Winepress - May 2023

Photo: Jim Tannock

Grovetown, 166 Mills & Ford Road

Contract free productive Grovetown vineyard

Presented to the market is this highly desirable house and vineyard package Situated where the land is tightly held for many positive reasons On offer is 6 75 canopy hectares of contract free premium producing sauvignon blanc with a quality cropping history of 19 22T/ha and a modest 1960's four-bedroom home. Planted in 2000 and 2002 this vineyard has been meticulously maintained, which is reflected in the high yields consistently produced year in and year out The highly fertile soil in the area is renown for producing high tonnages and this vineyard isn’t an exception The four bedroom home constructed from summerhill stone offers four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, functional kitchen and a generous living and dining areas The appealing sheltered outdoor living is easily accessed through sliding doors allowing you to appreciate the Marlborough lifestyle. A two-bay carport and single garage features with additional sheds and a large two bay pole shed capable of storing the camper with a small paddock to house the pony or a few livestock This property truly has a lot on offer besides the exciting opportunity to secure tightly held land, a productive vineyard and a solid family home with scope for value to be added in a fantastic location on the edge of town in a rural setting Our vendors have decided it's time to explore other avenues in life so don’t delay in registering your interest. This property is sure to attract attention! Contact the exclusive agents Mike Poff and Charlie Fairhall Mclean for your information pack or to view today

bayleys.co.nz/4135513

this issue...

10 Vintage 2023

Vintage 2023 came as a happy surprise for many Marlborough winemakers, with a relatively long and late ripening season that delivered beautiful fruit, despite challenging conditions over spring and summer.

14

Wellness in Wine

To mark the inaugural Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness Week, we take a glimpse at some inspirational wellbeing initiatives.

16

28 Wine Happenings

Cover: Booster Wine Group chief Marlborough winemaker Helen Morrison welcomed a long Autumn harvest. The block of Cabernet Franc on the hillside behind her was handpicked in late April. Photo Jim Tannock.

Environment Awards Judges in the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards were delighted by Repost’s plans to divert 3,750 tonnes of broken vineyard posts from landfill each year, while providing a costeffective fencing option for farms, riparian plantings, and significant natural areas.

Guglielmo Moretti at Yealands

General Manager:

Marcus Pickens 03 577 9299 or 021 831 820 marcus@winemarlborough.nz

Editor: Sophie Preece 027 308 4455 sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz

Marketing and Communications: Sarah Linklater 021 704 733 sarah@winemarlborough.nz

Events Manager: Loren Coffey loren@winemarlborough.nz

Advocacy Manager: Nicci Armour advocacy@winemarlborough.nz

Advertising: Joanna May advertising@winemarlborough.nz

Grape Grower Directors: Andrew Nation nationa@gmail.com

Anna Laugesen anna@craiglochart.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.

From the Editor

KEEP CALM and carry on knitting. That’s far more than a bumper sticker at Wither Hills, where a knitting table was one of a suite of initiatives wound around staff to protect their wellbeing in vintage 2023. Staff were invited to sit and knit for a “mindful moment”, with knitting needle novices getting in on the action, using YouTube or lessons from crafty colleagues to come up to speed. As the crew’s scarf grew, so did a realisation of the power of the purl to ease pressure. Winemaker Patricia Miranda-Taylor says short session at the knitting table helped relax her after the most trying work stresses.

Patricia is one of the passionate people I spoke to on the cusp of the inaugural Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness Week, to get an idea of the initiatives in play before, during and after harvest. And while there are plenty of fantastic techniques, from flexible working hours to seminars with sleep experts, and from knitting tables to table tennis, the consensus was that wellbeing needs to be embedded within a company’s culture to truly have impact. “For wellbeing to be truly sustainable, it needs to be more than a ‘one hit wonder’ for our team,” says Yealands health, safety and wellbeing manager Brodie Cornelius.

The Wellness Week (May 8 to May 12) serves to shine a spotlight on the efforts of growers, wineries and associated businesses to grow meaningful wellbeing initiatives, while learning how to better grow wellbeing into their business. It’s one of the topics also being canvassed in the new Wine Marlborough Podcast, which kicked off last month with an interview with Nigel Sowman and Jules Taylor in the midst of Vintage 2023, and also touched on wellbeing, including the successful four-day week at Jules Taylor Wines. This month I speak to Simon Waghorn about vintage 2023, subregionality and succession in Marlborough, and with Saint Clair Family Estate winemaker Heather Stewart about why wine wellbeing is such a necessary focus in our industry. If there are any stories you’d like to hear about in the Wine Marlborough Podcast, or to read about in Winepress, please contact me at sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz.

SOPHIE PREECE

“For wellbeing to be truly sustainable, it needs to be more than a ‘one hit wonder’ for our team.”

Brodie Cornelius

Vantage Point

Work flexibility is here to stay

FLEXIBILITY HAS become the biggest employment trend in the wine industry over the past couple of years, thanks to Covid-19 and an increasing focus on mental health. I don’t see that changing any time soon.

When the wine industry was deemed an essential service during the pandemic, employers had to find ways to follow the rules but also keep their business going. This encouraged them to allow employees to work from home, and I think most were surprised by the minimal impact that had on productivity.

As we come out of Covid-19 restrictions and get back to normal, I have noticed that wine industry members are now more open to flexible work practices, such as working from home for some of the week, flexible working hours, and job share arrangements. Some employers have a four-day week working policy outside the harvest season, in which people work four days but get paid for five - always a winner with employees.

Only Human HR & Recruitment partners with wine industry clients to recruit key team members. In recent years we have seen employers steadily increase their recognition of, and focus on, the mental health of their workforce. That contributes to a more open mind regarding flexible work practices, among other wellbeing initiatives. And we know that offering flexibility in a role attracts

a better quality and quantity of candidates, as do other wellness initiatives that make up the overall remuneration package.

Getting an edge is vital in this time of record low unemployment, with the talent shortage and ‘war for talent’ another key trend. A recent survey by ManpowerGroup found that a staggering 77% of employers around the world are experiencing difficulties in filling job vacancies, making it the highest talent shortage worldwide in 17 years. That means employers in the wine industry need to be creative in the way they recruit for staff.

KIRSTY TROLOVE

“A staggering 77% of employers around the world are experiencing difficulties in filling job vacancies, making it the highest talent shortage worldwide in 17 years.”

Kirsty Trolove

In 2022, Only Human HR & Recruitment had a really busy year and I thought that was going to be the peak for us. But this year is proving to be even busier, as employers struggle to find talent themselves and look for expert support.

Talent shortages have seen innovative new ideas emerge, with the likes of the Collab start-up, now in its fourth year and going from strength to strength. The initiative involves four employers, supported by Only Human, offering year-round work for Collab recruits, who do vintage at New Zealand Wineries, learn about grapevine nursery work at Ormond Nurseries, then get into the vineyard with SLT/JLT, getting a taste of each segment on the industry. The Collab is a win-win that offers newcomers to the wine industry a valuable breadth of experience, while the workplaces get the labour they need in the periods they need it most.

The ‘we love it here’ campaign (#weloveithere) launched this year is another initiative thinking outside the box. This skills attraction campaign, looking to help businesses fill $70,000-plus job vacancies and draw new talent to the region - is part of the Innovate Marlborough activation plan being run by the Marlborough District Council economic development team, along with the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Social Development.

Only Human HR & Recruitment has also developed its marketing practices to be much more creative around social media, so that we tap into not only the active candidate market but the passive candidate market as well. We are having really great success with this. Job advertising and marketing will be increasingly key to any success in recruitment for employers, and this will continue to evolve and develop. We are seeing a huge uplift in salaries across New Zealand, with some industries experiencing a 7% lift. The wine industry is certainly experiencing the same trend, with around 4-5% uplift generally across the industry.

What are the key trends coming our way? Firstly, I think the looming recession and increased inflation (and I believe we have yet to feel the full impact of that in Marlborough), will mean employers will want the ability to take on and let go of staff quickly to manage the peaks and troughs. That will mean employers will look to contract or temporary employees to fill the gaps, rather than incur the ongoing costs of a permanent employee. So I expect Julia, who manages our temp portfolio, to get even busier. Fair pay agreements will also have a significant impact on the wine industry should they pass through if the Labour government has another term.

