nz winegrower june-july 2012

C OV E R CROP S ✽ SU M M E R OF R I E S L I NG ✽ V I N I TA LY ✽ M A R L B OROUG H ’ S S U B R E G ION S

JU

NE/JULY 2012

ISSUE

74

TH

E O

FF

ICIA

L J

OU

RN

AL

OF

NE

W Z

EA

LA

ND

WIN

EG

RO

WE

RS

ISS

UE

74

JUN

E/JU

LY

20

12N

EW

ZE

AL

AN

D W

INE

GR

OW

ER

Amcor produces a range of Stelvin® Closures for wine and spirit applications. Supplying some of Australia and New Zealand’s finest wineries, Amcor has a distinct understanding of local market requirements. This is supported by a keen focus on product quality and

brand awareness – all while remaining price competitive. So whether you’re simply after Stelvin® Closures, or a fully integrated packaging solution for your wine or beverage, Amcor really is your one-stop packaging partner.

For more information:T + 61 8 8433 2500 E [email protected] or visit www.amcor.com ©Amcor 2012

Creating a new world of packaging

Setting the global standard in beverage closures

Amcor, your partner in superior wine closures

For more information:T + 61 8 8433 2500 E [email protected] + 64 9 262 6971 E [email protected] visit www.amcor.com ©Amcor 2012

The patented Eco Trellis System has been engineered to replacetraditional CCA wooden posts used in vineyard trellis systems.

Eco friendly and fully recyclable, the high strengthgalvanised steel products are free of contaminants sopotential ground leaching is eliminated. The systemcomprises of strainer systems, intermediate posts andclipping systems interchangeable for your specific application.

Hand inserted trellis clips for general, permanent captureand automated vine stripping applications.

The patented footing at the base of thestrainer and intermediate posts gives up tofour times more retention than a parallelpost. If you have soft or loose soils werecommend the use of a GRF plate whichslips over the top of the post to prevent

lifting or under the bottom of the post toprevent sinking - no more welded anchors!

Conventional, box andtie-back strainer postsare available as standard

NEW AGPOST CLIPPOSITIONING. See

www.ecotrellis.com for moredetail.

www.ecotrellis.com

www.ecotrellis.com

O-I New Zealand. 752 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand

Phone: +64 9 976 7100 Fax: +64 9 976 7191

Email: [email protected] www.o-i.com

The skill of New Zealand’s winemakers has ensured that the results of each

new vintage are eagerly awaited around the world. The quality of these

wines demands the quality packaging that O-I can provide as our wine

industry grows from strength to strength.

New Zea land g lass f o r wor ld c l ass

New Zealand Wines

CONTENTS

40

50

48

I S S U E 7 4

FEATURES

10 Cover Crops MaxMarriottlooksathowthreedifferent

vineyardsinCentralOtagohaveusedcovercropsaspartoftheirorganicregime.

14 John Avery MW NewZealandwinelostoneofitsgreatest

advocatesrecentlywhenrenownedwinepersonalityJohnAverydiedinEngland.NickNobilopaystribute.

19 Chinese Import Channels MasterofWineDebraMelbergisanexpert

ontheHongKongandChinesemarketsandhassomesoundadviceforcompanieslookingtoexportintobothcountries.Shetakesacloserlookatpotentialimportchannels.

38 Picking for Charity OneWaitakiwinecompanyhasbeen

helpingraisefundsfortheNewZealandSpinalTrustforthepastfouryears.OstlerWinesowner,JimJerram,explainshow.

REGULARS

4 Editorial TessaNicholson

5 From the CEO PhilipGregan

8 In Brief Newsfromaroundthecountry

24 Bob’s Blog BobCampbellMW

34 Sommelier’s Corner CameronDouglasMS

44 Money Matters MarcusPhillipsfromNZForex

62 Calendar WineeventshappeninginNewZealand

63 Research Supplement Thelatestscienceandresearchprojects

fundedbyNZWinegrowers

FRONT COVER PHOTO: Supplied by Wines from Martinborough

FROM THE EDITOR TESSA NICHOLSON

EDITOR Tessa [email protected]

CORRESPONDENTS

Auckland: Joelle [email protected]

Gisborne: Marg Willimott [email protected]

Gisborne: Christine [email protected]

Hawkes Bay: Mary Shanahan [email protected]

Nelson: Neil [email protected]

Canterbury: Jo Burzynska [email protected]

Central Otago: Max Marriott [email protected]

ADVERTISING

Ros Sellers [email protected]: 07 827 8648 Fax: 07 827 8631Mobile: 021 190 3877www.nzwinegrower.co.nz

CIRCULATION &

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Lorraine [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

4 // NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2012

I t has been a tough vintage for everyone with a noticeable lack of sunshine during summer months, periods of heavy rain when we

didn’t want them, then the drawn out autumn that provided perfect late ripen-ing conditions.

While the wines of 2012 promise to be outstanding, growers and wineries have faced a considerable drop in yields. Early New Zealand Winegrowers estimates put the vintage at approximately 300,000 tonnes, down from last year’s high of 328,000.

But those estimates were pre harvest – the reality is likely to be far less. Which in terms of the woes of recent years, is good news long term.

Unfortunately it isn’t good news for growers and wineries in the short term, given the financial situation many are in.

There is another issue that will raise itself now vintage is over. What do grow-ers do in terms of setting up the vines for vintage 2013? With a very cool December 2011 in many parts of the country, initia-tion this coming December is likely to be much lower than in previous years. Given many growers have pruned to three and in some cases two canes in an effort to manage yields, what should they do this coming year? Should they retain three canes, or should they go back to four? Research shows that even if you increase the cane numbers by 25 per cent, it won’t necessarily equate to a 25 per cent increase in yield. Should you increase bud numbers, or is the likelihood of near on perfect conditions at flowering likely to see your yields rise to beyond suitable levels?

Yield estimates should begin now, with wineries and growers working together to determine just what the

best course of action is, prior to the pruners moving into the vineyard.

All scenarios have to be considered. What will happen if there is a repeat of the poor flowering conditions of this vin-tage? What is the likelihood of a perfect flowering – and what is the cost going to be if there is too much fruit on the vines, come January 2013. New Zealand Winegrowers will be send-ing members an information sheet that will help you to make those all important decisions.

On another note, July 1 is looming and for wineries that means another increase in Excise Tax. After last year, any further rise is bordering on destructive. With the Alcohol Law Reform Bill still making its way through parliament, and the impact that may have on cellar doors around the country, the increase of excise, could well be the last straw. If you think I protest too much, consider these figures provided to me by Neil Ibbotson of Saint Clair Wines in Marlborough.

