Winepress THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WINE MARLBOROUGH
ISSUE NO. 310/ OCTOBER 2020
WINE FESTIVAL
YOUNG WINEMAKER
LABOUR COLLABORATION
GOOD BOROUGH
Photo: Jim Tannock
wine-marlborough.co.nz
BAYLEYS
Marlborough
496 Haldons Road, Seddon
Significant bare land vineyard development
Tender
496 Haldons Road offers unique opportunity to invest in a significant slice of the Marlborough wine industry. This rare 100-hectare block of land with its heart being A+ fully consented 2S0,000 cube dam offering enough water for potentially one and half - two years of irrigation for grapes. The property has a sunny northern facing aspect combined with excellent Warrick soils suitable for growing of quality Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris both of which are in high demand in the current market.
Mike Poff 027 6655 477 mike.poff@bayleys.co.nz
Closing 12pm, Wednesday 4th November 2020 33 Seymour Street, Blenheim
BE MARLBOROUGH LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
There are 55-65 hectares of the property which are flat with good aspect seen as turn key to develop with long flat runs making excellent utilization of the land. There are also 45-35 hectares that would be classified as rolling/undulating grape land. There are other blocks with in this area of the Awatere Valley that would be comparable are yielding solidly around the 14-16 tonne to the hectare level with Sauvignon Blanc. Fruit quality would be of a premium nature and very distinctively Awatere in style which is extremely popular with many wineries that are actively seeking fruit. The excellent size of the total land area and the dam adds significant value to this property in the current market when there are limited options for large viticulture development investments in the ever-tightening of fruit supply within the Marlborough wine industry. The water supply and consent offers a unique opportunity to massively reduce risk when considering the long term viability of this site. For further enquiries or to view this property please call Mike Poff 027 6655 477. (NB: to be sold plus GST if any) bayleys.co.nz/4133969
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li = Mi!4-JI bayleys.co.nz
12 12
this issue...
REGULARS
FEATURES
3 4 6
12
Editorial - Sophie Preece
From The Board - Tom Trolove TasmanCrop Met Report Rob Agnew
28 30 32
Forgotten Corners Environment Grant
34 36
Industry News
A nursery, a winery and a viticulture company are working together to help resolve their labour issues, by taking interns from vine to wine.
24 Whale Trail to Wine
Wine Happenings
Cover: A slice of Marlborough on show with Borough, a wine label created to support the Graeme Dingle Foundation in Marlborough. Photo Jim Tannock. Page 18
18
16 Labour Collaboration
Pioneer - Wine Heritage Trail Biosecurity Watch Sophie Badland
Young Winemaker Matua winemaker Peter Russell is the 2020 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker, having competed against seven other passionate and talented young winemakers last month.
The Government’s $18 million funding for a cycle way from Picton to KaikĹ?ura could have great spinoffs for Marlborough wine companies.
24
26 Winery Shake up
Two major earthquakes in the past seven years have changed the way insurers approach the wine industry.
Winepress October 2020 / 1
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General Manager: Marcus Pickens 03 577 9299 marcus@winemarlborough.nz Editor: Sophie Preece 027 308 4455 sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz Advertising and Subscriptions: Sarah Linklater 021 704 733 sarah@winemarlborough.nz Wine Marlborough Board: Anna Laugesen Anna.laugesen@xtra.co.nz Ben Ensor ben@mcdonaldtextiles.co.nz Beth Forrest Beth@forrest.co.nz Callum Linklater callum@csviticulture.co.nz Gus Altschwager gus@akwines.net Jamie Marfell Jamie.Marfell@pernod-ricard.com Kirsty Harkness kirsty@mountbase.co.nz Nick Entwistle nick@wairauriverwines.com Tom Trolove (Chair) tom.trolove@framingham.co.nz Tracy Johnston Tracy@dayvinleigh.co.nz Designed by: Blenheim Print Ltd 03 578 1322 Disclaimer: The views and articles that are
expressed and appear in Winepress are entirely those of contributors and in no way reflect the policy of the Marlborough Winegrowers. Any advice given, implied or suggested should be considered on its merits, and no responsibility can be taken for problems arising from the use of such information. This document is printed on an environmentally responsible paper, produced using elemental chlorine free (EFC), third party pulp from responsible sources, manufactured under the strict ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and is 100% Recyclable.
From the Editor “THE BIG fridge opened its door,” said chopper operator Neal Andrews, after an Antarctic blast threatened Marlborough vines on the last day of September. Around 100 helicopters flew from midnight to 7am on September 30, “which would have been a lot less than were required to protect all vineyards, I would think,” said Plant and Food Research weather guru Rob Agnew the morning after, having recorded temperatures of -1C and -2C around the region, at weather stations that sit at 1.5 metres, which is warmer than canopy height. The cold snap caused more concern than a spring storm normally might, because early budburst means Sauvignon Blanc vines were vulnerable, he said. “There would have been very few blocks in Marlborough last night which didn’t have some green tissue. Often at the end of September there would have been a lot less growth.” However, Wither Hills viticulturist Sarah Kirkwood said the frost wasn’t as bad as they’d expected, with temperatures above the -3C she’d feared. Choppers flew over the company’s Rarangi and town vineyards from midnight to 7am, protecting the Chardonnay and Pinot typically out at this time of year, as well as early-burst Sauvignon Blanc. Cloudy Bay’s Jim White said the company’s vines were well protected by choppers and wind machines, apart from some “sacrificial lambs”. Driving around later that day, he said the company’s blocks looked to have fared well, but there appeared to be damage in some pockets around the region. Neal, owner of Precision Helicopters New Zealand Ltd, said a good forecast made all the difference and allowed the company time to source machines from across the country. There was also a decent inversion layer, with temperatures between zero and 2C, “which is good to work with”, he said. “I think the vineyards that had helicopter cover will be quietly relieved.” Marlborough’s wine industry is used to weathering storms and emerging more resilient and innovative than ever. It’s worked its way through phylloxera outbreaks, the wine glut and Global Financial Crisis, as well as winery-shaking earthquakes in 2013 and 2016 (pg 26). Now it’s dealing with a more insidious threat, and the challenges of Covid seem relentless. But so too is the ability of the industry to adjust and adapt. Wineries and vineyards managed a socially distanced 2020 vintage under rigorous lockdown rules - and did so with excellence. Now those wines are being judged and adored, with several wineries proclaiming one of best Sauvignon seasons they’ve seen. “The resulting wines bristle with energy, purity and precision,” says Whitehaven’s chief winemaker Peter Jackson on page 21. As vintage 2021 looms with closed borders, companies are employing new strategies to recruit, train and retain a Kiwi workforce. That includes a new collaboration between three companies (pg 16) to employ interns across their businesses, essentially transforming seasonal work into consistent employment for those impacted by Covid-related job losses. It’s an innovation that serves companies and Kiwis, and the perfect illustration of necessity creating positive change. And speaking of positive changes, Covid has also provided impetus for another collaboration, with the Borough wine label established to raise funds for the Graeme Dingle Foundation, to support the work it does in Marlborough schools. To read about that amazing effort for good, go to page 18. SOPHIE PREECE Winepress October 2020 / 3
PROTECT
From the Board Festival cancelled to safeguard harvest TOM TROLOVE
LAST MONTH the Marlborough Winegrowers board decided to cancel the 2021 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, for the first time in the event’s 36-year history. We’re all getting used to historic ‘firsts’ we’d rather not have contemplated, with borders closed for the first time in New Zealand’s history, the previously alien (now alarmingly familiar) notion of Alert Levels, and of course a 2020 socially distanced vintage that was like no other. The wine industry has adapted readily to each and every one of these firsts, and so it has been with the cancellation of the festival, receiving the announcement with acceptance, and indeed support. We love holding a festival that brings people from New Zealand and abroad to Marlborough, to celebrate our wine and food and people and places. We love that it boosts visitor spending and promotes our region and its wine, and we relish the opportunity to come together just before vintage to celebrate our industry and its marvellous product. But we also know that Wine Marlborough’s members – the people and companies we represent – are the 500 grape growers and 150-odd wine companies of Marlborough. And they cannot afford the risk of bringing 8,000 people into close contact for an entire day, on the cusp of the harvest we all rely on. When you frame the festival in that light, it becomes very obvious that we simply could not go ahead. Covid-19 has already put huge pressure on winery and vineyard teams for the busiest period we have, with closed borders ruling out most of the international workers we rely on every year. Labour is on every member’s mind every day of the week, as we grapple to find and train teams to get our grapes in and wine made. We have no control over the 4 / Winepress October 2020
borders, but what we can control is not putting the region at greater risk. As board members, we all live in this community and all have friends who will be impacted by the decision to cancel the festival. But they’d be hit far harder if our vintage was compromised. Marlborough’s wine industry makes up 77.7% of the national grape harvest, and accounts for at least 80% of all exports, which are currently worth $1.923 billion a year. A report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research found that the wine industry made up 19% of Marlborough’s GDP and employs 4,850 people - one in every five jobs - in this region. In 2018 the Marlborough Winegrowers board developed a strategic plan, with the help of facilitator Jamie Fitzgerald. We captured our purpose as “proudly standing up for, and building, the reputation of Marlborough’s wine region”, as well as its beliefs and character. Wine Marlborough’s role was clearly distilled as providing leadership in times of opportunity, success and challenge, and that’s surely never been more important than right now. Last month the board met with Jamie again, to ensure our strategic plan was on target. We overlaid the existing plan with the Covid-19 crisis, and found that it was still relevant and in line with where we should be heading. The refresh was perfectly timed for the board to come to a decision regarding the wine festival, looking at it through the lens of our strategic plan. From that perspective, the decision was much easier to make. It is about focussing our organisation’s efforts on what our members really care about and need – and that is about getting vintage sorted. This is simply about doing all we can to protect our industry, and in turn the community it supports.
