susceptible.

Once the vineyard is infected, the grower will have to cope with immense yield losses and impaired wine quality. Current methods of treating and preventing fungi in traditional and also in organic farming involve the use of copper fungicides.

Although the European Council Regulation on Organic Agriculture limits copper application to six kilograms per hectare, and German Ecofarming associations voluntarily do not exceed the amount of three kilograms per hectare, copper accumulates in the soil, and is toxic to useful soil micro-organisms. Furthermore, those fungicides are not compatible with other pesticides and thus may cause phytotoxicity or destroy proteins in plant tissues causing ‘vine damage’. Besides, according to European Council regulation the amount of copper applied per hectare and year must be reduced in the future, with an annual reduction being expected.

For this reason, the ProEcoWine project looked to a viable substitute for copper sprays that is effective, economically realistic and sustainable.

At present, there are no efficient alternatives to replace copper as a fungicide in organic viticulture. Therefore, an economical solution is required to support the development and growth of the organic market. ProEcoWine is a project funded by the European Commission formed by a trans-European partnership of three research performers, five small and medium enterprises supported

The Spraying Systems Co. TankJet® 55 fluid driven tank cleaner reduces downtime. Narrow angle full cone spray nozzles rotate through multiple axes to completely remove tough residues.

Spraying Systems NZ Ltd

New TankJet® 55 cleans multiple barrels in minutes; one full cycle completed every 16 revolutions.

New TankJet® 55 is easily inserted into standard bung hole openings. It is compatible with a variety of pumps including pressure washers and is made from durable 316L stainless steel.

New TankJet® 55 is ideal for cleaning barrels, drums, kegs and small tanks.

12E Saturn Place, Rosedale, Auckland 0632 • Free Ph: 0800 777 291 • Fax: (09) 916 1172 • sales@spray.co.nz • www.spray.co.nz

Talk to the experts at Spraying Systems Co. about the best cleaning options.

QUICKER

10 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

by a large company and an association for organic agriculture.

Coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB the project’s objective is to develop a novel bio-plant protection product to treat common grapevine fungal diseases and thus to replace copper fungicides in organic and conventional viticulture.

“To achieve this, researchers of the University of West Hungary are looking for micro algae species which reliably inhibit fungal growth”, project manager Siegfried Egner from the Fraunhofer IGB explains. “Then we will establish an economic cultivating process for these algae using our specially developed flat-panel airlift photo bioreactor. And later on, the ProEcoWine micro algae plant protection product will be further enriched with micronutrients”, Egner says. The product will be tested by ADERA in greenhouse experiments, but also directly in the field at two vineyards in France and Spain.

The ProEcoWine project is categorised as the development of a process to generate a novel plant protection product enriched with micronutrients to replace copper in organic viticulture” is funded in the 7th Research Framework of the EU from November 2012 until October 2014 under grant agreement n° 315546. Project partners are IAU Service (Germany), A4F Algafuel SA (Portugal), März Rudolf Josef (Germany), Les Vignerons de Buzet Societe Cooperative Agricole (France), Viñedos de Aldeanueva Sociedad Cooperativa (Spain), Alfa Laval Corporate AB (Sweden), and Naturland – Verband für ökologischen Landbau e.V. (Germany). As research partners the Fraunhofer IGB (Germany), the University of West Hungary (Hungary) and Laboratoire PHENOBIO (France) participate in the project.

RESIDUAL COPPER IMPACT ON SOILS While the principal concern over the build up of copper residues in soils is with viniculturists practising organics, there are a number of direct consequences for general soil fertility rather than the aversion of organic growers to the development of heavy metal residues in soils.

On of the principal concerns is the reduction of biomass carbon in the soils, even as total carbon increases. This is due the copper stress on bacteria and advantageous fungi in the soil, which in turn compromises the decomposition and consequent release of nitrogen available for vine health and stability.

Of particular concern for winegrowers is the reduced availability of stimuli for essential processes in a healthy vine, such as enzyme action, triggering colour change in grapes, and full leaf development.

A secondary, but significant, factor is the influence copper has on earthworms, which vacate soils with relatively minor copper contamination.

In Australia, where the use of fungal sprays is significantly less than in New Zealand, the copper contamination of soils is not considered a significant factor in vineyard soil fertility.

However in many established European vineyard soils, copper contamination can be as much as 20 times higher than it is in Australia, and even in New Zealand’s relatively young vineyards maximum copper levels are already higher than in Australia.

AAWT20110607

from grape to glass...

Chill, Mix, Separate, Protect, Aurora make us part of your process www.aurora-nz.com

DIMPLEFLO Must Chillers Tubular Heat Exchangers

ALFA LAVAL Plate Heat Exchangers

MIXQUIP Fluid Mixing Equipment

MAGNATTACK Receival Bin Magnets

SPINCLEAR Hydrocyclone Separators

0800 55 77 33 sales@aurora-nz.com

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 11

packaging

New screwcaps on their way PVDC free Stelvins with variable oxygen permeability.

Amcor is set to release its new Stelvin Inside screwcap option at the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference in Sydney on July 13 - 18.

The closures are the first response by screwcap producers to the threat of endocrine disruption posed by pvdc in the liners of standard screwcap wine bottle closures.

The new Stelv ins were f irst released in the United States at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

OTR in cc/day/bottle = ppm /day/bottle

Liner structure

Amcor Flexibles and released in 2008, and have now been applied to the Stelvin screwcap closure, branded Stelvin Inside, and available in 4 versions 1, 3, 5 and 7 according to their ox ygen transmission rate (OTR) target, allowing wine makers and consumers consistency from one bottle to the next. Those rates are, sequentially, below 5.E-4, 5.E-4, 5.E-3, and 5.E-2.

All of the films used in the liners are produced by Amcor and are PVDCFree. The liners themselves are manufactured exclusively by Amcor’s development partner MGJ, a leading container seal specialist. Each of the

1 O2

3 O2

5 O2

5.E-4

5.E-4

5.E-3

EPE

EPE

PE AL PE AL PET

PE AL PE AL PE PET

held in Sacramento, California in January this year, and while they are due for release next month, Amcor are not prepared to pre-empt their Syd ney relea se w ith more information for WineTechNZ. The f i l ms a re a lter n atives to t he traditional Saranex and Saranex Tin liners, both of which will still be available from Amcor.

The liners were first developed by

12 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

EPE PE OPA-SiOx

PET

4 caps has a different range of film layers in its seal, from 7 to 4.

These layers included expandable polyethylene (EPE), polyethylene (PE), aluminium foil, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and biaxally orientated polyamide film with si l icon ox ide. No sig n of poly vinylidene chloride (PVDC) that is in Saranex and other screwcap sealers.

DEHP, a plasticizer ( D) found in ( PV DC ). T h is monomer is not tightly bound to the 2 plastics in which it is used, increasing the potentia l for DEHP to leach out i nto the w i ne.

Human exposure to 5.E-2 th is monomer is shown in various PET studies to increase insulin resistance, PE waist circumference EPE a nd to stimu late PE changes to male and female reproductive PET s y stem s. A s t he monomer is used in numerous food grade liners, it being considered as a possible factor in the increased instance of both obesity and diabetes epidemics currently challenging human health.

