Winepress - June 2018

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WINE MARLBOROUGH

ISSUE NO. 282 / JUNE 2018

SOCIAL MEDIA

ITO TRAINING

Photo: Jim Tannock

wine-marlborough.co.nz

WINE SCHOOL

LUCA FANT

20

this issue...

10

REGULARS

FEATURES

3 4

10 Sauvignon Celebrations

Editorial

From the Board - Stuart Dudley

20

The Good Stuff - Training

26

Gen Y-ine - Luca Fant

28

Biosecurity Watch - Awareness

30

Industry News

32

ANZ Wine Happenings

23

18 The Social Club

New Zealand’s wine industry spends too much time preaching to the choir, says social media consultant Mark Shaw. Read Mark’s tip for better “social” impact.

20 Industry Training

Cover: Daniel Warman is boosting his career using determination, hard work and Primary ITO training. He’s part of a Good Stuff feature on training initiatives on pg 20. Photo Jim Tannock

International Sauvignon Blanc Day 2018 had a social media reach of more than 88 million, with 50 million Instagram hits alone. See some pics from the big day and read about what’s planned for the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration (ISBC) 2019.

A fulfilling career in wine may begin with wire lifting, but end in management, thanks to an array of training opportunities.

From ITO’s on the job training, to the Winegrowing School and Career Navigator, this month’s Good Stuff looks at what’s happening in the field. Meanwhile, while our Generation Y-ine shows another NMIT success story.

26

Winepress June 2018 / 1

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General Manager: Marcus Pickens 03 577 9299 marcus@wine-marlborough.co.nz Editor: Sophie Preece 027 308 4455 sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz Advertising: Harriet Wadworth 03 577 9299 harriet@wine-marlborough.co.nz Wine Marlborough Board: Ben Ensor ben.lisa@clear.net.nz Callum Linklater callum@csviticulture.co.nz Jack Glover jack.glover@accolade-wines.co.nz Michael Wentworth michael.wentworth@yealands.co.nz Nick Entwistle nick@wairauriverwines.co.nz Simon Bishell simon@caythorpe.nz Stuart Dudley (Deputy Chair) stuartd@villamaria.co.nz Tom Trolove (Chair) tom.trolove@framingham.co.nz Tracy Johnston Tracy@dayvinleigh.co.nz

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From the Editor News of a labour crisis in the Bay of Plenty’s kiwifruit industry may have had a familiar ring to Marlborough grape growers, who are facing their own critical labour shortage this winter. Vineyard land is being developed at a rate of knots, but it’s questionable whether there’s the labour supply to ensure all the vines are pruned, plucked and picked throughout the year.

Some of the most reputable labour contractors in the region are refusing more work, because they have neither staff nor infrastructure to take it on.

That would suggest there’s room for new businesses to kick off, but becoming a Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE), able to recruit workers from the Pacific Islands for several months of the year, requires an audited history of contracting labour. And even if new outfits could become certified, Marlborough’s allocation of RSE workers is capped and taken, while the pool of local people ready to work is depressingly shallow.

There’s been some backlash to the declaration of a seasonal labour shortage for the kiwifruit industry, with investigations into the pay rates for what’s clearly hard work, as well as concerns raised by the Kiwifruit Workers Alliance on some employers’ failure to meet basic employment standards. That too might have a familiar ring to Marlborough grape growers, and is a reminder that the industry must ensure its labour contractors are aware - and respectful - of all their obligations. Marlborough desperately needs to tempt more people to the region, and to the vines, and the beginning of that process is making sure the jobs available have plenty to appeal.

Certainly, work in a contract gang can lead to solid viticulture careers, thanks to the likes of the Primary ITO (Industry Training Organisation), which is working in Marlborough vineyards to upskill staff. In this month’s Good Stuff, we meet Daniel Warman, who has jettisoned from bird scarer to vineyard manager in just three years, and James Crockett, an ITO training advisor who knows well the value of an on-the-job education. We also look at what is happening in schools to attract young learners to wine careers, with the New Zealand School of Winegrowing and the Career Navigator programme both providing a bridge between college and industry.

Hopefully there’ll be lots of interest at the Marlborough Careers Evening at the Clubs of Marlborough on June 18. Wine Marlborough will be there with Daniel Warman, 2017 Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year Kelsey Daniels, Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year contestants, and Pacific Rim Labs, showing the diversity of what we have on offer.

SOPHIE PREECE

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.

Winepress June 2018 / 3

From the Board STUART DUDLEY

THERE ARE now more than 27,000 hectares of grapes planted in Marlborough. I am not sure what David Herd, Marlborough’s original winemaker, would think of that figure, but I imagine he may have thought it quite incomprehensible, compared with the small area he had 145 years ago.

One of the great things about this expansion over the past 20 years is the amazing diversity it has created.

From the fertile lower reaches of the Wairau floodplain, clay soils in our Southern Valleys, stony terraces above the Awatere River or the alpine climate of the upper valleys, these sub regions add to the strength and diversity of the Marlborough wine story. Strength in variations of wine styles they produce, being able to show the specific terroir of a site if used as a single vineyard wine, or strength by being a complementary component in a wine that acts as a representation of the region as a whole. As the vineyard area continues to grow, there will no doubt be more diverse styles that come about, especially as the majority of these plantings are less than 20 years old, relatively young in vine terms, and yet to be fully expressing terroir.

So that is the positive. However, one of the concerns and likely one of the questions Mr Herd would have asked is, “where are we going to find all the people?” This is the question we are finding ourselves asking more and more. We are lucky to have some great people within the industry, from the vineyards to the marketplace. However, the number of people coming into our industry is not keeping up with the growth the industry is going through, creating one of our biggest challenges.

4 / Winepress June 2018

The most obvious area of concern is the regional labour supply in the vineyards. For over a decade now the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme has been the everincreasing backbone of labour in the vineyards, supplemented by backpackers and those on working visas. Local Kiwis are in short supply and, with unemployment in the region sitting around 2%, this would appear unlikely to change in the short term. With the increased area, we are currently more reliant on additional RSE workers being allocated to this region. For the winter of 2018, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) approved an increase of 250 RSE workers for

The most obvious area of concern is the regional labour supply in the vineyards.

Marlborough, yet the Government’s RSE unit only allocated 80 of these to Marlborough, out of an increased cap of 600 for the country. Effectively, this would indicate this winter will be tighter than ever before, given the additional vines that have gone in the ground, and the fact we were already short.

One thing that can be done to help in the future is for industry (growers,

contractors, companies) to advertise roles on the Work and Income job site, and on the Work the Seasons pages.

Currently there are very few jobs listed here, so looking at it from MSD’s point of view, there does not appear to be any regional issues, and it is them that have to approve any RSE cap increases or declare a labour shortage if required.

Beyond this, I think we really do need to find new ways to attract other people into our region, as the RSE is only one piece of a much wider challenge. There has been some great collaboration so far by various industries to identify both the scale of the problem and some steps that need to be taken. However, we are now at a point where the wine industry itself has to become much more active in encouraging people into the sector people who can come and share and enjoy the region’s wine industry.

Writing of people, I must make special mention also to Marcus Pickens, who has just completed 10 years as General Manager of Wine Marlborough. It is a credit to him seeing how far the industry has come in the past 10 years and how Wine Marlborough has had to evolve with it, continually supporting the region to become one of the best in the world.

Congratulations Marcus and thanks for all your work over the past decade.

Marlborough’s Viticulture Specialist Dedicated to providing a competitive and professional approach to find the best buyer for your property with market knowledge, network and marketing that makes getting the best result possible.