Marlborough Winegrowers Board The Marlborough Winegrowers Board has two news members, with Anna Laugesen and Gus Altschwager joining the governance body. Anna, from Craiglochart Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley, joined the board uncontested as a grape grower representative, alongside current board member Tracy Johnston, who was automatically re-elected. Anna studied economics and management, completing a commerce degree before studying viticulture and oenology. She began working in Marlborough vines then found her passion in winemaking, she says. “Having worked in wineries in various wine regions around the world I came back to Marlborough where I settled with my husband, a sheep and beef farmer. I feel incredibly fortunate to be raising our three boys on a farm in the Waihopai Valley.” At the end of 2007, Anna moved back into the vineyard side of the industry, when she and her husband planted their first vines. “Over that time the industry has shown us that despite what unforeseen challenges are thrown our way, with good governance we are able to meet those challenges.” Now the timing is right for her to give back to an industry that has provided “so many opportunities for so many” in the region, Anna adds. “I want to help the Marlborough wine region fulfil its potential and ensure that it is left in the best possible
position for future generations.” There were two nominations for the wine company category, and Gus, who is from A&K Wines, won the vote. He came to Marlborough in 2005 for work as a cellar hand at Wither Hills, before moving on to manage the Delegat Marlborough winery for 10 years as regional senior winemaker. In 2016 he became General Manager of Spring Creek Vintners and since 2019 has been self-employed, focussing on his own wine brand TAPI, which specialises in small volume organic wines. Gus says Marlborough is a special place to grow wine, with a “unique offering that is unmatched internationally”. He wants to see that “uniqueness” translated into value for growers and winemakers, “while also ensuring that we improve support systems for the local people and businesses that make this region the success story it is”.
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Winepress October 2020 / 5
MET REPORT Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – September 2020 September September 2020 September Period September 2020 compared to LTA LTA of LTA 2019 GDD’s for month –Max/Min¹ 77.3 139% 55.6 (1996-2019) 47.8 GDD’s for month – Mean2 88.0 128% 68.7 (1996-2019) 66.1 Growing Degree Days Total Jul – Sep 20 – Max/Min 122.6 146% 84.1 (1996-2019) 77.4 Jul - Sep 20 – Mean 166.4 129% 128.8 (1996-2019) 137.0 Mean Maximum (°C) 17.5 +1.3°C 16.2 (1986-2019) 16.2 Mean Minimum (°C) 6.4 +0.4°C 6.0 (1986-2019) 5.9 Mean Temp (°C) 11.9 +0.8°C 11.1 (1986-2019) 11.1 Ground Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 6 1.4 more 4.6 (1986-2019) 4 Air Frosts (0.0°C) 3 2.2 more 0.8 (1986-2019) 0 Sunshine hours 260.3 135% 193.4 (1986-2019) 215.4 Sunshine hours – lowest 129.6 1989 Sunshine hours – highest 248.9 2011 Sunshine hours total – 2020 1941.9 109% 1782.9 (1986-2019) 2003.4 Rainfall (mm) 64.6 123% 52.5 (1986-2019) 63.4 Rainfall (mm) – lowest 3.0 1951 Rainfall (mm) – highest 191.5 1943 Rainfall total (mm) – 2020 334.4 69% 486.3 (1986-2019) 499.2 Evapotranspiration – mm 93.3 130% 71.9 (1996-2019) 75.6 Avg. Daily Wind-run (km) 310.6 113% 274.1 (1996-2019) 261.1 Mean soil temp – 10cm 10.5 +1.2°C 9.3 (1986-2019) 8.9 Mean soil temp – 30cm 11.5 +0.7°C 10.8 (1986-2019) 10.5 1 ¹GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures ²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures
Temperature September’s mean temperature of 11.9°C was 0.8°C above the long-term average (LTA). The average daily maximum temperature was 17.5°C; 1.3°C above the LTA. This is the highest average daily maximum temperature since September 2006. The average daily minimum temperature was 6.4°C; 0.4°C above the LTA.
Table 2: Weekly weather data during September 2020
The coldest day was 30 September which recorded an air minimum temperature of -1.0°C and grass minimum temperature of -4.6°C. This was the coldest September day since 12 September 2012 which recorded an air minimum of -1.1°C and a grass minimum of -7.8°C. The warmest day was 9 September which recorded a maximum air temperature of 22.1°C, but this day was not as warm as 31 August. The August Met Report detailed that the 30th and 31st August 2020 both broke the previous highest daily maximum temperatures ever recorded for August, with maximums of 21.6°C and 23.8°C respectively. The first three days of September brought an abrupt halt to the few warm days at the end of August. The 1st to 3rd of September recorded maximum daily temperatures of 14.8°C, 11.8°C, 12.4°C respectively; 9°C to 12°C lower than the maximum on 31 August. The fourth week of September was very warm, 3.7°C above the LTA (Table 2). However, the final two days of September were very cold, 4.4°C lower than the LTA. The maximum daily temperatures on 29th and 30th September of 12.6°C and 12.0°C respectively, were lower than the average daily maximum temperatures normally experienced in June and July.
Mean Mean Mean Ground Air Rainfall Sunshine Max (°C) Min (°C) (°C) Deviation Frosts Frosts (mm) (hours) 1st - 7th 16.3 6.6 11.5 (+0.4) 2 1 10.2 46.1 8th - 14th 17.8 4.0 10.9 (-0.2) 3 1 5.8 59.3 15th - 21st 17.6 6.6 12.1 (+1.0) 0 0 23.0 65.3 22nd - 28th 19.7 10.0 14.8 (+3.7) 0 0 25.6 66.8 29th – 30th (2 days) 12.3 1.0 6.7 (-4.4) 1 1 0 22.8 1st – 30th September 17.5 6.4 11.9 (+0.8) 6 3 64.6 260.3 2020 (+1.3) (+0.4) (+1.4) (+2.2) (123%) (135%) September LTA 16.2 6.0 11.1 4.6 0.8 52.5 193.4 (1986 – 2019) LTA – Long Term Average 6 / Winepress October 2020
Wind-run (km) 213.1 265.7 344.7 416.4 318.5 310.6 (113%) 274.1
Frosts
Race for sunniest town in New Zealand in 2020
Six ground frosts were recorded during September 2020 and three air frosts. In addition to the six ground frosts recorded during September, there were a further six days on which the ground temperature was between 0 and -1.0°C. These days do not count as ground frosts. A ground frost is any temperature equal to or below -1.0°C. The last time that Blenheim recorded three air frosts in September was in 2009.
Blenheim has now recorded the highest sunshine hours of any town in New Zealand for three months in a row (JulySeptember). Blenheim’s sunshine total of 260.3 hours in September was well ahead of Napier in second place with 249.9 hours sunshine and Richmond in third place with 232.4 hours sunshine. Blenheim has significantly closed the gap on the two towns that have recorded more sunshine in 2020. At the end of September Blenheim is in third place for total sunshine hours for the first nine months of 2020 (Table 3). At the end of June Whakatane was in first place, 137.9 hours ahead of Blenheim, whereas at the end of September Whakatane is only 30.3 hours ahead of Blenheim. Richmond is 39.4 hours ahead of Blenheim.
Sunshine September recorded 260.3 hours sunshine or 135% of the LTA. September 2020 is now the sunniest September on record for Blenheim for the 91 years 1930 to 2020. The previous sunniest was September 2011 which recorded 248.9 hours sunshine. Total sunshine for January to September 2020 is 1941.9 hours; 109% of the LTA and currently the fourth highest total on record for the nine months to September.
Wind Average daily wind-run for Blenheim during September 2020 was 310.6 km, well above the LTA of 274.1 km. Average wind speed for September 2020 was 12.9 km/hr compared to the long-term average of 11.45 km/hr. September 2020 was the windiest September since 2010, which was exceptionally windy with average daily wind-run of 351.7 km. The windiest day of the month in Blenheim was 22 September with 570 km wind-run. The maximum windspeed during the month was 75.6 km/hr, recorded on 29 September. In the first half of September (1-15) only four days recorded above average wind-run, whereas in the second half (16-30) 11 days recorded above average windrun; i.e. the second half of September was much windier than the second half. On many previous occasions over the last few years I have detailed how Blenheim has been fairly consistently recording below average monthly wind-run. Months with quite a few windy days and above average wind-run have become few and far between. However, September 2020 went against that trend. Average daily wind-run during September 2020 was the highest since January 2017; i.e. the highest monthly wind-run in the past 43 months.
