New Zealand’s most consumer-focused wine competition is back, offering wineries an unparalleled opportunity to get their top drops in front of wine-loving shoppers in New World stores nationwide.
Now in its 21st year, the New World Wine Awards are well-recognised within the industry for pairing the rigour of an international standard wine show with a retail platform, which sees the top wines enjoy a measurable lift in sales.
The awards have a unique focus on wines that retail under $25. Entrants must also have at least 4,000 bottles available to meet consumer demand, whilst the volume requirement is 1,800 bottles for emerging varieties to encourage an even wider spread of styles and producers to enter.
Full competition details, including opportunities for over $25 wines, and online entry
Visit: newworld.co.nz/topwines
Entries close: Friday 23 June
Enquiries to: nwwa@foodstuffs.co.nz
The Top 50 medal-winning wines will be rewarded with distribution through more than 140 New World stores across the country and receive comprehensive publicity support in-store and out. All wineries and distributors are invited to enter, even if you are not a current New World or Foodstuffs supplier.
The New World Wine Awards get better with age and can have amazing benefits for brands, so don’t miss out!
4 6 36 42 46 54 56 16 25 40
Editorial Sophie Preece
From the CEO Philip Gregan
PhD Précis
Pradeep Wimalasiri
The Profile
Sam Neill
Women in Wine
Anne Escalle
Point of View
Master of Wine studies
Wine Weather
James Morrison
Vintage 2023
Vigilant vineyard work paid off for those with the right varieties in the right crop loads in the right places at the right time, with a long second summer transforming the outlook of Vintage 2023. But for others, long months of wet weather meant hard work and heartache.
Organic Growth
In the lead up to the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference, we talk to passionate growers, winemakers, soil experts and carbon counters about the philosophy, practice, science and community behind their work.
Hybrid Vines
Breeding grapevines for tolerance to disease is accelerating at a pace not seen in many decades, writes Geoff Thorpe from Riversun Nursery.
EDITOR Sophie Preece sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz
CORRESPONDENTS
Wellington Wine Country: Joelle Thomson mailme@joellethomson.com
Hawkes Bay: Olly Styles oliverstyles@hotmail.com
Canterbury: Jo Burzynska jo@joburzynska.com
ADVERTISING
Upper North Island: Stephen Pollard stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz
Ph: 021 963 166
Central North Island: Lisa Wise lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz
Ph: 027 369 9218
Lower North Island: Ron Mackay ronm@ruralnews.co.nz
Ph: 021 453 914
South Island: Kaye Sutherland
kayes@ruralnews.co.nz
Ph: 021 221 1994
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS
Carolina Paiva carolina.paiva@nzwine.com
027 700 0740
New Zealand Winegrowers PO Box 90 276, Auckland Mail Centre, New Zealand
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Publisher: Brian Hight
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Production: David Ferguson, Rebecca Williams
Published by Rural News Group Ltd under authority of New Zealand Winegrowers 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 Inc. or its constituent organisations. Published every second month. One free copy is mailed to every member of the New Zealand Winegrowers Inc, 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.
ISSN 1174-5223
Vintage 2023 saw a welcome return to melting pot wineries, as companies threw open their doors to global wine workers, with all the excitement, experience and insights they offer. The Covid-19 years were so tough in so many ways, from bubbles and isolations to labour shortages and inexperience, all wrapped within the tension of being separated from the rest of the world.
So having wine workers back in our wine regions – at work and at play – has been a wonderful way to (hopefully) farewell the worst of the pandemic. It’s part of the respiratory of the industry – international talent flowing into our remarkable little wine country at the bottom of the world, and young and upcoming Kiwi talent setting off for foreign climes before returning to our wineries wiser for it. I know many felt bereft without that exchange in the Covid years, so it’s been a wonderful return to ‘normal’ amid a vintage that had plenty of challenges.
We have a look at the harvest in this edition, capturing the views of people from around the country. For many the season had two faces, with La Niña bringing wet conditions to all but Central Otago, followed by an autumn chaser that saw some winegrowers delight in a lingering second summer. In Central, by contrast, the weather shift saw a wonderful season close with somewhat startling spring-like conditions.
Such vagaries of nature are welcomed by the likes of Anna and Jason Flowerday, who are on this month’s cover and profiled as part of a package of stories on organic and biodynamic producers. “The best thing about what we do is that no two vintages are the same,” Jason says. “That’s what I love about this job even after this long doing it,” Anna adds, relishing the accumulation of knowledge. “You think you know everything, then you’ll learn something new.”
Sophie Preece EDITORGeoff Thorpe
Riversun Nursery’s Geoff Thorpe has long been focused on improving the quality of planting material in New Zealand vineyards. In this edition he looks at the potential of hybrid vines.
Go to page 40
Emma Jenkins MW
Sam Neill is a good bugger, says Emma Jenkins MW in her profile on the actor, author and founder of Two Paddocks in Central Otago – which is most definitely not a celebrity wine.
Go to page 42
Bob Campbell MW
Investing in wine might be a sensible financial choice, but it’s far less enjoyable than opening prized bottles, says Bob Campbell MW. “I don’t have the cash, but I do have the memory.”
Go to page 52
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Growers and wineries are going to hear a lot from Government agencies about Freshwater Farm Plans over the next few months. These plans will be required for all farms (including vineyards) above 5 hectares; they will need to be certified in the first instance and then audited annually to ensure compliance with government requirements. The objective is to make sure the primary sector plays its part to improve freshwater quality in New Zealand’s lakes, streams and rivers.
New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is supportive of the Government’s goal to improve freshwater quality. Over the past two years we have worked closely with government agencies to develop a cost-effective way that the grape and wine industry can contribute to this goal. This has been a very frustrating exercise as we have not been able to persuade the Government to take a risk-based approach to the issue. What do we mean by that? Simply, design a regulatory system where the regulatory impact is proportionate to the risk any activity presents to freshwater quality, and gain momentum by using existing industry programmes like Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) to make progress faster while minimising transaction costs for all concerned. We thought that was a logical and sensible approach.
To that end, we recently wrote to the Ministry for the Environment (MFE) and Ministry for Primary Industries outlining our concerns. Extracts from that letter follow. Note that IAPs referenced in the letter are Industry Assurance Programmes such as SWNZ:
The evidence that viticulture has a low impact on water quality is compelling. It includes research recently undertaken by the Agribusiness Group.
MFE’s own report, ‘Our Freshwater 2023’, released on April 12 confirms that water quality is generally better in the Wairau
and Awatere River catchments (areas in Marlborough with viticulture as the predominant land use) than in many other catchments in the region, and better than other regions, where other primary sector land uses are more prevalent. Specifically, the report identifies that fertiliser use is a key cause of degradation in freshwater ecosystems, and notes that urea use in Marlborough has declined significantly between 2002 and 2019 as viticulture has become increasingly prevalent in the region. Our Freshwater 2023 corroborates our recent discussions with the Marlborough District Council who have highlighted that viticulture is not a key land use in any of Marlborough’s high-risk catchments.
In 2021 there were 1,342 vineyards over 5 hectares in New Zealand. During consultation in 2022 MFE staff identified that the likely cost of developing a freshwater farm plan would be between $3,000 and $15,000 per property. This means that the cost for the wine industry to implement the regulations will be between $4.03 million and $20.13 million. In our view this cost is disproportionate to the risk to water posed by the wine industry. Further, given the wine industry’s low impact on water quality, this cost will result in negligible environmental gain.
We note the Government’s commitment to uphold the environmental integrity of the Freshwater Farm Plan System. To achieve this, we consider it is important to enable IAPs to constructively support the system, and to minimise the substantial compliance costs on low-risk sectors such as the wine industry. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to develop a solution that is fit for purpose. This could include:
• As a priority, reviewing Part 9A of the Resource Management Act and subsequent review of freshwater farm plan regulations that are currently being finalised;
• Lifting the threshold for exemption from
the requirement to have a plan (for low-risk activities) from 5 to 20 hectares.
• Developing and delivering IAP equivalence arrangements in key regions (such as Marlborough) where the Freshwater Farm Plan Regulations have not been switched on; and
• Ensuring there are adequate transitional arrangements in place for members and regional councils in areas where regulations are switched on and equivalence arrangements with relevant IAPs have not been finalised.
We strongly support the goals of the freshwater regulations, and we want to assist in their implementation in a way that will generate meaningful environmental benefits.
We remain concerned that if changes are not made to the Regulations, the duplicative environmental reporting and management framework that it creates will undermine the ongoing operation of SWNZ, a programme that has added significant value to our sector by helping to establish and maintain our reputation as a world leader in sustainable production for more than 25 years.
NZW’s position is that as viticulture is a low-risk activity, the regulatory impositions need to be proportionate and must also acknowledge that industry programmes like SWNZ are crucial in driving positive outcomes. The alternative is an outcome with high cost, but little environmental benefit.
We are continuing to work with various Government agencies to try to get the very best outcome for our members on this matter. The truly disappointing thing in all this is, that if the current plans remain unchanged, then despite the millions of dollars in extra costs imposed on growers and wineries, the environment will be little to no better off! That sounds like a really bad outcome after years of work for all concerned.
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More than a year after New Zealand called for a white wine emoji, the state of ‘emojency’ continues. In May 2022 New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) kickstarted a global petition for the inclusion of a glass of white wine on global keyboards, to partner the red already there. NZW General Manager Marketing Charlotte Read says it made an official request to the Unicode Consortium a few months later, but the request was declined with no explanation as to why. “Our keyboards are still devoid of an emoji that has huge support and demand.”
In 2018 there was a push for the Kiwi bird emoji to be added to the emoji lexicon, which was also declined by the consortium, Charlotte says. “When it comes to emojis, it seems to be so hard for the Kiwis. We can’t seem to get our national bird, or our most famous wine export, recognised.”
Juliana Foster, NZW Global PR Manager (pictured), says advocating for a white wine emoji is not just about keyboard representation. “It’s also about shining a spotlight on New Zealand white wine and recognising the diversity of wine that New Zealand produces.”
Another attempt will be made to secure the white wine emoji next year when the two-year grace period ends. In the meantime, the public can express how they feel about the missing white wine emoji online, and these submissions will be used to advance the case in 2024. www.nzwine.com/whitewineemoji
Becoming one of 12 Great Wine Capitals of the world will significantly boost the post-cyclone recovery of Hawke’s Bay, says Hamish Saxton, Chief Executive of Hawke’s Bay Tourism. “It is recognition that Hawke’s Bay wines are among the world’s best, and that our nation’s wine growing industry, while still young, offers quality to rival the world’s oldest.”
The region became part of the Great Wine Capital Global Network in late May, joining the likes of Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Bilbao, and Adelaide. The bid was led by Hawke’s Bay Tourism, on behalf of a working group that also included Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers (HBWG), Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Hawke’s Bay Airport and EIT/Te Pūkenga.
“Cyclone Gabrielle may have dealt us a blow, but this recognition shows that Hawke’s Bay is still the top-quality wine destination it always was,” Hamish says. “The accolade will further increase Hawke’s Bay’s global recognition and will give it access to additional expertise, resources, and support from the best of the global wine and tourism industries.”
President of the Adelaide, South Australia Great Wine Capitals Steering Committee, Jo Collins, says a region has to possess something truly “great” to be a member of the network. “We are thrilled to welcome Hawke’s Bay and the twin cities
of Napier and Hastings to our esteemed network. The quality of the wines from this region, their international recognition and unwavering commitment to excellence in grape and wine production, sustainable tourism and education was evident and saw them unanimously voted in by our existing 11 network members.”
Members of the network do not see themselves as competitors, “but rather working together with a spirit of cooperation to support and learn from each other through common challenges
and opportunities”, she says. “And importantly continuing to lift the bar in terms of the global wine and tourism offering.”
The wine industry generates an estimated $300 million direct revenue to the Hawke’s Bay economy and contributes $156m to gross domestic product. HBWG Chair Sally Duncan says the passion and persistence of Hawke’s Bay’s wine community “and this special place at the bottom of the world, propelled Hawke’s Bay to sit alongside the best in the world”.
More than 6,000 people dined out on stories of Cyclone Gabrielle on 20 March, raising $370,000 in relief funds. Cooking up a Storm, organised by chef Al Brown and the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, rallied support from 157 establishments throughout New Zealand, along with help from more than 100 wineries and distributors, produce suppliers and media. The money raised will go to the Mayoral flood relief funds in the worst affected regions, and to those in the hospitality industry with businesses and livelihoods impacted by the cyclone. Meanwhile, Winetopia’s Wine for the Bay fundraiser raised $28,778 for cyclone impacted wineries and the Hawke’s Bay Foundation Cyclone Appeal, thanks to the sale of six packs of premium Hawke’s Bay wine.
The United Kingdom Free Trade agreement, which came into force on 31 May, is very positive for the New Zealand wine industry, says Sarah Wilson, NZW General Manager of Advocacy and General Counsel. “It will more closely align the winemaking standards across the two countries, and help reduce technical barriers to trade, by minimising burdens from certification and labelling requirements on New Zealand wine exports. It will also support future growth in the market, and encourage exporters to focus on the UK.” The UK is New Zealand’s second largest export market for wine, with exports valued at more than $470 million last year. UK consumers appreciate the distinctive flavours, commitment to quality, and know New Zealand wine is a unique product that they can trust. “This agreement is especially significant at a time when we are facing increasing costs across the industry, and it will make a big difference for those who export to the UK market,” she says. “We thank Ministers and officials for their support and conduct of ongoing negotiations over the past few years, during what have been challenging and uncertain times.”
The Organic Products and Production Bill was recently passed into law, with a new organics standard scheme requiring all businesses that want to market their products as ‘organic’ to meet certain standards. The Bill will create a regulatory framework for the production, processing, labelling and advertising of organic products, and give consumers and export markets confidence in products that are labelled as organic. See more on page 32.
The inaugural Aotearoa New Zealand Chardonnay Symposium will be held in Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay, celebrating one of New Zealand’s most important varietals in its ‘spiritual home’, says HBWG Chair Sally Duncan. “We are excited to be hosting this nationally significant event in Hawke’s Bay, that builds on our reputation as a region that produces world class Chardonnays and fits with our reputation as one of the great wine regions of the world.” The symposium will bring together New Zealand’s wine community to taste and share knowledge on trends, and to hear from domestic and international Chardonnay experts. The event, organised by HBWG in collaboration with NZW and the New Zealand Society of Oenology and Viticulture (NZSVO), will be held at the Toitoi: Hawke’s Bay Arts and Event Centre in Hastings. The NZSVO will deliver a technical workshop on Chardonnay on day one, to be followed by an international perspective on Chardonnay the next day. HBWG will host the Great New Zealand Chardonnay Celebration in the newly refurbished laneways precinct of Toitoi on the evening of 5 October.
5-6 October hawkesbaywine.co.nz/symposium
To have events added to our calendar contact sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz
2-23 June 2023
fawc.co.nz
The Food and Wine Classic (F.A.W.C) is back for four weekends in June with a delightfully packed programme that includes a Crispy Crackling Christmas at The Urban Winery, an exploration of New Zealand Grand Crus with Smith and Sheth, and a Global Kitchen at Mission Estate.
12 June - Wairarapa
14 June - Central Otago
nzwine.com/en/events/research
Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is sharing some of the findings from the Pinot Noir Programme with a series of workshops, which kicked off in Marlborough and May and continue in Wairarapa and Central Otago in June. The workshops will have presentations from researchers inside the programme, international research, discussions led by regional producers, and a tasting of research Pinot Noir.
20-22 June
organicwineconference.com
Returning after a four-year hiatus, the three-day Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference brings together leading local and international experts to inform and connect producers across the wine industry and inspire the future of winegrowing in Aotearoa New Zealand. More details on page 24.
18 July - Marlborough
20 July - Hawke’s Bay
26 July - Central Otago
nzwine.com/grape-days
New Zealand’s wine regions each have unique challenges and opportunities, so the 2023 Grape Days events have been tailored to ensure the most relevant research is shared. BRI is working with its science partners and local industry experts to deliver timely and thought-provoking research to grapegrowers, with a focus on helping members apply the findings. To help support the region, Gisborne’s Grape Days will be live streamed from the Hawke’s Bay event, and both the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne Grape Days events will be free for NZW members.
the national final in Hawke’s Bay on 30 August, with an awards dinner the next night. The competition was launched in 2006 and has continued to go from strength to strength, supporting passionate young viticulturists aged under 30, while building a strong, supportive community of previous contestants, industry members and suppliers. The contestants undergo a mix of practical and theoretical questions, and also compete in the BioStart Hortisports race, before a quiz round and speech at the awards dinner. Tahryn Mason (pictured) won the 2022 Marlborough competition and then the national final. At the time, he said the competitions were a “real learning opportunity” every year, after four regional competitions and two tilts at the national title. “Trying to learn from my mistakes and plug the gaps in my knowledge has really driven me to work hard to become better year in, year out.”
8 August-14 September
nzwine.com/members/events/ workshops
The Spray Days roadshow – running in wine regions throughout New Zealand –works to connect growers with industry experts and provide best practice advice.
National Final
30-31 August
nzwine.com/en/events/young-vit
The 2023 Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition will run throughout New Zealand wine regions in June and July, with the winners going on to compete at
10-12 March 2024
New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) plans to have a stronger presence at ProWein Düsseldorf in 2024, with a wider range of exhibiting options for members. NZW is contacting wineries with sign up options and require responses by 30 June 2023.
More than 50 producers will gather to celebrate their wines at Winetopia events this winter. “Some incredible wines have been made in New Zealand in the past few years and visitors are in for a real treat as these are all opened at the event,” says Event Director Rob Eliott.
Winetopia will be held 16-17 June in Wellington’s TSB Arena, and 21-22 July in Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre, which Rob says is a larger venue to meet demand for the event. “This allows us to provide a quality experience for more visitors, while also growing the entertainment and culinary offering at the event.”
There’s an “exciting” presenter line-up, including Australian writer and wine critic Mike Bennie and A Seat at the Table filmmaker and wine educator David Nash at the Wellington event, alongside writer Joelle Thomson and Stephen Wong MW. The Auckland event’s Gaggenau Sommeliers Sessions feature chef demonstrations paired with wine matches, and will include
sommelier Jeremy Ellis of Masu, writer Mermaid Mary (Mary-Therese Blair) and reviewer Candice Chow, among others.
Trying and discovering new wines remains the number one reason people come to Winetopia, and continued winery diversification means there is even more for wine lovers to explore this winter, Rob says. Red wines from the 2020 grape harvest benefited from ideal growing conditions, even if picking was challenging for many as it coincided with the country’s first Covid-19 lockdown, he adds. “Many of these wines will be released at the Winetopia events and this will provide a great opportunity for lovers of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and red blends. The 2021 and 2022
vintages have produced varying yields and offer customers a chance to explore what differing weather conditions offer to the resulting wines across wine regions, including upcoming varieties such as Albariño, Grüner Veltliner and white blends.