Whatever the trends, flexible work offerings and a wellbeing focus are a step forward for many businesses, and are likely to remain a part of business as (the new) usual. Kirsty is the owner of Only Human – HR & Recruitment; helping businesses of all sizes with their HR, permanent and temporary recruitment needs

Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – April 2023

temperature of -0.3°C; not quite cold enough to record a ground frost. The LTA number of ground frosts for April is 1.08. However, none of the 3-years 2021 to 2023 have recorded any ground frosts during April.

Sunshine Blenheim recorded 159.4 hours sunshine in April, 82% of the LTA. New Plymouth, Whakatane and Richmond took out first, second and third spots, while Blenheim lagged well below its normal rivals, in eleventh place. Up until the final few of days of April Blenheim had a lower sunshine total than Auckland. However, right order was finally restored, and Blenheim squeaked 3.5 hours ahead of Auckland. Total sunshine for Blenheim from January to April 2023 is 812.0 hours, 88% of the LTA of 918.7 hours (19862022).

1GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures

2GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures

Temperature

Blenheim’s mean air temperature in April was 14.3°C, 0.8°C above the long-term average (LTA). Temperatures over the first 3-weeks of April were well above the LTA. However, daily temperatures dropped quite markedly over the last 7-days of April. The final 7-days recorded single digit overnight minimum temperatures between 1.8°C and 8.7°C. The coldest morning in Blenheim during April was the 25th - Anzac Day, with an air minimum temperature of 1.8°C and grass minimum

Table 2: Weekly weather data for Blenheim during April 2023

Rainfall Blenheim recorded 35.8 mm rain in April, 74% of the LTA. This is the fourth year in a row when April has recorded below average rainfall. The previous 3-years all recorded less than 50% of LTA April rainfall. April 2023 recorded 8 rain days, i.e. days with 1.0 mm or greater rainfall. The LTA number for April (1986-2022) is 5.5 rain days. So, while total rainfall for April was below average, there were a higher-thanaverage number of rain days. This points to the fact that the days that had rain during April, recorded low amounts of rain. The highest daily total was only 11.2 mm, recorded on 18 April.

Total rainfall January to April 2023 was 192.0 mm, 107% of the LTA. Total rainfall January to April 2022 was almost identical at 192.6 mm. However, that is where the similarity stops. Rainfall has been evenly spread from January to April 2023. However, in 2022 February recorded 153.4 mm rain, 80% of the 4-month total. January, March and April 2022 all recorded low rainfall.

Soil Moisture

Average shallow soil moisture (5-35 cm depth) at the

Grovetown Park weather station during April was 27.4%. This was 2.9% above the LTA April value of 24.8%.

Season Weather Summary (September 2022 to April 2023)

Table 3 summarises the eight months of the growing season, September to April. Further daily data or monthly summaries for the Blenheim and Dashwood weather stations can be found on the Marlborough Research Centre website: www.mrc.org.nz

Table 3: Monthly weather summary for Blenheim, for the 2022-23 growing season in comparison to the long-term average

Growing season temperature and growing degree days

The 8-month growing season from September 2022 to April 2023 was unremarkable with regard to temperatures, and as a consequence growing degree days. November 2022 was the only one of the first 4-months to record a well above average mean temperature. December 2022 and January 2023 mean temperatures were both slightly below the LTA. There were only 3-days in December 2022 and 5-days in January 2023 when the maximum daily temperatures were above 25.0°C and it began to feel as if summer was never going to arrive. Fortunately, summer did finally arrive, albeit very briefly, over the six days from 2 to 7 February, with an average daily maximum of 28.4°C, over those 6-days. Another brief warm spell of 3-days from 19 to 21 February helped to ensure the February mean was 0.7°C above the LTA.

As described with regards to the lack of consistently warm temperatures over the 2022-23 season, the black line for 2022-23 in Figure 1 indicates that there were only a few periods when the GDD line was climbing upwards. However, what the graph does indicate is that while the 2022-23 season didn’t set any records, the GDD line remained consistently above the LTA from late October onwards, i.e. there were no long cool periods during the season. The graph also shows that all 6-seasons from 2017-

18 onwards have recorded above average GDDs. Actually, we have to go back 12-years to 2011-12 to find a consistently cool season where the GDDs were largely below average throughout the season. All seasons from 2012-13 onwards have ended up with the GDD line above average at the end of the season. Warmer than average seasons are rapidly becoming the new normal. The LTA GDDs are calculated over the 32-years 1990-91 to 2021-22.

Growing season rainfall

I would hazard a guess that if most growers were asked to comment about the 2022-23 growing season that they would say that it was wet. However, total rainfall for the 8-month growing season, September 2022 to April 2023 (Table 3 & Figure 2), was 368.8 mm, 95% of the LTA. In contrast the 2021-22 season recorded 415.4 mm rain, 107% of the LTA. The main factor contributing to the feeling that the 2022-23 season was wet was that rainfall was very evenly distributed across the growing season. November 2022 was the only month that recorded low rainfall. In contrast, monthly rainfall in the previous season (2021-22) was much more varied. The 2021-22 season experience low rainfall in November 2021, January, March and April 2022 and very high rainfall in February 2022.

Table 4 summarises the severe Bacchus botrytis infection periods recorded from 14 November (preflowering) through until 31 March in the 2021-22 and 2022-

Figure 1: Normalized Growing degree days for Blenheim: days above (+) or below (-) the longterm average for the period 1 September to 30 April

23 seasons. The first point to note is that the 2021-22 season recorded 12 severe infection periods, whereas the 2022-23 season recorded 21 severe infection periods. However, total rainfall associated with the infection periods in 2021-22 was greater. The other point to note is that the infection periods in the 2022-23 season occurred in all months from November to March, whereas in 2021-22 there were none in November and January. The three infection periods that occurred in February 2022 were accompanied by 132.4 mm rain, whereas the four infection periods in March 2022 were only accompanied by 16.4 mm rain.

Figure 1: Normalized Growing degree days for Blenheim: days above (+) or below (-) the long-term average for the period 1 September to 30 April

Growing season rainfall

2: Blenheim rainfall for the 8-month growing season, September to April, 2021-22 and 2022-23

I would hazard a guess that if most growers were asked to comment about the 2022-23 growing season that they would say that it was wet. However, total rainfall for the 8-month growing season, September 2022 to April 2023 (Table 3 & Figure 2), was 368.8 mm, 95% of the LTA. In contrast the 2021-22 season recorded 415.4 mm rain, 107% of the LTA. The main factor contributing to the feeling that the 2022-23 season was wet was that rainfall was very evenly distributed across the growing season. November 2022 was the only month that recorded low rainfall. In contrast, monthly rainfall in the previous season (2021-22) was much more varied. The 2021-22 season experience low rainfall in November 2021, January, March and April 2022 and very high rainfall in February 2022.

We conducted botrytis disease severity assessments on all our monitored regional vineyard plots prior to harvest in 2022 and 2023. Five of the 12 blocks assessed in 2022 had greater than 5% botrytis severity. Two of those blocks had between 40 and 50% botrytis severity at harvest. These botrytis severity results in 2022 indicate that the pre-harvest infection periods in February and March 2022 led to severe botrytis on a few blocks. Even though there were a greater number of botrytis infection periods in 2022-23, this did not translate into severe botrytis at harvest in 2023. Only 2 of the 12 blocks we assessed in 2023 exceeded 5% botrytis severity and only with severity scores of 6 and 7% severity. There was significant potential for botrytis bunch rot to have become a problem at harvest in 2023 however, this potential was not realised. Marlborough was very fortunate with the preharvest weather conditions that eventuated in 2023.

Figure 2: Blenheim rainfall for the 8-month growing season, September to April, 2021-22 and 2022-23

Table 4 summarises the severe Bacchus botrytis infection periods recorded from 14 November (pre-flowering) through until 31 March in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. The first point to note is that the 2021-22 season recorded 12 severe infection periods, whereas the 2022-23 season recorded 21 severe infection periods. However, total rainfall associated with the infection periods in 2021-22 was greater. The other point to note is that the infection periods in the 2022-23 season occurred in all months from November to March, whereas in 2021-22 there were none in November and January. The three infection periods that occurred in February 2022 were accompanied by 132.4 mm rain, whereas the four infection periods in March 2022 were only accompanied by 16.4 mm rain.