For a no obligation discussion about buying, selling or leasing, talk to Andy in confidence today.

Ward 87 hectares

Tuamarina 51 hectares

Rapaura 9.4 hectares

Grovetown 8 hectares

Hawkesbury 65 hectares

Wairau Valley 220 hectares

Rapaura 16 hectares

Grovetown 9.5 hectares

Awatere Valley 190 hectares

Fairhall 8 hectares

Rapaura 9 hectares

Dillons Point 8 hectares

Andy Poswillo 027 420 4202 andy.poswillo@bayleys.co.nz BE MARLBOROUGH LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Winepress June 2018 / 5

MET REPORT Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – May 2018

May May 2017

2018 compared

to LTA GDD’s for: Month - Max/Min¹ 62.8 104% Month – Mean² 72.1 98% Growing Degree Days Total July 17 to May 18-Max/Min 1625.9 118% July 17 to May 18 - Mean 1653.1 116% Mean Maximum (°C) 16.0 -0.5°C Mean Minimum (°C) 6.5 +0.7°C Mean Temp (°C) 11.3 +0.2°C Ground Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 5 = Air Frosts (<0.0°C) 2 - Sunshine hours 171.2 98% Sunshine hours – lowest Sunshine hours – highest Sunshine hours total – 2018 1067.5 98% Rainfall (mm) 85.2 149% Rainfall (mm) – lowest Rainfall (mm) – highest Rainfall total (mm) – 2018 452.8 191% Evapotranspiration – mm 51.4 114% Avg. Daily Windrun (km) 230.7 106% 9am mean soil temp – 10cm 10.0 +1.3°C 9am mean soil temp – 30cm 12.4 +1.2°C

May LTA

Period of LTA

May 2017

60.5 73.2

(299602017) (1996-2017)

28.3 54.1

1382.5 1428.5 16.5 5.8 11.1 5.5 1.4 175.2 114.7 207.8 1085.4 57.2 13.5 182.6 236.8 45.1 217.0 8.7 11.2

(1996-2017) 1404 (1996-2017) 1440.9 (1986-2017) 16.0 (1986-2017) 4.8 (1986-2017) 10.4 (1986-2017) 5 (1986-2017) 1 (1986-2017) 205.4 1969 1990 (1932-2017) 1103.6 (1930-2017) 57.2 1936 1948 (1930-2017) 324.6 (1996-2017) 46.6 (1996-2017) 183.5 (1986-2017) 10.2 (1986-2017) 12.4

¹GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures ²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures May 2018 recorded well above average rainfall and wind-run, slightly above average mean temperature, and average sunshine hours.

Temperature The mean temperature for May of 11.3°C was 0.2°C above the long-term

average. The first three weeks of May recorded well above average mean temperatures. This was largely due to much warmer overnight minimum temperatures, as the maximums were close to average. However, the final 10 days of May were cold, with both the daily maximum and minimum temperatures being well below average.

This was especially noticeable from the 29th to 31st May. The colder final 10 days of the month probably left many people with the impression that May was colder than normal, as it is difficult to remember what the temperatures were like more than one week ago.

The coldest morning during May 2018 was the 29th, with an air minimum of -0.4°C and a grass minimum (ground frost) of -3.5°C. However, although these mornings were cold the minimum temperatures were warmer than in May 2017. The coldest morning during May 2017 recorded an air minimum of -1.5°C and a grass minimum of -5.0°C. Frosts May 2018 recorded five ground frosts and two air frosts which was very close to the long-term average of the past 32 years (1986-2017). However, as has been pointed out on many occasions in recent years, frosts in Blenheim are now far fewer than was the case earlier in the 20th century; e.g. the average number of ground frosts

Table 2: Weekly temperatures, rainfall and sunshine during May 2018

1st - 7th 8th - 14th 15th - 21st 22nd - 28th 29th – 31st (3 days) 1 – 31 May LTA 1986-2017 6 / Winepress June 2018

Mean Max (°C) 17.0 (+0.5) 18.0 (+1.5) 16.7 (=) 14.0 (-2.5) 12.2 (-4.3) 16.0 (-0.5°C ) 16.5

Mean Min (°C) 7.3 (+1.5) 9.7 (+3.9) 8.6 (+2.8) 2.9 (-2.9) 0.3 (-5.5) 6.5 (+0.7°C) 5.8

Mean (°C) 12.2 (+1.1) 13.9 (+2.8) 12.7 (+1.6) 8.5 (-2.6) 6.3 (-4.8) 11.3 (+0.2°C) 11.1

Rainfall (mm) 7.2 27.2 42.6 8.2 0.0 85.2 (149%) 57.2

Sunshine (hours) 41.6 25.5 39.2 41.9 23.0 171.2 (98%) 175.2

for May for the 54 year period 19321985 was 11.3, compared with 5.5 for the period 1986-2017.

Figure 1 displays the May frost numbers for the 87 years 1932 to 2018 (blue line). These data indicate that there can be quite a marked variation in frost numbers from year to year; e.g. zero frosts in May 2007, followed by 14 frosts in May 2008. The yellow line is the average number of frosts over a continuously moving 10 year period, (the average is from five years before to five years after any point on the blue line). This moving average reflects periods with fewer frosts (1993-2007) and slightly higher numbers (20082015). The red line is the trend in frost numbers over the entire 87 years 19322018. This line clearly illustrates the downwards trend in frost numbers for Blenheim.

Sunshine May 2018 recorded 171.2 hours sunshine, 98% of the long-term average (LTA). Blenheim has recorded 1067.5 hours sunshine for the five months January to May 2018. The race between Richmond and Blenheim for

sunniest town is still very close at the end of May, with Richmond’s total of 1069.0 hours, only 1.5 hours ahead of Blenheim.

Rainfall May 2018 recorded 85.2 mm rain, 149% of the LTA. Total rainfall for the first five months of the year over the past four years makes for an interesting comparison (Table 3).

To put the high rainfall so far in 2018 (452.8 mm) into some perspective, total rainfall in 2015 (January to December), Blenheim’s driest year on record, was only 381.6 mm.

The seasonal water balance graph (Figure 2) was last included in Met

Report in the December 2018 issue of Winepress. In early December 2018 it was noted that the line for the 201718 season had fallen “from zero on 1 October to -203.8 mm on 30 November 2018. This means that over this two month period that there has potentially been 203.8 mm more water lost from evapotranspiration than gained from rainfall. This is a more rapid fall over this period than in any of the previous three years. Without significant rainfall in December the 2017/18 line will continue to plummet”.

The seasonal water balance line for 2017-18 indicates that it has been a season of two distinct halves. The line plummeted through until the

Table 3: Total rainfall for the five months January to May compared to the long-term average (LTA) Year January-May total (mm) 2015 129.0 2016 248.8 2017 324.6 2018 452.8 1962 515.6 (highest) 1939 65.3 (lowest) L.T.A. 236.8

% of L.T.A. 51% 99% 129% 191% 218% 28% -

Figure 1: Number of ground frosts in Blenheim during May (1932-2018)

Winepress June 2018 / 7

Figure 2: Seasonal water balance for Blenheim: difference between 3-month totals of rainfall and potential evapotranspiration

LTA of 217 km. In contrast May 2017 was much calmer and only recorded average daily wind-run of 183.5 km.

However, the variation in daily windrun during May 2018 was quite high.

The windiest day was 7 May with 503 km wind-run, whereas 14 May was the least windy day with only 98 km windrun. May 2018 is the first month since January 2017 to have recorded well above average monthly wind-run.

Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research / Marlborough Research Centre

end of December 2017. The above average rainfall in January 2018 held the line fairly steady. The extremely high rainfall in February and average rainfall in March saw the water balance jump from -310 mm on 31 January up to -51 mm on 26 March.

The February-March period in 2018 stands out as markedly different to the previous three years and well above the long-term average. By mid-May 2018 the water balance was well into surplus. The sudden drop on 21 May comes three months after the high rainfall event in mid-February. This sudden drop is because the graph does not smooth out individual days of high daily rainfall.

Soil Moisture With the above average May rainfall, the shallow soil moisture (5-35 cm depth) was maintained well above average throughout the month. The bulk of Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rainfall was received from the 12th to the 18th. As a result the shallow soil moisture was at or above field capacity (38%) from the 12th through until the 25th. During this time considerable drainage of water would have been occurring down through the soil profile.

Wind-Run May 2017 recorded average daily wind-run of 230.7 km, well above the

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Job Listings Advertised vacancies send important message to Government THE MARLBOROUGH wine industry’s “critical” labour shortage is being exacerbated by companies that don’t list jobs, says Wine Marlborough’s Advocacy Manager Vance Kerslake. “If we want to get support from Government and show we have this major labour shortage, we have to demonstrate it.”

Vance says labour contractors and wine companies frequently have vacancies that are not advertised on the Work and Income job site

or the Work the Seasons (www. worktheseasons.co.nz) pages, because experience has taught them that few, if any, applicants will respond. In some cases a company has 80 vacancies, for example, but places one listing to capture new employees, giving a false impression of the demand. “Positions need to be advertised,” he says.

Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens says some wine companies and growers will face critical labour shortages this winter,

with several labour contractors closing their books to new work, because they do not have access to enough staff. “It is very important to be proactive in your communication with your contractor – find out now what their plan is and where you fit in. And if you don’t fit in, we need to know about it.”

New Bill Threatens Cellar Doors Wine Marlborough has opposed the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Renewal of Licences Amendment Bill No 2, claiming it will unfairly impact winery cellar doors. “The operation of cellar doors is a low risk activity, and they are an important source of revenue for many small, family owned, boutique wineries,” the industry body’s submission states.

The law currently states that any inconsistency between a Local Alcohol Policy and the renewal of a licence or the consequences of its renewal must not be considered by the licensing authority, when deciding whether to renew a licence. The new Bill would reverse that position, so that a cellar door renewal application could be declined if it was inconsistent with a local alcohol policy.

Wine Marborough Advocacy Manager Vance Kerslake says a common restriction of local alcohol policies is a prohibition on licences within a certain distance of a school, early childhood education centre, place of worship or playing field. That is a significant issue in Marlborough, with urban development expanding into traditionally rural areas, he says.

“A winery cellar door could be put in jeopardy because in the future a school or early childhood centre is built nearby.”

For example, should the Ministry of Education choose to co-locate

Marlborough’s two colleges on an urban fringe area, near to existing cellar doors, the Bill could force the closure of an existing business. Moving that business is untenable, because the location of a cellar door at its associated winery is an “integral” part of the visitor experience, the submission states.

Cellar doors provide economic activity on several fronts, including offering a valuable tourism experiences and providing significant employment, says Vance. “These jobs, and the significant investment made by wineries, could be at risk if this Bill is passed.”

The member’s Bill from Labour MP Louisa Wall has been referred to the Governance and Administration Select Committee.

“These jobs, and the significant investment made by wineries, could be at risk if this Bill is passed.”

Vance Kerslake

Winepress June 2018 / 9

Sauvignon Celebration INTERNATIONAL SAUVIGNON Blanc Day 2018 had a social media reach of more than 88 million, with 50 million Instagram hits alone. That’s 58% up on last year’s impressions, illustrating the global impact of the campaign, says Wine Marlborough Communications Manager Harriet Wadworth. “With more of a consumer focus over the past two years, the day is becoming much more known.”

In the lead up to the May 4 event, Wine Marlborough put out a call for the world’s biggest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc fan, and had responses from far-and-wide, including from Kiwis abroad, for whom a sip of Sauvignon was a happy taste of home.

The winners - Shea and Nathan Hinde from Sydney won flights to Marlborough for the weekend, with an Shea and Nathan Hinde itinerary that included Wine Marlborough’s International Sauvignon Blanc Day official celebration at Arbour. Arbour owner and chef Bradley Hornby crafted five courses to match 10 wines at the sold out event, which was also attended by Cuisine Magazine’s Kelli Brett (top left on facing page). There were 19 local events listed on www.

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Winepress June 2018 / 11

Celebrating Sauvignon ISBC 2019 set to steal the show WearableArts at ISBC 2016. Photo Richard Briggs

THE THEMES of Place, Purity and Pursuit will inspire the three day International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration 2019, while Marlborough’s landscapes frame the culinary offerings. Speakers and guests from around the world will explore the depth and diversity of Sauvignon Blanc from January 28 to 30, while experiencing Marlborough’s ocean, coastlines, mountains and rivers, and the produce drawn from each.

ISBC Chairman Patrick Materman says the three-day conference will build on the success of the inaugural 2016 event, which drew 363 guests, an array of global influencers, 62 wineries and worldwide media attention.

The first day is based on Place, delving into terroir, or turangawaewae, and its influence on style and substance. The day is completed with a trip to Paripuma on Marlborough’s east coast, where guests will dine on local seafood in a formal native garden

12 / Winepress June 2018

forged on a wild coastline.

The second day is about Purity, looking at classic styles as well as Sauvignon sustainability, from the vineyard right through to the finished product. “We will try and tell our sustainability story and that of the pure expression of Sauvignon Blanc,” says Patrick. The day will end with a gala dinner at Brancott Estate, with the hugely popular World of WearableArts show from the 2016 event once again taking centre stage.

The third day is focussed on Pursuit, with tastings of alternative styles made in the pursuit of excellence, and seminars on marketing and the targeting of consumers, including insights into the opportunities of the digital age. The entertainment that evening is at The Hut at Marisco Vineyard, at the edge of the Waihopai River, with wild food on the menu.

Giesen’s Roscoe Johanson, who is

leading the culinary team, says they are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding local produce to reflect the theme of ocean, coast, mountains and rivers. From seafood at Paripuma to game at Marisco, it’s a programme that shows off the region and all it has to offer, he says. Roscoe says the entire event, including subject matter, locations and sustenance, will be served up with a vibrant informality, designed to complement the ethos of Sauvignon Blanc - fresh, exciting and exuberant. And the media invited to next year’s event has evolved to recognise its reputation as well, with more social media influencers. “Our industry is ever evolving so we need to target our consumers in a different way.”

For more information on ISBC 2019, go to www.sauvignonnz.com

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Styling Sauvignon Seeking stylistic diversity in Sauvignon Blanc ANNABELLE LATZ

MATCHING THE right yeast to the right vineyard block can help shape a Sauvignon Blanc, says Saint Clair Family Estate white winemaker Heather Stewart.

Speaking at the Global Conference for Lallemand Oenology in Blenheim last month, Heather outlined a project to create four specific styles of Sauvignon Blanc using site selection and winemaking techniques, with a particular focus on the use of biotechnology to influence style for the market. “We used our historical knowledge of the potential of our vineyards, our winemaking knowledge and the recommendations of the Lallemand team for selection of yeasts and nutrients,” Heather said.

The wines were produced for the Master of Wine programme, for a candidates to conduct research on consumer stylistic preference in the UK market. The four trials used GoFerm Protect Evolution rehydration nutrient, Optimum White, Fermaid O and Pure-lees Longevity, with amounts and combinations varying between sites. Three of the four wines came from the Dillons Point area of the Lower Wairau sub region, which traditionally offers the quintessential Sauvignon signature, with the expressive - almost pungent - thiol/ tropical driven style Saint Clair strives for, with weight and salty richness, Heather told the conference.

