ISSUE NO. 348 / DEC 2023
SHOW CELEBRATION
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MARLBOROUGH WINE
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
WINERY WASTE
CLIMATE ACTION
Photo: Jim Tannock
marlboroughwinenz.com
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this issue...
REGULARS
FEATURES
3 4
10 Celebrating Marlborough
Editorial - Sophie Preece Vantage Point From the Chair
: Climate Action - 18 Q&A Catherine van der Meulen Watch 20 Biosecurity Kerrie Hopkins
22 Industry News 24 Wine Happenings Cover: The Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 was Champion Wine at the Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. “Even though Marlborough is synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc, and that definitely paves the way, there’s plenty to be sung about in other varietals,” says winemaker Jeremy McKenzie. Photo Jim Tannock. See page 11
Marlborough’s wine industry paid homage to 50 years of foresight, innovation and collaboration at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Evening Honouring 50 years of Marlborough Wine.
14
13 Lifetime Achievement
Four Marlborough wine industry pioneers – James Healy, Dave Pearce, Tessa Anderson, and Murray Gibbons – have been awarded a Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award.
16 Winery Waste
As a whole, Marlborough wine companies improved their winery waste record in the 2023 vintage, with 13 non-compliant wineries, down from 19 in 2022. However, one winery has been fined and issued an abatement notice following significant non-compliance
18
Winepress December 2023 / 1
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General Manager: Marcus Pickens 03 577 9299 or 021 831 820 marcus@winemarlborough.nz Editor: Sophie Preece 027 308 4455 sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz Marketing and Communications: Sarah Linklater 021 704 733 sarah@winemarlborough.nz Events Manager: Loren Coffey loren@winemarlborough.nz Advocacy Manager: Nicci Armour advocacy@winemarlborough.nz Advertising: Joanna May advertising@winemarlborough.nz Grape Grower Directors: Andrew Nation nationa@gmail.com Bryn Cotching breezemere@hotmail.com Michiel Eradus michiel@eraduswines.co.nz Nigel Sowman nigel@dogpoint.co.nz Tracy Johnston tracy@dayvinleigh.co.nz Wine Company Directors: Beth Forrest beth@forrest.co.nz Damien Yvon damien@closhenri.com Drew Ellis drew@mggcoop.co.nz James Macdonald james@hunters.co.nz Jamie Marfell Jamie.Marfell@pernod-ricard.com Designed by: Blenheim Print Ltd 03 578 1322
Disclaimer: The views and articles that
are expressed and appear in Winepress are entirely those of contributors and in no way reflect the policy of the Marlborough Winegrowers. Any advice given, implied or suggested should be considered on its merits, and no responsibility can be taken for problems arising from the use of such information. This document is printed on an environmentally responsible paper, produced using elemental chlorine free (EFC), third party pulp from responsible sources, manufactured under the strict ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and is 100% Recyclable.
From the Editor WHEN THE Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards are announced each year, I always wonder how they can choose just one person – sometimes two – from a field so packed with contenders. From its earliest days in 1973, 50 years ago this year, the region’s wine industry has attracted exceptional people who’ve done exceptional things, and so many of them could rightfully accept this accolade. This year the choice proved too difficult to narrow down to one or even two, and our region has four new recipients – winemakers James Healy and Dave Pearce, wine journalist and author Tessa Anderson, and wine and grape truck driver Murray Gibbons, who have each demonstrated tireless dedication to the industry over decades of work. There’s too much to say about the four to fit their profiles in this edition, so the stories of James and Murray will run in the January edition. Much of this Winepress is focused on the Marlborough Wine Celebration Evening, which also celebrated 50 years since the beginning of the modern Marlborough wine industry. The impact of that industry on the global wine world was laid out in poetic detail by wine legend Oz Clarke at the recent New Zealand Winegrowers Wine Business Forum, before he travelled to Marlborough to help judge the Legacy category of the Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. Oz told the forum attendees the story of his first taste of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, on February 1, 1984, at New Zealand House in London. Via that Montana Sauvignon Blanc 1983 from Marlborough (“on the table on the left just inside the doorway”) New Zealand “was introducing itself to the world”, he said. "And my wine world would never be the same again. The whole wine world would never be the same again. And all because of a wine grown in a region no one had ever heard of in a country no one knew made wine.” He's been singing its praises for 40 years,, but I’ll never tire of Oz “beating the drum”, for New Zealand wine. Ten years after that tasting, in October 1993, Oz gave keynote speech at the New York Wine Experience, where he talked of climate change and the risks it posed the wine regions of the world. The room emptied of almost every attendee as he spoke, while four people moved to the front row, including Miguel Torres, who co-founded International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) in 2019. IWCA now has dozens of member companies around the world, including Yealands Estate in Marlborough, one of the founding supporters of Climate Action Week Marlborough, which works to galvanise businesses into knowing more and doing better when it comes to climate change. Catherine van der Meulen answers some questions about the event on page 18. This edition also looks at the 2023 winery waste report for Marlborough, which I found disappointing reading. Many of the breaches are “technical”, which means there are no adverse environment effects. But there are plenty of repeat offenders. If wine companies are truly committed to doing better for the environment, meeting the rules around winery compliance seems a fairly fundamental place to start. SOPHIE PREECE
Winepress December 2023 / 3
EDUCATE
Vantage Point From the Chair BETH FORREST
2023 MARKS 50 years of grape growing in Marlborough, offering opportunity to reflect on how our industry has developed and changed. The past year has reminded us of the cyclical nature of farming, with another record harvest for our region followed by a slowing rate of sales, with global economic uncertainty. There will be cautiousness as we head towards 2024 and we may well see more change afoot in our dynamic industry. We were all thankful that Marlborough was spared some of the devastating weather that our counterparts in parts of the North Island experienced in January and February. With a settled weather pattern arriving for our run into harvest, we were thrilled with the quality we received. Tessa Anderson captured the essence of our first 50
4 / Winepress December 2023
years with her newly published book, 50 Years, 50 Stories, which shares many of the milestones that have seen the Marlborough wine region grow to be internationally famous. The memories and stories shared in Winepress, and the creation of a comprehensive timeline on our website, have added depth to our history. To top it off, the industry came together for our Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Evening – honouring 50 years of Marlborough Wine.
