Winepress - October 2022

Photo: Jim Tannock

Experienced Connected Genuine

With 25 years of experience in every aspect of the wine industry, from viticulture to winemaking to owning his own brand, Mike Poff knows wine. So when it comes to selling property, you can trust that he knows exactly what buyers want, and sellers need.

Known for his empathy and integrity, Mike understands the key drivers of wine companies,

viticulturalists and property owners, and what they each need to achieve.

With some excellent properties coming to the Marlborough market, and a strong buyer base both locally and further afield, Mike has the know-how and experience to bring the right parties together for the best result, every time.

this issue...

Constellation Brands

Gallop,

part in a company

Blind River,

Tannock.

Greg

12 Workforce Planning

vintage 2023 looming,

look at the Muka Tangata Workforce Development Council, Wine Marlborough’s industry workforce plan, and the new visa requirements following an immigration reset.

Young Winemaker

Alun Kilby has long had an appetite for trying new things.

have always wanted to be a little bit outside of the box and not run by the recipe,” says the 2022 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year.

24 Future Vineyard

A controlled-environment research vineyard is to be developed alongside The New Zealand Wine Centre - Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa – to help future-proof New Zealand’s wine industry.

Photo Richard Briggs

General Manager: Marcus Pickens

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

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

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

Events Manager: Loren Coffey loren@winemarlborough.nz

Advocacy Manager: Nicci Armour advocacy@winemarlborough.nz

Advertising: Joanna May advertising@winemarlborough.nz

Grape Grower Directors: Anna Laugesen anna@craiglochart.co.nz Michiel Eradus michiel@eraduswines.co.nz Andrew Nation nationa@gmail.com Nigel Sowman nigel@dogpoint.co.nz Tracy Johnston tracy@dayvinleigh.co.nz

Wine Company Directors: Beth Forrest beth@forrest.co.nz

Damien Yvon damien@closhenri.com Gus Altschwager gus@akwines.net James Macdonald james@hunters.co.nz Jamie Marfell Jamie.Marfell@pernod-ricard.com

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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

FROM MEALY bugs, clover and predator insects to trunk disease, wound protection and remedial surgery, the Beyond Vineyard Ecosystems event held in Christchurch late last month shared research-based approaches to sustainable vineyard management, including myriad calls for changes in practice. Attendees heard from scientists who’ve corralled masses of data from the seven-year Vineyard Ecosystems Programme, shedding light on soil microbiology, vineyard biodiversity, virus vectors, insect parasitoids, and “parsimonious” irrigation. They also heard from seasoned practitioners putting science and experience to work in vineyards around the country, many of them eschewing the bowling green clean of “tidy” vineyards to embrace an abundance of cover crops. The event was a reminder of the enthusiasm of wine companies and viticulturists to dig into wine science, and the eagerness of scientists to engage with those amid the rows.

The day after it wound up, New Zealand wine science took another stride forward, when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced plans for an Experimental Future Vineyard in Blenheim, where researchers will be able to control aspects of the environment such as soil type and temperature, along with water availability, to help future-proof the wine industry.

Plant & Food Research science group leader viticulture and oenology, Dr Damian Martin, says there are challenges ahead for the wine industry, but being able to understand how best to grow excellent grapes that allow winemakers to meet their environmental, financial and societal requirements, will ensure the sector can continue to grow.

The announcement was made at the launch of The New Zealand Wine Centre - Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa. Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology chair Tracy Johnston says the new centre is more than a superb building and facility. “It’s a place where the brains trust of viticulture and wine education, research, innovation, industry and sector agencies can thrive in one space.”

A valued cog of that brains trust is Rob Agnew – the scientist known well by readers of our monthly TasmanCrop Met Report – who was awarded the Marlborough Research Centre Award at the opening, in recognition of 36 years supporting science in the region, from disseminating weather records to supporting some of the region’s most valuable wine research projects. “To say that Rob is central to the success of research here in Marlborough is an understatement,” said Dr Mike Trought in presenting the trophy. On page 6 you’ll find Met Report number 301 from Rob, and I’m pretty sure it’s the first page many people turn to. Thanks for your tireless presentation of the (wine) facts since Winepress first began Rob, and huge congratulations on your award.

SOPHIE PREECE

From Wine Marlborough

Helping our industry celebrate success

EVENTS HAVE always been a core part of what we do here at Wine Marlborough, and the strange and turbulent times in the event world in recent years have seen us adapt - reinventing, restaging, and reformatting events, as well as cancelling where necessary. Now we are ready for the revival.

Of course, we haven’t been sitting idly waiting. Along with delivering the parts of events we could, and adapting the parts we couldn’t - such as celebratory gatheringswe’ve reviewed the purpose and core principles for our events, while exploring the value for members and target audiences.

A major casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic for us has been the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. But the change of venue (to Renwick Domain) and two-year pause on this flagship event has allowed us to give it a refresh, so it can return stronger than ever next February. We can’t wait to deliver the event for our members and community, and know the festival can help us work towards our overarching goal of being the World’s Greatest Wine Region. All great wine regions have benchmark events to help tell their stories and showcase their wines to the world. The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival also helps us show our support for our community, and allows our community to interact with the region’s wine producers. Don’t underestimate how important this is for our social licence.

Interest in the festival from wine producers remains strong, with between 35 and 40 wineries signed up. Foodies (as we call them) have been savaged by the pandemic, but our track-record of attracting thousands of wine and food lovers has encouraged them to sign up – we need them to help make a wonderful day magical.

Last month we hosted the Marlborough Wine Show judging, and this month sees the Celebration Long Lunch. Both events are sponsored by QuayConnect and are designed to champion excellence in our industry. We have examined this event and made several additions, including the introduction of a low or no alcohol trophy, increasing support of the provenance and organics trophies, and moving the legacy class judging out of the wine show judging to Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT), to give this very important class more stature.

We continue to grow the subregional story by extending that class judging to more varieties. Previously Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc were judged subregionally, and now Chardonnay has been added to the list.

We continue to bring more talent through the show system, including appointing a new shadow chief judgeFoley Family chief winemaker Stu Marfell - who will be Ben Glover’s understudy this year. We’ve also introduced an advisory committee who, amongst many other things, will help us design a talent development tasting programme for aspiring wine judges in Marlborough, scheduled for 2023.

Entries are strong this year, especially in our provenance class (single vineyard) where entries have climbed from 45 wines to 122. All other classes show a nice lift, including entries from NMIT wine students who are given the opportunity to submit wines in their own class.

After its considerable success, we have increased capacity for the Celebration Long Lunch, from 170 to 230 tickets. All are welcome, not just wine company staff. In support of local chefs and venues, the food will be prepared by Frank’s Oyster Bar and Eatery, and Karaka Cuisine.

We have recently completed the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker competition, following on from the Corteva Marlborough Young Viticulturist event earlier in the year. We deliver the regional components for these New Zealand Winegrowers-owned events, and it was exciting to have a field of 10 contestants in the winemaker competition this year, which is a record.

All events require sponsors, and we are particularly proud of the enduring support provided by all Wine Marlborough’s sponsors. There are about 40 different event sponsors who support our people, our industry, and you. TasmanCrop also sponsor Winepress, and have done for many years. There are too many to mention individually, but thank you all for helping us achieve great things for the Marlborough wine industry.

I would also like to acknowledge those on each event committee, who volunteer their time and talents to help us create and deliver the best events we can. Let’s make the most of the revival!

