Winepress June 2011

WINEPRESS Issue No. 204 / June 2011

Website Advice

Selling to The U.K.

Organic Growth

Marlborough Success

Photo: Jim Tannock

The Official Magazine of

www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

The solution for broken trellis posts Faster Stronger Safer = Cost Saving • Faster and easier to install compared to installing a new post.

• Stronger and will perform better during harvesting than the original post.

• Safer to install with reduced OH&S issues.

• Significant Cost Saving compared to installing a new post.

Available from: Cuddon Water Engineering – Marlborough’s local stockists.

HALF ROUND BACK PLATE NOW AVAILABLE! Available at Cuddon Water Engineering McArtney St, Blenheim Phone: (03) 578 4299 Email: sales@cuddon.co.nz

www.cuddon.co.nz

In this issue...

Regulars

Features

3

8

4 7

Editorial

Tasman Crop Met Report Marketing Matters

18 Generation Y-ine 31 Wine Happenings

10

News From Home and 32 Away All correspondence including advertising / associate memberships / change of address to: Wine Marlborough PO Box 511, Blenheim 7240 T: 03 577 9299, F: 03 577 9298 E: admin@wine-marlborough.co.nz www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

Printed by: Blenheim Print Ltd. T: 03 578 1322 WINEPRESS is printed with vegetable oil based inks on elemental chlorine free paper which is sourced 100% from well managed forrests and manufactured under ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.

14

24

Selling into the UK Successfully

David Cox, NZ Wine’s Europe Director has some strong advice to anyone wanting to up their stake in the UK market. It takes face to face time and an understanding of how the path to market is ever changing. There is no such thing as handing your portfolio over to a distributor and leaving them to it.

p10

Promoting the Marlborough Name

Research released at the London International Wine Fair, show’s consumers are less influenced by region, than they are by country of origin. However Marlborough has created quite a name for itself in terms of familiarity and image.

Now do we need to do more?

The Move to Organics

p18

Monty Waldin is an author dedicated to organic and biodynamic wine. In New Zealand recently, he was impressed at the change in attitude since his last visit in 2004.

Wakeup Call for Websites

They are fast becoming the window to the world, yet Ruby Andrew discovered many New Zealand wine sites leave a lot to be desired. She describes the no nos of the industry and what it takes to ensure people leave your website wanting to purchase your product.

p25

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

1

New Zealand’s Premier Horticultural Supplies Specialists.

TasmanCrop provides a wide range of Horticultural products including: Specialist Crop Fertilisers Crop Protection Chemistry Personal Safety & Spraying Equipment Horticultural Textiles & Nettings Tools, Ties & Harvesting Equipment Irrigation / Fertigation Equipment Plant & Soil Analytical / Testing Services Please contact us for technical advice.

| Another Horticentre Limited Group Brand

TasmanCrop

0800 855 255

12 Poutama St Richmond

28 King Edward St Motueka

Unit 11, Tyrone Park Jacks Rd, Renwick

T: 03 544 6668

T: 03 528 6215

T: 03 572 5164

The Premier Coated Timber Posts No more rotting, rusting or brittle posts.

Woodshield plastic coated timber posts are long lasting and lightweight.

Woodshield posts are fully encapsulated in a recycled plastic (Polyethylene) They can be nailed, screwed or bolted.

They are Chemical free, non toxic and certified Organic.

Testimonial “The manual handling gains from a lighter weight post with no splinter is a major benefit.

Unlike non-timber posts, no special tools, clips or fasteners are required. The posts are robust and stand the rigours of machine harvesting.”

John Sowman - Babich Wines Viticulturist / Marlborough Organic’s Director

Phone 1300 622 906 / +61 7 3271 5575 / Fax +61 7 3271 3008 Lot 12, 1 Quarry Rd, Tottenham, VIC 3012 / PO Box 256 Carole Park, Qld, 4300 Australia www.woodshield.com.au

2

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

Produced by:

From the Editor

Wine Marlborough Free to all levy paying members Associate Members: $77 +GST Editor: Tessa Nicholson 16 Bank Street Blenheim T: 021 709 571 E: tessan@xtra.co.nz If you wish to make contact with any member of the Wine Marlborough Board, the following are their email addresses.

Dominic Pecchenino: nzyanks@xtra.co.nz

When it comes to identifying noble grape varieties, Sauvignon Blanc seldom makes the list. There is Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah – all the great reds – but nowhere is there a mention of New Zealand and Marlborough’s star attraction – Sauvignon Blanc.

In fact most people would laugh to hear anyone describe our flagship variety as “Noble.”

But David Cox, New Zealand Wine’s Europe Director is adamant it is time we all started treating this variety with the respect it deserves.

“It has this style and freshness about it that has captured the world’s attention. It’s a noble grape, so let’s treat it as such.”

First off he is adamant we need to stop the colloquiums of calling it plain old Sav, or Savvy. To him that is a dumbing down of a variety that deserves better.

He has a point. How often do we lovingly shorten the name? As David so succinctly puts it, “You would not hear a Burgundian calling his wine Chabby, would you?”

But how else do we raise the image of Sauvignon Blanc to noble status? One way is to provide high quality examples of wine that improves with age. Wines that have

Anna Flowerday: ajflowerday@xtra.co.nz

complexity that develops in the bottle. Wines that show the terroir and individualism

Blair Gibbs: blair@spyvalley.co.nz

Sauvignon Blanc has always been a variety that is promoted as fresh and zingy and

James Jones: james@starborough.co.nz

Holding wines back, creating library wines, as I know some of the major wineries are

Ivan Sutherland: ivan@dogpoint.co.nz

And maybe the time is right to consider an event such as Pinot 2013, for Sauvignon

Ben Glover: ben@witherhills.co.nz

crafted here.

Peter McLeod: peter.mcleod@pernod-ricard-nz.com

that we know they can. ready to drink the year of harvest. Maybe it is time for us to start expanding on that. already doing.

Blanc. Let’s appreciate what we have created and promote the unique wines that are Let somebody stand up and say – here we go, Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is going to happen and I am prepared to put my name to it.

Wouldn’t that be a boost in the arm for our industry?

Ruud Maasdam: ruud@staetelandt.co.nz Clive Jones: cjones@nautilusestate.com Richard Rose: kvl@silkweb.net.nz

TESSA NICHOLSON tessan@xtra.co.nz

Guy Lissaman: glissaman@xtra.co.nz

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

3

Met Report half, dragged the overall mean down.

Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – May 2011

May 2011 GDD’s for month -Max/Min GDD’s for month – Mean Growing Degree Days Total July 10 to May 11-Max/Min

92.0 94.3

May Period LTA of LLA (LTA = Long term average) 58.1 70.5

(1996-2010) (1996-2010)

May 2011 compared to LTA 158% 134%

May 2010 53.2 63.7

Weekly average temperatures for May 2011 1-8

14.5

4.2°C above average

9-16

13.7

3.4°C above average

17-24

1.8

1.5°C above average

25-31

11.2

0.9°C above average

1545.9

1370.0

(1996-2010)

113%

1410.5

July 10 to May 11 - Mean 1463.4 Mean Maximum (°C) 17.6 Mean Minimum (°C) 8.1 Mean Temp (°C) 12.8

1418.0 15.5 4.7 10.3 11.1

(1996-2010) (1932-2000) (1932-2000) (1932-2000) (1986-2010)

103% +2.1°C +3.4°C +2.5°C +1.7°C

1435.4 15.8 6.8 11.3

Although the second half of May was a

Ground Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 2

11.5 5.6

(1932-1980) (1986-2010)

9.5 less 3.6 less

3

interesting to note that the May average

Air Frosts (<0.0°C) 0

3.6 1.4

(1932-1980) (1986-2010)

3.6 less 1.4 less

0

higher at 11.1°C.

Sunshine hours 161.8 Sunshine hours – lowest Sunshine hours – highest Sunshine hours total – 2011 997.3

167 114.7 220.2 1059

(1930-2000) 1969 1930 (1930-2000)

97%

119.2

Soil Temperature

94%

1032.7

Rainfall (mm) 120 Rainfall (mm) – lowest Rainfall (mm) – highest Rainfall total (mm) – 2011 270.2

65 13.5 182.6 259

(1930-2000) 1936 1948 (1930-2000)

185%

167.2

104%

254.2

Evapotranspiration – mm

53.6

41.6

(1996-2010)

129%

40.5

Avg. Daily Windrun (km)

201.3

222.0

(1996-2010)

91%

173.2

Mean soil temp – 10cm

10.9

8.5

(1986-2010)

+2.4°C

10.1

and 2009 which recorded 10 and 14

Mean soil temp – 30cm

12.5

11.0

(1986-2010)

+1.5°C

12.3

ground frosts respectively. As has been

lot cooler than the first half, all four weeks were still above the long-term average for May of 10.3°C (1932-2000). It is for the period 1986-2010 is considerably

The average soil temperatures recorded at 10, 20 and 30 cm depth were the warmest on record for May over the past 25 years.

Frosts Both May 2010 and 2011 recorded low numbers of ground frosts and no air frosts. This was in contrast to May 2008

pointed out in previous issues of Met Report the number of frosts recorded in May 2011 was similar to May 2010 in

for the 80 year period 1932-2011. May

Blenheim has dropped dramatically over

the fact that both were warm and wet.

2007 is the warmest on record with a

the past 30 years. The number of frosts

May 2011 was also a month of two

mean temperature of 13.1°C. Up until

in 2008 and 2009 were more in line with

distinct halves for sunshine, rainfall and

the last week of May 2011 it appeared

previous decades prior to the mid 1980s.

temperature.

as if the mean temperature for the month

Air Temperatures The mean temperature for the month was 12.8°C and this has placed May 2011 as the second warmest on record

4

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

was going to surpass the 2007 record

Sunshine

high. However, a marked change from

The first half of May 2011 (1st-16th) only

very warm weather in the first half of the

recorded 66.7 hours sunshine or 77% of

month, to cooler weather in the second

average and it appeared as if May was

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

headed for another very low sunshine

187.6 mm or 69% of the 270.2 mm was

depth of 0 to 35 cm), was 38% for May

total as occurred in 2010. However, the

recorded in April and May. January to

2011. This is the highest May average

second half of May (17th-31st) recorded

March 2011 were drier than average.

since records began 10 years ago.

