41 minute read
Grape Marc
Making their Marc
Innovators transform grape marc into a resource
SOPHIE PREECE
GRAPE MARC is increasingly being celebrated as a resource, says Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Vance Kerslake, as companies prepare for the vintage ahead. Two grape marc initiatives piloted last year are gearing up for the onslaught of harvest, while individual companies make plans for disposing of - or investing in - their own marc, says Vance. “In the past, poor disposal of grape marc has threatened to damage the industry’s reputation. But the level of commitment to good disposal in recent years showed companies are taking the challenge seriously.”
Indevin spread more than 16,500 tonnes of grape marc to its Bankhouse paddocks last vintage, and will roll out the initiative again this year. The company’s project manager for green spreading, Sandy O’Connell, says all eight companies involved last year have opted in again for 2020, along with two new players. Together, the 10 companies will deliver between 20 and 25,000 tonnes of grape marc - the skins, seeds and stalks left after
winemaking - to Bankhouse Estate Vineyard, where it will be spread across approximately 350 hectares of bare land.
Sandy says last year’s spreading was highly successful and fully compliant with the conditions set by the Marlborough District Council (MDC), including detailed follow-up soil analysis. The land is used for crops, which grew well in the areas that had been treated with grape marc, he says. Indevin has also worked with Remarc to establish a fully operational anaerobic digestion (AD) pilot plant at its Riverlands winery. Sandy says the initial experimental plan and report have been completed, with positive outcomes in terms of the ensiling process, loading rate, biogas yield, nutrient concentration and pesticide breakdown. “The next step is further investigation of fertiliser market options, and it is hoped that a decision on the full scale plant will be able to be made post that data update.”
Matt Oliver - Marlborough District Council environmental scientist, land
Management - says Indevin ran the grape marc spreading process well from the start. “Indevin came to us when the idea was in its infancy… We got a chance to have input before the consent was applied for.” At council’s request, Indevin conducted detailed science prior to consenting, to better understand how to minimise risk, he says. “The post-application monitoring is on-going and with the assistance of a local soil scientist, we are expecting that the application of marc to the site will be very beneficial both to the soil and for the cropping operation on the farm, while providing a sustainable
disposal option for a large portion of the industry’s marc.” Matt says the entire industry should be commended on the improvement of marc handling. “There has been significant investment to enable this as seen at Indevin, Yealands and a number of other vineyards.”
A grape marc initiative by Pacific Rim Environmental is focused on providing a service to process grape marc with zero impact on the environment, says managing director Chris Bowhill. The company, which ran a pilot project in the 2018 vintage, expects to dry about 500 tonnes of grape marc this harvest, turning the waste product into dried pellets that can be stored for use as fertiliser, stock feed, or fuel, among other uses. Chris says the dried product from 2018 is storing “incredibly well”, but the company needs to find other waste streams to enable it to process year round, because grape marc provides such a “short-term input” over around two months of the year. “We’re going full steam ahead. Our operation is one option for the Marlborough wine industry to choose from when it comes to dealing with its grape marc problem.” Chris says PacRimEnviro is committed to its own environmental and corporate responsibility. “That’s front and centre this year - we’ll aim
“This research project will consider options for turning this material into a stable, reusable and marketable product” Alec McNeil
for zero impact and do what we can to boost the local community.”
Meanwhile, the MDC has commissioned a Massey University research project into how best to deal with up to 65,000 tonnes of grape marc each year. The marc can contain up to 60% liquid, says council’s solid waste manager Alec McNeil, who made a successful bid to the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund for the research. “This research project will consider options for turning this material into a stable,
Grape marc storage and leachate collection RACHEL NEAL
In the lead-up to vintage, it is important to ensure your processes and systems for disposing of both liquid and solid waste are up to date with the relevant regulations. Whether you store and manage your grape marc waste yourself or contract another party to take and manage your grape marc waste, you are responsible for taking measures to ensure plan requirements and the Resource Management Act 1991 are met. Inadequate storage and control measures for grape marc and leachate can cause significant adverse effects. Such adverse effects include the contamination of ground and/or surface water. Important factors to consider to meet requirements:
• Is the grape marc located within a Soil Sensitive Area? • Is the grape marc located within 50m of a bore? • Is the grape marc located within 20m of any surface water body? • What is the moisture content of the solid waste? • Are there measures in place to prevent rain and runoff entering the
reusable and marketable product, whilst minimising its environmental impact.”