Loren Coffey is event manager at Wine Marlborough

Loren Coffey. Photo Richard Briggs

Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – September 2022

September Sep 2022 September Period Sep 2022 compared to LTA LTA of LTA 2021

GDD’s for month – Max/Min¹ 64.5 114% 56.5 (1996-2021) 52.1

GDD’s for month – Mean² 64.4 93% 69.5 (1996-2021) 64.5

Growing Degree Days Total

Jul – Sep 22 – Max/Min 126.2 147% 85.7 (1996-2021) 94.6

Jul - Sep 22 – Mean 156.5 120% 130.3 (1996-2021) 134.5

Mean Maximum (°C) 16.1 -0.1°C 16.2 (1986-2021) 15.9

Mean Minimum (°C) 7.1 +1.1°C 6.0 (1986-2021) 6.4

Mean Temp (°C) 11.6 +0.5°C 11.1 (1986-2021) 11.1

Ground Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 6 1.4 more 4.6 (1986-2021) 8 Air Frosts (0.0°C) 1 equal 0.8 (1986-2021) 1

Sunshine hours 195.4 100% 196.1 (1986-2021) 223.9

Sunshine hours – lowest 129.6 1989

Sunshine hours – highest 260.3 2020

Sunshine hours total – 2022 1737.8 97% 1788.7 (1986-2021) 1859.3

Rainfall (mm) 38.6 73% 52.8 (1986-2021) 52.6

Rainfall (mm) – lowest 3.0 1951 Rainfall (mm) – highest 191.5 1943

Rainfall total (mm) – 2022 692.4 143% 483.8 (1986-2021) 548.8

Evapotranspiration – mm 68.3 94% 73.0 (1996-2021) 78.9

Avg. Daily Wind-run (km) 212.1 77% 276.3 (1996-2021) 294.1

Mean soil temp – 10cm 10.2 +0.9°C 9.3 (1986-2021) 9.4

Mean soil temp – 30cm 11.5 +0.7°C 10.8 (1986-2021) 10.9

¹GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures ²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures

Temperature

The mean temperature for September of 11.6°C was 0.5°C above the long-term average (LTA). The average daily maximum temperature of 16.1°C was 0.1°C

Table 2: Weekly weather data during September 2022

below the LTA. The average daily minimum temperature of 7.1°C was 1.1°C above the LTA; i.e. the days were slightly cooler than average and the nights were a lot warmer than average. Surprisingly the warmest day of the month was the 1st of September, which recorded a maximum air temperature of 20.8°C. This was followed by maximums of 19.5°C and 19.6°C on the 2nd and 3rd September respectively; a very warm start to the month. These daily maximums were 3.5 to 4.5°C above average and closer to the LTA daily maximum temperature for November of 20.0°C. The coldest day was Wednesday 7th September, which recorded an air minimum temperature of -1.5°C and grass minimum temperature of –4.3°C.

Frosts

Six ground frosts and one air frost were recorded during September 2022, compared to eight ground frosts and one air frost in September 2021. Both years recorded slightly more ground frosts than the LTA.

In previous issues of Met Report, I have graphically demonstrated that the total number of frosts that Blenheim now receives per annum and from May to August has decreased markedly over the 90 years from 1932 to 2021.

Mean Mean Mean Ground Air Rainfall Sunshine Wind-run Max (°C) Min (°C)

1st - 7th 16.1 (-0.1)

8th - 14th 15.1 (-1.1)

15th - 21st 16.9 (+0.7)

(+0.7)

(+0.9)

(-1.1)

(+0.3)

(-0.1)

(-0.2)

22nd - 28th 16.4 (+0.2) 8.9 (+2.9) 12.7 (+1.6)

(mm) (hours) (km)

57.8 269.7

37.7 201.6

53.8 184.9

45.0 192.1

1.1 212.0 (2 days)

29th – 30th 14.9 (-1.3) 11.3 (+5.3) 13.1 (+2.0)

1st – 30th

September 2022 16.1 (-0.1) 7.1 (+1.1) 11.6 (+0.5)

September LTA (1986 – 2021) 16.2

1954 212.1

(100%) (77%)

196.1 276.3 LTA – Long Term Average

However, I have not previously taken a closer look at the trend in the number of frosts in the spring (September, October and November), the period that is critical for the wine industry. Blenheim is one of the warmest locations on the central Wairau Plains so the number of air frosts recorded at the Blenheim weather station in the Stevenson screen at a height of 1.3 m is minimal over spring. For that reason, I have chosen to compare the number of ground frosts. These are recorded at a height of 2.5 cm above a mown grass surface. A ground frost is a temperature equal to or lower than -1.0°C. The ground minimum temperature is normally 2 to 4°C lower than the air minimum temperature.

In order to make the comparisons useful for the wine industry I have chosen to compare the 49-year period 1973 to 2021. The modern wine industry first planted grapes in Marlborough in 1973. Figures 1 to 3 summarise the number

of ground frosts in Blenheim in September, October and November respectively, over the 49-year period. The yellow line displays the 10-year moving mean, so is indicative of periods of years with lower or higher numbers of frosts. The red line displays the trend in number of frosts over the whole 49-year time period. September is showing a slight trend towards fewer frosts. October and November are both showing a slight trend towards more frosts. Bear in mind that ground frost numbers in Blenheim in November are very low; only 15 of the 49 years recorded one or more frosts. However, I think the figures are probably indicative of what the wine industry has been experiencing with frosts. What I haven’t displayed is a trend towards earlier budburst that Marlborough has experienced over the last few years. Earlier budburst will undoubtedly increase frost vulnerability.

Figure 1: Ground frosts recorded in Blenheim in September: 1973 to 2021

Figure 2: Ground frosts recorded in Blenheim in October: 1973 to 2021

Figure 3: Ground frosts recorded in Blenheim in November: 1973 to 2021

Wind

Average daily wind-run for Blenheim during September 2022 was 212.1 km, 77% of the LTA daily wind-run of 276.3 km. September 2022 recorded the lowest average daily wind-run total for September for the 27 years 1996 to 2022. Only 5-days during September exceeded the LTA daily wind-run total of 276.3 km. The windiest day of the month in Blenheim was 4 September with 380 km wind-run. The maximum wind-speed during the month was 61.6 km/hr, recorded on 13 September.

Soil Moisture

Sunshine

September recorded 195.4 hours sunshine, 100% of the LTA.

Total sunshine for January to September 2022 is 1737.8 hours; 97% of the LTA. Cromwell was the sunniest town in New Zealand in September 2022 with 213.6 hours sunshine. It is a very rare occurrence for Cromwell to take the top spot.

Rainfall

Total rainfall during September of 38.6 mm was 73% of the LTA. The January to September 2022 rainfall total of 692.4 mm is 143% of the LTA. In contrast, 2-years ago at the end of September 2020 Blenheim had only recorded 334.4 mm rain; i.e. the first 9-months of 2022 have recorded 358 mm more rainfall than the first 9-months of 2020. What is quite remarkable about Blenheim’s high rainfall total so far in 2022 is that 5- of the 8-months from January to September have recorded lower that average rainfall. Blenheim’s LTA annual rainfall is 639.0 mm, that total was surpassed on 19 August 2022.

Shallow soil moisture (5-35 cm) on 1 September 2022 was 36.1% following a wet August. Only 21.6 mm rain was recorded from the 1 to 28 September and as a consequence the shallow soil moisture slowly dropped to 30.5% by 28 September. However, following 17.0 mm rain on 29 and 30 September the soil moisture jumped to 38.1% on 30 September, close to field capacity.

Growing Season

The growing season got off to an early start with the very warm temperatures in August and the first 3-days of September. At that stage, it appeared as if budburst of grapes in 2022 was going to be one of the earliest seasons on record. However, cool temperatures in the second week of September and average in the third and fourth weeks delayed the date of budburst from what we thought might have occurred, had the very warm temperatures continued. NIWA are still predicting a 95% chance of average (35%) to above average (60%) temperature for Marlborough over the 3-months from October to December 2022. Only a 5% chance of below average temperature over the full 3-month period. That does not preclude the fact that we may still have short periods when the temperature is below average.

Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research / Marlborough Research Centre

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Healthy Plantings

Out with willows, in with wellbeing

SOPHIE PREECE

THE RESTORATION of an Awatere Valley waterway is about protecting mind, body and planet, one endemic seedling at a time.

Constellation Brands health, safety, environment and wellness manager Sergai Davis says planting 2000 native trees along the Otuwhero River (Blind River) stream was as much about improving outcomes for health and safety as it was restoring an ecosystem besieged by crack willow.

The planting was part of the company’s annual Safety & Enviro Days, held in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay last month, with another event in the Auckland head office planned for this month. Sergai says a key objective of the days is to engage and educate staff in a fun and innovative way on key topics to ensure they “arrive safe, work safe, and go home safe”. The company’s initiatives have resulted in “huge strides”, and it was recognised at the 2022 New Zealand Workplace Health & Safety Awards, winning the category of SAFETY - best initiative to address a workrelated safety risk.

