Winepress - November 2022

Photo: Jim Tannock

Teaming up to do business

When it comes to viticulture, there isn’t much that Mike Poff hasn’t seen or dealt with.

With five years’ rural real estate sales along with 25 years’ experience in the wine industry, Mike truly understands people and land, and he has helped many clients achieve their property goals and manage succession of their land.

Charlie Fairhall McLean brings a new aspect and a strain of enthusiasm along with her

own viticulture knowledge and background to the Mike Poff Team.

Together, they have all bases covered when it comes to marketing and selling Agricultural, Lifestyle and Viticultural properties across Marlborough.

Both Mike and Charlie have a passion for people and to provide a top-quality service for clients – working together to provide outstanding service and achieve the best possible results for their clients.

this issue...

12 Marlborough Wine Show

Pinot Noir shone at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. Meanwhile, Allan Scott and Mark Allen were presented Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Celebration Long Lunch. 20 Vintage

Preparations

Marlborough wine companies are cautiously optimistic about recruitung experienced crews for vintage 2023, despite challenges in getting overseas talent into the country. 22

Environment Awards

Happenings

Cover: Climate change doesn’t necessarily mean less frost risk, say two weather watchdogs for the New Zealand wine industry.

Photo Jim Tannock. See page 16

As part of a series on entrants in the Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards, Repost co-founder Stu Dudley discusses a successful vision to transform broken vineyard posts into a valued farming resource.

12

Photo Richard Briggs

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

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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.

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From the Editor

IN 1973 Allan Scott joined a team of workers on Fairhall farmland, as Montana put down roots in Marlborough. It was very hot, very cold, and very dusty, says Allan, recalling some reservations about taking the job as they toiled to establish a vineyard.

Forty-nine years on, Allan has been named one of two recipients of the 2022 Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards, presented at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration, sponsored by QuayConnect. He is currently visiting some of his wine company’s 29 markets around the globe, and says there is not a day since those early plantings that he’s regretted being involved in Marlborough wine.

Viticulturist Mark Allen, the second recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards, says the industry’s development has been about exploration, innovation, experimentation and serendipity. “It’s really a pioneering approach,” he says.

“You look at the basics and they look right, but it’s not until you do something like put vines in the ground that you really find out.”

It’s an apt description for those first Montana vines, planted thanks to the research of viticulturist Wayne Thomas and the determination of Frank Yukich, kickstarting an astounding success story. John Marris was also key in 1973, having worked on behalf of Montana to identify and source land suitable for grape growing, before becoming operations manager and viticultural advisor. So it’s a nice turn of events that nearly 50 years on, John’s son Brent Marris, founder of Marisco Vineyards, won Champion Wine at the Marlborough Wine Show, for ‘The King’s Wrath’ Pinot Noir 2021.

As well as celebrating the people, wines and legacy that help make Marlborough the success story it is, this edition looks at recruitment for the 2023 vintage. Companies have employed more permanent production staff, in response to the labour pressures of the past few years. But with less than a third of the 1,116 seasonal workers required now recruited, Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Nicci Armour says “supply of suitable and sufficient seasonal staff remains an ongoing challenge”.

SOPHIE PREECE

The industry’s development has been about exploration, innovation, experimentation and serendipity.

From the Chair

Navigating a rocky road

BETH FORREST

I WOULD like to use this Annual Report to reflect on the past year. Many of the challenges we have faced resulted from factors beyond our control, including a global pandemic and the wild cards dealt by Mother Nature, including the small vintage of 2021, followed by our largest ever vintage in 2022. More recently we have seen 100-year floods and subsequent damage.

Throughout this turbulent time the Marlborough wine industry has continued to prove itself as mature, resilient, connected and organised. It is these traits that have helped us move forwards, rather than succumb to the pressures around us.

Our people deserve celebration and thanks. It goes without saying that the workforce - in the field, in our wineries and in the operational side of the industry - have dug deep to create success for the businesses they are part of, and for New Zealand Inc, which benefits from a strong wine sector. Without this drive and determination, we wouldn’t have managed through this chaotic period.

The winter workforce - facing long stays, uncertainty and shortages - managed to complete 2021 pruning just before budburst. This season looks to be early and require just as much commitment and management of resources to get the job done. The summer workforce was also extremely limited, causing serious challenges due to a difficult growing season and larger than ever crop. Many of our seasonal workers have been here for a long time due to border closures, and we need to thank them and praise their contributions to our shared success.

It has been extremely disappointing to see recent headlines pointing to ‘blatant exploitation’ of our Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workforce; headlines that have not been seen for many years. While this stings, it has been encouraging to receive calls and emails expressing both concern and anger from industry members, asking if this really happens in our sector. We await findings from current investigations and fully support the pending review of the RSE scheme. This vital scheme must be balanced, fit for purpose, and have the outcomes that all participants require.

Wine Marlborough, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) and others are sending increasingly forceful communication to members on the expectations of our industry around fair

and ethical employment. We wholly support this; we have never tolerated anything less. The bar is high, and that has never been more important for our industry than it is now.

At the forefront of our Wine Marlborough labour force work plan has been attraction to our sector, with campaigns around vintage recruitment, establishing a pruning survey to give meaningful progress reports, and gathering and sharing anonymised remuneration data for vintage staff to help wineries. These tools have proved invaluable, and are described in greater depth later in this report.

Vintage 2022 was surely one of the most challenging to date. A large crop under unfavourable weather pressures, wineries with the least experienced workforce ever, and Covid surging south towards Marlborough, placed significant strain on us all. Without your hard work, and the resulting replenishment of wine volumes, the industry would be extremely challenged.

Details about the 2022 vintage, in terms of size and growth on vintage 2021, are recorded on page 4 of this report. Despite our setbacks, we remain optimistic. Grape sales and wine volumes are at record highs, inflation will eventually ebb, and shipping and supply chains will repair themselves. We are resilient and we must remain so to move through the challenging year ahead.

We are increasingly required to live with the effects of climate change on our operations. Wine Marlborough is committed to highlighting environmental benchmarks in the year ahead, in collaboration with the NZW environment team, using these to find examples of positive actions that we can share with you. We now look ahead to exciting

“We are resilient, and we must remain so to move through the challenging year ahead.”

Beth Forrest

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projects such as re-staging the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival and assisting the team at Wine Marlborough to deliver on their annual plan (page 12), which will have positive impacts on the Marlborough wine industry as a whole.

The board fully supports the efforts of the small Wine Marlborough team to make a difference, thanks to its connection to the pulse of the region's wine industry. That will only be enhanced through a focus on elements the annual plan commits to.

From the general manager

MARCUS PICKENS

We normally report to our members in November, but have decided to bring this forward to align more closely with the cycles of your businesses, and closer to the end of our financial year in June.

This year's Annual Report’s span of coverage is therefore shorter than is typical, and does not cover anything reported on in the last annual report. In the future, it would be ideal to report to you in September, to help celebrate the start of the grape growing year and wrap the last one down.

And what a year it has been. Our business reflects yours, and rolling from issue to issue has consumed our attention, like it has yours. We all hope this challenging environment settles down so we can return to normal business conditions and help all involved in the industry rebuild their energy levels. Everyone has dug deep.

A special mention must be made to those who have been isolated away from families, while sharing their valuable skills with our industry. It is pleasing that repatriation of Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workers home to their Pacific Island nations has stepped up. There is a significant exchange of workers returning home and new people arriving. We must continue to nurture our RSE talent, develop their skills, and accomodate and pay them well for their sacrifices and dedicated hard work. There is no room for mistreatment of any kind, and that’s why we are fully supportive of the RSE scheme review. We will champion positive outcomes for the people involved, whilst supporting and improving all the strong elements of a scheme we are so privileged to access.

The RSE scheme by no means solves all our labour issues, and labour is one of our highest priority projects. We are fortunate to have such a capable advocacy manager at Wine Marlborough – Nicci Armour – leading this.

The highlight for the team at Wine Marlborough has been the commitment to, and development of, a fit for purpose annual plan. We will use this to focus more of our work on activities that advance our strategic goals in areas such as community, people, communications, data

The Marlborough Winegrowers Board (MWG) also submitted, and have views on, the NZW governance, representation and levies review, and will be closely involved in related discussions. It has been pleasing to welcome Nigel Sowman, Michiel Eradus, Damien Yvon and James Macdonald to the board – all are making their presence felt. We farewell Kirsty Harkness after completing her term and welcome Andrew Nation.

Beth Forrest, MWG chair

From the 2022 Annual Report

and information, environment, members and corporate social responsibility.

This report is presented under our strategic pillars - Educate, Grow, Protect, and Celebrate. Having a work plan to advance our strategy has been a significant collaborative team project. We will report on our progress to the board at meetings, and to members through the activities involved.

We communicate much of the information on what we do, along with your news, through the wonderful Winepress magazine. Thank you to editor Sophie Preece for crafting and delivering this fantastic magazine, made free to members every month.