Individual companies are also making the most of their marc, including Rapaura Springs, which spreads it out at its Blind River Vineyard, in order to increase organic matter and microbiological activity in the alluvial gravel and clay soils. The company’s grower liaison Matt Fox says before they completed the purchase of the land, the company spread 1,400 tonnes of compost, to help restore its health. Now they use three spreaders over vintage to add a thin layer of grape marc, continuing that regenerative process. The company has also created three gravel-covered concrete pads for a geotube, which holds sludge left in emptied wine tanks. The winemaking by product is typically dumped by companies, but Rapaura Springs wanted to eliminate the waste stream, so collects it and allows the water to seep out through the geotube and into the gravel, to be processed through its wastewater treatment system. Over time, the organic material left in the bag composts, giving the company another natural treatment for its land, Matt says.
grape marc? • Is there sufficient leachate collection in place? • Is the grape marc covered? To avoid adverse effects, it is recommended to store grape marc solid waste on an impermeable surface with an impermeable leachate collection system. Rachel Neal is the Marlborough District Council monitoring programme co-ordinator. For more information, contact the council’s monitoring team on 03 520 7400 or monitoring@ marlborough.govt.nz
Vintage Widow
Making the world’s best Pinot Noir
SOPHIE PREECE
WHEN JACKSON Estate built a specialist winery for the top 10% of its fruit, Matt Patterson-Green had a clear mission in mind. “I said right from the start that I wanted Jackson Estate to be recognised as one of the best producers of Pinot Noir in Marlborough, and one of the best producers of Pinot Noir in New Zealand”.
The head winemaker has rather overshot that mark, with the Vintage Widow 2015 named Best Pinot in the World at the 2019 IWSC International Show in London, where judges applauded its harmony and balance. That’s great news for a region that can be undervalued for the variety, says Matt. “I absolutely love Central Otago Pinots. I think they are probably some of the best in the world. But I also think Marlborough is regularly producing some of the best Pinot in New Zealand, and also some of the best Pinot in the world.”
Vintage Widow is made from two vineyards in the Waihopai Valley, with around 50% from Somerset Vineyard and the remainder from the Gum Emperor Vineyard, where a stand of old gum trees marks the onetime cottage of a boundary rider, who guarded the unfenced edges of early sheep stations. The vineyards are side by side, managed identically, and have a base of clay-bound soil. However, the top 25cm of soil - stony loam on one and alluvial gravel on the other - ensure wildly different fruit. The Gum Emperor Vineyard has dense, dark fruit with broody aromatics and smoky characters, says Matt. “Whereas Somerset is very Burgundian… very lifted and floral - violets and roses. It’s very textural and very elegant”.
Prior to 2017, the hand-picked fruit was taken to a contract winemaking facility to be made, but the build of a winery on Jackson’s Road, designed specifically for Chardonnay and Pinot, has ensured Matt now has total control. Wines are made “low and slow”, with small batches, hand
plunging, natural ferments and slow decision-making - parcel by parcel, plunge by plunge, barrel by barrel. “We tick everything through nice and gently,” Matt says.
It’s a unique position to be in, and he is grateful he joined Jackson Estate 18 years ago, as one of the winemakers at the company’s Riverlands Winery, a contract facility with up to 13 clients. In 2012, Jackson Estate closed the winery in order to focus exclusively on its own wines, and “spend less time making really good wines for other people”, says Matt. At that stage he became Jackson Estate winemaker and the company went “to the other side of the fence”, using another contract facility. But they realised very quickly that a small but precious portion of wines were not served by that model,
with Matt finding a “great deal of frustration” in having limited access to the wines. The company started to regain control, firstly by moving to facilities at Allan Scott, a little way up the road from the home block on Jackson Road.
In 2015, the company founder John Stichbury retired, selling the business to long-time friend and company board member, John Benton, a Wellington businessman who wanted the label to stay in Kiwi hands, says Matt. The company remained 100% family owned, with a reinvigorated focus on producing top end wines, and plans for a new winery, designed as an abode for the top 15% of the company’s fruit, with all the advantage of new world technology and design, but all the ethos of old world wine making. Sauvignon Blanc is still made in the contract facility, which was doing a great job with the variety, says Matt, who visits the wines daily but has faith in their production. “Not too many winemakers around Marlborough get to see 80% of their production elsewhere and get to play with the small batch handson stuff in their own winery.” Jackson Estate built its reputation on Sauvignon Blanc, and still sees the enormous value of that variety to the company and the region, says Matt. “But I believe Pinot will become the thing that Jackson Estate becomes known for.”
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Industry Pioneer
A US import with deep roots in Marlborough
BRENDA WEBB
DISREGARDING THE importance of Sauvignon Blanc to New Zealand doesn’t wash with Dominic Pecchenino, who won’t hear a bad word said about the variety. “I really hate it when people slag it off,” says the viticulturist and wine research stalwart, who moved to Marlborough from the US in the early 1990s. “A lot of doors in the world have been opened for Marlborough and the only reason for that is Sauvignon Blanc.”
