Winepress - January 2024

ISSUE NO. 349 / JAN 2024

FESTIVAL MASTERCLASS

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MARLBOROUGH WINE

NEW YEAR

WHITEHAVEN PLANTING

JAMES HEALY

Photo: Jim Tannock

marlboroughwinenz.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR We want to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful clients for their support last year.

We are looking forward for what 2024 has in store, with some exciting properties coming up.

Your Viticulture, Lifestyle & Rural Sales Specialists

Waihopai, 407 Waihopai Valley Road

Mike Poff I 027 665 5477 mike.poff@bayleys.co.nz

BE MARLBOROUGH LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENESED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Renwick, 32 Guernsey Road

Charlie McLean I 027 346 1671 charlie.mclean@bayleys.co.nz BE MARLBOROUGH LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENESED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Churton

6 6

this issue...

REGULARS

FEATURES

3 Editorial - Sophie Preece Y-ine – 18 Generation Priyanka Kulkarni

6 The Year Ahead

22 Industry News 24 Wine Happenings

18 Lifetime Achievement

Cover: Whitehaven Wines aims to return a Wairau Valley farm to indigenous forest, creating a biodiversity hotspot and carbon sink. “Carbon offsetting aside, the primary motivation for this project was to give something back, to create something that will have a lasting impact for the environment and the people in our community,” says sustainability manager Josh Barclay.

Photo Jim Tannock. See page 13

As the region rolls into 2024, Winepress gets some insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead.

18

“The Marlborough wine industry has been extremely kind to me,” says James Healy, one of four industry stalwarts awarded a Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award in November.

23 Sea level rise

Vineyards in the Lower Wairau could be affected by sea level rise, according to a report commissioned by the Marlborough District Council.

20

Winepress January 2024 / 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 THE DUST has barely settled on the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration, which paid homage to the pioneers behind 50 years of Marlborough’s wine industry while raising a glass to some extraordinary trophy-winning wines.

But the Wine Marlborough team are already head down in runsheets again, with the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival on the near horizon. The festival is nearly 40 years old, but each February it’s made fresh, new, and compelling, with a carefully curated array of new music, exciting food, and accessible wine education. That’s thanks to the dedication of the Wine Marlborough crew, led by events manager Loren Coffey, and a team of industry supporters and returning sponsors who see the long-term value it brings our region and its wine industry.

“The festival is nearly 40 years old, but each February it’s made fresh, new and compelling, with a carefully curated array of new music, exciting food, and accessible wine education.”

On February 10 there’ll be plenty of people at Renwick Domain there to simply share music, food and wine with friends, in a classic summer’s day out.

There’ll also be Marlborough wine brand fans and aficionados, eager to try the wines they love in the place they are from, amongst the people who grew and made them. And there’ll be those eager to learn more, via the masterclasses that offer a taste of what Marlborough does best, along with an education about why.

This year there are four masterclasses, with wine experts Ngarita Warden and Nadine Worley helping design a selection to satisfy everything from curiosity about wine and cheese matching to intrigue about Pinot Noir blending. Read more about that on page 4.

There’s no MetReport in this edition, due to print timelines over the festive season. But rest assured that Rob Agnew will make up for it with a bumper report in the February Winepress. In the meantime, take a look at the insights shared from people throughout the wine industry on the year ahead, from winemakers to bottlers, and from science providers to politicians. The end of 2023 was a busy time for everyone, and I am extremely grateful that these people took the time to consider the potential headwinds and high points ahead.

Happy new year!

SOPHIE PREECE

Winepress January 2024 / 3

EDUCATE

Photo Richard Briggs

Festival Masterclass Winning wines on the wild side SOPHIE PREECE

“There is always lots of banter and lively discussions on the different blends and wines.”

MATCHING WILD game with full bodied reds is just one of the highlights of the 2024 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, where masterclasses will educate the mind and elucidate the tastebuds.

It’s about growing knowledge to enhance the wine tasting experience, says Ngarita Warden, a Wine and Spirit Education Trust teacher and research winemaker for Bragato Research Institute, based in Blenheim. “If you know about the grape variety, if you know about the region, and why the wine tastes the way it does, it helps you enjoy it more.”

Ngarita has been working with winemaker and wine lecturer Nadine Worley, cofounder of Fugitive Wines, to create four masterclasses for the February 10 festival, covering méthode traditionnelle, local wine and cheese matching, a Pinot Noir blending session, and From the Mountains to the Sea, a 50-minute session to explore Marlborough’s wild game and fresh seafood, matched with a series of lesser-known reds. The Festival is an opportunity to showcase the region’s “really delicious” red wines and alternative whites, beyond Sauvignon Blanc, Ngarita says, noting that the 'wild' session is not just for hunters and fishers, with ‘foodies’ increasingly eager to learn about wild game and locally harvested seafood.

The Méthode Marlborough Masterclass will see winemakers pour a selection of Marlborough sparkling wines, while explaining the long and detailed process to make them. From picking decisions, blending and tirage, to riddling and finally disgorging, it takes a minimum of 18 months to produce these wines, and often much longer, Nadine says. “Traditional method sparkling winemaking is such a fascinating process and the masterclass is a great way to show how individual winemakers create their own style.” Marlborough’s growing conditions have a lot in common with classic sparkling producer areas, including Champagne, Ngarita adds. “We have lovely cool evenings, which helps keep real freshness in the wines. We are a really classic region for making méthode traditionnelle, and it’s really good to highlight that it’s another key wine from this area.”

4 / Winepress January 2024

Nadine Worley The Wine and Cheese Pairing promises ‘the best of the best’, with two judges from the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, sharing six award winning wines, paired with some of the region’s best cheeses, presented by the cheesemaker behind them.

There’s a reason this classic combo is an annual winner at the festival, says Ngarita. “But people assume every wine will go with every cheese and they just don’t.” As an example, Sauvignon Blanc – crisp and fresh with lots of acidity – is perfect with a chevre, which is also high in acidity,” she says. “But if you try to put goats’ cheese with a big heavy red, it tastes really disgusting. The tannins in the red just don’t work.”