Of the films in the new Stelvin Inside closures, there is some question of PET, because it, too contains a pthalate like DEHP which acts as an endocrine disruptor in humans. All of the Stelvin Inside caps contain PET liners.

7 O

Amcor Glass and Stelvin Wines Closures

It’s all about innovation With support from the industry, we bring quality product with strong customer focus to meet the demands for both glass and wine Closures for New Zealand Wineries.

Our Amcor Glass and Stelvin Closures sales are now combined to better service the New Zealand Market.

For information: more information: T + more 61 8 8433 2500 E closures.customerservice@amcor.com

Tor+visit 64 9www.amcor.com 262 6971 E terri.smith@amcor.com ©Amcor 2012 or visit www.amcor.com ©Amcor 2012

Creating a new world of packaging

Marketing

Are we trading away our positive image in Britain?

by Keith Stewart Nobody would claim that the United Kingdom is not an extremely important market for the New Zealand wine industry. Not only is it the second most valuable of our export markets, worth NZ$284 million last year, but through the global influence of its media it is the source of much of our international reputation. However, as the value of our exports, per litre has plunged 47% in the past decade, the question needs to be asked whether our exporters are securing sales at the cost of our reputation as fine wine producers.

In particular, are we selling our wines for too low a price to secure shelf space in lead ing supermarkets and chain retailers?

And are we, in the same manner as the Australians, selling less of our top[ quality wines in that market as a consequence? In the last 5 years alone, the average export price of a bottle of New Zealand wine in the UK has fallen 39.5% to a mere NZ$3.70.

There is plenty of evidence that sales in Britain can undermine the popular opinion of wine quality in that market, and ultimately become the measure by which exporters develop their trade and customers evaluate the wines. The case of Australia is a classic, and as a fellow New World producer that has similarly built its exports around strong UK market growth and a reputation for quality at a fair price, it is one worth considering.

Commenting on the decline of Australian prestige in the UK market, Decanter magazine columnist, Andrew Jefford recently

wrote, A nation whose fine wines aren’t sought-after, collected and treasured by connoisseurs everywhere will fail to gain (or gradually lose) international credibility, and with it economic buoyancy.

Could the same be said of New Zealand’s recent performance in the United Kingdom?

I contacted Jefford for his opinion on the current state of Brand New Zealand in the UK, to which he responded with the proviso that as he lives in France he is not completely aux fait with the latest British position.

“New Zealand is in a really great position, as it is the only Southern Hemisphere wine producer with a range of wines. Not only is it fortunate to have a popular, much loved wine like Sauvignon Blanc, but it also has quality wines like Pinot Noir to keep up interest,” he said.

“Your biggest advantage right now is that, unlike so many other New World countries, your winemakers have decided that the vineyard comes first. New Zealand is much further forward than Australian in this thinking, which is a benefit in sophisticated wine markets such as those of Europe and North America. With vineyards defining wines rather than winemakers, you are in tune with the philosophies of all the world’s great wine producers.”

Jefford explains that this is not just his opinion, but the accumulated experience of professional tasters around the world who have identified the vineyard leading characteristic in New Zealand wines. But there is, he says, some way to go before that philosophy is fully realised in the wines.

“In the last 5 years alone, the average export price of a bottle of New Zealand wine in the UK has fallen 39.5% to a mere NZ$3.70.”

14 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

P h oto s: J M Dav i d

“What I am still not finding is something beyond fruit,” he says. “There is not a lot of non-fruit components in New Zealand wines, such as minerality and extract, and there is still a tendency, particularly in red wines, for too much oak.”

“Even in Bordeaux people are moving away from oak, from the levels they were at ten years ago, but I do not see this happening in New Zealand wines.”

He is also positive that if we continue with our focus on vineyards, and maintain our inquisitive nature in regard to trying new varieties, the future is looking very good indeed, especially if we continue to try out new things.

Of the existing varieties, Jefford is supportive of both sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, is cautiously optimistic about gewürztraminer and is “still waiting for the Damascus moment” with chardonnay. “The Australians are doing a much better job with chardonnay than you are,” he says.

Of the others, he says the evidence so far is more supportive of merlot t h a n ca ber net sauvignon, and that New Zealand syrah based wines are lacking in density and are a “little bit shrill” for him.

Works in progress rather than promising achievements at this stage, but possibilities for the types of high priced wine that will improve New Zealand’s wine image.

“Keep working with the new varieties,”

“Your biggest advantage right now is that, unlike so many other New World countries, your winemakers have decided that the vineyard comes first.

In essence, Jefford’s advice is to keep up the good work, and take advantage of what we have gained so far.

“Keep working with the new varieties,” he says.

“It is counterintuitive to assume you will find the right varieties for your many vineyard sites from a few well known international varieties.

“The great wine regions did not develop wines because winemakers sat around in meeting deciding what to plant. They tried things, and when the vineyard showed them what was best they stuck with it and evolved the great wines we now have. That is the model for New Zealand winemakers.”

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 15

Winemaking

From the distant past, the future

Ceramics offer new winemaking options.

The use of ceramic eggs and terracotta amphorae are nothing new in winemaking circles but are just catching on in Australia as a new wave of winemakers embraces this traditional experience. The winemaking style used in these vessels has recently had a burst of interest stimulated by trends toward “natural” winemaking, but is also gaining a following from ma instrea m w inema kers look ing to alternative winemaking options. Now a study conducted by Australian and New Zealand Winemakers, lead by winemaker, Josephine Horn, and involving the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) provides information of the processes and results of these techniques.

The study looked brief ly at different fermentation options with the main focus being on Amphora and ceramic eggs. The use of amphora in winemaking dates back over nearly 8000 years with the Greeks and later the Romans using them to store wines.

Traditionally amphorae have been used since in Northern Italy and Georgia for the production of “orange wines“. These are white wines that have been fermented and left on skins, in same cases where the ancient technique was to bury a ceramic vessel in the ground into which the grapes were added, the vessel sealed and covered with soil, and the fermented wine broached the following spring.

Terracotta is the original medium for wine fermentation and storage. Terracotta ex hibits a number of positive characteristics as a fermentation vessel. Unlike wooden barrels, terracotta has no f lavour of its own and imparts nothing on the wine yet it actually breathes and is sensitive to temperature, especially humidity, thus giving winemakers greater control over production of specific wines.

Terracotta amphorae tend to be lined with beeswax, a natural anti-microbial agent that also alters the movement of moisture through the vessel. As the beeswax is neutral it does not impart any f lavour to the wine.

Ceramic eggs are a modern development of the ancient amphorae, with a number of alternative features.

An Australian producer of ceramic eggs has worked with

winemakers for over two years to get the perfect the ceramic composition best suited to fermentation, which is a blend of various clays and silica. The egg is then fired to such high temperatures that the ceramic is almost vitrified, but not quite to allow a level of micro-porosity, but without needing any further lining.

The shape is based on the cross section of a hyperbolic cone. The idea is that the egg shape promotes passive convection within which allows the wine to live and breathe. The porous nature of the clay enables a slight micro oxygenation, allowing this breathing to occur. There is a passive convection which encourages the contents of the vessel to slowly circulate, keeping the wine moving and lees in suspension eliminating the need for less stirring or battonage and aiding with temperature control.

