Winepress THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WINE MARLBOROUGH
ISSUE NO. 331 / JULY 2022
VINTAGE STATISTICS
TE IWA O MATARIKI
FLOOD RECOVERY
INLAND PORTS
Photo: Jim Tannock
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REGULARS
FEATURES
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Editorial - Sophie Preece From the Board Damien Yvon Tasman Crop Met Report Rob Agnew Generation Y-ine Lara Campbell Biosecurity Watch Jim Herdman
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Industry News
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Wine Happenings
Cover: Jeff Sinnott and some Constellation Brands staff members gather at Rarangi beach before sunrise, to mark Matariki in the phase of Tangaroa. Photo Jim Tannock
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Vintage Survey Marlborough’s 2022 grape harvest has weighed in at 414,649 tonnes, up 54% on last year’s light yields, allowing the wine industry to rebuild “rock bottom” wine stocks.
12
Mānawatia a Matariki As Aotearoa marked its first national Matariki holiday, many in Marlborough’s wine industry reflected on the growing influence of te ao Māori on how we live and work.
20 Inland Ports
Plans for two inland ports at Riverlands are positive for Marlborough’s wine industry, says Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens. “To me it indicates real confidence in our sector.”
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Winepress July 2022 / 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
From the Editor
Marketing and Communications: Sarah Linklater 021 704 733 sarah@winemarlborough.nz
Whaowhia te kete mātauranga Fill the basket of knowledge
Events Manager: Loren Coffey loren@winemarlborough.nz
I AM filing this edition amid Matariki, in what seems a pretty historic time. For the past week, many conversations, gatherings and cold mornings of star gazing have revolved around remembering those who have passed and looking forward to the new dawn ahead, while our first Matariki national holiday celebrated our unique place in the world, via a te ao Māori lens. Matariki has a “uniting element”, says Dr Peter Meihana, a senior lecturer in Māori history at Massey University and trustee of Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau. In the Matariki piece on page 12 of this edition, Peter notes its ability to connect across ages and cultures, “and all of those things that might sometimes separate us”. For the wine industry, Matariki might have included looking back at the season behind us – one of abundance if the New Zealand Winegrowers 2022 survey is anything to go by, with a 54% gain on last year's very light harvest (see page 10). Looking ahead, the region’s 414,649 tonne tally (up from 269,521 tonnes in 2021) is opportunity to replenish dry supply lines, depleted by a year of drawing on stock.
Advocacy Manager: Nicci Armour advocacy@winemarlborough.nz Finance Administrator: Joanna May accounts@winemarlborough.nz Grape Grower Directors: Anna Laugesen anna.laugesen@xtra.co.nz Kirsty Harkness kirsty@mountbase.co.nz 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 Gus Altschwager gus@akwines.net 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.
“It’s difficult to look back or ahead without thinking of Covid-19” Speaking at Grape Days in Marlborough last month, New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said grape growers and wineries were breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of rebuilding sales. “Going into vintage, wineries urgently needed a larger harvest as strong demand and smaller than expected crops in recent years had led to a significant shortage of New Zealand wine.” It’s difficult to look back or ahead without thinking of Covid-19, with the pandemic still impacting on our labour force for the vital pruning season. But the past month has seen previously grounded winemakers and marketers back in global markets, meeting with customers and partners for the first time since our borders closed in early 2020. SOPHIE PREECE
Winepress July 2022 / 3
PROTECT
From the Board DAMIEN YVON
WHEN I arrived here 16 years ago, almost to the day, I could not have imagined the Marlborough wine region would offer me such an opportunity to grow in an incredible community, with my feet on a very special terroir. What has amazed me most is how fast the wine sector has developed in such a short time. One would say we should be all proud of it, considering the incredible success of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc worldwide. I totally support this view, but I strongly feel that as an industry we need to be cautious and think of how our present actions will impact on the future of our wine region, which supports our community. I grew up in the village of Chinon in the Loire Valley, France, where winegrowing goes back to medieval times. I remember spending countless hours in the underground limestone caves where friends and family were aging and enjoying (copiously) the nectar of the region. I decided very early on that winegrowing and winemaking would make my professional career. Back then though, I probably did not appreciate enough how my childhood environment made me who I am today. As I achieved my winemaking studies, my sole appetite was to leave France and experience a newer world that moves and progresses. As a pretty immature professional, I often said I didn’t want to perpetuate history, but be part of a region that will create history. The Bourgeois family has given me the opportunity to achieve my goal, and Marlborough has been the perfect platform for it. Clos Henri has allowed me to keep a foot in the old world while working and living in Marlborough. This mixed position has made me realised that on one hand the old world I come from is probably going a little slow, while on the other, I wonder if the new world I am part of is going a little fast. During the Sauvignon Blanc 2016 celebration, the closing speech of Matt Kramer rung true, and particularly his view on our region’s development: 40 plus years from the start of the Marlborough wine region, are we living our mid-life crisis? Matt indicated that it is time to shift from “luck beats talent” to “talent beats luck”. Our industry has driven an incredible development phase and we should stay proud of the success story it has created. I recognise that without the significant volume produced, our remote region (and country) would have struggled to get Marlborough on the greatest wine regions’ 4 / Winepress July 2022
Damien Yvon. Photo Richard Briggs
map. We have achieved this necessary phase (Matt’s “luck beats talent”) thanks to all growers and wines companies involved, large and small. Now, shall we approach the new phase? Not one that needs exponential volume development, but one that favours profit over volume? Everyone is facing increasing production costs as a result of the complicated few years our economies have gone through. The 2022 vintage has allowed most to overcome this problem by letting vineyard crops at plethoric levels. Everyone’s happy, tanks are full. And quality? Let’s see what consumers will have to say. As costs continue to rise, is a strategy of consistently increasing yield a viable model? Our vineyards and soils, if maintained carefully, sustainably (and best organically) will soon tell us that enough is enough. So, if yields cannot be stretched any longer, is it time to approach phase two, which Matt describes as “talent beats luck”, to drive profitability through enhancement of quality and premiumisation? For talent to beat luck, we need to attract talent. I am of the view that talent develops with passion. Therefore, it is important to ask ourselves, are we passionate about our work; our craft? Do we embrace and are we proud of the varietal Sauvignon Blanc which supports our livelihoods, our local community and the future of our region? Does our wine region and wine sector breathe its passion for its produce which fosters our current staff and potential new talents to give their best and want to be part of it? What is in our toolbox to make our workforce love what they do: an extra holiday for their birthday, more work clothes? It shows we care for our staff, but one would think that our (young) workforce wants more than perks they probably want to feel the passion for what we do, to eventually become the valuable talents that will help us beat the luck of our region. We are all extremely privileged to be growing this exceptional variety so well suited to our land and much liked across the whole world. As we are all developing in volume or in value, let’s always keep in mind that all our efforts achieved to date should be for a better future of our beloved Marlborough wine region.