The final masterclass – Unlock your Hidden Winemaker – will be led by some of Marlborough’s top Pinot Noir producers, guiding guests through the art of blending, so they end up with their own unique glass of Pinot. “The blending masterclass is one of my favourites to be a part of,” Nadine says. “The punters really get into it, tasting and blending and re-blending their own wine.

There is always lots of banter and lively discussions on the different blends and wines. Suddenly everyone becomes an expert.”

Wine Marlborough Events Manager Loren Coffey says wine education is a key part of the festival planning. “The new site at Renwick Domain has allowed us to do more in this space, and the 2024 festival is the first time we’ve been able to hold four masterclasses, while also adding other educational opportunities, such as a wine sensory wall.” Expanding the masterclass offering means they can continue to deliver popular wine and food pairing sessions, while also introducing more intimate and in-depth winemaking-focused masterclass experiences, “targeted to suit our wine enthusiast attendees”.

GROW

Winepress January 2024 / 5

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The Year Ahead As the region rolls into 2024, Winepress gets some insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Kyle Thompson, Saint Clair Family Estate senior winemaker Just as no two fingerprints are alike – no two seasons are alike in bottle either. 2023 was a welcome return from global shortages of New Zealand wines in 2021, to more fruitful supplies of high-quality wines in 2022-2023. This current higher volume does bring its challenges for the industry. It’s predicted that we’ll see this move over the next few months – but not without a squeeze on winery resources to get these fantastic wines out before the new harvest is knocking at the door. It’s going to be a hectic lead-up to Vintage ‘24. The expected El Niño weather patterns are also likely to play a part in the picture, with smaller bunch architecture, berry size, and yield. Markets can expect to see concentrated flavour profiles in the bottle. With 2024 tipped to be a smaller harvest, wine buyers would be wise to acquire extra 2023 vintage stock to ensure they don’t go short of their favourite tipple.

Borders are well and truly open again, and experienced staff are being welcomed with open arms.

This year at Saint Clair we have a very strong team, with 56% having worked at Saint Clair for more than five vintages. These interns span 15 nationalities, showing the strong pull of Marlborough as a destination to learn the art of winemaking.

Sauvignon Blanc is still king. While demand for other varieties (including Pinot Noir) has softened for now, everyone who’s been in the winemaking game for any length of time remains optimistic. I’m reminded of the lull we had in Chardonnay sales a while back, only for demand to rebound strongly. It’s always tempting to be seduced by ‘what’s hot’ right now, but as all good investors will tell you, diversification is key; and the strength of New Zealand wine across many varieties prevents us having all our eggs in one basket. Pinot Noir is really coming of age in Marlborough. We saw that with our Saint Clair Pinot Noir (Pioneer Block 5) being awarded the illustrious Champion Wine of the Show at the National Wine Awards of Aotearoa New Zealand recently. We’re confidently expecting 2024 Pinots are going to be so good you can’t overlook them! As Neal Ibbotson likes to say, “bring it on!”

“The expected El Niño weather patterns are also likely to play a part in the picture, with smaller bunch architecture, berry size, and yield.”

Kyle Thompson

6 / Winepress January 2024

PROTECT

Nigel Sowman, Dog Point viticulturist, independent grower, and Marlborough Winegrowers board member The optimism that comes with the climatologists’ predictions of an El Niño summer, after a challenging few La Niña seasons, reverberates around the valley and puts a smile on viticulturists faces... or at least the ones that have good access to irrigation water.

Every challenge has its positives and every positive has its challenges, and the challenge that comes with an El Niño summer is potential drought. I see that as a concentration of flavour in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but Sauvignon Blanc is another ballgame; it’s a variety that shows at its best when happy and comfortable, so keeping up with water throughout the season will be at the forefront of most viticulturists’ minds. As we pass through December, when I’m writing this, it is already drying off quite considerably. The green grass of the past few Decembers has given away to brown, while reports across the valley are that potential crops are down. We could be in for a cracker of a season flavour-wise – we just need to get it there.

The best way to help get it there is with staff that are happy and engaged, and this is true for both permanent and contract labour.

With the spread of vineyards further and further away from the accommodation hubs of Blenheim and Renwick, challenges to maintain good staff relationships fall on the team environment. There are Nigel Sowman positive signs on all fronts, with an increase in Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme numbers, with many skilled returnees, and backpackers back in town to supplement any shortfall in numbers.

With vintage 2024 looming, concerns about oversupply and sluggish international sales seem to be a topic I hear about more and more as a Marlborough Winegrowers board member. I hope companies that were caught up in the oversupply in 2009 don’t show the same race-to-the-bottom mentality that saw wine prices drop, and subsequently grape prices drop to unsustainable levels and remain there. The costs of doing business, whether in a vineyard or winery, are ever increasing – just look at the current RSE labour rates. This forces growers to crop higher and higher to maintain their business, let alone be profitable. Higher crops have the ability to compromise wine quality which is such a vital part of the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc story. Can we really afford to jeopardise that?

Marcus Pickens, Wine Marlborough general manager To some extent 2023 was a year of reflection for the Marlborough industry, with the 50th anniversary of our origins. The theme will transition to looking ahead and we will build that into our work cycle. Part of this will be refreshing our strategy – the Marlborough Winegrowers board members have prioritised that to ensure Wine Marlborough continue to deliver value for you. We use the strategic goals to develop our annual plan, which guides the team to add value to our industry.

We will continue with our favourite activities and hero events such as our Marlborough Wine Show and Celebration, the upcoming Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, and all the workshops and events sprinkled throughout the year.

Sharing our region’s stories is so important to us. We want to get our Marlborough Wine Podcast back on the calendar also, to share wonderful stories and inspirations with you. A new activity that will take significant focus is WinePro, which is being held here in Marlborough for the first time on June 25-27. The trade show is a partnership between Wine Marlborough, Expertise Events, and Marlborough District Council.

A major project is the New Zealand Wine Industry Workforce Plan, which will be delivered in the 2024 year. There will be many insights shared with you Marcus Pickens through the year leading up to the final plan being released. All the committees and advisory groups that help us will be as active as ever. These include the Circular Wine group, Wine Tourism, and WinePro groups to name a few. Thank you to all involved.