95.1 hours, or 118% of average. Higher sunshine hours in the second half of May were a result of the clearer skies associated with lower rainfall.

For most of May 2011 soil moisture was

Soil Moisture Figure 1 gives an update of soil moisture at the Grovetown Park met station site for the 2010/2011 season, in comparison to

Rainfall

the previous two seasons. Soil moisture

Rainfall for the first half of May (1st-

had dropped as low as it can get by

16th) was 87.0 mm or 259% of average,

mid-December 2010 and quite a lot lower

whereas the second half of May (17th-

than at the corresponding time in the

31st) recorded 33.0 mm, or 105% of

previous two seasons. A very rapid rise

average. May 2010 also recorded a very

occurred with high rainfall at the end of

high rainfall total of 167.2 mm. However,

December 2010, but this moisture was

in May 2010 almost all of the rain fell in

rapidly lost from the top 35 cm over the

the second half of the month.

first two weeks of January 2011. Figure

May 2011 is the ninth wettest May on

1 indicates how the soil moisture almost

record for Blenheim for the 82 year period

always rises rapidly at some time during

1930 – 2011. May 2010 was the second

the April to June time period. The rapid

wettest on record. 1948 is the wettest on

increase in soil moisture in 2011 occurred

record with a total of 182.6 mm.

in mid April and was two to four weeks

Total rainfall for January to May 2011

earlier than in 2009 and 2010.

is 270.2 mm, only slightly ahead of the

The average moisture in the topsoil (at a

long-term average of 259 mm. However,

close to or above field capacity; i.e. above field capacity the soil is unable to hold any more water and excess water is lost either through drainage through the soil profile or through run-off. Field capacity for the Grovetown Park soil type is about 38% and figure 1 indicates that from May to September when the moisture level goes above 38% that it rapidly falls back down to this level again, through drainage from the soil.

High soil moisture in May 2011 coincided with very warm air and soil temperatures and no frosts in the first half of the month.

This should have resulted in continued grass growth on farms into the late autumn, so long as pasture growth wasn’t impeded by water logging or pugging.

Wind Run May 2010 recorded an average of 201.3 km of daily wind run. This was below the

Figure 1: Blenheim soil moisture (5-35 cm depth) under a mown grass surface with no irrigation.

long-term average of 222 km. The fourth May in succession to record lower than average wind run.

Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research

The Met Report brought to you by

New Zealand’s Premier Horticultural Supplies Specialists.

0800 855 255 Another Horticentre Limited Group Brand

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

5

Marketing Matters Surveys are a great way to gauge your audience’s response to a certain matter, and they don’t have to be expensive, formal undertakings.

While you will gain a lot more statistical

• Festival goers contribute almost

With the question of positioning in mind

certainty from a professionally conducted

$300 per person per day to the local

we asked both wineries and consumers

survey, a questionnaire can be as simple

economy.

whether the Marlborough Wine Festival is

and cost effective as a targeted email

As with anything it is important to

predominantly a wine event, a wine and

to your database or as spontaneous as

continually improve in order to stay

food event or a wine and music event.

asking a ‘Question’ on Facebook. Give it

ahead. In our winery survey we found

a go sometime, it’s a great way to stay in

wineries had been making the same

touch with your audience.

incremental improvements with around

After each Marlborough Wine Festival

55% of wineries trying something new to

we survey all participating wineries as

increase profile on festival day. They all

a gap between how our wineries

well as a sample of festival goers on the

noted measurable positive results such

perceive the Marlborough Wine

day. This helps us to understand areas of

as increased patronage at the festival.

opportunity and necessary change. This

Wineries employed initiatives such as:

year’s consumer survey demonstrated

• Radio advertising

that the festival continues to be a sought

• Involvement in some of the pre-

after event:

festival events i.e. CBD window

• Festival goers are high earners with almost 50% earning over $50,000 and 30% over $70,000 per annum • Almost 80% have no children at home – hence, festival goers can be categorised as either empty nesters or singles represented

lead up to and after the festival • Cellar Door vouchers and discount cards • Improving site design and seating While 88% of consumers tell us that

• Festival goers come from all over

they will return to the Marlborough Wine

New Zealand but predominantly

Festival, and an overwhelming 98%

Marlborough (37%), Canterbury and

will recommend the festival to others,

Wellington

long term the festival’s positioning is

• 12% of festival goers are international (Australia, UK, USA) • Over 55% of festival goers have been to the festival before • And over 98% of festival goers would recommend the festival to others

|

• A greater use of social media in the

attractiveness i.e. more shade and

• Age groups 20 – 49 are the best

6

display competition

06/2011 WINEPRESS

important. The festival committee has been investigating what needs to be done strategically, if anything, to define, strengthen and communicate the Marlborough Wine Festival’s brand and its long term appeal.

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

• Interestingly we identified a clear gap between winery and festival goer perception.

• More importantly it demonstrates

Who is the visitor? Demographics Consistently more women than men (58% were female) Affluent • 49% earned more than 50K pa • 32% earned more than 70K pa High disposable income • 78.0% had no children at all or children had left home (individual income) Educated bunch • 42% had a bachelor degree or higher qualifications

Festival, and what motivates our consumers to attend.

• Almost half of our wineries feel that this event is a wine and music event while consumers overwhelmingly perceive the Marlborough Wine Festival as a wine and food event.

• This demonstrates that while music is important to wineries,

How long do they stay in the region?

4 year trend: • decrease in people staying 1 night • increase in 2,3,4 and 5 nights.

it is the wine and food that is important to our consumers.

• Further more around 30% of wineries were not aware of the Supreme Wine and Food match competition that is run each year.

The festival continues to be a huge benefit to the Marlborough economy with the festival continuing to attract educated consumers with a high disposable income.

• Out of town festival goers are now staying in the region longer – around 3.1 days on average • Out of towners invest around $300 per day to the local economy.

• That’s a total contribution to the region by visitors of around $4.25m each year which is a huge accolade for everyone involved in the festival’s success including exhibitors. Its motivation for us all to ensure the festival remains market leading as it heads into its 29th year.

So what are the key take outs from this year’s festival surveys?

Why do people attend the event?

• Focus more on the wine and food – raise the profile for

• Wine and Food in clear lead

aspects such as the Supreme Wine and Food match • Look at music with a broader appeal • Continue winery marketing efforts

• Good day out and time with friends similar in 2nd and 3rd place • Music in clear 4th place

• There is also an untapped opportunity to target regions such as Wellington and Christchurch to increase our market share of festival goers from outside of Marlborough • Offer more shade and seating (wineries are encouraged to do this directly outside of their festival site as long as it does not hinder access or traffic flow) • Communicate to all festival goers (particularly European visitors) that parking, wine and food are all additional to the ticket price.

If you would like to talk to me about this article, feel free to make contact.

Andrea Craig - Wine Marlborough Phone: +64 3 577 9299 Mobile: + 64 21 831 820 Email: events@wine-marlborough.co.nz Join us at www.facebook.com/marlboroughwine

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

7

Selling Into the UK Successfully

BY TESSA NICHOLSON

Traditionally the UK has been one of our strongest markets for exports. But that doesn’t mean we can sit back on our laurels and expect our reputation to do the work for us, according to NZ Wine’s European Director David Cox. The UK is one of the world’s most

have a good point of sales, you cannot

hopes they don’t, or follow along the lines

competitive wine markets. Every old

leave it alone for a single season. You

of the high-end premium image that New

world country has a presence and it

have to keep going back as a team,

Zealand already has.

has been the pinnacle for all new world

looking at your marketing message,

“That takes a lot of work and it takes a

producers. Since the early 80s New

changing your marketing slightly and

lot of steely nerve to continue to price

Zealand wine has been accepted and

working at it, in a way that you might not

themselves at the right level and not

loved by a large consumer base. The

have to do with other countries.”

get their arms twisted by operators

price point of our wines in this traditional

And despite what importers and

who say, ‘Oh there is a lot of cheap

market has been on average way above

distributors might be telling you, don’t

Sauvignon Blanc around, so I need

all other countries. Latest Nielsen figures

believe that you have to provide wine at

cheap Sauvignon Blanc from you.’ We

show that New Zealand wines have once

unacceptably lower prices, David says.

need to be playing the value game not

again risen to above £6 a bottle, despite

“Kiwis need to start to learn to be more

the volume game.”

the impact of the global recession.

assertive and proud of their brand and

Which means he says, that companies

However, David Cox believes producers

not be twisted and beaten up by their

need to seriously look at how many tiers

and winemakers need to be involved with

distributor or their retailer. I think we are a

they have within their branding portfolio.

the market on a personal level.

bit subservient and almost trying too hard

He says for the last few years there has

“We want producers in New Zealand

to please. I suspect some wineries are

been a tendency for companies to shift

to really immerse themselves in this

just tweaking their prices down because

boxes rather than build on their own

market and understand the nuances,

they are being asked to. Instead they

mother brand.

the idiosyncrasies, the aspects of how

should be loud and proud about their

“I would like to see brand owners

business is done. Being on top of all the

brand, saying; ‘No I want to put my price

become just that – brand owners and

new things that are developing.”

up thank you very much.”’

not just box movers. So many brand

Europe Events Manager Charlotte

The issue of over supply has fed into the

owners come out with a second, third or

Rushworth says there is no such thing as

hands of the distributors David admits,

even fourth label to shift boxes. Everyone

establishing a distributor and leaving it all

and because of that the landscape has

likes a bit of volume to get some mass,

to them

changed. Decisions have to be made

but we ought to be building Brand New

“Even though you think you are

whether a producer wants to get into

Zealand and the Mother Brand of the

established in the UK market and you

the mass market, which he vehemently

winery, which in the long run will give

8

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

you equity in your company. If you want

fascination with Sauvignon at all yet.

which will filter through to the consumer,

to build an export business, usually it’s

The consumers continue to love it, they

that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has a

for the reasons of getting a good return

haven’t gone off it at all. There has been

range of different styles. The sub regional

and building a brand that has a franchise

no drop off in sales at all, it is fantastic.”

differences need to be promoted along

around the world. Shifting boxes that

Which is not surprising David says,

with the more complex styles that are

have different labels on them with

because it is a noble grape and New

currently emerging. Another necessity is

different names that have no connection

Zealand has made it its own.

to be more loud and proud of this variety

with your Mother Brand, isn’t doing that.”