There were two Safety & Enviro Days in Marlborough, with 60 employees from across the organisation at each one. They began with interactive team activities based around wellness and manual handling, among other topics. The team then bussed out to Constellation Brands’ vineyard in the Awatere Valley, where crack willow has choked a oncehealthy stream, says Sergai. “One of the guys has lived here all his life, and he said when he was a kid, he would swim by the rail bridge and there were these big water holes, and the river was full of eels and fish. Now because of crack willows it’s just nothing.”

As well as a collapsed ecosystem, the stream floods in water events, because the willows impede its flow, says Sergai. “And the height of the willows was also starting to impact on frost fans.” The company’s coastal manager Susan Boyd has been the driving force behind the restoration, says

Sergai. “Without her efforts we would not be where we are today.”

Contactors sprayed and removed willows from the upper stretch of the 2.5km waterway, and FuturEcology created a planting plan, which saw Morgan’s Road Nursery propagate native species endemic to the area, with plans to contract another team to plant them out. “But with Safety & Enviro Day, we decided it was a great opportunity to get some value out of the feel-good factor of going out and restoring a stream on our property”, says Sergai.

When the busloads of Constellation workers arrived at the site, they were given a lesson in tree planting, before digging in to the restoration of the ecology and a boost to their own wellbeing. “When they looked back and saw what they had done, they realised it was the start of something awesome”, says Sergai.

The event epitomised the messages they want staff thinking about all the time, and are especially important now, he adds. “After the past two years and the stress that’s been put on everyone, and the asks that have been made of people in big businesses and small businesses alike, to be able to get out there on a sunny day – away with people you haven’t stood next to before or had only met with a mask on before - and do something that is really bonding was gold.”

The teams come from diverse roles and backgrounds, but everyone knew they were doing the “right thing” by planting the trees, he adds. “To work towards it collectively and feel the buzz was a real sense of coming together.”

With 2,000 trees in and 300 metres completed, there’s huge impetus to do even more next year, he says, reflecting on the memories of the staff member who once swam in the stream. “It would be nice to think in 10 years’ time his kids could have those same experience in that’s same water hole because we have done as much as we possibly can.”

Photo by Jim Tannock

afford

Working Together

CATHIE BELL

AN array of Marlborough vine and wine workplaces has opened the eyes of an industry training provider. “It’s been fascinating, learning about the intricacies of it,” says John Henare, engagement and partnership leader at Muka Tangata, who looks after viticulture, winemaking, and forestry sector training needs.

was lovely to be surrounded by such positive vibes. You could see the love for what they do and it’s contagious.”

qualifications, standards, and quality assurance, and is keen to explore different ways of working to meet the needs of the food and fibre sector, says John, “We then advise government on what programmes and qualifications they should support and fund.”

Muka Tangata was established in October 2020 as part of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE), which has seen all the country’s polytechnics and soon the industry

John Henare

Muka Tangata is the Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector, which works on ways to enhance vocational education and training to meet industry needs. It engages with industries and education and training providers, offers skills leadership and advice, works on

training organisations rolled into one national organisation, Te Pūkenga.

John’s tour of the region in September was organised by Wine Marlborough’s Nicci Armour and the Primary Industry Training Organisation’s James Crockett, who is

”We’re getting out there, to get a sense of what barriers exist for industry.”

on Wine Marlborough’s wine industry workforce steering group. From now until the end of the year, that 10-person steering group is to meet and draft a workforce plan towards both short-term and long-term outcomes.

Seeded by the Government’s Regional Skills Leadership Group, the workforce plan is to focus on the specific needs of Marlborough’s wine industry, says Nicci. ”We have a diverse and committed group of industry people around the table. While we have been scoping the plan over the past few months, there is a strong sense that this group is for the industry, by the industry.”

John says the work done through the Marlborough Regional Skills Leadership Group and Wine Marlborough’s workforce plan intersects with his work and will be taken into account when he reports his findings. “It would be remiss of me not to incorporate the work being done here into our work. I don’t need to go off and reengage with people who’ve already been thoroughly engaged with.”

Muka Tangata is in the “discovery phase”, as a new organisation, he says. ”We’re getting out there, to get a sense of what barriers exist for industry.” His main question to industry is, “if you could re-invent the system, what would it look like to you?”. He was impressed by what he saw in Marlborough, including the passion in the wine industry. “You can see it, and sense it. But it’s also a business. It’s incredibly complex and interlinked.”

Viticulture and winemaking are different to other primary industry sectors, he adds. “You grow it and don’t

eat it right away, you do so many other things to it.” And he was struck by the “real desire” of people in the industry “to embrace, and talk about, their love for what they do”. At the same time, industry is “quite business-like” as well, he says. “They need a pathway for people… They are not shy to say what they need.”

Muka Tangata intends to report its findings by December, and has a deadline of March, he says, noting that there could be big changes in where and how people learn. “No-one wants to be learning in a classroom for two years anymore.” Nicci says the Marlborough wine industry workforce plan will be completed and reported in a similar timeframe, with a foundation plan to be released in December this year, followed by a full plan with longer time horizons by December 2023. “Intersecting and working with the efforts of industry stakeholders, such as Muka Tangata, is an important facet of the Marlborough plan, which in return offers very clear focal points for these stakeholders on our industry’s needs.”

John gave thanks for the generosity of industry people he met during his visit and to Wine Marlborough for its hospitality, saying the visit would not have been a success without their input. Personally a craft beer fan, the trip had been motivation to get into trying wine again. “And not just wine, but good wine.”

It’s an industry with plenty of appeal, he says. “If I was 20 years younger, I would have changed my career.”

LONG TERM GROWERS NEEDED

Greywacke is a family owned, export orientated, premium wine business headquartered in the Omaka Valley.

Established in 2009, Greywacke exports approximately 95% of production to around 50 countries. Enthusiasm for our wines continues to grow and we are now searching for new quality focused, long-term growers to satisfy current (harvest 2023) and future demand.

Our principal interest is in sauvignon blanc and ideally (but not exclusively) the fruit would be from relatively mature vineyards in the central Wairau or Southern Valleys sub-regions.

Please contact Kevin Judd - kevin@greywacke.com

Opportunity Knocks

WINE COMPANIES are being urged to act early and explore visa options for vintage 2023. “The pathways are now open for skilled vintage workers to come to New Zealand,” says Nicola Crennan, external relations manager with New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW).

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEVW), which came into play in May this year, includes three checks –the employer check, the migrant check and the job check. “With the wage threshold for AEWV’s being the median wage, wineries will have to consider how to balance the experienced and inexperienced vintage workers they need for their workforce,” Nicola says. Meanwhile, more working holiday visa categories are open “and there is growing interest in New Zealand as a destination, and applications are starting to come through”.

Nicola notes the reset is not a consequence of Covid-19, with AEWV announced before the pandemic, then delayed because of border closures. Many of the requirements under the new setting are the same as for other immigration processes, and the first year of employer checks has been done on a declaration basis, “requiring a light touch by Immigration New Zealand to meet the expected volume of applications”, she says. “We are also hearing it is important to understand and meet the job check requirements, to avoid delays in processing your application.”

To ensure NZW keeps “its finger on the pulse” of labour requirements and recruitment challenges for the vintage, it has convened a vintage working group for the second year running, which Wine Marlborough is also collaborating on. “The new processes and how they play out is a key area of discussion and information sharing for the group which we will use to help members navigate the new processes and for any trouble shooting with Immigration New Zealand,” says Nicola.

NZW also continues to tackle demand for workers on other fronts, and is involved in a number of workstreams to understand the industry’s workforce needs, “so we can focus NZW activities on where they will add the most value”, she says. “For example, we have been closely involved in the review of vocational education to make sure there are the right pathways into the industry that will lead to rewarding careers.”

Nicola says a “big win” is the soon-to-be-launched Primary ITO Winegrowing Apprenticeship, which has financial support from government, available up to December 2022. “We have also been working with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to understand the workforce makeup across the Food and Fibre sector, to position us to attract, train and retain the workforce we will need to ensure the industry’s ongoing success.”

Campaigns that ran throughout the Covid border closure period, including MPI’s Opportunity Grows Here and NZW’s own promotional activity, have ensured that “target audiences” have known where the work is, what it involves and where to go to find out more, she says. “We had some fantastic bespoke regional campaigns and created interest and awareness, as well as the all-important impressions and click throughs.” Wine Marlborough drove one of these campaigns, says advocacy manager Nicci Armour. “We brought together 17 wineries to share insights on who their best target groups were from a relatively inexperienced and restricted pool of potential staff for Vintage 2022.”