Winepress January 2024 / 7

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Marlborough Research Centre celebrates its 40th birthday this year. From humble hand-me-down buildings at Grovetown Park Campus, a local team of researchers added massively to the region’s current prosperity. In 1984 Marlborough was a food bowl, producing a range of arable crops, grains and seeds, vegetables, fruits, pastural production, with just a few grapes. The Marlborough Primary Production Study 1982 – an economic analysis looking forward 30 years – noted that 800 hectares were planted in grapes, with future plantings assessed to be negligible.

Since then Marlborough Research Centre (MRC) has contributed significantly, by working alongside primary producers across the rural sector. The actual economic impact from direct and indirect expenditure through MRC is assessed in present value dollars as $159 million. The full-time equivalent staff numbers have grown from seven full time employees in 1984, to 97.75 today. Partner organisations have flourished on MRC campuses, including Plant & Food Research, New Zealand Winegrowers, Bragato Research Institute (BRI), and Wine Marlborough, while Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology gains greater educational linkages into research science technology and innovation.

Investment at our Budge Street campus began in 2003 with $2.5 million funded by a Major Regional Initiative Government grant and MRC reserves establishing the first stage Marlborough Wine Research Centre. That was followed by BRI, with another government grant through the Regional Research Institute fund of $12.5m, with the opening of the research winery in February 2020. More recently, the New Zealand Wine Centre was co-funded by a Provincial Growth Fund (Kanoa) and MRC, at $8m, with an opening in September 2022.

The Experimental Future Vineyard will be constructed in April 2024

Gerald Hope, Marlborough Research Centre chief executive

"Marlborough Research Centre celebrates it's 40th birthday this year."

Gerald Hope The next forward-looking research investment by MRC is completing the construction of the Experimental Future Vineyard in April this year. That will bring total investment since 2019 up to $20 million, growing capability for industry initiated and supported strategic research and innovation.

The Marlborough Research Centre is looking for a name for the Experimental Future Vineyard, which is due for completion in April at the New Zealand Wine Centre, Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa. “We want to capture the essence of this fabulous $3.2million piece of technology with an enduring name,” says chief executive Gerald Hope, hoping that Winepress readers will share some inspirational ideas. The best idea earns a suite of Tohu Blanc de Blancs legacy bubbles. Email your ideas to gerald@mrc.org.nz.

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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

PROTECT

Dr Edwin Massey, NZW general manager sustainability El Niño is expected to have a significant impact on 2024 weather conditions, with drought to the north-east and possible flooding to the south. So it is timely to reaffirm the work New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is doing behind the scenes to provide members with tools to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

In 2020, the New Zealand wine industry announced its goal to be a carbon neutral industry by 2050. To help us reach that target, NZW has partnered with EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) to develop a Carbon Zero Road Map for the New Zealand wine industry. Work starts immediately, and over the next six months we will be collaborating with members to ensure the plan is tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities that we anticipate facing from 2024 to 2050, and beyond.

In June this year, NZW’s partnership with EECA produced the Emissions Reduction Opportunities, a review of decarbonisation innovations for the wine industry, and we are looking forward to working together on this next project. If you are particularly interested in sustainability and climate change, or want to be involved in the Roadmap journey, please get in touch at edwin.massey@nzwine.com

Dr Edwin Massey

Tracy Atkin, Marlborough Capital Ltd chief executive There is a Chinese proverb, that a crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind.

I think for many in the industry, the challenges of the past few years – Covid-19 restrictions, supply chain disruption, extreme weather events, changing consumer preferences, inflationary pressures, labour challenges, and geo-political uncertainty, not to mention the uncertainty around our own change in government – can make it hard to find opportunities in the haystack.

From my perspective, working with startups and the commercialisation of new technology in agritech, 2024 is set to the be the year of innovation – innovation that addresses challenges such as labour shortages, productivity, profitability and sustainability. Over the past two or three years I have had the privilege of working with entrepreneurs as they commercialise innovation in both wine-tech and viticulture. There is new technology in robotics, such as autonomous multi-tasking vineyard tractors and autonomous bird scarers, crop imaging technology for disease detection and crop management, drones for imaging and aerial spraying, new sensor technology to measure water stress in vines as an alternative to pressure bombs and soil probes, nanotechnology for irrigation and wine filtration, vine guards that provide precision irrigation, nutrition and protection for replanting, wastewater recovery technology, and tools for carbon foot printing and ESG reporting.

However with all this new technology comes more data – the challenge is to find technology that converts data to insights using AI and machine learning, to enable meaningful correlations and decision-making. Standardising data between a growing inventory of software, apps and portals, and finding ways to bring data together will be the next challenge, but an exciting one that could transform our industry, moving from precision-ag to decision-ag.

And in June we have the opportunity to showcase this new innovation at our inaugural international wine tradeshow WinePro, in our start-up and innovation zone – demonstrating to the world that we are not just exporters of world-class wine, but world-leading innovation as well.

“2024 is set to be the year of innovation.”

Tracy Atkin

Jim White, Cloudy Bay technical and sustainable development director and Circular Wine Marlborough member 2023 saw the formation of the Circular Wine Marlborough group, a partnership between industry, Wine Marlborough, and the Marlborough District Council. Formed under the Smart + Connected initiative, the group’s mission is to improve the environmental impact of the Marlborough wine industry.

The group is guided by the three principles of the circular economy - to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and to regenerate nature.

The objectives of the group were developed in 2023 and will be rolled out to industry this year. They are: - Telling the story: Communication with industry and stakeholders - Thought Leadership: Learning from within and outside the region, and from outside the wine industry Winepress January 2024 / 9

GROW

- Supplier and partner synergies: Sharing and comparing current and new practices or services - Innovation and prototyping: Encouraging and comparing trials amongst members - Solution build: Assessing whether a group solution is desirable or feasible The group is well positioned, with steering committee representatives from wineries processing more than 80% of the region’s grape intake. After several meetings and workshops, seven key industry circulatory issues impacting our industry have been identified: lees, grape marc, regenerative viticulture, decarbonisation of fuel, recycling, glass, and reduction of water use.