The variety is not only the star of today but the star of the future, due to the fact no one else can produce it like Marlborough can, Dominic says. “We own Sauvignon Blanc - we own the style – no one else can do it. There is no secret clone, it is solely our terroir. The fruit develops at a time when weather conditions are perfect. And our demographic continues to grow so there is no end in sight for opportunities.” The challenge to grape growers, winemakers, viticulturists and wine companies is to produce quality grapes and a premium product at the high end of the market. “We must always overproduce on quality,” he says.
Dominic first came to New Zealand in 1994 after sending his CV (“by fax….that’s how you did it in those days”) to Matador Estate’s John Webber, who was seeking someone with experience in phylloxera. Back then, many of Marlborough’s grapes were planted on their own rootstock and the aphid, which feeds on the roots of grapevines, was widespread. At the time, Dominic was working for himself in the San Joaquin valley and didn’t think too hard about the Marlborough opportunity, having never been to the southern hemisphere, let alone New Zealand. He didn’t think he’d hear back, but the Matador team were impressed, and in particular with his experience in dealing with phylloxera, which had been rampant in California. They flew him to Auckland, where he met with John and Mark Nobilo and Ivan Selak, before heading to Marlborough to look at Matador Estate, which was badly affected by phylloxera.
Back then the Matador Estate was 80 hectares and the largest privately owned contiguous vineyard in the country. It was tiny compared to the 3,200ha vineyard Dominic had
been working on back in California. Dominic’s handwritten report was presented and he was offered a permanent position, which, after some discussion with wife Marianne, he accepted.
Marlborough presented challenges for this all-American
family. “We thought we spoke English but got very lost on the terminology,” he says. “Having children made it much easier - the children assimilated into school life and we made friends outside the wine industry which was important.” Keeping American traditions such as Halloween and Thanksgiving alive and involving friends in the local community helped enormously, he says.
The Peccheninos returned to the States in 1998, when Dominic was headhunted to run a prime property in the Napa Valley, producing high-end fruit at a time it was commanding prices of $6,000 a tonne. In 2001, Marlborough came calling again and the family returned for good, set up a business and bought property, and now regard the province as home.
Dominic has impeccable pedigree when it comes to viticulture. His great-grandfather immigrated to the States from Italy and was a cobbler. “As all Italian immigrants did, he made a bit of wine on the side, so during prohibition people got their shoes fixed a lot - they’d get to sample his red wine at the same time,” he says.
At junior college Dominic had no idea what to do, but was working part time at a deli that sold fine foods and high-end wines when he met Julio Gallo of the winemaking Gallo family. “I was thinking about geology, but he told me to consider viticulture so I did, going to California State University, Fresno, and doing a four year degree in plant science,” he says. Four years later he returned to get his master’s degree in viticulture.
Being in Marlborough during tumultuous times has been inspiring for Dominic and he relished the challenges of tackling phylloxera. “Coming to New Zealand was great for me viticulturally,” he says. During his Marlborough years, he has been deeply involved in the wider industry, including as a past chair and vice chair of the Marlborough Winegrowers board, during which time he helped bring in the first Silver Secateurs competition and lobbied the Government on labour issues.
He is currently on the boards of New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) and the Bragato Research Institute, and is chair of research for NZW. Dominic has been involved in producing books on botrytis and Sauvignon Blanc, and worked with Ruby Andrews to co-write NZW’s definitive manual on frost protection. He and Simon Hooker also established the Grape Days seminars, which draw more than 800 industry participants every year. “I’m very proud of the research done under my watch,” he says. “It’s outstanding world class research that is being used by other people in other countries.”
He also instigated mechanical thinning, which is now being used in all grape regions for thinning and botrytis control, and was the first viticulturist to use vine prunings and winery waste to make compost and mulch to put back on the vineyard. The mulching operation he established was one of the largest in the southern hemisphere at that time. The new Bragato winery, which Dominic has been very
involved with, will be up and running this month. That is a “huge milestone”, he says. “It’s going to be the best research winery in the southern hemisphere, sitting right here in Blenheim.”
He has seen the industry grow from just a few hundred hectares to thousands. “The industry went from to strength to strength in a very short time. It was making some really bad wines - remember them? But New Zealanders went away to get trained and built brand new wineries. We have been on a steep learning curve, and look at the Sauvignon Blanc now.”
Dominic praises the way those in the wine industry in New Zealand get on, particularly in terms of a national body. “It’s very unique in this industry to have one united industry body - New Zealand Winegrowers - and everyone belongs to it, whether you are a grape grower, viticulturist or winemaker,” he says. “In other countries you can have different bodies and a lot of in-fighting - many countries envy the Zealand situation.”
