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The chemistries stomping out grape diseases
UPL crushes Botrytis, powdery mildew
General Manager:
Marcus Pickens 03 577 9299 or 021 831 820 marcus@winemarlborough.nz
Editor:
Bev Doole 021 069 7836 editor@winemarlborough.nz
Marketing and Communications: Sarah Linklater 021 704 733 sarah@winemarlborough.nz
Advertising: Joanna May advertising@winemarlborough.nz
Grape Grower Directors: Andrew Nation nationa@gmail.com
Bryn Cotching breezemere@hotmail.com
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
Drew Ellis drew@mggcoop.co.nz
James Macdonald james@hunters.co.nz
Pierre Vienings pierre.vienings@boosterwinegroup.nz
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From the Editor
GROWING UP in Marlborough in the 1960s and 70s was a very monocultural experience. I got to know some Māori girls playing hockey and working in a shearing gang, but there were very few Pacific Islanders living here, let alone French, Bulgarian or Chilean residents.
That has all changed now, thanks in a large part to the growth of the wine industry. While we may have lost the diversity of sheep, orchards and grain crops in the landscape we have gained a much more multicultural community. There have been a range of wine migrants, including the European vintner families purchasing land and keen to try growing new world wines; British and American romantics dedicated to putting down their roots and planting their dream; and large overseas companies who picked up on the opportunities. As their vines have grown so has the need for labour, with international workers coming in for each vintage and RSE crews from the Pacific and Asia putting the hard yards in on the vineyards.
This growing diversity is reflected among the tamariki of Redwoodtown School who took part in the Welcoming Communities project featured in this month’s cover story. As well as getting creative with welcoming posters to greet this summer’s RSE workers, they’ve found out what life is like for RSE workers at home and the differences they face in Marlborough. Welcoming Communities aims to create a place where everyone feels included, and as their teacher Lucy Smith says: “It’s all about embracing different cultures. It makes for a much more interesting place than when I was growing up in Blenheim.”
As with the nationalities in the wine industry, the original vineyard plantings were diverse, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc and Malbec, alongside Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. But 50 years on that diversity is narrowing down as older vineyards are taken out and in many cases replanted with the money-maker Sauvignon Blanc. Viticulturists Stuart Dudley and David Bullivant provide a guide to vineyard redevelopment on page 12.
We also count down to the trophy announcements for this year’s Marlborough Wine Show. The emphasis is on Sauvignon Blanc, but I’m hoping there will still be room in our future vineyards for a diversity of varietals to keep showing the many flavours of the region.
BEV DOOLE
VANTAGE POINT
Power to the people
Solar panels on the winery roof make even more sense as electricity prices soar
JIM WHITE
RECENT NEWS about spikes in power prices is concerning for all consumers but especially bad for some businesses where the increased costs have led to closures and job losses.
Aotearoa has significant supplies of renewable power, mostly from hydro and geothermal. This is great for our CO2 emissions but this winter has shown that we need to build more generation and resilience into our supply to meet growing demand from transport, homes and industry coupled with irregular rainfall and low hydro lake levels. The Government is turning to imported gas, but we have plenty of free resources from the sun that we can tap into first.
My crash course in solar generation started three years ago, when a building renovation at Cloudy Bay required solar panels for Green Star certification, and I’ve since become a huge supporter for both homes and businesses. The Cloudy Bay solar journey started with the need to install a 50-panel system to power the renovated cellar. This led us to question how many panels could we install if money was no object? It turned out that 754 was the answer and, surprisingly, money wasn’t an object. With the help of a consultant, we learnt about Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), where another company owns and builds a system on your winery, building or land, we just buy all the power it generates. That means no capital cost for the winery or business.
Under our PPA, the company (Greenpeak Energy) designed, installed and manages the solar system. In essence they function as a generator, just like Contact or Meridian. Their infrastructure is hosted on our winery roof and generates power for Cloudy Bay as its sole customer. A set pricing structure for the life of the agreement gives us price security. The only variable is for the price of our surplus electricity that is sold on the spot market to the national grid. In August this price was $0.90/kWh, seventimes the cost of generation, reflecting the price spikes noted previously.
The solar proposal was a no brainer. It came with a small financial risk on exporting surplus power but this was outweighed by the upsides. Benefits include on-site generation, CO2 reductions and a great marketing angle.
We were surprised to be saving money on our monthly electricity bill within 18 months, but it gets even better: we take ownership of the system after 15 years, giving us free electricity from the system for the remaining 10-15 years of panel life. The financial benefits to Cloudy Bay will be worth several million dollars in the long term, and that’s before we consider the positive impacts on the country’s energy security.
Other early adopters of solar panels such as Yealands, Lawson’s Dry Hills and Spy Valley will also be benefiting as we watch the increase in power costs. Those benefits are available to any business, not just wineries, and the price shock of winter 2024 will surely drive more companies to join the solar converts.
Having the winery system sorted and having seen the boom in domestic solar in Australia, I turned my attention to my house. Here the same benefits could be had, just at a smaller scale. Two years into solar ownership, and with some changes in how we use electricity at home, the solar system will be paid off in eight years. Then I’ll continue to reap the benefits for 20+ years. My next mission is a battery, not only providing storage and maximising my use of homegenerated energy but giving us grid independence if the power goes out.
As we look further down the road, continued electrification of cars, trucks and tractors is inevitable. The wine industry uses most of its energy during the six months from November to April, aligning perfectly with the peak solar generation period. The price of panels and batteries are falling every year. For businesses and households the opportunity to benefit from Mother Nature’s power station, the sun, increasingly becomes a no brainer.
Jim White is Technical and Sustainable Development Director at Cloudy Bay Vineyards and chairs the Marlborough Circular Wine Group.
Jim White
The recently released wine industry roadmap to reduce emissions focuses on five key opportunities. Marlborough companies are already on the journey
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
“Our autonomous Oxin machines can combine defoliating, weed spraying and mowing in one pass, greatly reducing tractor use in the vineyard.”
Pernod Ricard Winemakers
MOVE AWAY FROM DIESEL
“It feels good to fill up the company electric car at work, knowing the fuel comes from our winery solar panels.”
Lawson’s Dry Hills
CARBON REMOVAL
“We’re planting 500 hectares of native forest in Wairau Valley as a carbon sink to offset our emissions.”
Whitehaven
VALUE CHAIN INNOVATION
“We’ve reduced our carbon emissions by 45% since 2019, helping our clients to reduce their carbon footprint in packaging.”
WineWorks
NZ Winegrowers Roadmap to Net Zero 2050: www.nzwine.com
DECARBONISE ELECTRICITY
“With more than 200 solar panels on the winery roof, our electricity bill has reduced by 15%.”
Spy Valley
which were 18 GDD greater than the LTA (see Figure 2).