In 2024 the group will work towards achieving the ambitious targets set for our top three priorities: - Lees: To eliminate liquid lees to ponds and dewatered sludge to landfill by 2026, along with working with council to deal with the immediate challenges lees in the short term.

- Marc: A long term environmentally and commercial sustainable solution for marc by 2030, when Bankhouse is likely to end marc spreading - Regenerative viticulture: Define what that means for Marlborough and map how we can best improve on our current viticulture practices.

From a personal point of view, I am really excited about the energy in this group, and the potential for greater

“The group’s mission is to improve the environmental impact of the Marlborough wine industry.”

Jim White change through collaboration. At Cloudy Bay we have been focussed for some time on growing soil health in our vineyards and growing efficiency in our winery. Sharing our experiences, and learning from the experiences of others, is one of the highlights of the Circular Wine Marlborough group. I look forward to big and small steps forward throughout 2024.

Damien Gillman, WineWorks Marlborough general manager At WineWorks, our sights are set on 2024. There is a lot coming our way and we are getting ready for it. A year ago we talked about stepping up to the challenge of the 2023 volumes – we geared up for it with resources to handle the expected volumes, but it never eventuated. Our clients were feeling the long tail of vintage ‘22, as the shipping schedules caught up. That meant all the ‘just-in-case’ stock arrived, resulting in full warehouses in market – all just as consumers’ wallets started to constrict around the world. The demand has kicked off now, and our calendars are full of pre-vintage bookings until March. In the production hall, we upgraded the Line 4 filler machine back in May - this has given us a significant boost in capacity and will aid with the busy start to 2024.

Our sustainability journey with Toitū Envirocare reached a new milestone: we reduced our baseline emissions across the business by 45% over three years, despite a 30% increase in volume over this period. We are incredibly proud of the efforts our team has made in getting us to this point. The other big project Marlborough can look forward to in 2024 is the development of the Marlborough Inland Port – this offers Marlborough wineries more resilience in the supply chain and cost-effective options for getting their wine to the world.

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EDUCATE

Braden Crosby, BRI knowledge transfer and engagement leader Marlborough has been fortunate to miss the worst of the extreme climate events from the last two seasons. These devastating weather events are a reminder that industry challenges are always evolving. They have also reiterated Bragato Research Institute’s (BRI’s) focus on helping growers and makers make better decisions for building resilience in their vineyard and wine businesses. That includes adapting to a changing climate through long term research. Starting with our most important export variety, the Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme is producing 12,000 new variants of Sauvignon Blanc to be screened for beneficial traits such as water use efficiency or resistance to pests and disease.

Our genetics team based in Lincoln have sequenced the Sauvignon Blanc genome through our long-read Nanopore sequencer. This resource will now allow us to comprehensively describe differences between ‘Mass Select’ and other commercially grown Sauvignon Blanc clones. That knowledge will enable BRI to identify more resilient, better vines for New Zealand conditions in the next phase of the programme.

We have also planted a 1.000-vine trial of 15 commercially available rootstocks, which will generate objective data to help inform future choices around which rootstocks to use for different planting situations. This will yield robust data in the coming seasons on water use efficiency, drought tolerance and plant interactions with extreme weather events.

Engaging with industry and supporting change will be a major focus for the year ahead. We’re looking to utilise our Research Winery facilities more by holding regular wine research workshops after vintage 2024. We have vineyard workshops planned for our long spur pruning project, Grape Days, research sessions at WinePro, and the new Wine Research Forum to be held at the end of August during our industry celebrations.

On a personal note, it is a return to Marlborough for me, having been based in the Wairarapa for 18 years. It will be good to get out and about in Marlborough and meet growers and makers on a more regular basis.

Edel Everling, Johanneshof Cellars winemaker and co-owner and Cellar Door Steering Group member After navigating challenging years with unprecedented impact on many industries, the Marlborough wine industry has had to adapt quickly. Much hope was placed on the past year, ‘after the pandemic’, hoping to return to normality. As the international economy tried to recover from the massive impact of the abrupt halt that many experienced, so did wineries around Marlborough. We all welcomed the soft start to a more ‘normal’ 2023 year. A relief was felt with a regained confidence in international markets and the return of international visitors and cruise ships.

While we navigated constant change and vast challenges, supply chain issues, and labour and skill shortages, we have shown much resilience and adaptivity, which will be our biggest asset for the year to come. Despite ongoing challenges, collaboration and communication between sectors and with our communities will see us succeed together.

This realisation prompted Wine Marlborough and Destination Marlborough to facilitate the Cellar Door Steering Group, which aims to grow conversation, sharing, and collaboration between wine and tourism industries. Johanneshof Cellars is one of the longest running cellar doors under original ownership in Marlborough and we have been directly involved in the growing of grapes and winemaking as well as tourism through our cellar door in our 33 years of operation. This is the first time we have seen such a regular exchange of thoughts between wineries, tour operators, tourism, and wine industry stakeholders. We have welcomed the opportunity for exchange and collaboration and have established closer ties. Monthly meetings ensure the flow of information as well as enabling us to set and achieve industry goals. A code of conduct has been formulated to encourage us to raise the bar in wine tourism, one of Marlborough’s great opportunities.

While we realise this is a marathon not a sprint, we look to the new year with cautious optimism.

"This is the first time we have seen such a regular exchange of thoughts between wineries, tour operators, tourism, and wine industry stakeholders."

Edel Everling

12 / Winepress January 2024

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Sophie Badland, NZW biosecurity & emergency response manager 2024 is already shaping up to be a busy year for biosecurity.

At the end of November, the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) biosecurity team farewelled the fantastic Kerrie Hopkins, who was filling in as biosecurity advisor while Jim Herdman has been on extended leave. We are excited to welcome Jim back early in the new year. On the Government-Industry Agreement (GIA) biosecurity front, 2024 looks to deliver some exciting events, with the first shipment of imported samurai wasps due to arrive in New Zealand, to be held in containment as a biological control tool for an incursion of the brown marmorated stink bug. A pan-sector forum focused on Xylella fastidiosa (one of the wine industry’s most unwanted pathogens) is also being organised, and negotiations will begin on an Operational Agreement to fund the implementation of Onside’s biosecurity traceability solution across several different primary sectors. The GIA partnership celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year – a huge milestone with the vast majority of primary industries now represented in GIA’s membership and working together for better biosecurity outcomes.