Approximately $2.00 per bottle, on all local wine sold in New Zealand goes to the Government.

This equates approximately to $170 million paid to the Government per year from the New Zealand wine industry by way of excise tax.

In Marlborough alone that is close to $127 million.

Growers (in Marlborough) receive approximately $1400 per tonne for their grapes, whilst the Government takes the equivalent of approximately $2000 per tonne.

How ludicrous is that? It’s time for all industry members to start lobbying even harder for a change in attitude. Maybe, someone, somewhere will start to listen. ■

PREPARING FOR 2013

FROM THE CEO PHILIP GREGAN

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2012 // 5

F or growers the end of harvest means they will be contemplating the financial result from the

year’s work. For most, the news will not be good. Low yields and grape prices mean most growers will not have fared well in the past 12 months. Ironically the cause of the tough times this year is not too many grapes, but not enough.

For wineries, the end of vin-tage means the task of marketing and selling the new vintage can get under way.

However this year the chal-lenge for many wineries will be one of allocating a scarce resource, rather than soul searching as to where the sales will be made. A smaller vintage will mean lower sales and lower income streams for many.

The changed supply demand balance in the industry is likely to have a major impact on industry performance over the next year.

But the world into which the industry is selling is also chang-ing and as industry we would be wise to keep a watchful eye on those changes, now and into the future.

Social Conservatism means Social Responsibility

In some markets in which we sell wine there appears to be a growing social conserva-tism around matters relating to alcohol. Whether this social conservatism is caused by the aging of populations, the tough financial times, growing percep-tions of problems from excessive ‘alcohol’ consumption or other causes it is difficult to say. How-ever, it is manifested in markets such as the UK and New Zealand (our two biggest volume mar-kets) by legislators considering law changes such as minimum pricing, raising the age of pur-chase and possible restrictions on advertising. Such law changes will have direct impact on wine markets if they are enacted.

In this more conservative social environment it is impor-tant the industry demonstrate its awareness of the changed landscape by showing it is socially responsible. This point was made strongly in the recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers strategic review. Now more than ever we must be socially aware and socially responsible.

The Pacific CenturyThe 20th century was the

so-called Atlantic Century dominated (for good or bad) by the wealth and happenings in Europe and North America (think WWI, the Great Depres-sion, WW2, The Cold War etc). Many commentators now believe the 21st century will be the Pacific Century where global developments are shaped by the interplay between the rising power and wealth of Asian countries (notably China) and the existing dominant global super-power, the USA.

For the wine industry the rising consumption of wine in countries such as China is already starting to make its impact. Did you know, for example, that China is already the largest export market for NZ Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, and it is our third largest market for Merlot.

The growing importance of Asian markets, and indeed Pacific Rim countries in general is something that needs to be recognised by our industry. It means we will have new con-sumers often with unfamiliar cultures and languages. We need

to invest more effort into these markets and we need to ensure that our access to such markets is competitive, which means trade pacts such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership are vital to our future.

Our future, there is no doubt, will be strongly influenced by Pacific developments, which puts us very much at the centre of the 21st century world.

SustainabilityThere are still some people

in the industry who question the growing focus of our industry on matters sustainable. While there may be arguments about the degree or the way forward, there is no doubt in my mind that being able to demonstrate our environmental credentials is just as vital as being socially responsible and economically profitable. In a world dominated by a resource hungry, booming human population, being able to say we care for and look after the environment in which we grow our grapes and make our wine, is going to be a vital pre-requisite to market place success in the upper end market segments in which we operate. ■

A CHANGING WINE WORLD

Vintage is all but over as I write this column. We don’t have the final vintage numbers yet but it is clear to all that the vintage will be well down on last year - the only question is by how much.


REGIONALVIEWPOINT

O ur winegrowing area is centered around the small North Canterbury town-ship of Waipara, about 45

minutes drive from Christchurch and at the junction of State High-way 1 and 7. Amberley is the main service town for the region.

Historically the farming area was dry sheep and crop, domi-nated by north-westerly winds and south-westerly weather.

It can be drought prone in the summer, and cool and dry in the winters, with low and very

unpredictable rainfall. The dominant land features

are the eastern hills which shel-ter the valley from cool easterly winds from the ocean, a significant point of difference from most of the Canterbury plains. The soils in the Valley range from very light river gravels, clay, as well as clay limestone areas.

With such low rainfall and light soils in some places, water harvesting developed in the late 1970’s and early 80’s and offered the opportunity for pasture farm-

ers to look to other crops. Three such farms diversified into grapes and with the support of Corbans Wines produced grapes commercially from 1 9 8 6 . C h a r d o n -nay, Riesling, Sau-vignon Blanc and Cabernet were the initial plantings. However, it’s worth noting here that this was not the earliest venture into grapes in Waipara. One intre pid farme r had planted grapes on return from an overseas trip in the 1960’s but alas the

young vineyard was destroyed by a flood. If it had not been dev-astated, its success would have changed the history of the region.

By the early 90’s other devel-opments had taken place and two of the suppliers to Corbans completed their initial contract periods and opted to produce their own labels. The third farmer con-tinued to supply Riesling and this was the fruit for the noted “Robard & Butler” Amberley Riesling, a reg-ular medal winner at wine shows.

The region saw development, sometimes rapidly from the mid 90’s, both on a large and small scale. Investors set up projects that exploited soil types, wine styles, and the business models they were pursuing. Now, the vineyard plantings total more than 1800 hectares, with grapes spreading to Waikari, Hawarden, Hanmer and Cheviot.

Some of the larger vine-yards are operated by Pernod Ricard, Waiata, Mt. Beautiful, Mudhouse, Southern Boundary Wines, Pegasus Bay, Crater Rim, and Greystone \ Muddy Water. In addition there are over 20 other producers of varying sizes.

C h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y t h e region is one of producers, or growers intimately connected to producers. In other words the number of contract growers in the

region is barely negligible.The Waipara Valley is a mix of

vineyard varieties and designs. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Ries-ling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürz-traminer and Pinot Gris are prevalent. There are sprinklings of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Tem-pranillo, Chenin Blanc and other minor varieties. Designs are var-ied from the old standard 3m rows by 1.8meter vine spacing down to 1.0m rows with variable vine spac-ing. Nothing is standard here!

These design variations have been motivated by growers to better utilize the land available to them, grow fruit that does not have excessive yields per vine and ultimately to be economic.