Growing Degree Days:
1 Growing Degree Days (GDD): Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures
2GDD: Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures
3GDD LTA = 1996/97-2023/24
Temperature
The mean temperature of 12.1°C was 0.9°C above the long-term average (LTA) temperature for September. The average daily maximum temperature was 17.5°C (1.3°C above the LTA). The average daily minimum temperature was 6.8°C (0.7°C above the LTA). Subsequently the overall growing degree days (GDD) were 71.4,
Table 2: Weekly weather data during September 2024
The warmest day was 1 September, which recorded a maximum air temperature of 21.3°C. The coldest day was 18 September, which recorded an air minimum temperature of -0.7°C and grass minimum temperature of –3.3°C.
The first two weeks of September recorded very warm temperatures. This was followed by a week of below average maximum and minimum temperatures. The final 9 days of the month were warmer than average.
Frosts
Two ground frosts and 1 air frost were recorded in September.
Sunshine
September recorded 239.1 hours sunshine, 123% of the LTA. September’s average daily sunshine is 6.5 hours and there were 20 days this month that recorded well above this. There were 12 days that recorded more than 10 hours / day (January’s average daily rate is 8.5 hours / day). For the second consecutive month Blenheim has recorded the greatest number of sunshine hours in New Zealand, followed by Napier. Richmond remains the sunshine capital for the January to September period with 1997.8 hours, followed closely by Blenheim with 1996.9 hours.
Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – September 2024
Wind
Rainfall
Average daily wind-run for Blenheim during September 2024 was 286 km, 105% of the LTA of 273.4 km. There were 15 days that exceeded the daily wind-run LTA. The windiest day of the month in Blenheim was 9 September, with 440 km of wind-run. The highest daily wind-run total was 711 km on 10 September 2013.
Soil Moisture and Temperatures
Soil Moisture and Temperatures
September recorded 35.2 mm rain, 67% of the LTA. There were just 5 days that recorded more than 1 mm. 18.8 mm was the month’s highest rainfall event on 16 September. The 9-month rainfall total from January to September 2024 was 363.8 mm, 75% of the LTA. Six of these months were below average. This below average total rainfall is a not too dissimilar from this time last year, which was at 80% of the LTA
Shallow soil moisture (5-35 cm) on 1 September was 39% but by the end of the month this had dropped to 31%. The soil temperatures at all depths recorded above average temperatures. In conjunction with the low monthly rainfall and the high evapotranspiration rates these will have contributed to the drying of the top 5 to 35cm of the soil.
Shallow soil moisture (5-35 cm) on 1 September was 39% but by the end of the month this had dropped to 31%. The soil temperatures at all depths recorded above average temperatures. In conjunction with the low monthly rainfall and the high evapotranspiration rates these will have contributed to the drying of the top 5 to 35cm of the soil.
Aquifer levels
Wind
Aquifer levels
Average daily wind-run for Blenheim during September 2024 was 286 km, 105% of the LTA of 273.4 km. There were 15 days that exceeded the daily wind-run LTA. The windiest day of the month in Blenheim was 9 September, with 440 km of wind-run. The highest daily wind-run total was 711 km on 10 September 2013.
Although irrigation in vineyards has not started yet it is nonetheless an interesting exercise to see how the various wells are tracking compared with their historic levels. The Marlborough District Council monitors 30 well across the district. The hydrological year is from 1 July to 30 June. Last year’s aquifer readings, in most places, were exceedingly low and were within the lowest 20% of values on the graphs. This meant that this current year started off at below average levels.
Although irrigation in vineyards has not started yet it is nonetheless an interesting exercise to see how the various wells are tracking compared with their historic levels. The Marlborough District Council monitors 30 well across the district. The hydrological year is from 1 July to 30 June. Last year’s aquifer readings, in most places, were exceedingly low and were within the lowest 20% of values on the graphs. This meant that this current year started off at below average levels.
Figure 1: Marlborough District Council’s Conder’s Well (#3821/398) readings for 1 July 2023 – 30 June and 1 July 2024 – 1 October 2024
Figure 1: Marlborough District Council’s Conder’s Well (#3821/398) readings for 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024 and 1 July 2024 – 1 October 2024
Figure 1 from the Conder’s Well has both the current year’s readings (shown by the black line) and those for last year (shown by the red line). The yellow segment represents the middle 50% of data and the green is the upper and lower quartiles. This well has readings going back to 1973. This well has been used as it illustrates the Wairau Aquifer’s rate of recharge that comes mainly from the Wairau River. Lower levels in the recharge sector of the aquifer have a flow-on effect to spring flows on the Wairau Plains, such as at Wratts Rd and Spring Creek.
New Growing Season and Growing Degree Days
Figure 1 from the Conder’s Well has both the current year’s readings (shown by the black line) and those for last year (shown by the red line). The yellow segment represents the middle 50% of data and the green is the upper and lower quartiles. This well has readings going back to 1973. This well has been used as it illustrates the Wairau Aquifer’s rate of recharge that comes mainly from the Wairau River. Lower levels in the recharge sector of the aquifer have a flow-on effect to spring flows on the Wairau Plains, such as at Wratts Rd and Spring Creek
Looking at this year’s line, the above average rainfall in August had a positive impact on the readings but September’s lack-lustre amount of rain has seen the well’s level drop back to where it was this time last year. Steady rain in October and November would enable there to be some much needed recharge of the aquifer.
Figure 2 presents the deviation in growing degree days from the long-term average, for the current season during September 2024 and for the previous four seasons from September to December. The black line for the start of the 2024-25 season reflects the very warm temperatures in the first two weeks, followed by the cold 3rd week and then the above average warm last 10 days of the month. These warm temperatures meant that the dates of 50% budburst for Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Sauvignon blanc were the earliest or second earliest that have been recorded as part of the Regional Phenology and VineFacts programme, funded by New Zealand Winegrowers.
Where will the GDD line head over the next 3-months? NIWA is predicting a 55% chance of above average, 40% chance of average and only 5% chance of below average
Where will the GDD line head over the next 3-months? NIWA is predicting a 55% chance of above average, 40% chance of average and only 5% chance of below average temperatures for Marlborough over the whole 3-month period from October to December 2024. With warm seas and predicted northerly offshore winds daytime temperatures could be cooler but nighttime ones warmer. The likely direction of the GDD deviation line from October to December 2024 is likely to be in an upward direction, as has been the case in almost every season over the past ten to fifteen years. However, the high chance of average to above average temperatures doesn’t mean that we won’t get periods when the temperature is below average
temperatures for Marlborough over the whole 3-month period from October to December 2024. With warm seas and predicted northerly offshore winds daytime temperatures could be cooler but nighttime ones warmer. The likely direction of the GDD deviation line from October to December 2024 is likely to be in an upward direction, as has been the case in almost every season over the past ten to fifteen years. However, the high chance of average to above average temperatures doesn’t mean that we won’t get periods when the temperature is below average.