Rainfall September’s rainfall total of 64.6 mm was 123% of the LTA. This is only the third month in 2020 to have recorded above average rainfall.
Evapotranspiration Penman evapotranspiration for September 2020 was 93.3 mm compared to the LTA of 71.9 mm. This is the highest evapotranspiration total for September over the 25 years 1996 to 2020; the period for which records are available.
Table 3: Sunniest towns in New Zealand: January to September 2020 Richmond Whakatane Blenheim
1981.3 hours 1972.2 hours 1941.9 hours
Table 4: Total rainfall for the 9-months January to September Year 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2001 lowest 1995 highest Long-term average
Total % of long-term (mm) Average 334.4 69% 499.2 103% 659.6 136% 521.0 107% 425.6 88% 355.4 73% 229.8 47% 837.9 172% 486.3 -
The January to September 2020 rainfall total of 334.4 mm is only 69% of the LTA rainfall and the fifth lowest on record for the 91 years 1930 to 2020 (Table 4). The rainfall deficit for the nine months January to September 2020 is 151.9 mm (486.3 mm – 334.4 mm).
Growing Degree Days I often present the growing degree day (GDD) graph in the November Met Report after we have experienced the first two months of spring temperatures during September and October. Also the GDD graph as it is appears in Met Report and VineFacts normally presents the GDD data from September onwards. However, given the fact that Marlborough has experienced an early budburst in 2020 I have also included data for July and August. The black line for 2020/21 indicates that the GDDs have got off to a strong start since the last week of August 2020. As part of the VineFacts monitoring of phenology on selected vineyards we have recorded budburst at a vineyard Winepress October 2020 / 7
Figure 1: Normalized growing degree days for Blenheim: days above (+) or below (-) the long-term average for the period 1 July to 31 December in the Upper Brancott valley since 2004. This is the 17th year of monitoring. Table 5 presents the dates of 50% budburst from selected years over that time period. 50% budburst was reached on 26 September 2020. This is the earliest of the 17 years. The previous earliest was 29 September 2005. The latest was 19 October 2011, which is 23 days later than in 2020. The blue GDD line in Figure 1 shows the cold temperatures that were experienced during the early months of the 2011/12 season, which would partially explain the very late budburst. What is interesting to note is that budburst on 26 September 2020 is eight days earlier than in 2013. However, the GDD graph indicates that July and August 2013 were warmer than in 2020. October 2013 and 2020 recorded the same mean temperatures. This indicates that while temperature has a role to play in the date of budburst, there are also other factors that have a strong influence. Those scientists who develop models to predict when various phenological stages will occur, such as budburst, flowering, vÊraison and 20°Brix, have found that trying to predict the date of budburst is very difficult, as temperature is only one contributing factor, whereas temperature is the predominant factor when it comes to predict the date of flowering.
Table 5: Dates of 50% budburst for Sauvignon blanc in the Upper Brancott Year Date of 50% Budburst 2020 26 September 2019 10 October 2018 4 October 2017 8 October 2013 4 October 2011 19 October 2008 3 October 2005 29 September
Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research / Marlborough Research Centre
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PROTECT
Wine & Food
Girls on Tour
Community support for Covid cancellation SOPHIE PREECE
CANCELLING AN iconic wine festival is one thing, but putting the brakes on a bevy of Marlborough wine lovers is quite another. The ever-memorable Girls on Tour, who have attended the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival for the past 28 years, are “heartbroken” the 2021 event has been cancelled due to Covid-19, says Debbie Moody, aka Raqeul (sic). “But we decided we could not miss the opportunity to support Marlborough, so we are all intending to still travel and enjoy the hospitality we have received over the years.” The bus load from ‘Bluff’ – in their own ebullient bubble - will be back in the region in February to visit their favourite wineries, restaurants, shops and motel, wearing their trademark
Photo Richard Briggs
10 / Winepress October 2020
lime green scarves, and black t-shirts emblazoned with their movie staresque tour name. They’ll hit the shops and their favourite haunts - Bladen, No. 1, The Vines and Sugarloaf – visit the Marlborough Sounds on the Saturday, and squeeze in a few other wineries on the Sunday, says Raqeul. Marlborough Winegrowers chair Tom Trolove applauds the decision of regular festival goers to visit the region. “It may not be a good time for 8,000 people to gather on a vineyard site to celebrate together with over 40 wineries, but it’s a fantastic time to visit Marlborough’s cellar doors and get an extraordinary insight into what makes this region’s wines amazing.” The Marlborough Winegrowers
board announced the cancellation of the iconic festival last month, noting that it would be the first time in 36 years. “It’s been a really tough decision, and we realise this will impact businesses in our community. But the board was clear that in these unprecedented times, it had to prioritise the safety of the harvest,” Tom says. “The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival celebrates our industry on the cusp of our harvest, and that’s a risk.” Tom says the past month has been a reminder that the world is in a time of uncertainty, and New Zealand’s situation can change at any time. “What is certain to us is that we have to do all we can to protect the health of
PROTECT
our people, and the economic lifeblood of this region.” Festival committee chair Tracy Johnston says the committee is disappointed the event is not going ahead in February 2021, but believes it is the right decision. “I have been really reassured by conversations since the announcement, with people in the wine industry and from businesses outside it, who have absolutely supported and endorsed the decision.” People she has spoken to have commended the board “on making the call and making it now”. Speaking with her Marlborough Winegrowers board hat on, and as a tourism and marketing expert, Tracy says the festival provides great exposure for wine companies, but there are plenty of opportunities to tap into domestic initiatives created as a result of Covid-19. Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand Winegrowers, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Destination Marlborough are all running campaigns to tempt New
“There are some great ways to drive visibility right now” Tracy Johnston Zealanders to indulge in wine tourism and to buy domestic products. “There are some great ways to drive visibility right now, so I hope wine companies are making the most of these major domestic campaigns.” Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens says his team loves working with the committee to deliver the festival each year, “shining an enormous spotlight on the region’s wine and the people who make it”. But he says cancelling, and cancelling early, was the best way to safeguard the wine industry and the community it supports. “We can now focus our
attention on domestic tourism to cellar doors this summer, and the labour issues facing the industry as it heads towards harvest with borders closed.” A recent Wine Marlborough survey revealed that two thirds of the region’s 2020 vintage workforce were from overseas, with 490 on a working holiday visa and 431 on essential skills. “We will have access to very few in that pool this year,” says Marcus. “So it’s all hands on deck ensuring wine becomes the industry of choice for New Zealanders next vintage.”
Economic Lifeblood Marlborough wine makes up: • 77.7% of the national grape harvest • 80% percent of New Zealand’s $1.923 billion in wine exports • 19% of Marlborough’s GDP (NZIER) • 4,850 of the region’s jobs
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Winepress October 2020 / 11
CELEBRATE
Winning Ways
Photo by Richard Briggs
Marlborough’s 2020 Young Winemaker Competition SOPHIE PREECE
“It’s just another day when you put your best foot forward.”
EXPERIENCE IS key when it comes to the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker competition, says this year’s Marlborough winner Peter Russell. The production winemaker at Matua came in runner-up in the 2019 event, and says another year “immersed in the wine industry” can make all the difference in the “full-on day” of the competition. The additional challenges of the 2020 vintage, under Covid-19 restrictions, also fuelled the learnings, he says. “It gives you another perspective of how to look at things – and definitely when you are under pressure you learn to take a step back and look at things from another angle.” Some of the questions at the regional event were tailored around what the 2021 vintage will look like “in a Covid world”, he says. “Being immersed in that this year and how we dealt with that at work - by changing our processes slightly – definitely helped.” It also helped that the wine the competitors were tasked with blending was Pinot Noir – a variety Peter loves. “It’s a variety that, more than any other, shows the place it is grown,” he says. “It’s a variety that is in a way unforgiving, and very generous when you get it right. It’s definitely a favourite of mine.” The competition Pinot Noir was to be for the Chinese market and Peter sought to blend a wine with soft and smooth tannins – “as silky as you can make it”. He also knew a wine destined for China had to have a great story and presentation, with expressive tasting notes. “We were given some quite good blending components to start with,” he says. “That always makes it easier.” Fellow Matua winemaker Callum Haynes came second in the competition, having joined the company just before the 2020 harvest, following several years of travelling vintages. The Young Winemaker Competition is something he has long wanted to do, and he is “over the moon” about coming in second. Calming his nerves was the biggest challenge as he stepped “into the unknown” of the competition, he says. “Then I realised it was a bunch of
other people in the same boat… it’s just another day when you put your best foot forward.” He’s already looking forward to next year’s competition, when he plans to have a bit more fun, especially in his speech. “It’s your time to shine and put your opinions out there…. Say what you believe in and say it with passion.” The competition is a great chance to hang out with like-minded people, who are in the industry because they love it, Callum says. “And it’s interesting to see their different perspectives on things… There’s no one definitive answer.” Emma Marris from Marisco took third position in the event, during which eight young contestants were tested on everything from a cellar challenge and laboratory tests, to blending, fault finding, wine judging and marketing. Because of Covid Alert Level 2 restrictions, the competition was run behind closed doors with no dinner event, and speeches streamed live from the Bragato Research Institute via Zoom. New Zealand Winegrowers leadership and communities manager Nicky Grandorge says the judges were impressed by the calibre of all the contestants, “and were excited to see such passionate young winemakers emerging to continue growing the New Zealand wine industry in the future”. Peter is now preparing for the national final at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay on November 6. Apart from being crowned the 2020 Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year, the national winner will take home a prize package that includes a travel grant to visit the cooperage (tonnellerie) in Burgundy, be an associate judge in the New World Wine Awards and review wines in DrinksBiz magazine.