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MET REPORT Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – June 2022 June June 2022 2022 compared to LTA GDD’s for month -Max/Min¹ 23.0 119% GDD’s for month – Mean² 33.2 96% Growing Degree Days Total July 21 to June 22-Max/Min¹ 1580.9 117% July 21 to June 22 – Mean² 1609.0 109% Mean Maximum (°C) 14.3 +0.4°C Mean Minimum (°C) 4.7 +1.1°C Mean Temp (°C) 9.5 +0.7°C Ground Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 7 4.7 less Air Frosts (<0.0°C) 3 1.9 less Sunshine hours 138.1 92% Sunshine hours – lowest Sunshine hours – highest Sunshine hours total – 2022 1270.2 102% Rainfall (mm) 80.4 123% Rainfall (mm) – lowest Rainfall (mm) – highest Rainfall total (mm) – 2022 320.8 105% Evapotranspiration – mm 32.0 97% Avg. Daily Windrun (km) 209.6 95% Mean soil temp – 10cm 7.4 +1.3°C Mean soil temp – 30cm 9.5 +1.2°C
Temperature
June LTA
Period of LTA
June 2021
19.3 34.6
(1996-2021) (1996-2021)
36.4 50.8
1346.9 1473.9 13.9 3.6 8.8 11.7 4.9 150.4 91.8 205.2 1244.4 65.6 8.0 154.9 304.6 33.0 219.5 6.1 8.3
(1996-2021) (1996-2021) (1986-2021) (1986-2021) (1986-2021) (1986-2021) (1986-2021) (1986-2021) 1981 1959 (1986-2021) (1986-2021) 1974 1943 (1986-2021) (1996-2021) (1996-2021) (1986-2021) (1986-2021)
1510.9 1560.2 15.0 5.6 10.3 7 1 135.6
1290.5 75.6
281.4 29.8 192.3 8.7 10.2
¹GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures ²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures
June’s mean temperature of 9.5°C was 0.7°C above the long-term average (LTA) temperature of 8.8°C. Over recent years’ I have pointed out on a number of occasions that Blenheim’s June mean temperature has become considerably warmer over the last few decades. June 2022 followed this trend and has become the 10th equal warmest June on record for the 91 years 1932 to 2022. Nine of the 11 warmest Junes on record have occurred since 2002. In the 12 months July 2021 to June 2022, 8-months recorded above average temperatures (July, August, October, November, December, April, May and June), 3-months recorded close to average temperatures (September, January and March) and 1-month recorded a below average temperature (February). The mean temperature for the 12-month period July 2021 to June 2022 was 13.89°C (Table 3 & Figure 1). This is the fourth warmest July to June year on record, for the 90-year period 1932-33 to 2021-22.
Table 2: Weekly temperatures, rainfall, sunshine and frosts recorded in Blenheim during June 2022 Mean Max
Mean Min
Mean. Diff.
Ground Frosts
Air Frosts
Rainfall (mm)
Sunshine (hours)
Wind-run (km)
1-7 June
15.8 (+1.9)
6.4 (+2.8)
11.1 (+2.3)
0
0
15.0
26.8
179.6
8-14 June
14.9 (+1.0)
6.3 (+2.7)
10.6 (+1.8)
0
0
45.6
33.7
313.6
15-21 June
12.9 (-1.0)
4.0 (+0.4)
8.5 (-0.3)
3
1
2.4
29.3
187.9
22-28 June
13.5 (-0.4)
2.6 (-1.0)
8.1 (-0.7)
4
2
17.4
32.7
154.3
29-30 June
14.7 (+0.8)
2.3 (-1.3)
8.5 (-0.3)
0
0
0
15.6
221.0
1-30 June 14.3 4.7 9.5 7 3 80.4 138.1 2022 (+0.4°C) (+1.1°C) (+0.7°C) (4.7 less) (1.9 less) (123%) (92%)
209.6 (95%)
LTA 1986-2021
219.5
13.9
6 / Winepress July 2022
3.6
8.8
11.7
4.9
65.6
150.4
Table 3: The 10 warmest July to June years on record for Blenheim (1932-33 to 2021-22) Year 2018-19 2017-18 2013-14 2021-22 1989-90 1998-99 2020-21 1997-98 1974-75 1970-71 LTA
Mean temperature (°C) 14.02 14.01 13.93 13.89 13.82 13.76 13.75 13.70 13.69 13.69 13.2 (1986-2021) 12.7 (1932-1985)
Figure 1: Mean annual temperatures in Blenheim, (July to June), for the 90 years 1932-33 to 2021-22
Frosts Blenheim recorded 7-ground frosts during June (LTA – 11.7); i.e. grass temperature equal to or below -1.0°C. However, there were a further 7-days that came close to recording a ground frost with grass temperatures between 0 and -1.0°C. Three air frosts were recorded during June 2022 (LTA – 4.9). Air temperatures were well above average in the first two weeks of June 2022 and consequently no ground frosts were recorded over that period. The 7-ground frosts and 3-air frosts were recorded in the latter half of June when the overnight temperatures were much cooler. The 23rd June recorded the coldest ground and air temperatures, with a grass frost of -4.4°C and an air frost of -0.4°C.
Rainfall Total rainfall in June of 80.4 mm was 123% of the LTA of 65.6 mm. Total rainfall for the 6-months January to June 2022 was 320.8 mm, 105% of the LTA of 304.6 mm.
Rainfall for the 12 months July 2021 to June 2022 Total rainfall for the 12 months July 2021 to June 2022 was 758.4 mm (Figure 2). This was 119% of the LTA (639.0 mm) and the highest 12-month July to June total since 2009-2010, which recorded 759.6 mm. There was considerable variation in monthly rainfall totals throughout the past year; February recorded the highest total of 153.4 mm and April the lowest total of 9.6 mm
Winepress July 2022 / 7
Figure 2: Blenheim monthly and annual rainfall for the 12-months July 2021 to June 2022
Sunshine Blenheim recorded 138.1 hours sunshine for June, 92% of the LTA of 150.4 hours. Total sunshine for the first six months of 2022 was 1270.2 hours; 102% of the LTA (1244.4). Total sunshine for the 12-months July 2021 to June 2022 was 2502.4 hours; 99.8% of the LTA (2508). Over the past year 7-months recorded above average sunshine hours and 5-months below average sunshine hours.