The NZW Board has agreed to make biosecurity plans compulsory for Sustainbable Winegrowing New Zealand vineyard members from 2026 onwards, and we will also

“2024 looks to deliver some exciting events, with the first shipment of imported samurai wasps due to arrive in New Zealand.”

Sophie Badland be working closely with members to ensure tools and templates are available to assist with development and implementation of their plans. After the devastating events of Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year, 2024 will see the implementation of any recommendations that arise from NZW’s review of our emergency response plan, which is currently underway. Gabrielle also highlighted the importance of the Biosecurity Vineyard Register as the key source of information about vineyard plantings that may be impacted by an emergency event; with NZW’s new IT system now up and running, we will be working alongside members to ensure the Register data is as up-to-date as possible.

Tanya Pouwhare, New Zealand Ethical Employers chief executive officer As 2024 begins, Marlborough faces a critical juncture in managing seasonal labour for its flourishing viticultural sector, learning from the challenges of the preceding years. The lessons of 2023 underscored the need for innovative approaches to ensure a sustainable workforce, especially during peak seasons.

Reflecting on 2023, the region grappled with labour shortages and rising costs, influenced by factors like the enduring effects of the global pandemic, shifting demographic patterns and endless government policy changes and red tape.

The reliance on seasonal workers, vital for the success of Marlborough’s renowned vineyards and horticultural enterprises, exposed vulnerabilities.

Looking forward to 2024 and beyond, Marlborough needs forwardthinking strategies to address seasonal labour demands. Technological advancements, including automation and step-change techniques, are pivotal to easing the strain on human resources. Robotics and artificial intelligence are gradually becoming integral components of the viticultural landscape, offering efficiency in tasks traditionally performed by seasonal workers. However, the necessity for human hands will remain. Recognising the determined spirit of Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) employers remains crucial. These unsung heroes have been the backbone of the region’s viticultural success for over a decade, ensuring over 96% of Marlborough’s planted wine-grapes thrive through their unwavering dedication.

RSE employers and workers play an integral role in sustaining the region's economy and require ongoing support of their efforts in securing and managing a seasonal labour force. Efforts that focus not only on short-term pressures but also>

“Recognising the determined spirit of Recognised Seasonal Employer employers remains crucial.”

Tanya Pouwhare

Winepress January 2024 /13

GROW

on creating a supportive ecosystem that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by these employers. As the vines heave with ripening fruit, the spirit of collaboration between growers, RSE employers, technology, and local initiatives sets the stage for a unified approach in 2024 and beyond.

By working hand in hand, Marlborough can harness the strength of unity, ensuring a bountiful harvest and a flourishing future for all.

Paul O’Donnell

Paul O’Donnell, BDO Marlborough Tasman managing director

Mike Poff

Mike Poff, Bayleys Marlborough wine industry specialist It looks to be an interesting 12 months ahead off the back of a busy 2023. With the change in demand for supply of Sauvignon Blanc, we have seen the importance of a contract go full circle. It is now essential for property sales to show value for viticulture assets. This is coupled with some smallto medium-sized companies looking to rearrange the deck chairs (assets) to refocus capital heading forward. It seems widely accepted that vineyard property values were solid in 2023, through some specific tightly held locations, and the market is expected to settle down in 2024 to reflect a price directly correlated to the return generated from the vineyard assets. Interest rates look to remain at a higher level, which could add some pressure to vineyards that were more recently leveraged, and they may come back to the market to help improve liquidity.

Succession continues in the New Zealand wine industry and we are working closely with multiple families and businesses to launch some impressive viticulture opportunities to the market in 2024. There will be some exciting changes as some of the pioneers of New Zealand wine move to hand over or exit the wine industry ready for the next generation to take the reins. We are looking forward to being involved and supporting the business part of WinePro in June 2024. See you all there.

14/ Winepress January 2024

Accurate inventory management and a true understanding of costs will be key for wine companies looking towards 2024. On the back of two strong vintages in 2022 and 2023, there is some uncertainty as to how strong demand will be from overseas markets in the immediate future. While this will obviously be a factor to consider when making decisions about crop level management for the 2024 vintage, proactive management of existing wine stock will also need to be top of mind.

Accurately valuing wine inventory (and re-valuing where required) and knowing the real costs of that inventory and the cost of selling will be particularly important in setting pricing strategy. The cost principle requires that assets, including inventory like wine, should be recorded at their historical cost. For wine, this includes all costs directly attributable to bringing the product to its present condition and location, such as production costs, transportation costs, and handling costs. A consistent approach in valuation methodology is required here to allow for meaningful comparisons over time.

The valuation of inventory directly impacts the calculation of taxable income, so valuation needs to be accurate to enable effective tax planning. The matching principle dictates that expenses should be recognized in the same period as the related revenues. In the context of wine valuation, this principle ensures that costs associated with producing and acquiring inventory are matched with the revenues generated when the wine is sold.

Also, if you are needing to review or seek additional funding arrangements with your bank, being able to demonstrate a detailed understanding of your inventory will provide additional confidence to lenders. So if you’ve not recently done so, we would recommend reviewing your inventory management and valuation processes and systems as a business priority.

EDUCATE

Stuart Smith, Kaikōura MP With the election over and the National-led coalition government formed, I can now focus on the progress of my Members Bill, the Supply and Sale of Alcohol (Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill. The bill seeks to address anomalies in the law that make it difficult and expensive for cellar doors to charge for the samples of their wine to their visitors. Reflecting current industry practice, a sample will be limited to a maximum of 40 millilitres. That is approximately 18 samples per 750ml bottle.

Second, limited categories of off-licence are available to a winery under the Act by adding a category of off-licence general to wineries holding an on-licence, such as a winery or a cafe. Definitions of ‘winery’ and ‘winery cellar door’, which reflect the current use of those terms, are in the bill.