Figure 2: Normalized Growing degree days for Blenheim: days above (+) or below (-) the long-term average for the period 1 September to 31 December
Figure 2: Normalized Growing degree days for Blenheim: days above (+) or below (-) the long-term average for the period 1 September to 31 December
Victoria Raw - Plant & Food Research
Funded by the Marlborough Research Centre
Victoria Raw - Plant & Food Research
Funded by the Marlborough Research Centre
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Out with the old
As original vineyards age, the time has come to replant. Whether filling gaps or starting from scratch, good planning is the key
PENNY WARDLE
THE FIRST Marlborough vineyards were established in the 1970s and amid all the land clearance, field preparation and large-scale planting it would have been hard to imagine ripping out the vines and starting again. Fifty years on, that time has come for more and more winegrowers. Disease, loss of vigour and the need to update varieties are all drivers for the vineyard redevelopment now gathering pace across the plains.
Redevelopment may be a daunting prospect, but it’s an opportunity to reset vineyards to thrive for 25 years or more, say viticulturists Stuart Dudley, consultant at End Point Viticulture and David Bullivant, Marlborough viticulture manager for Babich Wines.
Grapevine Trunk Disease is the main driver of falling vineyard productivity as New Zealand’s original vines age, Stuart says. There are two options: renewing the vineyard (replacing individual plants that are not performing while keeping the infrastructure); or biting the bullet and replanting the whole vineyard (with or without new infrastructure). Total removal and replacement of infrastructure and vines enables owners to consider new vineyard layouts in preparation for future developments, such as increasing use of autonomous vehicles for mowing, mulching, weed spraying and leaf plucking.
For those taking the renewal route, the top priority is to extend vineyard life by removing dead and sick vines then filling the gaps, Stuart says. Replacing 2-3% per year, with two to three years of training through to production, costs about $1200/hectare. “Renewal, if done well, is cheaper. But there often comes a time when total replanting is necessary. With a clean slate, I think you tend to get better responses in production and fruit quality.”
Infrastructure such as posts and irrigation lines are often left in place, “but only do this if it’s in good condition”. Stuart and David were part of a WinePro panel on vineyard redevelopment. The presentation showed the estimated cost for redevelopment that keeps existing infrastructure at $35,000 per ha; and full redevelopment at $70,000 per ha. However, these figures can vary depending on conditions at each property.
When making decisions about redevelopment, Stuart urges growers to “honestly assess drivers of falling profitability including increasing costs, poor production, falling grape quality and returns, growing the wrong grape variety or at the wrong density.” He recommends two, five and 10-year planning for vineyard renewal or replacement.
“Disease prevention is key to successful redevelopment,” he says. Old cordons and trunks are a major source of Grapevine Trunk Disease and must not be piled along fences as this could spread the problem to neighbouring vineyards. Removing as many roots as possible was essential to avoid pest and disease carryover.
As demand for removing vines increases, contractors are getting innovative. Where once vines were ripped out with diggers and burned, some operators now use heavy duty machinery to extract whole plants four rows at a time and shake the dirt off their roots. Also, plant material could be fed into a chipper and taken off-site to compost or convert to biochar.
“Renewal, if done well, is cheaper. But there often comes a time when total replanting is necessary.” Stuart Dudley
Stages of vineyard redevelopment
Vines cut back. Irrigation and wires removed
2. Digger pulls out vines and posts
3. Old vines are chipped for compost
4. Cultivating former vineyard for replanting
5. Irrigation pipe, posts and vine markers laid out 6. Machine-planting new vines
7. Infrastructure in place and new vines growing 8. Vines and grass cover becoming established
“Redevelopment can create a lot of waste but, thankfully, there are now recycling and re-use options,” says Stuart. “A recent vineyard development reused about 40% of wooden posts thanks to repurposing by Repost.” Future Post, which makes posts from recycled plastic, will recycle driplines at no cost for anyone buying their products. Wire can also be collected and recycled into steel.
Once a block is cleared, there is the opportunity to identify any wet patches and improve drainage to avoid stranded machinery and damaged vines in wet harvests, says Stuart. Test soils and apply fertiliser to address any deficiencies. Crushing stones was an option, to avoid future wear and tear on machinery.
“Ground must not be overworked or compacted, and cover crops can be used to build healthy soil.” The first year after planting, vine care was critical to ensure strong growth and avoid stress that could lead to failure or poor performance. “A strong start often carries through to a strong finish,” says Stuart.
David urges people replanting vineyards to start planning early to avoid time pressures later on. “Work backwards from forecast planting dates, contact key contractors and order vines, posts, wire and dripline early.
“There’s a domino effect… if the ripping isn’t done then often cultivation can’t be done, irrigation can’t be done, and everything slides. It’s a big game of Tetris with one piece connected to the next. The planting contractor is the key guy that the whole vortex of the redevelopment world revolves around.”
Even a week’s delay in surveying could bump planting contractors who might then drop a job to the end of their list. If this pushes the start out as late as November, the project might have to be paused until conditions were suitable the following year.
Stages could be leapfrogged if necessary, or alternative approaches taken such as hand-planting with an augur if machinery was not available, or driving a minimum number of posts and completing the job the following season.
“Communication is everything,” David says, suggesting that contractors are taken to the site well ahead of development to get quotes, check they are accurate and identify any obstacles such as stony ground that would hamper pole-driving. Contractors should then be sent monthly reports increasing to fortnightly then weekly, as everything comes together.
David also recommends looking over the fence to see what redevelopment jobs could be shared with other growers in the area. “Scale is king… a contractor doesn’t want to travel from the Awatere to the upper Wairau for 2ha but will for 20ha.”
Te Awanga Estate encompasses some a regular shape
“[Vineyard redevelopment] is a big game of Tetris with one piece connected to the next. The planting contractor is the key guy.” David Bullivant
The popular Te Awanga activities including; the Kidnappers Golf Course.
The land is predominantly 60% in white grapes. back which offers attractive this plateaux is a licensed office, a commercial apartment. There is stunning site on which benefits from a workshop/implement
Te Awanga Estate vineyard winning wines reflecting considered.
Coastal Vineyard Getaway
376 Parkhill Road, Haumoana, Hawke’s Bay
Estate is a picturesque coastal vineyard encompasses some 17.3 hectares of prime viticultural land of shape and dual road access points.
Tender
Awanga location attracts visitors to the area for a myriad of including; the coastal bike trail, popular surf breaks, wineries and Cape Course.
The popular Te Awanga location attracts visitors to the area for a myriad of activities including; the coastal bike trail, popular surf breaks, wineries and Cape Kidnappers Golf Course.
Tender
Closing 4pm, Thursday 7th November 2024 17 Napier Road, Havelock North, New Zealand
Closing 4pm, Thursday 7th November 2024 17 Napier Road, Havelock North New Zealand
The land is predominantly planted in vines with a mix of varietals, including around 60% in white grapes. The property is mostly flat with an elevated plateaux at the back which offers attractive views across the vineyard to the coast. Positioned on this plateaux is a licensed cellar door and function area. This building also houses an office, a commercial kitchen and an upstairs one bedroom, self-contained apartment. There is room to extend the existing facility or alternatively, there is a stunning site on which to build a home with vast coastal views. The property also benefits from a workshop/implement shed of around 85sqm.
predominantly planted in vines with a mix of varietals, including around grapes. The property is mostly flat with an elevated plateaux at the attractive views across the vineyard to the coast. Positioned on licensed cellar door and function area. This building also houses an commercial kitchen and an upstairs one bedroom, self-contained is room to extend the existing facility or alternatively, there is a which to build a home with vast coastal views. The property also workshop/implement shed of around 85sqm.