Despite his years in the industry – both here and in the States – Dominic says he greets every day with enthusiasm and passion, often jumping on a tractor in the vineyard if he has to. “I learn something every day and am passionate about the industry and keen to see the success go to the next level,” he says. “We have such a solid and sound level of knowledge and experience here and we don’t want to be at the trailing edge – we want to be at the leading edge. We need to produce quality, quality, and quality.”
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MAREN RICKEN isn’t really content just sowing the seed of an idea. In fact, when it comes to increasing soil health and biodiversity in Marlborough, Kiwi Seed’s horticultural agronomist admits to being quite pushy. “Under a strip of 10 years’ glyphosate, there is no life, and how can you grow good quality wines in soil that is dead?” she asks. Increasingly, her words are falling on eager ears. “People get the idea that they need to do things differently now. They are asking what they can do to improve.”
Maren consults with grape growers to determine what species will work best for them in the vineyard, taking into consideration management techniques, water availability, soil types, pest and disease pressure, and whether or not the vines will be grazed, mowed or rolled. In some cases she’ll seek to build nitrogen, and uses cover crops to grow organic matter and soil structure, increasing fertility and diversity at the same time.
Where soils have too much vigour, she chooses competitive plants - “those that are a bit more active in spring and summer as well”, she says. Forgotten Corners Growing diversity one row at a time SOPHIE PREECE “The regenerative farming idea is coming. It’s a big wave that is just hitting New Zealand and it is starting to show in vineyards.”
Protect your patch
Want to know more about invasive plant pests such as Chilean needle grass?
Marlborough faces an ever-present risk of new pests arriving or spreading further. Putting in place good biosecurity measures protects our environment, primary industries and quality of life. Liam Falconer, Senior Biosecurity Officer can help you with advice and assistance. Or check out the information on the Council’s website at: www.marlborough.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity
Liam Falconer Senior Biosecurity Officer DDI: 03 520 7400 M: 027 242 1132 liam.falconer@marlborough.govt.nz
“And on the very dry sites we like to use winter active and summer dormant things, so it doesn’t compete with the plants for moisture in summer.” Buckwheat and phacelia are very common in Marlborough, partly because they help nourish the soil, and partly because they attract a small native wasp that predates on the leafroller caterpillar pest. Beneficial insects like lacewings are also attracted, which help control mealy bugs, says Maren. Other popular choices are tick beans, lupins and oats in winter, which can help build organic material and improve soil health. But she emphasises that different sites have different requirements, and it’s far from a one-species-fits-all scenario. Growers may need to trial a mix before they find the right fit, she says. “This is what I like people to understand. That they have to try in order to learn - and like a child learns running, they’ll be falling. But if you do take your notes and learn from that then you do make progress.”
As well as unique situations on different vineyard blocks, the season can add complications, with too much dry or too much rain, or extremes of cold and heat, all influencing seeds as well as the way a vineyard will be managed. Once she’s come up with a list of species (and the highest count of different complementary species on one vineyard so far is 42), Maren discusses how and when to sow, and how best to manage the inter-row crop. In some cases, the grower will allow every second row to stay in bloom after the rest are mowed, allowing seed to set and maintaining a food source for beneficial insects and bees.
Maren studied horticulture in Germany and joined Kiwi Seeds in Marlborough in 2010, working mainly in vegetable seed production. “But I very quickly started moving into the vineyards,” she says. Her initial work was with organic growers, but more and more people are looking for something to plant amid their vines. “Bit by bit the conventional guys are starting to open up, though maybe not
to the same level… You don’t have to be organic to do things differently.”
She says the idea of regenerative farming practices is a “big wave” that is just hitting New Zealand, “and it is starting to show in vineyards”. The shift in attitudes has made it a lot easier for her to get the message across, and in the past few years she’s spoken to several groups about their soil and the potential for plantings. “That’s the way New Zealand works,” she says. “You need one or two people doing it across the road, and then they have a field day and other people get interested.”
Blooming boundaries Barren fence lines could become a buffet for bees, says Maren Ricken. The Kiwi Seed agronomist is on a mission to bring blooming borders to the edges of the roads running from Blenheim to Murchison, so tourists and other travellers see more than glyphosate strips. As well as being a prettier picture, the plantings improve soil health, help address Marlborough’s monoculture, and give bees and other insects a more abundant source of food. “I don’t see the point in spraying and mowing a fence line,” she says, while standing on a boundary line of poppies on State Highway 63, planted by a vineyard operator who is on board with her plan. Every convert makes a big difference, because others see the charm of the floral border, she says, referring to the influence of Fromm Wine’s successful floral fence line on State Highway 6 a few years ago. “That’s the sort of thing that helps promote the idea.” Maren sings the praises of wildflower fence lines in every Kiwi Seed seasonal newsletter she sends. “I have been very pushy in that department.”