The fourth vineyard was on Guernsey Rd, Waihopai Valley, traditionally known for its free draining, less fertile stony soils, producing “mineral/citrus” notes in the variety.

14 / Winepress June 2018

A “thiol driven” vineyard on Morgans Rd, Dillons Point, with fertile, nutrient rich flood silts, produces grapes that are slow to ripen, with a longer hang time, she said.

“We chose IOC BE Thiols, which promote 3MH production, bringing out fruity thiol characters without excessive plant based notes… For this thiol driven wine, the yeast choice is very important.” Fermentation was completed to dryness in 10 days, and the result was “really clean throughout, and had really nice struck match characters”, she said.

Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Aberharts Rd at Dillons Point, known for its green herbaceous characters, were inoculated with Lalvin R2 yeast. “Lalvin R2 is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae bayanus hybrid which is good for promoting terpenes, higher alcohols and esters,” Heather said.

Fermentation took nine days and green capsicum, cucumber, citrus, tomato leaf and herbal notes were the dominant flavours. “This vineyard also produces thiols, but methoxypyrazines are definitely the dominant flavour compounds.”

The less fertile Guernsey Rd vineyard produces classic mineral citrus Sauvignon Blanc, thanks to a sunny sheltered site and cool nights, along with free draining stony, loamy, sandy alluvium, with river stones. “For this wine we used Cross Evolution, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. cerevisiae natural cross hybrid,” she said. That resulted in “increased mouthfeel, high aromatic intensity, fresh fruit and floral characters”. There were also gravel and riverstone notes

Heather Stewart

with citrus and orange pith chalky phenolics. There was a two day lag phase with this ferment, which is not uncommon, so it took 11 days to ferment to dryness, she explained.

The fourth trial was for a barrel of fermented Sauvignon Blanc from Jones Rd, Dillons Point.

The yeast chosen - Lalvin CY3079 - was developed for white Burgundy and is good for barrel ferment and sur lie gaining, Heather said. The juice was fermented in a combination of two seasoned French puncheons and five seasoned French barriques.

“It provides rich, full, round mouthfeel and some nice secondary characters due to early autolysis.

The early autolysis of CY3079 slows the end of fermentation.” This oxidative winemaking led to less classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc characters, with stonefruit, tamarillo, guava and flint instead, with less acid, more palate weight and roundness.

“Lees stirring and oak provided savoury and spice notes… It turned out really well.”

Heather said the study motivated her to look more carefully at the yeasts she uses for different blocks of Sauvignon Blanc, the way they do for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

“Stylistic diversity of Sauvignon Blanc is really important, and is something we should be focussing more on in the future.”

Flute Advertorial 124 x 176 mm ADVERTORIAL Etec is pleased to announce that Brett Woodwiss who owns Marama Vineyard in Nelson was the successful prize draw winner. Brett is a relatively new grower and produces Sauvignon Blanc grapes for Neudorf Wines and Moutere Hills Wines on his five hectare vineyard in Hope. Brett said “The 2018 season has been a challenging one off the back of some major weather events and the very high rainfall the region received particularly in February. Thanks must go to Alex Douglas and Tasman Crop for their knowledge and experience which has been invaluable throughout the season. Flute has played its part in our overall spray programme and has kept powdery mildew at bay on our block during the course of the season”.

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Alex from Tasman Crop who advises Brett with his vineyard and spray programme said “Flute was released at a time when growers were beginning to experience exponential increases in powdery mildew pressure. Despite this increasing pressure, I have found Flute to perform strongly and consistently and will continue to recommend it as a useful option in my grape powdery mildew programs”.

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Flute contains cyflufenamid and is from the new ‘Amide’ chemical group which helps growers combat powdery mildew resistance. Pete de Jong from Etec Crop Solutions says “promoting Flutes new chemical group with the new technology of an Ubco electric 2 X 2 off-road farm bike has been a winning combination this season. ® Flute is a trademark of Nisso Chemical Company, Japan.

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Winepress June 2018 / 15

Good Sense SOPHIE PREECE

A PAPER by a young New Zealand scientist has won the 2018 Best Enology Paper award from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV).

Emma Sherman, who works at the Plant & Food Research (PFR) Mount Albert campus, co-wrote Impact of Grape Maturity and Ethanol Concentration on Sensory Properties of Washington State Merlot Wines, which was judged against all manuscripts published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (AJEV) in the previous year.

Emma was lab manager at PFR Marlborough from 2007 to 2012, then moved to a Research Associate role at PFR Auckland to do her Masters and PhD at Auckland University. In 2014, she travelled to UC Davis in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship, to learn more about sensory analysis and metabolomics, looking particularly at relationships between volatile metabolite composition and wine flavour.

A collaboration with James Harbertson of Washington State University, along with three other researchers, saw Emma investigating the effects of modifying ethanol concentrations on sensory properties of Merlot wines made from fruit harvested at different maturities.

Fruit was harvested on three dates, at 20, 24, and 28 brix, and the must from each harvest split into three, with one portion manipulated using chapilization, to increase ethanol, and another manipulated using saignée-watering back to reduce it, the abstract says. “Wines made from ripe (24 brix) or overripe fruit adjusted to low ethanol concentrations were

16 / Winepress June 2018

Emma Sherman

described similarly to wines made from unripe fruit, and wines made from unripe or ripe fruit adjusted to high ethanol concentrations were described

“We hadn’t thought that the ethanol concentrations would play such a huge role in modifying the sensory properties of the wines.”

Emma Sherman similarly to wines made from overripe fruit.”

The results of the study were surprising, Emma says. “We hadn’t thought that the ethanol

concentrations would play such a huge role in modifying the sensory properties of the wines. We thought the harvest date would, because that’s generally what most trials have found grape maturity is the defining factor on how a wine will taste.”

The study found that “both ethanol concentration and manipulations to achieve desired ethanol concentrations have a large influence on wine chemistry and sensory properties, and suggest that wine ethanol concentration is more important for the sensory profiles of wines than is fruit maturity at harvest.”

The accolade comes a year after PFR Marlborough scientist Marc Greven won the 2017 Best Viticulture Paper award from the ASEV for his paper, Effect of Postharvest Defoliation on Carbon and Nitrogen Resources of High-Yielding Sauvignon Blanc Grapevines.

Emma returns to Blenheim often to work on projects, including during Vintage 2018, when she worked with Marlborough PFR researchers, mainly on new Pinot Noir focussed projects.

To read Emma’s award winning paper go to www.asev.org/

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Speak Up Modern media is an ever-evolving feast. How can you get a seat at the table? Winepress talks to The Social Guy about social media.

NEW ZEALAND’S wine industry spends too much time preaching to the choir, says social media consultant Mark Shaw. He’s frustrated at seeing Twitter, Instagram and Facebook conversations that target industry rather than consumers. “Wine companies need to stop talking to each other and start talking to the people that buy and drink wine,” he

“A Marlborough winery can relatively easily and costeffectively talk to its customers globally, just via social media.”

Mark Shaw says. “They need to talk to the person who will be going to the supermarket or fine wine store and making choices about what goes in the trolley or bag.”

Social media means it is easier than ever before to have direct contact with your market, but you need to have content that’ll catch their attention, says Mark.

What is the power of social media?

Disruptive! It doesn’t get any

18 / Winepress June 2018

more disruptive than social media.