Te Awanga Estate vineyard is well known for producing quality, multiple award winning wines reflecting the unique Terroir. A lease-back option would also be considered. This picturesque coastal vineyard encompasses some 17.3 hectares of prime viticultural land of a regular shape and dual road access points.
Estate vineyard is well known for producing
Tim Wynne-Lewis +64 27 488 9719
tim.wynne-lewis@bayleys.co.nz
EASTERN
Tim Wynne-Lewis +64 27 488 9719 time.wynne-lewis@bayleys.co.nz
Part of the community
School children get creative in a project to welcome RSE workers
BEV DOOLE
BULA, WELKAM, Talofa lava, Sawasdee, Mālā e lelei, Ko na mauri! Children at four primary schools have been getting creative with a project to welcome summer RSE workers to Marlborough. Their posters representing different countries are going up in worker accommodation and shop windows around Blenheim as part of the Welcoming Communities programme.
Run by Marlborough District Council, Welcoming Communities aims to create a place where everyone feels included and has a sense of belonging, says co-ordinator Heather Barnes: “The poster idea came from Central Otago and helps get the message out about the importance of RSE workers to the community and economy of Marlborough.” Council worked with NZ Ethical Employers, REAP, Vakameasina and Wine Marlborough to make it happen.
“It’s all about embracing different cultures. It makes for a much more interesting place.” Lucy Smith
For Kauri Room (Year 6-7) at Redwoodtown School, the three-week project brings together social sciences, literacy and art. As well as learning greetings in different languages for their posters, they’ve been finding out what life is like for RSE workers at home, and the differences they face in Marlborough. Eleven-year-old Olly-Blenheim discovered that Tonga is one of the first places in the world to experience new year’s day, it has a King, and there are lots of humpback whales. “It’s much colder here than in Tonga, and you can’t grow pineapples or mangoes. I think they will get homesick. It’s not like your whole family comes, it’s only one person so they can earn money and send it back home.”
The project tied in with the class novel Dawn Raid, by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith, about a time when New Zealand was less welcoming. “In the 1970s there were dawn raids by the police to send the Pacific Islanders home,” explains Aylee, 10. “That wasn’t very welcoming when they were just trying to help work in our factories. People now know that wasn’t right, it wasn’t justice. They shouldn’t have been treated like that.” Aylee says things are different now. “We’re trying to welcome the workers to Blenheim and make them feel comfortable here, like showing them how to use a microwave.”
For their teacher Lucy Smith, the Welcoming Communities project highlights how much Marlborough has changed. “My grandparents are from Samoa and Fiji. They moved here in the 1960s, and my father was born in Blenheim. Back then it was very much about fitting in, doing things the kiwi way. The language wasn’t spoken at home, and when I went to Marlborough Girls College there were hardly any Pacific Islanders. Now there’s a really strong Pasifika group, I’d have loved to have something like that when I was a kid.”
Lucy teaches a class made up of many cultures – Samoan, Tongan, Scottish, Māori, Indian, Thai, Myanmarese, Pakeha. “It’s all about embracing different cultures. It makes for a much more interesting place than when I was growing up in Blenheim.”
Welcoming posters also came from Springlands, Wairau Valley and Fairhall schools. RSE leaders from labour contracting companies gathered at Vinepower to pick their favourites and all were impressed by the work to create them. “I liked this poster because it shows what a diverse place Papua New Guinea is, from the Highlands to the Islands, our flag and our food,” says Fabian Ekil Yaiya.
Dhirendra Swami, from Fiji, has been working in Marlborough vineyards since 2006 and proudly received his New Zealand citizenship in August. An RSE superviser with Vinepower, he brought his grandaughter Reyna to see the posters and she chose her favourite because “it shows lots of countries, and it also has a mango and watermelon.”
PHOTO: JIM TANNOCK
Teacher Lucy Smith and Kauri Room tamariki, Redwoodtown School
Favourite posters: RSE workers from Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati and Samoa gathered at Vinepower in Riverlands to help choose the Welcoming Communities posters. (Clockwise from left) Sitiveni Dakunimata, Micah Bulemis, Dhirendra Swami, Rayna Swami, Titus Aloko, Johnson Kagu, Fabian Ekil Yaiya, Maungaunga Tinaua, Iaseto Falanai, Tutu Jack, Liona Junior Taala and Kay Lawrence.
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SUCCESSION PLAN
Opening the new Ormond Nurseries facility, from left, Susie, Frances, Ben and Marcus Wickham
Accidental successors
Marcus and Susie Wickham had no intention of taking over Ormond Nurseries from their parents but innovation and business flair is in their DNA
KAT PICKFORD
“We don’t want to lose that flair of the founder. We are constantly innovating and trying new things.” Susie Wickham
SHARING AN interest in innovation, a nose for opportunity, and a strong work ethic, the second generation of the South Island’s only vineyard nursery are excited to continue the legacy started by their parents almost 50 years ago. Ben and Frances Wickham established Ormond Nurseries as a vegetable seedling and kiwifruit orchard in Ormond, north of Gisborne in 1974. Owning a nursery was a dream come true for Ben, who grew up on a dairy farm in Taranaki with an entrepreneurial spirit and “horticulture in the genes”. In 1977 a neighbour who was planting a vineyard suggested Ben have a go at grafting grapevines. With only one or two nurseries in the country propagating phylloxeraresistant vines at the time Ben, who had never had any interest growing grapes, could sense the opportunity.
“The industry was screaming out for them,” Ben says. “There was lots of trial and error. Grafting rootstock is notoriously difficult, but I’ve never been one to give up easily and it was only through pure obstinacy that I eventually succeeded.” Over the next 15 years, the business grew steadily as new winegrowing regions around the country were established. As demand from Marlborough outpaced other regions, Ben and Frances bought some land near Blenheim with the intention of moving operations and their young family south. But in 1993, disaster struck after a fungal disease spread through their nursery vines, wiping out 95 percent of stock, Frances says. While it was an absolute calamity at the time, in hindsight it was a blessing.
“Up until that point, Ben was everything in the business,” she says. “Our accountant made us realise we needed to document our systems and procedures and hire some quality staff so Ben could work on the business, rather than in it.” After recovering from the disaster that almost put them out of business, they moved to Marlborough in 1995 and over the next decade growth continued as wave after wave of vineyard developments rolled out across the region.
Meanwhile their four children, who weren’t the slightest bit interested in the family business, left home to pursue their own careers. Marcus, who had dreams of being a sheep and beef farmer, studied a bachelor of commercial
PHOTO: LISA DUNCAN
agriculture majoring in farm management at Lincoln University. Seeing the growth of the wine industry, he also completed a post-graduate diploma in viticulture before returning to Marlborough to manage the family vineyard for six months. In 2003 he picked up a job as vineyard manager for New Zealand Wineries, where he helped develop and manage 400ha of new vineyards in the South Island. In 2008 he and his good friend, Nigel George, invented KLIMA, a mechanised vine-pruning system.
