NZ Winegrower Aug/Sep 2016 by Rural News Group

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2016

AU G US

NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWER

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 99

28 R E GUL A R S

FEATURES

Editorial

Tessa Nicholson

Here Comes the 4th Revolution

From The CEO

Philip Gregan

Ian Proudfoot of KPMG explains the issues facing the Agribusiness Sector and how those issues relate specifically to the New Zealand wine industry.

In Brief

News From Around the Country

Family Vines

Monitoring Shows Regional Differences

Emerging Wine Dynasties

The MPI/NZW viticultural monitoring report is out, and shows 2016 was a stellar vintage. But when it comes down to levels of profitability, it depends just where in the country you are placed and what varieties you are growing.

Science of Wine

Dr Sarah Knight

48 Sommelier’s Corner

Cameron Douglas MS

Bob’s Blog

Bob Campbell MW

Leveraging Pinot Noir 2017

Pinot Noir 2017 will be the biggest event ever hosted by NZ Winegrowers. With a budget of $400,000 it is the perfect vehicle to leverage our second most popular variety to the rest of the world. Find out how that is going to happen.

132 Not On The Label

Legal Matters with Bell Gully

138 Calendar

Wine Happenings in New Zealand

140 Research Supplement

The latest science and research projects funded by NZWinegrowers

Cover: Underground cellar, Johanneshof Wines, Marlborough.

Bringing Back The Fun

Dan Sims is the man behind Bottle Concepts – which has brought us Game of Rhones, and the upcoming Wine Day Out and Pinot Palooza. Not afraid to call a spade a spade, Sims explains why the wine industry needs to change its way of interfacing with consumers.

E D I TO R Tessa Nicholson tessa.nicholson@me.com

FROM THE EDITOR TESSA NICHOLSON

CO R R E SP O N D E NTS Auckland: Joelle Thomson mailme@joellethomson.com Gisborne: Justine Tyerman justine.tyerman@clear.net.nz Hawkes Bay: Mary Shanahan maryshanahan173@gmail.com Nelson: Neil Hodson neil@hodgson.net.nz Central Otago: Mark Orton seeingredmedia@yahoo.com

A DV E R T I SI N G Sales Manager & Upper North Island: Stephen Pollard stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 09 913 9637 Mobile: 021 963 166 Central North Island: Ted Darley ted@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 07 854 6292 Mobile: 021 832 505 Lower North Island: Ron Mackay Ph: 04 234 6239 Mobile: 021 453 914 South Island: Kaye Sutherland kayes@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 03 376 5552 Mobile: 021 221 1994

C I R C U L AT I O N & SUBSCRIPTIONS Lorraine Rudelj lorraine@nzwine.com Ph: 09 303 3527 Fax: 09 302 2969 New Zealand Winegrowers PO Box 90 276, Auckland Mail Centre, New Zealand

PUBLISHING & P R E - P R E SS Rural News Group PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Ph: 09 307 0399 Location: Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Publisher: Brian Hight Managing Editor: Adam Fricker Production: Dave Ferguson, Rebecca Williams

Published by Rural News Group Ltd under authority of New Zealand Winegrowers (jointly representing Wine Institute of New Zealand Inc and New Zealand Grape Growers Council Inc). Unless directly attributed, opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Rural News Group and/or its directors or management, New Zealand Winegrowers or its constituent organisations. Published every second month. One free copy is mailed to every member of the Institute, the Council, the New Zealand Society of Viticulture & Oenology and the New Zealand Vine Improvement Group, and to such other persons or organisations as directed by the owners, with provision for additional copies and other recipients to be on a subscription basis.

ISSN 1174-5223

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GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Philanthropy in the Global Wine Industry

ust how much does the wine industry give back to the community? Heaps according to a global research project that is being undertaken here in New Zealand. If you are the owner of a winery you will know just how often you get hit up to donate goods, time, cash or venue for a worthy cause. According to Sharon Forbes, Senior Marketing Lecturer at Lincoln University, the number of emails and phone calls into wineries asking for donations is at times overwhelming. Which got her and other researchers thinking about how philanthropic the wine industry has become. Is New Zealand different to other countries? Are we more generous? Or are New Zealanders more likely to ask for donations? Why do wineries give so much so willingly? And what, if any, benefits do wineries gain from their philanthropic activities? While many would expect that philanthropy would be driven by potential business benefits, such as helping to promote a label/brand or maybe even create a tax break, results from initial interviews with wineries in the US, Spain and New Zealand suggest that this doesn’t seem to be the case with wine. “We are finding they have more altruistic reasons, these winery owners want to be doing something good in their local communities,” she says. Which is a story that has never before been highlighted. The research project is the first of its kind in the world, and Forbes is keen for the results to show how socially responsible the New Zealand wine industry is in terms of caring for the people around them. Too often alcoholic products are on the receiving end of bad press, in the case of the wine industry, she

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

wants to change that. Shortly you will notice a survey (sent via NZWinegrowers) that is part of the data collection for the Philanthropy project. This on-line survey will help provide the true story of just how much the wine industry is doing within local communities, besides making wine and selling it. Please take the time to fill it out. The same survey is being used to collect data from wineries in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and possibly Australia; this truly is a global research project. On a completely different note, the 2016 KPMG Agribusiness Agenda was released a few weeks back. KPMG’s Ian Proudfoot, known to many as a rock star of Agribusiness, believes we are heading into a fourth industrial revolution. And for the first time, the agricultural sector will have to be a part of it, if it wants to survive. Looking specifically at wine, (Pg 10) he says New Zealand is in a good place currently, but we need to beware of complacency moving forward. How we deal with the fourth revolution will determine how we survive in the years to come. It is fascinating stuff. Talking of surviving in the years to come – the next issue of NZ Winegrower will be the 100th. Since 1997 the bi annual magazine has been the voice of the industry. I am looking forward to presenting the 100th issue, which will not only look at where we have come from, but also where we are going – and what changes are likely to occur in terms of technology, varieties, growing techniques, science and marketing. In the meantime enjoy issue 99, and hopefully I will see you at this year’s Romeo Bragato Conference in August.

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FROM THE CEO PHILIP GREGAN

BREXIT!

Second up would be removal of the non-tariff barriers that are a source of continuing irritation and cost for exporters to the UK and the EU. First and foremost amongst those are the differences in winemaking rules between the EU and New Zealand. The formula for removal of these differences has been well established by the World Wine Trade Group’s Mutual Acceptance Agreement on Oenological Practices. This Agreement means New Zealand wine proSo what does the future ducers can sell our wines in the What does it all mean? hold? US, Canada, Australia and other The political fallout came Short term it is clear that markets when the wines are first. UK PM David Cameron everything will stay as it is. The made in accordance with New resigned and the Labour leader government has been assured Zealand rules, rather than was under intense presthe rules of the importing sure. Boris Johnson did not Our wine exports to the UK are currently valued at $384 million country. The same applies in stand (to much surprise all – this is around 23% of total New Zealand goods exports to reverse of course for wines around) while the new PM produced in those other was in place not in three the UK, and represents 24% of our global wine exports. countries. Applying this months as forecast but The UK is our number two wine export market and is up principle to EU/New Zearather in a matter of days. more than 10% in value in the last 12 month alone. land and UK/New Zealand Scotland is talking another wine trade would be a huge vote on dissolution so it step forward. can stay in the EU. So much would be to preserve our current All that is going to take time turmoil and it is not over yet. exporters access into both the access rights. But ultimately we of course and NZW will be workUK and the EU will continue as would aim for much more than ing closely with the government is currently the case. But what about from that – we would like our access to ensure New Zealand wine Quite how long this will a New Zealand wine arrangements into both the EU producers get the best deal posremain so is more problematic. perspective. The facts sible. Look out for more news in Once the UK hits the exit button and the UK to improve. first … How they could improve due course. there are two years from that Our wine exports to the UK is no secret. First up would be And if you are keen to hear moment until the exit from the are currently valued at $384 milremoval of tariffs. Wine tariffs more about Brexit be sure to EU must be finalised. Presumlion – this is around 23% of total into the EU are not high but their attend the Bragato Conference. ably in that same time frame New Zealand goods exported to removal in the EU would then Speaking there is Miles Beale the UK will be arranging its the UK, and represents 24% of head of the UK Wines and Spirits future market access and trading place New Zealand producers our global wine exports. The UK on the same footing as French, Trade Association. Miles drove arrangements with the EU and is our number two wine export Italian and other EU producers. the campaign to end the duty with other countries. So beyond market and is up more than 10% Similarly removal of tariffs into escalator in the UK and will be the certainty of everything stays in value in the last 12 month the UK would mean our producfront and centre for the UK wine the same for the short term, alone. ers would not be disadvantaged trade on the Brexit discussions there is uncertainty as to how Wine exports to EU markets on the tariff front. in coming months and years.■ long those arrangements will (other than the UK) are lower o who would have guessed that! Not the pre-vote polls, they had the UK staying in the EU. So did the betting agencies and so did the financial markets. And even on the day of the vote, the ‘leavers’ were not confident. But the people have spoken and the UK is heading out of the EU, after 40 plus years of at times very ambivalent membership.

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but nevertheless of growing importance. Wine exports to other EU markets are currently valued at just over $140 m and have grown rapidly in recent years. Key markets include Ireland, Netherlands, Germany and Sweden. And in terms of our current access to the EU (including the UK) wine is lucky is that we do not suffer under the yoke of a quota system as do some other New Zealand primary exports.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

continue to apply, and what our access into the UK and the EU will look like once new arrangements are in place. From a wine perspective given our sales success in the UK and Europe we have the utmost interest in achieving a smooth transition into the new trading environment that must arise as a result of the Brexit. We have made this clear to the government in our discussions with them on the issue. From a practical perspective what does a ‘smooth transition’ mean? Given New Zealand wine sales into both the UK and the EU at minimum the first goal

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IN BRIEF

HAWKE’S BAY

INTERNATIONAL Call For Entries

Dam Gets The Nod

The BRIT’s 2017 International Sustainable Winegrowing Competition is now open to wineries throughout the world. This competition is the only international sustainable winegrowing award of its kind and honours wine companies that demonstrate a commitment to the environmental, economic and social aspects of winegrowing. Organised by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, submissions end on October 25 this year. The winners will be selected and notified in January 2017. To find out more and download an application, visit www.brit.org/2017wineaward.

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has signed off on the $80m investment needed to progress the Ruataniwha dam. Advocates for the water storage scheme have battled strong opposition from a number of environmental protection organisations, including Greenpeace and a group calling itself Guardians of the Aquifer. However Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay Provincial president Will Foley says the dam will protect farmers’ productivity through dry summers. The scheme has the potential to irrigate an extra 20,000ha of land in the Ruataniwha basin, with a 93-million cubic metre storage reservoir to be built on a tributary of the Tukituki River to store water during periods of high flower and over winter. The scheme will be funded by both the private and public sectors. Farmers in the region who have signed a 35-year contract for the scheme are expected to diversify from dryland farming to irrigation farming and future land use could potentially include growing grapes for wine.

WAIRARAPA Happy Birthday Julicher Estate

The beginning for Julicher Estate.

Julicher Estate is proud to celebrate 20 years since they first planted vines at their Te Muna Road vineyard. In 1996 Wim Julicher and his family toiled long and hard to develop 20 hectares of bare land into vineyards. Since then, Wim and his partner Sue Darling have worked tirelessly to establish Julicher Estate as a successful New Zealand wine brand. Best known for producing trophy and gold-medal winning Pinot Noir, this boutique winery has won an outstanding 17 gold medals (or five-star equivalents) since 2002. Julicher Estate also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Rosé. The winery’s current production is around 5000 cases per year and they export to 10 countries around the world.

Wairarapa-Nelson connection Martinborough winemaker Lance Redgwell purchased organic Sauvignon Blanc from Nelson for the first time this year, treating the grapes to extended skin contact to make a wine that he describes as an “untypical take on Sauvignon Blanc”. He hopes the new white will add a few more feathers to his unconventional winemaking cap; as will a Cabernet Franc that he is making from Hawke’s Bay grapes. “This year’s wines should be quite a psychedelic rainbow of flavours,” says Redgwell, who was still scratching his head about where to incorporate the Viognier grapes he had acquired in vintage 2016. One plan was to add them to his dry white, Papillon Blanc, which also includes Riesling this year. Redgwell is a fan of wines made using minimal intervention. This is not with the intention of skewing traditional wine styles but rather to see and taste how wines look when they are stripped back; minus oak and, in some cases, without filtering and by reducing the amount of sulphur dioxide he uses. Redgwell began Cambridge Road as a satellite vineyard block when still working full time as the vineyard manager at Turanga Creek Wines in Auckland. He is now based permanently in Martinborough.

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

New $200 Syrah A long term relationship with Cordier in Bordeaux has inadvertently led to the launch of what may be New Zealand’s priciest Syrah to date; the new 2013 Tom Syrah, which retails at $200 for a hand-finished, wax-capped bottle. Syrah accounts for about 2.5% of total vineyard plantings in Hawke’s Bay and about 1% of New Zealand’s grapes in the national vineyard area. This means that quantities are smaller than of the other two Tom wines. The inaugural release of Tom Syrah was a production run of 150 cases compared with 300 cases of Tom Chardonnay and 500 of Tom Cabernet Merlot; all three wines are from 2013 and the two reds each cost RRP $200 while the white is RRP $150.

New Wine Show Category A new class is being added to the Hawke’s Bay A & P Bayleys Wine Awards, to be held on October 18 in Hastings’ Waikoko. The class is for wines of provenance, reflecting the region and demonstrating lineage and longevity. An entry calls for three wines of the same label spanning a minimum of 10 years. Replacing the museum class, the judging for the class will be based on the label rather than a particular vintage. The awards’ scoring system is also being changed to align with the international system rating wines out of 100. A gold medal will be awarded to wines scoring 95 points or more. The A & P Wine Awards are in their 16th year and organisers are hoping entries will top last year’s event which attracted more than 400 wines from 48 wineries.

MARLBOROUGH An Award Winning Event? The International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration has been selected as a finalist for the New Zealand Association of Event Professionals Best Major Event of the Year! Any of the 2016 NZ Event Awards’ Finalists could be voted NZ’s Favourite Event! A public poll, hosted by Eventfinda, will decide the winner to be announced on Thursday 4th August, at the New Zealand Event Awards.

Kea Award For Peter Yealands The founder of Yealands Estate in Marlborough is one of five New Zealanders to be recognised this year with a World Class New Zealand Award present by Kea. He was amongst some esteemed New Zealanders including; businesswoman Linda Jenkinson, Sarah Rob O’Hagen, and Ngai Tahu leader Sir Mark Solomon. The Supreme Award went to former Air New Zealand and ASB Bank CEO Sir Ralph Norris.

New GM Appointed Spy Valley’s newly appointed general manager has grown up with the wine industry in her blood. Amanda Johnson, daughter of Spy Valley’s founders Bryan and Jan Johnson, has taken over as general manager, and comes prepared to help the company as it progresses its new strategic direction. Johnson has a background in marketing and human relations, and says she will play to the strengths of her team. “Spy Valley Wines has been shaped by its wonderful, skilled and dedicated people. I intend to help them continue to flourish as a team in New Zealand’s beautiful and leading wine region, with Spy Valley inspiring the world of wine,” she says.

CORRECTION

Wrong Vineyard In the last issue’s Vintage 2016 photo page, we inadvertently misnamed one of the vineyard photos. What was named as Hidden River was in fact Blind River, Marlborough.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

HERE COMES THE 4TH REVOLUTION Brexit may have been termed as a very British revolution, but there is another revolution about to take place that will have an indelible effect on New Zealand’s agriculture sector, as Tessa Nicholson has discovered

n June the seventh KPMG Agribusiness Agenda was released. Written by KPMG’s Global Head of Agribusiness, Ian Proudfoot, the thoughts and concerns of more than 150 agribusiness members were reflected in the report. NZ Winegrower takes a closer look at the findings with Ian Proudfoot, and discovers what the New Zealand wine industry can learn from it. The Agribusiness Agenda talks about the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution. What exactly does that mean? It follows the original industrial revolution in the 1700’s, the manufacturing revolution around the turn of the 20th century and another in the 1970’s when we started to move towards digital technology. We are calling this fourth revolution the fusion revolution, as it is based around the development of solutions that are integrating physical technologies, bio technologies and digital technologies. So effectively it is creating new products, services and in reality changing the way we will live our lives on a day to day basis and in a much more substantive way than we have seen previously. In terms of the agriculture sector, in the previous revolutions it didn’t change markedly. I look at it from a global perspective, and we still largely do agriculture the way we did agriculture a thousand

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years ago. We plant, we look after the crops, they grow and then we try and sell them to somebody. What we are sitting on now is effectively a powder keg of a new agricultural revolution, given farming has always fused physical and biological technologies. We are starting to see that already. We are getting new data and digitally enabled ways of growing and enhancing how we grow products. Genetics and GM will undoubtabley be part of that revolution, but that is only one part in terms of a wider suite of technologies that will become available to us. Where we see the biggest opportunities are outside of genetics. Things like robotics, things like data and data analysis, the use of drones and UAV technologies, different ways of using labour, perhaps through the application of virtual reality systems. There are lots and lots of ways the sector will evolve. The report warns the Agribusiness sector not to be complacent. Do you feel the wine industry is complacent? We hear a lot of people saying that consumers around the world will always buy our food or products. We don’t dispute that. They will because the world needs food. But the question is, will they pay the prices they have paid for it historically? If our products stay the same, whereas products being produced by other countries evolve in terms of innovation in

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Ian Proudfoot

respect of the product and how it is being produced, our perception is, people may buy our products but the price will go down. As a consequence, complacency will likely cost us the premium we get. The wine sector is a really interesting one. It has been innovative in terms of taking a lead in responding to the expectations of consumers. Taking a very traditional variety like Sauvignon Blanc and recreating it for the 21st Century was a defining innovation for the sector. Bringing screwcaps into the mainstream was innovative. As was clearly articulating an industry aspiration and story. The big question though is that wine is a fashion product and the variety of wine people chose to drink will evolve over time with fashion. That means, relying on Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to be our banker for the next 20, 30, or 50 years would suggest we are being a little bit complacent.

As the world changes faster, fashion trends will change faster. As a consequence, new things will come up that people get excited about and I see that as a threat to the industry. To me the Lifestyle Wine Programme (PGP) that New Zealand Winegrowers is leading is the sort of innovation that is critical to the industry’s future. The PGP says we are not complacent about the future. To me it says the industry recognises that the product people want is going to be shaped by many different factors and we need to take some action now to ensure we are positioning ourselves with the product people will want in five, 10 or 15 years time. What do you mean by that? When I look at the wider global food trends, governments are going to be starting to engineer what people eat and drink. A fundamental issue facing most governments around the world is they

can’t continue to afford to make people better. So they have a need to stop people getting sick. When you start putting strategies in place to manage long term illness, the way alcohol products, tobacco products, sugar products and fat products are made available to people, is going to become more and more restricted. So having low alcohol wines that can fit into people’s lifestyles and be acceptable to regulators is going to become an important part of ensuring the wine experience remains accessible to the majority of consumers. One of the issues concerning the contributors was the importance of Doing Right by the Land. How well is the Sustainable Winegrowing programme achieving that? Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand is one of the better programs we have in this country to align an industry with doing the right thing by the environment. It defines what is expected of people

and defines what is the right thing to do. To have your ticket to play as part of the wine industry, you have to be aligned and involved in that programme. To me that is where the rest of the primary sector needs to go. The challenge for Sustainable Winegrowing is that the expectations of the consumer are not static. As a consequence, the threshold that growers are being asked to meet needs to be continually being moved up as consumer expectations increase and the audits need in reality to get tougher and tougher so the standard remains relevant to premium consumers. As I look at it, the right things have been done, the challenge now is to actually build on them and continue to maintain that leading position. What about the future of the New Zealand wine industry as we move forward? The biggest threat in the wine sector I see, is the monoculture

threat - having such a huge amount of the industry reliant on a single product and a single variety creates both practical and market risks. From a biosecurity perspective (the number one concern of contributors to the Agenda) the monoculture risk is a threat we need to be very active in managing. Therefore working on how the product mix is diversified is really important. One of the interesting factors of the wine industry when compared with most other areas of the primary sector, is that it has a lot more foreign ownership. That has been a real benefit because the foreign ownership has assisted the industry with connections to open up markets and it has created the ability to leverage off stronger balance sheets and grow faster. The important thing for the industry though is to ensure it retains and strengthens its New Zealand provenance and ensure that some of the benefits of growth in the

industry do filter back to New Zealand and our wine growing regions so that we can continue to invest in growth and innovation. I think the wine industry is probably further down that track than other sectors in working constructively with international investor’s. The other interesting factor from my perspective, is how is the industry really going to benefit from the digital revolution. The nature of a vineyard really lends itself to sensor technologies which could offer huge opportunities to record a lot more data and therefore guarantee high quality output and enhanced productivity. I think there is a real opportunity to explore how digital gets built into growing systems and we move away from relying purely on intuition to augment our production systems. ■ For the full KPMG Agribusiness Agenda visit; https://home.kpmg. com/nz/en/home/insights/2016/02/ agribusiness-agenda.html

How will the wine industry make the most of new technology such as drones in the future?

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 11

REGIONAL PROFITABILITY

MONITORING REPORT SHOWS REGIONAL DIFFERENCES TESSA NICHOLSON

ifferences in gross margins between four wine growing regions are the key feature of the MPI/ NZW 2016 Viticultural Monitoring Report just released. The regions involved are Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Marlborough. With a spectacular season this year, each of the regions with the exception of Gisborne, showed significant increases in yields. But prices paid for fruit and vineyard expenses differed greatly, depending on just where the grower was based. The Viticultural monitoring report began back in 2004, (see next story) based on model vineyards in both Marlborough

and Hawke’s Bay. In 2013, the programme was reviewed and a trial of developing gross margins of dominant grape varieties in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough began last year. In 2016 that has been expanded to Gisborne and Wairarapa allowing a close-up examination of the financial results for regional vineyards.

Marlborough – Best Year Since 2008 The model vineyard in Marlborough is 30 producing hectares, with data collected from 38 vineyards. They are spread between the Awatere Valley (nine vineyards) with 29 in the Wairau Valley. There was a split between

Astrolabe, Marlborough. SUPPLIED BY NZW.

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

contract growers (29) and winery operated vineyards (nine). Sauvignon Blanc makes up 79 percent of the producing area, followed by Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. An outstanding year for yields, the model produced an average of 15.1 tonnes per hectare (tph). However Sauvignon Blanc tonnages were on average 16.5 tonnes and Pinot Noir produced its highest yield to date, with 8.6 tph. Prices overall were up by five percent, when compared with 2015, although Pinot Noir experienced a four percent drop compared with last year. Working expenses were up, as has happened in the past few

years. Labour costs made up a fair chunk of that rise as growers had to increase spray rounds, manage crop levels and pay more for pruning. However, the overall profit before tax for the Marlborough Model was $444,700 – which the report states is only marginally lower than the model achieved in 2008 – the best year on record. That is a profit before tax of $14,820 per hectare, almost double the 10-year-average (2006-2015) of $7815.

Hawke’s Bay The Hawke’s Bay Gross Margin model is based on three varieties, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot. Data came from 18 growers over 35 blocks. Looking at each individually – Sauvignon Blanc achieved a gross margin of $13,455 per hectare – the best of all three varieties. Merlot which last year had the highest gross margin was in second place this year with $10,090 per hectare with Chardonnay in third with $7990 per hectare. Prices paid for fruit saw a slight decrease for Sauvignon Blanc when compared with 2015 - $1460 per tonne, a one percent rise for Merlot - $1945 and Chardonnay stayed at a similar level to last year - $1915 It is when you compare the gross margins for Sauvignon Blanc grown in Marlborough with that grown in Hawke’s Bay that the real

differences occur. Hawke’s Bay’s gross margin was $13,455 per producing hectare - $6535 lower than Marlborough. Yet it was 25 percent higher than the gross margin for Merlot and 60 percent higher than for Chardonnay. There are reasons for this the report states. “Sauvignon Blanc had the lowest labour expenses and other working expenses when compared with Merlot and Chardonnay. Growers suggested that the lower return for Sauvignon Blanc acts as a disincentive to the level of inputs put into growing the crop. Sauvignon Blanc’s upright growth habit and more flexible fruit quality specification also reduced the need for shoot or crop thinning and general vine management.”

Gisborne The Gisborne Gross Margin

report is based on Chardonnay only and involved seven growers and a total of 12 Chardonnay blocks. The gross margin was $10,020 per hectare ($780 per tonne) which was $2030 (25 percent) higher than the Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay gross margin. That is despite getting lower prices for the fruit - $1290 on average, $625 per tonne below the Hawke’s Bay average. Average yields at 12.7 tph were higher than Hawke’s Bay “and reflect a number of Gisborne growers targeting higher production to match demand for midrange wines,” the report states.

Industry Comparisons SAUVIGNON BLANC

Marlborough

Hawke’s Bay

Average Yield

15.9

14.2

Average Price Per Tonne

$1805

$1460

Vineyard Direct Expenses $/ha

$8770

$7315

Gross Margin $/ha

$19,900

$13,455

Gross Margin $/tonne

$1255

$945

PINOT NOIR

Marlborough

Wairarapa

Average Yield

8.5

5.4

Average Price Per Tonne

$3175

$3620

Vineyard Direct Expenses $/ha

$11,645

$14,990

Gross Margin $/ha

$15,240

$4450

Gross Margin $/tonne

$1800

$830

CHARDONNAY

Hawke’s Bay

Gisborne

Wairarapa

Average Yield

8.7

12.7

This is the first year of gross margin benchmarking in the Wairarapa and the report is based on Pinot Noir only. Eleven growers provided data for a total of 15 Pinot

Average Price Per Tonne

$1915

$1290

Vineyard Working Expenses $/ha

$8750

$6355

Gross Margin $/ha

$7990

$10,020

Gross Margin $/tonne

$915

$790

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 13

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blocks and the report compares Wairarapa Pinot Noir with Marlborough. A niche producer, Wairarapa’s gross margin for this one variety was way below that of Marlborough. Wairarapa - $4450 per hectare, Marlborough$15,240. In percentage terms Wairarapa’s gross margin for Pinot Noir was 71 percent lower than Marlborough. “This was due to 36 percent lower yields and 50 percent higher labour costs,” the report says. The price paid for Pinot Noir in Wairarapa was the highest of any variety included in the Viticultural Monitoring Report – at $3620, and was $300 more than the average price last year. But while this was way above the price paid for Pinot Noir in Marlborough, it did not adequately compensate for the higher growing costs in the Wairarapa. Labour expenses per hectare are significantly higher, with pruning costs being 74 percent higher than Marlborough and canopy management costs 149 percent higher.

14 //

The 2016 vintage provided a large increase in Pinot yields, up 87 percent on 2015, due to good growing conditions. Yield wise, the average in Wairarapa was 5.4 tph, 36 percent lower than Marlborough, “reflecting the high end market most Wairarapa growers are producing for.”

Industry Concerns Just as the gross margins differed between regions, so too did the feeling of optimism and the concerns for the future. Although one concern topped the list for all regions – the threat of a bio-

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

security breach from overseas. In Marlborough many growers expressed concern at the potential over supply leading to large volumes of low price wine being sent to market that could erode ‘Brand Marlborough.’ There was also widespread “dismay” at opportunistic buyers purchasing excess fruit this past vintage at prices as low as 25 percent of the district average. Issues surrounding the availability of a labour force to deal with the predicted expansion in Marlborough also raised its head. “Several growers said that good quality permanent skilled employees are getting harder to find and also to keep as competition increases for their services.” Despite those “hot issues” the morale in Marlborough was positive and all the growers interviewed were cautiously optimistic about their business. In contrast Hawke’s Bay growers’ morale was described as “measured” within the report. They admitted their gross margins were better than last year, but would like to see better prices to improve their viability. Particularly when it comes to Merlot. Given 80 percent of the country’s Merlot is grown in Hawke’s Bay, the growers are frustrated that the prices being paid per tonne have not risen in eight years. The large Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc harvest resulted in mixed emotions, with some

Hawke’s Bay growers hoping it would help open doors for other varieties. Others though expressed concern that the dominance of this one variety meant others struggled to get recognition, “and that the whole industry is vulnerable to fluctuations in Marlborough’s yield, quality and reputation.” One of the biggest issues concerning growers in their own region, is the renewal of water rights as they come due. Gisborne gro we rs also expressed concern regarding retaining key staff and how to encourage new entrants into the industry. Improving sustainability practices was also an issue raised. For Wairarapa, the low gross margin, when compared with Marlborough, was seen as a potential deterrent to new investment in the region. A number of the growers involved in the report are actively trying to sell their properties although few sales are occurring. Aging vines, virus infections and disease are impacting on yields, but due to the low current returns, growers say investment for redevelopment is not available. The MPI/NZW Viticultural Monitoring Report will be discussed at the upcoming Romeo Bragato Conference in Marlborough. If you would like to read the full reports, you can visit the NZW members page.■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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BENCHMARKING N I C K D A L G E T Y – S E N I O R P O L I C Y A N A LY S T M P I

iticulture Monitoring (now commonly called benchmarking) started in 2003 in the two major grape growing regions of New Zealand; Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. The main objective – to provide an objective indicator of vineyard profitability to aid both Government and industry decision making. The annual survey, currently contracted to Fruition Horticulture, works with a select number of growers. Individually they obtain an indication of their performance against their peers. Collectively, a litmus test on financial health is obtained as well as grower views on wine industry issues – both regional and national. To ground truth results a small number of wine industry stakeholders are consulted about three weeks after data is gathered. Note also that kiwifruit and apples; the two other major horticulture crops grown in New Zealand are also benchmarked. For me, the main distinction is that grape growing is intrinsically linked to an added value finished product; New Zealand wine. Therefore, if our wines are performing well in the market, so also is the grower of grapes responsible for its creation.

years we have witnessed a market resurgence off-shore. The US market particularly has come to the fore. Viticulture benchmarking also needed to change to accommodate these recent industry experiences. Prices negotiated between winery and contract growers plummeted in 2009. The now common practice of yield caps in Marlborough was instigated. Vineyard owners severely trimmed back operating expenses and held back on development and capital activity. I developed a simple chart for the June 2016 Marlborough industry meeting. The objective; to highlight the fluctuating nature of growers’ bottom line as market and climatic realities took effect. I think some positive changes have been made to the way we manage benchmarking, including: • New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) now equally co-invest and govern

How it has changed/not over the past 12 years The wine industry has changed dramatically in the last 12 years. Exponential vineyard expansion through to 2008, then the screeching halt to growth brought on by the global financial crisis (GFC). Survival mode kicked in for the next four years. In recent

16 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

benchmarking • Both wineries and contract growers participate in the survey; reflecting industry reality • Only Marlborough has a comprehensive Return of Investment Model developed. • Marlborough data can be considered according to scale of operation; sub region (Awatere versus Wairau); grower type (winery versus contract) and based on vineyard performance (quartile analysis) • Gross margin assessments by major variety are now being piloted in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, the Wairarapa and Marlborough • A new portal in the NZW database was used to accommodate survey data from growers in 2016. Only the survey contractor manager has direct access to data held in this portal By the end of 2017 we will have 50 growers participating in the main Marlborough survey; providing a more robust base for conclusions reached. Note that we are keen to

pick up on feedback from our participants in our 2016 survey. What went well; and what didn’t so we can enhance the offering for 2017.