Callum Hayne
12 / Winepress October 2020
Founded in Marlborough 2014, the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year Competition has grown to become an important event for the wine industry, helping ambitious and passionate young people become future leaders of New Zealand wine.
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CELEBRATE
Emma Marris
Peter Russell
Alun Kilby
Kathleen Zetler
Sophie Lamain
Tom Flaherty Sophia Phillips
Callum Haynes All photos by Richard Briggs
14 / Winepress October 2020
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Winepress October 2020 / 15
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Vine to Wine Turning seasonal work into full time employment SOPHIE PREECE
A TRIO of Marlborough businesses are thinking outside the square and across the year, to help tackle seasonal labour issues. With border closures gutting traditional labour supplies, Ormond Nurseries, New Zealand Wineries and SLT have come up with a collaborative initiative that offers year-round work, via an intern scheme from vine to wine. “This collaboration will help Kiwis affected by Covid,” says Kirsty Trolove, owner of Only Human HR and Recruitment. The successful interns will work May to November at Ormond Nurseries, learning about vine propagation, before spending December to February with SLT, being trained on machinery for vineyard operations. They will then do vintage with New Zealand Wineries from March to April, learning about winemaking on the job, says Kirsty. “The idea is that they will gain skills and experience throughout the year, then return back in a higher level position the following year.” Ormond Nurseries owner Marcus Wickham says that’s a win-win for Kiwis looking for full time work, and for
“This collaboration will help Kiwis affected by Covid.” Kirsty Trolove companies who struggle to attract, train and retain workers for their busy seasons. “We can never afford to keep people doing nothing for four to five months.” The scheme will give interns an opportunity to learn a range of skills and make contacts across a range of industry sectors, while having the security of a full year’s work, he adds. For New Zealand Wineries general manager Alistair McIntosh, the intern programme will be one of many tools engaged to prepare for vintage 2021, as Covid-19 induced border closures wipe out a large portion of the typical cellar
16 / Winepress October 2020
From left, Dan Campbell, Kirsty Trolove, Alistair McIntosh and Marcus Wickham
workforce. “The problem we have with advertising now for a job that is in March is that Kiwis won’t commit. And rightly so – I wouldn’t commit either. I would be looking for a full time job first.” The vine to wine internship would give people security of consistent employment, while experiencing a broad range of wine industry work opportunities, says Dan Campbell from SLT, which uses cutting edge machinery in dozens of Marlborough vineyards. Dan started the intern conversation with Kirsty after the Alert Level 4 lockdown, knowing seasonal labour would be a headache for the wine industry while borders are closed, and recognising that Covid-related job losses were an increasing reality. “It was about giving Kiwis opportunities,” he says. The two started looking at ways of aligning businesses to address both problems at once, says Kirsty “It was about brainstorming about who we could pull in with a similar people management culture and philosophy about providing all-year round work for their different seasons.” Culture was key, because the conversation has always been helping people affected by the pandemic, as well as helping the industry, she says. “These businesses are like-minded, and this was about community spirit as well. We knew there were people getting laid off and wondered ‘how can we provide some ongoing work for them, rather than seasonal short-term solutions?’” The interns will have different contracts for each role, but there will be an understanding between the businesses regarding pay rates, sick leave and bereavement leave. “They are very open and flexible, and the result will be all the advantages of fulltime employment, with the added bonus of experiencing three different sectors of the industry,” says Kirsty. The project is evidence of what companies can do if they think outside the square, she adds. “This shows there is collaboration, and we are trying to attract Kiwis and do things differently.”
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Beautiful Borough Wine collaboration for community good SOPHIE PREECE
THEY SAY it takes a village to raise a child, and in Marlborough it takes a Borough. A collaborative community initiative has seen the emergence of the Borough wine label, with all profits going to the Graeme Dingle Foundation in Marlborough, which runs resilience and empowerment programmes in most of the region’s schools. Borough is the brainchild of Geoff Matthews, who’s a board member on the Marlborough foundation and national operations director for Lion’s wine business. He says a new company - Socially Good Enterprises - has been established to produce Borough and donate all profits to the foundation. Everyone in the Borough supply chain - from grape growers to wineries, bottle suppliers to bottlers, designers to labellers, marketers to retailers - has given their time and product to support Marlborough’s community, he adds. “Everything apart from the website registration has been donated.” The label photography is from Jim Tannock, who has captured some beloved, but lesser known, corners of the region. Geoff says the labels, from surfing at the Awatere River mouth to cycling up Mount Vernon, provide a unique view of Marlborough, and perfectly capture Borough’s community. “You see the Wairau Lagoons or the jetty at Little Ngakuta, and it’s like a secret space only we know, and really at the heart of Marlborough – and of Borough.” The label’s 2020 vintage will be released next month, with 4,500 cases dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, but also including Pinot Gris and Rosé. Because of the complications of Covid-19, the fruit for the first vintage comes from a selection of Wither Hills growers, all of whom were keen to donate a chunk of their crop for charity, and the wine was made at the Wither Hills winery. But Geoff has spoken to several other growers and wineries, so that future years will have a wider range from a broader catchment of the industry, making Borough a wide network of foundation supporters, he says. The 2020 vintage is expected to earn $200,000 to $250,000 for the Graeme Dingle Foundation in Marlborough, and that will grow year on year, says Geoff. 18 / Winepress October 2020
Label photography by Jim Tannock
“My vision is that this is something long-term that is really sustainable for the foundation. Once the brand is recognised and known as a top quality wine, people can purchase it like they do any other wine they might buy each week, and
know it’s going to a good cause.” That’s music to the ears of Graeme Dingle Foundation Marlborough regional manager Kelvin Watt, who says the foundation needs around $700,000 a year in order to meet the demand from schools, with nearly 60% of that from fundraising and sponsorship. “And we’re 99% funded by Marlborough,” he says. Almost 60% of Marlborough primary school children are included in the foundation’s Kiwi Can programme, learning resilience, self-belief and life skills from mentors. Every Year 9 student at Marlborough Girls’ College is part of the Stars programme, along with 65 of the school’s senior students, while Career Navigator is at all three of Marlborough’s colleges, helping students canvas their
“This is a community driven label funding a community-good initiative. And the support we’ve had so far is a pretty amazing reflection of our Marlborough – and Borough - community.” Geoff Matthews options for future work and life choices. Nearly half of all Marlborough’s school students are involved in one of the programmes rolled out by the foundation, says Kelvin, noting that the saturation is far greater in Marlborough than that of any other region in New Zealand. In the past Dazzle – a fundraising event held at Wither Hills – has been a major part of keeping the foundation running, says Geoff. “But with Covid-19, this time around it looked like it would be a bit of a struggle to get it off the ground. I knew there had to be an easier way.” He loves that the fundraiser allows more people to get behind an effort they believe in. “This is a community driven label funding a community-good initiative. And the support we’ve had so far is a pretty amazing reflection of our Marlborough – and Borough - community.”
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Winepress October 2020 / 19
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Story Teller
“As a region we have to take it on ourselves to make ourselves the best we can be.”
Wine show key to sharing Marlborough’s success
SOPHIE PREECE
THE MARLBOROUGH Wine Show is opportunity to connect with “global adorers” of the region’s wine, with stories of diversity, provenance and pedigree, says Chief Judge Ben Glover. “We need to tell our story outside the region, using tools like the Marlborough Wine Show and Appellation Marlborough Wine, which celebrate the extraordinary wines of our turangawaewae,” says the winemaker. “We cannot rely on anyone else to do it for us.” There are 541 entries in the 2020 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, including 23 entries in the Marlborough Museum Legacy award, which scores three vintages within a ten-year period. Ben says the category shows Marlborough is far more than an 18-month one-trick-pony, but a region of diverse varieties, subregions and wine styles, that produces wines of integrity and longevity. “The Legacy Award is a key part of Marlborough, and a really great way of showing all your peers how the wines age.” Meanwhile, the Provenance Award, which awards single vineyard wines in any class, celebrates the places that make the region extraordinary. Ben took on the Chief Judge role this year and says he’s excited to see and celebrate the wines coming through, with 2019 and 2020 the “best twin years we’ve had in a long time”. He will be joined by 12 senior judges, including guest judges Sophie Parker-Thomson and New Zealand Master of Wine, Emma Jenkins, along with four associate judges. Ben says the show’s value is not only in highlighting wines of excellence from the region, but also in bringing through a new generation of judges and stewards, and bringing the wine community together at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration lunch. With the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards cancelled due to Covid-19, it was even more important to 20 / Winepress October 2020
have a show that rewards the region’s success stories, he says. “I think as a region we have to take it on ourselves to make ourselves the best we can be.” That’s particularly important for the small and medium New Zealand-owned companies without big promotional budgets, says Ben. “They are often Jacks of all trades, but they also bring backbone and depth to the story of Marlborough. The Marlborough Wine Show is a valuable conduit to take their wines to the world.”