NZW is now looking at what campaigns it can run for the coming vintage season. Nicola says the Vintage 23 working group, with representation from large and small members from across the regions, will help inform what can be done to improve recruitment and retention of labour. “Some of the working group who are recruiting have already had a lot of interest from returnees offshore who are keen to get back,” she says. “For smaller members who may still be working through pruning, I think the message is engage in the AEVW early on, if that’s a recruitment option you’re interested in.”

Find out more about the AEWV processes at immigration. govt.nz/employ-migrants/new-employer-accreditation-andwork-visa or contact advocacy@nzwine.com

A Marlboroughfocussed campaign for Opportunity Grows Here. Photo Richard Briggs

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Vintage Survey

Lessons learned from challenging vintage

NEARLY THREE quarters of Marlborough’s winery workforce was inexperienced in the 2022 vintage, down from around half in 2021 and well under quarter in 2020. That’s one of several findings in the latest Wine Marlborough Vintage Planning Survey, reflecting a harvest remembered for closed borders, a labour crisis, and the rampant spread of Covid-19, along with big yields that tested cellar crews.

”Vintage 2022 forced everyone to get better at what they were doing,” says Wine Marlborough’s advocacy manager Nicci Armour. “There was more flexibility, and with a largely inexperienced workforce, more care was taken with water usage and breakages, for example. It was certainly one for the books, and once again the resilience of the people in the wine industry carried us through.”

The survey was conducted in August 2022 and drew responses from 37 wineries, representing 90% of Marlborough’s total harvest tonnes. Since being introduced in 2018, the survey has been valued by industry, says Nicci, “particularly as they have navigated a challenging recruitment landscape”. The workshop where the results are reported back gives people a chance to air their concerns and consider their planning, she says.

The big yields of 2022, teamed with an average of eight fewer staff members per winery for the vintage, meant winery workers processed 282 tonnes per staff member, up nearly 100 tonne per person on the modest 2021 harvest. Meanwhile, remuneration benchmark for inexperienced

Cap lift for RSE scheme

staff members have increased 17% to 38% between 2018 and 2022, and this year’s harvest also saw a lift in employee benefits, including accommodation provided by one in five employers, and meals and snacks supplied by all respondents. Other benefits included transport, night shift allowances, the use of e-bikes, and wine allowances. There were also fewer six-day weeks for experienced, inexperienced and returning winery workers.

Wineries in the survey also reported that one in five vintage contracts were extended this year, due to processing requirements. “We have had a lot stay on to cover the workload from prepping and shipping a bigger vintage,” said one respondent, with another noting that most contracts ended up being more than 10 weeks due to an early start for training, then holding on to staff to help with blending, with half their casual vintage workers employed fulltime after vintage.

Nicci says wineries have reported many great learnings over the past few years, with increased and improved training, and growing efficiencies. But they are nonetheless looking forward to a 2023 vintage with borders open and experienced vintage staff able to return. “A rebalance back to higher experience level will ease pressure on the permanent staff.”

New Zealand Winegrowers and Wine Marlborough have welcomed an increase of 3,000 in the cap for Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme workers, up to 19,000. “This decision will benefit Pacific workers, their families, and our wine regions,” says New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) chief executive Philip Gregan. The availability of skilled seasonal workers continues to be a critical concern for many growers and wineries, and the government announcement will help the wine industry plan with more certainty to meet seasonal work peaks, he says.

“There are very clear requirements for all accredited employers regarding accommodation, and pastoral care. As an industry we expect these are upheld, as a minimum. It is a privilege to have this scheme, to enable our industry to meet our seasonal work peaks, and Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme employees must be provided with fair and ethical working conditions - anything less is unacceptable.”

NZW is focused on working with the Government to review and improve the RSE scheme, for the benefit of all stakeholders, he adds. “For 15 years, the government-run RSE scheme has provided significant social and economic benefits to our Pacific neighbours and its people, and New Zealand. We will be working with Government and across the sector to ensure that this scheme is the best it can be for all parties involved, and can continue for the next 15 years, and beyond.”

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

Poswillo

Young Winemaker

Outside the box with Alun Kilby

WHETHER FERMENTING peaches from his childhood garden, or throwing oak chips at a tank of Sauvignon Blanc, Alun Kilby has long had an appetite for new things. “I have always wanted to be a little bit outside of the box and not run by the recipe,” says the 2022 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year. “Even at university with our microvins, my friend and I ended up making fortified wine… Just because everyone else was making normal wine.”

Alun, who is production winemaker at Marisco Vineyards, took the regional title in late September, up against the competition’s largest ever regional field, with 10 competitors putting themselves to the test. Vavasour’s Thomas Jordaan came second and Ruby McManaway, from Yealands, came third. Marlborough regional committee chair Emily Gaspard-Clark says the winemakers were of a really high calibre. “I think we have a great group of young leaders coming through and the industry will be in good hands as they move up the ranks.”

Alun, who came third in the 2021 competition, grew up making fruit wine with his mother in the kitchen their Matakana home, with frozen berries defrosted and fermented, and fruit plucked from the pear, peach and feijoa trees outside. They weren’t all good, but they were all an experience, he says. “You learn lots, even working with fruit wine.” He was practical by nature, and fascinated by biology, “so yeasts and conversions came naturally to me”.

He started holiday vineyard work when he was 13, and went on to undertake the Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. While studying, he worked the 2014 vintage at Marisco and “loved it”, as his past experiences fell into place. On finishing his degree the next year, he went to Central Otago, before returning to Marisco as a cellarhand in late 2015, with plans to make it to winemaker.

Some overseas vintages followed, but Alun returned to Marisco, and was made assistant winemaker in 2018, then production winemaker this year. “I have learned a lot being in the role,” he says, noting that being at one winery, on and off, since 2014, including “multiple harvests”, has allowed him to embed knowledge of the processes, and what each

block, additive or remedy brings to a wine. “I do feel that in winemaking you have to spend a certain amount of time in one place to be able to get a good grasp of context. Once you have that information tucked away in your brain, you can take that anywhere from there.”

Working in the state-of-the-art winery has also given him opportunity to be involved in Sauvignon Blanc trials, including hot, high solids, and barrel ferments, learning more about the versatility of Marlborough’s flagship variety. One of those trials involved adding a tonne’s worth of oak chips to an 80,000-litre tank of Sauvignon, fermented warm with high solids. That successful trial created a new thread in Marisco’s programme, he says, pleased to be involved in pushing outside the box. “I am always out there to try new things and learn new things, and the competition does help with that as well,” he says. “It gives you insights and networking advantage as well.”

In the judging section of this year’s competition, Alun felt lucky to have Chardonnay on the table. “We had just graded our Chardonnay… so I was going in with a lot of information.” And while the marketing pitch is often a challenge for him, this year’s brief – to blend and market a Rosé for the Swedish Meatball and Flapjack Innovation Expo – was so entertaining, he could set his nerves aside. “It was just too good. I went for a darker stye Rosé and a bit of sweetness. But made it with a salty minerality so you’d still want to drink it with food.”

It’s been a long time between berry wines, but Alun’s mother, who passed away in 2014, is a constant inspiration. “She is the one who has driven me to be in this industry and I always felt that with this competition she would be super proud of me; she would be stoked,” he says. “So I do it more for her than for me.”

Photos on facing page by Richard Briggs.

Alun Kilby at the awards dinner. Photo Richard Briggs

A record 10 contestants

Cameron Steel, Nautilus Estate

Thomas Jordaan from Vavasour came second

Nick Lamain from VinLink

Ellie Hobbs, Rose Family Estate

On right, Ashley Robinson, Spy Valley

Alun Kilby and colleague Seb Bouchut from Marisco

VinOlympics emcee Anthony Walkenhorst

Wine Show

Subregional celebration of Marlborough wine

SUBREGIONAL STORIES are more important than ever for Marlborough’s wine industry, says the chief judge of the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect “People are wanting to draw a line in the sand about where their wine comes from,” says Ben Glover, who led a team of 17 judges assessing 550 of the region’s wines over three days in late September.

The competition originally looked at Sauvignon Blanc subregionally, before Pinot Noir was added to that celebration of the region’s unique winegrowing areas. In this year’s judging Chardonnay was also viewed through a subregional lens, considering the difference each place imparts to the wines, Ben says.