Green Company of the Year
Pernod Ricard Winemakers has been announced Green Company of the Year by the Drinks Business Green Awards 2019. One of the major sustainability steps recognised by the judges was the move to 100% renewable electricity in Australia in November last year – the first wine company of its size in the country to do so. In New Zealand, Pernod Ricard helped to restore more than 10 hectares of native wetlands in Marlborough, with more than 10,000 plants now thriving. Judges were also impressed by a company-wide banning of plastic straws and a move towards the use of lightweight glass in Australia and New Zealand, which has reduced Pernod’s carbon emissions associated with glass by 30%. “Our judges felt the entry offered ‘the best of both worlds’ – local thinking with a global reach”.
Pernod Ricard’s sustainability manager New Zealand, Tracey Marshall, says she’s proud of the New Zealand team’s contribution to the award. “We won’t be resting on our laurels and are committed to continual improvement, and have a number of targets through our sustainability and responsibility roadmap, ‘Good Times from a Good Place’.” She says the roadmap is based on four key pillars that address all aspects of the company’s lifecycle, from grain to glass, “with clear 2030 objectives supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”.
Generation Y-ine
A good craic in New Zealand’s wine industry
KAT DUGGAN
WINEGROWERS AND makers will be kept up to date with research insights thanks to the newest team member at Bragato Research Institute. Michelle Barry is a long way from her native Ireland but is right at home in her new role as the institute’s technical communications specialist.
The environmental scientist has a particular interest in soils, with a research Masters in soil science, and has worked across both viticulture and farming sectors. Using her knowledge, Michelle will share technical insights from Bragato Research Institute (BRI) research in plain language, to allow it to be picked up and used easily by all industry members. “The main focus of my job is to take research findings and put them in a format that growers and winemakers can easily absorb,” she says. “The research can then be put into action in the vineyard and the winery.”
A career in agri-environmental science followed a childhood of hiking on farmland and getting outdoors in and around Michelle’s hometown of Tralee, in southwest Ireland. “Dad develops wind farm projects and then my mum had a plant nursery at home. We were always dragged out hiking and stuff as kids,” she says. “I’ve always been an outdoorsy person, and that’s why I gravitated towards working in the primary industries.”
Specialising in soils was not always the plan, but something Michelle happily fell into during her studies. “I worked on a national soil classification programme as an assistant and it was my first introduction to working with farms and soils. I learned so much and it was fascinating,” she says.
Michelle takes particular interest in how the health of soils can impact on plant growth. She made her way to New Zealand in 2015 and began utilising her skills to enhance the wine industry. “I came to New Zealand wanting to live in a different country, but also for the job opportunities,” she says. “I gravitated towards viticulture because of the concept of terroir and thought I would learn how to manage soils in vineyards.”
Michelle spent time in Martinborough at Craggy Range Winery before moving to Blenheim in 2016 and working as an assistant vineyard manager for Giesen Wines. After leaving to experience vintages in both Germany and South America, Michelle returned to Marlborough and took up the position at BRI.
She enjoys being part of an organisation that works to empower the industry as a whole. “To keep New Zealand at the forefront of wine production we really need research programmes, and Bragato manages those programmes,” she says. “I’m happy that I’ve transitioned into working in the wine industry - it’s a very dynamic and exciting industry to work in.”
Michelle has also started her own wine label, Emerald Wines, with her partner Tom Hindmarsh, and the couple recently bottled their first vintage. The first collection of around 2,500 bottles is named Craic, and includes Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé.
Using her technical knowledge of soil and plant health, Michelle hopes to develop her skills in the winery and bring the two together. “Professionally I would like to marry building soil health with growing healthy vines and then producing the best wine that you can,” she says. “Whether that’s having our own vineyard one day, and I get to do that there, or if I help other growers do that, we will see.”
What began as a short stint in New Zealand is now open-ended. “I love living here, it’s been so positive for me both professionally and personally; I’ve had so many opportunities that I don’t think I would have had anywhere else.”