It basically killed traditional media as we knew it - newspapers, terrestrial TV and radio. The rivers of gold that these organisations used Mark Shaw to have are now gone. That’s some disruption. Now a Marlborough winery can relatively easily and cost-effectively talk to its customers globally, just via social media.

How will changes to Facebook impact?

They’re impacting if you’re not evolving your posts. Do some research on what the changes mean and what you can do to keep your organic traffic at a good rate. The other obvious thing to do to keep your reach high is spend some money promoting your posts. A good post with some money behind it can really gain some traction.

What’s key about content?

People, people, people and a good story. The Facebook EdgeRank has changed to give more traffic to people posts. It knows which ones they are - pictures of winemakers, clients, people in This post went nuts! Engagement galore by asking people to do vineyard - and it something a little bit different and by targeting people only using works. Think of their phone.

yourselves as not just a winery but as a media company as well. You all have the tools (mobile phones) and you know how to use the internet - now do it!

What’s a good example of a high impact post, and why?

Reach is key to all your posts, but what is the end goal of the post? What do you want to achieve from it? Do you want to build your database, grow your followers or leave a good impression, so that next time the buyer is in the wine shop they choose your juice? Define your goals for each post and you’ll soon work out what’s working. (See image.)

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Good Stuff

20 / Winepress June 2018

A fulfilling career in wine may begin with wire lifting, but end in management, thanks to an array of training opportunities. From ITOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the job training, to the Winegrowing School and Career Navigator, SOPHE PREECE looks at some of the Good Stuff happening in the field. Photo by Jim Tannock

Career Climber Daniel Warman is tailor making a career in Marlborough’s wine industry WHEN DANIEL Warman became a bird-scarer at the age of 24, he planned to be a vineyard manager by the age of 30. He was there in half the time, thanks to Constellation’s support, Primary ITO training and a heap of hard work and determination.

“Three years ago, I never thought I would be where I am now”, says the block manager at Constellation’s 150 hectare Castle Cliffs vineyard, with responsibility for four permanent staff and a 10-strong Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme crew. The new role has him managing work plans, record keeping, doing Sustaining Winegrowing audits, and “jumping on a tractor when I am needed”.

Daniel had worked on vineyards during Marlborough Boys’ College school holidays, before moving to Kaikoura at the age of 19 where he moved into dairy farming . He had his first taste of ITO training in that industry, but was frustrated at not being able to get support for more study. Long hours and the birth of his first child led him back to Marlborough in 2014, where he joined a contract spray company, “fell in love with viticulture”, and looked at his future options.

With a plan to find a more involved role, Daniel honed in on Constellation, knowing that they support ITO training. He took the one job they were offering at the time – bird-scarer - despite taking a pay cut, then wrangled a harvest contract as well, driving tractors and gondolas.

That trial ended with Constellation offering him a full-time position as a general vineyard hand, at which point

he jumped at the chance for an apprenticeship and National Certificate in Horticulture Level 4. “I always wanted to go somewhere” he says. “Every time I started a new job, I wanted to be the best I could at it.”

Daniel didn’t enjoy school, preferring to Constellation’s Daniel Warman, left and Dave Flood. Photo by Jim head out hunting, Tannock fishing, diving or four wheel driving - “anything respect, he adds. “It’s real people doing outside is good for me”. But he says real jobs, and learning while they are the Primary ITO was a great way to get doing it.” back into learning in an environment As he trained, Daniel continued where it all made sense. “You see what his career path, moving up to a vineyard operator, driving machinery and harvesters, then to a senior operator’s role. “I did that for a year and kept studying and asking questions – learning as much as I could,” he says. “You want to be an asset. To be someone the company wants to keep.” Clearly he is, because when he applied for the manager’s job last year, he won it. His knowledge base has “gone through the roof” since then, with ITO learnings clicking into place as his role evolves.

Daniel also put those learnings to the test last year, entering the 2017 is going on in the vineyard and you Bayer Marlborough Young Viticulturist can relate it to the study,” he says. of the Year competition, where he was “ITO is about the latest things to come up against competitors with “bachelors out. It is so relevant to the important in this and that”. His practical strengths things in the vineyard.” That means and ITO learnings stood him in good the qualifications come with plenty of stead, while the public speaking and

“It’s real people doing real jobs, and learning while they are doing it.”

Daniel Warman

Winepress June 2018 / 21

“You want to be an asset. To be someone the company wants to keep.”

Daniel Warman Hortisports – a race cheered on by an audience of supporters – pushed him out of his comfort zone. “It was awesome,” says Daniel, who acknowledges that the event was as much about getting his name out there as it was about checking his strengths and weaknesses. “It’s about saying, ‘this is me; this is what I can do’.” He has entered again this year, and hopes the past year of management has given him an extra edge, on and off the block.

Preparing for the event, as with

putting in the ITO study, means late nights hitting the books before early mornings hitting the vineyard. But his three children, with another on the way, are an added incentive to work hard and climb further up the career ladder.

Daniel talks of the ability to “tailor make” a career in the wine industry, using the ITO papers to hone skills in certain areas. And his advice for young people looking to get a foot in the industry is to start out at ground

level, “push for what you want”, and learn as much as you can, including formal qualifications. “You become hot property, not another bum on a seat.”

Winepress would love to hear about more Good News stories in Marlborough’s wine industry.

If you have one, email Sophie at sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz

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On The Job JAMES CROCKETT struggled with school but loves learning, which puts him in the same camp as many of his students. The Primary ITO training advisor sees a bit of himself in many of the vineyard workers he meets, who are suddenly engaged with their education because it relates to their day-to-day experiences. “The best thing about it is that I know the benefit it can bring to someone like myself, who didn’t necessarily have a lot of fun at school, but wanted to get out and get some work,” he says, having worked his way up from pruner, to machinery operator, to vineyard manager, to human resources manager, to training advisor.

The journey to his current role began with pruning his uncle’s

“So many people we are dealing with are practical based and maybe haven’t necessarily had all the support networks around them growing up that they have needed.”

James Crockett

Primary ITO training advisor James Crockett

vineyard in the school holidays, and continued through work on contract vineyard gangs when he left Marlborough Boys’ College. In 2006 he got a full-time job with Nobilo, which was soon taken over by Constellation, working as a vineyard operator and learning about the machinery side of the business. He had his first taste of on-the-job training back then, and found he had an appetite for practical studies with real time outcomes.

That’s key to the ITO’s training programmes, which are relevant to the workplace and to the season, with the units designed around the day-today work streams, he says. “When I visit a trainee and employer, we will talk about what they are doing in the workplace and I try to match that up with unit standards that are relevant to what they want to learn.

“If it’s winter, it might be a pruning unit, or supervision if they are looking after a crew. In the growing season we might learn about plant structures or different machinery operations.” That’s

a great way of keeping it interesting, James says. “It’s learning about why they are doing a job, why they do it that way and why it’s important for the plant. And it makes them far more engaged.”

James was working for Constellation when Aaron Jay saw his potential and employed him on the Waihopai Valley vineyard he was managing. A year later, James took over the management of the vineyard when Aaron left to set up labour contracting company Hortus. It was then that James’ ITO experiences began, gaining training and certificates in plant structures, pruning and machinery operations. He was working with harvesters and tractors, but became fascinated with plant science, growing his understanding of why certain tasks were done at certain times in the vineyard.

Three years later James went to work at Hortus, where he stayed for seven years, starting in vineyard management. After three years he Winepress June 2018 / 23

moved to an office job, where his knowledge of the ground work, teamed with a knack for computer systems, made him a valuable resource. “I was meant to do three days in the office and two in the field. That lasted about a week. I developed crazy spreadsheets and systems, and Aaron said, ‘no you are staying here’.” James took on a lead role in the company’s ITO training while also recruiting for the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme (RSE). He then became Hortus’s student representative on the Viticulture Industry Partnership Group, giving valuable learner input to the organisation, which involves seven companies working with the ITO to ensure viticulture qualifications are appropriate and timely.