There is a strong line-up of Hawke’s Bay winegrowers impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle this year, and Winetopia will include fundraising activities for the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Cyclone Relief Appeal, adding to the $28,778 already raised through the Wine for the Bay promotion.
16-17 June - Wellington, 21-22 July - Auckland, winetopia.co.nz
Visual and textural elements create brand presence on shelf – and our team knows how to do it just right.
Our extensive range of label materials and plethora of embellishments such as, floating foil, highbuild, foil and embossing help create labels that speak to your brand.
We’ve been delighted with the response to the launch of the refreshed brand identity, New Zealand Wine, Altogether Unique, which was showcased during New Zealand Wine Week and ProWein, then throughout the Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand campaign in May. It was also a headline act at the three-city Altogether Unique China Roadshow in May, followed by a networking event at the New Zealand High Commission in Singapore that coincided with VinExpo Asia.
The chance to share our story continues in June, with the long-awaited joint United States and Canada initiative, ‘Bringing New Zealand to North America’, which was initially planned for 2020, before Covid-19 changed the landscape. We also have events in Australia on the horizon, with ‘Somewhat Sommit’ and the Altogether Unique tastings.
This New Zealand Wine Roadshow event in May saw 77 New Zealand wine brands exposed to 1,500 local Chinese trade and consumers in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai. These cities have the features of mature wine markets, and the roadshow was an opportunity for wineries to create and foster relationships with local trade, gain a better understanding of market trends and changes, and boost exports and sales via guided wine tastings and masterclasses.
Fongyee Walker MW led the masterclasses, with the sessions live-streamed and shared with a wider audience on NZW, Weibo and WeChat social media platforms. NZW also worked with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise on day-long export capability building workshops alongside the roadshow, to provide insights and updates on the market China economy, consumers, E-commerce, social media and on-trade channels.
At home, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is supporting a bunch of exciting initiatives, including the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference in June, the inaugural Aotearoa Chardonnay Symposium in Hawke’s Bay in early October, and an exciting new NZW industry celebration event in November.
This all paves the way for Pinot Noir NZ 2025, New Zealand wine’s first big international event since the pandemic. It will be wonderful to have international trade and media back in our midst for these home-grown events, to help celebrate and share the great work we do in our industry.
NZW returned to the London Wine Trade Fair on 15 May for a One Day Pop Up Tasting. More than 70 wines were available to taste across eight tables, showcasing a wide range of themes, from organic and biodynamic to natural, orange and Pét Nat wines, and from smaller-planted varieties to an array of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, including blends, subregional expression and oak. There was ‘A Tour of Hawke’s Bay’ represented in the tastings, as well as subregional Central Otago Pinot Noir, a ‘Tour of Smaller North Island Regions’, and ‘A Tour of Smaller South Island Regions’. The London Wine Fair is the UK’s largest wine fair, with more than 10,000 attendees over three days.
NZW and Sommeliers Australia will host the Somewhat Sommit and Altogether Unique Tasting in Melbourne on 5 June and in Brisbane the following day. The Somewhat Sommit is based on the original Sommit format, hosted by Cameron Douglas MS and Stephen Wong MW, and will be held in market for the first time. Cameron and Stephen will present wines and lead discussions on the nuances and future direction of New Zealand wine in the onpremise segment. The Altogether Unique Tasting will follow, open to a wider group of trade. The tutorial and tasting are aligned with an approach of ‘influence the influencers’, and the same event will be held in Sydney in July/August. These are the first NZW events to be held in Australia after a four-year hiatus.
“The chance to share our story continues in June, with the long-awaited joint United States and Canada initiative, ‘Bringing New Zealand to North America’.”
Charlotte Read
New Zealand wine has garnered plenty of attention in South Korea, with Earth Day and Sauvignon Blanc Day used as platforms for sharing stories of our producers. Trade Commissioner Stephen Blair discusses opportunities in this vibrant market.
Tell us a bit about recent successes in South Korea. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) works with more than 30 New Zealand wine companies in South Korea. We help them enter and expand by identifying the best in-market partners and channels. We also promote New Zealand wine and provide a platform for our wine companies to engage with industry leaders and target consumers.
NZTE Head of Business Development You-Jin Lee led our efforts this year, to run activations like Sauvignon Blanc Day at Gost Beach, livestreaming wine and food pairing sessions, arranging masterclasses with the Korean Sommeliers Association for visiting New Zealand winemakers, and targeted media campaigns. This is part of a multiyear programme which has resulted in more New Zealand wine companies targeting the South Korean market.
The Sauvignon Blanc Day on the east coast here shows our innovative approach to promotions. We invited 10 travel and lifestyle influencers and five media to the event, which included a food and wine pairing session lead by Sommelier Yang Yoonju and star chef Jeon Hyun Woo.
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New Zealand is the fastest growing wine exporter to South Korea. In just five years our sales have grown from $3million to $20m in 2022 and our wines command a premium. The growth has been driven by younger female consumers falling in love with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Our red wines have also been noticed. Lydia Ko gave Te Mata Coleraine as gifts to her wedding guests in Seoul, creating significant media interest in Korea. Last year saw New Zealand wine consolidate its position in the market and early indications from 2023 are for growth, despite competition from whisky, notably the trend of highball drinks, and Korean consumers spending more on overseas travel (hopefully to New Zealand).
How important are sustainability stories in this market?
Our recent Earth Day media campaign focused on the sustainability credentials of the New Zealand wine industry. Korean consumers are impressed with our longstanding commitment to sustainability, including organic and biodynamic practices. It further enhances the New Zealand wine industry’s reputation for innovation and treading lightly on the land. South Korean consumers link this to the fresh, crisp, fruit driven wines that New Zealand produces.
Wine Marlborough harnessed social media platforms in May to shine a light on industry wellbeing. Advocacy Manager Nicci Armour talks about the inaugural Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness Week.
What inspired this initiave?
Wellbeing is a growing conversation throughout New Zealand. For the wine industry, it was clear that our permanent workforce carried a significant burden during the Covid-19 pandemic. Focusing on their wellbeing was a priority identified by the Marlborough workforce steering group, which landed on the idea of a “wellbeing week” leading into vintage. We didn’t make that pre-vintage deadline, but a group of industry folks jumped on board with the concept and felt it would be a great way to help reset after vintage and prepare for the new season. Wellness Week evolved from there, dedicated to amping up the wellbeing conversation and instilling some friendly competition.
What’s the Marlborough Wine Industry Workplace Wellbeing Impact Award?
It’s all about showcasing positive impact on the people in the workplace. There are some great business reasons for investing in employee wellbeing, but we’ll miss the mark if the only driver is the bottom line. This award puts people at the centre of wellbeing for their own sake, and it demonstrates an employer’s commitment to this. What was important about this award is not only what was executed for the wellbeing initiative, but also how it was developed and why. There’s a lot of scope for positive impact and at the heart of it, the most positive impact comes from responding to meeting the needs of your people.
We had 17 entries for the wellness week competition, and they showcased a wonderful range of initiatives. We asked people to post wellbeing initiatives on Instagram that had taken place during the past year. It was great to see the Five Ways to Wellbeing theme coming through in many of the entries, and all of the entries shared things that other businesses could replicate, which is where we all win.
Spy Valley Wines took out the Wellbeing Impact Award for their Taco Tuesday entry. The entire Spy Valley team, from vineyard to winery, connected over Taco Tuesday and had an exclusive preview of the 2023 vintage. It was simple, effective, and covered several aspects of wellbeing, including connecting, giving, and learning. Sharing kai was noted as a simple and nourishing way to support and connect people and the judges acknowledged the importance of creating space for informal conversations that allow people to open up. Of special note about Spy’s entry was its inclusivity – it was easy for everyone to participate in it.
Who else caught your attention?
It was great to see different aspects of wellbeing drawn together in initiatives such as such as wetland planting at Grove Mill, and ‘walk & talk’ meetings at Hortus. When it comes to wellbeing, one of the judges acknowledged that the “worthiness of wellbeing can be a buzz kill” and entries such as chalk drawing (Saint Clair) and rock hunting (Delegat) remind us of the importance of play and having fun while also reinforcing that wellbeing doesn’t need to be costly or complicated. One of the aims of wellness week was to provide members with inspirational ideas they could replicate in their workplaces, and we definitely achieved that.
The wellness week post from Yealands inspired us in terms of its leadership, culture, and employee-driven approach
to wellbeing. Yealands’ entry showed a high level of commitment to integrating wellbeing as part of a high performing organisation. The wellness week judges created the Marlborough Wine Industry Workplace Wellbeing Leadership Award specifically to recognise Yealands –emphasising that big gains come from lots of small things sustained over time.
Why were social media platforms a good vehicle?
Check out Wine Marlborough’s Instagram grid to see how social media captured and showcased a range of ideas and initiatives. We will be able to share posts again or use them as examples for future wellness week initiatives. It was very visual and easy for people to engage with the wellbeing initiatives showcased.
As well as business initiatives and inspiration, we had amazing posts sharing wellbeing resources from Farmstrong. Wellness week partners and stakeholders could like and comment on posts, which brought new perspectives to the conversation. And of course, the wine industry in Marlborough received a terrific shout-out from Sam Whitelock.
Businesses could post on their own channels and promote their initiative, or have Wine Marlborough post on their behalf. We have already heard of posts helping to demonstrate certain companies as good places to work.
#WineWellnessWeek2023
#WineMarlborough
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Incessant rain and humidity bolstered botrytis infection periods throughout the season in most wine regions, with Central Otago the only La Niña-loving corner of the country. Vigilant vineyard work paid off for those with the right varieties and right crop loads in the right places at the right time, with a long second summer transforming the outlook of vintage 2023. For others it was a season of hard work and heartache.
SOPHIE PREECE
The hard work paid off in vintage 2023, says Tony Soljan from Soljans Estate Winery in West Auckland. “In the end the wines have turned out very good and we’re pleased with it.” Like much of the North Island, Auckland growers suffered relentless rain during the growing season, including the blow of Cyclone Gabrielle in February. “You have to be far more onto it and far more focussed on it to make sure you get the product out correctly in the end,” Tony says. He predicts Chardonnay from the Kumeu area will be one of the better wines from the season.
At Tantalus Estate on Waiheke Island, Winemaker Alex Perez and Viticulturist Chris Ward took a “hands-on approach of careful preparedness” throughout the year. A wetland at the heart of the 8-hectare vineyard helped with drainage over the wet season, says
Alex. “Then we regularly attended to micro-tweaks. Canopies were green thinned, kept upright and our overall aim was to keep fruit weight in balance with canopy, and the everchanging conditions.”
When it came to harvest, they were very selective with fruit, which the winery ferments in small batches. “Because of the high degree of management in the vineyards, we are very pleased with the quality of the fruit this year,” Alex adds, relishing the excitement of a challenging vintage. “It motivates me to be more creative and innovative in the lab and the resultant winemaking.”
In the wake of harvest, Tantalus hosted a Bragato Research Institute Winemakers’ Workshop, which was a highlight “because we are always keeping our minds open to international research and collaboration”.
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While Cyclone Gabrielle “smoked” some grapegrowers in Hawke’s Bay this season, others are reporting stellar results thanks to a long late summer. Te Mata Chief Executive Nick Buck calls it a year of extremes – “long, hot and humid” – but believes the vintage will surprise people, with some growers able to soak up ideal autumn conditions, depending on site, variety and crop loads. “We will have some of the best Cabernet-based wines we’ve ever made,” he says. “And definitely some of the best Sauvignons as well.”
Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Executive Officer Brent Linn says “very impacted members” were in the minority in February’s disaster, with about 300ha of the region’s 4,800ha struck hard by cycloneinduced flooding. “For them it is extremely significant.” However, while all the region’s grapegrowers battled with disease pressure in a very wet season, those with later ripening varieties were able to enjoy an extended summer through March and early April.
warm season. They also worked hard in the vineyards to mitigate disease pressure, including vigilance in keeping canopies open. That work and lighter crops proved “enormously beneficial”, Nick says, noting that outcomes from the challenging season would be determined by “location, varietal weighting, and crop loads”.
of funding for cleaning up silt and debris in Hawke’s Bay. That was a relief for many, after waiting many weeks “in limbo”, Brent adds. “It’s been very difficult for some of them.”
That second summer came with dryer conditions, cooler nights and a drop in the humidity felt through January and February, mitigating disease pressure. “Given some of those vineyards had 200mm dropped on them three or four weeks before vintage, late season reds were surprisingly clean,” Brent says, while also noting the quality of later Chardonnay blocks. “That was a nice silver lining to what had happened.”
Nick says the 2022/2023 grape growing season recorded the second highest number of growing degree days on record, due to its duration and “unsurprisingly for most people it was one of the wettest”. It was also the longest growing season his family has experienced in 50 years at Te Mata, from budburst to the end of harvest, as well as the longest harvest, stretching to nearly eight weeks.
The successful vintage resulted from a “huge effort” in their vineyards, he says. Early spring budburst yielded fruitful vines, and Te Mata dropped more fruit than typical, heeding forecasts of a wet and
Harvest started under pressure, with rainfall before, during and after Cyclone Gabrielle. That put early varieties at risk, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But the impacts depended on individual sites, Nick says, with a nod to Hawke’s Bay’s subregional diversity. Te Mata operates in the Havelock Hills, Bridge Pa, Gimblett Gravels and vineyards in the Upper Dartmore Valley, and “we saw a big range across those and across varieties”. The best of them were “really extraordinary”, he says, singing the praises of Bordeaux varieties this year. Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc were “outstanding”, with some of the smallest berries on record, intense concentration, and “massive degrees of ripeness”, he adds. “We didn’t finish picking those until April 17, which was two full months after Cyclone Gabrielle.” Syrah was also strong, and Sauvignon Blanc proved a “star of the vintage”.
Meanwhile, some growers on the 300ha of vineyards flooded by Cyclone Gabrielle were able to clean out debris and harvest fruit, while others wrote off the vintage, Brent says. A portion of growers on the 140ha of vineyard “smoked” by the event, “either in part or totality”, have already made plans to redevelop, he says a day after the Government announced $133 million
Support from other wine regions was swift in the wake of the cyclone, with machinery operators, vintage staff and rebuild assistance offered. In addition to those non-financial offers, there was “significant financial support” from regional organisations and individual wineries. The Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Charitable Trust received $300,000 of direct funding “from people interested in seeing the wine industry back on its feet in Hawke’s Bay,” Brent says. Two thirds has been paid out through two funding rounds, based on the scale of loss, with the remaining $100,000 to be allocated in a third round.
Among the many fundraising efforts was the Webb’s Auction House sale of a 6,000ml and 9,000ml bottle of 2021 Te Mata Coleraine, for $1,958 and $3,183 respectively. Nick says the company is deeply committed to Hawke’s Bay, having made wine there for 126 years. “We’re Hawke’s Bay through and through”, he says. Donating the big bottles of prized Coleraine from the excellent 2021 vintage was an opportunity to assist those hit by the cyclone. But he says many of the best examples of charity after the disaster were “lots of little community things”, such as staff at Te Mata giving up their homes to cyclone victims. “Hawke’s Bay has just been named one of the 12 ‘Great Wine Capitals of the World’, and the strengths of this region really shone in 2023.”
“The best wines are really extraordinary.”
Nick BuckHawke’s Bay harvest. Photo Richard Brimer
Wairarapa had a wet winter, spring, summer and autumn, says Ata Rangi Head Winemaker Helen Masters. “We have never seen a season like this ever. You have seasons where there’s rain like ‘04 and cool seasons like ‘12 and ‘17. But the thing about this season that made it quite difficult is that it was wet all the way through.”
What would have normally been positive – reasonable set and compact bunches – exacerbated disease pressure in the wet season. “Tight bunches limiting spray penetration and a lack of wind to dry vines, resulted in burst berries particularly in early varieties after Cyclone Gabrielle.”
pressure, she says. With 2023 marking the third consecutive low yielding season, a lot of people are hurting. “It is tough in terms of not having wine to sell.”
According to VineFacts, October was the only month where rainfall was not significantly higher than a typical year in the Wairarapa. “So, it was very, very hard for the vines in terms of very different conditions to what they would normally be under. And also very cool,” Helen says. That led to a protracted veraison of three to four weeks, with disease pressure starting very early, partly due to retained junk in bunches from damp conditions at cap fall.
Meanwhile a “huge” amount of growth in and below the vines required vigilant canopy maintenance and weekly mowing, while at some points of the season it was simply too wet to get tractors on to the blocks to get the necessary work done. “All in all, it has been incredibly trying,” Helen says, noting the additional work required to remove rot in the vines, meaning there was little downtime throughout the growing season and harvest.
The season put “incredible pressure” on organic vineyards in particular, and Helen predicts some operators will drop certification following the third tough season in a row. The vintage was very expensive, from the vineyard to the sorting table, but will yield disappointing returns, with volumes well down because of disease
Wairarapa has long leaned on a range of clones to get through seasonal vagaries, and in 2023 the later ripening Pinot Noir clones, Abel and 10/5, fared better than the Clone 5 and Dijon clones. The best Pinot Noir will be “very elegant and lower in alcohol”, Helen says. “Very fresh – isn’t that what we want these days?” Meanwhile “amazing” Chardonnay quality is providing a silver lining amid all the clouds.
If the forecast El Niño changes weather fortunes for the next vintage, bringing dry conditions, the region has “incredibly good carbohydrate stores set down”, Helen says. “We have grown more under vine crops than ever before, and the canopies have better internode lengths than we have seen before … The vines are looking great, so if we do have a change in season things are really well set up, in terms of stored resources in the vines.”
“All in all, it has been incredibly trying.”
Helen Masters
The impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle on the wine industry will be long lasting, says Mark Thompson, Chief Winemaker at GisVin and Chair of Gisborne Winegrowers Association. Like Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne received about two and a half times the long-term average rainfall for the three months up to 18 April, including the storm event that meant some vineyards could not be accessed for harvest, while other suffered impacts to fruit quality and quantity.
Meanwhile the cyclone-destroyed road between Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay meant juice destined for Hawke’s Bay wineries, or further south, could not be reliably
Richard Brimer’s annual vintage road trip faced many of the same hurdles as wine companies this harvest, including ongoing rain and not-going ferries. But the detoured photographic journey, while missing the action in Central Otago, captures some magical and memorable moments of vintage 2023, as seen throughout this vintage review.
Richard picked up an electric Volvo (C40 Recharge) in Napier on the same day Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’s Bay, “and within 24 hours we lost power and comms, so had no way of charging the car”, he says. “After a week I realised my trip was going to be interrupted, as most Hawke’s Bay wineries were affected not only physically but emotionally, with family and friends losing property or businesses.”
The Volvo found a new use when Richard volunteered to deliver meals for Craggy Range, where staff were rustling up endless
transported. “So we ended up having to make the wines for them at GisVin and then send it out as finished wine, which is what we’re doing at the moment,” Mark says in mid-May.