Table 4: Botrytis infection period (IP) summary for Blenheim during the 2021-22 and 202223 seasons

seasons

We conducted botrytis disease severity assessments on all our monitored regional vineyard plots prior to harvest in 2022 and 2023. Five of the 12 blocks assessed in 2022 had greater than 5% botrytis severity. Two of those blocks had between 40 and 50% botrytis severity at harvest. These botrytis severity results in 2022 indicate that the pre-harvest infection periods in February and March 2022 led to severe botrytis on a few blocks. Even though there were a greater number of botrytis infection periods in 2022-23, this did not translate into severe botrytis at harvest in 2023. Only 2 of the 12 blocks we assessed in 2023 exceeded 5% botrytis severity and only with severity scores of 6 and 7% severity. There was significant potential for botrytis bunch rot to have become a problem at harvest in 2023 however, this potential was not realised. Marlborough was very fortunate with the pre-harvest weather conditions that eventuated in 2023.

Figure

Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research / Marlborough Research Centre

Table 4: Botrytis infection period (IP) summary for Blenheim during the 2021-22 and 2022-23

MARLBOROUGH’S 2023 vintage “could have gone so wrong and came out so well”, says Astrolabe owner and winemaker Simon Waghorn, calling it a magic season. “I think every winemaker I’ve spoken to is pretty excited and also a bit bemused.”

The good reports are across the board, he adds. “I think all the varieties have benefitted from more time on the vines and ripening a bit later. Pushing forward into what we would have thought a more classic time of harvest.”

Conditions were far from perfect over the spring and summer, with inclement weather spurring on early botrytis infections, along with a surge in powdery mildew, and also downy mildew, an unwanted newcomer in Marlborough. “Everyone was dreading

Get engaged with pruning

Magic Season

what could happen,” Simon says. “We were pretty much expecting the worst and wondering where the season was going to go, particularly with Cyclone Gabrielle coming down the country.”

But the cyclone that hammered the North Island left Marlborough largely unscathed, “and from that point on our season seemed to just run into a nice finish”, he says. Autumn ripening was not dry, but rain was either cool or followed by good weather, with no prolonged humidity to aggravate disease. Then a near-frost in March, which could have been a “disaster” mid harvest, instead seemed to halt botrytis in its tracks, Simon adds. The result was a slow and long ripening season, healthy vines without disease pressure, and clean fruit at harvest, “so very, very good”.

Booster Wine Group’s new chief Marlborough winemaker Helen

Morrison is also pretty excited about the 2023 wines. Speaking days before a final Cabernet Franc handpick in late April, Helen says it was a vintage where patience was key. “So we have some really nice flavours and really nice ripeness levels, but things retained their acidity.”

By late January there was a “bit of a split” in opinion in the region, she says, with some thinking harvest would come in early and others putting their money on a season later than 2021 and 2022, and closer to the long-term average. Helen was in the latter camp, expecting the wet summer, without much heat, to delay proceedings. But predicting much more about the season was a challenge, with forecasts often at odds. “You’d look at five different weather forecasts and they’d each be saying something different.” That settled down in the >

Pruning is the first step on the road towards vintage 2024, says Babich Wines’ Marlborough area viticulture manager David Bullivant. With the cost of pruning likely to reach an all-time high this year, a number of wineries are focussing on ways to prune more efficiently, he says. He encourages more growers to engage more actively in the pruning process this winter, because “good pruning equals good crops levels, healthy vines and healthy grapes”, while pruning protection increases the longevity of grape vines. He also reminds growers to provide a comfortable environment for pruning teams, by removing sheep and providing the likes of shelter and hot water. Marlborough’s annual Winter Field Day will be held on May 31 at Matador Estate, with a focus on pruning techniques such as spur pruning and mechanisation, along with an update on the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. For more information go to page 26.

Long autumnal harvest shines through SOPHIE PREECE

Photo Jim Tannock

“It was definitely one of those vintages where patience was key.”

Helen Morrison

Supply lines still sluggish

SOPHIE PREECE

Wine companies are feeling less pressure to rapidly bottle new vintage wines this season, says Rose Family Estate chief executive Lindsay Parkinson. “Importers, distributors and retailers are holding a lot more Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc than they were 12 months ago, so we are starting this new vintage in a far more ‘normal’ situation.”

Covid-19 led to an increase in retail sales of wine “as the lockdowns meant people drank more at home,” says Lindsay. Rose Family Estate’s large retail presence meant they could benefit from burgeoning demand, but they’re seeing some normality return, as the on-premise market “starts to gain the lost ground they had over that period”, he says.

Now, as the company ships the last of its 2022 allocations and sures up its 2023 budget, he is confident in the quality of the wines and strength of demand in recent years, but remains cautious about world markets and economic climates.

Meanwhile, there are still signs of “sluggishness” when it comes to supply lines, with those frustrations exacerbated by weather-related disruptions from Cyclone Gabrielle and cancelled ferry crossings, Lindsay says. But coastal shipping is his main concern, noting that in March this year global shipping company Maersk cancelled the Coastal Connect container service that previously linked New Zealand ports. “This is affecting inwards glass supplies from Auckland and our ability to transfer full containers up to Tauranga to meet the blue water ships. Shipments have been rolled and bottling times adjusted as a result of this.”

The turmoil of recent years has resulted in the company becoming “super agile” with its bottling slots, holding stock on hand, and constantly chasing up on bookings, he adds. “You just cannot expect the shipping process to work like it did before Covid.” His team has

developed a shipping tracking system that provides “up to the minute details” for internal use as well as importers, “so long term that can only be a good thing”.

It’s unlikely the industry will return to just in time logistics, after taking for granted the ability to “dial up and down as required”, Lindsay adds. “Lead times will remain long and accurate forward planning will be critical to keeping our supply chain running. We rely heavily on a limited number of companies in New Zealand for packaging and other critical supplies, so if they slow up, we have very few alternatives to utilise.”

WineWorks Group chief executive Peter Crowe says there’s been a softening in demand for bottling services in May and June, compared to last year when wineries were seeking to fill supply lines after the small 2021 vintage. But he says early indications suggest that demand will remain strong for the 2023/24 bottling season.

QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod says 2022 was the largest ever wine export season through Port Nelson, despite myriad challenges. “This really is a testament to the outstanding quality of wines that are consistently produced from the Marlborough region and the insatiable demand for them all over the world.” At the end of March 2023, the company was 20% ahead of where it was at the same time last year for export wine container load outs. “The total number of wine containers exported through Port Nelson so far this financial year has also reached the same as our entire previous financial year, and we still have three months to go.”

Jaron reports “some degree of stability” has returned to shipping around New Zealand, but the shortage of skilled labour and capacity constraints are still a struggle for major ports. “This has resulted in ongoing congestion and delays to ‘normal’ services. On the positive side for the top of the South, we have seen some positive service changes from the lines which will see the volume of imports and exports able to move through Port Nelson increase significantly.”

Premium Central Otago VineyardRare Opportunity

An unprecedented opportunity - a quality producing, freehold and established vineyard on 15.0006 hectares (more or less), on the market for the first time in 23 years. Carefully selected clones of Pinot Noir compliment small block plantings of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, producing quality fruit at approx 7-9 tons per hectare and up to 7,500 cases (dozen). Ongoing contracts and relationships have been in place with renowned operators and producers, all of whom would like to acquaint themselves with the new owners.

NZSOTHEBYSREALTY/QBS13202

DAVID PENROSE +64 21 226 1507 david.penrose@nzsir.com

1034 LUGGATE CROMWELL ROAD, CROMWELL, CENTRAL OTAGO

later part of autumn, she says, “but in summer and early autumn the weather was all over the show”.

The season also threw some subregional curveballs, with the group’s final machine harvest in the Wairau Valley rather than the typically later Awatere, thanks to a couple of tardy Pinot Gris blocks. “They weren’t showing ripe flavours and ripe phenolics earlier in the season, so we left them to hang,” says Helen, loving that bespoke approach. “There’s a lot to be said about making picking decisions based on what you are seeing - fruit condition, canopy condition - and the style we want to achieve from those wines… You have to be expressing the best that Marlborough can be to stay competitive in the global world of wine.”