The office provided valuable lessons, with insights into employment law, payrolls and recruitment. But as James’ role gravitated away from vines and land, towards HR and a desk, he decided it was time for a change.

Knowing firsthand the difference it can make, and having his foot well in the door, he applied for the training advisor role at ITO. Now he watches employees forge sustainable careers in the wine industry, whether they are young and starting out, or older with

valuable skills that receive greater recognition through certification.

Sometimes their engagement comes easy, with staff excited by their learning and prospects, and looking at options to ascend in their job or training. In other cases, he has to give people a nudge to ensure they recognise their abilities. “So many people we are dealing with are practical based and maybe haven’t necessarily had all the support networks around them growing up that they have needed.” In either case, it’s extremely rewarding, says James.

He’s excited by the upcoming ITO Viticulture Apprenticeship Scheme and the nascent New Zealand School of Wine, both of which have the potential to tempt more people into the industry. The Apprenticeship Scheme (see sidebox) will seek prospective wine industry employees and ascertain their interests, then match them to good employers with a role that suits, before rolling out level 3 and 4 ITO training, says James. “They would say, ‘we need five machinery operators’. And we say, ‘we have people who really love machinery and are keen to move to Marlborough’. We then provide the resources for training.”

He is also looking forward to

working with the first cohort to emerge from the New Zealand School of Winegrowing, which is in its first year at Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges. (see pg 25). “I am really pumped by what they are doing down there actually,” he says, having met with the class. “They were interested.

They were excited.”

Viticulture Apprenticeship A Viticulture Apprenticeship will help highlight the potential for growing a lifelong career in the wine industry, says the chair of the Viticulture Industry Partnership Group. Constellation’s Julie Basset says the majority of employers and employees will understand the principles and benefits of an apprenticeship. “For an employer, it is a way to attract and retain employees who are keen to learn and develop themselves. For employees, it is an opportunity to earn a living while developing skills toward a nationally recognised and transferable qualification,” she says. “With the continued growth of the industry, developing our employees and attracting future employees is vital.”

Career Navigator The wine industry offers a wealth of opportunities that many teenagers will never see, say those behind Marlborough’s Career Navigator project.

The programme was rolled out this year by the Graeme Dingle Foundation Marlborough to help secondary school students navigate the multitude of pathways ahead of them by connecting them with industry mentors and workplaces.

“It’s a connection with people and business right now,” says Foundation regional manager Kelvin Watt.

“So young people are aware of the opportunities in the wine industry, for example, that they wouldn’t necessarily see from driving down the road and seeing the rows of grapes. It’s only by connecting with people in the industry right now that they get a sense of what is available.” On

the flipside, industry gets to be proactive in talking to students, and inform them of the skills that are needed, he says. “The programme is a connection between college and industry. It’s a bridge between young people coming out and saying ‘what’s out there?’ and industry saying, ‘this is what we need’.”

The Marlborough programme has 15 students and nine mentors, and is being delivered by occupational therapist Lisa Preece. She says the first stage is workshops “that will give them skills to transition into industries, such as wine”.

That is opening their eyes to the fact that the wine industry is about more than viticulturists and winemakers, she says. “There are accountants and marketers, logistics and HR experts, all in demand here”.

“It’s a connection with people and business right now,” Kelvin Watt

24 / Winepress June 2018

Grape Expectations Students impressed by the New Zealand School of Winegrowing SOPHIE PREECE

ASK KRIS Godsall about growing and making wine, and he’ll tell you about pruning and wire lifting, inoculating juice at a huge winery, and making his own Riesling at school. He may also give you a rundown on bottling, a chemical analysis of wine, a statistical assessment of the impact of music on pruning speed, and the economic impact of winemaking, as well as its influence on New Zealand’s identity.

Give him a few more months, and he’ll let you know about quad bike safety, team building and the biology of a grapevine, as he immerses himself and his learning into the New Zealand School of Winegrowing (NZSW).

Kris is one of five students in the first intake of the NZSW, a collaboration between Marlborough Boys’ and Marlborough Girls’ Colleges, Wine Marlborough, New Zealand Winegrowers and several Marlborough businesses.

The school currently offers a one-year Certificate in Viticulture

and Wine, but Marlborough Boys’ Hortus field manager Tom Oliver, right, helps Kris Godsall with College assistant his pruning technique principal James Ryan, who has helped drive the is studied with winegrowing as the initiative over the past four years, reference point, giving relevance to the hopes the natural progression will be learning, he says. “For me it’s definitely for a second year’s University Entrance been better learning that way.” As programme in 2019. ”We figured this well as having more one-on-one time year will be practical focus in the with teachers, Kris enjoys the ability vineyard and year two will have more to mix subjects and assignments, so of a cellar focus.” that his economic paper on the wine Kris, who plans to go on to tertiary industry, for example, can also inform winemaking studies, also has his an English paper on New Zealand fingers crossed for a second year, identity. having found his grades - which were Meanwhile, there’s the hands-on already high - climbing as a result of learning in the vines and at wineries, the wine school. “I find the learning is with time at Kim Crawford winery a far more engaging,” he says. “We can bit of highlight of the year so far for work on the same thing all day, and I Kris. “I got to do some inoculations and can concentrate on it more.” transfers from one tank to another, The Year 12 student opted for the and a dig out as well. That was heaps wine school because the subjects he of fun”. is interested in, including biology, The Marlborough Careers Evening chemistry, agriculture and economics, is Monday 18 June 2018, 6.30pm to were all included in the curriculum.

8.30pm on the ground floor hall of Each of those subjects, along with the Clubs of Marlborough. statistics, accounting and English,

Winepress June 2018 / 25

Generation Y-ine Balancing studies at NMIT and work at Huia is the perfect life for Luca Fant SOPHIE PREECE

WHEN LUCA Fant Googled ‘the best place on earth’ the search engine produced New Zealand. “And it actually is,” says the Italian winemaker, 12 years after flying in to verify the result. “I fell in love with it.” These days Luca is juggling full-time work as assistant winemaker at Huia and full-time study at NMIT in Blenheim, satisfying his passion for organics, for wine, for learning and for “doing a thousand things at once”.

But back in 2006, he was working as a designer for a mechanical engineering business in Italy, his days spent with computers and clients.

It was a stifling existence at odds with his upbringing in Belluno, spent often outdoors, mucking in on his family’s organic farm. “My dad and grandmother never used herbicide and pesticides. They were completely against them,” Luca says. “Our herbicide was a spade.”

Feeling constricted at the factory, he told his partner about the Google search and convinced her to take a year off. Within a month they were

26 / Winepress June 2018

working as Woofers (Workers on Organic Farms) in New Zealand, on a year-long working holiday that turned into a plan to emigrate. Luca received his entry ticket as a diesel mechanic,

“I always like working 150km an hour. That’s how I live my life, with thousands of things on at a time.” and worked on farms in the likes of Whananaki and Whangarei, until he was able to gain residency. From there he moved to Auckland and worked in a European specialised car workshop, but again began to lament his indoor

days and to dream of a life on the land.

“My original passion was wine,” says Luca, who has always been “intrigued” by fermentation, whether of kombucha, sauerkraut, beer, port or wine. His life in Italy was surrounded by vineyards, winemakers and harvest parties, which he took for granted while there. But living in New Zealand’s north, where such things were seldom seen, he “missed it a lot”, he says. “That’s when I decided to go back to my original passion – to what I loved, which was making wine and farming.”