Wind Average daily wind run for June 2022 was 209.6 km, with an average wind speed of 8.7 km/hr. This was slightly below the LTA wind-run for June of 219.5 km and average wind speed of 9.1 km/hr (1996-2021). September 2021 was the only month in the past year, (July 2021 to June 2022), to record above average wind-run. Coincidentally September 2020 was the only month in the 2020-2021 year to record above average wind-run. Rob Agnew - Plant & Food Research – Marlborough Research Centre
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Vintage Stats Abundant harvest restores “rock bottom” wine stocks SOPHIE PREECE
MARLBOROUGH’S 2022 grape harvest has weighed in at 414,649 tonnes, making up 80% of the national harvest. That’s a whopping 54% gain on last year’s relatively meagre harvest of 269,521 tonnes, which was 21% down on the 2020 vintage tally. The New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) 2022 Vintage Survey estimates a total New Zealand vintage of 532,000 tonnes of grapes, up 44% on the 370,000 tonnes of 2021, which was a drop of 19% compared to the year before. Speaking at Grape Days events in Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago last month, NZW chief executive Philip Gregan said grape growers and wineries were breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of rebuilding stocks and sales. “Going into vintage, wineries urgently needed a larger harvest as strong demand and smaller than expected crops in recent years had led to a significant shortage of New Zealand wine.” The shortage has seen total New Zealand wine sales fall 14% from the peak achieved in January 2021, despite wineries drawing down from stocks “which are now at rock bottom levels”, Philip told audiences. Domestic sales have also plummeted to their lowest level since 2004. “There is no doubt we urgently needed an improved harvest this year after cool weather and frosts impacted vintage 2021.” The increase in volume of the 2022 vintage is “quite a relief”, agrees Belinda Jackson, group marketing manager for Lawson’s Dry Hills. “We were desperately trying to keep up supply to our existing customers while attempting to put new opportunities on hold,” she says. “Despite the challenges of the 2022 harvest, we are very pleased with our wines and relieved to be able to get back to full supply.” Philip says Covid-19 “greatly complicated harvest logistics” this vintage, as Omicron spread throughout New Zealand as harvest began. “This created additional pressure at a time many producers were already under pressure due to labour shortages.” However, virtually every region and all principal varieties contributed to the production turnaround. The Sauvignon Blanc harvest – 76.5% of the total crop – was up 47% on 2021, with 393,956 tonnes of Marlborough’s flagship 10 / Winepress July 2022
Patrick McKee and Mark Ludemann at Lawson’s Dry Hills’ Blind River vineyard. Photo Jim Tannock.
variety. Pinot Noir production was meanwhile up 57%, with 34,569 tonnes, accounting for 6% of the national harvest, followed closely by Pinot Gris, with 30,465 tonnes (up 45%) and Chardonnay with 29,762 tonnes (up 27%). Philip says the improved harvest is good news for industry and customers alike. “Producers will be able to rebuild seriously depleted stocks and sales, while customers should get to see retail shelves restocked once more.” However, he flagged rising costs and supply chain disruption as significant concerns to winemakers looking to replenish markets. “We know demand for New Zealand wine is strong as the distinctive flavours, quality, and sustainability of our wines resonate resoundingly with wine enthusiasts around the world. Vintage 2022 is another step towards meeting that demand.”
Grape Days With a theme of Winegrowing in a Changing Environment, the 2022 Grape Days events spanned a spectrum of relevant research, from trunk disease and agroecology to reducing carbon emissions and vineyard waste, along with alternative pruning methods and responding to hail and frost events in vineyards. Bragato Research Institute (BRI) worked with science partners and local industry experts to deliver the programme, including an industry panel discussion on the urgency of labour supply issues in Marlborough, along with advice on recruiting and retaining staff. Now in its 14th year, Grape Days are provided as part of the industry’s research programme funded by the New Zealand Winegrowers’ levy and delivered through BRI. A recording of the Marlborough Grape Days is available at nzwine.com/en/events/grape-days/
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Winepress July 2022 / 11
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Te iwa o Matariki
LAST MONTH people across Aotearoa gathered on icy early mornings and briskly chilled nights to honour Matariki, which was also marked with an historic and uniquely New Zealand public holiday. Dr Peter Meihana, a senior lecturer in Māori history at Massey University and trustee of Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau, says the uptake of Matariki and other Māori concepts are akin to a barometer of where society is at. “My kind of reading of what’s happening around the province is that there is a shift,” he says. “I don’t like to speak overenthusiastically about things like this because you are always going to find examples where you have to ask ‘have we actually come that far?’” But Matariki has a “uniting element” able to connect across ages and cultures, “and all of those things that might sometimes separate us”, he says. “I just think if non-Māori really want to be of this land, things like Matariki are easy ways of trying to achieve that.” New Zealand’s wine industry has demonstrated a burgeoning interest in te ao Māori in recent years, from te reo in marketing to manaakitanga in hospitality. In the lead up to Matariki, Winepress sought insights from some in Marlborough, to learn what this means for us as individuals and an industry.
Jeff Sinnott (Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Kahungunu) National Technical Viticulturist at Constellation Brands Matariki is significant to many first nations peoples around the wider Pacific, as well as many cultures around the world. Matariki is a cluster of nine stars know as the Pleiades in Europe, Subaru in Japan, Krittika in Hinduism, al-Thurayya to Arabic cultures and many, many more. Many of these cultures around the world follow a lunar rather than solar calendar, which is why Matariki, similar to Easter, does not fall on the same date every year. Its rise marks the lunar new year for Māori and Pasifika and is signified by the appearance of the star cluster in the winter morning sky. Matariki rises during the time of Tangaroa, which generally falls during the waning moon near the winter solstice. Tradition dictates that this is a time of year for whānau to gather in the pre-dawn to give thanks, celebrate togetherness, farewell the recently departed and to share their aspirations for the coming year. The origins of Matariki come from Māori and Pasifika creation stories when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatuānuku, the earth mother, were separated by their children, particularly Tanēmahuta, the god of the forest. While Tanē was happy with his efforts, his brother Jeff Sinnott and some Constellation Brands staff Tāwhirimātea was so incensed with his brother’s behaviour he tore members gather at Rarangi beach before sunrise, out his eyes and cast them into the heavens where they remain today. to mark Matariki in the phase of Tangaroa. Hence the name Ngā mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea, the eyes of the god Photo Jim Tannock Tāwhirimātea or mata riki – little eyes. Each of the stars has significance with an aspect of life. Matariki, the mother, is the bringer of life, her daughters Tupu-ā-nuku (signifying the earth and all that grows within it), Tupu-ā-rangi (signifying the air and sky, including birds, trees and anything that flies) and the twins Waitī (linked to fresh water) and Waitā (linked to sea water) represent the four earthly realms. Waipuna-ā-rangi (linked to the rain), Ururangi (linked to the wind), Hiwa-i-te-rangi (the wishing star, our hopes & dreams) and finally Pohutukawa (signifiying our relationship with our ancestors) complete the cluster and as such combine many different aspects of our life and culture. So at this time of year we gather to pay our respects to Matariki by reciting special karakia (prayers) to the atua, reflect on and give thanks for all that is good in the world (kaikohau), farewell the dead as their spirits make the final journey to the threshod of Matariki (Hautapu) and to share our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. So to us Matariki represents many aspects of life, of new beginnings, hope for the future, a thanks-giving for the bounty of the season and a way of farewelling those that are no longer with us. This year a small contingent from Constellation Brands gathered at Rarangi beach during the time of Tangaroa to see the cluster rise from the ocean in the pre-dawn, to give our mihi (greetings), recite karakia and perform hautapu, to cook kai from the four realms to give the recently departed sustenance for their journey back to Matariki. There were tears, there was plenty of laughter, but most of all there was an expression of aroha towards each other.