He estimates Gisborne lost 40% of its crop to the weather event. For GisVin, unharvested fruit was destined for big tanks, while the juicing contracts were for small volumes, “so we have had literally no tank space up until this week when we have started moving wine out”. That’s meant “huge amounts of shuffling and logistics”, he says. “And winery managers pulling what’s left of their hair out.” With hindsight, many in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay will be wondering whether it was worth
battling to get compromised fruit in in the wake of the storm, he adds. “Seriously, I think we would just leave them on the vine, for the amount of extra money and heartache it cost us.”
There are some “great good new stories” amid the later ripening varieties, including Chardonnay and some reds that have been “brilliant”, Mark says. “But you cannot take away from the fact that you have a huge amount of compromised aromatic whites.” Like many of the country’s wine regions, Gisborne growers are “very, very happy” about the switch to El Niño, hoping for a classic east coast season in 2024.
loads of food for helpers in the worst hit areas. He also spent the week after the cyclone capturing startling images of flood damage for the Red Cross (see April/May 2023 Winegrower Magazine).
When Hawke’s Bay’s Chardonnay harvest began, so did Richard’s annual vintage record. He then set off for Martinborough, hitting a welcome spell of good weather before returning to the Bay and flying to Christchurch to pick up another Volvo. “The ferry dramas were a
problem and I couldn’t cope being stuck in the south,” he reports. From there he charged up to North Canterbury and Marlborough “to cover some of their great vintage, with the best weather and some amazing fruit”.
Back in the North Island, Richard shot Waiheke Island’s Tantalus Estate, before the tail end of the Hawke’s Bay vintage. Ferry issues took Central Otago off the itinerary this year, but he’s already putting the gears in motion for Road Trip 2024.
Nature kept Marlborough grapegrowers on their toes this season, then swept in with a beautiful second summer just when the industry needed it. “It was pretty cruisy,” says Mahi’s Brian Bicknell, reflecting on their longest vintage yet. “Cleanliness of the fruit was the key, and we felt no pressure to harvest.” That’s despite the fact that inclement conditions throughout the season resulted in 21 botrytis infection periods in Marlborough from mid-November 2022 to the end of March 2023, compared to 12 the previous season. “It looked like it was going to be tough,” admits Brian, thankful for open bunches with fewer berries that allowed for good air movement. He also puts the excellent vintage down to the long harvest, which lasted 38 days at Mahi.
It was lengthy at Spy Valley in the Waihopai Valley as well, with harvest kicking off on 8 March and winding up 41 days later with a Syrah pick on 18 April. That made for a steady, low-stress harvest with all the fruit in beautiful condition, says Winemaker Wendy Stuckey in the wake of the winery’s 20 year anniversary. “Despite a slightly smaller crop than the previous
bumper season, we still managed to produce an impressive amount of perfectly ripened fruit and fill the winery.”
The optimal autumnal conditions were a welcome shift in a year “we were pretty much expecting the worst”, says Astrolabe’s Simon Waghorn in the Wine Marlborough vintage overview. “All varieties benefitted from more time on the vines and ripening a bit later.” As the weather turned, so did botrytis pressure, with autumn rainfall cool enough to mitigate infections. Meanwhile, an unseasonal near frost in March may have been a boon, seemingly halting the botrytis in its tracks, he says.
Isabel Estate Winemaker Jeremy McKenzie says it was an extensive management season mitigating disease, particularly powdery pressure, and expectations were for a tough vintage. But despite the gloomy spring and summer, “the 2023 wines across the board are fantastic”, he says. “We were blessed with an amazing run of dry weather, allowing a smooth harvest and ability to pick on point with great flavour and acidity.” When it comes to Chardonnay, the building blocks are there
for another “stellar” vintage, Jeremy says.
Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens says the excellent vintage is a perfect way to celebrate 50 years of Marlborough’s modern wine industry. “It’s fantastic to know that the wines from 2023 will be such a wonderful representation of what we can do – when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc of course, but also with the other varieties we have built our reputation on.”
“We’re very happy,” says Neudorf Winemaker Todd Stevens, reporting clean fruit and “solid” volumes for vintage 2023, with flowering in their Moutere Hills vineyards better than summer estimates. “Obviously given what was happening elsewhere, we feel very privileged.” But it was a lot of work – “brutal”, he says – to get vines through to a healthy harvest. The resulting Chardonnays look very good, although it’s early days in their development, Todd says. “I’m also quietly confident in the Pinots which show some
North Canterbury also required vineyard vigilance this season, with 245mm of rain over the three months to 18 April, compared to the long-term average of 143.7mm, according to VineFacts.
“That meant challenges in the growing season, in keeping up with the vineyard floor, canopy management and organic spray programme,” says Pyramid Valley Winemaker and Estate Manager Huw Kinch, reflecting on the rainfall endured every week. The season was cool, like 2022, but with a few more welcome warm days, he adds.
Waikari had a snowstorm in October 2022, resulting in light crops at Pyramid Valley, while the vineyards in more coastal Waipara fared better, he says. “Pinot yields there were low but the other varieties, including Sauvignon and Pinot Gris were
Central Otago is likely to be the only wine region in New Zealand regretting the end of La Niña’s three-year reign, says consultant viticulturist Timbo Morrison-Deaker. “It has been three stunning and stellar vintages back-to-back. While our friends on the east coast have been a little bit battered and bruised, we’ve had the benefits of a remarkably hot and dry three years.”
Those fortunes changed dramatically in the last four weeks of Central’s 2023 harvest, around the time it was revealed that El Niño was on its way in, says the owner of Viticultura, describing the “bombshell” of rain, wind, snow, and frost that hit the region in autumn, akin to typical spring conditions. “It was a rapid reminder of
real concentration and vibrancy in their early stage.”
Seifried Estate’s Heidi Seifried-Houghton says the season has to be referenced against the experience of other regions. “We feel like we’ve been lucky.” There was rain throughout the growing season, but Nelson had a good run of sunshine over harvest, “which takes a lot of stress out of it”. She also references the hard work to ensure vines had good canopy management and spray coverage throughout the season. Overall yields were slightly below
average, with the Motueka blocks – which were pruned late – enjoying a better flowering than those on the Waimea Plains, Heidi says. As with every year, she’s excited by the company’s low yielding Gewürztraminer, and says Sauvignon Blanc looks “really good” as well. There is higher acidity this year, but the sugars were good at harvest, she adds. Seifried Estate welcomed the youth, energy and accents that returned to the winery this harvest, with borders open and international cellar hands on the floor. “It sort of completes the vintage.”
better. The Chardonnay was a bit light but all of them were very good quality.” Despite the challenges and lower yields in some vineyards, producers are “really
happy with the quality of the 2023 harvest”, Huw says. “It was a tough season. I hope the weather pattern shift goes back to those drier, warmer summers.”
what Central Otago frost fighting feels like, because we’ve had a holiday from that for about three years.”
Good yields – thanks to bigger berries rather than more bunches – have presented positives and negatives, with a “blockbuster” vintage financially, but the likelihood of lower alcohol wines from later ripening areas. Colour stability and flavour profiles are “quite impressive”, but the season also delivered low sugars, high malic acids and “slightly strange pH”, he says. That came as a surprise, given the region recorded 150 growing degree days above the long-term average in the middle of the season and was “so incredibly dry”, Timbo says. Some vineyards that have never had
frost issues found their canopies rapidly senescing after the cold snap, possibly due to drought stress earlier in the season. “But we have been close enough to the finishing line all season that this year will still be seen as a stellar vintage … I don’t think anyone will be complaining about volumes out of Central Otago.”
As they prepare for the 2024 El Niño vintage, growers are making sure the vines “go to bed with good nutrition and wake up the next season with good nutrition”, Timbo says, reflecting on the region’s last El Niño season in 2020 which was an “outstanding” one. “But we will expect lower crop rates than we have had and probably later harvest dates.”
There aren’t many industries in which you can literally bottle people’s passion for their work. But organic and biodynamic grapegrowers and winemakers do exactly that.
The Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference has been curated for the organically certified, the currently converting, and the curious conventional grower. With a programme that pours from carbon counting and community connection to mycorrhizae and markets, “it has something for everyone”, according to co-chair Nick Pett. “Our goal is someone can walk away and say, ‘I want to try that’”.
Nick is part of the executive of Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ) and Winemaker at Seresin Estate, which was certified for organics in 2001 and biodynamics in 2010. It’s a pioneering company and they are constantly looking for ways to do better by the land and the wines, “whether that’s through technology or something more rustic”, Nick says, explaining the beneficial outcomes of recent hand ploughing trials. Everyone in the sector wants organics to grow and thrive, he adds. “We are more than happy to share our learnings and failings for the betterment of the industry. We want to help develop the future leaders in the industry and show them what is possible.”
The influence of organics and biodynamics goes well beyond those who are certified and in the process of conversion, he says, excited to see tendrils of organic philosophy spreading like mycorrhizae, with cover crops, reduced herbicide passes and biodiversity steadily softening the practices of conventional grape growing. “If you drive through Marlborough now and look at the interrow of a standard vineyard, and how permanent swards are maintained, it’s not all perfectly groomed and mowed down low,” Nick says. “You see people mowing every other row and looking to have some biodiversity.” Incorporating “all those little bits” leads to a general improvement, he adds. “People don’t realise that what they’re doing is what organic producers have been doing for a long time.”
His conference co-chair Bart Arnst,
who has been deep in organic viticulture for three decades, says the influence is not just in New Zealand. He’s heard organic discussions around the world touching on growing techniques first established here, including planting buckwheat as a deterrent to Light Brown Apple Moth, which comes from research he and Samantha Scarratt, among others, conducted with the late Dr Steve Wratten in the mid-1990s.
New Zealand organic viticulture is “maturing as a sector”, says BioGro Audit Manager Jared White. “People who are well established in the market and making organic wine are not likely to drop out any time soon,” he explains. “They enjoy what they do, have a market for their product, and there is definitely demand.”
BioGro turned 40 this year, and since 1983 has encouraged the conversion of 235 vineyards to register as certified organic, starting with Millton Estate in Gisborne. Two years ago BioGro released a report showing exponential growth in organically certified vineyards in New Zealand over the past two decades, and an increase of 300% during the past 10 years. As of 2021, 2,418-hectares of New Zealand’s 40,323ha of vineyard were organic (about 6%), with another 432ha in conversion.
Back then there were few people interested in discussing plants to attract beneficial insects or cover crops to grow worm counts. But for the past 15 years Bart has been busy lecturing viticulture students, sourcing organic fruit for eager wine companies, managing client vineyards, and working with his own co-owned label, The Darling. He’s also helped organise the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference since the inaugural – and packed out – 2015 event.
The three-day 2023 conference, on in Blenheim from 20-22 June, builds on pillars of Create, Care and Connect, with 25 speakers from New Zealand and abroad. It will cover regenerative organic and biodynamic viticulture, including the likes of biochar, biological inputs, mycorrhizae and rhizobacteria. It will also canvas the international image and value chain of organic New Zealand wines, climate action and carbon counting, and the importance of connection, with stories of whakapapa and indigenous communities. “I think this conference has something for everyone,” says Nick. “From the truly converted –‘we’ve been practicing for 20 years’ – to guys who are in conversion, to those who want to learn.”
But it’s not all an upward trajectory. In 2021 Marlborough accounted for 1,166ha of the organic plantings, which was 48% of the national total, but only 4% of Marlborough’s vineyard land. In the two years since, the percentage has gone down, due to very large conventional plantings outstripping the conversion of organic vineyards.
Of all varieties, Sauvignon Blanc (which accounts for 26,559ha of New Zealand’s vineyard area) is the least likely to be grown organically, with 3% of the national planting, compared to 15% of Pinot Noir and 8% of Chardonnay. So the statistics of Central Otago naturally soar above Marlborough, with the 525ha of organic vineyard in 2021 representing more than a quarter of Central’s plantings.
A lot of New Zealand’s premium producers are organic “and they are almost ambassadors in some way”, Jared says. That’s backed up by Bob Campbell MW, who noted in 2021 that fully or partly organic wineries are more than five times as likely as non-organic wineries to find a place in The Real Review Top 52 list.
Te Whare Ra’s Anna Flowerday (page 28) says a lot of the growth for organics is in markets where they can command a premium. “To me that’s a winner-winner.” Photo left, viticulturist Kurt Robinson at Akarua.
“People don’t realise that what they’re doing is what organic producers have been doing for a long time.”
Nick Pett
It’s wonderful to see the “rise of organics across New Zealand, she says. “Especially from that quality perspective. If you look at people’s top 20 or top 50 producers, chances are now that half of them are organic.”
Although some big blocks have been withdrawn from certification in Marlborough since the BioGro report, others have come into the tent, including Auntsfield and Hunter’s Wines, while others, such as Babich, have increased their organic vineyard area “because they have tapped into specific markets that work for them”, Jared says.
Babich Wines Chief Executive David Babich says the organic range sets them aside from the crowd. Buyers get served the same brands year after year “and all of a sudden, we’ve been able to say, ‘we have organic wines and it’s vegan as well’. So we can have the conversation.”
It’s a point of difference and “buyers have been very receptive”, he says, noting that in the United Kingdom that support is key. “If it has momentum then they will look to buy more, and it will be a growing category.”
In the Autumn 2023 Organic Matters magazine, Erica Crawford, a marketing representative on the OWNZ executive committee and founder of Loveblock Wines, says organic wine is growing globally, “albeit off a smaller base”. It is still niche, but sales are predicted to grow by 10% year-on-year to 2030 in the biggest organic wine markets, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, while sales in the general wine category are static or declining. “These numbers are reflected in the US as well,” Erica says.
Loveblock had its first organic blocks in 2008, and Erica watched the global market with interest, seeing organics “pop up” in specialty stores and major chains alike. “It has taken a few years to get momentum,” she says in Organic Matters. “I believe people are now more open and aware - not only of what is in a wine, but also how it is grown and how a company conducts itself.”
New Zealand wine maven Melanie
Brown, founder of The Laundry and Specialist Cellars in London, says there is “most certainly” a burgeoning interest in New Zealand organic wine. “Consumers are definitely becoming more astute with the philosophy behind the wine they are purchasing.” She puts increased attention down to the integrity of organic wines, and to consumers being “much more clued up” about the philosophy and production behind each bottle, leading to greater interest in vegan wines as well. “The bottom line is consumers are far more aware of their environmental impact and so this is definitely a buying consideration when it comes to their desired wines of choice.” The cost-of-living crisis means spending on New Zealand wine is down as a whole for her operations, but while organic wines are slightly more expensive, the tendency is increasingly for people to buy one bottle that has quality and “meaning” rather than two that do not, Melanie says.
Alexander Michas is President and Chief Operating Officer at VINTUS in the United States, which distributes organic wines from Marlborough’s Dog Point Vineyards as part of a portfolio of family-owned estates around the world. About a quarter of VINTUS’s producers have, or are in process of gaining, organic certification, with an acceleration over the past few years, Alexander says. “It wouldn’t surprise me if nearly all of our producers are farming organically in a decade.” That’s a clear shift from 10 years ago, when the organic section of a store was “small and dusty, with wines for the most part unknown, and certainly not quality leaders”, and has come from producers, the trade, and consumers, “in several self-reinforcing ways,” he says. “Quality producers want to make higher quality wines, and that starts without exception with better vineyard management. Organic farming is certainly
one way to raise the level and care in your vineyard.” They also want to be a positive influence on their environment, “in part in response to consumers”, he says. “We also see that buyers work for companies that, whether big or small, can have organic farming or production as either a requirement, or view it as a strong asset; it’s an ethical choice they are making.” Meanwhile, consumers are paying more attention to what they put in their bodies, “and organic has a positive rather than fringe connotation”, he says.
Despite good signs on the horizon, organics isn’t easy, says David Babich, explaining that some of their organic fruit is diverted to non-organic wines, because they have yet to find sufficient market. Sales of the company’s organic ranges grew 242% during the past five years, and 50% in the past year alone, but that’s off a relatively low base and has required a lot of focus, he says. Babich Wines’ organic journey began
“Consumers are definitely becoming more astute with the philosophy behind the wine they are purchasing.”
Melanie Brown
in late 2005, in a 32-hectare horse paddock on the edge of the Waihopai River. Organics was attracting some attention at the time and “the only way for us to grow our understanding of it was to do it”, David says. The process at Headwaters vineyard was “quite a learning curve”, including adjusting to lower yields and higher vineyard expenses. “It would be very hard to do this commercially if you did it and tried to fit into a commercial band of New Zealand wines.”
Babich’s third organic vineyard is now on its way to certification, building on the experiences at Headwaters and The Willows. “There’s still plenty for us to learn,” David says. And despite the challenges, he’s committed to their organic range, which serves the environmental aspirations of the company, while also setting it aside from the crowd. “Commercially, we feel organic wine is strongly differentiating itself both in the New Zealand and international wine industry. As a family winery, we’re really committed to organic wine production and its growth.”
When Bordeaux-based Edmond de Rothschild Heritage Wines bought Akarua in Bannockburn late last year, its Chief Executive Ariane de Rothschild said plans to convert the Pinot Noir vineyard to organics represented a unique opportunity to move into “one of the fastest growing categories”. The company is tapping into that with Sauvignon Blanc as well, with Rimapere Vineyard in Marlborough due to reach organic certification next year.
“We put our all into enhancing the Rimapere viticulture system to organic and regenerative with the results being very humbling,” says Viticulturist Kurt Robinson. “The Akarua vineyard has an unprecedent amount of unlocked potential, with a clear view on what we want to achieve from now into the future.” Organics provides “a symbiotic flow from vineyard to winery and the end consumer”, Kurt says. “An epic journey.” Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference 20-22 June organicwineconference.com
“It’s a symbiotic flow from vineyard to winery and the end consumer.”
Kurt Robinson
When Jason and Anna Flowerday bought one of Marlborough’s oldest vineyards, they knew they had a real doer upper. “It hasn’t been easy,” Anna says in the wake of an “amazing” 20th vintage at Te Whare Ra. “But we genuinely still love it.”
The results of this two-decade renovation are not in the winery structure – a modest tractor shed housing high-end small-batch winery equipment. They may not even be apparent in the vineyard rows, although those in the know will appreciate fastidious pruning and canopy management, curated cover crops, steaming compost heaps, and picturesque Devon cows grazing mid-winter rows, reducing machinery compaction while fertilising in situ.
takes. That’s the sort of effort you have got to put in. It’s not an example of organics. It’s an example of quality winegrowing to achieve the best product.”
To really dig into this 11 hectare organic doer upper, you need to look at the vibrant soil beneath the vines, where those cover crops, composts, and cows, along with biological sprays, biodynamic preparations, seaweed teas, and bloody hard work, have seen organic matter rise from 2% to 6%. “That’s a really good measure of how well you’re farming,” Jason says.