GROW
The Marlborough Wine brand was launched for all to use this year, after significant consultation with members and other stakeholders. Wine Marlborough Ltd remains our trading name, as does Marlborough Winegrowers, but Marlborough Wine is what we are all here to advance. We have unified our public-facing activities under this banner to tie them together more effectively. We are attentive to members’ perspectives and launched a comprehensive member survey. There was agreement with our purpose, strategy and alignment with members’ needs, while other areas were flagged as requiring further focus, such as the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and ethical work standards, bringing members together, and highlighting industry good. We continue our focus on water issues, paying close attention to the progress of the Marlborough Environment Plan water quality and quantity chapters through mediation, and now the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM). Thank you to the guidance of local law firm Gascoigne Wicks and members who spared significant time at mediation, where good results were achieved. Close collaboration with the Marlborough District Council (MDC) to assist them with their requirement to meet the obligations of the NPS-FM has been the recent priority and will continue. Two other important projects have been Circular Wine and workforce planning. Members have stepped up and led these workstreams, and have provided valuable expertise and knowledge. We are grateful for MDC assistance with Circular Wine, which has enabled facilitation to scope and establish the group as part of the Smart + Connected programme. The Circular Wine steering committee is working towards a collective effort to drive the industry and region towards a strong, circular position. There will be plenty of opportunities for industry members to get behind this, with the establishment of working groups and a wider Circular Wine network in the next 6 months. The workforce project is a significant advocacy challenge. Our steering group quickly identified that a lack of quality data about current and future skills, along with changing workforce pressures, would limit outcomes. Within a
AnnualReport WINE MARLBOROUGH LTD
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short period of time a provider and funding had been secured to launch what is now a national data gathering exercise. It is the most expensive research project we have undertaken, and thanks must be given to the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme, part of Kānoa – the Regional Economic Development division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand Winegrowers, and the Marlborough Research Centre Trust for funding assistance. The information and insights from this project will be shared with all industry members and stakeholders. It will be a valuable platform for fulfilling the workforce steering group’s mandate to develop a longterm workforce plan that supports the sustainability of Marlborough’s wine industry. This Chair’s Report is from the Marlborough Winegrowers Association 2023 Annual Report. Find it at marlboroughwinenz.com/annual-reports
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Winepress December 2023 / 5
MET REPORT Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – November 2023 Nov 2023
Nov 2023 LTA
Nov Period of LTA
Nov 2022
GDD’s for: Month - Max/Min1 156.8 104% 151.4 (1996-2022) 194.2 Month – Mean2 152.8 101% 151.0 (1996-2022) 185.0 Growing Degree Days Total Jul - Nov 23 – Max/Min 333.6 98% 341.7 (1996-2022) 419.8 Jul - Nov 23 – Mean 396.8 101% 393.4 (1996-2022) 450.3 Mean Maximum (°C) 21.1 +1.1°C 20.0 (1986-2022) 21.3 Mean Minimum (°C) 9.4 -0.2°C 9.6 (1986-2022) 11.7 Mean Temp (°C) 15.2 +0.4°C 14.8 (1986-2022) 16.5 Grass Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 0 0.47 (1986-2022) 0 Air Frosts (0.0°C) 0 Equal 0.0 (1986-2022) 0 Sunshine hours 244.3 102% 239.3 (1986-2022) 239.3 Sunshine hours – lowest 158.9 1985 Sunshine hours – highest 322.5 1997 Sunshine hours total – 2023 2247.3 99.5% 2258.7 (1986-2022) 2242.6 Rainfall (mm) 22.4 45% 49.6 (1986-2022) 72.6 Rainfall (mm) – lowest 4.6 1930 Rainfall (mm) – highest 154.6 1999 Rainfall total (mm) – 2023 447.8 75% 590.6 (1986-2022) 781.8 Evapotranspiration – mm 128.5 105% 122.5 (1996-2022) 128.6 Avg. Daily Windrun (km) 229.7 79% 291.4 (1996-2022) 254.4 Mean soil temp – 10cm 16.6 +1.5°C 15.1 (1986-2022) 16.3 Mean soil temp – 30cm 17.0 +0.3°C 16.7 (1986-2022) 17.1 1 GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures 2 GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures
Air Temperature November’s mean temperature of 15.2°C was 0.3°C above the long-term average (LTA) temperature for November. Weekly temperatures oscillated up and down quite a lot during the month. With an above average mean maximum and below
average mean minimum, the average daily range in temperature of 11.7°C was 1.3°C above the LTA. The hottest maximum air temperature of 30.0°C was recorded on 23rd November. This was the hottest November day since 26th November 2019, which recorded 30.8°C. The coldest minimum air temperature of 3.4°C was recorded on both 11th and 26th November. The coldest minimum grass temperature of -0.9°C was recorded on 11th November.
Sunshine Blenheim recorded 244.3 hours sunshine in November, 102% of the LTA. Total sunshine for the 11 months January to November 2023 was 2247.3 hours, 99.5% of the LTA.
Rainfall November’s rainfall total of 22.4 mm was 45% of the LTA. Total rainfall for the 11 months January to November 2023 was 447.8 mm; 75% of the LTA of 595.7 mm. In marked contrast, January to November 2022 recorded 781.8 mm, or 186.1 mm more rainfall. The 3-month spring rainfall (September - November) total of 103.2 mm was 65% of the LTA. However, the low spring rainfall followed on from very low rainfall over winter (June August) of only 70.2 mm. Total rainfall for the 6-months June to November
Table 2: Weekly weather data during November 2023 Mean Mean Max Mean Min Rainfall Sunshine (°C) Deviation (°C) (°C) (mm) (hours) 1st - 7th 15.5 (+0.6) 21.0 (+1.0) 9.9 (+0.2) 9.8 46.6 8th - 14th 14.4 (-0.5) 20.4 (+0.4) 8.3 (-1.4) 2.8 60.5 15th - 21st 16.5 (+1.6) 21.9 (+1.9) 11.1 (+1.4) 3.4 50.4 22nd - 28th 15.0 (+0.1) 21.7 (+1.7) 8.4 (-1.3) 6.4 79.2 29th – 30th (2 days) 13.5 (-1.4) 18.3 (-1.7) 8.8 (-0.9) 0.0 7.6 1st – 30th 15.2 21.1 9.4 22.4 244.3 November 2023 (+0.3) (+1.1) (-0.3) (45%) (102%) November LTA 14.9 20.0 9.7 50.2 239.8 (1986 – 2022) LTA – Long Term Average 6 / Winepress December 2023
Wind-run (km) 194.6 247.1 233.4 257.1 183.0 229.7 79% 290.0
The 3-month spring rainfall (September - November) total of 103.2 mm was 65% of the LTA. However, the low spring rainfall followed on from very low rainfall over winter (June - August) of only 70.2 mm. Total rainfall for the 6-months June to November 2023 was 173.4 mm, 49% of the LTA total of 356.7 mm. (Figure 1). Blenheim’s LTA annual rainfall total is 644.1 mm (1986-2022). With only one month to go in 2023, if December receives low rainfall, it looks as if total rainfall for 2023 will be among the 10 lowest years on record, for the 94 years 1930 to 2023. 2023 was 173.4 mm, 49% of the LTA total of 356.7 mm. (Figure 1). Blenheim’s LTA annual rainfall total is 644.1 mm (19862022). With only one month to go in 2023, if December receives low rainfall, it looks as if total rainfall for 2023 will be
Figure 1: 10 Blenheim’s and rainfall, to November 2023, compared to the long-term among the lowest years monthly on record, for thetotal 94 years 1930 to January 2023. average Figure 1: Blenheim’s monthly and total rainfall, January to November 2023, compared to the long-term average 100
600
Monthly rainfall (mm)
400
60
300 40
200
20
0
100
Jan
Feb
Mar
LTA Month
Apr
May
Jun
Monthly Rain 2023
Soil Moisture
Jul
Aug
LTA Total
Sep
Oct
Nov
Cumulative rainfall (mm)
500
80
0
Total Rain 2023
during the month that recorded above the LTA daily windrun of 290 km. However, the 4-days from 13 to 16 November all recorded above average wind-run.
Shallow soil moisture (0 to 35 cm depth) at the Grovetown Soil Moisture Park weather station on 1 November 2023 was 25.8%, Shallow soil moisture (0 to 35 cm depth) at the Grovetown Park weather station on 1 November 2023 was Water Deficit slightly below the average value at the start of November 25.8%, slightly below the average value at the start ofWith November 2022)and ofslightly 27.1%.above With low rainfall well below(2003 averagetorainfall average (2003 to 2022) of 27.1%. With low rainfall during the month during the month the soil moisture had fallen to 17.5% by 30 November, which was well below the LTA on the soil moisture had fallen to 17.5% by 30 November, which evapotranspiration during November the total water deficit 30 November of LTA 21.9%. the endofof21.9%. November little was available moisture in the for was November well above average left at -106.1 mm.topsoil, The LTAas it is was well below the on 30At November At the there bone by thethere timewas it reaches about 14.5%. the reason thatwater lawns dried out essentially fairly rapidly during the is -76.3 mm. The deficit amount tells you end ofdry November little available moisture leftHence in latter half of November. how much water would need to be applied from irrigation, the topsoil, as it is bone dry by the time it reaches about 14.5%. Hence the reason that lawns dried out fairly rapidly Wind during Run the latter half of November.
in order to keep a pasture sward actively growing.
of media attention on the current El Niño weather pattern and how this should mean more predominant westerly winds for Marlborough and the east coast. However, while it may seem as if there were quite a lot of windy days during November, that was not the case. There were only 5-days
November 2023 was 65.2 mm lower than the LTA. If you look at the graph a LTA value of -214.1 mm does not occur until 24 December. The red line for 2023 is a reflection of the low rainfall over the 6-months June to October 2023, as previously outlined.