Our communications and marketing are managed by Sarah Linklater. Sarah draws on insights and benchmarks to help us understand how the Marlborough wine industry is positioned and perceived, and has done so much to influence this. Thank you, Sarah, for your significant contribution.

Apart from our keynote Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, events continued over the past 12 months, albeit with significant modifications. Loren Coffey, our event manager, has had a challenging year, but has continued to reshape our events, renegotiate with our sponsors, and shine a light on all involved with the activities we have been able to deliver. Loren has dug deep to refresh the purpose and objectives for all of our events to set us up for a relaunch of those activities.

In closing, we are excited about the year ahead and aiming to deliver a lot of value for our members. The past few years have been a rollercoaster of challenges, but our industry at large, and Wine Marlborough as your industry body, has used each hurdle to grow stronger and more resilient.

Marcus Pickens, Wine Marlborough general manager

From the 2022 Annual Report

Marcus Pickens

Annual Report 2022

Everyone has “dug deep” over the past year, says Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens in the Marlborough Winegrowers Association Annual Report.

The report, which was released at the annual general meeting last month, updates members on activities, challenges and celebrations of the past year. “Throughout this turbulent time the Marlborough wine industry has continued to prove itself as mature, resilient, connected and organised,” says Marcus. “It is these traits that have helped us move forwards, rather than succumb to the pressures around us.”

Treasurer Gus Altschwager says the report reiterates the scope of the work taken on by the organisation each year. “Marlborough is by far the most important wine growing region in New Zealand. It contains the most growers, the most wine companies, produces the most wine, and wraps around the region like a cloak,” he writes in his treasurer's report, noting that it is critical that the organisation is funded appropriately through the Levy Commodities contribution. “We will be taking an active stance in the New Zealand Winegrowers governance and funding review to test the model for fairness and equity.”

The region’s wine industry deserves celebration and thanks, says board chair Beth Forrest. “It goes without saying that the workforce - in the field, in our wineries

and in the operational side of the industry - have dug deep to create success for the businesses they are part of, and for New Zealand Inc, which benefits from a strong wine sector,” she writes in her chair’s report. “Without this drive and determination, we wouldn’t have managed through this chaotic period.”

Find the Annual Report at marlboroughwinenz.com or at the Wine Marlborough office

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EDUCATE

Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – October 2022

October October 2022 October Period October 2022 compared to LTA LTA of LTA 2021

GDD’s for month -Max/Min¹ 99.4 94% 106.0 (1996-2021) 123.2

GDD’s for month – Mean² 106.8 94% 113.3 (1996-2021) 127.6

Growing Degree Days Total

Jul – Oct 22 – Max/Min 225.6 118% 192.0 (1996-2021) 217.8

Jul - Oct 22 – Mean 265.3 109% 243.8 (1996-2021) 262.1

Mean Maximum (°C) 18.0 -0.4°C 18.4 (1986-2021) 18.9

Mean Minimum (°C) 7.8 -0.1°C 7.9 (1986-2021) 8.8

Mean Temp (°C) 12.9 -0.3°C 13.2 (1986-2021) 13.9

Grass Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 3 1 more 2.1 (1986-2021) 2

Air Frosts (0.0°C) 0 Equal 0.1 (1986-2021) 0

Sunshine hours 247.7 107% 230.7 (1986-2021) 233.8

Sunshine hours – lowest 140.7 1983

Sunshine hours – highest 299.6 1969

Sunshine hours total – 2022 1985.5 98% 2019.4 (1986-2021) 2093.1

Rainfall (mm) 16.8 29% 57.2 (1986-2021) 70.2

Rainfall (mm) – lowest 2.3 1961

Rainfall (mm) – highest 161.0 2001

Rainfall total (mm) – 2022 709.2 131% 541.0 (1986-2021) 619.0

Evapotranspiration – mm 109 106% 102.8 (1996-2021) 99.5

Avg. Daily Windrun (km) 248.2 86% 288.0 (1996-2021) 212.9

Mean soil temp – 10cm 12.0 = 12.0 (1986-2021) 12.9

Mean soil temp – 30cm 13.5 -0.2°C 13.7 (1986-2021) 14.2

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

²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures

Temperature

The mean temperature for October of 12.9°C was 0.3°C below the long-term average (LTA). However, there was a marked temperature gradient from the beginning to the end of the month. The mean temperature for the first week of

Table 2: Weekly weather data during October 2022

October of 9.0°C, was 4.2°C below the LTA. The mean temperature for this first week was almost the same as the LTA mean for July; i.e. this first week of the month felt more like mid-winter. In contrast, the mean temperature over the last 10 days of October of 15.7°C was 6.7°C warmer than the first week. And the mean temperature over these last 10 days was similar to an average day in early December.

The warmest maximum temperature of 24.8°C was recorded on 23 October 2022. The coolest minimum air temperature of +0.2°C and grass minimum temperature of -2.7°C were recorded on the morning of 6 October 2022.

I mentioned in Met Report one month ago that NIWA were predicting a 95% chance of average (35%) to above average temperature (60%) over the whole 3-month period October to December 2022. Only a 5% chance of a below average temperature. October 2022 having recorded a below average temperature wasn’t quite in line with what they were expecting, but remember that the prediction is for the whole 3-month period, not for individual months. The outlook for the 3-months November to January is still for 95% chance of average (40%) to above average (55%).

Mean Mean Max Mean Min Ground Rainfall Sunshine Wind-run (°C) (°C) (°C) Frosts (mm) (hours) (km)

1st - 7th 9.0 (-4.2) 13.5 (-4.9) 4.6 (-3.3) 2 6.4 45.2 225.3

8th - 14th 13.0 (-0.2) 17.5 (-0.9) 8.5 (+0.6) 0 0.4 49.3 266.0

15th - 21st 12.8 (-0.4) 18.6 (+0.2) 6.9 (-1.0) 0 0.0 67.6 242.3

22nd - 28th 14.4 (+1.2) 20.1 (+1.7) 8.6 (+0.7) 1 5.8 58.7 239.9 29th – 31st (3 days) 18.7 (+5.5) 23.2 (+3.8) 14.2 (+6.3) 0 4.2 26.9 293.0

1st – 31st October 2022 12.9 (-0.3) 18.0 (-0.4) 7.8 (-0.1) 3 16.8 247.7 248.2 (29%) (107%) (86%)

October LTA (1986 – 2021) 13.2 18.4 7.9 2.1 57.2 230.7 288.0

LTA – Long Term Average

Growing degree-days

Figure 1 shows how the growing-degree day line is progressing for the first two months of the 2022-23 growing season in comparison to five previous seasons. 2011-12 is included as a very cool early season and 2013-14 a very warm early season. The black GDD line for the start of the 2022-23 season has followed a very similar path to the yellow line for the start of the 2021-22 season. However, the start of October 2022 was a lot cooler than any period in October 2021. Warm temperatures kicked in in the last week of October 2021, and apart from the short cool period at the start of November 2021, the warm temperatures were maintained through until the end of December 2021. At the start of November 2022 it appears as if the warm temperatures may have finally arrived for this season. If NIWAs outlook is correct we should expect to see the black GDD line for this season continue to follow a similar path to last season. The shape of the black GDD line from mid-November to mid-December 2022 will be a pretty good guide as to whether the Marlborough Sauvignon blanc harvest in 2023 will be below or above average. The yellow GDD line for 2021-22 was sloping steeply upwards during most of the period from mid-November to early-December 2021, reflecting warm temperatures when most Sauvignon blanc was flowering and subsequently above average yields in 2022. In contrast the green GDD line for 2020-21 was only flat or sloping downwards from mid-November to early December 2020, reflecting average or below average temperatures over flowering and subsequently below average yields in 2021.

Figure 1: Normalized Growing degree days for Blenheim: days above (+) or below (-) the long-term average for the period 1 September to 31 December

Frosts

Three ground frosts were recorded in October 2022, one more than the LTA. There were a further 2-days on which the ground temperature was between 0 and -1.0°C; a ground frost is equal to or below -1.0°C.

Sunshine

October recorded 247.7 hours sunshine, 107% of the LTA. Total sunshine for January to October 2022 was 1985.5 hours; 98% of the LTA. Cromwell recorded 265.5 hours sunshine in October 2022, 17.8 hours ahead of Blenheim. Remarkably this is the second month in a row when Cromwell has taken the top spot. Tekapo took second place in October with 257.9 hours. However, unfortunately I still have to report that at the end of October New Plymouth was still way out ahead of all other contenders for sunniest town in New Zealand in 2022.

Rainfall

Total rainfall for October was 16.8 mm, only 29% of the LTA. This is the 10th lowest October total on record and the lowest total since October 2015 which recorded 6.0 mm. The January to October 2022 rainfall total of 709.2 mm is 131% of the LTA.

Wind

October 2022 average daily wind-run was 248.2 km. This was 86% of the October LTA (1996-2021) of 288 km. Average wind speed was 10.3 km/hr, compared to the LTA of 12.0 km/hr. There were 11 days during October when the daily wind-run was above the LTA, 20 days recorded below average.