Importance of it to the industry overall Benchmarking continues to provide an annual snapshot of vineyard profitability. Also we obtain honest insights as to grower views on matters ranging from future seasonal labour needs through to safeguarding the New Zealand wine brand and how that sits alongside marketing large quantities of bulk (commoditised) wine. I see benchmarking being a valuable means of engagement between the New Zealand wine industry and MPI. The co-investment approach taken with NZW mirrors efforts with the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) Lifestyle Wines project and a suite of projects managed through the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) pipeline. ■

VINTAGE 2016

STOCKS REPLENISHED TESSA NICHOLSON

t is not hard to imagine winery owners having a smile a mile wide after this year’s vintage. After a shortfall last year, tanks around the country were well and truly empty by the start of vintage 2016. At this year’s Grape Days, NZW CEO Philip Gregan pointed out that to year end June, the industry had sold 35 million litres more than was produced from the 2015 vintage. In other words wineries were having to dig down to stocks from 2014 and before to fulfill orders. Another small vintage this year

would have made life very difficult. Thankfully that was not the case. Yields were up across the country, a long stunning autumn helped most regions produce clean, quality fruit and now with tanks brimming, wineries can take advantage of the rising demand in key export markets. Facts and figures are all very well, and talk of this year’s vintage being well above 2015 are not really relevant. Considering 2015’s vintage was one of the smallest, and followed on from a large vintage in 2014, comparing this year

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So moving forward, what are the predictions for the next 12 months after vintage 2016? Gregan says exchange rates have lifted profitability levels for wineries and export growth shows no sign of slowing down. “We expect to see export growth of over 10 percent in the next 12 months,” he said. “Our exports are currently around 210 million litres and we expect that to rise to around 230 million litres.” For those concerned the vintage is a repeat of 2008/09, think again. The 08 vintage was 285,000, and created a surplus that was hard to move. This year, the vintage produced 436,000 tonnes – a massive increase over 08. But the export market has grown exponentially since 08 and that is why Gregan believes the industry is in a good position for the next 12 months. “The difference is, we have grown our export sales from 80 million litres in 08, to 230 million litres in the year ahead.” As can be seen by the graphics, Marlborough and Sauvignon Blanc again lead the way for the industry. Close to 77 percent of the volume of grapes harvested came out of Marlborough, with Hawke’s Bay then Gisborne making up the top three regions. Waipara and Nelson overtook Central Otago to make up the top six. Sauvignon Blanc was 72 percent of the total vintage, with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris making up the majority of the rest of the harvest.■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

18 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

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EVENT NEWS

LEVERAGING PINOT NOIR 2017 TESSA NICHOLSON

efore the dust has even settled on the first ever International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration, the organisation of Pinot Noir 2017 is in full swing. There has hardly been a chance for the New Zealand Winegrowers’ global marketing team to catch their breath, from the largest wine event ever held in the country, before an even bigger one kicks off early next year. And big it will be. More attendees, larger numbers of key influencers, a longer period of them being in the country and more regional events for them to attend. Chris Yorke, Global Marketing Manager says the success of ISBC this year means the NZW board has pledged more money to Pinot 2017. The extra budget for bringing attendees to ISBC was $200,000, that has been increased to $400,000 for Pinot. “We had 64 international trade and media that we brought out this year, and for Pinot Noir 2017 we are bringing 80. This is due to the

Chris Yorke and Chairman of the NZW Board Steve Green, all smiles at Pinot Noir 2013. Next year’s event is likely to bring even greater smiles to the faces of the wine industry.

great output from those 64 that came to Sauvignon Blanc, which is why the board has put even more money into Pinot Noir.” (See box for details). With a goal of increasing

export revenue to $2 billion by 2020, Yorke says there is a need to get the New Zealand wine story out to as many people as possible. The major way of achieving that is to have key influencers shouting

our name, whether that be from the restaurant and retail rooftops, the pages of one of the wine industry’s leading magazines, or on social media. “We want to get as many of

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

those influencers here so we can get into all their networks. These are the people that are really going to help tell the Pinot Noir story,” he says. While the Pinot Celebration is being held in Wellington from January 31 to February 2, the 80 invited guests will be spending up to two weeks in New Zealand. They will attend the one and a half-day Aromatics Symposium in Nelson before heading to the capital. Afterwards they will attend the Classic Reds Symposium in Hawke’s Bay, getting there by an Air New Zealand wine flight – one of the huge successes of 2016. There will be plenty of time for members of the large contingent to visit other regions such as Central Otago, Waipara, Marlborough, Gisborne and Auckland. The success of the Sommit (sommelier summit) this year, which saw a large group of international sommeliers come together for ISBC and a one-off day of learning, means this event has been extended, Yorke says.

“We will run a sommelier scholarship in Australia and we are also launching one in the UK. So we will be bringing some from there and looking to bring some from the States and Asia. We hope to get 30 in total, and will have two groups of 15.” The first Sommit will be held in Waiheke/Auckland prior to Pinot Noir 2017, with the second being held in Wellington Wine Country after the Classic Reds event in Hawke’s Bay. The line-up of influencers for next year will be different to the line-up for ISBC Yorke says, for obvious reasons. “Some of the influencers who play a part with consumers for Sauvignon are different to influencers for Pinot Noir, the channels are slightly different. We looked at it over two years and said if we are going to bring 140 people out here, who will we bring for Sauvignon and who will we bring for Pinot? There are very few we will bring to both. We are very focused on getting the output from the people

who are coming.” In terms of members, Yorke says it is important for them to be planning ahead. If between 30 and 50 of the guests are likely to descend on wine regions, there

is a need for activities to be well organised to show off not only the region itself, but the wine styles emanating there in a creative, engaging way.■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

MARKETING SUCCESS It is often hard to rate the success of any marketing event. But NZW has a good handle on the impact of the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration in terms of publicity about our flagship wine. 64 International trade and media attended the event There were 54 online articles on platforms, totaling 174 million unique visitors per month There were over 4,000 tweets during the event Those 4,000 tweets reached 46 million timelines The estimated print advertising value was $681,000 The circulation of those print articles was 2.3 million Over 1 million viewers/listeners tuned in for one radio and two television segments There were 58 new wine listings resulting from ISBC 20 Seminars were hosted There were three retail/restaurant promotions as a result of ISBC Hence the reason for upping the budget for Pinot Noir 2017 – more influencers, more value for money. Bring it on.

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EVENT NEWS

BRINGING BACK THE FUN TESSA NICHOLSON

“The wine industry has done an incredible job of making their consumer feel like an idiot.” Strong words, from Dan Sims of Bottle Shop Concepts, the company behind Game of Rhones, Wine Day Out and the upcoming Pinot Palooza. All these events are testament to his determination to

bring the fun back into wine for consumers the world over. Something he believes needs to be done if the wine industry is going to continue to grow. “Never before have people been more interested in what they imbibe. We see that. What they want to do is learn

Dan Sims.

22 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

about it the same way they drink it, which is socially.” Yet many of the traditional methods of learning about wine still include a classroom situation. “No one wants to sit in a classroom with a bunch of old men telling them what they don’t know. I have heard from the mumblings and bad commentators that young people aren’t interested in wine. No, they are interested. They are just not interested in you (the commentators) because they don’t know who you are. The teacher student mentality is basically isolated. People want to learn from their friends – what do they like, what do they recommend? They want that personal endorsement.” The age of those wanting to learn is also changing. Sims says research from the US shows that 50 percent of all wine consumed is by millennials, under the age of 35. And 60 percent of those millennials are women. Yet the wine industry has tended not to concentrate on that large sector of the market. “Everyone knows in terms of the buying power in the household it is from women. But the wine industry has this amazing thing of completely ignoring that or not wanting to face it. In our events it is becoming more and more recognised.” At a Bottle Shop Concepts Malbec event held in Sydney recently, 65 percent of the “guests” were under the age of 35 and 71 percent of that demographic was female. “For Malbec,” Sims chortles. “Most people would say they only

drink Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé, we are proving them wrong.” He even goes so far as to throw away common terminology. “I hate the word consumers. Cows consume. Humans imbibe. I don’t see our wineries as exhibitors, I see them as investors. I don’t see people who rock up to our events as attendees, I see them as guests. It’s a different mindset.” With experience as a wine maker, writer, judge, sommelier, he has a pretty decent handle on the world of wine. He also has a wonderful ability to put the fun back into the learning. Take Pinot Palooza for example. “We just say to people, figure out what you like. That’s all you have to do today, pick your favourite Pinot. We narrow the band width, so Pinot is just about Pinot. Whereas other wine shows, it’s a scatter gun approach, so you have Sauvignon, Chardonnay and all these other varieties. If someone is trying to learn something, that is too much information in an event environment. “When people come to us, they are not going to learn everything there is to learn about Pinot Noir in a day. But what they might learn is what sort of style of Pinot they like, so the next time they go to a restaurant or a bottle store they can say, ‘hey I tried this and it’s the style of Pinot I like.”’ Sims is also adamant that there is to be no convoluted explanations by winemakers at his events. “You have 30 seconds to a minute in front of somebody, so what are you going to say? Tell them

hello, tell them your story and tell them why you are here. I say this at every single event. If I hear mention of malolactic fermentation and any other winemaking bullshit, then you are yellow carded. Wine should be fun first and fact second.” That philosophy should be taken further he says, especially when it comes to sommeliers describing wine to diners. “Can you imagine if you were in a restaurant and had ordered steak and you asked the waiter

about it and he said the following? ‘It’s grain fed angus beef. What we do is put it on a truck and take it to the abattoir, then we bolt it in the head. Then we hang it upside down, we slit its throat and rip all the skin off, get a massive band saw, chop it in half. Then we dry it a little bit so it gets a little bit mouldy and then cut it into other little pieces, put it on another truck to our distribution warehouse and they bring it to the restaurant and cook it. Enjoy your meal.’

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You would be asking for the salad. “It’s the same thing with wine. If someone says, ‘oh well it was picked at 22 brix, fermented in stainless steel, transferred to new French oak that was lightly toasted. Then we did a bit of battonage and a little bit of lees stirring and then we transferred it, and so on.’ It’s like what are you doing? People relate to peo-

ple, they don’t relate to stainless steel tanks. In all my years of being a sommelier, I have never sold a bottle of wine on facts and figures. This is the problem with the industry, we look inside, we focus on the process.” So if you looking to get the fun back into your imbibing – Pinot Palooza may just be the place to do it.■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 23

REGIONS MARLBOROUGH

WINE RESEARCH TESSA NICHOLSON

n what could well be a first ever for the agricultural sector, a wine research institute may be established in Marlborough early next year. While the initial funding will come from the government and industry, this institute will be owned, managed and run by the wine industry. All the research will be based on wine and grapes only with the results delivered back to members of New Zealand Winegrowers. NZW’s Science and Innovation Manager Dr Simon Hooker says this is radically different to any other research institute in the country. “This will not be a government department developing research. It will not be a private company developing research. It will actually be yours (NZW members). It is the industry’s own to be devel-

oped in Marlborough.” Last year the government announced it was putting $25 million aside for a new initiative entitled ‘Regional Research Institutes’. Regions and/or industries were encouraged to submit proposals by February this year. New Zealand Winegrowers submitted the proposal to develop a wine research institute in the heart of the largest winegrowing region of the country. Hooker says the proposal was accepted and shortlisted by government and the next step saw the initial workings developed further for presentation to government officials. “We went into what we called the dragon’s den,” he says, “where we had to defend the proposal in front of a government panel.” That too appeared to be suc-

cessful with the government requesting and supporting development of a business case to be presented in August. With co-funding promised by the Marlborough District Council, and support from the industry at large, Hooker says they are hopeful that in October they will be one of three given the green light to go ahead. If so, funding will be targeted to be delivered in early 2017. Its pure purpose is to benefit the wine industry, Hooker says. “It’s not there for the good and growth of science. It is just there to purely develop the grape and wine industry. This is the first time ever we think in New Zealand that any industry has had its own research institute. So the government is really backing R&D intensity and growth in the wine industry.”

Hooker adds, “It will be very strongly driven by the co-innovation model with intellectual property moving both ways, between the researchers and the industry.” The Regional Research Institute is looking for $10.5 million over three years. There will also be the possibility for more funding as the project moves forward. That along with investment from the wine industry itself will ensure a platform to keep the industry moving forward. “What we want to ensure is that the wine industry is around for the foreseeable future. We want to make sure that New Zealand wines are the number-one wines in the world. Effectively, we need to keep innovating to stay ahead of the rest.” ■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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LABOUR UPDATE

LABOUR SUPPLY AND DEMAND TESSA NICHOLSON

survey to determine individual labour supply and demand, now and in the future, has recently been sent to around 50 New Zealand Winegrowers’ members to complete. The survey is an important new step helping to forecast future labor needs for the industry, and is part of a collaborative labour strategy between the government, and New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries. The results should identify: which areas currently have a high demand for labour; potential future growth areas; and possible issues regarding supply. “The survey will feed into the development of an NZIER model to help inform annual decisionmaking around RSE cap numbers,” said Nicola Crennan, External Relations Manager for New Zealand Winegrowers. “The idea is to move from the existing regional allocations to a more informed, evidence-based model, which will more accurately

26 //

fulfill regional labour needs, both now and in the future.” This sophisticated approach to RSE planning is one component of a new industry labour strategy, which is being prepared for discussion with the New Zealand Winegrowers’ Board later this year. While the labour portfolio previously sat with New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability team, it has now moved under the remit of Advocacy, recognising the need for close engagement with government and other industry bodies. “Developing the labour strategy, building relationships within government, and engaging with members to ensure their needs are met will be my priorities over the next six months,” said Crennan Having spent the majority of her career involved in labour, firstly five years in the legal team of what was the Department of Labour and the following 10 years in international relations, Crennan is well versed in the issues. And she admits there are no overnight solutions when it comes to

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

solving foreseen problems. “Labour is a growing priority, which needs to be addressed with well-informed, long-term solutions. It’s about being innovative, creative and having robust regional initiatives which can feed into national initiatives. “While RSE is still a very positive and successful labour supply initiative, there is also a need to consider other options to help to secure labour supply. The RSE cap is an ongoing political debate, but the new labour supply and demand model should hopefully provide an evidence base to support the debate and secure the labour our industry needs, sustaining the industy’s projected growth.” Recent Labour Market Surveys undertaken in Central Otago and Marlborough, highlighted labour supply as one of the hottest issues. The results of those surveys will be discussed at the Romeo Bragato Conference in August. “The government is very aware that for primary industries to grow and achieve the government’s tar-

Nicola Crennan

get of doubling exports by 2025, and sustain and maintain that growth, labour supply will be an issue. We don’t need them to wake up to it. We just need more help to all work together.” In terms of what members can do, Crennan says filling out the labour supply survey is essential. She asks that all members get involved at a regional level by taking part in seminars and conversations. In addition, any wineries or growers who have seen more jobs created for New Zealanders because of growth, are encouraged to share those stories. If you would like to take part in the survey, or have a labour story to tell please contact Nicola Crennan, External Relations Manager for New Zealand Winegrowers by emailing: nicola@nzwine.com■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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WINEMAKING NEWS

AN EXPLOSIVE IDEA TESSA NICHOLSON

ny great winemaker will tell you that winemaking is equal parts art and science. Five graduates of a Master of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship (MCE) degree are aiming to bring new science to the winemaking process through their product - the Wine Grenade. A great name you have to admit, but what exactly is it? Wine Grenade CEO Hamish Elmslie describes the invention as a “portable device that helps winemakers bring better wine to market faster, and with more consistency.” “It’s a new approach to microoxygenation that removes much of the cost and the complexity

from the process. Our initial field trials proved that it’s easy to use and highly effective - the oxygen is integrating much more effectively with the wine.” The idea started when the Wine Grenade founders were given a piece of technology developed by Plant & Food Research, and were tasked with identifying a commercially viable application for it. After a series of in-depth interviews, the team determined that the technology was perfectly suited to the micro-oxygenation of wine. The team further developed the idea and in 2014 they won the University of Auckland’s Dragon’s Den-style business competition,

receiving $25,000 cash and six months residency at Kiwi business incubator The Icehouse. Their next challenge was to form the business and get a product to market. There was a lot to learn so the team tapped into the expertise of those that know best – New Zealand’s winemaking community. They worked with winemakers in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago to understand the various attitudes toward micro-oxygenation. The Wine Grenade team quickly uncovered a level of uneasiness about the micro-oxygenation solutions already in the market. “Winemakers were telling us

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

about the high upfront cost associated with existing systems,” Elmslie says. “They didn’t like that installation required intensive infrastructure upgrades at wineries, and they generally didn’t like having oxygen lines run all over the cellar. The systems just weren’t economic for smaller operations, and there was a mixed perception within the market as to their effectiveness.” Current micro-oxygenation systems bubble oxygen into tanks through a sinter at the bottom, which Elmslie likens to a home aquarium. With a good understanding of the pain-points that needed resolving, the team

set about designing a totally new system to address all of the drawbacks they’d identified. The result of their work is a portable device that sits atop a tank and diffuses oxygen into wine through a semipermeable food-grade membrane. “We have observed much more effective integration between the oxygen and the wine because of that diffusion process, and our Active Float System results in a greater dispersion of oxygen across the entire tank.” The team kept two core principles in mind throughout the design process; ease of use and a low upfront cost. The latter was important because they want the technology to be affordable for wineries of all sizes, not just those at the larger end of the scale. Simplicity has been built into the unit from the start - from installation to operation, and portability. Even the ordering of additional oxygen will be a painless process. But this simplicity and portability doesn’t come at the expense of innovative features. “Some of the other features include a range of sensors and data recording capabilities, which allows critical information to be sent back to the winemaker. There are quite a lot of smarts to it.” Trials were undertaken last

year at Sacred Hill in Hawke’s Bay, where the Wine Grenade was compared to the existing Micro-oxygenation technology on site. Using both Merlot and Pinot Noir during the trials, comparisons were made via weekly tastings. “Wine Grenade was consistently rated as delivering the best results throughout the trials,” Elmslie says. “And in two subsequent tastings of wines from those trials, similar results have been observed.” The outcome of the field trials was so positive that news spread throughout the wine world. Attention shifted to Napa Valley, where Elmslie says winemakers are now using the Wine Grenade to treat 45,000 litres of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. “They started in January, and are doing fortnightly tastings. They are blown away with the development they are seeing in their wines.” While the trials at Sacred Hill were using what he describes as a prototype, the Napa Valley pilot is a Beta product, meaning the winemakers have paid for the technology. Which, given the idea was only mooted in 2014, is pretty good news for the five founding members. The company is now concen-

Hamish Elmslie with the prototype of the Wine Grenade.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 29

trating on getting an early-release version of the final product into use with more New Zealand winemakers. “That’ll be followed by the launch of a market-ready device at the beginning of next year, which is destined for some of our overseas markets.” Elmslie says the device will be suitable for use in any new world wine country, and once they’re more established, it might be time to take on the big boys in France. ■ tessa.nicholson@me.com An artist’s impression of the Wine Grenade in situ.

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WINERY NEWS

SO MUCH ROOM TO GROW TESSA NICHOLSON

hile the American market for New Zealand wines is undergoing unprecedented growth, there is room for much more. That’s the word from Simon Towns, the new President and

Managing Director for Constellation Brands New Zealand. Replacing Sam Glaetzer (who is now the Senior Vice President of Winemaking and Production in the US), Towns has been in the job just a matter of weeks. But having spent

six years working for wine brands in the US, leading initiatives such as category growth and price optimisation, he is well versed in what consumers want. And, from a New Zealand point of view, he says it is all about Sauvignon Blanc

Simon Towns – Constallation Brands NZ’s new M.D.

right now. So much so that Constellation is on a major expansion programme in Marlborough. New vineyards have been planted over the past 18 months, more land is being leased, and the Drylands winery is in the process of doubling its output. This is no pie in the sky, Towns says, given the growth of New Zealand wine in the past 12 months and the potential for further growth in the future. “It can grow a long, long way,” he says. “New Zealand is only 2 percent of the (US) market but in the last 52 weeks it has grown 14 percent in value and 11 percent in volume. So we are doing the right things. I think the US is a far more attractive market for New Zealand than some other markets around the world.” Constellation’s own growth in the US market is on the back of its Kim Crawford and Nobilo brands, the top-two New Zealand brands in the US. Kim Crawford in particular has become a very familiar

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and popular brand for consumers. “It is not just the number one New Zealand wine by value, it is the number one Sauvignon Blanc, full stop in the US. And it is still growing strongly. You can walk through supermarkets over there and hear people saying, ‘I’ve just got a bottle of Kim.’ When your brand develops a positive nickname, you know you have strong equity.” Towns says there is so much potential for growth in the US that the company is not actively trying to expand outside of its other core markets – New Zealand, Australia and Canada – at this stage. “For us as a company, it really is America number one, America number two and America number three. Just because the demand there is so high and we have such a strong route to market.” The latest key performance indicators from NZ Wine show the US market clearly leading in both growth and market value. Over the past year the New Zealand wine industry has seen a 29 per cent increase in export value to the US, pushing the value over $450 million. By comparison, the second-largest market, the UK, has seen a 14 per cent increase to reach $383.2 million and Australia has slid back 2 per cent to $358 million. Marlborough is not the only New Zealand region that is producing Sauvignon Blanc. There are some excellent styles coming out of Nelson, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa with more plantings going in throughout the country. Given the finite land source in Marlborough and the expansion plans of Constellation, would Towns consider adding other region’s fruit to their mix? “It is possible. However, the most important thing for me is delivering on consumer expectations. We have built a strong following for Kim Crawford and Nobilo in the US. That following and the associated brand equity is based on all aspects of the brand

(wine quality, packaging, brand positioning, activation etc), but it starts with the wine style. We will not compromise on the quality and wine style of our brands, so for now we are all about Marlborough for Sauvignon Blanc.” As for other varieties, he believes there is a market in the US for them, but it will need some good education and a lot of hand selling, and it will take time to get traction with other varietals. “I think to date bigger companies like ours in particular, have gone with what is winning and that is the distinctiveness of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. There is such a long way to go with that in the market that there probably hasn’t been the time and the energy to spend on other varietals. If I look at ourselves as a company, we are trying to work out what the best ancillary varietals at the right price points are.” While the US is now our largest export market, Towns says Americans are not traditional wine drinkers when compared with the old world countries like Italy and France. In those two countries wine consumption is between 45 and 50 litres per person, but declining. In countries like New Zealand, Australia and the UK wine consumption is around the 25 litres per person. In the US it is currently only 11 litres per person. However that is a substantial improvement on the 7 litres at the turn of the century. “The growth in consumption of around 2.6 percent per annum creates favorable conditions, particularly as the overall level of consumption is low compared to other countries. It may not quite get up to where it is in this part of the world because there is a strong spirits and cocktail culture in the US. But there is a long runway ahead of us.” Which is good news for all of New Zealand’s wine exporters. ■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 33

PACKAGING NEWS

RECYCLABLE PACKAGING TESSA NICHOLSON

s the world becomes more focused on recyclable packaging, a family owned New Zealand freight forwarder has developed an environmentally friendly option. J M Harris Limited based in Auckland specializes in the international couriering of wine samples, mainly for tastings, potential new distributors and importer’s labs. At the most they may be sending a few dozen bottles, at times just one or two and they could be going anywhere from Hong Kong to Bulgaria or to our major markets of Australia, the US and Western Europe.

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Jeremy Harris says gone are the days when couriering urgent wine in polystyrene packaging is deemed acceptable in many countries. Even the current cardboard packaging may not provide total recycling abilities, despite it being considered far more environmentally friendly. “The main problem of the current cardboard packaging from an environmental standpoint is it is covered in logos and printing. And when that cardboard is sent to be recycled all the printing releases volatile organic compounds and solvents that have to be dealt with.” When approached by a major New Zealand wine company to

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

come up with something that was more environmentally friendly, Harris says they began looking for alternatives. Another small family owned packaging company in Auckland produced a thicker corrugated cardboard that has no printing on it, and is fully bio degradable “ We w a n te d to c r e a te something that was zero waste to landfill and also be the sturdiest option of all the recyclable options,” Harris says. Even the tape used to secure the packaging is environmentally friendly. “It is fully bio degradable and we source it from Germany. It is paper based and the adhesive is

based on mineral oils. These are completely recyclable and will biodegrade if sent to a landfill.” Given the importance of sustainability to wineries in New Zealand, Harris believes there is a large market for the packaging, especially as the corrugated cardboard is more than double the thickness of similar products on the market. “The boxes themselves instead of being three millimeters of single corrugation, are eight millimeters of double corrugation, so they are sturdier. We also use a higher grade of board for the specialised internal dividers offering an extra layer of additional strength.” While it may seem like overkill, Harris says it is the way of the future, especially in certain international markets. “A lot of importers in the EU will send out advisories of a tasting, but say if you send it to us in polystyrene, it will not be accepted. “I also have a customer who is looking to send 84 bottles to a company in Germany. The importer has specified it has to be sent in cardboard packaging that meets a strict recyclable standard. Basically our packaging is the only one in New Zealand that would fit that criteria. I think in the future you might see more and more of that.” He believes the new look packaging will provide wineries with yet another string to their sustainability bow.■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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FAMILY VINES As we feature the emerging dynasties of the New Zealand wine industry, there is one family name that has cemented itself into the Marlborough lexicon - Marris. Since 1973 when Montana first came into the region, there has been a Marris involved. Firstly the late John, then his son Brent and now his granddaughter Emma. This is a wine dynasty with pedigree, as Tessa Nicholson discovers. John Marris was the man Montana (under a pseudonym) turned to when they were looking to buy large tracts of land in Marlborough, for potential vineyards. That was 1973. He did such an admirable job, he went on to become the company’s administration manager and was one of the first locals to become a contract grower. From 1973 until he died at the beginning of 2015, John was heavily involved in the wine industry, as a consultant, administrator and grower. In 1981 his eldest son Brent was the first Marlburian to undertake a winemaking degree, studying at Roseworthy College. He came back to work for Delelgat’s, launched Wither Hills which John joined him in, later established Marisco Vineyards (The Ned and The Kings Series) and more recently purchased the iconic Leefield Station. Emma is Brent and Rosemary Marris’s eldest daughter and just last year she graduated from Adelaide University with a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology with first class honours. In a wine region that is just over 40 years old, having three generations involved is unusual. But for all the Marris family, legacy is vitally important. 36 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

BRENT MARRIS 53

had aimed to go to Lincoln College to study for a Bachelor of Agriculture Commerce because it had to do with farming. But then with time in the vineyards, I wanted to major in viticulture. At that time Lincoln only offered a six week viticulture course, so Dad suggested I consider going to Roseworthy College. Because I had to earn money for the course I left school in the 7th form to learn chemistry by correspondence. But I worked a vintage at Montana as well as lambed 1000 ewes. I had a year being a farmer, working in the winery for part of it and continuing to set up vineyards for Dad. I always intended to concentrate on the viticulture side, but the course was set, you had to do wine making, wine marketing and the business of wine as well. Dad said you are going to go over wanting to do viticulture, but with that degree you are going to come out wanting to do winemaking. I didn’t believe him, but as is so often the case, Dad was right. I was never pressured to be a part of the wine industry, in fact

it was totally the opposite. It was more of a challenge. The fact that a whole new industry had come to Marlborough spelt opportunity for the whole region. When it came time to consider a job opportunity or work, viticulture was right at the forefront. I was inspired by what Dad was doing and Ernie Hunter also. I was 12 or 13 at the time and I remember Dad was consulting to Ernie while his winery was being built. There was this huge concrete foundation down and I remember him putting his arm around me and walking across the foundations saying, “One day there is going to be a fantastic winery built here”. That is one of those moments you never forget. I graduated in 1983, did a vintage in Coonawarra and came back to New Zealand in 1985 to work as assistant winemaker at Delegat’s. Larry McKenna was the chief winemaker and he left at the end of ‘85 and I became chief winemaker in ‘86. I had 14 years at Delelgat’s. I also had the opportunity while working there to start

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Wither Hills. I left Delegat’s in ‘97 to concentrate on Wither Hills. Dad started working with me two years later. They were some of the happiest years, working with Dad. We sold Wither Hills in 2002. It wasn’t a hard decision. I wasn’t yet 40 and Dad wasn’t well, so I felt I had a chance to go again and my Dad had a chance to essentially retire. Lion were fantastic to deal with and I felt I had a chance to work and learn about corporate, which gave Rosemary and I options. It is with those options that we have ended up with what we have. We sold Wither Hills in 2002 and bought this land (Marisco) in 2003. We spent a year searching for a property that had the X factor, before we found this. Having the river, the terraces, the Waihopai Valley, it was one of those things that Rosemary and I thought had to be. As for Emma, she is a vintage baby. When she was born I was working for Delegat’s. At the time we had harvesters operating in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and

Marlborough. I ended up blocking off the bathroom in the maternity suite and turning it into an office. I had my old brick phone and all my papers, coordinating harvest and crush. Business just continued and on the way through Rosemary had a baby – Emma. At least I was there, but I was gone pretty soon afterwards. With Emma it wasn’t until she was in her 6th form that an opportunity came up for me to take her to China for a very short trip. Emma had had a disappointment, so Rosemary suggested I take her on my next trip – China. She came and saw a whole array of the industry, from winemaking through to marketing, to selling to relationship building. She came back to New Zealand and a few months later talked to Rosemary about taking her career forward. It was some time later that I found out about it. She had discovered there were a lot of opportunities within the wine industry, that she didn’t just have to be a winemaker. She could be a lot of other things and that was a turning point for her.

Rosemary and the Marris girls. Emma is on the left.

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Living in Auckland it is hard to get the exposure that I felt she would need to truly believe the wine industry was for her. I wanted to show her quickly and easily what she was getting herself into by insisting she work in the vineyard for three christmas holidays, before she could work in the winery. Within a vineyard you have your growing cycles, but equally you have the maturity of vines to deal with. So I said she had to work with young vines, then older vines, then machinery. The wine industry is not just about making and selling, it is about what comes from the land. So I felt it was a lovely way of rounding her (and her sisters) out and her gaining an appreciation of the whole wine industry. She sees what I do as exciting, although she is not 100 percent sure what I do all the time. In fact I think she thinks I swan around a lot of the time. But when we talk at the end of the day and she sees what I have achieved and what deals have come through, she is excited by that.

She has become my buddy, we laugh a lot and talk a lot. I found going to the Sauvignon Blanc Celebration 2016 with her got me thinking in a whole new way – like a young mind would think. With Emma coming through, questioning, questioning, questioning and looking at the world and the changes that are taking place, with wine style, label design, packaging, the pressures of bottling at home or in market, respect for the carbon footprint, seeing it all through younger eyes is very important.

EMMA MARRIS 22

am a vintage baby so wine has always been around me from the start. Mum often tells the story of how Dad didn’t come home until four o’clock on the afternoon on my first birthday because he had been receiving fruit through the night and day. At 6 months of age my parents launched Wither Hills at my christening. I didn’t stand a chance!