He moved to Blenheim with his partner in 2016 and decided to study for a Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking, choosing NMIT because it made sense to live and work in “the capital of wine in New Zealand”. That has proved true, with the ability to make contacts throughout the industry – “whether it’s a small winery, big winery, huge winery” – and to seek help or guidance from whichever wine companies he chooses, he says. “NMIT has been a huge stepping stone for me.

I wouldn’t be here without it.”

When he began the study, Luca became disturbed by the amount of chemicals he was learning about – in the vineyard and the winery. So when it came to working his first vintage as part of the course requirement, he approached Mike Allan from boutique organic and biodynamic wine company Huia.

He started in the vines in December 2016 and was immediately enchanted. “I loved it. Going into a vineyard where you can lie down in the vines and not worry about what is on them.” His grandmother made biodynamic preparations on their family farm, so he was familiar with the concepts, along with the importance of composts. “I found out that I knew a lot more than I thought I knew,” he says. “We call it something else, but I have seen it made.”

In February 2017, Luca moved to winery work at Huia and was hooked by the freneticism of the vintage.

“I always like working 150km an

hour. That’s how I live my life, with thousands of things on at a time. So I love vintage with its multitasking – three or four jobs at a time.” He went back to Huia in his winter holidays, stayed on to help with blending, and was offered the position of assistant

“Winemaking is a mixture of science, technology, fermentation and farming winemaker in the lead-up to Vintage 2018. “So now I am working fulltime and studying full-time,” he says happily. Being in a small family owned winery means he gets a taste of all the jobs, from the lab to the compost,

and even handpicking the Botrytised Riesling this year.

That’s the perfect scenario for the young winemaker, who loves the ethos of the company and its people. “This is exactly where I want to be. They have a respect for the environment, for the product, for the grapes, for Mother Nature and for the workers. In the mechanical industry respect is not the first thing that comes to mind.”

But that engineering background is no small advantage in the wine industry, with machinery and technology vital to a smooth operation.

At work, Luca is called on to fix and tweak, and at school he is developing a system to maintain temperature in his red microvins as part of his third year research project. “Winemaking is a mixture of science, technology, fermentation and farming - my biggest passions,” he says. “And at Huia I can do it while respecting the environment.”

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Winepress June 2018 / 27

Biosecurity Watch Boosting wine industry biosecurity awareness and participation DR EDWIN MASSEY Photo Richard Briggs

THE NEW Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Biosecurity Strategy aims to maximise members’ awareness of biosecurity risks and mitigations, as well as encourage participation. This month’s column sets out activities underway to meet these objectives and maximise the protection to members through the biosecurity system.

changing and how viticulturists play a key role in protecting the industry.

This year we reflected on the level of engagement and awareness among the contestants regarding biosecurity. I believe, as an industry, we are certainly becoming more aware of the potential impact of biosecurity incidents and the benefits of risk management practice.

Bayer Young Viticulturist of the year education days – get them while they’re young!

Grape Days – keeping up with the latest biosecurity news

During May, NZW hosted several Bayer Young Viticulturist Education Days throughout the country.

Marlborough’s event was held at the Marlborough Research Centre, Blenheim, on May 24. These events are a great way to introduce biosecurity education and awareness to some of the industry’s rising stars. Sessions highlighted how biosecurity risk is

Grape Days are NZW’s annual technical events which summarise research activities and latest information on emerging biosecurity risks. The Marlborough event is scheduled for June 27 at the ASB Theatre Marlborough, Blenheim.

Grape Days aim to present technical information from a viticultural perspective so that growers and viticulturists understand “what it

means for me”.

This year the biosecurity update will focus on three potential threats to the wine industry: • Brown marmorated stink bug – highlighting how the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) and NZW are working together to minimise the risk of this pest becoming established in New Zealand, despite pressure at the border being at an all-time high.

• Grape vine red blotch virus – highlighting the potential risk and the launch of an industry surveillance programme to ensure any impact is minimised.

• Harlequin ladybird - examining the spread of this pest across New Zealand’s wine regions; its potential impacts and opportunities for management.

Grape Days are a great opportunity

IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL

CATCH IT . SNAP IT . REPORT IT .

Call MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 28 / Winepress June 2018

capability and increases our industry’s readiness. Furthermore, joining the NBCN will be a catalyst for the wine industry to develop an industry specific network of biosecurity champions that promote biosecurity awareness, response training and best practice.

to get up to speed, and NZW encourages all members to attend.

More information on this year’s sessions, including how to register, is available on the NZW website: https://www.nzwine.com/ members/events/technicalworkshops/grape-days-2018marlborough/ Joining the National Biosecurity Capability Network - promoting industry-wide readiness for a biosecurity incursion response In May NZW signed a memorandum of understanding with MPI to join the National Biosecurity Capability Network (NBCN). The NBCN is a key element of the New Zealand biosecurity system, a network of organisations that join together to respond to biosecurity incursions.

Members provide their shared resources, people, and knowledge to carry out operational activities (for example, trapping for insect pests, spraying chemicals to manage pests or supplying collateral to affected communities) during a biosecurity response. Currently, there are over 150 member organisations, including industry groups such as Kiwifruit Vine Health and Beef and Lamb New Zealand, regional councils, iwi and private companies.

Through the NBCN, members can participate in biosecurity incursion response training, where they learn what it’s like to play a role in operations to manage biosecurity risk.

This boosts industrywide biosecurity

“As an industry, we are certainly becoming more aware of the potential impact of biosecurity incidents and the benefits of risk management practice.”

Edwin Massey Joining the NBCN was one of the key goals identified in the NZW Biosecurity Strategy. Making the most of our industry’s involvement in the NBCN will take time, capability doesn’t develop overnight and establishing

a core of highly trained capable people will require dedicated effort.

Nonetheless it is a first step towards members of the wine industry actually participating in biosecurity operations to manage risk. Without this participation there would be a gap in the system and our industry’s overall level of protection would be reduced as a result.

Conclusion: Biosecurity – it’s everyone’s responsibility NZW’s ongoing work to achieve the objectives specified in our Biosecurity Strategy highlights that everyone in the wine industry has a specific role to play in protection from biosecurity risk. As an individual or an organisation, the best thing you can do to mitigate risk is to be an active participant in the biosecurity system, seeking out information, knowing what to do if you see anything unusual, asking questions and being prepared to adopt new practices that will help protect your assets. The level of engagement at the Bayer Young Viticulturist education days and the popularity of the Grape Days programme show that people have a growing willingness to participate in biosecurity – long may it continue!

Remember, if you do see anything unusual please Catch It; Snap it; Report it! Call the MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 and notify Dr Ed Massey, New Zealand Winegrowers Biosecurity and Emergency Response Manager: Edwin.massey@nzwine.com or 021 1924 924.

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Winepress June 2018 / 29

Industry News Research Boss Appointed MJ Loza has been appointed as Chief Executive of the New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre (NZWRC) Ltd in Blenheim, which is receiving $12.5m in funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment over four years. “What is exciting for me is not just the funding that is secure for the next few years, but building something sustainable that can deliver enduring value to the industry,” says the former general manager for Accolade Wines, Seresin Estate and Putake Honey.

MJ will lead the centre through its start-up phase, at a location yet to be announced at the time of printing, and on to its national role carrying out research on grape growing and wine production. NZWRC Board chair Mark Gilbert says MJ is a perfect fit, with a breadth of experience in the industry, and “an outstanding understanding” of the grape growing and wine making process. “He will lead NZWRC with vision to the benefit of the entire New Zealand wine industry.”