12 / Winepress July 2022
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Mikela Dennison-Burgess Marketing Manager te Pā Family Vineyards The 2022 Matariki celebrations and official public holiday mark a milestone for Aotearoa-New Zealand and acknowledge the special significance of tāngata whenua and te ao Māori to the country. In addition to the rising of the Matariki/Pleiades star cluster in the crisp winter pre-dawn sky, Matariki is also about reflecting on the past, looking to the present, and being grateful for what we have now - as well as sharing food and drinks together with friends and whanau, of course. This makes it an opportune time to showcase and share stories about a high quality product like wine that is inherently social and food-oriented. For te Pā, as a Māori, family-owned business, it’s a great opportunity for us to communicate the unique elements of Māori culture to our trade customers and wine lovers around the world. This holiday and celebration comes at a perfect time in the global wine industry as well. In recent years there’s been heightened interest and awareness of the significance of indigenous wine brands, and major wine publications like Wine Enthusiast, Vinous, and Jancis Robinson have covered topics that relate to the use of Māori names, icons and concepts. Matariki and all the many events and celebrations it has struck up creates the space for a continuation of those important conversations. We’re also delighted that our te Pā Reserve Collection 2021 Seaside Sauvignon Blanc was one of the featured wines at the Tohunga Tumāu official Matariki dinner in Wellington. This high-profile event sold out in less than one week, maxing out the venue at 420 guests which is an incredible result and demonstrates the demand for large scale fine dining events that hero Māori products, producers, and stories. The dinner, held on the eve of the Matariki public holiday, was a celebration of the Māori lunar New Year, and a special showcase of Māori wineries, Māori food producers,
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and beautiful indigenous New Zealand ingredients like pikopiko, kawakawa, puha, karengo, horopito, and tītī (muttonbird). It’s exciting to see Māori products and wines produced by Māori companies and family businesses, highlighted and presented in a world-class setting, with some of the most influential and high-profile chefs in the country like Hangi Master Rewi Spraggon, Grant Kitchen, Peter Gordon, Karena and Kasey Bird, and Rex Morgan, to name just a few. Mānawatia a Matariki! te Pā’s hei matau logo caved in pounamu
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Winepress July 2022 / 13
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Chloe Gabrielsen (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) Winemaker for Lake Chalice Tangaru ana te tio o te karawa Kārearea; He manu Māreikura e! The female’s call is deep; This noble treasured bird As I sit here in the afternoon sun on my black leather couch, I can hear the birds sing as their voices are carried along the stillness of the air. It is a moment of reflection for me as I approach my thoughts with equal parts caution and interest; what will one uncover beneath the complex layers of 38 years?
Chloe Gabrielsen
When I stepped into the wine industry nearly 20 years ago, I was fresh into the ‘real world’ and the world was somewhat ignorant of the special character of te ao Māori. I was extremely privileged to have been educated at one of Aotearoa’s Māori boarding schools, Turakina Ngā Hara in the Ngāti Apa rohe of Rangitīkei. For me, it was one part of my uncovering of identity and connection to te ao Māori of which I’m forever grateful to my whānau for their foresight. My grandmother was also educated here in the 1940’s and I can only imagine just how very different that must have been for her. Although a native speaker, she lived in the time that she was not free to be who she was. As I sit here in the late afternoon sun, my heart beats faster. Asher, my son, asks me, ‘why are you smiling?’ It is both a sad and happy smile as I think how different our country was back then. I still feel the mamae and the pōuri from that time which wasn’t too long ago. And as we turn to this time of celebrating Matariki for the first time as a collective, isn’t it beautiful that we can watch the tide turn? I’ll be honest, yes, I am Māori. But I too am on a journey with the rest of Aotearoa - learning, unlearning, enquiring, and seeking within my own community and whānau stories that haven’t been told for decades. A handful of years ago, I had no knowledge of Matariki, until I decided to step back into the classroom and reacquaint myself with te reo in night classes delivered 14 / Winepress July 2022
at Omaka Marae through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. On Thursday morning I’ll celebrate with friends and whānau, the rise of Matariki in the morning sky. However, it was when I stepped into my role at Lake Chalice that I struggled to align my identity, my Māoritanga with the industry I worked in. It was a conversation that I had with a colleague (in a moment of doubt about my abilities) who said “Chloe, no one knows more about what you do than you” and so, I applied this to me; no one knows how to be me, except me! From that point I connected with my mahi, with the industry, with the stories we were telling, because I decided to incorporate the uniqueness that is being Māori. I love seeing the hunger from people within the industry to understand and incorporate respectfully te reo and a Māori world view within their mahi, and as people become more aware, these notions will naturally find more footholds of prominence within the wine industry. That’s exciting for me personally, but I’m more excited about what that means for our tamariki who can see themselves and their tīpuna in every facet of their life, not just at the marae. Do I think we’ve done it right? Not always. Goodness, I know I haven’t always. But I do think we’re an industry who strives to do the best with what we have. And as our knowledge base deepens in this field, and we seek advice from experts from a humble place, we can only do things better.
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Richelle Tyney - Winemaker at Greywacke Mahia i runga i te rangimārie me te ngākau māhaki With a peaceful heart and Richelle Tyney. Photo Jim Tannock respectful mind, we will always get the best results I am currently in the United Kingdom flying the Greywacke flag so I will be celebrating Matariki with my whānau in Switzerland, hopefully with some traditional Swiss Raclette. For me Matariki is a time to reflect on the year that has been, honouring those that have passed and most importantly setting your intentions for the coming year. For winemaking it is the perfect time to reflect on the season that has been. We have come through our busiest time of year, the Sauvignon is blended, the barrelled wines are resting and waiting for spring malo. In the winery we can now take the time to reflect on what went right and what we can improve on. Set up the vineyard for the season to come and decide on what trials we might want to carry out. Individuals within the Marlborough wine industry are making great efforts to organise courses to learn te reo, pronounciation, tikanga and the intricaies of te ao Māori. Taking the time to respect te ao Māori is setting the right intentions for the future and that is something to celebrate. I am proud to be Māori and it has taken me some time to navigate this industry, and to feel comfortable in my own skin. I lay down the wero (challenge) to those of you that are working for a company with a Māori name to learn the correct pronounciation and I encourage you and your colleagues to use it.
Marcus Pickens General Manager Wine Marlborough Tēnā koutou I am sure you also witnessed a bit of a buzz around the Matariki celebrations this year. The observance has lifted in prominence for a while now, but it isn’t something I had been called out to see first-hand before now. Through someone else on our campus, I was invited to attend the Rangitāne event at the Wairau Bar at 5am on 23 June. I went to join the community and celebrate this observance being added to the New Zealand calendar, officially if you like. I think this event has the ability to connect us together more effectively than some other observations do, and personally connect me more to our regional history and people. I felt so welcomed! I am putting more time into getting up to speed on our stories and history. Recently I attended a Te Tiriti o Waitangi course - eye opening and educational. I am also off to visit the Marlborough Museum to see what history it holds. From the perspective of Marcus at Wine Marlborough, I can use these learnings to better acknowledge the stories of our place which is much older than the 50, or 150-year grape growing and winemaking stories we can all tell. We can learn a lot from our past and learn to better understand and respect the people of today. The closest many of us have got so Marcus Pickens far is from borrowed greetings, phrases and the occasional Māori themed or named wine label. It’s about time this changed.
