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I S S U E 8 4 CONTENTS

FEATURES

12 Pre Vintage Report While there are still a number of weeks to

go before vintage starts in New Zealand, the individual regions have their sights set on a bumper harvest of high quality. We look at how flowering, fruit set and the start of summer has treated them.

20 Multi Sprayer - New Technology

Having to spray to prevent disease is part and parcel of growing grapes. But it’s not always easy to get those sprays on at the perfect time. Hence a new spray unit, that allows two sprays at once to be applied. One to the canopy, the other to the bunch zone.

30 Central Otago Vineyards To make great wine, you must have great

grapes, as the saying goes. This issue, we look at Central Otago Pinot Noir from the vineyard perspective. What is it about this region that constantly produces some of the most memorable fruit in the country?

56 Glyphosate Resistance Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic

herbicide and currently makes up 20 percent of all New Zealand herbicide sales. But there is resistance growing and this issue we look at why, and how to prevent it.

REGULARS

4 Editorial Tessa Nicholson

5 From the CEO Philip Gregan

6 Regional Viewpoint Rob Meredith - Waiheke Island

10 In Brief News From Around the Country

34 Bob’s Blog Bob Campbell MW

38 Not On The Label Legal Matters with Bell Gully

40 Sommelier’s Corner Cameron Douglas MS

58 Calendar Wine Happenings in New Zealand

60 Research Supplement The latest science and research projects

funded by NZ Winegrowers

Front Cover Mishas Vineyard, Central Otago - supplied by NZ Winegrowers.

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4 // NZ WINEGROWER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014

FROM THE EDITOR TESSA NICHOLSON

EDITOR Tessa [email protected]

CORRESPONDENTS

Auckland: Joelle Thomson [email protected]

Gisborne: Christine [email protected]

Hawkes Bay: Mary Shanahan [email protected]

Nelson: Neil Hodson [email protected]

Canterbury: Jo Burzynska [email protected]

Central Otago: Max Marriott [email protected]

ADVERTISING

Sales Manager:Ted [email protected]: 07 854 6292Mobile: 021 832 505

Upper North Island:Stephen [email protected]: 09 913 9637Mobile: 021 963 166

Lower North Island:Mark MacfarlanePh: 04 234 6239Mobile: 021 453 914

South Island:Kaye Sutherland [email protected]: 03 376 5552Mobile: 021 221 1994

CIRCULATION &

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Lorraine Rudelj [email protected] Ph: 09 303 3527 Fax: 09 302 2969

New Zealand Winegrowers PO Box 90 276, Auckland Mail Centre, New Zealand

PUBLISHING &

PRE-PRESS

Rural News Group PO Box 3855, Auckland 1140 Ph: 09 307 0399

Location: Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622

Publisher: Brian Hight

Managing Editor: Adam Fricker

Production: Dave Ferguson,

Rebecca Williams

Published by Rural News Group Ltd under authority of New Zealand Winegrowers (jointly representing Wine Institute of New Zealand Inc and New Zealand Grape Growers Council Inc). Unless directly attributed, opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Rural News Group and/or its directors or management, New Zealand Winegrowers or its constituent organisations.

Published every second month. One free copy is mailed to every member of the Institute, the Council, the New Zealand Society of Viticulture & Oenology and the New Zealand Vine Improvement Group, and to such other persons or organisations as directed by the owners, with provision for additional copies and other recipients

to be on a subscription basis.

ISSN 1174-5223

I f the ferocity of the wind on January 1st, (where I was) was anything to go by, 2014 blew its way into existence in style. Goodbye to the past 12 months,

and welcome to the next.Truth be told, 2013 wasn’t that bad a year

for most. While winery profits struggle, the Deloitte’s wine industry survey points out that optimism is higher at the moment, than it has been for a number of years. The bountiful and near perfect vintage of 2013 has certainly helped with that optimism, as have the prices being paid to growers for their fruit.

Now if we could just get the New Zealand dollar down, we would be close to satisfying the majority of the industry. That may be a pie in the sky dream – although it is election year, and stranger things have happened in election years. Maybe we should be encouraging the MPs to meet over a wine, rather than a cup of tea, when discussing policy.

Apart from being an election year, 2014 promises some major changes. The Sale of Liquor reforms came into being in December, and they will impact on all aspects of the industry. From promotions, to cellar doors, everyone needs to be extra vigilant as we move forward. This is a major priority for NZWinegrowers. Just how the new reforms affect you, is explained in detail by Marija Batistich from Bell Gully on page 38.

Major research to help New Zealand become the world leader in the production of high quality, low alcohol/low calorie wines also begins this year. With Government and industry support this research project into Lifestyle Wines, will see close to $17m spent to achieve that goal.

There is likely to be even more consolidation within the industry itself.

What began as a trickle of land sales at the end of 2012, has now morphed into an all out restructuring of the New Zealand wine industry. Some of our larger companies are expanding their vineyards, replanting existing blocks while many of the mid sized companies are purchasing more vineyards to shore up their long-term supply. On top of that, for the first time in a number of years, vine nurseries are being inundated with orders for grapes. Much of this has come on the back of a smaller than expected 2012 vintage, that saw a shortage of wine for the first time since 2008. It has been helped by the increase in exports along with a stellar 2013 vintage that has had only positive reviews around the world.

Which brings us to vintage 2014. A “bumper” crop is the way most regional spokespeople have described it. Near perfect flowering and fruit set conditions, with timely spells of rain to ensure strong vine health, has set the country up for what looks like a positive vintage. There is a long way to go yet, but with most regions being between 10 days and two weeks ahead of last year, the countdown to harvest is likely to be shorter than we are used to. Less time for unwanted weather events – more time for ripening. Growers have been busy since prior to Christmas dealing with vines that have at times grown like triffids. Leaf plucking, fruit thinning, canopy management and disease monitoring have been vital as the industry works to ensure quality is not overlooked. While no one wants to count their chickens before they’ve hatched, the New Zealand wine industry is looking forward to an event free vintage, with another bountiful, world-renowned crop to lead us forward.

Wherever you are in the country, I hope that wish comes to fruition for you. ■

WELCOME 2014

NZ WINEGROWER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014 // 5

FROM THE CEO PHILIP GREGAN

I am writing this as I set out to attend New Zealand Winegrowers’ 2014 Annual Trade Tasting in London.

This event has been a key feature of the New Zealand effort in the UK for over 30 years, and once again this year I expect there will be a very strong attendance of trade, media and consumers.

Setting off to London got me thinking about our export achievements to date and our export future, particularly as I am coming back through Hong Kong, where our office, in partnership with NZTE, is very strongly focused on developing the China market.

The past year has seen two very significant export milestones. First, in volume terms, New Zealand wineries now sell more wine in Australia (52.6 million litres for the 12 months to December 2013) than we do in our own domestic market (51.1 million litres for the 12 months to November 2013). The emergence of Australia as the major market for our wines has been one principal story in the development of the industry over the past decade, and certainly that market and the WET rebate received from sales there helped carry the sector through the difficult times post 2008.

The other significant export milestone of 2013 was the emergence of the USA as our second most valuable export market. For the November 2013 year, exports to the USA totalled $296 million up 12% on the

previous year. This performance enabled the USA to leap frog the UK where sales were down 7% to $277 million (due to reduced bulk wine sales).

The strong US export data comes despite the challenges in that marketplace, notably the complicated distribution structure and the current $US

weakness. The fact wineries have continued to grow sales into the US reflects the strategic importance of the market for many wineries.

The continuing strong performance of the US as an export destination is confirma-tion (if it was needed) of the priority placed on that market in the 2011 PWC review. The PWC review identified the USA as one of the top growth markets for our wines through to 2016, and urged a greater focus. Since June 2011 exports to the USA have grown by over $60 million (27% in value) and 39% in volume, a great result at a time the USA economy has been struggling with the lingering effects of recession. This value growth is nearly half the total wine export value growth since 2011.

The year ahead seems certain to see exports to the USA surge

past $300 million dollars. Fur-ther with sales to Canada now valued at $78 million this means the North American market for our wines is likely to be valued over $400 million by the time 2014 comes to a close. The potential to grow significantly beyond that is also very clear.

China was the other key

market for export growth identi-fied in the 2011 PWC review. Since that time NZW and NZTE have launched the high impact programme in China and we have opened our office in Hong Kong. At June year 2011 China exports were valued at $16.9 million. The story since then has very much been an up and down one. Exports grew strongly through to $31 million for the 12 months to February 2013 but have since slipped back to $22 million. While the recent decline is frustrating, the current level still represents growth of 28% since 2011.

The exact reasons behind the recent export decline to China appear to be multifaceted. A growing shortage of wine from New Zealand (particularly from Hawkes Bay), the anti-corrup-tion drive and trade tensions with Europe, have all been cited

as possible causes. However this recent down should not distract the industry from the signifi-cant long term opportunity that exists in the China market. All the data strongly suggest there will be continuing and strong demand for wine over the com-ing decade and beyond.

To capitalise on this long term opportunity NZW and NZTE have put in place an extensive programme of activi-ties in the China market. Much of the focus is on education and information provision, including in-bound visits to New Zealand, and we are sure this is the right mix of activities to support our long term wine ambitions in that market.

Beyond the markets mentioned above New Zealand wine continues to perform strongly in many others. While the overall UK numbers may be down, performance of our packaged wines into the UK have held up well in the past year. Additionally there are good stories in countries as diverse as Singapore, Ireland and Germany and many others. Underpinning that success is our reputation for quality and the distinctiveness that wine from New Zealand has with the trade, media and consumers.

The opportunity in 2014 and beyond is to continue to invest in that reputation so as to build a profitable long term future. As a first step, as always, we need to ensure that the coming vintage is up to the mark once again.

Good luck for the vintage. ■

THE EXPORT FUTURE

The opportunity in 2014 and beyond is to continue to invest in that reputation so as to build a profitable long term future. As a first step, as always, we need to ensure that the coming vintage is up to the mark once again.


REGIONALVIEWPOINT

W aiheke Island, with its long, sandy beaches, rolling hillsides and extensive networks

of walking tracks through unspoiled native bush, is per-haps one of the most naturally beautiful wine growing regions in New Zealand. Being an island it is also the most clearly deline-ated region, as the sparkling waters of the Hauraki Gulf clearly define its boundaries.

With its ocean buffered maritime environment, Waiheke enjoys a warmer and drier climate than Auckland proper. Mean temperatures during the growing season are compara-ble to much ‘hotter’ regions but without the extremes and, critically, these moderate tem-peratures extend longer into the early autumn ripening period of March and April, allowing later varieties to ripen fully over an extended period. Geology also plays a role, and Waiheke’s heavy clay soils are thought to aid mouthfeel and structure in Mer-lot, Chardonnay and Syrah, with low-fertility, highly mineralised soils being generally conducive to flavour in wine.

As a wine tourism destina-tion Waiheke is perfectly located on the doorstep of the largest metropolitan area and foremost international transit hub in New Zealand. This presents great opportunities for the more than 30 growers on the island, most of which have their own wine brand, with the majority of those

brands having tasting room and cellar door operations open to the public. However, the small size of the region in terms of hectares under vine means that Waiheke’s funding allocation from New Zealand Wine is tiny compared to the region’s visibility, reputation and role in

representing this country’s wine industry to our many overseas visitors. It means we have to do more with less, so creativity plays a large part in our success.

This year we’re launching the first version of what we hope will become a major annual event; the Waiheke Island Vintage Festival. This event, running from March 29 to April 6, 2014, is timed to coincide with our busy harvest period, which certainly raised some concerns among

our members at first! However, the timing helps to support wine tourism activity in the slower “shoulder” season, and is the only way we can provide visitors with the opportunity for a truly immersive wine tourism experi-ence. We’ll be offering people the chance to tour our vineyards

and pick some grapes, to visit our wineries and participate in barrel tasting and blending, and to really get involved with some behind the scenes parts of the winemaking process. All of this will be supported by a compre-hensive programme of musical events, gourmet dining experi-ences, art events and nature walks. We owe many thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of WWA members who have donated their time and exper-

tise to organising this event in collaboration with our Market-ing Manager, Jenny Holmes. As a result of their efforts we have secured commercial sponsor-ship from numerous regional and national businesses, provid-ing a sound financial platform on which to base our planning and budgets.

It is through events such as this that we can truly engage the public, and get people involved in the inner workings of the exciting and inspiring industry that we all love. From a regional perspective, it gives us further opportunities to educate our local customer base and our international visitors about the diverse range of varietals cultivated in New Zealand. While we do grow a little Sauvignon Blanc on the island, we’re better known for our Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. And fully two thirds of our plantings are red grapes, building on the original foundation of Bordeaux varietals, but with a substantial amount of Syrah now garnering international acclaim, and recent successes with other Mediterranean varieties such as Montepulciano and Tempranillo.

Let me close by wishing everyone a very successful and prosperous 2014. On Waiheke we’ve seen an excellent start to the year, with early ripening and strong fruit set – let’s hope that continues through the season for everyone! ■

R O B M E R E D I T H – P R E S I D E N T, WA I H E K E W I N E G R O W E R S ’ A S S O C I AT I O N

WAIHEKE – ISLAND OF WINE

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15


LETTER TO THE EDITOR

N ew Zealand enjoys a global reputation for being clean and green even if some practices

don’t live up to that lofty stand-ard. Yet, despite foibles and fail-ures, New Zealand Winegrowers stand alone in their commitment to protecting the planet. More than ninety percent of the fifteen hundred members invest time and money in programmes with one aim: reduce the harmful effects of farming on the environment.

However, financial relief for this unwavering commitment to protecting the planet has been elusive. The wine industry’s eco-nomic engine has stuttered and stalled. Over the past decade, pre-mium packaged wine prices have eroded from just under $11 per litre to just over $8 per litre. In the words of one small winegrower, “it is hard to be green when you are always in the red.”

There is no question that New Zealand makes critically acclaimed wines of almost every variety. But accolades and compar-ative product advantages are not enough to shift perceptions and drive demand that will stimulate higher prices. We need to motivate end customers to seek out New Zealand wine without thinking twice about the price. To do this we must speak to their hearts not just their heads. Not warm or fuzzy feelings, but powerful emo-tions that jolt the limbic system and make a person sit up and take notice.

But what story can we tell that will provoke a visceral reaction from end customers? Fortunately, a potent emotional argument has been around us for decades.

In January 1979 a nuclear powered submarine from the most powerful navy in the world entered Auckland harbour. It was not greeted warmly. Many will recall dramatic pictures of fearless people swarming over the deck of the USS Haddo surrounded by a flotilla of tiny boats protesting the threat of nuclear annihilation.

For decades, long before it was fashionable, New Zealanders have stood tall against mighty corpo-rate and national interests to pro-tect the planet and its inhabitants. Whether interfering with offshore oil drilling, stopping the slaughter of marine mammals, or taking to the streets to keep New Zealand nuclear free, Kiwis have united around common purpose.

Protecting the planet is in our nature. Preserving the land is more than a slogan to New Zealanders. We demand environmental com-mitment from our industries. Our winegrowers lead the world in eco-friendly practices. More of them invest in organic, sustainable and biodynamic grape growing than any other country. Anywhere.

Naturally, it is going to cost more to make and buy our wines. But then, protecting the planet is worth it.

New Zealand Wine. Because protecting the planet is worth it.

This distinctive and compel-ling proposition has the potential to shift New Zealand wine from a comparative shopping choice to an emotionally driven purchase. Enjoy our wines because they are good, but seek them out and be willing to pay more for them because protecting the planet is worth it.

The time for tinkering with the

KEEPING IT GREEN AND STAYING OUT OF THE RED

edges of our industry profitabil-ity problems is over. It is time to change the story about New Zea-land wine and remind the world that no one makes fine wine with the same commitment to protect-ing the planet as we do.

There is a way for you to help.The Board of Directors of New

Zealand Winegrowers has one purpose: Protect the competitive position and support the profit-able growth of wine from New Zealand.

If you agree that “protecting the planet is worth it” is a propo-sition we should promote, let the Board know. They care. They want

to do the right thing. They need to hear from you.