A nimble approach is required to sidestep challenges in winegrowing, “whether it’s Covid or whether it’s weather or whether it’s frost”, she adds. “But that’s farming right? You have to wrap your head around ‘what have we got to deal with this particular

Wine Map of Marlborough

SOPHIE PREECE

season?’ And perhaps we’re going to see more of that variability with climate change. It’s about making sure we have the tools and flexibility to be dynamic and change our plans if we need to.”

Plant & Food Research Marlborough’s Rob Agnew, who produces the VineFacts report, says there were 21 botrytis infection periods in Marlborough from midNovember 2022 to the end of March 2023, compared to 12 the previous season. The period of those infections exacerbated the potential risk, because in the 2021/2022 season they were confined to December and February, whereas in this growing season, infections occurred in November, December, January, February and March. “But we didn’t see the botrytis we expected to see,” says Rob. “Marlborough has been so incredibly lucky disease wise in the last few years. It’s phenomenal.”

It was a “remarkable vintage”, agrees Babich Wines’ Marlborough area viticulture manager David

Bullivant, happy with both quality and quantity of yields. “It’s difficult to remember such a balanced harvest.” Pinot Noir blocks were naturally balanced and the variety looks “very strong”, while it is “hard to find faults with the Sauvignon Blanc”, he says.

Greywacke winemaker Richelle Tyney was “quite sceptical” coming into vintage 2023, after a wet growing season that could have heralded disease pressure. “But the fruit we brought in this year was beautiful.”

She’s excited by the Chardonnay, along with Sauvignon Blanc, which came in clean with good flavours. The change in fortunes for the season became apparent in February, says Richelle. “Walking around the vineyards, the fruit was amazing, and especially the Chardonnay. The yields, the flavours were exciting, and we’re pretty happy with what’s in the barrel.”

To hear more from Simon Waghorn, Jules Taylor, and Nigel Sowman on Marlborough’s 2023 vintage, listen to the Wine Marlborough Podcast at marlboroughwinenz.com/podcast.

Winemakers understand the differences that come from Marlborough’s subregions, “because we are embedded in it”, says Blank Canvas Wines’ Matt Thomson. “But unless you have a map - a tool - to translate that information to other people, it just gets lost.”

Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) celebrated the end of the 2023 vintage with the launch of the organisation’s Wine Map of Marlborough, which delineates those differences, thanks to three years’ work from the Marlborough Wine Map Collective. “We robustly debated and defined the current subregional hierarchy of Marlborough,” says Matt.

The result is a beautiful map that showcases the Wairau subregion in four shades of green, delineating the Southern Valleys, Central Wairau, Upper Wairau, and Lower Wairau, while three taupe shades include the Central Awatere, Upper Awatere, and closely associated Blind River/Otūwhero. The Southern Coast is a ribbon of pink along the east coast, covering an area from Ward to Kēkerengū.

Speaking at the launch, Matt emphasised that the map is a first edition and will evolve. “If people have views that they want to give the collective, then we are certainly open to feedback.” The map collective is made up of five AMW members, with Matt and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW of Blank Canvas, Ivan Sutherland of Dog Point, Brian Bicknell of Mahi, Brendan Neylon of Rapaura Springs, and Simon Waghorn of Astrolabe, who has been producing subregional wines from the Awatere and Kēkerengū for nearly 20 years.

He says the map is an exciting development. “Essentially it allows us to start accelerating and celebrating the premiumisation of Marlborough as a growing region. We know we’re in a magic spot here as winemakers.” The region has some of the best climates and soils to make wine on the planet. “We need to get that message out to people and keep on emphasising that we are a fine wine region of the world.”

Matt has talked about the need for a subregional map for 15 years, and has a dream that one day restaurant lists will offer five Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough, exploring subregional nuances. “That’s the next step.”

Growing Sauvignon

Increasing variants to reduce risk

NEW ZEALAND has 6,000 new variants of Sauvignon Blanc, thanks to a programme tapping into plants’ ability to immediately adapt to danger. “Plants have the natural ability to become more genetically diverse in response to environmental stress,” says Dr Darrell Lizamore, who is principal scientist in the Bragato Research Institute (BRI) Grapevine Improvement Programme. “This knowledge was used to produce a population of vines with unique traits.”

The programme, which is a collaboration with BRI’s research partners, aims to produce 12,000 diverse variants of Sauvignon Blanc to help New Zealand’s $2 billion wine industry become more resilient to a changing climate. New Zealand has 26,559 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vines and due to the way grapes are propagated, the vast majority of these vines are genetically the same, says Darrell. That means that any new pest, disease or environmental change that affects one vine could affect them all. “Since this doesn’t involve crossings with other vines, the plants are still Sauvignon Blanc, and the new variants are fully formed at the first generation,” he says.

The 6,000 plantlets already produced by BRI and Plant & Food Research are now in a nursery and will be planted in a research vineyard in Spring. Meanwhile, the BRI team is working to rapidly understand how each variant is different,

using the first high-throughput third-generation sequencer in New Zealand. The ‘PromethION’ sequencer, supplied by Oxford Nanopore technologies, generates long-read data that is critical for understanding genetic differences among grapevines, as well as the impact that a vine’s environment has on its genetic traits.

By comparing the DNA of different vines using sequencing approaches, the vines can be screened to identify those that exhibit useful traits to help the New Zealand wine industry adapt to a changing climate, says Darrell. “Useful traits such as improved yield, resistance to disease, frost tolerance and water use efficiency will be selected whilst maintaining the iconic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc flavour profile.”

“Since this doesn’t involve crossings with other vines, the plants are still Sauvignon Blanc, and the new variants are fully formed at the first generation.”

Dr Darrell Lizamore

Wine Wellness

With the inaugural Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness Week rolling out between May 8 and May 12, we ask industry members to share some of the wellbeing initiatives going on in our wineries, vineyards and service sectors.

Hortus; People and culture manager, Lucy Maclean

Without well people you cannot build a business that will perform consistency over the years, so looking after our people is key to our company culture. Wellbeing needs to be an integral part of company leadership so that people know it’s ok to put up their hand and say, ‘I am drowning’. You have to have a culture that supports those conversations.

Coming off the back of Covid, we have realised that some of our people are not as well as they need to be, because they carried a lot of stress over that time. So now we are really looking at role design, and that all feeds back into wellbeing, because the roles and the workload all have to be realistic.

Meanwhile, Hortus is using the Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness week as a platform to launch new wellness initiatives. We are putting up a major prize for the best initiative sustained over time that impacts on our people’s health and wellbeing, whether that’s supporting staff to make better lifestyle choices, give up smoking, or hit a health goal.

Hortus won the Workplace Wellness Award in the 2022 Marlborough Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards

Growing wellness

Saint Clair Family Estate; Winemaker and chair of Saint Clair’s Mana Ake team, Heather Stewart

Our Mana Ake team looks after the wellbeing of our staff, focussing on the six pillars of wellness - mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, social and environmental. The group has implemented a broad range of initiatives, from standing desks to social rowing, a chill out room and art competitions, as well as staff tree planting days. Some of the initiatives naturally overlap with Saint Clair’s education team and environmental team, and we work together to ensure something is happening all year round, to embed wellness in the company culture and keep people conscious of their own wellbeing.

Sleep is one of the most significant things for physical and mental wellbeing, and our surveys found that quite a few of our staff struggle with that, especially in high pressure periods of the year. So we asked sleep specialist Dr David Edgar to come and talk to our full staff before vintage this year. David works with the New Zealand Defence Force and several professional sports teams, and tailored the talk for us, looking at the impact of night shift and longs hours, and the impact of the likes of alcohol and caffeine on sleep. In general it has had a really positive effect. People are much more conscious about good sleep hygiene, and our health and safety officer reported less fatigue and fatiguerelated incidents over harvest. To hear more from Heather about wellness in wine, listen to the Wine Marlborough podcast at marlboroughwinenz.com/podcast

The Marlborough Wine Industry Wellness Week, which runs from May 8 to May 12, shines a spotlight on the efforts of growers, wineries and associated businesses to grow meaningful wellbeing initiatives. Companies are invited to share stories about how they look after their people in a pressured industry, while learning how to better embed wellbeing into their business. Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Nicci Armour says the week will take time to consider smarter and more sustainable working strategies during and following the harvest season, and offer “connection initiatives” that help companies and individual connect with the land, people and teams they work with.