Subregional focus The Marlborough Wine Show’s subregional view appeals greatly to guest judge Sophie Parker-Thomson, who loves the natural diversity of the region’s offering. Sophie, who is a Master of Wine student in the final stage of the programme, says subregional subtleties are an important aspect of Marlborough’s evolution, as people look for more detail in wines from the region. “It is tied in an integral way to the soil types we have and that is what makes Marlborough very special.” The co-owner of Blank Canvas Wines was the Marlborough contributor to the eighth edition of The World Wine Atlas, which included a map of Marlborough soil types, to better expose styles, varieties and sub regions. “We are one of the few regions that can boast having some of the oldest soils in the country and some of the youngest soils in the country,” she says, talking of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc thriving on the young alluvial soils of the valley, while the hillside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay shine on the old and low vigour clay soils seen in the Southern Valleys, for example. Then there is the Awatere Valley with “a complete matrix” of soils, she says, “which is why we see such a mixture of varieties emanating from the Awatere”.
CELEBRATE
An outstanding 2020 vintage Summer’s hot days and cool nights produced some outstanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs from the 2020 harvest, say members of Appellation Marlborough Wine. Fruit quality from the vintage was the best winemaker Dave Clouston from Two Rivers had seen for more than 10 years. “It was outstanding… A prolonged Indian summer with cool nights led to expressive wines with great natural acidity. The season produced pristine fruit with ripe concentrated flavours. We have never been more excited and more proud to release an Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW).” Cloudy Bay’s Jim White says the 2020 vintage was memorable because of what wineries went through to make it happen, with stringent Covid-19 rules in place including rigorous social distancing. Despite that, 2020 is one of Cloudy Bay’s best vintages. “Mother Nature gave us incredible conditions in the vineyards throughout the year and the fruit that came into the winery was as perfect as we could have wanted,” he says. “The Sauvignon Blanc shows a remarkable balance and refined acidity alongside the vibrant fruit qualities that we always want to see.” Whitehaven’s chief winemaker Peter Jackson described the company’s Sauvignon Blancs as being “classical examples”, thanks to a textbook run into harvest with plenty of sunshine. “The resulting wines bristle with energy, purity and precision.” Ivan Sutherland, owner of Dog Point Vineyards and chair of AMW, says the brand mark is now trademarked in all major wine consuming countries, with “very favourable support” from wine writers and the trade, and Jim White “the general comment being ‘why has it taken so long?’”.
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Winepress October 2020 / 21
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Lab Network
Photo Richard Briggs
The lowdown on lab work THE MARLBOROUGH Lab Network is holding its first seminar and trade fair on November 13, with a full laboratory focus. Pernod Ricard Winemakers viticulture planning coordinator Alyssa Beatty says the network began in 2016 with a handful of members who wanted to promote networking and knowledge sharing in Marlborough’s wine and beverage industry. Four years on, they have 50 members, and provide a valuable tool for problem solving, with members able to discuss specific topics they are having issues with, from cold stability to microbiology. The seminar and trade fair has been “a long time in the making”, with the original plan for a June 2020 event delayed by Covid-19, says Alyssa. That event would have been bigger, with guests flying in from Australia, but they have pulled back to a Marlborough focus, she says. “We are really pleased we can make this a success.” Alyssa says the network has been a valuable resource during Covid, particularly throughout the challenges of the 2020 vintage, and will be important in the lead-up to vintage 2021 as winery labs look to source the people they need with borders closed. Labs are “very reliant” on visiting international workers, with even small wineries bringing in at least one seasonal worker, and companies like Pernod Ricard Winemakers are working hard to attract more people to the industry for vintage 2021, including for lab roles, Alyssa says. She has a background in food science, and while doing her master’s also took on some wine appreciation courses. She blended the two when she started doing vintage lab work, and considers herself “really lucky” to have fallen into a field she loves and values. “It’s really important because we provide all the information that makes it possible for
22 / Winepress October 2020
“Providing accurate and timely information keeps vintage running smoothly.” Alyssa Beatty winemakers to make their decision - all the analysis that is necessary,” she says. “Providing accurate and timely information keeps vintage running smoothly.” The Marlborough Lab Network event will include speakers, a trade exhibition by key laboratory suppliers, as well as networking opportunities. For more information go to linkedin.com/company/mln-marlborough-lab-network/
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Focus on Pruning With no Silver Secateurs competition in Marlborough this year, one viticultural contracting company decided to run its own in-house event. Focus Labour Solutions Ltd put up nearly $3,000 in prizes for its workforce, who are mostly Recognised Seasonal Employee scheme workers from Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tuvalu. Co-owner Craig Mill says the workers look forward to testing themselves at the Silver Secateurs every year. So when Covid-19 cancelled this year’s event, the company decided to run its own, to celebrate the end of the pruning season. In mid-September, multiple vanloads of Focus staff descended on the Omaka Valley property of Philippa and Brendon Burns, which Craig leases. “It was ideal as it’s a small block growing Sauvignon and it has a nice slope which enabled those who weren’t taking part to watch the competition and support all the contestants.” James Bule in action The highlight of the day was the team event, with teams of nine taking on two whole rows. Each team had Experienced Wrapper, the individual female prize and three cutters, three strippers and three wrappers and overall best from her country, though each Pacific nation they had to work with just one person per bay, says Craig. was well represented among the prize winners. Focus is “It was a lot of fun to watch from the bottom of the hill. now planning to run the competition every year, says Everyone had a great time and we followed it the next day Craig. “It’s one of the few ways we can recognise what with our BBQ for the end of pruning and the overdue end several thousand people do in Marlborough for five of harvest celebration and prize giving.” months every year.” Vanuatu’s Alice Sel2016.pdf took three1 titles as best3:21 Individual PCL AD Winepress 15/07/16 PM
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Whale trail Riding the tail of the whale trail BRENDA WEBB
BUSINESSES IN and around Marlborough will benefit from the Government’s recent $18 million funding announcement to build the Whale Trail, say supporters. While the 200km Picton to Kaikōura cycle and walking track doesn’t go near Renwick, Steve Hill from Wine Tours by Bike says plans are already underway to link the two. “The Whale Trail is part of the spine, if you like, and we need to create safe routes to get people off it and into the towns. It is such an amazing opportunity for Renwick and other towns near the route.” Steve is excited to think that in the future visitors could leave the Whale Trail and cycle right into the heart of Marlborough’s wine region to spend a day visiting cellar doors, cafes and restaurants, providing a welcome boost to the local economy. “The benefits to the wineries and the Renwick wider area are huge.” The Renwick Cycle Group is currently working with the Marlborough District Council to look at ways of connecting the Whale Trail to Renwick, with a possible northern route utilising the Wairau River stop bank, dependent on supportive landowners, he says. “It’s a real bonus to have that confirmed (Provincial Growth Fund) funding for the Whale Trail – it gives a real impetus to our efforts and I can see it working hand in hand with our existing wine trails.” Marlborough Kaikōura Trail Trust trustee John Forrest, founder of Forrest Estate Wines and a driving force behind the Whale Trail, says bringing cyclists off the main route would provide huge benefits to the whole region. “I can tell you that the Renwick Cycle Group, Wine Marlborough and the Marlborough District Council are already strategising right now to see how that goal can be achieved,” he says. “The Whale Trail has spurred a lot of action and opportunities.” He says half of Forrest Estate’s cellar door business came from cyclists – a big change in the past five years and New Zealanders as a whole were embracing the cycling culture, which meant there were huge opportunities for locals to tap into. “I find it incredibly exciting to have the 24 / Winepress October 2020
“We just need a safe conduit from the Whale Trail into the region to unlock the potential.” John Forrest funding and we just need a safe conduit from the Whale Trail into the region to unlock the potential.” John says there are endless opportunities for locals to take advantage of the hard work that had already gone into making the Whale Trail a reality. He predicts that visiting the Marlborough wine region would become a number one attraction for cyclists on the trail. Karen Walshe from Explore Marlborough says the funding is hugely positive for the area and predicts it will bring more cycling-oriented people into the province and give them an additional focus. “People will become aware of the other cycling opportunities available such as the Link Pathway, the Wither Hills tracks and the wine trail – it gives another string to Marlborough’s bow,” she says. “You only need to look at how the cycle trails have attracted people to the West Coast to realise the importance of cycling in today’s tourism market.” With wine and cycling closely linked, a priority would be to get safe routes from the Whale Trail to outer areas, Karen says. “Those links will be absolutely vital to pulling people off the track and onto the wine cycling trails.”