Take a minute and make a call or send a message. ■ Mike Spratt, Destiny Bay Vine-yards

BOARD CONTACTS

• Fabian Partigliani, Pernod Ricard, [email protected]

• Joe Stanton, Constellation Brands New Zealand Ltd, [email protected]

• Jim Delegat, Delegat’s Wine Estate Ltd, [email protected]

• Fabian Yukich, Villa Maria Estate Ltd, [email protected]

• Dominic Pecchenino, [email protected] • James Dicey, Mt Difficult, [email protected] • Chris Howell, [email protected] • Steve Green, Carrick, [email protected] • Paul Dunleavy, Te Motu Vineyard, [email protected] • Peter Holley, Mission Estate Winery,

[email protected] • Mike Brown, Kono Beverages Tohu Wines,

[email protected]• Blair Gibbs, Spy Valley Wines, [email protected] • John Clarke, [email protected] • Rex Sunde, Artisan Wines Ltd,

[email protected] and [email protected] • Richard Rose, [email protected]• Xan Harding, Black Bridge Estate Ltd,

[email protected] • Gwyn Williams, [email protected] • Doug Bell, Bell Vineyard, [email protected] • Alan Knight, Vigneto Ltd, [email protected] • Christine Kernohan, Gladstone Vineyard,

[email protected]

Mike Spratt

National Certificate in Horticulture (Practical) 1

National Certificate in Horticulture (Introductory) 2

National Certificate in Horticulture 3

National Certificate in Horticulture Viticulture 4

National Certificate in Horticulture Viticulture (Advanced) 4

National Diploma in Agribusiness Management 5


INBRIEF

For the first time WineWorks has an Auckland presence, revamping the previous Portavin New

Zealand site. The new facility is the latest development for the company, which in October last

year purchased Wine Bottlers in Marlborough. With two filling lines in Auckland, WineWorks

now has a total of nine, with five in Marlborough and two in Hawke’s Bay.

AUCKLAND

WineWorks Opens Auckland Office

Replanting and New Winery Signs of Optimism

Hawke’s Bay is being swept up in a wave of optimism as plans for new planting, replanting and a good-sized winery take shape.

Delegat’s proposal for a new winery is in the pipeline, with the Hastings District Council working through the company’s application for a plant to be built on the corner of the Napier-Hastings expressway and Everden Road on the north-western outskirts of Hastings.

The plan is for a winery that will han-dle perhaps 5000 to 10,000 tonnes of grapes coming off Delegat’s vineyards in Crownthorpe and the Gimblett Gravels as well as fruit supplied by the company’s contract growers.

In spring, Villa Maria completed the replanting of 25 hectares on its Te Awa site near Roy’s Hill and a further 40 hectares is to be replanted next spring. Further west on Highway 50, the company has also rede-veloped a chunk of its famed Keltern vine-yard, replacing Pinot Gris and red varieties with Chardonnay.

Adjoining that area, Constellation has added a further 40-50 hectares to its plant-ings on its Corner 50 vineyard.

A source says it’s significant that such large companies are reinvesting in Hawke’s Bay. There was also interest from busi-nesses actively looking for Hawke’s Bay land to plant as a very real shortage of Bor-deaux varieties, Chardonnay and Syrah fruit has started to play out in higher prices being paid for fruit.

Air New Zealand Wine AwardsThe staging of next year’s Air New Zealand Wine Show in Hawke’s Bay will be a great opportunity for the region to showcase super premium wines from the outstand-ing 2013 vintage, says James Medina, execu-tive officer of Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers. Medina believes the event will also boost the region’s tourism industry, drawing in a great many visitors to Hawke’s Bay.

ResurrectionVilla Maria is resurrecting Te Awa’s Kid-napper Cliffs’ branding – a development which has been hailed by wine columnist Raymond Chan. The calibre of Kidnapper Cliffs wines prompted Chan to choose Te Awa as his “Winery of the Year” in 2011. Villa Maria confirmed its purchase of Te Awa, in the Gimblett Gravels west of Hast-ings, in September 2011.

HAWKE’S BAY MARTINBOROUGH

Martinborough Wine Centre on Market

Change is afoot at the Martinborough Wine Centre. Owners Amanda Ritchie and Simon Groves have put the business on the market to allow them time to pursue Groves’ new winemaking responsibilities in the region. Over the five years that the pair have run the store, they have built up a loyal clientele in the region and increasingly tapped into Martinbor-ough’s growing tourist visitor numbers too; thanks to blackboarded tastings held informally during the day and organised events. They stock a wide range of both Martinborough and northern Wairarapa wines as well as a small selection of top quality Italian wines, which they import. Timeframes for the sale are flex-ible. Their hope is that someone within the region will take the store forward to continue the tastings, talks and to champion the local wines.

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MARLBOROUGH

Biking Through The Vines Wine tasters who are looking for a little more excitement than a cellar door can offer, can now tour Brancott Estate by bike. The guided tours began late last year and cover close to 4km of cycle track, which has been specifically created. Riders get to travel among the vines, between rows, along pathways, around the Wine Marlborough Festival site and past wetlands that are home to a myriad of native birds. They not only get the opportunity to see first hand a working vineyard, but also get to taste the Brancott Estate wines on the ground. During the one and a half hour tour, they are treated to four tastings, two premier Sauvignon Blanc, and two Pinot Noir. Brancott Estate is the oldest vineyard in Marlborough, with the first plantings going in in 1973.

Two Wines Make SpectatorIt was the best Christmas present Astrolabe Wines and Greywacke Wines could have hoped for – to be recognised in Wine Spectator’s TOP 100 list.

The Greywacke Pinot Noir 2011 was ranked as 48th, while Astro-labe’s Pinot Noir 2010 was ranked 60th. They were the only New Zealand wines to be named on the American leading wine journal’s prestigious list. The Wine Spectator TOP 100 selection criteria rank and reward wines on several parameters – quality, value, availability and an all important “X-factor” that equates to what the magazine describes as “excitement”.

Valentine’s Night Under the Vines Clos Henri are once again planning to make a roman-tic night of it on Valentines day, with an outdoor French movie set among the vines.

Nuits Romantiques, (which even though in French speaks for itself ) will begin with canapés and a glass of wine, before the French movie is screened on the winery’s chapel lawn among the vines. The team at Clos Henri are hoping for the most romantic condi-tions of all - perfectly clear skies and balmy weather conditions.


VINTAGEPREVIEW

GISBORNEAfter what has been described

as a beautiful spring,with lots of moisture and warmth, Gisborne growers experienced near per-fect conditions for flowering, which should result in a “solid crop”, according to Gisborne Grape Growers President Doug Bell.

While there was a smatter-ing of hail during December, and some minor damage around the region, it was inconsequential in the scheme of things.

“We had a good many electrical storms over a week in December as well, which is like nitrogen from the skies for the soil, so we have had very good canopy growth,” Bell says.

All those components have created perfect growing condi-tions, although it has meant a lot of canopy thinning for growers, as they battle against disease pres-sure from powdery mildew.

“We are leaf plucking, trim-ming, spraying and there are sheep in the vineyards, so we are

working hard to keep the canopy under control, and open it up.” John Clarke says across the board, flowering was pretty good, although some cooler weather has resulted in patchy fruit set in some varieties.

The region has experienced some hot conditions, which has seen the growing degree days for 2014 up to 10 days ahead of last year. Both Bell and Clarke believe the first grapes (for sparkling wines) will be harvested towards the end of February.

HAWKE’S BAYHawke’s Bay winegrowers have

the season’s ups and downs well in hand and are cautiously optimis-tic about how the 2014 vintage is shaping up.

The season got off to a great start with no frosts to threaten the budding vines. Sileni Estates spent thousands of dollars fight-ing frosts in 2012, says group viti-culturist Stephen Bradley, but got away virtually frost-free this spring.

Flowering went quickly and well across the region’s many subregions and Mal McLennan of Maimai Creek says the very heavy crops throughout the region needed thinning to achieve ripe-ness and quality in the fruit.

“No-one is going to be short of fruit this year,” he enthused.

Once flowering was over in late November, Hawke’s Bay was hit with some unwelcome weather events —successive days of heavy rain, several thunderstorm and even hail, all interspersed with warm sunny days. The climatic conditions conspired to create some disease pressure, and there were a few reports of powdery mildew.

Growers were also keeping an eye out for any signs of botrytis triggered by the humidity.

As the season’s progressed, McLennan says the key word has

STAFF REPORTERSVintage 2013 was the largest ever in New Zealand’s history. On the back of some stunning summer and autumn weather, the quality was also high.

Warm conditions back in December 2012 meant the potential for higher bud numbers in 2013 was on the cards. That is exactly what happened. Combined with warm, settled conditions throughout New Zealand during spring and early summer, flowering throughout for all regions was basically stress free.

A common sight throughout the country as growers drop fruit, after near perfect flowering and fruit set.


been vigilance – ensuring spray-ing equipment was working well and responding appropriately to infection periods.

The warm wet December boosted foliage growth, keeping growers busy with tucking and thinning.

Some were faced with an extra trim and mow. Bradley says the heavy rain events late last year were localised – some of Sileni’s vineyards recorded 80mm while others got just 14mm.

“Despite the rain, we are just starting for required irrigation.”

The company’s 25ha vineyard at Haumoana sustained some hail damage in early December, affect-ing Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

Overall, expectations are high for a second successive good vintage, particularly as wineries across the region are running low on stock.

MARLBOROUGHAnother region not affected

by spring frosts, Marlborough also benefitted from some stun-ning late spring and early summer conditions.

Temperatures were above the long term average in December, rainfall was down and sunshine hours were just below average. These conditions helped create the perfect environment for flow-ering and later fruit set.

Delegat’s spokesman, Dr Ren-gasamy Balasubramaniam (Bala) described flowering conditions as “excellent.”

“It is looking like a bumper harvest,” he said. “Certainly it is better than 2012.”

Rain that fell towards the end of December and into early January has ensured the canopies are looking healthy, although it has meant a lot of judicious thinning has been required

throughout the region.Mahi Wines owner Brian Bick-

nell said flowering was over very quickly compared with previous years. That in itself was a good sign for the upcoming vintage.

“Because it all happened so quickly, there is little variation within the bunches. They are all quite even and that will be much better for us when it comes to picking decisions in the future.”

While the periods of rain dampened many holiday mak-ers spirits, Bicknell said it hasn’t caused any major disease issues at this stage.

“While we had some humid days and some rain, we also had some good windy days as well, which was a bonus. It dried the bunches and canopies out fairly quickly.”

Agreeing with Bala that the crop early on looked like being better than average, Bicknell said

there was a lot of thinning going on.

“Many growers who laid down four canes, in case of a spring frost event, are now removing a single cane after flowering. So the quality levels look in place.”

For Wine Marlborough Board member and Caythorpe Vine-yard’s owner, Simon Bishell, con-trolling the canopy growth has been the major issue.

“They are growing much quicker than normal because of the spells of rain we have had. There is some canopy manipula-tion going on. I am already on to my second trim on the Chardon-nay and Pinot Noir,” (early Jan-aury).

All agreed that the season was ahead of average at the time of Winegrower going to print, although whether that remains the situation will depend greatly on weather conditions between

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now and harvest.And while there has been some

powdery mildew pressure, Bishell said the emphasis placed on that issue at NZW events such as Bra-gato and Grape Days, has ensured growers have been well prepared.

“I think more people have taken note of the potential for disease and therefore the spray programme has been extremely good throughout the region. We

are benefitting from those sprays now.”

NELSONNelson is one of New Zealand’s

most popular summer holiday destinations with a reputation for plenty of sun, sandy beaches, kayaking in the Abel Tasman and meeting new friends at the many camp grounds in the region. It does however also rain quite regu-

larly during December and early January upsetting holidaymaker’s sunny plans.

Nelson grape growers expect this rain and plan accordingly so when the region experienced significant rain events during late November and early December 2013 they were prepared. In gen-eral everyone was on top of spray-ing regimes so disease issues are very minor. Fortunately these rain

events, while significant, were also sporadic so had very little effect on fruit-set at flowering.

The result is a full crop across every variety; some vineyards are reporting very high crop levels with dense berry set on individ-ual bunches, a “monster” crop according to one winemaker. The rain and cropping level have cre-ated more work in the vineyards; warm weather accompanying the

With bumper crops throughout most of New Zealand, machine thinning is one method that has been utilized to ensure balanced crop levels.


rain has resulted in plenty of vig-our in vineyards meaning the need for more mowing, vine trimming and early leaf plucking to maintain airflow around the fruit line and to keep the canopy under control.

With a long range forecast for warmer temperatures than average, less rainfall and lower soil moisture levels than normal, vineyard managers are balancing the need to open up the canopy with the need to avoid leaving the fruit exposed to sunburn in later months. Vineyards in the Nelson region expect to need increased vineyard management for this vintage, dropping fruit to maintain a balanced crop, but with a positive long range weather forecast are also hopeful of a great vintage.

CANTERBURY & WAIPARA

Summer finds Waipara Wine-growers feeling positive about the coming vintage, with crops appearing to be slightly above average and the weather not throwing too many curve balls this season. Despite easterly rain during flowering, the region’s win-eries seem happy with flowering and fruit set.

“The growing season has so far been consistently warmer on average than the previous one,” reported Claire Bisso of Dancing Water. “We’re expecting a slightly greater than average yield in some of our vineyard blocks and high quality.”

“The crops are more consist-ent than heavy,” observed Andrew Moore from Southern Boundary Wines. “All the varieties have set well. There’s going to be a lot of crop getting dropped.”

With four inches of rain over the Christmas period combined with warm weather, the main issue the region is currently facing is keeping canopies under control. However, disease would not appear to be a major

pressure as yet.“We’re currently tracking 10

to 14 days ahead,” noted Nick Gill of Greystone, who compared the bunch configuration to that of 2010. “It’s looking like an early start to the vintage. Things are looking promising overall, but anything could still happen.”

Further south in Canterbury, frosts caused some winegrowers on the flats to lose a little crop.

“A slight frost in October meant we lost some of our first shoots, but given the good weather that followed, the second set largely came up,” said Tresillian’s Graeme Lindsay. “Crops will be down slightly, but things are look-ing good.”

“A very good flowering sea-son from early to mid-December, typified by hot still days, ensured a strong and even flower set,” reported Burnham Vineyard. This was echoed by Tussock Hill, which described it as the best flowering and fruit set the Huntsbury vine-yard had ever seen.

As in Waipara, Canterbury winegrowers are currently man-aging the growth prompted by the rain that fell throughout the holi-day season, but share a similarly upbeat feeling about 2014.

CENTRAL OTAGOCentral Otago escaped rela-

tively unscathed from frost pres-sure this spring. However, the frosts of the previous year do seem to have impacted on fruitfulness for some vineyards. Flowering began early, initially with ideal weather conditions, though vine-yards with later flowering met with some unsettled weather. Needless to say, crop levels look good. Some vineyards will need more aggressive fruit thinning than others. With a fair amount of rain in the month following flow-ering, this may impact on bunch sizes, though at this preliminary stage the outlook looks just above average. ■

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ECONOMICNEWS

I n its eighth annual survey of the New Zealand wine industry, Deloitte’s finan-cial benchmarking survey

has shown signs of new optimism, following years of supply imbal-ances, high external debt and the impact of bulk wine sales.

The survey was sent to all mem-bers of New Zealand winegrowers last year. Thirty-five participants responded, accounting for close to 45 percent of the industry by litres of wine produced and 48 percent by export sales generated.

Deloitte partner Paul Munro says there was a change in the participants this year, which he believes has created the most even spread across categories in the past eight years.

The five categories highlighted are; $0-$1.5m, $1.5-$5m, $5-$10m, $10-$20m and $20m+.

The category showing the greatest profitability was the largest, $20m+, which returned an average profit of 16%, compared with a 2012 profit of 11.1% and a

2011 profit of 14%.In contrast the smallest of the

categories - $0-$1.5m recorded a loss of 4.4%. (Although that is an improvement on 2012, when the same category recorded a loss of 5.5%).

Breaking it down into the five categories, the following are the salient points.

Up to $1.5mThis category reflects the low-

est average profit/(loss) before tax over the last two years run-ning. It is easy to observe the sig-nificant earnings volatility that this category has experienced in recent years. This category actu-ally improved their profitability before interest cost this year (6.5% of revenue compared with 1.2% last year). However this promis-ing improvement was wiped out by much higher interest costs.

A l t h o u g h s h o w i n g a n accounting loss in 2013, on average participants achieved a small cash positive position before

capital expenditure.Compared with other catego-

ries, participants typically have lower selling and administration costs but higher depreciation and interest costs as a proportion of revenue.

$1.5m - $5mProfitability for this category

decreased in 2013 to an average loss of 0.5% from a profit of 6.5% in 2012. The report says the revenue mix of this category is more in line with the three larger categories, than with its smaller counterpart, albeit weighted slightly to lower case and bulk wine sales and slightly higher grape and contract wine sales. The overhead costs as a proportion of revenue are generally comparable to the larger categories, but administration costs within this category were proportionally higher than any other.

$5m - $10mThere has been an improve-

ment in average profitability in this category when compared with 2012, increasing to 9.8% from 7.3%. This category also recorded the highest gross margin (at 42.1%) of all the categories, giving sufficient buffering to absorb overhead costs and remain profitable.

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$10m - $20mThere was a decrease in profit-

ability in this category, from 17% in 2012 to 12.4% in 2013. This is attributed to decreased gross mar-gins and increased selling costs.