Then the global financial crisis hit, and the wine industry was caught in an oversupply situation. Dark days followed with vineyard development ceasing and winery owners going out of business. Vine orders fell off a cliff and by 2010 Ormond Nurseries was fighting for survival. “Before the GFC there were about 35 grapevine nurseries in New Zealand and all but a small handful disappeared in the following years,” Ben says. “We had what we called a $3 million bonfire of all the vines we couldn’t sell.”
Marcus, who had come on board as a shareholder with his wife Samantha a few years before, was a huge ally, he says. “He helped us with some very difficult decisions during that time when we had to let go of staff and break contracts with suppliers.”
Ben
“Marcus helped us with some very difficult decisions [after the GFC] when we had to let go staff and break contracts.” Ben Wickham
Their youngest daughter, Susie, who had been working in the office of the nursery when the GFC hit, was one of the 70-odd staff who suddenly found themselves without work. She decided to follow her interest in business and studied accounting in Auckland, where she picked up work with Lion Breweries. Working her way up, she eventually landed a full-time finance role with Lion, while providing some financial analysis for her parent’s business on the side.
In 2012 Marcus, who wanted to spend more time in Marlborough with his young family, joined Ormond Nurseries part-time, while running the trellising side of KLIMA. In 2013, vine orders started picking up again, bringing the company back from the brink of extinction. By 2016, Ben decided he wanted to step away from running the company, leaving the door open for Marcus, who took on the role on the proviso Susie came on board as chief financial officer. Since then, the pair have continued their parents’ work, with a focus on innovation, building a team, and creating a “grown up” business, capable of weathering
the industry’s volatility. “It’s absolutely incredible what Mum and Dad have done,” Marcus says. “Mum has a very strategic business brain and Dad’s a very instinctual plantsman, but he also carried this whole place on his back for 30-40 years – he’s a human dynamo.”
One of Marcus and Susie’s first projects was to build a new 3,000 sqm processing facility, which enabled them to increase their production capability to two million vines a year, meet biosecurity obligations, and improve production efficiency and staff safety. The facility opened at 13 Rowley Cres this year.
Despite being “accidental” successors, the siblings are proud to continue their parents’ work and excited by the possibilities, Susie says. “It was never our dream to work here, but there are some nephews and nieces in the wings who might want to one day – our job is to look after the business, make sure it’s a great place to work, that it runs well, and attracts and retains quality people and customers.
“Most of all, we don’t want to lose that flair of the founder. We are constantly innovating and trying new stuff, even if things fail, it’s all just part of the journey.”
and Marcus down the Sounds, late 1990s
Early days planting, mid 1990s
The new facility, 2024
SUCCESSION PLAN Guidelines for a smooth family handover
Succession plans all have unique circumstances and need to be tailored to your family and business situation, but here are some general principles:
Know what success looks like – While it may sound obvious, often you’ll find yourself too busy in the whirlwind of daily activity to develop a clear picture of what you want out of the process. Take time to understand what you want to happen to the business, how soon, and what your legacy is going to be.
Assemble a transition team – Get your advisors (including lawyer, banker and accountant) lined up and working with you to develop the succession plan. It shouldn’t be kept secret.
Independent facilitation – Having an independent party with no other interest involved reduces the heat in what can be a highly emotional process. Their key role is to bring parties together and have a structure to guide everybody to a fair and equitable result.
Involve all relevant stakeholders – That includes both the outgoing and incoming generations and sometimes also the prior generation that passed the business on to the current owners. There may be children already working in the business and those off doing other things. Plus there are the spouses/partners of family members to be considered. There are a lot of needs to manage.
Give people their voice – Family dynamics that are set in childhood often extend into adulthood. Past power imbalances can make people feel marginalised if not handled carefully. Ensure everybody has the chance to have their say as fairly as possible.
Don’t assume the result – The traditional practice of passing the business down through the generations may not be the best result. Remain open to different options that may better suit the ongoing needs of everyone involved.
Agree and document the plan – If you’re going to the effort of doing the above, ensure that the plan is clearly documented and states what is intended to happen and by when. There will be bumps and changes along the way but with a plan your intent becomes tangible. Now it just needs to be put into action.
Andrew Martin (Marty) is a certified Exit Planning Advisor and the regional lead for Strategic Specialists Group. He presented on succession planning at WinePRO, sponsored by Bayleys, and can be contacted at info@strategicspecialists.co.nz
ANDREW MARTIN
Andrew Martin
A buzz in the air
Wine scientist Dion Mundy has a sweet side hustle
SOPHIE PREECE
WHEN PLANT & Food Research senior scientist Dion Mundy is with his beloved bees, he switches off all thoughts of grapevine trunk disease, botrytis and powdery mildew and focuses entirely on his sweet side hustle. “When you’re in the beehive you don’t answer your phone,” says the president of Marlborough’s Beekeepers Association and tutor for Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology’s apiarist course. “You’re 100% with the bees. If you’re not with the bees, the bees soon tell you about it.”
In his day job Dion can be found scanning fence lines for uncovered vine wood, advising growers on grapevine trunk disease, growing spores in his lab, and writing research papers with scientists in California and Australia. But as spring emerges, he also has an eye out for wild bee swarms in vineyards, ready to don his white suit and helmet if he’s needed. “Swarms in vineyards are much easier than swarms in people’s gardens because grape vines are quite low and they’re easy to shake into a box,” he says. “I have far too many photos of swarms I’ve collected.”
“You’re 100% with the bees. If you’re not with the bees, the bees soon tell you about it.” Dion Mundy
Dion grew up on a farm and market garden in Canterbury which transformed into St Helena Estate in 1978, exposing him to vineyard work from the age of three. He loved biology and plants and went on to study for a Master of Science at Canterbury University, before getting his “dream job” at Plant & Food Research in Blenheim. He explores diseases in New Zealand vines, from seasonal lurgies like botrytis and powdery mildew, to the mammoth issue of grapevine trunk disease, with its insidious creep through Marlborough’s ageing Sauvignon Blanc blocks. “I’m a grower’s son and like to do things that help the industry.”
Having grown up asking questions of everyone around him, he loves that his work pays him to do just that, while also answering questions from grape growers, who are typically open to learning about vineyard diseases and adopting best practice to mitigate their impact. “You see that when you travel internationally. New Zealand implements research really quickly and we see real impact.”
This winter the most common question has been about the disposal of infected trunks, and whether they can be
chipped and composted, instead of burning. Dion says new research from Plant & Food Research in Hawke’s Bay has looked at disposal of plant pathogens across a variety of crops, including vineyards, and none survived commercial composting at temperatures of 60C for a week. “But even the chipping means it breaks down faster and it’s not going to be an inoculum year on year.” In Marlborough this winter some people trialled chipping and burying diseased wood, which keeps it away from the air and rain required for spore release, he says. “The worst thing I see is a big pile along a fence line and every time it rains it releases spores. At the very least the piles should be covered.”