Currently winemakers in Australia are utilising amphorae in traditional ways with whole bunched whites and Italian varietals and also using the amphorae on Pinot Noir and Shiraz. The amphorae and eggs are just like any other vessel in the winery; they are just a medium in which to ferment.

“Unlike wooden barrels, terracotta has no flavour.”

16 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

The two key winemaking benefits with eggs and amphorae are that they provide a neutral environment but with the benefits of micro oxygenation associated with oak. They also reduce sulphur dioxide usage, with one winery reporting SO2 reduction of 80%.

Trials on the results of fermentation in these vessels collected samples from a number of winemakers using ceramic eggs and amphora and had these sent to the AWRI for chemical and sensory analysis and eva luation. The results of the chem ica l a na lysis showed no discernable difference between egg a nd a mphora w i nes a nd the controls. The study was limited due to the fact that most samples were of 2013 ferments as opposed to finished wines.

Comments from the AWRI tasting panel showed that the amphora wines did have more fruit and a greater freshness. The Pinot Gris was described as a “full palate, juicy fleshy mid palate fruit, touch warm and phenolic but within varietal limits”. It was recorded by another panellist as being “Quite full with increased texture and viscosity” One taster described the Amphora Riesling as being “forward focused, citrus fruit and balanced, cleansing fine acid” While they described the barrel sample as “Broad finish, subtle acid, lacking freshness” The comments on the Shiraz fermented in egg focused mainly on the sweet fruit and medium body of the wine. One panellist described it as “ Medium bodied, simple berry fruit but quite generous. Light – medium tannins, light, sweet finish. ‘Commercial’.” Another described it as “Intense brooding, dark berry/dark cherry/dark Chocolate/truff le.

Complex fruit”

Comments from the AWRI tasting panel fit with what other winemakers are claiming to find in their egg and amphora wines.

Eggs and amphora need to be cleaned after use. The eggs can actually be pressure washed and then just put out in the sun to dry and left empty. Unlike barrels there is no need to keep these vessels full they won’t dry out or develop volatile acid triggers.

Amphora can also be easily cleaned and kept empty. It is recommended that each time the amphora is emptied that the beeswax is removed; this can be done with hot water or hot air. Once cleaned the amphora should be filled with pure water and left for 10 days to stabilize.

The amphora then needs to be re l i ned. T hey ca n not be pressure cleaned and require storage out of direct sunlight.

A mphor ae a nd eg g s a re unique, vessels that are being used to produce wines that have the benefit of being of special interest to w i ne consu mers look i n g for alternatives to the mainstream. Their appeal will depend on winemakers’ creativity as much as with their market value, but they are fast becoming an important part of wine’s future in New Zealand and Australia.

“The two key winemaking benefits with eggs and amphorae are that they provide a neutral environment but with the benefits of micro oxygenation associated with oak.”

Further details available from Roberto Cea at THE BEVERAGE FOOD GROUP (formerly Cellar Plus Group Pty Ltd), a 24-26 National Boulevard CAMPBELLFIELD VIC 3061, Australia.

Phone 0061 3 9924 4000, email; robc@thebeveragefoodgroup.com website; www.thebeveragefoodgroup.com

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 17

Winemaking – cooperage

Oak options wider than French or American New Zealand has traditionally considered its winemaking oak options to be either French or American, but there is another option, and one that is increasingly attractive as supplies of French oak struggle to meet international demand for high quality barrels. Central European oak has been used for wine barrels for centuries, and it is only with the relatively recent dominance for France in the fine wine business that French oak has gained the ascendancy.

Hungarian, Slavonian and Russian oak are no less traditional in European winemaking terms than is French oak today, and unlike the relatively substantive difference between French and American oak barrels from these sources are closer in character the Western European taste traditions. The close grained, relatively lightly flavoured Slavonian oak barrels from Croatia have long been the favoured wood for Barolo and Barbaresco, and oak from Russia’s Baltic forests was once considered second only to the wood from France’s Limousin, Nevers and Tronçais forests.

While Spanish wines have developed an affinity with American oak, most European winery preferences for European, whether French or not in origin, is clear. Whether French, Hungarian, Russian or Croatian, European barrels are made from the wood of either Quercus petraea Liebl. or Quercus robur. Both are tight grained oaks with milder flavours than that from Quercus alba, the member of the family that provides American oak.

Quercus alba wood is more straight grained and higher in density, facilitating the production of staves by sawing rather than splitting as is the case in European cooperages. This sawing accentuates the presence of high lignin and lactone content of the timber, resulting in more pronounced sweet flavours, and toastiness.

Much of Slavonian and almost all Hungarian and Russian oak is from the preferred species of France’s best forests, Quercus petraea Liebl. This was also the tree from which pre-Revolution supplies of Russian oak were supplied to France from the Baltic, and which now supplies oak for barrels from the forests of the Caucasus in the Republic of Adygué. French tonnellier, Seguin Moreau is a leading producer of premium quality barrels from this source.

Quercus petraea Liebl. and Quercus robur. both produce wood that is low in lactones, tight grained and high in vanillin, copaene and caryophyllene, flavour compounds that enhance spiciness and subtlety.

The timber cannot easily be sawn, and must be split to produce stave timber. This is more expensive, but it reduces the woody character of the finished barrels and ultimately the wines. Both oaks also have higher levels of tannin than does America’s Quercus alba., which has a higher proportion of non tannin phenols that are responsible for its wood flavours.

Of the non French European oaks that are available for winemaker consideration, Hungarian, once the favoured wood source for Bordeaux’ top châteaux, is arguably the most luxurious, because of

18 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

the purported creaminess of texture and subtlety it delivers to its wines. Slavonian, from Croatia, is even more subtle and is considered ideal for larger barrels, especially for aromatic white wines that require textural support rather than flavour contributions.

Modern Russian oak is more intense and French-like, perhaps because of the influence of French tonnellier in its development. A relatively new source from the forest of the Czech Republic is also available now, although there is little information on its characteristics and influence on wines. All, however, come at lower prices than the French option, and are worthy of consideration by winemakers, if only for the range of choices they offer.

It may be that as winemakers seek a more empathetic oak fro New Zealand Pinot Noir that the once famous Hungarian forest of Zemplén could become as well respected in Martinborough and Bannockburn as it was in Beaune.

New Product Release Multi-Level Probe Up to 30 temperature sensors per probe.

Choose which sensor controls the coolant.

View temperatures in a colour profile.

Start stirrers automatically when stratification value is high.

Initiate pumpover when cap gets hot Analyse your tank performance.

Drop into the tank from the turret or install permanently with a triclover.

Simple Modbus Communications works with most systems.

Network probes together using RS485 network.

http://mlp.winetec.com

EDUCATION

Hi-tech robotic engineering solves oak challenge

Winemakers have many methods of extracting more life from investment in oak barrels. Most efforts have involved some form of shaving to expose new oak to the wine, but none have really overcome the technical challenges to the satisfaction of winemakers.

Now there is another option, barrel rejuvenation.

The patented Phoenix Barrel Rejuvenation process, available in New Zealand through Vintech Pacific Wine Technologies, was developed in Australia by Diverse Barrel Solutions, in association with the Australian Government and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). It has now been used on thousands of barrels to the satisfaction of winemakers, and the process is now being offered in both New Zealand and California.