The sales mix of case sales and export bulk wine sales is broadly similar to 2012 and is consistent with the other larger category. Interest costs as a proportion of revenue were lower in this cat-egory than any other, which sug-gests a lower level of reliance on bank debt funding.

$20m+This category as mentioned

earlier saw the greatest increase

in profitability, from 11.1% in 2012, to 16% in 2013. It makes it the most profitable category of all.

There was a higher level of case sales in the past 12 months and a lower level of domestic and export bulk wine, when compared with the previous 12 months. Partici-pants in the survey have on aver-age recorded a significant decrease in selling costs when compared to the previous year and this is the primary driver of the increase in profitability.

Costs and Margins

There were only two catego-ries that recorded an increase in revenue price per case in the

past 12 months. They were the $0 - $1.5m and the $10m to $20m. Par-ticipants in the $20m+ category recorded the largest decrease from an average of $105.78 in 2012 to an average of $78.22, which Munro attributes to the changing partici-pant mix this year.

The lowest packaging costs per case ($9.51) were recorded by the $5m - $10m category. This is contrary to the general trend that these costs decrease with scale. It was the largest category that recorded the highest packaging cost per case of $17.55.

Gross margins per case in rela-tion to category has also seen some turnarounds. In 2012, the $20m+

category had the highest gross margin at $59.97 per case, while in 2013 it has dropped to a margin of $35.16, (again due to the chang-ing participant mix Munro says). It was the smallest category of $0 - $1.5m that saw the highest gross margin - $58.03.

While it might be expected that the largest category would also record the lowest selling expense per case, that has not been the situation in previous years. The $20m+ category had the highest expense in both 2011 and 2012 – ($24.85 and $26.98 respectively). This year those costs dropped to $10.62, making them the lowest of all categories. The smallest


category had the highest selling expenses in 2013 - $16.17 per case.

SalesThere has been a shift away

from exports towards domestic sales in 2013, which Munro says is a “surprising observation that goes against the trend observed in all previous surveys.

“It is not entirely clear what the cause of this observation is, but it is likely to be largely as a result of a change in participants.”

The survey shows that in two categories less than 50% of all sales are being exported. The two small-est categories have the highest percentage of exports, with 73% and 57%. The remaining three larger categories have exports sit-ting between 42% and 50%.

Each of the categories appears to have a reliance on a different export market. For example the $20m+ participants are more reli-

ant on the UK, the $10m - $20m are reliant on the USA, the $5 - $10m are reliant on Australia, the $1.5m - $5m participants have diversified exports on average, with Australia being the most dominant and the smaller categories also focus on Australia.

“(That) makes complete sense given the proximity that would make it more cost effective, as well as the presence of the WET rebate,” Munro says.

While a lot of emphasis has been placed on China and Asian markets, the survey shows they are still at the small end of the spectrum, making up only 3.7% of total exports.

Issues Facing the Industry

Not surprisingly, the exchange rate is the number one issue par-ticipants believe is facing the New Zealand wine industry. It is the

fourth year in a row this particular issue has ranked as number one, with the other top two being mar-keting product overseas ranked as second with excise and other levies coming in as number three.

Grape supply (too little) remains the fourth most impor-tant issue overall this year, which Munro says is somewhat surpris-ing given the record Vintage 2013 harvest. “However it possibly relates to longer term forward planning. The importance of this issue appears to increase with winery size and varies from being ranked ninth by the $0 - $1.5m category to number two for the $20m+ category.”

The biggest mover this year is Labour supply/cost which has moved from an overall ranking of ninth in 2012, to sixth in 2013.

The Next 12 MonthsThe financial benchmarking

survey has once again raised the issue of profitability based on the size of the winery. According to the report, the widening gap between small and large opens the door for increased mergers and acqui-sitions, as well as interest in the industry from wealthy overseas investors.

“If a smaller winery is consid-ering selling a stake or seeking addition external investment in an attempt to become more sustain-able, it would be prudent to select the party carefully and ensure due diligence is undertaken,” Munro says. “Overseas investment can be useful provided the investor’s interests are aligned, and they have a level of emotional engage-ment and skills to bring other than just money. As industry returns tend to be moderate and variable, a ‘real’ interest in wine is important as opposed to someone investing for purely financial returns.” ■

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G etting the right chemi-cals onto vines at the right time is a headache for all growers. There are

often small windows of opportu-nity, especially given the variable nature of our weather in New Zealand. Botrycides need to be sprayed at definite times – flow-ering, pre bunch closure and verai-son. But in amongst those sprays the vines also require sulphur or other chemicals to prevent pow-dery mildew. As the size of the vineyard expands, so too does the length of time it takes to apply the sprays and if weather conditions interfere, the repercussions of not being able to spray multiply.

Those very factors were behind the development of a multi spray unit, developed by Aspiration Holdings – the developers of the Quantum Mist spray unit. The new unit, which allows two separate sprays to target either the canopy or the bunch zone has been trialled at Ara Vineyard in Marlborough over the past two seasons. .

With 425-planted hectares, the logistics of getting the right sprays on in a short time frame has been an on-going issue, according to viticulturist Anne Escalle.

“Cap-fall and pre bunch clo-sure need to be done at a special moment, when it’s the right time. It can’t be done before or after,” she says. “The issue is that in cer-tain seasons, you don’t have the time to come back in between and put the normal sprays on that the rest of the canopy requires. If the season is slow, it’s alright. But if the weather packs up, we can miss the opportunity to spray that all important coverage on the top canopy.”

She discussed the matter with the late George Eady of Apsiration Holdings, and David Manktelow from Agribusiness. Would it be possible to develop a unit that could spray one chemical onto the bunches and another straight onto the canopy?

Manktelow says he and George discussed the practicalities of such a unit that could be used on har-vest-mounted sprayers.

“They lend themselves bril-liantly to putting on different chemicals because they have two spray tanks, they straddle a row and one tank sits on each side of the row,” he says. “When we looked at the economics of chemi-cal savings from doing a single application with two different chemicals, it should pay for itself in the first season.

“A single application of a bot-rytis fungicide is around $180 a hectare. So if you put 70% of that rate, just to the bunch zone and you still put on your powdery mil-dew brew to the whole canopy, you are looking at a 30 – 40% saving per hectare. That’s quite a lot of money.”

For Escalle though, the ability to ensure the job is completed in half the time, is one of the greatest advantages.

“It is the efficiency to do the job when it needs to be done, not having to think about starting it early to ensure we finish on time. This is magic because this vineyard takes four to five days to spray. But if you have bad weather, or if you are having to spray different vari-eties over different times, it gets very complicated and you can end up pushing extremes.”

In Ara’s case, if they were

spraying just one row at a time, the distance travelled to complete the entire vineyard would be 3,000 kilometres. Once you start add-ing the number of sprays required over a season, (7 or 8) then weed-ing, mowing, mulching, strip-ping, trimming and plucking, the kilometres start to add up. If the company was only doing one row per pass, all of the above passes would equate to approximately 81,000 kilometres – that’s twice

the circumference of the earth? Understandable then why the company has embraced the new technology that allows two jobs to be completed with one pass.

Using an over row Pellenc harvester, with specialised tilt-ing booms attached, means both sides of two rows are sprayed at the same time. The canopy gets its powdery mildew controls, and the bunch zone receives it botrytis sprays. It has cut costs in labour,

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diesel, compaction and impor-tantly, the amount of spray used, Manktelow says.

“If your botrytis infection pressure is only in your bunches, then there is a strong case for only directing the spray to those bunches. But for big corporate vineyards, where it takes more time to get round the vineyard, they don’t have time to physically put on an application to bunches and then go through and apply the whole canopy for powdery mildew. It’s not economically viable or practical. So they often have to spray the whole canopy, even if they don’t need to.”

While the new units are work-ing well, Manktelow says there is still a “lot to learn about what brews are going to be the most successful for doing just the bunch line. But for me, it’s the start of something really inter-esting.” ■[email protected]

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C alculating how much chemical spray is required to ensure adequate cov-erage for vines has never

been easy. The end result of get-ting it wrong can lead to poor coverage or over spraying; both of which can have serious financial repercussions.

The problem with many chemi-cals is they advocate a per hectare rate, which is all well and good for most crops. But vineyards have a number of variabilities which make the per hectare rate an inadequate formula to work from, including:

• The size and density of the target canopy

• The height of the canopy• The size of the bunch zones• The row spacingsUtilising research undertaken

by New Zealand Winegrowers, (NZW) Zelam Ltd has produced a spray calculator app for smart phones that allows individual growers to work out what suits their own vineyard.

Gordon Harris, Technical Ser-vices and Development Manager said changes in canopy manage-ment in the past 30 years means there is probably less of a target requiring spraying.

“Back in 1985 when I was doing my first grape trials on Chenin Blanc, it was all about tonnages. Therefore there were bigger yields, tighter bunches, more bunches and lots of leaves. Now canopies have changed and they may be planted more densely, but they tend not to be as high or the rows anywhere near as thick. The per hectare rates just don’t cut it anymore.”

When Zelam Ltd first intro-duced Nexus without the per hec-tare rate, they soon discovered it was hard to get growers on board.

“The per hectare rate was his-torical and people were used to using that to calculate.”

With the advent of smart phones and tablets, the company thought there could be advantages in developing an app that would

help to get the story across. Avail-able in three formats – Windows, iPhones and androids, the app is free to download. Harris said it is easy to find by searching Zelam in the respective online store and that it is easy to use.

“You go to the first screen, chose the product, then put in the measured parameters. You need to have a look in the vine-yard before you do that. How tall is the canopy that requires spray-ing? How dense is it? What is my row spacing? Then it gives you a theoretical dilute spray volume per 100 metres of row. Or effec-tively how much water you would need for dilute spraying. (To the point of run off ). Then it calcu-lates the product rate per hectare and how much product to put into the tank based on your actual cali-brated water rate. It works equally well no matter what that is, dilute or concentrate.

“Years back, most canopies would have required a minimum of 1000 litres of water to spray

dilute. Now it’s between 500 and 800 litres. What we are saying is that you don’t need a minimum rate per hectare. In some, in fact a lot of canopies, you can reduce and still get good coverage. The pro-viso is of course that your sprayer technology still provides at least as good a coverage as you would have achieved at high water volumes.”

All the research that has gone into the calculator has come from NZW. The information avail-able on the app, comes from the Chemical Application Rate Set-ting and Sprayer Calibration for Winegrapes factsheet, available on the NZW members website. ■[email protected]

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SWNZNEWS

A s reported in the last issue, major work is underway to improve the efficiency of the Sustainable Wine-

growing New Zealand scorecard system. A new easy-to-use system that takes less time to input data and provides rapid reporting back to Sustainable Winegrowing NZ members has been identified and tested. The decision to move to this new system has been made by the Board and a smooth transi-tion is a priority for New Zealand Winegrowers. Current plans are to get the new system up and running by the middle of the year.

A series of workshops will be

held in the regions to ensure all members are fully aware of the changes and comfortable with the new system nearer to the live date.

What are the benefits of the new scorecard system?

• Functional: web-based with a single (NZW) login, easy to access and use, uncomplicated forms, supported by good user guides.

• Relevant: The Scorecard data collection will only include relevant activities the individual member is undertaking, e.g. switch off sections where they respond N/A.

• Efficient: reduce time and cost of audits, providing a single

collection point for documenta-tion; improve management of cor-rective actions, and generation of audit reports.

• Remove duplication: where appropriate allow pre-population of the Scorecard with existing data (including data previously submit-ted to SWNZ, NZW, or selected external sources).

• Streamline audit time and process: provide single collection point for documentation; improve member’s management of correc-tive actions.

The new system will also add value to Sustainable Wine-growing NZ members through

improved reporting on individual sustainability performance. Rel-evant benchmarking reports will include:

• Comparison to own practices year on year

• Relative performance; rele-vant comparisons within region, and in the future, comparison with producers of similar size

• Access to established (or standard) reports

• Multiple sites, will be able to compare relative performance across sites

National level reporting will also be enabled to monitor trends and impact analysis. ■

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C entral Otago winegrowers are encouraging the government to support a nomination by an

influential group of French winegrowers from Burgundy to list their region as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Climats of Burgundy del-egation, spearheaded by one of the world’s most pre-eminent winegrowers, Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, met with government leaders late in January to present their case for nomination. (After NZWine-grower went to print).

To gain UNESCO World Her-itage Site status the vineyards must show their contemporary relevance and their universal value

to the world today. The benefits New Zealand, particularly Cen-tral Otago’s Pinot Noir region, has gained from its relationship with Burgundy is testament to proving this.

The delegation, invited here by the winegrowers of Central Otago, attended a reception in Wellington hosted by the French Embassy to which a number of senior politi-cians were also invited.

They then flew to Central Otago to join the region’s wine-growers and their guests at the Central Otago Pinot Noir Cel-ebration.

Wanaka winegrower, Nick Mills, organiser of the visit and founder of the Central Otago Bur-gundy Exchange, says support for

the nomination will bring signifi-cant international recognition of the quality of New Zealand Pinot Noir.

“Following many years of experimentation, Central Otago realised its own potential to grow Pinot Noir, just as it was nurtured and developed long ago in Bur-gundy.

“Whether we were conscious of it or not, the Burgundian model has helped germinate and shape something beautiful here, on the other side of the world.”

To strengthen and maintain this relationship, an educational and cultural exchange has been fostered between the two regions since 2006.

Through joint exchange pro-

jects the regions have shared tradi-tion and experience, with freedom and a fresh approach he says.

President of the Central Otago Winegrowers Association, James Dicey, believes the visit serves to reinforce those fraternal ties.

“An immense depth of empiri-cal knowledge, meaningful tradi-tion and rich cultural heritage has been generously offered by the Burgundians to Central Otago winegrowers over the years. We are therefore both gratified and privileged to have them here in Central,” he says.

“We’re delighted to support their World Heritage bid for, as the balance of the exchange has clearly shown to date, their win is also ours.”


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Currently therre are five wine regions listed as World Heritage sites. They are Loire – France, Bor-deaux – France, Tokaj – Hungary, Douro Valley – Portugal and Mid-dle Rhine – Germany.

The United Nations Educa-tional, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) identi-fies cultural and natural examples

of heritage around the globe with the goal of protecting and preserv-ing them for future generations.

The organisation was founded in November 1945, just after the end of World War II, as a way to nurture humanity and heritage by developing ‘the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind’.

Sites that qualify must have

‘outstanding value to humanity’. Once a site has been accepted, UNESCO offers everything from technical assistance and public awareness to professional train-ing and emergency assistance to preserve sites.

UNESCO has 195 member states, while its World Heritage Committee, which meets yearly to

select new sites and allocate funds as needed, has 21 member nations.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, a treaty that has become the fore-most international legal tool in support of the conservation of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

Central Otago’s wine region is supporting the bid by Climats of Burgundy to support a bid for a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo Wooing Tree Vineyard Ltd, supplied by NZW.


How Long Have You Worked In Waiheke?

1 year

What Brought You To Waiheke?

The idea of living and making wine on Waiheke has always rung sweet with me; and to be honest I had been keeping an eye out for job availability here for a number of years. Miraculously, while I was work-ing in France, the little ad for this job popped up on line two days after I had decided to move to Waiheke regardless of securing a job or not. It was great timing.

Where Have You Travelled In Wine To Get Here?

• Fresh out of Uni I embarked upon Sacred Hill in Hawkes Bay for my first vintage.

• The southern-northern hemi-sphere harvest gap was filled with Sommelier work at Bambini Wine Room in Sydney.

• Then on to the Okanagan Val-ley in Canada where wine and skiing proved a lethal and fabled combination.

• Another harvest in Hawkes Bay prequeled a vintage in Greece at Hatzidakis on Santorini, which was the most beautifully astounding old world experi-ence.

• Domaine de Montille in

Burgundy followed soon after and things really began to gain some traction. Ended up staying in Meursault for longer than planned, I loved that place.

• Then it was Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley; the most generous place to opportune employment. The leading test of self and palate.

• My first permanent assistant winemaking role came along while in the Hunter Valley; Tower Estate, where I lived for 2 years.

• A vintage at Quartz Reef in Central Otago followed by another mind-blowing stage in Burgundy was a fantastic way to land softly back in NZ, where I then moved to Waiheke.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?

The depth of job variation. One minute you are pulling old nets filled with rats out of the back of the vineyard shed, next you are pulling samples from barrels and mind mapping blending plans. It’s brilliant.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Waiheke?

Being able to swim everyday after work is pretty well up there with awesome (like mountains and rivers awesome).

When You’re Not Making Wine

Or Growing Grape?

I’m probably cooking, sailing, eating something delicious, walking.

It Sucks When….

The press breaks down mid cycle and you can’t get anyone out to fix it until the wee hours.

Your Favourite Wine?

My favourite blade of grass on the lawn would definitely prob-ably have to be 1999 Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet.

Which Wine Region Excites You Most Right Now?