The objectives of the current Act are that the sale, supply, and consumption of alcohol should be undertaken safely and responsibly and that the harm caused by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol should be minimised. This bill will further advance those objectives. The bill passed its first reading with 105 votes out of 120, which is unprecedented for a ‘conscience vote’. Alcohol legislation is usually treated as a conscience matter and left to individual MPs to decide. The Justice Select Committee will hear submissions and report to the House early in the New Year, where it will progress (or not) through the remaining stages.

“The bill seeks to address anomalies in the law that make it difficult and expensive for cellar doors to charge for the samples of their wine to their visitors.”

Stuart Smith

Nadine Taylor, Marlborough Mayor It’s been an incredible 50 years for Marlborough’s wine industry - a great achievement which everyone in the business of wine can be extremely proud of. Our increasing export revenue is testament to the still-growing popularity of our high-quality cool climate wines. I’m sure this anniversary year has provided growers and producers with an opportunity to reflect on the past and look to the future. Finding the time to reflect is important - I do hope you have had some down time and spent time with family and friends over the holiday season.

A pleasing note I saw recently from economic consultancy Infometrics is that Marlborough’s population is growing – up by 600 people to 52,200 in 2023.

The change is made up mostly by international migration. By age band, the 15 to 39 age group saw the largest increase. A large number of our new migrants are coming here to work in wine – and that can only be good for the industry but also for Marlborough’s community and cultural diversity.

Without doubt agritech is going to play a much bigger role in the future of Marlborough’s industry. I’m very pleased that Marlborough District Council is supporting the upcoming WinePro trade show, which will bring together growers, producers, suppliers and customers for three days in June this year, right here in Blenheim. The event is an exciting partnership between council and Wine Marlborough and will help cement our region as a hub of technology and innovation.

Here’s to a happy and productive 2024.

Nadine Taylor

Winepress January 2024 / 15

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Photo Jim Tannock

Biodiversity Hotspot Sustainability in action at The Springs KAT PICKFORD

AN AMBITIOUS large-scale planting project in the Wairau Valley aims to return farmland to indigenous forest and create a biodiversity hotspot that doubles as a carbon pool.

Whitehaven Wines’ restoration project is expected to take decades to complete. Once finished, the 720-hectare property will be a rare example of podocarp forest in the Wairau Valley, filled with endemic species that date back 80 million years.

Whitehaven Wines sustainability manager Josh Barclay says the property will eventually become a carbon sink for the family-owned export company to offset its carbon emissions. However, the project is about “so much more” than a box ticking exercise, he says. “Carbon offsetting aside, the primary motivation for this project was to give something back, to create something that will have a

“As an export company we can’t eliminate all carbon, but we can take responsibility for it.”

Josh Barclay lasting impact for the environment and the people in our community.”.

The property, known as The Springs, is located about 15 kilometers west of the Wairau Valley township and has been used for sheep and beef farming for the past 150 years.

Much of the original vegetation would have been burned off for grazing in the late 19th century, but a few pockets of wetland, riparian plants and slower growing native hardwoods remain, providing a glimpse of what the area would have once looked like.

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Spanning from the Wairau plains to 1000 metres above sea level, the property provided an exciting opportunity to regenerate a “significant wetland” and podocarp forest, while leaving an environmental legacy for generations to come. Josh is married to Samantha White, the daughter of Whitehaven founder and co-owner Sue White. Their vision to be responsible members of the community and kaitiaki of the lands they work on, took on a more personal meaning a couple of years ago with the birth of their son, Arthur. “I fully expect my son to still be planting trees here when he’s my age,” Josh says.

Whitehaven purchased the property in May and Josh has been working closely with the Marlborough District Council and an ecologist and hydrologist to design a planting plan to restore the wetland. Work has already begun collecting seeds from the site and neighbouring properties, with between 10,000 and 20,000 plants needed for the wetland alone. The seeds are being taken to Selme’s Garden Centre, which is run by the Selme’s Garden Trust, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to provide work opportunities for people with disabilities. The team there will propagate the seeds and cultivate seedlings to be planted back in the same area they were sourced from.

“Covid hit Selmes Garden Centre pretty hard,” Josh says.

“This long-term agreement has provided them with some confidence going forward, in terms of being able to employ more people. It’s a great outcome for everyone.”

Eco-sourcing the seeds was an important factor in the success of the restoration project, as the plants will be better suited to the local conditions and more likely to survive, Josh says. “Using eco-sourced seeds helps maintain the area’s unique characteristics.” Pests preying on native birdlife and plants are a huge issue and something they are working hard to eliminate before planting begins. A pest control programme targeting pigs and goats is already underway and a series of traplines for wild cats, rats, stoats and possums is also being developed.

Beyond the immediate restoration work planned for the wetland and riparian areas, about 50 hectares has been set aside for vineyard development. Other areas with early

"Using eco-sourced seeds helps maintain the area’s unique characteristics.”

Josh Barclay pioneering plants including mānuka and kānuka that have already kickstarted the regeneration process naturally and pockets of hardwood including matai, tōtara and kahikatea will be observed to see if they need any help as they develop into mature podocarp forest.

Whitehaven has been calculating its carbon emissions internally for the past couple of years, while looking at ways to increase efficiencies and decrease its carbon footprint.

The company had implemented many positive changes, including a waste reduction policy, planting natives in vineyards to increase biodiversity, and having a more balanced approach to vineyard practices to reduce the use of tractors and agrichemicals, Josh says. “The big thing for us is reducing the amount of greenhouse gas we’re producing in the first place – offsetting it is the easy part.”

While Josh hopes the regeneration project will be large enough by 2030 to offset all Whitehaven carbon emissions internally, until then, the company will mitigate its emissions by investing in verified carbon credit projects such as renewable energy generation, forest sequestration and landfill methane capture.

At the time of writing, Whitehaven was in the final stages of achieving its net carbonzero certification through Toitū, the internationally recognised climate positive certified organisation, which also facilitates the offset of remaining emissions through verified carbon credits. “As an export company we can’t eliminate all carbon, but we can take responsibility for it,” Josh says. “Having a carbon neutral product shows our customers on the other side of the world, that when they purchase a bottle of Whitehaven Wines, they’ll know we’ve done all we can to produce a responsible, sustainable product.”