Seasonal water balance Wind Run Average daily wind run during November 2023 was 229.7 km, on 79% of theoccasions LTA wind-run forwater November of As outlined previous the seasonal balance graph 2) displays the between 290.0 km. The windiest dayNovember of the month was 13 November, with(Figure total wind-run of difference 454 km and average Average daily wind run during 2023 was 229.7 a 3-month running total of rainfall minus a 3-month wind speed ofLTA 18.9 km/hr.forThe calmest the month was 6 November, with total wind run of 138 km km, 79% of the wind-run November of day 290.0of km. running totalwind of evapotranspiration. It allows readers The average windiest day of the month November, with total maximum and wind speed of was 5.7513 km/hr. The absolute speed during the month wasto56.5 km/hr see how the water deficit compares with both the LTA and wind-run of 454 km and average wind speed of 18.9 km/hr. recorded on 24 November. There has been a lot of media attention on the current El Niño weather pattern previous recent seasons. The data in table 3 outline The how calmest day of the month 6 November, with total and this should meanwas more predominant westerly winds for Marlborough and the east coast.what However, the water balance was on 30 November, for the four wind run of 138seem km and speed of 5.75 while it may as average if therewind were quite a lotkm/hr. of windyvalue days during November, that was not the case. There years 2020 to 2023, compared to the LTA. From the table The absolute maximum wind speed during the month was were only 5-days during the month that recorded above the LTA daily wind-run of 290 km. However, the 4we can calculate that the water balance of -214.1 on 30 56.5 km/hr recorded on 24 November. There has been a lot days from 13 to 16 November all recorded above average wind-run.
Winepress December 2023 / 7
As outlined on previous occasions the seasonal water balance graph (Figure 2) displays the difference between a 3-month running total of rainfall minus a 3-month running total of evapotranspiration. It allows readers to see how the water deficit compares with both the LTA and previous recent seasons. The data in table 3 outline what value the water balance was on 30 November, for the four years 2020 to 2023, compared to the LTA. From the table we can calculate that the water balance of -214.1 on 30 November 2023 was 65.2 mm lower than the LTA. If you look at the graph a LTA value of -214.1 mm does not occur until 24 December. The red line for 2023 is a reflection of the low rainfall over the 6-months June to October 2023, as previously outlined.
Table 3. Seasonal water balance on 30 November Table 3. Seasonal water balance on 30 November
YearYearWater WaterBalance Balance 20232023 -214.1 -214.1 20222022 -188.9 -188.9 2021 -183.2 20212020 -152.4 -183.2 2020LTA -148.9 -152.4 LTA -148.9
Figure 2: Seasonal water balance for Blenheim: difference between 3-month totals of rainfall and
Figure 2: Seasonal water balance for Blenheim: difference between 3-month totals of rainfall and potential evapotranspiration potential evapotranspiration 400
Average
350
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24 Accumulated water surplus
300 250 200
Water balance (mm)
150 100
50 0
-50 -100
-150 -200
-250 -300
Accumulated potential deficit
-350 -400
-450 1-Jul
1-Aug
1-Sep
1-Oct
1-Nov
1-Dec
1-Jan
Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research / Marlborough Research Centre
1-Feb
1-Mar
Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research – Marlborough Research Centre
8 / Winepress December 2023
1-Apr
1-May
1-Jun
CELEBRATE Matt Lambert
Homegrown Festival Drax headlines Wine & Food Fest
A GLASS of sublime wine, a plate of delectable food, and the sounds of Kiwi-grown R&B on a summer’s day; the 2024 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival is shaping up to be a cracker. There’s an exciting line-up for the 37th festival, to be held at Renwick Domain on February 10, with reggae-fusion band Sons of Zion joining AACACIA and headline act Drax Project, whose unique pop R&B sound has seen them supporting Ed Sheeran and touring Europe with Christina Aguilera. “Drax Project are an in-demand live act and we are delighted to bring them to Marlborough,” says Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens. “We love to support New Zealand born-and-bred musical acts and can’t wait to see these artists bring their best to the festival.” The Culinary Pavilion is also a hot ticket at the upcoming festival, with celebrated chef Matt Lambert set to showcase his seafood styles with locally grown Ōra King Salmon. Matt is another homegrown success story, having held a Michelin star at his successful New York restaurant, The Musket Room, from 2013 to 2020, before returning to New Zealand to become executive chef of The Lodge Bar Group. Drax “Chef Lambert is extremely wellregarded for his holistic approach to cooking and attention to detail, and we are so excited to have him
on board for the 2024 festival,” says Marcus. “He brings a global flavour to New Zealand kaimoana.” Having had their appetite whet at one of the cooking demonstrations, festival goers can sate it at one of the dozens of wineries, food trucks and pop-up restaurants on site. Marcus says the festival organisers look to offer new and exciting music, culinary presentations, and Masterclasses each year, along with the best of Marlborough wine. “What I love about Marlborough is the wide-ranging appreciation for this annual festival. Marlborough is worldrenowned for its wine, and our reputation for excellent locally produced food is on the rise. We know it, and so do people across the region who make this a regular summer holiday highlight.” It’s also a heritage event, as the longest-running food and wine festival in the country. “People know that we are onto a winning formula after 36 years. By making amazing wine and food the stars of the show, you can’t help but have a great time.”
The wealth of the sea to soil & plant.