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Winepress October 2020/ 25
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Winery Shakeup A seismic shift in winery designs TWO MAJOR earthquakes in the past seven years have changed the way insurers approach the wine industry, and how wine companies approach their engineering. ICIB senior broker Daniel Szegota says the last major event – the Kaikōura earthquake on November 14, 2016 - caused $300 million dollars of damage in Marlborough’s wine industry. Like the 2013 Seddon earthquake, the event resulted in significant damage to bulk wine fermentation and storage tanks, as well as wine barrels and storage racks, says Dan. “The Kaikōura event alone resulted in more than 1,000 tanks, capable of holding in excess of 50 million litres of wine, being damaged, which collectively represented approximately 20% of the total storage capacity in the region at that time.” Both events resulted in similar damage, “highlighting the inadequacy in tank design in respect of large seismic events”, says Dan. Tanks toppled over, buckled when not adequately anchored and were punctured by structures such as catwalks or stairways. “In general, the larger the tank, the more prone it is to damage,” he says. Wine barrels in metal storage racks also shifted and caused total stack failure, and there was damage to case goods in warehouses, with most damage experienced by the outside rows. Insurers’ risk engineers visited numerous wineries following both earthquakes, which allowed them to inspect the damage firsthand, says Dan. That gave them a much clearer understanding of design features which led to increased losses, as well as those that helped minimise them. Insurers have worked closely with engineers to identify issues and steps required to withstand seismic events better, Dan says, “whilst ensuring it remains commercially viable”. Structural engineer Will Lomax, who developed the Onguard seismic tank system after the 2013 earthquake, says attitudes to winery protection have been transformed over the past seven years, and particularly in the four years since the Kaikōura earthquake. Onguard is based on replaceable sacrificial fuses within anchors at the base of tanks, which absorb the energy of seismic events, protecting other elements of the tank system, including catwalks. Onguard’s structural engineers design the entire tank system to protect wineries’ inventory and people, says Will, who admits to having felt uncomfortable in some winery facilities before the Seddon earthquake, knowing they would not stand up to a shake. “Now, because we have deployed the Onguard system 26 / Winepress October 2020
Crown Sheetmetal at work after the November 2016 earthquake. Photo Jim Tannock
pretty much everywhere in Marlborough, people are well prepared.” Also providing tank devices is Engineering firm Tectonus, who specialise in structures and storage tanks. The Auckland-based company emerged in 2016, out of research from the University of Auckland, says chief executive Pierre Quenneville. “Initially the company focused on structures and more recently launched the new damper for storage tanks.” The dampers work by dissipating the seismic force during earthquakes and aftershocks, without needing repair, and are fitted to new or existing tanks to reduce “the earthquake demand” on the tank, says Pierre. “We have had a very welcome response from the wineries we’ve visited and presented to,” he says. “Unfortunately, the area will, at some point, experience another earthquake... What we aim to do is offer a solution for wineries to have peace of mind.” Dan says insurers are now following new guidelines (see sidebox), but if an independent engineering report recommends and justifies an alternative, insurers will consider that. While the latest guidelines increase cost, complying with them helps protect wineries’ exposure to the Natural Disaster excess applied to insurance policies, he adds. “More importantly, it helps to ensure continued support from the industry and availability of insurance over the longer term.”
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Guidelines Dan says the new insurer preferences are: Concrete Plinth Tanks • Tanks with a nominal capacity of 90kL or less, provided they have a well detailed concrete plinth and anchor design. • Tanks with a nominal capacity of more than 90kL, provided they have been designed to meet Importance Level (IL) 2 with a 50-year design life, or a one in 500year return period (R = 1.0). Based on experience, smaller tanks and most current tank designs with a capacity of 90kL or less generally performed better than other tanks in both earthquake events. It can generally be predicted how a plinth mounted tank may perform, however, failure modes are tank design specific and a detailed inspection of the tank is normally required. Insurers usually rely on the insured obtaining an independent engineer’s report for this. Legged tank Insurer preferences are: • Legged tanks with a nominal capacity of 20kL or below. Insurers have concerns with: • Legged tanks with nominal capacities above 20kL - larger legged tanks performed poorly in both earthquakes. • Unbraced legs - a lack of stiffness at the beam-column interface often resulted in the legs buckling.
•Inadequate feet – many tank designs had adjustable feet, often much less substantial than the tank legs. Failures in the feet often resulted in the legs buckling. Catwalks and service bridges Ideally, all catwalks and services bridges must be supported independently from the wine tanks. During both earthquakes, insurers observed the following losses: • Damage to the upper portions of the tanks due to pounding of catwalks and services bridges against tank walls. • Broken and ruptured services pipes, resulting in the loss of coolant (water/glycol in solution). This damage could be substantially reduced or eliminated by providing independent structural supports for all catwalks and service bridges and by providing flexible connections on pipelines connecting tanks to the services bridge. Barrel racks Wine barrel storage racks shall be of a “seismic” type. When purchasing a barrel rack, it’s strongly recommended requiring the manufacturer to substantiate the seismic performance of their product. Barrel rack stack heights should be limited to a maximum of four racks high unless specific approval is sought from the insurer.
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Winepress October 2020/ 27
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Forgotten Corners New environment fund for Marlborough
Dog Point Vineyards has been a leader in ensuring vineyard biodiversity. Photo Jim Tannock
THE MARLBOROUGH District Council has consolidated and expanded two of its biodiversity programmes to create a single “enhanced” fund. Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao has replaced the Tui to Town and Greening Marlborough initiatives, to support landowners, businesses and community organisations to restore, protect and plant native ecosystems. Environment Committee deputy chair Gerald Hope says council has successful community grant schemes for sports, the arts and culture, heritage and youth, but the environmental grant process has been less well coordinated. “Working for Nature will bring a much better structure to our process for granting funds for environmental protection and enhancement.” The proposed budget is $70,000 per year, but there will also be opportunities to increase the new fund’s budget in the future from other sources, says Gerald. The Marlborough Landscape Group (MLG) established the Greening Marlborough dollar-for-dollar funding pilot project this year, to encourage more native plantings on Marlborough vineyards. MLG coordinator Bev Doole says it approved nine applications between February to June and allocated $12,666 in funding, resulting in $25,000 worth of new native planting on vineyards. She says the group will have a member on the application panel for the new fund, and will provide all the pilot project materials, including planting templates, to Mahi mō te Taiao. “The role of the landscape group is to be a catalyst,” she says, noting that the pilot project “paved the way” for the new umbrella scheme. Under the new model, winegrowers can apply for up to $5000, which can be used for planting assistance, plant guards and stakes, which is a step up from the $2000 maximum provided by Greening Marlborough, which could only be used for the purchase of plants.
28 / Winepress October 2020
Bev says one of the greatest achievements of the MLG - founded in 2003 to secure biodiversity in Marlborough’s wine country – has been in relationship building with landowners and wine industry organisations. The success of Greening Marlborough was largely thanks to the support of Wine Marlborough, New Zealand Winegrowers, and Bragato Research Institute and she hopes they will remain on board for the new funding initiative – “continuing to spread the message that there is funding available”. Councillor David Oddie, one of four members of an Environmental Grant sub-committee, says the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan provides the framework for sustainable management of the region’s physical and natural resources and includes principles to support local communities to protect nature and maintain and enhance water quality. “This fund will be welcome news for the many groups and individuals in Marlborough who are striving to improve natural habitats and control pests.” The first round of applications will open on November 2 and close on November 27, 2020. The proposed $70,000 annual budget would be split into: Habitat Marlborough: $25,000 per year Projects that restore native habitat and improve biodiversity and freshwater quality, with a focus on planting lowland areas of South Marlborough, as well as waterway and wetland margins. It incorporates the Tui to Town and Greening Marlborough programme with grants of $500 to $5,000 per applicant in any one year. Protecting Marlborough: $45,000 per year Projects to control animal and plant pests that are threatening native wildlife and habitats. Grants of between $5,000 and $15,000 per applicant in any one year.
