Winepress - May 2011

WINEPRESS Issue No. 203 / May 2011

Master Sommeliers

Marlborough Success

Training Systems

Pacific Prime Wines

Photo: Jim Tannock

The Official Magazine of

www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

For Expert Viticultural Property Advice

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In this issue...

Regulars

Features

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8

4 7

Editorial

Tasman Crop Met Report Marketing Matters

22 Marlborough Success 27 Wine Happenings

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News From Home and 28 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.

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US Sommeliers Visit Marlborough

Two Master Sommeliers were among those visiting the region this past month. At a Wine Marlborough tasting they got the opportunity to try the range of wines produced here and have gone away wowed by not only Sauvignon Blanc, but also Pinot Noir.

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Optically Hand Sorting Pinot On the subject of Pinot, everyone knows how fickle a grape this can be, and how temperamental it is for the winemaker. Which is why companies place so much effort in handpicking and hand sorting the best grapes. But that all takes time. However new technology in use at Wither Hills has taken the hand sorting element out of the equation.

Generation Y-ine

This month we look at two women who have taken on the massive task of studying for their Masters of Wine. Katy Prescott and Stephanie McIntyre may be slightly daunted by the workload involved, but both are giving it their best shot – even if that means they are totally single minded when it comes to wine.

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Bledisloe Medal for Neal Ibbotson

This much revered honour is bestowed on former students or staff of Lincoln University. It is in recognition of the services the individual has done for their industry and New Zealand as a whole. This year the medal was bestowed on our own Neal Ibbotson.

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

Produced by:

From the Editor

Wine Marlborough Free to all levy paying members Associate Members: $77 +GST

It appears hell hath no fury like an Australian wine industry fighting against a consumer response to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

For the past few years, our wine has been the cornerstone of east coast drinkers in

Editor:

Australia. It has out poured and outsold all the white offerings coming from within their

Tessa Nicholson

own country. And quite frankly the Aussie wine industry seem to have had enough of

16 Bank Street

it.

Blenheim

In the recent Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker journal, the

T: 021 709 571

CEOs and MDs of the top 20 wine companies were asked a variety of questions on

E: tessan@xtra.co.nz

the state of the industry. One of those questions related to the future impact of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Here are some of the responses:

If you wish to make contact with any member of the Wine Marlborough Board, the following are their email addresses.

• NZ Sauvignon Blanc is a one-off fashion that will die a slow and painful death.”

Dominic Pecchenino: nzyanks@xtra.co.nz

• The consumer is “waking up to the boring style of wine out of New Zealand.”

Anna Flowerday: ajflowerday@xtra.co.nz Blair Gibbs: blair@spyvalley.co.nz

• Its former strength of all wines being basically the same turns into its enemy as the public becomes bored with it. Also, the cheap flood of own brands have devalued the variety in the market.”

• NZ Sauvignon Blanc is still popular but it will have a lower impact on Australian white wine sales than previous years. The consumer is already looking for new white varieties.”

• It will increase its share of the Australian market in 2011 but will have stable to minor growth.”

• (We) don’t think NZ will continue to take away sales.”

James Jones: james@starborough.co.nz

Are those statements mere annoyance at our strength of sales or prophetic words from

Ivan Sutherland: ivan@dogpoint.co.nz

Blanc has hit the Australian wine market hard. If some believe our wine is boring, all

Ben Glover: ben@witherhills.co.nz

industry sources? It’s hard to tell. What is apparent though is Marlborough Sauvignon the same and a one-off fashion, then we have to make sure the consumer doesn’t agree with them.

Marlborough produces a range of styles, all of them world class. The sub regional

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

differences are becoming more and more apparent, the development of “alternative”

Ruud Maasdam: ruud@staetelandt.co.nz

We need to be marketing all of these points while introducing the consumer to the rest

Clive Jones: cjones@nautilusestate.com

Australian wine market – regardless of what their industry leaders think of us.

styles is creating interest and the food friendliness of our wines is incredibly attractive. of our world class portfolio. We can’t afford to take our foot away from the throat of the

Richard Rose: kvl@silkweb.net.nz Guy Lissaman: glissaman@xtra.co.nz

TESSA NICHOLSON tessan@xtra.co.nz

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Met Report January and February 2010 and March

Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – April 2011

did not allow the season to make up for

April 2011

April LTA

Period of LTA

Deviation from or % of LTA

April 2010

GDD’s for: Month - Max/Min1 Month – Mean2

84.1 88.9

106.8 112.2

(1996-2006) (1996-2006)

79% 79%

145.8 152.0

1362.9 1369.1

1311.8 1347.5

(1996-2006) (1996-2006)

104% 102%

1357.3 1371.7

17.5 7.8 12.7

18.9 7.9 13.4

(1932-2000) (1932-2000) (1932-2000)

-1.4°C -0.1°C -0.7°C

20.6 9.1 14.9

Grass Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 1

3.9 1.3

(1932-1980) (1986-2010)

2.9 less 0.3 less

0

Air Frosts (<0.0°C) 0

0.5 0.3

(1932-1980) (1986-2010)

0.5 less 0.2 less

0

Sunshine hours 159.8 Sunshine hours – lowest Sunshine hours – highest Sunshine hours total – 2011 835.5

189 92.1 238.5 892

(1930-2000) 1938 1958 (1930-2000)

84.5%

213.2

93.6%

913.5

Rainfall (mm) 67.6 Rainfall (mm) – lowest Rainfall (mm) – highest Rainfall total (mm) – 2011 150.2

53 0.6 173.0 194

(1930-2000) 1992 1962 (1930-2000)

128%

7.2

77%

87.0

Sunshine

Growing Degree Days Total Jul 10 - Apr 11 – Max/Min Jul 10 - Apr 11 – Mean Mean Maximum (°C) Mean Minimum (°C) Mean Temp (°C)

ground lost due to the late flowering.

Warm weather in April 2010 caused the GDD line to rise steeply but at the tail end of the season this has no effect on harvest date.

The 2010/2011 season started out cold in October and early November 2010 and it appeared as if it was following the pattern of the previous season and that flowering would again be late. However, sustained warm weather from 12th November through until early January ensured that flowering was about one week earlier than had been anticipated back in the season. The warm weather prior to and during flowering also ensured that the 2011 harvest was not going to be late.

Evapotranspiration – mm

59.8

60.8

(1996-2010)

98%

85.8

April 2011 only recorded 159.8 hours

Avg. Daily Windrun (km)

191

231.0

(1996-2010)

83%

274.8

sunshine, or 84.5% of the long-term

Mean soil temp – 10cm

11.7

11.9

(1986-2010)

-0.2°C

13.7

average of 189 hours. The April 2011

Mean soil temp – 30cm

13.9

14.4

(1986-2010)

-0.5°C

15.4

total ranks 11th lowest, for the 82 years

1GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures 2GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures April 2011 weather (cool, overcast, moist

season the lines are not too far apart.

and calm) was in marked contrast to the

30 April 2010 at +14GDD and 30 April

weather that Blenheim experienced in

2011 at +39 GDD, i.e. total growing-

April 2010 (warm, sunny, very dry and

degree days from 1 September through

windy)

until 30 April in both seasons were very

Temperature and Growing Degree Days The mean temperature for April 2011 of 12.7°C was 1.4°C below the long-term average, whereas April 2010 with a mean of 14.9°C was 1.5°C above average.

It is interesting to contrast the growingdegree days for the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 seasons as displayed in Figure 1. At the end of April in each

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close. However, if you follow each of the lines through the two seasons you can quickly see that the shape of the lines is very different. The 2009/2010 GDD line plummeted from late September through until mid November and then again in

1930-2011. This was the lowest sunshine for April since 1995.

Wind April 2010 and April 2011 recorded markedly different total wind run. April 2010 average daily wind run was 274.8 km (11.46 km/hr), well above the longterm average of 228 km; the highest April average since records began in 1996.