The week also involves speakers and workshops sharing insights and advice on workplace wellness, including the likes of sleep, self-reflection, goal setting and physical health. Industry surveys and outreach will be used to promote more conversations about wellness in wine, along with shared resources and strategies around providing support and connection. Post an image or video on Instagram showcasing a wellbeing initiative undertaken during the week of May 8 to May 12 and explain or show the impact the initiative has had. Tag @winemarlborough and use the hashtags: #WineWellnessWeek2023 #MarlboroughHarvest 2023 #WineMarlborough

Wellbeing work at the Hortus end of season celebration

Wither Hills, Winemaker Patricia Miranda-Taylor

I believe is crucial to support a culture of wellness and wellbeing, and to encourage employees to look after their physical and mental health. One major way Wither Hills does that is through flexibility in working hours, which has made a big difference in our company. We started with flexible work for one person or another and now pretty much everyone is using it. It is great for the wellbeing of permanent staff, but has also meant that we can employ people who might not typically have worked in the wine industry, such as retired people or working mothers, for example. It is a mindset of: ‘we can make it work’. There are so many advantages – from boosted moral and sense of wellbeing to increased productivity and motivation, to recruitment from a wider and more diverse pool of people. We also have plenty of worker-inspired initiatives, including the knitting table, which was open to anyone who wanted to pick up the needles and add to the community scarf. Wither Hills also has a knitting club that runs throughout the year and after vintage 2023, more of us understand why they do it for wellness. For me, if something was getting at me over vintage, I would sometimes go there and do a bit of knitting, and be relaxed after that.

Tackling wellness in wine

Rural wellbeing programme

Farmstrong, and its ambassador Sam Whitelock, are supporting Marlborough’s Wine Industry Wellness Week. “I know through the work I do for Farmstrong, how important it is to keep talking and check on those who might have ‘dropped off the radar and stopped communicating’ during challenging times,” says the rugby great. ”Just listening can be a huge help to someone who is feeling ‘under the pump.”

Nicci Armour, Wine Marlborough’s advocacy manager, says Farmstrong has been a great supporter of the week, and will share insights and resources throughout, including its Five Ways to Wellbeing, and the Live Well, Farm Well book, which will be available for free during the week. Farmstrong will also featuring short clips from Sam on how he manages the pressures and setbacks of high-performance sport. farmstrong.co.nz

Rothay Vineyards; Owner Ben McLauchlan

Our biggest asset is our team, followed by our soil. We work to ensure there are enough team members to make a 40-hour week the norm not the exception, so when peak work periods come, we employ contractors or more team members. We also try to offer flexibility, so that critical time-dependent jobs get done, but there’s time off for the likes of family events and long weekends. A flexible approach means some choose to work a slightly longer day Monday to Thursday, and then have Friday afternoon off for sport, family time and relaxing.

We also undertake annual skin checks for the team, a personal equipment allowance over and above standard safety equipment, study leave for further education, and morning tea shouts and BBQ lunches to celebrate successes and hard work. I also try and share why we are doing things around the vineyard to try and give a greater understanding of the big picture, and seek feedback from the guys on how things are working and whether they see better ways of doing things. All of the above initiatives are to make their time at Rothay Vineyards as safe and enjoyable as possible so we all get the most we can from the experience.

Sam Whitelock

Emma Smith

Ben McLauchlan.

Photo Jim Tannock

Catalina Sounds; Winemaker Matthew Ward

In the winter of 2022 we introduced a small but meaningful initiative called Wellness Days, through which all full-time staff get three days each year that can be taken in addition to annual and personal leave. Part-timers also receive a pro rata allocation, as do fixed term staff of 6 months or more. Wellness Days are to be used in a way that supports and helps our mental and physical wellness; that can be as simple as going for day hike, visiting family and friends, or going to a day spa – anything that helps our wellbeing.

Yealands; Health, safety & wellbeing manager Brodie Cornelius

Every year we build on the key areas of our wellbeing strategy - Chill, Enjoy, Move, and Connect. We do all the usual stuff, including health checks, fun runs, mental health training sessions, and supporting Pink Shirt Day and Gumboot Friday. But for wellbeing to be truly sustainable, it needs to be more than a ‘one hit wonder’ for our team. Some of our ongoing and staff-led activities include a staff garden, access to period products, food packs, health insurance, supporting better sleep, and normalising discussion about mental health. We do this regularly in our team chats, and this year we welcomed Mike King on-site for some raw but good-humoured insights on ‘keeping it real’ at work and home. Over harvest we engage in a lot of wellbeing activity, with a pastoral care team that does everything from feeding the team to keeping morale up. We also provide onsite physio for injury prevention and an onsite counsellor accessible to all staff to help manage fatigue and other stresses. My favourite initiative during vintage was the childcare subsidy, which has plenty of benefits for a business. We are always looking at how to improve on the Chill focus area, with a responsible drinking programme, and on the Connect pillar, by including Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workers and family in our day-to-day business.

Marlborough Grape Growers Cooperative; Chief executive Mike Brown

We have noticed increased anxiety and worry amongst our owners for the past few years, so have had a real focus on resilience. We invited Farmstrong to speak to our owners prior to the 2023 vintage, in anticipation that some might find harvest difficult. As we harvest at optimal ripeness, we sometimes ask our owners to hang in there just a while longer, leaving their income hanging on the vine! As for something different, I think our key initiative this year was a weekly ‘harvest beer o’clock’, with an open office late afternoon on Thursdays, so owners could come in and ask questions of the team and see how the harvest was progressing. Most importantly, it was a chance to socialise and share with other owners. Being part of a cooperative is a team game, and this weekly event really helped with that esprit de corps!

Indevin Group; chief executive Duncan Macfarlane

Wellness means different things to different people, so our wellness initiatives are flexible for people to use as they choose. We offer all permanent employees a ‘You Day’, which is an additional day of special leave to support people taking time out to do something they enjoy. We also provide a wellness allowance for each employee to spend on whatever they see fit. For some that could be yoga classes or a gym subscription, but others might want a massage, or a cooking class, or to learn a new skill. The aim is for everyone to be able to treat themselves.

VinLink; HR & Grower liaison officer Cathi Angwin

VinLink employed a Wellbeing Assistant in the 2022 vintage, to look out for the team, checking in with them at work and talking to those isolated at home by Covid, to ensure they had everything they needed. Due to closed borders, a large portion of the company’s vintage interns had never worked in a winery before, and it didn’t take long for an idealistic view of winemaking to be replaced by the reality at the coalface, which is hard, dirty work with long hours. But it can be pretty rewarding if you have a good supportive team around you. The programme, which is back in place this vintage, includes seven days of meals, despite a six-day rostered working week. To read more about VinLink’s initiative, check out the April edition of Winepress

Maria Agustina Coletti

MGGC winemaker Drew Ellis putting work life balance to the fore. Photo Jim Tannock

Yohanna and Matt Ward have wellness days licked

ECO TRAINING STAKE

ECO TRAINING STAKE is a new innovation designed to replace single use bamboo with a multi-use, sustainable and fully recyclable product that can also be used in conjunction with Klima and other vineyard machinery.

Why ECO TRAINING STAKE?

• Marlborough is beginning their redevelopment cycle and utilising reusable stakes is cost-effective as vineyards only need to buy their stakes once, then they can reuse them multiple times.

• Vineyards around the world are becoming more automated and mechanised and uniformity to the vineyard plant trunk is key. By keeping vineyard stakes in the ground for three to four years the vine trunk will grow straight and aligned with your trellis.

• The ECO TRAINING STAKE is fully recyclable.

• ECO TRAINING STAKE aligns with the wine and viticulture industry sustainable grape growing practices.

• A solid stake protects young plants from cultivators.

• There is a clip option available for using Klima Pruning Machines.

ECO TRAINING STAKE

Environment Awards

A SOLUTION to Marlborough’s stockpiles of treated vineyard posts is long overdue, said judges in the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards. So they welcomed the winning entry in the Wine Industry category of the awards, with the ability to divert 3,750 tonnes of treated waste each year, by repurposing broken posts for fencing.

