Wine Grower Oct-Nov

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ISSUE

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 70

80

R E GULARS

4

Editorial

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Industry Leaders Speak Up

Tessa Nicholson

One of the highlights of the Romeo Bragato conference, was the Industry Leaders Forum, where four panellists were asked their opinions on issues facing the industry.

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From the CEO

Philip Gregan

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Letters to the Editor

12

In Brief

News from around the country

32

Money Matters

Marcus Phillips from NZForex

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Sommeliers Corner

Cameron Douglas MS

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Bob’ Blog

Bob Campbell MW

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Calendar

Wine events happening in New Zealand

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Research Supplement

The latest science and research projects funded by NZ Winegrowers

FRONT COVER: Photo supplied by New Zealand Winegrowers

FEATURES

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Profitability Number One Issue

The annual MAF viticulture report has highlighted the impact a lack of profitability is having on growers in both Hawkes Bay and Marlborough.

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40 Grower Profile

Doug and Delwyn Bell made a business decision 10 years ago to try their hand at some exotic grape varieties. It has been risky and time consuming – but with the first commercial release of Albarino – it’s also been worth it.

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Yealands and Ager Sectus Merge

From nothing three years ago, Peter Yealands is now the sixth largest wine producer in the country – thanks to this recent merger.

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The Best of the Best

The best pruners from all over the country converged on Villa Maria’s Mangere Estate to pit themselves against each other, in the National Silver Secateurs competition.

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

FROM THE EDITOR TESSA NICHOLSON

CO R R E S P O N D E NTS Auckland: Joelle Thomson jthomson@xtra.co.nz Gisborne: Debbie Gregory gregorydebbie70@gmail.com Gisborne: Christine Boyce christineboyce@gmail.com Hawkes Bay: Mary Shanahan westclan@clear.net.nz Nelson: Neil Hodson neil@hodgson.net.nz Canterbury: Jo Burzynska joburzynska@talk21.com Central Otago: Max Marriott max@maxmarriott.co.nz

A DV E R T I S I N G Ros Sellers nzwinegrower@xtra.co.nz Ph: 07 827 8648 Fax: 07 827 8631 Mobile: 021 190 3877 www.nzwinegrower.co.nz

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

PUBLISHING & P R E - P R E SS Rural News Group PO Box 3855, Auckland 1140 Ph: 09 307 0399 Location: Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Publisher: Brian Hight Managing Editor: Adam Fricker Production: Dave Ferguson, Rebecca Williams

Published by Rural News Group Ltd under authority of New Zealand Winegrowers (jointly representing Wine Institute of New Zealand Inc and New Zealand Grape Growers Council Inc). Unless directly attributed, opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Rural News Group and/ or its directors or management, New Zealand Winegrowers or its constituent organisations.

Published every second month.

One free copy is mailed to every member of the Institute, the Council, the New Zealand Society of Viticulture & Oenology and the New Zealand Vine Improvement Group, and to such other persons or organisations as directed by the owners, with provision for additional copies and other recipients to be on a subscription basis.

ISSN 1174-5223

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

TIME TO TAKE ACTION

T

he Romeo Bragato Conference theme this year was “Getting Back To Profitability.” Extremely timely given how much hurt is being experienced in the wine industry at the moment.

In recent weeks we have seen some high profile wineries reporting record losses, growers pulling out vines, vineyards and wineries being forced to sell.

It would be easy to place all the blame on the larger than expected crops of 2008 and 2009. Yes those massive yields created some major issues – but if it hadn’t been for the perfect storm of a world-wide financial crisis and a soaring New Zealand dollar, the wine sector wouldn’t be feeling quite as pummelled as it is at the moment.

There are other factors that are creating headaches or maybe that should be migraines for the sector. They include the largest ever rise in excise and the refusal of the government to listen to the proposals from New Zealand Winegrowers that would actually help cut the compliance burden many small wineries face.

Philip Gregan described the Select Committee Report on Alcohol Reform Bill as a “Slap in the face for struggling wine businesses.”

A kick in the guts might be a better description, especially as it followed so closely on the heels of the rise in excise.

As an industry, wine is now New Zealand’s ninth biggest export goods sector, exporting $1.1 billion worth annually.

How long can the sector stand proud as a major earner for the country, if at every turn it is being punished for its successes?

How many small wineries with cellar doors will feel the pinch of those ridiculous compliance costs and decide it just isn’t worth it to stay open?

How will that impact on tourism in some of New Zealand’s small wine producing regions?

And bottom line – how will that

impact on the industry overall?

New Zealand is often described as a boutique wine-producing nation. Our boutique status is something that sets us apart from nearly every other producer.

And those boutique wineries in every region are what provide the magic and uniqueness to the industry overall.

So what to do. Well, it is an election year – and every single member of the industry should be putting the heat on not only the government, but every regional MP. If this country wants to hold its head in the world as a premium producer of any product, then there has to be support from the government, not hindrance.

What are your MPs doing to help your industry? Are they supporting you when you fight against increases in excise?

Are they supporting you when you fight against the ever-increasing burden of compliance in all aspects of business? Are they fighting for you in regards to the over valued New Zealand dollar?

If the answer to these questions is no – then maybe you need to be giving them the message – countries the size of New Zealand can’t survive without export earnings. And the wine industry’s export earnings are under threat, because the industry itself is under threat.

Maybe now is also the time for an even wider approach to the government. Every cellar door operator should be asking their visitors to sign a petition that calls on the government to rethink the Alcohol Reform Bill recommendations, in relation to the wine industry. People need to be made aware that if these recommendations are accepted, there is a very real danger of a unique part of our tourism and therefore export potential, likely to shut up shop.

We can’t afford to be complacent and wait for someone else to stand up for us – the wine sector needs to take action now. ■

FROM THE CEO PHILIP GREGAN

THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY Albert Einstein, the great 20th century genius/physicist, is attributed with a number of masterfully insightful quotes.

A favourite has always been: ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’

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hat brought this quote to mind was the recent progress of the Alcohol Reform Bill through Parliament.

If there was ever an example of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results then the Alcohol Reform Bill is likely to be a stand out example.

Why is this?

Well if you look at the origin of the legislation it appears to have been borne of the view that NZ has an alcohol crisis, that things are worse than (ever) before and that legislative action is needed to fix this crisis. This is certainly the view put forward by anti-alcohol groups and the Law Commission Report.

Actually this is the same scenario that has preceded virtually every alcohol legislative change (conservative or liberal) in New Zealand over more than a century. There is always a problem and it always needs to be fixed.

And the ‘fix’ being proposed (conservative or liberal) always struggles to meet the expectations held for it.

Expecting the Alcohol Reform Bill to be anything other than a recitation of previous

Albert Einstein said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

legislative attempts to fix the ‘alcohol problem’ is a farfetched wish. The Bill is not reforming at all, despite the claim in the Bill’s

title.

Stripped back to bare essentials the basic premise of the Bill (and indeed the current Sale of

Liquor Act) is straightforward: that by regulating the sale/supply of products containing alcohol to the public, the attitudes and actions of consumers will be so modified/constrained as to reduce/eliminate the negative behaviour associated with consumption of products containing alcohol.

The various incarnations of liquor legislation in New Zealand, including the current Reform Bill, only apply a more liberal or conservative version of this theme depending on the mood of the public.

The 1989 Sale of Liquor Act (which in some ways was quite reforming) came at the conclusion of a decade of reform in New Zealand (and in the Western world in general). Now, in more conservative times (driven at least in the part by the ageing of the population) we are faced with a more conservative looking Bill. However the basic shape of the Bill has not changed, just the detail.

So the Reform Bill this time around is proposing some changes to who can sell products containing alcohol (corner dairies are out), the hours of operation, how products can be

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 5

promoted, lifting the age of purchase (sort of ) and also introduces a new level of bureaucracy and cost through local alcohol plans.

These ‘reforms’ are very unlikely to make anything other than a minor contribution to the ‘alcohol problem’ in New Zealand (and I’ll come to why very shortly). The result of that will be in a few years time we will be told the alcohol crisis is still there, the 2012 legislation did not meet expectations in terms of addressing the problem and further legislative fixes are needed.

This will lead to a further tightening of the legislation (and this may happen a number of times) until the rules around the sale/promotion/supply of products containing alcohol get so ridiculously tight, that somebody will argue for a more liberal legislative framework to fix the ‘alcohol problem’ and so we will then enter a more liberal cycle ... and on it will go.

The reason that neither the conservative nor the liberal reforms/cycles will ‘fix’ the ‘alcohol problem’ is actually very simple.

They can’t.

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Well, not within the current legislative framework anyway.

Why is this the case? Well it is actually simple – the reason is that the basic framework of the legislation has serious limita-

addresses individual behaviour indirectly. Try as you might you will find scant reference to individual consumers anywhere in the Reform Bill or in current legislation. So, as an example, the

We should know that at best it will only make a minor contribution to improving drinking attitudes in New Zealand.

tions, and as such it will always struggle to meet expectations in terms of driving improved drinking behaviours. That applies to both liberal and conservative versions of the law.

The law as currently framed is based around instituting a series of rules and regulations that aim to shape/modify the environment in which the sale/ supply of products containing alcohol occurs. Given that the majority of drinking in NZ occurs outside licensed premises, this limits (by definition) the impact of the law on New Zealander’s drinking behaviour.

Further, the law only ever

Reform Bill says (effectively): • It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who is drunk, but it is not illegal to be drunk • It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone under 18, but it is not illegal to drink under 18 • It is illegal to .... you get my drift Together, the facts that much drinking is outside the scope of legislation and that legislation impacts individuals only indirectly, represent major limitations on the ability of legislation to improve drinking behaviours.

So, what should we think of the current Alcohol Reform Bill?

Well we should: • Not be surprised by its

contents – they were almost inevitable • Know that at best it will only make a minor contribution to improving drinking attitudes in New Zealand for the very simple reason the regulatory reach of the legislation is limited.

• Know that because it will struggle to meet the expectations of various parties there will be demands for even more strict rules and regulations • Know that until legislation gets the right balance between population and individual based polices that we will hear about the ongoing ‘alcohol problem’.

And our response should be?

Well, first and foremost, we in the wine industry must make sure our day to day activities encourage the responsible consumption of our products.

That is vital.

Secondly, we need to advocate for a more balanced Bill.

A Bill which accepts the limits of regulatory reach, a Bill that does not continue to add to the regulatory burden without good reason and a Bill that does not impose cost for costs sake, with little or no gain in terms of improved consumer behaviours.

Cheers. ■

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REGIONAL VIEW MARLBOROUGH

WELCOME TO REGIONAL VIEW Where industry leaders from around the country discuss issues of import to their own region and the New Zealand wine sector. This issue, the viewpoint comes from Dominic Pecchenino, Chair of Wine Marlborough.

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s a grower and an industry member since 1994, I have seen issues come and go, sometimes more than once. However, the issue that seems to stay with us through both the good and bad times is the lack of support at local board and committee level.

The complacency of both growers and wine makers towards getting involved in the local industry is appalling. In most cases when members of the board step down they have to shoulder tap members to come forward to fill their vacated role. We are a billion dollar industry so one would think that having the ability to help shape this industry going

forward would be reason enough to step up. People ask what can be done to turn our industry around, firstly I would reply: get involved, put your hand up, give back, take the load off the few and spread the work around. Anyone can be a sideline referee and criticise, and believe me we on the committee get plenty of that, but the invariable response when asked to help out is “I can’t, I’m too busy”.

In this economic climate we can all use that excuse, but thankfully there are still a few people out there willing to put in the time and effort for the betterment of our industry.

This is after all OUR industry and we all need to be involved

at every level to ensure that the direction the industry is going towards is the one we want. We need to influence our local District Councils, local MP’s, the National body and the National government so outcomes that will impact our industry are in our favour and not the opposite. An example is the many hours I have put into the labour issue and I know that if the voice of growers from Marlborough had not been represented to the government we would still be having labour shortages here.

Now especially we need local support to steer the course of this great industry. Putting your hand up at any level will be greatly appreciated and the benefits to the

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whole industry as well as personal satisfaction go without saying.

We will turn this industry around, of that I am very confident. We plan on being bigger and stronger and better positioned in the years to come. However we need to stay involved now, shaping, lobbying, and leading our industry into the future. So when you see the call for nominations for office or the need for committee members, give it a second thought and to paraphrase the words of a famous American president, ask yourself, what can I do for my industry? Not, what can the industry do for me? ■

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REGIONAL VIEW

GOVERNANCE – IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE? TESSA NICHOLSON

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t is 10-years since the New Zealand Wine Institute and the New Zealand Grape Grower’s Council merged to form New Zealand Winegrowers. There is no doubt the merge has been a success and the majority of members tend to believe one entity is better than two. But with the current audit into NZW

by Pricewaterhouse Cooper, now may be the time to look at governance. So says John Clarke, board member and Chair of the Gisborne Grape Grower’s Council.

Clarke has had a fair bit to do with governance, given he was Mayor of Gisborne for 12 years and oversaw the amalgamation of seven local authorities into one entity. At the Industry Leader’s Forum, at the Bragato Conference, he told the audience there needed to be a shake up of the current governing body.

“I accept that during our history we have had a Wine Institute and a Grape Grower’s Council and for the last 10 years they have come together with a memorandum of understanding, but I think it’s a golden opportunity to start with a clean sheet of paper as far as governance of this industry is concerned.

“At board level we have 12 elected members, but what tends to happen is the alternates come to each meeting, bringing the numbers up to 20, obviously that is too big.”

Ideally Clarke believes a board of seven is plenty big enough, although dropping down to that level may not be easy.

“From my experience at local government level you have to start with a clean sheet of paper. You can’t downsize an existing entity all that successfully as someone has to vote for an early Christmas – so you need to start from scratch.”

With a board of seven he says only a proportion of those should be elected by members.

“You have to have an election process, because otherwise people will argue they have lost representation. I think that is more in the mind than in reality, because if you have your structure set up properly you should be able to protect the opportunity for people to contribute, rather than just having a large governing body to ensure it happens at that level.”

A smaller board would allow more co-opting of skilled individuals, who could offer specialised

John Clarke. PHOTO: GISBORNE HERALD

services, such as marketing, advocacy and research where they were needed. And he doesn’t believe all the members need to be involved in the wine industry.

“There are lots of boards and producer entities around the country that have done just that – brought people in from outside for their skills. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes that are not deep down thinking about what influence any decisions made will have on them personally, can view things differently and bring some sort of balance to an organisation.”

There would also be some major cost saving if this idea was

adopted.

“If we are talking to our industry about taking the costs out of production, then the governing body has to take a long hard look at how it can strip cost out of the way it operates.”

Clarke was at pains to say he wasn’t trying to influence the PwC audit – as they were consulting the industry on a wide scale.

“But I was asked a question at the forum and I expressed a view.

This is a golden opportunity to focus on the whole shebang and a good chance to hone in on governance to see if we have it right.” tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SHOULDER BUNCHES There is a bit more of a story to tell re shoulder bunches which turned up in the trellising and shoulder bunch research by Dr Jeff Bennet as reported in the Aug/Sep Winegrower.

Not all shoulder bunches are created equal. It seems as if the vine sometimes has difficulty making up its mind whether to form a bunch or a tendril – for some reason it decides late in the piece that a small late–shoulder bunch is its preferred option.

This is what further down the track causes the grower to be concerned about variability. The vine’s lack of decisiveness in choosing between a tendril or a bunch is often easy to spot insofar as some bunches have a little tendril just above the fruit, others have a tendril which converted itself to a bunch at the last moment carrying just a few berries, while others are full-blown miniature bunches – but formed after the main bunch.

But there is another type of shoulder bunch.

This is formed simultaneously with the main bunch and essentially contributes nothing to variability.

The difference between these two types of shoulder bunch are quite easy to identify; those that are going to cause no variability are at the same level of development as the main bunch through-

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out all the stages – from pre-flower right up to veraison.

The later formed shoulder bunches are, conversely, different from an early stage.

It is possible to spot them a good while before flowering and right up to veraison they are behind in maturity. This does allow these shoulders to be removed at virtually any time convenient to the grower, right up to

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

veraison. Once they have gone through veraison, after the main bunch, the variability issue can be a real problem. The only solution then is to remove all shoulder bunches.

Also interesting is that there seem to be only the two kinds of shoulder bunches, with almost no gradation between them: they either form at the same time as the main bunch or so much later as to be easily distinguish-

able. This makes one ponder whether the earlier formed shoulders are possibly better described as branch bunches as opposed to those formed a bit later.

The one finding that really intrigued me was that spur pruning did not produce shoulder bunches on the apical bunch, unlike cane pruning.

Robin Dicey Bannockburn

WHAT’S OUR NEXT BIG THING? Re the article in the August/September issue of New Zealand WineGrower.

We are concerned about the number of growers who have told us they have planted and plan to plant new varieties in the belief that “new” will sell.

This is a high-risk approach without having a developed market and then there’s the question of whether these varieties will be successful from a viticultural perspective.

Anyone can sell a couple of hundred cases of a new variety at their cellar door, But that is less than one acre of production.

There are many hundreds of hectares of new varie-

ties being planted. So most of it is going to have to be sold on the international market.

When you get to travel widely and sell your wine (like we do) you hear what international markets are looking for. There will always be the possibility to sell new varieties. These opportunities are exceptions typically available to the limited few who are first in the market and then it takes years to develop a significant volume.

There is the ultimate reality check – the rest of

the world is planting new varieties to over-come their over-supply situation as well. The fact is that the great majority of us are not going to be trail blazers. The answer is to get connected with your customer.

We continually ask our customers what they are looking for from NZ. The answers might surprise you. The most wanted varieties from this part of the world are; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and Merlot and the Cabernets.

If you’re thinking about

planting a new variety, first ask yourself: “Have I connected with my customer?” Do they have a market for the new variety I plan to plant? What is the price point in the market for the wine? Will I make a profit at that price point?

There is heaps of scope to improve our offering on the varieties we have a great reputation for.

These offer us the best chance of improving profitability.

Rex Sunde and Donna Pecar Misty Valley Nursery

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 11

IN BRIEF

AUCKLAND Rod Bonfiglioli Scholarship

Accolades

Presented at the Romeo Bragato Conference, this scholarship, went to Darrell Lizamore, from Lincoln University. Darrell is studying Mobile DNA Elements as Markers for Grape Breeding. The scholarship was launched last year in recognition of Dr Rod Bonfiglioli, a renowned scientific researcher, who was passioante about vine health and developing techniques to eliminate vine disease.

Congratulations to Sir George Fistonich for being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Wine Challenge this year. Other recipients of the award include Australian Peter Lehmann, (2009) and Spain’s Miguel Torres of Bodegas Torres (2010). The judging panel, chaired by Tim Atkin MW, Oz Clarke, Charles Metcalfe, Sam Harrop MW & Derek Smedley MW, chose to honour Sir

George for his significant contributions to the wine industry internationally.

New Master of Wine A huge congratualtions to Emma Jenkins who can now place those all important and hard earned letters MW after her name.

Emma joins a select few in New Zealand who have earned the title of Master of Wine, and was one of 11 new members announced last month.

GISBORNE

HAWKES BAY

Moving on

Clearview Estate Restaurant a “Good Egg”

With a number of successes under his belt, Gisborne Wine’s marketing manager Simon Gardiner is moving on. Gisborne Winegrowers’ chairman John Clarke said Gardiner had achieved an incredible amount in the two years in the job. “Highlights include overseeing the launch of the Gisborne Wine Centre, establishing the Gisborne Regional Wine Awards, and of course the reinvigoration of the Gisborne Wine and Food Festival.”

Gardiner will stay with Gisborne Wine until November, before taking up his new job at Millton Vineyards and Winery.

The question of who are the good eggs of the food industry has been cracked – and Hawke’s Bay’s Clearview Estate Winery and Restaurant is one of them.

Clearview was one of 38 businesses nationwide recognised in the inaugural New Zealand’s Good Egg Awards. The Te Awanga winery uses free-range eggs for its culinary fare, and all Clearview Estate red wines are fined with egg whites from cage-free hens.