It makes a massive difference to soil health, and also its water holding capacity, with 130,000 litres of water stored per hectare for every 1% of soil organic matter, Anna says. “We basically created a 8.5 million litre dam in the soil.” She and Jason are “obsessed” with the data behind their work, unwilling to take anything at face value. “The science is a vindication,” Anna explains. “It is giving you so many more tools… to make better and more informed decisions.” They tap into it often, analysing soil, compost and biologicals before deciding how to best manage every corner, row or individual vine at Te Whare Ra, never opting for a one treatment fits all approach. “It’s about finding a balance,” Jason says. “If you want to make quality wine and grow quality grapes, this is what it
The couple – he from Marlborough and she from a multigenerational grape growing family in McLaren Vale – were working in Australia’s Clare Valley when they began to long for autonomy. The higher they got in their careers, the further they got from the cellar, Anna says. “I didn’t want to be writing notes saying ‘please plunge my Pinots at 1 o’clock’.”
When they met Tony and Lita Brady at Wendouree, who were making small-batch iconic wines from 50 tonnes of grapes in the Clare Valley, they were inspired. So they looked around and were captured by the history, place and potential of Te Whare Ra, te reo Māori for the house in the sun.
“I had been to Marlborough enough times to know it was a pretty amazing part of the world, and obviously the reputation for the wines was pretty cool,” Anna says. “But we were really looking for something like this –small and hands on. It was really important to us to have our own winery and our own vineyards. We are complete control freaks. Anyone who knows us well, knows that.”
Planted in 1979, the vineyard was one of Marlborough’s oldest, and “a lot of people thought ‘of course you are going to pull that out’,” says Anna. “And we were like, ‘no that’s what we came here for’.” They immediately removed some varieties, invested in good winery equipment, and planted cover crops to build organic matter. In 2007 they converted to organics, and
also adopted biodynamic and regenerative practices, knowing that good organics is not just about removing certain inputs, but also ensuring the nutrition of the ecosystem. Good organic farming is also regenerative, and good regenerative farming must also be organic, Anna says.
About 10 years in, Jason knew they’d hit a turning point. “All of a sudden, the soil smells different, drains differently and reacts differently to the environment. You know it’s starting to work properly.” It also feels softer under foot, and they like to take visitors for a stroll around Te Whare Ra, then compare it to walking through a compacted conventional vineyard.
The vines have flourished in the well-functioning soil, with better disease resistance, and the yields from 40-year-old vines were as good this year as they’ve ever been, Jason says, noting the “amazing” fruit that came across the sorting table at harvest. “You are looking and tasting and thinking, ‘this is all really worth it’.”
“The quality of the fruit this year has been utterly exceptional,” Anna agrees, noting that the hard work in the vineyard comes through in their carefully created wines. “The people who know, know. They can see it in our wines and the consistency of our range.”
Channelling heart and hard work into their house in the sun has reaped rewards, and it’s the only way they’re interested in growing wine. If a winegrower is really lucky, they’ll get 50 or 40 vintages, Jason says. “If you only get to have 40 harvests, why wouldn’t you make them amazing?”
Hard work and heart at the house in the sun
SOPHIE PREECEJason and Anna Flowerday. Photo Richard Briggs
“It’s not an example of organics. It’s an example of quality winegrowing to achieve the best product.” Jason Flowerday.
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Nick Paulin didn’t need to soil his undies to know the value of organics. But a pair of demolished jockeys illustrated how much more he had to learn. “You think you know about soil health – and not using herbicide and insecticide products helps – but you don’t know what other effects you’re having by cultivating, or how what’s growing there affects the soil.”
A few years ago the Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates (AONZ) Viticulturist buried two pairs of new white cotton underpants in the Lowburn Ferry organic vineyard in Central Otago. One was under a neat and tidy row of mowed grass cover, and the other under a mixed species cover crop, grown in winter and crimp rolled in spring. When he dug them up five weeks later the first pair had been far more impacted by soil activity, growing his excitement in cover crops, “but also what you do with them”.
plenty more to learn, and new tools and technology to be tapped into, with soil microbial health now visible through the use of DNA, says Nick.
Domain Thomson Wine Viticulturist Simon Gourley says the constant boundary pushing of organic viticulture keeps him interested. “There are always new challenges, and new cover crop blends and products we can trial. It is very satisfying seeing the soil and overall improvement of the vineyard, and of course the wine.”
surrounding areas using traditional farming practices versus chemical means.” That’s not always the easiest or cheapest option, “but it is what we have dedicated our brand around”.
Now the vineyard is down to one mowing pass a season, and some rows have not been mowed for two years, “which has made a huge difference to our soil organic matter”, says Nick, who was New Zealand Young Viticulturist of the Year in 2011. The vineyard is no longer “bowling-green clean”, he says, happier with things being “a bit scruffy but with a better ecological outcome than mowing it 10 times a year”.
Organic management is on a case-by-case basis, and what works in Central Otago won’t fly in the narrow rows of Pyramid Valley in Waikari in North Canterbury. But at AONZ’s small Hawke’s Bay vineyard they mowed every second row this season, and crimp rolled a cover crop. There’s
Central Otago is a small growing community, with a high percentage of certified organic production. “There don’t seem to be any trade secrets and people are more than happy to share knowledge and machinery whenever possible,” says Simon, who was Young Viticulturist of the Year in 2019. The national organics sector is just as supportive, he adds. “With a growing demand from consumers for less chemical intervention and a focus on organic production, we are seeing more and more research, support and communication around organics as a whole.”
Most of his career has been in organics, or in vineyards going through conversion, apart from a small stint for a large commercial operator in Australia. “I knew if I was to continue with viticulture as a career, it needed to be for an organic producer,” he says. And it’s a nonnegotiable at Domaine Thomson. “We have a real focus on enhancing the soil and
With rising labour costs, the company is working to mechanise as much as possible, which goes “hand in hand” with re-thinking traditional practices. And they’re always on their toes to find ways of adapting, innovating and pushing boundaries. “If our soil and vines are happy, healthy and balanced, maybe we can get away with less sprays, or a higher weed pressure.”
Paritua Viticulturist Ryan Fraser says there’s plenty of collegiality in Hawke’s Bay’s organic winegrowing sector as well. Ryan, a finalist in the Regenerative Farmer category of the Organic New Zealand Awards in May, says Bridge Pa has had a “huge increase” in certified hectares, with a close community and common cause. “We get on the phone and bounce ideas.”
Paritua has just had its second certified organic harvest, following a market driven decision to convert, including distributors indicating they would only be interested in organic wines, Ryan says. He has relished the chance to use wildflowers to attract beneficial insects, with “wilderness areas” left to flourish. Rather than rows clipped to short back and sides, Paritua is comparable to a mullet, he says. “Organics has given me the chance to do lots of different things and I don’t have to conform.”
The beauty and bounty of a messy vineyardSimon Gourley with a seeder used to sow cover crops
SOPHIE PREECE
“There are always new challenges, and new cover crop blends and products we can trial. It is very satisfying seeing the soil and overall improvement of the vineyard, and of course the wine.”
Simon Gourley
Organic winemakers in the Wairarapa had their spirits dampened by rain this season, but organics remains the way of the future for many producers. Ata Rangi is committed to organics on its 25 hectares of certified vineyard. But Head Winemaker Helen Masters says it hasn’t been easy in recent years, with a series of wet growing seasons culminating in the “extreme” disease pressure and “devastating losses” of vintage 2023.
That’s caused organic growers to “pause and reflect” on whether they can sustainably farm organically, Helen says. “The wet conditions have made undervine and intervine sward management difficult and expensive, with more passes through the vineyards with machinery as growth has continued throughout the whole season.” Those who remain committed organic viticulture will be relying on a return to El Niño weather patterns, Helen says.
Organic certification has been the status quo at Urlar in Gladstone since the
vineyard was established in 2007 by Angus and Davina Thomson. The new owners at Urlar have since converted another 5.5ha to organic viticulture, says winemaker Jannine Rickards, noting that more land may be considered for conversion.
organics because we could harvest 100% organic fruit this year from the different vineyards we farm at On Giant’s Shoulders, John Porter’s vineyard and a vineyard we bought on New York Street.”
Organic certification is a condition of winemaking for Wilco, who says working for a European-based company means everything the winemaking team does has organics in mind. “It’s a no brainer for them and it’s normal practice in Europe.”
On Giant’s Shoulders Winemakers Wilco Lam and Sam Rouse have been very happy with this year’s vintage. “The last two years have been more of a challenge than in previous years,” Wilco says. “But we have been really happy this year with being in
It’s also normal practice for Big Sky Wines, which has been certified organic since 2021. The Te Muna Valley winery is owned by Katherine Jacobs and Jeremy Corban, who did not have to change their practices significantly. “The main thing about organics in the vineyard is in changing your attitude towards the way a healthy vineyard looks,” Katherine says. “The wind is a challenge, but is also positive because it blows away the fungal spores from botrytis. I think Martinborough is very suitable for organics because it is very low cropping for Pinot Noir. It’s a very hands-on approach in the vineyard but for us it’s a holistic approach for our own health as we believe we’re making better wine out of healthy vines.”
“The main thing about organics in the vineyard is in changing your attitude towards the way a healthy vineyard looks.”
Katherine Jacobs
The Organic Products and Production Bill represents a big opportunity for New Zealand, from organic exporters to discerning consumers, says Tiffany Tompkins. The Chief Executive of Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ), the peak body for the organic sector, says the new bill – 10 years in the making – will legally protect the term organic and require those selling organic products to be certified. “The new law is driven by growing demand for organic products both here and overseas,” she says.
“Consumers want safe, healthy food with high animal welfare standards, that regenerates the land and waterways, and mitigates climate change. Organics ticks all those boxes.” Having a national organic standard will help market access for exporters to existing and new overseas markets, and will be essential in the face of changes to legislation in the European Union, she adds.
In announcing the Bill had passed into law, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the regulations would give consumers
confidence in their choices, while boosting the credibility of New Zealand’s organic products on the world stage. “Internationally, an increasing number of countries are requiring compliance with their domestic regimes or certification from equivalent regimes,” he said. “A robust domestic standard for our organic products will help to ensure New Zealand’s continued access in these markets, as well as open doors in new markets for our premium organic exports.”
Environmental economist Alistair Schorn, who is a board member of OANZ, says certified organic labelling is just one of many changes New Zealand’s primary producers and exporters will need to consider and comply with in the future, as increasingly stringent environmental regulations emerge in key export markets.
He and Tiffany have prepared a report for the Our Land and Water / Toitū te Whenua, Toiora te Wai National Science Challenge, which evaluates the effects of environmental and sustainability policies in the EU for New Zealand’s primary sectors, in the context of the New Zealand-EU Free Trade Agreement.
Alistair says one of the pertinent changes for New Zealand producers is the European Green Deal – an umbrella of policies
focussed on being a climate neutral economy by 2050. They include an outright ban on the importation into the EU of products containing residues of pesticides and agricultural chemicals banned from use in the EU, Alistair says, noting that there are 195 banned chemicals and pesticides in the EU, compared to 27 banned substances in New Zealand.
Tiffany says another interesting and impactful change is the Green Deal’s legislation aimed at eliminating greenwashing – the practice of making false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims around the environmental benefits of a product or service.
Tiffany Tompkins will give an update on OANZ work at the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference on Wednesday 21 June: organicwineconference.com
Car-pooling to work seems a far cry from stirring Preparation 500 at dawn. But carbon counter James Coleman says there’s plenty of common ground between biodynamics and Felton Road’s emission-reduction initiatives, with holistic outcomes in both.
“If we have electric vehicles, make sure staff can use them, and ask them to carpool, there’s a financial, ecological and social impact,” says James, who is one of the speakers at the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference in Blenheim in June. “It is applying a biodynamic approach to your own emissions space.”
Last year Felton Road became the second wine company in New Zealand to join International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) following in the (carbon reduced) footsteps of Yealands in Marlborough. James, who is Winemaking Assistant and Technical Viticulturist at the prestigious Felton Road, is also charged with driving sustainability and emissions reductions, with support from owner Nigel Greening and Winemaker Blair Walter. “The motivation for us to join the IWCA is to say ‘well, we are taking care of our land but there are things we do on that land that have effects that extend well beyond it in terms of carbon emissions,” he says. “It’s an extension really of the care we take within the boundaries of our farm.”
That care includes a switch to direct shipping of wine to Australia after realising their agent was flying it across the Tasman at an emissions cost greater than that of a year’s diesel use in the vineyard. Some “more fossil fuel positive clients” were unhappy with the change, but the response
was overwhelmingly positive, James says. Meanwhile, cellar door customers wanting to arrive by helicopter will need to rethink their plans. “If they like the wines they’ll find a more ecologically sound way of getting to us.”
Felton Road started its IWCA journey by measuring its impacts and tackling the heaviest hitters – packaging, freight and vehicles. They’ve also measured other Scope 3 emissions, including the cost of wine refrigeration in restaurants, along with closer to home Scope 1 and 2 emissions, such as company vehicles, tractor passes and global travel.
James says the work has yet to impact on the way they farm, because despite potential for extra tractor passes in an organic vineyard, reducing those emissions is far less effective than using light weight bottles, for example.
As low hanging fruit disappears – such as the gains from efficient freight, lighter glass, and an electrified fleet where possible – decisions will get more difficult, James adds, acknowledging that “shifting a product from a small, isolated part of the world
takes a lot of energy”. The IWCA does not allow for offsetting by buying carbon credits, but Felton Road is considering ways of sequestering carbon through onsite plantations that could count against their emissions. They will also continue their work to sequester carbon in soil, which doesn’t come into the accounting, but is the right thing to do, and a natural process in organic farming, he says. “You just have to have faith that the procedures and capacity to measure it will catch up, and if you have already sorted out the process to fix carbon, all the better.”
He’s also excited that as technology grows and more companies get on board with carbon consciousness, there’ll be collective action to ensure better solutions to transportation and packaging. “Then the fruit that was high hanging drops into your hands.”
James Coleman will be speaking at the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference on Wednesday 21 June, as part of a series of climate change and carbon emission discussions. organicwineconference.com
Holistic approach to soil, land and climate
Early sunlight slants onto the woolshed veranda at The Wrekin, as a group of Marlborough viticulturists gathers on a stunning autumn morning.
Everyone has brought a dog; I’m unsure what that adds - biodynamically speakingbut no doubt the hint of fresh cow manure in the air has alerted them to the possibility of a surreptitious roll.
Biodynamics can mean different things to different people; at its simplest it provides a set of tools - in the preparations and the calendar - to assist with building soil health organically. At The Wrekin, it is a path to respectful winegrowing; the land on which the grapes are grown is farmed regeneratively and the unique terroir is allowed to express itself in the wine. “We are attempting to capture and express the beauty of this special place,” says our host Jeremy Hyland, the vineyard’s Vigneron.
The moon is at its lowest point in the month following a solar eclipse, considered the optimal time to make biodynamic preparations for overwintering, says James Millton, who brings decades of experience to this biodynamic workshop.
Mention of the moon, or biodynamic preparations, can lead to eye-rolling among
the unconvinced. And indeed, assorted items on the bench at the workshop – a yarrow-stuffed stag’s bladder which has been hanging all summer, crushed quartz crystal, and a surprisingly artistic-looking cow’s mesentery – look like props from a spellmakers’ meet. But I have come with a spirit of open-mindedness, seeking to gain insight into what The Wrekin is doing so well. And given the throng of viticulturists in attendance – all of them practising biodynamics – I’m in good company.
My question is, if organic farming makes sense for the environment, the workers and the consumers - does biodynamics make more sense? There are now 12 Marlborough wineries sourcing grapes from here, including Bart Arnst of organic label The Darling. “The Wrekin always produces the very best fruit the season brings”, he says. “It’s healthy, vibrant, ‘elevated’ fruit, because the viticulture is excellent and the biodynamics is part of that.”
The vineyard, which is BioGro certified but not yet Demeter certified, lies in the gently rolling hills of the upper Fairhall Valley, part of the Southern Valleys subregion of Marlborough. Jan and Andrew Johns began planting on the clay soils shortly after they moved to Marlborough in 1998. The 17.5 hectares of close-planted vineyard makes up part of a large sheep and cattle farm, which is ideal for biodynamic purposes – not just because of the ready availability of cow manure, but because animals, soil, produce and people are seen as part of an interconnected system. Although the couple hadn’t planned to become biodynamic winegrowers, Jan had a longstanding interest in the benefits of organic food for health, so once the decision was made to plant vines, going organic was inevitable. “We want to produce the best grapes we can because we want them [the winemakers] to make great wine and that’s the viticulture, which is down to Jeremy,” Jan says.
“We are attempting to capture and express the beauty of this special place.”
Jeremy Hyland
Leading Research based Supplier of Organic products for Viticulture and proud to support this year’s Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing conference.
By late morning we have on the table a small pile of what looks like fat spring rolls, but are actually compressed dandelion flowers wrapped in pieces of mesentery, alongside sausages made from cows’ intestines stuffed with chamomile flowers. These are placed into clay pots, sealed and buried for winter. There is also an impressive number of cow horns containing very green manure, supplied generously by Gracie, the vineyard’s resident lactating Jersey cow, sporting an enviable pair of horns herself.
The filled horns will be buried in the paddock during winter to ferment, then exhumed in spring and the contents used as a potentised soil spray to stimulate root growth and microbial life.
Another ancient technique is in the mix at The Wrekin in the form of making biochar. Unwanted willow trees undergo pyrolytic decomposition before being added as biochar to either the compost heap – the beating heart of any organic farm – or directly to the soil, where it plays its part in enriching microbial life as well as sequestering carbon long-term. Jan says an extra bonus of making biochar is that it provides opportunities as the season cools
to bring the crew together and cook dinner on top of the pit.
Consolidating the closed loop farm philosophy is the current focus - creating a self-supporting system in which nothing (fertilisers or replacement stock, for example) needs to be brought in, and all waste and biproduct is recycled into energy for the farm itself. The construction of a small gravity-fed winery on site, which came into production just in time for the 2022 vintage, is part of that loop. The winery also builds business resilience for the future, and represents a way to add more value to the highly labour-intensive business of producing premium grapes. Further, there are quality and sustainability gains in not having to transport grapes by road, as the bins can simply be carted up the hill, letting gravity and the basket press do the rest. For the vineyard crew, there is something special about seeing the full cycle through, Jan adds.
While there is increasing empirical evidence in long-term field trials measuring the results of biodynamic compost preparations, The Wrekin team is satisfied with their own powers of observation. “When I was preparing to do the
biodynamic course 10 years ago, I realised ‘I love this place, there’s nowhere I’d rather be’,” Jan says. “And there’s no question in my mind that since we’ve been practising biodynamic viticulture, that that has improved not only the soil, but somehow even the feel of the place.”