The process takes the engineering and technology applied to barrel refurbishment to a whole new Level, which, according to AWRI data, restores around 84 percent of the extractable oak flavour profile of a new French oak barrel, for around half the cost of a new barrel, with the same lifespan as new oak.

Significantly from a cost perspective, Inland Revenue regard the cost of the Phoenix process as repairs and maintenance and not as capital expenditure.

In the first step of the process, selected barrels suitable for rejuvenation are shipped to Vintech Pacific’s Phoenix Cooperage in Blenheim. After a visual inspection, the

barrel’s heads are removed by hydraulic press and a robotic laser scans the interior, creating a three dimensional cutting matrix that is unique to each barrel. A highspeed, computer-controlled robotic cutting tool then uses the matrix to remove approximately 8mm of old wood f rom the i nter ior, exposing clean, uncontaminated oak.

Each barrel is then retoasted using a sophisticated, computercontrolled, infra-red toasting system that completely eliminates the issue of unpleasant ‘burnt caramel’ characters associated with hand-shaved barrels. Likewise the blistering commonly found in new, brazier toasted barrels is entirely eliminated. The result is a reliable, consistent toast of high quality.

Finally two new, two-year outdoor-seasoned heads made from oak sourced in central French forests are fitted. These are toasted to the winemaker’s specifications, giving each Phoenix Rejuvenated barrel a new oak content of approximately 33%.

After pressure testing and final preparation with 10 litres of sulphur-citric solution, the Phoenix Rejuvenated barrels are returned to the winery where they can be used in the same fashion as a brand new barrel.

For more information or to arrange a tasting of wines made using Phoenix barrels, please contact Colin Ford at Vintech Pacific

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 19

Backstory

France is in New Zealand’s wine foundation New Zealand’s first winegrowers was James Busby, a Scots born Englishman whose wine education came from the very British winegrowing culture of Bordeaux, where customers were for the most part either Scots or English. But at the same time as Busby was experimenting with his tiny vineyard at Waitangi, French pioneers were bringing a distinctly different wine culture to New Zealand.

A culture that holds wine as more than a romantic emblem as the British favoured, considering it more as the essence of human connection with the land, almost a symbol of the sweat that comes with honest toil and the struggle for survival. A culture for which it is both a dietary staple and a spiritual fundamental, as well connected with ancient Earth Goddess worship as it is with rituals of the Christian Church. In the philosophy of the early Catholic missionaries wine inseparable from Man, while for Busby and his fellow Brits it was no more than an accoutrement, a symbol of a life well lived, of the utopia for which they yearned.

The Catholic Mission to the Western Pacific under Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier was conducted primarily by Marists, an order formed in the early part of the nineteenth century to repair damage done to rural French communities by revolution, destruction of the Church and 19 years of Napoléon’s wars. In a nineteenth century revival of Franciscan simplicity the Marists successfully worked amongst French peasants to restore both their faith and their husbandry, efforts that caught

20 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

the attention of Pope Gregory XVI, then in his search for activists to drive the Pacific mission. In retrospect their ethics...Poverty, simplicity, ‘The base things of the world’ stand forth clearly on every side... 1 seem ideal for their New Zealand challenge, both in their appeal to Maori and in the role they would play in the story of New Zealand wine. It was not just their Frenchness, nor their Catholicism that demanded wine of them, but the restorative fundamentals of their mission itself that demanded they plant grapes and make wine to celebrate the eternal co-operation between man and God. Brother Elie-Regis was one of the order specifically tasked with developing vineyards perhaps because of his origins in the Northern Rhone winegrowing area. He arrived in New Zealand in June 18392 , and after a brief period at Totara Point, Hokianga and at Kororareka, where he was involved in planting small vineyards for each of these stations, he was sent to a new mission site at Okura on Whangaroa Harbour. There on a steep, seaside slope he planted vines late in 1839, adding to the vineyard over the following years until it reminded him of home.

I am just now preparing to plant vines for this year on slope near the sea on the Aucoura [Okura] side. It will be Cote Rotie wine because of the position and quality of the soil…he wrote at the time.

Elie-Regis never did get to taste wine from his Rhône-like vineyard as he was soon despatched to prospective new mission sites to establish stations and pursue souls on behalf of his Church. Grapes ripened well at Whangaroa. I planted vines there but when I moved I made the sacrifice and left them behind...3 he

wrote rather mournfully in 1846, and there are no remnants of Elie-Regis vintages to ref lect on the extent of his contribution, not even a tasting note or an empty bottle. He was, however the first of a brotherhood who sustained the spirit of wine in New Zealand for 135 years before the rest of New Zealand caught on to the idea that honest wine in this particular New Britain was not a possibility, it was a reality.

Within five years that brotherhood had established five vineyards in the North, at Totara Point where they first landed, at Kororareka, Elie-Regis’ Okato at Whangaroa, at Purakau in the Hokianga and at Tangiteroria where the remarkable Father Antoine Garin began his first of a number of productive winegrowing operations he would initiate at mission stations around the country. Garin was the stand-out character amongst the early Marists, a man considered authoritative enough to be given the position of Vicar Apostolic in charge of the New Zealand mission between June 1841 and September 1843. 4 He was an intelligent and perceptive observer of European inf luence in the new colony, and his diary comments on the dynamics of change amongst Maori during his years in Northland between 1841 and 1848 are essential reading for an understanding of early New Zealand history. Later he became one of the most inf luential early educators, founding a number of highly regarded schools in the Nelson area, while having the time and drive to establish seminal vineyards in Northland, Auckland and Nelson.

While the Marists wine was more in tune with the vin ordinaire of the homeland than it was with the bourgeois refinements Busby had acquired in Bordeaux and during his European vine gathering sojourn, the available evidence is that ordinaire had more stamina, that their rustic efforts survived where those of other w ine producers fa iled because bourgeois New Zealand was more in the imagination of the colony’s early years than it was a reality ...in composition and outlook New Zealand was overwhelmingly a working settlers’ society.5 Whatever their faults the Marist wines made at various stations around the country were always honest ‘juice of the soil’ and as such served well wine’s spiritual role both in church and at community dinner tables.

Maître, Fr Pierre HISTORY OF MARIST ORIGINS, 1853 pp717.

Ewart SM, Peter. (ed) THE SOCIETY OF M ARY IN NEW ZEALAND, Fathers and Brothers of the Society of Mary, Wellington 1989, pp8 NZ MARIST ARCHIVE, corres., Br Elie-Regis to Brothers at L’ Hermitage, 30th June 1846.

Ewart SM, Peter. (ed) THE SOCIETY OF MARY IN NEW ZEALAND, Fathers and Brothers of the Society of Mary, Wellington 1989, pp 192.

GRAHAM, Jeanine, Settler Society, in THE OXFORD HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND, Oliver and Williams (Eds), Oxford University Press 1981. pp116

World leader in gases for industry, health and the environment With more than 46,200 employees in 80 countries, Air Liquide is the world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment. Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and rare gases have been at the core of Air Liquide’s activities since its creation in 1902. Using these molecules, Air Liquide continuously reinvents its business, anticipating the needs of current and future markets.