April 2011 average daily wind run was 191 km (7.96 km/hr), the lowest total since 1996.

early December 2009, due to very cool

Season Weather Summary

temperatures. As a result flowering in

Table 2 provides the breakdown of

2009 was late. Average temperatures in

the main weather parameters for the

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

Figure 1: Growing degree days for Blenheim: days ahead (+) or behind (-) average

2010/2011 season. A reminder that

using average hourly temperature data and long-term average 1996-2006

detailed weather data for both Blenheim

The graph shows the cumulative GDD difference between the season and the long

and the Awatere can be found on the

term average total

Marlborough Wine Research Centre website. www.wineresearch.org.nz The four monitored blocks of Sauvignon blanc on the Wairau plains were harvested between six and twelve days earlier in 2011 than in 2010. However, the block at Seaview in the lower Awatere was harvested only one day earlier in 2011 compared to 2010. In order to make valid comparisons between the seasons the target maturity for harvest of these monitored blocks of grapes is 21.5° Brix.

Acknowledgement: The data presented in Table 3 have been collected as part of the Sauvignon blanc regional vineyard research program in Marlborough.

Thanks to Pernod Ricard, Villa Maria and

Table 2: Monthly weather summary for the 2010/2011 growing season

LTA 10/11 LTA 10/11 LTA 10/11 LTA 10/11 LTA 10/11 LTA 10/11 LTA 10/11

Rain Rian Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean GDD GDD ET ET Sun Sun Max Max Min Min (96-09) (96-10)

mm mm °C °C °C °C °C °C mm mm hours hours

Delegats Oyster Bay for allowing this trial work to take place on their properties.

This collection of data from 2005-2010 was funded by the Foundation for

Sep

51 93.0 15.8 16.7 5.1 7.6 10.6 12.2 71.3 74.7 71.5 80.2 192 179.0

Research Science & Technology through

Oct

55 24.0 18.0 17.6 7.2 7.2 12.7 12.4 109.5 89.0 99.1 103.7 225 258.6

the research programme titled “Quality

Nov

48 27.0 20.2 21.3 8.9 9.7 14.6 15.5 141.5 166.1 121.5 132.8 235 283.3

New Zealand Wines”. Direct co-funders

Dec

47 131.6 22.3 23.0 11.0 13.3 16.7 18.2 206.0 237.6 140.1 155.1 246 225.0

of this research programme were NZ

Jan

50 40.2 23.6 23.0 12.0 13.2 17.9 18.1 238.6 240.0 137.3 154.5 261 222.5

Winegrowers.

Feb

45 11.8 23.5 24.5 12.1 12.6 17.8 18.6 216.0 230.1 109.3 135.0 227 224.2

Mar

46 30.6 21.8 21.9 10.5 10.5 16.2 16.2 195.6 190.0 100.2 110.6 215 229.0

Apr

53 67.6 18.9 17.5 7.9 7.8 13.4 12.7 112.2 88.9 60.8 59.8 189 159.8

Total

395 425.8 1290.8 1316.4 839.8 931.7 1790 1781.4

Mean

% of LTA or deviation

Collection of data in 2011 has been funded by the Marlborough Research Centre Trust.

Rob Agnew

20.5 20.7 9.3 10.2 15.0 15.5

Plant & Food Research

108% +0.2 +0.9 +0.5 102% 111% 99.5%

The Met Report brought to you by

Harvest date comparison Table 3: Harvest date comparison for 2-cane pruned Sauvignon blanc from five sub-regional vineyards over seven seasons in Marlborough

Upper Brancott Valley Central Rapaura Western Wairau Plains Fairhall Seaview – Awatere

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 4 April 15 March 27 March 20 March 2 April 8 April 30 March 14 April 13 March 26 March 22 March 6 April 31 March 25 March 1 April 15 March 10 April 19 March 2 April 16 April 04 April 21 April 23 March 03 April 3 April 23 April 19 April 11 April 18 April 31 March 26 March 29 March 9 April 9 April 8 April

New Zealand’s Premier Horticultural Supplies Specialists.

0800 855 255 Another Horticentre Limited Group Company

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Thursday 6th October 2011 This one day event will be an unforgettable experience delivered by committee members Jo De Fazio, Victoria Scott, Kylie Cornelius, Kathy Hughes, Geoff Beavis and Anna Kingscote and the team at Wine Marlborough.

Marlborough Wine and Cuisine will be a high-end event showcasing Marlborough’s world-class wines and gourmet cuisine on the historic Brancott Vineyard site.

This event offers a unique opportunity to International visitors during the Rugby World Cup (RWC) and includes a wide range of local wines and gourmet cuisine from one of New Zealand’s most stunning regions. Guests will be able to soak up the stunning beauty of the surrounding landscape, watch culinary demonstrations and enjoy the sounds of some of New Zealand’s top musical talent.

If you know of wine enthusiasts visiting New Zealand during the RWC or VIPs who you would like to invite to this event please contact Andrea Craig at Wine Marlborough.

We’d also love to know how we might be able to work with you to market this event to your international networks, and if you haven’t yet indicated your interest in participating in this event please let us know soon, as interest is high.

To participate in Wine & Cuisine at Brancott Vineyard or for a sponsors pack please contact Andrea Craig: events@wine-marlborough.co.nz T. (03) 577 9299 www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

Friday 28th – Sunday 30th October 2011

The Marlborough Wine Weekend committee have reconvened and planning for the 2011 event is underway. We welcome back committee members from last year, Sigrun Steinhagen, Victoria Lewis and Jan Whillans as well as new members Brydie Morrison, Dan Taylor, Steph Gifford and Clive Jones.

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The main location for the event will again be Timara Lodge. The event schedule is currently being confirmed and will include a number of new features such as the Master Class Series and the Marlborough Gourmet Feast.

This three day event will provide media, buyers, distributors, winemakers, growers and wine aficionados with the opportunity to learn more about the range of wine styles Marlborough is producing as well as showcasing the wonderful produce we have available in our region.

of upmost importance in driving the continued success of the event as well as communicating to visiting media, trade and high end consumers about the diversity in our region and that Marlborough is New Zealand’s premium winegrowing capital.

The Marlborough Wine Weekend is an exclusive and unique event that goes from strength to strength each time it is run. The support from the wineries is

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook search ‘Wine Marlborough Ltd’

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

To participate in the Marlborough Wine Weekend or for a sponsors pack please contact Sarah Booker: sarah@wine-marlborough.co.nz T. (03) 577 9299 www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

Marketing Matters If you were to liken Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to a car, I think you could say it used to be a shiny new, bright red Ferarri. Something that made people sit up and take notice. The sort of car that people wanted to know more about and other manufacturers want to replicate.

I say “used to” rather judiciously, as in the

to buy your better offerings rather than

For those in the market place, continued

30 years since Marlborough Sauvignon

using your entry level wines purely as a

promotion of our wines as truly world

Blanc was the newest and hottest car on

dumping ground.

class is very important as is selling

the block, things have changed. Don’t

If you don’t get it by now, I think that

on the benefit of our unique flavour

get me wrong, people still sit up and take

there is only one long term place for the

profiles, world class science, viticultural

notice of our flagship wine, but whereas

majority of Marlborough wines to be sold

understanding and sustainable practices

in the past the industry was all driving in

and that is at the premium end of the

to name but a few points.

the same direction, things have changed

market. Without a premium vision, no

somewhat. There are many different

matter how far that may seem away from

If you would like to talk to me about this

brands now, some like cheap cars, with

where we are currently, the landscape will

issue or any other, feel free to make

no features at all.

be changed forever. Learning, travelling,

contact.

The adventure, in Marlborough wine

investing in marketing and – the obvious

Phone: +64 3 577 9299

terms, has lasted over 30 years for some

- producing the best possible quality fruit

Mobile: +64 21 831 820

of the early adopters - a long time in

and wines all adds up both delivering

Email: marcus@wine-marlborough.co.nz

brand circles. Are we losing the loyalty

and commanding a premium positioning.

of the earliest trade and consumer

On a slightly different tangent, anyone

supporters? Maybe not, but we can’t

in sales, and many of you with varied

afford to think we never will. We must

life experiences (top level sports people

continue to excite these most loyal of

spring to mind) can tell anyone prepared

supporters with the occasional new

to listen that attitude and confidence are

feature and a clear message.

states of mind. Now is exactly the time

No doubt there will continue to be a huge

we need to brandish the confidence in

range of new wine brands in the market

our wines and region like never before.

coming from this jewel of a winegrowing

The mountain of vintage 2011 we

region in vintage 2011. The challenge for

have to climb is challenging but some

those with multi-tier brands is to use your

tremendous success factors give me

entry level wines to convert consumers

confidence of continued sales success.