“Repost’s goal is to divert all broken vineyard posts in Marlborough from going into landfill, and they are on the road to achieving that,” say judges Bev Doole and Andy Frost in their report, applauding “a practical approach to deal with broken vineyard posts that is an all-round win for Repost, the wine industry, farmers and the environment”.

Repost had a busy period in the lead up to the April awards evening, working with the Rural Support Trust and individual farmers to get posts repurposed and on the road for farmers and growers hit by Cyclone Gabrielle. “There’s an awful lot of damage to farms, particularly on the East Coast, that we can provide a solution for,” says co-founder and Marlborough viticulturist Stu Dudley. “We are probably less than a third of the cost of new posts and to top it off we are using a waste stream, so it’s a real win win.”

Repost began with St Arnaud farmer Greg Coppell, who appreciated his father Allan’s tradition of fencing with waste vineyard posts but decided there had to be a more efficient way of repurposing them. During the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, he and Allan developed a machine that removes nails and plastic clips, before a second unit saws it to length. Greg and his wife Dansy approached Stu, and

the Repost team started working with wine companies to reduce stockpiles of posts, which cannot be burned because of their treatment, and have been shown to leach chemicals when stored in stockpiles.

Now the company has a new and improved machine, and Dansy and her sister Gabby Brunton, who manage marketing and business development, are ensuring demand is burgeoning. Meanwhile there’s no shortage of resource, with an estimated 375,000 posts broken in Marlborough each year. Large growers Yealands and Delegats are keen for theirs to go to Repost, with smaller contract growers also on board. “Repost diverted 1,400 tonnes of waste from landfill in their first two years and are on track to achieve 3,750 tonnes per year,” say the judges in their report. A Repost crew can process 600-900 posts a day, equating to about 200,000 posts a year, so they aim to deal with the current stockpiles and then keep on top of annual numbers.

Vineyard owners pay less than what it would cost to send the broken posts to landfill, and the judges note the importance of that business model. “It is important that the grower understands this is a waste stream from their operation and they need to take responsibility for it.”

Wine Marlborough sponsors the category, and general manager Marcus Pickens presented the award to the Repost team. He says it’s important for companies leading the charge in sustainability to stand up and be counted. “Encouraging people to step forward and share their projects is so important because there are so many good things being done, and many we don’t see. Shining a light

Repost’s repurposing an ‘all-round win’.

SOPHIE PREECE

on them in a programme like this is great for the companies involved, but also for those inspired by their efforts and results.”

When it comes to the winning entry, he says Repost is clearly meeting a fraction of the demand for posts,

A Blenheim business with good DNA

SOPHIE PREECE

The winner of the Supreme Award at the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards developed technology being used to avoid cases of mistaken identity in vineyards.

Blenheim-based DNAiTECH has developed DNA sampling and analysis that gives on-the-spot results in testing for harmful pathogens in water, soil, plants, insects and humans. That includes in situ tests for bee health, and work on a test for a 30-minute diagnosis of Kauri Dieback, compared to the seven or more days it currently takes to analyse samples in a lab.

Meanwhile, an earlier DNAiTECH development –the Gen 2 instrument - was used by Dr Javier Quinteiro and wine researchers in Spain to distinguish Albariño cultivars from non-Albariño varieties, with a test that can be performed in the field. The study, published this year in the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, says the use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) allows DNA markers to be characterised quickly and easily, “without the need for skilled personnel, allowing implementation in-situ or in-the-field”.

DNAiTECH’s founder Dr Murray Bloom notes that the possibilities are diverse, “allowing the authentication analysis of the valuable Albariño cultivar wherever it is required, in-situ, from a minute sample of plant tissue, cheaply and quickly.” It’s a tool some Australian winemakers would have liked to have had years ago, he

while addressing piles and piles of a waste product. “It’s a brilliant initiative that’s really gaining steam, addressing an environmental issue the industry has long grappled with.” repost.co.nz/vineyards

says, recalling the case of supposed Albariño that was found to in fact be Savagnin Blanc, 20 years after its import.

The Environment Awards judges were impressed by DNAiTECH’s innovation and wide range of environmental applications, the ease of use, and its commitment to engaging young people in science, through an educational programme that connects secondary students with science and the environment, especially for students at low-decile schools. “The whole point is for the students to do state-of-the-art molecular biology but apply it in a real way to real-world environmental issues,” Murray says. Read more on the Albariño study at hindawi.com/journals/ajgwr/2023/2117139

The wealth of the sea to soil & plant.

The vitamin and mineral content of TCKP Natural Kelp Tea analysed by Cawthron Research Institute | September 2012

Analysis Result Units

Crude Protein 0 6 g/100

Aluminium 5 5 mg/kg

Arsenic 2.6 mg/kg

Boron 4 8 mg/kg

Copper 15 mg/kg

Iron 24 mg/kg

Magnesium 290 mg/kg

Nickel 0 66 mg/kg

Tory Channel Kelp Products' certified organic Natural Kelp Tea is a complete food for plants and soils.

Ideal for use in the vineyard via drip lines or as a foliar spray, and available in any quantity from 20 to 2000 litres in a single delivery to your preferred site.

www.torychannelkelp.co.nz | 027 445 3708 | sales@torychannelkelp.co.nz

Phosphorus 120 mg/kg

Potassium 3000 mg/kg

Rubidium 1 2 mg/kg

Strontium 22 mg/kg

Zinc 7.0 mg/kg

“The possibilities are diverse, allowing the authentication analysis of the valuable Albariño cultivar wherever it is required.”

Murray Bloom

Generation Y-ine

Connecting the dots for consumers

KAT PICKFORD

A NEW website that connects wine enthusiasts with the wines they love made a big splash at this year’s Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. Created by local digital entrepreneur Katie Cunningham, Wineway promotes participating Marlborough wineries and makes it easier for consumers to purchase small amounts of wine from different wineries and get them shipped direct to their door.

Utilising the power of technology, the online platform has simplified a very complicated process, providing a seamless solution for the wine industry and its customers, Katie says. “The whole aim is to give wineries a platform to showcase their wines and their unique stories. Not everyone wants or can afford to buy wine by the case, instead with the website, people can virtually shop their way round the region choosing their favourite wines from a variety of wine producers.”

Katie grew up in Marlborough and gained exposure to many of the different facets of the wine industry at Allan Scott - working in the vineyard, cellar, cellar door and behind the scenes in the office. When travelling overseas she picked up a role as brand ambassador for Misty Cove Wines in the Netherlands, hosting tastings and events, educating people about Marlborough and Misty Cove’s wine.

Through her experiences pouring and talking about wines, Katie noticed consumers often talked about wine in a very different way to how it was sold, and after “connecting a few dots”, began to understand how technology could create some solutions for the industry. “People would ask for wine that tasted of strawberries, or that was fresh and crisp, which is not how wine is sold to us on its labels or through its awards,” Katie says.

“In 2020 I built my first online store, and through that process learned that I loved tech and building intricate systems that could carry out complicated processes behind clean, user-friendly shop fronts.” Since then Katie has helped many others create online stores, while doing her day job, working for the Canadian multinational e-commerce company, Shopify.

Last year Wine Marlborough approached Katie to create a solution to connect consumers and wineries at the

Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. “Previously wineries had been doing this great job at the festival, connecting with consumers, sharing their amazing stories and educating them about their wines, only to have them walk away, possibly not remembering very much,” Katie laughs. “This year festival goers could shop as they tasted, filling their online cart with all their favourite wines, essentially creating a highlight reel of their day.”

Katie was impressed with how seamlessly it rolled out. “The only heavy lifting we had to do was packing the boxes and filling the orders. But the best part of the day was getting to hang out with everyone, we are such big fans of the wineries and helping promote them and sharing their stories is a big part of our mission.”

While Katie and her small team are focussed on working with Marlborough wineries at the moment, there’s potential to expand the business further, she says. “We have some great connections around the world and would love to expand to an international market. I noticed there was huge demand when I was travelling; everyone wants a drop of their favourite wine.”

“The whole aim is to give wineries a platform to showcase their wines and their unique stories”

Katie Cunningham

Katie Cunningham

In the Pipeline

In the fourth of a series of water updates, resource management expert QUENTIN DAVIES looks at what’s in store for the wine industry.