Air Liquide combines knowledge and technology to develop valuable applications not only for its customers but also for society.

Innovative technologies that protect food, curb polluting

emissions, lower industry’s energy use, recover and re-use natural resources, develop the energies of tomorrow, preserve human life..…

On a domestic front, Air Liquide New Zealand Limited was established in 1983. With the experience and impetus of the Air Liquide Group behind it, the New Zealand subsidiary has grown steadily and is supported by a network of 64 agents located in various centres.

To do business with Air Liquide is to be in partnership with one of the most progressive, competitive and financially strong companies of its kind in the world.

nzsales@airliquide.com | 0800 838 838

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 21

science

Pesticides in aquatic environment – new research poses problems for vineyards

Widely used pesticides have been identified in a new study as a serious challenge to water quality and biodiversity of aquatic environments, and poses a challenge for vineyards in managing their pesticide load. Data from research in Germany, France and Australia shows a reduction of biodiversity of as much as 42% in trial environments.

Mikhail A. Beketov and Matthias Liess from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, together with Ben Kefford from the University of Technology, Sydney and Ralf B. Schäfer from the Institute for Environmental Sciences Landau, analysed the impact of pesticides, such as insecticides and fungicides, on the regional biodiversity of invertebrates in flowing waters using data from Germany, France and Victoria in Australia. The authors of the now-published study state that this is the first ever study which has investigated the effects of pesticides on regional biodiversity.

Pesticides, for example those used in agriculture, are among the most-investigated and regulated groups of pollutants. However, until now it was not known whether, or to which extent, and at what concentrations their use causes a reduction in biodiversity

22 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

in aquatic environments. The researchers investigated these questions and compared the numbers of species in different regions: in the Hildesheimer Boerde near Braunschweig, in southern Victoria in Australia and in Brittany in France.

In both Europe and Australia, the researchers were able to demonstrate considerable losses in the regional biodiversity of aquatic insects and other freshwater invertebrates. A difference in biodiversity of 42 % was found between non-contaminated and strongly-contaminated areas in Europe; in Australia, a decrease of 27% was demonstrated.

The researchers also discovered that the overall decrease in biodiversity is primarily due to the disappearance of several groups of species that are especially susceptible to pesticides.

These mainly include representatives of the stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies, and dragonflies and are important members of the food chain right up to fish and birds. Biological diversity in such aquatic environments can only be sustained by them because they ensure a regular exchange between surface and ground water, thus functioning as an indicator of water quality.

One worrying result from the study is that the impact of

pesticides on these tiny creatures is already catastrophic at concentrations which are considered protective by current European regulation. The authors point out that the use of pesticides is an important driver for biodiversity loss and that legally-permitted maximum concentrations do not adequately protect the biodiversity of invertebrates in flowing waters.

New concepts linking ecology with ecotoxicology are therefore

urgently needed. “The current practice of risk assessment is like driving blind on the motorway”, cautions the ecotoxicologist Matthias Liess.

To date, the approval of pesticides h a s pr i m a r i ly been ba sed on experimental work carried out in laboratories a nd a r tif icia l ecosystems. To be able to assess the ecological impact of such chemical substa nces properl y, ex ist i n g concepts need to be validated by investigations in real environments as soon as possible.

“The latest results show that the aim of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to slow down the decline in the number of species by 2020 is jeopardized. Pesticides will always have an impact on ecosystems, no matter how rigid protection concepts are, but realistic considerations regarding the level of protection required for the various ecosystems can only be made if validated assessment concepts are implemented,” the report summarises.

Ref: M.A. Beketov, B.J. Kefford, R.B. Schäfer, and M. Liess (2013): “Pesticides reduce regional biodiversity of stream invertebrates”.

PNAS, Early Edition. 17 June 2013, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1305618110 http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1305618110

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 23

Your Cargo Securement Specialists

THE NEXT GENERATION FLEXITANK E-Flex Easy Flexitank, the industry leader in technology Easy fitting in three minutes

Stable journey for wine

The fitting procedure literally takes three minutes with E-Flex. It is limited to placing the E-Flex into the container, unrolling and tying its belts at four points.

There is neither the set-up of a bulkhead system or the need to use carton paper inside the container.

Wine makers have seen another advantage with E-Flex. The idea behind E-Flex is that the movement of the liquid inside is minimized. Therefore, the hydro-dynamic energy seen in conventional flexitanks due to movement of the liquid does not exist. This in turn results in a more stable transportation for the wine inside. The stable transportation provides a higher quality wine at destination compared to a shaken alternative.

Easier logistics without bulkheads It is much easier to transport the E-Flex as there are no bulkheads involved. There are no procedures such as collecting bulkheads or shipping back for cost saving.

Recycling is also made easier with just two components PE and PP, which are the materials of the E-Flex.

Cost advantage with the elimination of bulkheads E-Flex is the result of a distinctive design and advanced technology. The design allows E-Flex to work without the need for bulkheads, and thus lowers the unit price.

The price is certainly not at the level of low quality and no support flexitanks but at much more competitive levels with its established peers in the market.

Two times faster heating process Fast heating feature of E-Flex has proven to be a big advantage for some chemical and food companies.

Due to its unique design, the E-Flex can be heated two times faster than conventional flexitanks. A layer that is inserted in the middle of E-Flex ensures that the liquid cargo is heated much faster and makes the discharge much easier at destination.

COA and AAR tests passed E-Flex has been the first flexitank in the industry to pass the 2G COA test along with the AAR impact test.

4000 litre tolerance in capacity Freight forwarders and shippers who have different types of liquids enjoy the benefit of keeping less inventory of E-Flex compared to conventional flexitanks.

Traditionally they need to stock 24,000, 22,000, 20,000, 18,000 and 16,000 litre capacity versions for their various clients/products. However, there are only two capacity versions of E-Flex that accommodate all needs.

24,000 litre version is good for as low as 20,000 litres and the 20,000 litre version is good for as low as 16,000 litres.

40% less carbon footprint A conventional flexitank and an E-Flex are about the same size and weight. What makes the difference is the bulkhead. The weight of the bulkheads is even more than the flexitank itself. The manufacturing process, positioning to loading location and transportation within the loaded container produces a lot of additional carbon footprint. The bulkheads also create a problem with recycling or disposal which is non-existent with E-Flex. Carbon footprint advantage creates a point of difference for most multi-nationals who consider it as an important aspect due to their environmental targets.

Call us for obligation-free advice for your packaging requirements

www.secureaload.co.nz PH 0800 100 449 6

The New Zealand Shipping Gazette

17 Andrew Baxter Drive Airport Oaks, AUCKLAND Ph: (09) 255-5935

52a Grove Road BLENHEIM Ph: (03) 577-5944

112 Antigua Street CHRISTCHURCH Ph: (03) 365-0521

100% New Zealand owned and operated

11 Newton Street MT MAUNGANUI Ph: (07) 574-2001 , 2013

logistics

Company ensures best performance in marine shipping The Gavan Group of companies was created in1988 by Mr. Gavin Condon and Andrew Corstorphine who recognised a the need for supply parts and accessories required by Intermodal marine transport equipment operators. They initially named the company Gavan Container Products, and in 24 years expanded the product range from Shipping Container repair spare parts and accessories to be more inclusive with a include a wide range of Transport, Cargo Care / Protection products, Lifting and Safety Products, Marine Lashing, Rail and Rolling Stock Lashing systems, Military Lashing Systems, Light Engineering and Manufacturing, as well as a Plastic Pallet division.