New Zealand as a whole is rather an exciting place to me; I feel that collectively, we are only just beginning to hit our straps. And that’s saying something! There is so much growth on our horizon, in all directions!

Future Aspirations?

To always be inspired by, and not threatened by. To never stand still.

REGIONSWAIHEKE ISLAND

YOUNG GUNS – WAIHEKE ISLANDThe big smoke may be just across the water, but for those lucky enough to live and work on Waiheke Island, it might as well be thousands of kilometres away. This tiny island, made up of volcanic rock, steep slopes and a lifestyle that is as laid back as it can be, is home to some of the country’s most interesting wines. Helping to produce them is a core of Young Guns – some of whom we meet this issue.

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I have been working on Waiheke for 2 1/2 years.

What brought you to Waiheke?

I was looking for a new role and Mudbrick was advertising, it ticked all the boxes for me; from region to quality of lifestyle.


I grew up on the family-owned Cornerstone Vine-yard in the Gimblett Gravels so from a young age I was working in the vines. I completed a BV&O from Lincoln then decided to follow the harvest. After three vintages in Australia, a vintage in both Germany and California as well as working in five New Zealand wineries I decided to get a real job. I worked at Vidal’s in Hastings for four years as Assistant Winemaker before making the move to Mudbrick.


I get to work across a wide variety of aspects with the business. One day I might be on the tractor in the vineyard and the next meeting with restaurant wine buyers in Auckland.


The mild weather is definitely a plus (I don’t like the cold!), as well as the diverse range of varietals

that Waiheke can produce at the ultra premium level.

When You’re Not Making Wine Or Growing Grapes?

Making the most of what Waiheke has to offer with my wife and two young children. Whether that be harvesting kaimoana, relaxing on the beach or trying to cook a great meal from local produce, and when I get a chance I try to get in a surf or go for a fish.

It Sucks When….

A subtropical low comes down and rains on my parade.


Hands down German Riesling. What more could you want from a wine???


Southern Rhone Valley, in particular Chateau Neuf du Pape. Such a diverse range of soils and varieties. Both the whites and red wines are thought provok-ing and have the ability to age for decades.

Future Aspirations?

Other than to one day own my own vineyard and winery, I would like to takeover the world one vineyard at a time!

wine people are our business

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How Long Have You Been Involved With Destiny Bay? I joined Destiny Bay at the begin-ning of 2009.

What Brought You To Waiheke Island?

I was managing the private wine cellars for a specialty wine retailer in Auckland when I met Sean, Ann and Mike Spratt. I was so impressed with the Destiny Bay wines that I got my best clients into their patron club. Over a few years I got to know the Spratt’s pretty well and then one day, over coffee, Sean, Mike and I realised that we should be working together full-time. No pun intended, but it seemed like it was just meant to be.

Where Have You Travelled In

Wine To Get Here?

About 15 years ago I emigrated from Zimbabwe. I started as a Sommelier in a number of high-end restaurants and then spent some time travelling through Bordeaux, Northern Rhone, and the Loire Val-ley. After visiting various Chateaux and tasting some of the great French wines I decided that I wanted to make a career in the wine business. At first I worked with collectors helping them acquire special wines from regions all over the world. This was a great opportunity for me to learn and to meet people in a wide range of professions who were passion-ate about fine wine. It was during this time that I discov-ered Destiny Bay

and became a big fan of their wines. After working with Sean, Ann and Mike Spratt on some events I realised that Destiny Bay was a very special place. I still remember that conversation when Sean, Mike and I were hav-ing coffee and Mike said “Brett, let’s just face it, you have to be part of the Destiny Bay team!” How could I say no to that?


It is hard to say what I enjoy most. As an owner and mem-ber of the Destiny Bay family, I don’t really think of this as a “job” per se. It is more like a big adventure. Growing a glob-ally respected luxury brand is

demanding, challenging and exciting. Also, the opportunity to work with a very talented team of passionate people doing something that is akin to magic (turning grapes into world class fine wine) is a dream come true. But perhaps one of the most sat-isfying things I get to do is share our story with our trade part-ners, collectors and champions. When I hear how people enjoy our wines and how our wines have made someone’s special occasion even more memorable and special, I feel a great sense of pride. Working with people you respect, making something you love for people who really appre-ciate it. How can you top that?


When you get off the car ferry at Kennedy Point there is a sign that reads “Slow down, you’re here!” That pretty well sums it up. A breathtakingly beautiful island that is only a 40 minute ferry ride from Auckland. The weather is warmer, sunnier and drier than Auckland and you have beaches everywhere if you want to take a dip. We have no traffic lights, no fast food chains, and no hassles. Yes, it is true that some of our roads are a bit “rough” but seriously, did you really expect that the path through an island paradise would be paved?

When You’re Not Making Wine Or Growing Grapes What Do You Enjoy Doing?

I love to travel and visit fine restaurants around the world. The combination of fine wine and fine food has always intrigued me. I am fascinated by the skill of world class chefs and how they can craft a perfect combination of food and fine wine to create a truly memorable dining experience. Granted, it can often be expensive, but as a friend once told me “you

remember the meal long after you forget the price.”

It Sucks When….

You get to the bottom of a great bottle of wine!


If I was only allowed to have one last bottle of wine before I die, it would most definitely be a Chenin Blanc, I would definitely ask for a bottle of Vouvray “Le Haut Lieu” Moëlleux, Huet – 1947. Of course, if I answer that question again when I am an “old gun”, say in 50 years, I think I would ask for a 2010 Destiny Bay Magna Praemia. It is that good.

Which Wine Market Excites You Most Right Now?

Taiwan. The recent signing of the Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and Taiwan has opened the doors for New Zealand to promote our wines into the market without the hefty alcohol taxes they impose. Also, Taiwanese wine consumers are very sophisti-cated and appreciate rare and special wines. It is always a pleasure to work with customers with whom I share a common passion.

Future Aspirations?

As an owner of Destiny Bay, it is hard for me to think about a future that doesn’t, in some way, include our business. Long term I think we will find a way to expand what we are able to offer our customers and trade part-ners. Not just wine, but perhaps other artisan crafted products of uncommon quality and value. Travelling around the world as an owner and champion of a true New Zealand luxury brand sounds pretty exciting to me. Not only would I get to spend time doing what I love, but I could indulge my passion for fine food and fine wine and put it all on my expense account!

B R E T T TAY L O RA G E : 3 3 T I T L E : O W N E R A N D D I R E C T O R O F G L O B A L D I S T R I B U T I O N AT D E S T I N Y B AY W I N E S



Have been living and working on Waiheke Island since 2007. Started working at Goldie Wines (formerly known as Goldwater Estate) in 2008.

What Brought You To Waiheke?

Born and bred in Johannesburg, South Africa, I was immediately drawn to the VERY differ-ent lifestyle Waiheke offered. What’s not to like about a place that offers a fantastic wine and food scene, amazing beaches, great community feel and best of all…..clothes are optional……well, at least some people (not me) think it is.


Various vintages around New Zealand and Northern Califor-nia.


The artistry, the poetry, the chal-lenges and struggles, being one with the land and the grapes and waiting for that once in a lifetime vintage to come around.


Great fishing! Amazing wines! Some of the most interesting, diverse people you’ll ever meet I reckon.

When You’re Not Making

Wine Or Growing Grapes?

Well, like any good husband, I don’t enjoy brewing beer, fishing or sharing a glass of vino with my fellow Waiheke vintners. No sir, instead you’ll find me cleaning the house, doing the laundry, walking the dog and pruning the roses.

It Sucks When….

You open a bottle of wine you’ve been cellaring for a while only to discover it’s corked!


Chardonnay as a white and for reds, it’s a stand-off between left bank Bordeaux and Northern Rhone.


Obviously Waiheke, which continues to produce some star quality wines. When the industry on the island first started back in the late 70’s, everyone was plant-ing mostly Bordeaux varieties. Now we’re seeing plantings of all sorts, and producers are having great success with varieties such as Syrah, Tempranillo, Mon-tepulciano and various other Spanish and Italian varieties. It’s exciting to think where the industry will be in the future.

Future Aspirations?

Continued development as a winemaker. More travelling and vintages abroad, specifically Bor-deaux and Northern Rhone. ■

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REGIONSCENTRAL OTAGO

I t’s an old adage: “to make great wine, you must first have great grapes”. And it’s something extolled by win-

emakers with religious fervour. Granted, it’s often said in humble modesty – one cannot discount the efforts of talented winemak-ers – but there is great truth in not only the selection of great sites to plant grapes, but the growing of

those grape into world class wines. Vines are unique in many respects to the horticultural and agricul-tural world, where the object is not to farm grapes on a quantity level, but to cautiously and very care-fully produce fruit that is balanced, tethered equally by concentration, sugar ripeness, physiological ripe-ness and a myriad of other valued qualities. After an exploration

of Central Otago Pinot from the winemakers’ viewpoint several months ago, it was time to now delve into Central Otago Pinot from the vineyard perspective. I spoke with local growers from a range of companies and sub-regions to shed light on how they tackle pinot in the vineyard.

Central Otago, as a climate, can be quite extreme. Granted we don’t have the floods, earthquakes and fires that other Pinot-growing regions have had to overcome, but savage winds, high UV, unpredict-able frosts, arctic blasts of snow, drought, spiking heat, hail and torrential downpours (that can slough away entire horizons of soil) are all part of this region’s seasonal viticulture. James Dicey, of Grape Vision (and Central Otago Winegrowers Association President), believes that the inter-pretation and reaction to these events is one of the most impor-tant strategies for achieving bal-ance in Pinot Noir.

“Pinot Noir is particularly responsive to its environment. We are gradually learning in Cen-tral Otago that it’s not the average of climatic factors in a particular season that’s important, but how these arrive and how they affect particular Pinot clones on particu-lar sites. All this makes achieving the ‘holy grail’ of growing Pinot Noir extremely difficult – the con-cept of balance. Particularly, the balance between yield and canopy in a given year to achieve a desired quality outcome.

“A crystal ball would be extremely useful – without it we rely on knowledge of the supposed phenological reaction of the vine, observation and experience to suggest a myriad of potential path-ways forward to achieve balance.”

Duncan Billing, of Valli, ech-oes this sentiment. “As far south as Central Otago is, nature can be a stern taskmaster,” he says. “The greatest challenge is trying to walk the line of balance within any given vintage. Experience and time as we learn to farm our vineyards gives any vineyard man-

PINOT CENTRAL: THE VINEYARDM A X M A R R I O T T

Craig Carter of Zebra Vineyards.


ager worth his or her salt the abil-ity to be prescriptive or adaptive, whilst having the humility to not pre- empt what mother nature will do next.”

I like Yoshi Sato’s quote, as taken from the Winefront web-site during an interview with Mike Bennie, where he says “We can make obvious, fruity wines, but (we) have to take care to make wines of precision: (It’s) not so easy making elegant Pinot Noir – growing grapes here is easy, mak-ing elegant wines is not.” It’s cer-tainly dogma that has plagued the region with stigma in the past, but growers are very conscious of this and there has been a tangible shift towards Pinot management that facilitates physiological ripeness before excessive sugar ripeness. How is this achieved?

“Timing”, says Craig Carter of Zebra Vineyards, “Doing a good job and getting the work done on time is as important as anything else we do. It’s about understand-ing the vines and what we expect

from them, whilst always striving for perfection. Pinot is very hands on.”

“Given that we use a large per-centage of whole bunches in our ferments, achieving ripe stems without over-ripening our fruit is a balancing act,” adds Billing. “I would rather see healthy, bal-anced fruit with vitality and lig-nified stems at harvest than pick really small bunches and berries that fail to yield an economically stable crop.”

Tim Austin-Moorhouse, of Mount Edward, touches on some of their approaches,

“We prune in a way that helps us reach our desired crop level but also maintain an open canopy. Our canopy management ensures good light exposure on the fruit whilst minimizing disease pressure. We try and improve vine health and stimulate vine immunity through seaweeds and organic forms of nutrients rather than an excessive spray regime. We try and improve the soil and its biology through the

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use of composts, teas and cover crops. We endeavour to use irriga-tion wisely balancing the needs of the vine against excessive vigour.”

W i t h i n t h e s e b r o a d brushstrokes, there are finer details employed by Central Otago’s growers on a more personal, site-specific level, according to their individual philosophies and those of the winemakers.

The timing and amount of irrigation (infrequent, heavy soaks versus frequent, smaller doses), the timing and need for trimming, exposure of the fruit zone (laterals vs leaf, heavy vs light, east vs west), crop load, fruit thinning and so forth. The fragile skins of Pinot have to be protected from sunburn and excessive heat, yet those same skins require light and exposure to produce ripe tannins and avoid greenness.

The fruit zone is often duly opened, but what about lateral growth above the fruit zone, in a bid to reduce canopy density and young leaf, promoting less sugar accumulation and more flavour

development from mature leaf ? Does trimming height make a difference? Are higher crop loads more desirable in earlier years with larger canopies to prolong

hang time and acid retention?And what then of variabil-

ity? Does it boost complexity or detract from uniformity and con-sistency?

“I have worked for a large num-ber of winemakers who have dif-ferent tolerances to variability”, says Dicey. “My personal view is that too much homogenous fruit tends to make mono-dimensional wines that may look ‘concentrated’ in their youth but fail to develop. Pinot Noir at its optimal is about

multiple layers of complexity that you keep coming back to, rather than being sledgehammered. So some variability is acceptable, but again, it’s about overall balance,

and the season drives this.”Austin-Moorhouse is on the

same page, exploring this concept from vine establishment, “We do see some positives in variability – we have just recently planted a block of Pinot in which three clones were mixed together at planting and when it crops will of course be fermented together – this was done on the understand-ing that the variability in the ripening of the clones will bring complexity.”

Perhaps the final hurdle to overcome, for all New World Pinot growers, isn’t necessarily the man-agement of the grapevine, but a perceived dichotomy between grower and winemaker. We don’t need to pretend that we’re trying to make or emulate Burgundy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t adopt some of their great ideas, like the concept of the vigneron.

If we can bridge the gap between the winery and the vine-yard, where growers have a bet-ter understanding of desired wine outcome and a knowledge of wine chemistry, wouldn’t that create greater transparency and thinking on behalf of both parties?

So too for the winemakers, venturing into the vineyard more to gain a greater understanding of vine physiology, in addition to the impact of staffing and other management decisions critical to the time of year.

It’s a synergy that is already beginning to happen, promising more great things from Pinot Cen-tral in the future. ■[email protected]

“My personal view is that too much homogenous fruit tends to make mono-dimensional wines that may look ‘concentrated’ in their youth but fail to develop.” – James Dicey

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BOB’S BLOG BOB CAMPBELL MW

How big is your brand?Christmas is a good time to look back at the successes

and failures in the past year and to prepare a plan for the next 12 months. One of the yardsticks I use to measure my performance is to check out my brand strength. Last year I used Google analytics to see how many times someone had searched for my name over the Internet. I compared my result with that of prominent local and overseas wine critics and was gratified to see that I had attracted more searches than Jancis Robinson. My ego rapidly deflated when my website guy informed me that there is likely to be more Bob Campbells in the world than Jancis Robinsons.

A useful way to check out the strength of your wine brand is to become a Pro version member of Wine Searcher (www.wine-searcher.com), the world’s largest wine website boasting over one million hits a day.* Click on the “demand” function, enter the wine brand of your choice and see how many times users of a dedicated wine website have searched for your brand. In December Oyster Bay (1969 hits) beat Brancott (1674); Felton Road (2127) beat Ata Rangi (1267) and Cloudy Bay beat them all with 3.967 hits.

Chardonnay on the upIn the closing months of last

year, glass bottle maker OI-NZ invited me to organise and host four regional wine tastings for their winemaker clients. I decided on a Pinot Noir theme for Central Otago and a Char-donnay theme for Marlborough, Martinborough and Hawke’s Bay. The blind tasting was in three parts with four wines in each. The first four wines were white burgundies, the second flight was New Zealand Chardonnay/Pinot Noir excluding wines from the home region, while the last flight was four of the best wines I could find from the home region.

The purpose of the tasting was to stimulate discussion about Chardonnay styles (or Pinot Noir styles in the case of Central Otago).

Opposing views on accepta-ble Chardonnay styles promoted lively and occasionally heated

debate. Before the identities of the wines were revealed I asked everyone to vote for their favour-ite wine in each flight. There was surprising agreement across the regions with the same wines emerging as favourites in each. Here are a few of the points that I gleaned from the three regional Chardonnay tastings.

Demand for Chardonnay is increasing. The variety seems to be clawing back some of the market share that it lost to Pinot Gris.

The French white Burgundies were generally well regarded although some winemakers found them to be too reductive.

The cheapest white Bur-

gundy, Girardin 2010 Puligny-Montrachet $75, was voted top French wine in all three regions, ahead of wines worth several times its price. It is (or was) available from Maison Vauron in Auckland.