FOR THE past 25 years, applications for consent to take and use freshwater for irrigation purposes has been relatively straightforward; at least for the major Marlborough river and aquifer systems such as the Wairau and the Awatere. Consequently, for many waterbodies:

a. Minimum flows and levels have been set below which water cannot be taken for irrigation purposes;

b. A defined volume of A Class water gives grape growers sufficient water for (now) nine years in 10. Irrigation is shut-off when the waterbody reaches minimum flows and levels;

c. B Class water provides adequate water in average years but not in dry years; and

d. C Class water can only be taken to storage and consequently need not be reliable during the irrigation season.

Each of those classes of water is supported by a maximum volume of allocation. Together the relevant shut-offs and maximum volumes provide a system where Council has historically been satisfied that the values in the river and aquifer have been protected.

All of those methods of managing water and protecting the relevant values of each water body are required to be reviewed and will be up for a debate before an independent hearings panel in 2025. Those volumes and limits will be scrutinised. Arguments will be made that irrigation volumes should be reduced and irrigation shut-offs raised, resulting in less reliability for irrigators.

There is one area where we can strive for greater certainty. That is, simplifying the consenting process for water. Currently only taking Class C water is simplified because of its ‘controlled activity’ status. An application for consent to take Class C water must be granted, subject to meeting the requirements in the plan.

There is scope for simplifying the process for obtaining Class A and B water as well, but in a different way. Currently applications for Class A and B water are fully discretionary. A fully discretionary consent application is guided by the plan provisions, but is not constrained by them. Consequently, applications for Class A and B water which comply with the plan’s limits and volumes can nevertheless

Davies Emma Deason

still be challenged by the likes of Fish & Game. They may argue the volumes or limits in the plan do not adequately protect the freshwater values of relevant waterbodies.

To reduce risk, we should not allow the resource consent process to be used to argue for a second time what we already have determined in the plan. What the flows should be, and what the values should be, should be determined at the plan level only. The plan would consequently prescribe what volumes can be applied for, and what irrigation shut-offs will apply.

The plan is the appropriate place to address such challenges. Plan preparation typically has substantial resources available to it. At the time the plan is prepared, and when it is revised, those resources will need to evaluate what water is available for irrigation, in light of changing circumstances. Any new plan might require existing consents to be brought in line with new plan provisions in an equitable manner. Again, such interventions should be debated and decided as a community, rather on a consentby-consent basis.

At the resource consent stage, the discretion of the decision maker should be limited to localised matters which cannot be resolved at a planning stage. Examples of a localised matter would include interference with neighbouring takes, site specific environmental or cultural concerns. A plan cannot hope to address matters relevant to each vineyard. Such matters should be dealt with on a take-by-take basis.

A more appropriate division of responsibilities between the plan and the resource consent process will reduce risk and cost to each individual consent holder. Subject to resolving site specific consenting issues, where there is water available under the plan provisions, a consent will be forthcoming. The limits and volumes for the water body as a whole would not be debated at the consent stage.

Climate change, afforestation, an earthquake or other major change may require a change to how water is managed in the future. We all know that such challenges will need to be faced as a region. The resources to predict the consequences, and devise appropriate solutions, are realistically beyond the capacities of a single resource consent applicant. Such issues need to be faced collectively.

The Council is now in the process of preparing its next freshwater plan under a timetable set by central government legislation. The Council will be consulting on baseline and target states for value attributes, environmental flows and levels in September and October of this year. Draft rules for the next freshwater plan will be consulted on in June and July 2024. Between now and then the Council will be consulting on water quality attributes as well as environmental flows and levels.

Attempting to make freshwater as certain as possible should be the aim of the industry. Internationally the politics and economics of water are becoming increasingly fraught. We have been lucky in Marlborough to have existing limits in our plans which have protected environmental values. We can, however, simplify our water management so as to further reduce cost.

Quentin Davies is a partner at Gascoigne Wicks and has represented wine industry participants in numerous Court and Council hearings. He will contribute a series of columns outlining regulatory changes on the horizon. The views are his own and are not a substitute for independent legal advice.

Agrivit commences its annual wind machine servicing program in May. We have a dedicated team that specialise in servicing a wide range of wind machines and offering a 24/7 call out service throughout frost season. We service all makes and models of wind machines and are authorised service agents for Orchard Rite wind machines. Contact us to discuss your wind machine service requirements. Jeremy

“To reduce risk, we should not allow the resource consent process to be used to argue for a second time what we already have determined in the plan.”

Quentin Davies

Biosecurity Watch

Post-harvest biosecurity

KERRIE HOPKINS

AUTUMN HAS arrived, leaves on the vines are changing from green to red or yellow, and there are magnificent autumnal displays in our vineyards. To ensure the continued protection of your vines, good biosecurity practices will support your existing disease and pest management programmes. Do your practices in the vineyard afford adequate protection against a biosecurity incursion?

Vineyard Biosecurity Plan – how prepared are you?

The first step to implementing a good biosecurity plan for your vineyard or winery is easy; take a bit of time to fill out our template. A simple yes/no checklist will help identify where your key risk areas are; what best practices are already in place, which areas need improvements or more attention, and bring these together to form a plan. This is quite similar to the thought process you might use to consider health and safety on your site - think of it as health and safety for your vines. Most vineyards already have biosecurity best practice elements ingrained through integrated pest management programmes and will easily be able to build upon these.

The Vineyard Biosecurity Plan is supported by the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Biosecurity Best Practice Guidelines (a handy flipchart) and the Vineyard Pest and Disease Identification Guide. NZW recommends all members spend some time assessing where their business is at with biosecurity and choosing some priority areas for improvement– the best time to act is now, to help prevent an incursion as opposed to having to react to one. The NZW biosecurity team are happy to be contacted with questions or requests for assistance at any time; just get in touch with Kerrie (027 880 5731 or Sophie (027 700 4142).

NZW’s biosecurity resources are available to download or request in hard copy at nzwine.com/en/sustainability/ biosecurity/.

Biosecurity through pruning season

Many international vineyard workers come from countries that do not have strong biosecurity systems in place; some of the countries these workers travel from are home to some of the wine industry’s Most Unwanted pests, such as the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a key vector for Pierce’s disease. NZW has developed a factsheet which provides some guidance for ensuring international staff are aware of our biosecurity system and the importance of complying with it. The factsheet is available on the NZW website at nzwine.com/members/sustainability/biosecurity/ protecting-your-vineyards/.

Winter is also the time of year when trunk disease is most easily spread, particularly through pruning wounds. Ensuring vineyard staff are disinfecting their tools regularly, working from least diseased blocks through to most diseased, not pruning when it’s raining, and protecting pruning wounds as soon as possible after pruning are recommended actions for minimising the risk of trunk disease spread in the vineyard.

Manage the risk that biological material poses by ensuring that new vines are certified to the Grafted Grapevine Standard and inspecting new vines for symptoms of pest and disease before planting. Think about other materials that may cause a biological risk, such as grape marc, compost, hay, manure, and mussel shells and record any movement or disposal of these. Assess your storage facilities and ensure that you are not compromising your vines by storing risky material.

When acquiring stock for winter grazing and or leaf

plucking, inspect the stock before entry into the vineyard. Ensure good stock health by drenching and quarantining if appropriate. Check with regulating authorities for any controls that might exist in your region for things like Chilean needlegrass. Be aware there may be withholding periods before the stock can be sent to slaughter, and consult the NZW Spray Schedule for more information. Stock health is everyone’s responsibility - if you see something that needs attention, take care of it or inform someone that can.

Watch for overwintering BMSB

The brown marmorated stink bug continues to spread overseas, and was recently confirmed to be present in the United Kingdom. For New Zealand, the high-risk season finishes at the end of April. Nonetheless, it’s important to remain vigilant, as there is still a chance there may be some BMSB out there that remain undetected.BMSB prefers to overwinter indoors, particularly in people’s houses or other outbuildings, so keep an eye out during the cold season. If you think you see a BMSB, catch it, snap it and report it immediately to Biosecurity New Zealand on 0800 80 99 66. Don’t forget to let the NZW biosecurity team know too.