The judges drill down further than subregions in the single vineyard category, and The Coterie Provenance Trophy attracted 122 entries this year, up from 45 in 2021. The Marlborough Museum Legacy Award has also seen substantial growth in entry numbers over time, for a wine producer who has the highest scores for three vintages of the same variety over a 10-year period.

Ben has recently returned from an overseas marketing trip, and says wine show results will play an important role in a marketplace changed by Covid-19. “People want more varietal width and range in the Sauvignon Blanc category, and are hungry to see what else we do varietally. Pre Covid-19 Sauvignon Blanc was the category – now it is ‘how else can you express Sauvignon Blanc? Where is it from within Marlborough - what subregion, what site? And, by the way, what else can you show us that is true to your story?’”

There are challenges in the market, he says. “That’s why it’s important to be able to deliver a clear and concise picture of what is happening in the premium Marlborough wine space, through the detailed lens of the Marlborough Wine Show.”

Better Biology Better Wine

Photos on right by Richard Briggs

Stu Marfell

Guest judge Annette Lacey MW 550 entries in the 2022 show

Guest judge James Millton

Chief judge Ben Glover and shadow chief judge Stu Marfell Associate judge Josh Hammond

Taste Test

New bill a boost to wine tourism

SOPHIE PREECE

BEING ALLOWED to sell samples at cellar doors would provide a much-needed boost to small wineries, say industry members.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill, proposed by Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith, was drawn from the Member’s Bill Ballot last month. “While this may be a small change, it will make a big difference to New Zealand’s wineries,” says Stuart, who is National’s viticulture spokesperson.

The bill would plug an important gap in the old legislation so that winery cellar doors could charge visitors for wine samples without having to secure a separate on-license, says Stuart. “This Bill has been drawn at an opportune time as wineries have faced significant costs and reduced production as a result of the pandemic. This regulatory change will ensure that they can provide cellar door services without the unnecessary extra red tape.”

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan says the current legislation is out of date. “It either forces wineries to give wine away for free, or forces them to go through significant cost and time to acquire and maintain a separate on-licence. We are hopeful that through the parliamentary process we can get modern, fit for purpose legislation that will support wine tourism in the winemaking regions throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Philip says winery cellar doors have been hit hard by the collapse in international tourist numbers over the past two years. “This regulatory change would ensure that they can continue to provide exemplary winery cellar door services to both domestic and international tourists, without unnecessary extra red-tape.” With more than 600 small wineries in New Zealand, the change would make a big difference, and encourage more cellar doors to open for returning international wine tourists, he adds. “Additionally, by allowing charging for tastings, the industry sees this as consistent with the low-risk winery cellar door licensing status and supporting responsible consumption.”

Framingham Wines has an on-premise license for its cellar door which allows them to charge a small tasting fee, which is waived if people purchase, “which is more often than not”, says marketing manager Bridget Glackin. She believes the proposed bill will benefit all cellar doors in New Zealand. “We are all driven to deliver an exceptional wine customer experience. The wine quality, knowledge, and personalities are a key part of why people visit. If more tourists have an opportunity to experience this, it will benefit the wider industry.” Bridget says internationally there are very few wine regions where visitors to a cellar door are greeted by the winemaker and grower. “Passing of the bill would enable smaller wineries to reopen and tourists to experience this first hand.”

Stuart says New Zealand’s wine industry has grown remarkably over the past 20 years, particularly the cellar door tourism experiences. “Now wine samples are a staple at cellar doors, but the old legislation hasn’t been updated to accommodate this,” he says. “By tiding up the legislation and allowing wineries to charge for samples without obtaining an on-licence, it will encourage more cellar doors to open for the enjoyment of tourists and those wanting to taste New Zealand wines – a big boost for our small wineries in particular.”

MarlboroughNZ

“Passing of the bill would enable smaller wineries to reopen and tourists to experience this first hand.”

Bridget Glackin

TIME TO REPLANT YOUR VINEYARD?

ECO TRELLIS® system

Marlborough pioneered Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s and many of these original vineyards are now ready for replacement vines.

Now is the perfect time to move to the ECO TRELLIS® system which uses posts, clips and strainers as relevant to site location. Made in New Zealand of high-strength galvanised carbon steel coated with a thick layer of zinc ECO TRELLIS® posts are easy to install and fully recyclable at the end of their vineyard life.

ECO TRELLIS® is the first choice of an increasing number of vineyard managers in New Zealand, Australia and the US.

I’ve been using ECO TRELLIS® posts since 2018. They’re the preferred option for replacement posts in our vineyards. We find they’re safe and easy to use and we can install them by hand without having to use machinery. They are more durable than wooden posts and it’s really important to us that they’re recyclable at the end of their life. An added benefit is the pre-determined holes which mean that the clips are always in the right spot. ECO TRELLIS® is a great product!

Daniel Warman, Vineyard Manager, Constellation Brands

Gareth Gardiner, Sales Engineer, NZ Tube Mills

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Future Vineyard

Experimental vineyard offers 50-year lens

SOPHIE PREECE

A CONTROLLED-ENVIRONMENT research vineyard is to be developed alongside The New Zealand Wine Centre - Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa – to help futureproof New Zealand’s wine industry. In officially opening Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa in Blenheim on September 29, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced plans for an Experimental Future Vineyard within a large greenhouse on the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) campus.

Operated by Plant & Food Research, the vineyard will be based within a 600m2 shelter, enabling research to be conducted within the vine and beneath the soil, while researchers control aspects of the environment such as soil type and temperature, along with water availability.

“We’re excited to be a part of Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa,” says Dr Damian Martin, science group leader viticulture and oenology at Plant & Food Research. “We know climate change will add to challenges facing wine production in New Zealand, with warmer days and more insect pests and diseases able to establish here. We also know that consumer expectations will continue to evolve, with increased focus on sustainability credentials. Being able to understand how best to grow excellent grapes that allow winemakers to meet their environmental, financial and societal requirements will ensure our wine sector can continue to grow.”

The Marlborough Research Centre (MRC) led the

development of the New Zealand Wine Centre, with key partners NMIT, Kānoa (the Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit), Plant & Food Research, Wine Marlborough, Marlborough District Council, and New Zealand Winegrowers, via Bragato Research Institute (BRI) and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. The centre sits alongside NMIT’s wine and viticulture teaching and research facilities, Plant & Food Research, and BRI, and provides offices, meeting rooms and co-shared space for wine growers and companies to meet and work with wine researchers from around the world.

MRC chief executive Gerald Hope says Covid-19 played a role in the addition of the Experimental Future Vineyard to established plans for Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa. “The serendipitous thing is that because of the lockdowns and delay in construction and completion… we started to think about things again,” he says, recalling that time to consider whether there was “something else we could or should be doing”.

The vineyard project is about looking through a “50year lens”, in order to accelerate research programmes that will protect and propel the wine industry, he says, noting that when he became involved in Marlborough’s wine sector in 1987, there were no plantings beyond Conders Bend. No one would have believed then that there’d one day be major plantings well up the Wairau Valley, he adds. “That’s in the space of 35 years.”

A digital portrayal of the Experimental Future Vineyard

The opening of Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa. Photo Richard Briggs

Now there’s a “general acceptance” that science and technology will have a lead role in the future of growing vines and the flavour and styles of wine, making the Future Vineyard’s 50-year lens an exciting development, says Gerald. “Our personal view is that it’s an absolutely timely addition.”

The Experimental Vineyard is projected to cost $3.3 million, including $770,000 reallocated from the government’s earlier Provincial Growth Fund loan to the MRC. Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa was built at a cost of

Science champion awarded

$6m, with $3m contributed from the MRC, matched with funding from Kānoa’s Provincial Growth Fund.

MRC Trust chair Bernie Rowe says that once it is built alongside BRI and The New Zealand Wine Centre, a total of $20m will have been invested. “With the completion of the New Zealand Wine Centre we have created an integrated hub that will be more than capable of taking the wine industry into the future – and accelerating new opportunities for New Zealand.”

Rob Agnew has a way with numbers, happily wrangling weather data and wine research into palatable packages for practitioners. And the numbers say a lot about this Plant & Food Research scientist and recipient of the 2022 Marlborough Research Centre (MRC) Award : 300 monthly Winepress Met Reports as of September’s edition; 144 articles in the Marlborough Express over the past 14 years; and 708 VineFacts (formerly Vinefax) reports since they started in 1997.

