Winepress - March 2024

From the Editor

THE GRAPE harvest is a timely reminder that winegrowing is primary production, subject to the vagaries of nature and the volatilities of markets. Last year was the threat of cyclones and rain-induced disease, while buyers clamoured for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This year it’s light crops — thanks to inflorescence, frosts and flowering — and tinder dry vineyards, in which every drop of irrigation matters – for those lucky enough to still have some.

In a glass-half-full-world the light crop might provide a ‘reset’ for markets that found their shelves crowded in the wake of just-in-case Covid shopping, and have slowed up in ordering wine. One grower I spoke to noted that news of Marlborough’s light vintage is already setting order books aflutter abroad, as people consider the ramifications of a potential Sauvignon shortfall.

But while viticulturists, vineyard managers and winemakers walk the rows, assiduously assessing vine health, grape quality, weather reports and picking dates – essentially farmers checking their land and crops – this is also a time of year that showcases why our crop is unlike any other. In February we had Brookby Beats on a beautiful hillside vineyard with five boutique producers pouring wines in the valley that grew them, surrounded by a sold-out crowd of mostly-locals delighted by the wine, food and music. The next day was the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, where thousands of attendees, many of them visitors to Marlborough and devoted to the region’s wine offerings, sampled myriad wines, tasted delicious dishes, learned from experts and danced to an array of feted musicians. Two weeks after the festival, a fleet of yachts set off through the sounds, carrying the region’s wines to Resolution Bay in the WineWorks Marlborough Wine Race. For a small provincial town fuelled by grape growing, these are world-class events made possible by a single product.

The start of vintage 2024 is also a reminder that the teams in the vineyard and winery get one chance a year to get everything right, adding to the pressure wrapped around harvest. The second Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness Week will roll out in the wake of the onslaught, but the team behind it is already sharing tips for keeping heads above water in the busy weeks ahead. For some companies that will mean six day weeks with measured hours at the coalface, while for others vintage remains a time to dig in, investing all the hours it takes to get the job done, with a good rest at the end. All the best for Vintage 2024!

SOPHIE PREECE