Sustainability Goals
NEW ZEALAND Winegrowers (NZW) is working to narrow the focus of its sustainability initiatives, with water, waste, pest and disease, climate change and people making up five key focus areas. NZW general manager sustainability Edwin Massey emailed members last month to explain how those focus areas “encapsulate the areas of sustainability that are most relevant for our industry, our people, our stakeholders and our markets”. Each focus area has its own specific goal: •Water - be a world leader in efficient water use, •Waste - minimise the environmental impact of the materials we use, •Pest and disease - understand, reduce and mitigate impacts of existing and potential pest and disease,
Five focus areas: Water - be a world leader in efficient water use: • Ensure water efficiency across operations. • Strive to improve downstream water quality. • Invest in the restoration of water ecosystems to ensure sustainable water withdrawals. •Eliminate the use of chemicals and materials that can be detrimental to water quality if improperly disposed. Waste - minimise the environmental impact of the materials we use:
• Reduce chemical residues, diffuse discharges, singleuse plastics, treated timber and waste to landfill. • Develop innovative solutions for dealing with waste and alternatives to troublesome/dangerous waste products. • Improve supply chain efficiency. Pest and disease - understand, reduce and mitigate impacts of existing and potential pest and disease:
• Educate members on integrated pest management and resistance management guidelines to ensure the ongoing use of effective controls. • Enable members to make informed choices on chemical •Climate change – reduce carbon emissions, •People – be an industry of choice for workers, “It’s through these goals that our industry demonstrates its commitment to protecting the places that make our famous wines,” Edwin told members. “It is important that all members measure their progress towards these goals so that they can improve the sustainability of their businesses.” The industry goals align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed in 2015, he said. “The UN SDGs are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, as they seek to mobilise global efforts around a common set of targets.”
use options. •Encourage members to use softer chemical and nonchemical controls for efficient and sustainable pest and disease management. • Commit to and implement responsible sourcing practices beyond compliance for all raw materials and commodities. Climate Change - reduce carbon emissions:
• Minimise the carbon footprint of our industry, •Meet or exceed the Government’s expectations regarding industry responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, • Demonstrate leadership around climate change mitigation and adaptation. People - be an industry of choice for workers
• Promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. • Ensure all employment practices in the industry are fair and legal. • Invest in labour attraction and retention. • Invest in industry leadership, skills development and mentoring programmes. • Maximise workplace health and safety .
Biosecurity Watch
Biosecurity Act 1993 under review
SOPHIE BADLAND
LAST JULY, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor announced a review and overhaul of the Biosecurity Act 1993 in the wake of the devastating Mycoplasma bovis incursion. “The Mycoplasma bovis outbreak is the single biggest biosecurity event New Zealand has faced, and it highlighted flaws in the NAIT scheme and Biosecurity Act,” he said. “We need to learn from the bovis experience and have better pieces of legislation as a result of it.” A number of other highprofile biosecurity responses over the last few years such as Bonamia, myrtle rust and Psa have also triggered the need for a review of the Act.
Not surprisingly, biosecurity response funding is one of the underlying drivers for the Act review. The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) are allocated a set amount of funding to respond to biosecurity incursions, but the costs of eradicating unwanted exotic pests and diseases when they arrive in New Zealand regularly exceed the allocated budget, even with industry cost-sharing in these responses via the Government Industry Agreement (GIA).
It’s estimated that the bovis response alone will cost $870 million over the 10-year eradication period. A sustainable approach to biosecurity funding is required, and this needs to be able to account for the unpredictable nature of biosecurity incursions from year to year. “We’re operating in a different world than we were in 1993,” the minister pointed out. New Zealand’s biosecurity legislation is now 27 years old, and in that time, international trade and travel volumes have increased exponentially, many new markets have opened up, and there have been huge technological advances in the freighting sector. All of this means that it is far easier for exotic
pests and diseases to arrive in New Zealand, establish populations and cause problems for primary industry and indigenous biodiversity. As well as increased border pressure, climate change is likely to induce impacts from ‘sleeper pests’ - species that are already present in New Zealand in low numbers but not yet causing issues. With warming temperatures, there is greater opportunity for these pests to thrive.
A review of the Biosecurity Act offers an opportunity to go back to first principles and to look at what New Zealand’s biosecurity system needs to achieve, and how it should operate. There is an opportunity to change perceptions that the biosecurity system should be able to eliminate all risk, and that any incursions are a failure on the part of the system. The biosecurity system will never be able to reduce the risk of an incursion to zero. There are too many factors, too many pests to keep out, too much movement of people and goods for that to be a possibility. The system is set up to reduce or mitigate the risk as much as possible, and there are contingencies in place (such as high-risk site surveillance, planned response tactics, and long-term management plans) to deal with harmful organisms that may still arrive. All of these are important parts of the system as a whole.