They were numbers shared by his friend and colleague Dr Mike Trought in presenting the award at the opening of The New Zealand Wine Centre last month. “To say that Rob is central to the success of research here in Marlborough is an understatement,” said Mike. “A steadying hand in the chaos of harvest, a friendly shoulder when things don’t go as planned, totally organised, ensuring the gear is ready and working before heading out into the field and making sure that we have enough coffee and biscuits.”

Rob says one of the “kicks” he gets out of his work is making research information practically useful to growers, and supporting other scientists, including Dr Rengasamy Balasubramaniam (Bala), who developed the disease management programme in the 1990s, which in turn led to the development of Vinefax. Speaking to viticulturist and MRC trustee Ivan Sutherland at the awards presentation, Rob noted, “you told me I should send this out to the industry, but you never told me when to stop. I am still awaiting further instructions 26 years later.”

Generation Y-ine

Diving into Viticulture

CATHIE BELL

technology at Massey University when she had to make a choice between full-time study and competitive swimming.

She chose the latter and moved to the United States on a sports scholarship at Washington State University, which allowed her degree to fit in around her training. In her second year of study a scheduling conflict saw her drop a course and take a viticulture and oenology unit instead, which was “gutting” but enabled her to get a lot more training in. “I ended up loving it,” says Jess, who came second in the 2022 Corteva Marlborough Young Viticulturist competition. “I hadn’t been exposed to it before; it was

a mix of nature and science,” she says. “I found it really interesting. I was like – why didn’t I do this from the start?”

Initially, Jess planned to be a winemaker, with the course focussed on the winery, but when she decided to return to New Zealand four years ago, Villa Maria offered her a viticulture role in Marlborough. “It wasn’t what I had planned, but I gave it a shot.” She moved to Giesen Wines almost a year ago, as technical viticulturist, and loves the diversity of the work, with the company doing much more than Sauvignon Blanc.

Giesen has Clayvin vineyard, with its celebrated Syrah off mature vines, and she also works with growers in Hawke’s Bay and Waipara, enjoying the range of wines they grow. “As a viticulturist, it makes it more interesting. You learn different things with different varieties.”

However, you can be creative with Sauvignon Blanc, Jess says, adamant the variety is “not a one-stop-shop”.

Jess says she’s learning every year and committed to developing her skills. “I’m still keen to continue to learn and grow; get more experience with different vineyards, different learning.”

She would love to be a company viticulturist at some stage. “I’m beginning that journey of building up experience and knowledge. I’m challenging myself where I can, but not to the point where I’m in the deep end, freaking out with water above my head.”

This is Jess’ second year coming second in the Marlborough regional event, but she takes a magnanimous view of coming in after her friend Tahryn Mason, who went on to win the national event. “At the end of the day, I improved from last year, and I’m happy about that.”

She says the competition helps affirm the learning of young viticulturists. “Sometimes you are surrounded

JESS MARSTON planned a career inventing new food products, until swimming saw her change lanes. From a foodie family in Auckland, Jess was studying food

“Everyone seems pretty passionate and committed. It’s great for the industry.” Jess Marston

Jess Marston at the Corteva Marlborough Young Viticulturist competition. Photos Richard Briggs

Beyond Vineyard Ecosystems

Jessica Marston was one of the speakers in a virus and mealybug panel at Beyond Vineyard Ecosystems, a Bragato Research Institute event held in Christchurch late last month. The young Giesen viticulturist shared the stage with Vineyard Ecosystems Programme manager Nick Hoskins, seasoned viticulturist Jonathan Hamlet, and mealy bug expert Dr Vaughn Bell, with each panellist sharing their insights and experience in managing mealybugs and leafroll virus. Jessica spoke of her trials with diatomaceous earth (DE) for late season control of mealy bug, but added the caveat that there was more she wanted to know about the impact of using DE on the wider vineyard ecosystem, “because if it’s going to do that to mealybug, it’s probably going to do it to other insects as well,” she says. “I know it’s not perfect but it’s another tool in the toolbox.”

at work by people with so much knowledge, it can be overwhelming… The competition is a good way of proving you have done learning; you do know some stuff.”

Seeing the other competitors coming through the competition, she’s excited for the future of the industry. “There is a lot of awareness about what we’re doing – care for the environment, sustainability, regenerative work on things,” she says. “Everyone seems pretty passionate and committed. It’s great for the industry.”

Generation Y-ine

Springing into wine

KAT PICKFORD

THE DAYS are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and buds are bursting in the vineyards, signalling the first stage of the annual cycle that will result in vintage 2023. For Santiago Mendez, a third-year student in the Bachelor in Viticulture and Winemaking at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT), spring is the best time of year in the vineyard.

“Pruning is finished and now we are in maintenance phase, making sure everything is ready for the growing season,” he says. “Buds are bursting, and green shoots are appearing; it’s the best time of year, everything is fresh and exciting, without the heat of summer.”

Santiago is currently working part time at Seresin Estate, near Renwick, enjoying the varied work schedule that is part and parcel of working for a smaller producer.

Santiago worked alongside a research technician to collect a huge amount of data, specifically looking at canopy density, disease pressure and yield.

“The first year comparisons showed the canopy density, rates of disease pressure and yield were quite similar between differently pruned vines. It was very surprising as spurs usually produce less yield and more dense canopies.”

There is always pressure in the wine industry to get through winter pruning before budburst each year, so any innovation to help speed up the process would be welcomed by the industry. “It will be interesting to see the results over the next couple of years,” he says.

After a busy summer working, studying, and doing his research project, he picked up a cellar job at Butterworth Estate in Martinborough for the 2022 vintage, where he

The Colombian born student cut his wine industry teeth at Delegat Wine Estate in Marlborough after the 2021 vintage. He worked the night shift with a team of Spanish speaking cellar hands hailing from Argentina, Chile, and Spain. “It was pretty cool, but very intense. I learned a lot about largevolume wine production and did many jobs in the winerytank cleaning, wine transfer and fining - usual cellar stuff.”

After gaining some experience in the winery, Santiago was keen to work in the vineyard and picked up work at Seresin. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. I learned a bit about pruning at NMIT, but you don’t really have any idea what it’s like until you do it - I loved it.”

He enjoyed working in the vineyards so much, he was invited to take part in a three-year spur research project being run by Bragato Research Institute. The project is looking into how long spur pruning in Sauvignon Blanc (leaving four or five nodes on the vine instead of the usual two) affects vine health and yield when compared to the industry standard - four canes vertical shoot position (VSP).

worked side-by-side with the winemaker Martin Bell. “Martin was a very approachable sort of guy, he made time to answer my questions and talk about what we were doing, so I learned a lot from him.”

Working for a large-scale wine producer, an organic wine producer, and boutique winery all had their benefits and he’s learned a lot about the industry in a short amount of time, he says.

With only two months to go before he finishes his degree, he’s excited at the prospect of starting work full time - although he isn’t yet sure where he’ll be for vintage 2023. And his advice for others looking for work in the wine industry? “It’s a numbers game, so you’ve got to apply for lots of jobs. Utilise your contacts as much as you can, don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm and just be prepared for anything and do your best. Covid showed me that even though you might know what you want, it might not be what you get. You just have to hope for the best and life will show you where you’re meant to be.”

“It’s the best time of year, everything is fresh and exciting, without the heat of summer.” Santiago Mendez

A new level of Botrytis and Powdery Mildew control, with one-drum simplicity.

latest

Fifty Years

More memories as the half century approaches

MIKE INSLEY

THANKS TO everyone who responded to my last column on the start of the modern era of grape growing and winemaking in Marlborough, 50 years ago next year. I started with Montana in 1989, so missed out on the very early years. While we’re not any closer to confirming the actual date of the first vines going in the ground in 1973, it’s been fascinating to talk to people about their memories and reminisces of that time.

Harking back to the previous column, we’ve been able to determine that the date that the first vines went into the ground (on what is now Brancott Estate) was sometime between July 30 and August 3, 1973. One comment that was made to me was that with Marlborough winning the Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury on Saturday July 28, 1973, there was unlikely to be much work done - even if people showed up - on the following Monday, July 30. The glory days of Marlborough Rugby!