Figure 2: Shallow soil moisture (5-35 cm depth) at the Grovetown Park weather station in Blenheim

Soil Moisture

Average topsoil moisture at the Grovetown Park weather station during October was 29.5%, compared to the LTA during October of 31.7% (2003-2021). On 1 October 2022 topsoil moisture was 39.8 %, which is slightly above field capacity. This is the highest 1 October value for the 21 years 2002 to 2022. With little rain during October shallow soil moisture plummeted to 22.4% on 31 October; i.e. a loss of 17.4% moisture. Figure 1 shows the very rapid loss of moisture from the topsoil during October. This is the largest soil moisture loss from the topsoil during October, over the 21 years of measurement. The LTA topsoil moisture loss during October is 6.1% (2003-2021).

Moisture Deficit

A reminder that moisture deficit is the difference between total rainfall and total potential evapotranspiration for the month. For October 2022 this was 16.8 mm rain – 109.0 mm potential evapotranspiration = -92.2 mm moisture deficit. This was 49.8 mm lower than the October LTA of -43.1 mm.

Many people will still vividly remember the very wet winter that Blenheim and Marlborough experienced in 2022 (June to August). This was by far the wettest winter on record for Blenheim for the 93 years 1930 to 2022. However, what was very wet topsoil (Figure 1) and a large water surplus over winter has rapidly turned into dry topsoil and an increasing water deficit, with only 50% of the LTA rainfall having been recorded during September and October 2022.

Rob Agnew - Plant & Food Research / Marlborough Research Centre

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Wine Show

Marlborough Pinot’s coming of age

MARISCO VINEYARDS reigned supreme at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, with ‘The King’s Wrath’ Pinot Noir 2021 taking Champion Wine. Marisco founder Brent Marris says winning is recognition of the time and work that has gone into growing and making Pinot Noir that reflects the Burgundy heritage of the variety, while wearing a “Marlborough stamp” on the style.

The company’s Pinot Noir vines are now 15 years old, and that age is starting to “kick in”, along with viticulturists and winemakers who’ve matured in their understanding of the clones and soils, he says. “As a team we have worked hard on maintaining a style of Pinot Noir out of Marlborough… To end up with Champion Wine of Show is true testament that our peers think we are on the right path.”

Chief judge Ben Glover says the Marlborough Pinot Noir style “continues to evolve and evoke sublime poise and precision”, making this year’s entrants a pleasure to judge and taste. “Lots of flavour and tannin, yet delicate and silky. Masterfully handled and presented, showing a definite pedigree for ageing.” That was evidenced in the Legacy Class, where in a number of the Pinot Noir flights across 10 years, it was the older wine of the trifecta that shone, Ben says.

Brent says having a Pinot Noir they can supply with consistency is a powerful part of Marisco’s portfolio, especially as Covid-19 has spurred on demand for Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from the region. “I think it’s really, really important,” he says of having a red wine to accompany Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “It keeps interest high and keeps Marlborough up front of mind.”

Pinot Noir also took out The Coterie Wine of Provenance Trophy, awarded to Tohu Whenua Awa Pinot Noir 2019. The award recognises the highest pointed single vineyard current release wine from any variety class, with 17 eligible wines among the 45 gold medal winners.

Giesen’s Clayvin Vineyard was another stand-out in the show, with three trophies awarded to wines grown at the Southern Valleys site. The Giesen Single Vineyard Clayvin Syrah 2021 was awarded the Wine Marlborough Champion Other Red Wine, while the Giesen Single Vineyard Clayvin Chardonnay 2018 took the trophies for both the MRC Champion Chardonnay 2019 & Older, and Vit Management Ltd Best Organic Wine.

Giesen Group chief winemaker Duncan Shouler says the company considers itself very lucky to have been “custodians” of the Clayvin site for many years. The highdensity plantings on the north facing site are designed for one purpose, he says. “To make the best examples of Syrah, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Marlborough.”

Duncan notes that the wines that won were from very different seasons, and “in both years, the vineyard has produced a lovely wine”. With very low cropping of 1 to 1.2 kilos per vine, there’s “a lot of input with not a lot of wine coming out of it”, he says, acknowledging the work of Terry Blackman and Wendy Roughan to manage the block. “These awards go to them.”

Duncan says it is something special to be judged among your peers. “When these wines win alongside wines on similar vineyards and similar climatic conditions, it really validates what we are doing is good and we are getting it right.” The standard of wines in the show is always exceptional, he adds. “So it’s a great award to get.”

More than 550 wines were entered into the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, with 19 trophies announced at the Celebration Long Lunch in late October. The event also saw two Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards announced, with wine company founder Allan Scott and viticulturist Mark Allen both recognised for their extraordinary contribution to Marlborough Wine (see page 14).

Ben Glover has now stepped down as chief judge of the show, with Marlborough Winemaker Stu Marfell taking on the role. “Stu will bring his own style of leading to the show, which is key in the evolution of the show and the region,” Ben says.

Stu, who has been involved with the show for many years, says a high standard has been set by those before him. “It’s a cliché but these are pretty big boots to fill.” He’s looking forward to the opportunity to evolve the show, celebrate Marlborough’s diversity of wines, and nurture more talent into judging roles. “It’s a super rewarding thing to do, great for winemakers to enhance their palate and communication skills, but also for non-winemakers. I would love to see more viticulture or even sales and marketing and hospitality industry people apply.” For full results go to marlboroughwineshow.com

Marisco’s Brent Marris. Photo Richard Briggs

Marisco's Alun Kilby

Jaqui Lloyd, Tracey Green, Carmel Horsley and Rachael Brown

Shadow chief judge Stu Marfell

Photos by Richard Briggs

Lifetime Achievement

Digging deep for Marlborough wine

SOPHIE PREECE

TWO STALWARTS of Marlborough’s wine industry have been recognised for their extraordinary contribution to the region. Allan Scott and Mark Allen were presented Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration late last month, with Allan accepting virtually from the United Kingdom.

These days the industry pioneer is a household name of New Zealand wine, with an eponymous label sold in 29 markets around the world, and a strong family legacy, with his children Josh and Sara integral to Allan Scott Wines.

But his role in Marlborough wine is as old as the industry itself, beginning with “heady early days” helping establish the region’s first vineyard at Waldron Farm, now Brancott, in mid-August 1973, “with copious bins of four bud cuttings”.

The work was hot, cold and dusty, but Jim Hamilton, who Montana had brought in from South Auckland to oversee 1000 acres of Marlborough plantings, became a mentor for Allan, “and I thrived off his experience and knowledge, and developed a much keener interest for the future”, he says. “I think I am the only person in the original Montana establishment crew to have worked continuously in the wine industry.”

Allan went on to take a senior management role with Corbans Wines, which he describes as a defining moment, working with major vineyards around New Zealand and developing his interest in wine and viticulture. In 1990 he and his wife Cathy established the Allan Scott brand, in a “high risk moment” that paid dividends - for the family and

the industry. “I am confident that our brand has contributed to the worldwide recognition of Marlborough wine,” Allan says.

Over the past 50 years he’s weathered plenty of challenges, including two periods of over-supply, phylloxera, the global financial crisis, and now the Covid-19 pandemic. But “there is not one day I could say I have regretted being involved,” he says. “And I am still learning.”

The industry continues to evolve, and Allan says it would be “heartening” to see more international growth in other varietals. Currently visiting markets in the UK and United States, he continues to have concerns about “non-recognised” Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc labels filling wine shelves around the world. “They do nothing to contribute to Marlborough in either reputation or to the industry in general, and pose a threat to recognised Marlborough brands, as the identity of their real origin is mostly unknown,” he says.

Reflecting on the award, Allan says it’s somewhat “scary” to think that Marlborough’s wine industry - and

Mark Allen receives his Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo Richard Briggs

his lifetime of work in it - is on the cusp of 50 years. “I do wonder where that time has gone.”

Mark Allen’s viticulture career began in 1986, when kiwi fruit went through an “ugly patch”, and he looked to the rising star of grape growing, inspired by the winery neighbouring his Bay of Plenty orchard. Morton Estate had been established by Morton Brown, who convinced Mark to head to Hawke’s Bay, “with a spade on my back”, to find another vineyard. Armed with said spade, a talent for foresight, and the fresh opportunities of the vine pull, Mark knew he was after land for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He also wielded detailed soil maps, created by the DSIR during the depression years, which he still holds dear. “They’re like my bible.”

He looked at the Gimblett Gravels, then priced $300 per hectare, as well as farmland on Hawke’s Bay’s river terraces, talking with Morton and his new winemaker John Hancock, along with government viticulturist Richard Smart, before making a call that led to Riverview Estate.

In the early 2000s, Mark’s work for Villa Maria saw him often in Marlborough, and in 2003 he moved to the region and set up Mark Allen Vineyard Advisory, taking on vineyard developments and building a strong client base. His passion for soil maps came to the fore, along with a strong focus on canopy management and a view to future opportunities and challenges.