When I was younger I thought it was normal never to have a dad around. Back then Dad was really working on building up Wither Hills, we lived in Auckland and he was always travelling down to Marlborough or overseas. We spent a lot of time with just us five girls (Mum, my sisters and me) but it was always cool when Dad came home. Looking back, I realise how important that time was for what we are achieving with Marisco Vineyards. He was building all of these relationships around the world with people I am now beginning to meet. I am the oldest of four girls. I have 19-year-old identical twin sisters and a 15-year old sister. We would always come down to Marlborough at Easter for the school holidays, which was also vintage. So I spent most of my birthdays down there, riding on harvesters, biking through the winery and tasting ferments. There has never been any pressure from Mum or Dad to be a part of the wine industry. What they always stressed to us all was that we had to have a career, that is what I grew up with. Because of this I didn’t have as direct a path into winemaking as you might think. I always loved what Dad did. I thought it was so cool. When I was young I was intrigued by the smell of the different wines Mum and Dad would be drinking. But there was always an element of unknown with the wine industry because, living in Auckland, we were not in contact with it on a daily basis. At one stage I was desperate for them to move us down to Marlborough. I must have been about 12, I loved it down here and I really wanted a horse which I couldn’t have in Auckland. At school I loved science and design. It just happened that all my science projects ended up being about wine. I did one making bread using different wine and

beer yeasts. Then another where I added fruit and vegetables to Sauvignon Blanc to see how it altered the aroma and flavour. I added capsicum and lemon, then bottled it and left it to sit for different periods of time. Dad and Granddad did the tastings for me and wrote up tasting notes. I analysed it and ended up winning a prize. In year 13 I based my design project around packaging. So it was little things along the way. Towards the end of high school I was tossing up between winemaking and medicine. Mum is a pediatric radiologist, so I was always aware of medicine. At the end of year 12 a couple of things didn’t go as I planned so my parents decided it was a good time to broaden my horizons and sent me on a business trip with Dad to China. That was the first real time I saw the scope of the wine industry. Until then my exposure had mostly been at vintage. Going from having seen production only to the business, sales, marketing, tastings and education - it was a big eye opener for me. A couple of months after that I began to seriously think about winemaking. I didn’t want to bring it up until I was certain that was what I wanted to do. I thought about it for a month and then I went to Mum and said: I want to study winemaking and I want to go to Roseworthy College where Dad went. The way I phrased it Mum immediately knew I was serious, but we waited a bit longer before we told him. I wanted to be certain I wasn’t going to change my mind. Dad was obviously thrilled. I managed to avoid working in the vineyards when I was younger, but once I had decided to study in Adelaide I was put straight to work. That was four years ago. Dad had this idea that he wanted us to spend three years working in the vineyard. We had to start with young vine training, bud rubbing – all the really back breaking work

in that first year. The second year I was working with mature vines: wire lifting, leaf plucking etc. Then the third year was driving tractors: trimming, mowing, mulching and spraying. Only after that was I allowed to go into the winery. Granddad was very special. The first two summers I had down here in the vineyard I stayed with him and Nan. Every night when I got home, he would quiz me on what I had done that day. I learnt a lot from him. The day before he passed away he asked Dad to take him up to Leefield to show him where I had been working all summer. It was a very special time. The Adelaide course was great. In the fourth year we completed a 10 week industry placement, so I came home and did a vintage at Marisco. This was my first vintage, and while it was great it was also quite nerve wracking. I knew I loved the vineyard work, but I kept thinking “What if I am three and a half years into uni and I don’t enjoy the winemaking?” Fortunately everything clicked and I have not looked back. It was good because in 2015 it was a small crop across Marlborough which really helped. It meant I had a bit more time in the winery to ask questions and learn. Then I went into the 2016 vintage feeling quite confident. This year has been a bumper crop, so it has been one extreme to another with plenty of challenges. I am really looking forward to heading off to Bordeaux soon to do a six month internship (she left in May). I will be mostly working in the winery but doing a bit of vineyard work as well. The key for me is not just completing a vintage for six weeks, but living in Bordeaux for six months. It is a chance to truly experience the European way of living, travel

through the wine regions and of course take part in plenty of old world tastings. Dad and I haven’t got to the point where we are working together yet. He is very involved in growing the business, particularly the brands and sales globally, while I am much more focussed on the technical side of winemaking at the moment. But we talk all the time. I am getting snippets of the business and marketing side. If he is doing deals he always talks to me about them. I spent a month working with our marketing team in Auckland this year before vintage and we are about to head off on a business trip to America. But I am not ready to always do that sort of thing just yet. I want to concentrate on the winemaking for a little bit longer. Dad and I both have strong personalities, so I am sure there will be clashes sometime in the future. But we are also quite respectful of each other’s opinions. I could not ask for a better mentor. We spend a lot of time together; we go to Leefield for a drive up into the hills. We have done several big walks through the property; it is a great down time for us. We also go hunting together. I know (laughter) I don’t look like a hunter. But for my 21st birthday I got a hunting rifle and diamond earrings. I guess that sums up my personality to a tee.■ tessa.nicholsn@me.com

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 39

BIOSECURITY UPDATE

HELP SHAPE BIOSECURITY FUTURE DR EDWIN MASSEY

here is growing recognition of the critical role that biosecurity has to play in helping to secure a sustainable future for New Zealand, both socially and economically. KPMG recently released their Agribusiness Agenda, setting out key primary sector priorities based on feedback from 150 industry leaders. For the sixth time in a row, biosecurity ranked as the number one priority for this group. The Agenda also highlighted resounding feedback from industry leaders that they want to be involved in decision making on New Zealand’s biosecurity future at the highest levels. The Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy echoed these sentiments at New Zealand Winegrowers’ Marlborough Grape Days in early June. During his speech, Minister Guy: Acknowledged biosecurity as his ‘number 1 priority,’ reinforced by a commitment from the government to invest the highest

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ever level of expenditure in this area in recent budget announcements ($223 million dollars this year); and Encouraged members to strongly consider the benefits of partnering with Government through Government Industry Agreement (GIA) to make joint decisions on biosecurity readiness and response activities.

NZW’s Strategy In June this year the New Zealand Winegrowers’ Board approved a sector-wide Biosecurity Strategy, which can be found here: nzwine.com/members/sustainability/biosecurity/biosecurity-strategy/ The Biosecurity Strategy will support the profitable growth of wine from New Zealand and helps to protect the competitive position of the wine from New Zealand by ensuring NZW’s activities maximize the protection to members afforded by New Zealand’s biosecurity system. The Strategy has three main

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

objectives: • Members’ capability to influence biosecurity decision making and activities across the scope of the system is maximised • Members’ awareness of biosecurity risks and mitigations is maximised • Members’ participation in biosecurity activities is maximised The decision whether or not to enter into the GIA is fundamental to success of the Biosecurity Strategy. Between August 8 and 22 all members are being asked to vote on whether or not New Zealand Winegrowers should join the GIA. A member vote demonstrates to government that New Zealand Winegrowers has a mandate to represent the industry in biosecurity decision making. The results of the vote will be announced at the 2016 Romeo Bragato conference. Information to help you make your voting decisions can be found here: nzwine.com/members/sustainability/biosecurity/ government-industry-agreementconsultation/

Please make sure you read the material available and make your vote count. At its heart, the decision rests on how you want the industry to be represented in future biosecurity decision making. A ‘yes’ vote will enable the industry to be a true partner with government and have a seat at the biosecurity decision making table. A ‘no’ vote will mean that the Crown and other primary sector industries will set the biosecurity agenda, and have control over what the priorities should be.

What you can do now If you see anything unusual in the vineyard or the winery: Catch it, Snap it, Report it by calling the MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 809966. If you have any questions about biosecurity or the GIA please contact: Edwin Massey, Biosecurity Manager for New Zealand Winegrowers. PH: 03 2654057 or 021 192 4924. EM: Edwin.massey@ nzwine.com. ■

SCIENCE UPDATE

MICROBE REGIONALITY TESSA NICHOLSON

s the old saying goes, good things come in small packages. That is so true when it comes to microbes, and their impact on the flavour and aroma of wines. Despite being impossible to see with the naked eye, their importance is vital. And just where in the country those microbes originate from is also a fundamental component in the chemical makeup of wine. Dr Sarah Knight’s research, in collaboration with Drs Mat Goddard, Steffen Klaere and Bruno Fedrizzi, into the regional variation of microbes was ground breaking and at the recent NZW Grape Days she explained how the regional differences are adding another tenet to the terroir story of wine. “We know we get different flavours and aromas with different yeast,” she says, “but we need those yeast to vary with geography for them to be able to contribute to this regional signal that we have in our wine.” So taking Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the most common forms of yeast used in ferments, Knight set out to see if the chemical compounds it produces in wine, varied between New Zealand regions. “We wanted to describe its population structure and how it varies genetically across New Zealand.” The end result is shown in Figure 1, where the different colours indicate different genetic populations of S. cerevisiae throughout the country. Knight needed to know more. “We know that microbes vary

by geographic regions. We know genetic cluster we had been given that different microbes mean in our genetic analysis. And we different flavours. So does this were able to increase the amount regional genetic differentiation of variation that we could explain actually translate into regionally from 10 percent up to about 15 perdistinct wine properties?” cent.” To determine that, six strains This was even though they did of S. cerevisiae from each of the not remove the strains that were six regions were tested. found in all the regions they were “We selected these to repre- testing. If they had taken those sent the genetic populations in out and solely concentrated on each region. So we didn’t spe- the unique yeasts in each of the cifically target the yeast that we regions, the variation was up to knew were unique, they were all 20 percent. included. We wanted to make sure “Which is pretty cool,” Knight the whole population was repre- admits. sented here.” She is the first to say though, Using Sauvignon Blanc juice, that the regional variation of S. the differing yeast samples were cerevisiae is just one of the terroir replicated in triplicate. By the factors influencing wine aromas end of the trial the wine was ana- and flavours – alongside, climate, lysed for a range of different wine geography and soil. But it is one properties, including ethanol, residual Knight and Goddard 2015. sugar, pH, total acid, Quantifying separation volatile acid, the and similarity in a three main thiols and Saccharomyces cerevisiae metapopution. The ISME 32 different esters, Journal, 9: 361-370. alcohol, terpenes, C6 compounds and fatty acids. The end result was that there was around a 10 percent regional variation, far higher than Knight had expected. “But I was thinking, how does this genetic background mirror with what we are seeing in our wines. So we re-did the analysis and instead of testing region, we swopped that out for the

that had never been considered an important facet until this research. As for the implications of the research? “It highlights the importance of characterizing and understanding the microbial biodiversity and the services that it may provide,” Knight says. “And this is really important at the start of the Ecosystem Project. There is much more going on in the vineyard as well as in terms of soil. How these microbes are affecting plant health, and how they could also be translating through into the quality of the grapes and influencing these wine styles as well.”■ The full science report can be accessed at http://www.nature. com/articles/srep14233 tessa.nicholson@me.com

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 41

SCIENCE PROFILE

SCIENCE OF WINE – DR SARAH KNIGHT TESSA NICHOLSON

r Sarah Knight looks far too young to have achieved international acclaim, yet that is just what she has done. A Research Fellow from Auckland University, she made headlines last year when a paper she wrote on how regional differences of Saccharomyces cerevisiae impact the aroma and flavour of wine, was published in Nature’s Scientific Reports. Within hours of the report being published, Knight was besieged by international media wanting to know more. It was all a “bit crazy” she recalls, especially given the release had happened while she was on a plane, travelling home from the UK. “I arrived at around six in the morning and there was this barrage of emails and missed calls from media wanting to get in touch with me. I spent the whole first day back replying to them. It was a bit daunting, but then again I loved the research and I loved talking about it. And it was cool to

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have people interested in what we were doing, how it came about and what our findings were and what I thought it meant.” The paper has not only piqued the interest of media around the world, but scientists and lovers of science as well. To the extent that it was listed as one of the Top 100 science reports read in 2015. Pretty impressive when you consider it was only published late September and within three months had made the Top 100. As Dr Simon Hooker from NZW said at the recent Grape Days, that is the equivalent of an actor winning an Oscar, a musician winning a Grammy or a sportsman winning an Olympic medal. So how did this vibrant 30-yearold get involved with yeast populations and their impact on wine? Basically because she loves to ask questions, especially science questions. While originally she thought she might leave school to follow a career in either veterinarian science or medicine, she finally

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

decided on a Bachelor of Science. “I loved science and was hoping that something would inspire me and I would find my calling. Here I am now, so I guess I found it,” Knight explains. But that desire to learn more meant she wasn’t satisfied with a Degree, she wanted to undertake her Masters. “I really wanted to work on my own project and I loved it. It was fascinating collecting my own data, analyzing my own results and seeing the outcome of that.” Her Masters was based on evolution and phylogenetics. “That is using genetic information of different organisms and using it to build a family tree essentially.” It was the genetics of her studies that led her to Dr Mat Goddard, who at the time was trying to isolate differing yeast strains within vineyards. “It was fortuitous,” she admits, “as I had read about a project he was doing and I wanted to learn more. It sounded so cool. So I went

and had a chat with him and asked lots and lots of questions.” Within a few days, she had an email from Mat, saying he would like her to help him work on the project and did she want to come and have another chat? Did she what! For the next four years she worked alongside him, analyzing yeast strains in the major wine regions of New Zealand to determine if they differed in terms of impact on wine. (See previous story). While the research has been ground breaking, the flow on effects of her research have been just as satisfying. She admits beforehand, she liked a glass of wine after work, but knew nothing about what she was drinking. These days she has a much greater understanding. “Before everything was the same to me. It was either a Sav or a Chardonnay or it was red. I didn’t know the difference between red wines until I started doing this. But then I got exposed to all the

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different varieties and was working with people who were so knowledgeable and were happy to explain the varieties and styles. It suddenly opened up a whole new world of things to try.” While the regional yeast research is now complete, Knight has not been lost to the world of wine science. She is now working on the PGP Lifestyle Wine Programme, where once again microbes are her babies. “I am enthralled with it as we

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are finding out some really interesting stuff with these yeasts. I am playing around with different lab set ups and different conditions we can grow these yeast in during fermentation, and getting them to do what we want them to do is pretty cool. We have a long way to go, but we are understanding more and more every day.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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MARKETING NEWS

POP-UP WINE STORES LEE SUCKLING

n recent years, the “pop-up” shop has become one of the most popular and effective ways to market a new product or service, or simply gain brand recognition. The first pop-ups were restaurants. They have been – and still remain – a way for budding restaurateurs to launch their brand without the financial outlay that comes with signing a commercial lease, fitting out a building with furniture, fittings, and signage, hiring permanent staff, and even things as small as printing menus. Instead, all that is needed is a caravan, tent, or empty shop with temporary cooking facilities, a

blackboard menu, a bit of branding, and a temporary license for sale of goods. While many different kinds of companies have done pop-up shops – from mobile phone companies to fashion brands – their true purpose lies in hospitality. You want to offer a limited experience for a limited time, and leave your customers wanting more. For that reason, pop-ups are the perfect marketing tool for wine brands.

Create something unique The goal of a pop-up wine shop is to thrill passers-by with some-

thing so surprising and unique they’ll leave with a positive view of your brand. This is where doing something unexpected is, well, expected. Last year, the New Zealand Wine Cellar, an online wine shop based in London, tried its hand at a pop-up “garage sale” in the south London neighbourhood Brixton. Garage sales are a foreign concept in the UK – they’re uniquely a Kiwi experience – so the idea of holding one strictly for wine tasting and buying purposes was a unique opportunity for the unexpected. 1500 bottles from 65 New Zealand winemakers were made available at the launch of the garage

sale pop-up, starting from 9am in the morning. The idea came out of organiser Mel Brown’s knowledge that Londoners love a Kiwi tipple, they just don’t know where to buy it. The pop-up was an ideal way for Kiwi wine brands to get themselves introduced into the UK wine market without a distributor – which garage sale pop-up attendee Georgia Giesen (of Giesen Wines) said can be “quite testing”. Importantly, this pop-up served as the ideal advertising for the New Zealand Wine Cellar’s online sales business, which had only been operational

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for 18 months prior to the pop-up opening.

Piggyback onto another event Collaborating with events both large and small organised by your local council, arts society, or other institution is an ideal way to try your hand at a wine pop-up. To mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, for example, Auckland city launched the “Pop Up Globe” in early 2016 – a replica of the famous Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s original plays were performed in the 1600s. With the knowledge that many of Shakespeare’s stories incorporated wine and food, Church Road launched its own pop-up within this pop-up. It created a bespoke wine bar to promote its McDonald series of wines, served by the glass an hour

A pop up within a pop up was successful for Church Road.

before each performance and accompanied by themed food such as “The Tempest Sub” and the “Romeo and Juliet Tapas Board”. The pop-up was an ideal way for Church Road – itself a brand with a long history – to piggyback onto another event steeped in history which would gather large crowds.

Make your pop-up available for hire Although they are significantly

cheaper than opening a new cellar door, restaurant, or wine shop, pop-ups do involve some capital and it’s best if you can get the best return on your investment by reusing it. The UK-based brand Bubble Bros, for example, have partnered with a Glera Frizzante producer to offer prosecco from the barrel via “The Prosecco Van”, a mobile popup that can be driven to any private event such as weddings, garden parties, and corporate launches.

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The van will provide one barrel (approximately 160 glasses) of fizz, two staff, plus disposable flutes. The concept creates a great return-on-investment for the Bubble Bros – it costs £650 (NZ$1375) for three hours of hire, plus they charge mileage to drive the van to the destination. Rather than invest in a vehicle, signage, and fixtures for just a one-off event, the Bubble Bros have found a business model

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Unique mobile pop up – the Bubble Bros based in the UK.

that allows for repeat use of their expensive hardware.

Condense your brand to its essence The goal of a wine pop-up is not to showcase your winery’s full offerings. As per the Church Road and Bubble Bros examples, it is to take a select segment of your product offering, condense it down, and let it reveal your brand’s true essence. That is, you want to accompany a small “flagship” product offering with a temporary location that incorporates a paired-down aesthetic of your usual premises. This means choosing only your “hero” wines for sale at your popup, incorporating a design scheme in your marketing collateral (signage, wall coverings, etc) that references your brand aesthetic (that which is present in your cellar door or restaurant), and ensuring your most knowledgeable staff are working at your pop-up to best represent your values. Ideally, and considering most pop-ups are only for a short amount of time, it’s ideal to have a wine brand’s founder or another key personality associated with the brand working behind the register at a wine pop-up. This adds a personal element to the experience that will encourage customers’ future loyalty to your brand.

Utilise technology It’s important to understand that when selling wine by the

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bottle at a pop-up (i.e. not for consumption on site), many passers-by will not buy your product, simply because their encounter with you was unplanned and they don’t want to carry weighty bottles with them on their journey. Useful, here, is utilising technology. The UK retailer Aldi did this in May 2016 when it incorporated a station with digital tablets into a wine pop-up shop, where customers could order the wines they had just tried and have them delivered to their door at a later date. Utilising this kind of technology is also beneficial because you can obtain customer/potential customer information to add to mailing lists for future marketing purposes.

Get the right permissions At least 20 days before your pop-up launches, you need to apply for a special license to sell alcohol. In your application, you will need to specify what type of event you’re running (e.g. “wine tasting”), the days and hours you’ll be selling alcohol, the number of people you expect will attend, and how you will promote responsible drinking. In Auckland, for example, your application is reviewed by NZ Police, the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, and a council alcohol licensing inspector. The existing on/off licenses your company has for its perma-

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

nent location do not apply for popups, so it’s vital to take this special license into careful consideration each and every time you launch a wine pop-up. It’s also important to ensure you gain the correct permissions from your council (or the relevant authority) if your pop-up is going to be on public property or part of an event. If your pop-up is successful, consider making it permanent Wine pop-ups are a great way to gauge a community’s interest in your brand, let them know where your products can be purchased outside of the pop-up, and even find out if your pop-up has the potential to be a sustainable, longterm venture. For example, after the success of a temporary pop-up, in March 2016 the British wine shop Barrique set up a permanent facility in a former butchery, located in a Grade II-listed 19th Century covered market

Utilising technology allows visitors to order wine for delivery.

in Lancashire. The location – an ancient butcher’s shop set amongst fresh food grocers and fish throwers – was an unexpected choice because markets are typically frequented only in the morning. However, having done a successful pop-up previously, the owners of Barrique knew that the element of surprise sets you apart in the modern wine market. Given how unexpected it is for early morning shoppers to come across a chance to buy wine alongside their fish, cheese, and farm-fresh produce, Barrique has gone off famously as a permanent shop in an upmarket county full of well-to-do shoppers. Some months after cementing its permanent place, Barrique has now become a destination store within the market. A simple popup, as this example proves, can lead to much greater things than a one-off experience. ■ lee.suckling@gmail.com

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delivering the best service are traditionally the dining rooms of restaurants and hotels. With the New Zealand wine and beverage industry gaining momentum the importance of real credentialed

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knowledge and skills in the service of beverages is a driver for success. Sommeliers and service staff with credentials or certification in their chosen discipline are in short supply. Restaurants find it

very difficult to source ‘good staff’ and even harder to find qualified and experienced professional staff. Additionally, businesses requiring credentialed beverage service staff now include retail and parts of the alcohol wholesale sector as evidenced in local and international markets. While the reliance on experience alone has been common in New Zealand, with the expansion of the sector (and the fantastic quality and extent of our local wines) there is little doubt that research, study, mentoring, and discussion have become necessary. Throughout the last thirty years there have been several attempts at launching

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organisations or associations that offe r a me mbe rship opportunity for specific positions in the hospitality (for example Sommeliers). These organisations have experienced varying degrees of success, and usually a short existence possibly due to poor marketing, a weak membership base, no clear leadership or enough support from associated businesses such as restaurants, hotels and suppliers. After lengthy discussions between business owner Celia Hay and I on the importance of and ways to develop and grow a solid, decent and respected organisation, the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association (NZSWP) was launched in May 2016. The two key aims in the creation of the association are firstly to provide a membership opportunity for Sommeliers and wine professionals seeking opportunities to learn from their peers, grow their knowledge base and ultimately become more confident, valid, and valued in the hospitality sector. The second aim is to become part of the strong international community – to forge links overseas (and compete in service competitions). New Zealand will become eligible to join the Association de la Sommelerie Internationale otherwise known as ‘ASI’ (http:// www.sommellerie-internationale. com/en/) What we have achieved so far includes: the formation of a Board of Directors; the formal launch of the association; several tasting and membership drive events – leading to receiving an invitation to join ASI. The board of directors

is made up of well-known wine professionals from around New Zealand, each becoming a separate ‘go to’ person in their region for such as mentoring, thus formalising the association as a national entity. We feel it was very important to be available to all potential and new members across New Zealand - rather than a central office, we operate as a collection of satellites Our group includes currently: Otago (Claudio Heye), Canterbury (Angela Clifford), Wellington (Stephen Wong MW), Hawke’s Bay (Matthew Judd - Advanced Level Sommelier) and Auckland (Karen Fistonich Villa Maria). Celia Hay holds the position of Chairperson and I am Patron. Wine tasting and education events held so far include a class and tasting of natural and orange wine conducted by winemaker Lynnette Hudson and a New Zealand-made bottle fermented sparkling wine class with winemaker James Rowan (wines sponsored by Methode Marlborough). Upcoming events include a Sake class and an Italian wine class - details can be found on the associations new website http:// sommelier.co.nz We look forward to attracting a strong membership within the sector (and associated industries we work with); building a database of qualified Sommeliers and wine professionals. In doing we hope to encourage the hospitality sector especially to always seek employees who are qualified, professional, raise the standard of service and ensure strong, successful businesses – an exciting prospect. ■

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SPONSORING NEWS

MOVING UP THE RANKS Taking a wine brand from 93rd to 4th in terms of UK sales has taken Mud House Wines only 18 months. But as Tessa Nicholson discovered, owner Accolade Wines says there is more to come, hence the sponsorship of the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017.

or Accolade Wine’s CEO Paul Schaafsma, the idea of sponsoring the Lions Tour down under next year was a no brainer. He describes the tour as an event “the British people cherish,” and one that will attract a massive audience. “The British and Irish Lions is the biggest sporting event outside of the Olympics and the Soccer World Cup in the UK. This is extraordinary, there are 15,000 people coming from the UK to watch this. We want to take Mud House from the 4th biggest brand to the number one brand in the UK and this sort of commitment and sponsorship over the course of three years will allow us to do that.” Placing Mud House Wines at the forefront of sponsorship is no new thing for Accolade. The brand was also the sponsor of Team New Zealand at the last America’s Cup. It is also the sponsor of SANZAR rugby in terms of Sky Sports coverage in the UK. Every game of rugby played in the Southern Hemisphere and broadcast on Sky

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Sports in the UK is accompanied by Mud House Wine advertisements. That’s some profile the wine is gaining, which Schaafsma says represents the faith Accolade has in the brand. “I think that in terms of New Zealand wine (Mud House) is very much at the forefront of growth. We have fantastic average price points in the UK in terms of the rest of the market where it sits. It is relevant in terms of style and in terms of appropriateness. It was a company that produced a quantity of wine and not all of that was sold as branded. What we have been able to do is buy a company that has capacity and capacity to grow with premium quality wines and a good pedigree in terms of its branding.” Sponsoring the British and Irish Lions tour will not be limited to having Mud House Wines at every event. Schaafsma says the company will also be promoting the Marlborough region to VIPs, especially those attending the two Wellington games. “We will be bringing all the

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

sponsorship companies and their VIPs across to Marlborough. That is really exciting because you are going to have people that wouldn’t necessarily get to come, and make Marlborough part of their itinerary. We will be ramping it up and hosting probably hundreds and hundreds of people here, taking them through Blenheim and the region.” Schaafsma who spent 11 years living in London, working for wine companies, has a better than average idea of what the UK consumer is looking for – and has some advice for local producers. Deliver a wine stylistically that the consumer wants. Sauvignon Blanc is one of those, as is Pinot Noir. But think long and hard about varieties like Pinot Gris and Rosé. “If you look at Pinot Gris in Australia and New Zealand, it is doing extraordinarily well. But one thing Australians and New Zealanders need to realise is that Pinot Gris is not innovative or something new for Europe. It has been there for some time. Style wise Pinot Gris from Alsace

versus Pinot Gris from Marlborough is completely different. But the consumer is perceiving the country for certain varieties. I think you need to play to your strengths. Okay in your own home market to talk about innovative varieties and new things, but don’t try and go to a consumer who is already drinking those varieties and tell them we are being innovative and doing something new. You are not, it already exists.” Rosé is another style that New Zealanders are championing at the moment,

Paul Schaafsma, Accolade’s CEO.

but Schaafsma says we may have missed the boat somewhat on that one. “Rosé in Australia and New Zealand is now starting to take off. But Rosé boomed in the UK market five years ago, the ranges almost tripled overnight. Yes there has been demand for New Zealand Rosé because the brands are strong and it’s a good fit, but it is probably more a reflection of the domestic and Australian market realising that a certain style of Rosé works.” He does however believe there may be a market for Sauvignon Blanc Rosé – which a few New Zealand companies are already producing. “But again you need to make sure stylistically again you are delivering something that people want and a brand consumers feel comfortable with.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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REGIONS MARLBOROUGH

MORE CONSOLIDATION IN MARLBOROUGH TESSA NICHOLSON

s land becomes scarce and less areas available for new plantings, Marlborough wine companies are looking to consolidate in an effort to meet market demands. Two such companies are Saint Clair Family Estate and Giesens, who in recent months have expanded their portfolios by purchasing existing brands. In Saint Clair’s case, they have purchased not only the family owned brand of Lake Chalice, but also the company’s 50 hectares of vineyard and current cellar door. Owner Neal Ibbotson says the acquisition provides Saint Clair with an increased mix of quality vineyards in addition to the wellestablished Lake Chalice brand. “There is no change in the varieties we already have, but the vineyards are in different locations, on different soils and produce very good quality fruit. It’s a logical extension for us as Saint Clair winemaker Matt Thomson, who

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started with us in 1994, has also been winemaker and shareholder at Lake Chalice since 1990.” Ibbotson says the purchase will open up new markets for their wines, and will provide increased distribution options. “Saint Clair has great distribution both in New Zealand and overseas, but this gives us greater access to wider distribution “Lake Chalice have different distributors in a number of markets so where we previously only had one distributor for Saint Clair, we will now have an additional distributor for Lake Chalice.” There is no plan to merge the Lake Chalice label into the Saint Clair portfolio, Ibbotson says, both will remain separate entities. He says this is a deliberate market approach given the importance of boutique wineries and family brands in the market place. “Part of the advantage to keeping the brands separate is they are both well-established family

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

brands, both with a long Marlborough history.” At this stage no decisions have been made regarding the Lake Chalice cellar door, with Ibbotson saying that was still a “work in progress.” Meanwhile Giesen Wines who are one of New Zealand’s larger companies has purchased the Ara Brand and associated businesses. The Ara vineyards, bare land and winery were acquired by Indevin Limited earlier this year, but not the brand. Alex Giesen says Ara’s focus on premium single estate wines fits well with the company. “We have invested increasing resources into our global growth and the growth experienced by Ara in recent years positions the brand well within the Giesen portfolio. It will enable us to become even more relevant to our global customers.” Ara which was wholly owned by a subsidiary of the Todd Corporation, has strategically worked with a few key customers in the UK, Giesen says, and that groundwork will allow Giesens to gain a “larger footprint”. They have only acquired the brand, not fruit supply he said,

which will fit well within their strategy for the next few years. The current winery in Marlborough has “sufficient capacity to take Ara on board.” Both Saint Clair and Giesen’s expansion is predicated on the growth of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in export markets. Ibbotson says with export growth of 10 percent per annum, the purchase of Lake Chalice will give them the opportunity to fill demand to satisfy that growth. For Giesen, who have been on an aggressive expansion trail in recent years, the importance of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc cannot be underestimated. Exports of their wines to the US are now growing at a faster rate than to Australia, where Giesen is the second largest still white wine brand by value. “The US has a real thirst for New Zealand wines,” Giesen says, “and it’s particularly Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that is really driving this category. The addition of the Ara brand will help consolidate and grow our presence in this rapidly expanding market that is now the number one export market for New Zealand wines.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

VINE NEWS

TOP GRAFTING BOOM Want to change varieties in your vineyard? Well you have a couple of choices. Remove all vines and plant anew, or top graft. And it appears top grafting is becoming a popular choice, as Tessa Nicholson discovers.

f you are looking to get grafter Nigel Stead to undertake some top grafting on your vines this year, you are out of luck. And going by the forward interest, if you want to undertake top grafting next year, then you had better be in quick, as 50 percent of his time in 2017 is already booked out. This very specialized skill is becoming more popular as growers look to change varietals, without having to wait for three

years for full crops. Stead says the grafting takes place between October and December each year. That first season the vine grows new canes, which are pruned and laid down the following winter. Eighteen months after the grafting the vines are producing full crops. So what does it involve? “We take the head of the vine out, cutting it off just below, leaving the trunk. We put a cut in each side and place a two bud scion in each of those cuts. These

The original Pinot Noir vines were around 12 years old, and were top grafted to Sauvignon Blanc in October 2015. The growth since is phenomenal.