While many producers acknowledged that there is a market demand for the now rather old fashioned big and buttery Chardonnay styles the majority felt that they should lead rather than follow the mar-ket and were convinced that the more modern and perhaps more Burgundian style Chardonnay is simply a better model.

There was wide ranging views on the acceptability of reductive characters in Chardonnay.

The most recognisable “regional” Chardonnay style was found in the four Martinborough wines, perhaps because Marlbor-ough and Hawke’s Bay are larger regions with greater variation.

Gnome DecoratingTo raise funds for Devon-

port’s Community House organisers invited a handful of local celebrities to each decorate a garden gnome for auction over Trade Me. I christened my gnome “Priscilla, queen of the vines” and dressed it in drag with a pink feather headdress and net stockings. I even threw in a bottle of Kim Crawford Pansy Rosé, although licence issues prevented the bonus bottle from being mentioned on Trade Me. It was described on the website as “a gnome with the wow factor”. My gnome fetched a fairly modest $92, well behind Lorde $500, Tim Finn (the musical one, not the wine one) $410, Mike Cohen (North Shore councillor) $400, Paul Ego (comedian on 7 Days) $120 and Jacko Gill (gold medal shot put-ter) $106. I did however beat Pipa Wetzell $51 and country music enthusiast Roger Giles $40. Probably as good a measure of brand strength as any.

Drink up with

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very practical.


Christchurch Wine & Food

Festival In December last

year I conducted a wine workshop at the

Christchurch Wine and Food Festival for

the third year in a row. It’s a very civilised

affair – great people in a beautiful environ-

ment with a wide choice of wines foods and lectures on offer. I certainly don’t go to

every wine and food festival on offer every year but the Christch-

urch event now rates as my favourite.

* Bob is a Director of Wine-Searcher.

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WINERYNEWS

I f it’s ever occurred to you that the standard 750ml bot-tle was a clunky size to trans-port and serve wine from,

then you’re in good company. Winemaker and brewer Josh

Scott reckons the traditional beer keg is a superior way of storing, transporting and serving wine. Especially wine that’s destined for relatively immediate consumption in bars, cafes and restaurants.

The idea of the keg as a wine container is not new.

But a new size and shape is. Scott so enthusiastic about the Key Keg that he and his father, Allan Scott – pioneer and founder of Allan Scott Wines – have been importing, that he has chosen this vessel for their Scott Base wines in restaurants and bars. It is taller and narrower so it looks more elegant than the traditional keg, says Scott.

And lest anyone be thinking this is a place for leftovers, Scott is keen to emphasise that this is about quality. Not low end wine.

“It’s all about premium wine. Top end is where it’s at – people want quality, not quantity,” he says.

“We were the first to bring the Key Keg into New Zealand three years ago. We call it Barrel Wine and we use it for between 20 to 30 litres, although we’ve just moved to a 20 litre slimline version, which is a different shape again. The idea behind this is that the wine’s always fresh with every single pour and eliminates the risk of oxida-tion from opening a bottle one day and going back to it the next.”

To further fuel the demand – and their own passion – for high quality wine, Allan Scott spent time overseas on a sourcing trip in late 2013 to buy wines from other countries, which will add to the diversity of the keg offering in New Zealand bars.

Scott says their own wine has been so well received that they are ready to take the plunge with wines from further afield too. Fur-thermore, their trade customers

like it because it dispenses with the problem of having to throw wine out, due to waste; the m a i n t y p e being caused by the inevi-table oxida-tion of dribs and drabs of wine left overs from the stand-ard 750ml bottles.

The Key Keg has an aluminum blad-der inside a plastic keg. Scott says this eliminates further risk of oxidation and wastage and is a really gentle way of pouring wine.

Some systems of keg wine delivery use inert gases, such as argon and nitrogen, to displace oxygen. That technology is rela-tively old school beer technology, which Scott says doesn’t work

consistently because the gas

eventually comes into direct contact with the wine. Over time this dissolves in the wine and gives spritzy wines. “There’s still a high chance of oxi-dation and contamination that way but we’ve found far less with Key Keg.” ■[email protected]

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NZWNEWS

I t is a sign of the growth of the wine industry that the national body has appointed for the first time, an External

Relations Manager, to be based in Wellington.

As the seat of Government, the capital plays an important role in any major industry. NZW’s Dr John Barker, says the appoint-ment of Nicola Crennan will pro-vide some very real face-to-face liaison with the powers that be.

“There are a lot of issues we need to progress with the govern-ment,” he said. “We are a grow-ing industry and as we grow, those issues take on more importance and there are also more of them.” Crennan’s role will be to liaise with government officials and depart-ments, on a variety of important issues including;

• Working on standards, the Wine Act and the on-going review of export legislation

• Social responsibility – which includes the sale and supply of alcohol

• Working on the review of alcohol advertising

• Pricing policies

• Geographical indications – which has been an on-going issue with the government for the past seven years.

Crennan herself brings to the position a multitude of experi-ence. Originally training as a law-yer, she worked for the Advertising Standards Authority. She was then a solicitor for the Department of Labour before being appointed to the international team where she worked for 10 years.

In 2010 she moved from the Department of Labour to the Bee-hive, where she was Private Secre-tary, Labour to the then Minister, Hon Kate Wilkinson.

In 2012 she became the Private Secretary, Tourism for the Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Key and also supported Hon Chris Tremain as Associate Minister of Tourism.

Crennan took up the position at the end of last year, and will be based in the Vodafone Tower in Lambton Quay. She is keen to hear from the industry on the issues of importance as they see them. Especially as NZW take the posi-tion into the future. ■[email protected]

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NOT ON THE LABELLEGAL MATTERS WITH MARIJA BATISTICH

SENIOR ASSOCIATE, BELL GULLY

T he recent “Don’t be a ‘cool’ Dad” publicity cam-paign was a high-profile reminder that a signifi-

cant number of changes to exist-ing alcohol laws came into effect on 18 December 2013.

Those operating both cellar door sales and online ordering options will need to be aware the changes relate to more than the sale and supply of alcohol to minors. Discounts, promotions and trading hours all feature in the changes – with a new “three strikes and you’re out” policy threatening the liquor licenses of those who fall foul of the new rules.

The reforms are focused on changing the way people drink, in an effort to decrease the harm caused by excessive and inap-propriate consumption of alco-hol. The amendments will have significant implications for both consumers and in particular for those providing alcohol in the course of their business.

The changes are focussed on reducing inappropriate drinking by controlling the promotion and advertisement of alcohol. An array of promotion types are considered to be irresponsible promotion under the Act. For example, the public advertisement of alcohol which suggests a discount of 25% or more off standard retail price is (subject to some exceptions) illegal under the amendments.

This prohibits two for one offers and any similar promotions which can be seen or heard outside of licensed premises. Promotions involving an opportunity to win a prize when alcohol is bought are also illegal, as are advertisements with ‘special appeal’ to minors and anything else that is likely to encourage people to consume to an excessive extent. Fines and the suspension of licenses apply where these rules are breached.

As examples of the restrictions in the real world, promotions offering a free bottle of wine or other alcoholic beverage when dining cannot be run and degus-tation or set menus that include alcohol will need to ensure that any discount on the retail price of wine is less than 25%.

Where the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority finds that irresponsible promotion has occurred, the new “three strikes” policy applies so that licensees or managers with three negative holdings within a three year period will have their license cancelled. The Licensing Authority decision is made by majority vote follow-ing any relevant investigations and their decision may then be appealed to the High Court.

The role of local authorities under the proposed changes is significantly increased, as they will now be able to produce local alco-hol policies to provide guidance

as to the areas in which licensed premises may be located, maxi-mum trading hours, and other measures to control alcohol use such as one-way door policies. Individuals and businesses will have the opportunity to submit on the draft policy and a public hearing will be held into matters raised in those submissions.

A p p l i c a t i o n s f o r l i q u o r licenses will be made to a new body called the District Licensing Committee comprising three m e m b e r s ( i n c l u d i n g o n e chairperson) appointed by the territorial authority. Objections to applications for licences may be made by those with an interest in the application which is greater than the general public. This will include neighbours to proposed licensed premises. A number of factors are considered in deciding whether to grant a licence including whether the amenity and good order of the locality would be likely to be reduced by the effects of the issue of the licence. Matters such as noise, nuisance and vandalism will all be relevant to this inquiry. Maintaining good relationships with neighbours has never been more important for those wineries with dining and function facilities. The decision of the Licensing Committee may be appealed to the Licensing Authority.

In addition to these amend-

ments, one of the more highly pub-licised aspects of the new regime is the changes relating to the sale and supply of alcohol to minors. It is an offence to sell or supply alcohol to minors. For licensed premises there is an exception where the minor is accompanied by a guard-ian and the guardian supplies the alcohol. However it is important to remember that outside of licensed premises any person may be pros-ecuted for supplying alcohol to a minor. The new Act includes the requirement to obtain the express consent of a child’s par-ents in order to supply them with alcohol and has been the subject of some commentary in terms of how this can be communicated (ie. orally or in writing), as well as subsequently evidenced. In addition to this, anyone who sup-plies alcohol to minors, including to their own child or with express parental consent, must supply the alcohol in a “responsible manner”. To comply with this requirement parents should ensure that ade-quate supervision is provided, that non-alcoholic beverages and food are available and that provision is made for safe transport.

The effect of these changes will be wide reaching for both the wine industry, and the general public. It will be some time until the reforms have fully taken effect and their success can properly be assessed. ■

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REGIONSHAWKE’S BAY

F or Chris Scott, it has been an almost meteoric rise, from a summer holiday job back in the 90s, to

New Zealand Winemaker of the Year for 2013.

Scot t who is the chief winemaker for Church Road was awarded the title late last year by Winestate Magazine. Ten wines from individual winemakers were judged throughout the year, with the award going to the person who achieved the highest

score overall. S c o t t ’ s p a s s i o n i s

Chardonnay and red blend winemaking. Since becoming the chief winemaker in 2005, he has been the driving force behind Church Road TOM Chardonnay and Church Road TOM Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. He has also been instrumental in overseeing the introduction of new wines to the range, including Rhone varieties Syrah and Viognier and he helped to evolve new

wine varietals in Hawke’s Bay including award-winning Marzemino and Sauvignon Gris.

Despite being thrilled to receive the award, he was quick to credit the rest of the Church Road staff.

“Winemaking at Church Road is a team effort,” he said. “Our vineyard team have an outstanding knowledge of the region and the individual v i n e y a r d s a n d d e l i v e r outstanding fruit year after year.

Our cellar team has a dedication to wine quality that far exceeds what anyone could hope for. I know everyone at Church Road is extremely proud of the wines we make and this win reflects the passion and commitment of the entire team.”

Scott has worked at Church Road since 1998 when he was employed as a cellar hand. Prior to that he worked during his summer holidays in the vineyards and cellar door. ■

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SOMMELIER’S CORNER CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

SUMMER OF RIESLING AND ROSÉ Summer and the early part of the year have brought the release of more of the acclaimed 2013 vintage wines. It is a time when reps from various distribution companies or independents emerge from summer break to begin the 2014 campaign of showing off and selling wine for their clients.

Restaurateurs, Somms and wine buyers have varied needs, and react in different ways to the plethora of phone calls, cold calls and emails offering everything from special offers to the final few cases of something. We definitely want to see what’s out there and available to list, but we also want to engage with reps who have a handle on what an individual establishment is try-ing to achieve with their wine and food programme. A few selling techniques could be somewhat improved – not every wine in a catalogue will be ‘amazing’ and I am not necessarily going to ‘just love’ this example – and even if I do love it – it may not be right for the establishment at this time.

Wine samples opened three days ago that are now oxidising rather rapidly will only provide the opportunity to see how well a wine might perform by the glass - or not. On the plus side, some wines just simply stand out, head and shoulders above the rest, something we are actually look-ing for - or didn’t realise we were looking for - and the opportunity to try was well timed.

Two wines styles which are currently fitting this idea and gaining some traction on-premise are Riesling and Rosé.

The acceptance of Riesling in general as the versatile wine

it is (crisp, dry aperitif through to sweet course accompaniment) is growing. Although Riesling has been somewhat stuck stage left historically in New Zealand, in the shadow of Sau-vignon Blanc and Pinot Gris, this is argu-ably no

longer the case. A knowledgeable and

experienced front-of-house person or rep can

sell the attributes, story and logic for such a wine choice.

Riesling can also be a great wine choice for Asian and Fusion

fare – the drier styles with aromatic spices, multi-layered flavours and textures, and off-dry to sweet examples with

heat spices and lush moist

dishes.

The growing

popularity of these cuisine types should

ensure a similarly increasing focus on Riesling in a dining room.

New Zealand Riesling has a reasonable level of competition from German, French, Austrian and Australian imports – this is a testament to both the level of

acceptance and age-ability of this noble variety.

Rosé is another historically low-in-favour style I am noting an increasing demand for – it is really pleasing to see the exam-ples on wine lists up from the token one or two, to four or five. This has been driven, in part, by

an emerging divergence in styles tending towards

dry, with more texture from

tannin or lees (or

both). These attributes

can make Rosé significantly

more food friendly. Having several

examples on a wine list also allows for Rosé to

be offered from a range of grape varieties, dryness levels

and wine-making techniques. Rosé can be an alternative ape-ritif in a dry style, or the perfect transition wine between entrée and main.

Current release Rosé (2013) has my vote over anything older – if the wine is more than 18 months old it can lose too much of its vitality and freshness to be effective other than as a modest complement to some food styles.

I am enjoying the trend to more Rosé and Riesling on wine lists – mine, and other establish-ments. ■

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INTERNATIONALNEWS

EXPLORING VICTORIAA s far as Aussie wine

regions go, the majority of my top ten – for excite-ment, for potential, for

quality – reside in Victoria. It’s a state that has long bucked the trend of commonality, partly due to climate, partly due to desire. The proximity to Melbourne is a massive drawcard for tourists and pundits alike, the regions seem-ingly radiating out to varying pro-portions, never more than a 3hr drive away. The spread in latitude and altitude, along with a stagger-ing variation in soils, leads to a

broad spectrum of not just grape varieties, but wine styles as well.

The trip – part holiday, part farm visits, part winery interludes – followed a loop that started and finished in Melbourne, touring north-east into Beechworth, then west to Bendigo and Heathcote, south to the Macedon Ranges and then finishing in the Yarra Valley. Gippsland, the King Valley, Morn-ington and Rutherglen would have to wait until next time.

Like Max Allen says, “If you’re a winemaker in Beechworth, it almost seems mandatory to be

biodynamic”. It certainly is a hub for people employing bio-dynamic practices, which for me was an attraction in addition to the region’s reputation for low production, quality focused wines from estate vineyards. We had visits with Keppel Smith of Sava-terre (Pinot and Chardonnay), Jan Morey of Sorrenberg (Gamay, Cab Sauv, Sauv/Sem and Chardonnay), a quick stop at Giaconda and then a couple of hours with Julian Cast-agna.

Julian is a warm, quietly-spo-ken yet opinionated sort of guy,

who likes to answer questions with questions. He goes gooey over babies and speaks quite plainly about how he operates, without the pomp and embellishment you might expect from a winemaker of his repute. We tasted several vin-tages in barrel and tank, includ-ing wines of good quality that he intends to completely declassify and make into vermouth. “If a wine, for whatever reason, lacks the life and energy that I’ve grown accustomed to from this vineyard, I won’t bottle it under the Cast-agna label”.

M A X M A R R I O T T

Castagna Vineyard, Beechworth.


We spoke about biodynamics, about the progressive nature of the industry at the moment, the concept of natural wines and the experimentation with orange wines. Says Julian, “I am biody-namic because I believe it is the most powerful way of allowing the vineyard to speak. If natural wine means wine without arte-facts, then I have been making natural wine this whole time. But if you mean wine without sulphur, then I have no problem as long as it doesn’t leave the cellar. When someone presents me with a glass of wine which is either oxidized or volatile, and then tell me it’s “natural” and that I need to get used to it, they’re talking out of their backside. In the end, wine is food and we do not find faulty food charming for very long.”

The time in Bendigo and Heathcote was brief, but there was an opportunity to visit Ron Laughton at Jasper Hill, whose wines had sold out. It was fas-cinating listening to Ron speak about his vineyard and winemak-ing ethos. He has a crew come to help with harvest, and then with pruning, and that’s it. No shoot thinning, no fruit thinning, no leaf plucking, no shoot position-ing. His Shiraz vines are dry grown and essentially self-sufficient. He did admit to some yellowing off in January one particularly hot recent summer, but he is far from perturbed by the cosmetic aes-thetics of the vineyard. He also runs his vineyard biodynamically, utilizing a mix of mulch and cul-tivation to manage his undervine area. He talks very simply about the benefits of biodynamic prac-tices. “BD500 is just a microbe bomb - it must glean something from its horn vessel, because the horns break down over time – and we know that microbes need warm water and oxygen to proliferate.”