Making the most of the industry is about exploration, innovation, experimentation and serendipity, says Mark,

EVOLUTION

noting that no one knew 50 years ago that Sauvignon Blanc would ultimately take the world by storm, or that Marlborough would prove such a unique wine region. “It’s really a pioneering approach,” he says. “You look at the basics and they look right, but it’s not until you do something like put vines in the ground that you really find out.”

That open mind was key when he managed the threeyear mechanical shaking trials, which proved in the first instance how different settings could effectively reduce crop. Another part of the trial was to see if it affected wine style, which it didn’t, and whether the incidence of botrytis would be higher, “which we expected it would be”, says Mark. Work by Plant & Food Research scientist Dion Mundy revealed that the opposite was true, in what Mark describes as a significant and serendipitous break through. “To me as a grower this is an extraordinary outcome, like pennies from heaven,” he says. But industry was cautious and Mark has worked for a decade to continue trials and help growers.

Knowing soil and canopy management is one thing, but Mark says communication has been key to his success in the industry. These days, much of that is spent urging growers to react to trunk disease, with Marlborough on the cusp of a necessary “rejuvenation”, he says. “It’s all about protecting what we’ve got. We have this serendipitous luck but … we need to do everything to protect it.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award means a “huge amount”, adds Mark. “To be recognised by your peers is one of the best things that can happen to you.”

IN WINEMAKING TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE IN THE RESULTS

Frost Forecasts

Frost risk remains in warming climate

SOPHIE PREECE

CLIMATE CHANGE doesn’t necessarily mean less frost risk, say two weather watchdogs for the New Zealand wine industry, following October’s “wakeup call”.

James Morrison, of Weatherstation Frost Forecasting, says the warming climate is resulting in earlier budburst, forcing him to send forecasts in late August, two weeks earlier than he did in the early 2000s. “Although we might see a reduced number of frosts in spring, the problem we have is that the risk increases.”

In late winter and early spring, there are longer periods of darkness than during the traditional frost risk timeframes, with more hours of night-time cooling increasing the potential danger of frosts. “That’s the risk that climate change and earlier budburst creates. It is pushing the boundaries because the nights are still going to be cold,” James says.

NIWA’s climate change scenarios for New Zealand predict fewer frosts as temperatures rise, particularly in colder areas. But climate consultant Dr Stu Powell says frost incidence does not necessarily follow the same trajectory as global warming, as vineyard terrain and seasonal weather patterns call the tune, rather than mean temperatures. That’s particularly true in New Zealand’s wine regions, where the atmosphere “decouples” at night, under settled conditions, with warmer air lifting off the surface. “That lets the terrain underneath to do its work and dominate the nocturnal boundary,” says Stu, referring to the cool layer of air that forms above the ground on cold and calm nights. “As long as the atmosphere is cool and clear frosts are not going to go away.”

Stu says frosts have taken something of a “back seat” since 2015 in terms of frequency, but historical data

Agriculture and Viticulture Machinery Sales & Service Specialists

Photo Jim Tannock

Companies on front foot in frost fight

Grape growers have little appetite for frost risk these days, says a climate consultant who’s never seen more demand for frost mapping. Dr Stu Powell advises grape growers on “precision placement” of frost fans, according to “Marlborough’s wonderfully complex terrain”, assessing inversion layer potential and katabatic flows on individual sites.

He says the high demand for fruit and limited room for expansion means there’s no spare land for growers to “spread their risk” when it comes to frost damage, “so it’s imperative to protect what you have”. Meanwhile, developments are pouring across land once deemed marginal or impossible, where frost is a ready risk to crops. “They’re places you wouldn’t have dreamed of going even 10 years ago, but we are now romping up the valley and even further,” he says. “Every year I get to this point and think, ‘this is mad; I am going to run out of work’, but it hasn’t happened. I was saying that 10 years ago and this year has been the biggest year I have ever had.”

Stu says when he began working in the field in 2002, frost protection in New Zealand was a “knee jerk reaction” following a couple of blows. “Now it’s something you consider up front of any new development or redevelopment,” he says. “People know they have to take frost seriously, so they do their homework.” He notes that in Australia he still sees reactive measures following a rise in frost incidence, which drop back when frosts abate.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers operations director Tony Robb says the company’s appetite for frost risk has declined considerably over the years, and particularly after the low volume 2021 vintage. “There was a time where the team would take a punt and cross their fingers a little bit”, he says. But now compelling frost forecasts will see them send in choppers if frost fans are not in place to protect crops or if an extremely low temperature would reduce effective coverage by the fans. The low yielding 2021 vintage - due to poor fruitset at flowering - was a costly one for industry, coupled with the complications of supply chain issues, and the last thing wine companies need is further cost from frost depleted crops, Tony says.

As well as calling in choppers when required, the company is putting in frost fans at pace, with new and redeveloped blocks frost mapped for best placement of fans, and 18 new fans planned to be installed in their Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough vineyards in the upcoming year.

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shows periods of “minor events” before frosts “come back with vengeance”. And frosts like those experienced in Marlborough vineyards in early October this year, which saw frost fans humming and helicopters harnessing inversion layers above vineyards, are a wakeup call to growers more determined than ever to protect their fruit, he says (see page 17).

indicate. “Terrain is very important and different weather patterns will affect different parts of a region in different ways.”

Rob Agnew says annual frost numbers in Marlborough have “decreased dramatically” over recent decades. But that shouldn’t assuage industry fears, because the number of frosts between October and November, when fresh buds are at risk, has actually increased slightly, he says. And one frost can do the trick when it comes to hammering a crop, Rob adds.

James says that for grape growers, the definition of a frost is “much more subtle” than what can be recorded at weather stations, with certain vineyards – or pockets of vineyards – hit far harder than climate records might

No Fans of Frost

While his frost season starts two weeks earlier than it once did, it also ends sooner, with the spring frost season typically over by the last week of November, compared to the beginning of December 20 years ago. Meanwhile, the frost-affected area also appears to be changing. Looking back at the southerly front that came through Marlborough on October 6 and 7, James notes that the first night’s impact was mitigated by wind, but the second hit areas that are often frost free, including coastal areas, “because it was a different synoptic pattern than we are used to”.

Lion’s operations director for New Zealand wine, Geoff Matthews, says Wither Hills’ approach to frost protection remains unchanged, with the use of water, wind machines and helicopters “where and when required”. But the “where” of that protection has shifted, “with areas of vineyard in the central plains that we never used to protect from frost, that we now find requiring protection more regularly”. While climate change could be a contributing factor for that shift, he says improvements in crop monitoring and technology, including better temperature data, is also playing a part.

The Marlborough District Council approved resource consents for 287 frost fans in the year ending June 30, 2022, well up from the 187 consented in the year ending June 2021, and 141 the year before. With 223 of the past year’s applications west of Renwick, the proliferation of fans reflects rampant westward development.

According to records, there have been 1,703 frost fans consented since 30 June 2011, which is 26 times more than the 65 frost fans given resource consent prior to June 2010, when installation and operation of a frost fan was an activity permitted without resource consent, where it complied with permitted conditions. There were big leaps in the year ended June 2015 (283 consents), June 2016 (246), and June 2017, when the 262 consents included one application for 30 frost fans and another for 57, with both up the Wairau Valley.

Marlborough Plant & Food Research weather expert Rob Agnew says a number of grass frosts were recorded at the Blenheim weather station in October and November 2015 and 2016, well past budburst, which means there was likely to have been plenty of frost fighting further inland “on a number of nights”.

The council does not have records on how many consented frost fans are actually installed, but applicants have five years from the date of consent to install the frost fan. Council’s technical lead land use planner Jenny Folster says most frost fan consent applications meet the threshold for a controlled activity and do not require affected party written approvals or notification. Within a decision document each frost fan has a certificate of resource consent with specific coordinates for their location as well as a suite of conditions.

The technology behind the fans has progressed, with quieter noise emissions, which means they can be placed closer to dwellings or other habitable buildings than previously allowed. Many of the new frost fans are going into more remote and frost prone regions of the Wairau, Waihopai and Awatere Valleys, often on larger holdings with fewer dwellings in the locality. However, Jenny says in areas like Kaituna, where there are vineyards located near neighbouring residential activity, locating frost fans in accordance with their coordinates is essential.

“That’s the risk that climate change and earlier budburst creates.”

James Morrison

Plant & Food Research Marlborough weather expert

Photo Jim Tannock

Vintage 2023

Building a skilled cellar workforce

CATHIE BELL

MARLBOROUGH’S WINE industry is cautiously optimistic about crews for vintage 2023, despite challenges in getting experienced staff into the country.

Only Human’s Kirsty Trolove says things are currently going “crazy guns” with recruitment in the wine industry. Pay rates for most workers have increased significantly, but people are are still hard to find for many positions, and physically intense roles in particular, says the human resources expert. But it “certainly is not as bad as it was last year”, Kirsty says of the recuitment drive. “People are a bit more relaxed about it. As we come closer to vintage, that may change.”