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are painted and taped up.” The initial scion wood is around 8 millimetres in circumference, but after eight months the canes can double in size, providing strong wood for laying down the following winter (generally just three canes). At pruning the spurs have to be carefully managed to ensure a strong new head is established. While the success rate is high, Stead says things can go wrong, and sometimes they encounter blocks where the grafting just doesn’t work, for unknown reasons. When it comes to what growers are changing from and to, Stead says it depends where in the country the vines are. In terms of Marlborough, which will see up to 50,000 vines top grafted this year, the majority is going towards Sauvignon Blanc. Given the lack of available land, it is not unreasonable that growers are

changing from other varieties to the flagship. Although Stead says it is also site specific. “Some wineries are not happy with what (the grower) has on that site. Like areas of Pinot in Rapaura, which is strong Sauvignon country, is being grafted to that. Whereas on the other side of the valley, they are top grafting from varieties like Riesling and Pinot Gris to Pinot Noir.” In Nelson where close to 20,000 vines are being top grafted, it is from Riesling to Chardonnay mostly. In Hawke’s Bay – 20,000 vines – it is from a range of varieties to Sauvignon Blanc. And in Cromwell – 15,000 vines – it is from Riesling and Pinot Gris to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With 12 people working for him, Stead says there is a small window of opportunity to complete the task.

“We get through about 2,000 plants a day, which is a fair bit. But it is back breaking work, because you are bent over all day.” In terms of costs, he says there is a difference between waiting up to three years to get an income from fruit with new vines, and making money within 18 months with top grafted. Even though there is a full root structure providing the

nourishment to the vine, Stead says you have to ensure they get plenty of water during the initial changeover. “You have to treat it like a young plant, they like lots of water over the summer. And you have to train them, because they are still quite weak (at the grafting site). Basically if you treat it like a young plant, it will do okay.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com Top grafter Nigel Stead.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 57

NEW VINES

PLANTING ADVICE TESSA NICHOLSON

They have been ordered, are about to arrive and growers throughout the country are getting prepared to plant thousands of new vines. It seems a simple enough task, but as Nick Hoskins from Riversun Nurseries explains, there are some pitfalls to avoid.

on’t be fooled into thinking those bare rooted vines you have ordered can sit around waiting for you to plant them. They need to be placed into the ground sooner, rather than later. Hoskins says if you don’t think you will be able to plant as soon as they arrive, then make contact with the nursery and get them placed into a cool store or let the nursery take care of them in their coolstore. “We don’t want them to warm up and buds start to move as they will be vulnerable to damage during transport.” That vulnerability means if you have ordered large numbers and will have to plant over a period of time, leave them in a cool store until you are set to go. When it comes to planting – remember the roots can dry out very quickly. “Make sure that when you get them out and distribute them to the machine or hand planters, that they are not sitting outside in the sun or worse still, the wind,” he says. “Try to take out as few as possible. Whatever you do, if you are hand planting, don’t lay out a whole row and take all day to plant that row. The roots can dry out in less than five minutes on a windy day.” Dig a decent size hole and avoid J-rooting. “I always say plant the vine so the soil level is halfway between the graft union and the top of the root systems. But the hole needs

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to be slightly deeper than that, as when the vine is placed in the hole, you need to be able to pull it up slightly, so that all the root ends are pointing down.” If the hole is not deep enough and the vine is forced in, the end result is J rooting and stress. “They can grow quite normally, but at the first fruiting the stress comes on and they start falling over. They also seem to be more susceptible to pathogens like root rot disease and black foot.” When removing dead vines for replanting, use a digger to loosen up the soil and sever the old roots. “If you just yank the old vine out with a chain and replace it with a young vine, then they are slower to get going. Loosening up the soil seems to make the vines grow better.” Protecting those young vines from a loss of moisture due to wind, or even from pests such as rabbits, means guards are a necessity. Everyone has their own idea of when to place the guards on, although Hoskins favours waiting. “I am a fan of not putting the guards on too early. If you put them on early in winter and you get that soft shoot growth in the guards before a frost, they can get damaged. So I think it is better to leave the guards off until the danger of frosts has passed.” Swearing by the mantra WWF, which stands for water, weed spraying and fertiliser, he says it is surprising how many times

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

people get just one of those things wrong, resulting in poor growth of the young vine. “They may be putting plenty of water on, but doing nothing about the weed growth. Or they have got no fertiliser on. Basically you have to treat them well when they are young. If you treat them bad, they will treat you bad when they get older.” It is a similar story if you are This is what happens when a vine is planted in too shallow a hole – it becomes J-rooted.

planting potted vines. Make sure they are well soaked before being placed in the ground. Don’t fiddle with the root ball and be carefull that it remains intact when removed from the pot, it won’t be root bound, it can go straight into the prepared hole. Feed it, water it and treat it well for those early years. That should ensure that it will provide you with vine health and vigour in the years to come. ■

AMONG THE VINES Reminders for August...

void pruning vines during or prior to rain in order to minimise the spread of wood-invading diseases. Apply a suitable wound dressing such as PruneTec or Greenseal™ Ultra after pruning. Mulch or burn prunings to prevent them becoming a source of inoculum in your vineyard. All drums of spraying oil, especially if carried over from last season, should be well agitated prior to use, ensuring the emulsifiers are well mixed with the oil. Test first by adding a small amount of oil into water to ensure a cloudywhite emulsion is formed.

When combining oil with insecticides in a spray tank, remember to add the oil last when the tank is nearly full, with the agitator going, or while circulating through the pump bypass. Mealy bug is a serious pest in some growing regions, causing damage to vineyard crops in one of three ways: 1) direct feeding; 2) excretion of honey dew, a growth media for sooty mould; and 3) spreading Grapevine Leafrollassociated Virus Type 3 (GLRaV3), which is by far the most serious and can lead to a steady decline in vineyard performance over time. Mealy bugs are reasonably

difficult to control because of their high fecundity, cryptic habits and water-repelling wax coatings. An application of Tokuthion® plus oil between late dormant and bud-burst will help suppress overwintering populations of

the pest. This should be applied as a high-volume, dilute spray, targeting trunks and cordons. Note: insecticide applications for mealy bugs should be justified by monitoring data from the previous season.■

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 59

REGIONS HAWKE’S BAY

NEW LOOK HAWKE’S BAY REDS JOELLE THOMSON

et’s play a word game: a winemaker says cool climate, active limestone and early ripening black grape variety. You say a black grape that fits the bill, which consumers know, like and want to buy. If Pinot Noir springs to your lips, Hawke’s Bay probably doesn’t spring to mind because it has historically been considered this country’s most suitable region for mid to late ripening grapes, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

and Syrah. The region’s winemakers are now keen to add another string to their red winemaking bow and they are increasingly experimenting with earlier ripening black grapes than traditional wisdom dictated. Enter Pinot Noir and Gamay. The two can stand on their own two feet and can also, literally, be thrown together to make Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, whose French name means all thrown together. This wine comes from Burgundy and must contain

at least 30 percent Pinot Noir. It is described as a red thirst quencher in the new Oxford Companion to Wine and, while very little leaves France, a significant amount is produced there; almost two thirds the amount of Bourgogne Rouge. The concept was inadvertently used by Grant Edmonds, head winemaker at Sileni Estates in Hawke’s Bay, where the winemaking team are sourcing Pinot Noir from vineyards in cooler areas in the Bay than where their Merlot and later ripening

grapes grow. They have also blended a smidgeon of Gamay into one of the winery’s accessibly priced Pinot Noirs, with good success. The amount was well below the threshold of 14.9% - it was in fact less than 5% - so did not need to be and was not named on the label. “We get a little bit of Gamay from a grower and we find it works well as part of the blend. It has good colour, which is always handy to have with Pinot Noir,” Edmonds says.

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

As featured in NZ Winegrower February/March 2016

Pinot Noir is the second most planted grape variety at Sileni Estates and is gaining importance for the winery, which is one of the biggest producers in Hawke’s Bay. Edmonds and his winemaking team are sourcing Pinot Noir from two relatively cool climate vineyards. The first of these is at Te Awanga, where the growing season is shortened by the cool coastal winds and the second is inland at Mangatahi, on the south side of the Ngaruroro River. The vineyard there is 120 metres above sea level, which instantly knocks one degree Celcius off its ripening temperatures. The winds that sweep along this exposed hillside vineyard (planted at 150 metres above sea level) also cools down the temperatures there. In viticultural terms, Edmonds suggests that the grapes ripening

on this vineyard are ready to pick approximately seven to 10 days later than the other grapes that he sources from the plains. “This is the difference between Bordeaux and Burgundy in terms of temperature. When we look at where the potential is to expand vineyards for Pinot Noir, we are looking beyond here to areas, such as the old river beds in Central Hawke’s Bay, mainly Waipawa and Waipukurau across to Highway 50 and beyond.” Edmonds is not alone in seeing Pinot Noir’s positive potential in the Bay but because Sileni Estates’ wine production is relatively large, he can see it having a significant impact on the volume of Pinot from the Bay. He is therefore keen to shape a positive profile for Pinot Noir there. Winemaker Rod Easthope from Easthope Winegrowers is likeminded.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 61

Rod Easthope

“I have always thought Pinot Noir should and would work in Hawke’s Bay and I’m talking about greater Hawke’s Bay, not just pockets of it. In terms of calling us warm – as many do in a New Zealand context – we are still a cool climate by world standards. Therefore I don’t think our climate precludes us from producing good Pinot Noir at all.” Easthope sees the biggest issues for Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir

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as being the sometimes relatively high humidity and the rainfall, which is spread throughout the year. These factors produce big bunches, large berries and naturally high vigour. For this reason, he suggests that naturally high yields are the biggest issue, in terms of making high quality Pinot Noir in the Bay. “I think it takes a bit more discipline to get the Pinot down to low numbers compared to what we

story for the Bay, its production remains relatively small – and, interestingly, barely more than Pinot Noir, in terms of plantings. Cool, rainy vintages and lack of consumer knowledge also mean that Syrah has yet not gained the traction that many accolades suggest it could. “Syrah’s volume is capped not by quality but rather because the consumer does not understand Syrah particularly strongly,

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TODAY

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are used to in the Bay. The results are there – Emma (Easthope – his winemaking partner in life and in business) and I did all the viticulture on it - one bunch per shoot and it works, in terms of quality. That’s why I come back to the commitment to really doing the business in the vineyard, which will give the results for high quality.” While Easthope acknowledges that Syrah has been a success

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whereas they instantly get what this story. quality potential of Gamay grapes Shiraz is. That lack of consumer “I think Gamay is better suited and the best Beaujolais, such as the understanding of what Syrah is – to us for making a mid weight villages and cru wines. coupled with Pinot Noir’s current elegant red, which is the wine style “I had a 1929 Morgon six or global popularity and the odds are that suits the way the world seems seven years ago, which was an that mid ripening, medium bodied to be going. I’ve got a grower incredible wine at a cru level (the red wines are safer to bank on top quality tier in Beaujolais). in this region,” says Easthope. That was from an incredible To date, the best known “I have always thought vintage right across France but it also proved to have Hawke’s Bay’s Pinot Noirs have Pinot Noir should and come from Lime Rock Wines would work in Hawke’s the ability to age in the long in Central Hawke’s Bay, an area Bay and I’m talking about term,” says Easthope. that Edmonds from Sileni is “I think Gamay could be greater Hawke’s Bay.” keen to explore. our thing because it’s pretty “A lot of us in the Bay have much only New Zealanders talked about the potential for planting some for me and we’re who drink our own Bordeaux style years but the distance has been managing a small parcel from reds and they’re expensive, so I off putting to us. Now, given the Lucknow Estate at Maraekakaho, think our future is on pretty, soft popularity of Pinot Noir, the which is slightly inland, has plenty floral wines with serious structure, time is right to consider it more of daytime heat and slightly cooler such as Gamays, perhaps Pinot strongly.” nights than the Gimblett Gravels.” Noir and also Syrah.” Back in the Bay, Easthope’s While Easthope concedes The first Easthope Family punt is on Gamay, the traditional that Gamay’s image has been Estates Gamay will be released Beaujolais grape and also somewhat tarnished by the in August this year from the 2015 an ingredient in Burgundy’s Beaujolais Nouveau movement, vintage. ■ Passetoutgrains, as mentioned in he is keen to emphasise the high mailme@joellethomson.com

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 63

EDUCATION NEWS

NEW CELLAR OPERATIONS QUALIFICATIONS N ew Zealand wineries have played a key role leading up to the recent launch of New Zealand’s first nationally recognised qualifications for cellar operators in the wine industry. The qualifications, developed by New Zealand wineries in tandem with industry training organisation Competenz, will help the wine industry maintain New Zealand’s reputation as one of the world’s top winemaking countries. Wine is one of this country’s fastest growing exports with a value of $1.5billion (2015) and is the largest horticultural export product by value. Domestically, it is estimated that the wine industry will export $2 billion by 2020. “The New Zealand Certificates in Cellar Operations are a first for New Zealand, and it’s been exciting to be part of their development,” says Nick Best, Production Manager at Marlborough’s Isabel Estate. “Nationally recognised qualifications benefit the industry and everyone in it. New Zealand wine is well regarded round the world. These qualifications will help us

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invest in, lift and standardise the skills of the people in our industry. And that will help us maintain the quality and consistency that’s won New Zealand our good reputation.” Both employers and employees will benefit from the new qualifications. “If you’re an employer who takes on someone with a qualification, you’ll know you’re employing someone who can do what they say they can do,” says Nick. “They’ll have the skills they need to be productive and work safely. Investing in training is a great way to promote our industry across New Zealand too. “If you’re employed in a winery and hold a qualification, you can show employers you’ve reached a standard that’s recognised across the country.” Competenz Industry Manager Mathew Vandy says strong industry representation played an important part in helping the Competenz team understand the technical and commercial skills cellarhands and managers need to gain to keep New Zealand “up there on the international wine

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

map. The New Zealand Certificates will support and formalise the high level of skills I’ve seen in cellar operators across New Zealand. “And now that the qualifications are available, we’re really excited to be able to support the industry to formally recognise the skills and knowledge their teams are gaining on-the-job.” Employers and those interested in finding out more about the qualifications and how to start training towards them, can contact the industry training organisation, Competenz on 0800 526 1800.”

About the new national qualifications Three New Zealand Certificates in Cellar Operations have been developed: The first is an entry-level qualification aimed at cellarhands carrying out routine tasks in the winery, and has a strong focus on understanding New Zealand wine and winemaking processes, and operating within food, health and safety, and quality processes. The intermediate qualification

Cellar Hand Hamish Lawrence, who works for Pernod Ricard.

equips graduates with both the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to process grapes, manage vintage operations, and carry out wine production processes. The high level qualification builds the specialised technical skills needed to manage employees, vintage workers, production and quality. Competenz launched the first two qualifications this week, with the third high level qualification on track for launch at the Romeo Bragato Wine Conference in August 2016. Together, these three certificates form a pathway of learning over several years.■

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

AN 18-YEAR COLLABORATION TESSA NICHOLSON

hen Philip Manson began working for New Zealand Winegrowers he knew very little about wine. “I knew there was red wine and white wine and that was about it,” he says. Eighteen years later, as he leaves the industry he has fallen in love with, he knows far more. And he knows plenty about making the most of this country’s God-given ability to grow great wine and the importance of moving forward sustainably.

The former General Manager of Sustainability completed 18-years of service to the New Zealand wine industry on June 16. He and his wife Liz are taking some time out to travel, before he launches a new career using the reams of knowledge he has gained to create a consultancy for the wine industry here in New Zealand and overseas. With a Botany Degree majoring in Biology and a post graduate degree in Marketing, Manson took up the reins of Science and Research with NZW back in 1998.

At the time the New Zealand wine industry was just emerging. There were less than 9000 hectares of productive vineyard and the total value of our exports was just $97,633. There was no unified industry, instead two separate entities, New Zealand Grape Growers and the New Zealand Wine Institute. There was however a common bond that Manson was brought in to help consolidate – research. “Both the Wine Institute and the Grape Growers were different parties, but they were tied at

the hip when it came to research.” Although there wasn’t all that much research going on in those days. “There was less than quarter of a million dollars in the research budget.” Compare than to what is being spent these days, more than $20m. Having spent nine years working on research with the Kiwi Fruit industry, Manson was the ideal candidate to expand the wine industry’s research portfolio and as Science and Innovations Manager, he began working towards

No. 5252

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

collaborative partnerships. “When I started you could have counted the number of researchers working on grapes and wine on two hands and most of them were doing so part time. But over a period of time we have built up relationships, built up partnerships and have gone into co-funding situations with both the Crown Research Institutes like Plant & Food and Auckland and Lincoln Universities.” A direct result of those partnerships has seen a whole generation of researchers who have cut their teeth in the field of wine and grapes. “Since that time Auckland University has established a post graduate programme in Wine Science. Now they have so many students that have gone through with PhD’s and New Zealand now has a really good research group involved in the industry.”

The exponential growth of the wine industry in the past 18 years has been something Manson has been at the forefront of. He says as growth continued there was a demand for more knowledge about what we were doing and how we could do it better. That has led to programmes such as the Sauvignon Blanc Programme, 1 and 2. While there is no doubt now that the results from this collaborative research have presented some game changers for the industry, not everyone was keen initially. “When we started it, people were asking us why we were doing it? We know everything we need to know about Sauvignon Blanc, they were saying, we are making it and the world is loving it, so what is the point?,” Manson says. “Well the reality is that there is always more you can know. And some decades into that research we are still learning

about Sauvignon Blanc. Yes, we are recognised as a world leader, but if we are to continue to have that world leadership position, we should know more. Not just at a production level but at a technical

level as well.’ There was also concern expressed that any research findings might be used by our competitors to create a Sauvignon Blanc that emulates the New Zealand

THE CHANGES With Philip Manson’s departure there have been some significant changes within New Zealand Winegrowers. CEO Philip Gregan will take up the reins as head of sustainability, befitting the importance the board places on this role. Dr Edwin Massey will continue to spearhead the biosecurity portfolio, while Justine Tate will continue as the Business Manager of Sustainable Winegrowing. Issues regarding MRL’s and

resistance management will fall under Dr Simon Hooker’s wing, given the need for these to be strongly research led. Labour will now fall within the Advocacy portfolio, with External Relations Manager Nicola Crennan taking up the mantle. (See page 26).Philip Gregan says Nicola being based in the capital is an advantage, given “we want to have a direct face to face with those decision makers in Wellington.”

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www.nzwinegrower.co.nz NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 67

Philip Manson says goodbye after 18 years.

style. In other words, were we about to give away trade secrets? “My view and the organization’s is you can’t quarantine information. Plus we get just as much from researchers visiting New Zealand and our researchers travelling overseas. We can all learn a lot from what is happening elsewhere. The big thing is to use what you have more creatively and more intelligently than your competition, which will allow you to stay ahead.” When Manson began, the Sustainable Winegrowing programme as we now know it, was just beginning. In fact the pilot programme which was known as the Integrated Winegrape Production had only begun life a few years earlier. From small beginnings, the programme now has 95 percent

of all wineries and growers as members. While other countries such as Chile and South Africa have similar programmes – none is as widespread as the New Zealand one. In Manson’s eyes we are world leaders. “When talking strategy, we often say should we be taking a leadership position? Well the fact is we have. We are recognised both in the international wine sector and the productive sector of New Zealand as being real leaders. There is a commitment to producing really good wines in a really good way and we are ahead of the curve.” Not that it has always been an easy road convincing people. “In 1998 there was a genuine feeling that if you were into sustainable things, then you were a sandal wearing, granola eating,

greenie. We have all moved on from that. The consumer has also moved in their thinking in that time.” The next step in the sustainability road is to continue to move forward. As cliché as he knows it sounds, Manson says sustainability is a journey not a destination. “If we say we have made it, we have missed the point. You can look at that negatively and say you can never do enough, or you can look at it another way and say there is always another challenge. “Look at where we have come from. People say the sophistication in the vineyards has changed dramatically. Well so too have our practices in terms of sustainability. To some extent that may be a measure of our success when people think we have always

done things in this way. Actually we haven’t. The changes we have made have been incremental, but they have all added up. You don’t want to live your life looking backwards, but by doing so, you can see we have come a very long way, in a very short time.” As Manson prepares to look ahead to new challenges, he admits he will miss the passion and enthusiasm of the wine industry. “Wine has an edge. Who doesn’t like a glass of wine? Our members right through have a passion about the product. They will sit around the table and discuss wine at length. I don’t imagine a Fonterra member sitting around discussing a glass of milk. I will miss that, although I still intend being involved in another capacity in the future.”■

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RESEARCH NEWS

REDUCE PHOTOSYNTHESIS, REDUCE ALCOHOL MARY SHANAHAN

IT researchers may have achieved a breakthrough in ‘making’ quality low alcohol wines in the vine-

yard. Over two seasons, a School of Viticulture and Wine Science research team investigated the use of antitranspirant spray on vines to reduce photosynthesis and, as a consequence of that, the influence on berry ripeness including sugar accumulation in the berries. The project was jointly headed by Dr Petra King and Associate Professor Carmo Saunders-Vasconcelos. The two research sci-

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entists say the significance for the New Zealand industry is that the Sauvignon Blanc fruit harvested at a lower brix level from the blocks used in the field trials produced low alcohol wine of significantly higher sensory quality than from non-treated fruit harvested from the same vineyards. The findings, they believe, have “very exciting” implications in light of efforts underway to develop lower alcohol and less calorific wines that meet the demand of an increasingly lifestyle-attuned market. The results from the first sea-

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

son’s study indicate the technique could have relevance within the seven-year, $17m Lifestyle Wines Partnership Research programme, co-funded by New Zealand Winegrowers and the Government and launched in March 2014. The key focus of the programme is to retain the sensory attributes of a wine style that has an alcohol content of 8-10 percent. While early harvest at lower brix can produce wines with lower alcohol levels, the resulting wines are usually described as thin and lacking fruit character and being of lower quality.

EIT’s most recent research builds on earlier work undertaken by the School of Viticulture and Wine Science to investigate the use of antitranspirant spray as an alternative to defoliating -either by hand or by machine – as a means of regulating yields. Crop removal is a standard practice for achieving vine balance to attain optimum berry ripeness and wine quality in cool climate wine production areas. “This is particularly so for red grape varieties where poor fruit ripening resulting in the presence of green characters in the wine can

be a major quality constraint,â&#x20AC;? says the EIT research team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three years of data on Merlot and two with Sauvignon Blanc varieties showed that application of an antitranspirant spray to the vines just prior to flowering can reduce cluster compactness and hence the incidence of disease while reducing the yield by decreasing fruit set, berry numbers and bunch weight and enhancing fruit ripeness.â&#x20AC;? The EIT researchersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; interest was piqued by comparable research undertaken in Italy which also evaluated the early season application of antitranspirants on grapevines. The Italian team, led by agricultural scientists Professor Alberto Palliotti, found that this approach achieved similar results. In addition, the Italians found an antitranspirant application to the upper two-thirds of the canopy

The aroma, taste and mouth feel profile of a lower alcohol Sauvignon Blanc wine shows the effect of antitranspirant application. The blue line is the control line, the green line is for antitranspirant applied at veraison and the red line is for antitranspirant applied 10 days after veraison.

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at veraison reduced the rate of sugar accumulation, resulting in a 1.2 reduction in the brix level in berries at harvest and a one percent reduction in alcohol content. The EIT team were encouraged to trial the Italian antitranspirant approach locally. A natural organic compound extracted from the resin of pine, antitranspirant is commonly used to preserve and protect newly-transplanted plants from drying out too quickly. After application, it breaks down under ultraviolet light after three or four weeks. A study undertaken during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons centred on Sauvignon Blanc blocks some five kilometres apart in the Bridge Pa Triangle. The results established that the antitranspirant application at veraison temporarily blocked the pores on the underside surface of the leaves so that water loss was

72 //

reduced dramatically and so, the researchers say, this may affect photosynthesising by the vines. In order to get wines of lower alcohol, the fruit was harvested early when sugars were around the 18 brix level, some 8-10 days before optimum ripeness. The Sauvignon Blanc fruit was made

transpirant treated fruit, which is responsible for the green capsicum characters in Sauvignon Blanc. “The major effect of the application of an antitranspirant spray at veraison was found to be an influence on wine sensory quality.”

“The major effect of the application of an antitranspirant spray at veraison was found to be an influence on wine sensory quality.” into a 10 percent alcohol wine in EIT’s on-campus winery. “The results in both seasons found that while there was some evidence of a reduction in sugar accumulation by the grapes initially, there was no difference in the standard ripeness measures at the time of harvest. The exception was a reduction in the methoxypyrazine levels in anti-

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Eighteen trained panellists trained by Vasconcelos – undergraduate and postgraduate wine science students and faculty members with extensive wine tasting experience – assessed the wine made from grapes harvested in the first season of the study, and their sensory data covering taste and aroma appraisals was recorded in the study. (The second year of

wine assessment appraisals are still to be carried out.) The panellists found that the antitranspirant spray influenced wine quality, noting a lower level of green characters and enhanced tropical fruit and floral aromas. The study concluded that the use of antitranspirant applied to the upper canopy of vines at veraison to influence the rate of grape ripening appeared to enhance the rate at which physiological ripeness was achieved. As such, it is a potentially useful method for producing lower alcohol wines while minimising a loss of quality. King and Vasconcelos believe further study is needed to investigate changes in the levels of compounds responsible for wine aroma and taste, the role of seasonal influences and the effect of antitranspirant sprays on other cultivars. ■ maryshanahan173@gmail.com

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REGIONS WAIRARAPA

TASTE OF JAPAN JOELLE THOMSON

t’s a sunny mid winter day in one of New Zealand’s smallest wine regions when Hiro Kusuda talks about his newest vineyard acquisition; a 1.6 hectare block of Pinot Noir, the grapes from which are destined to make their way into a wine that retails for $90 to $100, mostly to Japan. Hiro bought the vineyard this year because he knows it well. He had purchased the grapes grown on this block from its previous owner, sorting through every single berry individually to discard any that were less than perfect looking. Not that there are always a large number of berries to sort through, this being Martinborough, which is one of the most windy areas in New Zealand. When it comes to wine, the

wind tops the list of the Wairarapa’s pros and cons, followed in swift order by rain, humidity and highly changeable weather patterns, including spring and autumn frosts. “The wind can be both a con and a pro,” says 52 year old Kusuda, who made his home in Martinborough in 2001 with his wife, Reiko, and two children. It is not only the thin skinned Pinot Noir grape that is affected by the wind. “In 2015, a couple of weaker plants in a Syrah vineyard lost about 90% of their canopy because the leaves couldn’t resist the continual shaking by the wind. After a couple of days of shaking they just gave up. That’s an absolute con, but the pro is that the wind

is a natural yield control and this can concentrate the intensity of tannins because it reduces both berry and bunch size.” That said, the wind’s negative impacts on vines in the Wairarapa takes some taming. One of the combative measures that Kusuda uses is vineyard clips. The use of these is an attempt to keep the vine shoots as parallel as possible so that they are not pushed into the shade, which can prevent efficient photosynthesis, as well as limit the air circulation around grape bunches. Another yield control, of sorts, is the rigorous sorting of every individual berry, post-harvest. The idea of berry sorting come partially from Kusuda’s brother, a wine lover and, incidentally, the

Pruning time for Hiro Kusuda.

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

translator of the first edition of American Robert Parker’s book on Bordeaux into Japanese. “It became the norm for us to sort every single berry from about 2007 or 2008 vintage. But we began trialling this intensely time consuming practice in 2006 when we had a lot of shrivelled berries and a bit of mould. We decided at the time that the mould may impact on the purity of the wine’s flavour and we tried our best to remove those berries in 2006.” This time consuming labour of love is not undertaken only by Kusuda himself. He has a growing number of volunteers from Japan – again, thanks to his brother who is a lecturer for the biggest wine school there. “He has a lot of students. Many have no financial pressure and they have a passion for wine. I have found that the Japanese may be a lot slower at sorting berries than locals, but the level of attention to detail is something I can’t ask for. It’s another one of those things that has its pros and its cons because it takes them so long but it can result in very good quality wine.” One of the tougher challenges for Kusuda to combat is alcohol levels, which he attempts to address by moving harvest dates forward, when the weather makes this possible. “I have been successful in being able to limit the alcohol levels in my wines to about 13.5 and sometimes 13, or even less. The challenge is to reduce alcohol levels overall, without getting green wines as a result.” To date, he has achieved this with experiments on relatively early picking dates of between 7 to

10 days earlier than can be standard in the Wairarapa. He suggests that yield management may be another way of keeping alcohol levels in check. Like a number of others in the New Zealand wine industry (including Master of Wine Stephen Wong, winemaker John Porter and sommelier-turned-French café owner, Rusty Donworth), Kusuda set out to become a lawyer before having his head turned by wine. There are no disappointments that he never practiced law, he says, citing the curious case of a cat, a microwave and a law suit in the United States. Without going into all the details, he suggests that being a lawyer means having to tolerate people for whom commonsense is in short supply. He does not see himself as being well suited to that type of role. Prior to winemaking, he did,

however, enjoy a corporate life working for Fujitsu in Sydney with his wife Reiko, who he met in Africa on his backpacker travels in the mid 1980s. That trip also saw him meet a young German from a winemaking family in the Rheingau, and he later studied winemaking at Geisenheim in Germany. His interest in wine was triggered by his older brother in Tokyo. “Sake, the Japanese rice wine, was his main focus. He regularly had like minded people to his place and they would drink sake and one night he gave me a glass of white wine, a German Riesling. I sipped it and thought ‘that’s yummy’. “That was my first encounter and it drove my interest for wine. Up until that point, I never knew alcohol could taste good.” He was hooked. He then considered studying either the Master of Wine qualification or becoming a winemaker. He chose the

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 75

The painstakingly slow task of hand selecting individual berries.

latter, working in Burgundy in 1999 and eventually settling in New Zealand in the early 2000s after he had worked in Martinborough for part of his thesis when studying at Geisenheim. “Kai Schubert hosted me in Martinborough. He was a few years ahead of me at Geisenheim. So I came here and spent about a month, sometimes helping him

with harvest and then about three months later he came home to Germany and visited me at Geisenheim, saying that we could come and work there again. In 2001 we came out here with a two and a half month old baby and we have made our home here.” It was not only the practical connection that cemented his relationship with New Zealand.