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The vitamin and mineral content of TCKP Natural Kelp Tea analysed by Cawthron Research Institute | September 2012 Analysis
Result
Units
Crude Protein
0.6
g/100
Aluminium
5.5
mg/kg
Arsenic
2.6
mg/kg
Boron
4.8
mg/kg
Copper
15
mg/kg
Iron
24
mg/kg
Magnesium
290
mg/kg
Nickel
0.66
mg/kg
Phosphorus
120
mg/kg
Potassium
3000
mg/kg
Rubidium
1.2
mg/kg
Strontium
22
mg/kg
Zinc
7.0
mg/kg
Winepress December 2023 / 9
CELEBRATE
Marlborough Wine Show Celebration
Ivan Sutherland and Jane Hunter Photo Richard Briggs
Fifty years of foresight, innovation and collaboration KAT DUGGAN
IN 50 short years, the Marlborough wine industry has exceeded the wildest dreams of some of its founding members. Nearly 300 people gathered to celebrate the milestone anniversary at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Evening - Honouring 50 years of Marlborough Wine, last month. Emceed by Beth Forrest, general manager of Forrest Wines and chair of the Marlborough Winegrowers Association, the evening was a chance to reminisce on 50 years gone by and acknowledge how far the industry has come. Throughout the evening, Beth interviewed two panels of three Marlborough wine industry pioneers, including viticulturist Ivan Sutherland, who first planted grapes in the region in the late 1970s. “It’s remarkable what has happened in 50 years … you wouldn’t have imagined in your wildest dreams that there would be 30,000 hectares [of grapes] in this valley,” he said. The five other panellists included Phil Rose of Rose Family Estate (Wairau River), Bill Spence of Matua Wines, Jamie Marfell of Pernod Ricard (Montana), Jane Hunter of Hunter’s Wines, and Dr John Forrest of Forrest Wines. A key theme among them all was that collaboration and knowledge-sharing had been integral to the success of the industry. “The camaraderie that we had in the industry in those early days is still here and I am pleased to see a number of young people here,” Ivan said. “We’re an industry that is very helpful to each other and we have an environment that we’ve just got to make sure that we keep hold of.” Each of the panellists was among the first to break ground for grapes in the region; Montana leading the way with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “In 1980, I think it was, Montana’s first Sauvignon Blanc just blew us away,” Bill said. “It was just incredible … it was just totally different from the wines that we were making, which were more melony in character, and these guys got it right", Despite already producing Sauvignon Blanc in 10 / Winepress December 2023
“The camaraderie that we had in the industry in those early days is still here.” Ivan Sutherland Auckland, the success of Montana’s first go was enough to entice Bill and his brother Ross to expand Matua Wines into Marlborough. “Sauvignon Blanc just showed so much potential and, in those days, Müller-Thurgau was the big thing and we just needed something that was different,” Bill said. The anniversary dinner was also a chance to celebrate some of the region’s best wines, with the presentation of 22 trophies from the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. In presenting the awards, chief judge Stu Marfell acknowledged the work of early pioneers in enabling today’s Marlborough wine producers to continue pushing the boundaries and making an impression across the globe. “We owe a lot to those guys who were willing to get stuck in and give it a go. And look where we are now – we make some of the most amazing wines here in Marlborough and the diversity of our sites, soils and varieties is worth celebrating.” Isabel Estate was the company of the night, picking up six different trophies, including QuayConnect Champion Wine of the Show, which was awarded to the Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021, which also won the De Sangosse NZ Champion Current Vintage Pinot Noir, The Coterie Wine of Provenance, and Wine Marlborough Ltd Champion Wairau Valley wine. >
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Winning Pinot Noir a glimpse of the future SOPHIE PREECE If it weren’t for a last-minute career change, Jeremy McKenzie might be solving crimes not crafting wines. Isabel Estate’s award-winning winemaker had already completed a post graduate diploma in forensic science when he opted for fermentation over fingerprints. “I went down the winemaking track and it’s been an amazingly kind journey for me in the last 20 odd years based in Marlborough,” Jeremy says, fresh from winning Champion Wine at the Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, for The Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021. The wine also won the De Sangosse NZ Champion Current Vintage Pinot Noir, the Coterie Wine of Provenance, and the Wine Marlborough Ltd Champion Wairau Valley Wine. The winning wine shows how far Marlborough has come with Pinot Noir, while also offering “a glimpse into the future”, says chief judge Stu Marfell. “Pristine fruit, combined with thoughtful and sensitive winemaking has created a wine with elegance and vibrancy.” Isabel also added the Bragato Research Institute Champion Chardonnay Current Vintage to its trophy cabinet, for the Isabel Estate Marlborough Wild Barrique Chardonnay 2022, which also won Champion Chardonnay at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Aotearoa New Zealand. They also won the Bragato Research Institute Champion Chardonnay 2020 and older, for the Isabel Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2020. “It’s pretty cool to have both the Burgundian varieties of the estate doing really well,” Jeremy says. “Even though Marlborough is synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc, and that definitely paves the way, there’s plenty to be sung about in other varietals.” Jeremy grew up in the rural town of Hawarden, with a talent for science that proved useful when brewing beer as a teenager. His fascination with fermentation was fueled by trips to the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, and when he moved to Ireland, playing rugby for a season after leaving school, he spent the European summer exploring wine regions. He returned home for a science degree in microbiology and biochemistry, before choosing forensics, then wine, as a career. Jeremy did postgraduate wine studies at Lincoln University in 2001, before heading straight to Marlborough that summer, working in the vineyard at Wairau River Wines (Now Rose Family Estate) then as a cellar hand at Rapaura Vintners, where he saw a range of varietals from various companies. In 2003 he worked vintages in Burgundy, and at Virgin Hills in the Yarra Valley, while progressing to senior winemaker at Allan Scott wines. In 2006 Jeremy joined Villa Maria in Marlborough as senior winemaker, which “was the start of focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot”. He also grew a passion for
Jeremy McKenzie with the trophy for Champion Wine at the Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. Photo Jim Tannock
provenance while at Villa, working with single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine from the likes of the Taylors Pass and Seddon vineyards. It was an influential time, and when Jeremy moved to Isabel Estate in 2014, he was excited by the prospect of making wines from a unique site with a rich history, including a prediction from Cloudy Bay founder David Hohnen that Isabel Chardonnay had the potential to be “world class”. For Jeremy, who thinks Chardonnay is Marlborough’s “best hidden secret”, the words rung true. “We are lucky we have great building blocks in terms of clones and vine age,” he says of vines that are nearing 40 years, in closely planted rows that echo Burgundy. The estate had fallen into some disrepair by the time he arrived, but Jeremy threw his energy into restoring the vineyard health, and then the winemaking and barrel programme. “It was a challenging time but there’s some amazing history here.” Making single vineyard wines is a risky business as missteps can’t be fixed with outside fruit, he says. That means viticulture and picking decisions have to be right every time, particularly on the 15 hectares of organic vineyard at Isabel. “You have one shot at it.” The Chardonnay and Pinot programmes are in a very good space now, “on point” with the style he wants, and comparable to other top Chardonnay from New Zealand and abroad, including Burgundy, Tasmania, and the Yarra Valley. But there are “still plenty of goals to kick”, including growing Isabel’s sustainability measures, which already include solar, native plantings and circularity of winery waste for compost and woodlot watering. They also continue to push for new wine styles, including the use of amphora with Chardonnay, and are working on their Sauvignon Blanc, which is more textural than “punchy”, given the age of the vines. “Isabel is lucky we have amazing Chardonnay and Pinot here, but one of our goals is to keep evolving our Sauvignon.”
Winepress December 2023 / 11
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Stu said the wine was a clear standout for judges. “It showed not only how far we have come with Pinot Noir in Marlborough, but also a glimpse into the future. Pristine fruit, combined with thoughtful and sensitive winemaking has created a wine with elegance and vibrancy.” It was the second year in a row that Pinot Noir has been crowned champion wine, further solidifying Marlborough as a premium region to grow and produce world-class cool climate Pinot Noir, Stu said. “Marlborough is a winemaker’s dream. We have so many great vineyards with great soils, and now with vine age and experienced winemaking teams we are creating some of the most complex and interesting Pinot Noirs.” When receiving the award, chief winemaker Jeremy McKenzie (see page 11) acknowledged the evening’s prior speakers. “For me, it’s been a real journey over the last 20 years with the industry, and it’s just blessed with amazing people and the friendships you make along the way, whether it’s with suppliers or other winemakers, it’s really special.” He noted that he began his career with Phil Rose in 2001. “Having Phil up here is really special, and having watched their company go from strength to strength has been really cool.” In looking to the past to reflect on the future, Phil said core values of quality, innovation and collaboration
remained today. “In those early days, we didn’t quite know; we thought we had the tiger by the tail with Sauvignon Blanc, but we were just minute in the world market.” Montana got volume out, enabling the market to appreciate Sauvignon Blanc, he said. “We’ve just grown and grown from there … In the last 10 years, there’s been a huge surge in winemaking expertise, because of the sheer volume that we’ve started to produce. We really need to produce it at the top flight if we want to keep going. I’m very very optimistic for the future.” The New Zealand Wine Centre Legacy Trophy, sponsored by Marlborough Research Centre, was presented to Tohu Wines for its Tohu Rewa Méthode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2011, 2014, 2016. The award is designed to celebrate wines with pedigree, and is awarded to the wine with the highest scores from three vintage wines within a 10-year period and a minimum gap of two years between each wine. World leading wine expert Oz Clarke joined the judging panel for the Legacy award, providing an outside view on how Marlborough wines age and develop . Four wine industry pioneers, James Healy, Dave Pearce, Tessa Anderson and Murray Gibbons received Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards at the dinner, acknowledging their long service to the industry.