Winepress January 2024 / 17

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Lifetime Achievement James Healy’s mark on Marlborough wine SOPHIE PREECE

“THE MARLBOROUGH wine industry has been extremely kind to me,” says James Healy, 32 years after he pulled up in an iridescent green Holden Premier packed with his family and belongings.

James had cut his oenological teeth with Corbans in Auckland and Gisborne, but found his people and place at Cloudy Bay when he started there in 1991. Experimentation was embraced, the work was “vital and free”, and his colleagues – including viticulturist Ivan Sutherland and winemaker Kevin Judd – were kindred spirits in crafting wines. “It was just a perfect bunch of people together,” says James, who was awarded a Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award in November, for his extraordinary contribution to the region’s wine industry. “If you had an idea, you just tried it out on a few barrels. You just did it.

Which fits completely with how I feel. As soon as you start getting to, ‘we’ve always done it like that’, I feel like shooting myself.”

Unconfined by convention, they were audacious with oak, adventurous with wild ferments, and watched ugly ducklings transform to swans, given sufficient time. “The three of us would taste the wine and then extend the idea.

Not everything might work, but a lot of them worked extremely well,” James says, noting outcomes like the iconic barrel-fermented Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc.

Ivan and James took that hands-on, hearts-in, habitsout philosophy when they and their wives – Margaret and Wendy respectively – launched Dog Point Vineyards in 2004, with a Sauvignon Blanc and three barrel fermented wines – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc – all made with natural yeasts. When the time came to share those wines, the Holden Premier took to the road again, with Ivan and James touring the length and breadth of the country, wide white boxes of wine strapped to the slim roofline of the striking car, its doors now adorned with the tī kōuka (cabbage tree) of Dog Point Vineyards.

It’s a work life he’s loved, but not the one James anticipated when he went to Otago University to study biochemistry, considering wine to be cheap alcohol. As he progressed in his degree, James was influenced by a genetics professor who was passionate about wine. “Once you got to about third year in the biochemistry department he looked around and spotted people he thought might have an interest in wine,” says James, who was invited to tastings of special wines – mostly from France, occasionally from Germany – that transformed his view and shifted his plans.

18 / Winepress January 2024

“I wrote letters to every single winery I could find in the yellow pages.”

James Healy On completing his postgraduate studies, James and Wendy moved to Auckland, where he set about getting a job. “I wrote letters to every single winery I could find in the yellow pages… I got a letter back from Joe Babich, and one from Peter Hubscher, and one from George Fistonich. And then I got offered a job at Corbans.” He started in the cellar and after a couple of years moved up to quality control manager.

James was exposed to Marlborough fruit from 1983, when Corbans began to truck their grapes to the Gisborne winery, and found flavours of the subsequent wines astounding. “I couldn’t believe that a grape could make such a massive difference. In 1990 James “struck at the right time” when he asked Kevin, Cloudy Bay’s founding winemaker, if there were any jobs to be had and received an offer to join.

“We just packed everything up and moved down.”

More than three decades on, James has made an indelible mark on the region, through extraordinary wines, knowledge-sharing events, and the mentoring of winemakers. In 2018 he became a founding member of Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW), which offers a

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safeguard of the provenance and production values of accredited wines. It also casts a halo over the region as a whole, giving Marlborough more credibility, he says. “If you look around the world at any places making wine successfully for a long time, they have all introduced some sort of a system that when the bottle has a logo on it, it’s a guarantee of what’s in it.” Wine is about people, he adds.

“No people, no wine. And the human desire is to always do something; to take it and explore it and do it better. This whole AMW is just one step in that process.”

Looking back at his wine career, James notes there are no single stand out moments, but a swathe of them.

“A highlight was getting into the wine industry in the first place. A highlight was falling in love with wine in the first place. A highlight was being able to move and work at an

iconic winery in Marlborough. A highlight was starting Dog Point and having the whole damned thing work. There’s no one thing.”

Another highlight is the work James and Wendy do now, helping their daughter Sophie and her husband Mark McGill, the founders of Cider and Chardonnay producer Abel, with a winery, cidery, and 5-hectare Chardonnay vineyard on 30 hectares of beautiful country in Tasman’s Upper Moutere. For James, who’s long loved making Chardonnay, the opportunity to delve into the unique fruit of the Moutere Clays, proven by the likes of the Finns at nearby Neudorf, is an excellent next step in the road trip.

“There’s something about the fruit intensity,” he says. A few years ago James and Wendy moved to Nelson to help in that endeavour. The Holden, however, remains at Dog Point.

Trucking on for 43 years Murray Gibbons was bemused when people started messaging him with congratulatory messages on November 17. “Then my wife found the article, and I thought ‘oh my goodness me’.”

The owner of Bulk Wine Distribution didn’t attend the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration where his Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award was announced, thinking his invite was simply a polite gesture.

When the penny dropped, he decided to consider it an accolade for all the truckies of Marlborough’s wine industry. “We often say, ‘I wonder if anyone notices we start the process and we finish the process,” he says. “There’s an awfully large number of people out there that do the same as me.”

His trucking journey began in 1980, when he took a six-week temporary job with Irvines Freightlines. One of the biggest changes since has been the trucks themselves, he says. “It wasn’t how many there were but how old they were and Photo Richard Briggs how slow they were and how rough as guts they were. And how you felt at the end of a day.”

In 2004 Murray started trucking grapes and wines, and has built wonderful relationships in the industry ever since.

Everyone in the valley knows and values him, says Saint Clair Family Estate winemaker Stewart Maclennan, adding that Murray will be missed when he sells his business, which is currently on the market. Until then Murray will keep on trucking, likely heading as far as he can from all the attention the Lifetime Achievement Award has cast on him.

Head to TradeMe to see the listing for Bulk Wine Distribution. To read more about Murray, check out the October 2023 Winepress.

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Winepress January 2021 / 19

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Generation Y-ine From Mumbai to Marlborough with wine KAT PICKFORD

AFTER AN aspiration to become an airforce pilot was grounded before taking flight, Priyanka Kulkarni turned to winemaking. In the years since, that journey that has taken her across continents and recently landed her a dream role in Marlborough.