A couple of hours down the road, Michael Dhillon of Bindi in the Macedon Ranges is a good

friend of Ron Laughton, and shakes his head as I relay the details of our visit at Jasper Hil. “Here’s Ron, with next to no can-opy management and labour costs throughout the growing season, commanding $100/bottle for his wines that sell out in weeks, and here we are desperately trying to get on top of the growth in the vineyard, manipulating, control-ling, using considerable labour and making far less profit at half the price he charges!”

There are plans afoot to expand the modest plantings at Bindi (currently just 6ha) which are made up of Pinot and Chardon-nay. The region is quite similar to many New Zealand climates, with the threat of spring frosts (there had been some damage the day before we arrived due to a frost fan malfunction) and a higher altitude (500m) result-ing in significantly cooler nights. The vineyard is planted onto shat-tered quartz over ancient siltstone and sandstone. Whilst the Pinot is exceptional (particularly with some age), I thought the Chardon-nay on the day was well suited to the quartz soils and on tasting had the drive, acidity and tautness of a cru Chablis.

The final two visits were with a couple of relatively unknown pro-ducers from the Yarra (at least, I suspect, for Kiwis), but whom are fast gaining notoriety and creating some truly exciting wines. I met up with Stu Proud, the viticultur-ist for Thousand Candles, a new project bankrolled by an inves-tor out of Singapore. Their first release – a blend – uses Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. Cer-tainly strange bedfellows under the typical stylistic umbrella, but as Stu explains, they’re approach-ing this project without burden or boundaries.

“It all began in 2010-2011 when the 1200 acre property was pur-chased in the Yarra Valley with the brief to ‘aim high and make

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a wine of difference’. Instead of having preconceived ideas about the style of wine or reference to others, the plan was to farm the place and listen, to wait, and to see what we could product.

The wine is not about variety but meant to be a true reflection of the season it was grown in and speak of the place where it comes from.”

As far as management of the

property, Stu uses a multi-faceted approach.

“I’ve worked with a whole range of ideas and practices over the years and have kind of picked the best bits out of each system.

Biological diversity and numbers underpins the whole approach but having tangible ways of tracking progress is important. The key focus is soil health. A balance between structure, biology and nutrition. Working with a lot of natural products and practices means you have to be proactive not reactive. Keeping a close eye on the weather and being one step ahead is always a challenge. The healthy, balanced systems can always bugger themselves more effectively against adverse con-ditions.”

Just around the corner from the Thousand Candles prop-erty was our final visit with Mac Forbes. The Mac Forbes label has been around for about ten years, though it wasn’t until recently that Mac obtained his own win-ery space and ownership in the vineyards he was sourcing his fruit from. He is a key proponent

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of sub-regionality, an ethos that underpins his entire business, with a total of eight small parcels that they care for, across the Yarra and into the Strathbogie Ranges (higher elevation north-east of the Yarra, where they source their Riesling fruit).

Unlike the Australian norm, Mac is crafting Rieslings with varying levels of residual sugar (boldly punctuated on the front label), and he is tailoring his viti-culture and winemaking to pro-duce sub-regional Pinots that are picked on acid rather than sugar. Some of these wines have just 12.5 or 13% a/v. They’re certainly the most age-worthy Australian Pinots I’ve ever tasted, with bold structures that can actually make the wines a bit hard to assess so fresh and early on.

“Within the winemaking fra-ternity, there’s a lot of cynicism about sub-regionality”, explains

Mac. “I think people are entitled to their opinion, but we started work-ing in the (historically) main areas of the Yarra, yet we’ve now found a few sites that don’t resemble anything out of the main area. I think the key thing is that we’re still scratching the surface on the most suitable and exciting sites but from a sub-regional point of

view, we’re certainly starting to identify major trends in various areas. The greatest motivation is preserving the expression of the great sites. The evolution is really exciting and we appreciate that there is still lots more to learn.”

In some ways, these last two visits in the Yarra may epitomise a new frontier in Australian wine

that moves beyond the techniques of Victoria’s historically great estates. A changing of the guard, maybe. A new stylistic wave, maybe.

Either way, it’s sure to keep the Victorian wine industry at the cut-ting edge of progress, innovation and discovery. ■[email protected]

Sub-regional soils, Mac Forbes.


VINEYARDNEWS

G lyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds, especially annual broad-leaf weeds and grasses known to

compete with commercial crops grown around the globe. It was released onto the market in 1974 and currently in New Zealand it makes up approximately 20 percent of herbicide sales. It is used throughout our primary industries, and is perhaps the most relied on herbicide of choice.

Yet resistance to glyphosate is growing, with 25 species around the world now resistant, compared with

zero in 1995.This growing resistance is of concern

to all involved in viticulture, given how much of it is used and how often.

Nick Pike, the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Arable Research, said ryegrass resistance is a particular concern, with New Zealand being the second country in the world to have recorded resistance in lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass or annual ryegrass).

Removing this and perennial ryegrass from vineyards has often been a common practice, as growers attempt

to clear away competing species beneath vines.

Pike said that the research being undertaken on glyphosate resistance, has been studying the impact of glyphosates on perennial ryegrass in Marlborough.

“In this project the scientists grew out some lolium multiflorum plants and exposed them to different rates of glyphosates. The plants continued to grow quite happily at 4 litres per hectare. At 8 litres we still had ryegrass surviving and you wouldn’t want to be using glyphosates at that level. If we look

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at perennial ryegrass, except at 2 and 4 litres per hectare, the growth is slightly stunted and at 8 litres it’s still alive. At 16 litres there is still a bit of green there, so this variety is very tolerant to high rates of glyphosates.”

See photo.In terms of how a plant gains

resistance, Pike said there is generally an alteration of the translocation within the plant.

“So instead of the glyphosates moving to the growing point it moves into a vacuoles and is stored. That is the early stage of resistance that has been picked up. There are two other types of resistance. T h e t a r g e t s i te m u t a t i o n s and the gene amplification.” These resistant mechanisms don’t all occur in the same manner, but they do all come about as a result of repeat uses of glyphosates.

“So that five, six or 15 years of glyphosate may take place b e f o r e y o u s e e r e s i s t a n c e

occurring.”Anywhere you are using

glyphosates to create weed free strips is going to be high risk, Pike said. But there are ways to avoid resistance.

“You need to make sure you are looking. If you think a plant should have been killed and it hasn’t, go back and get rid of it. That’s number one. Number two is to avoid overuse of glyphosates. Wherever you can, mix something else in that will also control the weeds. Or rotate glyphosate. Use another product. There are other options such as mowing, grazing, cultivation or rouging that you could consider.”

Pike said we don’t have the luxury of saying we have these chemicals at our disposal as we move forward, if more plants become resistant.

“We need to make sure we use them wisely to ensure we have the ability to use these chemicals in the future.” ■[email protected]


REGIONSMARTINBOROUGH

TRAGEDY TURN TO TE MUNA SUCCESSJ O E L L E T H O M S O N

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A M A N DA R I T C H I E

C olin Carruthers QC and Deborah Coddington are big names in legal and journalism circles, but

their new winery is dedicated to small-scale wine production.

It can’t be any other way. The couple’s Redbank Estate on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, is 11.5 hectares in total, of which 9 hectares is under vine.

The quality, on the other hand, is extremely good, thanks to a run of good winemakers; Jane Cooper from Matahiwi Estate and, now, Simon Groves; a local who began as winemaker in 2013.

The Te Muna site was pur-chased in 1996, making Carruthers the first to buy land here with the

intention of planting grapes; “I was a laughing stock,” he recalls.

“I couldn’t’ go anywhere in the Wairarapa without people asking if I was mad to think of growing grapes at Te Muna.”

It turned out that a family tragedy delayed the planting and subsequent production by several years. The year after he purchased the land, his son, James, passed away.

The site had been chosen by James, who was going to manage the vineyard and make the wine. His name is now on the label of the wines and also on the heavy wooden entrance gate to the prop-erty; which seems like a direct euphemism for the weight of this

project. The land lay dormant for nearly

four years after he passed away, until a friend encouraged Carru-thers to use it. That friend was fel-low lawyer and local winemaker, John Porter of Porters Pinots, who introduced Carruthers to Larry McKenna of The Escarp-ment Vineyard; directly across the road. Together, they advised him on grape varieties, planting the vineyard and making the wine.

The first wines were made in 2004 by Jane Cooper. But the logistics of transporting the grapes, coupled with Carruthers’ desire to be directly involved in the transformation from grapes in the vineyard to wine at the winery,

made it too tough to continue.“To get what we really want, we

have to be able to nurse the grapes from the vineyard into the winery, so we have built a new winery on site. The aim has always been to have a winery right alongside the grapes. Now we have it,” Carru-thers says.

He does indeed. The nearest vines are a mere metre from the concrete processing platform on which the grapes begin their trans-formative process. He also has a new winemaker.

Groves took over the winemak-ing reigns from the 2013 vintage; a tall order on top of owning and co-managing the Martinborough Wine Centre with his partner, Amanda Ritchie.

While the usual successful suspects occupy most of the 9 hectare Redbank Estate vineyard, there is a small triangular shaped corner of the site at the front of the home planted in Syrah and Viognier. This portion of land is significantly hotter than the main vineyard behind the home; though, being Martinborough, both receive more than their fair share of wind. But Syrah holds a special place in Carruthers’ heart - and in his wine glass. A framed black and white photograph of his grandmother on the wall outside his personal wine cellar is a clue to why.

“She was a wine collector and I grew up knowing of her great love of wines. She didn’t have a vast collection but she had a serious one, including some of Australia’s

Colin Carruthers QC and Deborah Coddington with dogs Hawk and Whetu.


great Shirazes. It was unusual for a New Zealand woman in those days to collect wine, but she had a pas-sion for good wines.”

Carruthers and Coddington made their first trial runs of Syrah and Viognier on site in a smaller building, which now operates as a barrel hall and, on occasion, a small events venue.

“The Syrah vines are from the original Stonecroft clone and the Viognier is the clone we refer to as the Millton clone,” says

Carruthers. In the larger, main vine-

yard, he has planted Chardon-nay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, including clones 5, 667 and 777; predominantly on the devigor-ating rootstock 101.14. Vines on other rootstock are not faring as well, even in this wind-stricken region, but as they are still rela-tively young vines, Carruthers will watch their progress before mak-ing changes. ■[email protected]

THREE SHADES OF GRIS

A new winery and a new winemaker can spell change but it’s business as usual for Simon Groves, with two new style departures added in for good measure - a dry Pinot Grigio and a sweet Pinot Gris.

His first vintage at Redbank Estate was 2013, the first whites from which were bottled in January this year. They include the new, bone dry ‘Martinborough meets Northern Italy’ Pinot Grigio, which will be labeled accordingly, to indicate its dry taste and medium body.

The house style Pinot Gris remains part of Red-bank Estate’s production and is a 25 gram residual sugar, wild ferment, Alsatian-inspired wine. And the third Pinot Gris incorporates wild ferment and partial noble rot rather than full strength botry-tis; this makes for a medium bodied, fresh white with flavours of grapefruit, hazlenuts and toasted macadamias.

Groves says: “My aim with the dry one was to make a Martinborough meets Northern Italy wine; with the depth and character of low cropped Pinot Grigio.”


INDUSTRYNEWS

MECHANICAL HARVESTINGT op dressing pilot Chris

Pask viewed the old Ngaruroro river bed in Hawkes Bay from above

for many years and identified that this barren infertile land could be ideal for growing premium grapes. In 1981 he planted the first vines at Gimblett Road, beginning with the red varieties Cabernet Sauvi-gnon and Merlot. These grapes flourished in the free draining, low fertility riverbed soils.

This region has since become known as the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District and enjoys

a global reputation for excellence and is now considered some of the most highly sort after vineyard land in the country. Pask Winery has continued to acquire land at Gimblett Road over many years and the harvesting of the fruit while initially all by hand, became a combination of both machine and handpicked fruit as scale grew.

Winemaker Kate Radburnd joined Pask Winery in 1991. She had previous experience with Gimblett Road fruit when Chris supplied her with grapes at Vidal Winery, and they were consist-

ently high quality. Pask Win-ery has gained an international reputation, with gold medal and trophy success in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, United King-dom and Asia. But the global world of wine is competitive and cost reduction, while maintain-ing quality is forever a considera-tion. New technology for machine harvesting is always of interest, particularly when berry integrity is maintained.

In 2008 the first Pellenc Selec-tiv’ Process Harvesters were introduced into New Zealand,

and quickly demonstrated that here was a machine which could reliably deliver fruit to the winery, already de-stemmed, clear of leaf and petiole, and in perfect condi-tion as the winemakers required. Since then, these machines have been adopted by the contractors and larger wineries throughout New Zealand and have resulted in the further mechanisation of this element of the industry.

Because of the large capital investment required to purchase a harvester, medium sized winer-ies like Pask continued to use the

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services of contractors.Then in late 2012 Pask invested

in a new 8090 Pellenc Selectiv’ Process Harvester, which is towed and powered by the conventional tractors already used in their vine-yards. This new harvester does all the same things the larger self-propelled cousins do, but at a price affordable to the mid-size wineries. Last vintage Pask Wines used their Pellenc Selectiv’ Process Harvester to harvest all their own fruit, eliminating hand picking for the first time. For the vineyard staff who had never used mechanical grape harvesters of any kind before, this new machine with its electronic controls was a completely new challenge to which they quickly adapted.

At the winery Radburnd found the operation worked perfectly, with the winemaking staff able to work day after day with good, clean fruit arriving in manageable

volumes at ideal ripeness, based on their own harvesting decisions.

“Managing the grape intake ourselves has eliminated the

need to lock in set hectares to be harvested at not necessarily opti-mal times. The 2013 vintage has produced exceptional quality; we

could not have had a better sea-son to first experience our own harvesting and we look forward to many more to come.” ■


ing the myths of Australian wine; a panel discussion between win-emakers, scientists and industry leaders. They included, among others listed below, Prue Hen-schke (Henschke Wines), Steve Webber (De Bortoli) and Bernard Hickin from Pernod Ricard.

Australia only makes homogenous reds

Australian winemakers pio-neered low priced drinkable wine and pumped it out in quantities that sated world wide thirsts for fruit driven, clean, even luscious red wines at a low price but is that all the country can do with wine?

“Australia is far from a mono-chromatic winemaking country today, thanks to the fast uptake of so-called alternative varietals such as Montepulciano, Tempranillo and Sangiovese,” said Dan John-son, MD of the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI).

Winemaker Steve Webber of De Bortoli Wines in Yarra Valley is openly blending Gewurztraminer with Pinot Gris to enhance its aro-matic spectrum and he is spear-heading other unconventional wine styles. But one of the most innovative new Australian wines right now is Wah; named after the ancient name for Japan and designed specifically to match sushi. Its creation was a collabo-ration between winemakers and chefs. The wine comes from Jacob’s Creek, which is pioneering many such initiatives in the bot-tle. Wah is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc.

Vineyard expression is non- existent in Australia

Increasing small batch win-emaking is growing not only in small wineries but in large ones too. Jacob’s Creek is also pioneer-ing organic wines from lesser known grape varieties. One of the best tasting to date is the Montep-ulciano. Watch this space.

Aussie wines can’t compete with the great wines of the world

Along with California, Aus-tralia has the oldest Vitis vinifera vines in the world, a high concen-tration of which can be seen when driving through the Barossa Valley where gnarled old vines of 85 years stand stooped in vineyards from which many of the world’s most consistently high quality Shiraz is made. The sight of these vines is staggering. These plants are nearly 100 years old and many are over that and they are still producing fruit. The wines made from old vines speak for themselves.

Winegrowing in Australia is damaging a fragile environment with scarce water resources

Dry countries are conducive to growing grapes with minimal intervention and disease; the rea-son South Australia has never had phylloxera. The country’s water shortage has led to a compulsory sustainability programme, which

INTERNATIONALNEWS

MYTH BUSTING AUSTRALIAN WINEJ O E L L E T H O M S O N

T he organisers of the first Savour Australia last year had a lofty aim: to raise the profile of Australia as

a tourist destination, using wine and food.

This is not Tasting Australia; a long-standing food focused event where wine is an add-on. By contrast, Savour Australia cham-pions the country’s wines first,

with food not merely a necessary adjunct, but an essential compo-nent. It was well timed. The event proved a perfect opportunity for the promotion of a new range of food-focussed wines by Jacob’s Creek, which are being designed to match food from different cul-tures around the world.