When living in Sydney he had tasted Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, which he describes as the first Pinot Noir outside Burgundy that he thought tasted like Pinot Noir. “Since then, the name Martinborough was firmly in my head.” New Zealand is home now but Japan is the biggest export market for Kusuda Wines. Japan Airlines also carries the wine in first class,

although he cannot supply the quantities they would ideally like. “This is something I wanted to achieve because if you have small production and demand outstrips supply, then you are freed from many marketing and sales pressures. That’s what I wanted to achieve and I don’t want to lose it.”■ mailme@joellethomson.com

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The fields of our endeavour

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EVENTS BRAGATO

ROMEO BRAGATO CONFERENCE 2016 I

t is now 22 years since the very first Romeo Bragato Conference was held, organised by the New Zealand Grape Growers Council. The initial aim was to provide information on the complexities of grape growing for the ever increasing number of individuals who were entering the industry. Think back to that first ever conference in 1995 if you can. Back then only 74,500 tonnes of grapes were harvested. Marlborough had just become the largest wine producing region in the country, (a total of 24,509 tonnes) with Gisborne a very close second (22,289 tonnes). Sauvignon Blanc was nowhere near the largest producing variety in the country. In fact it came in third behind Muller Thurgau and Chardonnay. Exports in 1995 were 7.7 million litres, at a value of $40 million. The UK was our largest export market, and the export value that year to

78 //

the US was just over $1million dollars. Wow how things have changed in 22 years. Now the Romeo Bragato Conference is the largest wine industry event held in the country. It attracts not just the individual grape growers who make up such a large part of the New Zealand wine industry. It also attracts viticulturists from the major companies, winemakers, marketers and researchers alike. It is an evolving event, with a wide range of sessions aimed at all facets of the industry. The 2016 Conference will continue that all-inclusive theme, with sessions ranging from vineyard ecosystems to building

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

business value, labour challenges and opportunities to the effects of canopy management on fruit flavours, grape pricing to regulatory challenges and opportunities. The lineup of speakers is again a mix of renowned local experts, plus a number from overseas. Each brings with them a special interest and skill, and an insight into where the wine industry is heading and how we can get there. Included among the lineup are; • Miles Beale, Chief Executive, The Wine and Spirit Trade Association • Dr. Michelle Dickinson, Senior Lecturer Faculty Of Engineering,

Auckland University • Laurance Kubiak, CEO, NZIER • Malcolm Rands, Founder Of Ecostore • Professor Mat Goddard, Lincoln University (UK) And University Of Auckland (NZ) • Dr. Renelle O’Neill, Scientist, Linnaeus Laboratory • Al McCone, Programme Manager Agriculture, WorksafeNZ • Dr. Paul Smith, Research Manager – Chemistry, The Australian Wine Research Institute • Dr. Martin Day, Research Scientist, Australian Wine Research Institute • Dr. Eric Wilkes, The Australian Wine Institute • Mike Jones, Senior Dealer, BNZ Markets • Doug Avery, Founder of The Resilient Farmer Programme • Dr. Kieren Elborough, General Manager Science Breeding & Genomics, Plant & Food Research • Candice Watson, Head of Beverages & Natural Products, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise USA Add to that list of speakers, the Bragato Wine Awards, and the Bragato dinner, the Bayer NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year and the Tonnelliere de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year, and the two and a half day programme is a full one. Once again the Conference is being held in Marlborough, at the recently opened ASB Theatre, from 10.30am August 24 until midday August 26. To register visit; www.bragato. org.nz

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YOUNG GUNS

Brought to you by NMIT

COMPETITION WINNERS It has been nearly a year since Caleb Dennis and Lauren Swift took out the national titles for Bayer Young Viticulturist and Tonnnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker, respectively. So 12 months on, NZ Winegrower asked them a few questions. How were you influenced to take part in the original competition?

Bay. Also to be able to showcase my skills of what is done in a year into a days competition.

I saw advertising for it through social media and had friends in the industry pushing me to get into it. So I entered very light heartedly, hand wrote my application – since which I have been told was unacceptable! Haha.

How great was the step up to the nationals?

What did you hope to achieve? I hoped to win it! I was at the point in my career where it needed a boost and this event was a great way to draw attention to my talent and be taken as a serious young key player for the region. Also it has brought great media coverage for Ash Ridge too! What did you gain firstly from the regionals? From the regionals it was great to meet and realize all the great young talent there is in Hawke’s

It was a step up. There was a lot of hype and stress around the event, and also being in my home town I felt I needed to succeed for the region. I am lucky in my role at Ash Ridge as it is so varied day to day so my overall understanding is great. And I had the opportunity more at nationals to showcase what I do on a daily basis – such as fining trials which is backed up with experience. The highlight of representing your region in the national competition? It was great to have so much support throughout the event – helpful that it was in Hawkes Bay! I truly believe the Hawkes Bay has some very strong young

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winemakers and going forward I hope the region continues to win!

my career and fast forwarded me on my path which has remained the same.

Part of the prize was to judge at the Bragato Wine Awards – how important is that to you?

Travel funds as part of the prize – how have you used those to benefit your career?

I am yet to do the judging! It is mid August. But I am very much looking forward to it! Judging is something I have been wanting to get into and I think it will only help in my overall winemaking to see styles and taste so many award winning wines!

After winning the competition I got on a plane to France to work a vintage in the Northern Rhone Valley. I decided, while I was there to take a week to meet with Tonnellerie de Mercurey Cooperage – major sponsor. Which was incredible!!

Having won, how has it impacted on your career in the past 12 months?

I got to meet the owner and the GM of the company and they took time out of their busy lives to show me their process from forests and differences in forest management, the stave mill through to the cooperage. There is a lot of work that goes into a barrel. As well as being wined and dined in some amazing places, I met some producers that are big fans of Mercurey barrels and being able to try wines in the oak to see what each toast did was an experience I will never forget.

I feel like winning Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the year has been a huge credit to myself and also for Ash Ridge. I feel I can be taken as a serious winemaker and I hope to think the wines are backing that up too. I have had more photo shoots in the past year compared to the rest of my life. The media aspect has been great and I hope I can continue being a face for young up and coming winemakers of New Zealand. This year I am on the committee for the HB regional event. In terms of your future, how important will this win be? I think this event has boosted

Grow your career Study viticulture and winemaking in Marlborough, the heart of New Zealand’s wine industry. “In our first week we had fields trips as well as a full on week in the sensory lab tasting wines. What an incredible experience” - Rachel, Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking

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This year I have made my own first wine. So my ‘travel money’ has gone into the costs of fruit and of course a brand new Mercurey barrel! Watch this space it will be a wine to try. ■

How were you influenced to take part in the original competition? Good old peer pressure got me involved in the first competition, after that I was hooked. What did you hope to achieve? The first time round was just to learn and not make a fool of myself! After that I realised that it is a great opportunity to network and test yourself against your peers, as well as an opportunity to put yourself out there in the industry and gain exposure to things you may not otherwise have been able to.

nmit.ac.nz/viticulture Check out Rachel’s classroom

What did you gain firstly from the regionals? The regionals were a great way to understand the competition and prepare for what the nationals may have in store for you. Also to get to know a range of people from your region you may not otherwise have come across.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 83

Brought to you by NMIT How great was the step up to the nationals? The Nationals certainly were a step up, everything is just taken to a higher level and requires a bit more in-depth knowledge as well as a higher level of skill, but nothing a bit of practice can’t take care of. The highlight of representing your region in the national competition? It was great to be able to compete in my region with so many people coming along to support me, and keeping the title in Hawke’s Bay was pretty good. Having won, how has it impacted on your career in the past 12 months? It has really opened some doors for me and allowed me opportunities that I otherwise may not have had. I’m sure these will continue as long as I build on them and will only be a positive for my career long term. In terms of your future, how important will this win be? I think this will play a pretty important part in keeping me progressing in my career. There have been many opportunities that have come from winning and these will help me keep moving forwards. You received travel funds as part of the prize – how have you used those to benefit your career?

PHOTO: TIM WHITTAKER.

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PINOT 2017 PROFILE

GRASSHOPPER ROCK MARK ORTON

side from Two Paddocks, who aren’t purely Alexandra based with vineyards in Gibbston and Bannockburn, Grasshopper Rock are the only bona fide Alexandra-basin vineyard attending Pinot Noir 2017, which might seem a little odd. Though for managing director Phil Handford, it’s essential that Grasshopper Rock are represented in Wellington. “As a vineyard with one grape variety and one wine, we have to be there alongside some of the greatest names in New Zealand Pinot Noir. We want to be on that stage representing Central Otago. The international exposure and being seen as part of this group is invaluable to us. You can never quite tell what might come out of that exposure and the Emirates deal is an example of that” That Emirates deal is something of a coup for the small Alexandra vineyard that produces just 4000 cases a year. Certainly creating a few headlines in local press, some of whom trumpeted the sale of 144,000 bottles to Emirates as the biggest individual sale of wine from a Central Otago producer to an international airline, Handford is noticeably upbeat. “Taking a quarter of one year’s production is huge as the biggest thing for us in this game is stock and cash flow management. I kind of look sideways at people who say that they like to hold their wine back. The other thing about Emirates is the increased exposure that we’ll get, and then Air NZ have also bought some of our 2014 for their

business class which is very nice.” The association with Air New Zealand doesn’t end there either. Winning the Champion Wine of the show at the Air New Zealand wine awards for their 2010 Pinot, Grasshopper Rock’s rise has been pretty meteoric considering that the vineyard was only established in 2003, which in Alexandra basin terms, is actually quite young. Though, for the five families that brought the land and started the vineyard, they planned for nothing less. “It’s taken us longer than we initially thought to get to this point and I guess that is being overly optimistic” says Handford. “Having worked in a bank, the biggest problem is always overoptimistic people and we probably fell into that trap. I guess we had courage but were probably a little bit naive about what it would take.” The bank Handford mentions, is the Rural Bank where he worked and met some of the partners that got together to set up Grasshopper Rock. So with a background in dairy farming, what attracted the owners to the wine industry and Pinot Noir in particular? “We were all from agricultural backgrounds and thought it would be good to establish a business or brand that we could grow, and with the growth and recognition for Pinot Noir in Central Otago we decided to start hunting out

the right piece of land. When this site came up and we started to do some homework on it, we were immediately confident due to the fact that there were some good berries being grown in close proximity. Though I think the biggest key was aspect, having good shelter and drainage and this site ticked all the boxes.” After looking into the potential to grow Riesling alongside their Pinot Noir, and possibly increasing the size of the vineyard, the owner’s decided that they didn’t want to be distracted by other varieties. “From our history, the dairy industry was all about producing as much as you could for the lowest price. Financially, we realised that with Pinot Noir it would have to be a long-term plan, but the potential to produce a really good product was there. Sure, Marlborough Sauvignon might have been a much better cash flow operation, but to us, there just wasn’t the same excitement.” Named after a rare endangered Grasshopper (Sigaus Childi), found only amongst the Earnscleugh gold tailings nearby, the first

vintage from the Grasshopper Rock was in 2006 which meant some very tricky times when going to the market at the end of 2007. Trying to market a premium product from an unknown producer was a wee bit of a wake-up call. “In our early days we quickly realised that trying to set a price of $40+ for a bottle of our wine wouldn’t open too many doors in Auckland. So we had to price ourselves to get some instant recognition and push some volume through, and then the global financial crisis happened.” Trying to establish an export market during what many economists called the worst financial crisis since the great depression might have seemed overly optimistic but that is what the team from Grasshopper Rock did. “We had a good look at all our options, should we sell our grapes or not even bother producing grapes and have a year off? But when you do the numbers, it makes no sense as the costs don’t go away. So we just continued battling away and very fortunately established a relationship with Naked Wines in the UK” Working an on-line system where members (called Angels) put money into an account every month, which allows them to buy wine at a better rate, the cash flow from Naked Wines was

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invaluable for their first foray into an international market. Now exporting 50 percent of their wine to international destinations that also include Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea and Australia, Grasshopper Rock continues to be a shining light amongst the oftenoverlooked Pinot Noir producers in the Alexandra sub-region of Central Otago. Part of that success is due to some glowing accolades

from wine scribes and another gold medal at the International Wine Challenge (London) in 2016. “From our point of view, more than the medals, it’s being able to achieve consistency across the vintages in terms of the quality that we set out for in the beginning. We also try to stick with what we want to do and what is working for us, rather than listen to too many people. Unfortunately, in this

industry, there are people that want to drag you in all sorts of directions. We did our homework on this place, but the wine and quality have still exceeded our expectations. It just seems like every year we are able to pick really nice fruit that is nicely balanced.” With all five families still involved in the governorship of Grasshopper Rock, just with slightly different shareholdings,

this is a real example of a collaborative dream that certainly doesn’t suffer from a too-many cooks syndrome. “The reason it has worked well is that we have stuck to what we said we would do and we have produced a really good product” says Handford. “We get together once a year, and the key to it has been that we all have the same goal and want to have fun. We are really excited to see where we will be at in 20 years time. We aren’t going to expand, 4000 cases is us, so we’ll build on our consistency, get more recognition and focus on the markets that are most profitable”. Grasshopper Rock is one of 37 wineries from Central Otago and Waitaki attending Pinot Noir 2017 in Wellington. For more details on the event visit www.pinotnz.co.nz■ seeingredmedia@yahoo.com

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Grasshopper Rock’s Phil Handford.

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BOB’S BLOG BOB CAMPBELL MW

LISTENER/VIEWER/READER FEEDBACK It’s always good to get feedback from a wine column, Internet Blog or radio show. I wrote a column in the NBR magazine for years before deciding to quit when they changed the format. The only feedback I’d had the

entire time was from my wife who criticised my writing style suggesting I write more like John Hawkesby. In the week after I stopped writing for NBR I received letters and emails from 32 readers, some of whom had

collected every column. If I’d known about that level of interest I would not have quit. I do a regular wine talk on NewstalkZB with Jack Tame on Saturday mornings (at 10:50am since you ask) and recently listed

my top wines under $20 by type. I tapped into a rich seam. Wine shops sold out of some of my chosen wines that same day. It’s nice to know that my mum is not the only one who listens to my five-minute chat.

LONDON I once again chaired the New Zealand section of the Decanter World Wine Awards in London this year and enjoyed taking part in an incredibly well organised wine show. What I did not enjoy was London weather in April/May. It snowed during the judging and the temperature during my two kilometre walk to the judging venue each morning hovered at around -2C. I had a hectic social calendar in the evenings following judging with back-to-back dinners for the entire week. Great to catch up with distant friends and to be plied with some very exciting wines the most memorable of which was ’82 Haut Brion alongside ’82 Mouton. It was a tough call but my vote went to the Haut Brion. My New Zealand Wine Certificate course on the top floor of New Zealand house attracted a near-capacity crowd of 47 people for the one-day event. Impeccable organisation and well-promoted by one of my favourite ex-pat Kiwis, Melanie Brown, founder of The NZ Cellar, a successful wine retail business in London. Mel was ably assisted by Rosie Finn, daughter of Tim and Judy from Neudorf. I expected most of the students to be ex-pats, and many were, but they were outnumbered by locals who had discovered New Zealand wine and wanted to know, and drink, more. I felt very proud of the New Zealand wine industry and of the wines offered at my course.

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SANTA BARBARA When I travel with my wife, Marion, to London and back she always insists on having a stopover in Los Angeles. We lived in LA for twoand-a-half years so it’s a bit of a second home to us. If you plan to make a similar journey I can heartily recommend the following stopover scenario. Every hour a bus to Santa Barbara circulates LAX, collecting passengers at designated stops. Details on www.sbairbus.com . The mostly scenic and always interesting trip to Santa Barbara takes two hours and costs round US$50 per person. We stay at the Hotel Santa Barbara in the main street a short walk from The Urban Wine Trail and The Funk Zone. These two evocatively named areas are populated by winery cellar doors and restaurants. You can taste as many local wines as you wish, or can afford, just a couple of hundred metres from the hotel. The region makes good Pinot Noir and Riesling although I thought the greatest strengths were wines made from Rhone varieties, both red and white.

WINETOPIA ROCKS Wine Auckland changed its name to Winetopia this year and staged an enormously successful two-day event which was attended by less wineries than last year but many more consumers. I spent the entire time running Masterclasses to a very receptive audience. There was a fantastic vibe throughout the whole event which is now a permanent part of the Auckland wine scene. I got enthusiastic feedback from all the attending wine producers I spoke to.

BOUTIQUE WINE AWARDS I limit the wine shows I judge in a year to one in Auckland (The NZ International Wine Show), one in Sydney (The Six Nations Wine Competition) and London (The Decanter World Wine Awards) but allowed myself to be talked into judging the Boutique Wine Awards in Sydney this year. It is limited to wine producers in Australia and New Zealand who crush less than 250 tonnes of grapes. The Boutique Wine Awards is quite a large wine show and the overall standard of entries is high. I suspected that the wine that won the Pinot Noir trophy as well as the trophy for Best Red Wine might have been a Kiwi entry. It was. Congratulations to Judge Rock for their terrific 2014 Pinot Noir made from grapes grown in the Alexandra district of Central Otago. Last year Waipara producer, Mount Brown, won the Pinot Noir trophy, Top Red trophy and Top Wine trophy. The growing number of accolades earned by New Zealand Pinot Noir makes me wonder whether we might soon be able to claim second place, behind Burgundy.

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WINEMAKING NEWS

CHARDONNAY VESSELS TESSA NICHOLSON

hen it comes to Chardonnay maturation vessels, the winemaker has a long list at his fin-

ger tips. The problem is choosing which best suits their style. Should it be stainless steel, short and squat or tall and thin? Oak barrels, or maybe a Fuder or barrique? New or old oak, French or American? – the list goes on. Then there is the option of either an amphora made from ceramic or terracotta. And the latest vessel off the rank, (in New Zealand at least) is the concrete egg. You could say winemakers are spoilt for choice, given each style of vessel imparts something different to the wine. Tony Bish, from Sacred Hill and Tony Bish Wines pointed out the pros and cons of each option at this year’s Chardonnay Symposium, held in Gisborne. Starting with stainless steel; which Bish said is an inert and sterile environment to mature wine in.

“Some might say it is soulless, but it is also a very practical fermentation storage option.” This is a case though where size really does matter, because dimensions have a considerable affect on the interaction between wine and yeast. “A v i s i t to C h a b l i s demonstrates their understanding of this, with the majority of tanks being almost square in proportion. This format maximizes the interface surface area of wine to lees and furthermore the shallow depth of lees enables more effective lees stirring in the tank and a less reductive environment for those yeast sitting at the bottom.” If you choose to mature Chardonnay in a tall, thin tank, the deeper yeast bed can often lead to issues which Bish describes as a “sludgy type of reduction, with expressions in the wine of bulginess and cheesiness.” His recommendation when using stainless steel? “It’s preferable to select your shortest, widest

stainless steel vessel for ferment and maturation if you intend to age on lees and somehow through that achieve more effective lees stirring.” For centuries, oak vessels have been the preferred choice when it comes to fermenting and maturing Chardonnay and Burgundy and Bish said it is more often than not associated with the premium and super premium wines. “There seems to be a wonderful synergy between well seasoned oak and the flavours arising from Chardonnay. Consumers have been somewhat conditioned to appreciate oak flavours, sometimes in not very subtle ways and tend to associate oak or heavily oaked wines with high quality and prices.” Oak is worthy of an article all on its own, given there are so many choices out there for winemakers. Not just in terms of where the oak comes from; country, region, forest etc, but what size of oak vessel would suit the particular wine best.

“From the traditional Bugundy 228 litre barrique, through to hogs head, puncheons demi muids, right through to the big vats – vessel size and shape provide much creative scope before forest grain, seasoning, percentage new, the cooper, or toast levels are even considered. “Hence the oak options are enormously complex and highly impactful on the wine style and quality.” Size again matters as it will influence ferment temperature, oxygen ingress, flavour and lees to wine surface area. “Ultimately the winemaker’s job is to find the right combination of oak vessel selection to maximize the quality of a particular vineyard’s juice,” Bish said. “What works for one vineyard may very well not work at all for another.” The last options available for winemakers to consider are the age old alternative vessels in ceramic, terracotta or concrete. While widely employed in Europe,

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the States and South America, they have only recently been employed here in New Zealand. A few wineries are utilising ceramic and clay options which Bish believes need to be carefully considered. “The relatively high porosity of clay can cause issues and lining such amphora with beeswax as happens at times, introduces a foreign and somewhat unusual character to the wine.” As for concrete eggs, Bish himself is about to release his own Chardonnay matured in such a vessel. He admits to being sold on the option. “The convection currents in egg shaped vessels keeps the lees

in suspension, so the wine remains cloudy and protected from oxidation. Furthermore the relatively rough inside surface texture on the concrete vessels gives purchase to yeast and tartrates so the bottom half of the chemistry of the egg is completely coated in lees. This provides a massive surface area, greater than any other vessel option I know of.” While New Zealanders are renowned for being innovative in many fields of the wine industry, Bish believes when it comes to vessel choice, we tend to be conservative and stick with the conventional. “Many fail to explore the many vessel options available and those that do I applaud. We are blessed with amazing quality of fruit here. And have such wonderful raw material to work with. It is incumbent on us to choose the right vessel – it will determine style, price, expression, longevity and reputation.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com Tony Bish is sold on aging Chardonnay in concrete eggs.

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VINE HEALTH

WILL LARGE CROPS IMPACT VINES? Dr Damian Martin and Dr Marc Greven. Reported by Tessa Nicholson

pare a thought for the millions of vines around New Zealand that have been seriously tested over recent years. Large crops in 2014, followed by a dry year. Low crops in 2015 and one of the worst droughts on record. Then large crops again in 2016. What is the likely impact of those past years on the vines themselves and how can you prevent placing them under more stress in the season to come? While the past two years of dry may have caused concern, Dr Marc

Greven a scientist at Plant & Food Research in Marlborough says recent projects have shown that vines are resilient to water stress. “We have shown in principal that the vines can handle quite a bit of time without water. If you stop irrigation for two or three weeks around veraison there doesn’t seem to be carryover effect on yield the next year. So the drought is not essentially going to be a major driver.” However the same can’t be said about large crop loads and

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the effect of that on the quality of wood available to pruners, according to Dr Damian Martin, Plant & Food’s Science Group Leader in Marlborough. “Generally what happens after a big crop is you have less good wood to choose from for pruning. That is one of the things that drives the lower yields (the following year). You might be wanting to lay down four good canes, but you can only find two good ones, one skinny, ratty one and the fourth cane you

cannot find.” There is also the issue that after large crops, the carbohydrate reserves of the vine can be low going into the following spring, just when they are needed for shoot development. “The vines use all their reserves to grow up to a point and produce all the leaves until a couple of weeks before flowering. So if the vines have run out of carbohydrates by that point and don’t have sufficient leaf area to drive the system, and then you get

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cold weather, that is going to have a big impact on the potential crop load. But you need two or three disruptive events to line up to have a dramatic impact in terms of reduction,” Martin says. If carbohydrate reserves are low, they will show up in the vine the next spring. “If the bud burst is irregular and early season growth is struggling to get up to the wire, then that is a sure sign the carbohydrate supply is low. The best thing you can do is shoot thin as early as possible. (If you don’t) you are spreading a limited amount of carbohydrates over too many shoots. By thinning, the remaining shoots grow individually better. You will have a bit of an impact on yield, but you will not have another carry-over effect the following year.” Martin says Sauvignon Blanc is one of the grape varieties that

Large crop loads like this year can drain vines of carbohydrates required for spring growth. Thankfully though, the long autumn may have given the vines a welcome boost.

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is most susceptible to the carryover effect, because it is known to throw big crops in some years. And that is just what happened in 2016. The 39 percent increase in Marlborough yields (with the majority of that coming from Sauvignon Blanc) has a lot to do with the low yields in 2015. But also the timely bursts of rain in January and March impacted on the size of the berries, something that Greven says was not considered an issue some years ago. “ We a l w a y s u s e d t o consider that berry size was more or less stable. But in the last few years we have come back on that in a big way.” Martin concurs saying that berry size, out of all the yield prediction formulae, was considered to have a plus or minus 10 percent effect. “But be rry weight has influenced (the yield size) by up to 20 percent a couple of times.

Both in 2014 and 2016.” The saving grace for the upcoming season though is Mother Nature, delivering a long, drawn out autumn. “It takes time for any carbohydrates that are left in your vine to become reserves.

right through the vine.” Experience, he says, would say that we don’t need to be panicking a lot. “But the proof will be how the canopies grow early in spring.” Avoiding knee jerk reactions to high and low yields is also advisable, Greven says. Especially

“We always used to consider that berry size was more or less stable. But in the last few years we have come back on that in a big way.” The shoots harden up from the bottom upwards, so they lock in their reserves. But there are a whole lot of carbohydrates in the leaves and the green tissue that need time to migrate back down into the plant. If the vine gets frosted and the leaves fall off then you don’t benefit from that. “But this year we certainly had time for everything to move back down and probably

when it comes to letting yields influence how many canes you lay down that year. He advises growers to learn the capacity of the vineyard, what level of yield it can comfortably deliver, and avoid making too severe adjustments based on the previous year’s yield. After a low yield year do not lay down more canes as the vine is already likely to produce more the following

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year. Similarly after a high yield year the vine will produce less fruit (relatively), the year after. “You might have to adjust it a little bit, but don’t overdo it.” While there is no current research that looks at early spring growth, Martin is hopeful that will change with new technology. He says currently the logistics of going out and doing shoot growth measurements in the spring makes it difficult to provide all important data to the industry. “It is just not practically possible. But with a bit of luck in coming years we might have the technology and cameras that can provide us with that data. There are some things we should be able to do in that space to provide better decision support for the grower, especially around that early season growth – because it is really important.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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rom the many chats I have had with people who are in the privileged position to own a vineyard, it never ceases to amaze me how optimistic and determined they are when talking about the sweat, tears and dollars that go into making great wine. Though, this is from people who often have a lifetime of history with wine. So what is it like to buy a vineyard with no experience having only set foot on it for

30 minutes, and then decide to manage it yourself? What if that vineyard was one of the first to be established in Central Otago and planted in one of the gnarliest sites known to vines? Well that is what Joss Purbrick and his wife Belinda Green did in 2014. First planted in 1981, the 21Ha Black Ridge site has achieved iconic status due to its longevity and the pioneering work of previous owners Sue Edwards and Verdun Burgess. Their feat

of building a vineyard by blasting rock for post-holes is nothing short of amazing, if not slightly bonkers. Deciding to grow grapes on possibly the southern-most site in the world, at a time when wine wasn’t even on the map in Alexandra, branded Verdun and Sue as crazy visionaries. Sculptured on land sandwiched between hefty schist outcrops, just walking around the vineyard takes skill, let alone attempting to use vineyard machinery. It’s the

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To arrange FREE on site measuring and a fixed price contact us on: kind of slightly surreal landscape that would make anyone fond of rocks salivate, which is just as well, as new owner Joss Purbrick is a geologist. Arriving in New Zealand in 2002 with his wife Belinda Green and sons, the family settled in Dunedin as Green had a position as a cardiologist. During their early years in Dunedin, Purbrick tried his hand at farming after purchasing some land at Waitati. During their regular trips into Central Otago, often for clinics run by Green, Purbrick had noticed the Black Ridge sign when taking the shortcut route through Earnscleugh. “As a Geologist I always admired those rocky outcrops never once thinking that we’d end up here and to tell you the truth, I actually knew nothing about Black Ridge. My only experience with wine at that stage was in South Africa. I worked for a mining company that mined bentonite, which is used for fining wine

amongst other things, so I used to go around wineries selling our stuff.” Fast forward a number of years to 2010 and with the farm sold in Waitati so the family could be closer to the hospital in Dunedin, Purbrick spotted a for sale notice for Black Ridge and decided to inquire. After discovering that “they wanted vast sums of money” he immediately forgot about it. Then, four years pass and Purbrick was reading the newspaper when he notices yet another for-sale advertisement for Black Ridge. It had never sold. “The ad said that the vineyard had to be sold in two weeks by auction, so I phoned up and discovered that there were limited viewing times. So I drove up and was given 30 minutes on the property. I did manage to meet Verdun who was leaf-stripping at the time and I had a five- minute conversation with him and that was it.” Now, even the most experienced vineyard investors would

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be pushed to get any information to make an informed purchase in 30 minutes, especially given the scope of Black Ridge, but Purbrick wasn’t perturbed. Even though he still didn’t know what goods and chattels were included in the auction. “Well, I figured if I could get it

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at the right price, if all else fails it would probably still be worth the land value.” After consulting Belinda who was enthusiastic (though Joss mentions in retrospect that this mightn’t be the case), he decided to attend the auction in Queenstown after the real estate agent

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

said “it will be worth his while”. But, after getting as far as Cromwell and getting a puncture, he decided that it wasn’t to be, and decided to skip the auction and head back to Dunedin. Though before Joss could get back on the road, the real estate agent phoned with news that the auction had

been turned in, so Purbrick continued on to Queenstown. “Well, I got there and offered a sum of money which was nothing like they were originally wanting, and somehow I got it. I knew nothing about harvesting grapes and this was the end of February 2014, and I had just bought a vineyard that I had only seen for half an hour. What’s more, I hadn’t even thought about wine stock.” Joss worked out an agreement with Verdun and Sue where they would stay on for a few more months and complete the harvest. “When we really took over in June 2014, I was like - what do we do now? It was only then that I met the winemakers and they weren’t happy, as they hadn’t been informed about the sale.” Apart from figuring out what stock he had, who was available to work locally and even where the various grape varieties were

planted, Joss had to quickly school himself up on the Black Ridge story, which he did by reading anything he could find on-line about the vineyard. “The first thing we were advised to do was to change over the pruning system, from a crownpruning set-up, which had been established at the very beginning, to a double cordon system. Verdun actually advised us against this, and he was probably correct as I think we were far too gung-ho trying to change everything at once” Changing the pruning system in one drastic move did set the plants back, but if that was the only issue that Joss had to overcome, then in hindsight he would have taken it. From staffing issues to a complete lack of irrigation plans, Joss still laughs about the predicament he found himself in. “There were no records, no

irrigation plans…nothing, even to this day I still don’t know where everything is, because the only way to find it is to dig it up. But quite often when you are digging you break things”. So, in light of some pretty substantial issues in their first year of ownership, the omens weren’t good for the 2015 harvest either, which Joss describes as a “complete disaster.” From a troublesome tractor (that was actually too large for the property), to rotting bird nets, an out-of-control gorse problem, and a historic powdery mildew problem that Joss didn’t know about, the final straw was a major fire at the entrance to the property destroying their borehole. “When we came to harvest, the quality was so poor, that we could only make wine out of some of the Pinot Noir, some of the Breidecker block, and some of the Riesling.