Priyanka was born and raised in Mumbai, one of India’s bustling metropolises, where her childhood dreams revolved around serving her nation with an exciting career as an airforce pilot. However, disappointment struck when she couldn’t clear the required entry exams and medical tests. That was 2008, and at the time her sister, a journalist, was researching the emerging wine scene in India, which had taken off in 2000 in Nashik – a region known for growing table grapes, 200km south of Mumbai.

With no backup plan for her future, Priyanka joined her sister on a research trip to Nashik and visited a few wineries and the Gargi Agriculture Research and Training Institute.

“One taste and I was hooked,” she says, having signed up for a three-year degree in winemaking on the spot.

“When India first started its winemaking journey it relied on consultants, mostly from California, to tell us what would do well. Naturally they thought of India as a hot climate like California, so to begin with there were similar varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.”

After graduating, Priyanka landed an assistant winemaking role at York Winery, which contracted some winemaking facilities to the world-renowned wine, spirits and luxury goods brand Moët Hennessy, when it first began producing its sparkling wine, Chandon, in India.

With more international winemakers converging on the winery, Priyanka soon realised the potential for travel and career growth within the global wine industry. “Working with winemakers from all around the world opened my eyes and showed me the opportunity to expand my skills and experience beyond India.”

It wasn’t long before she landed a two-year scholarship to study a Masters in Viticulture and Winemaking in France, and from there began jumping between the northern and southern hemispheres, doing two or three

“Working with winemakers from all around the world opened my eyes and showed me the opportunity to expand my skills and experience beyond India.”

20 / Winepress January 2024

Priyanka Kulkarni vintages a year in Portugal, Austria, China, New Zealand, the United States and Germany. In 2019 Priyanka took on a winery technician role for Pernod Ricard in Marlborough, supervising planning and workflow between the winemaking and cellar team. Then in 2021 she moved to Indevin as an assistant winemaker and last year was promoted to winemaker.

Since joining Indevin, Priyanka has embraced being a part of a fast-growing wine business and all the responsibilities that come with her winemaking role, including oversight of the production of millions of litres of wine for one of their international clients, Gallo Wines.

“There’s definitely more responsibility in this role, not just to create a consistent, top-quality product every year, but around compliance and regulations to ensure what we’re selling meets the market standards required in each of the countries we export to.”

After years of exploring many different winemaking regions around the world, the 33-year-old winemaker is happy to call New Zealand home – for now. “There’s something about New Zealand that drew me back. In vintage there’s such a vibe, people come from all around the world, there’s so much diversity here, which adds to the buildup and excitement,” Priyanka says. “No matter how good or bad vintage is, you still make loads of friends and have heaps of fun.”

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Winepress January 2024 / 21

Industry News Pinot Noir NZ 2025 Winery registrations are open for Pinot Noir NZ 2025. The event will be held on February 11 - 13, and will include Kiwi and international presenters, major tastings, and a vibrant social and culinary programme. pinotnz.co.nz

Organic Wine Week 2024 Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ) has announced dates for the 2024 Organic Wine Week, to be held from September 16-22. The seven-day celebration sees wineries, distributors, influencers, restaurants, and retailers showcase organic wine. organicwinenz.com/organicwineweek

The Wrekin

Climate Action Week

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22 / Winepress January 2024

Climate Action Week Marlborough is running from February 19 - 24, with presentations, ‘full immersion’ events, and networking, to grow knowledge and motivation for lowering the emissions profile of Marlborough businesses.

On Wednesday 21 February, NZW will present the results of its latest National Greenhouse Gas Emissions National Report. To read more about the week, see a Q&A with event founder Catherine van der Meulen in the December 2023 Winepress. events.humanitix.com

Sealevel rise could threaten vines CATHIE BELL Vineyards in the Lower Wairau could be affected by sea level rise, according to a report commissioned by the Marlborough District Council. Council will start engagement on the findings later this year, including next steps and future involvement. An initial coastal inundation assessment for Marlborough looking out 100 years has been completed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), based on its national inundation assessment. The assessment is a first step in a staged approach to work out the future effects of sea level rise for the Marlborough district.

The main areas of expected impact are low-lying parts of Picton, Havelock and the Lower Wairau River Plain – home to some significant vineyard plantings. Further study is to be done on the Lower Wairau, including Blenheim and Rarangi to Te Pokohiwi/Boulder Bank. Sea level rise is predicted to be approximately 20cm to 30cm by 2050; 38cm to 90cm by 2090 and 60cm to 1.67m by 2130. The NIWA assessment further considers the effects of ongoing land uplift and subsidence throughout the district to the year 2130.

Council’s environment and planning committee chairman Gerald Hope says the report gives a good understanding of expected sea level rise in Marlborough through to 2130, although further research is needed to refine the inundation mapping for the Lower Wairau. “Like many local authorities, council has started planning for sea level rise. Although we may not see the impacts of sea level rise for decades, there is a need to start preparing. We must be proactive and start the conversation with the community on how we respond to this challenge.” The effects of sea level rise are “unfortunately” a real threat, he adds. “As a community we’ll need to take proactive and deliberate action on how we accommodate rising sea levels and its effects on existing and future land and infrastructure.”

Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens says the report is concerning and can’t be ignored. “It’s too early to say too much – we’re on the same pathway as everyone else to understand it, but we’re definitely paying attention.”

The NIWA report and other material is available on the climate change page at marlborough.govt.nz

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Winepress January 2024 / 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

JANUARY 18-21 2024 Southern Pinot Noir Workshop (pinotworkshop.com) 21 Seddon’s Fair on The Green (marlboroughwinenz.com/cellar-door-events) FEBRUARY 7 Forrest Summer Sunday Sessions every Sunday until the end of April 2024 (marlboroughnz.com/events) 10 The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival (marlboroughwinefestival.com) 19-25 Climate Action Week Marlborough (events.humanitix.com) 21 NZW to present results of the latest National Greenhouse Gas Emissions National Report 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)

Wine & Food Festival – Feb 10

24 / Winepress January 2024

Climate Action Week – Feb 19-25

Framingham Harvest Concert – March 8

Winepress December 2020/ 25

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