Fully commit ted to the Sustainable NZ programme, Waipara also has participants in the Organic Winegrowing i n i t i a t i v e . T h e r e g i o n h a s benefited from its commitment to the “Greening Waipara” project, teaming together Lincoln University, property owners and the Local District Council. Bio diversity plantings in vineyards and surrounding areas have enhanced our environment.

Waipara is now an established region with diversity amongst its producers and wines, and an important part of the story of New Zealand Wine. ■

PHOTO: NZW

WAIPARA VALLEY SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMEDG W Y N W I L L I A M S , C H A I R WA I PA R A VA L L E Y W I N E G R O W E R S


SUPPLIERS OF;• Fungicides • Insecticides• Herbicides • Micro-nutrients• Base fertilisers • Bio-stimulants• Bio-logicals • Adjuvants

CRT GrapeBase is leading edge technology to help growers with their planning and budgeting, yield forecasting, spray tracking, observations and analyses.

CRT GrapeBase provides growers with the ability to extract meaningful information so they can make the best decisions for their business.

• Soil sampling • Tissue sampling• Loppers• Secateurs• Saws• Wire • Bud rub brushes• Posts

• Wind cloth• Shade cloth• Staples • Clips• Netting• Protected crop hardware • Service and support• And much more

Spraydiaryrecordingissosimpleusing®

www.cropbase.com

HarryGreenProduct Manager - GrapeBase Mobile 027 431 [email protected]

Helping you grow with the right products

Trial it FREE for 30 days.

INBRIEF


Auckland

New GM Commercial at Villa Maria Rob Ferguson has been appointed as General Manager Commercial of Villa Maria Estate. A qualified accountant, he joined Villa Maria following close to 17 years at Diageo Plc. in the United Kingdom. Rob held a number of senior positions at Diageo Plc. in Finance, Strategy, Change Management and General Management, the last being the Finance and Commercial Services Director for the Diageo wine businesses, Percy Fox & Co. and Justerini & Brooks.Sir George Fistonich continues in his role as Chief Executive to focus more of his time on long term strategy and brand development.

New Operations Manager for Portavin New Zealand

Peter Chipperfield has been appointed Operations Manager for Por-tavin New Zealand and will be responsible for all aspects of the day to day running of this site, which is centrally located in the Auckland sub-urb of Penrose.

Peter joins Portavin from Pernod Ricard, where he was Packaging

Manager at the Tamaki Bottling facility in Auckland. Chipperfield describes his role as ensuring Portavin NZ offers the highest quality wine

bottling, technical and logistics services to meet the needs of

customers. Established in 2009, Portavin NZ is

owned by Portavin Australia, the largest independent wine services supplier, in Australasia.

HAWKES BAY

Black Barn Vineyards One Of World’s Best Based in Havelock North, Black Barn Vineyards has been rated as one of the world’s greatest vineyard inns and hotels by US travel guide Frommers. It was one of only two Australasian vineayrds to make the top 10 list. While only a small operation, Frommers were impressed by Black Barn’s accomodation, amphitheatre and Bistro. The vineyard is ranked alongside such luminaries as Chateau Andre Ziltener in Burgundy, The Yeatman Hotel and Wine Spa in Portugal, and The Louise in the Barossa.

Peter Chipperfield

Contact us now before the next big frost!

Tel Chch (03) 929 0451


Nelson

Best Cellar DoorA mystery shopper survey of Nelson Cellar doors has shown visitors are receiving an excellent experience, along with their wine tasting. Nelson Winegrowers AssociationGeneral Manager, Gisela Purcell, says the mystery shopper survey was judged on various criteria covering staff, service and delivery

of information.The association commissioned the survey to get objective feedback on cellar door service, to identify ‘stand-outs’ and to reveal areas that could be improved. Woollaston Estates returned the best survey results and was the winner of the competition, with Brightwater Vineyards runner up.

Marlborough

Cellar Door InitiativeWine consultant Belinda Jack-son, winejobsoneline Heather Battersby and social media expert Jamie Roy held their first national Cellar Door course in Marlborough last month. Aimed at making cellar doors more viable and profitable entities of the business, the course focused on making customers life long ambassadors for the brand. The first of its kind held in New Zealand, Jackson says it won’t be a one off. Instead the group will be taking the course on the road to all other wine growing regions, in the near future.

Mission Buys Awatere VineyardMission Estate has bought the iconic Cape Campbell vineyard in the Awatere Valley and its former owners, Murray and Daphne Brown will stay on to manage it. The 100 hectares are planted mainly in Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The purchase is one of the largest in the Marlborough region in a number of years, and is viewed as a positive reinforcement of the quality emanating from the Awatere Valley. Mission Estate has said the purchase is consistent with the company’s philosophy of sourcing fruit from the best wine growing regions of New Zealand. ■

Our World in Your Glass Limited to 25 international guests, Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers will share some of the region’s wine tourism, experiences, history and challenges, early next year. This is an interactive 2 day programme held throughout the region with competition, blind tasting, wine options, speed dating and some great fun. Subtitled, – the best view of Hawke’s Bay you’ll ever see – the event is planned prior to Pinot Noir 2013, on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th January 2013. More details available from Lyn Bevin at; [email protected]

Hawke’s Bay Winery For Sale A single estate producer, Hawke’s Bay’s Askerne winery is on the market for the first time. John and Kathryn Loughlin established the winery on the western side of the Tukituki River near Havelock North in 1993. Since then, the husband-and-wife team have planted 13 varieties of grapes on the 20ha property. The winery has also been a venue for popular summer events, regularly hosting concerts with a family focus.A professional company director and former chairman of Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers, Loughlin says it’s time for another chapter in life. The business is being marketed by Bayleys.

HAWKES BAY


VINEYARDNEWS

COVER CROPS IN CENTRAL OTAGOM A X M A R R I O T T

I n many ways, Central Otago lends itself to organic vine-yard management and farm-ing. However, by the same

token, the nature of the climate and soils constitutes significant obstacles to overcome. Promoting organic matter and a soil biomass is one of the key goals, be it part of an organic regime or a con-ventional one. It’s no secret that cover crops can greatly assist in this regard, with the improvement to soil structure alone helping to alleviate erosion, increase water retention, facilitate better drain-age and encourage efficient nutri-ent cycling.

There are also additional advantages associated with ben-

eficial insects, biodiversity, sus-tainability and health. However each site, each sub-region within Central Otago – and across the country for that matter – has its own quirks and attributes that need to be explored in identify-ing which cover crops are most suitable to each plot of land. Three viticulturists/vineyard managers from three different sub-regions of Central Otago give their take on what works best for them.