MARTINBOROUGH Giant Welcome Clive Paton built this sturdy sign to greet Rugby World Cup visitors as well as those friends and family members of cup fans who may have, er, tired of the hype. Wendy Masters, artist and mother-in-law of Ata Rangi winemaker Helen Masters, was charged not only with coming up with ‘welcome’ in 20 languages but also with hand-painting them onto the board. “The word ‘G’day’ seemed to cover the Wallaby followers but the greeting for the Japanese and Russian fans proved a little more challenging,” says Phyll Paton of Ata Rangi Wines.

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

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THINKING NEW ZEALAND

Unmasking Wairarapa Martinborough Unmasked is a weekend of wine and the name of a new website full of information on the mini festival. Tranzit has full day bus passes to get around the vines for $35 per person and the website has an automatic booking function, powered by Bookit. The vineyards and wine producers involved this year will show visitors how they graft Pinot Noir vines onto Sauvignon Blanc roots as well as opening the doors of some not-usually-visitable vineyards. The after party at Settlers Bar will feature local cheese and wine and also the Wairarapa’s Lighthouse Gin. Find out more at www.martinborough-unmasked. com or contact Gretchen, phone (021) 668 970, email: gretchen@ march-hare.co.nz

MARLBOROUGH Sauvignon Blanc Symposium Possibility

growers and the Hurunui Tourism Board, Chair of Waipara Valley Winegrowers, Gwyn Williams, said the valley produces grapes and wine of consistently high quality, “and this message needs to be communicated to our markets.”

Hill Laboratories to Open Christchurch Wine Testing Programme Following a major government R&D grant of $1.5 million, Hill Laboratories is about to open a new wine-testing programme in the garden city. This will enable more economical and accurate testing using technology that was developed in conjunction with an American company and will provide a service for the entire South Island wine industry.

CENTRAL OTAGO

The very first such symposium was held in Austria back in 2008, despite the fact the country only has a few hundred hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vines. Now the Austrian Wine Marketing Board wants New Zealand, and Marlborough in particular to pick up the mantle and hold the second event. Willie Klinger, from the board says they are even keen to help out financially and logistically if Marlborough was prepared to be the host. However the finer details need to be discussed further, before any decision is made.

New Blenheim Branch For Secure A Load To be opened later in October, Secure A Load describe Marlborough as “one of the most innovative, vibrant, and successful regional economies in New Zealand”, hence their decision to expand there. The company which supplies bulk flexi tanks for wine, among many other things, says they will now have all their products for supply right in the heart of the country’s largest wine producing region.

CANTERBURY WaiparaValleyNZ A number of Waipara Valley wineries and other businesses have created a collaborative group to market and promote their region.

Called WaiparaValleyNZ, the group includes 15 wineries and other businesses and is supported and resourced by Waipara Valley Wine-

14

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Nick Paulin

Young Vit Title Goes South There were smiles all round in Central Otago when their very own young viticulturist took out the national Markham’s title.

Nick Paulin from Peregrine Wines slogged it out against four others in categories including pruning, viticultural knowledge, budgeting and machinery skills. He also had to deliver a threeminute speech on; “At risk of too many pests and disease, should we mothball the whole of the North Island?” He did extremely well during the speech, and managed to get away without alienating all the North Island members present. Nick will now go on to represent the wine industry at the upcoming National Horticulturist of the Year.

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ROMEO BRAGATO

CHAIR’S BRAGATO ADDRESS STUART SMITH

T

he world economy is all over the place, and as a result the New Zealand dollar has been on a wild roller coaster ride: up, down, then up again, and who knows where next.

We are an economy of just over 4 million people and all of a sudden there is talk of parity with the US dollar. In part we should take this as a vote of confidence in the financial management of our country.

However, that is of little comfort to exporters. As an industry we now export $1.1 billion of wine annually, making us New Zealand’s ninth biggest export goods sector.

However export profitability is being devastated by the gyrations of the New Zealand dollar. Few if any New Zealand wineries will have planned for a dollar valued at 85 cents US, or a dollar valued at more than 50 UK pence, but that is the reality we now face. For me the number one challenge we now face as an industry is the strength of the New Zealand dollar.

To survive wineries are cutting costs. That means lower prices to growers, prices that for many are unsustainable.

It means contracting supply of inputs off shore – in other words to make ends meet wineries are substituting supply of goods and services from within New Zealand

18

Stuart Smith

and instead are sourcing from offshore.

That means we are exporting New Zealand jobs off-shore.

That means New Zealanders are not getting the jobs they deserve and need.

That means our country, our economy is suffering.

Long term if something is not done to get the New Zealand dollar under some semblance of control then the productive economy in New Zealand is going to be devastated.

So what should we do?

I don’t pretend to have the answers; however what I know is that as a country we need to pay our way in this world. We can’t be another Ireland, Iceland or Greece if we are to educate our children,

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

provide healthcare to the infirm and welfare to the needy.

What I know is that the world has changed since the GFC but our management of our monetary policy has not. We need fresh thinking, a fresh approach. We need an approach that says, yes we can do something, and not an approach that seems resigned that we can’t.

The risk to New Zealand, to our children, if we don’t make a change is immense.

I would like now to turn to more positive subject matter.

We are all too well aware that our industry has experienced tough times in the last few years.

Growers, wineries, and suppliers have all experienced the dramatic fallout from our supply imbalance, exacerbated by the GFC. The good

news, however, is that we are making progress.

In the last 12 months we sold at least 30 million litres more wine than we produced from vintage 2010. That is why we had a larger harvest in 2011 because current sales levels could not have been supported without a larger vintage And in terms of sales in the current year, exports are stronger than ever. If they continue at the current rate, I believe we will see some real tension in the supply demand balance in coming months.

These are positive achievements. We should celebrate that with $1.1 billion of exports New Zealand is now the number 11 wine exporter in the world by volume;

We are number 8 in terms of total global export value; and New Zealand of all wine exporting countries now has the third largest share of the global super-premium wine market.

The only countries ahead of us are the wine super powers, France and Italy.

These successes – and they are major successes – do not mean that there are not real challenges facing us.

The signs of the industry turnaround we are seeing have yet to flow through to many producers.

A significant number of wineries and growers are still struggling with the lingering effects of the supply imbalance, inflamed now by the gyrations of the exchange rate. These businesses are hurting and hurting badly.

The question facing many producers is ‘What does the future hold for New Zealand wine and for me?’

We have asked this question as well. While we remain very confident about the medium to long term future and we know we are making progress, the world has changed in recent years and there is increasing uncertainty about the future.

So, what to do?

Our decision has been to engage PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) to undertake a strategic review of everything that we do and how we do it – from top to bottom, and from bottom to top. To do that well, PwC must come to a view about the future for New Zealand wine, as New Zealand Winegrowers is the servant of the industry, not the master.

The PwC report is due at the beginning of October. We are confident it will provide clarity on the path forward, both for the industry and New Zealand Winegrowers.

Feeding into the strategic review are the results of our recent Members’ Survey. The Survey was the first of its type we have conducted and it has provided some valuable insights. Pending the outcome of the Strategic Review, we have not been resting on our laurels.

We have been working very closely with NZTE and MED on the new marketing initiatives for the industry in Europe and China – watch out for announcements on these in the not too distant future.

We have just launched one of our largest marketing programmes ever, while our research effort continues unabated.

95% of the producing vineyard area is under the Sustainable Winegrowing program, and when combined with the area under organics, this means we are very close to our goal of 100% sustainability by 2012.

We are engaging closely with MAF on the review of wine export standards, a subject I know is of keen interest to many wineries.

And finally, we are focusing very hard on the key issue of costs and profitability. Recent successes include elimination of charges when WSMP verifiers are changed, a progressive process for GroSafe certification, and reduced ACC levies for viticulture contractors.

If there is one message I would like you to take from what I have said it is this: As an industry, we are making real progress in facing the challenges confronting us.

And as a speaker at the recent Exporters Forum said: ‘So, if not the New Zealand wine industry, tell me exactly which wine industry would you prefer to be in at the current time.’

He didn’t have an answer and neither do I. ■

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INDUSTRY LEADERS FORUM One of the highlights of the Romeo Bragato conference was the Industry Leader’s Forum. Four panellists answered a range of questions regarding the state of the wine industry in New Zealand. The panellists were John Clarke, Fabian Partigliani, Duncan McFarlane and Mike Brown.

Below are extracts from that session.

TESSA NICHOLSON

Q: The industry has changed significantly over the last three years.

What do you like and dislike about those changes? And are these changes for good?

Fabian Partigliani: What I dislike, is we are working twice as hard each year just to stand still. That’s a very honest appraisal of what my staff feel and so many times what I feel. And I think those changes are here for good. It has been a real roller coaster ride for sure, but I think it has brought us back to basics. It

20

has enabled us to focus on costs, whereas before there were parts of the value chain that we weren’t looking at. I think quality has never been better than it has in these last couple of years. So there has been more positive than bad

John Clarke: I think the industry needed a wakeup call. I agree that complacency had been within the industry for a while in that you planted grapes, you grew them and it wasn’t that hard to sell them.

As a result you had a whole lot of decisions around investment, be that at a vineyard or winery level, that were being made at the margins without sufficient sensitivity around price. What happens if the price is half of what it is now for

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

say Sauvignon Blanc, am I going to survive? Let alone decisions around currency – what if it is 85 US cents or 50 pence – how will that impact on my business? Those decisions weren’t being made.

Yes there are going to be some tragedies along the way, but at the end of it, I think we will come out as a much stronger industry.

focus on cost and we have learnt it is possible to reduce costs while maintaining quality. It’s about doing things smarter, it’s not about cutting corners. We have had to find more cost effective ways to run our businesses. That puts us in a much stronger position to compete globally than we were say three years ago.

Duncan McFarlane:

Mike Brown:

The industry has been forced through circumstances to focus on being cost effective and being efficient. When everything is going well and you are growing your business on a rising market, it’s pretty difficult to focus on making sure that your supply chain is as efficient as it needs to be.

The industry has been forced to

There has been a healthy focus on quality after 08. Also it is healthy to look at the efficiency of your business.

In terms of dislikes; we are less collegial than we used to be.

Probably four or five years ago we were playing as a team, but there have been examples lately of rogue behaviour if you like. You

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Industry Leaders. From Left, Mike Brown, Duncan McFarlane, John Clarke and Fabian Patigliani

can’t necessarily control the rogue behaviour, but it would be good to get back to playing as a team.

The other thing is the liberation of the buyer own brands. The buyer own brands is just a beverage from our part of the world and that is something we now have to work with unfortunately.

Q: Is bulk wine good or bad? And can you see a role for companies to play a role in both markets?

Mike Brown: I don’t think bulk is necessarily bad, it depends on how it is handled. For a growing winery operation it can be a useful tool in terms of cash flow and building your branded product. But what worries me most of all is what could happen in China, with the

22

lack of protocols of what we bottle off shore.

Duncan McFarlane: When we talk about bulk, we need to be careful about what that word actually means. Because there is a lot of wine that gets shipped for bottling into New Zealand branded wines, for the market. If we automatically classify that as bulk, because that is how it is shipped, then we are not comparing the right statistics.

We have a number of clients, who bottle all their wine off shore, and it is for them about making the supply chain more efficient.

It’s also about having access to scale in the market, and with scale comes a reduction in costs.

And there is some benefit in paying your direct costs in the local currency. I don’t think that will change, in fact I think that will increase.

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Q: In the current environment, are the rewards within the value chain from vineyard to winery being shared?

Fabian Partigliani There are not a lot of rewards to share. We have been from one end of the spectrum to the other. When I first arrived here the grape prices were around $2400 a tonne. It didn’t work.

And it probably doesn’t work at this point in time either. We have had a correction and we are still in that correction. Land prices are the same. The first vineyards I saw were around $250,000 a planted hectare. Staggering compared to where we are today.

We will get to balance and this industry will rise from where we are today and we will be in better shape for doing that.

John Clarke: All we ask for as growers in terms of getting our share of the value chain, is some transparency around the setting of price. We accept the fact there is not a hell of a lot of fat for anybody, but we don’t want a whole lot of gobblede-gook. You want us to produce quality. Quality comes at a cost and yes we have taken some costs out of it. But you reach a point when there is no elasticity left in terms of costs if we are to produce quality. So we need to be rewarded for that.

Fabian Partigliani is the MD of Pernod Ricard NZ. Duncan McFarlane is owner of Indevin.

Mike Brown is CEO of Tohu Wines and Chair of WineArt Nelson and John Clarke is the President of Gisborne Winegrowers. ■

MANAGING TANNINS IN WINE TESSA NICHOLSON

G

iven tannins are linked to the quality of wine, being able to manage them with simple vitiucltural practices is vitally important. Dr James Kennedy from California State University, Fresno, has been involved in research in both Australia and the US, in an effort to determine how best to do just that.

“According to the Institute of Masters of Wine, high quality wines have the following; Balance, Length, Intensity, Complexity,

Integration, and no faults.

“Tannins are very much related to balance, they are related to length, intensity and you might argue they contribute to complexity and integration as well. So tannins are very much involved in red wine quality.”

Kennedy said you can manage tannins through every stage of production, from vineyard to glass. Variety, climate and management practices influence tannins in the vineyard. Time, tempera-

For premium red wine, tannin levels have to be managed.

24

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

ture and cap management influence in the winery. While time, oxygen exposure, temperature and storage vessel influence tannins in the aging process.

Trying to define tannins is a difficult task, given the sensory descriptors are so vast, from coarse to sweet, dusty to chewy.

Yet when you break it down into scientific speak, there are really only two descriptors that a chemist would use – bitter and astringent.

Tannins are found in the solid part of the grape – the skin, seed and stem.

“The tannins that are derived from the skin tissue are often described as being a riper type of a tannin, which might give rise to descriptors like dustier, velvety,” Kennedy said.

“Whereas the seed tissue tends to have descriptors which are a coarse, harder, grippier kind of astringency. Bitterness for the most part is localised to the seed

STORING FRUIT TO RAISE TANNINS In another experiment he was involved in, Dr Kennedy took one vineyard, harvested two thirds of the fruit, leaving one-third on the vine. Half of the harvested fruit was made into wine straight away, the other half was stored in a temperature, humidity controlled room.

When the final fruit left hanging was brought into the winery, it also was made into wine, and then the stored fruit was made.

“What we found was the fruit that was brought into the winery right away, the longer it was allowed to sit the higher the tannin concentration was in the wine.

The late pick fruit had a lower overall tannin concentration certainly than the (stored) treatment. We had some winemakers taste through these wines and they clearly found the initial plus 4 (the wine made from stored fruit) had a much riper flavour profile as well as the texture and concentration they more desired in a wine. That suggests that off vine development can be as important as on vine development.

“So there are wineries in Oregon now who are developing controlled atmosphere storage systems, so if a rain event does look likely to happen in Oregon, they can pick the fruit, store it and try to keep the metabolism of that fruit going under more optimum conditions.”

tissue. Stem tannins are very similar to skin and seed in combination, but they also have the added component of flavour. That’s why a winemaker may not want to add stem tissue, because it can contribute green flavours to a wine.”

Tannins themselves are formed prior to veraison, so if you are trying to manage them in the vineyard, you need to be aware of this.

“Some of the things that have been associated with an increase in concentration of tannins include; high sun exposure, lower levels of nitrogen, low soil moisture , moderate canopy size, moderate crop load, low soil fertility and small berry size.”

Work undertaken in Oregon, showed the site influences the quality of the eventual wine.

Comparing two blocks, sitting 30

meters apart Kennedy was able to investigate why one block produced $75 bottles of wine while its neighbour produced wine worth $38. The first point of interest was the differences in vigour between the two blocks. The lower price point wine came from the high vigour block.

“That translated into chemistry differences in the tannins. The higher price point wines (from the lower vigour site) had a much higher concentration of skin tannin. Those skin tannin chemistry differences translated all the way to the wine. In the higher vigour, lower price point wines, there was a higher seed tannin contribution to the wines and an overall lower tannin concentration. As the vigour decreased in the vineyard the overall tannin concentration

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 25

increased and the proportion of skin tannin in the wine also increased.”

There was another question that Kennedy wanted answers to – and that was whether the tannin levels had to do with high vigour – or was it because the high vigour vines weren’t gaining enough exposure.

“We were able to show that you could maintain the vigour if you could manage the exposure and that was important because it gets into production yields.

“So we could keep the production level up by managing the exposure in the block and achieve the same chemistry in terms of tannin. But now we had to look and ask ourselves – is it exposure per se, or is light or is it temperature?”

Three separate trials were undertaken, with clusters of grapes exposed to differing conditions. One ambient, one cool and one hot.

“The hypothesis we were testing, was the amount of tannin produced in a fruit is linked to heat units. The more heat units you give the fruit, the more tannin you get.”

And that is what happened.

However it became quickly apparent that tannins are far more responsive to light, than they are

James Kennedy

to temperature.

“Tannins are very much UVB responsive and if you want to manage tannin concentration, you want to manipulate UVB exposure.”

While all of this is helping growers to make management practises in an effort to increase red wine quality, Kennedy said

there is still a lot more research required, particularly around the area of exposure of fruit.

“With exposure it opens up a whole lot of other questions, like how much is too much, how little is enough and it also depends where you are growing.

In Oregon we can almost achieve full exposure and still

have very little risk of sunburn.

Whereas in other areas where there are high temperatures you can’t do exposure at all, because it affects fruit quality. So you have to manage that exposure, understand your specific region and optimise those conditions to manage tannin quality.” tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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GRAPE GROWERS SAY PROFITABILITY IS NUMBER ONE ISSUE TESSA NICHOLSON

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or over a decade MAF have been monitoring the viticultural sector within New Zealand, focusing on the country’s two largest regions – Hawkes Bay and Marlborough.

Based on a number of growers in each region, and collating all their information into two “models” the report provides a significant insight into the business side of grape growing.

For the third year in a row, growers in both regions suffered

a drop in the price paid for fruit.

Caution on spending in all aspects has continued and growers are endeavouring to take on more work themselves, rather than employ people to do it.

Profitability is the number one issue facing them and most believe there is still a long way to go, before that is remedied.

Marlborough An excellent growing season helped raise yields and assisted

PHOTO: NZW

28

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

prices remained steady This is in sharp contrast to predictions made this time last year, when growers forecast a 5 percent lift in the average price per tonne in 2011. The reality however was an 8 percent decline as wineries sought to manage the challenge of selling surplus stock into highly competitive markets.

Growers dropped expenditure by 11 percent this past year, which is on top of large savings made in previous years. The largest savings were in terms of labour, mainly in the areas of pruning and crop management. Smaller growers tended to take on that work themselves, while medium to larger growers were utilising mechanical stripping machines to save on manual labour.

In an effort to reduce the cost of managing crops later in the season, most growers chose to lay down only three canes at pruning.

However as this is the third year

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Whilst fruit prices dropped yet again, the rise in yields allowed them to increase revenue 17 per cent over last year. The model’s cash operating surplus in the last season was $259,500 or $8650 per producing hectare – that is an increase of 62 percent over the 2009/2010 year.

The average price paid for fruit this past year was 8 percent down on the previous year, with the average per tonne being $1350. It will come as no surprise that the decline in prices has been monumental since 2008 – according to the MAF report, it has fallen $1095 or 45% in just three years. The last 12 month’s figures show: • Sauvignon Blanc prices dropped 12% to $1190 a tonne • Pinot Noir prices dropped 9% to $2880 • Riesling prices dropped 11% to $1460 a tonne • Pinot Gris and Chardonnay

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some of the growers have used this method of crop management, the vines have compensated, meaning yields were higher than originally anticipated.

The average tonne per hectare in Marlborough was 12.1. In terms of Sauvignon Blanc it was 12.8. However not all fruit was harvested. Some growers chose not to hand thin last season, instead preferring to leave the fruit on the vine and then manage volumes to the winery at harvest. This resulted in approximately 7 percent of all fruit being un-harvested this season.

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, monitored growers are expecting the average price per tonne to increase 5 per cent, to $1415 per tonne, with Sauvignon Blanc to rise by 7 percent to $1270.

(Still a long way from the $2435 a tonne paid for Sauvignon back in 2007/08.)

Hawkes Bay It was a slightly different story in Hawkes Bay, mainly because of weather conditions during the growing period. Lower grape prices were a factor affecting all growers, with the adverse weather affecting fruit quality and final payments by wineries. This was a compounding issue for grow-

ers, as they had been looking to 2011 for improvement, following on from a poor season in 2009/10 when grape prices were cut and crop yields were affected by a cold spring affecting fruit set.