“It has this style and freshness about it

and place it on the pedestal it deserves.

There is also a need for producers to

that has captured the world’s attention.

“We should be telling our importers that if

understand the many different routes

It has certainly captured this market’s

the wine stands up, we are proud to sell

to market that are appearing in the UK

palate. But we have to make sure that the

our 2007, 2008 vintages, even though

currently. David says while there has

quality remains high every single vintage

people are gagging for the 2011 vintage.

been a marked increase in supermarket

and that we don’t cheapen the brand by

Yes the style of the wine is that it’s fresh

retailing, there are many other ways of

making it too cheap.”

and clean and young, but there are some

getting your product out to the consumer,

Hearing him refer to Sauvignon Blanc as

that are actually good to be released

many of them more beneficial in

later. You will find that sommeliers that

terms of price. The days of finding an

are in the know will certainly be happy

importer distributor and leaving them

to accept older wines if they stand

to do the selling is still one option, but

up. But again we fall into the trap of

there are many others as well.

our importers saying; ‘No I don’t want

“Including dealing with the

any more of the 2010. I will wait for the

independent retailers who themselves

2011.’ The thing about us is that we

might now do much more wholesaling

deliver when the glass is poured and

than before. They used to be the

you can’t say that about every country.”

traditional bricks and mortar shop that

And perhaps the greatest thing we can

was seen as just an outlet, but they

do David says, is to stop colloquilising

are now sometimes multi outlets doing

the name of Sauvignon Blanc.

wholesaling, business to business.

“Ban the use of the word savvy or the

They are even selling to the on trade.

phrase Sav Blanc. It is a noble grape,

So the route to market is changing

it has noble origins and we make it

and there are more opportunities

blimmin well. So why go and cheapen

out there. Especially for the smaller

it by giving it a shortened name? It

premium, up market producers who

is too common in my opinion. Would

think they need a distributor to get to

you ever hear a Burgundian calling

the Gordon Ramsey restaurants of this

his wine a Chabby? Never. Personally

world. Not necessarily so. Think about

I think we play into the mass market

the online retailer, or the independent

commodity by cheapening it with such

retailer that gets into high-end restaurants,

a noble variety will gladden the heart of

a shortened name. Stand proud, treasure

start looking at different route to market

many a producer in Marlborough. The

the variety and give it the credit it truly

channels.”

big question though is how do we get that

deserves.”

As for how Sauvignon Blanc is doing in

message across to consumers, who see

Not bad advice!

the UK market – don’t be fooled Charlotte

it as an easy drinking wine that is best

says. The love affair with this variety is way

drunk young? Promoting the diversity of

from over.

it is paramount David believes. There is a

“I don’t think we have exhausted the

strong need to demonstrate to the trade,

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

9

Is There a Need to Promote Our Region More?

BY TESSA NICHOLSON

At the recent London International Wine Fair, one of the seminars was based around Global Conversations in regards to wine.

Broken down into a range of areas, one of the more interesting sub titles was “Playing the Region Card; Profitable perspectives from key international wine markets.”

The following information is based on what was presented at the fair, by Wine Intelligence, a London based company that provides research and strategic advice.

Part of their research was to dissect the US and UK market’s and ask consumers just what motivated them to buy a certain wine.

For example, was a region of origin important or were other factors considered more of a draw card?

In the UK, 59% of those questioned said country of origin was important, and 51% said the region of origin was important.

In the US, that importance dropped slightly, 48% said country was important and 46% said region.

Other facets that influence choice in the UK include; Grape Variety – (the number one factor), followed by promotional offer, followed by a familiar brand. In the US, variety was the number one influencing factor, followed by recommendation from friends or family. Brand came in 3rd and promotional offer 4th.

What the resarchers did discover was, country associations are often made at the detriment of regions. And that could well be because regional wines have not promoted themselves as well as they could have.

10

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

Of course there are always exceptions to that rule of thumb. For example the UK market is well aware of the regional differences coming out of France and Europe. When questioned, the respondents overall awareness of regions was as follows; • Bordeaux • Burgundy • Chianti • Roja • Côtes du Rhône When the consumer said they were aware of a region, they were asked what price point they would normally buy in. Those purchasing in the mainstream prices (£4 to £4.99) came up with a completely different list.

• Roja • Marlborough • Barossa Valley • Côtes du Rhône • Napa Valley And when it came to regionally aware wine drinkers who were purchasing at the high price point, (£8 and over) Marlborough fared even better.

• Marlborough • Roja • Barossa Valley • Bordeaux • Burgundy

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

This is fantastic news to the producers here, especially given the top place at the higher price point, which is where we really want to be seated, but what has to be realised is that these results are from individuals who are very aware of regions. They do not make up the majority of wine consumers.

According to an article by James Halliday following the seminar, “Although prompted awareness of Marlborough is relatively low, consumers have a favourable view of New Zealand and say Marlborough wines are high quality, easy to drink and often recommended by friends. They are more likely to be available in casual restaurants.”

It is a similar story in the US. Overall awareness from all drinkers, show consumers are very aware of their American regions, along with Burgundy and Bordeaux. At mainstream price points, purchasers aware of regions list the following in order; • Napa Valley • Sonoma • Marlborough • Barossa Valley • Roja At the high price point, Marlborough remains in 3rd place.

• Napa Valley

• Barossa Valley • Marlborough • Sonoma • Roja Research director for Wine Intelligence, Jean Philippe Perrouty said; “Bordeaux and Burgundy are known by 90% of UK consumers but only one in four or less say they would buy it. UK consumers say they are more willing to buy Marlborough or Roja or Barossa – if they have heard of them – than Bordeaux or Burgundy.

These wines have been able to create the perception of affordable quality.”

The research showed there were strong opportunities for New World regions if only they can overcome the lack of knowledge consumers have about them.

Promotions like the NZ UK Link

Foundation, Wine Marlborough Scholarship that General Manager Marcus Pickens is currently helping to establish in the UK, is one way of doing that. The aim is to promote our region and the wines being produced here, on a broader scale in the UK. Next year, someone from the UK will spend a number of weeks in Marlborough, experiencing the region first hand, from the ground up. That person’s experiences will hopefully be used to filter through to consumers unaware of Marlborough and Marlborough wine.

However other methods are required to help in the promotion of this region and its incredible diversity. We need to be aiming ourselves at the consumer who is not wine savvy, so to speak. While aiming

at the person who is an avid reader of Decanter, Wine Spectator or Robert Parker’s latest book, is a fantastic goal, we must not lose sight of the average wine drinker. The consumer whose main influences tend to be the grape variety and the recommendation of friends and/ or family. We need to ensure we have the best story to tell, the highest quality to deliver and the follow up to ensure we are hitting the market just as we intended.

That could well be the marketing assignment of the future.

McAlpines Roundwood Limited

Suppliers of

Quality Roundwood Contact:

Grant Cathcart Phone 03 313 8339 Fax 03 313 3767 Mobile 021 511 460

roundwood@mcalpines.co.nz

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

11

The Success of Water Sensitive Papers

BY TESSA NICHOLSON

Utilising water sensitive papers to ensure your spray regime is hitting exactly where you want it to hit is an easy and economical way of preventing disease.

Growers for Pernod Ricard New Zealand discovered that this year.

Normally Marlborough doesn’t have to overly worry about botrytis infections.

At least not as much as growers in the North Island have to. Vintage 2010 for example, there were no severe botrytis infection periods throughout the season.

However the same can’t be said for 2011, where intermittent rain periods created 13 severe botrytis infections periods.

Botrytis itself can be easily managed with a good spray regime, as can other nasties such as powdery mildew and downy mildew. Sprays both conventional and biological are available and if applied accurately can help control any potential outbreaks.

The only thing growers have to be careful of, is that the spray they are applying is actually hitting the correct target.

Sprays are after all extremely expensive.

It’s a costly exercise to undertake and a waste if the spray isn’t effective.

There are a number of ways you can confirm just how effective your spraying machine is, with one of the most effective being water sensitive papers.

This year SWNZ supplied every member with a free sample of water sensitive

12

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

papers.

Pernod Ricard Vineyard Services manager Tracy Taylor says company growers who used the papers were stunned by the effectiveness of them.

Easy to use, growers pin folded papers within the canopy prior to a spray trial, normally in the third or fourth bay. Once the spray machine has passed by, the papers are removed and the grower can tell whether or not the spray has hit the interior of the canopy along with the outer edges. The yellow papers turn blue when they are hit by water. If the papers have a large block of yellow, it means the spray hasn’t hit that area. If the papers are dotted throughout with blue, it is a good reading.

“Using these water sensitive papers allows you to make adjustments to see whether your spray is actually getting in.”

In one grower’s case, the water sensitive papers probably saved him thousands of dollars.

The Fairhall grower suffered a small amount of botrytis last year, despite it being a low risk year. This year when he did his test, he found the coverage

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

was nowhere near the 80% target he was looking for. When he retested at the beginning of this season, he saw there was a major gap where spray was not hitting the required target. He added another nozzle to his spray machine and the end result was perfectly clean fruit – despite the many severe infection periods experienced.

Another grower had placed the papers in one bay prior to a contractor coming in and spraying. When she showed the papers to Tracy, she was horrified to learn the spray had been ineffective in reaching the target areas. All credit to the contractor who when told of the lack of spray hitting critical points within the canopy, readjusted his machine and came back and re sprayed the entire block.