Nick Paulin, vineyard manager for Peregrine.

“There’s some pretty hard evidence of the benefits of cover crops; the Rodale Institute (www.rodaleinstitute.org) has been doing trials for decades. To me, it’s

diversity and enhancing the soil. In saying that, you can definitely mis-manage the use of cover crops too. I think you have to have a purpose; there’s no point planting some-thing if you don’t know what it does. It’s a conscious decision to enhance an aspect of the vineyard; soil organic matter, biodiversity, moisture competition, nitrogen fixing, whatever. Each cover crop has its own purpose.”

“Ground preparation is critical and ideally you don’t want to leave the soil bare. Having the right tools for the job is important. To direct drill, you need to have a direct drill, and if you’re sowing into heavy grass, you need to cultivate to have it established. But over-cultivating

happens too; rotary hoe’s a classic. It’s a pretty nasty piece of equip-ment. You chop the soil into a mil-lion pieces and undo the work that you’re trying to achieve. You might get away with one pass, rather than three passes with a set of discs, but you don’t want to do three passes with a rotary hoe. Whilst aeration is critical, cultivation can be det-rimental; it’s a step back to take three steps forward.”

“We used triticale and peas (4 of every 10 rows) and it worked, but it should have been sown a month earlier to take advantage of that spring growth. Our flow-ering crop was a mixture of mus-tard, buckwheat, phacelia, red and white clover. The strike was good, but again, the summer hit and it dried out. At the end of the day, it’s down to the individual grower – some vineyards in Cen-tral can’t grow anything in winter, and we struggle to grow things in summer. I know what worked in Bannockburn and it doesn’t work in Bendigo. It’s early days though – I’m going to do some trials this autumn to see what works. It might take five years, but then you have the full benefit of the money you’re investing.”

Just down the road at North-burn, Viticulturist Shane Liv-ingstone has to tackle things differently.

“For us, the challenges of establishing a cover crop comes with low potential soils, long peri-ods without moisture and cold


soil establishment temperatures. However, these are the reasons we are trying to grow cover crops; moisture retention, soil fertility, cycling and conditioning.”

“The timing of planting is key. It has to be done as the soil is warming up, before it dries out too much. In this past season I planted a blend of buckwheat, plantain and chicory. It took a while to estab-lish and for the second season in a row I found myself mowing during flowering because it was too dry and the buckwheat had curled up. But it was surprising to find that the chicory and particularly the plantain had continued to grow through the summer. I’ll look to substitute phacelia for buckwheat next season.”

Blair Deaker, Viticulturist for Carrick, is based on the Cairnmuir side of Bannockburn with very sandy soils.

“Generally people sow in the spring, but that doesn’t work for us. We’ve tried cultivars of rye

corn and fodder barley or fodder oats as single spe-cies. Yes, we get strikes, but when summer hits they die off and the fat hen takes over. The climate, the sand, everything – it just doesn’t work. We do

our phacelia, alyssum and buck-wheat mix throughout the blocks in spring, and we’ll use other flow-ering species too, but it’s really hard to get things established.”

“Our plan now is to sow in early March. We did this after the rain in February; a mix of rye corn, mustard, sheep’s burnett, white lupins and rape. The idea is to sow

in February so it strikes and gets settled into the ground. It then overwinters, and grows away in spring as it warms up. Then we’ll either mow it or turn it in. It could be an 18month turnaround, being mindful of spring frosts. Gareth at Felton Road on the other side of Bannockburn uses triticale, but it doesn’t work for us. We’re trying

to work on things that will actually live for us.”

Whilst these three growers manage to certi-fied organic regimes, there are other vineyards in the district using cover crops. Mike Wing, at Two Pad-docks, has sown chicory to utilize its deep tap root to help break up the large chunks of schist in their soils, and Archangel has planted a buckwheat and phacelia mix for the past couple of seasons. It need not be an expensive exer-cise and growers who have tried and experimented will tell you it’s an integral part of vineyard [email protected] ■


ANNUALCONFERENCE

BRAGATO 2012T E S S A N I C H O L S O N

T his is the year that New Zealand Winegrowers geared itself to having 100 per cent of members

enrolled in a sustainability pro-gramme. Which makes it highly appropriate that sustainability in all forms is the theme for the upcoming Romeo Bragato Con-ference.

Being held in Marlborough between August 22 and 24, the conference has been thoroughly revamped, following a review of the event last year. NZW’s Science and Innovation Manager, Philip Manson, said the revamping will see the conference shortened in length in an effort to cut par-ticipant’s costs, but will see no compromise in terms of the pro-gramme.

“Instead of a three day event, this year’s conference will be held from Wednesday morning through until Friday afternoon, so mem-bers will only have to pay for two night’s accommodation, not three. But we will be providing the same

bang for bucks, in terms of con-tent,” Manson said.

The theme, Driving The Export Advantage Through Sustainability will focus not just on what is hap-pening in vineyards and wineries, but also how to ensure sustainabil-ity in the business sense.

“This year our motivational speaker is John Anderson, who established Contiki Tours. His ability to create and grow a busi-ness in tough times is something that many people will relate to.”

Other guest speakers include; business journalist Rob Oram who will focus on his view of where New Zealand is placed in terms of sustainability and the best business approach to mak-ing the most of it, Karl Forsyth

a senior engineer with AWRI in Australia on green ideas that bal-ance the carbon ledger, Professor Gerhard Pietersen from South Africa dealing with Leafroll virus and Phil Reedman from Australia on South American wines and how they fit into the evolving world

wine market.Manson said the session on

South American wines is one that needs to be addressed by New Zea-land, given they have made rapid changes in terms of quality and market share.

“They used to be considered as wines that were at the opposite end of the spectrum to New Zea-land – but that is rapidly chang-ing. They are now moving into the same space that we want to fill, so

it’s important to understand the competition.”

A wine tasting of South Ameri-can wines is included in the pro-gramme.

While there will be no Silver Secateurs this year, the Markham’s Young Viticulturist will still be a part of the programme, as will the Bragato Wine Awards and dinner. The latest research findings will once again make up a large compo-nent of the conference, along with lessons learnt from the difficult 2012 vintage.

Manson described the Romeo Bragato conference as one of the most important annual events for all industry members.

“It provides a forum to catch up on all the latest news, research and innovation, plus it is a chance to socialise with others who are fac-ing the exact same issues as you.”