The report says; “After two seasons of poor returns, many growers are feeling stressed and questioning why they are in the industry. Many growers have looked for other forms of income or are re thinking their futures as grape growers entirely.”

The Hawkes Bay cash operating surplus this last year was $32,250, an increase of 46 percent over the previous year. However this surplus was only just sufficient to cover the debt servicing costs for the business and no principal repayments were covered.

Having budgeted for grape prices to remain the same or increase slightly, growers in Hawkes Bay instead saw a drop of 8 percent. The average price fell from $1350 to $1240. This was due to: Reduced demand for some grape varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc Rain events around harvest time leading to mid season varieties being harvested early to ensure good condition, despite brix targets not being met, resulting in growers receiving lower prices from wineries The most affected were Merlot and other red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc Like Marlborough, Hawkes Bay

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growers were cutting expenditure in any way they could. However periods of rain throughout the growing season encouraged vine growth – leading to more being spent on canopy management this year, compared with last.

Overall yields increased in the 2010/11 season, to 8.5 tonnes per hectare, up 13 percent. While this is due to better conditions at fruit set, the report says it is also due to the many younger vines reaching maturity this season. Chardonnay yields were up slightly to 6.5 tonnes, (still well below average yields) Pinot Noir Sparkling, Pinot Gris and Syrah were all up due to the good weather conditions at flowering. However Merlot yields were down and Sauvignon Blanc yields decreased by 16 percent.

In terms of the future, the report says there is a lot of uncertainty amongst grape growers about the year ahead.

“Growers believe they have cut their costs back as far as they can without impacting on vineyard health. Monitored growers hope that if prices remain stable and with a return to average yields, with quality targets achieved, most businesses with a supply contract will at least break even or make a small profit in 2011/12.” tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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MAF COMMENT MAF is well aware that a segment of contract winegrowers in Marlborough are experiencing severe financial hardship at this time. They will likely possess onerous interest payments, have less secure supply contracts for the coming year and be located in less geographically desirable growing locations.

The model aims to represent the average for the Marlborough region. Therefore the reported profit before tax for the model will not fully reflect their situation, (neither for that matter the top performing growers). In

their situation, it is likely that the 2010/11 profit per producing hectare of around $5600 would be cancelled out by the additional interest payment burden. Another financial challenge for all growers is the more common practice of wineries to stretch out the timing of final payments to growers. This delay in cash flow exacerbates the situation for this segment of growers and in extreme cases requires them to borrow additional funds from the bank until payment is received.

The full report is available at www.maf.govt.nz ■

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 31

MONEY MATTERS WITH NZ FOREX MARCUS PHILLIPS

PREPARE FOR BAD WEATHER For obvious reasons, a mountain climber would not attempt to scale Mount Everest during the monsoon. Even throughout the more sedate months of the year, mountain climbing can still be very dangerous and every expedition requires careful and long term planning in order to eliminate the risks and to manage, as best as possible, any unforeseen circumstances.

E

xporting also presents comes to foreign currency risk two points in time it affects the risks, however New Zeamanagement? value of your cash flows. land wine growers do not The first step is to determine Having identified the manner always have the luxury of the type of exposure. Transac- in which your company is exposed choosing to exchange their fortion exposure is the most com- to foreign currency movement, eign currency receivables during mon risk affecting exporters and management should determine times of fair weather. In recent times, volatility has become more prevalent in currency markets.

Therefore, it is very important when managing foreign exchange risk to have a plan. A risk management policy. A set of guidelines that allows your company to protect profits when the level of the currency is favourable and to smooth out the bumps during periods of volatility.

The Global Financial Crisis no doubt remains fresh in the minds of You wouldn’t climb this mountain without the most. We witnessed a correct equipment – just as you shouldn’t export without managing foreign exchange risk. brief reprise during the month of August as the European debt crisis caused stock arises when the domestic cur- their policy, taking into account markets to plummet and the New rency value of a foreign currency the size of the company. A net Zealand Dollar fell from all time denominated transaction varies exposure of $US200,000 would highs against the US Dollar above due to movements in exchange be important for a small-sized 0.8800 down to 0.7944 - a move of rates. It occurs between the time company, but most probably insig10 per cent in a little over a week of entering into an obligation to nificant to a large multinational. before heading back up to 0.8550. supply goods or services in a forYour attitude towards risk What are some of the consid- eign currency and the date of set- also plays a part however a conerations for financial controllers tlement. If exchange rates move servative, small to medium-sized and managing directors when it during the period between these company should consider cover-

32

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

ing at least a certain percentage of known exposures. Some may consider covering 100 per cent. A forward exchange contract (FEC), which was discussed in the last issue, is a very simple and effective tool in managing currency exposures and protecting the bottom line. Any remaining exposures can be handled by entering into spot transactions at settlement time.

Due to the uncertainties involved, forecasting exchange rates is very difficult and, by definition, prone to error.

Given these uncertainties, a company’s hedging strategy should be evaluated regularly.

This could be based on (i) the forecast for New Zealand interest rates, and (ii) whether the NZD/USD exchange rate is expected to weaken or strengthen.

Financial risk not only affects profits, but can determine a company’s chances of survival. Unpredictable movements in exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices present risks that cannot be ignored.

Just like climbing a mountain, conditions can change without warning. Even if the sun is shining, it’s always best to keep that gore-tex jacket handy.

If there is any particular topic related to foreign exchange you would like us to write about in future editions or if you have any questions about this article email marcusphillips@nzforex.co.nz ■

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ROMEO BRAGATO

BRAGATO WINE AWARDS The following are the comments from Olly Masters, Head of Judges at the recent Romeo Bragato Wine Awards .

O

f the 543 entries in this year’s Romeo Bragato Wine Awards there were 51 gold medals awarded, which is a high percentage. For example, in the Pinot category there were 134 wines – it was a very strong class -and 12 golds were awarded.

While it is a little early to make too many conclusions about the 2011 season when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, generally they were well balanced and well made wines. There did seem to be a lack of concentration in a few more than I would have liked to see.

But good overall and certainly a number of very good older wines.

And we would obviously like to see a bit more focus on these older wines.

The same with the other

classes. The old vintages of Pinot Gris and Riesling were also showing up very well.

In terms of Pinot Noir, the class was good in terms of a good range of styles, which is what we are looking for. There were some wines that were perhaps a little overworked.

They were a little light in fruit flavours, but over worked in fruit tannins. Fruit flavour wasn’t quite up to it. The big note there was there were actually quite a few reductive wines, which surprised me. We haven’t seen that in recent years and that should be sorted out before the wine goes into the bottle.

In the other aromatic white classes, they were strong. There was much better use of residual sugar in balancing those wines.

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I think everyone is getting a better handle on that. Occasionally where perhaps fruit concentration wasn’t up to it, some of those wines were propped up with a bit more sugar. They don’t need to be, they are better as a pure example.

But again, overall a very good group.

Chardonnays were interesting, they were very strong. There has been an on-going trend for some of those more mineral reductive styles over the last five years.

Certainly there are more of those evident, but I think they are being made a lot better in the last few years. There is more subtlety and more drinkability about those wines.

One of the strongest groups in quality, and it wasn’t a big group, was the 09 Syrah group. It was very

NPD Enzymes

34

Olly Masters

strong and there were a lot of good gold medal wines in there.

The heavier red classes were perhaps a bit disappointing.

There were some extremely good wines in there, but there were also some with brettanomyces. It was present in a lot more wines than I had seen for a long time in the New Zealand show system. Controlling brett is not rocket science.

Everyone knows the basics, temperature, pH and sulphur management, so they are easily taken care of. It is something that needs to be thought about in the bigger picture.

The overall conclusion from the show was that there was a very good level of quality.

I think our grapes do get better every year, and we are making better wines. ■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 35

SWNZ UPDATE

LEAFROLL 3 – THE ROAD TO ELIMINATION RUBY ANDREW

A

devastating virus creates an epidemic that sends officials scrambling to determine the existence and size of the outbreak and then identify the cause, method of transmission, and best means of control.

So goes the plot for “Contagion,” but a team of New Zealand scientists and viticulturists has

adopted a similar investigative approach – only, in this instance, the focus is on preventing a viral outbreak among grapevines, not humans.

The virus in question is Grapevine Leafroll-associated Virus 3 (GLRaV-3), and its method of transmission is by insect vectors – primarily mealybugs. There is no “cure” once a vine has been

infected, and the detrimental effect the virus has on vineyard performance and wine quality is already well documented: serious declines in vine health, delayed ripening, reduced yields, poor fruit quality, and eventually, vine death. In terms of economic impact, no other grapevine virus comes close.

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primary goal of the “Virus Elimination Project,” an ambitious three-year undertaking co-funded

by New Zealand Winegrowers and Sustainable Farming Fund, along with significant cash and in-kind contributions from participating regions in Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, and Plant & Food Research.

As the project enters its third year, team members have recently been touring wine regions from Auckland to Cromwell as part of a national roadshow hosted by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ).

Sally van der Zijpp, SWNZ National Coordinator, says the time is ripe for a country-wide information campaign on Leafroll 3: “Growers outside the participating areas need more information to understand the implications of

A mealybug, the main vector of Leafroll 3, on a vine leaf displaying characteristic symptoms of infection.

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Infected red wine-grape varieties begin showing the telltale symptoms of Leafroll 3 virus from midsummer onwards: leaves redden and edges roll backwards. PHOTO: R. BONFIGLIOLI

virus management and mealybug control to prevent the virus from becoming established in their regions.”

Conceived by the late Dr Roderick Bonfiglioli (a past chairman of the Vine Health Portfolio on the NZW Research Committee), the Virus Elimination Project is based, in part, on successful trials undertaken at Vergelegen Estate in South Africa under the supervision of Professor Gerhard Pietersen (University of Pretoria). In both instances, the goal is to attack Leafroll 3 by: Identifying and mapping the presence of the virus in participating vineyards.

Containing and controlling the virus and the main vector – mealybugs – through a comprehensive programme that comprises vine removal/replants, hygiene practices, and insect control.

Eliminating the virus, and incorporating the knowledge gained into a “tool kit” for vineyard management.

38

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

The project is a world-first in terms of its scope, according to manager Nick Hoskins (Vine Managers Wairarapa): “As far as we are aware, no other country has undertaken an integrated, areawide approach on this scale – we’re talking about more than 1,000 hectares as our focus vineyard.”

Perhaps best described as “applied research,” the project incorporates what is currently known about the virus and the vector into real-life vineyard management in areas where GLRaV-3 has already had an effect on premium red-wine varieties.

Working closely with winegrowers in the Gimblett Gravels and Martinborough, project team members encourage rapid adoption of recommendations at vine removal (roguing), replant, and early cropping stages.

Research providers at Plant & Food have selected trial blocks within the Gravels for additional monitoring in order to drill down for more data with regard to rogu-

create your own wine...

ing and insect control recommendations.

As seminar attendees witnessed, the “proof is in the pictures” – or, in this case, in the mapping results for the participating areas.

Using GPS technology, participants have walked their red grape blocks for two years in a row just before harvest to catalogue vines showing symptoms.

Each infected vine is given a data point on a map, tagged and scheduled for treatment and removal six to eight weeks after harvest. Treatment for vine removal and replanting involves the use of an imidacloprid drench: both the chemical and its method of application are new to grape production in New Zealand.

Replanting follows with vines certified to be free of GLRaV-3 according to the NZW Grafted Grapevine Standard.

Encouragingly, virus elimination appears to be within reach.

As Hoskins reported at the SWNZ

seminars, “We now have some compelling results demonstrating the ability to control – and eliminate – leafroll virus where best practice recommendations have been followed.”

Questions remain, including the issue of how to manage infected white grapes (which may or may not show symptoms), particularly when they neighbour valuable red grape blocks.

“Complex questions and how to solve them have been with the project from its inception, but we have already demonstrated that the removal of infected vines on a regional basis can help to reduce the ‘reservoir’ of virus over large areas,” says Hoskins. “That alone is an important message to send to every winegrowing region in New Zealand.”

Note: Fact sheets outlining the steps involved in the elimination of Leafroll 3 are available from the Research area of www. nzwine.com. ruby.andrew@xtra.co.nz ■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 39

GROWER PROFILE

DOUG AND DELWYN BELL – INNOVATIVE GROWERS C H R I S T I N E B OYC E

E

stablishing the Spanish grape Albarino has been a long journey for Gisborne growers Doug and Delwyn Bell, but their commitment stems from a firm belief it will become an exciting new variety in New Zealand.

The couple has about 30 hectares of vineyards on the flats at Hexton, growing classics such as Chardonnay along with a number of rarer and emerging varieties.

They made a business deci-

sion more than a decade ago to try their hand at more exotic varieties including Albarino, Arneis, Marsanne, Malbec and Viognier.

“Chardonnay has always been our bread and butter but our enthusiasm is for rarer or unusual varieties,” Doug explains.

“When looking at other varieties, we have a simple filter: is it known by wine writers, how does it stand up against wet weather, will it be a good match with seafood and will it suit this climate? Albarino

Doug and Delwyn Bell.

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The two contra-rotating rollers of the ERO Leaf Stripper pluck leaves gently from the vines. The valuable grapes are not damaged due to a unique parallelogram arm system so the machine can be employed at any time from flowering to harvesting. It is a robust design and requires very little maintenance.

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The Weed Eraser installs easily onto the front, middle or rear of most tractors in single or double side configuration.

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

seemed to tick all of those boxes.”

Albarino is originally from the maritime northern regions of Spain and Portugal, where it is known as Alvarinho. The Bells travelled to Spain to sample various styles of the wine, which reinforced their decision to give it a go.

But it was easier said than done. They went to Australia in the late 90s to find the raw material but at the time the New Zealand government had closed quarantine facilities here, leaving their bud wood languishing.

It was not until Riversun in Gisborne set up its own quarantine facility that they were able to get the vines to New Zealand but the plants in quarantine tested positive for virus and all had to be destroyed.

Finally in November 2009, the Bell’s were able to plant diseasefree Albarino - the first in Australasia.

Last year the vines produced a small crop of about half a tonne which resulted in their first 2011 vintage. A limited number of bottles were produced to test the market and it will be available commercially next year.

Since then they’ve planted another two hectares with three clones of the same variety.

Mr Bell admits it’s been a risky and time consuming exercise but is hopeful it will pay off.

“I’m sure every grower you talk to will say this is a risky game with far more risks than there are certainties, but I’m sufficiently sure it should grow in our climate very well” he says.

“We have beautiful, rich soils that are non-irrigated so we get a tremendous flavour profile in our wines that aren’t seen elsewhere – our Albarino is different to what I tried overseas, but that isn’t a bad thing. We are not trying to make a Spanish Albarino.”

While there have been no major challenges in growing Albarino, Bell says with new varieties it all comes down to trial and error.

Very little can be drawn from overseas methods given the entirely different conditions – Albarino, for example, is grown in granite in its natural environment.

“It’s the complete opposite of our own soil, which is rich and fertile.

“We may have to devigorate our vines with companion planting and no herbicides, but I believe we’ve got enough tools in our toolbox to manage whatever the plant is or whatever it shows up to be.”

Mr Bell says the one issue he sees with smaller varieties such as Albarino is ensuring there is a home for it.

“There’s been so much talk of it for years, now that it’s here there is that risk that a whole lot of growers will plant it, and it will cripple the market.

“There is only a very tiny market for varieties like it – it’s very easy to reach an oversupply situation which will kill it entirely.”

The solution is working closely with a wine company and growing to the quality and quantity required.

As specialty suppliers of fruit to Coopers Creek Winery, Bell says they are fortunate to work with a company well known for trying new varieties, as diversification keeps them passionate about what they do.

“It keeps us interested and enthusiastic. Of course with diversification comes enormous risk; we are very dependent on Coopers Creek but if we supply the best fruit we can grow, it gives them the best chance of awards, and improved sales. If they do well, we do well.” christinejboyce@gmail.com ■

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SOMMELIERS CORNER CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

WHAT SOMMELIERS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR WINE Cameron Douglas is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier.

retail - at discounted pricing. Consider offering older vintages as an alternative: holding these for the restaurant helps immensely and a label our wine is ready to present to the programme if it does not show well when open overlay differentiates the wine visually. Condiscerning public – but how to reach for such a short time. Be prepared to open fresh versely, we somms also keep in mind that many your target market? If on-premise samples each day. wines available at retail are sought after when is your plan, successfully promotHave the technical info on hand: A one-page the public dine out – these are ‘safety zone’ ing your wine to a particular restaurant and/ summary of the wine’s provenance is helpful in wines for both the customer and restaurant, or professional sommelier requires some the absence of a wine maker. Information on and if your wine is at a specialty retail outlet precision planning, even before you make pH, TA and the actual measure of residual sugar then perhaps remind us of this. Also make sure the approach. an agreed supply is guaranteed if a One of the key factors is underlisting is secured. standing the cuisine and ‘theme’ of While information about the wine, an establishment - acquaint yourits provenance and accolades can self with the style by researching add to the story and hence the sales, the menu and wine list. Tasting and awards are not necessarily the best selecting product for a wine list is a ‘pitch-line’. Words like ‘fabulous’ and serious and necessary component phrases such as ‘you’ll love this wine’ of a sommelier’s job, and they will may not endear us to the wine at all, be focused on what ‘speaks’ to the though we do, of course, appreciate food and the atmosphere. Similarly, an enthusiastic introduction. Let an exciting ‘by-the glass’ experience us taste and consider the wine, then engage you in a discussion – add our will factor in the decision to list a wine - or not. thoughts to your wine notes if you Consider, for example, a list with like, and think about keeping records a dozen Sauvignon Blancs available of your visit and what was well (or how similar or different is your wine otherwise) received. to those currently on offer?

I have noted a trend for wine lists to get smaller (the number of wines On-premise staff are busy – simply dropping by unannounced with a bag listed) and more specific, with wines full of wines can be inappropriate – available from one producer down Understand the theme of an establishment prior to presenting try to plan ahead and be prepared to to one or two at most. If you aim to your wines. be a little flexible; call or email ahead bargain your way onto a list with a with details of wines you would like to super-deal on one wine to get another present, and maybe check on styles they might should be standard. When a wine is aged in oak, listed you may not achieve your objective, be interested in to refine your selection and for example, what is the cooperage and the though volume sales in some establishments maximize the time available. It makes sense to intended result in the wine. Do you subscribe still do work. show off the most suitable wines for a particu- to the notion of ‘terroir’ and is this reflected The best results will come from a harmony lar restaurant rather than your entire range.

- if so, how? between the establishment and the wine.

Remember that wines opened yesterday Sommeliers and restaurateurs are con- Achieving and maintaining a listing somewhere may show deterioration through oxidation, cerned about who else is listing your wine and your wine is understood and appropriately prealso demonstrating to the sommelier that the where it is available in off-premise. It can be sented will bring rewards to all involved. wine may not be suitable for a ‘by-the-glass’ difficult to list a wine that is readily available at cameronjdouglas@gmail.com ■

Y

42

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Sentinel

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Pernod Ricard NZ - Blenheim 2011

1.8 1.6 1.4

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Botrytis, pre-harvest assessment var Chardonnay

Severity % Crop loss to Botrytis %

1.2

Pre bunch closure trial

1.0

.6

Sentinel programme applications were applied after one application

.4

of Switch fungicide at flowering.

.8

.2 0

Sentinel + BioSea 2%

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Allan Clarke - Auckland 2011

60 Incidence %

50

Botrytis, pre-harvest assessment var Chardonnay

Severity %

Trial 1 Pre bunch closure trial

40 30

Sentinel programme applications were applied after two applications of Gem fungicide at flowering

20

Trial 2 Early Veraison trial Sentinel programme of 3 applications from early veraison through ripening were applied after application of the ‘grower industry programme’

10 0

Trial 1 Sentinel + BioSea 2%

Trial 2 Sentinel + BioSea 2%

Grower Industry Programme

Winegrowers of Ara - Nelson 2011

40 35 30

Incidence %

Botrytis, pre-harvest assessment var Sauvignon blanc

Severity %

25

Trial 1

20

Full season programme

15

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DEFINING REGIONS

REGIONAL IDENTITY ON UNI AGENDA JOELLE THOMSON

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n August a diverse bunch of minds met to discuss possible solutions to the financial and identity crisis many wineries find themselves in.