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Master Sommeliers Visit Marlborough Could our Pinot Noir and dessert wines be the next big thing in the US market? A couple of Master Sommeliers believe so – but their advice is to ensure sommeliers are not left out of any marketing campaign.

James Tidwell, and Emily Wines are two

new, then you need to try the Pinot Noir.’

selling it to the sommeliers, because

of just 107 Master Sommeliers in the

Emily Wines agreed saying she felt

they are always looking for a new find.

States. Both are involved with purchasing

Marlborough Pinot Noirs were under

I always tell my servers that we should

wines for major hotel and restaurant

appreciated.

give our guests something that they can’t

chains, with James taking care of 29

“They really are fantastic and probably

get anywhere else, but it needs to be

Four Season’s Hotels, and Emily the

they are under appreciated because your

something they will enjoy and remember

Director of Wines at 103 Kimpton Hotels

Sauvignon Blanc is so big. The Pinots

after they leave. So dessert wines could

and Restaurants. Both are also heavily

we tried today were just stellar and I

be that new thing. They are spectacular,

involved in sommelier training throughout

think they had a lifted style and elegance

with purity of fruit and that beautiful

America.

about them. I was very impressed. I

acidity that seems to carry through. I

In Marlborough last month they were

do not think these wines are second to

think there could be a niche market for

keen to understand more about

Central Otago, they are just different, they

them in the States.”

Sauvignon Blanc and what else was

have a different expression even though

While both Emily and James admitted

coming out of this region. And both were

they are the same grape. I think you need

consumer spending is down in the

extremely impressed with the quality of

to be putting them out there as much as

US, they also said price sensitivity is

our Pinot Noir.

you are putting out your Sauvignons.”

more aligned with the retail sector than

“We know Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

There was another variety James

in restaurants. Those that can afford

made the name of this country in the wine

believed Marlborough could be

to eat out tend to want to purchase

world,” said James. “So I was looking

capitalising on, even though it would be

good wine to accompany their meal.

for what else is here that we can tell

much more of a niche market – and that

While they may not be purchasing as

people about – and I have to say I was

is dessert wines. While he realises there

many bottles today as they were five

very impressed with the Pinot Noir. We

are economic issues involved with most

years ago, James said there is still a

tend to hear more about Central Otago

companies’ production being tiny, he still

willingness on the customer’s behalf to be

Pinot Noir, and yet trying the Marlborough

felt there was an opportunity.

influenced by the person serving them.

Pinots today, I was very impressed with

“There has been a decline in the number

Which raises the question, should our

them. So now when I go back and do

of sweet wine drinkers for after dinner

marketing be focused on the consumer

lectures on New Zealand and new world

drinks, but when you get a passionate

or the sommelier? While he admitted

wines, I will talk about how we all know

sommelier or server in a restaurant, I

he is rather bias, James said there are

about Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but

think there are some good opportunities

certainly more chances to get the story

if you want something cutting edge or

to sell those sorts of wines. It’s all about

of your wine across in a restaurant, than

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

Three American sommeliers to visit Marlborough last month, from left; Emily Wines, James Tidwell and Marian Jansen op de Haar. there are in a retail outlet.

on to the consumer and you need that

On the subject of trends within wine,

“When you have guests come into a

wine to be available for the consumer to

James said the latest variety to feel the

restaurant and try a wine, typically you

purchase after they have tried it.”

indifference of consumers, is interestingly,

have four people at the table. So you may

One of New Zealand’s greatest attributes

Syrah. Although he believes New

have sold one bottle of wine, but four

is how food friendly our wines are

Zealand could overcome that, with the

people are trying it. A consumer buying

according to Emily and that is another

style we are producing here.

it from retail may share with just one

area we need to be highlighting.

“No one can quiet explain it, but the

person and not a group. There is also

“Food and wine pairing is something

theory is that perhaps Americans got

the opportunity to interpret the wine in a

that consumers are looking for and we

tired of a particular style, namely the

restaurant, to talk about it, to talk about

are now starting to see wines with back

Australian style and therefore quit

the place and to transfer that passion

labels that say this wine matches with

drinking Syrah. I think that New Zealand

directly to the guests.”

fish, or shelf talkers that tell that story. If

has an opportunity because the style

Emily believed both consumers and

you are selling to the retail outlets, then

here is a lot different from most other

sommeliers should be targeted by any

it’s probably more important that the shelf

places. There is an acidity behind it, a

marketing campaign. While the wine may

talkers promote that aspect, as not many

brightness and beautiful purity of fruit and

initially be tried in a restaurant after being

people tend to pick up the bottle and

it is unlike all the other classic regions.”

recommended by the sommelier, the

read the back label while in the store.

Currently the American love affair is with

customer needs to know they can obtain

They do see the signs though.”

Argentinean Malbec, although James

it at a retail outlet, if they like it.

She said the acidity of a wine is critical

admitted it is hard to tell how long that

“I can’t tell you how many times I have

when it comes to matching with food,

will last. Which is one of the reasons he

written down the name of a wine I have

and “That is something you guys have in

was so enamoured of Marlborough Pinot

poured for a customer, who wanted to

spades”

Noir – could this be the next big thing in

go out and buy it for themselves. Without

“You want acidity to make the wine

the US?

even realising it consumers are being

refreshing, you want something that

“Yes I think it could, it is certainly one that

exposed to a great number of wines

is going to make your mouth water, is

I will be looking at.”

whenever they dine. So you need a

bursting with flavour that amplifies the

sommelier to have the information to pass

version of food you are eating.”

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Optically Sorting Grapes A new machine, the first of its kind to be utilised in New Zealand, has taken the manual labour out of hand sorting grapes. The value of it when it comes to creating quality Pinot Noir, cannot be under-estimated.

The Bucher Vaslin Delta Vistalys R2,

and in lightening

or R2D2 as the staff at Wither Hills

quick time.

have lovingly called their latest piece

The technology

of technology, is smart, efficient, and

uses image

extremely user friendly. It removes the

analysis to

need for manual sorting of grapes, with

individually

technology that is hundreds of times

inspect and

more effective than the human equivalent.

sort grape

Wither Hills is only the second winery in

berries. The

the Southern Hemisphere to import the

user dials up an

Bucher machine and Chief winemaker

optimum colour

Ben Glover says the motivation was to

range, berry

improve the quality of the company’s

size and shape

Pinot Noir by removing variables that

and condition

inevitably come when you rely on hand

required of the

sorting.

incoming fruit.

“Traditionally you use a grading table

Pinot Noir

to sort the fruit, but what tends to end

winemaker Sally Williams says they

has been de-stemmed. While it is being

up happening is people find it hard to

set the selection criteria by running

used in other parts of the world for a

concentrate for long periods of time and

good berries under the optical eye to

number of varieties, Ben says in Wither

you start to get fruit being left that really

establish the company’s preference for

Hill’s case, it is ideal for Pinot Noir.

should have been discarded.”

shape and colour. Once the machine

“The thing about Pinot, is you need to get

Pinot Noir is not called the Holy Grail of

has mapped those measurements, it

your seeds and skin ripe as all the flavour

wine for nothing. It requires quality fruit

then automatically rejects anything that

comes from the inside of the skin. That’s

and gentle handling to create the perfect

doesn’t match those parameters. That

where you get the silky tannins from. If

wine. There is no room for inconsistency

means berries with damage, shrivel

the fruit is green or that cherry red and

in any form. Especially not where the

or less than ripe colour as well as any

not the blue/black colour, you end up with

initial fruit is concerned. Any botrytis,

stems, leaves or petioles. Anything

unripe, stalky, stemmy, green characters.

unripe fruit, leaves or stalks that arrive

not fitting the winemaker’s criteria is

With Pinot Noir it is a wine that shows all

with the fruit, will detract from the ensuing

spat out, while the good fruit continues

its warts. So if you have green flavours

wine if they are not carefully removed

along a conveyer belt in readiness for

coming through, it’s very hard to manage

before fermentation. The Bucher using

fermentation.

or hide and nearly impossible to get rid

state of the art technology, ensures all

Not only does it work with hand-picked

of.”

those nasties are discarded effectively

fruit, but also machine harvested, once it

The optical camera is “brilliant” at

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a number of the berries showing

The technology is so smart, that it can

signs of botrytis, the Bucher is

manage to analyse fruit from a belt that is

providing savings in terms of the

travelling at six metres per second. That

amount of fruit being retained.

means the winery can deal with more

Only the individual berries

hand-picked fruit a day, than it ever could

affected are rejected – all the

in the past, according to Ben.

good fruit is retained.