The word ‘care’ is threaded through every conversation about this vineyard – from winemakers through to harvest crew comments in the visitors’ book over the years. “There are no better grapes coming into our winery than those from The Wrekin; they are pristine,” says Hätsch Kalberer of Fromm Vineyards. “It’s the care they take in the vineyard and in everything they do … plus, it’s about the culture that the team has created, which attracts people who also care.”
Maybe that’s why our morning of handson learning, followed by wine and shared food in the lingering autumnal sunshine, feels as much about building community as it is the sharing of knowledge and resources – spare cow horns anyone?
James Millton will be speaking about biodynamics at the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference on Wednesday 21 June: organicwineconference.com
Developing a banana wine to reduce waste in his home country of Sri Lanka eventually led Pradeep Wimalasiri to Lincoln University, following a fascination for fermentation. Pradeep undertook a master’s research project on the effect of whole bunch fermentation on Pinot Noir wine composition and is now working on a PhD that continues that investigation. He talks about some of the work.
What drew you to wine chemistry?
I am originally from Kahawatte, Sri Lanka. My interest in wine chemistry began during my bachelor’s study in Food Science and Technology at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, where I developed a banana wine as a value-added product to reduce banana wastage. After graduation, I worked in the brewing and distilled beverage industry, analysing wines and spirits for quality and food safety parameters.
Why New Zealand?
My interest in fermented beverages led me to do a master’s research in Wine Science at Lincoln University under supervision of Dr Bin Tian. My master research project focused on the effect of whole bunch fermentation on Pinot Noir wine composition. This research project provided insights into better use of whole bunches and stems to manage Pinot Noir wine composition, which is of great interest to the wine industry. After completion of my master’s degree, I was offered a full scholarship to pursue a PhD at Lincoln University, funded by Callaghan Innovation through collaboration with Pegasus Bay winery.
Tell us a little about your research. In my PhD project, I continued the investigation of whole bunch fermentation and the use of grape stems in Pinot Noir production. Part of our research findings have been published in two international journals and I have presented our work at the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium (ICCWS) 2022. Moreover, we are also interested in the development of tannins and methoxypyrazines in Pinot Noir grapes and management of their extraction into wine. At the end of my PhD project, there will be a lot of new information generated to help winemakers to manage the extraction of chemical compounds of importance for quality Pinot Noir production.
What’s good about wine studies?
I love how wine brings together science, art, and culture in a single glass. Studying wine allows me to delve into the complexities of each of these areas and understand how they intersect. There is always something new to discover about wine, whether it’s a different winemaking technique, or a vineyard practice.
Who has helped you in your work?
I have been fortunate to receive support from many individuals who have helped me along the way. First and foremost, my great supervisory team that includes Dr Bin Tian, Associate Professor Roland Harrison, Dr Ivan Donaldson (Pegasus Bay), and Dr Belinda Kemp (NIAB, UK), who all helped me a lot during my PhD journey. My wife (Paba) and son (Devan) have been a constant source of encouragement, reminding me of the importance of balancing work and family. My friends
have provided both emotional support and practical assistance when needed. I am deeply grateful to all of these individuals, and I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help. In addition, I have been grateful to receive funding support from Callaghan Innovation and Lincoln University for this research. Without their financial support, this work would not have been possible. Last but not least, I would also like to thank Pegasus Bay winery for generously providing grapes.
What’s next for you?
My first priority is to complete my PhD this year, but after that, my goal is to work in the wine research field. I’m passionate about using scientific methods to help winemakers make informed decisions that result in high-quality wines. I believe that by combining my academic training with hands-on experience in the winery, I can make a meaningful contribution to this fascinating and constantly evolving field. On left, Pradeep Wimalasiri
For more
• Colour characterization of two‐year old Pinot noir wines by UV‐Vis spectrophotometry and tristimulus colourimetry (CIELab): effect of whole bunch or grape stems addition effect of whole bunch or grape stems addition. International Journal of Food Science & Technology. doi:10.1111/ijfs.16264
• Whole bunch fermentation and the use of grape stems: effect on phenolic and volatile aroma composition of Vitis vinifera cv. Pinot Noir wine. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. doi:10.1111/ajgw.12535
Plans to divert 3,750 tonnes of broken vineyard posts from landfill each year, while providing a cost-effective fencing option for farms, riparian plantings and significant natural areas, impressed judges in the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards. Repost – a company founded by a St Arnaud farming family and a Marlborough viticulturist – won the wine industry category of the awards, sponsored by Wine Marlborough. “Repost’s goal is to divert all broken vineyard posts in Marlborough from going into landfill, and they are on the road to achieving that,” judges said in their report. They called it an “all-round win for Repost, the wine industry, farmers and the environment”.
Stu Dudley, who won Young Viticulturist of the Year in 2010, says he and fellow founder Greg Coppell wanted a business
that was good for more than the bottom line. Repost has ticked plenty of boxes, addressing the environmental hazard of stockpiled vineyard posts while helping wine companies and offering landowners fencing at less than a third of the cost of new posts. Stu says they had a busy period in the lead up to the April awards, getting repurposed posts on the road for farmers and growers hit by Cyclone Gabrielle. “There’s an awful lot of damage to
farms, particularly on the East Coast, that we can provide a solution for.”
Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens says the company is an example of wine companies and supporting industries searching for ways to do business better. “The Environment Awards shine a light on some of the great initiatives being undertaken, providing inspiration to us all.”
A visit and presentation to Marlborough from Dr Iñaki Garcia de Cortazar-Atauri gave insight into French climate change research. Iñaki is the Unit Director of the AgroClim group in Avignon and has spent four months at Lincoln University with Dr Amber Parker.
The LACCAVE project, an interdisciplinary collaborative programme in 28 research laboratories with 100 researchers, is investigating potential solutions for French agriculture to combat climate change. While climate change discussions usually focus on progressive increases in temperature, extreme events are becoming more regular and in many ways are more catastrophic. Unseasonal frosts (2021), floods (2016), fires and heatwaves (2019) have been experienced by French grapegrowers with dire consequences.
LACCAVE unifies French research to develop knowledge and adaptation strategies to climate change. While warming may enable new vineyard development in northern France, vineyards in the south, for example the Rhone valley, are at risk. Data collected from 90 plots over 50 years demonstrates changes in the composition of Grenache in the Rhone valley (Bécart et al., 2022, Oeno One, 56, 53-72). The data used in the analysis is available online.
To understand and accommodate the effects of climate change, they need to be considered at a local scale. The programme has established seven national “participatory forums” to consider the options for adaptation, which include the relocation of vineyards to the adoption of genetically modified organisms. Thirty-two strategies developed by 153 participants were grouped into five topics and investigated by growers on their own properties, small groups of growers with researchers who co-design projects, and living labs who share their observations. The results are shared on a web-based platform VINEAS.net and combined into a national wine strategy for the Government.
Iñaki’s presentation made it apparent that the success of the programme came from its open access, and the willingness to share. The open access data has resulted in researchers in many countries using the data in their own research with the result France is gaining from their efforts, at no cost to the industry.
Iñaki’s presentation is available online: youtube.com/watch?v=mqzoMmWxNbg
The brown marmorated stink bug is a pest that infests homes, ruins gardens, stinks when crushed, and is almost impossible to get rid of. It could also destroy our fruit and vegetable industries. It’s not in New Zealand yet, and we want to keep it that way. So if you see one, don’t kill it. Catch it, take a photo, and call us on 0800 80 99 66.
For more information (including how to identify the bug) visit biosecurity.govt.nz/stinkbug
Breeding grapevines for tolerance to disease is accelerating at a pace not seen in many decades. At our Vision 40:40 workshop, hosted by Riversun Nursery in February, attendees heard first-hand about the rapid strides being made by overseas agencies to develop newer, better plant material for the wine industry.
One of our keynote speakers was Laurent Audeguin, already familiar to Riversun clients as the French representative of ENTAV, provider of many of our imported clones. Laurent is Research and Innovation Director with the Wine and Vine Institute (abbreviated as “IFV” from its French title), and he described how the agency’s work in recent years has moved from clonal selection to variety creation.
Vine breeding is not new, he said, but it really took off following the arrival in 1863 of phylloxera, which devastated French vineyards planted with Vitis vinifera varieties on their own roots. “Powdery and downy mildews and phylloxera changed everything when they reached Europe from North America, where they were endemic,” Laurent added. “The next 60 years brought enormous hardship, which in turn drove revolutionary changes to viticulture, primarily through breeding programmes to develop new varieties and resistant rootstocks for grafted vines.”
Susceptibility to fungal disease has always been something of an Achilles heel in the classical V. vinifera varieties, and Laurent observed that clonal selection has been
able to make only modest contributions in this area. Meanwhile, recent decades have witnessed a growing commitment to sustainable viticulture, including reduced synthetic chemical applications. Spraying with sulphur, currently a preferred option, is not without costs either. In a challenging season like 2022/23, growers in some regions were forced to apply sulphur every five to seven days to keep powdery mildew at bay. In the Covid era, it’s often been mission impossible simply finding and deploying the staff to keep up with such a punishing schedule.
Perhaps not surprisingly, breeding disease-resistant varieties (DRVs) has once again become a very hot research pursuit in Europe, where grapes account for 65% of all agri-fungicide use (Eurostat, 2007). Strategies on how to deploy the new breeds have also increased in sophistication.
According to Laurent, Champagne will soon plant “Voltis”, a new DRV, in buffer zones. The goal is not necessarily to produce a wine made entirely from the resistant variety; rather, the grapes may be incorporated at a regulated fraction (say, 10%) in order to benefit from reduced spray applications on selected blocks while still being able to market wines with a varietal name.
Also speaking at Vision 40:40 was Mauro Negri, our Italian-based Innovation Manager, who outlined the multi-pronged wish list driving modern breeding programmes in Europe:
• Wines with sensory profiles akin to those made from V. vinifera-based wines.
• Superior performance with early ripening, moderate vigour, and high tolerance of powdery and downy mildews.
• Significant reductions in fungicides (75% fewer spray applications).
• Rootstocks that can mitigate against
stressors including drought, soil saturation, and temperature extremes –referred to as “genetic plasticity”. The European agencies are currently exploring both conventional and new
“Drugs and remedies can only be temporary palliatives. Phylloxera has been defeated by American vines and not by sulphide; chlorosis by rootstocks from limestone soils and not by iron sulphate; mildew will be defeated sooner or later by the hybrids that resist it; all the copper in the world would not be enough after a few centuries”.
Georges Couderc, at the International Wine Congress of Montpellier in 1911
A fast, commercially viable alternative to sprays which won’t damage vines.
genetic modification techniques in their search to deliver the desired characteristics. Modern DRVs are typically hybrids: that is, they are crosses between a V. vinifera variety and hybrid “donors” created via multiple crosses between V. vinifera and, typically, American and Asian varieties with known disease-resistance genes. The resulting DRVs generally have a genome that is still 95% V. vinifera and 5% other Vitis species – yielding the desired sensory profiles alongside the improved disease tolerance.
In new breeding techniques, including cisgenesis and genome editing, very precise modifications of genetic material are used to produce a new clone. Plants obtained by the latter techniques are considered ‘GMO’ and are currently banned in Europe and New Zealand (although discussions are under way within the EU to reconsider this position). As Mauro observed, laboratories in Europe and elsewhere are utilising both techniques, and agencies already have some GM clones on hand – ready for whenever the regulations change.
European growers have begun to put the new breeds through their paces. Although still representing a tiny fraction of the
national vineyard, Italian sales of the new hybrids have grown from fewer than 200,000 vines in 2015 to 3.5 million last year, according to Mauro. Rapid uptake is currently hampered by regulations (and tradition), but the plantings of new DRVs continue apace:
• France – 1,200 hectares (2020)
• Germany – 2,700 hectares (2019)
• Italy – 2,200 hectares – in seven regions only (2022).
Attendees at the workshop had an opportunity to taste wines made with resistant varieties ‘Floreal’, ‘Nuvoté’, ‘Sauvignon Rytos’, and ‘Sauvignon Nepsis’. The latter two were developed by the University of Udine and are licensed to Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo (VCR) in Italy. Mauro indicated many more DRVs are in the VCR pipeline. Meanwhile, in France, the IFV has stated it seeks to develop 50 new varieties by 2035.
We recently negotiated the renewal of Riversun’s sole licensee agreement with ENTAV for another 20 years which will include the new DRVs developed by IFV. The nursery has also signed a memorandum of understanding with VCR, and we’re working closely with other
agencies to import a range of DRVs to New Zealand.
Unfortunately, the waitlist is long for the requisite quarantine space. We’re seeking support from industry members and organisations to help us make the case to government that the need for importing DRVs into New Zealand is urgent. Geoff Thorpe is the Founder and Managing Director of Riversun Nursery, which was established in 1982.
Sam Neill is a good bugger. This won’t be news to those who’ve met him, but it seems only fair to be upfront. After all, there surely can’t be many Hollywood actors with whom one can have a long conversation about the pleasures of pig companionship. Of course, Sam’s dry, self-deprecating, rather cheeky sense of humour also makes him very good company; a trait that shines through in abundance in his new memoir, Did I ever Tell You This? The book traces the arc of Sam’s life: his birth and early years in Ireland, his New Zealand adolescence and university hijinks, and a wildly amusing, at times fabulously indiscreet, romp through his acting career and adult life.
As has been detailed in slightly breathless news headlines, the genesis of the book was Sam’s cancer-imposed hiatus from acting, where he found himself unable to work and needing to occupy himself in the face of life-changing news and an uncertain outcome. “I had to do something that felt useful and enjoyable. It was an interesting process, writing in real time, against the clock as it were. I didn’t know how long I had to write a book, and it was not a leisurely process at all, I was at full speed. One memory would trigger another, stuff I had not thought about for years.” The book was published remarkably quickly, within a year of its writing. “I sat on it for a few
months, thinking that I was not sure if it was good enough, or if I wanted people to read this … I was very uncertain about it. But I gave it to a few publishers to read and got such a massively positive response. I thought ‘Oh well, let’s let it go and see what happens!’ Now I am getting such a warm and emotional response from people that I am thinking perhaps I did do something worthwhile.”
Sam certainly has the storytelling gift. I wondered if there was any overlap between acting and the writing process. “Acting is a curious thing … in a philosophical sense, you are on one level pretending, but if you’re acting well, you are looking for the truth – a truth in a moment, a truth in a character, a universal truth in whatever you are playing. An audience knows the difference between that and just a big fib. I think that’s what I probably discovered in writing too: you are looking for the truth, an authenticity.” There are certainly plenty of truths in the book. What might some of those featured think
when they read it? “Yes … well,” he chuckles, “Some of it if I read again, I’d probably say ‘why did I put that in there?’ But I’ve never been able to take myself very seriously and the book reflects this.”
He also does not much take seriously the concept of himself as a celebrity. The thought that his Central Otago winery, Two Paddocks, could be regarded as a ‘celebrity wine’ irks him no end. “I am not a celebrity. I have done everything I can in my life to ensure I am not a celebrity. Two Paddocks is so far from being that sort of wine. It’s been 30 years since we first planted our grapes so that’s a good long commitment, and a serious commitment. It’s always been about provenance and integrity.” Readers will know too well the travails of vineyard ownership. Sam seems quietly thrilled at how things have progressed. “It’s been quite a surprise. Much like my acting career was a surprise. I never really thought I could have or sustain a proper career, but it turned out that I could.
Similarly with wine. We planted a very modest two hectares in Gibbston Valley and that’s sort of all I thought I would do. But as I became more involved, the more I wanted to plant, the more I wanted to know, the more I wanted to produce, the more involved I wanted to be in everything. It was slow surprise, but it was a surprise nevertheless.”
extraordinary when you go to Burgundy and think that people have been growing things for at least 2,000 years. No one ever thought to put a vine in the places we have planted and to see how a site – one that you’ve had an educated guess how things might work and that once just had a few merinos and quite a lot of rabbits – respond in such a way is immensely rewarding.” The vineyards have long been run organically. “It’s chalk and cheese for me. Looking at a non-organic vineyard there’s an aridity I find quite depressing. They’re sterile places and you know there is nothing going on in the soil, whereas our problem is the opposite, we are dealing with such fecundity and it’s wonderful.”
laughter. “But we have proven you can make great wines from Alexandra, and I am surprised more people don’t want to stake a claim there.”
Ultimately, it’s always about the people. “It’s great to see a second generation coming through, like at Rippon. There’s at least a dozen outstanding producers in Central. Of course, the area is blessed in a natural sense but the Māori proverb, he tangata he tangata he tangata really is so true.”
Gibbston’s The First Paddock was followed by Alexandra’s The Last Chance and Red Bank Farm, and Bannockburn’s The Fusilier. Obviously, a day job as a successful actor is a useful thing when owning a vineyard (or four), but Sam’s love of his land, his passion for Central and for wine are palpable. His three righthand people, Vineyard Manager Mike Wing, Winemaker Dean Shaw and General Manager Jacqui Murphy, are the glue that make it all work. “My pursuit with wine has always been authenticity in what we do. The cohesion that Mike and Dean have is absolutely vital. The understanding they have at a micro level in all four vineyards …” Sam trails off. “They just see it all so incredibly well. Those three people are so important to me, and to Two Paddocks. I feel really lucky that I found them. They understand what I have always wanted from the wine. I was never interested in producing wines that were obvious. I wanted understatement, length and ageability.”
Sam is especially passionate about the subregion of Alexandra, where home is Red Bank Farm. “The Last Chance has always been my favourite vineyard. Not just because it produces great wine but there is something about that site, the connection to that land. I have never been able to entirely describe it. It lifts my spirit whenever I am there. Its strange, incredible rock forms stand like guardians over the vines. It’s
We muse over Alexandra being an oftenoverlooked subregion and agree this might largely be down to being mostly tiny owneroperators. “Coupled with that, there’s always been …” he pauses and gives an amused snort, “… a slight sense of superiority in Bannockburn, which always irritated me. When [The Fusilier] came up, I thought ‘bugger it, I’m going to buy one right in the dead centre of the dress circle’ and oddly …” (another amused pause) “… a lot of people who never really took us terribly seriously, suddenly changed their minds!” Much
“I remember very clearly the night in Queenstown when a case, a dozen of my first vintage of Two Paddocks Pinot Noir, 1997, turned up. My wife Noriko and I opened the bottle with some trepidation. I didn’t expect grand cru, just something I enjoyed. Not much to ask. I poured two glasses. It looked good, but I was still nervous. What if it was rubbish? This was a major investment I had made, and I didn’t want it to be wasted. I applied my nose to the glass, and again it looked good. And then I took a sip. What was this? I took another sip and let it roll around my mouth for a while. Oh boy. Oh boy. This wine far exceeded any modest expectations I might have had. It wasn’t just drinkable. It wasn’t just good. It was very good indeed.
That was one of the greatest single moments of my life. Another of those moments that change is everything.”
Excerpt from Sam Neill’s memoir Did I Ever Tell You This?
(Text Publishing, available now).