His beekeeping began when his family moved to a lifestyle block 12 years ago and wanted to boost pollination of their trees. Now they get great fruit as well as 200 litres of honey a year. The work is “pure science”, he says. “It’s all about sugars and dehydration. It’s all about the plants and the seasonality. Every year is different.”
Meanwhile, during this interview, I’ve learned about the explosive death of the drone as it mates “on the air”, with a snapping sound evidence of its success with the queen bee. Something I’ll keep in mind the next time someone discusses the birds and the bees.
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Call of the outdoors
“We do as much as we can to manage the risks, but ultimately we’re at the whim of Mother Nature.” Wiremu Matthews
Young supermarket worker Wiremu Matthews was looking for a change, and he found it in Marlborough’s vineyards
KAT PICKFORD
WHAT BEGAN as a short trip to Marlborough to attend a family wedding 20 years ago, resulted in the start of a new chapter for Wiremu Matthews when he promptly fell for the outdoors lifestyle that the region is renowned for.
Wiremu, who had grown up in Southland and moved with his mother to Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory when he was 12, had been working in a supermarket before flying to Marlborough to celebrate his father’s wedding.
After the long hours spent working indoors, the 19-yearold took the opportunity to try something different: working for his dad’s wife, who had a vineyard contracting business. “I really enjoyed being outside, the physicality of the work, and meeting people from all over the world. Home must have been calling because I ended up staying and I haven’t left.” He started out doing the usual summer jobs in the vineyard – wire lifting, bud rubbing and canopy thinning. Then he got into apple and cherry picking in the lull before harvest. After a couple of years working as a horticultural contract labourer, he picked up a casual winter job at Jackson Estate, which led to a permanent vineyard assistant gig, then a machine operator role in 2008. “Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the pioneers of viticulture in Marlborough, such as Geoff Woollcombe
who was involved in the development of Jackson Estate’s vineyards in 1988 and only stepped down as viticulturist in 2018.” After more than a decade in the industry, Wiremu decided to fortify his practical knowledge and skills, studying Levels 3 and 4 in Horticulture through the Industry Training Organisation in 2019.
The next year, while juggling parenthood and part-time study with his full-time role, he was promoted to vineyard manager, responsible for Jackson Estate’s 50 hectares of vines. The early flowering, combined with a -3C frost in September that year was a baptism by fire, he says.
“On the Homestead Block on Jackson’s Road, frost is rarely an issue, with a natural katabatic wind pushing all the cold air out to sea,” Wiremu says. “Like everyone, we’d been watching the forecast, and we weren’t expecting it to get as cold as it did. I was up all night watching the temperature gauge and when it dropped 10C in an hour and was dead calm, my stomach dropped too.” As a result of the frost yield was reduced by half compared to the previous year, he says. “That’s horticulture for you, we do as much as we can to manage the risks, but ultimately we’re at the whim of Mother Nature.” Another challenge was managing the rising cost of vineyard labour, driven by ever-increasing demand with vineyard development, he says. “Winter pruning is our single biggest operating cost, so we’ve been running trials in the vineyard, looking at how vine health and productivity compares with various pruning techniques in an effort to become more efficient and reduce that pressure.”
Despite the hurdles, seeing the finished result in the winery each year was immensely satisfying.
“Vintage is my favourite time of year, I love helping out in the winery. One of the advantages of working for a small company is being able to see the process through, from the vineyard to the end.”
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Cirro fights copycat label
Warning for exporters as winery takes legal action in China
BEV DOOLE
A SMALL Marlborough winery is fighting to have illegal copies of its wine removed from the Chinese market. David Tyney, owner and chief winemaker at Cirro Wines, says the imposter wine uses the same visual design as his label, but has a French name and contains Spanish wine.
“Anyone exporting needs to make sure they have legal protections in place for their brand.” David Tyney
He believes Cirro is the first New Zealand wine company to have illegal copies found in the Chinese market. Cirro’s Chinese representative was alerted by the distributor of Penfolds, an Australian company also targeted by Chinese scammers. David says Cirro has legal protection in the Chinese market and is taking legal action against both the Chinese distributors and the Spanish producer.
Sarah Wilson, general manager advocacy and general counsel for NZ Winegrowers, says legal protection could be through trademarks and/or copyright, depending on what is being protected. She points to a 2019 example, when a single company applied to trademark hundreds of New Zealand wine terms in China (including a mix of brand names and some geographical terms). “While many of these applications were ultimately unsuccessful, our recommendation at that time was that brand owners should consider whether to file their own trademark applications to avoid being targeted by trademark pirates in future.”
Sarah says wineries should consider seeking advice from a specialist intellectual property lawyer as the risks and strategies may vary by market. For example, some
countries will recognise trademarks based on the concept of “first to file” (protection goes to whoever files an application first), but others will give some priority to the first user of a brand.
“The best strategy in some cases may be a defensive one –getting your brand protected before somebody else does,” Sarah says.
Cirro’s label design is based on a friend’s charcoal brush artwork, depicting the clouds above the company’s Marlborough vineyards. While the copying of their wine is upsetting, he says it’s also a sign of their success in the Chinese market. “I’ve been working in China for 10 years and we have a good history selling wine into China.”
David says the company has protections in place and is working to enhance these with tracking systems built into their labels. “While this is the first time we know of a New Zealand wine being copied in the Chinese market, there have been copies and misleading products in European and other markets. Anyone exporting to any market around the world needs to make sure they have legal protections in place for their brand and other products,” he says.
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Lining up for gold?
After an outstanding harvest, there’s keen interest in the 2024 Marlborough Wine Show entries
BEV DOOLE
WITH MORE than 500 entries received for this month’s Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, chief judge Stu Marfell is particularly interested in tasting the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc after the outstanding harvest. “Most of the entries are Sauvignon Blanc and I’m really looking forward to tasting the 2024s. There’s no cap on the number of medals awarded, it’s all on merit, so if the wine is great it will be awarded. With it being a very strong vintage I’m hoping we will get a lot of gold medals coming through.”
He is also curious to see how the large number of 2023 Sauvignon Blanc entries are evolving. “I expect lot of those will still be very strong and if a medal helps give consumers
confidence that they’re getting a great wine, that’s helpful for the producers too.”
There are seven sections in this year’s show: Single Vineyard, Organic, Low Alcohol, Wairau, Southern Valleys, Awatere and South, and the Legacy Award. The Legacy trophy is awarded to the producer with the highest score for three vintages across 10 years for any wine under the same brand and variety. “The Legacy class is a great way of showing our guest judges the depth and quality that we have in Marlborough.”
Stu says the show is also an opportunity for winemaking and viticultural teams to get recognition for their work, and celebrate together. All trophy winners will be announced at the Long Lunch Celebration, when the wider industry gets to toast their success too.