“Where we were hamstrung by only being

The way it works, is fruit is placed

able to hand-sort about 30 tonnes a day,

onto a shaking table, where it

we can now do between 6 and 10 tonnes

levels out before travelling up

an hour. So it means we can say to

a conveyer belt to a shaker

pickers – go ahead pick 40 – 60 tonnes

table which gently separates

a day and we know that we can process

the berries into a single layer. It

that amount. Our aim is to increase our

is here the linear colour video

Pinot production and we need to be able

camera records each berry,

to do that efficiently yet still maintain the

which is then analysed by a

quality aspect we have been driving for

calculator especially developed

since we started 12 years ago.”

for grape sorting. Once the

The Bucher R2 is already in use in

images have been shot, all the

a range of wineries in the Northern

undesirable elements, including

Hemisphere, including Bordeaux’s

damaged, unripe or infected

Chateau Smith Haut-Lafitte and Napa

berries are ejected.

Valley’s Opus One.

You could be forgiven for This is the material the Bucher rejected after optical analysis.

thinking that would take a long period of time, but that’s not the case.

identifying and rejecting any berries with botrytis as well, as the grey colour associated with the infection, doesn’t fit within the colour parameter of perfect fruit.

“Botrytis can be one of the main issues here in Marlborough and in Pinot Noir we need to have uniform ripeness throughout the bunch. By de stemming and signing off your parameters on each berry, you are achieving that uniformity. You can’t hope to get that when manually sorting across a table. With this machine we are increasing the quality that goes into our fermenter. We are making a quality decision at the very beginning, rather than at blending time, so we are being pro-active, rather than reactive.”

Given manual sorting could see whole bunches of fruit being discarded due to

The end result once the fruit has been through the Bucher.

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Pacific Prime Wines – Collaboration the Key No winery needs to be told how difficult it can be to break into the large American market. Which is why a new wine group has taken the innovative move to set up its own importing company in the US. In what has been labelled as a first for

they work with. It became pretty clear

that. The US market likes the idea of

the wine industry, four family owned wine

to us that it was appropriate to look at a

small family owned, estate wineries where

companies have come together to form

model where wineries could have more

the owners are operating the business

Pacific Prime Wines, (PPW) which will

direct control within the market place.”

and the winemakers are the people who

import, market and sell their range of

Given that US importers working

front their wine.”

premium wines across the USA.

with New Zealand brands have large

The first shipment of wine will arrive in

Two of the four companies are

portfolios that may have dozens of

June and a hand selected sales team will

Marlborough based, Lake Chalice Wines

individual brands, Dave says it has been

be responsible for selling the wine initially

and Forrest Estate. The other two are

hard for many to gain traction.

into Washington DC and on the East

Carrick Wines from Central Otago and

“National importers generally have

Coast in “wealthy beltway style areas”

Seifried Estate from Nelson. While at

far more brands and they have tight

like Baltimore and Maryland, in addition

this stage it is very much a South Island

resources because they have to deal with

to California. While obviously aiming

portfolio, PPW director Dave Nicholas

so many brands. And most importers for

at the on premise, high end restaurant

says that will change in the near future.

a market like the US cover everything

market, Dave says they will push into

“We have a Hawkes Bay winery that will

from Italy, to Chile, to France, Australia

small and large retail, depending on

be joining the company shortly and we

and somewhere down the back of the list

the price positions of the wines and the

have had a large number of approaches

is New Zealand.”

volumes the wineries want to attain.

from other wineries since we have gone

Finding a group of wineries that were

“New Zealand wine growth has been

out with the news of this venture.”

willing to work together in a collaborative

massive recently. In the US the growth for

Dave says the motivation for the

way was deemed a priority. As was

premium bottled New Zealand wine has

company came from the difficulty being

having wine companies that were family

been over 20% and that is compared with

experienced by a number of New

owned.

the market average for growth of about

Zealand wineries in the American market.

“That was a critical aspect. Part of the

8%.”

Not all of those difficulties relate to the

whole pitch in the US, is to sell New

That growth is a story Dave says the

recession that has occurred in recent

Zealand as a boutique wine origin. It’s still

media doesn’t seem to have picked up

years.

considered quite exotic, despite the fact

on. He says the US isn’t the only growth

“A lot of companies aren’t getting the

that Sauvignon Blanc is sold in very large

market for our wines.

level of control they need in the market.

quantities over there. New Zealand wine

“People seem to be thinking about the

They aren’t getting the attention or the

is regarded as high end and you have

New Zealand industry at the moment as

priority for their brands from the importers

to have a high level of credibility behind

having too much wine, over supply and

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

dropping prices along with the export

is one way of doing it and I think it is

done by NZW needs to be converted

of large amounts of bulk wine. Those

going to do it very well. But the industry

to that next state of strong commercial

are all factors, but with premium bottled

should be full of lots of small to medium

collaboration into the market, to make

wine, New Zealand is doing exceptionally

size collaborations like this. Let wineries

sure people aren’t all trying to do the

well in all our markets. The signal is

get to scale, share overheads and work

same thing, each with very limited

there, we are getting back into balance

appropriately with each other in the

resources.”

as an industry and even though there

market. We need to get away from that

Phil Binnie from Lake Chalice Wines

is a sense that this year’s vintage will

model where each winery is distant from

says the strength created by working in

be large, we have also got a very, very

each other and everyone is doing their

a group and the ability of being able to

strong level of demand in all of our large

own thing. That is just not sustainable for

take control of selling within the US, are

markets. That is extremely positive.”

the size of the businesses we have here

two major bonuses. Having exported

However none of the companies

to America between 1997 and 2008,

involved are going into the business

they have been absent from the

venture wearing rose tinted glasses.

marketplace for three years. They are

They have all been in the business for

now looking forward to getting back,

too many years to expect an overnight

as one in a line up of strong regional

success story.

New Zealand brands.

“They are all experienced exporters,

Lake Chalice will be exporting

all very strong financially. They have

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot

been or still are participants in the US

Noir at a couple of levels, which will fit

market and none of them are coming

in nicely with the rest of the portfolio.

into this venture expecting it to do

Phil says that is another nice part

miraculous things. They understand

of Pacific Prime Wines – the strong

the market, they understand there is

representation of the best of New

a strong dollar and for them it is not

Zealand wines.

about getting rich this month, next

“It will be a very strong portfolio, with

month or even next year. This is about

Marlborough, Central Otago, Nelson

having a long term position where

and soon Hawkes Bay wines. There is

they have the chance to control their

a real strength in our numbers.”

business.”

It will also allow more consolidation

While they are all wearing their

when it comes to sending containers

“conservative hats” Dave says they

of wine, storing it, selling and then

can still see the potential, and the future

and quite frankly it’s also not sustainable

delivering to the market place.

prospects are very promising. One of

for most wineries given the debt they

“Taking control is really important for us.

the great benefits for everyone is the

carry.”

And because we now own the export

cost effectiveness of the venture. With all

He says that is not meant to criticise

company, we have that control.”

companies sharing the costs, it allows

the work undertaken by New Zealand

them to achieve far more than they could

Winegrowers. The generic marketing

on their own. Collaboration is the key

undertaken by NZW, is extremely good.

word and it’s something Dave is quite

And there is already collaboration

strong on.

between vineyards and wineries.

“Our consultancy arm, Winepartners, has

“But the huge gap up until now has

been pushing this barrow for some time

been strong and collective collaboration

now. Commercial collaboration has to

in a commercial sense. I think all the

happen within the industry. This model

wonderful marketing work that is being

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Generation Y-ine Katy Prescott and Stephanie McIntyre There are two letters of the alphabet that are revered in the world of wine. They are MW, an acronym for Master of Wine.

