Industry News

Go You!

MarlboroughNZ

New Zealand Winegrowers will hold a Go You! Workshop in Marlborough on February 25, as part of a national series. Leadership and communities manager Nicky Grandorge says the objective is to help boost morale, and to “reignite enthusiasm” after a tough 2020, with all its Covid-19 stresses. “The idea is to help people reset themselves and reset their goals after all the cancellations and extra challenges last year,” she says. “We want the workshops to enhance mental wellbeing and resilience in the wine industry and provide tools and resources to support this.”

Nicky says everyone working in the wine industry needs a boost and she hopes to see people from all roles and of all ages at the workshop. She encourages managers to attend, so they can assess mental wellbeing support within their organisations. “We want to encourage everyone in our industry to look out for each other and look after themselves, and to help individuals feel upbeat and motivated.”

Marlborough’s Fiona Fenwick will also speak at the workshop, with the goal of ensuring people are inspired when they leave. Her presentation will include goal setting and short-term plans, adaptability and self belief. The workshop, in the lounge at Wither Hills, starts at 4pm and runs for around an hour and half. The cost is $25 and you must register in advance on nzwine.com/goyouworkshops

Winery Wastewater Seminar

Marlborough District Council monitoring programme co-ordinator Rachel Neal will lead a seminar on ensuring winery wastewater compliance for the 2021 vintage. The Winery Wastewater Seminar is at 10am, Tuesday February 16, at the Marlborough Research Centre theatre, 85 Budge Street. Please RSVP to advocacy@winemarlborough.nz.

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Les Nuits Romantiques

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Clos Henri, with the annual Les Nuits Romantiques outdoor movie screening on February 12, from 7pm. The ticket includes a glass of wine, picnic bag of treats and a French film with English subtitles. This year’s movie ‘Roxane’ is centred on Raymond, a chicken farmer in Brittany who finds himself threatened with bankruptcy when the big supermarkets decide to cut out the local farms from their trade. For more information, contact sales@closhenri.com.

South Island Cheese Festival

Bringing together some of New Zealand’s best cheese producers - including Cranky Goat, Thorvald, Little River, Via Vio and Charing Cross Cheesery - the inaugural South Island Cheese Festival will be held at Clos Henri on February 6. There will be wines on hand, along with food stalls to compliment the cheese, enabling “epic cheese plates”, say organisers. For more information, go to Marlboroughnz.com/events/

Wine Collective Direct

A new online wine marketplace has been launched in New Zealand, to help producers of premium wines increase their profitability by selling direct to customers. Wine Collective Direct has been established by Grant Rimmer of nzwinehome, which is a specialist international wine delivery provider. He says Wine Collective Direct will “exponentially extend” the reach of wine companies, by enabling seamless Direct to International Consumer (DTiC) sales in the “historically difficult” premium and ultra-premium market segments. “We’re delighted to be announcing this exciting development for the New Zealand wine industry at a critical time,” he says. “In recent years, producers across New Zealand have invested heavily in wine tourism to reach high-end international consumers with a thirst for rare and limited production wines.” In 2019, New Zealand Winegrowers reported that 776, 599 international wine tourists visited New Zealand and spent $3.26 billion, says Grant. But Covid-19 has pulled that market out from under their feet. “Acting collectively, we are stronger, and will go further globally together,” he says. New Zealand wine producers are invited to register to the DTiC marketplace in February before the initial market launch in Australia and Hong Kong at the end of March. winecollective.direct/ An Evening with Méthode Marlborough

Tickets are on sale for the Méthode Marlborough Day ‘Progressive Evening’ on Friday March 26. The event includes a sparkling introduction to 12 innovative and premium producers over three locations, and will showcase the best of Marlborough’s sparkling wine industry during a social, relaxed and delicious evening. The ticket price includes continuous food and wine service, return bus travel (via Seymour Square) and live entertainment. methodemarlborough.org Misty Cove

The Misty Cove Long Lunch will showcase the best Marlborough has to offer, say organisers. The event includes Marlborough cuisine from Feast Merchants, live music from Sarah Brown and wines from Misty Cove. Return bus transport from Seymour Square to Misty Cove is included in the ticket price as well as lunch, drinks and entertainment. mistycovewines.com David Armour

David Armour has joined the Bragato Research Institute (BRI) as a research programme manager, with a focus on vineyard ecosystems and a project looking at Pinot Noir quality and productivity. David completed a PhD in plant genetics and breeding at The University of Queensland, where he also co-bred several commercial lucerne varieties. In 2015 David moved to New Zealand and spent four years in the innovation team at Zespri, working on pest management for market access, new growing systems, and digital counting technologies. Following this, David started a research and development consulting business to focus on the delivery of science into growers’ and post-harvest operations. David says he relishes the theoretical and practical challenges of delivering higher yield, quality, taste, and reduced environmental impact in horticultural crops. “BRI offers the opportunity to apply my skills and passion in the wine industry, broaching similar challenges in viticulture from new angles.”