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With the water problems and lack of nutrition in the soil, we have a real battle here.” The water issues didn’t stop once the main bore was fixed either. Joss discovered a burgeoning population of algae in the vineyard pipework blocking the water drippers. “This is one of the very first irrigation systems put in for vines in this region. It’s getting old, it was never properly designed and all put together with a wing and a prayer, with a bit of number 8 wire thrown in. I estimate that there is somewhere in the vicinity of 30,000 drippers on this property and to unblock them is a major problem. What’s even crazier, was when I discovered that rainwater downpipe has been used to pump water up to our catchment at the top of the ridge. It’s not supposed to be put under any pressure but it has been there over 20 years and

is still going”. As Joss has pretty much been shouldering all the issues associated with breathing life back into Black Ridge alone, I wonder what his wife Belinda thinks about the Faulty-Tower like escapades? “She is getting pretty frustrated now, but we have decided to give it another year and see if we can get it sorted. Now that we have done a second year of pruning and started to get on top of what was really needed, we have also settled on a vineyard team that are doing a great job. The major issue now

is cash flow, as there was nothing in the way of sales when we took over.” With plans in place to revamp their marketing and establish links with agents to sell their wine, Joss realizes that viticultural issues aside, the future of Black Ridge will depend on their ability to get wine in front of consumers who want to purchase it. “ No w t h a t I h av e t h e experience of being here and have an idea of the costs, I believe this place can make some money just as long as there isn’t an economic

downturn. I would really prefer to keep this place running, but the reality is people have approached me about buying the property for residential development. So, we also need to find ways to generate income from other aspects of the property, I’ve even thought about sticking a small church up on a knoll and having weddings”. Divine intervention aside, it would be such a shame if such an amazing legacy in terms of the Central Otago wine story was lost. ■ seeingredmedia@yahoo.com

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MARKETING NEWS

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WINE NEWS

CHURCH ROAD’S ALTERNATIVES JOELLE THOMSON

f pronounceability translates directly to saleability, then nobody seems to have told the wine drinkers in Hawke’s Bay about it because sales of Marzemino and Tempranillo are rocking out the door of Church Road Wines. “Reds have a better value perception in people’s minds than whites when it comes to alternative wine styles,” says winemaker Chris Scott, who has found that people are happy to shell out more for alternative reds than for alternative whites – even when the

108 //

whites cost less. “We hear all the time that wines won’t sell if they’re hard to pronounce but I haven’t really found that to be the case at all, particularly where Marzemino is concerned because it has built up a loyal band of followers who know it and buy it. This includes both staff and customers at the winery,” Scott says. The first commercial vintage of Marzemino from Hawke’s Bay was in 2005 and it has been made every year since, selling predominantly from the cellar door where

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

customers routinely ask for and pre-order the wine. While Scott’s focus is on making Marzemino to drink while it is youthful, he says that the wine appears to age well, even though it never has big challenging tannins. “For a red without massive big tannins, it does hold its freshness and its strong colour well,” says Scott, who sug-

gests that the deep ruby colour of Marzemino works as a natural preservative in the wine by soaking up oxygen because anthocyanins are highly reactive. “Generally what happens with tannin astringency is that you start off with little tannin molecules in a wine when it’s very young and then, through aeration or maturation, you get polymerisation of those and the very small tannin chains have a hardness or a bitterness

about them.” The experimentation into Marzemino and other non mainstream grape varieties first began at Church Road Wines in 1995 when head viticulturist Gary Wood planted 15 different grape varieties in a vineyard in Moteo, which Scott worked on. Grapes were first harvested from that vineyard in 1998 and an experimental bunch of wines were made. “It was winemaking on a mini scale and we did this for about three years, settling on Marzemino and Teroldego, which is another northern Italian red grape.” It also did well but the vine stock was badly virused and it was the only stock in the country so they did not persist with it. Marzemino was, however, planted at Redstone Vineyard in Bridge Pa Triangle and there are now approximately 150 hectares of it growing.

The other successful alternative red variety at Church Road is Tempranillo, which is made from grapes planted with budwood that Scott says he obtained from John Hancock of Trinity Hiill. Tempranillo is perhaps a more obvious variety to experiment with because it ripens earlier and because Church Road Wines’ parent company, Pernod Ricard, owns vineyards and wineries in Rioja, Spain, including Campo Viejo. “One of the winemakers from Spain came out a few years ago and couldn’t believe we weren’t growing Tempranillo; he felt it would do well as it’s an early ripening grape variety,” says Scott. Rioja can have relatively hot days during the summer but its high altitude makes it a relatively cool region. “We find here in Hawke’s Bay that the best wines come from years when we get good heat over

Church Road winemaker, Chris Scott.

summer. If you get a cooler summer, the Tempranillo goes through veraison very slowly and you get mixed maturity and not such a good wine,” Scott says. He and the Church Road Wines team have also experimented with lesser known white grape varieties, such as Sauvignon Gris and Verdelho, but with limited success. “They generally haven’t really lasted for us; the sales have been

very hard, even at the cellar door where we can sell 150 cases a year of Marzemino but where we struggle to we sell 20 cases of Verdelho, so it’s difficult to justify.” Scott says he is keen to plant and work with two minor Bordeaux varieties, both of which have substantial colour, perfume and tannin; Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Watch this space.■ mailme@joellethomson.com

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 109

ORGANIC NEWS

VILLA’S ORGANIC GROWTH TESSA NICHOLSON

iven Villa Maria only began their first organic conversion in 2000, it is impressive to see that 28 percent of all the company vineyards are being run organically in 2016. And there is more to come. Executive Director Fabian Yukich says the company goal is to increase from the current 28 percent to 50 percent within the next three and a half years. The first discussions on establishing an organic block began back in 1999, he says. Once they had decided, they chose a block of land in Hawke’s Bay for the initial conversion. But he admits, they may have been a little too optimistic at the time. “We started a very ambitious

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Fabian Yukich

project, which didn’t quite work out as we planned. The scale was the problem. We had about 80 hectares at the beginning but ended

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

up scaling that back to 21 hectares. What happened is we probably didn’t have all the tools in the toolbox needed to manage an organic vineyard on such a large scale at that time. We didn’t understand all the issues we would face to start with, but we were prepared to learn.” It was 2007 when 21 hectares of the Joseph Soler Vineyard in Gimblett Gravels was certified organic, but Villa Maria went even further. They achieved full BioGro certification for the winemaking, bottling and even the export warehousing. Today the organic vineyards are spread across three regions, Auckland, Hawke’s

Bay and Marlborough. Within the vineyards 10 varieties are included and the wines being produced are gaining some outstanding results Yukich says. “The 2013 Braided Gravels Single Vineyard Merlot has won a number of very good write ups and accolades including a trophy, six gold medals and two 5 star ratings. That was a very good year, but this was an exceptional wine off that vineyard. And if you look at the Templar Sauvignon Blanc vineyard in Marlborough, it produces some very, very good wine for us.” With a goal of increasing the company owned organic vineyard percentage to 50 by 2020, he says they have a number of sites currently going through the certification process, and they are learning all the time. “We have such a better handle on how we should be doing this properly and we are getting much better results. Our yields are much more consistent than they were in the early days, before we understood how to best manage the individual sites and varieties. Our vineyard managers have become much more skilled in using soil health and natural processes to achieve good vine balance. Through innovation and experience we are learning to naturally manage those vineyards so the operational costs are more in line with our sustainable vineyards.” The initial impetus which was to do better by the environment, hasn’t changed Yukich says, which

is perhaps more important than following market trends. “There may be people out there who think there is market demand, but for us we were well ahead of any inkling that there would be market demand, when we started on this journey. For New Zealand the big priority is to have premium quality in the bottle. That is the absolutely number one priority. Organics has to work with that and in our case it certainly has. It isn’t necessarily about getting more dollars per bottle of wine, it’s about doing better by the environment.” While it is not being market led, he does agree that sometimes an industry can be ahead of consumer demand. Take the screwcap initiative for example. “There were not people out there screaming for a new closure in the 1990s and early 2000s when the New Zealand Screwcap Initiative was formed. But look at it now.” These days a number of con-

tract growers are also considering going down the organic route. “We have a number of growers asking us questions about whether we want their vineyards converted to organic. I have not encountered that until the last few years. Things have changed. I have been talking about wine for most of my life, and if you had talked about sustainability and organics back in 2000, I don’t think many people would have wanted to hear about it. They would have thought you loopy.” Given the original setbacks of converting to organics in 2000, he says it would have been quite easy for owner Sir George Fistonich to walk away, but instead he supported and encouraged the move, viewing the long-term perspective. “And now we have people working here in the business, Jonathan Hamlet, Stuart Dudley and Ian Ewart who are so enthusiastic and passionate. It makes the whole thing very exciting.”■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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NZSVO NEWS

THE IMPACT OF WATER STRESS TESSA NICHOLSON

water stressed vine will not perform as well as one that has had ample liquid nutrition, but just what that impact is was clearly defined at this year’s NZSVO Sauvignon Blanc workshop. Bala Rengasamy (Bala) from Delegat Wines Ltd said the summer of 2014/15 in Marlborough was one of the driest on record. By February water rights for irrigation were turned off, and those vineyards that had no water storage had to tough it out. He was keen to see how that stress would

culminate in terms of the fruit and the ensuing wines. While at pains to point out that it wasn’t a piece of structured research, Bala explained that the block they were working on had a batch of moderately stressed vines, growing alongside a tract of stressed vines. “There were stones on part of the block and more silt on the other. The gravels made up nearly 60 percent of the soils, when compared with the other and both had similar water holding capacity. But the difference in my view, is that

the stony soil would lose its water fairly quickly and therefore you would need to irrigate more frequently.” Which was all good until the irrigation was turned off. Very quickly, the moisture levels on the gravelly soils dropped below the refill point. “There was a long period of time when this happened, but for the moderately stressed area, there was only a short period of time when the moisture levels went below the refill line,” Bala said.

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

By the time harvest came around – the fruit was exposed and the leaves had begun dropping. “The leaf to fruit ratio is far below what you would consider desirable,” Bala said.

This picture was taken in February 2015 – and the signs of water stress are already obvious. Yellowing leaves are already appearing, despite the fact harvest is still two months away, and as Bala pointed out, you really want a green canopy up until harvest to get the best out of the fruit.

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In contrast the moderately stressed vine has plenty of leaf protecting the fruit.

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Yield and Composition

Unit

Stressed

Moderately stressed

Yield/Hectare

Tonnes

10.9

12.6

Bunch weight

Grams

109

126

Berries/bunch

No.

Individual berry weight

Grams

1.7

1.9

Fruit exposure

100

L/t

777

782

Brix

20.5

21.6

2.92

3.01

9.3

Juice extraction

g/L

So how does that relate to fruit analyses? The above graph points out the differences in the fruit, all harvested on the same day, from the same vineyard. “There is a big yield difference between the two, and that is one of the results of not having sufficient moisture. You start to lose yield,” Bala said. “And if you look at the yield components the bunch weight is 109 versus 126. The berry numbers are more or less similar, but you can see the individual berry weight has dropped in the stressed vines.” Despite being harvested on the same day, the brix level was way lower on the stressed vines. “How long would the stressed vines needed to have been left before they reached the desired 21.6 level?,” Bala asked. “And what sort of wine would that have produced?” In terms of the ensuing wines – similar discrepancies occurred,

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most markedly in the all important thiol content of 3MH and 3MHA. To push the point even further, those attending the NZSVO workshop got to taste the two wines side by side. The comments on the wine made from water stressed fruit were not favourable. “There is a hardness on the palate,” said one person. “It is quite acidic,” said another. “Very little in the way of aromas.” “Quite green, with a level of astringency.” Bala said moving forward, viticultural management is the key in years such as 2014/15. “The climate is important. But in my view, having looked at different areas, I think viticulture management plays an important role. You can manage different sites to their own merit and get a good outcome.” Managing crop loads early on is just one way of doing just that.■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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3MHA

4MMP

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REGIONS MARLBOROUGH

FROM TONNES AND RIPENESS JOELLE THOMSON

ow times change. The man who once said he would never ever grow grapes in Marlborough is now making wine from the grapes he was never going to plant. That man is Murray Bishell and the wine is Caythorpe Sauvignon Blanc. The first vintage was 2015 and it marked a sea change in the way the family grows grapes, says Bishell’s son, Simon, who manages the vineyard today. The vineyard land had been in the family for six generations but it was given over to traditional farming, until the 1980s. “Grapes were not dad’s natural passion so I respect his ability to innovate and recognize that we had to change,” says Simon, of his parents’ decision to plant grapes. And so, in 1987, Murray and his late wife, Diana, planted the grapes that saw them become contract grape growers in Marlborough - right next door to the original

Montana Fairhall Estate on the Wairau Plains. “I’ve always had a desire to take the raw material to the finished product and be involved all the way along the value chain; I think that with all farming it’s important to look at adding as much value as possible to all products,” says Simon. While Murray is now retired, Simon and his brother, Scott, head up the viticulture – and it has changed significantly since they produced their first wine. The biggest change was in terms of yield. It was a realization that came only after they began picking for their own wine. “We began to realize that we want to try and bring out the best in our grapes; to accentuate the highs. It is really difficult to judge what you need to do to make grapes taste a certain way, until tasting what the wine’s like from your property. When our grapes go to other wineries, they all get tipped on top of a big pile from

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other growers too, and it’s not until we make a single vineyard estate wine that we can identify the particular characteristics of our specific vineyard. From here we can think how we can intensify the flavours and get more of a thiol base or more mineral notes, as potential flavours we may want to accentuate,” he says. “In terms of changes that we have made, it’s as much about being site specific as it is about reducing yield. On some loam soils, restricting yield can help to develop more

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

The Bishell family – from left Sara, Simon, Murray, Scott and Rachel.

soils, the work we have had to do is about reduction of yield.” Instead of putting a blanket number on how the whole vineyard should operate, Simon says that he and Scott are learning about the importance of isolating particular areas within the vineyard to work out what factors they need to work on. “We’ve only had to work with Sauvignon Blanc so far but we can see it enjoys nitrogen and potassium. It’s still very early days for Pinot Noir,” says Simon.

The Caythorpe Family Estate vineyard consists of 115 hectares; 90% of which is devoted to Sauvignon Blanc with the remainder split three ways; 5% Chardonnay, 2.5% Riesling and 2.5% Pinot Noir. The first wine from the property was last year’s 2015 Caythorpe Family Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, made by Jeremy McKenzie at Isabel Estate. This year the Bishell’s have added a Pinot Noir from their property but quantities are miniscule compared to the Sauvignon

Blanc. This means that it is difficult to pinpoint changes that may need to occur in the growing of Pinot Noir. The first Pinot Noir will be released later this year and Chardonnay will join the Caythorpe stable of wines in 2018, all going according to plan. Riesling is trickier to predict - “It seems to be a grape that everyone loves but not many people seem to like paying money for it, so I’m not in too much of a hurry to delve down that path. I think

there’s an appetite for Riesling but it’s not high up on my priority list at this stage,” Simon says. The ultimate aim is to use 20 per cent of the Caythorpe Estate’s grapes to produce their own wine while retaining relationships with wine companies to turn the other 80% into cash flow. Simon says that the family’s change in focus on growing is a win-win for both the Caythorpe family and for the companies they grow for. ■ mailme@joellethomson.com

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REGIONS NELSON

NELSON - THE LITTLE REGION THAT COULD NEIL HODGSON

he Nelson wine region has a unique place in the New Zealand wine industry. When you think about Central Otago the first thing that pops into your mind is Pinot Noir, think Marlborough and it is Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough equals Pinot Noir, and when we think about Hawke’s Bay and Waiheke, heavier style red wines come to mind. However the Nelson wine region doesn’t hang its hat on one particular variety, it produces many varieties and styles of wine incredibly successfully. Let’s start by taking a look at the numbers; New Zealand has

approximately 35,859 hectares planted in wine grapes, just 1123 ha or 3.1% of those are in Nelson. Total wine grape production in New Zealand is 326,000 while a mere 6,777 tonnes or 2.07% was grown in Nelson in 2015[1] At the 2015 Air New Zealand Wine Awards 83 Pure Gold Medals were awarded, only four of those were awarded to Nelson wineries and three were converted to trophies, about 17% of the varietal trophies awarded at the competition. While this may seem to be unusually successful, the reality is this type of result isn’t uncommon for Nelson wineries. And then consider that winer-

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

ies like Neudorf Vineyards and Greenhough Vineyards don’t enter competitions and some producers are so small they don’t make enough wine to qualify for entry to some shows but their wines regularly receive five star reviews. Neudorf Vineyards in particular is considered one of New Zealand’s very best wineries and their 2014 Moutere Chardonnay was recently awarded Bob Campbell’s very first 100-point score, his perfect wine! In the last five years Nelson wineries have won trophies somewhere in the world for Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Albarino, Gewur-

ztraminer, dessert wines, Montepulciano, Pinot Noir and a blended red wine. Any winery owner strives to make the best wine they can, whether it be wineries who produce huge volumes of lower priced wine or tiny boutique wineries producing wines at the premium end of the price scale. But what makes a tiny wine region so successful with such a broad range of wines? Talking with Meg Matthews from Wine Nelson, it is clear one attribute is a key contributor, cooperation between wineries. “There are many examples of wineries helping one another”

One of Nelson’s top producers, Seifried Estate. Photo supplied by NZW.

says Mathews, “from lending someone a piece of equipment to sitting around tasting tables and offering constructive criticism to help others make better wine. All with the aim of every producer in the region making the very best wine they can. “Nelson Winegrowers organise regular workshops, some in vineyards, some to discuss better ways for doing things and others to simply taste wine and give honest feedback where everyone understands any criticism is given in a positive, supportive manner rather than just criticising for the sake of criticising.” While cooperation like this happens in other regions, the family owned, boutique nature of Nelson wineries means this support is vital for smaller growers trying to carve their own niche at the quality end of the market. No one is excluded from striving for excellence. Business owners like Hermann and Agnes Seifried, Tim and Judy Finn, Trevor Bolitho, Andrew Greenhough and Gary and Valley Neale as well as their viticulturists and winemakers are among the many who are generous with their time and resources, often lending equipment or stepping in to offer advice on how to manage a tricky issue whenever they are asked. Very rarely is the word ‘no’ used when someone asks for help and that cooperation and support is the key that has set the Nelson wine industry on its path to success. The Finns and Seifrieds in particular, as pioneers of the mod-

ern era wine industry in the region, recognised very early in the life of their businesses that helping others to make great wine would be good for them too. If a region is highly regarded for the quality of its wines then everyone wins. The other thing Nelson wines have to offer is great value wines, and it is easily argued that many of the wines are under-valued in the market place. Wines made in the Nelson region not only deliver very good to excellent quality across the region they have to be some of the very best value wines being produced in the country, I point to Bob Campbell’s perfect 100-point wine selling at a full retail price of just $65 while the trophy winning Pinot Noir from Brightwater Vineyards retails for a mere $35. Compare this to many average wines selling for much higher prices in regions famous for making Pinot Noir and where the regional brand drives the price points higher rather than the price being driven by quality. The message to the rest of the New Zealand wine industry is simple – keep an eye on Nelson because the wonderful cooperation between producers is helping improve the quality of wines made by everyone in the region and you can expect them to keep earning five star reviews and winning more top trophies. The small region that could is achieving great things because it believes it can.■ neil@hodgson.net.nz

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NZSVO WORKSHOP

THE CLASSIC DIFFERENCES New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is different, but as Tessa Nicholson discovered at the NZSVO Workshop, those differences go way beyond its aroma and taste.

r Damian Martin from Plant & Food in Marlborough, has been working alongside and with Sauvignon Blanc for the past 20 years – so he knows a thing or two about the variety. He also has an intimate knowledge of the wines of France having trained and worked there prior to coming back to New Zealand. In his presentation at the NZSVO workshop, he compared our viticulture practices with those of the more “classic” producers in Europe, referring to our style as “Upside Down Viticulture.” He was quick to state that many of his statements were generalized and “with every generalization I make there are plenty of exceptions.” It was however an insight into Sauvignon Blanc the variety

and New Zealand the producer and how different we are when compared with other parts of the world. Martin said Sauvignon Blanc is often referred to as the anti variety. The moniker came about because Sauvignon doesn’t behave like other varieties. It is a great variety to grow, it behaves in the vineyard very well and it is economically viable – at least here in New Zealand. Viticulture wise, our Sauvignon can grow on sand and silt loams, soils where the water table is in reach of the root system. “Whereas the classical view of viticulture and viticultural soils is that the growing conditions need to be tough,” Martin said. “You need to have limiting conditions, either water or nitrogen, often both.”

Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand is generally machine picked – classically in the old world it is hand picked.

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Growing Grapes In a Cold Cruel World IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND IT’LL HAPPEN AGAIN… Yields are higher in New Zealand when compared with “classic” viticulture.

Our growing conditions are generally accepted as being cool climate, and in New Zealand a fall of rain mid season can actually help with berry growth and juiciness in the fruit. “Whereas the classical view is the warmer years are perhaps better. They are associated with complete ripening and often over a dry vintage period.” Yields in New Zealand differ dramatically to the “classical” viewpoint elsewhere Martin added. This he said is a big ticket item. “Sauvignon Blanc can produce in our conditions really typical and intense wines at what would be perceived as very high yields elsewhere. With a big, healthy canopy and good weather we can get from 100 to 150 hectolitres– whereas the classic view is yields should be low, 30 – 45 hectolitres.” In terms of canopy, in New Zealand growers prefer to see high vigour, creating some shade for the fruit, whereas the classical view of premium viticulture is low vigour, with shoot growth stopping early in the season pre veraison. The end result is a very open canopy. New Zealand growers also tend to think variability within the vineyard contributes to style by providing another dimension to the ensuing wine. That is not something our counterparts in the Northern Hemisphere seek out. Onto the harvest and winemaking techniques. Here too New Zealand differs from what

is considered the classical way of doing things. Machine harvesting is the norm for Sauvignon Blanc here at home and plays a vital role in the thiol content of our wines. But Martin said probably more important is the crushing that occurs here, which leads to the development of the pre, pre cursers – the green volatile compounds within the fruit. “Because our fruit is shaded it is quite low in phenolics, so we don’t necessarily have the challenges that other regions might have regarding a lot of phenolic pick up from crushing, rather than whole bunch stem.” Yeast selection is also different – and is important for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Martin said. “It is now recognised that yeast is not the major player, but it still plays a very big part in the revelation of thiol aromas. It may or may not go without saying, but without yeast you don’t get thiols.” The classic view is different he said, with wild yeast and long or warmer ferments taking place, often with full malolactic. Maturation of Sauvignon Blanc is generally in stainless steel and the time period is much shorter than classic wines. And finally – closure. Here in New Zealand the majority of Sauvignon is sealed under screw cap. That is definitely not the classic stance. And that’s what helps make us unique. ■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

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EDUCATION NEWS

WHAT IS THE WSET DIPLOMA? Joelle Thomson discovers what this qualification is, who studies it and why.

ane Skilton is tipping out spittoons, packing away glasses and pouring soothing messages of encouragement on students’ frayed nerves as she talks about her role as New Zealand’s sole provider of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma qualification. The students have just sat one of the diploma’s seven exams

while Skilton is clearing up from the 29th exam she has hosted this year. It’s a far cry from when she first launched the qualifications in New Zealand, in the mid 2000s. “I remember wondering back then if there would be enough people here who even knew about the WSET, let alone wanted to study the diploma,” she says. That said, she has been pleas-

antly surprised to have had 10 to 15 students enroll each year in this, the highest of the WSET qualification courses. Many of her students have embarked on it once they have returned to New Zealand from working overseas where they gained the WSET levels 2 and 3. Others have taken their wine qualifications to the next level after completing levels 2 and 3 in

New Zealand. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust was founded in 1969 in London where it provides education to the wine and spirit trades but there are training providers of these courses who are based all over the world, with the biggest growth in the Asia Pacific region. In New Zealand there are two main providers of these courses, which are Master of Wine Jane

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 123

Skilton’s New Zealand School of Wines & Spirits and Celia Hay at her New Zealand School of Food & Wine. Skilton is New Zealand’s sole provider of the WSET Diploma qualification, which has grown to a steady intake of about 15 students per year – a number Skilton describes as “not bad for a country with a small population that is so far away from the rest of the world.” She describes teaching as part educational, part counseling and part dictatorial, particularly when it comes to the diploma - a degree course that is learnt mostly by self study, with indepth tasting tutorials led by her. “I just have to tell my students sometimes ‘come on, you know it; you can do it’ because we’re so far away from where these qualifications originate that the sense of isolation you feel when studying

at this level can be quite strong,” she says. That sense of isolation can be profound because the diploma is not only a long course of self study (spread over a minimum of two years), but its breadth of knowledge means that it is not for the faint hearted – nor for the time poor. This explains why many diploma students choose to defer one or more of the six units in this degree level qualification. It is well known globally, if not so widely known about in New Zealand, but more importantly, the WSET Diploma is the usual prerequisite for anyone wishing to study the Master of Wine qualification. And

the diploma herself, prior to embarking on the MW, which she passed in 1993. Despite this, she does not market the diploma as widely as she does the other WSET levels 1, 2 and 3 courses that she teaches. “I don’t tend to market the diploma the way that I market Jane Skilton the other courses because the diploma Skilton is a staunch defender of is a big life commitment, particuits role as a prerequisite for the larly in terms of time.” world’s top wine qualification. This is potentially the big“Cementing wine knowledge at gest problem of all for diploma a high level is a bit like spelling and students, she says, because most writing; unless you know the foun- people embark on the diploma dation of how to spell and write, when they have full time jobs, a then it can be difficult to go on family and children. and do something really creative In terms of her own time, it with it,” she says, having studied was slightly more straightforward

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FAST FACTS: WSET

when she had her own humble beginnings in wine, and a WSET education. She was living in London prior to having had children and whilst working as a (self described) dogsbody for an exceptionally well stocked London wine merchant, La Vigneronne owned by Master of Wine Liz Berry. Skilton says it was a serendipitous moment discovering wine while working for Berry because she found herself doing something she really enjoyed. “I knew I wanted to get something out of it. So I followed the WSET, which was a given in the English wine trade. I was lucky from the point of view that Liz funded me up to level 3 in the WSET courses, but after that it was up to me to fund it because the diploma is such a big undertaking.” Berry remained a mentor to Skilton throughout the diploma,

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is the world’s leading provider of wine education and is based in London. In the United Kingdom, the WSET Diploma is a certified British degree with OfQual, which is the English equivalent of NZQA. The WSET Diploma has 60 cred-

which imbued in her a sense of purpose as a young person working in the wine trade. “I feel quite strongly positive about that old fashioned mentoring thing. I look back on those times now and think it was such a privilege to be learning from someone who showed me very old Madeiras and other amazing wines that were building blocks, which helped me to understand how important it is to learn the groundwork before going off on my own.” The reasons for undertaking the diploma study can vary but, generally, Skilton says that it gives wine professionals an edge when

ble of es vaila i t i t g. an ill a qu c st sprin l l a an is Sm n Bl g th o n tin vig plan u Sa for

its, which are spread across six units: winemaking and viticulture, sparkling wines of the world, fortified wines of the world, the global business of wine, light wines of the world (the biggest unit – which incorporates 30 credits across two papers; a theory and a tasting) and spirits of the world.

travelling and working internationally. It also feeds the New Zealand wine trade with professionals who have a deeper understanding of the wines of the world. It can, therefore, also help to fuel demand for many of those wines in this small country. While the distance from London and access to a wider range of wines can be a challenge, Skilton encourages students to taste as widely as they can while studying the diploma. But she also likes to warn students of its pitfalls; the lack of availability of wines in New Zealand and also the time commitment. “I’d hate anyone to think they

had the course pushed on them. It’s a huge commitment and a great achievement but you really need to want to do it.” For these reasons, many people take longer than the minimum recommended two year study period, which is the time frame over which the diploma exams are spread. “For me, it’s professional development every single week tasting loads of wines with students and nothing is lovelier than going out and recognizing the students I have taught who are now all over the country.”■ • Joelle Thomson is a diploma student and has nearly completed all her studies of the WSET Diploma.

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CELLAR DOOR NEWS

IT’S WISE TO TRAIN CELLAR DOOR STAFF TESSA NICHOLSON

t won’t be long before cellar doors are humming once again. Holiday makers, tourists and locals alike are keener than ever to get up close and personal with the store front of a wine label. But are the staff serving those customers as good as they could be? Are they capturing consumers with the brand story, enough to make customers for life of them? Possibly not, according to Lesley Berglund, who is the pre-eminent direct to consumer (DTC) expert in the US

wine industry. Berglund says New Zealand is like many other wine countries, in that it hasn’t thought too much about cellar door training, in an effort to help grow the winery business. Which is why she established the Wine Industry Sales Education (WISE) academy in Napa seven years ago. Now in association with Central Otago based Bruce McGechan, Berglund has brought WISE to New Zealand. The first course was held in Central Otago

last November and more are on their way. Prior to running the inaugural course, Berglund visited 30 cellar doors throughout the country. And she believes that while New Zealand wines and wineries are beautiful, there is a lot to be desired when it comes to how consumers are treated. “The cellar door is really critical, it is not only the face of the brand, it’s where your brand position and story come to life. If we are doing the cellar door correctly,

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then we are capturing and connecting with guests so they stay in touch with us over time. That opens up all of the additional DTC channels, such as joining wine clubs, buying online or attending future events.” During her visits here, she said there were some common mistakes that emerged time and time again. “The biggest mistake is they didn’t tell me enough about the brand story,” she said. “They were too focused on the specifics of

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the wine. You need to start at the beginning, tell the history, what the company is all about. We know from research that if you have a guest who is visiting multiple wineries, they will never remember a specific wine. It all just blends together. What they will remember is the experience they had at a specific winery, the special stories and what they said about the brand.” The second most common mistake made by cellar door staff is getting stuck in a monologue of facts. Reciting all the details of the wine from brix, to picking date or pH levels is not much of a turn on for a cellar door visitor, Berglund says. “Yes it may be factual information about the wine, but often there are not enough open ended questions being asked. You have to figure out who is in front of you and then adjust the experience

The cellar door is the face of the brand, which means staff need to be selling your story as well as your wine.

accordingly. That is absolutely the biggest thing that holds people back from the wow factor that will have guests going home saying they had an amazing experience.” And the third area that concerned her, was the lack of wine clubs being promoted within cellar doors. She said New Zealand is in a similar position to what the Napa Valley was 25 years ago, and

most wineries are missing out on a golden opportunity. “If I understand it correctly, only between five and ten percent of wineries here even have a wine club. And the ones that do are not bringing it up at the cellar door. I visited 30 here in New Zealand and not one brought up the possibility of joining a wine club. I think that is a huge opportunity missed.”