With Did I ever Tell You This? gracing the bestseller lists, is he tempted to write a wine book? “Well, there’s probably plenty of material but I’d say it would be a limited audience. I didn’t want to write too much wine stuff as you can turn into a wine bore, and God knows there’s enough of those.” Indeed.
I’ll spare you our discussion on pigs, but Sam and Angelica’s well-documented relationship is something his social media followers will recognise. “I love pigs, I really do. They have real personality, they’re smart. They’re very rewarding friends, and they are fond of me. They like a good love life too …” (rest assured all is revealed in the book). There should be more good buggers writing books … you won’t be sorry you read Sam’s.
“They understand what I have always wanted from the wine. I was never interested in producing wines that were obvious. I wanted understatement, length and ageability.”
Sam Neill
Anne Escalle grew up believing the best moments in life involved a glass of wine. Decades on, the viticulturist leading Edmond de Rothschild Heritage’s New Zealand operations remains delighted by the conjuring of pleasure from soil and climate, ancient traditions and innovative science. “It’s my passion,” she says from a small cellar door at Rimapere vineyard in Marlborough. “I am pinching myself sometimes to realise I am not dreaming.”
The Bordeaux-based Rothschilds bought this vineyard in 2012 and named it in te reo Māori to signify the five arrows of their family emblem. The 24 hectare Sauvignon Blanc vineyard is managed with regenerative and organic principles, and each spring erupts into a field of legumes and blooms. Late last year Edmond de Rothschild Heritage also bought a 34.5ha Pinot Noir vineyard in Central Otago’s Bannockburn, with Akarua intended to help spearhead the company’s organic ambitions. They have nine vineyards around the world, and produce 3.5 million bottles of wine, but Rimapere, to be certified organic in 2024, and Akarua, set to produce 60,000 bottles when fully converted, will be their first foray into organic sales.
As General Manager, Anne is more often in market than midrow these days, but there’s metaphorical mud on her boots when she speaks of the wines, sharing the blood, sweat and magic behind every glass. Rimapere’s size allows her to “cross all the bridges,” she says. “To go from the soil through to pouring the wine and explaining that to the final consumer.”
Crossing bridges is something of a theme for this French-Kiwi merging traditional philosophies with innovative technologies, and finding a middle ground between the old world and the new. But she has both boots happily at home on New Zealand soil, she says. “I found in New Zealand a way to be in balance with my family and myself, which maybe Europe didn’t offer to me 20 years ago. I found a place I can grow as a person.”
Anne was raised in a small village in the Rhône Valley, where her father was a solicitor and her parents worked together in their business. Her mother loved Champagne, her father had a well-stocked cellar, “and every family event was about food and wine”. Her grandparents were involved in agriculture, and on finishing school Anne directed her love of biology to the National School of Agricultural Engineering in Bordeaux. “When I got there, there were options, and one was wine,” she says with a smile. “I said ‘come on!’ If you can work with something you love and if you can make wine, why not?” She opted for a Master’s in Viticulture, Vinification, and Vineyard Management, and “never regretted it”, still delighted to be in a field “where you have pleasure, and you improve the pleasure of people”.
Anne carries that delight with her “all the time”, and on the day we speak is preparing for a gathering of Rimapere staff, who will eat cheese, taste wines and catch up on the vintage just past. “If we have fun and get pleasure out of what we do, I really feel it’s going in the bottle.”
Her studies revealed the place of science in winegrowing too, including through a six-month internship at Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux, where pheromone traps were being trialled for moths. “I am a scientist by training and my brain is always excited by new tools and new ways to understand better,” she says. After university Anne worked on a banana plantation in Cameroon, before returning to the Languedoc Roussillon region in France to consult to a range of vineyard operations, from traditional viticulture to more modern models, some using chemistry products and others biodynamic teas.
Anne soon realised that for all her education, the old winegrowers she worked with had much to teach her. “That’s been my best school,” she says, reflecting on the combined power of generational knowledge and science. As an example, she talks of the rich traditions of biodynamics, and the ability of science to look at its processes and outcomes in a different way. “To understand why it’s working.”
After a decade consulting, Anne and her husband Fred decided to move to New Zealand. “We are passionate people, and wanted careers we were passionate about, but to balance that with our family.” In 2007 she joined Winegrowers of Ara (now Bankhouse Estate) in Marlborough, one of the largest single estate operations in New Zealand. Developed by Dr Damian Martin and Jean Charles Van Hove, the 600ha vineyard focussed on marrying new technology with old world philosophy. “I loved every minute I spent on that vineyard”, Anne says, comparing her 12 years at Bankhouse –nine as viticulturist – to coaching a highperformance sports team.
In New Zealand she found a smooth conduit from research to field, and was fascinated to see growers take science to trial it “in a very pragmatic number 8 wire way”, then share the learning with their peers.
“There’s an idea that if we all do better, we will help New Zealand wine to get better and
SOPHIE PREECE
“If we have fun and get pleasure out of what we do, I really feel it’s going in the bottle.”
Anne Escalle
everyone will get some benefits of it.” For a woman who loves science, innovation and driving change, it’s been a perfect space. “You have to push the boundaries, because it is not done yet.”
In 2019 some “stars aligned” and she joined Rimapere. Viticulturist Kurt Robinson had the vines and soils well in hand, so Anne sidestepped into the business of wine, calling on colleagues for advice on unknown areas like logistics and shipping. “It’s been quite a steep learning curve at an age where you usually want to plateau,” she admits. “And I loved it all.” Bringing her deep knowledge about the journey of the wines, “with mud on my boots”, has been invaluable, she adds. “People are very thirsty for the story about how it’s really made.”
The combined organic and regenerative journey at Rimapere has been a “super winwin”, with healthy soils, “happier” vines, better resilience and more balanced fruit, “not losing flavours but adding flavours”, Anne says, calling it a “bold adventure” to best express terroir. She admits they’re in a fortunate position, with plenty of resources on the small block. “We know we are working in privileged conditions,
I would say.”
In 2020, Rimapere made its first Plot 101 Sauvignon Blanc, with handpicked grapes partially fermented in barrel and aged on the lees with frequent stirring over six months. “It’s still a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but a slightly different colour in the landscape,” Anne says. The 2021 vintage won a Best in Show at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards, with a score of 97/100, and comments on its “haunting, layered and subtle” aromas, and linear, sinewy texture and perspective. “The memorable acids are rounded, ripe and resonant in this wholly successful Sauvignon,” judges said. Rimapere’s wine is there to “add-to” the story of Marlborough, not to copy, Anne
adds. “We don’t want to do only old world or new world. We want to add something that is the blend of experience and blend of expectation and what we dream of about the wine of Marlborough.”
Meanwhile at Akarua, the company has found “another gem”, she says. “Something that had already shown potential, and we think we could polish it here, add a little bit there, and add a few more details.” They will take the learnings from Rimapere to Bannockburn, for another bold adventure. It too will be a new voice for the region, not an echo, calling attention to an area that can produce the best Pinot Noir in the world, Anne says. “We are completely convinced of that.”
New Zealand’s wine industry “lent into” the sustainability space early on, says the new chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand, applauding that industry-wide momentum. Kate Acland, who is founder and owner of Sugar Loaf Wines in Marlborough, and also runs Mt Somers Station in Canterbury with her husband David, says the wine sector has been a leader in “looking to see what the market was signalling and actually delivering from the field up”, supported by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.
“The wine industry should be really proud as a sector at how good we’ve been at being market focused; being early adaptors in delivering the sustainability metrics the market demanded and extracting value for those sustainability actions we take in the field.”
for emissions from 2025. Kate says that farmers acknowledge they have a part to play in addressing climate change and that expectations around agricultural emissions will only increase, “but we need to take the time to get this right because the future of our sector relies on it”, she says. “There are still too many unknowns to put a price on emissions at this point, so this is about slowing the process down, starting with the measurement and reporting of emissions at farm level.”
Driving back to Canterbury after Sugar Loaf’s post-harvest celebration, Kate says it is a “massively challenging time” in farming, talking of the “scale and pace of change”, regulations that disproportionately impact sheep and beef farmers, and a sector that is “really divided” because of those stresses.
Kate is the first female chair of B+LNZ and, at 41, is the youngest member of the board. That’s a great age for people to step up to governance roles, she says. “We have got 20 or 30 years ahead of us in the sector. So if you want to change something for yourself and your children, then getting involved in your 40s is absolutely what we should all be doing.” It’s also helpful to have the perspective of younger people on the challenges being faced by the industry, and “particularly climate change”, she says.
knew she had to sell Sugar Loaf, or grow it. With five “amazing” long term staff managing the operation, and a “dream run” this vintage, she’s “constantly glad” she chose option two. These days they process around 500 tonnes for Sugar Loaf, from leased vineyards as well as their own block. A similar amount is processed through contract winemaking for smaller parcels of wine – a model she established to get through the toughest times.
Having worked through “brutal” years in wine, she looks at a “quite tough” period of farming right now, with interest rates up and product prices down, and knows it’s just a matter of time before things improve. “You just have to hang on, sometimes by the skin of your teeth. But you know it will pass and you need to farm through it.”
After being elected as chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), Kate called for a staged approach to farmers paying for on-farm emissions, delaying pricing until the establishment of a “robust emissions measuring and reporting system” can be developed, and “outstanding issues such as the recognition of sequestration for vegetation grown on farms can be resolved”.
B+LNZ is part of government’s He Waka Eke Noa industry partnership, which was established to provide an alternative to farmers entering the ETS after it was determined they would pay
Kate was 23 when she established the Sugar Loaf Wines label in 2004, with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology and a Masters in Farm Management Consultancy. Three years later, blissfully ignorant of the global financial crisis around the corner, she bought a winery and vineyard on Marlborough’s Rapaura Road. “It hasn’t been smooth sailing the whole way through,” she says, calling 2008 and 2009 “pretty tough years”.
When she married David and moved south in 2010, the fortunes of the wine industry remained “quite dire”, and she
The wine business adds “a nice diversification” to the Mt Somers operation, with its 30,000 head of sheep and beef, 850 dairy cows, 400 beehives, and 500 hectares of native bush and beech forest. It also offers a valuable lens on the business of governance with B+LNZ.
“At that whole-of-industry strategic level, the wine industry is one sector you can look at and show, ‘here is a great example of seeing what the market is doing and being quite market led in what you do, right back in the field’,” she says. “I genuinely think the wine industry should be quite proud of what we do in that space.”
“You just have to hang on, sometimes by the skin of your teeth. But you know it will pass and you need to farm through it.”
Kate Acland
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You can forget the Riesling renaissance, “that’s for sure”, says Dr Andrew Hedley, a winemaker with legendary devotion to the variety.
Despite repeated campaigns by a passionate minority of winemakers, growers and enthusiasts, the variety remains a hard sell in the market and a tough conversation with industry, he says. It can’t carry the same crop as Sauvignon Blanc in the vineyards “if you want to make something half decent”, and has a lower district average price, he adds. “Er, so, no.”
In his 18 years at Framingham Wines, from 2001 to 2019, Andrew shared his love of punk and of Riesling and of wine with “Framingham-ness” – rather than “Marlborough-ness” – which he noted when a finalist for the 2019 Gourmet Wine Traveller New Zealand Winemaker of the Year. “He’s a highly intelligent, deeply thoughtful winemaker who does it his way and does it well,” Bob Campbell MW said in a profile story at that time.
The Framingham Select Riesling 2011, 2016 and 2019 won the 2021 Marlborough Wine Show Marlborough Museum Legacy Award, recognised by Chief Judge Ben Glover as a special example of Marlborough Riesling. Three years earlier, Anne Krebiehl MW told readers of The Buyer that Framingham’s world class Rieslings were precise, clear, pure and thrilling. The secret to those success stories is the same as for any wine he “knocks out”, Andrew says from his home in the Marlborough Sounds. “Authenticity, balance and harmony all the way.”
His own reason for Riesling begins as a teenager in Britain, where the family occasionally had a bottle of German Riesling on the table with Sunday lunch, brought home from his father’s work visits to Trier on the Mosel River, an old Roman city with centuries of wine culture. “He’d come back with explanations of styles etcetera, which I guess I found fascinating,” Andrew recalls. Holidays in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy further fuelled his fascination.
He continued to learn about wine while gaining a PhD in organic chemistry and working in research and development. Then in 1998, when a visit to a London wine fair presented an opportunity to work as a winery technician, Andrew and his wife Debra moved to Marlborough, bringing his passion for Riesling to a region obsessed with Sauvignon Blanc.
For winemakers, the success of Riesling depends on ambitions for the wine and how consistent they want the style to be, he says. “In my view, dry styles can be challenging to make – assuming you want something authentic and not over-manipulated. But the rewards are there if you’re prepared
to give it some thought, as consumers are more likely to accept dry styles.”
Knowing the site is key, as is finding the style or styles that suit it best in the average vintage, “rather than forcing a style onto grapes that maybe just aren’t that suitable for it”, he says. “But of course, economics and market considerations always raise their ugly heads,” he adds, talking of Riesling “enthusiasts” who can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Then there’s the “not-so-Riesling-enthusiastic”, who wants the right price and definitely does not want to think they’re drinking something sweet, even if they are, he adds wryly. “It can be fun to ask people to guess how sweet the wine is when they ask; it soon becomes apparent that the numbers don’t mean anything.”
Consumers looking at a Marlborough Riesling likely expect a wine that is “juicy and fruity with some nice Meyer lemon and mandarin notes”, Andrew says. “But Marlborough Riesling doesn’t have to be like this. There are so many options in the vineyard and winery that can take that as an underlying core and add nuance, texture and complexity to the finished wine.”
A variety loved very well by very few
SOPHIE PREECEDr Andrew Hedley, a lover of punk and Riesling
“Authenticity, balance and harmony all the way.”
Dr Andrew Hedley
Because the variety remains a difficult sell, New Zealand Riesling can often be very good value for money, Andrew continues. “People don’t want to make too much, and the product needs to be half decent to sell it, so there aren’t that many poor New Zealand wines.” But some have more ambition than others, he adds.
Andrew and Debra started importing wine into New Zealand in 2010, bored with what they could buy here from overseas. There were plenty of good wines, but too many were safe, with too few obscure varietals or from lesser-known regions, “which are more the spice of life for me”, he says. For the first four or five years, they imported from a supplier in the United Kingdom while Andrew worked his day job at Framingham. “We’d also spent a bit of time travelling around the world attending Riesling celebrations, and as a result we got to know some of the producers we admired from afar, if you like, a bit more personally.”
From 2014 they started to work directly with the likes of Clemens Busch, Philipp Wittmann and his wife Eva, and Will Bründlmayer. Debra was sick during this time, and passed away in 2016. Andrew realised he couldn’t manage the imports and day job alone, “so I decided I’d just concentrate on building direct relationships with producers I admired and had got to know”, he says. Eight years on, he’s no longer with Framingham and the business, Oh So Pretty, is working with 11 producers from Germany, Austria and Italy.
On the international stage, the price of top Rieslings is increasing rapidly and there’s not much appetite from retail for these wines to be on shelves, Andrew says. “I have noticed more willingness for the on-trade to take on entry level wines as a result too. In German terms most of the real value is at village level and the price of those, whilst not cheap, is relatively under control still,” he says. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s market remains “pretty parochial” on the whole. “So you’re not going to make your fortune selling German Riesling. At least I’m not”.
New Zealand Riesling is “a solid and at times exciting class,” says Emma Jenkins MW in her Varietal Summaries, produced after The Blind Tasting 2022. Her report remarked on New Zealand’s ability “to make high-quality, balanced styles across the regions and in an array of residual sugar and alcohol levels.” The panellists felt that the dry, medium and sweet categories of Riesling were strongest overall, whereas the off-dry category had a greater number of simpler wines that lacked overall focus and harmony. “That said, the top wines from all categories delivered lovely examples with wonderful fragrance and purity of aromatics, vibrant ripe citrus fruit, minerality and texture. Meticulous, confident winemaking produced great balance and allowed the fruit quality to shine while delivering more than just that.” All of the Rieslings in The Blind Tasting originated from the South Island, and most were from recent vintages. But it was “wonderful” to see one of the top scoring wines hailing from the 2013 vintage, Emma writes in her report. “Ably demonstrating the variety’s ability to develop complexity with age while retaining freshness and finesse.”
To read The Blind Tasting 2022 Varietal Summaries, go to: nzwine.com/members/marketing/education/blind-tasting/ varietal-summaries
“Do you remember that bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus you said I should buy?” asked Patrick, a friend from way back. “Vaguely,” I replied. “I think I paid NZD$400 or NZD$600 for it, quite a lot of money at the time. I’m thinking of selling it – an auction house reckons it is worth between NZD$6,000 and NZD$8,000,” he revealed.
Why don’t I ever follow my own advice? I frequently give advice about wine investment but have never had the good sense to buy wine with the intention of re-selling it at a profit. There are two reasons why I am a reluctant wine investor. Well, three if you count a lack of play-money. Wine is something I like to share, to enjoy with good friends and decent food. It
doesn’t seem right to stash it away for years and then to sell it. I am a hedonist. I gain pleasure from drinking wine, not from selling it for a profit.
I recall buying two bottles of 1967 Chateau d’Yquem for NZD$23 a bottle in or around 1975. I’m not sure how much a bottle would cost today but I would guess that you could buy a decent Japanese import for the equivalent. 1967 was a great vintage and Chateau d’Yquem is one of the world’s most desirable sweet wines. I opened and enjoyed one bottle on the day I bought it. It was so good I drank the other bottle on the following day. I don’t have the cash, but I do have the memory.
Chateau Petrus 1982. This bottle, auctioned by Webb’s Auction House, achieved $5,405.62 in April 2020. They currently have another bottle in house, with a value estimate of $7,000 to $9,000.
In November 2022 the New Zealand Annual Health Survey released its findings for 2021/22. It is at this point that I find myself bracing for bad news. However, the survey says that 81% of New Zealanders are drinking beer, wine and spirits responsibly. Furthermore, we are drinking more than 25% less now that we did in the late 1970s. Fewer under 18s are drinking alcohol and those who do are drinking less hazardously.
Industry observers are noting a changing trend with Kiwis turning to low and no-alcohol beverages which would seem to justify the investment in infrastructure that will enhance the flavour and choice of low to zero alcohol beer, wine and spirits. A poll of 1,250 New Zealanders in December 2022 found 56% (up from 49% in the preceding years) of those surveyed now drink low-alcohol beverages at least some of the time, and some prefer low alcohol beverages.
Welcome to a world where moderation increasingly rules.