New Zealand Wineries’ Lou Miller says the company’s roster is looking pretty healthy, with a lot of people wanting to come into New Zealand for the 2023 vintage, including many who have worked for them before. However, it’s a challenge getting them through immigration, “and then there is the true cost of getting them into the country”, she says. “That’s the biggest issue at the moment.”

Nicola Smith, human resources advisor at Yealands Wine Group, says vintage recruitment for 2023 looks different than it did for 2022, with an increase in the number of applications and level of experience. “Yealands recognised that to recruit well in the current market we must clearly outline the employee benefits and workplace culture,” she says. “We are excited to get our harvest recruits in to join our high-performing cellar team to work towards another successful harvest.”

Spy Valley Wines recently advertised for vintage staff and managing director Amanda Johnson says they had an excellent response compared to the previous year, when borders were closed. “We have a third of our vintage staff already committed for vintage 2023,” she says, noting that lot of applicants are experienced, unlike last vintage, and include a few returnees, which is an advantage. Many have visas already and others are waiting to be recruited to gain a visa, says Amanda, who is “very optimistic of recruiting a mix of New Zealanders and visa holders”.

Sugar Loaf Wines’ chief winemaker Cullen Neal is not quite so optimistic. “For us personally, we’re still struggling a little bit. Smaller people like us, more winery focused, we really need skilled people.”

Cullen says later pruning means things are “concertinaing in”, with the pressure of the growing season and vintage preparations exacerbated by a shortage of potential workers. As a small winery, Sugar Loaf Wines likes to have a team of passionate and experienced people, but that hasn’t been possible the past couple of years, says Cullen. And while the government has made it easier to get people in to New Zealand to work via the new Accredited Employer Visa, experienced winery workers tend to get picked up quickly by the bigger players, leaving green recruits for the smaller players, he says. ”That can be good, but it can be bad too. You don’t know what you’re going to get.”

In recent years they have employed more people with

A Marlborough-focussed campaign for Opportunity Grows Here. Photo Richard Briggs

fewer skills “and that’s cost us time and money, with extra one-on-one training needed”, says Cullen. “We are probably better off having less people with more skillsets.”

Over the past six years, Sugar Loaf Wines has run a small team of backpackers in the vineyard, “but this year we cannot guarantee the numbers of people we need for the season, so will use contract labour”, he says. “It’s definitely going to be different.”

He can see some good things happening in the industry,

More permanent winery workers

but laments the delays, citing the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme cap increase as “good, but a little late”. Meanwhile, the changes in immigration requirements has cost a lot in time and opportunities, including the potential loss of experienced workers keen to return to Marlborough, he adds. As a small winery, Sugar Loaf doesn’t have an HR department. “We’ll get there, but it will take longer than it should.”

Marlborough wine companies have more permanent production staff on board, thanks to the impact of Covid-19 border closures. A Wine Marlborough vintage 2023 survey from October shows a 13% increase in permanent wine staff, from an estimated 350 in 2020 to 395 expected for the upcoming vintage.

Wine Marlborogh advocacy manager Nicci Armour says a series of brief surveys will run from October through to January next year, “to help industry and industry stakeholders understand how the Marlborough wine industry is progressing towards seasonal staff recruitment for Vintage 2023”. The first survey was completed by 35 of the 50 businesses with physical wine-making facilities in Marlborough, representing more than 90% of the seasonal production workforce for vintage.

When it comes to seasonal labour requirements, the October survey indicates that nearly a third of the 1,116 seasonal workers required for vintage 2023 have been recruited. Nicci says the Accredited Employer Work Visa and Working Holiday Visas are the main pathways for overseas seasonal staff aiming to work vintage 2023 in New Zealand. Additional options include people on partnership visas, Australian citizens, and Kiwis. “Supply of suitable and sufficient seasonal staff remains an ongoing challenge for the wine industry,” says Nicci in her Wine Marlborough advocacy update on page 34.

A workshop on planning and supporting the long-term workforce is being hosted at the Marlborough Research Centre campus on November 30. For more information email advocacy@winemarlborough.nz.

Good Point

As part of a series on entrants in the Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards, ANNABELLE LATZ talks to a company pointing in the right direction.

IT MIGHT take a couple of decades to clear the piles of old posts lying in vineyards around Marlborough. But when a farmer and a viticulturist sit down for a chat, solutions are created.

Greg Coppell and Stu Dudley are doing more than their bit for the wine industry’s age-old problem of what to do with used vineyard posts, while delivering good news for the environment and farmers across New Zealand.

To date, they’ve repurposed more than 150,000 posts from vineyards in Marlborough, shipping them from Southland to Northland as fence posts, while diverting more than 1,200 tonnes of waste from landfill.

The story of Repost began a couple of years ago when Greg was trying to find an economical way to fence his 600-hectare sheep and beef farm in the Howard Valley, near Murchison. He manages the farm with his father Allan, who has used old vineyard posts as a fencing solution for decades. So after a mutual friend put Greg in touch with Stu, a viticulturist based in Marlborough, a crafty solution was transformed into a business venture. “The concept is a no brainer, because in the background costs are going up for farmers, as well as levels of compliance,” says Stu.

The process, on the other hand, took a bit more brain power and has been the hardest detail to overcome. Although still very much in the experimental start-up mode, progress has moved swiftly, with tweaks like engineering a hydraulic press for de-clipping and de-nailing each post. They use a mobile milling system which they take to the vineyards to grade, strip, cut to size and re-point the posts. “There’s no off the shelf stuff, and the whole business centres around the grading and removal of clips,” says Stu.

In the early days, he and Greg milled around 200 posts per day, but now crack through around 800 or 900. Employing local staff, they’re able to load the machine, mill and re-point, stack and organise the logistics.

Stock, shelterbelt and riparian fencing has made up the majority of business so far, with pressures differing

depending on the region. They were originally keen to work closely with regional councils and conservation bodies, keeping waste out of their landfills and supporting new policy that requires fencing across the country, says Stu. However, the majority of their work has come direct from landowners through word of mouth, social media or email.

A continual work in progress, they’re still tweaking how to best freight around the country in the most economical way. In the meantime, their posts are still a third of what a new one costs, and also ensure a new post isn’t used – a double win at a time when materials can be expensive and hard to come by. “Farmers are constantly innovating, responding to new targets, but are also pretty time poor. So this is a great service and we’ve seen some really cool projects.”

With 14 years of viticulture under his belt, the concept of needing to reduce waste to landfill has not been a new one for Stu. With 30,000ha of land tied up in vineyards in Marlborough, and considering a 1-2% breakage rate, that’s 10 posts per hectare, or 250,000 posts per year, traditionally deemed rubbish. “Technically, a vineyard’s waste pile turns into a stockpile for Repost,” says Stu.

Being part of the Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards is exciting for the company, he adds, reflecting on the impressive entrants and winners he’s seen over the years. “It’s great to be a part of the solution, solving a waste issue and getting rid of a waste product. These posts have a long lifecycle ahead of them, and we can provide a really good solution for the environment and the back pocket.” Repost is one of four entrants in the wine industry section of the environment awards, sponsored by Wine Marlborough. cmea.org.nz

Greg Coppell, left, and Stu Dudley

Working Well

SOPHIE PREECE

GIVING THANKS for a good job well done is business as usual at Ormond Nurseries, where staff are celebrated for acts of kindness and consideration.

Each week a staff member is awarded a thank-you card and voucher in recognition of their efforts to improve the mental and emotional wellbeing of one, some or all of their colleagues.

“Being caring towards a particular team member who needed some care. Or somebody looking after the whole team in a beautiful way,” says propagation technician

Nathalie Pickering, who developed the scheme for Mental Health Week last year. “I wanted to celebrate mental health and promote it in a working environment.”

Nathalie decided the resources supplied to workplaces by the Mental Health Foundation were not a natural fit for a nursery environment, so talked to owner Marcus Wickham about a bespoke programme for the business. They decided it should be something year-round that benefitted everyone, from the permanent 30-strong workforce to the additional 20 seasonal employees who come in for the busiest months. The idea was to take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, says Nathalie.

The company already had thank-you cards for customers, so she adapted them to the wellness programme, adding inspirational quotes to each one, so they can be personal to the week’s award winner. The card she plucks from a box to show me quotes Mahatma Gandhi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

Each week staff nominate team members, and one is recognised, with their name and the associated quote written on a board, which also wears the key words of the Mental Health Foundation: Connect; Give; Take Notice; Keep Learning; Be Active. “At Ormond Nurseries this is what we are about,” says Nathalie. The recipient also gets a voucher to spend on their health and wellbeing, such as money towards the greengrocer.

There’s no shortage of acts of kindness and nominations, “so this is really nice,” Nathalie says. “It’s special”. And it’s a simple addition to a business that already

provides a “really supportive and caring environment”, she adds, noting that all staff get a cooked lunch every day, along with filtered water, and that health and safety is a high priority.