One of the event’s most com-pelling sessions was about bust-

MYTH 3:

MYTH 1:

MYTH 2:

MYTH 4:

Steingarten Riesling at Sunset. PHOTO: JOELLE THOMSON


has seen the government develop policies governing water use. Many of Australia’s top vineyards are managed with a dry-grow phi-losophy and practice, for example, Henschke’s Hill of Grace.

Irrigation is a dirty wordAustralia does irrigate during

its relatively long, relatively dry summers. But irrigation is closely monitored and governed.

Australia is a New World wine country lacking heritage, culture and tradition

“How old does a country have to be before it becomes Old World?” says Steve Webber from De Bortoli.

“Australia has clearly some of the oldest soils in the world. The very words old world, new

world are totally outmoded. Italy and France produce many e x t r e m e l y m o d e r n , c l e a n and fresh fruit driven wines w h i l e A u s t r a l i a – a n d New Zealand, South Africa, California and South America – can and do make complex wines; both red and white,” Webber says.

Australia only makes two wines: heavily oaked Chardonnay and high alcohol Shiraz

“This idea belongs in the Ark. We have to show and tell the world about the diversity of our wines from all over Australia; such as cool climate Shiraz from Tasmania and delicate Grenache-based reds from Barossa are the tip of the iceberg,” says Bryce Tyrrell. ■[email protected]

MYTH 5:

MYTH 6:

MYTH 7:

Budburst on an 85-year-old Shiraz vine in the Barossa. PHOTO: JOELLE THOMSON

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INDUSTRYNEWS

MAKING HIS MARCT E S S A N I C H O L S O N

C reating a solution for the tonnes of grape marc pro-duced every year, earned New Zealand’s young

viticulturist, Matt Fox, national recognition.

The winner of the Stephen Moore Markhams competition last year, Fox then went on to represent the wine industry in the Young Horticulturist of the Year. While he didn’t take out the overall title, he was placed second in the Agmardt Market Innova-tion Project with his grape marc project. It is an idea that has been brewing for a while for the Gis-borne based young vit.

“I wanted to address the rising issue of marc, which in places like Marlborough is not easy to get rid of,” he said. “The idea was to take the marc and products from sev-eral other industries and make a compost and compost teas which could then be sold back to vine-yards and fruit orchards.”

The problem with marc on its own as a compost, is its high acidity levels and low pH. Fox says there is a need to mix the detritus of vintage with other products that help it break down and deliver a better nutrient level to the soil.

“There is an ideal carbon to nitrogen level. Ideally it should sit between 25 parts carbon to 1 nitrogen, or 30 to 1. Grape marc has a low value whereas other products have high ratios that help pull it back.”

In his business plan he sug-gested using by products of maize (which has a high carbon ration and is also very dry), corn, toma-toes after processing, along with wood chips, sawdust and shavings, plus water resulting from dairy wash down and chicken manure.

The country’s largest wine region pro-duces anything up to 50,000 tonnes of grape marc every year.

What to do with it has been a grow-ing concern, not only for the industry but also the local council. Grape Marc Ltd was established in Marlborough last year, to help find a solution.

The entity involves the region’s larg-est producers, including Pernod Ricard, Constellation, New Zealand Wineries, Giesens, Delegates, Villa Maria, Indevin, Spring Creek Vintners, Saint Clair, Cloudy Bay and Mt Riley.

Spokesman Eric Hughes says the com-pany is looking at all uses for the by-

product of vintage, not just composting. They are working alongside the Food and Beverage Innovation Cluster, which in turn is working with the Marlborough Research Centre and Riddet Institute whose aim is to extract maximum value from all the region’s produce, including by-products of that produce. Already New Zealand Extracts in Marlborough is utilising grape seeds to produce antioxi-dant products.

“The decision by the wine industry to collectively find solutions and opportuni-ties for the grape marc by product has attracted a lot of interest locally, nation-ally and internationally,” says Hughes.

MARLBOROUGH MARC

If the ratios are right, he said the resulting compost then offers far more to the soil than any one product on its own. Plus effective compost goes way beyond deliver-ing nutrient levels back to the soil.

“It’s not just a one quick fix product. It’s acting as a mulch and supressing weeds, therefore minimising the need for at least

a couple of glyphosate applica-tions. It improves the soil health and quality, improves soil struc-ture and minimises the amount of fertiliser required.”

While coming up with the idea for an innovative project wasn’t too difficult, Fox said preparing a business plan was challenging.

“I can honestly say that if I

hadn’t had to do this for the com-petition, I never would have got around to it. But by having to do it, I have learned so much and gained some valuable skills for the future.”

Now that he has created the plan, he intends putting his theory to trial next year. ■[email protected]


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INDUSTRYNEWS

TRACMAP IMPROVEMENTS

T racMap, the system, which provides simple yet effec-tive job scheduling, 2-way sending and data report-

ing has proven popular with both contractors and wineries both here in New Zealand and also in Australia.

“We learnt a lot from last har-vest, and as with any new system there were some issues, which we acknowledged and have worked very hard to improve” says Lance Nuttall, National Sales Manager at TracMap NZ Ltd.

“The first thing we addressed was the communications. Chang-

ing to new improved modems and software to enhancements have made a much more reliable sys-tem in what can be very difficult conditions.

“The other changes are based on operator feedback. While many absolutely loved the system they did comment they wanted a sim-pler start process with a reduced number of button pushes and wanted it simplified so we have gone back to the drawing board and this month released a new software version that will make the operation of the unit very simple.”

TracMap has also released its Job Scheduling tool, which is integrated into TracLink. It will provide a very simple but effective method for contractors and wineries to schedule tasks, organise machinery, and allocate jobs

“We see this as being particu-larly effective during harvest, however it will also work well for spraying and other tasks during the growing season as well.

“We have also developed what we have termed ‘Forms’. These are created to suit tasks such as post audits, irrigation and vehi-

cle checks for example,” Nut-tall says.

“They allow paperless data input by the operator, which is date time stamped and sent back to TracLink. We see this potentially being a huge benefit especially with audits and HES requirements.” ■Balls 1 3/7/13 11:22 AM Page 2

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EVENT DATE2014

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CALENDAR


CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 8: 30th Anniversary Marlborough Wine and Food Festival

14: Nuits Romantiques, French outdoor movie for Valentines Day - Clos Henri Vineyards -Marlborough

16: Brightwater Festival -Nelson

22: 0cean and Orchard Wine and Food Festival – Kerikeri

MARCH

7: Last date for entries in Decanter Wine Awards 2014

8: The Dog Point/Logan Brown Classic Kiwi Picnic, 12 noon – 4.30ish. Dog Point Vineyards, Blenheim. Tickets [email protected]

8: West Coast Wild Foods Festival – 25th Anniversary – Hokitika

15: Gibbston Wine and Food Festival – Central Otago

15: Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival – Wairarapa, Gladstone

18 – 30: Gisborne Regional Wine Awards 2014 – Call for entries. Details at www.gisbornewine.co.nz/regionalawards

23: Waipara Valley Wine and Food Festival – Waipara

APRIL

4 – 6: The Food Show Christchurch - Christchurch

5: Forrest GrapeRide - Marlborough – full details at www.graperide.co.nz

20: Clyde Wine and Food Festival – Clyde

MAY

19: Spiegelau International Wine Competition 2014 entries open


STATISTICS

PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS

MAJOR VARIETIES IN MAJOR AREAS

MAJOR NZ VINEYARD AREAS PRODUCING HECTARES

*n.c. = no change

*(npr = not previously recorded separately)

Exports up againExports for the year to date to the end of November 2013

(Moving Annual Total)

Region (Actual) 2012 2015

(forecast)

% of Total

Marlborough 22,587.3 23.017.7 66%

Hawkes Bay 4,841.4 4,938.5 14%

Otago 1,786.7 1,791.9 5%

Gisborne 1,616.5 1,586.2 5%

Waipara 1,034.5 1,082.2 3%

Wairarapa / Wellington 941.9 943.5 3%

Nelson 962.6 1,015.4 3%

Auckland / Northland 319.77 315.7 1%

Waikato / Bay of Plenty 16.1 10.2 0%

National Total 34,269.5 34,952.8

Variety 2012 % producing

area

2015 % producing

area

Sauvignon Blanc 19,929.8 58.2 20,214.7 57.8

Pinot Noir 5096.4 14.9 5175.1 14.8

Chardonnay 3120.9 9.1 3164.0 9.1

Pinot Gris 2396.2 7.0 2399.7 6.9

Merlot 1195.9 3.5 1245.4 3.6

Riesling 719.0 2.1 746.2 2.1

Syrah 354.1 1.0 400.6 1

Gewurztraminer 331.3 1.0 311.4 0.9

Cabernet Sauv 284.8 0.8 323.7 0.9

Viognier 160.8 0.5 146.5 0.4

Malbec 130.2 0.4 143.9 0.4

Cabernet Franc 111.6 0.3 108.9 0.3

All other varieties 438.7 1.3 572.7 1.6

Total 34,269 34,952.9

PRODUCING AREA IN HECTARES BY SIZE - NUMBER OF VINEYARDS

New Zealand’s total producing vineyard will increase by only 0.5% over

the next 2 years. This table shows the variation for major varieties (in

Ha), with % change and percentage of total in 2012.

Region 0-5 5.01-10 10.01-20 20.01-50 50.01

and over

Aklnd / Nthlnd 60 13 3 0 1

Canterbury 16 6 2 0 1

Gisborne 20 30 25 13 7

Hawkes Bay 75 56 57 32 21

Marlborough 190 291 210 181 100

Nelson 45 37 12 6 3

Otago 80 61 26 15 3

Waikato / BoP 2 1 1 _ _

Waipara 12 16 3 6 4

Wairarapa / Wgtn 61 16 10 8 3

National 561 527 349 261 143

CountryLitres(m)

$ FOBAverage$/L 2013

Average$/L 2012

United Kingdom 47,123 277,397 $5.32

USA 43,603 295,671 $6.78 $6.36

Australia 52,077 378,161 $7.26 $7.52

Canada 7,318 78,185 $10.68 $10.87

Netherlands 4,472 30,064 $6.72 $5.97

Denmark 0.837 6265 $7.48 $6.37

Ireland 2259 16,693 $7.39 $7.12

Japan 1,188 14,292 $12.03 $11.97

Germany 2,030 11,124 $5.48 $5.35

China 1,780 21,513 $12.08 $12.12

Hong Kong 1,457 19,193 $13.17 $12.57

Singapore 1,390 17,527 $12.61 $12.82

Finland 0.201 1,725 $8.57 $9.17

Norway 0.238 1,904 $7.97 $6.61

Sweden 1.597 13,430 $8.41 $8.21

Others 5,150 49,682 $9.65 $9.95

Total 172,729,102 1,232,834 $7.14 $6.87


A regular feature at the back of each issue of WineGrower to inform industry people about research projects being undertaken for their benefit. Newly approved projects (when available) are briefly summarised in the first section ‘Introducing New Projects’. Longer reports in the section headed ‘Progress Reports’, will describe what has been achieved so far. Scientists in charge of each project have been asked to make these reports reader-friendly rather than to follow the usual format of scientific papers. When completed, each project will be reported in full detail, with references, on the website: http://wine.nzwine.com/members/research/research-reports/

Information and Updates on NZ Winegrowers Research Programmes.

Associate Editors: Dr Simon Hooker, General Manager Research and Innovation

LIST OF PROJECTS

RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT

Quality Wine Styles for Existing and Developing Markets

Literature review of grape and wine anthocyanins and phenolics to give viticulturists and winemakers knowledgeLincoln University (Roland Harrison)

Preliminary investigation of factors responsible for variability in tartaric acid additions to Pinot noirLincoln University (Roland Harrison)

Manipulation of methoxypyrazine (MP) levels in Sauvignon blanc wine through leaf and rachis additionsPlant and Food Research (Claire Grose)

Influence of juice pH on thiol productionPlant and Food Research (Claire Grose)

Identification of natural genetic variation in grapevine contributing to pathogen resistanceLincoln University (Chris Winefield)

Chinese consumers’ preferences and attitudes to wine: Review of literature including Chinese Language PublicationsPlant and Food Research (Roger Harker)

Pests and DiseaseSustaining vineyards through practical management of grapevine trunk diseases

South Australian Research & Development Institute (Mark Sosnowski) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

Implementation of Virus Elimination Strategy Various (Nick Hoskins – Project Manager)Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

Botrytis decision support (BDS) industry training & botrytis sampling protocolsPlant and Food Research (Rob Beresford)

Sustainability/OrganicsOrganic Focus Vineyard Project Organic Winegrowers New Zealand(Rebecca Reider) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

Effects of undervine vegetation management on grape quality, vine performance, grape composition, and soil propertiesEastern Institute of Technology (EIT)(Mark Krasnow)

Cost Reduction/Increased ProfitabilityNew opportunities for sustainable grape thinning Plant and Food Research (Mike Trought) Supported by MPI Sustainable

Farming FundReduced berry size and Botrytis tolerance through trauma to the vinePlant and Food Research (Mike Trought)


PROGRESSREPORTS

Critical recommedations emerging from ‘sustainable virus-free vineyards: replants and beyond’

Vaughn Bell and Jim Walker

The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Havelock North

NZW 12-100

Since 2009, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) and the Sustainable Farming Fund have supported research aimed at increasing our understanding of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (leafroll virus). Popularly known as the “Virus Elimination Project”, the research endeavour has two overarching objectives: (1) to develop new practical approaches for effective virus-vector manage-ment systems, and (2) to provide sector-wide technical transfer.

Leafroll virus is found only in Vitis. In New Zealand, it is the most widespread and destructive virus affecting grapevines. Virus transmission is through the use of infected propagating material (primary spread) and by insect vectors, namely mealybugs, scale insects and soft scales (second-ary spread). Currently, there are no other known means by which leafroll virus can be transmitted to healthy vines.

The most important vectors of leafroll virus in New Zealand are the citrophilus and longtailed mealybugs. Both species are widely distributed across winegrowing regions in the North Island, and it seems that they are also problem-atic in parts of the South Island. In Marlborough, recent monitoring identified one or other of these mealybugs in 101 of 105 vineyard blocks assessed. Thus, mealybugs seem to be widely distributed in Marlborough vineyards.

Leafroll virus has no cure, so

where virus incidence is relatively low (<20%), the best manage-ment option is to remove (rogue) infected vines. Leafroll virus affects red and white berry varie-ties, although the evidence sug-gests that for factors like yield, and fruit and wine quality, its greatest impact is on red berry varieties. In these, symptom expression is visually characterised by the dark red downward curling leaves with green veins (Figure 1). In white berry varieties, field diag-nosis of leafroll virus is inherently unreliable, as changes to leaf colour as described for red varieties do not occur in infected white varieties.

In lieu of visual symptom identi-fication, enzyme-linked immu-nosorbent assay (ELISA) testing remains the optimal way to detect infected white berry vines accu-rately. However, at present, cost restricts the ability of most winer-ies to ELISA test on the scale and frequency needed to identify and rogue virus-infected vines annu-ally. Therefore, unseen infected vines co-existing with mealybug vectors pose the greatest risk to neighbouring healthy vines and to adjoining blocks, whether they are white or red berry varieties. An example of this risk can be found in a candid interview with Steve Smith

from Craggy Range that was posted on “Virus-Free Vineyards – The Blog” (December 2012), located in the Research area of New Zealand Winegrowers’ website at nzwine.com.

Research undertaken over the last 4 years has provided new insights into leafroll virus man-agement. Therefore, the manage-ment strategies developed should be applied consistently and in accordance with our current understanding of best practice. In this article, we summarise the cur-rent recommendations related to mealybug and leafroll virus man-agement in red berry cultivars, and where possible, we reference

Figure 1. The visual symptoms of leafroll virus as seen on the leaves of a Cabernet Sauvignon vine in Hawke’s Bay in April 2012


relevant factsheets and other sup-porting information found on the NZW website.

Mealybug management and monitoringResearch has consistently high-lighted the importance of effective mealybug control. In two Hawke’s Bay study blocks in 2009, leafroll virus incidence was 10% and 16%.

Following an annual pro-gramme of visual monitoring and the roguing of symptomatic vines, virus incidence reduced to less than 0.5% by 2012. This outcome was supported by low numbers of mealybugs in the vine canopy, which equated to an average of 2-3 mealybugs per 100 vine leaves inspected.

In another two study blocks where mealybug control was largely ineffective (70-170 mealy-bugs per 100 leaves inspected), cumulative vine loss was 37% and 46% between 2009 and 2013. With both these blocks having rapidly become uneconomic to retain, all residual vines were removed in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Fur-ther insight into these and other results are contained in our lat-est report to NZW, “Sustainable virus-free vineyards: replants and beyond, Hawke’s Bay and Marlbor-ough.” This can be accessed via the members’ area of the NZW web-site, and is filed under “Research Reports.”