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Winepress July 2022 / 15
EDUCATE Growers are getting smarter about water use
Water Works Wairau Aquifer no longer overallocated SOPHIE PREECE
THE TAPS are back on for allocation from the Wairau Aquifer, following the Marlborough District Council’s efforts to resolve historical overallocation. The allocation clawback has been achieved through expiries of water take permits, as well as the use of “reasonable use calculations” in reconsenting existing takes of water. Marlborough Mayor John Leggett says the reasonable use test - established through provisions of the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan (PMEP) – is now applied to all water permit applications. “It ensures that the amount of water allocated does not exceed that reasonably required to irrigate the pasture or crop, taking into account the climate and soils that exist on the property. Bespoke, propertyspecific allocations are a key part of the strategy for achieving efficient use of water across Marlborough.” The National Policy Statement Freshwater Management (NPSFM) requires the council to set environmental flows for all Freshwater Management Units (FMUs), which includes minimum flows. In some cases, including for the Wairau Aquifer FMU, the grant of water permits in the past has caused the PMEP allocation limit to be exceeded, meaning no new water permits could be granted. “It’s good news that within a short period of time the council has been able to resolve over allocation for the Wairau Aquifer FMU,” says the mayor. “Resolving the over allocation and providing the ability to allocate water to new activities supports economic growth and also the environmental sustainability of our region.” Dominic Pecchenino was a member of the Marlborough District Council’s Water Allocation Working Group, 16 / Winepress July 2022
“A lot of people sit on a lot of water right and never use it.” Dominic Pecchenino established in 2012 to assist in developing the future water allocation framework. Water in Marlborough has long been over allocated on paper, “but underutilised on extraction”, says the viticulturist a decade on. “And a lot of people sit on a lot of water right and never use it.” Original allocations may have covered water requirements for arable crops, which had subsequently been replaced by less water-hungry vines, and some growers will have applied for additional water for potential future crops, he says. In addition to over-generous allocations, grape growers are getting “smarter” about irrigation, and using far less water than they once did, Dominic adds. However, growers have to plan for the “worst year not the best year”, and it is important council does not take allocations “down to the hairline,” he says. “You have to have some ability to have some movement.” In making the announcement of available allocation last month, the council said it intends to include information on its website (marlborough.govt.nz) about the allocation status for FMUs, which will reflect their status at the time of publishing. Water permit applications are considered on a first come, first served basis and council recommend people check with the water consent processing officers about applications currently in the system to determine the likely availability of water to allocate. Localised effects of proposed take and use will continue to be assessed as part of an application’s processing.
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Winepress July 2022 / 17
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Flood Recovery Vineyards blooming after destructive deluge SOPHIE PREECE
te Pā cover crops in the wake of the floods
MARLBOROUGH VINEYARDS have proved resilient and adaptive in the wake of last July’s record flood, which broke stopbanks to leave a trail of destruction and debris. Dominic Pecchenino says the 200 metres of flooddestroyed stopbank at his Bandillero I vineyard in the Wairau Valley has been rebuilt like “Fort Knox”, to help protect his vineyards from another flood event. The July 2021 flood saw 5,300 cumecs of water tearing down the Wairau River, in a one-in-100 year flood. It broke the property’s banks, allowing water, sediment and forestry waste to wash away 3.5 hectares of the 54ha vineyard, and severely damage another 16ha. Dominic says a lot of work to “resurrect” that latter portion, then spur prune the vines with limited time and labour supply before budburst, allowed them to salvage a harvest of 14.5 tonnes per hectare. “And we are now in the process of removing the remaining two blocks that were worst affected by the flood,” he says, talking of redeveloping and replanting the damaged 16ha. The stopbanks took less than two months to rebuild, stronger than ever. But anyone on the edge of a braided river is “at risk of a hammering”, he says. “The river has something of a memory. But we rebuilt that area like Fort Knox. If that goes again, there’ll be a lot of problems downstream.” Leefield Station in the Waihopai Valley also suffered serious damage to some lower terraces after the Waihopai River changed course and tore through 10 to 15 hectares of young vines last July. At the time, owner Brent Marris said a “saving grace” was the river flowing south to north 18 / Winepress July 2022
after jumping its banks in the same direction as the young vineyard rows rather than across them. “We probably got off rather lightly when water flowed through the vineyard, but we had an area quite substantially gouged out. We’ll have to reinstate that.” The company, which has been at pains to future proof for climate change, had already been in the process of river retention work, “chipping away at self-management and controlling our destiny”, said Brent at the time. He had bulldozers within the week redirecting the water back to the channel. In the year since the company has been “very busy” restoring the flooded area they lost, installing toe rock at the edge of the river and a stopbank on the south side, where the river broke its banks, while also extending an existing stopbank through to the western edge of the property. Meanwhile, the soil of the washed-out area has been replaced from islands within the river which were causing flooding issues, “making the river more sustainable”, says Brent. “We will plant crops for a year or so to rebalance the soil prior to replanting the vineyard that was washed away.” The Marlborough District Council (MDC) has supported their flood protection efforts, “allowing us to keep pushing ahead reinstating the land,” he says. “We have also worked with council to clear young wattle from the riverbed near The River Hut.” Located at Marisco’s Waihopai Vineyard, to the north and within view of Leefield Station, the River
“The modern thinking is 'more room for the river.'” Geoff Dick Hut had to be moved in last July’s flood as waters rose around it, from ankle to thigh depth within 15 minutes. There was little damage to the site once water cleared, but removing the wattles allows the river to flow freely and not bounce off the banks causing damage in the future, he says. “The Waihopai riverbed is much healthier now with the river work that has taken place. If big rains occur now, I am positive we and our neighbours would not experience the damage that previously occurred.” In the Lower Wairau, te Pā vineyard is literally blooming after the flood damage, with owner Haysley Macdonald deciding to make the best of a bad situation. The company has been progressively undertaking a regenerative viticulture programme in recent years, with every second row planted in an array of cover crops in a block-by-block process. After the flood deposited up to a foot of silt across a small portion of his vineyards - along with truckloads of forestry slash and debris from upstream – Haysley brought the programme forward, planting every row on more than 350ha in the Lower Wairau and Awatere Valley.