If these growers hadn’t checked with water sensitive papers, the likely impact would have been thousands of dollars worth of fruit loss, due to infection.

Prior to working for Pernod Ricard New Zealand, Tracy was in Hawkes Bay with Hort Research and was involved in the launch of the Grape Futures programme

there. She has seen first hand how effective the water sensitive papers are when it comes to spraying effectively, in areas that are far more prone to botrytis than Marlborough. That experience prepared her for the La Nina weather pattern that occurred this year.

“Back in October, I knew it was a La Nina year, which means a lot of rain, it’s going to be a botrytis year. So we had to viticulture Gisborne style, which means a lot of spraying and making sure those sprays are getting in.”

Tracy understands that for most growers they just want to get on the tractor and spray, without having to fiddle around with a trial first. So she had to convince them that the trial is quick and easy.

“The Switch sprays that they use at 80% and pre bunch closure are very expensive sprays and if it isn’t getting into the bunch the fruit will be damaged at harvest. In a La Nina year you just can’t risk that happening, as it’s important for growers to have a harvestable product.”

It is vital that growers test their spray coverage at both the critical spray times.

A spray that was effective at flowering may not be at PBC due to the increase in canopy. And at PBC it is even more vital than flowering, due to any latent infection being locked within the bunch if it is not controlled.

“It is really important to time your spray before the bunch closes up. A lot of people here in Marlborough think because it is windy, they will wait until a calm day and by the time they have put their pre bunch closure spray on, the bunch has already closed.”

Given that spray units tend to use a lot of air during the process, the vine canopy can be flattened against the bunches, which will effectively prevent the fruit from the spray itself.

“The water sensitive papers will show whether or not the spray is getting into

Water Test Plucked: This is how the vines looked with leaves removed. Notice how clean the remaining fruit is, despite 13 severe botrytis infection periods. (This photo was taken 4 days after harvest.) the bunches, then it might be a matter of adjusting fan speed or nozzle directions so the nozzles are pointing forwards and backwards so you make the leaves flap about and the spray can waft about and get into the middle of the bunch. Then when the bunch closes up, the spray is in there. If you get that internal explosion of botrytis, that starts from the middle of the bunch, you know the spray hasn’t got in there – but it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Tracy has tried a number of methods of checking spray effectiveness and is adamant that water sensitive papers are the most efficient and cost effective means available. If

growers are unsure about analysing the papers, she suggests they get in contact with a viticulturist.

While there is probably no such thing as 100% spray effectiveness, anything around the 80% mark is considered excellent coverage.

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

13

The Move to Organics and Biodynamics Impressive

BY MONTY WALDIN When I first came to New Zealand in 2004 the need to appear green was keenly felt by only some of the wineries I visited.

This was despite New Zealand wine’s marketing tagline being “the riches of a clean green land.” I didn’t make many friends by pointing out to New Zealand’s wine growers that they were hardly backing the marketing speak up with real action. At that time I calculated that less than 0.2% of the New Zealand vineyard was certified organic or biodynamic. This compared to France where over 2% of the national vineyard was certified. In Italy the figure was over 2.5%.

There was however at least a sense among growers that the number and type of “hard” chemical sprays being used on vineyards needed to be looked at and reduced.

If this did not happen New Zealand might run the risk of wines being impounded in strict export markets like Japan, Germany and Canada because of unacceptable levels of residues from permitted sprays.

Local residents living downwind of vineyards were starting to complain and even threaten legal action over windblown chemical spray. One notable court case in 2005 even led to damages being paid by a winery after a prosecution.

Another winery scored a PR own goal when trumpeting its new carbon-neutral winery, when journalists stepping off the bus to the press launch noticed weedkilled strips under the vines. Why have a green winery they asked when the vines are anything but?

A winemaker at one of New Zealand’s iconic wineries told me he loved vineyard worms so much he’d sown worm-friendly

14

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

clovers between the vine rows for them.

I gently pointed that because he was also chemically weedkilling the strip under the vines his love for worms could have been only partial at best. “We don’t need organics here in New Zealand,” he snapped.

Seven years on and foundations for potentially industry-wide, premium quality bio wine-growing are in place. So what has changed?

One issue being addressed is the misconception that New Zealand’s climate made it impossible to be organic.

Jason Flowerday of Te Whare Ra, says most vineyards owners “are not from wine backgrounds so it was natural that for their vineyards they’d just follow the standard chemical vine spray schedules they’d been given by their vineyard consultants. They need to see with their own eyes that it is actually possible to farm organically before they will think about changing their spray schedule.

With our climate organics is actually straightforward.”

In 2006 government money was made available to fund workshops for biocurious wine growers because interest in organics was becoming broader.

Many of these workshops were hosted by Andreas Welte, a former farm advisor on biodynamics to the German government, and Bart Arnst who had recently left his job with the biodynamic Seresin winery in Marlborough.

The aim was to convince sceptical wine-growers how uncomplicated it was to convert to organics/biodynamics in New Zealand. This was achieved by giving them some examples of practical

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

tools and ways of thinking about dealing with common pests, diseases and weeds using organic and biodynamics and convincing them greener farming methods might even help reduce overall farming costs.

Nigel Sowman manages the vineyards at Malborough’s Dog Point. Weeds in Dog Point’s main 150-ha organic Ashmore vineyard near its winery are now ploughed away rather than weedkilled.

“With organics we can mechanically weed all day whatever the weather,” Nigel says. “With weedkillers you waste a lot of spray in windy weather, so at certain times of the year you may have to get up at four in the morning because it is the one time of day the prevailing winds are not blowing. If you spray weedkiller in windy weather weedkiller ends up on the vine leaves [which will reduce grape yields and quality]. Thus the organic weeding approach allows you to plan your work regime well in advance which saves time and money. We are finding the weeds we get now are softer and easier to control. They do not grow as high as when we were using weedkillers which also leave the soil compact and hard to work. So instead of three tractor passes with weedkillers we now make three passes with under-vine weed machinery.”

Bart Arnt’s seminars encourged growers to understand that micro-organisms can help winegrowers fight vine diseases without resorting to chemicals.

“If you soak some seaweed in a barrel of rain water and stir it occasionally you get a liquid that is rich in two things: all the nutrients vines need plus various beneficial micro-organisms. These

beneficial organisms colonise the grapes and stop other organisms which promote diseases like mildew and rot taking hold.

The micro-organisms are safe, easy to use and cost-effective. The traditional way of dealing with diseases is via spraypenetrating chemical sprays which are much more expensive, leave residues in the grapes and after a while are ineffective. This is because the disease organisms soon build up resistance to the chemicals so the manufacturers have to keep switching chemical formulations.

As a grower you get tired of hearing the same thing from the chemical spray sales teams, that this or that spray is the best thing since sliced bread for controlling disease and within year or two it no longer works. By making some of their own vineyard sprays winegrowers find organics a way of re-gaining their autonomy. They start working things out for themselves instead of paying to be spoon fed by so-called experts.”

Bart was asked by industry body New Zealand Winegrowers to help set up an organic research vineyard at the historic Mission Estate in Hawke’s Bay in 2010.

Also part-funded by Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OANZ) the Mission vineyard is providing data on organics’ effectiveness and cost compared to a conventional viticulture system run side by side.

The aim is to give growers who are weaning themselves off some if not all of the hardest vineyard chemical sprays via New Zealand Winegrowers’s Sustainable (SWNZ) initiative a potentially fully organic, tried and tested template.

New Zealand is well-placed globally to develop its vineyards along the biodynamic idea of being as selfsufficient as possible. Livestock like sheep are easily incorporated into vineyard systems for weed control over winter and even spring leaf plucking.

Cows can provide manure for compost and compost teas.

Around 5% of New Zealand’s 31,000

hectare national vineyard is now in conversion to or with full organic/ biodynamic status, quite a turn around since 2004, and compares well to France and Italy.

The aim nationally is to have 20% of vineyards certified by 2020.

New Zealand’s biggest bio vineyard, Seresin, is arguably currently the world’s most significant biodynamic wine estate.

One fifth of its vines are sprayed by horse and using only fungal-dominated teas for control of mildew and botrytis. These teas are derived from composted material like wood chips. These are rich in fungaldominated material. The wood chips come from the estate’s own wood lots, coppices planted along creek lines.

Seresin is aiming to achieve what Californians call “garden-quality farming”, the aim being everything tastes as good as if you’d grown it in your own back yard.

Seresin’s less suitable vineyards have been ripped out and converted to herb and vegetable gardens for the staff or animal paddocks.

The more self-sufficient the estate becomes the more its wines and oils become unique expressions of place.

Mulching and leaving a permanent ground cover under the vines is preferred to ploughing.

Colin Ross who oversees biodynamics

at Seresin was the first New Zealand viticulturalist to complete the biodynamic training course at Hawkes Bay’s Taruna College.

This comprises three eight-day semesters over seven months.

“Around forty New Zealand viticulturalists have done that course now and that is really starting to come through in New Zealand’s viticulture,” Ross says.

Taruna college’s most well-known but now retired teacher Peter Proctor worked tirelessly in India with locals developing for them brick-lined pits in which biodynamic cow manure is aged for one month before being stirred in water and sprayed on the land.

This microbe-rich manure tea brings beneficial organisms and forces into the soils to promote humus, the bit that makes earth earthy.

Almost every Kiwi grower I visited had started using cow pat pit spray – and since my last visit wines from the same estates I visited before have gained vibrancy, freshness, brighter and more robust flavours.

These really are wines which merit the tagline “riches of a clean green land”.

With a population of 4 million but enough livestock to feed nearly five times as many, New Zealand offers winegrowers thinking of converting to organics/ biodynamics ample material for the initial compost and compost teas needed to make the switch to greener methods both a lasting and inspirational one.