The Marlborough Wine Show Long Lunch Celebration, October 18, Pernod Ricard Function Centre, Riverlands. $140 per ticket + GST. www.marlboroughwineshow.com
Wine Show Long Lunch Celebration
I'VE BEEN THINKING
Problem solving
Members of the Marlborough Winegrowers Board share their thoughts
MICHIEL
ERADUS, grape grower representative, owner of Eradus Wines and Vinecraft Ltd.
Reading the Industry Outlook in September’s Winepress struck a chord with me. We are in uncertain times and people want answers, but before you can look for answers you need to identify what the actual problem is.
The Industry Outlook clearly stated the problem facing our industry – we have plenty of supply at the moment (about 50 million litres of 2023 wine is still in tank) and demand has softened. Wineries can see for themselves how they’re trending. Based on what we’re going to be able to sell as an industry what is that going to mean for the size of the crop we ideally harvest next year?
Those key bits of information need to be collated and presented to the industry, by our governing bodies, so we can see what we’re facing and can feed the conversations between companies and growers. Wineries are worried because they still have stock they need to sell, and that
Michiel Eradus
becomes a concern for the growers because up until now they’ve been able to sell all their grapes. So let’s look at where we are, based on the information that is available, and those numbers can allow us to make assumptions about other numbers such as what tonnages harvested for 2025 would be sensible.
History tells us there is light at the end of the tunnel, even though when you’re in the tunnel and you can’t see the light, it’s scary. But those of us who were here in 2008 know that feeling, and we climbed out the other end of it.
BIOSECURITY WATCH
Track and trace for vines
The Grafted Grapevine Standard helps reassure growers about the provenance and health of their new vines
JIM HERDMAN
THE NEW ZEALAND wine industry is renowned for its quality and innovation, but maintaining these high standards involves more than just skilled viticulture and winemaking. It requires rigorous biosecurity measures to protect vineyards from invasive pests and diseases. NZ Winegrowers advocates for integrating traceability into standard operating procedures and biosecurity plans to safeguard the industry. This approach is critical for identifying, managing, and eradicating biosecurity threats swiftly and effectively.
Traceability is the cornerstone of a robust biosecurity strategy. When an invasive pest or disease is detected, immediate access to comprehensive records can mean the difference between containment and widespread infestation. Traceability involves documenting the movement of machinery, equipment, and biological materials in and out of a vineyard. These records should include dates, names, contact details, batch or serial
numbers, and the previous and subsequent locations of these resources. These sorts of tasks can be automated using electronic tracing apps or GPS tracking.
This level of detail enables vineyard managers to track the potential pathways of a biosecurity threat, tracing its origin and spread. Without such diligent record-keeping, significant time and resources may be wasted trying to reconstruct these pathways after an incursion is detected. The delay in response can exacerbate the spread of the threat, complicating eradication efforts and potentially causing extensive damage to the vineyard and beyond.
The Grafted Grapevine Standard (GGS)
One effective method to enhance traceability is to use vines certified to the Grafted Grapevine Standard (GGS). Developed by NZ Winegrowers in 2006, the GGS ensures that grafted grapevines meet specific standards, offering assurances to growers, viticulturists and winemakers about the quality and authenticity of their vines. This certification involves rigorous testing and documentation, making it a powerful biosecurity tool. The GGS requires that rootstock and scion material undergo either ampelographic or DNA testing to verify their varietal authenticity. Approved laboratories conduct these tests. Additionally, all mother vines used for grafting are tested for the grapevine leafrollassociated virus-3 (GLRaV-3). Any vines testing positive are removed from production.
The GGS integrates traceability throughout the grapevine production process. Key requirements include:
• Planting maps showing the location of individual mother plants
• Nursery planting maps
Vines are labelled throughout each stage of production
• Labels attached to vine bundles at each stage of production
• Records of batch sales
• Reconciliation records for each batch
These requirements create an unbroken chain of custody from the original mother plants to the boxed grafted vines ready for dispatch. This chain of custody is critical for identifying and addressing any issues that may arise during production. Throughout production, scion, rootstock, and grafted material are labelled at every stage, ensuring they can be traced back to their mother plants. If any material tests positive for GLRaV-3, the mother plants and any other material derived from them can be quickly located for testing and/or destruction. This prevents the spread of the virus, helping nurseries to remove any infected vines from their stock and protect the broader industry.
The improved traceability offered by the GGS provides several benefits. If health issues are apparent in new vines, the chain of custody can be quickly established to help investigations. Removing mother vines that do not meet virus-testing requirements decreases the incidence of GLRaV-3. True-to-type testing ensures that misidentification errors can be traced, protecting other growers who may have received vines from the same mother plant. The GGS is independently audited to ensure compliance. Auditors must be able to trace each graft lot back to its parent plants, verifying that the chain of custody has been maintained throughout the production process.
Practical Steps for Traceability in Vineyards
Vineyard managers are advised to implement traceability measures to establish and maintain records of new vine plantings. Documenting where vines come from, when they are planted, and their specific locations within the vineyard is recommended best practice. If issues such as disease, poor performance or high mortality arise, these records allow for a quick and effective investigation and response.
Growers should plant each graft lot or batch separately and create an “actual planted” vineyard map, noting
location of each lot or batch’s first and last vine. For replacing vines in an established vineyard, use a spreadsheet or GPS point data to record the location of new vines and the associated batch or lot numbers. This practice ensures that if performance issues emerge later, the source of the problem can be identified swiftly and accurately.
NZ Winegrowers recommends that growers purchase only GGS-certified vines and maintain thorough records of their plantings. By continuing the chain of custody beyond the nursery, growers can ensure a much more effective response and investigation into any issues that may arise in the future. This proactive approach to traceability and biosecurity is essential for protecting New Zealand’s vineyards and maintaining the high standards of its wine industry.
An updated version of the Grafted Grapevine Standard Version 4.1 applies from 1st July 2024. nzwine.com/en/ sustainability/biosecurity/grafted-grapevine-standard/
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The plan to convert the former Clubs of Marlborough building into a wine and food hub is gaining momentum, with the developer seeking Letters of Intent from potential exhibitors. “We’ve had enough of a response from the wine industry for us to have confidence to keep moving forward with the project,” says Nic Smith, managing director of Alfred Taylor Development. The company has established a new entity, The Marlborough Wine and Food Experience Ltd, and employed Ruth Church as sales and marketing manager. “Ruth is reaching out and druming up interest and potential exhibitors to get involved with stands and booths and we’re starting to get some buy-in, which is great.”
Exhibitor areas range from $6,500 - $30,000 a year, and include all operating expenses and self-discovery software, which enables wineries to leverage off their existing websites, marketing and booking capababilities and build connections with others. “The booth concept is very flexible and we’re open to making that work for either a single company or groups of companies. Teaming up with other wineries is definitely an option,” Nic says. “We’re not looking for any financial support at this point. The whole point of a company providing a Letter of Intent is to show their commitment. It means they’re involved from the very start helping to plan and have input into the project.” The floor plan is expected to be finalised this month, and the Marlborough Wine and Food Experience is aiming to open its doors at the end of summer.