For the majority of wineries she works with in Oregon and Napa, the wine club business is larger than their cellar door business. “But the only way you get into the wine club is by selling it at the cellar door.” Berglund says by training staff, wineries have more chance of capturing a greater market share. “This is the face of their brand. No matter how much time and effort we spend building a fabulous winery, growing great grapes and making incredible wines, if we miss out on the final part of the handoff in the cellar door, it’s all for naught.” In the US, there are 15 accredited WISE courses aimed at the wine industry. The two most popular are now available in New Zealand. If you would like further information, visit www.wiseacademy.nz■ tessa.nicholson@me.com

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 127

REGIONS GISBORNE

A TEAM OF ONE Andy Nimmo is playing to his strengths, working smarter. . . not harder. JUSTINE TYERMAN

ast year the award-winning Gisborne winemaker and owner of Hihi Wines sold his vineyard and winery at Ormond and entered the “virtual” realm. “In 2015, I reviewed my business and the market and decided to reorganise my operation towards the virtual winery model. “This means you have minimal assets but control wine-making styles, the brand and sales. The old-fashioned French term for this is a négociant — a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name. Kim Crawford had considerable success with this model. “How it works is that I buy grapes, juice or wine from our very good growers in Gisborne and then finish them off at contract winemaking facilities. This year, I’m doing the winemaking at EIT Tairawhiti’s winery and next year, I’ll probably add Indevin to the equation,” he says. Nimmo says he doesn’t really miss the vineyard. “I needed more time on the road selling and marketing Hihi Wines so not having a vineyard leaves me free to travel and focus on new ideas. I’m playing to my strengths and the things I enjoy like doing deals, wine blending, marketing, coming up with clever names and innovation in general. “I’ve always enjoyed that side of the industry. “For example, at the Gisborne Wine Festival, I came up with the idea of serving sangria, a loweralcohol red wine cocktail. It was

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Hihi Wines’ owner Andy Nimmo (right) and Tim Ovenden (winemaker at Hihi Wines in 2013 and 2014) celebrate two gold medals in the International Aromatics Competition in Christchurch, one for Pinot Gris 2013 made by Tim and the other for Viognier 2013 made by Andy and Tim. PICTURE SUPPLIED.

very popular. “I do miss not having my own winery but I can now focus on the creative aspects that I love,” he says. “That’s the beauty of the industry in New Zealand. We have such freedom here compared with the strict appellation contrôlée rules in France. It’s much harder to be innovative there. “That’s how Sauvignon Blanc came about in Marlborough. Someone experimented with the variety there back in the 1970s and look what happened.” UK-born Nimmo came to New Zealand in 2002 in search of a fresh challenge after working on the commercial side of the electrical industry in Europe for 11 or so years.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Pursuing his interest in wine, he enrolled at EIT Tairawhiti’s Winemaking and Viticulture course in 2002 and studied under Anita Ewart-Croy. The first wine Nimmo made, a Pinotage, won a bronze medal in the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards. In 2004, he served as assistant winemaker to Ewart-Croy at Kirkpatrick Estate Winery (KEW). In addition to working for KEW, he made the first Hihi wines, a Pinotage which won a bronze medal, 350 cases selling out in 18 months, and a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, Cabernet Franc blend, 50 cases selling out in three months.” “Some people thought I was crazy,” he says. “It was a little unusual to make Pinotage as it was

not a fashionable variety here, and Cabernet Sauvignon was notoriously difficult to grow in Gisborne. But I liked the challenge of it and wanted to see if it could be done,” an attitude which typifies his approach to the industry. “The success gave me the confidence to buy my own vineyard at Ormond in 2004 and start Hihi Winery in 2006.” Since then over 70 award winning wines have been produced. Hihi means “Rays of the Sun”, a fitting name as Gisborne is the first city in the world to see the sunrise. Hihi is also a small native New Zealand bird. There are only 500 to 1000 adult birds in existence, mainly on Little Barrier Island, Waitakere Ranges Regional Park

and Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington. “I’m hoping to work with hihi conservation groups to support the conservation of the bird. It’s something really positive to be involved with . . . and it’s a cute bird.” Over the years, Nimmo has experimented with many different varieties including Albariño, Arneis, Viognier and traditional varieties like Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. He planted trial blocks of red varieties that were not available elsewhere in Gisborne — Tempranillo, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carménère — to work out which were the best to focus attention on. “For me, the stars of this trial were Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Barbera.”

Looking ahead, he’s decided to focus on Malbec, Merlot and Pinotage. “I enjoy being creative especially in sparkling wines like Hihi’s Gizzy Fizzy Blanc de Blancs and Bubbly Gris. I began making

his grandfather. “My grandfather’s name was Captain James Nimmo. When he went into the army, he effectively got demoted to Private James Nimmo and when he left the army,

“That’s the beauty of the industry in New Zealand. We have such freedom here compared with the strict appellation contrôlée rules in France. It’s much harder to be innovative there.” the latter this year and it’s gone very well, almost sold out in fact.” He also makes port or fortified wines — Captain Nimmo, a vintage port; Ruby, a light fortified red wine; Elsie, a white port, and Bombardier, a tawny red which has sold out. Elsie is named after his grandmother and Captain Nimmo after

he was Captain again. “We also have Full Monty Chardonnay, Lock Stock and Many Barrels, a red Bordeaux blend, and ‘Sweet As’, a blend of Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay which is world famous in Gizzy . . . since recently,” he says. “I like inventing novel names and having fun with labels,” he

says. And if someone comes up with a clever name that I end up using, they get a case of wine.” It’s all very well growing and making wine but selling it is the key, he says. “The Gisborne Farmers’ Market is an important outlet for Hihi Wines — I make 20 percent of my sales at the Saturday morning market which is a fabulous arena to showcase Gizzy products. I attend about 40 markets a year in all weather. My start time is 9.30am so it’s quite civilised. Nimmo also travels to wine festivals and liquor stores in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato. He’s planning a trip to the UK to look at wine sales there too. Looking ahead he sees a great future for good-quality Gisborne oaked Chardonnay, Albariño, sparkling wines and Malbec. “There’s something special in the soil and climate here that

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 129

adds a unique dimension to these wines. “They are my stars, especially Albariño,” he says. “I finally feel as though I’ve found my niche. For me the virtual winery model offers far more positives than negatives. My strengths are in identifying opportunities and doing deals. “And I get huge rewards out of creating something that people really enjoy — especially some of the more creative ones like Gizzy Fizzy. “The positive feedback I get gives me real satisfaction. “So now it’s just me — a team of one making all the decisions myself. I bring in other people when needed but it’s up to me to put the jigsaw pieces together. “The future is yet to be written. There are exciting times ahead,” says Nimmo.■ justine.tyerman@clear.net.nz

Hihi Wines at the Gisborne Farmers’ Market. PICTURE SUPPLIED.

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130 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

WINE NEWS

ACCLAIM FOR MISSION ESTATE M

ission Estate, New Zealand’s oldest winery, has further cemented its place on the global wine map by having its Jewelstone Syrah 2013 selected to appear at WINE Explorers’ Grand Annual Tasting 2016. WINE Explorers is a unique four-year project to take an inventory of all of the wine producing countries of the world. Now in its third year, the unprecedented task has seen the WINE Explorers travel to 92 countries, visiting 250 winegrowing regions, surveying a total of 1500 vineyards and tasting over 15000 wines. The Grand Annual Tasting 2016, held on a terrace overlooking the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, was the culmination of the WINE Explorers 2015 travels held to showcase the favourite wines from their travels in 2015. Only 35 wines were selected to appear, with one of the 35 being Mission Jewelstone Syrah 2013. 120 professionals from the

wine industry, joined the WINE Explorers’ team for the unique tasting, where wines from 14 countries were represented. The idea was not to judge the wines, but to assess the potential of each of the selected wine regions and discuss the notion of terroir. Peter Holley, Mission Estate CEO

says, “This event was particularly poignant for us given our French heritage. It was French Marist Missionaries who established Mission Estate back in 1851. I’m sure these men never considered that their pioneering efforts would ultimately lead to a wine

bearing the name Mission being showcased at such a grand event in Paris some 165 years later!” Founder of WINE Explorers Jean-Baptiste, says; “Hawke’s Bay has impressed us with the quality of its Syrah, like the very precise cuvée “Jewelstone Syrah 2013” from Mission Estate.” The Wine Explorers visited New Zealand in November 2015.■

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 131

NOT ON THE LABEL LEGAL MATTERS WITH MARIJA BATISTICH SENIOR ASSOCIATE AND LAURA LINCOLN, SOLICITOR, BOTH AT BELL GULLY

NEW PROPOSED NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT ON URBAN DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY

he Government recently released its consultation document on the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity (the proposed NPS) in June and submissions closed in July. The proposed NPS is one response to New Zealand’s current ‘housing crises’ and aims to ensure that regional and district plans provide sufficient capacity for business and housing development in rapidly growing areas. It is also intended to complement and support the reforms proposed in

the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill 2015, which if passed will require local authorities to establish, implement, and review objectives, policies, and methods to ensure there is sufficient development capacity in respect of residential and business land to meet the expected long-term demands of the district. What is an NPS? The RMA provides for the creation of a number of legislative instruments used to provide national direction on topics of national significance. National

policy statements are one of these instruments. They are issued under section 52(2) of the RMA and state objectives and policies for matters of national significance. There are currently four national policy statements already in place under the RMA. These include the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, the National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation, the National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission and the New Zea-

land Coastal Policy Statement. Once operative, local authorities are required to amend their regional policy statements and regional and district plans to give effect to an NPS. Decision-makers on plans, policy statements, resource consents and other matters will also be required to consider the objectives and policies in the NPS as part of their decisionmaking processes under the RMA. How will the proposed NPS encourage urban development? Under the proposed NPS, all local authorities will be required

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

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to provide sufficient development capacity for the short, medium and long-term. Decision makers will also be required to pursue an urban form that seeks to maximise the potential for social and economic exchange, provide for efficient use of resources including urban land and infrastructure, and seek to enable land and development markets to operate competitively. However, local authorities with high-growth urban areas will have additional, more intensive, obligations under the proposed NPS. It requires those authorities to provide a future land release and intensification strategy alongside their plan to provide certainty that there will be sufficient development capacity in the medium and long term, and that minimum targets will be met. This strategy must identify broad location, timing and sequencing

of development over the long term, include processes for flexible implementation, and be informed by housing and business land assessments and the views of infrastructure providers, land owners, property development sector and other stakeholders. The proposed NPS also requires regional councils with high growth areas to set minimum targets for the medium and long term for sufficient residential development capacity in accordance with their housing assessment, and incorporate them into regional policy statements. The objectives and policies in the proposed NPS are based on some key terminology, and in particular introduce new meanings of “Development Capacity”, “sufficient” and “long term”, “medium term” and “short term”. “Development Capacity” is

defined to mean the capacity of land for urban development to meet demand, taking into account the following factors: the zoning, objectives, policies, rules and overlays that apply to the land; the provision of adequate infrastructure, existing or likely to exist, to support the development of the land, having regard to: the relevant proposed and operative RPS, regional plans and district plans; any relevant management plans and strategies prepared under other Acts. “Sufficient” is defined to mean the provision of enough development capacity to meet demand, plus to take account of the likelihood that not all capacity will be developed, an additional margin of at least: 20% over and above projected short and medium term demand

15% over and above projected long term demand The proposed NPS states that total capacity should reflect demands for different types of property in different locations. Finally, “long, medium and short term” is defined to mean within 30 years, 10 years and 3 years. When will it be operative? Submissions on the proposed NPS closed in July. The Government’s intention is to finalise the policy and for it to take effect in October this year, in conjunction with the Resource Management Act reforms and Auckland’s new Unitary Plan. We will keep you updated on progress over the coming months. As for whether or not the proposed NPS will prove an effective response to the ‘housing crisis’, we will probably need to wait a little longer!■

WE HAVE MATCHED A FINE SELECTION OF LEGAL EXPERTS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR BUSINESS. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Marija Batistich PUBLIC LAW Simon Watt HEALTH & SAFETY Tim Clarke FOOD STANDARDS Kristin Bradley CORPORATE STRUCTURE Gavin Macdonald To access the full breadth of our team, please contact Marija Batistich in the first instance on 09 916 8809 or email marija.batistich@bellgully.com W W W. B E L L G U L LY. C O M

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 133

WINE AWARDS

HAWKE’S BAY SYRAH – A WINNER L

overs of Hawke’s Bay Syrah won’t be surprised to learn that the region has beaten France at its own game, in an international blind tasting of the variety. Three Hawke’s Bay Syrah were placed in the top five in a comparative tasting in China, with Elephant Hill Airavata 2009 judged best in the competition, beating French heavyweights. “This proves that Hawke’s Bay Syrah has a real place at the table of premium Syrah-producing regions of the world,” Michael

Henley, Chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Association says. “We not only held up to the comparison but deservedly conquered the French.” The 10 Syrahs – five from New Zealand and five from France – were judged by more than 30 wine writers and influencers, and trade buyers from China at the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise facility ‘New Zealand Central’ in Shanghai in late May. The panel was established by internationally-renowned Dragon Phoenix Wine Consultants. Its co-

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

10/03/16 1:59 pm

AsureQuality and WineWorks working together WineWorks, New Zealand’s premier contract bottler, has partnered with AsureQuality to provide its customers with an integrated range of services, from the time the wine is ready to be bottled, through to final distribution.

As global experts in food safety and quality, AsureQuality offers WineWorks access to its dedicated wine laboratory and audit and certification business. Together we can provide New Zealand’s wine industry with a unique one-stop-shop for quality assurance, bottling and warehousing needs. Now that’s service. Give us a call to discuss: • Export wine testing • Residue and chemical analyses Michael Henley HBWG Chairman.

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founder, Fongyee Walker, praised the calibre of the Hawke’s Bay Syrahs tasted, whose vintage ranged from 2004 to 2013. “Hawke’s Bay Syrahs are sexy, delicious and great value,” Walker, an Air New Zealand wine consultant, says. Attendees were presented with 10 wines and asked to rank them in order of preference. The results are already gaining a lot of attention in Chinese media. “A lot of excitement and debate was generated by the blind tasting,” Walker says. “When the wines were revealed, there was a great buzz that the top wine was a Hawke’s Bay one.” Henley led the delegation in China as part of the region’s three-year China programme. He is excited by the results, and the anticipated boost to China imports.

“This was a fantastic way to highlight the amazing quality of Hawke’s Bay Syrah and we are excited about what this could mean for our reputation in China, a key market for our region. There is potential to excel in China, where our wines, generally, are far more affordable than French Syrah.” Syrah is now ranked in the top 10 of the world’s grape varieties. Originally from France, Hawke’s Bay winemakers have quickly built a reputation for making awardwinning Syrah, capitalising on the region being one of the sunniest areas in New Zealand with a climate similar to Bordeaux. This trip also included wine masterclasses in Beijing and Shanghai and there is a second blind comparative tasting of French and Hawke’s Bay Cabernet/Merlot blends being held in Beijing in September.■

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 135

NZW NEWS

LEVY UPDATE

(c) for winegrapes made into grape juice or grape juice concentrate that is sold or exported, by or on behalf of the grower, 0.675% + GST of the notional price of the grapes. 2. The notional price of grapes made into grape juice or grape juice concentrate for the year 2017 vintage be the 75% quartile price for the region and variety concerned as determined from the previous vintage listed in the last published version of the New Zealand Winegrowers grape price data for the previous vintage (“Last Grape Price Data”). In the event that there are no

listings of the variety and region concerned in the Last Grape Price Data, the notional price will be the 75% quartile price for New Zealand for the variety concerned, as determined by the previous vintage listed in the Last Grape Price Data.■ Philip Gregan, Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated

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Commodity Levies (Winegrapes) Order 2016, it was resolved at a Board meeting of New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated on 23 June 2016 that: 1. The levy rate on winegrapes for the levy year from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 be set at the rate of 0.675% + GST as follows: (a) for winegrapes sold by or on behalf of the grower, 0.675% + GST of the farmgate price of the grapes (unless paragraph (b) applies); (b) for winegrapes exported by or on behalf of the grower, 0.675% + GST of the free on-board value of the grapes;

OUDLY M PR

ate of Levy Under the Wine (Grape Wine Levy) Order 2016 Pursuant to clause 9 of the Wine (Grape Wine Levy) Order 2016, it was resolved at a Board meeting of New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated on 23 June 2016 that the levy rate to apply to sales of grape wine, or the grape wine component of grape wine products, from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 be set at the rate of 2.25 cents + GST per litre. Philip Gregan, Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated. Rate of Levy Under the Commodity Levies (Winegrapes) Order 2016 Pursuant to clause 11 of the

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136 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

BY KERN

UPCOMING NEW ZEALAND WINE GLOBAL EVENTS MARKET

EVENT

EVENT DATE

SEPTEMBER 2016 Switzerland

New Zealand Wine Tasting (Zurich)

September 26

Germany

New Zealand Wine Tasting (Frankfurt)

September 28

USA

New Zealand Wine Tasting (Seattle)

September/October

Australia

Pinot Palooza (Sydney)

October 9

Taiwan

New Zealand Wine Tasting (Taipei)

October 14

Australia

Pinot Palooza (Melbourne)

October 16

Korea

New Zealand Wine Tasting (Seoul)

October 17

New Zealand

Air New Zealand Wine Awards Judging

October 17-18

New Release and Discover Tasting (London)

November 1

USA

New Zealand Wine Tating (Chicago)

November 3

China

ProWein China (Shanghai)

November 7-9

OCTOBER 2016

NOVEMBER 2016

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 137

CALENDAR AUGUST

1-3:

10:

Entries open for the Air New Zealand Wine Awards Pinot 2017 Roadshow

New World Wine Award Judging

– Wairarapa/Hawke’s Bay. Palliser Estate 1-3pm

11:

- Auckland

Pinot 2017 Roadshow – Central Otago/Waitaki . Cloudy Bay 2-4pm

NZW Member Workshop Nelson. 10am–11.30am

12:

- Vines Room Seifried Estate Winery, Nelson

Pinot 2017 Roadshow

NZW Member Workshop Marlborough. 2pm-3pm - Marlborough Convention Centre, Blenheim

– North Canterbury. Waipara Hills, 2-4pm

23-25:

National Final Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year – Marlborough

NZW Member Workshop – Canterbury/Waipara. 9am-10.30am. Waipara Hills Boardroom

NZW Member Workshop Central Otago. 4.30pm-6pm - Lake Dunstan Boat Club, Cromwell

– Marlborough

- Marlborough/Nelson. Wither Hills Winery 2-4pm

Wine Day Out – 10am-5pm - Auckland

Pinot Palooza –1pm-6pm - Shed 10, Quay St, Queen’s Wharf – Auckland.

– Marlborough

Romeo Bragato Conference. ASB Theatre

Pinot 2017 Roadshow

National Final Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year

24-26:

SEPTEMBER

23-25:

9: Entries close for Air New Zealand Wine Awards

15-16: Inaugural Hawke’s Bay Wine Celebration – Wellington

23-24: Hawke’s Bay Wine Celebration – Auckland

OCTOBER 1:

Awards Dinner International Wine Show - Auckland

17-19: Judging of Air New Zealand Wine Awards – Auckland

NOVEMBER 12:

Air New Zealand Wine Awards Dinner – Auckland

12:

Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction – Opera House Plaza, Hastings

To have events listed in this calendar, please email details to; tessa.nicholson@me.com

138 //

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

STATISTICS

MAJOR NZ VINEYARD AREAS PRODUCING HECTARES Region

Marlborough

2016

2018 forecast

PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS % of Total in 2018 forecast

24,020

25,119

4744

4938

Hawkes Bay Central Otago

1943

1967

Gisborne

1448

1447

Waipara

1238

1239

Nelson

1169

1176

Wairarapa / Wellington

1002

1026

Auckland

350

351

Canterbury

198

196

36,192

37,542

National Total

Exports for the year to date to the end of May 2016 (Moving Annual Total)

Country

Litres (m)

$ FOB

Growth Decline Litres %

Growth Decline FOB %

58,294

379,723

-1

USA

61,628

457,962

Australia

50,782

352,467

-13

-5

Canada

10,368

104,884

7173

46,635

Denmark

0.964

7401

-22

-10

Ireland

2,840

20,669

Japan

1099

13,608

-10

-4

Germany

3074

15,755

110

103

China

2028

27,967

Hong Kong

1322

17,598

-4

Singapore

1638

21,599

Finland

266

2472

-10

Norway

289

2497

Sweden

1875

15,519

Others

7668

71,415

-2

211,316,659

1,558,177,381

10%

MAJOR VARIETIES IN MAJOR AREAS Variety

2016

Sauvignon Blanc

21,016

21,352

21,901

5573

5719

5768

Pinot Noir Chardonnay

2017

2018

3211

3257

3303

2455

2480

2579

Merlot

1271

1327

Riesling

767

768

765

Syrah

443

449

450

Pinot Gris

Gewurztraminer

258

256

258

Cabernet Sauv

283

280

Malbec

131

132

Viognier

127

125

Cabernet Franc

108

109

Sauvignon Gris

104

All other varieties Total

444

439

442

36,192

36,796

37,542

AVERAGE VINEYARD SIZE Region

Regional area producing ha

Average of Area ha

Number of Vineyards

Auckland/Northland

350

Canterbury

198

1448

Gisborne Hawke’s Bay

4744

254

Marlborough

24,020

1021

1169

117

Nelson Northland Central Otago

1943

216

Waikato

Waipara

1238

Wellington / Wairarapa National

1002

118

36,192

2040

Netherlands

TOTAL

*(npr = not previously recorded separately)

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 139

RESEARCH RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT SUPPLEMENT Information and Updates on NZ Winegrowers Research Programmes. Editor: Dr Simon Hooker, General Manager Research and Innovation

A regular feature at the back of each issue of WineGrower to inform industry people about research projects being undertaken for their benefit. Newly approved projects (when available) are briefly summarised in the first section ‘Introducing New Projects’. Longer reports in the section headed ‘Progress Reports’, will describe what has been achieved so far. Scientists in charge of each project have been asked to make these reports reader-friendly rather than to follow the usual format of scientific papers. When completed, each project will be reported in full detail, with references, on the website: www.nzwine.com/members/research

LIST OF PROJECTS Quality Wine Styles for Existing and Developing Markets The pathway of volatile sulphur compounds in wine yeast The Bragato Trust and NZW Scholarship, University of Auckland (Dr Bruno Fedrizzi - student Matias Kinzurk) Lifestyle Wine (PGP) University of Auckland and Plant and Food Research (Various) Jointly funded by NZW and MPI Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) fund. Literature review of calcium tartrate stability of wines Lincoln University (B Tian) Evaluation of the efficacy of a range of commercial bentonites on New Zealand Sauvignon blanc wine Hills Laboratory (K Creasy) Bentonite literature review Lincoln University (B Tian) High-throughput genotyping of transposon-induced mutations in vines Lincoln University (C Winefield)

140 //

Population genomics of the wine spoilage yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis Auckland University (M Goddard)

Developing Powdery Mildew Best Practise (Year Two) Lewis Wright Valuation & Consultancy Ltd (T Lupton)

Pests and Disease

Grape botrytis resistance to AP and SDHI fungicides Plant and Food Research (R Beresford)

Grapevine Trunk Disease; young vine ecology, diagnostics and preventative treatments New Zealand Viticulture Nursery Association Incorporated (VINA)(N Hoskins) Leafroll virus and mealybug monitoring in Marlborough, 2015 to 2017 Plant and Food Research (V Bell) Virus diversity in New Zealand grapevines: sequence, ecology and impact – The Rod Bonfiglioli Scholarship Plant and Food Research (R MacDiarmid - student A Blouin) Sustaining vineyards through practical management of grapevine trunk diseases South Australian Research & Development Institute (M Sosnowski) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Grape powdery mildew monitoring Plant and Food Research (D Mundy) Developing Powdery Mildew Best Practise in New Zealand Vineyards Lewis Wright Valuation & Consultancy Ltd (T Lupton) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

Sustainability/Organics Pinot noir wine composition and sensory characteristics as affected by soil type and irrigation in the Waipara region Lincoln University (G Creasy) Vineyard Ecosystems Programme University of Auckland and Plant and Food Research (Various) Jointly funded by NZW and MBIE

Risk Assessment of Nutrient Losses from New Zealand’s Vineyard by Mechanistic Modelling Plant and Food Research (B Clothier) Sector weather data licence & tools HortPlus (NZ) Ltd. Effects of undervine vegetation management on grape quality, wine sensory properties, vine performance, grape composition, weed ecology, and soil chemical and physical properties. Thoughtful Viticulture (M Krasnow) Cost efficient optimisation of weed management in vineyards Thoughtful Viticulture (M Krasnow)

Cost Reduction/ Increased Profitability Grapevine growth stage monitoring for prediction of key phenological events Plant and Food Research (R Agnew) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

PROGRESS REPORTS

Sulphur for powdery mildew control: It’s all about coverage 15-100 Sulphur is the main powdery mildew fungicide used in New Zealand and accounts for approximately 60% of powdery mildew fungicide applications. Sulphur label rates (80% ai product) in New Zealand are 150g and 300g per 100 litres of spray mixture for dilute spraying to runoff. This label was developed when the industry was based on 3 metre rows and water rates of 1,000 litres per hectare, giving sulphur rates of 1.5 to 3.0 kg/Ha. In response to increasing powdery mildew problems, and in line with Australian practices, sulphur rates in many NZ vineyards have increased to 4-5 kg/ per application in recent years. Typical Australian sulphur product labels allow between 200g to 600g of product per 100 litres, and many Australian vineyards now receive sulphur sprays at 6kg per hectare per application. Sulphur is also generally applied with a wetting agent, although this is not recommended on sulphur labels. During spring and summer of 2015/16 NZ Winegrowers funded two powdery mildew control trials in commercial chardonnay vineyards in Gisborne and Marlborough. Key questions in these trials were: Do higher rates of sulphur improve control? Does sulphur plus a wetting agent improve control? Is sulphur at higher rates crop safe? Is sulphur plus a wetting agent crop safe? What is the best sulphur based programme? The trial sites had powdery mildew in the crop in 2014/15, so were expected to have high levels

of powdery mildew pressure in 2015-16. The grower sprayed the trial sites up to pre flowering, trial applications then commenced and continued at 10-14 day intervals until veraison. Trial applications were made at water rates of 500-700 litres per hectare with motorised knapsacks to plots containing two vines. The experimental design at both sites was randomised complete blocks with four replicate plots of each treatment. Product rates per hectare in this report refer to vines planted on three metre row spacings. To convert these rates for vineyards planted with row widths of less than three metres, rates should be adjusted proportionately to row width. For example 3kg/ha sulphur on a three metre row spacing is equivalent to 3.75kg/ha on a 2.4m row spacing or 4.5kg/ha on a two metre row width. Eleven different spray programme treatments were applied. The following table sets out treatments and application timings. Kumulus DF was chosen as it the most commonly used sulphur product used in grapes. Treatments 2-6 examined the effect

of increasing rates per hectare of Kumulus DF. Treatment 6, Kumulus DF at 10kg/ha was included to check plant safety at high Kumulus DF rates. Treatments 7-9 examined the effect of adding Actiwett, a nonionic wetting agent to Kumulus DF. Actiwett is a wetting agent suited to the relatively high water rates used in this study. Treatment 10 represented an organic programme for powdery mildew control and was based on input from viticulturists managing organic vineyards. Treatment 11 was a conventional programme that incorporated single site fungicides in alternation with Kumulus DF. This programme meets the guidelines of the fungicide Resistance Management Strategy for Grapevine Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe necator) in New Zealand (Beresford et al 2015). Applications at 10-14 day intervals were slightly extended compared with those currently recommended as best practice. This was done to increase disease pressure to detect differences between Kumulus DF treatments where the application rate differ-

ences were relatively small, eg Kumulus DF at 3, 4, 5 and 6 kg/ha.

Canopy Density and Coverage Assessments The canopy at the Gisborne trial site was relatively open and good coverage was achieved with 700 litres per hectare at late flowering. At this time the canopy was at its most dense with no trimming or leaf removal having occurred. Coverage was assessed with water sensitive papers as 80% adequate. Well setup vineyard sprayers typically achieve 75%+ adequate coverage. Visually the Marlborough canopy was denser than Gisborne with more leaf layers. There was also more leaf on leaf and bunchon-bunch congestion. Spray coverage was assessed with water sensitive papers as 70-75% adequate. This assessment was made on 29 December 2015 at berries pea size, after trimming and leaf removal. Subsequently the grower thinned out the heads of the vines and de-lateralled. This improved spray coverage into the bunch zone. However by then bunch infections were established and continued to be expressed. As

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 141

facing surface of the bunch. To obtain good coverage of the inner surface the spray plume must penetrate through the canopy. Where the inner bunch surface is obscured by another bunch or leaves, this surface will be under dosed. In areas of poor coverage there are too few spray droplets to deliver an acceptable dose or for sufficient wetting agent to be deposited to provide improved coverage. One of the most commonly observed areas of under-dosing in NZ wine grape canopies are areas of congestion above crowns of vines with too many shoots and

points where shoots from canes ends overlap along rows. Other points of potential under-dosing result from tucking wires causing congestion in the foliage zone. Does the addition of a wetting agent wetting agent to sulphur improve control of powdery mildew? The addition of the wetting agent Actiwett to Kumulus DF reduced powdery mildew mean severity on bunches but not on leaves. In the following graph data from both Gisborne and Marlborough trials was used. Each data point represents a result from powdery mildew assessments of bunch infection within a plot, paired for each rate and timing. For example Kumulus DF at 3kg/ ha was paired with Kumulus DF at 3kg/ha+ Actiwett. If there was

Bunch on bunch congestion in Gisborne where canes have been butted together on the cropping wire.

in the Gisborne trial bunch-onbunch congestion was the major site of infection in bunches.

Assessments In both the Gisborne and Marlborough trial sites high levels of powdery mildew developed in untreated leaves and bunches indicating high disease pressure. Assessments of 50-100 leaves or bunches per plot were conducted to determine the mean severity of powdery mildew. Mean severity is the average area of leaf or bunch infected for each treatment – in bunches this is a measure of total crop loss.

Results

142 //

Do increased rates of sulphur improve powdery mildew control? In both Gisborne and Marlborough increasing rates of Kumulus DF above 3kg/ha did not significantly improve control on leaves or fruit during the main part of the season. This result was a little surprising.The explanation for these results is likely to be due to sprayer coverage and resulting chemical dose. Water sensitive papers from the Marlborough trial site show adjacent areas of good and poor coverage and chemical dose The left side of these papers could represent the exposed side of external bunches while the right side represents the inward

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Powdery mildew in congested bunches in Gisborne.

Marlborough vines showing congested canopy where canes from adjacent vines meet and above the head of the vine with open canopy between.

Kumulus DF 3kg/ha+ Actiwett Gisborne, 7 March 2016. This is the plot adjacent to the untreated plot in to left.

Powdery mildew infection of untreated bunches Gisborne, 7 March 2016.

no response to the addition of Actiwett to Kumulus DF the data points would be expected to fall on the solid blue line. The dotted blue line indicates a highly significant trend (P <0.05) to lower powdery mildew mean severity where the wetting agent Actiwett has been added to Kumulus DF. There was no significant wetting agent effect apparent on powdery mildew on leaves, which are an easier spraying target than bunches.

following application approached 30°C. The russet did not appear to result in any deterioration in the affected berries at harvest. It would be prudent to avoid the use of Kumulus DF and Actiwett mixtures when high (>28°C?) temperatures are expected following application. This may apply to other sulphur formulations and wetting agent combinations.

2. Is the addition of a wetting agent safe to the crop?

There were no adverse effects observed in vines receiving the higher Kumulus DF rates.

In Gisborne, a light russet was observed on sun exposed berries in bunches exposed to the sun following application of Kumulus DF plus Actiwett. This was only seen when temperatures

Powdery mildew in congested bunches in Marlborough .

3. Are higher sulphur rates safe to the crop?

4. What does a best practice sulphur based programme look like? The best protection of bunches was provided by the conventional

programme with single site fungicides (Impulse, Talendo and Flute) alternating with Kumulus DF + Actiwett during the critical flowering to pre bunch closure period. The organic programme provided the next best level of control. In this programme Kumulus DF + Protector (as a wetting agent) formed the basis of the programme with Kumulus DF + HML 32 + Nordox 75WG applied at key timings to provide some additional curative activity. Control in the organic programme could likely be improved by closer spray intervals. The conventional and organic programmes provided similar levels of control on leaves, apart from the final assessment in Gisborne where the organic programme was superior. The organic programme

included two mid-summer applications of HML32 + sulphur + copper which may have had a curative effect on leaf powdery mildew.