Registrations for Romeo Bra-gato 2012 are now open and the programme is available at [email protected] ■

“It is a chance to socialise with others who are facing the exact same issues as you.” – Philip Manson

[email protected] 0800 55 77 33

AAW

G20110318

DIMPLEFLOMust ChillersTubular Heat Exchangers

MUELLER/SONDEXPlate Heat Exchangers

MIXQUIPFluid Mixing Equipment

MAGNATTACKReceival Bin Magnets

SPINCLEARHydrocyclone Separators

from grape to glass...

make us part of your process

Chill, Mix, Separate, Protect, Aurora

from grape to glass...

make us part of your process

Chill, Mix, Separate, Protect, Aurora


On

beh

alf o

f Cél

ine

Co

uste

au, O

-I is

mak

ing

a d

ona

tion

to

the

Wo

rld

Res

our

ces

Inst

itute

’s R

eefs

at

Ris

k In

itiat

ive.

TM

EnvironmEntalists know glass lovEs thE sEa. “Glass comes

from nature,” says Céline Cousteau. “It’s made from sand, limestone

and soda ash. It’s safe for human life and ocean life. And it’s endlessly

recyclable, so it’s sustainable for our blue planet. Choose glass for

yourself, for dolphins, for sea turtles, for our future.”

GlassIsLife.com

makers of safe, sustainable, ocean-friendly glass packaging

© Owens-Illinois, Inc.Oct/Nov 10525.1.1.25

10525.1.1.25_OCT_NOV_COUSTEAU_DPS.indd 1 29/07/11 10:07 AM


INMEMORY OF

I t was with great sadness that the wine industry received news of the passing of John Avery MW on 23rd March.

Aged 70 he died following a sud-den heart attack.

John inherited Averys of Bristol Fine Wine Merchants company in 1976 after the death of his famous father Ronald Avery.

For 200 years the Avery fam-ily has been an integral part of the Bristol mercantile establishment bringing in wines from Europe, and bottling these in their bonded warehouses at Bristol for the Brit-ish market.

In 1975 John gained his Master of Wine degree and after taking over the business became increas-ingly interested in the emerging wines of the New World.

In 1979 he was invited to be Chief Judge at the New Zealand National Wine Competition and was immediately impressed with the quality. After the 1976 Nobilo Cabernet Sauvignon was judged

Champion Wine of the Show, he ordered a pallet for his private customers in the UK. This was the first commercial import of New Zealand wine into the UK and from

then on until his death John con-tinued to champion the merits of New Zealand wines.

His knowledge of wine, partic-ularly the great vintages of Europe was astounding. At the numerous

wine dinners he hosted he would intrigue and impress his guests in his booming Oxford University accent, keeping them guessing at the rare vintage wrapped in a brown paper bag that he presented from his private cellar.

To those who knew him per-sonally he was always a kind and genial person. I remember once when I was in the UK during the early nineties and we were driving out of London to see a customer, when I noticed in the newspaper that a near new Jaguar was for sale. I told John that a new law had just passed in New Zealand allowing

JOHN AVERY MWN I C K N O B I L O

Gives a full day pruning before needing to be charged. The most compact and the lightest on the market. Renown reliability. Extremely easy to handle. Cuts branches of 35 mm in diameter and opens to 53 mm. Up to 82 cuts per minute. Uses Lithium Ion Lightweight Battery pack.

Treelion Lixion

LIXION

Gives a full day pruning before needing to be charged. Most powerful shears on the market. Cuts branches of 45 mm in Diameter and opens to 65 mm. Uses Lithium Ion Lightweight Battery pack. Double trigger system which allows the operator to switch from intermediate opening to wide opening.

702 Omahu Road, Hastings 4120 Email: [email protected], www.hydralada.com

Free phone 0800 888 887

TREELION

John Avery will be remembered as a man of integrity, generosity, wit and immense knowledge of wine


New pack size. Now available in 1kg pack. Save 20% per hectare

Only registeredbiological, sustainable grape

wound dressing

Proven to penetrate and protectagainst vascular trunk disease

PRUNING WOUND DRESSINGvinevax ™

Knapsack spray at the end of the day

Living Barrier protection for vines

Safe and easy to use

Tel: 09 917 1791Email: [email protected]

second-hand cars to be imported and it would nice to own this one. He quizzingly asked, “Nobilo do you really want to buy this car?” I said yes but didn’t have the money with me. He stopped the car looked at the address and said that’s not far from here and then drove to the house where the car was, pulled out his chequebook and wrote the cheque. I think I may have paid him back in wine! That was the measure of the man.

Although disorganised and invariably late for appointments John was highly intelligent and loved theatre (one of his sons is an actor). He invested in Andrew Lloyd Webber when he was an unknown and established Andrew’s wine cellar at his home in Watership Down near Hamp-shire. In 2000 John was elected

Chairman of the Institute of the Masters of Wine and was a direc-tor of prestigious London based Vintners Company. He became a sought after international wine judge regularly judging at com-petitions around the world right up until his death.

John Avery will be remembered as a man of integrity, generosity, wit and immense knowledge of wine who contributed immensely to the world of wine.

He was a doyen of wine pro-motion and his contribution in promoting New Zealand’s wine industry for more than 30 years is immeasurable. John is survived by his lovely wife Sarah and four children, one of whom Mimi, con-tinues in her father’s footsteps running the Avery’s company today. ■

RABOBANKREPORT


THE CONUNDRUM OF BULK WINET E S S A N I C H O L S O N

L atest figures show that bulk wine exports out of New Zealand rose to 35% in 2011, up from approxi-

mately 5% in 2007 and 30% in 2010. But is this all bad, and is New Zealand any different to other new world producers?

Not according to a Rabobank International report released in January. In The Incredible Bulk

– The Rise in Global Bulk Wine Trade, the figures show New Zea-land is following in the footsteps of all other new world produc-ers. For example Australia used to export 10% of its wine in bulk back in the 1990s. By 2011, that had increased to just shy of 50% (i.e. 49%). In just one decade, the increase in bulk wine exports from new world producers has

increased from approximately one fifth to nearly one-half of all wine traded.

Here at home there has been much hand wringing over the bulk export issue. Are we shooting ourselves in the foot by supplying bulk wine to overseas companies for their own label, which will directly compete with our more expensive bottled wines? Are we

selling too cheap? Are we devalu-ing our brand?

To answer those questions, there is a need to understand just why the bulk export market has grown so exponentially. And surprisingly the Rabobank report points out not all the reasons have to do with off-loading sur-plus wine.