Trophy winners in the Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect • Vitis and Winemakers Champion Sparkling - Deutz Prestige 2017 • WineWorks Champion Sauvignon Blanc Current Vintage - Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc 2023 • WineWorks Champion Sauvignon Blanc 2022 & older - Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2022 • WineWorks Alternate Style Sauvignon Blanc - Catalina Sounds Sound of White Sauvignon Blanc 2022 • Bragato Research Institute Champion Chardonnay Current Vintage - Isabel Estate Marlborough Wild Barrique Chardonnay 2022 • Bragato Research Institute Champion Chardonnay 2020 & older - Isabel Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2020 • Label and Litho Champion Pinot Gris - Rapaura Springs Reserve Pinot Gris 2023 • Orora Limited Champion Riesling - Stoneleigh Riesling 2023 • Winebrokers New Zealand Champion Gewürztraminer - Mount Riley Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2023 • Barrel Finance & Logistics Champion Sweet Wine - Wairau River Reserve Botrytised Riesling 2022 • Move Logistics Champion Other White Wine - Saint Clair Pioneer Block 28 Camp Block Pinot Blanc 2020 • De Sangosse NZ Champion Pinot Noir Current Vintage - Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 • De Sangosse NZ Champion Pinot Noir 2020 & Older - Lawson’s Dry Hills The Pioneer Tilly’s Single Vineyard 2020 • Scenic Hotel Marlborough Champion Rosé - Babich Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2023 • Vit Management Ltd Champion Organic Wine - Zephyr Chardonnay 2020 • The Coterie Wine of Provenance - Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 • Vintech Pacific Best Low Alcohol Wine - The Doctors’ Riesling 2022 • Wine Marlborough Ltd Champion Wairau Valley - Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 • Fruitfed Supplies Champion Southern Valleys - Ara Resolute Pinot Noir 2021 • QuayConnect Champion Awatere & South Marlborough - Triplebank Sauvignon Blanc 2023 • NZ Wine Centre Legacy Award, sponsored by Marlborough Research Centre - TOHU Rewa Méthode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2011, 2014, 2016 • QuayConnect Champion Wine of the Show 2023 - Isabel Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021
12 / Winepress December 2023
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Shining a spotlight on the story teller
Tessa Anderson at the celebration. Photo Richard Briggs
SOPHIE PREECE When Tessa Anderson raised the idea of a Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award, she never dreamed she would one day receive one. “I would like to reiterate that it was for services, not for consumption,” she says with a characteristically warm laugh, having been recognised for 27 years telling extraordinary stories of the Marlborough wine industry – including as wine reporter at The Marlborough Express, a longstanding editor of Winepress magazine and Winegrower magazine, and the author of two books – Jane Hunter, Growing a Legacy, and 50 Years, 50 Stories, which was released this year to commemorate a half century of wine in the region. Tessa shines a light on the stubborn risktakers who grew a thriving industry from dusty sheep paddocks, tapping into the soils and climate that worked magic on vines, and on Sauvignon Blanc in particular. “Who would have thought at the beginning of 1973 that the planting of a few grape vines in Marlborough would turn the wine world upside down?” Tessa asks in her book. One of her motivations for the 50 Years project was to ensure the stories of people and events that forged an industry are remembered. “That was what started it off. There are so many good stories and I will still tell them.” People are at the heart of Tessa’s stories, and she’s always been inspired by the industry’s collegial attitude, whether it was the North Island wine community offering help after the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, or people here putting up their hand to support growers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle in the North Island this year. “The people have been the best thing. Everyone is so supportive of each other.” The success of the region was perfectly illustrated at the first International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration, held in Marlborough in 2016, Tessa says. “To have these amazing people like Oz Clarke and others raving about New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It suddenly really hit home what Marlborough had done, and how unique what it had done was. As person after person kept saying, ‘no one else in the world has done this’ – not in 50 years anyway.” The fifth chapter of 50 Years, 50 Stories, is dedicated to recipients of the Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award. “I am very happy they gave it to me this year and not last,” Tessa says. “Because otherwise I would have to have included myself.”
“I am very happy they gave it to me this year and not last. Because otherwise I would have to have included myself in the book.” Tessa Anderson The award began in 2007, after Tessa spoke to the Marlborough Winegrowers Board about recognising the mammoth effort of people who’d invested decades of their lives into the betterment of the industry. Gerry Gregg became the first recipient, on retiring from 39 years at Montana, and Tessa has helped develop a list of prospective recipients ever since, with the nominee list then going to the board to make the final decisions. So she perhaps should have been suspicious when Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens didn’t call her for the annual discussion this year. “To me it was a no brainer that Tessa should be recognised,” Marcus says. “She has spent nearly 30 years telling the stories of our industry in a way that captures people’s hearts and minds. She’s not been scared to call the industry out, when needed. But she has also been a champion for our successes, and the people who have driven them.” Tessa’s book was written and published during some major challenges in her own life, and is a “precious resource” for the industry, Marcus says. “It reminds us all how far we have come and how much we have to be thankful for.”
Winepress December 2023 / 13
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Working on the bleeding edge
Photo Richard Briggs
SOPHIE PREECE
Dave Pearce loved chess as a kid, which perhaps explains his habit of looking ahead before making a move. It’s the kind of considered foresight that saw him and a handful of others launch the groundbreaking Screwcap Initiative in 2001, and made Grove Mill the world’s first carbon neutral winery in 2006, having already pioneered the use of a eucalypt woodlot for winery wastewater. Years later Dave adopted the term “the bleeding edge” to describe the times people considered him “crazy” for bypassing the status quo. “I spent I don’t know how many years being ‘an idiot’ because I thought carbon zero was a good idea,” he says. “It’s great to be at the bleeding edge, but generally you bleed.” Speaking at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Evening in November, where he was presented one of four Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2023, Dave said the biggest achievements are the ones no-one thinks of, because the change is so embedded; transformed from unusual to ubiquitous. Surrounded by wines sealed by screwcap, he noted that few people would recall how bizarre that prospect seemed 20 years ago. The same goes for Sauvignon Blanc, he said to the audience, none of whom would be surprised to see the region’s flagship variety win Champion Wine of Show. “But 26 years ago it was ‘impossible’,” Dave said. In 1996 Grove Mill broke that rule, taking top spot in a major New Zealand wine show. “That had never been done before.” Carbon neutrality isn’t quite there yet, he adds. “In 20 years’ time I think it’ll make the list. From ‘crazy to do it’ to ‘crazy not doing it’ in 40 years — a little too long.” With a father in the air force, Dave lived in many places as a child, starting school in Fiji, then moving to Redwoodtown primary school in Blenheim (“although I will never be a local”), before school in Wellington, and finally Henderson High School in Auckland. Henderson was the heart of New Zealand wine country in 1978, when Dave left school aged 17 to work at Corbans Wines, “pretty much right next door”. It was not a glib decision, but one he based on three key factors, looking well down the track at job prospects. “I am not one of the many, many who happened into the industry after university. I wanted to join the industry from when I was 17,” Dave says.