Monty Waldin was the first wine writer worldwide to dedicate himself to organic and biodynamic wine, back in 1984. His latest book, Monty Waldin’s Biodynamic Wine Guide is the most comprehensive book on biodynamic wine ever written and features 1500 certified organic and biodynamic wineries worldwide, including a number from New Zealand.

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

15

Outstanding In OurIn Field Outstanding Our

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT Providing Accounting Services: Annual Accounts Taxation, GST, Payroll Cash Flow Monitoring and Forecasting Budget Advisory Service Eight years financial and accounting experience in the wine industry - working within local winery and vineyard businesses

Kay Flaherty CA BBS BSc Phone: 578 1391 Mobile: 027 608 2220 Email: kfconsulting@xtra.co.nz Contact:

PROVINCIAL COLDSTORES LIMITED LET US TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE STORAGE REQUIREMENTS IN OUR

CUSTOM CONTROLLED AREA • Over 60,000 cubic metres of storage spread over two sites • Sophisticated monitoring equipment ensures your product is kept at the optimum temperature • We could lease you a small room for your exclusive use to suit your particular temperature requirements • We store bottled wine, barrels of wine, new plants awaiting the opportune time to plant • Individual rooms available which are being used to grow new budwood

Old Renwick Road, Blenheim.

Tel: 03 5782648 Fax: 03 5782546 Gouland Road, Spring Creek. Tel: 03 5705944 Fax 03 5705955

16

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

Check out our

“Plants Available” online at:

www.ormondnurseries.co.nz Now taking Grafted Grapevine orders for 2012 supply.

Office: 03 5776354 148 Rowley Crescent, Grovetown, Blenheim 7202 www.ormondnurseries.co.nz office@ormondnurseries.co.nz

Check out our

“Plants

F

Organics Course Coming To Marlborough Marlborough is leading the way in terms of applying organic practices within the vineyard. That commitment has been recognised by Taruna College NZ, who are planning an intensive introduction course here in the region.

Many Marlborough vineyard managers

growing requires the viticulturalist to

College New Zealand. The course

and viticulturalists have long recognised

manage within the natural constraints of

provides an intensive introduction to

the need to move to environmentally

their terroir and requires a much deeper

organic and biodynamic methods and

sustainable methods to grow their fruit.

understanding of soils, vines and natural

their practical application to agriculture.

For many vineyard owners already

processes.

Due to the expanding interest in

certified to Sustainable Winegrowing

Matt Oliver, vineyard manager at Huia

Marlborough, a one-off viticulture

NZ, the compulsion to be part of a

says; “I didn’t really have the tools as

focused course will start in August. The

recognised environmental scheme by

vineyard manager to practice organics

Marlborough based course, while still

2012 has prompted them to further

properly in that first year. I was practicing

maintaining its broad base, has been

explore non-chemical ways of growing.

substitution organics where you just

tailored to meet the needs of those

This has led to an unprecedented

use an organic version of a product

involved in vineyard management.

growth in both organic and biodynamic

you would otherwise use in a chemical

Course dates have been designed to fit

vineyards in the region. In the coming

vineyard management regime. The

around viticulturalists calendar to make it

2013 vintage, over 1000 hectares of

results were okay but a bit disappointing

easier to attend.

Marlborough vineyards will be fully

and led me to the course at Taruna. There

The course will be presented by

certified organic with a substantial portion

I learned the power of observation and

programme director, John Ridout.

following biodynamic practices as well.

to see the vineyard as a living organism.

He will be supported by a range of

A number of wine companies including

As I walk around the vineyard, taking time

local presenters, adding a unique

Seresin, Huia, Te Whare Ra, Fromm and

to notice what the vines need and when,

Marlborough perspective. The

Rock Ferry have committed their entire

rather than imposing a regimented plan

programme is presented as a series of

vineyards to organic & biodynamic

on the vines, has been a huge change.

three 1-week block courses. There is a

management. Several larger companies,

We have noticed big improvements in

practical focus with participants learning

Villa Maria, Pernod Ricard, Grove Mill and

fruit flavour, disease resistance, soil

through a combination of lectures, field

Framingham, are converting areas to trial

health and staff buy-in. Crucially, and

trips to local organic enterprises and

organic management.

against our initial expectations, yields

hands on exercises such as building

One of the major obstacles to growing

have increased!”

compost heaps and making biodynamic

organically has been a lack of

To aid their understanding of organic

preparations. For further details and to

knowledge amongst growers about

and biodynamic systems, a number

register, visit www.taruna.ac.nz, or phone

how to implement organic practices.

of Marlborough viticulturalists have

06 877 7174.

Chemical methods of growing tend to

completed the Certificate in Applied

impose solutions onto vineyards. Organic

Organics & Biodynamics run by Taruna

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

17

Anton Rasmussen – Marisco Vineyards

18

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

Generation Y-ine

BY TESSA NICHOLSON

Anton Rasmussen There are two words that sum up Marisco Vineyards viticulturist Anton Rasmussen. Work ethics. They pepper his conversation and are the backbone of how this young Marlborough born man has come so far.

A gentle giant of a man, Anton looks every bit the rugby player he was in his younger years. Losing both his parents at a very early age he was fostered by Millie MacDonald and Ian Findlay, part of the large whanau well known throughout the district. The extended family were among the first to install the ethos of hard work into the young Anton. All his holidays were spent working on the Wairau Pa farms, planting, digging and harvesting potatoes, or helping on the dairy farm.

Each family member was expected to work and work hard he says.

“Growing up with Millie and Ian and the MacDonald family really gave me some good grounding. It gave me good work ethics and gave me confidence.”

Those early influences went on to mould Anton, particularly as he went through high school. There was never a doubt that he would end up working outdoors, just where and how he wasn’t quite sure. Horticulture was always an option, although as he grew older and began undertaking some shepherding during the holidays, he was also considering the general farming side of the industry. Then thrown into the mix came viticulture and cherries. Time spent with Neil Litchfield replanting part of his Middle Renwick Rd block in the mid 90s gave him a taste of what that industry held. Working in the

cherries for the Rose and Kinzett families gave him an equal taste of that side of horticulture.

“I wasn’t the sharpest tool at school, I was more there for the rugby and eating lunch. Murray Haycock was my horticulture teacher and right from the third form and through my entire time at school he was a major influence.

He encouraged me to get involved with horticulture. For me having those practical lessons and getting out there and getting my hands dirty, was where I was really inspired.”

Looking back now he says he had one of the best groundings, because he got to experience nearly every facet of agriculture. So why did he decide to travel down the viticulture path?

“I think having that time with Neil Litchfield after school in the vineyard, it grabbed me a bit more. The whole vine growing, from pruning, through to seeing the grapes go off to the winery offered so much.”

He had his sights set on attending Polytech in Christchurch, undertaking a horticultural programme. The only problem with that was he didn’t want to take out a huge loan to fund his studies.

So part way through the 7th form he left school to work, although he continued to study so he could sit his end of year exams.

“I was lucky I had friends who would give me their workbooks and I would study those at the weekends. I did reasonably well at Bursary but not good enough to go to University say, but well enough that

I could still carry on with something. I actually wanted to study, but I knew I had to work as well, so at the end of the day it was the best decision.”

Basically he worked more than 40 hours a week, then spent his weekends studying schoolwork. He actually didn’t need to.

It wasn’t vital that he pass his end of 7th form exams to be accepted for Polytech.

But personally he felt it was a waste of all the years he had spent at school, to leave part way through his last year and not follow up with end of year exams. It’s not something many young people would undertake.

Unfortunately after putting himself through all that, he quickly realised that the Polytech course he had set his heart on completing, wasn’t for him.

“I got down there and to be honest with you, spent just two weeks there. Being a country boy all my life, I didn’t enjoy the city and realised that it wasn’t for me. I’m more of a working person and I actually realised I wanted to work – not study. I talked to the tutors and told them that I would rather come back home and get a mentor and learn from the ground up. They were fantastic. They told me I could always come back at a later stage, but agreed with me that it was probably better for me to learn through working.”

Within days of arriving back in Blenheim he had a job with a local vineyard contractor, initially for just a couple of weeks. It was to help establish a vineyard for Morton Estate. Anton could see there was a lot of work available in the development, but knew he had

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

19

to impress the estate manager Mike O’Conner.

“We were in there putting in irrigation drippers, which is one of the worst jobs ever. You are bending over all day, every day in the heat. At night I would go home, hardly able to sit down, because I was hurting so much. But Mike noticed how hard I was working and offered me a full time job. To be honest, that’s when things started to progress.”

Mike was a tough but fair boss and Anton was finally achieving his goal of learning from the ground up. After 12 months on the job Morton Estate offered him the chance to study via correspondence through EIT in Hawkes Bay. “They paid for me to study for a diploma in viticulture and wine making and gave me time off to study. It was a bloody dream! For me I felt like I had landed on my feet, but again it came back to those work ethics of getting stuck in.”

The course had a major practical component within it, which appealed to Anton.

“It gave me a good grounding in those early days. I learnt about the whys of viticulture from studying and I think in any business if you understand the basics behind it, you can grow with that business.”

Working his way up from being the lackey, Anton became an integral part of the Morton Estate team, learning at the side of Mike and company viticulturist Mark Allen. When phylloxera impacted on the vineyard, he expanded his learning about rootstocks and varietals. All in all he describes it as the perfect job.

However given the vineyard was only 60 hectares there was no way he could progress any further, unless Mike left and that wasn’t likely to happen in the near future.

So Anton made the decision to move

20

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

to Montana as a permanent worker at Kaituna Estate, attracted by the fact that he was going to be involved in a massive development from the ground up.

“I went from clearing the land and hand planting to learning about the machine planting side of things. We had to lay the posts out, place pegs in the ground to mark the post lines, cultivate the ground and even establish a nursery.

The machine planting was quite new at the time and I hadn’t had the chance to experience that before. It was just the whole corporate, big company thing that really opened my eyes. For me because I am a machine driven person, the other big thing was they had their own machine harvesters. I had always wanted to be involved in the process of driving a harvester within a company cycle. It was that next step up from understanding the vine in the ground, to dealing with the machinery such as sprayers and harvesters used within the vineyard.”