Another little nugget of information that came to light was price paid for the land - $500 per acre or $1235 per hectare, about twice the going rate for farmland in the central Wairau Plain at the time. So what’s the price of land done in the intervening 50 years? The asking price for bare

Father Sloane blesses the first official vine held for him by Mate Yukich, assisted by Terry Dunleavy, then advertising manager for Montana. Marlborough Archives, Marlborough Historical Society Collection; McKendry Photograph Album, Montana 1995.183.0018

were without irrigation. With moisture depleted soils from the dry 1973 year, many didn’t survive the summer of 1974. A year after the first vines went in, the first vineyard replantings were happening with Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage being the mainstays of Marlborough’s new industry. Oh, and there was around 20ha of Sauvignon Blanc included in the early Brancott plantings as well. It was very much small beginnings. These vines would have been replaced with grafted, phylloxera tolerant rootstocks in the early 1990’s. The move to resistant rootstock also saw the disappearance of Müller-Thurgau from Marlborough over this time. Looking around the region today, the third major wave of vineyard redevelopment is starting to occur, driven

Mike Insley

land, if you can find any, in the same central plains locality will be approaching $200,000 per hectare nowadays, a cool 11% compounding annual growth rate over almost half a century. To put that into perspective, using the Reserve Bank’s consumer price index (housing) calculator for the same period, investing that same $1235 into housing anywhere in the country would have the same value as $87,500 today.

In the early 1970’s, Marlborough was experiencing a severe drought and the young vines planted in August 1973

by both an increasing incidence of trunk disease and a seemingly insatiable global appetite for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Long may it continue. Viticulturist Mike Insley owns Grape Sense in Marlborough, offering planning, production and problem-solving on vineyards. He also provides vineyard real estate services through Harcourts Marlborough. Anyone with insights into the region’s wine history can contact him at mike@grapesense.co.nz or 021 229 8157.

“Another little nugget of information that came to light was price paid for the land - $500 per acre or $1235 per hectare.”

What's up with waterlogged vineyards?

Water has been lying on many vineyards in Marlborough in recent months, raising the question, “what damage is this potentially doing to the vines?” Wine scientist MIKE TROUGHT discusses.

What are the changes in the soil?

The entry of excess water into the soil profile displaces air in the gas-filled pore volume, inhibiting the diffusion of oxygen, resulting in the development of anoxic conditions. Concurrently, carbon dioxide, ethylene and nitrous oxide accumulate, followed by the chemical reduction of nitrate and then manganese and iron salts to nitrous oxide, manganous and ferrous salts respectively. This results in losses of nitrogen fertilizer and an increase in the solubility of manganese to potentially toxic concentrations. The rate of change depends on the temperature and the rate of respiration by roots and soil micro-organisms. In general, providing the soil temperature is less than 10C, change is slow, and oxygen concentrations can remain relatively high for some time.

What is the effect on the vines?

While grapevines can tolerate waterlogging, roots need oxygen to maintain respiration and integrity. Potential damage depends on the duration of anoxia - the respiration rate of the roots - which depends on the temperature, and the stage of vine development. In general, grapevines can tolerate waterlogging for a prolonged period during the winter, through to mid-September in Marlborough, while soil temperature is below 10C. As soils warm and shoots start to develop, they become more vulnerable to damage particularly at flowering. Waterlogging may also increase root disease, or trunk rots and disrupt nutrient accumulation by roots, in particular potassium, which is decreased, and sodium and chloride, which are increased, particularly in saline soils

What can we do?

The best decisions are generally made before planting. Establishing the vineyard on well drained soils, away from flood risk is best first option. However, much of the Wairau Plain is a flood plain - vulnerable, even with the river protection, to occasional flooding. There has been little research on the susceptibility of different rootstocks to waterlogging, but Vitis riparia rootstock (originating in swamps) is reported to have greater tolerance than Vitis rupestris (originating in dry rocky areas). Grading vineyards before planting to provide a slope, to drain surface water will help where soils have very low infiltration rates. Once surface water is drained, transpiration by grasses, which can form air channels (aerenchyma) within the roots to enable roots to survive and grow in waterlogged conditions, will quickly dry the soil. Similarly, once the vine has a leaf area, transpiration will assist in drying the soil, providing the flooding is reasonably short term. Mike studied waterlogging during his PhD in the UK before emigrating to New Zealand. His research investigated the influence of soil temperature and nutrition of wheat seedlings and using solution cultures and radio tracers he studied the influence of anoxia on seedling nutrition.

Photo David James

Biosecurity Watch

Vineyard Contracting and Biosecurity

JIM HERDMAN

RECENTLY I completed a national tour delivering a biosecurity session at Spray Days. During the events, I was reminded of how important the vineyard contracting sector is to providing good biosecurity practice across the viticulture industry. Contractors can play a vital role in biosecurity.

It shouldn’t be an overbearing burden on day-to-day work, but with education it can be another tool to protect growers from unwanted pest and disease incursions. In Marlborough, pests like Chilean needle grass (CNG) are easily spread and can affect a vineyard’s ability to graze stock and manage the interrow sward. The garden weevil is another pest starting to establish in numbers of concern and impacting on production locally. Implementing suitable biosecurity protocols and educating third parties who enter vineyards can help to reduce the risk of these threats being transported between vineyards.

Biosecurity awareness is essential in helping thirdparty providers like seasonal labour contract staff improve their knowledge of pests and diseases. The basics cost very little, utilising the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) most unwanted posters and the Vineyard Pests and Disease Guides, which are free to members and available online.

To gauge how viticultural harvest contractors are implementing biosecurity practices, I visited Neville Gander from Valley Harvesting, based at the Cloudy Bay Business Park in Riverlands, and Tanya Pouwhare, the chief executive of New Zealand Ethical Employers Inc (NZEE), which has a membership of 95% of Marlborough’s seasonal vineyard employers.

Valley Harvestings’ fleet comprises 11 harvesters with GPS tracking technology fitted. Five machines can be reconfigured for trimming and leaf plucking, while the other machines are used for fruit thinning and trash removal. During harvest, they also have a fleet of tractors that are leased to operate the gondolas.

Biosecurity has become important to Valley Harvesting as they have been made aware of the threats by some of their customers and NZW’s biosecurity team, via the most unwanted posters and the Vineyard Pest and Disease Guide. They have also been made aware of the requirements around CNG by Marlborough District Council’s signage and ute guide and talking with the affected growers.

Neville says it is very challenging to train the many staff that come and go, with up to 50 operators during the peak season, “running a 24-hour a day operation seven days a week”.

Neville is finding some of his staff, and supervisors in particular, are interested in learning about pests and diseases in the vineyard. They like to know what’s out there in the environment, and the NZW Vineyard Pest and Disease Guide definitely helps. Neville likes to upskill early at staff inductions and makes the books available so they can learn when they have some downtime.

He knows the importance of machinery hygiene. Valley Harvesting has invested in water tankers to ensure the cleanliness of machines as they go from one vineyard to another, and they stress this to their operators during induction. Speaking about vineyard on-site facilities, Neville says, it’s “a real mixed bag”, with some vineyards utilising excellent washdown facilities, while some need supplemented water supply from Valley Harvesting’s own water tankers.

Two other reasons to ensure better hygiene are the requirements of organic vineyards, whose managers stress the importance of cleanliness, as well as Ministry of Transport regulations - the police will ticket any operator with a dirty machine if organic material is likely to fall off the machine during transit.

Neville and the team at Valley Harvesting are keen not to be the vector for introducing pests and diseases into vineyards and are committed to reducing the risk of this

happening. When operating, high-pressure water is used to clean down machinery between vineyards, and when the machines return to the workshop, they are steam cleaned.

Neville’s message to growers is for those who haven’t already put some capital investment into their washdowns: plan for an upgrade, and make sure the water supplies are simple and easy to use, with a permanent serviceable sump with controlled runoff that works effectively. The washdown base should be permanent material and preferably bunded.

Tanya says the NZEE vision and mission is to lift the overall standard of employment in the horticulture and viticulture industries, so competitiveness is not at the expense of the workers. As well as 95% of Marlborough’s viticultural contractors, NZEE has a comprehensive range of other employers throughout Aotearoa as members, including wineries and packhouses. The NZEE Workplace and Supplier Standards require businesses to develop sustainable organisations where people look after the people and the environment for generations to come. NZEE members and suppliers must make progressive improvements in human rights and environmental performance in their own operations and require the same of their suppliers. Biosecurity is part of looking after the environment while also protecting the industry from the effects of vineyard pests and diseases, so our industry is sustainable and continues to thrive. “Growers and

contractors must identify and analyse risks and introduce interventions to reduce the risk across their businesses,” says Tanya.