It takes years of hard work to achieve and of the hundreds that attempt it every year, only 7% succeed. In total there are only 298 Masters of Wine throughout the world, although that number may increase by two if Stephanie McIntyre and Katy Prescott have their way.

The lives of Katy, (Sales and Marketing Manager for Nautilus Wines) and Stephanie, (Events and Wine Communication Manager for Cloudy Bay) have been taken over with the hard yards of studying for their MW. It is dominating their days and is likely to for at least the next three years.

Just being accepted to study for an MW requires some tenuous effort. There are only three pathways into the programme.

You either have to have a Viticulture and Oenology degree, have passed a Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) diploma, or completed a Sommelier Diploma. Katy has just completed the WSET diploma and Stephanie completed her Sommelier Diploma in Canada, seven years ago.

So given they already have achieved major accreditation why on earth would they take on such an arduous study programme such as Master of Wine?

Just looking at what is required over the course of the study is enough to put most sane people off.

The shortest time frame you can achieve an MW in, is three years. But the average is five. There are essays to be written, manuals to be studied, tastings to be undertaken – and that is only the

homework aspect. Then there are the final exams.

The following comes from the MW website and shows what is required of applicants.

Theory - four three-hour question papers on viticulture, winemaking, the business of wine and contemporary issues.

Practical - three 12-wine blind tastings, each lasting two and a quarter hours, in which wines must be assessed for variety, origin, winemaking, quality and style.

Dissertation - a 10,000-word original study, relevant to the wine industry, with the topic selected by the candidate and approved by the Institute. This is typically written after the candidate has passed both the Theory and the Practical parts of the exam.

Only after successfully passing all three elements of the exam is someone eligible for membership of the Institute.

“I would be the first to say we are crazy” Stephanie says, something Katy is quick to agree with.

“Yes it is crazy and I don’t know if I can do it, but if I don’t give it a go, then I will never know.”

British born Katy moved into the world of wine after a number of years working for oil giant BP, specialising in management and analytics. With a languages degree and a perchant for marketing, she was looking for a change, but didn’t really have any idea in what field.

“A guy I knew recommended I look at wine. He said wine buyers are always looking for people with language skills, who like to travel and have commercial acumen. And on the flip side, wine

people always get to go to great parties, travel the world and always have a case of wine under their desk. I thought that sounds alright, so I started on the WSET course to see if I was really interested.

Wine kind of sucks you in, the more you find out about wine, the more you want to know.”

She could see the career potential within the wine industry and the ability to travel almost anywhere in the world if you had certain skills. Her first job was sales and marketing for E&J Gallo. While it was very much a commercial company, not specialising in fine wines, Katy says it gave her the perfect introduction to the industry. What’s more, as her employers became aware of her growing interest, they utilised her skills more and more in terms of representing the company at major trade shows. When her New Zealand born husband wanted to return home, Katy left the UK with an array of skills under her belt – skills that were quickly recognised by Nautilus Estate, where she has been working for the past five years.

As many who work with wine know, it is a product that as Katy so succinctly put it, “sucks you in.”

“There is so much history and culture.

Selling wine is not like selling toothpaste.

Wine has a story and a place, plus history, with real people working behind it. It is different from region to region and vintage to vintage. There is no other product that is anywhere near like it.”

For Stephanie who is Canadian by birth, the wine industry wasn’t her first choice, hospitality was. But it wasn’t long before she realised she wanted to be

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more than a server of food. She thought seriously about taking her love of cooking further, but decided that being stuck in the kitchen didn’t satisfy her outgoing personality.

“I loved the interaction with people and also the wine service. I really loved that formal, professional touch that you got to add to someone’s dining experience, by serving wine. So I decided to take some courses on service and wine, it grew from that to me doing the sommelier course.”

Given the fact she admits to having hated study - “You almost had to pay me to go to school,” - undertaking something as complex as a Sommeliers diploma was quite an achievement. But it just whet her appetite. She like Katy realised the more you learn, the less you know.

It was while she as working in a fine wine shop in Vancouver, that she became aware of a job here in New Zealand.

Jumping at the opportunity, she decided she would come over for a year or two at the most. However she ended up falling in love and getting married – which means she is here for the long haul now.

So back to the Master of Wine. Both women’s applications to study were accepted in October last year. Since then they have been immersing themselves in all things wine, both practically and theoretically. But in case you think it is all glamour, think again.

“People say, oh you must drink some amazing wines,” Katy says. “Yes we do, but we also have to drink some pretty crap wines. You have to understand the full range of wine. The aim is to be analytical about how you assess them.

Take a very commercial wine that has mass market popularity and is being made in a certain way to appeal to that market. It isn’t necessarily a bad wine, but it also isn’t what would be called a fine wine either. We have to judge it on the style it has been made in, the market it is aimed at and whether or not it is a

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good example of that particular style.”

The blind tasting aspect is mind boggling. If you have ever been to such an event, where you have to identify a variety, region and vintage – you will know how difficult it can be. And often those tastings are only focusing on New Zealand wines. Imagine having to learn about every wine growing region in the world. Or having to be able to identify all the different varieties. And then how would you go if someone asked you to explain what winemaking techniques were used to create that wine.

You can see what I mean when I say mind boggling. I can’t even begin to imagine how much work the women have in front of them to garner that sort of knowledge.

Katy says it helps that she is a “self confessed nerd,” but even so it has taken over her life.

“Sometimes I feel I am becoming this very one dimensional person, because everything is suddenly about wine. I can’t even talk about anything else at the moment, because that’s all I have got headspace for. I have been trying to make notes on all the wines I have tasted this year and so far I am up to 390 something. (At early April.) If I am out at dinner, I have to duck down and write little notes on my iPhone under the table.

Of if I am at a bar entertaining customers I have to say, ‘Oh excuse me I just have to make some notes.’ I feel like I have become this really social bore.”

Refining your palate is no easy task.

For many it is hard enough to be able to differentiate between certain varieties.

But for these women, the next three years will see them not only identifying the varietal differences, but also the regional and sub regional, alcoholic levels, tannin levels, acidity, vintage and methodology.

Every time they pick up a glass of wine, they find themselves taking a few seconds to analyse what it is they are

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

tasting, in an effort to build up a mental library of styles and taste indicators. It takes time and effort according to Katy.

“You have to just practice and practise.

Tasting with other people is really useful as well. When I first started tasting I had no background at all in wine. But if you are in a group and most people say, ‘Oh that wine’s corked,” you pick it up. After a while you start to recognise that smell for yourself, because you have experienced it a number of times. The same with other aspects, you become more and more familiar with them.”

It has to be remembered that both women are holding down full time jobs, which in themselves are mentally draining. Stephanie says that is perhaps the hardest thing of all. To come home after a day of work, and then turn round and study.

“I have a bedtime read every night and at the moment I am reading this really terribly exciting book called Monitoring the Winemaker’s Process from Grape to Wine, Techniques and Concepts. It’s basically talking about the more technical details of the analysis of wine. I don’t know how I am going to retain it all. But I am working in the wine industry so there is a great opportunity to learn on the job.

It’s not like I’m working in an accounting firm and every day have to run home and cram. I can actually do a lot of learning while I am at work.”

Both women agree that the discipline required is huge. You have to be self motivated particularly when it comes to writing the essential essays, which are required on a regular basis. While tasting wines probably doesn’t entail quite as much self sacrifice, it can be difficult for New Zealanders to get the wide range of wines necessary to develop a rounded palate.

“That is the hardest thing I am finding, in addition to opening the books when I get home exhausted, getting access

to international wines,” Stephanie says.

“Luckily I came from a spectacular wine shop (in Canada) where we would taste a couple of different wines from random varieties and interesting new regions or the classic wines, every day. But here you go to the shop and if you can find a Soave you’re lucky, but it’s just the one.

I might be able to pick that Soave in a blind tasting one day, because I now know it very well.”

However with so many people interested in wine here in Marlborough, Katy says they have been able to arrange tastings where others have helped share the cost.

“And it’s a great way of making my husband allow me to buy some expensive wine,” Stephanie quips.

But the master classes arranged by the Institute of Masters of Wine are a little more difficult to attend for anyone studying here in New Zealand.

“Each month we get emails about tastings and classes that are organised to help those studying, but the majority of them are either in London or Europe,” says Katy. “We got one email that was discussing a Krug master class and there was a vertical tasting involved. I just

about cried when I read that – I would have loved to be able to be involved.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, as the class was being held more than 3000 km away.