“The advent of bulk wine trans-


portation logistics has provided wine suppliers with a safe and reliable alternative to shipping masses of glass across the world,” the report states. “While this inno-vation has definite environmental benefits, it must be said that the over riding driver of bulk wine transportation is cost reduction.”

Brand owners are able to save on transportation costs, import duties, glass and bottling costs, working capital and even foreign exchange exposure due to the cost of packaging being paid in the des-tination – market currency. Added together, these cost savings can be significant to a producer, depend-ing of course on the scale of the company.

“For suppliers interviewed, estimates of cost savings have ranged from USD 1.50 to USD 3.00

per case, which is highly compel-ling for high volume, low margin brands.”

These savings however are lower for the lower volume, higher margin labels, who also may believe bottling away from source, impacts on the value of their “estate grown” wines.

“That said, as options for in-market bottling expand and the process becomes more common place, there is a strong possibility this trend could extend to more premium brands as well. The dramatic growth of bulk wine in the export trade mix of the New Zealand wine industry is a case in point.”

The rise in bulk wine sales in the past decade, mirrors the growth in new world wine pro-duction. As consumer demand has

grown it has led to “democratisa-tion of wine.”

“New world wine companies in particular have brought keenly priced, increasingly well-made and well-marketed wine products into the reach of more consum-ers around the world,” the report states.

All of a sudden, consumers have been able to purchase qual-ity at reasonable prices – and that has impacted on the prices they are prepared to pay.

“That is, demand has become slightly more price sensitive, mak-ing it more costly for retailers and wine companies to take pricing higher.”

Fuelling that price conscious consumer is the economic climate in many major markets.

“In an environment of extreme

economic uncertainty, it is unsur-prising that households have upped their savings and become increasingly value conscious, obligating suppliers and retail-ers to chase them down-market. Given that demand for wine has been found to be highly income elastic, or responsive to changes in income levels, the category is particularly exposed to the pre-vailing economic climate.”

This has seen the supermarket chains in the UK especially, using wine more and more as a loss leader, to attract people through the door. It has directly led them to producing their own labels that now proliferate supermar-ket shelves. But it has also led to many producers of more premium brands searching for ways to cut production costs, so as to be able


There is nothing new about bulk wine sales. Up until the early 20th century, nearly all wine exported from countries like Italy, Spain and France, was shipped in bulk and then bottled by the merchants.According to a recent article in thedrinksbusiness (The Estate Bottled Wine Anomoly, by Lee Winston, thedrinksbusiness February 9), even the most famous of wine Château Margaux was shipped in bulk, right up until 1948.The move to bottling at source came about in the 1920s, when producers expressed concern about the provenance of the wine. They never knew if their wine was being tampered with prior to bottling.Now, into the 21st century, wine producing countries are again moving towards bulk shipments. Thedrinksbusiness article claims it is being led by Australia, who in 2011 exported 74% of its wine to the UK in bulk form. “Unfavourable exchange rates and increases in production costs, fuel prices and taxes have put an almost suffocating squeeze on the profit margins of Australian producers. Bulk shipping can potentially halve shipping costs.”For New Zealand those costs are equally “suffocating.” There is also the issue of environmental impact of exporting in glass, versus bulk shipping and bottling at source.

Given the consumer move towards environmentally friendly products – especially in the UK – there is a sustainable element that is equally appealing to producers.

The article mentioned above, stated a report by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) looked at the impact of bulk shipping for wine quality. The benefits are apparently not just economic.• Bulk wine is less prone to large temperature variations• Bottling in-market can defer the start of shelf life• Easier to change packaging formats in response to market

demands • Bulk shipping reduces environmental emissions

The article even goes so far as to say that maybe the preference for exporting in bottle, may be a passing fad.

“It seems inevitable that the shipping of bulk wine and bottling in the market of consumption will once again become the preferred method for economic, environmental and quality reasons. Indeed history could show that the prevalence of estate bottling was just a passing fad of the 20th century.”I guess time will tell.

BULK – A PASSING FAD?

to compete in such a tough eco-nomic climate.

So given this exponential rise in bulk wine sales in the past dec-ade, what does the future hold?

For the past decade there has been dramatic vineyard expan-sion, not just in New Zealand, but in all new world countries. That has led to growth in new world production of almost 45% over the past 20 years. That could be about to change according to the Rabobank report.

“In more recent times, a proc-ess of structural and seasonal supply rationalisation has played out across the world’s major wine production zones. Ironically, mov-ing forward, the continued growth in the trade of bulk wine may be driven by the trend of tightening global stocks. The tightening of the global supply situation is lead-ing to increasing grape and bulk wine prices in many key supply countries, raising the cost of goods sold for wine companies. With

rising costs and difficulty raising prices in the current consumer environment, wine companies will be aggressively seeking ways

to reduce costs, and bottling in-market may become an increas-ingly attractive option.”

Which may see even more of

New Zealand wine being shipped in bulk – while still being marketed as a premium [email protected] ■


EXPORTNEWS

CHINESE IMPORT CHANNELST E S S A N I C H O L S O N

A s wine producers through-out the world scramble to get a foot in the door of the Chinese market, the

question of what import channel should be utilised, keeps being raised. Debra Meiburg, one of Asia’s first Master’s of Wine is renowned as an expert on the Asian wine scene.

As the author of the book Guide to Hong Kong Wine Trade, she is

a fountain of knowledge on what to beware of when contemplating moving into the market, both in Hong Kong and mainland China.

There are a number of options facing wine producers, when look-ing at import channels Meiburg said. No surprises that in China there are state subsidised import-ers, of which Cofco is the most substantial. They import food, cereal, agricultural products and

wine. There are other large inter-national producers who are also importing their own wines into China, along with international wine and spirits groups. Follow-ing on from the bigger players, are the independent importers, a cat-egory that used to be dominated by westerners.

“Increasingly you are now getting Chinese owned import channels,” Meiburg said. “Most

of them could pop into your win-ery and convince you they can do great things. But very few of them actually have access to outlets. You need to question them carefully about how many cities they have access to. You want to make a fun-damental decision. Do you need to be all over the country, or just in a major city. Frankly I would just focus on a city for now. Even sec-ond tier cities have a huge base and


market. It is actually a better use of your time, rather than diluting your efforts.”

She said Shanghai and Beijing are considered the “sexiest” cit-ies for wine producers, but both are now saturated with labels, “If you are not already in those cities I would advise you to look at other second tier cities and try and build a strong relationship there.”