Like those elements of the workplace, the programme is part of everyday life at work, regardless of whether there’s a pandemic or challenges with climate change, she says. “It’s always important to look after our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.”

Connecting Communities

Life and work in a rural community can be an isolating business, which is why Tracy and Kevin Johnston offered to host and help organise the inaugural Wairau Valley ‘Blokes Day Out’ at the beginning of October. The event, timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness week, began with an early morning golf lesson before everyone arrived at the Johnston’s Dayvinleigh Vineyard for a claybird shoot, BBQ and smoker masterclass, butchery lesson, and beer tasting. More than 30 locals showed up for the event, along with two rural police officers and Doug Avery, a Flaxbourne farmer, motivational speaker and author of The Resilient Farmer, who delivered a “powerful talk” to attendees, says Tracy.

She says several of the participants came up to her at the end of the day and reflected on how good the event had been for them, “to be able to meet more people in the community”. It was really rewarding to hear that feedback after the day and in the weeks following, she adds, talking of people who knew three people in the community before the Blokes Day Out, and are now connected with many more. “Now we have the women of the Wairau Valley saying, ‘when’s our turn?’”

“I wanted to celebrate mental health and promote it in a working environment.”

Nathalie Pickering

Nathalie Pickering initiated a new wellness programme

Eva Pemper

A family legacy continued

SOPHIE PREECE

FROM WAR in Croatia to Covid in Marlborough, Eva Pemper is accustomed to extraordinary challenges in winemaking.

She was six years old when her parents – her father a journalist and mother a council worker – started making wine in a garage 80km east of Zagreb, on a block of land gifted to them by Eva’s grandfather. The area was known for wheat and corn crops, but the Pempers planted blackberries on their few hectares, while her father read up on making fruit wine.

They branded their wines with an image of Cupid, the Roman god of love, passion, happiness and enjoyment symbolising Eva’s father’s philosophy of life. “I am all about that too”, says the young winemaker, who has carried Cupid on to her own eponymous label, Eva Pemper Wines, launched in Marlborough late in 2019.

Back in Bjelovar, they picked their blackberries every five to six days, and Eva was used to fingers stained purple from picking. The wine proved a hit for those looking for pleasure, but also the purported health benefits of blackberries, says Eva, who grew her love of winegrowing, despite lamenting plantation work when friends were out having fun.

The winery was still small when war erupted in 1991, and Eva’s mother managed the operation when her father left to fight. But by the late 1990s they were buying in five times as much fruit as they grew and had become the biggest producer of blackberry wine in Croatia. The winery burgeoned, requiring plenty of investment, but so too did the cost of production, “and dad ended up having to sell a bottle of wine for less than it cost to make”, says Eva.

By the time she finished her master’s in winemaking from the University of Zagreb, the winery had stopped

producing. But Eva had already determined her future as a winemaker, and learned a great deal about resilience and opportunity. “I always think when one door closes another one opens,” she says with a smile.

In 2012, frustrated by corruption and cronyism in Croatia, she travelled to New Zealand, unaware at that time of the extent of its wine industry, or the historic influence of Dalmatian immigrants, such as the Babich and Yukich wine families. As she learned more, Eva shelved plans to work in Australia and decided her story would be that of a new generation of Croatian winemaker in New Zealand.

Her New Zealand wine journey began with a vintage at Grove Mill in Marlborough, another at Mud House, then six years at Marisco, where she worked her way up to assistant winemaker, before heading to Marlborough Vintners for a few years as a production winemaker. “It was such a fantastic opportunity to meet so many winemakers,” she says. “It opened so many doors for me.”

One of them led to a vintage in France, and another to her own label, developed in collaboration with a grower she’d met while at Marlborough Vintners. She took both opportunities, and her first vintage of Eva Pemper Wines - a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the foot of the Wither Hills - was bottled and labelled in October 2019, while she was working in France.

Leaving her steady winemaking role was not a safe move, but Eva notes she is accustomed to a life of daring decisions. “I took a massive risk, but I am a strong believer

“I took a massive risk, but I am a strong believer than when one door closes another opens - and that is exactly what happened.”

Eva Pemper

that when one door closes another opens - and that is exactly what happened.”

The new label has her story and family legacy front and centre, with her name on the label and her photo on the back of the bottle. That took some time to come to terms with, she says, explaining that they’d started out planning a “classic New Zealand regional-based brand”, named after a local landmark. But her business partner knew her story and family legacy, “which is what I am all about”, she says. “He said, ‘let’s do something different – your brand, your name your personality’. I was a little bit reluctant because obviously you can’t hide behind that. Once you do that, it’s you.”

But she resolved that if her wine revolves around authenticity, then putting her name and face to it should not be a problem. And the opportunity to extend her family’s winemaking legacy “and resurrect what we had in Croatia”, truly appealed. Adding the cupid – his glass held aloft – was a natural choice, in a nod to her parents’ brand and to her own passion for pleasure.

“Then two months later Covid hit,” says Eva, who had 300 cases of Sauvignon and plans to travel to global markets, introducing it to buyers. “I had to change strategy completely.” She took on casual winery work to pay the bills and kicked off a domestic sales plan, searching far and wide for a customer base, including restaurants, wine shops, wine bars and online wine sales, with a focus on direct-to-

consumer sales in New Zealand. Connections were vital as she steadily and stubbornly grew a database of customers, describing them as “a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend”.

Meanwhile, Eva was determined to upskill herself in business and networking, going to every free course or event she could, and undertaking a programme with Icehouse. She chipped away at sales, built the brand, and in 2021 found a distributor in Alexandria, Washington DC, while still working for others to pay her mortgage. Earlier this year she was finally able to give up outside work and focus on Eva Pemper Wines, while resurrecting her international sales plans. “It is so exciting, so scary as well,” says Eva, who travelled to offshore markets in winter, met with wine buyers at Prowein, and visited her family in Croatia, where she also hooked some wine sales.

A rave review in the Washington Post in April this year - with 3.5 stars out of 4 for the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc - was the icing on the cake. “Dave (McIntyre) is calling it outstanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc,” says Eva. “It’s all now happening, with all these things in the pipeline,” she adds. “This year is make or break because it has been a lot of investment now. I just need to make it happen.”

Ultimately, she would like to introduce wines from other regions to her portfolio, such as Riesling from Waipara and Pinot Noir from Central Otago. “And definitely bubbles. I am all about celebration in life.”

Located in the Lower Waihopai Valley, an area well known for producing premium wine grapes, this stunning eight hectare vineyard property provides the ultimate Marlborough lifestyle.

The four bedroom, two bathroom, two storey residence features recycled hardwood beams, handcrafted wooden joinery, broad strawbale walls and double glazing, ensuring peace and quiet. Warm in winter and cool in summer, the generous proportions and natural materials promote a feeling of rustic sophistication. Dining flows to a separate sitting room and out to a walled courtyard with an open fire, ideal for entertaining.

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Generation Y-ine

Digging into the wine industry

KAT PICKFORD

Five years later, with six vintages under her belt and an assistant winemaking job at The Wine Studio/Two Rivers, she’s thrilled with the unexpected turn of events that led her down an exciting new career path.

Kaitlyn, who was born in the Caribbean and grew up in Canada, had just finished an honours degree in archaeology and classical civilisation at the University of Toronto. She was all set to embark on her master's, when a good friend convinced her to take a year off and travel.

“I wanted to be Indiana Jones,” Kaitlyn says. “But my friend was going to New Zealand, and it sounded amazing, so we shared a couple of wines, I bought a plane ticket, and started organising a working holiday visa.”

Little did she know that her wine-inspired snap decision would eventually land her in Marlborough, working in the wine industry. “I’d never worked in a vineyard before, but being broke backpackers we never said no to work,” she says.

At the time Two Rivers owner Dave Clouston was in the process of building a small winery in the Cloudy Bay Business Park and offered them vintage work. “We didn’t know what that was, but it sounded fun, so we thought ‘why not?’. It’s been a really good experience, learning and growing in an expanding winery, from starting off in the vineyard to being the only cellar hand at first,” she says. “Then as the winery expanded my role expanded to cellar supervisor, then lab technician and now I’m assistant winemaker.”

Working in a small team

Sanna Stander has been a great way to gain exposure to the multi-faceted industry, she says. “It’s been great, I love working here, The Wine Studio is a space for small, independent winemakers who might otherwise be pushed out of the industry, so it’s been incredible to work alongside these amazingly talented people and learn from them.”

After five vintages in Marlborough and one in Sonoma, Kaitlyn has decided wine is for her and is studying a Diploma of Viticulture and Oenology online through University of California, Davis. However, her mum is still asking when she will put her archaeology degree to use. “There is some crossover between wine and archaeology,” she says. “There’s the historical aspect - winemaking provides a snapshot of a point in time, of a specific year, the weather and particular winemaking styles.”