The Gavan Group of Companies now has a network of branches to become the world’s largest supplier of Shipping Container related products. With eighteen warehouse and office operations in nine countries throughout Australasia, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, South East Asia and Mainland China, the directors plan to continue expansion throughout Asia.

Supplying quality products sourced locally and from around the world at competitive prices Gavan Container Products use a sophisticated computer controlled stock inventory, dispatch and accounts systems providing customer tailored billing to ensure customer satisfaction. In 1998 Gavan formed a strategic alliance with two major container parts suppliers one based in Europe and one based in America; this then led to the formation of the “Intermodal Equipment Alliance” which gives the Gavan Group a truly global reach and coverage.

The Gavan Group continues to expand in both Europe and the Americas, and continues to expand its quality and range of products. It has formed new companies with the Gavan Group such as Gavan Container Products, Secure A Load, The Plastic Pallet Company, The Intermodal Equipment Alliance and GavanKR. The Gavan Range includes the following; Intermodal Repair Products:-Supply products used in the repair and manufacture of ISO Shipping Containers, including Dry Freight container, Refrigerated containers, ISO Tank container and specialized Shipping containers and domestic office/ house containers.

Transport Products:- Our Truck Body Parts division has a comprehensive range of products used in Load securing and lifting equipment including Tiedowns, Load Binders, Chains & Fittings, Shoring bars, Twistlocks for truck decks, Container ramps, Connecting links, Corner boards (plastic and cardboard), Cargo hoop sets, F-Track, Door hardware, Furniture Blankets, Security seals and of course Door Locking Systems, Lashing rings, Aluminum & Stainless sheet.

Cargo Care Products:- Our Cargo Care Division has a comprehensive range of protection products not only for shipping but inland transport and storage protection products such as; Dunnage Bags, with appropriate inflation equipment (Air Guns), plastic container liners, slip sheets, Shoring Products (Jacking Bars), insulation blankets, In-transit temperature recorders, antiskid pallet connectors, dangerous goods labels,

moisture control in various packaging types (Moisture poles, Blankets, Silica gel pellets) Lifting and Safety Products:- Lifting Slings, both Round and Flat Web Slings, Lifting G80 Chain, Leather Gloves, Foot ware, Eye protection and Safety Decals Marine Products:- Ship Lashing, Transfer and Securing Systems are an important part of the Gavan Product range, We are able to supply complete Lashing Rods, Turnbuckles, Stacking Cones and a full range of Automatic & Manual Twistlocks to choose from, as well as dovetail, U-frame, semi-automatic, bottom, single stackers, bridge fittings, deck fittings, lifting slings and of course wire rope.

Rail Securement Products:- Rail Twistlocks and refurbishment of Rail operators existing Rail Twistlocks, Cargo Protection products for cargo on and in rail wagons.

Military Securement Products:- Tiedown equipment for Vessels, Tanks, Trucks, Lashing & Transfer equipment, Tiedowns and Securing products for the securing of ammunition, cargo nets, Deck Sockets for vessels and a further extensive range of Hooks.

Light Engineering / Manufacturing / Testing:- The fabrication of steel products for use in the repair of ISO Containers, Steel access ramps and General Light steel fabrication and engineering, the manufacture of Web Tiedowns, and approved testing of chain, web Tiedowns and lifting chain and lifting slings Plastic Pallets:- Numerous Plastic Pallets for use in Transportation, Warehouse Storage, Cool room / Freezer Plastic Pallets.

Specialised Transport

Bulk wine transport by road, rail and sea.

To discuss your wine transport and storage requirements call us on 0800 2 BONNEYS • Inter-island haulage • ISO tanks for static hire • Import/export containers • Flexitank services

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 25

winemaking

Pilot plant testing offers benifits for winery wastewater systems

Mobile pilot wastewater plants are an innovation that reduces risk and moderates costs as wineries endeavour to refine their systems to best practise.

As wine production increases and compliance requirements continue to tighten, it is critical for wineries to regularly evaluate their wastewater treatment plants and ensure they are keeping up with wastewater volumes and are still fit for purpose. Through this evaluation, wineries may discover a need to upgrade their system capacity, or to achieve higher levels of treatment within the same system to ensure future compliance and smooth operation during peak seasons.

Improvements, either new technology or respecification of existing plant, come at a cost and a risk that can be better managed by utilising a pilot plant that allows proof of process under real conditions on the client’s site. For wineries, the timing of any pilot plant trials is critical as vintage is when the plant comes under maximum load and all production factors, such as water and chemical use and solids handling procedures can be considered.

Apex Environmental is in the unique position of having a

26 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

transportable pilot plant that can be installed on site to evaluate a range of treatment technologies including aerated treatment, denitrification, sequencing batch reactor and membrane bioreactor. For wineries, common answers that a pilot plant trial can provide are: • The capacity an existing plant can achieve through an upgrade or change in treatment philosophy; • Actual removal rates for BOD5 and nitrogen that can be achieved through upgrading; • The identification of nutrient or other limitations on the process; and • The quality of treated wastewater able to be produced by a MBR for reuse rather than land disposal.

For a small investment in an on-site pilot plant trial wineries can limit the risks of making improvements, both in terms of cost and performance. A trial can provide assurances for ongoing operating costs, and offer the potential for savings to be made by making best use of the existing plant.

viticulture

Powerful traclink wineyard system launched TracMap’s new TracLink System, launched in 2012 and initially developed to assist Fertiliser and Spray Contractors with task allocation and proof of placement has now been launched to the viticulture industry.

The system initially trialled in New Zealand by Giesen Wines in 2012, led to a total of 35 harvesters using the system during this year’s harvest

“Last year we undertook to work with Giesen Wines to put in place TracLink really with this 2013 harvest in mind” says Lance Nuttall Country Manager for TracMap New Zealand Ltd “It was a pretty tight timeframe, and at that stage we knew very little about the industry. Thanks to the input from the team at Giesen Wines we now have a system that delivers real benefits to both Wineries and Contractors alike.”

The TracMap system has 2 key components; an in-cab system which displays and captures the vital information and; TracLink, a web based 2 way wireless link handling tasks and data.

A task is created using a map of the vineyard as its base, with blocks highlighted and important information is added to assist the field operator.

“Being able to clearly identify important landmarks such as hazards, wash down points and entry ways save time and possible damage to equipment,” explains Lance.

The TracMap in cab system displays the vineyard map on screen, clearly displaying the area for application, eliminating errors

and giving operators situation details including special instructions. Live tracking assists by keeping controllers in touch with in field activities at all times.

Villa Maria Estate had the system in all 6 of their harvesters. “We were very fortunate to have someone like Villa Maria to use our system so early in the piece; they really pushed the system to its maximum,” Lance says.

“Linked to existing load cell systems, we were able to capture the yield information as the harvesters tipped, and this information was then sent back to TracLink to be viewed in real time by both the field and winery teams. This is an area we are going to work on more; we see huge potential in the ability to get live data such as this captured and sent automatically back to TracLink” says Nuttall.