The meeting took place at the University of Auckland and grew out of an initiative of its Biological Economies Research Group and the Wine Industry Research Institute.

As meetings go, this one had an unusual title: ‘Provenance, Diversity and Prospects’. Organiser Nick Lewis said it grew out of concerns from the fall-out of the global financial crisis, and also from the realisation that the novelty of setting up a winery is waning.

“Some of the romance and novelty is evaporating with wine and

this is an inevitable thing, showing it’s time to move onto the next step,” Lewis said, in his pre-amble, adding that what the New Zealand wine industry needs today is a new national goal.

While consensus was elusive on many issues, all present agreed that a stronger focus on defined regionalism around this country would create strength, both in

terms of marketing and selling and in terms of wine quality for New Zealand. In other words, New Zealand needs appellations or denominations of origin, which guarantee the authenticity of where its wines are made.

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completely and only made from 100% Waiheke Island-grown grapes,” said Chris Canning, winemaker and director of Hay Paddock Winery on Waiheke.

“I believe the University of Auckland’s Business School could play a very useful part in advancing the progress towards the establishment of geographically based provenances or ‘identities’ for New Zealand wines. What they have already recognised is that regional groups, whether formally or otherwise, are spontaneously evolving in this direction; for example, Gimblett Gravels, Waiheke, Central Otago and Waipara, among others,” Canning added.

“Many of us believe that New Zealand Winegrowers - with its need to present a national

view of the industry - has been, and remains, an obstacle to this process and needs to be substantially de-constructed in order to

allow identity, provenance and vitality to be expressed at the local level more quickly,” he said.

There is no direct correla-

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

tion between the physical size of a region and the profile it is capable of achieving in the wine world, Canning suggested. Nor is

there an imperative for a national initiative in order to establish respected, globally recognised and geographically defined wine areas, suggested Master of Wine Paul Tudor, citing Chateauneufdu-Pape as an example of a region that spear-headed the prototype for the appellation controlee system in France, in 1923.

The question is: should such regionality in New Zealand be championed, encouraged and formalised at a national level – or simply left to chance?

“We all agreed that wine regions around the country are working to build such propositions,” wrote Lewis, in a postdiscussion document. “We need to develop techniques for identifying, generating and demonstrating difference that sustains and sup-

ports provenance propositions, including focusing attention on non-human ‘actors’,” he said.

These non-human ‘actors’ included vine behaviour, microbial communities and a continued focus on the unique properties demonstrated by yeasts, such as those focussed on by Matt Goddard, who has worked with Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich from KumeuRiver Wines to identify Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

“We could objectively show with Saccharomyces cerevisiae that there was a clear difference between Chardonnays in the microbial community in West Auckland to that of Hawke’s Bay and Waiheke Island,” said Goddard, “which means there is very strong potential to use these as part of a regional identity.”

“What we didn’t talk about in relation to these questions was how regional propositions might relate to national scale geographical imaginaries; how diverse enterprises relate differently to different provenance propositions at different geographical scales; how they draw on these, support them and reshape them,” said Lewis.

Each of these three questions is important in how national and regional representative bodies are formed and operate. These issues might provide subjects for another discussion about provenance, Lewis said.

Canning suggested that the most positive outcome would be to put in place appellation rules.

“As far as we are concerned, the case is made but the coordi-

nated voice of the New Zealand wine industry is dominated by extremely large voices who have a vested interest in not allowing it to happen.”

It could be misleading to equate provenance with appellation, said Lewis.

“They are not the same thing. One of the questions is: do we need everyone in a region to sign up to an appellation to give it authenticity?” asked Lewis.

In closing, he suggested that the challenge for New Zealand Winegrowers is to find a way to facilitate regionalism. For wine regions, Lewis said the challenge is to keep moving towards it and, for academics, the challenge is to keep talking about it, measuring it and informing others. jthomson@xtra.co.nz ■

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 47

REGIONS MARLBOROUGH

SAVVY YACHTS TAKE WINE TO WELLINGTON TESSA NICHOLSON

120 sailors, 24, yachts, 21 new release Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs and one of the most difficult stretches of water in the world, combined last month for the annual Wineworks Sauvignon Blanc Yacht race.

In the tradition of the renowned Beaujolais Nouveau event between France and the UK, the yacht race aims to promote the new release vintage. In Marlborough’s case the newly formed tradition only began 10 years ago coinciding with the release of Sauvignon Blanc in the country’s capital, Wellington.

Given there is Cook Strait lying between the two regions, there appeared to be only one form of transport – by boat.

Marlborough is home to one of the country’s largest boating fraternities, so it seemed appropriate to involve the Waikawa Yacht Club.

The event has grown in popularity over the past decade and now is even acknowledged by Yachting New Zealand and included in their Open Water calendar.

Wineries are given the opportunity to be involved, providing wine to be transported on the sailing. Yachties donate their boats with every captain being given a padlocked box, containing an unknown bottle of new release wine.

The team on board Guarantee carrying Tohu Sauvignon Blanc 2011.

Neither the wineries nor the captains know what wine is on what yacht. The goal is for the boats to race across Cook Strait, starting from Tory Chanel and ending in Wellington at the Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

Once all the boats are in, handicaps taken into account, the winners are announced. The wine boxes are then opened, with the winning wine announced.

To results – the Line Honours prize was awarded to the fastest yacht which was Guaran-

tee – carrying the 2011 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc.

Second was Montego Bay III carrying Fairhall Downs.

First on handicap was Summerwine carrying Stanley Estates and again in second place was Montego Bay III carrying Fairhall Downs.

The Wine Yacht Race is perhaps the most novel way of promoting the release of the latest vintage and one that deserves a little more attention than it actually gets. tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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BOB’S BLOG BOB CAMPBELL MW

PINOT GRIS MYSTERY Picture me at my tasting table. When a wine looks particularly good, different or contentious I place the bottle under the table to my left. All other bottles go under the table to my right. The ones on the right will be distributed to local pensioners, charitable organisations and other deserving groups.

I

n a typical tasting only one in five bottles swings to the left. Although the scores won’t change I like to retaste these bottles with food and to gauge the reaction of friends and family.

After a recent mammoth Pinot Gris tasting there was an equal number of bottles on my left and right. The overall quality of Pinot Gris has taken a huge jump.

I have a reputation for being a bit grumpy about Pinot Gris when in fact I am only grumpy about flavourless, excessively sweet and excessively astringent Pinot Gris – faults that have affected the majority of wines in the past. My latest tasting of 111 wines revealed more flavoursome wines that are better balanced and have much better textures than ever before.

Is it a vintage thing? Have winemakers finally learned how to make good Pinot Gris?

Perhaps I’ve suddenly had a rush of blood to the head.

Going posh in Paris When Negociants asked me if I’d like to taste ten vintages of Bollinger RD champagne back to 1952 they had to wait a nanosecond for my response. There is a downside, they explained, the tasting is in Paris. Within weeks

50

Paris from the Eiffel Tower.

I was winging it to Paris courtesy of Bollinger and Negociants. I was collected from my hotel by an Aston Martin DB9 (inspired by the James Bond/Bollinger connection) and whisked, as much as you can “whisk” in Paris rush-hour traffic , to the exclusive Jules Verne restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower where I joined luminaries such as Jancis Robinson, James Halliday and Nick Stock for the RD tasting.

The wines were truly amazing. It reminded me just how great aged vintage champagne can be. All except the 1952 had been disgorged a few months prior to the tasting. Tasting details will appear in Gourmet

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Traveller magazine.

Confusion at customs From Paris we headed south to the Languedoc to spend a few days at the holiday villa of UK wine writer, Rosemary George MW. Assuming it would be OK on a domestic flight I packed a bottle of Bollinger Rose for Rosemary in my hand luggage.

It was spotted by the X-ray machine and confiscated. C’est la vie. Bit peeved to discover Bollinger Rose for sale in duty free shop just past the X-ray machine. ■

Californicruising Many Australasian wine tourists fly into San Francisco,

join the madding crowds on the Napa/Sonoma wine trail, and fly home thinking they’ve “done” California wine.

To test a theory of mine that there’s a better way to enjoy a wider cross-section of even better Californian wines without the crowds and in more scenic locations I toured the Central Coast wine regions instead.

Flying into Los Angeles I picked up a car and spent a leisurely week visiting the wine regions of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Monterey and Santa Cruz Mountains before departing from San Francisco. Discovered many great wines, particularly Rhone-style reds and whites; had

time to chat in-depth to a good number of winemakers including ex-pat Kiwi Fin du Fresne, son of Wairarapa-based journalist, Karl du Fresne; and enjoyed some drop-dead-gorgeous scenery.

One interesting feature of far-flung wine regions with well-patronised tourist towns, such as Santa Barbara, are their popular Urban Wine Trails.

Winemakers buy, rent or share commercial premises in town which are then set up as winery tasting rooms. Tourists can walk the wine trail and taste a selection of wines from many wineries in a single afternoon.

Most offered food while some provide live music during weekends. The ones I visited were packed with locals as well as visitors.

Could that work in Auckland’s Viaduct area or in other regions where people are reluctant to drive and taste? A drop in the drink/drive blood alcohol limit might make the concept even more viable.

Five-Nations Challenge I’ve enjoyed my role as selector and judge at the Tri-Nations Wine Challenge for the past eight years. It is fascinating to

compare the best of wines from New Zealand with those from Australia and South Africa.

This year it got a whole lot more interesting with the inclusion of Chile and Argentina and a name change to “Five-Nations”.

Australia was overall winner in the first six years while New Zealand came top in the past two years. Would Australia once again dominate or would New Zealand continue its winning streak?

Sadly Australia came top although New Zealand won five trophies against Australia’s three. South Africa ranked third on points although it earned six trophies while Chile and Argentina earned two each.

New Zealand wines came top (and therefore earned a trophy) in Sparkling (Hawkesbridge), Sauvignon Blanc (Mount Riley Limited Release 2010), Rose (Tatty Bogler 2010), Bordeaux blends (Craggy Range Sophia 2009) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Kidnapper Cliffs 2009).

On points (in my view an even better indication of country strength) New Zealand won the sparkling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and (surprisingly) Other Reds classes.

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 51

WINERY NEWS

Peter Yealands and Yealands winery. PHOTOS: JIM TANNOCK

YEALANDS AND AGER SECTUS MERGE TESSA NICHOLSON

P

eter Yealands only entered the wine industry as a wine producer, three short years ago. Since then he has developed a company that has gone from nothing, to now being the sixth largest in New Zealand.

Last month he confirmed his position as a major player, when his two companies Yealands Estate Wines and Yealands Estate merged with the Marlborough and Hawkes Bay based Ager Sectus, founded by Peter Cutfield.

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Wines off shore. There will be no change to the Yealands Estate Wine branding.

For Peter Yealands, a maverick within wine industry circles, it has been “one hell of a journey” from grape grower to owner of one of the country’s largest privately owned wine companies. What’s more, this is just the beginning he says.

“Well actually it’s the continuation of the beginning. The beginning was in 08, when I said after

a few drinks, that we are going to be the most sustainable winery in the world and (in terms of size) I wanted to be in the top five in New Zealand. Next year I think we will achieve that goal.”

Prior to the merge, Yealands Wines had a multi million-dollar winery, capable of handling 13,000 tonnes of fruit. Opened in 2008, it was the first winery to be developed from initial design through to construction in compliance with the draft Green Star NZ Industrial

rating requirements. It has regularly been acknowledged for the sustainability systems included and recently gained CarboNZero status.

Yealands’ vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see over close to 1000 hectares in the heart of the Awatere Valley.

Given the year of the opening was also the year of the economic downturn, Yealands’ growth has been phenomenal. On average 45% a year. Yealands says that can only

continue, now they have increased their distribution network with the merger.

“The advantages are enormous. There is not a lot of overlap in the markets they have and those we have. So this opens up a lot of doors for us. Distribution is everything. And the Ager Sectus portfolio gives us access to some good red wines that we don’t have in Marlborough. The merge fits our ideological goals of becoming a national wine seller, rather than

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hiccoughs. In 2009 we really started getting out there and selling the product. And the fact the price has come down has helped us get in to a lot of new markets, for example Germany. Marlborough Sauvignon never used to be in Ger-

many, because it was always too dear, and could never compete. My hope is now, as the market starts to catch up with supply, that the price doesn’t go too high that it kills demand.”

As for Yealands Wines and

Estates, Peter says there will be no let up in terms of development.

“I don’t know what my goal will be, but I know there is no standing still.” tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

The growth of Crossroads Crossroads was established by business partners Lester O’Brien, a Victoria University chemistry graduate, and Malcolm Reeves, a former senior lecturer in food technology and now senior lecturer in winemaking at EIT. The company’s first vintage was in 1990, and building of the winery – not on a crossroads but on a stretch of Korokipo Road near Fernhill – started in late 1993.

From the outset, production from the 5ha on-site vineyard was complemented by fruit from other Hawke’s Bay growers.

Crossroads winery sold to Wellington investor Peter Cutfield of Ager Sectus Co Ltd in 2000.

The Wellington-based family company bought the wine company as the foundation stone for developing domestic and overseas markets.

Plans were soon underway to expand the building and vineyard area with a view to increasing wine production.

The company bought 60 hectares of farmland in Keruru Road at Mangatahi,

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west of Hastings, with a few to increasing its crush from 120 to 860 tonnes. The focus was to be on Merlot, Cabernet Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay Noel Scanlon, formerly chief executive of Corbans who stayed on to manage the venture, and viticulture consultant Alan Clarke advised Cutfield on the purchase of the winery and the Kereru Road land.

Within a few years, rationalisation was well underway – Crossroads had reduced the number of wine styles, rebranded its range and completely refreshed and extended the winery building.

Chairman of Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Nicholas Buck said it was telling that in media releases and in making comment on his purchase, Peter Yealands had expressed the view that for his company to grow as a New Zealand business offering the full range of wine styles it had to be involved in Hawke’s Bay. Without Hawke’s Bay, Yealands did not have that credibility as a national brand, Mr Buck said. – Mary Shanahan

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just a Marlborough based one.”

The aim is to produce 1 million cases of wine, which Yealands says is likely to be achieved within the next 18 months. Currently almost the entire 600,000 cases from the 2011 vintage has been committed and he says, contrary to some people’s belief, it hasn’t been committed to bulk.

“You know, I’m bloody proud of what we have done. And the reason for our success is we are totally customer and quality driven. When we came into the market in 2008 that (supplying Private Label) was a big gap. We supplied that. But we are not going to do so to the detriment of the Yealands Estate brand or the New Zealand brand. That would be defeating our purpose.”

Yealands says the industry is on the cusp of returning to profitability, which has more to do with marketing than bringing supply levels down.

“We took it for granted for too long through the good years from 2000 to 2006, when Sauvignon was selling itself. There was no big marketing spent by wineries, because in some cases they were allocating it. So as soon as the supply started to meet the market demands, with no marketing push, there were obviously some

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 55

CLIMATE RESEARCH

WINEGROWERS LOOK TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE

Using sheep for leaf plucking is more energy-efficient than using a machine. PHOTO: NZW

MARY SHANAHAN

H

awke’s Bay winegrowers should be feeling better prepared for climate change as the result of a three-year regional project that explored ways of dealing with its likely effects.

For Hawkes Bay, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is projecting an overall temperature increase of one degree centigrade by 2040 and two degrees by 2090. It also expects drier winters and springs, wetter summers and autumns and more extreme weather events – including rain bombs, wind storms and hot days.

Water and pest and disease pressures have been identified as significant threats.

Hawkes Bay can also expect to face more issues around water

56

resources in the future and increased disease pressure as pests complete more lifecycles in a warmer climate. Wetter summers and autumns will see a greater prevalence of diseases such as botrytis and downy mildew.

Supported by the MAF Sustainable Farming Fund, the project was launched by Hawkes Bay Winegrowers’ Focus Research Group in July 2008 to raise awareness of how climate change might impact winegrowing in the region.

Other objectives were: • To determine how the industry could adapt to climate changes • To demonstrate methods to mitigate climate change and achieve energy efficiency • To work towards long-term goals of profitability and environmental sustainability

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The Climate Change committee comprised project leader Carla Emms, Hawke’s Bay-based Villa Maria viticulturist Emma Taylor and Mission Estate viticulturist Caine Thompson.

In its initial stage, the project involved canvassing grower opinion and brainstorming ideas.

Workshops were held to discuss and determine how growers might adapt to a different climate and what the effects could be on future water availability, pests and diseases and production.

As well as water resource issues, it was felt that winegrowers might need to adapt to changes in pest and disease pressures, weather extremes, changes in regional/varietal suitability and types and in phenological development.

The second phase looked at what information was available and how to apply that in addressing grower priorities.

Emms said one issue considered was how pathogens might change as a result of increased rainfall and warmer temperatures.

Seminars and field days were held, with several experts invited over from Australia to talk about such issues as disease control.

A booklet encompassing useful information was produced as a

resource for growers and a summary written for the final field day in June.

As an ongoing resource, notes were produced from workshops where the issues explored included future-proofing Hawke’s Bay’s water resources and meeting the challenges of managing pests and diseases.

These are available to Hawke’s Bay Winegrower members on the website www.winehawkesbay. co.nz In its second year, the project’s key goal was to reduce energy use (fuel and electricity) on the vineyard. A series of case studies on energy efficiency in Hawkes Bay vineyards was compiled to profile simple and cost effective ways to achieve this.

The case studies also presented industry average figures, compared costs, presented ‘take home’ messages and outlined sources for further information.

Four case studies focused on vigour control and irrigation and frost management as specific topics. Energy use and practices were also monitored on low, medium and high vigour vineyards.

Some tips for saving energy were: • Match engine size/rpm of machinery to the individual task

• Use monitoring to determine irrigation needs – don’t just turn on the tap • Consider the use of chicory and root pruning in high vigour vineyards • Lower water rates can save fuel but match rates to the size and density of the canopy • Multi-row machine aren’t always more efficient – do your research first • Use economy PTOs where possible, manage idling and regularly service machinery • Fine-tune frost protection settings The final year of the project was focused on applied research.

In the case studies, sheep leaf plucking had emerged as a common practice and an energy efficient alternative to machine leaf

plucking. An estimated 1000 hectares of Hawke’s Bay vineyard was leaf-plucked by sheep last year.

A booklet was produced aimed at giving growers better information about the practice, its advantages and disadvantages and issues to consider. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority also published a document which complements this work. It looks at the residue and trade risks and provides guidelines around these points.

The workshops in the first year of the project also projected pest and disease pressures as a challenge, particularly botrytis in wetter summers. Consequently, research investigated early defoliation as a tool for reducing the incidence of botrytis.

During the 2010-11 season,

pre-flowering defoliation was undertaken in Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Merlot vineyards. This exercise was aimed at determining whether defoliation prior to flowering would reduce set, leading to looser bunches less prone to rot.

A JMS spray was undertaken in the white varieties to see if this might also be useful in reducing set, but without excessive exposure of fruit to sun and permanent loss of photosynthetic capacity.

The usual practice of pre-bunch closure defoliation was included as a control at all sites.

At harvest, 150 bunches per treatment (450 bunches per vineyard site) were collected. These were then weighed, scored for rot incidence and compactness and the berries counted.

In general, in Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Merlot, the early defoliation led to significant reductions in berries per bunch, bunch compactness and weight and rot incidence. Rot was reduced by as much as 75 percent in one vineyard and around 50 percent in the majority of vineyards.

Sauvignon Blanc vines didn’t respond to early defoliation with reduced set or bunch compactness. Nonetheless, rot was reduced. This finding suggests there may be multiple factors at work in the observed rot reduction and not simply reduced bunch compactness.

Overall, the project concluded, pre-flowering showed great promise as a non-chemical practice to reduce rot losses. westclan@clear.net.nz ■

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INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE

BURGUNDY EXCHANGE VENDANGES 2011 MAX MARRIOTT

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n hearing of the all-male Central Otago contingent destined for France, Nick Mills, President of the Central Otago Winegrowers (COWA) and co-founder of the Central Otago Burgundy Exchange, offered these sage partings words.