Giesen has added a no
Internationally renowned wine critic James Suckling was visiting New Zealand recently when he fell in love with a Pinot Noir vineyard in Martinborough and bought it, according to Don Kavanagh, writer for Wine Searcher. James told Don he was visiting New Zealand to taste 800
Road in Martinborough he spotted the vineyard, which he recalled visiting 11 years before. It reminded him of vineyards in Vosne-Romanée, “the best parts of Burgundy”. The vineyard has 2900 Pinot Noir vines, most of which were planted in 1988, making them relatively old by New
ambition to become a winemaker but confesses to a love of Martinborough Pinot Noir and an affection for New Zealand generally. His wife had never been to New Zealand but fortunately gave the project the thumbs-up. Unfortunately you are unlikely to find Suckling Pinot Noir in your local wine store, as he plans to share it with a few
Is the Master of Wine worth it? In our neck of the woods, a winemaking or viticulture degree is often seen as more useful. I don’t actually disagree with that view – we are certainly a production-focused industry. But there are many facets to wine. Despite some progress over the past two or three decades, I doubt many would argue that we have a particularly strong or sophisticated wine trade. We are small, far away, and too often operate as an uncritical echo chamber/cheerleading squad. I am very proud of what New Zealand wine has achieved thus far but not convinced anyone benefits if we’re content mostly to just sell or highly score all-toooften anodyne wines from an increasingly consolidated production environment without questioning whether this is really the best we can do.
Perhaps I am a biased source, but I believe this is where the value of undertaking a qualification such as the Master of Wine (MW) really lies. By design, it forces one to consider all aspects of the global wine trade, to think deeply and critically (in the true sense of the word) about how the world of wine really fits together. It’s a challenging and rigorous process that requires thorough understanding of wine production, history, business and culture, alongside excellent
tasting and communication skills. The ability to master all of these at once is the fundamental key to success in the exams, but it doesn’t end there. One of the joys of joining the Institute as a MW is the ongoing immersion in a membership organisation that demands rigour and up-to-the-minute thinking about wine.
program. This has dwindled to a mere handful despite the fact we have had several recent passes. This is a great shame, as our distance from mature wine industries, as well as the inherent potential of our own industry, makes it all the more important to foster people with a broad and holistic view of wine. Obviously studying for/ becoming a MW is not the only way to gain this viewpoint, but it is hard to beat as an excellent grounding in its most important areas.
When I started my own MW study in 2004, there were more than a dozen New Zealanders at various stages of the education
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So, for those feeling tempted (or skeptical!) what does it entail? To gain entry on the programme, candidates must have been actively and professionally involved in the wine industry for more than three years, hold a WSET Diploma level (or equivalent) qualification, gain a reference from an MW or other experienced trade figure, and sit a practical and theory entrance exam. Acceptance into the Stage One year gives
EMMA JENKINS MW
“It’s a skillset and mindset that I would love to see more New Zealanders contribute to and benefit from.”
Emma Jenkins MW
access to a five-day residential seminar (the closest to New Zealand is Adelaide) and four non-residential course days, online theory and practical assignments. It culminates in the Stage One Assessment – a 12-wine blind tasting paper and two theory papers (held in Adelaide, Napa or London), the passing of which allows one to proceed to Stage Two. Failure means repeating Stage One or taking time out to continue preparation. Stage Two’s basic requirements and support are the same but after a year at this stage candidates can make their first attempt at the practical and theory exams (generally candidates take a couple of years in Stage Two and a full pass must be achieved within six years of starting). The practical exams comprise three 12-wine blind tastings – wines from absolutely anywhere, which are assessed on their origin, variety, quality, winemaking, commercial appeal and style – and five theory papers spanning viticulture, vinification, pre-bottling procedures, handing of wine, business of wine and contemporary issues (sample 2022 question: “does anyone still need wine writers?” Ahem). Candidates get five attempts to pass the exams overall and must have passed at least one part within three attempts. Exams are held in various locations globally, the closest being Sydney. Once the theory and practical exams are passed, Stage Three requires a 6,000-10,000-word research paper on an original topic of their choosing. Upon its successful examination, they are welcomed as an MW at London’s Vintners’ Hall.
This sounds fairly arduous, and it is! But it’s also incredibly rewarding. “Studying for the MW entails the highest highs and the lowest lows; it really is a journey in self-understanding, humility and knowing how far you can push yourself,” Marlborough’s Sophie Parker-Thomson MW says. “The exams are a veritable marathon that require as much time focusing on endurance as it does the skills of blind tasting, essay writing and the theory behind all areas of the wine industry. When I received the phone call in February 2021 from Adrian Garforth MW letting me know that I had passed, it was this euphoric, surreal moment in time I’ll never forget.” New Zealand’s most newly minted MW, Hawke’s Bay’s Michael Henley, agrees. “Passing the final hurdle took me a little longer than most! So the feeling was immense relief, as though a noose had gone from around my neck. I felt pretty proud of myself to be honest, that I had finally achieved it and that I had managed to join quite an exclusive yet incredibly inclusive group of likeminded people. It has changed my career direction considerably and given me renewed enthusiasm and confidence in what I can do in this very cool industry we work in.” Obviously passing one’s MW is the ultimate reward and undoubtedly helps with career development. Sophie says the two years since attaining the qualification have been busier than ever, “and it has been rewarding being on the other side; mentoring MW students, engaging with the incredible network that is the global MW community, and immersing myself in projects and causes that I deeply care about”. With a 15% pass rate, realistically this isn’t the result for most. That doesn’t make undertaking an MW a futile endeavor. On the contrary, most who have been through the process value it for its own sake: the time spent with like-minded candidates and MWs, the travel and tastings, the immersion into the theory and practical study components all significantly deepen every candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the wine world. It’s a skillset and mindset that I would love to see more New Zealanders contribute to and benefit from.
Emma Jenkins MW became New Zealand’s ninth Master of Wine in 2011, having already achieved a diploma in winemaking and viticulture. In addition to work as a wine consultant and writer, Emma is Research Paper Chair for the MW education programme. mastersofwine.org
It has been a warm and often wet autumn across Aotearoa this year. The early signs of El Niño have given rise to the revival of the long-forgotten westerlies, but La Niña has been firing a few parting shots, with some remarkably warm temperatures setting records all over the country. Rain has not been in short supply in most regions but this may not last in the second half of 2023. El Niño tends to bring warmer than average temperatures around the globe but a growing concern has been the steady rise in sea surface temperatures.
What’s up with El Niño?
Sea surface anomalies across the equatorial Pacific are showing the tell-tale signs of El Niño. It is now increasingly likely that El Niño will develop over the southern
hemisphere winter and continue into early 2024. The seasonal effects on our part of the world include westerly winds, which are likely to become more dominant through the second half of winter and into spring. Historically, a spring El Niño brings a marked increase in westerly winds, both in predominance and strength. The lower North Island and upper South Island are often the receiver of these strong winds, but gales or strong winds also occur from Hawke’s Bay to Southland. The change in direction will also signal a change in where
our ‘active’ weather comes from. Fronts and low pressure systems approaching from the west should see rainfall increase in the west of both islands and the east is likely to become much drier. The drying out of the east coast of both islands could start as early as July and last through until the end of the year.
Other weather drivers such as the Southern Annular Mode and Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) may also have some bearing on how much the traditional traits of El Niño impact us over winter and spring.
Every day thousands of temperature sensors in our oceans are measuring the temperature at the surface. These readings are taken from a variety of sources such as jetties, buoys and ships. Satellites are also measuring our oceans down to a fine detail. As the network of observations increases we gather a greater understanding of the role that the ocean plays in our climate. Over the past five years, sea surface temperatures (SST) around New Zealand have been above the long term average nearly every month. Latest SST forecasts are picking them to remain above average for the foreseeable future. SST are running around 1C-2C above average in our surrounding seas and this is one of the indications that winter temperatures are likely to run near or above average this year.
Gisborne/Hawke’s
The ghost of La Niña may linger for a few more weeks through June, but conditions should start to dry out later in July as southwest winds become more frequent. Mean temperatures remain above average, but nighttime minimums may slide back towards average in July. Rainfall totals are likely to be near average, but totals may reduce later in July as El Niño strengthens.
Wairarapa
Mean temperatures are likely to remain a little above average through June and July, but nighttime minimums may fall back to normal in July. Rainfall is likely to be close to average, with a variety of sources. An increase in southerly conditions will bring rain and some colder daytime maximums. An increase in stronger northwest winds may start to occur in late July.
Nelson
Once again temperatures are likely to remain above average. Nighttime minimums are likely to drop close to average in July as southerly winds increase and northerlies decrease. Rainfall may be near normal at first, but may fall below average in July.
Marlborough/North Canterbury
Mean temperatures are set to follow the national trend and remain above average. Cold southerly changes are expected from time to time and these are likely to be followed by frosts and colder nights. Rainfall totals may be close to average through June but could fall below average in July as El Niño starts to ramp up.
Central Otago
Mean temperatures are likely to run near or a little above average through early winter. There may be an increase in colder southerly outbreaks that are followed by frosty conditions, due in part to El Niño. Later in winter there is a chance that westerly winds will start to ramp up and this may increase the speed in which weather systems cross the lower South Island. This means late winter could become less settled and quite changeable.
James Morrison runs Weatherstation Frost Forecasting: weatherstation.net.nz
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“Historically, a spring El Niño brings a marked increase in westerly winds, both in predominance and strength.”
James Morrison
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I was fortunate to be involved in the International Congress of Biological Invasions 2023, held in Christchurch in early May. The congress brings together more than 400 researchers from throughout the world, and this was the first time it had been held outside of China.
difficulty was selecting which to attend.
I attended a session facilitated by Dr Tracy C. Leskey, Appalachian Fruit Research Station Director/Research Leader and Research Entomologist. Tracy’s session focused on brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) surveillance, management, and biological control, and discussed progress made in managing this invasive pest and continued knowledge gaps.
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Invasive alien species (IAS) are animals and plants introduced accidentally or deliberately into a natural environment where they are not normally found, with serious negative consequences for their new environment. No country is immune from IAS or their impacts economically, environmentally, and socially. New Zealand is vulnerable to IAS as our economy relies on primary production and our geographic isolation gives rise to unique flora and fauna. Defending our country from IAS must be a priority, and New Zealand is seen as a world leader in research programmes, integrated pest management, and offshore and onshore island predator eradication.
Jeremy Watts | 021 446 225 | jeremy@agrivit.co.nz | 03 572 8787 | www.agrivit.co.nz
The three-day event was held at the Christchurch Town Hall, with keynote speakers leading the day. The programme was intense; with 76 sessions each day, the
In 2010, the mid-Atlantic in the United States had a devastating outbreak of BMSB, which led to catastrophic crop damage and threatened the livelihoods of impacted growers in the region. Tracy and her team have made continuous progress understanding the basic biology, ecology, and behaviour of this pest since the outbreak. BMSB has been found in 47 states (and four Canadian provinces) and poses a severe agricultural problem in 10 states and nuisance problems in 21 others.
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Jeremy Watts | 021 446 225 | jeremy@agrivit.co.nz 03 572 8787 | www.agrivit.co.nz
more information or to order your next Quantum Vineyard Sprayer, the Malborough’s Spray Equipment Specialists at Agrivit.
225 |
| 03 572 8787 |
Since the devastating outbreak of BMSB, scientists have learned that many native enemies of other stink bugs in the US will also attack BMSB. Unfortunately, those native enemies were not well adapted to BMSB and did not stop it from damaging crops. Scientists in Newark, Delaware, began a worldwide search for a solution. The search discovered a key natural BMSB enemy, the egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus, known as the samurai wasp. The stingless wasp destroys 60-90% of BMSB eggs in Asia; it is an endoparisitoid of the stink bug, meaning it lays an egg within a BMSB egg, killing it in the process.
Research is underway at quarantine laboratories in the US to determine the suitability of the samurai wasp for mass release into the there. During 2014 and 2015, surveys detected the wasp in several locations, having arrived in the country naturally, and by 2017 it was found in 10
states and Washington DC. To protect US agricultural crops from the BMSB, planning is underway to raise large numbers of the wasp in laboratories for release in areas with large BMSB populations.
Another session was conducted by University of Canterbury student Joel Tregurtha, who is completing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in biological sciences. Joel presented the work he and a fellow student completed during summer, developing and 3D printing a model BMSB. As Joel indicated in his session, “effective biosecurity relies on an informed and engaged public.” The aim of their work is to use the models for educational, public awareness programmes, community events, and at field days.
While not yet found in New Zealand, BMSB is often intercepted at the border. New Zealand has strict border and postborder controls in place to detect the presence of BMSB. The New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Most Unwanted poster indicates that BMSB is one of the biggest exotic threats to our wine industry, with potential for significant economic consequences if it were to establish in New Zealand.
Ursula Torres, Biosecurity Intelligence Analyst at the Ministry for Primary Industries presented on New Zealand’s biosecurity for the future. I had attended the first in a series of six online workshops on New Zealand’s biosecurity system strategy development, so I was keen to learn more about this. This strategy is being developed through engagement with stakeholders and review of key strategic documents. The workshops focus on the draft strategic priorities (pou), and the first workshop focused on Ko Tātou; This Is Us – the foundation of awareness and shared responsibility in protecting New Zealand. The six strategic pou, identified for the system to operate more effectively, are: capability and capacity; strong Tiriti
partnerships; sustainable investment; system integration and co-ordination; and future focused innovation. A strengthened, more strategic, and strongly led biosecurity system should be better at coping with emerging threats. The threats we face are growing in scale and complexity, with climate change, changing risk pathways, and pressure from established pests. A thriving, well-functioning biosecurity system will provide direct outcomes such as improved protection of our indigenous and valued introduced species, biodiversity, ecosystems, and landscapes. It will enable safe travel, trade, and food supplies, and protect our cultural, social, and economic wellbeing. Follow progress on the strategy at: mpi. govt.nz/biosecuritystrategy
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Advocacy on matters of vital importance to the industry
James KaneIf you have a Wine Standards Management Plan you will be required to update it by 1 July to meet new regulatory requirements. New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW), with the assistance of industry representatives and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), have released a new template Code of Practice to support winemakers with this transition. This article outlines the origin of these changes and what Wine Standards Management Plan (WSMP) holders need to do practically to ensure they’re meeting the latest requirements.
Among the host of regulatory requirements and obligations that winemakers must navigate in their day-today business, many will be familiar with the need to have a WSMP and register it with MPI. A WSMP helps winemakers to meet the requirements under the Wine Act 2003. There are some exemptions from the need to hold a WSMP – for example, if you are a wine labeller, wine storage business or small winemaker (less than 20,000L over two years) who does not export.
You must update your WSMP by 1 July 2023
In 2021 the Government undertook a broad regulatory redesign project with the aim of consolidating various legislation (including the Wine Act 2003), clarifying requirements and removing duplication. The result is that previous Wine Regulations were replaced, the wine notices were revised and consolidated, and stronger traceability and recall requirements were incorporated. To reflect these changes a new NZW Code of Practice template has been developed.
NZW, together with a working group of industry representatives and MPI, have worked on a new template version of the Code for members to use if they wish. Notable changes in the Code are summarised as follows:
• Definitions within the code have been added or updated to ensure consistency
with the existing regulations.
• Export compliance has been incorporated into the document.
• Updated guidance notes sit within sections to assist users with their interpretation of rules.
• Requirements for self-assessment and recall (including mock recall procedures) have been substantially updated in line with new requirements.
Two notable changes include:
New requirement: Water testing rules
Terminology within water testing rules has changed, now self-supplied water must be tested within one week of any adverse event that may affect water quality. This rule will be applied one week from the ‘time that you can access your property’.
requirement:
The WSMP requires a simulated recall to be conducted every year and the effectiveness of the recall measured. This provides assurance that adequate systems are in place to trace and manage product recall incidents. We understand this will be a
new process for many small to medium operators and continue to engage with MPI on what additional support can be provided, including the possibility of an industry-wide simulation that meets these verification requirements.
By 1 July 2023 holders of registered WSMP will need to:
• Move to the pre-approved New Zealand Winegrowers Code of Practice, or
• Move to MPI’s integrated WSMP model, or
• Update their existing custom WSMP to meet the new requirements.
No registration or fee is required and holders will be verified against the new WSMP at the same time they normally would.
We understand that process changes can be challenging when juggling the competing demands of winemaking, and are working to ensure members are well placed for this transition. To date, NZW have held several webinars with members and verifiers to communicate these changes and seek feedback.
We encourage you to contact our friendly NZW Advocacy team if you have outstanding queries (advocacy@nzwine. com) or check with your verifier. Further information, including the new NZW template, is available online. nzwine.com/ members/advocacy
James Kane is a Legal and Policy Advisor at NZW
SARAH WILSON
This month’s Advocacy Matters is written by James Kane, our new Legal and Policy Advisor. James joins New Zealand Winegrowers with a wealth of experience working in the public sector, and we are delighted to have him on board – welcome James!
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Although the beginning of Vintage 2023 saw many of our winegrowers face extreme challenges, it was wonderful to see fruitful harvests in many areas across the motu.
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New Holland has introduced the new Straddle Tractor TE6 Range, a multifunction tractor designed for narrow vineyards that require a machine with extreme manoeuvrability and compact dimensions.
Available towards the end of 2023, the TE6.120N and TE6.150N pairing is inspired by the Straddle Tractor Concept, created by New Holland in collaboration with Italian design firm Pininfarina. The Concept tractor featured a futuristic and stylish look inspired by the shape of a glass of Champagne as a homage to premium winegrowers of regions such as Champagne, Médoc and Burgundy.
The new TE6.120N and TE6.150N, designed for some of the most prestigious wine-producing regions, are said to be particularly suited to the narrow French vineyards, but will be suitable to any terrain that might have similar characteristics.
The range offers multifunctionality, featuring three independent tool zones for multiple possible implement combinations. They also incorporate a quick hitching function, taking less than 10 minutes to couple the sprayer unit, while also allowing the operator to attach tools without leaving the cab, saving time and maximising efficiency.
Thierry Le Briquer, Grape, Olive and Coffee Harvester Global Product and Platform Manager at New Holland says multifunctionality, manoeuvrability, compact design and power are the key elements of the new Straddle Tractor range, which “will completely revolutionise our offering”.
The tractors will be manufactured at New
Holland’s engineering and manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Coëx, France, a business unit that specialises in grape, olive harvesters and straddle tractors, serving markets worldwide.
Just as with the broader New Holland new generation tractor range, the new Straddle Tractors are equipped with innovative technology, including Intelliview™ IV Plus display. Its rear-view screens give a total control of the tractor and My PLM Connect® allows operators to manage data in real time, on board or remotely, to maximise efficiency and productivity.
The Blue Power livery reflects New Holland’s new styling lines and balances elegance with comfort. The ergonomics have been completely reshaped with
a renovated cab offering comfort and high visibility all around the machine. Meanwhile, maximum manoeuvrability is granted by the Superlight steering system, the FTP Industrial Stage V engine in the row ensures total stability on slopes and inclines, and the IntelliFlow hydraulic system gives a balanced distribution of power all around the tractor.
Carlo Lambro, Brand President of New Holland Agriculture says: “It’s with great pride that we add these Straddle tractors to our already excellent range, featuring a new design that combines our long-lasting identity with the most innovative features and inspired by the collaboration with design firm Pininfarina, so I’m excited to see it in action very soon in the vineyards.”