The system is not just about harvesting, however, as it can be used for any task carried out in field such as spray, fertiliser and maintenance. It also has the capability of transferring in cab systems between vehicles.

“Harvest is a pretty difficult time to implement any new system, let alone one that could have so much impact on our day to day operations, however we saw enough in the system & TracMap that gave us confidence to run with it” says Jason Tripe Managing Director of Blenheim’s JTC Viticulture, another early adopter of the system. “We haven’t been disappointed.

We are particularly looking forward to seeing further developments they are currently work ing on, includ ing incorporating a fleet scheduling system, which will be of real benefit to us” The team from TracMap will be at this year’s WineTech Conference in Sydney & Romeo Bragato Conference in Blenheim for interested parties.

For more details visit the website www.tracmap.com or call us on 0800 TRACMAP (0800 872 262).

Wine Analysis mep.net.au/winelab

A U S T R A L I A

A U S T R A L I A

Pat. alcohol determination in wines, beers and spirits Anton Paar Alcolyzer® M Series

pH, total titrateable acidity and SO2 Metrohm 916 Ti Touch

Precise CO2 and O2 measurement for still and sparkling wines Anton Paar CboxQC

Vinotrodes superior electrodes for wine labs Metrohm Vinotrode

Portable density, gravity, baume, brix measurement Anton Paar DMA 35

Fully automated pH & TA, integrated degassing Metrohm 855 Titrosampler

Homogenize grape samples in seconds

Metals analysis, antioxidant capacity, UV-Vis spectrometers Analytik Jena

RETSCH Grindomix GM300

Specord, contrAA

available at

MEP Instruments Pty Ltd Australia Tel 1300 720 485 New Zealand Tel 09 912 1330 www.mep.net.nz

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

mep_wine_1302_55x260 NZ.indd 1

| 27

06/06/2013 13:46

global NEWS

AUSTRALIANS EET W S HOST W WINE SHO

at the ISWC not only rewarded with commercially available, with the aim of this Medals and Trophies, but also benefiting class to show unusual or rare styles. 10 from a public relations campaign run Trophies are awarded in total – see full details by the ISWC, providing valuable at www.sweetwinechallenge.com.au editorial and advertising exposure in Entries open: 14 June – 16 August 2013 international and Australian wine and Judging:

29 August 2013 lifestyle publications.”

Results:

2 September 13 The Challenge is open to any Award Presentations: 7 September 2013 non-fortified sweet wine that is commercially available in the country Entry can be made on line at of origin, and holds a minimum stock www.sweetwinechallenge.com.au or by of 50 case lots at the time of entry. There Dialog, Wine Technology, 130 x 206 mm, CC-en46-AZ044_04/13 contacting Stuart McGrath-Kerr, Riverina is also a separate Museum Class for Winemakers’ Association on: +61 2 6964 3504 wines five years or older, which are not

Respecting values in effective dialogue Entries for the 2013 International Sweet Wine Challenge in Australia open on 14 June 2013, for judging which begins on 29th August, 2013. Wineries have until 16th August to file their entries.

The Judging Panel will again be led by Ben Edwards (President of Sommeliers Australia and contributor to Australia’s best selling wine guide, the Australian Wine Companion), who will be joined this year by International Guest Judge Madeleine Stenwreth MW. Madeleine became one of the first Swedish Sommeliers in 1990 and since then her talented palate has seen her judge at wine shows around the world and achieve Master of Wine status in 2008.

This will be the 9th consecutive year the ISWC has been held in the Riverina and the founding aims of the awards remain the same, as Les Worland, President of the Riverina Winemakers Association, explains, “The International Sweet Wine Challenge was created to bring together the various styles of sweet wine from Australia and abroad in a region well known for the quality of its own sweet wines. We strive to promote the best wines within their st yle, a nd to ra ise g reater understanding and awareness of sweet wines in general.

“Last year’s challenge saw a very high standard of entries, with an increased quantity and quality of international entries. This year’s Challenge promises to be as keenly contested, with winning wines

www.krones.com

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 29

News

SCREWCAP-SULPHUR CONNECTION IN WINE RECALL High sulphur levels are the reason given by UK retailer, Majestic for its recall of 3,000 bottles of Chablis, with its screwcap closures implicated in the problem.

After complaints from customers, tests of the wine revealed higher than maximum permitted levels of sulphites in Jean Bourguignon 2011 Chablis which is available throughout the retailers 176 outlets in the United Kingdom.

The specific product being recalled is: Jean Bourguignon 2011 Chablis , lot number LA64526.

No other Majestic Wine Warehouse Ltd products or Jean Bourguignon wines are affected.

Majestic has sent recall notices to customers by email and post, which explain why the product is being recalled and the actions customers should take if they have bought the wine.

Jean Bourguignon 2011 Chablis has been widely distributed through grocery retail trade in the United Kingdom. The brand is one of a number owned by the large Burgundian wine business of Labouré-Roi, estimated to be the third biggest in the region. Some of the company’s directors were arrested last year during an investigation into wine fraud that is ongoing.

ITALIAN WINERY ACTS ON PREMIUM ASIAN MARKET The distinction of being the official host winery of the second annual Ritz Carlton Asia-Pacific Food and Wine Festival goes to Chianti producer, Querciabella, Tuscany’s leading producer of biodynamic fine wines. It is a coup for the prestigious producer, and for Italian wine that such a high profile gourmet event should chose Italian for exposure it the high value Asian market.

The four-day epicurean event, with the participation of celebrity chefs from China, Denmark, France, Italy and the UK, opens June 13 at the Ritz Carlton’s magnificent Hong Kong property in Kowloon with a press conference and VIP luncheon featuring Querciabella wines - including the white supertuscan, Batàr.

Patronage of the festival by Querciabella will be personified by Ned Goodwin MW, whose tutored tastings of the winery’s award-winning range feature throughout the event program. The Tokyo-based Master of Wine could not be a more fitting ambassador given his familiarity with the estate, its environmentalist mission and of course, Querciabella wines.

“While the wines hail from Tuscany’s most profound soils and climes, they are melded by a unique approach to biodynamics that I find truly compelling,” says Goodwin.

With Wine File...

• • • • •

Winery records are easy to create and maintain Winery records are completely auditable Additives can be tracked to the material batch level Augments HACCP/Standard Operating Procedures Your NZ WSMP record keeping needs are met

These are just some of the reasons why Wine File is the winemakers choice for winery record keeping in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

30 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

“This approach sates me on a philosophical level, but also brings an energy, life and gorgeous poise to the wines.”

Querciabella’s presence at the festival is evidence of a dramatic rise in interest in Italian fine wine throughout the region.

“It is certainly a pivotal moment for these wines in greater Asia,” confirms Goodwin, who suggests that the structural detail of wines from Italy as well as their association with a “holistic and joyous celebration of being alive” account for the appeal of Italian wines among Asian consumers.

While Querciabella has long enjoyed a well-established presence in Japan, a sharp rise in demand is now seen elsewhere in Asia, with Hong Kong in the lead.