For more information contact Ruth Church ruth@experiencemarlboroughnz.com Ph. 027 534 9176
Code of practice for bulk wine exports
New Zealand Winegrowers is reviewing the code of practice for exporting bulk wine and is keen to hear from members. The Code of Practice for the Export of Unpackaged NZ Wine is a voluntary document, based on the principle that wine packaged overseas should meet the same standards as wine packaged in New Zealand. It has technical information, such as how to load unpackaged wine to minimise risk to the product, as well as additional measures to strengthen traceability of wine once it leaves New Zealand.
“The Code has been in effect for the 2024 Vintage, so now is a good opportunity to get feedback on how it has worked in practice, as well as any general feedback you may have,” says Anna Cameron, senior legal counsel for NZ Winegrowers. So far there are 14 signatories to the code, representing approximately 30% of bulk wine exports (based on JYE 2023 export data). NZ Winegrowers is encouraging members to sign up to the voluntary code, which was approved in June 2023. A consultation document on nzwine.com/members/advocacy/ sets out background to the code as well as a list of questions to guide feedback. All comments are welcome, please send to anna.cameron@nzwine.com by October 11. [An article in the September Winepress reported that the code was still being worked on. We apologise for the error.]
INDUSTRY NEWS
Top Young Viticulturist and Winemaker
Nina Downer from Felton Road in Central Otago has been crowned the 2024 Young Viticulturist of the Year and Georgia Mehlhopt from Greystone Wines in North Canterbury is the 2024 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year. For the first time both national finals were held during the same week in August and the winners announced at the Altogether Unique 2024 wine industry celebration in Wellington. Anna Kelland from Constellation Brands in Marlborough was runner-up for the Young Viticulturist title and took first place in the National Final Report and Presentation section, and the Wine Tasting and Knowledge section. It was the first year Anna had taken part in the competition. Katie Cameron from Ata Rangi was named runner-up Young Winemaker.
“It’s exciting to see so many talented future leaders coming through in both winemaking and viticulture,” says Nicky Grandorge, leadership and communities manager at New Zealand Winegrowers. “They are very ambitious, and
Nina Downer (left), and Georgia Mehlhopt
Anna Kelland, Constellation Brands
INDUSTRY NEWS
Board election results
There has been one change to the Marlborough Winegrowers Board of Directors following this year’s election. Pierre Vienings from Booster Wine Group is the new wine company representative. He replaces Jamie Marfell, who did not seek re-election. Originally from Stellenbosch, South Africa, Pierre is the Marlborough Winemaker for Booster Wine Group based at Awatere River winery. The five sitting members up for re-election were Beth Forrest, James Macdonald, Damien Yvon, Nigel Sowman and Michiel Eradus and all were voted in for another term. The full board is: Grape grower representatives - Andrew Nation, Bryn Cotching, Michiel Eradus, Nigel Sowman and Tracy Johnston. Wine company representatives - Beth Forrest, Damien Yvon, Drew Ellis, James Macdonald and Pierre Vienings. The Marlborough Winegrowers Board sets the strategic direction for Wine Marlborough. The first meeting of the new board is on November 1.
CLASSIFIEDS
For sale Vintage 2025 and beyond approx 65t (4.6ha) Sauvignon Blanc and 16t (1.5ha) Chardonnay (clone 2/23) grapes available from a Conders Bend, Renwick vineyard. Company that we have previously supplied have decided not to exercise their option to extend the contract.
For further details please contact: David Day Tylers Creek Vineyard, email davidtylerscreek@actrix.co.nz or Tel 027 279 7284
Small winery closing in Nelson. All equipment for sale or lease. All reasonable offers considered. Contact Gary 021 166 3036
Sauvignon Blanc fruit available for 2025 vintage and beyond. 60ha located mid Marama Road, Seddon Available in smaller blocks to suit. Contact Andy 027 975 6350
Dripline Recycling Programme
Sustainably recycle your end-of-life dripline into posts for use in vineyards and farms
Purchase Rivulis industry leading dripline for your replacement programme and receive a pre-paid voucher* to recycle any brand of dripline at Future Post’s facility in Blenheim.
* Conditions apply. Please ask your local irrigation reseller for further details.
To find your local dealer contact Water Supply Products: Auckland: 09-916 0094 Christchurch: 03-348 1293 wsp@watersupply.co.nz www.watersupply.co.nz
Pierre Vienings
WINE HAPPENINGS
A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry.
To have your event included in the November 2024 Wine Happenings, please email details to editor@winemarlborough.nz by October 20. For more information, go to the website supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz
OCTOBER
5 NZ Cheese Festival at Clos Henri (closhenri.com)
6 Entries close for Port Marlborough Marlborough Environment Awards (mea-nz.com)
9 Marlborough Wine Show Results (marlboroughwineshow.com)
15 ‘Keeping It Fresh’ Technical Workshop (nzsvo.org.nz/technical-workshops/fresh)
16 Vines Village monthly market (marlboroughnz.com/events/vines-village-monthly-market)
18 Marlborough Wine Show long lunch celebration and trophies (marlboroughwineshow.com)
21 NZ Wine Centre, Research Snapshots (marlboroughwinenz.com/industry-events)
NOVEMBER
6 Marlborough Winegrowers Association AGM, 4pm, Bragato Research Institute boardroom
20 Vines Village monthly market (marlboroughnz.com/events/vines-village-monthly-market)
23 Savour in the Park festival, Pollard Park (savourmarlborough.co.nz)
25 NZ Wine Centre, Research Snapshots (marlboroughwinenz.com/industry-events)
DECEMBER
3 Blind wine tasting challenge, Fidelo Wine Bar (fidelio.co.nz/up-coming)
18 Vines Village monthly market (marlboroughnz.com/events/vines-village-monthly-market)
Savour in the Park - Nov 23
Vines Village Market - Dec 18
We keep you growing
Visit us at our purpose built building at the Riverlands Truckstop, 3535 State Highway 1, just out of Blenheim .
Our experienced team now have a state-ofthe-art workshop to ensure your gear is always ready to work hard for you when you need it. Does that Silvan Sprayer need a service? We do sprayers, to tractors, right through to construction equipment. Give us a call or drop in, we service most makes and models and can have most parts for you in under 48 hours. Make sure your equipment is ready to work as hard as you do.
Fertigation o ers ease and e ciency
YaraTera is a complete range of water-soluble fertilizers, comprising of Krista straights and Kristalon NPK’s, each with di erent nutrient ratios designed to meet plant needs at di erent growth stages.
Bene ts of fertigation:
• Nutrients applied directly to the root zone via drippers, sprinklers or pivots.
• Ability to apply precisely controlled nutrients at any time during the growing season based on crop needs.
• Well-designed injection systems are simple to use, suit automation and are easy to monitor.
• Over 30 years of agronomy expertise, experience, and grower results in the New Zealand market.
Talk with your local Fruitfed Supplies Technical Horticultural Representative for more details on Yara fertigation solutions for your horticultural crop.