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“They absolutely bloomed,” says Haysley, seeing a silver lining in the thick silt carpet laid down by the flood, which they worked back into the soil once the waters drained away. Despite that unexpected boon, he is concerned about several aspects of the flood, including the forestry waste washed down the river, and the council’s management of the Wairau Diversion. However, MDC manager of rivers and drainage engineering Geoff Dick says the council is “very comfortable” with its management of the diversion, noting that it saved the stopbanks from bursting last July. Geoff’s department doubled its tributary budget to assist with landowner recovery, with work that included helping vineyard owners in the Upper Wairau and Waihopai Valleys with advice and facilitation of consent applications, as well as river realignment and “channel clearing”, where appropriate. “The landowners had to fix up their own vineyards and we tried to assist with river works,” he says. For two vineyards upstream of the Wairau Valley township, which both lost headlands to the flood, vineyard repairs could only be undertaken with a realignment. But Geoff notes that that every realignment is temporary. “We take the flow off which allows the vineyard owner some time to do some repairs and get infrastructure in place.” That work is coming to a completion, but the next three years will see continued repairs of the fully flood
Haysley Macdonald in the August 2021 Winepress. Photo Jim Tannock
protected area in the lower Wairau plains, downstream of the Waihopai confluence. They are also “unwinding” some of the past management of the river, with less control and more respect for the river’s ability to “meander”, says Geoff. “The modern thinking is ‘more room for the river’.” The best action is to retain a vegetative buffer, “and an adequate one”, between stopbank, vineyard and river, he says. “You cannot have a vineyard headland up to the edge of the river… You need to let the river come and go.” Geoff believes post-flood work by landowners and council will ensure a similar sized event in five years would have less damage, on average. But vines on flood plains will always be vulnerable, he adds. “The simple fact is that if you are going to put a vineyard on a river flat, there will always be a day when the river will beat you.”
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Double Hub-ble Inland ports ease logistics and reduce emissions SOPHIE PREECE
NEWS THAT two inland ports are to be developed at Riverlands within the next two years is “really positive” for Marlborough’s wine industry, say Indevin/Villa Maria Chief Executive Duncan McFarlane. “We would support any initiative that will increase our access to global logistics. So, from a customer’s perspective, the more the merrier.” Last month QuayConnect – the logistics division of Port Nelson – announced the planned development of the “Marlborough Inland Port” at Riverlands by the end of 2023, with a “consolidated hub” to support logistics for the region’s primary industries. “Marlborough importers and exporters will be better served with a facility on their doorstep offering container and product storage and warehousing connected to an established logistics service,” says QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod. Another hub announcement came hard on the heels of that one, with a partnership between Port Marlborough and Wellington’s CentrePort promising a new, “reliable, resilient, and lower carbon freight link between exporters in Marlborough and international markets”, with an inland cargo hub to be developed on a 7-hectare site at Riverlands
over the next 18 to 24 months, and freight movement via road and rail to Port Marlborough and coastal and international shipping links. Port Marlborough chief executive Rhys Welbourn says there will be major benefits for Marlborough exporters and importers, as well as the region’s community and economy. “It creates improved access and options for shippers for an end-to-end export service with the cargo aggregation hub at Riverlands connecting them to coastal and international shipping at competitive rates. That will help local businesses grow, benefitting the region’s and New Zealand’s economy,” he says. Duncan says a multi-port option, whether coordinated or separate, is a good thing for Marlborough, especially with logistics “so tight” in recent years. The interest from three different port companies is recognition of the “importance and scale” of Marlborough’s wine industry, he says. “So I think it’s really positive.” Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens says the hub initiatives have come at “just the right time” for the local wine industry, which has been beset by supply
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chain issues in recent years, due to Covid-19 . “To me it indicates real confidence in our sector, as investment follows confidence. Alongside this the environmental benefits from increased two-way freight services are very important to our industry.” CentrePort chief executive Anthony Delaney says the partnership with Port Marlborough has significant environmental and resilience benefits, due to the proximity of the Riverlands hub to exporters and the direct link via State Highway 1 with the potential for a rail connection. That will provide a lower carbon option compared to other supply chain routes, he says. “CentrePort’s supply chain infrastructure already includes a range of carbon reduction initiatives including fully electric container movement vehicles on port. Hydrogen is part of future plans. We have invested in infrastructure resilience and capacity enhancement which can also benefit shippers in the upper South Island.” The QuayConnect hub is in partnership with New Zealand’s largest wine bottler, WineWorks Marlborough, building on a relationship forged in 2017, when the QuayConnect supply chain began transferring empty wine bottles in trucks from Port Nelson to the Blenheim bottling facilities, then returning with a full load of export wine. The system saves approximately 1,600 tonnes of carbon a year from reduced truck movements. QuayConnect also established a bulk wine loop for a major Marlborough
exporter to send full ISO tank containers of wine exported from Marlborough through Port Nelson to Australia and then returned full of Australian wine for packaging in Marlborough. Jaron says the inland port’s location, right next to WineWorks, will reduce truck movements in Marlborough, via the ability to exchange packaging and export wine between port and bottler, using WineWorks’ new carbon zero electric tug system. He says the QuayConnect facility is a “port agnostic” development that will facilitate cargo movement to Port Nelson, as well as ports including Lyttelton and Tauranga, to ensure the best connection to market. “We will achieve this by taking a multi-modal approach - road, rail and sea,” he adds, noting recent announcements by Maersk, Pacifica and Move Logistics regarding enhanced coastal connections through Port Nelson. The initial phase of the QuayConnect development is on a 1.4ha site, with 5,000m² of warehousing for storage and packing and a facility for container operations and storage. Central Express Limited (CEL) is a key transport partner to QuayConnect and the wider Marlborough wine industry and will be a tenant on the Inland Port facility WineWorks Group chief executive Peter Crowe says the inland port will ensure the company’s Marlborough clients have resilient, sustainable and cost-effective options “for getting wine to the world”.
Winepress July 2022 / 21
CELEBRATE
Generation Y-ine
“I get really excited about what the future holds for the industry.”