Added on top of the expense of wine, manuals and books is the cost of undertaking the Master’s degree itself.

The annual Australasian cost is between AUD$3100 and $4210 plus the cost of travelling to the compulsory tutorial in Adelaide once a year. All in all it’s not something you undertake without some serious thought.

Many MWs end up as judges, wine writers, wine educators or consultants.

Neither Katy or Stephanie have any ambitions in that way, if they are successful. Both say the only reason they are undertaking the degree is for personal satisfaction – to prove to themselves that they could give it a try.

Good luck to both of them.

New Zealand currently has eight Master’s of Wine living here. They are, Bob Campbell, Jane Skilton, Stephen Bennett, Michael Brajkovich, Alastair Maling, Paul Tudor, Steve Smith and Simon Nash.

Katy Prescott has already created a name for herself among the current applicants working towards their Master of Wine. She has won one of just a handful of scholarships available to those studying. What’s more, it’s a scholarship that will see her travelling to the Champagne region twice within the next 18 months. Won for her essay on The Challenges and Benefits of Sustainable Viticulture within the Champagne Appellation, she will be hosted by three of the biggest names in the Champagne world.

Her prize consists of two consecutive trips to the Champagne region, one during vintage and another during blending of the vins clairs in the spring. She will be hosted by Bollinger, Louis Roederer and Pol Roger.

This is what James Samson, UK Brand Manager for Champagne Louis Roederer had to say about Katy’s essay; “Her scholarship is well deserved as her submission showed really good research. It was thorough, original and contained good punchy ideas. We look forward to welcoming her to Champagne where she will have an unparalleled opportunity to explore in great depth the intricacies of Champagne.”

Your Vineyard Neutral Solution Winery Accommodation Rates Functions Brand Promotion Media Launches Personalised Wine Matched Dinners

Marlborough Vintners Hotel 190 Rapaura Road Marlborough jennifer@mvh.co.nz 0800 MVH 190

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Influence of Training Systems and Crop Load on Yield and Fruit

BY JEFF BENNETT AND MARC GREVEN FROM PLANT AND FOOD RESEARCH AND AMBER PARKER LINCOLN UNIVERSITY. In 2008, grape supply exceeded demand for New Zealand wine for the first time, resulting in excess wine stocks. As such, for New Zealand grape producers, managing supply has required a re-think of production objectives concerning both volume and quality of grapes produced.

Sauvignon Blanc (approximately 63% of all New Zealand grape tonnage) has traditionally been grown in New Zealand using the relatively high yielding 4-cane vertical shoot positioned (VSP) training system. This system allows for a high node and shoot number per metre of vineyard canopy and hence high yield potential. In cooler or higher yielding seasons, this system can lead to difficulty in achieving desired fruit ripeness, resulting in unsatisfactorily low soluble solids (°Brix) content, high acid concentrations and more recently, overproduction of grapes. As such, wine company production targets have moved to controlling yield and improving or changing fruit maturity/composition goals to meet increasing market demands for new styles of high quality wines.

Altering the number of canes laid down at pruning (node number per vine) or leaf area by changing the training system are practical ways of controlling yield and ripeness. The objectives of this research were to determine: (1) the influence of training systems on

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Sauvignon blanc grapevine performance; 2) the influence of crop load on vine performance and fruit characteristics; and (3) the influence of leaf area to fruit weight ratio on varietal phenology and maturation. The outcomes of this research are critical to understanding the long-term sustainability of grapevine yield manipulation and its relevance to achieving pre-planned production and fruit quality targets.

Influence of five training systems (2- cane VSP, 4-cane VSP, Scott-Henry, Spur pruning and Sylvoz) on Sauvignon blanc grapevine performance The soluble solids content of fruit was negatively related to vine yield for the different training systems (Table 1). The split canopy training systems of ScottHenry and Sylvoz, which were predicted to advance fruit ripening and/or sustain ripeness under heavier yields, in fact did not improve the soluble solids content

significantly. Results for the Spur pruning system, which has been considered a poor alternative to 4-cane pruning because of perceived lower yields, indicated a consistent node number of around 70% of the 4-cane system yields reliably at 80% of the 4-cane vines. Previous research has illustrated that higher yields affect soluble solids accumulation by delaying the date of véraison and the subsequent rate of soluble solids accumulation. The 2-cane vine yield has stabilised at approximately 75% of that of 4-cane system, as shown for the past four seasons (2006 to 2009 harvests) (Figure 1). In the 2010 season, the 2-cane system yield increased further to 85% of 4-cane yield. Second-year 3-cane vines totally compensated for yield relative to long-term 4-cane vines.

Examination of historical data (2007 and 2008 seasons) revealed that water stress interacted with vine yield to alter

Table 1. The effect of Sauvignon blanc grapevine training systems on vine yield and fruit composition 2010.

2-cane VSP

4-cane VSP

Scott-Henry

Spur

Sylvoz

Vine yield (kg)

8.2 bc*

9.4 b

12.3 a

7.5 c

13.1 a

Soluble solids (oBrix)

22.0 a

21.0 b

20.2 c

22.6 a 19.3 d

Juice pH

2.87 a

2.82 b

2.82 b

2.89 a 2.79 c

12.5

12.8

12.0

Titratable acidity (g/L)

12.3

12.3

*Means within the same row followed by the same letter are not significantly different (α = 0.05).

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Figure 1. Yield compensation shown by 2- and 3-cane versus 4-cane pruned Sauvignon blanc grapevines over the 2004-2010 period.

Influence of crop load on vine

Figure 2. Relationship between Sauvignon blanc grapevine yield and fruit soluble solids as influenced by training system and block position (North vs.

South) within the vineyard 2007.

fruit maturity further. The soluble solids content of fruit from water-stressed vines was lower at high yields than the soluble solids content of equivalent yielding non or low water-stressed vines (Figure 2).

This response suggests water stress reduced photosynthates available for adequate soluble solids accumulation in berries under high yield conditions.

Under lower yield conditions, the fruit demand appears to be insufficient to impair the accumulation of soluble solids in berries under water stress conditions.

However, the influence of water stress on berry acid concentrations is arguably more profound, with water stress, significantly reducing acidity of mature berries in both seasons, regardless of yield (results not shown).

performance and fruit characteristics Increasing the number of retained nodes after pruning from vines that had been 4-cane pruned before the experiment resulted in a linear increase in vine yield when cane number was modified to vary from between 2 to 6 (Figure 3). Where treatments resulted in lower yields, initially the response was mainly seen in a greater vegetative growth, in particular shoot and cane weights and diameters.

In following seasons, yield differences became less because low cane numbers increased in yield while high cane numbers declined in yield relatively. In 2009 and 2010, increasing the number of canes beyond 3-cane (36 nodes) had little influence on the overall yield.

This was caused by the variation in the components of yield (bunches per node and bunch weight). Simultaneously over the years, compensation in vegetative growth was reduced, providing an insight into the vine responses over time to different cane numbers laid down.

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Until véraison, the different cane numbers and hence crop loads (bunch number per vine) of the vines had little influence on the phenology of the vine. Small delays in the date of véraison, and greater influences of the treatments on the rate of soluble solids accumulation as the fruit ripened, led to harvest maturity (21.5°Brix) being reached up to 14 days later where 6 canes were retained compared with 2 canes. This delay in maturity (as observed in the first season) is significant, putting the fruit at greater risk of not achieving a commercially acceptable soluble solids or succumbing to disease such as botrytis bunch rot. In succeeding seasons the decrease in the difference in yield among cane numbers correlated with a decrease in difference in time to maturity.

Cane number had little effect on titratable acidity despite the initial large difference in crop load. As a result, at any given date the soluble solids:acid ratio was lower where vines carried a greater crop load, because of the higher number of retained canes.

Influence of leaf area: fruit weight ratio

on varietal phenology and maturation In practice, the leaf area to fruit weight ratio can also be manipulated by leaf removal (leaf plucking/topping) or cluster thinning. However, for the two levels of leaf number tested (12 or 6 main leaves per shoot), only when shoots were reduced to 6 leaves was the onset of véraison delayed. The duration of véraison was also extended, resulting in a significant delay in achieving desired fruit soluble solids maturity. Results also showed varietal differences in response to changing leaf area to fruit weight ratio.