“Two nights in Paris and a roadie through Champagne and Chablis – bloody great! Just be careful not to lose yourselves in Paris…”

With accommodation unknowingly booked in Pigalle, the red light district of Paris, any advice fell on deaf ears as the rat pack of young Central Otago viticulturists, unshaven and unkempt, clad in jandals, shorts and t-shirts, hit downtown Paris.

But to step backwards for a moment, the Central Otago Burgundy Exchange was the brainchild of good friends Nick Mills and Sophie Confuron, from Rippon and JJ Confuron (Cote de Nuits) respectively. Established in 2006, the programme was to focus on education and cultural experiences, involving key partners in COWA, the Otago Polytechnic and the Centre de Formation Professionelle et de Promotional Agricole (CFPPA) de Beaune; a highly reputed viticulture and winemaking institution located in Beaune at the heart of the Cote d’or.

The aim of the programme was to:

60

The four stagiaires, sitting in front of La Romanee and La Romanee-Conti, with the Vosne-Romanee township in the background. From left; Blair Deaker, Dylan Turnbull, Mike Wing and Max Marriott.

Foster friendship, the exchange of intellectual property and cultural heritage The development of mutually beneficial relationships between winegrowers focused on quality Enable exchangees, or stagiaires from both regions to interact and experience each other’s winegrowing regions and culture Usually four candidates are selected for the programme each year by a special committee that administers a strict set of criteria.

Upon arrival in Burgundy, there are two stages in the programme; the first involves a week-long tui-

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

tion at the CFPPA, learning about the region’s history, geography and winemaking through a combination of field trips and classroom presentations. The second stage is the winery placement, which usually lasts three weeks, and involves all work aspects of the winery team, including harvesting.

This year the four stagiaires were Blair Deaker (Carrick), Mike Wing (Two Paddocks), Dylan Turnbull (Shaky Bridge) and myself. We arrived into Paris on the 24th of August, jet-lagged, smelly and sweaty, but bloody excited. We left Paris, en route

to Dijon and Beaune, with onenight stopovers in Champagne and Chablis. We had private visits arranged at Moet et Chandon and William Fevre, which were both fantastic. How we managed to secure an hour with Benoit Gouez – Chef de Cave at Moet et Chandon – in the middle of harvest, I will never know. He had fond memories of New Zealand, working at Cloudy Bay some 15 years ago, where he learnt “In France, you need 1L of water to make 1L of wine, but in New Zealand, you need 1L of beer to make 1L of wine”. We were all surprised

Harvest at grand cru Romanee St-Vivant, with Vosne-Romanee township in the background and Romanee-Conti in the foreground.

to learn that Champagne fruit attracts a going rate of 5-6Eu/kg, which conservatively translates to NZ$9,000/t. When you can crop at 14t/ha, it quickly becomes extremely lucrative to possess landholdings in Champagne.

A little underwhelmed with the viticulture (or lack thereof ) in Champagne, there were grunts and (very masculine) coos of exclamation when we came across the first vineyards on the northwest outskirts of Chablis. It was a stunningly bright sunny day, with gnarled vines perched upon the dramatic landscape of rolling hills laden with Kimmeridgian limestone gravels.

Canopies were open with decent sized bunches of ripe Chardonnay that were due to be harvested in the next week. We learnt that vinification of Chablis – at least at Fevre – uses less than 1% new oak, with very traditional winemaking that abstains from any batonnage to allow retention of purity and minerality ( juxtaposed by the more worked Chardonnay styles of south Burgundy).

Due to the unusually warm nature of the 2011 growing season in Burgundy (and France all over), harvest began early at the

62

end of August, necessitating an immediate start at our respective wineries with the tuition week at the CFPPA left for the end. Blair was off to Domaine Camille Giroud (Beaune), Mike to Domaine JJ Confuron (Nuits-SaintGeorges), Dylan to Maison Alex Gambal (Beaune) and I ended up at Domaine Liger-Belair (VosneRomanee).

The impressive Chateau of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair is located in the middle of the very modest Vosne-Romanee village, just a stone’s throw away from the church. Louis-Michel Liger-Belair is the vigneron, and a qualified agricultural engineer and oenologist. Despite the relatively recent establishment of this domaine – just twelve years ago – LouisMichel has set about re-creating the Liger-Belair family dynasty that spanned two centuries.

At one stage, this domaine owned 60ha of landholdings in the Cote de Nuits, which included the Vosne-Romanee monopoles of La Tache, La Romanee and La Grand Rue. Regrettably, due to a combination of French Napoleonic law, a very large family and some obstinate siblings, the family vineyards

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

were auctioned off in 1933. However, some key vineyards were repurchased and kept in the family, which Louis-Michel started with in 2000.

Since then, he has expanded with new vineyard acquisitions in 2002 and 2006. He currently manages 9ha of vineyards, primarily in Vosne-Romanee, which includes the small grand cru monopole of La Romanee, in addition to Echezeaux, and premier crus Les Chaumes, Aux Reignots, Les Petit Monts, Les Brulees and Les Suchots. He also has small premier cru holdings in NuitsSaint-Georges; Aux Cras and Aux Lavieres.

I had the opportunity to visit all these sites with Louis-Michel twice in the first week before we began harvest. It was a fantastic experience.

Apart from the perspective it gave of Vosne-Romanee – her aspects, her climat, her soils – it provided some invaluable oneon-one time with Louis-Michel, learning about these sites, their nuances, their foibles and their fruit profiles. It was astonishingly different, tasting the fruit off these various climate and witnessing their unique identities;

acid profiles, sugar sweetness, fruit sweetness, tannins, pulp and seeds, whilst best ascertaining their degree of maturity.

At the time of writing, we’re two weeks into our internships, with all fruit received and happily fermenting.

Early signs indicate good fruit flavours, with the same or a little less sugar than usual (wines will require chaptalisation), pHs a little higher than usual, with less malic content, and good TAs. Burgundy experienced the same rollercoaster season as New Zealand, if not more so, alternating between heatwaves, cold and wet conditions and gloomy overcast days with ferocious periodicity.

Winemakers don’t quite know what to make of the vintage yet, but I suspect it will be quite variable.

There is no doubt – from any of the guys – that this programme is a priceless treasure. To gain placement, be welcomed into people’s homes, experience the Old World way and succumb to the spell that is French culture is simply amazing. You just can’t comprehend it until you’re here; seeing it, hearing it and feeling it. max@maxmarriott.com ■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 63

YOUNG GUN

CARRICK RECRUITS YOUNG BLOOD MAX MARRIOTT

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entral Otago, as a region, is synonymous with youth. Outdoor pursuits, adventure sports and spectacular scenery help to attract a younger generation of thrill seekers and active people from all walks of life. The Central Otago wine region is also synonymous with youth. For example, Blair Walter was relatively fresh out of University when he took the reins at Felton Road in his mid-late 20s, as were Matt Dicey of Mt Difficulty and Malcolm Rees-Frances of Rockburn. The region itself, in a vine age sense – heck, even in a wine industry sense – has barely reached adolescence.

Which brings us to one of the new generation who is continuing to follow in the youthful footsteps of his predecessors.

Francis Hutt, a 28 year old native of Hamilton who has spent the last year working in the vine-

64

yard at Carrick, held off stiff competition to gain the winemaker position at Carrick after previous winemaker Jane Docherty announced her departure due to

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

impending motherhood. Francis studied oenology at Lincoln after diverting from a career path in physiotherapy.

“At school I was doing a lot

of physiotherapy and sports science, with plans to study physio at AUT, but then some kid burnt our school gym down and we lost the whole end of our sports science

Francis Hutt

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Carrick Estate. PHOTO: NZW

class. So I thought pfft, I’m gonna go make wine at Lincoln then. I did a lot of horticulture at school too. My brother’s a chemist and we used to joke that I’d grow the grapes and he’d make the wine.”

During his tenure at Lincoln, he tasted a line-up of Pinot Noirs and was impressed by the Martinborough Vineyard offering.

He was so impressed he gained a job working for them, spending the summer of 02/03 there, before re-joining them two seasons later and staying on for five years. He spent time oscillating between the vineyard and the winery – enjoying both sides – until appointment to assistant winemaker in 2007.

“In vintage 2005, Claire (Mulholland) asked me if I wanted to go into the winery, and it went from there. Afterwards I wanted to go back into the vineyard, which worked out well. I did some pruning, wanting to see the whole cycle in the vineyard, then went to Oregon for vintage. I did the same thing in 2006, but we had a larger volume then, so it became

66

full time. Claire left, then Paul (Mason) took me on as assistant winemaker from vintage 2007.”

In 2009, after seven years in Martinborough, Francis needed a change and moved to Central Otago.

“I wanted to come down here and see what the direction was.

The vine age of Central is moving into a really interesting period.

They’re coming out of that juvenile stage where you’ll start seeing some deeper things happening. I think vine age is very critical for Pinot Noir; the next twenty years are going to be awesome in Central.

“I got an introduction to the area by working for Claire when she was at Amisfield. She’s an awesome winemaker and I knew her palate from Martinborough and how to relate it to what was actually happening here, rather than jumping in and having no reference point. Then I wanted to work in the vineyard somewhere and start again. You get a real good sense of a wine by the vineyard

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

and getting to know its blocks.”

It was during this time that Carrick advertised for a vineyard supervisor. Hutt had a chat and a walk through the vineyard with Carrick viticulturist Blair Deaker, where he learned that Carrick were in their final year of organic conversion, something that really pricked his ears up.

When Docherty made the decision to step away and concentrate on parenting, Hutt was eager to step into her shoes, fortified somewhat by his knowledge and experience in the vineyard.

“I’d been interested in organics and bio dynamics for a while, so the opportunity to work in an organic vineyard was perfect.

I started at budburst and went through to pruning, which was a bit of a dream, to do it that way.

Taking up a winemaking position where I’d first walked every row in the vineyard, done soil samples, leaf plucked, fruit thinned, shoot thinned, bud rubbed, weeded and made the compost and everything.

You get a real good understanding

of the vineyard. Not really really well – that will take years – but a definite understanding of what happens and where it happens. I’ve got a good dialogue with Blair too.

He just lets you go for it. Totally supportive with everything you do, embraces new ideas, willing to learn and patient with ideas too; he really thinks things through.”

Asked about his plans and ideas as winemaker of Carrick, it’s business as usual for Hutt, striving to amplify that transparency between wine, vineyard and site.

“It’ll be my palate, my understanding of the fruit and the vineyard, and the expression of that fruit, but that will be a collaboration of everyone and everything.

I don’t look at it like putting my stamp on things. It’s the progression of the vineyard and trying to manage that to the best of my ability.”

“What Jane has done in the last couple years is really awesome. Texture, depth and balance. I’d like to see the direction of Carrick carrying on like that, so people can say this is from Carrick, this is from Central Otago. I want it to express Bannockburn, to express Cairnmuir Road, and be unmistakably Carrick. If you were to do a vertical tasting of Carrick in twenty years, and see the progression of the vineyard, then I’d be really happy.”

Steve Green, General Manager and Co-Owner of Carrick praises Docherty’s involvement and looks to the future with Hutt.

“Jane brought with her a real understanding of the potential beauty and elegance of Central Otago wine.

Francis brings a further dimension to our evolution. His experience making premium Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling assures me that Carrick is in safe hands. max@maxmarriott.com ■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 67

REGIONS GISBORNE

GISBORNE’S GROCO MOVING FORWARD DEBBIE GREGORY

G

isborne grape grower co-operative GroCo is making slow but steady progress since its formation in 2009 and its first vintage last year.

GroCo is a company owned by 32 Gisborne grape growers who suddenly had their contracts axed

by Pernod Ricard in the first wave of bad news for the industry facing a wine oversupply closely followed by the world economic crisis.

Most of the GroCo 2010 vintage has been sold - a percentage as grapes, and majority as wine and most of its 32 shareholder growers have had some money.

However, GroCo viticulture manager Warwick Bruce says payouts are not at a level considered sustainable for the future and the aim is to improve these.

“The first sixteen months for the company has been about establishing our presence in the

market place and building longer term relationships with our purchasers.”

Growers and directors are reasonably pleased with the sales performance, Bruce said.

Gisborne Chardonnay and Merlot, says Bruce.

More than 2200 tonnes of fruit was harvested from the first vintage in 2010. The challenging growing season and vintage of 2011

“The first sixteen months for the company has been about establishing our presence in the market place and building longer term relationships with our purchasers.”

“We knew it was not going to be easy selling wine into a somewhat sluggish market that was oversupplied with Sauvignon Blanc and this was having the negative effect on the sale of all other wines, making it very much a buyers market.”

Progress is under way to cement a long-term relationship with a reasonably large New Zealand winery to supply them with

resulted in a smaller harvest.

There was a similar range of grape varieties for 2011 with Chardonnay and Pinot Gris being the two largest varieties grown and made into wine. The grapes from both vintages were harvested and processed into wine at GisVin under the guidance of Rob Godwin and his team with input from Kim Crawford as their consultant

winemaker for both vintages.

“GroCo did consider developing its own label and producing bottled wine for the local market, however the cost involved and the potential wine sales likely, coupled with the fact that the current retail wine market is extremely difficult, the decision was made not to do so,” says Bruce.

Sales of the 2011 vintage wines are already underway with a percentage of the Chardonnay, Pinot Gris wine sold, 80 percent of the Sauvignon Blanc sold and the entire volume of red wine sold that includes ,Merlot, Pinotage and Malbec.

In total these sales amount to approximately thirty percent of the 2011 wine volume. A large percentage of sales have come through the extensive industry contacts that Rob Godwin (GisVin) has established. gregorydebbie70@gmail.com ■

Give your vineyard the edge with exciting new varieties and clones

68

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Your Cargo Securement Specialists

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Secure A Load, which is the Cargo Care, Flexi Bulk Liquid Tank and Transport & Container equipment arm of Gavan Group, was established in 2003.

Mr Glenn Green, the General Manager, stated that “we see the Marlborough region as one of the most innovative, vibrant and successful regional economies in New Zealand, our product range of transport chain, web/wire lashing systems, flexible bulk tank products, stainless steel valve systems and marine lashing equipment are well suited in an area with such a diverse business development such as viticulture, forestry, agricultural farming, road and rail transport, aquaculture, and of course local manufacturing”. The diversity of our products and business centres reflects the expansive vision of our New Zealand-owned and operated company which was founded in 1988 and has been in operation for almost twenty five years, and now has a network of some eighteen branches in eight countries thoughout the Australasia, the Pacific and South East Asia.

National Marketing Manager Mr Craig Ball advises that Mr Paul Rosier will head the new branch and because of Blenheim’s location near the geographic centre of New Zealand with the main arterial route, State Highway 1, running past our front door through both islands of New Zealand, and the main railway trunk line passing through Picton, Blenheim and

Kaikoura, Secure A Load will be able to service all transport equipment requirements as well as offering a range of products which have not normally been available in the province. “We see that the region has not enjoyed the full support of suppliers in the past. We therefore mean to change this and by having a local branch we can service vessels at the deep-water ports with our marine equipment as well as service local farming communities with such diverse products such as sealants, grinding discs, steel sheet and shipping container products.

With the support of local industry we see a great future for the new operation.”

Gavan Container Products commenced business in 1988 when the directors perceived the need for a company to supply all the parts and accessories required by International shipping companies.

Since this time Gavan Container Products through our network of branches have become the largest supplier of Container-related products throughout Australia and New Zealand and have expanded our operation to Asia, providing a professional and efficient service. With this expansion the range of parts and accessories has grown tenfold, with Gavan expanding the product range from Container repair spare parts and accessories to include a wide range of cargo care / protection products, Security Systems, Flexible Tank bags, Dunnage bags and Packing products, Moisture and Heat control products and a range of Container Liners and Lifting Slings In 2003 Gavan Products Ltd saw an opportunity to expand into the supply of transport/cargo restraint equipment, now

offering a large and extensive range of quality products at competitive prices under the SECURE-A-LOAD branding, offering an overnight delivery service to most New Zealand destinations.

Now in 2011 with our latest expansion into Blenheim we are bringing our full product range and in the past 12 months have been successful in supplying bulk Flexitanks for a range of liquid products, with wine being one of the most popular products. By opening in Blenheim this will mean we will have all the products and expertise for the supply of Flexitanks right in the heart of the wine producing region, all at a moments notice, which we believe will make us the only company able to do this and thus enable us to react to clients' needs immediately.

Secure A Load also supply a wide range of military equipment such as Lashing & Transfer equipment, Tiedowns and Securing products for the securing of ammunition, cargo nets, Deck Sockets for vessels and a further extensive range of hooks’ with Picton being 25km down the road this will also enable us to meet the requirements of shipping vessels in the logging and Cook Strait vessels Secure A Load’s staff have a unique blend of experience and skills in the container/shipping and transport industry. This experience is invaluable when ensuring the correct parts and accessories are supplied. The commitment of the management and staff will ensure the organisations’ continued growth and development as the premier “Intermodal Parts & Accessories” service company. All staff are dedicated to providing excellence in their technical approach and service to customer requirements.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

IMPROVING DISEASE RESISTANCE IN VINES S A R A H D AV I E S

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ruit quality and consistency throughout the vineyard is the key to success. Stressed vines, either through drought, weakness or disease are a cost to the grower, in time, money and reputation.

Luc Desbonnets, wine grower on Waiheke Island, had some impressive results that convinced him to adapt his spray programmes.

The overall objective was to

improve plant strength and balance while strengthening and nourising vines and reducing drought stress.

Lithovit, a natural C02 foliar fertilizer was trialled. It works by grinding natural dolomite into to such fine particles that it can penetrate into the leaves. This then converts into carbon dioxide, which ultimately increases the photosynthesis rate.

A number of micronutrients

are present in the dolomite particles such as manganese, copper and zinc.

These increase the resistance, growth, vitality and general crop quality, which ensures the vitality of the plant.

As the method works from the inside of the leaf out, there is no risk to the atmosphere of increasing C02.

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

more consistently robust,” said Desbonnets, “The colour was more vibrant compared to the untreated vines on the same block.

There was a real drought throughout the 2010 season and Lithovit definitely helped relieve the drought stress on the young ‘first crop’ 4th year vines.

As a certified organic product, it is a fantastic solution for organic farmers who are restricted as to what they can use.”■

REGIONS HAWKES BAY

SCHOLARSHIP HIGHLIGHT’S FAMILY AFFAIR MARY SHANAHAN

J

ust lately, when Christine and Sophie Harris relax with a glass of Hawke’s Bay red in hand, the conversation between mother and daughter turns to la dolce vita.

That’s because 23-year-old Sophie has been named this year’s New Zealand winner of the Bragato Student Exchange Scholarship which will take her to Italy for a month to explore wine regions and learn more about the country’s bountiful wine culture.

Established in 2003 to honour the man celebrated as the “Father of New Zealand Viticulture”, the scholarship fosters an ongoing link between EIT and the Scuola di Viticoltura di Conegliano where the young Romeo Bragato attended school.

Both mother and daughter have a passion for wine which they have pursued in their studies – Christine trained in viticulture while Sophie is working towards becoming a winemaker. They share a connection through EIT where Christine lectures parttime and Sophie is into the second year of a Bachelor of Wine Science degree.

Well-travelled, Christine has already spent time in Italy and most recently visited the country in 2007.

Sophie’s career choice was not

72

about following in her mother’s footsteps. A keen dancer, she launched into a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Auckland after leaving school but didn’t feel confident that it was for her.

Working two vintages – one in Marlborough and one in Hawke’s Bay – convinced her that making wine was what she wanted to do in life.

“It was a really great experience,” she says of the hectic harvest time. “Getting behind the scene in wineries opened my eyes a bit and I got more involved.”

Christine has taken a different path. She worked in a Government department for some years and decided to go back to study after being made redundant.

Staircasing from a Certificate in Grapegrowing and Winemaking, Christine was one of the first two to complete EIT’s then newlyestablished Bachelor of Viticulture degree and she has since gone on to work in a number of roles in the industry.

Currently, she works at Askerne winery, mainly in cellar door and sales, and couples that with lecturing at EIT and serving on Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers’ promotions Mother and daughter enjoy comparing impressions when they share a bottle of wine, but they do

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Salute! Christine and Sophie Harris toast the scholarship that will take the 23-year-old to Italy early next year.

have somewhat divergent tastes.

A self-confessed “bubbles girl”, Christine loves Champagne, particularly if it happens to be Veuve Clicquot.