Vintage is very similar to field work in archaeology, she adds. “There’s an intense period of six weeks where you’re digging for artefacts, then you go back to the lab and analyse your findings and make your inference.”

While archaeology will always remain a passion, she’s excited about her future in winemaking. “I have a huge passion for wine, the opportunity to learn and grow here has been extraordinary and I’m excited to figure out what my individual style is. In the future I definitely want to be a winemaker, whether for myself or someone else is yet to be determined.”

WHEN KAITLYN Smid travelled to New Zealand in 2016 for a gap year, the aim was to take a break from studying archaeology, explore somewhere new, and meet new people.

and being mentored by Dave and The Wine Studio/Two Rivers production winemaker

“Winemaking provides a snapshot of a point in time, of a specific year, the weather and particular winemaking styles.”

Kaitlyn Smid

Photo Lisa Duncan

Local Expertise

Sustainability and ESG

PAUL O’DONNELL

IN THE past, terms like sustainability and ESG may have been seen as “nice to haves” for businesses trying to position themselves within the ‘green’ market. But now, due to both government regulation and pressure from consumers, they are becoming essential considerations for New Zealand businesses throughout the entire supply chain.

Sustainability means ensuring we can meet our current needs now without jeopardising the needs of future generations. ESG stands for environmental, social and governance, and is part of the sustainability concept. A sustainable supply chain means ensuring materials themselves are environmentally sustainable, and that the way in which they are transported is also sustainable, ensuring there is no room for modern slavery at any point in the supply chain. Ethical and environmental factors are considered throughout the process.

Globally, it is now expected that businesses care for the environment, rather than simply focus on profit. Those that negatively impact the environment are increasingly at risk of losing long-term viability. Consumers care about sustainability and are looking for businesses that take meaningful action. With each generation comes an even greater focus on sustainability, and businesses risk losing their customer base if they neglect to start working on this.

Meanwhile, ESG reporting will be required more and more by governments around the world. New Zealand’s

government is the first to require financial institutions to report on ESG factors. Although this currently only applies to a small number of businesses, it’s likely these requirements will trickle down to New Zealand’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) community in time. In addition, some industry sectors now have to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions through the emissions trading scheme.

Many businesses are now including ESG factors in their reporting, because investors and regulators want to know that the businesses they put money into have a long-term future, and are not being put at risk from negative ESG press. As a bonus, there are often long-term cost gains to be made from becoming more sustainable, particularly for those businesses that engage in the circular economy and reduce waste/increase efficiency in their supply chains.

Becoming sustainable is a journey on a previously unnavigated path, and we won’t get to the destination quickly. But it is critical for businesses to start planning now, or risk being left behind. BDO are actively working on our own commitment to sustainability, using our learnings and experience to provide leadership, tools, guidance and advice to our clients and our wider stakeholders.

Paul O’Donnell is managing director of BDO Marlborough

Just like you, we’re growing.

From the 1st of December, we’ll become BDO Marlborough Tasman, joining forces with Gilbert Roberston and the team from Your Success in Nelson. Industry expertise, locally. Backed by BDO, globally. 100% locally owned. www.bdo.co.nz

BLENHEIM

Paul O’Donnell

Export Experts

Supply chains still not shipshape

SOPHIE PREECE

SUPPLY CHAIN logistics have moved from a “just in time to just in case” framework, to stay ahead of inevitable delays, says Heather Donachie from Export Logistics in Marlborough.

Things are getting better, but there are still “massive delays”, adds Heather, who has worked with the wine and aquaculture industries over the Covid-19-affected years, when exports have stalled, and imports stagnated. “Supply chain challenges will continue into 2023 with supply chain managers having to plan around continued backlogs,” she says.

Covid-19 has been the biggest cause of turmoil, with the first domino coming from lock-down online shopping sprees in the United States. “Everyone in America started buying up housewares,” says Heather, describing the containers going into the states that didn’t come out again. Plenty of other things have happened since, “but that was the original big domino effect”.

Covid impacts are exacerbated by global worker shortages in transport, warehouse operations and manufacturing facilities, alongside increasing cyber threats and globalisation challenges, she says. Shipping delays are decreasing, with exporters and importers anticipating a few weeks delay instead of nearly two months in recent years, she adds, but warns that’s just part of the equation, with warehouses also full.

QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod says warehouses are near capacity across the top of the south,

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thanks to the big 2022 vintage and a shift to “just in case” thinking in the wine industry, so that inventory is bottled, stacked and ready to go.

Shipping is more regular than it once was, thanks in part to a big drop in shipping demand as Americans increase travelling and decrease shopping. That means a few nervous shipping lines “which is a significant change from where we were 12 months ago”, says Jaron.

That means if you miss this week’s sailing you’ll get next week’s, “whereas in recent past if you missed this one you might not get another four weeks”, he says, while adding that catching the next week’s vessel is still not a certainty, especially when it comes to exports to Australia.

And QuayConnect still faces “fairly regular” conversations with upset producers, whose wine may not be at market in time for a promotional period. “I understand why the pressure is on, but we are dealing with some unprecedented volumes of wines coming through,” Jaron says. QuayConnect has increased its export packing capacity in Nelson and Blenheim to cater to the increased demand.

Earlier this year QuayConnect, Central Express Limited (CEL), and WineWorks Marlborough announced plans for an inland hub at Riverlands, with 5,000m² of warehousing for storage and packing, and a facility for container operations and storage. Jaron says they are in the design phase, with an expected completion date of January 2024.

Monique Huston at WineWorks

Biosecurity Watch

Grapvine Red Blotch Virus Found In Australia

SOPHIE BADLAND

IN SEPTEMBER 2022, grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) was detected for the first time in Australia, in grapevines in South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. The detections were made during routine screening as opposed to testing symptomatic vines.

Further investigation has revealed this isn’t likely to be a new incursion - the virus has probably been present in Australia for several decades before it was known to science. At this stage, no symptoms or adverse impacts have been associated with the infected vines. The vines are in wine and table grape collections in the three states, and while these collections are used for propagation, there is no evidence that the virus has been spread to commercial nurseries or vineyards.

Authorities are currently gathering the necessary information to determine the best response, and are hopeful eradication is feasible. VineHealth Australia and Australian Grape and Wine are providing advice to growers around testing, and urging growers to maintain good general vineyard hygiene, monitoring and virus management systems.

What is GRBV

GRBV is the causal agent of red blotch disease, which was first observed on Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley in California in 2008 and formally described in 2012. Symptoms are similar to those seen with grapevine leafroll-3 virus infection, so GRBV is thought to have been present much earlier, but remained undetected for quite some time. Since then it has been found widely across commercial vineyards in the USA and detected in commercial vineyards in Canada and Argentina. GRBV has also been found in non-commercial collections in Switzerland, France and Italy. Detections from India, South Korea and Mexico are also recorded with little information on prevalence. GRBV is not known to kill grapevines, but it can decrease the lifespan of a vineyard and can negatively

impact grape and wine quality. It decreases yield and vine vigour and traps sugar in the leaves, causing delayed fruit maturity and lower sugar levels.

Long-distance spread of GRBV tends to occur by movement of infected planting material. In areas where it is widespread and causing economic damage to vineyards, such as in California, an insect vector called the three-cornered alfalfa treehopper is the main culprit. This insect is not present in either New Zealand or Australia. It is currently unknown whether other typical virus vectors such as scale and mealybug may be able to transmit GRBV between vines. On a positive note, it is thought the virus is unable to be spread via vineyard machinery and pruning tools.

Are New Zealand grapevines at risk?

Presently there is a low risk of potential entry to New Zealand, provided people are following the correct procedures for bringing new grapevine germplasm into New Zealand. GRBV is tested for at the border, as part of post-entry quarantine processes for plant material consignments. There is, however, a small risk that GBRV may have entered New Zealand on nursery stock coming into the country before the commencement of quarantine testing in 2013. Prior to this time, little was known about the virus, and it had not been fully described. This made it impossible to test for this virus as part of the quarantine process.

Red blotch in Pinot Noir – image credit Dr. Catia Delmiglio, Ministry for Primary Industries

Symptoms to watch for

The severity of symptoms can vary from year to year. Symptoms generally start to occur in late spring as irregular red blotching in older leaves at the base of the canopy and are variable depending on the grape variety. These red blotches then expand and merge, becoming progressively evident towards the top of the canopy later into autumn. The veins of affected leaves can turn partially or entirely red. Symptoms are typically confused with grapevine leafroll disease; however, the margins of red blotch affected leaves do not roll downward. In white varieties, leaf symptoms appear as irregular chlorotic (yellow) areas that become necrotic (dead) later in the season. Without laboratory testing however, visual diagnosis can be very difficult.

What to do if you suspect red blotch virus

If you suspect you’ve seen a grapevine with red blotch disease, samples should be sent to the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Plant Health Environment Laboratory to confirm diagnosis. This testing is generally free, and the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) biosecurity team (contact biosecurity@nzwine.com) is happy to help organise this for NZW members. Alternatively, the lab can be contacted directly by emailing pathogentesting@mpi.govt.nz. You can also call the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline on 0800 80 99 66 and make a report that way, or use the Find-a-Pest app to send a photo through.