In the right place at the right time
Lara Campbell
KAT PICKFORD
DESPITE A passion for science and the outdoors, Lara Campbell’s entry into the wine industry was far from predetermined. Lara was born in South Africa and moved to Marlborough to live with her aunt when she was 15. As a year 13 student at Marlborough Girls’ College, Lara was sure she wanted to be a chemical engineer. She was all but signed up to study at University of Canterbury, when she attended the annual Marlborough Careers Evening and was wooed by the wine industry. “I didn’t know anything about wine before then and had certainly never considered it as a career option. But wine is surprisingly chemically complex, which was really appealing,” Lara says. The following year she started her Diploma in Viticulture and Winemaking through Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. As part of their study, students were encouraged to find work at a winery - something that was more difficult than you might imagine, she says. “We rang around loads of wineries in Marlborough and everyone seemed to be fully staffed or using contractors. Finally I tried Clos Henri. As a poor student, it seemed a long way to travel for work each day, but they immediately said yes, so I took the job.” Lara started in the vineyard pruning and the following year worked in the winery as a cellar hand. Eight years later, Lara is still at Clos Henri - juggling dual roles of sales and marketing manager and assistant winemaker. “That first meeting was so amazing; it was one of those experiences, it felt like serendipity,” she says, with a snap of her fingers. “I knew I was meant to be here.” While her studies mainly focused on conventional viticulture techniques, her work at Clos Henri introduced her to the unique practice of organics and biodynamics. “Working in the vineyards at Clos Henri, under the former vineyard manager Fabiano Frangi, I started learning all about the thought processes and the level of care and attention to detail behind organics,” Lara says. Her natural curiosity and tenacity saw her progress quickly, with the help of some mentors within the company. “As a student, I feel like I was in the right place at the right time, and working with such a small, passionate team I was
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22 / Winepress July 2022
given some big responsibilities, which gave me confidence and the conviction to trust myself.” Working for a company where everyone is expected to do a bit of everything, has given Lara working knowledge of the entire lifespan of wine, from the vineyard to the bottle to the glass, she says. The pandemic was tough on business, but knowing that Clos Henri was owned by the Sancerre wine growing family of Henri Bourgeois, which has been making wine for 200 years, helped put things into perspective. “It was tough at the time, but there was a belief that it would get better which was very reassuring. Now we’re seeing borders reopening and restaurants are back up and running, so it feels like things are returning to normal again.” Lara is a passionate advocate for organics and is one of two regional representatives of Organic Winegrowers New Zealand. And while she’s been in “cruise control” for a couple of years due to the pandemic, she’s now starting to plan ahead, with extensive international travel plans for Clos Henri and herself, over the next few months. “There’s so much potential in Marlborough for elevating the status of our wine around the world as being a producer of ultrapremium wines, I get really excited about what the future holds for the industry.”
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Winepress July 2022 / 23
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Biosecurity Watch News and Updates JIM HERDMAN
OVER THE next few months, the New Zealand Winegrowers biosecurity team will actively engage with members to help them complete biosecurity plans for their vineyards. Over the past year, we have been able to measure the uptake of biosecurity planning amongst vineyard members, and it has been encouraging to see the majority of vineyards have now completed plans. To assist those that have yet to complete plans, we will be contacting selected owners, managers, and staff over the next few months to see if there is anything we can do to help. Remember, biosecurity plans are based on continual improvement - you do not have to complete all of the actions in the first year, and there is plenty you can do with minimal cost. If you are thinking of initiating a plan and you need resources or assistance, please contact either Jim 0276448010 or Sophie 0277004142 at New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW).
Vineyard register inclusion of minor varieties Minor varieties will be included in the Biosecurity Vineyard Register 2022. These varieties have previously been lumped into the ‘other reds’ or ‘other whites’ categories within the register. Contact has been made with most of the members who have vines within these categories, and a list has been drawn up listing the minor varieties in producing vineyards. The list now comprises 14 additional varieties: Barbera, Blaufränkisch, Carménère, Dolcetto, Glera - Prosecco, Marsanne, Marzemino, Mourvèdre, Mtsvane, NiagaraWhite Diamond, Plantet, Saperavi, Scheurebe, and Zweigelt. Please let us know if you have or know of other wine grape varieties being grown by NZW members which are not listed
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in the current vineyard report. The Biosecurity Vineyard Register 2022 is open, and registrations are now due. One other thing to check on your vineyard registration is that the physical address recorded is the actual vineyard location.
Spray days The biosecurity team are attending the Spray Days events in Marlborough this year, after the event was interrupted last year by a Covid-19 lockdown. The biosecurity sessions will cover an overview of the NZW website biosecurity resources and explain the Biosecurity Network’s purpose and how you can get involved. Hard copies of the resource packs will be available to take away. The session will also look into a possible biosecurity incursion scenario, the response, and the potential impact on growers. The dates for Spray Days in Marlborough are 15 to 18 August, with three days in Blenheim and one day in the Awatere. Find out more at nzwine.com/members/events/workshops/ spray-days-2022
Vineyard Pest and Disease Guide update We have just updated the Vineyard Pest and Disease Identification Guide, and the new version includes some
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL
CATCH IT . SNAP IT . REPORT IT . Call MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 24 / Winepress July 2022
PROTECT Sour Rot. Photo Dion Mundy at Plant & Food Research
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new photos and two more diseases in the ‘Present in the New Zealand’ section. The original idea for this section of the guide was for it to complement the Spray Schedule, with images and descriptors of pests and diseases listed in the schedule. This has now been completed. The two new diseases in the guide are ripe rot and sour rot.
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Identification of Pests
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Two good free apps to download onto your phone for pest identification while you are on the job are the ‘Seek’ app and the ‘Find a Pest’ app. These apps have different functions, the ‘Seek’ app can help you identify pests by way of a recognition feature, and the ‘Find a Pest’ app can help you report a pest or seek advice on what it is. Both apps were recently used to assist in the weevil research project. If you are planning to attending the biosecurity session at Spray Days please download the ‘Find a Pest’ and ‘Seek’ identification apps before the session.
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Winepress July 2022 / 25
Industry News
Samantha White
Kōparepare The 2020 campaign to donate 100% of Kōparepare wine sales to marine conservation causes was so successful that a repeat of the campaign was run in late June this year. Produced by Whitehaven Wines, the Kōparepare wine range supports the protection and restoration of New Zealand’s marine environment, with all sales benefitting the work of LegaSea, a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring the abundance, biodiversity and health of New Zealand’s marine environment. To date Whitehaven has donated $73,049 to assist LegaSea in their work to protect and restore New Zealand marine environment. Samantha White, ambassador to the Kōparepare brand, is the daughter of Whitehaven co-founders Sue and the late Greg White. She spent her early childhood years on the family yacht, as her parents sailed the Pacific, and marine conservation is a cause that is close to Samantha’s heart “I grew up sailing and fishing in the Marlborough Sounds, and I want my son to be able to do the same. I feel proud knowing that Kōparepare is making a difference.”
Advocacy update NICCI ARMOUR In June, the annual Marlborough Pruning Field Day was held at Matador Estate, where some excellent insight and peerto-peer learning was shared. However, the day was also balanced by the reality of continued challenges on the supply of labour. Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workers conduct the bulk of winter pruning on Marlborough vineyards, and this year pruning will be completed by mostly inexperienced pruners. RSE numbers are returning to pre-Covid levels, but adjustments are still to be made and return to “BAU” isn’t as simple as opening the borders. Stay connected with your vineyard contractor over winter and reach out to Wine Marlborough if you have any queries. Immigration New Zealand has been engaging with industry and employers, hosting webinars, and providing information on the impending Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). How the immigration rebalance will play out for the 2023 vintage is still unclear. However, visa applications opened on July 4, 2022, and New Zealand Winegrowers is staying up to date with the process and sharing information on the member’s page at nzwine.com Feedback or queries can be directed to advocacy@nzwine.com. Longer-term, workforce planning is gaining traction with the Marlborough Regional Skills Leadership Group releasing the first Marlborough Regional Workforce Plan this month. Alongside this plan, Wine Marlborough is facilitating a more targeted workforce project that focuses on the needs and initiatives that underpin a sustainable workforce across our industry. Preliminary work was undertaken in June and wider industry workshops and consultation is slated for August to November. Outcomes that shift the dial on our workforce challenges will be driven by industry participation and engagement in this process – please consider getting involved. If you have any feedback or issues you would like to discuss, please contact Nicci Armour, Wine Marlborough advocacy Manager at advocacy@winemarlborough.nz.