For Pinot noir, there was little influence on rate of soluble solids accumulation; rather the timing for the onset of ripening was affected by altering the leaf area to fruit weight ratio. Sauvignon blanc véraison was delayed with a decrease of leaf area to fruit weight ratio and there was also in general a slower rate of soluble solids accumulation when the leaf area to fruit weight ratio was decreased.

This was also observed for the 6-leaf no cluster thinning treatment applied at véraison (period 2), which indicated the mechanisms driving this may be different from those present during Pinot

Figure 3. Yield assessment for Sauvignon blanc grapes grown on vines pruned to different node numbers.

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noir maturation (with larger bunches and ripening during a cooler period for Sauvignon blanc).

Key points Yield differences caused by the various training systems were reflected in soluble solids content at harvest, with training systems producing the highest yields having the lowest soluble solids content.

Changes in exposed canopy area (i.e., divided canopy) associated with the change in Scott Henry and Sylvoz training systems had no effect on soluble solids.

Spur pruning appeared to be the most stable and predictable training system and therefore, may be a better and more efficient viticultural option. Reasons for this are that in the long term, this training system maintains yields at approximately 80% of 4-cane and does not invoke yield compensation responses like 2and 3-cane pruning systems do. Spur pruning is also cheaper operationally, where mechanical pruning savings of up to 30% of annual production costs can be achieved. According to winemaker perspectives, Spur-pruned vines have consistently achieved a ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ fruit maturity composition in every season for New Zealand-styled Sauvignon blanc. These training system experiments highlight an important outcome currently pertinent to the industry, and that is, reducing node (cane) numbers at pruning alone will not always or consistently reduce yield. Rather, yield responses are highly dependent on the methods by which node number is regulated, because some approaches exhibit large yield compensation responses, whereas other methods do not.

Fewer canes (2-3) provide overall better balance between fruit development and timing of ripeness without a proportional

reduction in yield in the long term, comparing with traditional 4-cane vines.

This indicates that these may be the optimum cane numbers to retain when growing Sauvignon blanc on the relatively fertile sites in Marlborough in a typical growing season. The potential to use crop load to modify the relationship between soluble solids and titratable acid provides winemakers with another tool to manipulate fruit characteristics.

Reducing to six main leaves per shoot, rather than no crop removal after flowering, delayed the timing of véraison and fruit maturity and composition at harvest time. In reality, Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc are generally managed

to a high leaf number per shoot in New Zealand. As such, cluster thinning between flowering and véraison may not achieve great advancements in véraison where the canopy has greater than six leaves per shoot.

The outcomes from this research will directly help the wine industry to fulfil its current objectives of regulating yield and gaining closer control of fruit maturity and composition. The research provides practical management options that industry viticulturists and grape growers can use to manage yield and quality in the short, medium and long term within the context of New Zealand’s contemporary viticulture production environment.

Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge New Zealand Winegrowers for financial support; Mike Croad, Craig Thompson, Vanessa Barker, Mike Poff, Gary Armstrong, Jeff Cottle and Vanessa Murell from Villa Maria, Marlborough, for their in-kind support and cooperation; P&FR staff at the Marlborough Wine Research Centre for field and laboratory technical assistance; Specterra Services for the provision of the aerial PCD figure of the vineyard; and Roger Creswell, Lincoln University, for carrying out the carbon isotope analysis.

™

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Marlborough Success – BV Gourmet If the thought of cooking for more than half a dozen sends you into a state of panic – spare a thought for Vicki Young and Janet Enright of BV Gourmet. During vintage they were cooking for a total of 210 people every day.

It’s not surprising that neither

but the main thing is to give a

Vicki or Janet were able to face

balanced diet. We need to make

cooking their own meals at night

sure they have carbohydrates,

during the vintage period. Having

proteins and vegetables. If they

planned, prepared, produced,

are culturally sensitive or there is

packaged and delivered 210 meals

something in the meat line they

a day to wineries throughout the

don’t like, we also offer a vegetarian

region for more than a month, it’s

option.”

understandable to want to take a

Over the course of a week Janet

break away from the kitchen.

says they would offer a fish dish (on

The tiny catering company that

Fridays) a Sunday roast, a casserole

has been based out of the NMIT

or stew, a chicken dish and plenty of

former training kitchen, only came

vegetables or salad. They also bake

into existence three years ago.

biscuits, slices and cakes to ensure

While they have a steady clientele

everyone gets a sweet treat.

requiring catering, the move to

“That’s really important, as they tend

providing vintage workers with daily

to need a bit of a sugar burst at

sustenance was a big step up.

some stage.”

Ensuring staff are well fed during

Providing for 210 people means

the long hard yards of vintage

the kitchen is pretty much full on

is an ongoing task. While some

for most of the day. Starting before

companies are happy to let the staff

7am, meals are packaged up into

care for themselves, there are many

fully compostable lidded containers,

who want to provide nutrition as part

each with the name of the person

of their employment package. Given

which allows staff to choose what meal

who has ordered it. They are delivered

many of the workers have travelled from

they want on each specific day. Each

before midday and stored in fridges

overseas, it is easy to see why.

week presents a different menu, with a

onsite until required. Then the staff of five

But the logistics of providing those meals

wide variety required to suit all tastes and

begin preparing the next round of meals.

can’t be taken lightly. Vicki says a weekly

preferences.

While Vicki and Janet could easily take

menu is worked out well in advance,

“We try to vary it as much as possible,

some of the leftovers home for their own

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

dinner – it doesn’t always appeal.

produce and some dry goods like those

“You get to the stage you have seen it all

BV Gourmet used the following to feed 210 vintage workers

day or dished up 160 of those meals and

600 eggs a week

Marlborough at the moment and we want

you just can’t face it. So you end up just

30kg of flour a week

to carry as many cheeses as we can.”

having fish and chips,” Janet says.

200 kg of potatoes

But that’s not where the new venture will

Given all the meals are based on

20 kg of butter

end. Vicki says preparing for vintage

old fashioned family recipes, it’s not

6 kg of lettuce a day

workers has given them the impetus and

surprising the women keep getting asked

10 kg of potatoes feeds 50 people

confidence to market “ready prepared

for advice.

150 kg of dried pasta feeds 160 people

meals” to the public.

“I would hate to think how many times

1kg of frozen peas feeds 15 people

“We see there is a need for ready

I have been asked for our chocolate

hard to get ingredients not available in

prepared meals for individuals, or for

brownie recipe,” says Vicki. “In fact we

developments on their mind. They are

people having dinner parties. A bit like

had this classic question the other day –

planning to open a retail outlet in Park

what we have been doing for vintage, but

someone wanted to know when we were

Terrace later this month, based on the

on a smaller and more varied scale.”

releasing our Vintage Meal Recipe book.”

urban grocery idea.

Not a bad idea when you think about

“We are going to have a substantial

it, but the two women have got other

deli content to it, a little bit of local fresh

McAlpines Limited

Suppliers of

Quality Roundwood Contact:

Grant Cathcart Phone 03 313 8339 Fax 03 313 3767 Mobile 021 511 460 Email: roundwood@mcalpines.co.nz

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Neal Ibbotson and the Bledisloe Medal For only the third time since 1930 a Marlborough person has been awarded the coveted Lincoln Bledisloe Medal.

Neal Ibbotson founder of Saint Clair Family Estate is slightly embarrassed by the accolade, which singled him out as a former Lincoln University student.

The Bledisloe Medal was initiated back in 1930 by the late Governor General, Viscount Bledisloe, to acknowledge the contribution made by students of the Canterbury based Lincoln University.

It is awarded to a former student or staff member who in the opinion of the Council, has made an outstanding contribution in his or her chosen field, advanced New Zealand’s interests, and/ or brought credit to Lincoln University.

Neal who attended the university between 1964 and 1966, says he was “blown away” by the news. So much so, he admits he didn’t believe it when the phone call came through a few months ago.

Having graduated with a diploma in farm management and valuation, Neal and wife Judy moved to Marlborough in 1967.

In 1973 they bought a 30 acre property in Old Renwick Rd, planning to use it as a stepping stone for a much larger farm. Grapes were not in their plans at that stage. Instead 100 pigs roamed the property.

