From the Board CALLUM LINKLATER
WE ARE all now into the thick of another season, which is always evolving and changing. The challenge is to be open minded enough to evolve with it to meet consumer demands and expectations. As an organic contract grower I am frequently being asked about organic production, even more now than five or eight years ago, which could be a sign of how things are evolving. I believe there are many benefits from growing organically in the vineyard, but in recent years, as demand for an organic product increases, those benefits are showing up on the bottom line too. The OANZ market report that came out earlier this year stated that organic wine exports have risen 13% since 2015 and are now worth $46 million. I would call this pleasing progress from an industry that not long ago thought of organic production as gimmicky. The report also points out that only 4.6% of vineyard land in this country is certified organic, but on the wine lists in New Zealand’s top restaurants, organic wine makes up 30% of the choices available to diners. What I find even more pleasing about this growth is that it isn’t grower or winery led, but it’s being driven by consumers - people are voting with their wallets. In 2018 we now have a generation of consumers (and possibly the next generation too) who are educated about where their food (and wine) comes from and how it is produced. They are also very environmentally conscious and happy to pay a few extra dollars for a product that is certified organic. There is no quick fix to meeting this demand, due to the three year conversion period to gain
4 / Winepress November 2018
organic certification in the vineyard. The organic wine sector in this country is lucky to have an organisation called Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ), chaired by Jonathon Hamlet from Villa Maria, with Stephanie McIntyre doing some fantastic work raising the awareness of organic wine and telling a cohesive story on our behalf. In September we had Organic Wine Week, with events held around the country celebrating New Zealand’s organic wine success to date. There were dinners held at Arbour here in
They are also very environmentally conscious and happy to pay a few extra dollars for a product that is certified organic. Marlborough but also at renowned restaurants such as The Grove in Auckland and Shepherd in Wellington. Huckleberry’s, Commonsense and Glengarry also got behind Organic Wine Week to help give consumers a taste of organic wine.
In 2017, OWNZ put on a conference in Blenheim specific to the organic wine sector. Its success far surpassed anyone’s expectations (delegate or organiser), and as a result there will be another one held in June 2019. There will be a range of fantastic presenters from New Zealand and abroad, so keep your ear to the ground for when you can register. It’s really pleasing to see this kind of support behind such a small but exciting sector of the New Zealand wine industry. If you or your company aren’t already a member of OWNZ, then I would encourage you to sign up. I don’t talk about organic viticulture much unless I am asked to, or someone is genuinely interested in having a conversation, because there are still many unfair and untrue stereotypes associated with it. But as we evolve our businesses and move forward I see organic wine production being a sensible option for growers and wine companies. Do what is right, not what is easy.