New Holland Agriculture has announced plans to extend its XPower family of electric weeding solutions, showcasing the new XPN concept for narrow vineyards, integrated into the New Holland Braud 9000N carrier. The new solution builds on the experience gained with the XPS for wide vines during the past two years. The XPN concept features a generator drive powered by the load-sensing hydraulic circuit of the carrier. Incorporating a new applicator, the machine is said to be specifically suited to the requirements of the narrow vineyards in terms of weeding width and adaptability to the types of vines encountered, for example in the Champagne region. The use of XPower technology, said to be respectful of the soil and the vine, means the carbon footprint of the XPN makes the system a true alternative to chemical herbicides and tillage for weed control.
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A regular feature to inform and update the wine industry on research projects being undertaken for their benefit. Newly approved projects when available are briefly summarised. Ongoing projects have longer articles that describe progress and what has been achieved so far. When completed, each project report will be shared in full detail in the Research Library on nzwine.com.
Bragato Research Institute conducts research in-house or collaborates with research organisations throughout New Zealand. The main research providers for each project are listed.
Viticulture
Pinot Noir Programme
University of Auckland, Plant & Food Research, Lincoln University
Improving remedial surgery practices to increase vineyard longevity
Linnaeus, SARDI
Long spur pruning as an alternative to cane pruning for Sauvignon blanc
Bragato Research Institute
Weevils in New Zealand vineyards
Bragato Research Institute
Microbial community and vine responses to increasing temperatures in the New Zealand context
University of Auckland
Evaluating water use efficiency and drought tolerance of various rootstocks grafted to Sauvignon blanc
Bragato Research Institute
Grapevine Improvement
Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme
Bragato Research Institute, Plant & Food Research, Lincoln University
National Vine Collection virus eradication
Bragato Research Institute
Tuned Vines
Bragato Research Institute
Wine Science
Prevention of quercetin instability in bottled wine
Indevin
The effect of winemaking decisions on polysaccharide content in wine
University of Auckland
The importance of green: understanding ‘green’ and ‘herbaceous’ characters in Pinot noir wine and their role in driving judgements of perceived quality
Lincoln University
Exploring reductive aromas in Pinot noir
University of Auckland
Precipitation of calcium tartrate and other compounds in wine
University of Canterbury
Potential applications of nanotechnology for wine growing in New Zealand
University of Auckland
Winealyse Lab on a Chip
University of Canterbury
Microbial responses to under vine treatment
Bragato Research Institute, AERU, Lincoln University
Shared vision for land use in Marlborough
Bragato Research Institute, Meihama, AgResearch, Tipuake systems, Market Economics
Regenerating Vineyard Soils - Phase One
Bragato Research Institute
Development of an anaerobic chainelongation bioprocess for grape marc valorisation
University of Auckland
Evaluating ecologically sustainable ways to disrupt the wētā-vine association
Plant & Food Research
EscarpmentThe purpose of this research aim was to positively influence Pinot noir wine composition through grading and sorting of bunches. Along the way, we found that the size of the berries was more critical to final wine composition and we developed prototype inwinery methods to non-destructively assess the quality potential of a grape crop.
Pinot noir grape size and colour are important to winemakers because large berries with insipid colour do not make good wine. Results from
the “Ideal Vine” part of the Pinot Noir Programme have shown that wine composition depends on grape berry size, as larger berries (above 1.2 g) have both poor skin colour and low skin:juice ratios that result in lower value wines.
In three recent research projects, scientists at The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) have made encouraging progress in accurate real-time measurement of both berry size and colour in Pinot noir grape berries. The prototype hardware and software they developed have
been made available to the Bragato Research Winery to develop further in upcoming vintages.
The industry perception of smaller bunches as better quality for winemaking had never been tested, so we first looked at that assumption. Early results indicated that >70% of the crop would have to be moved into an alternative, probably less valuable, product stream for a winemaker to benefit from the wine compositional gains achieved in the remaining minor bunch fraction. The wide distribution of bunch sizes encountered between
the 2018 and 2019 seasons also made this bunch sorting too challenging. So our approach changed, away from bunch sorting and towards individual berry quality grading instead. This change also responded to the establishment of the Bragato Research Winery and its state-of-theart bunch destemming equipment.
Knowing that berries no bigger than about 1.2 g are optimal, we sought to provide winemakers with better grading techniques, specifically berry quality grading. Ideally, this grading should be fast, non-destructive, done in real-time, and be as early as possible in the processing stage to assist with forecasting wine quality prior to key fruit batching/streaming decisions.
Pinot noir berry colour is a concern for New Zealand’s wine industry because colour hue and density at the berry stage are correlated to the concentrations of phenolic compounds in the resulting wine, especially anthocyanins; these compounds are critical for a bright and stable red colour as the wines age.
Using a vertically aligned laser underneath a mini-conveyor belt, single grapes were illuminated from beneath. A first light detector directly in line with the laser detected the presence of a grape when it interrupted the laser beam and a second detector at an angle of approximately 30° from the laser beam detected light transmitted through the grape (See image 2).
Destemmed individual Pinot noir grape berries were imaged using an industrial camera and lens suitable for real-time control from an attached PC. Custom software recorded all berries passing along a conveyor, classified them as damaged or undamaged, recorded their estimated weights, and allowed operators to capture and display relevant statistics for individual runs of the conveyor in real time. (See image 1)
With fruit passing under the imaging set-up at rates of between 2 and 3 T/ hour, it was possible to make accurate real-time measurements of berry size of multiple and varied Pinot noir crops while concurrently identifying the proportion of the crop that was above the optimal 1.2 g berry size.
The industry perception of smaller bunches as better quality for winemaking had never been tested, so we first looked at that assumption.Image 2. Laser-scanning apparatus used to measure the colour of individual Pinot noir grape berries
PFR scientists also successfully developed a modified Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) grape berry phenolic analysis method that is both faster and more accurate than previous methods. In collaboration with Marama Labs using their CloudSpec™ spectrophotometer during the 2021 and 2022 vintages,
PFR found that the CloudSpec instrument performed well in rapid colour measurement of grape berries. Using this method, a prediction
of wine colouration as well as the potential for oxidative browning of the wines can be made as early as the berry stage from the resulting laser absorbance measurements.
This successful pilot study shortcuts the centrifugation, acidification and sample dilution steps of the reference AWRI method, thereby providing winemakers with a useful early decision-support tool that uses non-destructive, real-time and speedy measuring of grapes as they arrive at the winery. This will inform downstream harvesting, winemaking and blending decisions, to optimise wine quality potential. In summary, significant progress has been made towards finding in-winery solutions to identify and compensate for larger berried and/or poorer coloured Pinot noir grapes that are most detrimental to wine quality potential.
The Pinot Noir Programme was a multi-year partnership between New Zealand Winegrowers and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment that was managed by the Bragato Research Institute. The research programme ended in September 2022, aiming to grow returns through disassociating quality from yield in New Zealand Pinot noir production. This article concludes the findings of research aims relating to Bunch Sorting (4.1) carried out by Plant & Food Research. For more information about the programme and these research aims, including full reports and methods used, please visit the research library in the members’ section of nzwine.com.
Martin D, Grose C, Theobald J, Neal S, Stuart L, Yang L, Yvon M, McLachlan A (Plant & Food Research)
In the previous edition of New Zealand Winegrower Magazine we presented Pinot Noir Programme results from five years of study across
the Ideal Vine network. Within the three study regions (Wairarapa, Marlborough and Central Otago) 13% of the vine x season combinations
simultaneously achieved yield and quality metrics. Another key observation from the study was that only 52 vines out of 994 vines (5%)
noir berry colour is a concern for New Zealand’s wine industry.
in the overall vine x season dataset produced yields at more than 2.0 kg/m and berries that were less than 1.2 g mean weight. Of those vines, only four plants produced this ‘Ideal’ combination in more than one year, and no vines met the target more than two years out of five. This result strongly suggests that environment and management factors that promote higher berry numbers (i.e., more and larger bunches) also force vine performance towards the production of larger berries.
This conundrum is what the “Alternating Bud Load” experimental work undertaken in two of Marlborough’s Brancott Valley vineyards in the 2021 and 2022 seasons was trying to resolve (i.e. to grow vines with high numbers of smaller berries). In essence, the trial attempted to greatly increase the vigour and fertility of the canes grown in the Low Bud Load (Short) first year, so that then in the High Bud Load (Long) second year, the shoots that grew from the retained (high vigour) canes could have much lower vigour allied with mild water and N deficits to restrict berry growth. The vine could then be then severely pruned back to the Short mode in year three, in preparation for Long mode in year four and so forth (Figure 1).
To break the yield-quality seesaw by growing vines with high numbers of smaller berries will require some disruption to current Pinot noir growing systems and/or the development of novel clones. In particular, high berry numbers (greater numbers of, and more differentiated primordia) are a function of the vigour of the previous season’s shoot that is retained at winter pruning, and are thus a priori dependent on the bud load, and the water and the nitrogen (N) supplied to the vine in the previous season. Conversely, to produce smaller berries (when flowering conditions are favourable), a growing system should look to limit shoot vigour, water and N supply in the current season — a switch of vine equilibrium that is very difficult to introduce within a season, and one that is not compatible with producing high berry numbers in the subsequent (third) year.
In the vineyard and consistently for both seasons, the high bud/ crop load (Long) pruning treatment generated lower shoot vigour than the conventional bud/crop load (Control). From early to mid-season, shoot length in Long treatment vines was always lower than in Control vines in both seasons. In the 2020/21 season, vines of both treatments appeared to have sufficient availability of nitrogen (N) up to flowering, but then the N pool available was allocated amongst more shoots in Long treatment vines, relative to Control. This was confirmed
by several different physiological approaches for determining leaf N, chlorophyll and whole canopy ‘greenness’, with values lowest in Long treatment vines compared with the Control. In contrast in season 2021/22 (after the previous season’s higheryielding Long pruned vines had been alternated), the physiological patterns of response were reversed: Long pruned treatment leaves contained significantly more N and chlorophyll, and had the greenest canopies. The higher shoot numbers in the Long treatment were competing for a limited pool of the vine’s stored carbon and N in the spring. Interestingly across treatments and seasons, the date of véraison did not appear to be sensitive to vigour, resource allocation or yield. The 33% higher bud load reduced the pruning weight per shoot by an average of 37%, while the trial was designed to have a relatively constant shoot density of 17 shoots/m for both treatments, resulting in a less dense canopy in the Long treatment.
Pruning treatments had a significant influence on the yield component parameters in both 2021 and 2022 (Table 1). However, difficult spring conditions (frost events and cool flowering) at both sites in the spring of the 2020/21 season resulted in low yields. Yields in 2022 were normal at Vineyard A but were again well below
To break the yieldquality see-saw by growing vines with high numbers of smaller berries will require some disruption to current Pinot noir growing systems and/or the development of novel clones.Figure 1. Schema of Control (conventional bud load) and alternate Short (low bud load) and Long (high bud load) cane pruning plots on the same individual grape vines from season to season. Graphic credit J. Theobald, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd
expected at Vineyard B. There were proportionally higher bunch numbers per vine and higher vine yield for the Long pruning than for the Control. At both vineyards and in both seasons, there was no significant treatment effect on average berry weight at harvest between the Long and Control vine treatments. There were, however, repeated treatment effects on average bunch weight (except for Vineyard A in 2022), a yield component which is typically hard to positively influence when increasing bud numbers in pruning trials. Overall, Long mode
did not promote an increase in berry size but resulted in vines that carried higher yields comprised of more berries per shoot within a lower vigour canopy.
At both sites and in both years, Control and Long pruning treatments had no major effects on pre-fermentation juice composition, with the exception of ammonium and Yeast Available Nitrogen (YAN) at Vineyard A in 2022 Pruning treatments had no major effects on wine composition at either vineyard or in either year, with the
exception of higher tannins content in wines made from the Long pruning treatment than in wines made from the Control in 2022 (Table 3).
Pruning treatments (Control, Long) applied in two vineyards for both the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons had a significant influence on the yield component parameters for the grapes used for winemaking. Overall, grape juice and wine composition from the Long (high bud load) pruning treatment were largely indistinguishable from those of the Control treatment, despite yields that were 40% to 80% higher per vine. The potential for vines to carry higher yields with similar bunch weights and no increase in average berry weight, with little or no influence on juice and finished wine composition, is an important step towards increasing Pinot noir productivity while maintaining wine quality.
The authors would like to thank the participating wine companies for providing the study vineyards and grape samples. This type of research is made possible by the intellectual contributions and passion of winemakers and viticulturists. For more information about the programme and these research aims, including full reports and methods used, please visit the research library in the members’ section of nzwine.com.
The Pinot Noir Programme was a multi-year partnership between New Zealand Winegrowers and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment that was managed by Bragato Research Institute and conducted by Plant & Food Research. The research programme ended in September 2022, aiming to grow returns through disassociating quality from yield in New Zealand Pinot noir production. This article concludes the findings of alternating bud load studies within Research aim 4.2 –Validation Wines.
Grower reliance on remedial surgery to improve vine productivity and longevity is expected to increase as New Zealand’s vineyards continue to decline due to grapevine trunk diseases Botryosphaeria (BD) and Eutypa (ED) dieback.
These diseases are typically caused by spores that infect vines through pruning wounds. The fungi as they move down the trunk, destroy the woody tissue, disrupting the movement of water and nutrients. This leads to stunted shoot growth and death, decreased fruit yield and quality, and eventual vine death.
Internal trunk staining and necrosis can be widespread by the time external dieback symptoms are visible.
Remedial surgery is being used to manage trunk disease in the absence of any curative treatments. This practice seeks to “renew” and extend the life of infected vines by removing the diseased trunk above the graft union and growing a new shoot to replace the old trunk. Because the established root system is retained, remediation is usually more cost-effective for growers than replacement. Efficacy is dependent
on the removal of infected wood and recovery of watershoots.
A current project from the Vineyard Ecosystems Programme is developing best practice guidance for managing trunk disease using remedial surgery. Grower practices are being improved based on new findings on the progression of disease and distribution of pathogens, and the recovery, health and productivity of vines following remedial surgery.
Three trials were established in 2019, in mature commercial vineyard blocks
that ranged from 18-21 years of age. One trial occurs in an organic block of Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, and the other two in conventional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blocks in Hawke’s Bay.
In each trial, remedial surgery is performed in winter and spring over five years. Data is being collected on the progression of trunk disease and recovery of watershoots, and crop yields over time as well as on the distribution of trunk pathogens in existing and new trunks. Reworked vines are being compared in each trial against untreated controls.
Assessment of disease in the trials over the past four years has demonstrated that not only the canopy but also the trunks of vines need to be examined by growers internally for symptoms to determine when to intervene. External dieback symptoms in the canopy are more difficult to track in cane-pruned vines than spur-pruned vines because the disease can be masked by the frequent replacement of canes and spurs with cane-pruning. In contrast to the spur-pruned Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot trials, dieback symptoms did not change significantly in the cane-pruned Sauvignon Blanc trial even though internal wood staining symptoms in the lower trunks increased significantly. The number of vines that need to be examined internally depends on the extent of disease in the trunk and the acceptable margin of error. In a Sauvignon Blanc block where half of the vines have staining in the lower trunk, at least one row of 100 vines would be required.
Extensive molecular diagnostic testing of Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot trunks from the trials have found that both BD and ED pathogens can move well in advance of the staining, sometimes over distances of >200 mm. This means that growers need to make remedial surgery cuts as low as practical on the trunk to improve chances of removing the disease, taking into consideration
the occurrence of bud sites and natural dieback of the wood. Early intervention when staining is further up the trunk is strongly recommended to enhance efficacy.
In areas where vineyards are not exposed to late frosts, growers can be confident that the timing of cuts does not affect vine recovery from remedial surgery. Over the past four years, remedial surgery has been carried out in both winter and early spring in the trials and no differences were recorded
in the recovery of Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines based on the timing of cuts. There was often more sap flow from the remedial cut site in vines cut in spring than in winter, and sometimes a second application of wound protection was required. That said, delaying remedial surgery until spring may improve recoveries in vineyards prone to late frosts because differences in shoot length early in the season suggest that buds push earlier in vines cut in winter than in spring.
Disease data collected from the trials highlights the importance of growers not delaying intervention because this can reduce vine recoveries following remedial surgery. A significant increase was observed in disease in the lower trunks of Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot over four years and in the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, there was a decline in vine recoveries the more severe wood staining symptoms were in lower trunk. In the Merlot, where vine recoveries were high because the vines produced ample watershoots, early intervention remains important for the successful removal of infected wood.
Yield data collected from the trials is beginning to quantify the cost of trunk disease on vine productivity and how this cost at least be reduced by remedial surgery. Yields in the untreated controls in the Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot trials have declined significantly over the past four years. In contrast, the yield in remediated vines continues to improve and for those reworked in the first year of the trial, the yield has already surpassed the control. There is also evidence that wine quality has improved, at least in Sauvignon Blanc, where wines produced by remediated vines had in comparison to the control, higher levels of the desirable
distinctive green and grassy aroma, 2-methoxy-3-iso-butylpyrazine (IBMP).
Presently there are no signs of trunk disease in the remediated vines, but the long-term life of these vines remains to be determined.
Further research
Valuable data has been collected from the trials in Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that is already informing best practice recommendations. In the remaining year of the project, data will continue to be collected from the trials on the progression of disease in the trunks and the recovery, health and productivity of vines following remedial surgery. Of particular focus will be understanding the effect of internal trunk staining at the time of remedial surgery on the risk of pathogen transmission and the performance of vines. This data will provide growers with more decisionmaking support on whether to rework or replant vineyard blocks.
Right: Yield in control and vine remediated in 2019. Note: Yield in Cabernet Sauvignon is recorded on a vine basis due to gaps from virus rouging. The error bars indicate the least significant difference at a significance level of 5%. The difference between treatment means must be equal to or greater than the LSD (5%) to be significant.
The Vineyard Ecosystems Programme was a multi-year partnership between New Zealand Winegrowers and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment that was managed through the Bragato Research Institute. This research is a spin-off project, intended to increase the long-term resilience and profitability of the New Zealand wine industry by developing new researchbased approaches to pest and disease management that will result in significant increases in vine longevity.
R&D Technical Advisors conducting trials
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R&D vineyard trials conducted in 2022
R&D Technical Specialists, forming our extension team
R&D trials conducted across all crop sectors in 2022
Fruitfed Supplies’ Research and Development team trial products for potential registration, evaluating how they perform under local conditions. The scope of the trials allows a large breadth of research to be collected, providing practical, in- eld data that answers important questions about a product’s safety and e cicay.
Through our Technical Extension Team, the information about newly registered products is shared with our Technical Horticultural Representatives and store teams as well as growers. So, when a product comes to market, our people already understand how it works, including the important details that can only be known from seeing the product being tested in the eld.
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