Bespoke application Precision spreading is a win-win for the environment and economics of grape growing, says Centaland’s business development manager Dillon Senior. The viticulture contracting company is using a new spreader to enable variable rate spreading, which applies the correct rate of fertiliser in the correct area of a vineyard. Soil areas are easily specified by drone multispectral or electromagnetic mapping and the data ensures efficient, economic and sustainable use of inputs, says Dillon. The rate of saving varies between vineyards, depending on application rates, but as a rule the inputs are significantly less when using precision technology, “which reduces fertiliser costs which have been steadily rising”, he says. Ensuring they had the perfect machine for the task has been something of a labour of love for the Centaland crew, resulting in a bespoke piece of kit designed for Marlborough vineyards, says Dillon. “We want to make it simple for growers to save costs on fertiliser by better optimisation of inputs”. 26 / Winepress July 2022
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A farewell to Bruce McLauchlan BRENDA WEBB Award winning grape grower, philanthropist, company director and enthusiastic horseman. Bruce McLauchlan, who died last month, wore all those hats. The 82-year-old Rapaura farmer-turned grape grower had a passion for the land and the community. When he bought his Wratts Rd property, Rothay, from his brother Keith in 1954, he made sure there were paddocks to run his beloved polo ponies. What Bruce didn’t know was that the 32-hectare block would, in time, become the heart of Marlborough’s prime grape growing region. Back then grapes were unheard of in Marlborough and Bruce initially grew process crops for Talley’s, along with running sheep and beef. In the early 1980s he ventured into kiwifruit, an innovative crop for Marlborough at the time. Rothay was farmed intensively and Bruce took on lease blocks – including one in Mills and Ford Rd which he later bought - to make his operation viable. He farmed closely with his father Lyell, who ran a Southdown sheep stud on Balvonie, the neighbouring property. When other farmers in the area planted grapes, Bruce’s interest was piqued and he experimented with a few hectares – but first he had his father to deal with, according to nephew Ben, who now runs the properties. “Lyell was a sheep and beef farmer and was not sure about the grape wave engulfing Marlborough,” he said. “Bruce was confident and as funds would allow he planted Rothay and then moved down to Balvonie. The move was slow and tactical as he had to negotiate with his father over land use. However, as the grape cheques came in, Lyell became more accepting.” The land was productive and Bruce, with his agricultural background (he studied at Lincoln) and supported by wife Anne, soon turned his entire farming practice to viticulture. Bruce’s legacy of excellent
viticulture is evident with grapes from Rothay and Balvonie winning numerous awards. Bruce and Anne were some of the original growers for Whitehaven and integral in providing quality Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay fruit to the company for more than 25 years. A low key, hard-working and unassuming man, Bruce held a number of roles including being director of CRT. He believed in cooperatives, with the whole being more powerful than the individual, says Ben. Bruce’s substantial donation to the ASB Marlborough Theatre reflected his support for the community. Meanwhile, the McLauchlan name will forever be linked with horses – Bruce was a keen member of the Starborough Hunt, but his real passion was polo and he played all over the country. Along with a keen group of locals he formed the Blenheim Polo Club. It was his determination and hard work ensured the Rewi Alley polo fields developed from a flax swamp into the manicured grounds they are today. Bruce had no children of his own, but was very close to his many nieces and nephews, including Ben, who moved to Marlborough to fulfil Bruce’s wishes of family running the vineyards he had developed. “Bruce saw in me someone with the skills to be the guardian for future generations of a property that he and his father Lyell had spent their life developing, farming and ultimately leaving in better condition than when they found it.”
Rural Thefts Police in Marlborough are concerned by an increase in the number of thefts and burglaries to rural properties. “It is clear that criminals are brazenly entering onto rural properties and stealing expensive items that they see as an easy target,” says senior constable Russ Smith. As an example, a little over a month ago offenders entered a vineyard on the Kaituna-Tuamarina Road in Marlborough and stole a large blue New Holland 8260 4WD tractor and three-point linkages which had been stored in a different location on the site. Also stolen from that rural area was an aqua-blue and black Burnett steel single axel trailer with jog-wheel on the towbar. The trailer was fitted with a steel cage which consists of steel mesh at the front and back and plywood sides. Another non-descript trailer was also stolen at around the same time from a Rapaura Road vineyard, says Russ. Quadbikes and ag bikes continue to be popular targets for thieves. “Police are increasingly aware that criminals are targeting vineyards and rural properties where the machinery, vehicles and equipment is often stored in the open or in open-sided sheds,” says Russ. “We strongly advise owners, managers and staff to secure valuables, vehicles and equipment in locked sheds where possible, and if the likes of vehicles, tractors, quadbikes and ag bikes are left in the open or in an insecure shed, always lock them and remove the keys to another secure location. Leaving a vehicle key hidden on the vehicle or tucked nearby creates the risk that a criminal will find and use it, and this has occurred before.” Anyone who has any information relating to these or other burglaries on rural properties are encouraged to contact police by calling 111 if an incident is happening now, and 105 if it has already happened Winepress July 2022 / 27
Wine Happenings
A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry. To have your event included in the August Wine Happenings, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by July 21. Due to uncertainty around Covid-19, there may be changes to some of these listed events. For more information, please use the contact supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz
JULY 5 7 7 - 10 8-9 11 19
Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year 2022 Information Evening Young Viticulturist of the Year Marlborough 2022 Competition and Celebration (nzwine.com/young-vit) Marlborough Book Festival (marlboroughbookfest.co.nz) Enchanted Evenings at FROMM. Friday and Saturday nights, from 5pm to 7pm, until 16 July (frommwinery.co.nz) Regenerating vineyard soils event. 1.30pm to 4pm at Hunter’s Wines Lawson’s Dry Hills Field Day, Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards
AUGUST 7 Cosy Sunday Sessions – Winter at Forrest, from 1pm to 4pm (marlboroughnz.com/events) 15 Marlborough Wine Show entries open (marlboroughwineshow.com) 15 – 17 Spray Days Marlborough – Blenheim (nzwine.com/members/events/workshops/spray-days-2022) 18 Spray Days Marlborough – Awatere Valley 26 - 27 Winetopia Christchurch (winetopia.co.nz) 30 - 31 Corteva Young Viticulturist of the Year National Final, Marlborough (nzwine.com/young-vit) SEPTEMBER 1 EIT Research Symposium 4 Cosy Sunday Sessions – Winter at Forrest, from 1pm to 4pm (marlboroughnz.com/events)
Vineyard Soils - July 11
28 / Winepress July 2022
Environment Awards - July 19
Young Viticulturist - August 30 / 31
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