Querciabella’s flagship wine, Camartina, as well as the winery’s eponymous Chianti Classico are also lauded as quintessential benchmarks of quality among wine enthusiasts in India, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

The strategic role of Hong Kong among Querciabella’s premier export markets makes this collaboration with the Ritz Carlton a natural fit. The opportunity to present the estate’s wines alongside stellar chefs of international acclaim, including Mads Refslund of Denmark and Enrico Cerea of Italy, marks a historic milestone for Italian fine wine in Asia, not to mention a momentous honour for Querciabella.

NEWS

AMPHORAE REVEAL ANCIENT WINE TASTES Researchers seeking to identify the contents of Etruscan amphora remnants found in the South Of France have identified them as wine vessels, part of a significant trade between central Italy and southern France 2,500 years ago.

As imports, historians have considered the trade was the beginning of France’s own winegrowing industry, with the trade reversing some time later when southern France became a source of wine. In searching to confirm the contents of the amphorae, scientists have identified grape wine, but also traces of basil, rosemary and thyme revealing an Etruscan preference for herb flavoured wine. They also found traces of pine resin, suggesting that the wine of the ancients was close to modern retsina in character.

CELLAR DOOR APP. ADVANCES WINERY SALES The Napa Valley based software company specialising in wine industry electronics, eWinery Solutions has launched a new application for winery retail operations. The application, called MoJoe POS, is a smart alternative to the standard POS transaction facility because it was designed specifically around tasting room workflows to optimize the customer experience in managing transactional and CRM requirements.

“MoJoe is the first product developed from scratch as a result of the recent merger of Napa Valley POS and eWinery Solutions. We were able to leverage the tasting room knowledge gained over 20 years with the latest technology to build a first rate POS suitable for any environment,” noted Martin Olsen, CTO of eWinery Solutions.

MoJoe is fully customizable, and uses the latest mobile browser technology. There is no keyboard or mouse required; users just tap and go, allowing wineries to transact business from virtually any location with an internet connection.

“MoJoe was designed specifically for the Microsoft Surface, but runs in a browser, allowing it to be used on any PC, Mac or tablet device,” says Olsen. “In the near future, we will also have versions specifically designed for iPad and Android tablets, which will be available as native apps. The ability to transact business via mobile devices is transforming retail, and our winery clients need the best tools to build their business.”

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 31

NEWS

Cork launches screwcap alternative The two global leaders in wine packaging, Amorim and O-I, today announced at Vinexpo in Bordeaux the launch of HELIX, an innovative cork-glass wine packaging solution for the popular premium, fast turnaround still wine segment.

The result of a four-year partnership between Amorim and O-I, the development of HELIX drew on both companies’ innovation capabilities and expertise in serving global wine markets, gained from a heritage that stretches back over a century.

“The future of innovation is through collaboration,” says O-I European President Erik Bouts. “Helix is a proven example of what can be achieved for consumers and the wine trade when the world’s leading companies in glass packaging and cork work together.”

The new ‘twist to open’ concept combines an ergonomically-designed stopper made from cork and a glass bottle with an internal thread finish in the neck, creating a high performing and sophisticated wine packaging solution. HELIX combines all the benefits of cork and glass – quality, sustainability and premium image with userfriendly, resealable convenience. It can be

32 | winter 2013 | Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND

quickly and easily implemented by wineries with only a minor adjustment to the existing filling lines.

“HELIX meets consumers’ growing desire for sustainability and quality, while delivering the brand building and premium image packaging wineries rely upon”, adds Antonio Amorim, Chairman and CEO of Amorim. “We are delighted to offer the market not only a 100% renewable, modern product, but also a solution that enhances the wine drinking experience through opening and resealing convenience.”

In extensive testing conducted by Amorim and O-I, wine packaged in HELIX glass bottles with cork stoppers showed no alteration in terms of taste, aroma or colour. As part of the development process, market research in France, UK, USA and China revealed great consumer acceptance of HELIX for fast turnaround and popular premium wines. In addition, consumers also appreciated retaining the festive ‘pop’ associated with opening a bottle of wine.

NEWS

Craggy Range makes no top wines in 2012 Announcing the launch of it 2011 vintage ‘Prestige Collection’ wines, Hawkes Bay’s Craggy Range has declared it will have none from this collection from the 2012 vintage because of poor growing conditions.

Steve Smith, Craggy Range’s Wine and Viticulture Director, said that “Sophia and Le Sol represent the very best of what we can produce from this vineyard, and unfortunately 2012 was simply too cold and wet. These ultra-premium wines are synonymous with the highest quality, and at Craggy Range we will not compromise that.”

Sophia and Le Sol have been produced since 2001 (with the exception of 2003 for Le Sol) and are represented in some of the most famous restaurants, fine wine retailers, and collector’s cellars in the world.

Both wines have received rave reviews over several vintages

CHINESE BUY OTUWHERO VINEYARD The Overseas Investment Office has approved the purchase of 300 hectares of Awatere Valley, Marlborough vineyard land by Chinese interests. O:TU Investments, controlled

by Chinese nationals Min Jia and Xiumei Lin, has bought the land from Otuwhero Estates, Otuwhero Estate Wines, Otuwhero Estates No 3 and Tui Concepts.

from the world’s leading wine critics, notably Robert Parker, Lisa Perotti-Brown MW and Neil Martin in The Wine Advocate, James Halliday, Phillip Rich and New Zealand’s own Bob Campbell MW. “2012 was characterised by the coldest and wettest season since 1993, with the grapes, even on our exceptional Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, unable to ripen to the level required for making Le Sol and Sophia. As importantly we had to protect the great reputation of our estate wines from the Gimblett Gravels, Syrah and Te Kahu, and those wines will now be made almost entirely from parcels of grapes originally intended to make Le Sol and Sophia,” said Mr Smith.

Crown Electric Forklifts Perfect around wine

At Crown everything we do focuses on providing the right tools for the right job.

The Crown Electric range is the perfect solution for indoor forklift operations, especially around food & wine products. Emission free operation that is not only powerful, but quick around the aisles with longer run times, greater reliability and stability that is the envy of others. Crown Electric Lift Trucks. The perfect balance of operator performance and productivity.

Freephone 0800 802 002

crown.com

|

Wine Technology IN NEW ZEALAND winter 2013

| 33

A taste of quality and efficiency

Over 40 years of innovation and technology in winemaking solutions.

Our extensive range includes crushers/ destemmers, pumps, presses, flotation systems, filters, storage, stabilisation, refrigeration and fermentation equipment.

All Della Toffola equipment is backed up with expert local technical and engineering support. Contact us today and find out how Della Toffola can help you.

dtpacific.com • ph: +61 3 9924 4040 • fax: +61 3 9924 4041 • email: info@dtpacific.com @DellaToffolaPac

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND winemakers

Australian & New Zealand Winemakers offer a complete range of core winemaking equipment, including: presses, crushers/destemmers, pumps, amphorae, filters, tanks, eggs, refrigerators and bottling equipment.

OUR EXPERIENCED TEAM PROVIDE QUALITY ADVICE AND SUPPORT, AND CAN ASSIST WITH SPECIALISED INSTALLATION AND TRAINING. p: +61 3 9924 4060 f: +61 3 9924 4061 e: info@ausnzwinemakers.com w: ausnzwinemakers.com @AusNZWinemakers