Three cornered alfalfa hoppers – image credit Dr. Cindy Kron, North Coast IPM Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension

Red blotch in Merlot leaves –image credit Dr. Catia Delmiglio, Ministry for Primary Industries

NZW is keeping up to date with the response in Australia and will inform members should the risk to New Zealand increase. An updated fact sheet has also been prepared and is available on the nzwine.com members’ website (nzwine.com/ media/22822/grapevine-red-blotch-virus-fact-sheet.pdf).

Industry News

Sip, sip, hooray!

Marlborough wines took the lion’s share of top spots at the 20th New World Wine Awards, with five of the 12 Champion titles. Mount Riley Marlborough Albariño 2022 won gold and Champion Aromatic at the awards, bringing the company’s medal haul since 2008 up to 19, making it the third most awarded company. Russian Jack Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 won Champion Pinot Gris, while the SOHO Bobby Pinot Noir Marlborough took out both the Champion Pinot Noir and Champion Red Wine of the Show titles. It’s exciting to “see ‘Bobby’ get front and centre with thousands of supermarket shoppers”, says SOHO founder Rachael Carter.

Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022 won Champion Sauvignon for the second time, and brought its gold medal count for that wine up to five. Winemaker Michael Bann says this year’s recognition is particularly appreciated by him and his team after a challenging vintage. “It was one of those years that put our skills to the test and it’s great to see our picking decisions and hard work pay off once again.” Co-chair of Judges Sam Kim (pictured) says this year’s Top 50 list includes many repeat winners from over the competition’s 20-year history. “These are multi-winning wines and wineries that have made the grade time and again, proving their excellence year after year, bottle after bottle. Their achievements are great news for wine-drinkers who are on the lookout for quality and consistency at an affordable price, and well worth a toast.” The Giesen Estate Riesling 2021 took gold in the awards, bringing the wine’s gold medal tally to seven, which is the highest for a wine in the New World Wine Awards so far. The company has been making Riesling for 34 years using Waipara and Marlborough-grown grapes, and chief winemaker Duncan Shouler hopes the win will inspire more winelovers to give Riesling a go. “We work hard each year to get every aspect of this wine just right.”

Autonomous vineyard vehicle

New Zealand-based agritech company Robotics Plus has launched an autonomous vehicle for orchard and vineyard machine tasks, to help address labour shortages. The multi-purpose unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) can be supervised in a fleet of vehicles by a single operator. It uses a combination of vision systems and other technologies to sense the environment, optimise tasks and allow intelligent and targeted application of inputs such as sprays. The first application for the technology is intelligent spraying, with ability to vary the flow rate to ensure spray efficacy whilst reducing inputs. Spray rates and airspeed is controlled in zones and responds as the sprayer moves along rows. roboticsplus.co.nz

Pinot Workshop

Registrations are open for the Southern Pinot Noir Workshop, to be held in Hanmer Springs from January 19 to 22. The 2023 guest speaker is Rebecca Deed, a scientist from the University of Auckland who specialises in wine yeast molecular biology and biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and sensory science to understand the mechanisms behind the formation and impact of key compounds in grape juice and wine. Dr Bruno Fedrizzi – who spoke at the online workshop earlier this year - will also attend to run a tasting on sulphides in Pinot Noir and explain his research work. Event facilitator Lynnette Hudson says the workshop is an “invaluable” opportunity to learn about and discuss topical issues that affect the industry, and to problem solve problematic batches of Pinot Noir with peers, “as well as form relationships and connections”. Register at pinotworkshop.com

Climate change, water and wine

GNS Science is holding a second workshop on impacts and implications of climate change and interactions between water resources, wine making and grape growing. The workshop runs between 9:30am to 1:30pm at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) sensory classroom. 85 Budge Street, Blenheim.

For more information email Nick Cradock-Henry - n.cradock-henry@gns.cri.nz

Blood, Sweat & Beers

The next Blood, Sweat & Beers wine industry mountain bike race is to be held just before the 2023 vintage. “Call it a pre-vintage blow out before we disappear into vineyards and cellars for harvest,” says organiser Matt Mitchell. The event is set for Friday February 3 at Pernod Ricard’s Booker Vineyard, 327 Brancott Road. “With this amount of prior warning there will be no excuses come race day,” says Matt. For more information email matt@marisco.co.nz

Wine Marlborough Advocacy Update

NICCI

ARMOUR

With a new growing season upon us, activity across the region has ramped up as we look towards vintage. The industry is navigating a “new normal” with most of New Zealand’s Covid measures removed and borders re-opened.

Preparation for Vintage 2023 (V23) has been supported by information sharing and discussions facilitated by Wine Marlborough, New Zealand Winegrowers, and Immigration New Zealand. The Accredited Employer Work Visa and Working Holiday Visas are the main pathways for overseas seasonal staff aiming to work V23 in New Zealand. Some additional options for recruiting V23 staff include people on partnership visas, Australian citizens, and of course Marlborough and New Zealand citizens/residents.

Supply of suitable and sufficient seasonal staff remains an ongoing challenge for the wine industry and advocating for the best approach for the industry and wider community is a key part of Wine Marlborough’s advocacy work. This work intersects with developing the Marlborough wine industry’s workforce development plan, which also has a significant focus on the permanent workforce. A workshop on the wine industry workforce is being hosted at the Marlborough Research Centre campus on November 30 and we’d value participation from people and businesses in all areas of the industry.

As we prepare for V23, vintage waste is another topical area. Industry discussions and workshops are being facilitated by Wine Marlborough with participation from Marlborough District Council. While the industry needs to resolve some acute waste challenges experienced last vintage, we must also chart a path toward long-term environmental sustainability, particularly in areas of waste and water. Leadership from within our industry members is essential to long-term sustainability and success. Please contact me or general manager Marcus Pickens if you would like to take an active role in these areas.

Nicci Armour is Wine Marlborough advocacy manager.

CLASSIFIEDS

WINERY EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Sfoggia Plate Filter, Enoveneta Destemmer Crusher, Enoveneta Zeta 250 Pump, Bulldog Racking wands, Cooling Plate, Heat Exchanger, Kiezel Pump, 3Phase leads and full winery lab equipment, used organic French barrels and barrel racks.

VINEYARD EQUIPMENT

Mixer for compost tea, DE, haveny duty, Bubbler for compost tea

Contact: lars@richmondplains.co.nz or 027 448 6666

Te Pūkenga

Primary ITO has become the eighth industry training organisation to become a division of Te Pūkenga subsidiary Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning, which is now the country’s largest on-the-job-training organisation. “Te Pūkenga network now has an unrivalled and unprecedented breadth and depth of on-the-job learning expertise and capability,” says Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning chief executive Toby Beaglehole. “We are excited to share the challenge ahead of providing integrated on-the-job and classroom learning to support learners, employers and communities to gain the skills, knowledge and capabilities that Aotearoa needs now and for the future.”

Primary ITO division director Nigel Philpott says the industries represented are some of biggest employers and exporters in Aotearoa New Zealand. “We’ve taken time to make this transition and will take a lot more time to fully integrate into Te Pūkenga. We really believe in a vision of vocational education where learners can move seamlessly from the classroom to the workplace, to online, and that’s what we’re working for… Over time we’re looking forward to learners around New Zealand getting more and better access to training, whether they’re on a farm in the Chatham Islands, an orchard in Central Otago, or public gardens in Auckland.”

CLASSIFIEDS

GRAPEVINES FOR SALE

Sauvignon Blanc MS on 3309, $7 / vine plus GST

Up to 6000 available Contact Adam McCone 021 539 806 or Email: adam@spyvalley.co.nz

CLASSIFIEDS

WINERY PLANT FOR SALE

Located at Heaphy Vineyard / Nelson

2 tonne Diemme AR23 Wine press with hopper & separate juice tray $35,000 + GST

Enoveneta Zero 433 destemmer $7000 + GST

2 x 960 litre V/C’s with stands (no cooling) $1400 + GST each

2 x 1250 litre fixed tanks with cooling pads $1700 + GST each

7 x white picking bins @ $120 each + GST

10 x double barrel racks @ $100 each + GST

1 x 6000 litre tank with cooling pads $7500 + GST Avery bin scales $1200 + GST

Spadoni 2000 CE Lees and wine filter with full sets of inserts $10,000 + GST

Earth Filter Model DCBL-80 $8000 + GST

MOBILE WINE BOTTLING SERVICE

Vinpro Nelson Ltd has spare capacity at the moment to undertake either bottling at our warehouse in Nelson or for a minimum quantity we can bring our mobile plant to your winery.

Contact Greg Day for further details 021 227 7669 or greg@heaphywine.co.nz

Wine Happenings

FEBRUARY

Logistics for a smarter future

Congratulations to all the Marlborough Wine Show winners!