The review of the Biosecurity Act has implications for New Zealand’s primary industries, which are often the major beneficiaries of the biosecurity system’s activities. As well as funding, the review will consider the primary legislation around compliance with the Act, enforcement, incentives, and compensation in the event of
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL CATCH IT. SNAP IT. REPORT IT.
property or business being damaged or lost during a response situation. It is important that industries have their say in this conversation; the impacts of a biosecurity response are often damaging and widely felt by affected industries.
MPI representatives visit Marlborough On January 21, two members of the MPI Biosecurity Act Review team visited a couple of Marlborough vineyards and met with representatives from the Marlborough Grape Growers Cooperative (MGGC). Rose Lark, MPI senior policy analyst, is leading the workstreams covering on-farm biosecurity practice and compensation, and Ali Horsley, also a senior policy analyst, is the workstream lead for readiness and response activities. The purpose of their visit was to engage with growers on these issues and get a first-hand
The outbreak of cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis has caused New Zealand’s biggest biosecurity response yet, highlighting issues with biosecurity legislation.
feel for the biosecurity challenges winegrowers face in the vineyard. The first site they visited was Peter Campbell’s vineyard, hosted by Steve Hayman, before moving on to Robert Black’s vineyard where they had a sit-down discussion and afternoon tea with a group of growers who are part of the MGGC. The discussion was engaging and wideranging, with growers taking the opportunity to ask MPI questions and in turn putting forward their views on current pest and disease issues, border biosecurity, the biggest risks for their businesses, how to motivate and drive behaviour change, reluctance to report potential problems, the challenges of vineyard biosecurity planning, the need for greater education of vineyard staff and crop scouts, and the realities of a biosecurity response and compensation. New Zealand Winegrowers would like to thank Johnny McMillan for helping to co-ordinate these site visits, Steve Hayman and Robert Black for hosting, and all the other MGGC members who made the time to come along and share their views.
MPI will also be offering opportunities for public consultation and intend to publish a discussion document, which will be available in March or April this year. Interested members can go to biosecurity.govt. nz/law-and-policy/legal-overviews/ biosecurity/biosecurity-act-1993- overhaul to find out more about the Act review and how to participate in consultation. Keep up to date with the latest in biosecurity and sustainability news from New Zealand Wine – join our NZW Kaitiaki Facebook group at www. facebook.com/groups/nzwinekaitiaki/
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Industry News
Pinot Paradise Pinot Noir NZ 2021 is set to be “a slice of Kiwi Pinot heaven”, says event co-chair Helen Masters of the threeday perusal of all things Pinot. There are 120 New Zealand producers signed up for the event, including 42 from Marlborough, ranging from large to boutique wineries. “Across the three days, attendees will have multiple opportunities to meet, talk and taste their way around some of the country’s most impressive wineries,” says co-chair Penelope Naish. “This will give them an in-depth look at the complexity and breadth of New Zealand’s remarkable Pinot Noir culture.” The Pinot celebration will be held in Christchurch from February 23 to 25, 2021. Tickets are on sale this month, from Monday, February 10.
NZSVO Rosé Workshop Rosé wines will be under the spotlight at the next New Zealand Society for Viticulture and Oenology (NZSVO) workshop, to be held in Marlborough in July. The programme will explore market influence, viticulture and winemaking, as well as technical trials and comprehensive tastings. The workshop is on July 28 at Marlborough Vintners Hotel in Renwick.
WiW Mentoring Programme Applications to join the Women in Wine mentoring programme close on February 9. The programme is open to women of all ages working in all roles within the wine
Wine Marlborough Update VANCE KERSLAKE Wine Marlborough is part of the RSE Cap Working Group. We need to demonstrate we are meeting the Minister’s challenges to get the 2020 cap increase. We will be asking members for information in February to support our case. A Marlborough Regional Skills Leadership Group is being established and Wine Marlborough helped organise an industry seminar this month. This group will give Marlborough a direct line to government on labour and skills issues on a level playing field with other regions.