Sophie is moving more into reds and she has recently sampled

some good examples of Hawke’s Bay Syrah. She is very much looking forward to sampling more of what Italy has to offer when she does her trip over the coming summer study break. westclan@clear.net.nz ■

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BEST OF THE BEST TESSA NICHOLSON

Pruners from every winegrowing region in New Zealand descended on Villa Maria’s Mangere Estate in August, to compete for the National Silver Secateurs titles – of best pruner, best tyer and best team.

Commenting prior to prize giving, Judges Jeremy Hyland and Rex Sunde both said the overall standard was excellent, as would be expected at an event that involved the best of the best. However both also said that perhaps more consideration was required when it came down to vine architecture.

“Sometimes it appeared that the fundamental stuff was lacking,” Sunde said. “People can be quite clear and precise on the detail, but the selection of wood and the architecture of the vine is what you need to be thinking about.”

One of the problems he said was pruners are instructed to prune for a certain level of crop, but in some cases the crop needs to take second place to getting the shape of the vine right.

“So that next year when the

Justin Renata, winner of the Individual Tyer, (centre) with Gisborne team mates, Joshua Taylor and James Waititi.

pruner comes along they are not tidying up your mess, instead they are working from a good framework. The pruning decisions you make today influence the vine for two to three years. Very often pruners who don’t prune the same vine each year, don’t appreciate that. Which is why one of

the things I try to do is make the pruner go back each year to the same vines. When they know that they prune that vine themselves next year they start to think about making their job easier.”

He admitted that was not always a practical solution, given the nature of the job and the role

played by itinerant labour. For those that had chosen pruning as a career though, Sunde had some advice.

“There is some science involved in pruning, there are some golden rules, but you have to think about working outside those rules from time to time.”■

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The winners were: Best Individual Tyer: • 1st Justin Renata – Gisborne • 2nd Margaret Small – Nelson • 3rd Rachel Pihema – Marlborough Best Individual Pruner: • 1st Fea Peivi – Hawkes Bay •2nd Sam Clay – Marlborough • 3rd Scott Holland – Waipara Best Team: • 1st Wine Marlborough Team – Rakakao Smiler, Rachel Pihema and Sam Clay • 2nd Gisborne Saints – Hira Mahajam, Justin Renata and James Waititi • 3rd Hort Services Team – Nelson - Margaret Small, Daniel Wilson and Dave Pratt.

Above: The winning cuts – Individual Pruning winner, Fea Peivi from Hawkes Bay.

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 75

YOUNG VITICULTURIST

THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR YOUNG VITICULTURIST TESSA NICHOLSON

The Young Vit competitors, from left: Nick Paulin - Central Otago, Braden Crosby - Wairarapa, Paul Robinson – Hawkes Bay, James Bowskill - Marlborough and Hannah Taylor (front) from Auckland.

E

ver year for the past three years, Nick Paulin has spent a good part of the winter months, studying and practising for the upcoming Young Viticulturist competition.

This year, all that knowledge and skill came together, with Paulin taking out the national title, at the Romeo Bragato Conference.

The 28-year-old, from Peregrine Wines, said the event was a great way of galvanising everything he has learnt over the past decade.

“There was a huge difference between what I knew when I first took part in the competition three years ago, and what I knew this year,” he said. “In many ways you don’t really comprehend how much you know, until you get into something like this. It really reenforces everything. It gives you a good feeling to be able to pull all that knowledge together, on the spot.”

The Markham’s Young Viticulturist attracted entrants from Hawkes Bay, Auckland, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Central Otago.

All five had to undergo practical, theoretical and horty sports sections, as well as deliver a three minute speech to the Bragato conference. That would have to be the hardest part of the entire

76

competition, Paulin said.

“We were all given different topics and had to condense everything into three minutes. That’s not a long time to get across everything you want to say.”

Given his topic was “At risk of too many pests and diseases, should we mothball the whole of the North Island?” he said he had a heap of material to work with.

“I was tempted to take it a bit further than I did –

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

but the three minute time frame probably saved me.”

Paulin won a total of $5000 in travel, courtesy of the New Zealand Society of Viticulture and Oenology, plus another $2000 cash grant. Which will be put to good use next year, when he heads back to France.

“I have been there a couple of times, but I’m really keen to head back.”

Born in Invercargill, Paulin

studied at Lincoln University, prior to moving to Central Otago.

He worked for Felton Road for six years and has been with Peregrine Wines for the past 12 months.

Having won the Markham’s national title, doesn’t mean he can now sit back and relax. Instead he has the books out once again, as he prepares for the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition, taking place on November 9. tessa.nicholson@me.com■

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COOL CLIMATE SYMPOSIUM TESSA NICHOLSON

N

ew Zealand’s role in the International Cool Climate Symposium (ICCS) goes back to the very beginning in 1984. The first ever event was held that year, in Eugene, Oregon. Many stalwarts of the wine industry in Oregon were involved in establishing the symposium, including a New Zealander, Dr David Heatherbell, who at the time was lecturing at the Oregon State University, Corvallis.

Dr Richard Smart, who was working as a viticultural scientist here in New Zealand, attended that inaugural symposium. He was so inspired by it, he was adamant New Zealand should host the next event in 1988. Michael Brajkovich MW was one of those Smart cajoled onto the steering committee. Now more than 24 years later, Brajkovich is involved again with an ICCS – this time as one of the guest speakers.

To be held in Tasmania early next year, the event is likely to attract a large contingent of New Zealand wine industry personnel.

Brajkovich says the symposium provides a very valuable outlet for industry members, given how the majority of conferences held around the world focus solely on warm climate wine production.

“The viticulture and oenology is very different. In cool climate viticulture you are often at the margins of viticulture possibilities. The varieties tend to be dif-

78

PHOTO: WINE TASMANIA.

ferent, as you want varieties that will ripen early and the wines also tend to be very different. Cool climate viticulture is by necessity more expensive, there is higher disease pressure and wines tend to be at the higher priced end of the market. So you have to work at the quality end of things (when producing) rather than at the value end of the market.”

Hence an emphasis on marketing at next year’s ICCS. Guest speaker, Jancis Robinson MW will open the symposium with a presentation on “What’s Hot about Cool Climate” and will also present the closing address; “Marketing the Cool Climate Story.”

The line up of guest speakers is impressive as is the subject matter.

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

One subject that will be bound to create interest with New Zealand winemakers, is Tom Stevenson’s address on The World Scene for Premium Sparkling Wines. Stevenson is one of the world’s most respected experts on Champagne and sparkling wine.

Also presenting on that subject is Pierre-Yves Bournérias and Ed Carr, who will be comparing the sparkling wines of the new and old worlds.

Brajkovich will be talking about the use of wild yeast in cool climate wines. Through research being undertaken at Auckland University, New Zealand is leading the way in this subject. Much of that research has involved Brajkovich’s winery Kuemu River.

“They have been doing a lot of ground breaking stuff,” he said.

“The reason they work a lot with our grapes is because we have been using wild or indigenous yeast fermentations exclusively in our wines since 1986.

“So we have a long history and we have built up quite a unique population in that time, as we haven’t introduced any selective yeast during that period.”

The 8th International Cool Climate Symposium will be held between January 31 and February 4, at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart.

Registrations are now open and further details can be found at www.winetasmania.com.au/iccs tessa.nicholson@me.com■

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GENEROUS GIFT

AUCK UNI BENEFITS FROM GOLDWATERS T

he University of Auckland is positioned to become the Southern Hemisphere’s premium wine science facility thanks to the vision of pioneering Waiheke winemakers Kim and Jeanette Goldwater.

The Goldwater family have partially gifted their iconic vineyard and winemaking operation to the University’s Wine Science programme. The gift will allow students and researchers to operate in a world-class commercial winemaking environment.

“This is an unprecedented and extremely generous donation that will benefit both the University and the wine industry,” says Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon.

“The opportunity for immersion in a high-quality commercial winery means that our students will be better trained than ever before and highly attuned to the realities of the industry. We

80

believe that the wine industry will benefit from the supply of high quality graduates as well as the University’s ongoing wine science research.”

The University has acquired the Waiheke property, partly through a commercial transaction, and partly through the $4m philanthropic gift. The 14-hectare vineyard and winery will operate two parallel streams. An established team will continue to produce wines commercially under the premium Goldie brand and more accessibly-priced Island label. Wine science students will keep producing their own wines for teaching purposes under the university’s Ingenio label, work as interns in the commercial operation, and have access to the fruit and data for research.

The Goldwater family has had a long association with The University of Auckland with three generations of graduates. Kim Goldwater says he immediately

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Kim and Jeanette Goldwater with Auckland University’s Director of Wine Science Randy Weaver. PHOTO: GODFREY BOEHNKE, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

thought of the Wine Science programme when he was contemplating the vineyard’s future.

“This is the perfect size for a teaching operation and I’m a great believer in knowledge and proper research. It’s my quiet dream this

will become an important centre for wine education and research.”

“Teaching for the first half of our year-long Postgraduate Diploma in Wine Science will be onsite at the Waiheke estate and students will continue to work

nce

there several days a week for the remainder of their studies ,” explains Wine Science Director Randy Weaver. “Our philosophy is to teach wine production as a process that runs from the vine to the mouth. At the Waiheke estate our students will be exposed to everything from vineyard and winemaking operations to interaction with the public in the tasting room.

“We are expanding the curriculum for the course and anticipate that the number of students will double to around 30. The scale of the estate is perfect for teaching purposes and its proximity to the city, the historic value of the winery and the natural beauty of the site all will be major drawcards for local and international students.

Our Wine Science programme already provides valuable information to industry,” says Dean of Science Professor Grant Guilford.

“For instance research on native yeasts has led to the commercialization of a strain that increases fruit notes and complexity in wine, and work on the effects of temperature on the aroma profile is leading to changes in wine storage. We foresee further opportunities for research based at the Waiheke winery that will benefit winemakers.”

Kim and Jeanette Goldwater are pioneers of the wine industry on Waiheke and planted the first wine-quality vines on the island in 1978. Through a family trust they own the vineyard previously known as Goldwater Estate, while Gretchen Goldwater and husband Ken Christie own and operate the winery business Goldie Wines. The gift will see both the Waiheke vineyard and winemaking operations become part of the University of Auckland. It brings the University’s “Leading the Way” fundraising campaign to $158 million to date.

Wine Science at The University of Auckland

In the last 20 years, the global wine industry has become increasingly international and sophisticated. Along with other new-world producers, the New Zealand wine industry has grown rapidly. This success has created demands for highly trained and skilled participants and for locally focused scientific research of the highest standards.

The Wine Science Postgraduate Programme at The University of Auckland caters for these demands. It uses the experiences of winemaking in New Zealand to highlight the multiple dimensions and applications of wine science. A central theme is organised around understanding wine production as a process that runs from the vine to the mouth. Courses examine the science of grape production and winemaking, and analytical techniques in winemaking.

As part of the Postgraduate Diploma in Wine Science students are given hands-on experience producing their own wines, which are bottled under the University’s Ingenio label. Students have been producing Ingenio Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc since 2003 at a model winery at the University’s Tamaki Innovation Campus. Ingenio wines will now be produced at the Waiheke estate.

Goldie Wines Goldie Wines is located at the vineyard previously known as Goldwater Estate on Waiheke Island. “Goldie” was the name of the flagship red wine. By 2009 the family had sold all of their winegrowing interests in other regions as well as the Goldwater brand.

They retained the Goldie name, with the intention that it would become the umbrella brand for wines from the Waiheke vineyard.

Goldie Wines’ first harvest was in 2010 from the same vines as the former Goldwater wines.■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 81

REGIONS HAWKES BAY

HAWKES BAY’S GATEWAY INTO CHINA? MARY SHANAHAN

H

awkes Bay wineries targeting Asian markets and China in particular should consider Hong Kong as the gateway, says Invest HK. Not subjected to duties,

82

Hong Kong wine imports grew 80 percent, 45 percent and 74 percent in the last three financial years, a delegation from the region’s official economic and trade organisation recently told

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

Hawkes Bay winegrowers.

More than 800 wine-related companies had set up business in Hong Kong, and last year’s wine auction sales of US$164 million made it the world’s largest wine

auction centre.

“As Hawkes Bay has the largest number of wineries in New Zealand actively exporting to China, the information presented was hugely valuable to their busi-

New Zealand Winegrowers comment If you are investigating exporting to China via Hong Kong, it is essential to ensure your importer is able to navigate the trans-shipment rules under the New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

A New Zealand Winegrowers’ survey of all wineries exporting to China found that wineries experience difficulty accessing the preferential China FTA tariff rate for product which had not arrived on a non-stop shipment to the Mainland.

The FTA permits trans-shipments from Hong Kong and Macau, provided that specific documents are issued. However, we understand that exporters have reported significant difficulty in accessing the preferential rate. New Zealand Winegrowers is working with New Zealand Customs to resolve this and other customs clearance issues.

nesses,” said Hawkes Bay Winegrowers executive officer Lyn Bevin.

Nearly two-thirds of 36 million visitors to Hong Kong last year were from mainland China.

Wine business was booming, with these travellers “thirsty for best quality wines”, according to Cameron Broadman, head of Invest HK’s New Zealand and Australia division.

“New Zealand as a brand has exceptional favour in Hong Kong.

Lamb and beef, Fonterra all command huge respect and premium prices.

“That would translate to your wines without a doubt.”

Also from Invest HK, Jimmy Chiang outlined a scheme for accrediting storage facilities to meet strict criteria which was

being expanded to cover retailers and restaurants. The growing number of local training institutions offered enhanced educational programmes for people engaged in wine-related businesses, and more training materials were being translated into Chinese.

Invest HK also worked with Chinese Mainland Customs in setting up measures to ease wine imports into the country, including pre-valuation of wine and reducing clearance time at Mainland ports – among the most difficult aspects faced by New Zealand wineries exporting to China, Bevin said.

Bevin said that Hong Kong and other official agencies were clamping down on counterfeit wine. westclan@clear.net.nz■

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REGIONS GISBORNE

INDEVIN – A GISBORNE LIFESAVER? DEBBIE GREGORY

G

isborne’s wine industry has been hit harder than most other wine regions in New Zealand and buying a large stake in it could be viewed by some as a bold, if not risky move.

But it has been a well-measured risk for Indevin, a Marlboroughbased company which was already New Zealand’s largest independent winemaker before buying Pernod Ricard’s Gisborne winery, all the Pernod/Montana vineyards

in Gisborne and a Hawkes Bay vineyard.

They did so in partnership with liquor marketing giant Lion Nathan who acquired the Lindauer and 11 other top brands including Huntaway, Saints, Corbans,

Bensen Block, Jackman Ridge, Riverlands and Timara.

And while Lion Nathan concentrates its efforts on gaining the Gisborne wines a bigger share of the market, Indevin is focusing on improving the production and

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One thing that had struck McFarlane and manager Gareth Lyne, was the depth of staff experience in the Gisborne winery.

“Here every second person has been here 25 years which is very rare in our Marlborough winery.”

The company had been doing some “cross pollinating” between the experience of the Gisborne crew and the new techniques of their Marlborough counterparts.

“We really value our staff,” said McFarlane.

He expected the vintage for the coming year to be on a par with last year, which had been slightly up on the previous one.

Yields had been down but they had bought additional fruit on the spot market. In the longer term, Indevin was determined to get growth here.

“We are very happy to be in Gisborne,” he said.

“We want to focus our effort to get the region heading in the right direction.

“Gisborne might be the Cinderella at the moment but it has traditionally had a strong presence in the export market and Lion have a pretty strong focus on improving the local brands.” gregorydebbie70@gmail.com■

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processing. The company took over the Gisborne operation two days before Christmas, going straight into the hectic end of the production cycle.

“Our focus was just to execute the vintage as well as we could while maximising the quality,” said managing director Duncan McFarlane.

“Now that we have that out of the way we are looking at other parts of the business like the supply chain and making sure we are as efficient as possible.”

He hastens to explain that efficiency does not mean cost cutting in his company’s culture.

“We are adding not stripping value,” he said.

“We actually raised the prices this year, slightly, but we did increase it. Our business model is different to the Pernod Ricard model.”

Indevin is recognised as one of the country’s 50 fastest growing businesses, which has developed its processing business over the past seven years.

“We are a modern enterprise and some of the technology that we have developed will be better.

This is a very old winery and we are here to improve it,” he said.

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 85

REGIONS WAIRARAPA

WINE IN THE BLOOD: Alex Corban with son Jeremy; at the relatively new vineyards of Big Sky Wines, Te Muna, which is 9kms west of Martinborough.

BIG SKY WINES JOELLE THOMSON

W

hen your surname is Corban and you return home to New Zealand with a passion for wine, the answer is obvious: plant a vineyard in the nearest suitable location and start making it.

In Jeremy Corban’s case, it’s been even easier since his wife and business partner, Katherine, studied winemaking and viticulture at Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay. She then spent a vintage at Chateau Ceron in Bordeaux and, when the couple began looking for land in Martinborough, they decided on Te Muna Road on which to grow

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grapes to make their “Big Sky” wines: Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

“We chose Te Muna Terrace after researching the Wairarapa region because it has a slightly higher elevation than the rest of Martinborough, resulting in the grapes staying longer on the vine and developing complex fruit flavours. The Tauherinikau stony silt soils are more than 20,000 years old and are an ancient river bed from the Huangarua Terrace,” she said.

The combination of the alluvial free draining soil and windy site has a crop reducing effect, which she favours for Pinot Noir; theirs being a 4 hectare block planted in 1999 with Dijon Clone 115 on Swartzman and Riparia Gloire rootstock, plus a small amount of clone 10/5. The couple also have 3/4 of a hectare of Sauvignon Blanc at Te Muna, which was planted in 1989. This year they bottled their first sparkling wine: “Stellar”, made primarily from Pinot Noir with a small percentage of Chardonnay.

“Our first vintage was 2006 and our Pinot Noir that year was selected as the best Pinot Noir of the year at the Scenic Cellars blind tasting. Currently we sell some of our grapes but the goal is to reduce the amount we sell as we grow demand for our wine. We have a very simple mantra, which is honesty and integrity. No smoke and mirrors: great wine at a reasonable price. We mainly sell our wines to restaurants at the moment.” jthomson@xtra.co.nz ■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 87

WINE TRAINING

KIWI CONNECTION IN THE MALDIVES JOELLE THOMSON

A

glass of Gruner Veltliner, a wood fired pizza and a turquoise blue sea all made for the perfect greeting to one of the smallest islands in the Maldives in midSeptember this year, when I was fortunate enough to lead wine tastings for resort guests and training sessions for waiting staff.

The rainy season was supposed to be over but Mother Nature delivered everything from intense wind and rain to azure still water in the southern Indian ocean, drenched in sublime sunshine. In these relatively humid, wet and warm conditions, white wines devoid of oak and brimming with fresh aromatic interest suit both the mood and the food as well as the heat. Reds, on the other hand, need to have something ‘light’ about them – body, tannins or taste – to work

The magnums on display at a Maldives wine cellar.

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

here. Enter the Austrian Gruner Veltliner – 2009 Josef Andert Neusiedlersee Gruner-Veltliner, sealed with a screwcap – and also a surprisingly good showing of New Zealand wines.

It is the latter that I am mostly here to speak about, to both the guests and to the staff, many of whom are training for their intermediate and advanced Wine & Spirit Education Trust wine qualifications. Since the resort attracts an extremely wide range of nationalities – from Argentina, Dubai, Australia, the UK, USA, New Zealand, Portugal and France, among others - the drinks and the food must be wide ranging and high quality.

The sommelier at Soneva Fushi resort is the Dutch-born Jasper Kok, who visited New Zealand extensively in 2009 to see first-

hand where the wines on his list come from. As well as many of the usual New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc suspects his current range also includes Dog Point Section 94 with its subtler-than-most aromas and medium to full body.

Kok is training his mostly Muslim waiting staff to gain their intermediate level Wine & Spirit Education Trust qualification, which is a challenge given they generally do not drink.

There are exceptions, with some Sri Lankan staff and a handful who do drink. The mini bar at the sister resort, Soneva Gili, is headlined by two half bottles from Kiwi wineries, Ata Rangi and Spy Valley Wines. Here, the assistant sommelier is Sri Lankan Rohann Jayawardana, who is also training his staff in the WSET qualifications.