MJ says much of his career has been at the interface between science and commercialisation, and he’s excited to utilise this knowledge and experience for the wine industry. The research centre, which is run as a limited liability company owned by New Zealand Winegrowers, will conduct research across the spectrum, for the benefit of the national wine industry, he says. “Some projects will protect the value and others aim to develop and grow the industry’s value. One of the exciting things, I think, is looking at research as a portfolio, delivering value across the industry from grape to glass, as opposed to one project at a time.”

Sparkling wine workshop

Grape Days Fighting Disease, Innovating and Looking to the Future is the theme at New Zealand Winegrowers’ Grape Days for 2018. Marlborough Grape Days is on June 27, and will include a presentation from Professor Wayne Wilcox from Cornell University on the unique biology of powdery mildew. For more information go to the Innovation section of www.nzwine.com.

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The New Zealand Society for Viticulture and Oenology (NZVSO) is holding a sparkling wine workshop in Marlborough on August 28, one day before the Bragato Conference in Wellington. Keynote speaker Ed Carr has 34 years’ experience in the Australian winemaking industry, with 27 of those with sparkling wine production. The audience will also hear from Louisa Rose, Chief Winemaker at Yalumba, along with New Zealand winemakers and viticulturists Mike Collins of Nautilus, Jeff Clarke of Jackson Estate, and Jamie Marfell of Pernod Ricard, among others. NZVSO Executive Officer Sue Binnie says sparkling wine is another string to Marlborough’s bow. “We are going to

talk about doing stuff in the vineyard that will make your sparkling wine sparkle.” For further information and registration, link to the NZSVO website https://www.nzsvo.org.nz/workshops/ index.htm Vineyard Recycling Marlborough grape growers may be able to drop off irrigation pipes and gro guards for recycling in Blenheim later this year, with a mobile baler brought into the province for the special service. Chris Hartshorne from Plasback, a product stewardship scheme, says an attempt to gauge interest in the recycling drop earlier this year failed due to timing, with growers focussed on the upcoming harvest. Another attempt will be made this winter. Chris says the market for recycled netting has dropped away since the initial approach, with New Zealand “awash” with plastic and the netting hard to process. However, there is still scope to recycle used irrigation pipe and dripline in rolls and used corflute gro guards. “We have a lot of enquiries from people who want to have irrigation pipe collected,” Chris says

Photo by Richard Briggs

Silver Secateurs The Silver Secateurs pruning competition is on at Yealands Estate vineyard at Grovetown on Sunday, August 26 and entries close on August 6. Prizegiving will be held at the Giesen Sports and Events Centre in Renwick from 6pm on August 26.

Real Estate Update Buyer enquiry for Marlborough vineyard land is steady, but there is some caution amongst purchasers after two challenging harvests, says PGG Wrightson’s Joe Blakiston. There has been strong interest from neighbours and established growers for strategic production blocks with minimal buildings. These are still achieving “exceptional prices” with Lower Wairau blocks achieving more than $300,000 per planted hectare, says Joe. He expects the market to become more active in the coming months “as the fundamentals of viticulture are still strong and Marlborough is such a popular destination for out-of-town buyers”.

Wine Awards A win at the New World Wine Awards can deliver much more than the prestige of a gold medal, says Saint Clair Family Estate Marketing Manager Julie Ibbotson. “Our Champion titles enhanced the perception of the Saint Clair brand with New World shoppers and in turn helped increase sales across our entire portfolio of wines,” she says of Saint Clair’s Champion White Wine and Champion Red Wine of the show in 2017. “Success at the New World Wine Awards is also one of the many ways we can educate consumers about our winemaking expertise and varietals, giving them greater confidence in purchasing our wines.”

Entries are now open to the wine awards, which require wines to retail for $25 or less and have at least 5,000 bottles available in New Zealand, or 3,000 for niche varietals. As of last year, the competition will also include opportunities for selected New Zealand wines that retail for over $25.

Marlborough Book Festival The unflagging support of five Marlborough wine companies has helped give the Marlborough Book Festival a reputation for great hospitality, says committee member Lorraine Carryer on the launch of the Spy Valley Winemaker Paul Bourgeois. Photo by Jim Tannock 2018 programme.

Lorraine, who is a Wairau Valley grape grower, says support from Astrolabe, Hunter’s, Cloudy Bay, Dog Point and Spy Valley means authors are treated to luxurious accommodation, while audiences enjoy vineyard venues and a taste of some of the region’s top wines. “Authors and audiences alike love the festival for its lively and stimulating sessions with some of New Zealand’s best authors, but also for the wonderful hospitality lent by the wine companies,” she says.

The 2018 event, which will be held at Hunter’s Wines, Spy Valley’s cellar door, Dog Point Vineyards’ The Bell Tower and Cloudy Bay’s The Treehouse, along with sessions at The Boathouse Theatre, Picton Library and on board the Marlborough Tour Company’s MV Odyssea, will be held between July 6 and 8, with a special Matariki session on July 9.For tickets or more information go to www.marlboroughbookfest.co.nz New World rewards the Top 50 medal winners with nationwide distribution and publicity support through 135 stores.

Chair of judges Jim Harré (pictured) will oversee the panel of 16 judges, which has grown again this year to keep pace with an everincreasing number of entries. Tan Yin Hsien, Master of Wine, wine educator and owner of Singapore-based wine school Taberna Wine Academy, will join as an international judge. Jim says “the integrity and value” of the New World Wine Awards is a winning combination that grabs the attention of winemakers and wine lovers. “It gives medal-winning wines a real advantage in-store, and shoppers the invitation to try new brands and varietals with confidence.” Following the announcement of the 2017 New World Wine Awards results last year, more than 345,000 bottles of the Top 50 wines, with a retail value in excess

of $4.9 million, sold within the first six weeks.

Entries to the New World Wine Awards must be received by Friday 22 June.

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Brought to you by

Wine Happenings A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry.

To have your event included in next month’s Wine Happenings or Industry News pages, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by June 20. For more information on the events below email Harriet Wadworth at harriet@wine-marlborough.co.nz

JUNE 5 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker Competition Education Evening 18 The Marlborough Careers Evening, including Wine Marlborough. 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Clubs of Marlborough.

27 Grape Days Marlborough (see pg 28 and pg 30) JULY 13 20

Marlborough Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year Tonnellerie de Mercurey South Island Young Winemaker of the Year Competition

AUGUST 20 Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker Competition National Final - Auckland 26 Wine Marlborough Silver Secateurs Competition (see pg 30) 28 NZVSO Sparkling Wine Workshop - Marlborough (see pg 30) 30-31 Bragato Conference, Wellington (www.bragato.org.nz)

Grape Days Marlborough - June 27

Young Winemaker Competition - July 20

Silver Secateurs Competition - August 26

GREAT FOOD, GREAT WINES AND GREAT FRIENDS COME TOGETHER AT HERZOG’S! Come and enjoy Marlborough’s stunning winter days and join us for a casual lunch in the beautiful Bistro garden or cosy up in front of the open fire for a delicious dinner.

And for all you wine aficionados, come and indulge in one of New Zealand’s largest International wine lists where great wine will be opened by the glass!

HERZOG’S BISTRO OPENING HOURS - WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY LUNCH: From 12pm DINNER: From 6pm CELLAR DOOR Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm, Weekends 11am to 5pm Hans Herzog Estate | 81 Jeffries Road | Blenheim |03 572 8770 | enjoy@herzog.co.nz | www.herzog.co.nz

32 / Winepress June 2018

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