She is keen to see biosecurity awareness material contextualised for labour suppliers and their staff.

“The huge number of vineyard workers out there in the vineyards; that equates to many more feet on the ground and eyes on the vines,” she says. Tanya agrees that much of biosecurity for labour providers is general good practice: keeping work vehicles clean and tidy, being organised, and maintaining tools and equipment. Biosecurity can be easily included in workplace inductions to be recognised as a core part of the business.

She is also keen to identify what role NZEE can play in biosecurity to meet winegrowers’ expectations. The organisation is assisting with developing labour supplierspecific biosecurity resources and will become a conduit to pass these vital resources on.

Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme pre-departure training around biosecurity can also be strengthened, says Tanya. “We can get specific about what you can and can’t bring to New Zealand, and, just as importantly, why.”

The NZW biosecurity team would like your feedback on how we can improve the NZW “Notice to Contractors” template and your thoughts on contractors’ biosecurity plans. You can send your thoughts and ideas to biosecurity@nzwine.com.

Industry News

New board member

Agribusiness manager Andrew Nation is looking forward to gaining governance insights from the Marlborough Winegrowers Association board, while sharing his skills with the membership. The board’s new grower representative, who stood uncontested in last month’s election, owns and runs a 4-hectare vineyard near Guernsey Road with his wife, while also working with wine businesses and other rural operators through his role at Rabobank.

He says the board, along with Wine Marlborough’s role in the industry, are an example of good governance and management, “in a very well established and well-funded industry”, that the farming sector could learn from. “I want to understand viticulture and wine Marlborough’s role… and how that can be used by other industries as well.”

Andrew has seen the industry change a lot since he was at Lincoln University in the mid-2000s, and looking at the cost of getting into vineyards, with a booming industry, high costs of development, and inevitable delay in returns. “It was never something that was feasible in my mind back then.” But he moved to Marlborough 11 years ago and by 2019 he and he wife were ready to plant their Wairau Valley block, with two harvests since, including the bumper 2022 season.

“It’s an industry that has obviously had its challenges with labour at different points, but there are contractors and people around who are very well able to assist smaller operations like ours,” Andrew says. “That makes it very simple and easy to manage.”

And he’s seen a lot of positive change since 2008, including the growth of a “full spectrum” of supply contracts from the grower to the purchaser of the grapes or wine, which is of “huge benefit” because of the certainty of cash flow and sales, he says. “That will allow people to have confidence that they can continue to grow.” The industry has become stronger, with better marketing channels, he adds. “It’s in pretty good heart, which gives me confidence in the industry for sure.”

Appellation Marlborough Wine

The Appellation Marlborough Wine Annual Collection has been launched to highlight the calibre of Sauvignon Blanc being produced across the Marlborough region. Each year the Annual Collection will be representative of the season past, says Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) chair Ivan Sutherland. The challenging conditions of the 2022 vintage, with untimely weather events, seasonal labour shortages and an ongoing pandemic, underscore the need to be selective when choosing between wines, he says. “AMW was established to safeguard our region, not the least during these more strenuous times. Our members are committed to crafting the best possible wine they can, harnessing the vitality of our region and respecting the season.”

Impartial industry experts Emma Jenkins MW (pictured), Liz Wheadon, and Cameron Douglas MS did a blind tasting in mid-September to choose the inaugural collection of 12 current release Sauvignon Blancs, incorporating nine classic and three alternative Sauvignons, with aged, oak influenced, and/or wild ferment styles. Emma says she was curious to get a good look at the 2022 vintage, being one that challenged most regions throughout New Zealand. “It was an impressive looking collection of wines, making it hard to choose the final 12.” Cameron agreed, saying that there were 18 wines that could easily have made it to the final selection. The judges’ final dozen showcases Marlborough’s hallmark purity of fruit, freshness, and vivid, juicy acidity says Emma. “It also covers the broad range of styles now typical across the region.”

There are “some very clever, thoughtful winemakers in Marlborough”, she adds. “And this was a year that they rose to the challenges of the season to deliver wines of quality and character. We were impressed by the number of wines with texture and elegance, and think wine-lovers will find much to enjoy.”

Organic growth

Sales of Babich Wines’ organic ranges have grown 242% over the last five years, and 50% in the last year alone. “For the first ten years of our organic wine production, our wines generated a stable following with steady sales,” says Chief Executive David Babich (pictured). “However, it’s only been in the last three to four years we’ve seen that ramp up both locally and internationally to deliver the growth rates we’re seeing now.”

In the lead up to Organic Wine Week in September, the company noted that their sales reflect wider market trends, with nearly one billion bottles of organic wine expected to be consumed around the world by 2023, more than doubling from the 441 million bottles recorded in 2013.

Babich Wines started its organic wine journey over 15 years ago in Marlborough, pursuing BioGro certification for Headwaters, their flagship organic vineyard. Prior to that, in 1995 the company’s Irongate Vineyard was the first in New Zealand to be independently certified as sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. “We’re now hitting a balance between production volume and sales,” says David. “Our number of organic

hectares is set to expand by 50% by 2024, at which point Babich Wines will have three vineyards producing certified organic grapes.”

To manage the increased costs that come with organic wine production, Babich runs larger but fewer organic vineyards, enabling more economical use of machinery and resources, while producing consumer-friendly organic wines from two vineyards, says David. While organic wine costs more to produce, it aligns well with the company’s sustainability values. On the commercial front, organic wine is “strongly differentiating itself both in the New Zealand and international wine industry”, he says. “As a family winery, we’re really committed to organic wine production and its growth.”

NZW Fellows

Dominic Pecchenino has been named a New Zealand Winegrowers Fellow for services to wine and grape industry research. The Marlborough viticulturist, who was recently presented the 2021 Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award (pictured), joins other 2022 fellows Jim and Rose Delegat, Clive Paton and Phyll Pattie, and Chris Howell. “The Roll of Fellows honours the modern pioneers of the New Zealand wine industry,” says Clive Jones, chair of New Zealand Winegrowers. “The work of these individuals enables a small industry like ours to punch above our weight on the world stage, and we thank them for their efforts.”

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either bottling at our warehouse in Nelson or for a minimum quantity we can bring our mobile plant to your winery. Contact Greg Day for further details 021 227 7669 or Email:

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

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2 x 960 litre V/C’s with stands (no cooling) $1400 plus GST each 2 x 1250 litre fixed tanks with cooling pads $1700 plus GST each 7 x white picking bins @ $120 each plus GST 10 x double barrel racks @ $100 each plus GST 1 x 6000 litre tank with cooling pads $7500 plus GST Avery bin scales $1200 plus GST Spadoni 2000 CE Lees and wine filter with full sets of inserts $10,000 plus GST Earth Filter Model DCBL-80 $8000 plus GST For more information and photographs please contact greg@heaphywine.co.nz

Dominic Pecchenino. Photo Jim Tannock

Wine Happenings

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

To have your event included in the November Wine Happenings, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by October 21. Due to uncertainty around Covid-19, there may be changes to some of these listed events. For more information, please use the contact supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz

OCTOBER

3 - 8 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival - Locals Only tickets on sale

Bayleys Friday Night Feast (feastmarlborough.nz)

8 South Island Cheese Festival, Clos Henri Vineyard (southislandcheesefest.com)

12 Rock Ferry Wine’s Twilight Market, 4-7pm (marlboroughnz.com)

18 NZSVO Technical Workshop (nzsvo.org.nz)

20 Marlborough Winegrowers AGM, New Zealand Wine Centre - Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, 85 Budge Street, from 4pm

28 Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Long Lunch and trophy announcements (marlboroughwineshow.com)

NOVEMBER

3 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year 2022 National Final (nzwine.com/events)

3 - 6 Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough (gardenmarlborough.co.nz)

9 Rock Ferry Wine’s Twilight Market, 4-7pm (marlboroughnz.com)

12 Jacksons Road Summer Vines (marlboroughnz.com)

26 Ray White Savour in the Park (savourmarlborough.co.nz)

Friday

Celebration long lunch

October

Workshop