Montana also saw potential in Anton and quickly realised he had the ability to be a supervisor. It was another important skill he was able to add to his ever growing CV. “The other thing was because Montana had a lot of vineyards, I got to see the different growing regions within Marlborough, the Brancott, Fairhall and even the Awatere which they began developing just before I left. It gave me a better understanding of Marlborough as a whole.”

The raft of new skills he was picking up were vital in his overall development, but after four years he wanted to put those skills to the test. He began applying for assistant manager jobs within the company and even went as far as looking at moving to Australia. Just when he was about to book his tickets, he got a phone call from the Morton Estate owner, asking

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

if he would be interested in coming back as manager of the 60ha block. His mentor Mike O’Conner was moving on and the job was his if he wanted it. It was a dream come true. But within minutes of being made the offer, he received another call, this one from Mark Allen, who was working at Villa Maria at the time.

“He said they had a managers position to develop Pinot blocks for absentee growers in the Southern Valleys and Wairau Plains, and wanted to know if I would be keen to take it on. Pinot was one of my passions and I really wanted to get back to that small block style of viticulture where it was more hands on.

It was a big decision for me, do I go back to the 60 hectare block where I had started my career, or move instead to Villa? The thing that swayed me was Mark Allen. He had been a mentor for me in the early days and taught me so much. I just knew that I could continue to learn things from people like him and Mike Trought who was also out at Villa at the time. With them on the team, the chance to develop some blocks and small blocks at that, I could see I would be able to really get stuck in.”

It’s not unusual to hear winemakers talk of their love for Pinot Noir as a variety – but not too many viticulturists would come out and say that Pinot was their passion. It is such a fickle grape and requires so much hard work to ensure the fruit reaches the winery in optimum condition. For Anton – that hard work is one of the reasons he loves the variety so much.

“It becomes your baby. You have to nurture it. If you let them go they will spiral out of control. But if you look after them, baby them and give them lots of love and attention, you can control each step right the way through.”

Being so hands on and having an element of control through his managerial

role, Anton found he was really beginning to understand the finer points of grape growing. Within the Pinot blocks the spacings were much narrower than he had been used to. Some of it was spur pruned, there were new clones being planted and he was learning how to create the perfect fruit in the most economical way. He says the experience gave him a deep understanding of quality based growing.

The birth of his son in 2003 was the catalyst for Anton beginning to think about where he was heading next within his career. While he loved the hands on work of developing and managing the blocks at Villa, the hours were beginning to tell.

“I really wanted to cement myself in a job where I could again get stuck in, but could ease back on the number of hours I was away from home. Something that was going to provide a long term commitment.”

Unbeknown to Anton, Brent Marris was looking at developing a large block of land in the Waihopai. He had been asking around if anyone knew of a viticulturist who would be suitable to help develop the property. Anton’s name inevitably came up.

Ironically Anton knew the property Brent had bought, because back in the 90s Morton Estate had looked at it. He knew it was frost prone, that it had dry river bed soils, and that it would take a huge amount of work to turn into a producing vineyard. So when he was offered the job, it was all a bit daunting.

“It was cow country, terrible. There was undulating land, boulders everywhere, pits and holes. My stomach turned a bit. I was nervous, because it was frost prone. But I had been dealing with frosts with Villa for three years, so I had the confidence that I could deal with them

here. For me it was a huge challenge. It was a big property but Brent had been in the industry for a long time so I could see a future going forward.”

Perhaps the most daunting prospect though was Brent telling him he wanted to develop the entire property over the next three years.

“I thought oh geez, how am I going to do that. It was another thing to make my stomach turn.”

The first step was to isolate and understand the different blocks within the 360 hectare property. A vast range of soil tests were undertaken well before Anton was able to begin turning the undulating, rock and pot hole ridden land into a working vineyard. The next phase was determining the frost potential throughout the property.

“Steve Lock, another member of the Marisco senior management team, spent a lot of time down here doing a microclimate report on the property. His report had all the temperatures within the blocks, the winds, diurnal changes and inversion layers. We had to work out whether we would use water or wind machines to control the frosts. We went with wind machines and before we even did any planting, we had worked out where the machines had to go. The next phase was levelling the land and getting the rocks off. That was a massive undertaking.”

In 2004/2005 he spent seven months removing rocks. While he has no idea of the exact amount, he estimates they removed thousands of tonnes. It took another six months to level the land.

Drainage had to be established, ponds formed and a massive dam created.

“But the key throughout the entire development was to maintain those three different terraces, which would give us different soil types and microclimates.”

Planting alone took four years.

“We had to be a year ahead of our development really. Say we wanted to plant in 2007, I had to do the development in 2006. The country here is nothing like what you have on the northern side of the valley, where there are beautiful fertile soils. This is very bony and dry. And here in the valley we can be three degrees warmer during the day and four or five degrees colder at night. The diurnal changes are massive. That was one of the attractions of the property for Brent – the opportunity to produce more classical styles of Sauvignon, showing more complex fruit purity in the wine.”

After seven years, Anton’s hard work is beginning to show through in the acclaimed wines coming from the vineyard. His initial goals of being involved with something from the ground up, has come to fruition in the Marisco vineyards. Now as a senior member of the management team, he is a vital part of the company. Not only does he lead the company’s viticulture team, he also spends time being the face of the company working in the trade, conducting tastings and tours and hosting winemaker dinners. He’s come a long way in a relatively short time. But in a very self deprecating way he credits his success to those who have helped him.

“I have been so incredibly lucky to have some bloody good people who have mentored me. Right from the very start.

And there are people who are still doing that. I have a great team to work with, Brent has an amazing vision which is great to be a part of and I still love what I do. But hey – even with all that, you can’t beat having a supportive wife – and that’s something I am very lucky to have.”

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

21

Helen Woodward

Resource Management Consultant

NOW AVAILABLE

•

For all your resource consent applications and monitoring needs ‑ Water - Discharge - Land Use

•

Environmental-soil fertility and contamination testing, water quality testing.

For experienced, local, personal service Contact Helen at Phone/fax: 03 579 5669 Mobile: 0272 111154 PO Box 105, Blenheim

™

22

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

NZW’s Exporter’s Forum The Exporter’s Forum is being held here in Blenheim in July.

It is considered the one stop shop for expert market advice and commercial insight on trends in the challenging and changing global market.

Vital to the ongoing success of the New Zealand wine industry, exports are not

Scandinavia and the US

• Training and tools for US retail

• A number of Chinese speakers will

just about packaging up some wine in a

focus on the world’s fastest growing

case and sending it out to the world, with

market with insights into the trends

hopes it will sell. It is important for anyone

emerging in China and the issues

involving in exporting to understand the

surrounding exporting into the

market they are targeting and how to

country

make the most of it.

• Making the most of the Rugby World Cup • Sustainability practises and their place in marketing • Getting the best out of online and social media

• What does the Canadian market offer

No wine industry event would be

Hence the need to attend the upcoming

in terms of opportunities and how do

complete without an opportunity to

Exporter’s Forum. Some of the highlights

you deal with the monopoly buyers

taste the product. An informal Drinks

of the three day event are as follows:

successfully?

Networking Function will be held on the

• Nielsen will provide an overview of

• Increasing profitability in established

first evening and an international tasting

New Zealand’s four major markets

markets and specifically looking at

will take place on the second evening.

including Australia, UK and US,

the dynamics of growing value in

This will offer an insight into the quality

looking at trends emerging in those

multiples and independents in UK

and pricing of the key competitor wines in

and Australia.

our main markets.

areas as well as key issues that may impact on future sales

• How can you increase sales of

• Sustainability and what it means

premium branded wines and

The Exporters Forum will be held at the

within our markets. How is the

broaden on-trade distribution,

Marlborough Convention Centre, from

story of New Zealand’s sustainable

particularly in restaurants?

July 13 – 15. Registration is vital for the

winegrowing being viewed and how

• Mail order and online retail trends

event, and can be completed online. All

can we leverage the story through

and opportunities for New Zealand

details are available on the website: www.

marketing and communication?

wine

nzwineexportersforum.co.nz

Results from a global survey will be

The forum will also offer those attending

presented at this presentation

the opportunity to take part in two

• How can you grow your business

workshops during the event. The difficulty

in profitable markets and what are

may come in choosing which two you

the key trends and opportunities in

want to attend, given the range is

North America and Northern Europe.

extremely wide and topical.

Included within this session will be a

• Marketing and brand development

section on how to manage importer

• Understanding Chinese culture from

and distributor relationships in

a wine industry perspective

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

23

Wake-up Call for Websites

BY RUBY ANDREW

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. So goes the proverb, and for proof, we need look no further than many winery websites on the information highway. In the digital world, out of date, signals out of business We’ve all seen the litter spoiling what

Belinda Jackson, a veteran wine marketer

where most sites disappoint – keeping

should be a scenic route: news pages

based in Renwick, recently tweeted her

things up to date. Freshness is the only

“looking forward to vintage 2008,” awards

dismay at the current state of affairs in

way to guarantee return visits, and

listings that mysteriously stop in 2009,

Marlborough: “I am gob-smacked at

the rule of thumb for winery website

and blogs that die after two or three

how many websites are not up to date.

maintenance is monthly, at a minimum,

entries – all examples of good intentions

Looking at lots of them … and am really

with prompt annual updates for vintage,

paving the way to, if not hell, then at least

disappointed!”

tasting information and awards. If you

online limbo.