Education to Employment Brokers to liaise between schools and employers to highlight local job opportunities are being established. Wine Marlborough assisted the Chamber of Commerce in an application to bring one of these positions to Marlborough. This would complement the School of Winegrowing, which is already a great success. The next Marlborough Winegrowers meeting with the Marlborough District Council is on February 25. If you have any issues you want us to raise with council, email Vance Kerslake, Advocacy Manager advocacy@winemarlborough. nz Bird Scaring Vineyard operators wanting to shoo away grape gobbling birds are governed by the rules of the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan. The plan has two categories for audible sound waves used for the scaring of birds, with the first category (a) covering percussive or explosive devices (excluding firearms) that scare or disturb birds by generating a shock wave from percussion or an explosion, including gas guns. The second category (b) covers other devices (but excluding firearms) that generate noise to scare or disturb birds, including vehicles or quad bikes tooting, and air horns. To learn about what you can and can’t do, search bird scaring on the Marlborough District Council website - marlborough.govt.nz industry, including sales and marketing, cellar door, general management, operations, logistics, laboratory, administration, viticulture, cellar hand and winemaking. The programme aims to match one woman with an experienced female mentor from the wine industry within their region, subject to the number of applications received and suitable matches available. The mentoring programme is a Women in Wine initiative, while the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) mentoring programme - open to all members regardless of gender - will run again later in the year. To apply for the Women in Wine mentoring programme, applicants must work for an organisation that is a NZW member. Find out more on the members pages of nzwine.com
Winery Wastewater Seminar Full compliance with winery wastewater rules is the aim for the 2020 vintage. Hear from Grove Mill winemaker Greg Lane (pictured), Marlborough District Council monitoring programme co-ordinator Rachel Neal, and environmental scientist, land Management, Matt Oliver about some of the easy fixes for non-compliance and progress the industry has made. The Winery Wastewater Seminar is at 10am, Tuesday February 18, at the Marlborough Research Centre theatre, 85 Budge Street, Blenheim. Please RSVP to Vance Kerslake advocacy@winemarlborough.nz.
Les Nuits Romantiques Clos Henri will hold its annual Les Nuits Romantiques outdoor movie screening on February 14, from 7pm. The $60 ticket price gets you a bag of picnic food, a glass of wine at entry, and the French flick La Promesse de l’aube (Promise at Dawn), shown on the side of the cellar door church. They’ll also be serving cheese plates and wine by the bottle, so no BYO. The event, which is R18, will be screened at the winery if the weather is bad. Get tickets at trybooking. co.nz/DMD Winegrowers Fellows at the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards. Central Otago winemaker Jen Parr of Valli Vineyards was named the 2020 New Zealand Winemaker of the Year at the awards.
Frost Fan Fans New Zealand Frost Fans (NZFF) has sold a 75% stake to Pencarrow Private Equity. The wind machine company is a leading supplier in Australia and New Zealand, and also sells fans to overseas markets including Turkey and Chile. FrostBoss machines are manufactured in Hawke’s Bay and NZFF also offers remote monitoring services.
Gourmet Traveller Wine Jason Flowerday of Te Whare Ra Wines won the 2020 Viticulturist Award at last month’s Gourmet Traveller WINE New Zealand Winemaker of the Year awards. Jason tends some of the oldest vines in the Marlborough region, the organisation said on social media after awarding the title. “He’s a figurehead among organic viticulturists in New Zealand and a deserving recipient of this award.” James Millton took out the 2020 Leadership Award. “His vineyard, his wines and his personal example have given many other growers the motivation to become organic or biodynamic, and for this reason he’s regularly referred to as the country’s father of sustainable farming practices,” they said. Late last year, James and his wife Annie were made New Zealand
SWNZ Team Leader Meagan Littlejohn has been appointed as the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) team leader for the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme. Meagan, who is from Canada, first joined NZW in May 2018 as the systems administrator for SWNZ. The newly created team leader role will see her develop and lead the SWNZ and SWNZ Continuous Improvement (SWNZ CI) programmes as core components of the environment strategy. She says she is focused on helping NZW re-focus the SWNZ and SWNZ CI programmes to ensure that they are relevant and beneficial to members and the industry as a whole.
CLASSIFIEDS
Sauvignon Blanc Grapes Sought Winery seeks contract for 1-5 years for 40-50 tons of premium Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Will pay above district average for quality. Established, Kiwi-owned brand. Please contact MarlboroughWinery@gmail.com
Wine Happenings
A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry. To have your event included in March Wine Happenings or Industry News pages, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by February 20. For more information on these events, email sarah@wine-marlborough.co.nz
FEBRUARY 7 Pre Marlborough Wine & Food Festival Soiree - Brancott Estate Cellar Door & Restaurant (eventfinda) 8 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival 9 Wine and Food Wind Down 2020 - Vines Village 9 Applications close for Women in Wine mentoring (see pg 26) 12 Crop modelling seminar, 4pm, MRC Theatre, 85 Budge Street 14 Nuits Romantiques - Clos Henri (sales@closhenri.com) 18 Winery Wastewater Seminar, 10am, MRC Theatre, 85 Budge Street (see pg 26) 20 Winemaker Survey Seminar 3.30pm, MRC Theatre, 85 Budge St (see pg 11) 29 Dog Point Classic Kiwi Picnic MARCH 13 Framingham 2020 Harvest Concert 28 Whitehaven Graperide MAY 9 Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon
Marlborough Wine & Food Festival - Feb 8
Framingham Harvest Concert - March 13
Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon - May 9
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