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

At both, New Zealand wines are in extremely good international company in the wider context of the resorts’ wine lists, which sport an informatively well chosen range from everywhere wine is made: a lone Austrian Pinot Noir, a duo of Greek wines, another pair from Lebanon and a vast range from France, Germany, the USA, Hungary, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, Chile and even a wine from Thailand; a Syrah from the Asoke Valley. It is the New Zealand wines which most surprise because, given the size of our wine production, they punch above their weight in terms of the number of wines on the list and their profile.

After the first staff training session, at dinner at Soneva Gili, I am most impressed: “Tonight we have a very nice new Sauvignon Blanc

from New Zealand, which tastes great with prawns. Would you like to order it,” smiles a disarmingly friendly wine waiter. That morning, this personable waiter had been at a two-hour training seminar based on both indepth information about New Zealand wine and also a session based on the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Intermediate certificate.

“I am taking your advice in how I talk about these wines, to suggest a specific one,” he adds.

Now that is progress: for his confidence and for selling New Zealand wine in a small but growing resort group which caters to an extremely high quality-focussed market.

Joelle Thomson visited the Maldives as a guest of Singapore Airlines, Soneva Gili and Soneva Fushi resorts.■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 91

CALENDAR OCTOBER 6

7 – 10

18

19 – 20

20

28-30

Marlborough Wine and Cuisine

Vintage Wings and Wine

Marlborough Wine Weekend

Hood Aerodrome, Masterton

6th Australian Wine Industry Environment Conference and Exhibition

Dinner with Sir Richard Branson

Brancott Estate wine-marlborough. co.nz

Hawkes Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards

Viaduct Events Centre, Auckland

wine-marlborough. co.nz

hawkesbaywine awards.co.nz

Ridley Centre, Adelaide. winesa.au/awiec2011

NOVEMBER 6 – 10

8

11

9 – 11

12

27

6th International Specialised Conference on Sustainable Viticulture; Winery Waste and Ecologic Impacts Management

Grapevine Trunk Disease Workshop

Grapevine Trunk Disease Workshop

Hawkes Bay

Marlborough – 9am, Convention Centre

International Aromatic Wine Competition

Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2011 Dinner

A Country Occasion at Neudorf

Canterbury A&P Show, Christchurch

Langham Hotel, Auckland

10am – 4pm. All proceeds to charity

Convention Centre, Blenheim winery2011.com

JANUARY

2012 Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration: 26-28 January 2012

FEBRUARY 1–4

11

Sommelier Certification Levels 1 & 2

Marlborough Wine Festival

Villa Maria Training and Function Rooms, Auckland.

Contact: Cameron Douglas; Cameron@ guildsommnz.org

Brancott Vineyard, Marlborough

Marlborough Wine Festival: 11 February

92

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

26 – 28

31

2012 Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration

International Cool Climate Wine Symposium 2012

Registrations now open at pinotcelebration.co.nz

Hobart, Tasmania. tasmanianwineroute. com.au

EDUCATION NEWS

THE JOY OF STUDENT PLACEMENTS L I N DA M O R R I S

W

hen Mahi Winery decided to take work placement students from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production several years ago there was a natural trepidation. Was it going to be beneficial for the winery? Winemaker Pat Patterson says they needn’t have worried.

“You know the people you get from NMIT are going to be interested and enthusiastic and that’s a huge bonus for us. They have a

bit of passion about it and you know they’re really keen to learn.” Michaela Rush, Villa Maria’s Systems Winemaker feels the same way. “We’ve been taking NMIT students on vintage work placements since 2003.

It’s rewarding for me when I see students grab the bull by the horns and make the most of the opportunity. They ask good questions and you can just see them looking at everything that’s going on and wanting to know why we do things the way we do.”

NMIT’s Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production is a two year diploma designed to be hands-on and practical. Programme Leader Tricia Jane says the work placements are a key part of the training. “We’ve had 22 wineries offer to take students over the past three years.

Once wineries see the value they’re keen to repeat the experience.” Tricia says an important part of the process is matching. “I try to make sure both the student and the winery is a good fit. What we want is for the wineries to

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get the right sort of people for their needs and the students to get a valid vintage experience.”

The NMIT students are acutely aware of the value of work placements. Michaela Rush says from Villa Maria’s perspective it is helping the wider industry, “It helps them realise what the industry is really like. You’re not going to walk away from NMIT with your diploma straight into a high level position.”

Mahi’s Pat Patterson believes the benefits to the industry are that the NMIT students are coming out not only with hands-on experience but also contacts. Student Ben Burridge agrees. “The work placements were better

than I expected. Interacting with people in the process of harvest every step along the way has been brilliant. As a bonus, I’ve met some lifelong friends who live in the area and work in the industry.”

“We can’t afford to have someone who’s half pie. We run a small team so we rely on each person and we can do that with NMIT students,” says Sam Rose, the winemaker at Wairau River Wines.

Student Krystal Palmer says her commitment was rewarded as technical winemaker Nick Entwhistle took her under his wing to teach her methods of red wine making.

“Most interesting was the chemistry of pre-

fermentation. I learnt all about cold soaking of Pinot Noir and the importance of enzyme and tannin addition for colour stability.”

All the students can’t talk enough about how much they gain from the experience but they also acknowledge that they hope they give something in return apart from just their labour.

And for the wineries, Sam Rose sums it up.

“The NMIT students are very capable, and that’s all we want.”

If you’d like to offer a work placement to an NMIT Diploma of Viticulture and Wine Production student, contact Programme Leader Tricia Jane directly on 03 546 9175 ext 567.■

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NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 95

INDUSTRY NEWS

BETTER NET RESULTS A

s we head into spring, most vineyards are at the final stages of pruning and are gearing up for the upcoming season. At Scarecrow, they’re also preparing: Daniel Pickering (Business Manager) and Thomas Rowe (North Island Sales Consultant) headed over to Korea recently to meet with our factories to ensure they maintain the highest quality standards, as well as keeping prices as low as possible for their customers.

Scarecrow has also recently partnered with RentPlus to provide vineyard managers and owners with the opportunity to take advantage of renting opportunities to finance their bird

netting requirements. This gives customers the ability to spread out payments and ease the burden on cash flow, instead of having to pay up front. There are many other benefits to this option as it removes the need for CAPEX approval and, as an Operating Expense, is usually tax deductable (check with your accountant).

At the recent Romeo Bragato 2011 conference the Scarecrow site proved very popular among the delegates, with free barista coffee providing a welcome jump start to each morning. Additionally, through Scarecrow’s association with Line7 (both are a part of the Charles

Parsons group of companies) they were giving away 10 limited edition Line7 jackets through a draw. The lucky winners will be as well protected from the elements as their grapes are from birds.

Scarecrow is looking forward to another successful season and is currently visiting vineyards to measure up for netting requirements and, to ensure your nets are here on schedule, they recommend having all your measurements and quotes organised before the end of October. If you haven’t already, you can contact Scarecrow’s consultants for “Better Net Results”.■

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// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

PO Box 11, Nelson, New Zealand

WHERE

EVENT

ATTENDANCE

AUDIENCE

EVENT DATE 2011/2012

UK & Ireland

Three Wine Men: Manchester

NZW

C

1-2 October

Australia

Good Food & Wine Show: Adelaide

A, NZW

C

7-9 October

UK & Ireland

The Wine Gang: London

NZW

C

29 October

USA

Pinot Days: Chicago

NZW

M,T,C

12 November

Asia

Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair

W, A, NZW

M, T

3-5 November

Australia

Good Food and Wine Show: Brisbane

W, A, NZW

C

4-6 November

Asia

New Zealand Wine Fair: Japan (Tokyo)

W, A, NZW

M,T,C

7 November

Asia

New Zealand Wine Fair: Japan (Osaka)

W, A, NZW

M, T, C

9 November

Asia

New Zealand Wine Fair: China (Guangzhou)

W, A, NZW

M, T, C

11-12 November

Mainland Europe

NZ Wine Fair: The Netherlands

W, A, NZW

M, T

14 November

USA

Pinot Days Los Angeles

NZW

M, T, C

14 January 2012

USA

Boston Wine Expo

W,A,NZW

M,T,C

21-22 January

UK & Ireland

Annual Trade and Consumer Tasting London

W, A, NZW

M, T, C

W=Winery A=Agent NZW=NZ Winegrowers

2029-08 layout_global_P 9/23/08 9:32 AM Page 1

UK and Ireland

Annual Trade and Consumer Tasting Dublin

W,A, NZW C

M

Y

CM

MY

M=Media T=Trade C=Consumer

M,T,C CY CMY

24 January 30 January

K

Composite NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 97

STATISTICS

SUMMARY OF KEY INDICATORS

PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS Exports up again

Following is a summary of key indicators at intervals:

1985

1990

1995

2000

2010

No. of Growers

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1128

No. of Wineries

n/a

n/a

204

358

672

Producing area (Ha)*

5,900

4,880

6,110

10,197

33,428

Average yield (t/Ha)

13.2

14.4

12.2

7.8

8.0

Tonnes crushed

78,000

70,265

74,500

80,100

266,000

Total production (m.L) 59.6

54.4

56.4

60.2

190.0

Domestic sales (m.L)

39.2

30.9

41.3

56.7

42.6

Per capita consumption: (litres NZ wines)

13.1

11.7

8.7

10.6

13.0

Export volume (m.L)

0.8

4.0

7.8

19.2

142

Exp. value (m.$NZ fob) 3.0

18.4

40.8

168.4

1041.0

*estimate of probable total scaled up from actual returns

2010 (Forecast)

2012 (from 2010)

% Change Area (2010)

% Total

Marlborough

19295

19570

+1.4%

57.7%

Hawkes Bay

4947

5046

+2.0%

14.8%

Gisborne

2083

2003

-3.9%

6.2%

Otago

1540

1543

+0.2%

4.6%

Canty/Waipara

1779

1828

+2.7%

5.3%

Wairarapa/Wgtn

871

885

+1.6%

2.6%

Nelson

842

880

+4.6%

2.5%

Auckland

550

573

+4.1%

1.6%

147

147

33428

33600

n.c.*

0.4%

+0.5%

100.0%

MAJOR VARIETIES IN MAJOR AREAS New Zealand’s total producing vineyard will increase by only 0.5% over the next 2 years. This table shows the variation for major varieties (in Ha), with % change and percentage of total in 2012.

Variety (Actual)

2010 (Forecast)

2012 (from 2009)

% Change Area (2011)

% Total

Sauv. Blanc

16910

17297

+2.2%

44.3%

Chardonnay

3865

3792

-1.9%

11.3%

Pinot Gris

1763

1764

n.c.*

4.3%

Riesling

986

1009

+2.3%

2.7%

Gewurztraminer

314

290

-7.7%

0.9%

Semillon

185

182

-2.7%

0.5%

Pinot Noir

4773

4828

+1.1%

13.9%

Merlot

371

1403

+2.3%

4.0%

Cab.Sauvignon

519

521

+0.4%

1.5%

Syrah

297

300

+1.0%

0.8%

Cabernet Franc

161

162

n.c.*%

0.5%

Malbec

157

161

+2.5%

0.5%

Total

98

33428

33600

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

+0.5%

Total NZ fob (m)

Ave $NZ/L

UNITED KINGDOM 2011 53.081 289.545 2010 48.153 299.224

5.45 6.21

U.S.A 2011 33.067 231.745 2010 26.492 208.418

7.01 7.87

AUSTRALIA 2011 47.158 345.392 2010 44.194 321.504

7.32 7.27

CANADA 2011 5.658 58.976 2010 7.255 60.207

10.42 8.30

2011 2010

Region (Actual)

National total

Country/Years Litres(m)

NETHERLANDS

MAJOR NZ VINEYARD AREAS

Waikato/BoP

The MAT export figures show once again export volumes are up. Prices are down in our major markets – with rises in price and volume in Asia.

4.154 2.930

27.168 22.076

6.54 7.53

DENMARK 2011 1.061 7.341 2010 1.072 6.141

6.92 5.73

IRELAND 2011 1.743 14.732 2010 1.963 16.977

8.45 8.65

JAPAN 2011 0.898 11.434 2010 0.729 9.402

12.73 12.90

GERMANY 2011 0.738 5.486 2010 0.593 4.774

7.43 8.05

CHINA 2011 1.513 17.974 2010 1.487 17.513

11.88 11.78

HONG KONG 2011 1.415 19.253 2010 0.928 11.696

13.61 12.60

SINGAPORE 2011 1.141 14.002 2010 1.087 12.853

12.27 11.83

FINLAND 2011 0.285 2.596 2010 0.164 1.528

9.10 9.29

NORWAY 2011 0.165 1.493 2010 0.072 0.666

9.06 9.23

SWEDEN 2011 1.394 11.508 2010 1.034 9.584

8.26 9.27

OTHERS 2011 3.946 38.552 2010 7.030 73.707

9.77 10.53

Total Exports 2011 157.418 1097.195 2010 141.032 1033.529

6.97 7.33

*(npr = not previously recorded separately) *n.c. = no change

RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT Information and Updates on NZ Winegrowers Research Programmes.

Associate Editors: Philip Manson, Science & Innovations Manager • Dr Simon Hooker, Research Programme Manager

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

LIST OF PROJECTS Improving management of grapevine trunk diseases in New Zealand South Australian Research & Development Institute Mark Sosnowski New opportunities for sustainable grape thinning Plant and Food Research Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund Mike Trought Tendrils as a source of seasonal carryover of Botrytis cinerea in vineyards Plant and Food Research Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund Dion Mundy Cryopreserved grapevine: a new way to maintain high-health germplasm and cultivar imports with less rigorous quarantine regulations Plant and Food Research R Pathirana Improving management of grapevine trunk diseases in New Zealand South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) Mark Sosnowski The impact of harvest technologies on grape and wine components of importance for protein stability Lincoln University R Harrison Understanding the accumulation of fruit based green aromatic methoxypyrazine compounds in Marlborough Sauvignon blanc grape berries Plant and Food Research Jeff Bennett

Pilot sheep leaf plucking study Agrivet Services Ltd Gina deNicolo Investigation of perceived minerality in white wine Lincoln University Wendy Parr GLRaV3 Virus Research Sutton McCarthy Limited Greg McCarthy Web programming Botrytis Decision Support Model (BDSM) Plant and Food Research Rob Beresford Effect of early leaf removal on Botrytis incidence and grape/wine composition EIT Mark Krasnow The influence of canopy management and architecture of Sauvignon blanc grapevines on fruit and vegetative development Plant and Food Research Marc Greven Organic Focus Vineyard Project Organic Winegrowers New Zealand Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund Rebecca Reider Unlocking New Zealand Pinot noir aroma through aroma reconstitution approach Auckland University Paul Kilmartin Sex pheromones as a mealybug monitoring tool, 2010-11 Plant and Food Research Jim Walker

Analysing wine using PTR-MS Otago University Patrick Silcock The science of Sauvignon blanc publication Jamie Goode Identification of natural genetic variation in grapevine contributing to pathogen resistance Lincoln University Chris Winefield The effect of light on grape berry and leaf biochemistry Lincoln University Brian Jordan Identification of metabolites in high-thiol grape juices Auckland UniServices Ltd Silas Villas-Boas Implementation of Virus Elimination Strategy Various Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund Nick Hoskins – Project Manager Botryosphaeria Trunk Diseases Identification, Epidemiology & Control Lincoln University Marlene Jaspers The Effect of Post-Harvest Defoliation on Carbon and Nitrogen Balance of High Yielding Sauvignon Blanc Vines Plant and Food Research Marc Greven New Zealand Winegrower Magazine Research Articles Various

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 99

PROGRESS REPORTS

Leaves on or leaves off Greven MM, Neal SM, Gunson FA 08 - 337 We are now most of the way through a multi-year trial looking at the influence of postharvest defoliation on production of high yielding Sauvignon blanc vines. We recap here on earlier results, and provide updates from the current season.

Postharvest defoliation has been suggested to affect carbon assimilation and nitrogen uptake in vines. To investigate this, we are looking at differences in many vine attributes between defoliated and non-defoliated vines, over three seasons and two different croploads, established by laying down 4 canes (4C) or 6 canes (6C). We are measuring photosynthetic activity and various components of yield, as well as carbohydrate and nitrogen (N) reserves in the root and trunk tissues throughout the season. Results so far indicate an advantage in keeping the leaves on the vines, especially for N supply to the vine trunks, and starch reserves in the roots.

Across both defoliated and non-defoliated vines, increasing the bud number at winter pruning by 50% (i.e. 6C rather than 4C) increased the numbers of shoots per vine, but only by 15-27% and not by 50%, over the three seasons. This caused a 21% increase in yield in 2009. However, in 2010 and 2011 there were no differences in yield between vine training systems. This was mostly caused by a 75% increase in the number of blind shoots on 6C vines, and thus other traits such as cluster number per shoot, cluster weight, fruit yield per shoot and berry weight were all reduced.

In 2009, there was a small delay in fruit reaching maturity for the higher yielding 6C vines. In 2010 and 2011, we found no differences in fruit maturity between 4C and 6C vines, or between defoliated and non-defoliated vines.

N concentration in the roots was more than twice that in the trunk tissue, and concentrations declined in both the roots and trunk from early spring to véraison in all years. For 4C nondefoliated vines, there was then a rapid increase in trunk N, so that it was restored to seasonal peak amounts by leaf fall and remained high until pre-flowering the following season. However, defoliated 4C vines reached peak trunk N

100

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

only several months later, at the 5-leaf stage.

Peak trunk N was also delayed, but not as much, in both defoliated and non-defoliated high bud count 6C vines.

From the second season onwards, the trunk N content in both defoliation treatments was markedly lower through to the following season. It is of interest that this response was not seen in roots.

Over the three seasons of the trial, we have found only very minor differences in assimilation or other gas exchange characteristics of photosynthesis between the treatments.

Total sugars in both trunks and roots in all treatments declined post-flowering until midripening, thereafter recovering to maximum concentration during vine dormancy. From harvest onwards, total sugars in the roots were constant but at lower concentrations than in the trunk.

Trunk starch was at its lowest concentration at the lag-phase after flowering but increased rapidly seven-fold to reach a plateau before harvest, followed by a fast decline after leaf fall.

Roots had their lowest starch concentrations from the 5-leaf stage through bloom to the lagphase, after which starch accumulated, reaching a peak around harvest.

After harvest, starch concentrations in both trunk and roots declined. Initial indications are that during dormancy, root starch concentrations stay highest for the 4C vines that are not defoliated and lowest for the 6C defoliated vines, indicating influences from both defoliation and from the number of nodes laid down on the starch reserves in the vine from the time when the vine moves into budbreak right through to bloom. Root starch reserves may contribute to seasonal influences, especially the setting up of components of yield and the subsequent development of fruit according to the croploads established under such circumstances.

We are continuing to make close observations of the vine development patterns, by sampling trunks and roots until véraison in 2012.

This will give us three full years of data, which we expect will amplify the trends found to date.

Acknowledgements This work has been made possible through funding from New Zealand Winegrowers. We are grateful to the Marlborough Research Centre for allowing us to use the MRC vineyard, where most of the field work was done by our field staff, Bruce, Trevor and Ed.

Unravelling the flavours of wine Pat Silcock, Sam Heenan, and Eric Walton, Phil Bremer – Department of Food Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054.

Eric Walton – Research and Enterprise, University of Otago, PO Box 5543, Auckland 1141.

10 - 102 Knowledge of the wine flavour volatiles that define characteristic NZ wine styles, and a better understanding of their genesis, will help in the production of consistent high quality wines.

Traditional methods for the analysis of wine flavour volatiles, such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS), isotopic ration mass analysis (IRMS) or sensory analysis using trained panellists, are highly selective and reliable, but expensive and time consuming due to the time required for sample preparation.

These two constraints limit the number of wines for which the volatiles can be assessed. An alternate means of assessing flavour volatiles is the recently developed technique known as proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). The advantages of PTR-MS are that it is very sensitive (10 - 100 ng/L range), requires no sample preparation and each test takes a matter of minutes to carry out, meaning that it is relatively inexpensive.

For each sample, PTR-MS generates a profile of the mass ions that represent the various volatiles and their concentrations. In a typical run, data are collected on 160 masses, which can then analysed and correlated to attributes of interest.