To assist sector stakeholders to better manage mealybugs, a new factsheet was written: “Pre-harvest mealybug monitoring” (NZVE111). It provides informa-tion on a suggested monitoring methodology, focused on the tim-ing of inspections, the suggested sampling of vine leaves rather than bunches, and the use of magnifica-tion to identify mealybug crawlers (length of c. 0.5 mm).

Also discussed is the need for detailed record keeping. This factsheet should be read in conjunction with “Mealybugs –

knowing the pest” (NZVE105) and “How to look for mealybugs” (NZVE106). All the factsheets mentioned in this article are freely available in the Research area of the NZW website.

Controlling mealybugs on grapevines is critical if leafroll virus and its rate of spread are to be successfully managed. In con-ventionally managed vineyards, we suggest vineyard owners instigate (or continue) an annual mealybug spray programme, a task that should assume priority status. Current insecticide best practice is outlined in the factsheet “Mealy-bug control for cropping vines” (NZVE104).

Other tools designed to assist growers with leafroll virus and mealybug management are a series of short and informative videos hosted by the virus project man-ager, Nick Hoskins, all of which can be accessed via the members’ area of the NZW website.

Leafroll virus symptom identification in red berry varieties

As mentioned, red berry vines infected with leafroll virus are visually very distinct, as shown in Figure 1. By walking or slowly rid-ing a quad bike down the length of an inter-row, a trained assessor can use the visual cues to identify individual infected vines reliably, and tag them (with flagging tape).

By repeating the process across entire blocks, it should be possible to identify all symptomatic vines so that they can be removed later in the year. When supported by effective mealybug control, such actions are expected to reduce virus incidence and its rate of spread significantly.

One of the critical outcomes of this research programme relates to roguing.

A t t h e o u t s e t , g r o w e r s expressed a great deal of uncer-tainty as to what vines should be rogued when a symptomatic

vine was discovered. Was virus control achievable by removing symptomatic vines only, or was it also necessary to remove non-symptomatic (‘healthy’?) neigh-bouring vines? Having measured virus spread in many Hawke’s Bay vineyards for up to 5 years, we now have ample evidence that leafroll virus can be successfully con-trolled by removing the sympto-matic vines only. In other words, it is not necessary also to remove the within-row vines on either side of the infected vine.

A crucial part of the identifica-tion process is good record keep-ing. Firstly, this enables annual assessments of the proportion of infected vines lost from each block. Secondly, cumulative vine losses recorded from one year to the next tell a compelling story. In reviewing these historical data, vineyard owners can measure the success of control efforts, and if necessary, re-evaluate their mealy-bug and/or virus control measures to improve management out-comes further.

It is worth remembering, how-ever, that successfully controlling leafroll virus is very much an inte-grated process that relies not only on vector management, but also on a range of other factors such as the timing and frequency of visits to blocks to look for infected vines.

In terms of assisting growers to identify the virus, NZW have funded an extensive collection of high-quality images depicting virus-infected vines from a range of red berry varieties. For those vineyard owners and their asses-sors with any uncertainty about the symptoms seen in the field, the collection offers an oppor-tunity to compare and contrast their own leaf collections visually with those images found online. Covering varieties like Pinot noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mal-bec and Syrah vines, the array of whole-vine and single-leaf images provides sufficient detail to allow

users to identify leafroll virus reli-ably in these and other red berry varieties.

In addition, there are also images depicting magnesium defi-ciency, which in red berry varie-ties can sometimes be mistaken for the symptoms of leafroll virus. We expect that for those wanting to learn more about visually iden-tifying infected vines, this site will prove to be an invaluable visual aid. The image collection can be accessed at Flickr, the social media site for storing and sharing photo-graphs online (flickr.com).

In being able to identify symp-tomatic vines reliably, vineyard owners must also seriously con-sider the timing and frequency of visits to blocks planted in red berry varieties. In circumstances where two or more visits per block are achievable, the process of visual symptom identification should commence in late March and ideally, monitoring should continue through until mid April. Indeed, this timetable is suitable for those wineries where a single visit per block remains the only option, although it will substan-tially reduce opportunities to detect (and therefore rogue) all symptomatic vines within a sin-gle season. Mitigating the risk of virus spread beyond the unseen and un-rogued infected vines can be achieved by maintaining good mealybug control.

By deferring visual symptom identification until April, there is always a risk of frosts. Should one eventuate, vine defoliation would quickly follow, thus severely com-promising the ability of assessors to identify symptomatic vines. Until the process of symptom identification is concluded and all symptomatic vines are tagged, we recommend growers monitor weather forecasts regularly.

ConclusionSuccessfully controlling leaf-

roll virus relies on the integration


of several management protocols adopted concurrently. For exam-ple, simply to identify and rogue symptomatic vines without also effectively managing mealy-bug populations will do little to achieve the goal of leafroll virus control.

Similarly, to ensure that low mealybug abundance really does

benefit a virus management plan, it is critical that each year, symp-tomatic vines are identified and removed – to do otherwise simply increases the risk of virus spread to neighbouring healthy vines.

To assist sector stakeholders to better understand leafroll virus, NZW have progressively devel-oped a comprehensive reposi-

tory of science-based reports, factsheets, videos, photographic images and other supporting information, all of which are avail-able online.

This information exists with the sole purpose of assisting vineyard owners and viticulture personnel to achieve sustained leafroll virus control.

AcknowledgementsThis project is made possible

through the on-going funding by New Zealand Winegrowers and the co-funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustain-able Farming Fund. We greatly appreciate the ongoing support of vineyard owners, managers, and staff. ■

Chinese consumers’ preferenceSun-Waterhouse D, Harker FR, Clapperton BK, Gunson A

12-111

With 240% growth over 2006–2011, the Chinese wine market is set to expand even further in the next decade. China consumed 1.9 billion bottles of wine in 2011, becoming the world’s fifth largest consumer. Sales are predicted to top $NZD160B. Even a small slice of this would expand the New Zealand wine market. At present we export c. 2.219M litres to China (NZW 2013 Annual Report), worth c. $NZD27M.

China is also a large wine pro-ducer, with around 500 wineries, and local wine accounts for 95% of the Chinese wine market. With great potential for both increased consumption as well as produc-tion, China could emerge as a significant export market, or as a major threat to other produc-ers. New Zealand Winegrowers commissioned Plant & Food Research to prepare a broadly focused review of Chinese con-sumers’ preferences and attitudes to wine, including reviewing pub-lications in Chinese languages. This report was recently com-pleted (Sun-Waterhouse 2013). The information collected pro-vides insights into consumption statistics, consumers’ education needs, consumer segments, the

role of gift giving, advice available to the industry, and the roles of price/value on consumer choice (international v. Chinese domesti-cally produced wines).

For historical and cultural rea-sons, wine has never been as popu-lar as rice spirits and beer in China, tending historically to be used by senior government officials and wealthy merchants at important ceremonial occasions.

Tradition still influences who drinks wine and on which occa-sions. Wine is considered a luxury in China; as such, the market has

grown rapidly since its emergence in the mid 1990s. The perceived health properties of wine, together with a rise in consumption tax on their traditional grain spirits, have provided a recent impetus.

The Chinese market for domestic and imported wines is developing rapidly among young, urban professionals and busi-ness people in the main cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, with the vast rural market still untapped.

Chinese consumer groups range from the wealthy to middle

class, and now even “ordinary” families around the dining table. China’s emerging middle class sees wine as a lighter alternative to hard spirits. While more expen-sive, imported wine tends to be purchased for social occasions; cheaper, domestic wine is chosen for private consumption.

“Gifting” and mianzi (com-monly translated as ‘face’) remain two of the driving forces behind wine sales growth in China, and Old World, especially French, red wines are preferred for this pur-pose. It will be difficult to break


the Chinese clients’ long-lasting “country-of-origin” and brand loyalty. However, our research has found that Chinese consum-ers prefer fruity, sweet wines. So while red wine still dominates, rosé, white and sparkling wines will play increased roles. This is partly driven by the increased consumption of wine by Chinese women. While on one hand, Chi-nese women prefer white wines - even drinking them with soft drinks as a healthy option - on the other hand, they prefer wines from France and Italy, believing that these reflect their aspirations for sophistication, elegance and romance.

Both the name and the label, as well as the presentation of the product, are important market-ing factors. The word ‘white’ to describe white wine should prob-ably be changed, as in Chinese society the colour white is asso-ciated with death. Light golden (dan jin se) and amber (hu po se) could be good choices, with their associations with precious metals and gems. Alternatively, it may be good to advise that white wine is transparent (tou ming), a positive quality to the Chinese. For label-

ling, tradition and heritage are favoured, and simple translations of the name into Chinese on the back labels are valued.

Packaging that signifies status and quality is critical to success. Gold symbolises prosperity, while red is a powerful colour associated with richness, tradition, health and happiness.

Cork is still the preferred clo-sure for most Chinese consumers, who associate cork with premium, safe wines.

Matching wines with food/meals is growing in importance for Chinese consumers, with increasing advice sources in vari-ous media.

A high proportion of wine con-sumption occurs in restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs and the like, and is influenced by what is supplied in those establish-ments. Four-star and five-star hotels, Western restaurants and upscale local chain restaurants targeting middle and upper income groups generally carry a selection of imported wines, alongside local offerings. Super-markets play an important role in wine sales, although wines are also sold in convenience stores,

wine shops, winery shops, and via e-commerce.

The “affordable” price range is $NZD5 - $12 per bottle. Affordabil-ity will especially be key for wines targeted at female beauty and health. Most sales of New Zealand wines are in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. New Zealand wines are generally positioned in restau-rant wine lists at between $NZD50 and $120 per bottle, i.e. at the high end of the market. Leading dis-tributors already carry between one and four New Zealand labels.

The following recommenda-tions are therefore made for New Zealand wine marketers:

• Develop brands suitable for Chinese markets

• Build extensive, good rela-tionships with distribution chan-nels and establish monopoly shops or exclusive agents

• Position New Zealand wines as middle-to-premium products

• Promote the desirable and unique New Zealand lifestyle along with the “purity” of the New Zealand image through tourism and media campaigns

• Set up a novel white wine series tailored for the emerg-ing Chinese group and/or based

o n f o o d m a tc h i n g / p a i r i n g approaches.

In China, wine is an aspira-tional beverage. There is little doubt that the Chinese wine market will continue to expand, attracting interest from both Chi-nese domestic producers and for-eign wineries, including those in New Zealand. However, the chal-lenges related to marketing wine in China are numerous, including lack of transparency and unreli-able information, dominance of the domestic producers, distri-bution and logistics complexity, consumer and cultural education about wine, government regula-tions, and the strong sense of nationalism.

Choosing suitable strategies for pricing, brand building and partner dealing is critical, taking into account the challenges associ-ated with this market. There is no such thing as an all-in-one solu-tion for a large country like China with a unique culture, different traditions, various regional cui-sines and consumers. Being open minded, combined with good communication and cooperation with Chinese partners, will be always required. ■

Grapevine trunk and root diseases in New Zealand: Our knowledge base in 2013Mundy DC, Clapperton BK, Gunson A

12-109

Grapevine trunk and root diseases pose a threat to the longevity of vineyards and the economic pro-duction of high quality wines in New Zealand.

So it is important that grow-ers can access the latest research results about these diseases. While there has been a significant amount of research on grape trunk

and root diseases in New Zealand in the past, much of that informa-tion is held in reports and theses that are not readily accessible to the industry.

In response to this concern, New Zealand Winegrowers com-missioned Plant & Food Research to locate, as far as possible, all available literature on trunk and

root diseases in New Zealand and to assemble the key information into a single document that could be made available industry wide.

The project also allowed us to identify gaps in knowledge of trunk diseases in New Zealand, and to provide recommendations for future research.

The most important trunk dis-

eases in New Zealand are botry-osphaeria dieback, eutypa dieback, crown gall and Petri disease. The principal root diseases are black foot, verticillium wilt, and phy-tophthora root rot.

There have been four main areas of research: diagnostics and detection techniques, stud-ies on nursery and potted vines,


life cycle studies of single disease-causing pathogens, and manage-ment options for disease control in mature vines. Lincoln Univer-sity and Plant & Food Research (PFR) have been the two groups most active in grapevine trunk dis-ease research, including a 2009 PFR survey of vineyards around New Zealand of the incidence of diseases and the distribution of fungal species.

Studies have also been con-ducted by the University of Auck-land and Landcare Research Ltd, and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

Several advances have been made in New Zealand regard-ing the identification of fungi associated with trunk disease. Vineyard surveys isolated Bot-ryosphaeria, Phaeomoniella and Eutypa at multiple sites but also species of Phaeoacremonium and Cylindrocarpon, Acremonium, Alter-naria, Cadophora, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Gliocladium, Mucor,

Penicillium, Phoma, Trichoderma, Ullocladium and Xylaria. Three new species of Phaeoacremonium (Pm.) have been identified as Pm. armeniacum, Pm. globosum and Pm. occidentale.

New promising diagnostic systems include the t-RFLP data-base and Multiplex PCR methods. And there are also species-specific tools for identification of Phaeo-moniella chlamydospora and bot-ryosphaeriaceae species.

The results from studies of pot-ted vines and nurseries have led to the provision of a set of best prac-tices designed to prevent infection of propagation material in the field and to reduce inoculum sources in the grafting process and nursery beds, by improved hygiene and crop rotation.

Life cycle studies, especially of botryosphaeriaceae, have added to our understanding of these patho-gens and their relationships with their hosts and the environment.

Research in mature vineyards has provided information that has

been used in the design of the 2013 New Zealand Winegrowers SFF project “Optimising management of grapevine trunk diseases”.

Areas of knowledge gaps where further research is needed include in particular wound responses and healing; more rapid pre-symptom detection methods; understand-ing of genetic resistance to these diseases; and other diatrypaceous fungal species affecting grape-vines in New Zealand.

Popular articles and technical reviews are more accessible and user-friendly ways than formal scientific reports and papers to release information directly to growers and to technical staff employed in the industry. Two technical reports on grapevine trunk diseases are: “Ecology and management of grapevine trunk diseases in New Zealand: a review” ) and “Physiological response of grapevines to vascular pathogens: a review”.

A substantial collection of fact sheets, images and other informa-

tion is currently available to the industry.e.g. the PFR video clip on how to identify grapevine cankers in the field, viewable at: http://www.mrc.org.nz/marlborough-trunk-disease-web/. (See table 1)

A valuable, publicly available resource on trunk rot fungi is the Landcare Research database, con-taining all formal records of fungi in New Zealand, accessible via: http://nzfungi.landcareresearch.co.nz/html/mycology.asp. It con-tains taxonomic information, the presence/absence status of the fungus in New Zealand, relevant literature on it and its hosts, and online descriptions, images and identification keys. It allows an assessment of the status of the fungus as an unwanted organism under a biosecurity response by The Ministry for Primary Indus-tries.

Our review discussed other options for tech transfer of avail-able scientific research findings. As well as the usual field days, focused workshops, vineyard

Figure 1. Leaf Symptoms of esca, a trunk disease complex which has not been recorded in New Zealand.


Currently available fact sheets New sheets released by New Zealand Winegrowers

Identification of bleached canes and other diseases at pruning

Black foot in vineyards

Phomopsis stem and leaf spot Black foot in grapevine nurseries

Effects of trunk disease on crop quality Botrosphaeria dieback in vineyards

Re-trunking of old vines Botryosphaeria dieback in grapevine nurseries

Fungi associated with trunk diseases in the New Zealand wine-growing regions

Esca disease in vineyards

Phaeoacremonium spp. in New Zealand vineyards Eutypa dieback in vineyards

Vineyard hygiene and prevention of trunk diseases

Glassy-winged sharpshooter

walks, technical sessions such as Grapedays, and one-on-one meetings, an interactive online disease key could be developed and customised for New Zealand diseases and conditions. Interactive spread-sheets and predictive tools are becoming available.

For example, the Marlborough trunk disease web-site already has a simple spreadsheet tool that allows the user to enter the current amount of trunk disease in the vineyard, the value and yield of the crop, and the replacement vine value. It then calculates the cost over ten years of replacing diseased vines or simply removing them.

Trunk and root diseases of grapevines are in New Zealand and they need to be managed. We also included in our report an assessment of other potential disease risks, not in New Zealand, which we should work hard to keep out.

Of particular concern here are three trunk dis-eases that should be included in biosecurity response planning.

These are esca, Pierce’s disease (spread by the glassy winged sharpshooter), and bacterial blight of grapes.

Of the diseases we do have, a considerable amount of work has been done in a short time, and New Zea-land has been quick to use information from overseas and apply it to our way of growing grapes. We should continue to review current international research, which can provide useful direction and informa-tion. In the future, research and technology transfer will need to go hand in hand to continue to improve industry best practices with regard to trunk and root disease management. ■

AcknowledgementsThis project is made possible through funding

from New Zealand Winegrowers.

Table 1

Photo courtesy NZW

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