“It’s not why did I do it? It’s why didn’t everyone else do it?” Dave Pearce
14 / Winepress December 2023
“I liked drinking wine, and I liked the seasonality of it…I liked that if you do well, your achievement is obvious. You get to bring home what you make.” He also believed the career would see him get better and more valuable the longer he spent in it, “which is not true of all jobs”. For the first year he worked as a cellar hand and then a laboratory technician, then went to Massey University for a four-year Food Technology degree, while working summer jobs as a distiller and cellar hand supervisor at Corbans. In 1983 Dave moved to Gisborne as a trainee winemaker with the company, and had his first taste of Marlborough fruit, trucked up for processing. “Every year I noticed that about 9,000 tonnes of Gisborne fruit was pretty good and 500 tonnes of Marlborough fruit was better,” he says. “It didn’t take me long to think that if I wanted to be good at winemaking, I had to get a good supply of fruit. It was inevitable that I would move to Marlborough.” In 1988, after the devastation of Cyclone Bola, Dave took a job for the new Grove Mill wine company, helping establish its original winery in the century-old Malthouse building in Blenheim, with the first wines made there in 1989. The wine industry was not very popular back then, he adds. “Locals weren’t awfully chuffed to see all these people showing up with different habits and haircuts, growing beards, and wearing white gumboots around town.”
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In 1994 that “changed dramatically”, with James Healy, Tessa Anderson and Dave Pearce. winemakers going from “persona non grata” to Photo Richard Briggs everyone’s pick on a wine options team. 1994 also saw Grove Mill get a brand-new winery in the Waihopai Valley. “You should judge a winery by the quality of the product it makes. And we turned out some fantastic products,” Dave says. “It was a good little winery.” Once there he drove a wetland restoration, the wastewater woodlot of coppiced eucalypts, as well as the “crazy” carbonzero certification, consistently bemused at the industry’s satisfaction with the status quo. “It’s not why did I do it? It’s why didn’t everyone else do it?” The shareholders were on board, “because when it comes down to it, good sustainability is good business”, he adds. Dave had 23 years at Grove Mill, before moving to contract winemaking facility VinLink, via vintage with Jeff Clarke at Ara Wine Estate and helping make the first wine for Four Hawk Day. It was a busy nine years at VinLink, starting with a nine month push to build an 11,000-tonne winery, staff it, and set up operations in time for the 2012 vintage. Then came expansion to 25,000 tonnes, two earthquakes, two major earthquake claims, two lots of repairs, and a global pandemic.” But he thrived, Dave says, having resigned nine years to the day after he started, in order to retire. Forty-five years after he left school, and his chess team, to follow a career in wine, Dave says the journey has been taken with “a lot of very, very clever people”, which the industry naturally attracts. “And in the end the most satisfaction I have had has been mentoring people who worked for me. I have very much liked doing that.” Lifetime Achievement recipients James Healy and Murray Gibbons will be profiled in the January Winepress.
Celebrating 50 years of Sauvignon Blanc In the 1960s two Auckland brothers looked back at their winemaking lineage and forward at the opportunity of change. By the end of that decade Ross and Bill Spence had bought their own block of land on Matua Road in North-West Auckland and were exploring the possibilities of Sauvignon Blanc. After persevering through myriad challenges, the first run of 400 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc were produced in 1974, and the founders of Matua Wines went on to change the face and fortunes of New Zealand’s wine industry. Last month Matua Wines marked 50 years of Sauvignon Blanc, with a celebration that included the planting of new vines in a 50th anniversary row. Matua Senior Winemaker John Ashwell says Bill Spence, John Belsham, Mark Robertson, and Richard Rose Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is now sought after the world over. “It’s a unique combination of aromatics and flavour profile. You can’t find it anywhere else in the world.” With 85% of all the grapes crushed in New Zealand from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, it’s a “huge success story”, he says. “We’re doing our best to continue the legacy of Matua’s co-founders, the Spence brothers, to try new things and to still be here, better than ever, in the future.” Every person who has worked for the Spence brothers, and Matua, should take a bow, Bill Spence wrote in the October Winepress. “It was them who helped Ross and I fulfil our vision to make this new unique style of Sauvignon Blanc world famous.” To read Bill Spence’s Vantage Point in the October Winepress, go to marlboroughwinenz.com/winepress
Winepress December 2023 / 15
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Waste Busters
Marlborough Vintners’ Biofiltro wastewater system is powered by worms, and has been highly successful.
Repeat offenders in winery waste SOPHIE PREECE
THERE WAS a general improvement in Marlborough’s winery waste management in the 2023 vintage, with 18 of 39 wineries coming in with a ‘green light’ of compliance, up from 13 in 2022. However, 17 out of the 20 non-compliant and technically non-compliant companies were “repeat offenders”, says Marlborough District Council (MDC) environmental protection officer Tonia Stewart. Likewise, many of the breaches are consistent with previous years. “Some of the areas of non-compliance remain repetitive, such as parameter exceedance, late reports, discharge volumes exceedance.” One company was deemed to be significantly noncompliant in the 2023 vintage, resulting in a $750 fine and an abatement notice to cease the discharge of winery wastewater to land, engage a suitably qualified and experienced practitioner to undertake a detailed site investigation, and provide a remediation report. A further three abatement notices and infringements were issued for ponding, which remains an area that requires better management, Tonia says. Six of the 13 non-compliant companies, given an orange light in the council’s assessment, breached two or more conditions or rules, up from the five orange ratings in the 2022 vintage, while the other seven breached one. Wine Marlborough Advocacy Nicci Armour says the repeat offending is a concern, including technical noncompliance (yellow light), where there’s no environmental effects, but a minor breach such as record keeping not filed in a timely manner. “How can we espouse our environmental credentials and be proud of having a longstanding programme such as Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, and yet let the ball drop on these basic compliance issues? This seems a pretty fundamental thing to get right if we are trying to illustrate how important the environment is to us.” 16 / Winepress December 2023
“This seems a pretty fundamental thing to get right if we are trying to illustrate how important the environment is to us.” Nicci Armour Nicci says the results may indicate a “disconnect” between resource consent owners making decisions about winery investment, and staff on the ground, who juggle the myriad pressures of vintage while working to meet their winery waste requirements. Changes in staff, weather pressures at harvest, and labour shortages are just some of the reasons for compliance shortfalls at vintage. “Companies need to look at what is going on behind the scenes to enable their teams to do what they need to be compliant, during and after vintage.” That’s simply good business, and may require wineries to invest in updated systems, she adds, noting that the company in major breach last vintage had to spends tens of thousands of dollars on actions to remediate the issue. “Companies need to keep ahead of that.” Council monitors 39 wineries that discharge wastewater to land, with 21 of those under the permitted activity standards and 18 under resource consent. In March and April, they conducted onsite inspections of 30 wineries and two grape marc facilities, while 39 wineries supplied records to demonstrate compliance, including soil sample results, wastewater volumes, discharge dates, pH records and disposal areas sizes. In her report to council’s Environment Committee Tonia noted that the 2023 vintage was less challenging than 2022, “in terms of Covid, labour shortages, and weather events”. Winery wastewater systems and management processes need to be sufficient for the wastewater quantities received, she added. “This requires advance planning and upgrading of systems to accommodate projected volumes with additional contingencies in place.”
Accelerating success.
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40.6ha planted in Marlborough’s flagship Sauvignon Blanc including 9.8ha planted 2023 and 22.5ha planted 2017. An additional 12ha of flat bare land provides further development opportunity The vineyard has been developed to a high standard with north/south orientation on an elevated terrace allowing good airflow movement and sunshine hours with frost fans strategically placed throughout the property 90,000m³ storage dam with irrigation consents exp 2049 provide summer security and sufficient water for further development Well supported with a 380m² (2005) four bedroom dwelling, numerous sheds and outbuildings Offering scale with further development opportunity, proven production history and recognition of the desirable wine style and characteristics produced, this vineyard is well worthy of consideration 2024 crop included providing immediate cashflow. Available GSA free
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Winepress January 2021 / 17
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Climate Action
What’s your journey to climate action? The seeds were planted when I interviewed the then CEO of Toitū Envirocare for our Entrepreneurial Women with Purpose podcast and she mentioned the C word. It was the first week of our New Zealand lockdowns, but she wasn’t talking about Covid. I did a Google search on ‘carbon’ after the interview and have been in a carbon tunnel ever since. It’s been a huge learning journey for me, asking the dumb questions, surrounding myself with smart people, listening, learning and following the footsteps of organisations that are leading the way in this space, being innovative about their approach to creating growth whilst reducing their carbon emissions. This can be done; it just takes a creative and imaginative approach to capitalism as we know it.