Summary These studies demonstrated the importance of achieving good spray coverage of bunches and leaves. Increasing rates of sulphur above 3kg/ha did not improve powdery mildew control, even when sulphur at 6 or 10kg/ha was applied. The explanation appears to be that if adequate coverage is not achieved areas of poor coverage will result in too few spray droplets to deliver an acceptable sulphur dose or for sufficient wetting agent to be deposited to provide improve coverage. Increasing sulphur rates does not compensate for poor spray coverage.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 143

The importance of good canopy management was the other key finding from these trials. Powdery mildew was typically found in areas of bunch and leaf conges-

tion. Avoiding bunch on bunch congestion and areas of dense foliage is critical to ensuring adequate spray coverage. Management of this starts with winter pruning

Powdery mildew infection untreated bunches 5 Jan 2016.

to ensure there are not excessive numbers of growth points in the heads of the vines and that shoot and bunch congestion does not occur where adjacent vines meet. Grape bunches are highly susceptible from flowering to around bunch closure. It is important that spray coverage of bunches is monitored during this period of active canopy growth. Water sensitive papers folded in half and pinned to shoots adjacent to bunches are a simple method of checking bunch coverage. Spray intervals should also be closed up during this period and it is important to alternate the direction of spraying

between applications to fill in any under-sprayed areas. Row widths in New Zealand vineyards now average 2.4 metres. Ensure that rates per hectare have been adjusted to reflect additional row length per hectare where closer row spacings are in use.

Reference Beresford R, Follas G, Hagerty G, Manson P, Manktelow D, Lupton T, 2015 Fungicide Resistance Management Strategy for Grapevine Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe necator) in New Zealand, New Zealand Committee on Pesticide Resistance August 2015.

Light russet induced by Kumulus DF + Actiwett application under high temperatures 22 December 2015. Photo taken 5 Jan 2016.

The vines are mutating. What does that mean for our industry? 15- 109

Darrell Lizamore, Lincoln University Co-funding from New Zealand Wine, Plant and Food Research and Lincoln University has made possible research into a previously unknown type of genetic differences among the elite clones grown by the NZ wine industry. This is has established the foundation for a rapid clonal identity test and the production of New Zealand’s own

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population of locally-developed Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir clones. The venerable grapevine can reveal a lot about how the DNA of a species changes over time. If the average person thinks about genetics at all, it is likely to be in a multi-generational context: “He has his mother’s eyes” and

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

“surely Chihuahuas aren’t really be descendant from wolves?” Yet within a single lifetime, an individual will undergo a surprising amount of genetic change. New growth and even tissue maintenance, such as replacing skin cells, requires the total complement of the individual’s DNA to be copied continuously. Though

infrequent, small mistakes start to add up. What is more, we now know that parts of the genetic code, known as transposons, can rearrange themselves, altering the code. These natural DNA changes (a.k.a. mutations) are the cause of birthmarks, cancers and plant bud sports such as white grape varieties.

Figure 1: A short sample region (approx. 0.04%) of the grapevine genome with genes indicated in green and transposons indicated by other colours. The profusion of transposons within and around genes complicates the challenge of identifying new mutations.

In most species, the changes are contained by generational boundaries. Although a mutation in your liver might lead to terminal cancer, it won’t be passed on to your descendants. Grapevines are different. Unlike species in which all genetic information is reduced to a few cells (sperm / pollen & ova) every few years or decades, grapevines are propagated by cuttings and have been for centuries. Varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon are believed to have existed for up to 500 years without sexual crossing. As a result, mutations that occur in the vegetative material (termed ‘somatic’ mutations) become a permanent feature of future plantings. In fact, grapevines offer a unique opportunity to study the affect of the accumulated genetic changes on a species. By studying the DNA of farmed vines, we can gain insight into the rates, effects and causes of somatic mutations.

the DNA to identify a single new mutation in a single vine (Fig. 1). Lacking an Aussie savant, our research group has developed computer algorithms that rapidly map the positions of each transposon. Large-scale DNA sequencing projects start by breaking the DNA from many cells into short fragments and then sequencing both ends of those fragments. Our process then takes this data and searches it for fragments where one end is within a transposable element and the other is not (i.e. the fragment spans one end of a transposon). We then take all of the sequences that are next to a transposon and locate these on the grapevine DNA reference sequence. The output is a set of locations that indicates where in the genetic code transposons can be found. By comparing all of these locations among different samples, we can spot the new mutations.

Spot the missing star Robert Evans, an amateur astronomer in Hazelbrook, Australia searches the sky every night for supernovae, the melodramatic death of a star. To make a positive identification, he must spot one new star in a splendid desert night sky, a task that has been likened to noticing one new grain on one of fifteen hundred tables randomly scattered with salt. In spite of the seemingly overwhelming task, he has already identified and named more than 40 supernovae. Likewise, novel genetic mutations appear against a background of perfect uniformity. Due to their historical activity, we need to check the position of around 70,000 transposon sequences in

Figure 2: A population of 200 young vines growing in the Lincoln University vineyard. These vines were regenerated from cell cultures in the lab, to accelerate the natural rate of transposon-based mutations.

noir clone UCD5 (Fig. 2) and have another 2,000 vines (Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc) that will be added to the vineyard shortly. Among these vines we are already starting to see indications of physical differences such as altered leaf morphology, timing of dormancy and susceptibility to mildew infection (Fig. 3).

A better type of marker Mapping mutations in a new population of clones The knowledge that transposon mutations account for a majority of the genetic variation among clones of the same variety has been taken a step further by a collaborative effort between New Zealand Wine, Lincoln University and Plant and Food Research. Over the past few years by our research group has shown that the natural rate of transposon mutations can in fact be increased, so that we are able to produce a population of new clonal diversity. To date, we have planted a collection of 200 Pinot noir vines produced by this technique from the Pinot

Our new protocol allows us to track which transposons are moving about within the genome, and identify the genes that are affected by their changes. Furthermore, it provides a new type of genetic marker. Genetic markers are currently the preferred method for identifying grapevine varieties, since environmental factors can have a large effect on physical trait markers such as leaf morphology. But since the DNA of a single grapevine cell contains approximately half a billion letters of code, most of which never vary, it is rarely practical or economical to compare the entire sequence of two vines. Instead, we only test the most informative locations in

the DNA. Just the as the trait of leaf morphology is selected for its utility in discriminating varieties, so too do we select DNA locations that are highly variable for comparison. The copy-error types of mutations have so far been useful in identifying grapevine varieties, but do not generally vary among different clones of the same variety. In contrast, we have seen that genetic markers based on transposons can discriminate different Pinot noir clones. Developing this technique into a tool to discriminate genetically among clones (including rootstocks) could prevent costly errors by growers and nurseries and even allow those who are selecting their own clones with a way to characterise and protect their investment.

Into the future Our colleagues at Plant and Food Research, led by Ross Bicknell, have made great improvements to our grapevine tissue culture protocols, which means they are now producing new vines in batches of thousands rather

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 145

Figure 3: Variation in leaf morphology among vines regenerated from tissue culture. All vines came from the same parental tissue.

than hundreds. To keep pace with the arrival of new plants, we are now working on ways to run genetic tests on vines more rapidly and economically. We have started using a liquid-handling robot to run automated DNA extractions

on 96 samples at a time and by using customised DNA probes, we have managed to reduce the amount of DNA that needs to be sequenced per test by 100-fold, reducing the cost proportionately. Together these advances

mean that we are now well on our way to establishing a population of well-characterised vines, each with isolated and unique genetic changes, as if it were possible to collect several thousand new bud sports all at once. One advantage of DNA testing is that it only requires one small piece of leaf. We can therefore test the vines long before they are old enough to deliver fruit. Our goal for the next five years is to focus on the production and genetic characterisation of new vines. As the first of these vines get old enough (three years from now), we will begin to roll out a phenotyping program across the vines, to describe and record the trait diversity caused by the genetic changes. Starting about five to seven years from now, cuttings will be taken from indi-

vidual vines that show new traits of potential value, to study their performance in replicated field trials. This means that we can expect the first well-characterised new clones to be made available to growers about 10 years from now. The work we are doing today establishes the tools and procedures we will need to reach the next generation of grapevine clones. This continually growing set of local clones offers a resource of genetic diversity that will serve to protect and enhance the premium position of New Zealand wine for decades to come. With wine research centres from other countries now proposing similar projects, we are fortunate to have a 4-5 year lead that should be exploited to establish a future advantage of our industry.

An upcoming review of leafroll virus management in New Zealand vineyards 14 - 106

Vaughn Bell1 and Nick Hoskins2, the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Havelock North1, and Vine Managers Limited, Masterton2 In 2009, New Zealand Winegrowers embarked upon an ambitious research programme to monitor the incidence and spread of grapevine leafroll virus. In what became known as the Virus Elimination project, this world-leading programme initially focused on vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, and was extended in 2012 to include a further 17 vineyards in Marlborough. Hence, multiple aspects related to leafroll virus and mealybugs - the virus vectors, were being monitored in 30 separate vineyards in two regions.

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With that project concluding in mid-2015, monitoring all but ceased. Fortunately, New Zealand Winegrowers continued to fund monitoring in four of the Marlborough vineyards where, after three years, it was unclear if the practical virus management initiatives would successfully contain disease spread. Therefore, in March and April 2016, we continued to monitor virus incidence and the patterns of virus spread in each of the four blocks. By extending monitoring for another 12 months, we aimed to improve the compari-

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

sons between Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay, to determine if any regional variation existed, say, in respect of the patterns of virus spread. Later this year, the Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough virus results will be reviewed in New Zealand Winegrower. We will look at the changes to virus incidence and the patterns of virus spread in both regions, and how the effectiveness, or otherwise, of mealybug control has influenced virus management outcomes. Hence, with datasets spanning multiple years, we will highlight

the differences and/or similarities that exist between leafroll virus management in two wineproducing regions. From a practical perspective, if no regional variability is apparent, virus management recommendations will reflect that lack of difference. Conversely, if variation is detected, it will have to be reflected in the technology transfer pathway. Either way, the new knowledge gained from this research will help end-users confidently adopt those recommendations, irrespective of where they live in New Zealand.

Grapevine growth stage monitoring for prediction of key phenological events 14 - 100

Agnew R, Raw V, Grab F, Horner R, Sorensen I, Marshall R, Wood P, Stanley J, Gandell M, Parker T, Smith J. The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited Corresponding author rob.agnew@plantandfood.co.nz VineFacts is a New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) project supported by the Sustainable Farming Fund for the three years from July 2014 to June 2017. The project has now completed two years of phenology data collection in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, Waipara Valley and Central Otago for five grape varieties (Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir). VineFacts newsletter has previously only been available to Marlborough subscribers and covering Sauvignon Blanc. The purpose of this National Phenology and VineFacts project is to extend the phenology monitoring to also include Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Waipara Valley and Central Otago; to cover other varieties; and to make VineFacts available to any winegrower nationwide. A previous article in Issue 89 of New Zealand Winegrower explained the background to this project and Issue 93 presented the growing degree-days for the five New Zealand wine regions for the 201415 growing season.

Phenology data summary for the five New Zealand wine regions The timing of the main phenological stages (budburst, flowering, and maturity from pre-véraison to harvest) are being monitored on each of the 28 vineyards in the five wine regions.

These data are summarised weekly and reported to subscribers of VineFacts newsletter. This information allows them to compare the timing of a phenological stage in the current season with those in previous seasons, and to adjust management decisions within a season if necessary. The duration of time between two phenological stages is referred to as a phenophase, e.g. the number of days from 50% budburst to 50% flowering, from 50% flowering to 8 °Brix, and from 8 °Brix to 21.5 °Brix. We are using the date of

8 °Brix as a surrogate for the date of 50% véraison and the date of 21.5 °Brix as a standard maturity point close to harvest. Table 1 (right) demonstrates the difference in the length of each phenophase between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 growing seasons on each of the 28 phenology vineyards. A negative value indicates that the phenophase was shorter in 2015-16 than in 2014-15. In some instances data are missing e.g. the Hawke’s Bay Merlot at Bridge Pa was severely frosted soon after flowering in 2014.

The values in the ‘budburst to flowering’ column in Table 1 are all negative. This clearly indicates that at all vineyards and in all regions the budburst to flowering interval in the 2015-16 season was shorter than that in the 2014-15 season. The ‘flowering to 8 °Brix’ values are all positive, indicating that this interval was longer in the 2015-16 season. These consistent differences in phenophase duration across all blocks from budburst to flowering and from flowering to 8°Brix are because temperature is the main driver of

Table 2: Total seasonal rainfall (mm) for five New Zealand wine regions for the 201415 and 2015-16 seasons compared with the long-term average (LTA). Long-term average

2014-15

% of LTA

2015-16

% of LTA

Gisborne

594.9

553.8

93%

678.6

114%

Hawke’s Bay

457.3

402.1

88%

509.5

111%

Marlborough

395.7

220.8

56%

240.2

61%

Waipara

393.2

222.3

56%

288.8

73%

Central Otago

297.6

187.6

63%

179.0

60%

Table 3: Total Seasonal Growing Degree-Days for five New Zealand wine Regions for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons compared with the long-term average (LTA) Long-term average

2014-15

% of LTA

2015-16

% of LTA

Gisborne

1544

1520

98%

1616

105%

Hawke’s Bay

1320

1311

98%

1328

101%

Marlborough

1240

1349

109%

1377

111%

1117

1251

112%

1273

114%

1036

1118

108%

1221

118%

Waipara Central Otago

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 147

Table 1: Difference in the duration (days) of the main grapevine phenophases for the 2015-16 growing season in relation to the 2014-15 growing season (BB - Budburst, FL - Flowering) Vineyard Region

Phenology Location Name

Grape Variety

BB- FL

8˚Brix - 21.5 ˚Brix

FL - 8˚ Brix

Gisborne

Chardonnay

Hexton

-4

-1

Gisborne

Chardonnay

Patutahi

-3

-13

Hawke’s Bay

Chardonnay

Te Awanga

-16

-1

Hawke’s Bay

Chardonnay

Crownthorpe

-15

Hawke’s Bay

Merlot

Ngakirikiri

-5

-10

Hawke’s Bay

Merlot

Bridge Pa

No data

Hawke’s Bay

Pinot gris

Maraekakaho

-11

+10

Hawke’s Bay

Sauvignon blanc

Bridge Pa

-7

-8

Marlborough

Chardonnay

Western Wairau

-9

-6

Marlborough

Chardonnay

Awatere Dashwood

-4

-3

Marlborough

Pinot gris

Rapaura

-10

-12

Marlborough

Pinot gris

Awatere Seaview

-5

-1

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Rarangi

-4

+11

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Brancott

-7

+12

-5

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Rapaura

-4

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Western Wairau

-10

-1

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Upper Wairau

-7

+13

No data

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Awatere Seaview

-4

-5

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Mid Awatere

-2

+12

-12

Marlborough

Sauvignon blanc

Upper Awatere

-5

+10

Marlborough

Pinot noir

Brancott

-9

+11

-2

Marlborough

Pinot noir

Awatere Seaview

-5

Waipara

Sauvignon blanc

Waipara Glasneven

-6

No data

Waipara

Pinot noir

Waipara Glasneven

-11

No data

Central Otago

Pinot noir

Bannockburn

-7

Central Otago

Pinot noir

Pisa

-4

Central Otago

Pinot noir

Alexandra

-3

Central Otago

Pinot noir

Gibbston

-7

-13

the early-season phenology. These data are also an indication that all the wine regions generally experience below- or above-average temperatures at similar times in the season. Comparisons of the differences in duration of the ‘8 to 21.5 °Brix’ phenophase indicate that there is no clear trend for all vineyards

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and regions. The length of this phenophase is still influenced by temperature. However, the yield that the vine is carrying also has a major bearing on the duration of the ‘8 to 21.5 °Brix’ phenophase. Climate summary for the 201415 and 2015-16 seasons compared with the long-term average The rainfall data (Table 2,

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

left) indicate that Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay experienced slightly below-average rainfall in the 2014-15 season, followed by above-average rainfall in 2015-16. Marlborough, Waipara and Central Otago experienced one of the driest seasons on record in 201415, followed by another very dry season in 2015-16.

Table 3 (left) indicates that Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay recorded slightly below-average growing degree-days (GDDs) in the 201415 season. In the 2015-16 season, Gisborne recorded slightly aboveaverage GDDs and Hawke’s Bay recorded average GDDs. Marlborough, Waipara Valley and Central Otago recorded well above-aver-

age GDDs in both seasons.

Acknowledgements: We wish to acknowledge the large number of wine companies,

vineyard and weather station owners supporting this project and without whose ongoing valuable assistance this project would not be possible.

We acknowledge the valuable financial support for the project being received from New Zealand Winegrowers, the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable

Farming Fund, and the Marlborough Research Centre Trust. • For the full 2015-16 annual report on this research project, visit the NZW members’ research pages.

Sustaining vineyards through practical management of grapevine trunk diseases 13-100

Sosnowski M1 and Mundy D2 1 South Australian Research & Development Institute 2 The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited Introduction Eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback are emerging as major trunk diseases of grapevines in New Zealand, threatening the long-term sustainability of the wine industry. These diseases occur worldwide, causing significant economic losses. Caused by fungal species of the Diatrypaceae and Botryosphaeriaceae families, they infect vines through pruning wounds, colonise wood tissue, cause dieback of cordons and trunks (Figures 1 & 2), and eventually kill vines. Nine species of the Botryosphaeriaceae have been identified associated with botryosphaeria dieback on grapevines in New Zealand, with the most prominent and pathogenic being Neofusicoccum parvum. In the case of eutypa dieback (caused by Eutypa lata), symptoms also include stunted yellowing shoots and leaf distortion. A New Zealand Winegrowers project (NZW 13-100), which concluded recently, has determined the extent of grapevine trunk diseases in New Zealand and has begun to develop practical management strategies to control the diseases and sustain vineyards. Fungicides and alternative natural treatments were evaluated for

control of eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback, and strategies for cost-effective spray application of pruning wound treatments were demonstrated. Economic analysis was undertaken to determine the cost/benefit of managing grapevine trunk diseases and provide decision support for the industry.

Figure 1. Cordon dieback and stunted yellowing shoots associated with foliar symptoms of eutypa dieback in grapevines.

Vineyard surveys In December 2013, surveys recorded the incidence of trunk diseases in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough vineyards. In total, 697 vineyard blocks were surveyed, consisting of 22 varieties, ranging from 4 to 33 years of age. The youngest vines observed with dieback and foliar symptoms were 4 and 7 years old, respectively (Figure 3). Disease incidence increased with age and varied between varieties and regions. The greatest incidence of dieback (88%) and foliar symptoms (10.5%) were recorded in 19- to 21-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Hawke’s Bay. Incidence of symptoms increased considerably in vines over 15 years of age, which was also reported in Australian surveys. Mean incidence of trunk disease was relatively low in Sauvignon Blanc, probably because of

the young average age of vines (11 years) and the predominant use of cane-pruning for this variety. For most varieties in the survey, cordon-pruned vines had greater incidence of dieback than canepruned vines, confirming previous French research findings that young cordon-pruned vines expressed more symptoms, but cane-pruned vines resulted in greater mortality as vines matured. According to Australian research, Sauvignon Blanc was reported to be highly susceptible

to trunk disease, so this serves as a significant warning to the Sauvignon Blanc-dominated industry as vineyards mature. Correlation between vine age, variety and trunk disease was low, indicating that variables other than these factors may also account for disease incidence. Vines grafted onto Millardet 101-14, Riparia Gloire and Couderc 3309 had consistently lower incidence of dieback than vines on other rootstocks. Clones with the least incidence of dieback included AM 10/5 (Pinot Noir), B

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 149

Figure 2. Dieback of crown on cane-pruned vine associated with grapevine trunk diseases.

95 and UCD 15 (Chardonnay), and BDX 481 (Merlot). These observations need to be confirmed by greenhouse experiments and may provide valuable information to assist decision making for future new plantings. In December 2015, a survey in Central Otago targeted the oldest vineyards in the region. In general, the incidence of dieback symptoms in Central Otago was lower than those reported in Marlbor-

ough and Hawke’s Bay (Figure 3), which are dominated by the susceptible varieties Sauvignon Blanc and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon. Central Otago vineyards are predominately planted with the less susceptible Pinot Noir. The lower incidence of dieback symptoms observed in Central Otago may also be due to the lower annual rainfall of 359 mm, compared with 711 and 785 mm in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay,

respectively. Winter dominant rain patterns occur in the higher rainfall regions, compared with summer dominant rainfall in Central Otago (Figure 4); as pruning is conducted largely in winter and infection of wounds occurs during rainfall, there are fewer infection periods during pruning in Central Otago than in the other regions. Pruning wound protection The fungicides: Folicur® (tebuconazole), Chief® (carbendazim), Gem® (fluazinam), Dithane™ (mancozeb) and Megastar™ (flusilazole), chosen based on previously shown efficacy, were evaluated for control of eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback in Sauvignon Blanc, using detached cane assays (DCAs) in the laboratory and in vineyard trials in Marlborough. All fungicides, when applied at varying rates with a paintbrush, were effective at reducing wound infection by pathogens of both diseases compared with untreated controls, providing good disease control (Figure 5). Data from vineyard and laboratory experiments have been provided to agrochemical companies to apply for label registration with Agricultural Compounds & Veterinary Medicines (ACVM). To date, application of pruning

Figure 3. The relationship between vine age and incidence of grapevine trunk disease dieback symptoms in Marlborough (orange; 441 vineyard blocks) and Hawke’s Bay (blue; 256 vineyard blocks), surveyed in 2013 and Central Otago (green; 39 vineyard blocks), surveyed in 2015. Linear trendlines are indicated for each region.

wound protectants on the day of pruning has been evaluated. This study also investigated the curative and preventative properties of fungicides using a detached cane assay. This involved delaying treatment application for up to a week after pruning, and once treatment was applied, determining the length of time for which treatments remained effective. DCA experiments were established by inoculating wounds with eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback pathogens, followed by application of Folicur or Chief, 1, 3 or 6 days after pruning and inoculation. Both fungicides significantly reduced infection by both pathogens at all application times. In a separate experiment, wounds were treated with Folicur or Chief on the day of pruning and then inoculated with E. lata 1, 7 or 14 days after inoculation. Both fungicides still actively reduced infection after 14 days. Therefore, the window of protection for wounds for Chief and Folicur could be at least 3 weeks, meaning only one application might be necessary per pruning season. Validation of these results in the vineyard is proposed for future research, along with evaluating other fungicides likely to be registered for wound protection. Alternative natural productbased treatments were also evaluated using DCA only, and when applied neat (Biorepel®; garlic extract and HML 32™; potassium bicarbonate) or at 100 g/L (TriD25™; Trichoderma sp.), provided varying degrees of control of pruning wound infection by eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback pathogens. Further research is required to evaluate these products in the field and to determine the optimal timing of application.

Spray application Recycle, air-shear and tangential sprayers, along with a modified weed sprayer, were evaluated

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NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Figure 4. Mean monthly rainfall data for Napier (Hawke’s Bay), Blenheim (Marlborough) and Alexandra (Central Otago). Data are mean monthly values for the 1981–2010 period (www.niwa.co.nz).

in both Hawke’s Bay (on cordonpruned Cabernet Sauvignon) and Marlborough (on cane-pruned Sauvignon blanc). Sprayers were able to deliver sufficient fungicide (Chief ) for applying fungicide with water volume rates between 100 and 900 L/ ha (Figure 6)., with some nozzle adjustments to focus on the prun-

ing wound zone, all to wounds, as demonstrated with water sensitive papers (Figure 7), to control eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback (Figures 8 & 9). Field trials were established in Marlborough on Sauvignon Blanc over two years to investigate the susceptibility of wounds throughout the winter. Wounds were sus-

ceptible to infection by eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback pathogens throughout the pruning season, but there was some evidence of reduced susceptibility during late pruning in September, which may also be associated with faster wound healing in higher temperatures. Natural infection rates of E.

lata were correlated to rainfall before pruning. The application of Chief fungicide reduced infection by both pathogens in at least one of the two trials at each pruning time, with the greatest reductions following application at the middle pruning time of early August. Future proposed research aims to determine the duration of wound susceptibility following pruning at different times, which along with spore trapping, will assist decision making for the optimal timing of wound protection.

Figure 5 Mean percentage disease control of eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback pathogens compared with untreated controls on treated Sauvignon Blanc grapevine wounds in a Marlborough vineyard. Fungicides were applied at varying rates with a paintbrush.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 151

Economic analysis Cost/benefit analysis was performed, based on results from the 2013 surveys in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, as well as results of spray application of fungicide wound treatments, to provide decision support for managing grapevine trunk diseases. Early adoption of preventative wound treatments will minimise the cost of trunk diseases, providing up to NZ$700/ha/annum net present value (NPV) future benefit over the life of a vineyard when pruning wound treatments are applied with a tractor-driven sprayer. If preventative treatment does not commence until after trunk disease is evident, there will be costs for future crop losses and remediating or replacing vines. The cost of remediating vines by reworking or regrafting will be less than the cost of replacing vines. The sooner the remediation treatment is commenced, the greater the NPV future benefit. Wholesale remediation or replacement of a vineyard will be more cost-effective than treating symptomatic vines only once at least 80% of vines are symptomatic. The current potential “national” value of an effective annual spray treatment to the industry is estimated to be at least $20M per annum increasing by a further $20M per annum

Figure 6. Recycle sprayer applying fungicides to pruning wounds in the Marlborough vineyard trial.

when combined with remediation treatments.

Acknowledgements This project was made possible by funding from New Zealand Winegrowers and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Fund. The authors acknowledge technical support from Matthew Ayres (SARDI) and Pratap Vanga (PFR). Thanks also to Pernod Ricard NZ and Villa Maria for assistance with vineyard trials, the many companies that allowed access to vineyards for surveys, and the agrochemical companies which have committed to registering successful products for control of trunk diseases.

Figure 8. Mean percentage disease control of eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback pathogens compared with untreated controls on treated Cabernet Sauvignon grapevine wounds in Hawke’s Bay. Chief® was applied with three different sprayers at various water spray volumes or with a paintbrush for comparison.

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Figure 7. Spray coverage indicated on water sensitive paper.

Figure 9. Mean percentage disease control of eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback pathogens compared with untreated controls on treated Cabernet Sauvignon grapevine wounds in Hawke’s Bay. Chief® was applied with three different sprayers at various water spray volumes or with a paintbrush for comparison.

Spy Valley: PHOTO SPY VALLEY WINES MARLBOROUGH, SUPPLIED BY NZW

High performance from lower alcohol wines Domestic sales from lower alcohol wines have already eclipsed the original target set for 2024 by New Zealand Winegrowers’ Lifestyle Wines Programme New Zealand lower alcohol wines have not only struck a chord with a growing number of Kiwi consumers, they are also responsible for a significant portion of value growth in total wine sales in the domestic market. Lower alcohol wines (containing less than 10% alcohol by volume) are the focus of New Zealand Winegrowers’ ‘Lifestyle Wines’ research and development programme, established in March 2014. Funded jointly by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Primary Growth Partnership (PGP), wine industry levies, and commercial contributions from participating wine companies, the seven-year programme aims to develop production approaches for the creation of high-quality, lower alcohol and lower calorie wines. The programme seeks to

was considered a winery in its own right, it would be classified as a Category 2 company, with annual sales between 200,000 and four million litres,” he notes.

Lifestyle Wines PGP Programme Programme Start:

March 2014

Length:

7 years

Total funding:

$16.97 million

PGP funding:

$8.13 million

Choice Plus Quality

Industry funding:

$8.84 million

Commercial partners:

NZ Winegrowers and contibuting wineries*

“New Zealand consumers and retailers have shown strong support for lower alcohol wines,” adds Lee, “and that includes new sparkling wines from some of the biggest brands. It’s about providing more choices for consumers across a range of social occasions.” Typically, lower alcohol wines produced within the PGP programme are being marketed as line extensions of trusted premium wine brands, he says. “The approach is providing consumers with a level of assurance about the quality and flavour of these wines versus their preferred wine styles.”

*Accolade Wines, Allan Scott Wines, Constellation Brands, Forrest Estate, Giesen Wine Estate, Indevin, Kono, Lawson’s Dry Hills, Marisco Vineyards, Mount Riley Wines, Mt Difficulty Wines, Pernod Ricard, Runner Duck Estate, Spy Valley Estate, Villa Maria, Whitehaven Wine Company, Wither Hills and Yealands.

deliver economic benefits of $285 million a year by 2024 via increased production and sales of lower alcohol wines, with $22 million of this targeted to come from domestic sales. Given that domestic sales for lower alcohol wines reached $30 million for the 12 months to

21 February 2016, the category is likely to see accelerated growth via the PGP programme. According to Richard Lee, Lifestyle Wines Marketing Manager, the domestic market has doubled in two years with volume sales now in excess of two million litres. “To put this in perspective, if lower alcohol wine

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 // 153

Quality is not only key in terms of holding buyers’ interest and retaining their support, it’s also key to understanding the nature of the programme itself, according to Dr David Jordan, Lifestyle Wines’ Programme Manager. “PGP programme participants have indicated that the informational exchange between companies and researchers – combined with solid marketing intelligence on sales potential – has aided and reinforced their decisions on lower alcohol wine production,” says Jordan. “The programme has served as an incubator, resulting in continued improvements in the vineyard and the winery, along with the rapid growth we’ve seen in domestic sales.”

the lower alcohol wine category was up more than 31% in value, whereas total wine was up 1.4%. And for sales over the summer and holiday season, the category was equivalent to twice the value of Riesling and 30% of the value of Chardonnay.

Hot Hot Hot – Pinot Gris & Rosé Lower alcohol wines have performed particularly well in the already hot Pinot Gris and Rosé segments (both ranked in the top five for dollar growth in the 12 months to 21 February 2016). Lower alcohol Pinot Gris accounted for 29% of the dollar growth in the Pinot Gris segment, and lower alcohol Rosé accounted

Growing Total Wine Sales Supermarket scan data measures the majority of wine sold in New Zealand and provides a key means for assessing what Lee calls ‘wallet behaviour’ – that is, consumer purchasing decisions in product categories. While lower alcohol wines currently command a relatively small proportion of the total domestic market with a 2.4% share of wine sales, this represents the highest proportion of lower alcohol wine sold in the world – much higher than in Australia or the United Kingdom, for example. Importantly, lower alcohol wine sales have been incremental to the total wine category, accounting for around 40% of value growth in the 12 months ending 21 February 2016 (a timeframe that enables easy analysis of quarterly sales over the key summer and holiday trading period). According to Lee, the dollar sales growth of lower alcohol wine is exceeded only by Pinot Noir (ranked first for growth) and Champagne (ranked second). In the 12 months to 21 February 2016,

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Bunch of Grapes. PHOTO PETER BURGE, SUPPLIED BY NZW.

NZ WINEGROWER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

for 14% of the growth in the Rosé segment. Three wine styles accounted for around 85% of lower alcohol wines sold in New Zealand in the same period: • Lower alcohol Pinot Gris (5.9% of total Pinot Gris sales). • Lower alcohol Rosé (7.7% of total Rosé sales). • Lower alcohol Sauvignon Blanc (6.0% of total Sauvignon Blanc sales).

Boom For Bubbles Not surprisingly, sales of lower alcohol sparkling wines also excelled over the summer trading period, with growth of more than 115% versus growth of 8.9% for

full-strength sparkling wines. “There is no doubt that consumers opted for lower alcohol sparkling wine for certain occasions last summer,” says Lee. “Sales in this instance also proved to be incremental to dollar growth in the total sparkling wine category.”

Category Laboratory Lee says New Zealand consumers are ahead of the pack in terms of their thirst for lower alcohol wines. “The domestic market is effectively providing us with a consumer-led category laboratory,” he adds. “New Zealand is leading the world in terms of both development and consumption of lower alcohol wines.”

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