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SOPHIE PREECE
UNDERSTANDING SOIL attributes is vital to increasing biodiversity and optimising vineyard production, says one of the speakers at next month’s Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough. Suzie Le Cren is a Nelson-based expert in soil science and land resource management, whose work includes land use capability, soil mapping, erosion mitigation and revegetation programmes, and the development of environmental farm plans. Suzie will be speaking at Garden Marlborough on matching tree species to land type, to help landowners “optimise bush vitality” by adopting some the “dynamic” ways of the wild. Bush vitality describes the level of ecological, biodiversity and plant health of existing native bush within the landscape, she says. “It is a way of assessing the current and future status of bush remnants, and forms the basis of a management plan to manage, restore and retain the blocks for long-term resilience.” In her experience, the “absolute key” to successful projects to enhance vitality is the landowner putting plenty of time and energy into the planning phase. “Planting is
the easy bit. The ongoing requirements of labour, time and financial inputs for pest and weed management are very often underestimated.” Suzie says understanding your soil before you begin planting a vineyard or restoring a biodiverse area is “huge”, especially when it comes to the alluvial and loess soils so prevalent in viticulture. Typically, vineyards run northsouth perpendicular to the watercourses and there are enormous variations within rows, let alone blocks, she says. A rigorous soil analysis enables growers to refine their inputs, benefit from variable rate irrigation, fertiliser spreading and fertigation, and to match variety with soil type, Suzie explains. The soil analysis should be undertaken as part of a wider farm management plan, she adds. “To understand and best utilise their biophysical resources from a productive perspective; to protect the natural capital and biodiversity, conservation, aesthetic values of their properties; and to ensure they are undertaking environmentally sound practices for the long term.” For more on Suzie’s Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough workshop go to gardenmarlborough.co.nz
Winepress October 2020 / 29
CELEBRATE
Industry Pioneers Wine Heritage Trail IN 1873 David Herd planted a small vineyard of Brown Muscat at Aunstfield in Fairhall - an anomaly in a region known for its cropping. One hundred years later, in October 1973, Montana started planting vineyards in Marlborough, kick-starting what would become the province’s dominant industry, responsible for around 80% of New Zealand’s wine exports, and a global reputation for Sauvignon Blanc. The Marlborough District Council (MDC) is celebrating that history with a wine industry heritage trail on its Smart Maps, looking at stories stretching from Freeth Estate in Picton (1880) to Vavasour in the Awatere Valley, via the likes of Montana (Brancott), Te Whare Ra, Hunter’s, Cloudy Bay, Allan Scott, and Daniel and Adele Le Brun, who are celebrating 40 years of their Marlborough wine story this month. MDC community development manager Lyne Reeves says Marlborough has a rich and unique history. “The heritage trails record our stories so they are preserved for current and future generations. It is important to know what was, as we move into the future.” The heritage trails each have a tour guide, and for wine that’s Kevin Judd, who led the development of Cloudy Bay’s wines for 25 years, before creating his own wine label Greywacke in 2009. “When he arrived in Marlborough to oversee the first stage of development of Cloudy Bay’s winery in 1986, there were only four other wineries in Marlborough - Montana, Hunter’s, Te Whare Ra and Cellier Le Brun,” says the heritage trail introduction. “Since then, Cloudy Bay has become one of Marlborough’s most iconic wine labels and is often credited with putting New Zealand wine and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the world map.” Kevin has earned many winemaking accolades during his four decades of winemaking, and has weathered many of the industry’s ups and downs, including the phylloxera outbreak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the wine glut and Global Financial Crisis in 2008, severe earthquakes in 2013 and 2016, and now Covid-19. He says the industry has often managed to turn those hurdles to its advantage and come out stronger and more resilient. “Winemaking has evolved continuously over the past 40 years, it’s more efficient, we have new technology and have reached wine consumers in countries all over the world,” he says on the heritage trail. 30 / Winepress October 2020
Cloudy Bay founder David Hohnen (right) and winemaker Kevin Judd in 1985
“The challenges Marlborough winegrowers have faced over the past 40 years have made them the resilient, innovative and world class operators they are today.” Kat Pickford “No one knows what the future will hold, but one thing’s for sure, there will always be a demand for good quality wine.” Writer Kat Pickford, who is pulling the heritage trails together, says the wine trail is an opportunity to reflect on the “visionary folk who took a punt planting the region’s first vineyards”, leading to Marlborough’s wine success story. “The challenges Marlborough winegrowers have faced over the past 40 years have made them the resilient, innovative and world class operators they are today, and those qualities stand them in good stead as they navigate their way through the global pandemic.” To see the wine trail go to bit.ly/360sfIs
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PROTECT
Biosecurity Watch Biosecurity: The Most Unwanted SOPHIE BADLAND
THIS MONTH we highlight the Top 10 Most Unwanted pests and diseases for the New Zealand wine industry those that are not yet in New Zealand but could present significant challenges should they arrive here. New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) recommends members teach their vineyard staff what to look out for, display the ‘Most Unwanted’ poster and Biosecurity New Zealand hotline number prominently in a communal area, and keep a copy of the Vineyard Pest and Disease Identification Guide handy. You can request free hard copies of the posters and identification guide by emailing biosecurity@nzwine.com, or download and print them yourself from nzwine.com/en/ sustainability/biosecurity. The Top 10 Most Unwanted pests and diseases are selected by analysis of the impact the pest or disease may have if it arrives in New Zealand, as well as the likelihood of entry. Therefore, those at the top of the list are generally high impact and/or high likelihood of entry, while those lower down are lower impact/lower likelihood of entry. The list is updated as new information comes to hand about the changing risk profiles of grapevine pests and diseases internationally. Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) BMSB is an invasive hitchhiking pest and is increasingly likely to enter New Zealand as populations soar in its invaded range overseas. Feeding by BMSB damages fruit, encourages bunches to fall and promotes fungal growth, while its foul-smelling odour may taint grape juice at harvest. BMSB are most easily distinguished from local stink bugs by their size – at 17mm long adult BMSB are significantly larger than any other stink bugs currently present in New Zealand. Glassy winged sharpshooter & Xylella fastidiosa The glassy winged sharpshooter is a highly efficient vector of Xylella fastidiosa, the bacteria which causes the
vine-killing Pierce’s disease. After being transmitted by sharpshooter feeding, the bacteria build up in the xylem tissue of grapevine, blocking transport of water throughout the plant. Infected grapevines typically die within three seasons. Black rot Black rot is a fungal disease, attacking grapevines during hot and humid weather. Fruit can be seriously affected, causing substantial economic loss. Infected berries first appear brown, and then shrivel into hard black raisin-like bodies. Black rot could potentially enter New Zealand via infected plant material or in soil. Flavescence dorée Flavescence dorée is a phytoplasma disease transmitted via insect vector. Symptoms include leaf discolouration, shrivelled berries and poor lignification. Infection with this phytoplasma is serious and generally results in significantly reduced yield reductions and poor wine quality. Bois noir Another phytoplasma disease, bois noir, is the most widespread grapevine yellows disease in Europe and the southern Mediterranean. Symptoms include flower abortion, cluster collapse, delayed lignification of shoots and canes, and leaf discolouration. Again, both yield and wine quality are impacted, with grapes typically being high in acid and low in sugar content. Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) Grapes are a key host for SWD, a vinegar fly which lays eggs inside ripening soft-skinned fruit, damaging the skin and exposing it to fungal infection. Larvae then hatch inside the fruit and consume it from the inside. Male SWD have black spots on the wing tips while females have a large, serrated ovipositor. SWD is highly invasive and has never been eradicated anywhere in the world.
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL
CATCH IT . SNAP IT . REPORT IT . Call MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 32 / Winepress October 2020
PROTECT The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a key vector of Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce’s disease of grapevines. Image credit: Alamy
Spotted lanternfly Looking like exotic moths, spotted lanternflies are currently causing havoc in vineyards in the United States. They feed on vines in droves, congregate in large numbers and produce copious quantities of honeydew, leading to extreme outbreaks of black sooty mould, weak vines and production losses. Their egg masses are laid on almost any vertical surface, including posts, shipping containers, vehicles and outdoor furniture, but are hard to spot as they resemble smudges of mud. Vine mealybug Vine mealybugs are slightly smaller than the Pseudococcus mealybugs already present in New Zealand but are likely to have significantly greater impact if they arrive here. They reproduce extremely quickly, with each female able to lay up to 700 eggs in a season. Populations peak around harvest time, increasing the risk of spread. Like other mealybugs, they also vector grapevine leafroll-associated viruses and produce honeydew that acts as a substrate for black sooty mould. European grapevine moth The European grapevine moth prefers grapevines above all other hosts and can cause severe damage and crop loss in vineyards. A single larva can affect up to five grape berries. Larvae feed inside the berries, opening them up to fungal infection and bunch rot. Clusters also become contaminated with excrement and webbing. Larvae can survive winter by pupating under vine bark, with adults emerging at budburst. Fruit flies There are a range of economically important fruit flies which could potentially cause production losses for the New Zealand wine industry, such as the South American fruit fly, Mediterranean fruit fly, Natal fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly. Fruit flies can lay eggs in ripe fruit, and then larvae hatch and pulp it from the inside. Unlike other fresh produce industries, however, there is no market access issue created by fruit flies for wine, hence their lower position on the NZW Most Unwanted list. Reporting the unusual is critical to prevent widespread outbreak of exotic pests - if you think you see any suspicious pest or disease in the vineyard, remember to Catch It, Snap It, Report It - call the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline on 0800 80 99 66, and get in touch with the NZW biosecurity team at biosecurity@nzwine.com.