Jackson’s concern is shared by others.

have more web pages than you can

Many Marlborough wineries have not

Helen Milner, creative director at Tardis

handle, consider “unpublishing” some

updated their sites since 2009/10 for

Design & Advertising in Wellington,

until you can add new content. The cost

obvious reasons: a river of wine to sell,

believes that wineries have been slow to

of hiring a copywriter or web editor is

staff cutbacks, next to no allocated

recognise the value of a well-designed

minimal: for as little as $100 to $200 a

budget – and not enough hours in a day.

and maintained website – or the damage

month, your website can receive basic

Often built at a local “one-size-fits-all”

that can be done by its opposite.

updates as well as one or two short news

shop with no apparent strategy for the

“When people are intrigued about

items to post on the home page.

brand, some sites are now in dire need

something, one of the first things they

Unfortunately, many older websites were

of a total makeover, which is not an

do is ‘Google’ the website, and they

built without a content management

inexpensive proposition.

largely base their impressions on what

system (CMS) to make instant updates

In an environment where freshness is

the site does – or doesn’t – offer,” Helen

possible. Paying a fee for each revision

key, an outdated website can undermine

says. “Many wineries don’t connect that

creates a psychological barrier to regular

your sales and marketing efforts as

behaviour to what their own sites are

maintenance, which often means that

effectively as bad wine. That’s because

telling people.”

timelines goes out the window. It is also a

it remains the primary online source

David Cox, New Zealand Winegrowers’

clear signal that, at the very least, the site

for customers, the press, sommeliers,

director of marketing for Europe,

needs to be rebuilt.

potential distributors, for anyone who

agrees. Meeting with Tessa Nicholson

The cost of switching to CMS can be

wants to know more about you and your

in London recently, he complained; “I

surprisingly low – provided your site

wine. And nothing is worse than “old

would challenge you to click on anyone’s

still has effective branding and design,

news” – it leaves website visitors with

website – I cringe at most of them.”

and most of the copy remains useful.

the impression your company went out

So what are the cringe factors and what

WordPress, for example, started as a

of business around the time of the last

can you do about them? Ironically, the

platform for blogging, but now offers

update.

cheapest fix applies to the very area

complete website functionality, including

24

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

e-sales. Its basic version is free.

Facebook” link. Although your current site

you can provide all the content yourself,

Realistically, however, you’re likely to

may have the capacity to handle extra

you are still looking at a minimum price

require at least some help with converting

functions, it probably lacks the strategy

tag of $10,000 for a premium site. The

the site, which means costs could run

and visual “space” to comfortably

maximum? Let’s just say that some

somewhere between $1,000 to $2,000.

accommodate a Twitter feed, YouTube

winery websites have cost the same as a

Those are two “quick fixes” to stop the

channel, and an easily navigated cellar

brand-new supercharged Range Rover.

cringe. For many wineries, however,

database. If that’s the case, then it’s

Typically, half your spend will be on

the budget is unlikely to stop there.

time to revisit your branding, hire some

design, and half on web development.

Today, the best websites incorporate

expert help for the content and design

Sam Cooke, a web developer and

sophisticated design with online

and engage a web developer for the

the founder of Thinkbox, a new media

shopping and social media – and we’re

construction.

company based in Wellington and

not talking about a hopeful “like us on

Now the costs will start to mount. Even if

Wairarapa, observes that many of us initially assumed our website would only need to be built once – like a house.

“You have to make an ongoing investment in this area simply to keep up with the changing technology,” he advises.

Before making any changes, it’s worth seeking advice. Many websites credit the designers and developers involved, and annual awards programmes like Qantas Media and the ONYAs list nominees and prize winners. As Sam notes; “I always say advice is free, but you pay for the work.”

These two website pages included here are examples of really good design.

Escarpment (Martinborough) – www.escarpment.co.nz and Jules Taylor (Marlborough) – www.julestaylor.com

Ruby Andrew is the director of Vino Vitis Communications, a company that’s all about content strategy, creation and management.

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

25

Growers Look For More Control

BY TESSA NICHOLSON

A recent invitation to Marlborough Grape Growers interested in forming a growers co-operative has stirred up considerable interest. Within two days of the advert appearing, more than 40 individuals had made contact.

David Dew whose email is at the bottom

“To do it any other way the group would

of people who are clipping the ticket in

of the advertisement, insists he is just

require capital, so if it is a co-operative

marketing (the wine) currently, so it’s an

a “letterbox” for those interested in the

people would have to front up with money

idea to be able to market direct to some

potential for a co-operative. But he was

and there aren’t many who can do that

of the outlets who are interested.

more than willing to explain the whys and

at the moment. So initially, the people I

“This is a genuine attempt to create

wherefores of the invitation.

am talking to, see themselves arranging

an alternative to the current situation.

“Obviously there are a lot of growers

the processing, the bulk marketing on

When you look at most of these people

without contracts and a lot of growers

behalf of the growers, as a way of getting

expressing interest, either they do

who are dissatisfied with the current

started. That would prevent people

something like this or face ripping the

situation. Basically there is a group

having to come up with a lot of money.”

grapes out of the ground. I mean they

wanting to see if they can do better.”

While it is very much early days and

are already facing financial hardship, so

He says there is no intention of following

expressions of interest are still being

what do they do? They either walk away

in the Gisborne footsteps, where

sought, David says the initial thinking is,

from their vineyard or fight to have a

a number of Chardonnay growers

they would like to have a group of larger

go and make something of it, given the

established GrowCo to ensure their fruit

growers.

investment they have made already.”

ended up in the bottle, not on the ground,

“We are trying to see if there is a group of

The industry is well aware that self

following the pull out of many of the major

sufficient larger growers so that instead

labelled wines are appearing all around

companies from the region.

of having 200 people, it might have 30 or

the world, toting the Marlborough

“No, the current thinking is a group would

25 people.”

Sauvignon Blanc name. What David

get together on behalf of the growers,

Step one is to determine if there is

says is concerning is that many of the

link winemaking and sales of bulk wine

sufficient interest, then the group will

companies supplying the fruit/juice for

to start with initially, because there will be

look at whether or not processing can

those wines have been undermining the

the need to start with low capital. Then

be acquired and after that will look at

grower by paying ridiculously low prices

they will try and develop it from there. To

putting together marketing initiatives. The

for fruit.

me this has the potential to be something

whole aim is to ensure the grower ends

“A lot of growers have been offered less

much much bigger than GrowCo and

up with a better return then what they are

than $500 this year. Some have taken

more involved in every part of marketing

currently getting.

that because they had no choice. We all

of Sauvignon Blanc to various people.

“Being frank there are a large number

know that it’s not very economic under

26

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

about $1500 a tonne and someone’s got

think it will be difficult to get a reasonable

currently there are people out there with

to look at how we drive it (the price of

arrangement.”

no regard to the future of the industry. The

grapes) back up.”

Well aware that there are many in the

people involved in this group will have

By taking the middle man out of the

industry who will not be happy to see

a big stake in it and will have a much

equation, he says it will provide growers

such a group go ahead, David says many

higher regard for the future. Currently

with a higher price per tonne than they

need to take a good look at just why

there are lots of fly by nighters out there

are currently being offered.

such a need emerged. He says the way

dealing in this product, who don’t care.

At the time of writing this story, the

some of the big companies cut growers

They have no allegiance to Marlborough

advertisement had only appeared twice

off, plus the prices that were being paid,

at all, they don’t care what they do to the

in the Marlborough Express, but within

along with the number of companies

name.

that short time frame, David had already

selling bulk wine at the expense of the

This group however, isn’t about to destroy

had approaches from people wanting

growers, has been a direct cause. And

their own livelihood. They just want to

to buy from the group once it was

he says the group has no intention of

improve their position.”

established.

destroying the high quality Marlborough

“And given the strength some of these

name.

people have in the market place, I don’t

“They won’t be selling crap. Whereas

Hadley & Lyall Ltd VALUERS and PROPERTY CONSULTANTS

VITICULTURAL TRACTORS For all types of viticulture applications.

Enquire now for next season’s requirements.

Indent enquiries welcome.

Marlborough’s oldest established valuation practice experienced in vineyards and all property types.

For a prompt valuation report at a reasonable rate contact: Hugh Curry

OPEN SATURDAY MORNINGS 29 High Street Renwick, T. 572 8787

Ph. 03 578 0474 hugh.curry@xtra.co.nz 28 George Street, PO Box 65, Blenheim, 7240

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

27

Marlborough Success – FMR’s R-Series

BY TESSA NICHOLSON

The supreme winner at the recent Marlborough Environment Awards was a recycling vineyard sprayer that significantly cuts spray drift and costs. The sprayer was designed and built in Marlborough, by family owned company FMR Group.

It was a double awards night for

with the above issues in mind, and

section) said, one photo of spray drift in

FMR. Their SprayPro R-series won the

while some have helped minimise spray

the media can create a lot of negative

Environment Awards Innovation section,

drift, none have addressed the waste of

publicity.

and so impressed the judges it took out

chemical that is inevitable during early

“I think it takes a lot of effort to win people

the supreme award as well.

season spraying.

back and show that the industry is acting

So what exactly is this award winning

Which is why the SprayPro R-series is

in a responsible way. So I commend FMR

machine? Well it’s something that

so innovative. Shrouds at the side of

for this latest development.”

has impressed environmentalist and

the machine protect against drift, and a

But on top of the environmental issue,

excited grape growers. Not only does it

vortex system within recycles any spray

there are huge savings to be made by

effectively prevent spray drift, it also cuts

that doesn’t hit the emerging canopy.

recycling expensive sprays. Richard

chemical costs.

At a recent field day following the

Holdaway who trialled the machine said

FMR working with grape grower Richard

Environment Awards, Chris Clifford,

in the 2009/2010 season the savings

Holdaway and Lincoln Ventures Ltd (LVL),

FMR’s Managing Director, explained how

were substantial.

developed and trialled the SprayPro R

the R-series works.

“Over the season we saved over $22,000

– series for two years before releasing it

“By locating the heads in an offset

in reduced chemical usage. During the

onto the market last year.

position and setting them in a shroud,

testing we recycled an average of 30%

The focus at the beginning of the trial

we created a revolving vortex of air and

of our total spray mix. This equated to a

period, was to develop a sprayer that

substance. The fan is constantly drawing

saving of $160 a hectare.”

was capable of hitting the necessary

from one side of the shield and re-

Richard’s updated figures from the 2010-

areas of the vine, without creating

delivering back into the canopy.