Let NZW know if you spot harlequin ladybird

Harmonia axyridis, the harlequin ladybird, entered New Zealand for the first time in 2016 and quickly spread throughout the country. They are now found in all winegrowing regions, including Central Otago and Waiheke Island. Harlequin ladybirds have been known overseas to aggregate in grape clusters before harvest. They contain alkaloid chemicals, including methoxypyrazines released when they are startled or crushed, causing taint to wine. To date, the NZW biosecurity team has not received any reports of harlequin ladybirds aggregating pre-harvest, which is good news.

Last winter, several aggregations in spray sheds, frost-fighting equipment, and other vineyard structures were reported from May onwards, with most of these reports coming from the Marlborough region. NZW and Bragato Research Institute continue to work with Plant & Food Research and a few vineyards in Hawke's Bay, Nelson and Marlborough to monitor the movements of harlequin ladybird as the season changes, to get a better understanding of the best options for control of this potential pest.

If you see large aggregations of the harlequin ladybird, please take a photo and send it to biosecurity@nzwine.com. More information and advice is available on the NZW website at nzwine.com/members/sustainability/biosecurity/currentissues/harlequin/.

Industry News

Organic legislation passed

The Organic Products and Production Bill has been many years in the making, says Tiffany Tompkins, chief executive of Organics Aotearoa New Zealand. “We’re delighted to see organics recognised in law.” The bill, passed by parliament in early March brings New Zealand a step closer to a robust and internationally recognised organic standard, Tiffany says.” Organics Aotearoa New Zealand will continue to work with the Ministry for Primary Industries on the regulations that will underpin the Act, including a national organic standard. “Having a national organic standard that’s recognised by government will help market access for exporters, to existing and new overseas markets,” says Tiffany. “It will also provide certainty for consumers in this country that what’s being labelled and sold as organic, meets this standard.”

Tiraki achieves B Corp

Marlborough’s Tiraki Wines has become the first wine brand in New Zealand to receive B Corp certification, a rigorous standard for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. “As a label established during lockdown, we were inspired by what enterprises were doing on the world stage to consider their impact on the planet and have been committed to following suit as we bring high quality, sustainably minded and community-led products to market,” says director Tyler Hammond. “This certification is a validation of our efforts and a testament to our ongoing commitment to community, transparency, and sustainability.” His brother Josh, who is Tiraki’s winemaker, says sustainability has as much to do with the people and region as it does with technical environmental requirements. “As kiwis, it’s part of our culture to use our ingenuity to find solutions that maintain the health of the land - the other critical focus is to ensure we are supporting local business and protecting our region’s economic viability so we can continue to produce high quality Marlborough grown products.” To achieve B Corp certification, Tiraki underwent a rigorous, year-long evaluation of its social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, and demonstrated that it meets the highest standards of corporate responsibility.

Techweek 2023

Marlborough will roll out a series of exciting events during Techweek, from May 13 – 20, with everything from combat robotics to a Marlborough Startup Mixer on offer. The headline event is the Innovation Day on May 17, with keynote speaker Brendan O’Connell, chief executive of AgriTechNZ, joined by speakers from technology, research and government at the New Zealand Wine Centre - Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa. “Last year, there was one Techweek event and we’re excited this has grown to eight this year,” says Dorien Vermaas, economic development portfolio manager with Marlborough District Council. “This year’s headline event continues the story of Marlborough’s journey to becoming an agritech hub of Australasia.” techweek.co.nz/regions/marlborough

Other Techweek events include:

May 13 - Igniting Innovation: Combat Robotics Event

May 15 - Privacy and ethics in a digital world (More info to follow)

May 16 - Techweek meets Youth Week

May 16 - Marlborough Startup Mixer

May 17 - Dragons Den, Business After 5

May 19 - Through a camera’s perspective

May 19 - Forestry Hackathon

Smart Machine will be at Techweek. Photo Jim Tannock

Wine Marlborough Advocacy update NICCI ARMOUR

Getting the balance right in regulating our natural resources is important to the way we currently live, work, and play in our region. But that balance also has far-reaching implications for future generations. Who gets a say in how natural resources are regulated and what is your responsibility as a business and as a member of the Marlborough community? Who gets to say what rivers should be safe to swim in? How do we use water for irrigation? Or which water bodies have cultural or historical significance that should be recognised?

As shared in previous editions of Winepress, the New Zealand government has clearly outlined the hierarchy of freshwater management obligations as 1) the health and wellbeing of water bodies and freshwater ecosystems, 2) the health needs of people (such as drinking water), 3) the ability for people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being, now and in the future. Business activities fall under the third priority of the three obligations required in regulating freshwater.

Falling third in the hierarchy does not mean that your business interests are unimportant—all three obligations must be met, and the wine industry and the business activities of our members and associated services are clearly an important part of the economic wellbeing of Marlborough.

However, it is important that you have your voice heard in the process of setting out a long-term vision and values for the regional freshwater management policy statement that Marlborough District Council (MDC) is currently undertaking under the guidance of Sarah Brand. MDC, and other unitary and regional councils in New Zealand, must engage with communities and tangata whenua and work in partnership to determine how our natural resources are managed.

Times have changed. Fresh legislation requires far more from landowners and resource users than ever before. All of us have a part to play in making sure the changes are workable on behalf of individual businesses and the whole community now and into the future. While new ways of doing things can feel challenging, also consider that this is an opportunity to develop new ways of thinking, and for tangata whenua and tangata tiriti to enrich our learning and understanding.

Importantly, we have an opportunity for our region to think collectively about our freshwater and find the right balance of freshwater management for the region, now and for future generations. Individually and collectively, you have a seat at the table in how Marlborough’s freshwater is managed. Please take the opportunity to share your views and contribute to the consultation. To find out more visit marlborough.govt.nz/environment/freshwater-management.

Nicci Armour is advocacy manager at Wine Marlborough

Winter Field Day

Marlborough’s annual winter field day will be held from noon to 4pm on Wednesday May 31 at Matador Estate. Designed for growers, vineyard managers and operators, labour contractors and pruning teams, this is a practical session designed to support vineyard decision-making and activities on vineyard over winter. The field day will have a focus on pruning techniques such as spur pruning and mechanisation and will also offer an update on the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. Please contact Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Nicci Armour at advocacy@winemarlborough.nz for more information.

Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference

The fourth Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference is on from June 20 to 22, exploring three key pillars of Create, Care and Connect. An impressive gathering of speakers from across the globe includes Dr Andrew Smith from the Rodale Institute, and writer Elaine Chukan Brown, aka Hawk Wakawaka. Not all the speakers are directly related to vineyards, with several being more general experts on soil health, says Bart Arnst, an organic viticulture consultant and founding member of Organic Winegrowers New Zealand. “There’s a greater understanding now that if you get things happening underground, your upstairs problems are minimised.” organicwineconference.com

Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand

New Zealand Winegrowers is running the Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand campaign this May, when New Zealand’s top three exported white wine varieties are internationally celebrated, with International Sauvignon Blanc Day on May 5, International Pinot Gris Day on May 17, and International Chardonnay Day on May 25. To find toolkits to help you shine a spotlight on New Zealand white wine, check out the the members site at nzwine.com.

Wine Happenings

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

To have your event included in the June 2023 Wine Happenings, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by May 20th. For more information, please use the contact supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz

MAY

1-31 Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand

5 International Sauvignon Blanc Day

13 Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon (vineyardhalf.com)

16 Wine Industry members session on freshwater changes, 3.30pm to 5pm, BRI Board Room

17 International Pinot Gris Day

17 Innovation Day (see page 26)

25 International Chardonnay Day

29 Young Viticulturist 2023 Education Days marlborough

30 Post Harvest Transport Operators Debrief with Wine Marlborough, Marlborough Roads & Waka Kotahi

31 Winter field day, Matador Estate, 12pm to 4pm (see page 26)

JUNE

20-22 Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowers Conference (organicwinenz.com)

JULY

6 Young Viticulturist 2023 Competition Marlborough (nzwine.com/en/events/young-vit)

18 Grape Days Marlborough

Grape Days - July 18

Organic Conference - June 20-22

Sauvignon Blanc Day - May 5

Strengthening the future of horticulture through innovation

Our longevity and in-depth involvement within the viticulture industry allows our Research and Development team to work on the issues that matter the most to growers in New Zealand.

Our local trials look at ways to improve environmental impact and productivity, and combat pests and diseases. They provide growers with innovative products that are backed by reliable in- eld data and an understanding of how they’ll t within a complete crop management programme.

We know horticulture