Following on from the inde-pendent wine importers, are the entrepreneurs that are already selling a multitude of products and have recently decided to add

wine to the mix.“They sell cuttle fish, soy sauce

and all kinds of other goods. The problem with those kinds of importers is they will never build your brand. It is a real buy, sell mentality, where they may see an opportunity to sell your product, because they have been reading all the headlines about wine sales growing. But they don’t under-stand the intricacies. They buy your wine thinking it is easy, but they don’t have the relationships to sell wine.”

As for the bane of New Zealand

producers selling domestically – supermarkets do not have a large presence in the Hong Kong and mainland China wine market.

“Our supermarkets don’t sell a lot of wine, because people aren’t drinking wine at home tradition-ally. So it’s not something that you pick up with your groceries.”

Given the preference for din-ing out, many producers have been keen to be listed on restau-rant wine lists. However with the growth in wine auctions, Meiburg says many restaurants are embrac-ing the BYO culture.

“We have always had a bit of a BYO culture, but now it is increas-ing. This is because so many peo-ple have wine collections and want to drink those wines in a restaurant setting. I would be a little cautious about getting onto those (restaurant) lists, because often the wine isn’t actually being sold through. When you go for a food and beverage listing, ask your importer about their contacts. Getting onto a high Michelin style restaurant is the way to go, because you position yourself as an elegant brand. Just don’t expect a lot of sales.”

Instead the big growth in Hong Kong at least, is with the private client. The city has never had a history of retail outlets, given it is

small enough for daily deliveries.“We have always bought

directly from the importers, but now we do so more than ever. 32% of our business is direct client and growing.”

When talking with an importer, Meiburg says the important ques-tion to ask, is what their private cli-ent business is like. Do they supply wine clubs and/or country clubs? These are the more likely outlets for New Zealand producers.”

Currently 60% of the Hong Kong importers are also doing business in China – “but that doesn’t mean they are success-ful,” she said.

“Be aware of your Hong Kong importer. Are they Mandarin speaking? Are they fully accepted in China? And at the same time be careful who you go with. Don’t sign any exclusivity agreements. Leave yourself flexible, because we still don’t know how the market is going to pan out. With 250 active importers in Hong Kong, there is going to be a lot of consolidation soon.”

In Meiburg’s Book on the Hong Kong Wine Trade, she lists the 250 importers, with contact details. The book is available from her website – www.debramaster-ofwine.com [email protected] ■

Debra Meiburg MW at the recent Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration. PHOTO MAX MARRIOTT

Call Jim on 09 262 6892 Mob 021 800 211 Kelly on 09 262 6890 Mob 027 209 7714

Amcor Packaging NZDistributor of AMCOR GLASS

17-19 ASH ROAD, WIRI, AUCKLAND


That’s what works out here.

Some call it guts, we call it smarts.

Successful growing isn’t just about getting out there and working up a sweat. It’s a serious business that takes smart strategic thinking, as well as guts. If that sounds like you, then we probably speak the same language.Ask around about us, or for some advice call 0800 366 466.

FMG0

FMFMFM20

5

F M G 0 2 0 5 - N Z WG . p d f P a g e 1 1 5 / 0 5 / 1 2 , 3 : 5 1 P M


RETIRINGPROFILE

AN EVOLUTIONARY CAREERM A R Y S H A N A H A N

D uring his 30 years with Corbans, former com-pany head Noel Scanlan recalls doing “just about

every job imaginable” as the busi-ness moved from family owner-ship to corporate giant.

“My MBA,” he says, “was work-ing my way through the company.”

It’s a career path that, in some measure, reflects the evolution of New Zealand’s wine scene into an increasingly complex export-focused industry.

Scanlan’s introduction to the wine industry was in the early 1970s, working front-of-house in his parents’ licensed restaurant in Mt Roskill.

“It was more a grog shop than a restaurant when my parents

bought the place. I remember getting calls for orders like 40 dozen DB. Over a period it changed to a fully licensed seven-day-a-week restau-rant.”

When the thriv-ing business sold, he quizzed a Corbans’ caller-rep about jobs going at the company.

“He asked me what I wanted to do. I said I didn’t care so long as it was physical work – I’d had six and a half years enjoying good food and hospitality!”

Scanlan started as a packer/storeman at AA Corban and Sons in Hobson Street, a wine and spirits retailer selling pre-dominantly Corbans’ wines. Upstairs, Cor-ban Wines Ltd oper-ated as a separate company.

Working behind the counter was an insight into the regu-

lations governing the sale of alco-hol at that time. Customers had to buy a minimum two gallons to qualify for wholesale rates.

“Then they could buy a bot-tle of scotch or whatever. But we had to take their names and addresses. Wholesalers basically had a monopoly over the market.”

Scanlan’s sales role widened to encompass private trade custom-ers – “mainly sports clubs, but we also used to service the merchant ships that came into port” – and he subsequently became a fully fledged rep, covering the Bay of Plenty, the King Country and other parts south of the Auckland har-bour bridge as Corbans developed its distribution network and the focus on selling grew.

“I knew the front and back end of the company and later, when marketing export wines, I went back to those grass roots of selling. It was still about opening doors and building trust.”

In 1972, Rothmans (later Magnum Corporation) bought a 25 percent ownership in Cor-bans and subsequently staged a complete takeover. From retail shop manager, responsible for five outlets, Scanlan went on to run distribution.

“It was an area that had become huge and needed some attention. For two years, I rehashed ware-house distribution logistics and then became national sales man-ager.”


One name has served theNew Zealand vineyard

industry for over 14 yearsVisit our new website:

www.gregoire-australasia.com

LEE SEATTER - 021 473 464AUSTRALASIAN VITICULTURE MANAGER

Scanlan was then seconded to the position of national mer-chandising manager for Rothmans followed by the position as Cor-bans’ national marketing manager – “exciting times”, he recalls.

“Magnum was an interest-ing company in that it groomed people for better positions. I was invited to join a group of eight or nine senior managers travel-ling the world for three and a half weeks visiting major businesses such as Budweiser and Ralphs LA, and Canada and Sweden to learn about the liquor sales controls that applied in those countries.

“I hadn’t done much overseas travel before and it opened my eyes to how sophisticated some of these operators were. From a marketing standpoint, we were not that smart. The company became very innovative with lots of new products, but we were not always the first with them. Mon-tana was our biggest competitor in those days and we had to be one step ahead, with wine coolers, for example - products that the mar-ket hadn’t seen before.”

Scanlan says it was cask wine that changed people’s drinking habits.

“They were comfortable with moving from sherry to cask wine, which was affordable and sweet

to semi-sweet. From there they graduated to better table wines.”