Judy planted the couple’s first vines in 1975, but it wasn’t until 1994 that Neal gave up farm consultancy. That same year the couple decided that maybe the

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time was right to develop their own wine label – and the Saint Clair Family Estate was born.

Since then the company has gone on to become one of the most well known labels in New Zealand and is a classic representation of Marlborough internationally. Last year Saint Clair Family Estate was named the New Zealand Winery of the Year by Winestate Magazine, and the wines produced by

The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

winemaker Matt Thomson and his team have picked up dozens of gold medals both nationally and internationally.

The citation from Lincoln University said; “ Not only has Neal played a pivotal role in increasing the viability of Marlborough’s economy and range of land-based enterprises, the success of his endeavors has put Marlborough on the map and greatly enhanced the economic well being of its residents.”

Neal is uncomfortable with being singled out, saying there are a lot of others within Marlborough, “Who have done more than I have and are still doing it.” However he says the accolade is a huge pat on the back for the Marlborough wine industry as a whole.

“It is an indication of the success of Marlborough in an international sense.”

He is also very quick to praise his wife Judy who did so much to establish the business in the early days and Matt Thomson and the team who have played a massive role in the success of Saint Clair wines.

Neal is only the third Marlburian to be awarded the Bledisloe Medal, the other two were Bob de Castro and Ralph Ballinger.

Designer Vines Research The Designer Vines research programme is geared towards discovering the causes of variability in fruit composition within the vineyard and the possible consequences this can have on winemaking and wine sensory properties. A large portion of that research is being undertaken here in Marlborough.

Some level of grape variability may

Claire Grose and Victoria Raw are looking

height had a brix of 21.6, while the

be alright in wine varieties such as

at the berry brix variability of Pinot noir.

tallest vines reached a soluble solids of

Sauvignon Blanc, where “tropical” and

In the trial, vines were trimmed in

23.8°brix.

“green” flavours are typical, but when it

replicated plots to three different heights

“We harvested them all on the same

comes to Pinot Noir – the same level of

after fruit set, a low (about 9 leaves), a

day, brought them into the winery,

variability may be a major problem for

mid (about 12 leaves) and a tall (15 to

crushed and destemmed then, and

winemakers. As part of the Designer

18 leaves). At harvest the brix levels of

have fermented them in their individual

Vines research, funded by FRST, Plant

the three heights all came in at different

treatments, short, mid and tall,” Claire

and Food researchers Emma Sherman,

levels. The vines trimmed at the lowest

says.

“But we have also blended fruit from the varying shoot height treatments. So we have 10% short, 10% tall and 80% mid, fermented together. We also have a 30% short and tall and 40% mid fermented as a blend.

As a result we have wines made from fruit of a similar mean sugar concentration, but with a different range around the mean”.

Once the fermentation process is complete

Claire Grose (left) and Emma Sherman pressing fruit at the Research Centre winemaking facility. Victoria Raw was busy in the vineyard.

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25

and it has gone through malolactic

trimmed to different heights and see

Once the treatment wines are bottled

fermentation, they can blend the wines in

whether the secondary metabolites were

later in the year, they will undergo

the same proportions before going into

as developed as the brix.”

sensory evaluation in Auckland, with the

bottle.

Looking ahead to how the research could

final results likely to be available next

Emma says before harvest, they

benefit growers and winemakers, Emma

year.

segregated by one degree brix intervals

says industry members need to know

The Designer Vines research is the focus

a sub-sample of the berries from each

whether or not brix levels are the best

of this year’s NZW Grape Day which is

treatment.

way of measuring fruit flavour.

being held in Blenheim on June 14, at

“We needed to get the distribution of

“Just because you have lots of sugar

the Marlborough Convention Centre. For

berry brix levels within the treatments,

(brix), it doesn’t necessarily mean you

more details and registration, visit www.

so we know the proportion of berries at

have the right concentration of acid or

grapedays.co.nz

20 brix as opposed to 22 brix. Part of my

anthocyanins. These will also have an

work is to look at the flavour and aroma

influence on the flavour and aroma of the

compounds and precursors at the same

finished wines. The research will also

brix from each of those treatments. The

provide an indication on the extent to

trial will also allow us to compare the

which expensive colour thinning fruit at

fruit and the resulting wines from vines

veraison is adding value to the wine”.

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05/2011 WINEPRESS

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

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

MAY 17 – 19 19 23 – 27 31

London International Wine Fair Decanter Wine Awards announced International Cool Climate Wine Show 2011 – Mornington Peninsula Syrah Symposium – Hawkes Bay. Details at www.syrahsymposium.co.nz

JUNE 1 8 14

Pinot at Cloudy Bay – bookings phone Stephanie McIntyre +64 3 520 9197 Professor Warren Moran on Sub Regional GIs – Wine Research Centre Theatre. Bookings ph Kate - 5779299. All welcome NZW Grape Day – “Dealing with variability”, key messages from the Designer Vines Research Programme. Marlborough Convention Centre – register now at www.grapedays.co.nz 14 Vintage 2011 Industry meeting following at the end of Grape Day. 3.10pm start – Marlborough Convention Centre 19 – 23 Vinexpo 2011 – the 30th event held – Bordeaux France

JULY 13 – 15 NZW’s 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. Phone Sarah for more information 577 9299.

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

OCTOBER 6

28-30

Marlborough Wine and Cuisine at Brancott Vineyard – details at www.wine-marlborough.co.nz/ MarlboroughWineandCuisine.htm Marlborough Wine Weekend – an iconic and exclusive 3-day event, highlighting the Marlborough Wine industry. More details at www.wine-marlborough.co.nz/ wineweekend/index.htm

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

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05/2011 WINEPRESS

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27

News From Home and Away Local Scholarships

will also highlight the entire region. The 10 episode series will

Two students at NMIT have been awarded scholarships after

also feature Australian and Chinese wineries and is geared to

standing out while studying for the Diploma in Viticulture and

showing how wine is not just to be drunk at banquets, but as

Wine Production. The Wine Marlborough Scholarship went

part of everyday lifestyles.

to Dominic Ison, who has made the move from Information Technology Sales to the world of wine. He has been awarded $1500 to put towards his next year’s course fees.

Picking up the Wither Hills Scholarship was Ben Burridge – who is in his second year of study. He is planning on completing the diploma at the end of the year and continuing with the third year of the Lincoln University’s Bachelor of Oenology degree. Ben will also be offered holiday work within the Wither Hills winery.

Marlborough Savvy Dominates Aussie Wine Imports New Zealand wines, led by Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc make up 70% of the imported wine in Australia. In a recent article in The Age.Com, it was reported that at the end of last year, sales of New Zealand wine increased 16% over the previous year, although the average value per litre dropped 13%. New Zealand is followed by French wines, then Italian and Spanish.

All three of those countries saw a leap in the amount of wine

Quake Wine Raises Quarter of a Million

being imported by Australia. A backlash began last year which

A wine released last year after the September Christchurch

saw a number of winemakers calling on restaurants to serve

earthquake has raised $269,000 for the Mayoral Earthquake

only Australian wine during the month of January. The idea

Relief fund. The special blend of Marlborough Sauvignon

didn’t take into account that consumers have the final say in

Blanc was created by Mudhouse Wines, and featured the

what they drink – and they apparently decided to stay with

novel picture drawn by 8-year-old Bella Kingi of Christchurch.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, if the sales figures are anything

Labelled The Day The Ground Moved Like Jelly, the wine has

to go by.

been sold throughout the country, with all proceeds being donated.

Marlborough to Feature in Chinese Wine Programme Three Marlborough wineries were recently involved in a television series focusing on wine, and aimed at the lucrative Chinese market. Jackson Estate, Marisco and Wairau River are the local wineries that sponsored the filming in this part of the world. While the television series will focus on their wines, it

CLASSIFIEDS TO LEASE - Vineyard in Central Otago, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling. Nil rental payments for first 3 years. Lessee only to pay normal outgoings, operating and maintenance expenses. SWNZ accredited. Contact tim@arenar.co.uk VINE GRAFTING - Australian vine grafter working in Marlborough later this year. Enquiries 0061 0428233 544, see www.brucethegrafter.com 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.

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

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