11 season show an improved recovery

masses of spray drift. Particularly at the

“The fine droplets are drawn through the

rate of approx. $32,000.

early flowering period, when there is very

fans, re-introduced into the spray stream.

There is another major benefit for

little canopy to provide shelter.

The larger droplets hit the shield and are

growers. Given the shroud protects

At this point in the spraying cycle, it’s

carried down with gravity and pumped

from spray drift, it allows spraying to

estimated that up to 90% of spray can

back through a filtration system to the

be undertaken in less than perfect

be lost to the air or the ground. Given the

tank to be re-used.”

conditions, which in Marlborough’s case

cost of sprays, that is a huge waste and

The environmental benefits are obvious.

will be a blessing, given the propensity to

expense.

As Rob Agnew from Plant and Food

wind during spring.

There have been machines designed

Research, (sponsors of the Supreme

FMR Group has also developed a Spray

28

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

savings calculator which can be used to predict the potential savings in chemical costs from the use of a R-series sprayer.

Data is entered into the calculator from a spray diary, from previous season and the growth stage set for each application. The system will then generate a complete report detailing the savings predicted by use of the R-series sprayer.

Data is based on actual test results throughout two entire seasons. The calculator can be accessed on the FMR website (www.fmr group. co.nz) Given FMR is a Marlborough

being carried out in other wine producing

Aura Sustainability’s carbon footprint

based, family owned company, this

countries.

programme and Te Whare Ra winery.

acknowledgment is a success story in

Winepress will feature each of these

more ways than one.

Other winners from the Marlborough

The new machine is already being

Environment Awards include Wither

exported to Australia, with assessments

Hills Wetland Restoration Project,

winners in future issues.

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

29

Pruning in Marlborough Heads for the Big Screen It is accepted that pruning is one of the most important jobs undertaken in the vineyard. Yet many pruners come to the job with little or no experience. So a best practice training tool, in the form of a DVD is about to be produced.

The ability to transfer information and

most costly job a grower will undertake

“Currently when we recruit workers in the

knowledge on to the wider community

in a year, setting up the vines for the next

Islands, we tend to go over with some

has always been a tricky issue for sector

vintage. The pruner has to know how to

photos and secateurs trying to explain

leaders. It becomes even more difficult

get the bud numbers right, what canes

to the people what they have to do. A

when the information you are attempting

are best left and what ones should be

DVD will explain it much better. And it

to get across, is going to people who

removed. We need to know that those

will be able to be used to up skill staff as

are new to the industry. That was one

doing the work are doing it right.”

well, as they are often shown just once or

of the issues discussed recently by the

With support from New Zealand

twice how to prune a vine. At least with a

Wine Marlborough Technical Committee.

Winegrowers and industry related

DVD they can go back time and again to

Spokesman James Jones says while

companies, the DVD will begin filming

check they are working correctly.”

expert pruning methods are celebrated

later this year. James says the idea is to

A first for the industry, he is hopeful it

in competitions such as Silver Secateurs,

make it concise, informative and easy

won’t be the last.

the whys and how to, are often

to navigate. There will be eight different

“We would love this to be a first in a

overlooked with newcomers.

chapters, covering the following areas;

series of Best Practice DVDs. It would be

“And as the vineyard area has increased

• Equipment and safety

great if areas like canopy management,

in Marlborough, we have required more

• The balanced vine

spray application, and fruit thinning could

and more pruners to do the job. At times

• Young vine pruning

be included in the future. It could well be

we have been concerned that the quality

• Cane pruning

the start of a chain of these information

of some of those newcomers isn’t what

• Trimming and wrapping

transfers DVDs..”

we would like.”

• Mechanical stripping

While the initiative has come out of

The idea of a training day was

• Spur pruning

Marlborough’s technical committee, the

• Sylvoz pruning

end product will be geared towards the

suggested, but that would only benefit those attending. A DVD however could

Separating the entire programme

be watched and referred back to, time

into chapters will allow the viewer to

and again.

concentrate on the area that applies to

“We wanted a training tool that promoted

them. It could also be more beneficial

best practice, so that everyone in the

than the on the spot training many

region was on the same page. It is the

workers currently get.

30

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

entire New Zealand wine industry.

Wine Happenings A monthly list of events within the Marlborough wine industry.

To have your event included in next month’s calendar please email details to tessan@xtra.co.nz

JUNE 8

Warren Moran on Sub Regional GIs – Wine Research Centre Theatre. Bookings ph Kate - 5779299

14

NZW Grape Day – “Dealing with variability”, key messages from the Designer Vines Research Programme. Marlborough

14

Industry meeting following Vintage 2011 – Marlborough Convention Centre

19 – 23

Vinexpo 2011 – the 30th event held – Bordeaux France

25

Pinot at Cloudy Bay - bookings phone Stephanie McIntyre +64 3 520 9197

Convention Centre – register now at www.grapedays.co.nz

JULY 13 – 15 Wine Exporter’s Forum – Marlborough Convention Centre – info from: www.wnzwineexportersforum. co.nz 22

Silver Secateurs in Marlborough, plus Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year. Details to come.

AUGUST 25 – 27 Romeo Bragato Conference. Ellerslie Event Centre, Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland,

OCTOBER 6

Marlborough Wine and Cuisine at Brancott Vineyard – details at www.wine-marlborough.co.nz/ MarlboroughWineandCuisine.htm

28-30

Marlborough Wine Weekend – an iconic and exclusive 3-day event, highlighting the Marlborough Wine industry. More details at www. marlboroughwineweekend.co.nz

NOVEMBER 6 – 10 The 6th International Specialised Conference on Sustainable Viticulture; Winery Waste and Ecologic Impacts Management – Convention Centre Blenheim

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

06/2011 WINEPRESS

|

31

News From Home and Away International Wine Challenge Accolades Gold medals went to the following Marlborough wines. It is interesting to note, and pleasing to see the range of varieties represented.

Stanely Estates Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Framingham Classic Riesling 2009 Brancott Estate Renwick Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Brancott Estate Showcase Series Sauvignon Gris 2010 Oyster Bay Marlborough Chardonnay 2009 Nautilus Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2009 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Chardonnay 2007

Fairleigh Estate Riesling 2010 Redwood Pass Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Second International Judge for Spiegelau Wine Competition Ralph Kyte-Powell, well known in New Zealand wine circles, has been confirmed as the second international judge for this new competition. The Spiegelau competition is being judged here in Marlborough later this month.

Ralph will join Phil Reedman MW from Australia, and 10 top New Zealand based wine judges under the control of chief judge Mike DeGaris from Sydney.

NZ Features at the Restaurant Nicknamed “Oscars of the Food World.”

Well done to the Complexity team, who managed to get New Zealand food and

CLASSIFIEDS VINEYARD MACHINERY FOR SALE John Deere 5525 N 4WD Tractor with and without front linkage, four available. Call Woody 021704529 Same Silver 100 Tractor - $18,000 +GST Loader attachment, 4WD workhorse, needs some work. ph 021856192 or 03 5722823 Croplands Fungicide Sprayer - $50,000 + GST Cropland Quantum Mist Vineyard Sprayer 2200ltr, 3 row.

QM Sardi 380 fans. Fitted with self tracking draw bar, hydraulic oil power pack fitted which enables you to use these sprayers on a wide range of tractors. Purchased new 2009. ph 021856192 or 03 5722823 Fieldmaster Mower- $ 10,000 +GST Fieldmaster GM140 mower suitable for narrow rows. 1.40 m cut with an overall width of 1.45 m. Purchased new 2008. ph 021856192 or 03 5722823 Croplands Herbicide Sprayer - $6,500 + GST Croplands Herbiliner spray unit double row 1500 lt. Good condition. Purchased new 2007. ph 021856192 or 03 5722823

wine into the renowned James Beard Foundation Restaurant in New York. As the heading says this restaurant has been titled, (by Time Magazine) as the “Oscars of the food world.” In other words they only deal with the best of the best.

The event was hosted by New Zealand’s Consul general in New York and included a themed lunch, followed by a banquet featuring a diverse range of handpicked ingredients sourced from 14 producers, mated with wine varietals from eight vineyards represented by Complexity Fine Wine Group. Marlborough’s wines were included on the wine list.

Just to get your organisation into The Foundation is some mammoth effort, with bookings for events there known to sell out in a matter of hours, once they are advertised.

Vineyard Husbandry Over 15 years we’ve refined the process of growing grapes on limestone with Biodynamics, to produce very special styles in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

These wines are becoming recognised all around the world, which means we need to focus more on nurturing our community. We can’t do everything, so we need an additional team member. Someone who’s practical, has an empathy for plants and can help in all areas of our vineyard and winery. We’re based in North Canterbury.

Like to learn more, phone anytime – 0800 BELLHILL for a recorded message.

Disclaimer: The views and articles that are expressed and appear in Winepress are those 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.

32

|

06/2011 WINEPRESS

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

For Expert Viticultural Property Advice

ALEXANDER HAYWARD LTD Registered Valuers, Property Consultants, Arbitrators Specialising in all aspects of Vineyard and Winery Valuation, Including Specialist Plant and Machinery Contact: Dave Stark Lex Hayward

B Ag Com, FNZIV, FNZPI Dip VFM, FNZPI, AAMINZ

Experienced in all South Island Wine growing Regions

Ph 03 5789776 Fax 03 5782806

Level 1, 20 Market St, BLENHEIM email valuations@alexhayward.co.nz

MACHINE VINE STRIPPING WITH EXPERIENCED OPERATORS THAT WANT THE BEST RESULTS AND CARE FOR YOUR VINEYARD. WE WANT TO SAVE YOU THAT EXTRA BIT ON ONE HUGE LABOUR INTENSIVE JOB IN YOUR VINEYARD. CONTACT US NOW FOR A FREE QUOTE AND PERSONAL ADVICE FOR YOUR PRUNING 2011.

PHONE: 035782248 / 0212407380 EMAIL: cliffordroad@vodafone.co.nz