Researchers at the Department of Food Science at the University of Otago have the only PTR-MS machine in New Zealand, and have considerable experience in using it to investigate the relationships between volatiles from a variety of foods (e.g. seafood, bread and chocolate) and their sensory properties, geographical origins and processing methodologies.

The current project was comprised of two parts; 1) development of a PTR-MS based method to measure wine volatiles, and 2) demonstration of the method’s utility.

A suitable method was developed (by diluting the wines), which enabled the headspace volatile organic compounds (the ‘flavour’ of

wine), to be measured reproducibly with minimal interference from the ethanol.

PTR-MS was subsequently used to: Follow the changes in a red wine during ageing in different maturation vessels. These changes were consistent with changes in their sensory characteristics.

Separate a selection of Pinot Noir wines based on vintage and vineyard location.

Distinguish Sauvignon Blanc wines from different locations, including locations within Marlborough, and between Marlborough and other locations (Nelson, Waiarapa and Waipara). Unfortunately, we were not able to confirm that the measured differences corresponded to flavour because the sensory and

GC-MS data was not available.

On-going work includes investigating the ability of PTR-MS to detect the thioesters (4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one [4MMP], 3-mercaptohexyl acetate [3MHA] and 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol [3MH]) in Sauvignon Blanc wines, and the further refining of instrument parameters and sampling procedures to reduce the error and improve our ability to measure differences between wines (this work is being funded by University of Otago).In addition, we would like to be able to critically evaluate the PTR-MS method against a set of wines that possess different and defined sensory characters, so that we can confidently move forward with PTR-MS as a screening tool.

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 101

Managing grapevine yield using mechanical thinning Mike Trought, Sue Neal, Dion Mundy, Claire Grose, Emma Sherman, Dominic Pecchenino, Anne Gunson 10 – 106

102

// NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011

40 35 Titratable acidity [g/L]

The Challenge: We experience marked fluctuations in seasonal grapevine yields, which we try to reduce by thinning vines shortly after fruitset.

The Questions: Could mechanical thinning be a cost-effective and more rapid alternative to hand thinning? What impacts might it have on disease incidence and fruit quality during the season and at harvest? What might that mean for the wine?

We have held trials for three seasons now, using a Nairn 1230LS at two different beater speeds to thin vines. In the first year, berries of Sauvignon blanc were generally removed, while whole bunches of Riesling (which was closer to bunch closure) were removed using the same machine settings.

In the second year, we thinned Sauvignon blanc on two different dates in January. This year, we thinned Sauvignon Blanc on just one date shortly after fruit set in early January; we compared both light and heavy machine thinning with hand thinning, and an un-thinned control, and we have made wines from the fruit.

Earlier in the year (March 2011), we reported differences in fruit development: berries on the hand-thinned vines accumulated soluble solids fastest; those on un-thinned vines were slowest. Un-thinned controls had lower titratable acidity for any given °Brix during development than berries on thinned vines (see Figure 1).

Botrytis incidence was assessed from véraison to harvest. Disease pressure remained below the 5% threshold in all treatments; however, botrytis severity was reduced on machine-thinned vines.

This may be caused by reduced trash in the bunches, or to smaller berry size, or to some induced resistance to the disease, perhaps from thicker berry skins.

Machine thinning reduced yields (38% less

30 25 20 control hand thin light machine heavy machine

15 10 5

4

6

8

10 12 14 16 Soluble solids (oBrix)

18

20

22

Figure 1: Influence of thinning on sugar: titratable acid ratio, 2011

yield with heavy machine thinning; 17% less with light machine or hand thinning) and berry weights the most, as it had in the previous seasons. We confirmed our earlier findings that machine thinning removes berries from the bunch, rather than whole bunches from the vine, and thus it is the number and weight of individual berries that influences bunch weight at harvest.

Fruit were harvested when they reached 20.5 °Brix, so the harvest dates varied for the different thinning treatments (from 7 April to 18 April), but the fruit were all at the same maturity for winemaking. The wines have now been fermented and will be bottled in October.

At harvest (at least 20.5 °Brix), there were no

differences in juice acidity or yeast available nitrogen (YAN) between any of the thinning treatments. Wine composition analysis is not yet complete.

Initial results show that phenolics are lowest in the wines made from hand-thinned vines, and that the important aromatic thiols 3-Mercaptohexanol and 3-Mercaptohexanol acetate are higher in wines from un-thinned vines than from either hand or machine-thinned vines.

Acknowledgements This project has been supported and funded

by New Zealand Winegrowers. The assistance of staff at the Marlborough Wine Research Centre is appreciated.

Leafroll virus persistence in grapevines treated with Roundup® renew Vaughn Bell, Plant & Food Research Limited, Havelock North 08-116 Background In New Zealand, the process of removing vines infected with Grapevine Leafroll-associated Virus 3 (leafroll virus) frequently involves the use of herbicide. Historically, the active ingredient of choice has been glyphosate, and, although its use appears to have been specifically aimed at preventing shoot re-growth from rootstocks, in recent years a perception has developed that it might usefully contribute to a leafroll virus elimination programme.

Where virus-infected vines are selectively removed, glyphosate is often swabbed onto freshly cut stumps, and in circumstances where entire virus-infected blocks are removed, it may be applied to vine foliage. Under both scenarios, actions are usually undertaken postharvest (i.e. in autumn). However, it is worth noting that no published efficacy data exit to support the use of glyphosate on grapevines and indeed, I have found nothing in the literature linking glyphosate or herbicide use in general, to the elimination of leafroll virus.

As awareness of the importance of leafroll virus in New Zealand increases, so too do calls to manage the disease and its insect vectors, mealybugs, more effectively. While all above-ground infected vine material is generally removed and destroyed, the same is not always true of the vine roots, a large proportion of which may persist in situ for many years. The retention of root debris is potentially problematic because it is a known reservoir of leafroll virus, and it appears the roots also sustain subterranean colonies of citrophilus mealybug.

Under these circumstances, renewed disease pressure in re-plant situations might be the result of mealybugs feeding on and acquiring the virus from remnant roots before these vectors move to re-planted vines.

This article summarises the first results of a larger study currently being undertaken as part of my PhD research. One of the goals of this research was to assess if leafroll virus in remnant roots persisted after treating infected

vines with Roundup® Renew either early in the season during a period of active growth, or later in the season when active growth had ceased.

per sample date).

Site details and study design

In late October 2010, the remaining vines in the trunk ‘drill & fill’ and Roundup® Renew foliar studies were visually assessed for bud and shoot development and compared with those from the remaining vines in the respective untreated control.

Three studies were undertaken in a Hawke’s Bay research block, which contained 528 Chardonnay vines planted in 1993. Pre-study enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing for leafroll virus was undertaken on a selection of vines in the block (n=78; 14.8%); all samples were virus-positive. This result suggests most, if not all, of the vines were infected with leafroll virus.

The research comprised three studies.

Stump-applied Roundup® Renew Roundup® Renew (50 ml/L of water) was applied to cut stumps (and the two studies below) on 7 January 2010, with the process repeated on 19 March 2010 on vines in the other half of the block. The trunk of each vine was cut just above ground and a vertical hole drilled to create a reservoir. To each stump, 50 ml of solution was applied within 10-15 seconds of cutting. In all three studies, Pulse® Penetrant (3 ml/L) was added to the solution.

Trunk ‘drill and fill’ with Roundup® Renew With a syringe, Roundup® Renew (50 ml/L of water) was injected into the trunk through holes drilled at a 45° angle around the graft union (15 ml of solution per trunk).

Foliar-applied Roundup® Renew Roundup® Renew was applied using a backpack sprayer at one of three concentrations (20, 30 and 40 ml/L of water) just before the point of run-off (c. 5 L per 100 m of vine row).

Root extraction Vine roots were removed from half the study block on 6 July 2010 and from the other half of the block on 19 September 2010 (6 months after the respective herbicide applications). Root samples were sent to Plant & Food Research in Auckland, where three samples from each vine were ELISA tested (n=12 samples per treatment

Vine performance

Results Root samples, readily recovered from a soil depth of c. 200-300 mm, were suitable for ELISA testing.

Tests for leafroll virus revealed that at least 67% of all root samples were virus-positive, independent of the rate at which Roundup® Renew was used, the delivery method, and the timing of its application In the trunk ‘drill & fill’ study, bud and shoot development was observed in all the remaining vines from both the January and March applications, although shoot and leaf development was stunted compared with the untreated control vines. Among those vines in January to which Roundup® Renew was applied to the foliage, no bud development was observed among the three treatments; in the March application group, extensive bud and some limited shoot development (5-10 mm in length) was observed in each of the three foliar treatments.

Discussion One of the goals of this research was to determine if leafroll virus persisted in remnant roots after treating vines with Roundup® Renew either early in the season during a period of active vine growth, or later in the season when active growth had ceased. The results showed the disease was detected up to 6 months post-treatment, independent of the rate at which Roundup® Renew was applied, the time of its application and the delivery method.

Field observations undertaken in New Zealand and by Gerhard Pietersen in South

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 103

Africa, supported by my own research findings showing poor outcomes following glyphosate use, prompted New Zealand Winegrowers to recently revise the “Vine removal and leafroll virus” fact sheet (NZVE 108)(accessed via http://wineinf.nzwine.com/factsheets.asp).

Changes recommend discontinuing the use of glyphosate on virus-infected vines and instead, they suggest targeting subterranean mealybug populations on the roots of these vines by applying a soil drench of a systemic insecticide such as Confidor® or Nuprid® (active ingredient, imidacloprid).

The industry focus of using glyphosate on virus-infected vines was understandable because it has the benefit of being inactivated on contact with the soil. However, the absence of a specific label claim for grapevines on any of the glyphosate-based products suggests some uncertainty around its suitability as part of the leafroll virus management programme.

Also of concern is the apparent contradiction between the way in which glyphosate has traditionally been used on grapevines and what is recommended in the literature as best practice for woody plant species (see New Zealand Novachem Agrichemical Manual edited by S. Young, 2009).

For those plants for which a glyphosate label claim does exist, it is explicitly stated as being active only through green plant tissue and that it is applied during times of active plant growth when the plant is not under any drought stress and where clean foliage exists. From my observations, these requirements are rarely adhered to: glyphosate is frequently swabbed onto cut stumps, usually in autumn but sometimes in winter. Where the foliage is sprayed, applications are postharvest, coinciding with vine shutdown and when drought stress and/or poor leaf condition are likely to significantly affect product efficacy.

Although this study demonstrated that Roundup® Renew applied early in the season to the foliage of actively growing vines resulted in no bud development the following season, the result did not mean Roundup® Renew ‘killed’ the vines and indeed, leafroll virus was not eliminated from the remnant roots. The risk posed is that herbicide-treated remnant roots persisting for prolonged periods could continue to support mealybug colonies. Movement by viruliferous mealybugs from remnant

104

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■ Positive for leafroil virus

■ Inconclusive

■ Leafroil virus not detected

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Figure 1. Results of ELISA tests in the three studies, showing the status of leafroll virus in grapevine roots sampled 6 months after applications of Roundup® Renew in January 2010 (top) and March 2010 (lower). Three root samples from each of the four vines removed per treatment were ELISA tested (n=12 samples per treatment per sample date).

No mealybugs were found on the root samples.

roots to re-planted vines could explain, at least in part, observations of renewed incidence of leafroll virus. For this reason, I support the recommendation in the New Zealand Winegrowers fact sheet that growers remove as much of the root system of infected vines as possible so as to minimise the localised reservoir of virusinfected plant material.

The potential of the remnant root, mealybug movement pathway to exacerbate the problem of leafroll virus is the subject of research currently underway.

Once the results are known they will be communicated to the sector and where appropriate, recommendations will be further developed or altered to reflect changes to our understanding around the use of herbicide and/or the removal of remnant vine roots.

Recommendations The Roundup® Renew results described

should be considered alongside the existing knowledge and recommendations of the optimal time and conditions for its use (as described by Young (2009, see above)) and the New Zealand Winegrowers fact sheet, Vine removal and leafroll virus (NZVE 108; revised February 2011).

Based on the results of these studies, the practice of applying glyphosate to cut vine stumps or directly onto vine foliage did not eliminate leafroll virus from remnant roots.

It remains to be seen if Roundup® Renew is capable of creating a ‘barrier’ with the potential to inhibit mealybug settlement, feeding and leafroll virus acquisition from infected remnant roots.

Protocols arising out of this research will in time be communicated to sector stakeholders.

In the meantime, it is recommended growers err on the side of caution when removing

virus-infected vines, to ensure that as much of the root system as practicable is targeted for removal and careful disposal.

Acknowledgements I gratefully acknowledge the financial assist-

ance of The Bragato Trust Research Fellowship.

I am especially grateful to the assistance offered by two of the trustees; Kevyn Moore and Ross Goodin. My thanks are due to my employer, Plant & Food Research, for allowing me to use

(and terminate) the Chardonnay vines, and for the technical assistance of Dr Jim Walker, Dr Dan Cohen, Arnaud Blouin, Jo and Tony Hamilton (Plant & Food Research) and Bernard Harris (Dow AgroSciences (NZ) Limited).

Saccharomyces uvarum causes Weissbierlike aroma in Sauvignon Blanc Sandra Wilson, Soon Lee, Keith Richards, Richard Gardner - Wine Science Programme, The University of Auckland, Flo Bouda – Delegat’s Wine Estate, Hamish Clark - Saint Clair Family Estate, Matt Thomson – Kiwi-Oeno

Testers identifying WLA in sample wines (total = 16)

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

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The Gardner Laboratory at the University of Auckland has been investigating strains of Saccharomyces uvarum yeast (previously known as S. bayanus, see Box 1) which were isolated from several New Zealand wineries. The work arose when Marlborough winemakers commented that the aromas from some Sauvignon Blanc ferments were reminiscent of the German-style beer “Weissbier” (white beer) and exhibited reduced fruityness. Other descriptors of the aroma in these ferments varied from “clove-like”, “yeasty”, “oyster shell“, “salty”, to “melted plastic” and “cheesy”. We use the term “weissbier-like aroma” (WLA) to describe this phenomenon as it seems to be recognized by most of those who are familiar with both the beer and the aroma in wine.

Yeast species present in ferments with and without WLA were analyzed. A particular species of yeast, Saccharomyces uvarum, occurred at higher concentrations in many of the ferments with WLA. However, the same species was also found at lower levels in a wide range of Sauvignon Blanc wines from Marlborough.

We therefore set out to test whether the presence of high concentrations S. uvarum in the ferment caused WLA. There is much confusion about the name S. uvarum, see Box 1. However, there is agreement that S. uvarum ferments well at cold temperatures. In particular, it ferments well in a range from 6 to 30°C, whilst S. cerevisiae is better adapted to 15 to 35°C. At 13°C, S. uvarum displays a shorter lag phase, higher cell viability and better ability to complete fermentation

S. uvarum wines

S. cerevisiae wines

Figure 1. Sensory tests show that wines made using S. uvarum score higher for Weissbier-like aroma (WLA) that those made with S. cerevisiae.

than S. cerevisiae. In addition, S. uvarum has other properties that are of potential interest for winemaking. S. uvarum strains generally produce less alcohol, less acetic acid and more glycerol than S. cerevisiae. They also produce high levels of the volatile thiols, 3MH 3MHA and 4MMP, which are important for the varietal aroma of Sauvignon Blanc.

In our research, we have purified over 100 isolates from wineries in Marlborough, characterized them by DNA sequence as S. uvarum and crossed them with each other. The progeny were assessed for cold and warm fermentation ability, alcohol resistance, sulphite resistance and production of hydrogen sulphide. Four indi-

vidual candidates of S. uvarum were then used to ferment 750ml triplicates of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc juice, along with four control ferments of commercial S. cerevisiae strains.

The resulting wine was racked and bottled, after SO2 addition and settling with bentonite.

A sensory trial to assess the correlation of fermentation with S. uvarum and WLA in the resulting wine was conducted with winemakers from Delegat’s Wine Estate, Kumeu River Wines, Saint Clair Family Estate Wines and Kiwi-Oeno, as well as researchers from the University of Auckland. Wines were randomly labeled in a double blind manner, with some sample duplication. Samples were assessed

NZ WINEGROWER OCT/NOV 2011 // 105

by aroma only, using black glass “blind tasting” wine glasses. Participants were asked to identify the wines that possessed WLA or, if they were unfamiliar with WLA, those that were “different”.

The results, shown in Figure 1, demonstrated that all four S. uvarum wines were identified as having WLA by most of the 16 testers. In contrast, the four S. cerevisiae wines scored much lower for WLA. The four testers with the most experience of WLA identified the wines made with S. uvarum as having WLA 100% of the time. These results provide strong support for the idea that fermentation by S. uvarum is responsible for the WLA noted in some Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines.In addition to the aroma test, a blind taste test was undertaken on the wines with the same subjects. Wines were ranked for quality using a modified UC Davis score sheet. The results showed a divergence in preference, with two kinds of tasters. Wines made with S. cerevisiae were generally preferred by tasters who liked the classic fruity Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, while wines made with S. uvarum scored more highly with tasters who liked a more old-worldstyle white wine with more savoury flavours and less varietal emphasis. Anecdotal reports

What’s in a name?

1. Scientific confusion: The most recent recommendation is that there are three pure species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae – the wine yeast (also used for bread, ales, sake, spirits); S. uvarum – a cold-tolerant species of yeast often found in wine and cider; previously called S. bayanus or S. bayanus var uvarum; S. eubayanus – a recently discovered species of yeast from Patagonia.

Plus there are two different kinds of hybrids used in beer and bread making: S. pastorianus (also called S. carlsbergensis) – the lager yeast, a hybrid of S. eubayanus x S. cerevisiae S. bayanus – a name restricted to other hybrids between two or more of the species above.

2. Commercial mislabeling: Many cold-tolerant commercial wine yeast (such as EC1118, QA23, V1116) have in the past been sold with the label “bayanus”. Invariably these are in fact S. cerevisiae. However, more recently one genuine “uvarum” species (AWRI 1176) and a hybrid (S6U) have been sold.

indicate consumers may be similarly divergent in their preference for these aromas.

Our work has shown that wines fermented with S. uvarum are clearly different from those made with S. cerevisiae, and are perceived as having WLAs. The wines were scored both

Using temperature to control the growth of S. uvarum in ferments To encourage dominance of S. uvarum and to produce wines with WLA, winemakers should not inoculate with a commercial strain, but perform a wild or spontaneous ferment. S. uvarum is a natural component of the yeast flora in many parts of Marlborough - like S. cerevisiae it is capable of ‘growing through’ other strains present in juice and coming to dominate the later stages of fermentation. Growth of uvarum will be promoted by holding the juice at cold temperatures for an extended period and by keeping the temperature of the fermentation low (less than 10°C) throughout the yeast growth phase (before about 30% sugar loss). To reduce growth of S. uvarum and prevent it from dominating the later stages of fermentation, the opposite approach is needed. Juice should not be held at low temperatures for extended times before fermentation. Commercial yeast should be added to at least the recommended inoculum level, the earlier the better. If fermentation has started and WLA is detected, increase fermentation temperature to 20°C or even warmer, in order to help S. cerevisiae to “win the race” and complete the ferment – but such warming will only have an effect if it is performed before about 10% sugar loss, while the yeast are still in the active growth phase.

favourably and unfavourably by different experienced tasters.

Based on current knowledge, Box 2 gives suggestions to assist winemakers with either promoting or reducing the influence of S. uvarum in ferments, depending on the style of Sauvignon Blanc desired.

A major chemical component of weissbier aroma is 4-vinyl guaiacol. However, initial chemical analysis of four pairs of Sauvignon Blanc ferments with and without WLA showed no differences in the concentration of this compound. We currently do not know what aroma compounds are associated with WLA in wine.

The next stage of our work will be sensory testing and laboratory analysis of aroma compound profiles unique to S. uvarum that may cause WLA and the identification of the chemicals responsible.

We will also undertake larger scale ferments in several varieties of grape juice to explore the potential of S. uvarum yeast in other varietals and particularly in red wines.

Acknowledgements: We thank the wineries who sent samples for yeast analysis, the members of the sensory panel for their assessment of the wines, and Andy Frost of Pernod Ricard New Zealand for supplying grape juice for fermentation.

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