How was the inaugural Climate Action Week? Over a week in 2023 we had 80 different businesses attend, from NZX listed organisations down to micro businesses. We hosted immersion experiences at Dog Point, One Forty One Kaituna Sawmill, Yealands Estate Winery, and Sanford, and hosted workshops on topics including carbon, waste, innovation, energy, and bio-diversity, as well as fireside discussions and interactive discussions on what our role would be in the future. With a diverse and passionate group of people on our Climate Action Marlborough steering committee, we have been able to bring intelligent, diverse and passionate community leaders together around a topic that is close to everyone’s heart. When I think back to some of the conversations in February 2023, and compare them to the discussions we are having now, they are already a lot more informed. Our business community is becoming more educated on what we are facing and how each and every one of us can be the solution. 18 / Winepress December 2023
Catherine van der Meulen
The second annual Climate Action Week Marlborough, to be held in February 2024, is designed to grow awareness, develop the knowledge of Marlborough's business community, and take action for lower carbon emissions in a productive and thriving community. Founder Catherine van der Meulen tells us why.
"We need to be smarter in our approaches." Catherine van der Meulen What’s the appetite for climate education and action in the region? Businesses are listening and wanting to learn. They want to share the projects and progress they are making and they want to work as a collective community to be part of a future where Marlborough is thriving. So there is a lot of appetite, and there is some action, but there needs to be a lot more. We need radical transformation and this will take everyone working collectively to find solutions.
Why is business buy-in so important? All stakeholders need to be on the journey to create the collective impact and ultimately the drawdown of carbon emissions to re-balance our ecosystems. Businesses are a huge contributor to that.
What are some of the sessions you’re most excited by in the 2024 event? Oooh so many, but I feel like I get the most out of spending time out in the organisations that are creating impact through our Immersion Experiences. In February we will be heading to Yealands Estate Winery, Pinoli Pine Nuts, Whitehaven Wines, Thymebank, Lochmara, and Tory Channel Kelp Farm to listen, learn, discuss and translate some of their work into our own organisations. I also love our interactive Collaboration Sessions, intended to develop
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and curate meaningful new industries for Marlborough to lead in, while growing a circular economy.
How has the wine industry engaged? We have had support from Yealands Estate Winery from the start, allowing us to tap into the knowledge of Michael Wentworth, Yealands’ general manager, sustainability and strategic projects. I’m blown away by the progressive work at Yealands on its journey to be ‘climate positive’, whether piloting new initiatives, the extension of their solar array, biochar pilots and a biodiversity plan, to the hundreds of thousands of natives being planted, interrow cropping, and planned diversions from diesel use. We have had many organisations involved from across the industry from brands, growers, distributors, bottling and processing, labour solutions, shipping, transport, logistics, ports and industry associations, and I feel that the 2024 activities will only see these amplified. New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) general manager sustainability Edwin Massey joined our steering committee in 2023, bringing domestic and international knowledge, as well as insights into the work and impact of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.
What’s the D word? I remember through my family business if we weren’t growing 20% week to week or year on year we were deemed to be failing. Degrowth (aka post growth or impact) is not seen to be a favourable word in a capitalist world, but it’s one I am not shy to put on the table. We need to be smarter in our approaches, do more with less, be more resourceful and less wasteful, be more mindful, and not just grow because we should. The only shareholder we should be committed to is Mother Earth. Throughout Climate Action Week Marlborough we will bring various expertise to the discussion on this topic to highlight how you can create impact at all levels of your organisation and create a regenerative business model, where all stakeholders win for our community to thrive. Not at the cost of one another.
Climate Action Week Marlborough – a selection of events • Yealands Estate Winery Immersion Experience attendees will head out into the vineyards and see biodiversity activities and a biochar pilot, while learning about the road to carbon positive • The Green Circle - showcasing pyrolysis technology deigned to transform waste streams into biochar. • Whitehaven Wine - an Immersion Experience at The Springs, Wairau Valley • National Greenhouse gases reporting - New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) general manager of sustainability Edwin Massey discusses greenhouse gases reports for the wine industry, nationally and for Marlborough • Southern Valleys Viticulture – Discussion of the design and implementation of systems to get a mix of livestock farming in the vineyard to benefit the soil, vine and farm • Speeding dating – growing meaningful partnerships for climate action To see the full programme go to events.humanitix.com/ climate-action-week-marlborough-2024
Carbon Zero Road Map NZW has announced a partnership with EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) to develop a Carbon Zero Road Map for the New Zealand wine industry. NZW general manager sustainability Dr Edwin Massey says the work will start immediately, with a plan being developed to fit the challenges and opportunities the industry is likely to face “from 2024 to 2050, and beyond”.
Winepress December 2023 / 19
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Biosecurity Watch Emergency Management in Marlborough KERRIE HOPKINS
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS are by their nature unpredictable and require a range of groups to work together to effectively support affected communities. This is particularly important in the rural sector, where many different primary industries can be impacted, sometimes on a large scale. This month we look at the coordination of emergency responses in Marlborough, and some of the mechanisms that exist for primary industry collaboration and support. The Marlborough Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (CDEM) is a large and mainly volunteer organisation trained and equipped to respond to a civil defence emergency, or to assist and support other organisations in a major emergency event of any kind. Marlborough CDEM and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) lead a Primary Sector Network, which includes the wine industry.
The MPSN provides a framework for primary sector organisations to share information and to enhance sector resilience. MPSN assists the CDEM and MPI to: • Assist the primary sector to be ready for emergencies and take measures to reduce their impact. • Understand the implications for primary industries and deliver an informed response following emergencies that impact the primary sector, and • Develop well-targeted recovery measures to assist in effective and timely recovery for the primary sector During an emergency, a Primary Sector Liaison Lead may join the CDEM response at the Marlborough Emergency Operation Centre (EOC). They will manage the flow of information to and across the Primary Sector Network and ensure this is shared with responding agencies as appropriate.
The Marlborough Primary Sector Network (MPSN) started in 2018 and represents the diverse range of primary industries throughout Marlborough. The role of the MPSN can be summarised as increasing emergency preparedness (including business continuity planning) and providing a basis for communication between the primary sector industries, MPI, and CDEM, before, during and after an emergency. By understanding the implications of different emergencies for primary industries, agencies are better able to deliver an informed response. These relationships also assist in developing and supporting measures to support effective and timely recovery for the primary sector. New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) and Wine Marlborough were invited to join the MPSN, which has a membership based on individuals and organisations who understand and have connections into primary industries in Marlborough.
The key objective of the MPSN is to strengthen coordination and cooperation among primary industries in Marlborough by maintaining a cooperative approach to emergencies, including: • Sharing of information about risk reduction within the primary sector (promoting workshops, literature, webinars etc.) • Promotion of the value of being prepared for emergencies, particularly the value of building and maintaining networks • Providing advice to CDEM and MPI to assist in a coordinated and informed response • Supporting the recovery from emergencies, and • Building relationships and encouraging joint initiatives between primary sector organisations. For example, in March 2022 MPI delivered a biosecurity
Civil Defence Emergency Management
Marlborough Primary Sector Network
Objectives:
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL
CATCH IT. SNAP IT. REPORT IT. CALL THE BIOSECURITY NEW ZEALAND PEST AND DISEASE HOTLINE 0800 80 99 66 Email enquiries to biosecurity@nzwine.com
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awareness session to the MPSN, designed to inform people how MPI plans for, manages, and delivers biosecurity responses. The session included: • Response structure and lead agency responsibilities • Government-Industry Agreement arrangements for biosecurity readiness and response • Support services available in a response, including a brief overview of compensation and welfare support • How the MPSN might support a potential biosecurity response in Marlborough, and what they can do in advance to better increase readiness planning and their own on-farm biosecurity and resilience. In 2019, MPI led an animal welfare exercise to test MPSN’s thinking about how sectors could work together to improve animal welfare outcomes in an emergency situation. This session incorporated learnings from the Pigeon Valley fire in Nelson in 2019, where many animals were trapped behind fire cordons for significant periods of time and an emergency shelter was set up at Richmond Showgrounds.