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Winepress October 2020 / 33
Industry News Wine Marlborough Update VANCE KERSLAKE The first of our monthly vintage updates was sent out at the end of September. This was one of the priority actions identified at the three workshops held with wineries to help ensure they can attract, recruit and train staff for vintage 2021 (pg 10; September Winepress). Good progress has been made across a number of priorities, but there is still more to be done to secure the workforce needed for the next vintage. The Marlborough interim-Regional Skills Leadership Group wrote to the Minister of Immigration requesting extensions to existing temporary work visas to retain skilled workers so that they can support New Zealanders to upskill for vintage 2021. Marlborough’s Smart+Connected Labour and Skills group is running three virtual engagement events in October. From the comfort of your office or home, you can help review and build the next work plan focussed on making Marlborough a better place to work, live and play. A refresh of the Marlborough Labour Market Survey has been commissioned from Fruition – your cooperation would be very much appreciated if you are contacted by them. Greg Dryden, Jim Mercer and Stephen Dempster, who will be known to many of you, are running the survey and bringing a wealth of industry knowledge to the study. The next Marlborough Winegrowers meeting with the Marlborough District Council is on November 3, 2020. If you have any issues you want us to raise with council, email Vance Kerslake, advocacy manager, at advocacy@ winemarlborough.nz. To see the monthly vintage update and tap into the Smart + Connected work, go to wine-marlborough. co.nz/news
2020 shines in wine awards Mount Riley’s chief winemaker is pretty “chuffed” to have three 2020 wines in the Top 50 of the New World Wine Awards, including Champion Rosè. “The vintage was not the easiest to manage, and at the time all we were thinking about was getting it done,” says Matt Murphy. “So to make some pretty smart wines out of it as well is great.” The sales team is even happier than the cellar crew, because Mount Riley will invariably win new customers on the back of the accolades, says Matt. “It’s one of those shows where you get some nice sales results.” Marlborough wines account for 20 of the top 50 in the 2020 New World Wine Awards, with four of the 10 champion wines grown in the region. Half of the Marlborough winning wines are 2020, showcasing excellent results from a challenging but brilliant vintage, says chair of judges Jim Harré. “ The Top 50 list includes the typical favourites, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, as well as an increasing number of ‘emerging wines’ like Albariño, Malbec and Tempranillo. This year an independent panel of 18 experts assembled across four regional hubs in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago to judge more than 1,200 wines entered from around New Zealand and overseas.
New Cloudy Bay winemaker Nikolai St George has joined Cloudy Bay as senior winemaker, after four years as chief winemaker at Giesen. “To me Cloudy Bay is one of the flagships of Marlborough, with a long history and an uncompromising approach to quality,” says Nikolai. “They have always been faithful to their initial direction and focus, to the extent of selecting and purchasing vineyards that reflect their house style”. Nikolai will work closely with Cloudy Bay’s technical director Jim White, as well as the existing winemakers – Dan Sorrell and Victor Joyeux – on Cloudy Bay’s ongoing winemaking strategy. Cloudy Bay estate director Yang Shen says the position of senior winemaker is a vital one for the business “and we have been waiting a long time for the right person for that role”. 34 / Winepress October 2020
Lion’s Share Wither Hills viticulture and winery staff had their annual planting day at the company’s Rarangi wetland last month. Lion’s Wine national operations director Geoff Matthews says a crew from administration, viticulture and winemaking weeded existing areas, planted around 200 native trees, and heard from senior machinery operator and pest eradication guru Tim Collingwood about the vineyard’s trapping programme. Geoff says the cellar door and restaurant team would usually be at the planting as well. “But they are so busy at the moment, we didn’t have a hope of getting them on the job.”
Working smarter and leaner Wine Marlborough is holding a winery facilitated workshop on working smarter and leaner, including speakers Courtney Morse from Delegat, and Nick Entwistle from Rose Family Estate. The event is on November 18, 2pm to 3.30pm at the Marlborough Research Centre Theatre. RSVP to advocacy@ winemarlborough
Resilience workshop Bradley Hook from the Resilience Institute will deliver a programme that incorporates dealing with stress, wellbeing, emotional intelligence and cognitive skills. There will be a half-day face-to-face workshop in Blenheim and a follow-up webinar focusing on resilience from a leadership perspective. To register for the October 22 event, go to winemarlborough.co.nz/events/
Healthy Foodscapes at Garden Marlborough Running farms as “isolated cells” doesn’t have a good future, says a Lincoln University professor aiming for “multifunctional foodscapes”. Pablo Gregorini is the director of the Lincoln University International Pastoral Livestock Production Lab and head of the university’s Centre of Excellence for the design of Future Productive Landscapes. He talks of food production and procurement being connected, socially integrated and a conduit between rural and urban communities, rather than “clusters” of independent farms. “We want to have a landscape that has diversity of farming operations, including urban farming, that are not only connected, but functionally integrated.” Pablo, who is one of the speakers at next month’s Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough, says ethical and sustainable foodscapes, including vineyards, will challenge existing ways of food production, consumption and commercialisation. That will have a positive outcome for the “one health” of communities, the environment and local economies, as well as animal welfare and biodiversity, Pablo says. “We need to change our mindset. We need to live with rather than off the land. We need to change from a control to a participation approach - we are part of that landscape and we are all interconnected.” The main driver of resilient food, health and landscape designs is diversity, which is “ecology 101”, says Pablo. “To have resilient systems you need to have variety, diversity and redundancy.” Unbroken kilometres of lucerne, dairy cows or vineyards do not make for a resilient environment, which requires “a cluster of people, a cluster of animals, plants and the environment itself”, he says, calling for a change in the dichotomy “from wealth to health”. Pablo will present at Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough at two sessions on November 6. For more information go to gardenmarlborough.co.nz.
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Wine Happenings A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry. To have your event included in November's Wine Happenings, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by October 20. Due to uncertainty around Covid-19, there may be changes to some of these events. For more information, please use the contact supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz
OCTOBER 7-8 Corteva Young Viticulturist of the Year 2020, National Final. Wairarapa (nicky.grandorge@nzwine.com) 9 Bayleys Friday Night Feast – 3.30pm - 8.30pm in Blenheim’s CBD (feastmarlborough.nz) 14-16 Judging for Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect 17 General Election Day 22 Resilience workshop with Bradley Hook. Register at wine-marlborough.co.nz/events. (see pg 36) 30 Marlborough Wine Show Celebration (marlboroughwineshow.com) NOVEMBER 2 Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao applications open (see pg 28) 5-8 Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough (gardenmarlborough.co.nz) 6 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year, national final. EIT, Hawke’s Bay 10 2020 Rosé Workshop - New Zealand Society for Viticulture & Oenology (nzsvo.org.nz) 13 Marlborough Lab Network Seminar & Trade Fair. 9am-5pm, Marlborough Convention Centre (see pg 24) 18 Working Smarter and Leaner workshop. 2pm -3.30pm, Marlborough Research Centre Theatre (see pg 34) 18 Marlborough Winegrowers Annual General Meeting. 4pm, Marlborough Research Centre Theatre 27 Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao applications close (see pg 28)
Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Oct 30
Working for Nature applications open Nov 2
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ADVERTORIAL
Dramatic Changes Required Chris Henry of Henry Manufacturing has been involved with growing for over 30 years. His contribution has been to develop organically-acceptable fungicides and application methods that support efficacy and good grower outcomes.
These days, Chris’ focus is on supporting research into constraints to growing in a softer way. Two areas of interest are addressed here. 1. Dealing with high-vigour, fourcane Sauvignon Blanc Dramatic changes to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc growing systems (trellising) are likely to be required if disease is to be controlled with softer chemistries that require good contact with leaves and bunches, says Chris. “The results of last year’s shoot thinning trial found that shoot thinning alone did not provide for adequate spray penetration.” The report can be found on www.henrymanufacturing.co.nz. Henry Manufacturing is sponsoring another season of work to find long-term benefits for this industry sector. Chris continues to be supported by Dr Mike Trought, Mark Allen, Jason Flowerday, Dr David Manktelow, Fabiano Frangi, Will Grigg, and James Jones. Other key Marlborough players have raised their hand to be part of the team.
“We’re not quitters. We realise this research is critical for the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc industry, because eventually all pesticides will rely on good coverage to achieve efficacy”. Trials will take place this season in vigorous vineyards. The team will compare the Scott-Henry system of ‘splitting the canopy’ (see similar example in photo above) with the three and four cane Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) system. There will also be an overlay of specific ultra-early leaf removal and mechanical removal at various timings. Data will be collected to define the various canopies using methods such as Point Quadrat Analysis, use of the VitiCanopy App and Lidar, and to assess:
2. Weed control through subsurface irrigation and mowing “Wherever I have seen mowing as a sole strategy of weed control, significant loss of yield/de-vigouring of vines occurs in the seasons following”, says Chris. “Getting economic yields back is difficult - particularly so organically.” “With subsurface irrigation, mowing alone might work. Look at Mark Allen, Chris Ireland and Mark Krasnow’s presentation at Bragato 2019 disclosing the long- and short-term success of subsubsurface irrigation and technology advances.” “There is a link on our website to the presentation. The principle is simple, bury the irrigation pipe, water the vines, deprive weeds of water and allow summer to desiccate them. Reliability is high, checking is simple”. For organic growers the economic advantages are there to move away from the costs of cultivation. For conventional growers with glyphosate resistant rye grass and other weeds, this provides a far better longterm solution than moving to residual herbicides. An informal trial is being undertaken at one of the canopy management trial sites.
• spray deposition at critical times • fruitfulness of this season’s crop (cap and berry counts) • 2021/22 fruitfulness by propagation of single node cuttings • yield and disease • juice and wine sensory analysis.
Always keen to talk I am travelling around New Zealand this Spring, and will be based in Blenheim - as well as Hawke’s Bay - over summer. I would be interested in visiting anyone’s vineyard. Please call, as there are so many small things that can make a substantial difference to vineyard outcomes.
Call Chris Henry on 027 294 1490 email chris@henrymanufacturing.co.nz www.henrymanufacturing.co.nz
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