Forward planning for emergency events
Where advance warning of potential emergency situations is given, the MPSN is also designed to be proactive about disseminating information to farmers and growers in advance. An El Niño weather pattern has recently arrived in New Zealand. Every El Niño is different, making it hard to predict impacts on our climate and weather. However,
during El Niño, New Zealand generally experiences stronger or more frequent winds from the south-west in spring and west in summer. El Niño may become stronger this year and last into 2024, bringing increased risks of drought and water scarcity, wildfire, heat-related human and animal health concerns, along with flooding. The MPSN group are invited to regular information sharing sessions hosted by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and MPI. At the October meeting of the MPSN group, MPI presented a short video on a drought forecasting tool being developed by NIWA and shared information about the importance of being prepared for forecast very dry and windy conditions across the region. Discussion centred around the issues that could arise from a very dry summer, including the importance of people planning and preparing for water scarcity. NZW and Wine Marlborough will work collaboratively with the MPSN should a drought situation arise in Marlborough this summer. Information about the 2023-24 climate outlook can be found on the nzwine.com website at: nzwine.com/members/sustainability/guides/climatechange/outlook2023 Information about the NIWA Drought forecasting tool can be found at: shiny.niwa.co.nz/drought-forecast A You Tube video of the Drought Forecasting tool can be viewed at: shiny.niwa.co.nz/drought-forecast
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Industry News
Freshwater Policy Marlborough District Council wants to hear about what the community wants for the long-term future of the region’s rivers, streams and wetlands. There will be an industry-specific session of Freshwater Policy for winegrowers and industry businesses on Monday December 11, from 4pm to 5.30 pm, in the Wairau room at the New Zealand Wine Centre, 85 Budge Street. Marlborough.govt.nz/environment/freshwater-management/summary-of-first-round-feedback
Growing TWE Treasury Wine Estates is set to expand its Marlborough vineyard holdings from 505 hectares to 750 hectares, with the purchase of a Wairau Valley vineyard. “The acquisition of the new vineyard, which includes its own water reservoir, is an important step in expanding our premium wine portfolio and ensuring we remain in front of evolving consumer preferences,” says Treasury Wine Estates chief supply and sustainability officer Kerrin Petty. The new area will increase supply of lighter varietals, including Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, which continue to grow in popularity with consumers around the world. The announcement coincided with the 50th anniversary of the company’s Matua brand, the first winery to plant Sauvignon Blanc vines in New Zealand in 1969 and produce the first bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in 1974. The purchase is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to settle in the first quarter of 2024.
22 / Winepress December 2023
CLASSIFIEDS WINEMAKING SPACE AVAILABLE Sugar Loaf Wines is a multi-award winning winery situated on Rapaura Road in Marlborough. We have a specific client winemaking program with additional capacity of up to 500 tonne available for the 2024 harvest and beyond. We are looking to partner with clients in the 150-500 tonne range. -
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Please contact cullen@sugarloafwines.co.nz to arrange a winery visit or phone 021 558 558 for further details.
RSE Forum Wine Marlborough and New Zealand Ethical Employers are holding a forum on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme on December 6, to offer information on how the scheme operates in Marlborough, and to give
community leaders a chance to connect with key RSE stakeholders, ask questions, and build knowledge on how the scheme operates. For more information contact Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Nicci Armour at nicci@winemarlborough.nz. Sion Barnsley
Lawson's sustainability success
Advocacy Update NICCI ARMOUR A new government has been formed, but there is plenty of water to go under the bridge in the next three years. As our industry prepares for vintage 2024, no doubt the new government’s plans will become clearer. The coalition agreements contain some significant deviations from the reform programme of the previous government, notable in the areas of employment and immigration, energy and natural resources, and the primary sector. Notable points from the coalition agreements include: • Repeal the Fair Pay Agreement regime by Christmas 2023. • Increase the cap on the number of workers under the RSE scheme to increase the flexibility of the quota allocation system. • Remove median wage requirements from Skilled Migrant Category visas. • Repeal the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 and the Spatial Planning Act 2023 by Christmas. • Replace the Resource Management Act 1991 with new resource management laws premised on the enjoyment of property rights as a guiding principle. • Improve Farm Environment Plans so they are more cost-effective and pragmatic for farmers. Support Farm Environment Plans administered by regional councils and targeted at a catchment level. • Cut red tape and regulatory blocks on irrigation, water storage, managed aquifer recharge and flood protection schemes. • Enable farmers and landowners to offset sequestration against their on-farm emissions. • Replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 to allow district councils more flexibility in how they meet environmental limits and seek advice on how to exempt councils from obligations under the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 as soon as practicable. Nicci Armour is advocacy manager at Wine Marlborough. Read more about the coalition agreements at: national. org.nz/national_act_and_new_zealand_first_to_deliver_ for_all_new_zealanders
Lawson’s Dry Hills has won the Excellence in Sustainability Award at the New Zealand International Business Awards, following hard on the heels of a commendation in the Climate Action Leader category of the Sustainable Business Awards. There were nine finalists in the Climate Action Leader category, sponsored by Waka Kotahi, with Lawson’s Dry Hills named runner up. On the same evening, they attended the New Zealand International Business Awards run by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The Excellence in Sustainability Award, sponsored by Kiwibank, recognises organisations that embed sustainability into the fabric of their business, achieving international growth while having a positive impact on people and the planet. “Lawson’s Dry Hills Wines are leaders of sustainability in their industry and it makes them stand out from the pack,” judges said. “Sustainability is clearly embedded throughout the business. The company demonstrated clear maturity and understanding of the different drivers of verification and certification. Lawson’s Dry Hills knew what they were doing and they did it for the industry.” Lawson’s general manager Sion Barnsley says the double win was almost unbelievable. “Receiving these awards is true recognition of something we’ve been doing for well over a decade. It’s just what we do.” Winepress December 2023 / 23
Wine Happenings A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry.
To have your event included in the February 2024 Wine Happenings, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by January 20 For more information, please go to the website supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz
DECEMBER 3 Forrest Summer Sunday Sessions every Sunday until the end of April 2024 (marlboroughnz.com/events) 6 Forum on Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. Marlborough Research Centre Theatre (see page 22) 11 Freshwater Policy - Have your say. 4pm – 5.30pm at the Wairau Room, New Zealand Wine Centre, 85 Budge Street (see page 22) 14 Women in Wine & Méthode Marlborough Christmas Bubbles at the Blenheim Club. (email sonal@cal.org.nz) JANUARY 18-21 2024 Southern Pinot Noir Workshop (pinotworkshop.com) FEBRUARY 10 The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival (marlboroughwinefestival.com) 19-25 Climate Action Week Marlborough (see page 18) 28 Bragato Trust Scholarships – closing date for applications ( nzwine.com/en/events/bragato-trust-scholarships) MARCH 8 Framingham Harvest Concert 2024, 5:30pm - 11:00pm (marlboroughnz.com/events)
Women in Wine – Dec 14
24 / Winepress December 2023
Wine & Food Festival – Feb 10
Climate Action Week – Feb 19-25
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