Magnum’s takeover upended Corbans’ structure and Scanlan was appointed general manager after the resignation of the previ-ous general manager.

Scanlan feels proud of the job he did in refocusing the company, guiding it through decentralisa-tion and a rebuilding of brands and quality standards. Up until then, he says, Corbans had been very reliant on growers. The company added to its Marlborough holdings and bought land in Hawke’s Bay.

Building on brands that included Corbans, Stoneleigh, Robard & Butler, Cooks and L o n g r i d g e , C o r b a n W i n e s expanded to claim a 38 percent market share, making it New Zealand’s second largest wine pro-ducer until Montana purchased the business from the DB Group, owned by Heineken Breweries.

Some eight months after Heinekin bought into the com-pany and had ratified a 14-year

plan, DB sought changes. These included the suggestion to sell 50 percent of the business. Unable to work with what was proposed, Scanlan eased himself out of the company and then found himself in a protracted battle with pneu-

monia – “it was my body telling me to slow down.”

Once he had regained his health, he set up a consultancy advising companies that included Giesen Wines, Kahurangi Estate, Sacred Hill and Ager Sectus Wine Estates Ltd, which bought out Crossroads winery west of Napier. When Peter Cutfield, the owner of Ager Sectus, offered Scanlan a job as the company’s chief operating officer, he relocated from Auckland, his home city, to Hawkes Bay.

The 2003 move was also a life-style decision. However, Ager Sec-tus – like other New Zealand wine companies – was sailing into a per-fect storm. As major economies faltered in the global downturn, exporting became more difficult

and contracting markets were awash with wine. The company needed to grow to meet the chal-lenges but banks weren’t lending.

After looking at various options, the decision was made for Ager Sectus to merge with Yea-lands, making Scanlan’s position redundant, although he retains a shareholding in the enlarged company.

Scanlan continues to draw on his considerable industry expe-rience with work he is doing for a friend with a wine business in Australia.

He plans to stay in Hawkes Bay, however, until his children have completed their secondary school-ing and perhaps, if the demand is there, to re-establish his consul-tancy business.

“It will be three or four years before the industry goes back to something marginally profitable,” he says. “This year’s vintage will add to the difficulties. It’s a god-send in one respect, in that it is cutting out surplus production.

“The industry will survive but people have to realise it’s a busi-ness. It’s not just about producing a bottle of wine that will fetch $50 – it’s about getting the costs and scale right, ensuring they under-stand the economics.” [email protected] ■

Scanlan’s introduction to the wine industry was in the early 1970s, working front-of-house in his parents’ licensed restaurant in Mt Roskill.

BOB’S BLOG BOB CAMPBELL MW


THE CHAMPAGNE CURSEI recently tasted a blind line-up of sparklers featuring a mix of Champagne and New World fizz.

T he champagnes were easy to pick and featured strongly in my selection of top wines. Is Cham-

pagne really superior or has the style become such a strong benchmark that any other style must automatically come sec-

ond? I think the Champenoise have nailed it. Good Champagne has an ethereal quality that makes other sparkling wines appear clumsy and pedestrian by comparison. It’s like compar-ing the late Rudolph Nureyev to Rodney Hide.

French wine critic, Michel Bettane, told me that he once organised a tasting for his wine friends who were asked to bring a bottle of New World and a bottle of Old World wine made in the same style or from the same grape variety(ies). The wines were served blind in pairs. Bettane said that it was hard to distinguish between the New World and Old World sample in every case – except Champagne versus Méthode.

The vintageWinemakers tend to (under-standably) put such a positive spin on every vintage it can be challenging to sort fact from fiction. The ultimate test of a vin-tage is by tasting the wines a year or two later (Hawke’s Bay Char-donnay from 2011 looks a bit grim after initial assessment) but it is always necessary for me to make a call early, sometimes before all of the grape have been harvested. I rate the New Zealand vintage in Oz Clarke’s Wine Guide and for the International Wine & Food Society’s annual vintage guide. I also keep my own record of vin-tage ratings by region and wine type although these are updated if subsequent tastings suggest a change is in order.

When assessing the vintage by region there’s nothing quite like being there. A walk through a few vineyards is worth more than lengthy chats with several winemakers. I even have my own refractometer to check grape sugars – very revealing in this sun-deprived season.

I visited Hawke’s Bay twice, Marlborough once and Central Otago once during vintage. Although, as I said, winemak-ers tend to talk up the vintage in their region they are always ready to dish the dirt on other regions. Several Marlborough winemakers told me that the vin-tage was “a disaster” in Hawke’s Bay. Hawke’s Bay winemakers mostly conceded that a shortage of sun and surplus of rain had made things tough but they were

pleasantly surprised (would “relieved” have been a better term) at the final outcome.

Everyone acknowledged that a burst of warm, dry weather from Easter was a great help.

Good Champagne has an ethereal quality that makes other sparkling wines appear clumsy and pedestrian by comparison.


2029-08 layout_global_P 9/23/08 9:32 AM Page 1

Composite

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

Three days in court I agreed to support a claim by a group of Omaka Valley winemak-ers against an increase in the quarrying licence of an operator at the head of the valley. The winemakers were justifiably concerned about the impact of increased truck traffic through the valley.

It was interesting to hear the evidence of geologists, traffic experts, town planners, resi-dents and a cycle club organiser and even more interesting to witness their interrogation by lawyers from both sides.

When my turn came I tried to explain that while my impres-sion of a premium wine brand is to a large extent formed by the quality of the wines reviewed at my tasting table it is also influenced by a visit to the winery and vineyards. A visit to a hillside Pinot Noir vineyard in the Omaka Valley, for example, would leave me with a more favourable impression if it didn’t have a fully laden truck and trailer thundering past every few minutes.

It made me think about the importance of place, not just for its ability to produce high quality wine, but for its ability to create a positive impression

for visitors. Omaka is a natu-rally beautiful valley made even more beautiful by the addition of grapevines and olive trees. That natural and cultural beauty needs to be preserved.

Darwin’s theory of wine courses21,885 people have attended my various wine courses over the past 26 years. Apart from my website (first launched nearly 20 years ago) I don’t advertise them. People who particularly enjoy the courses enthuse about the expe-rience to people in a similar age group, socio-economic category and with personalities like their own resulting in a sort of Darwin-ian selection process. Some years ago the NZ Herald ran a feature on my wine course and the people who booked in to the next

few sessions were a much more diverse group than usual.

After a while the selection process kicked in and they settled back into a familiar pattern.

Word of mouth endorse-ment means I tend to get a string of students from Telecom, the Inland Revenue or large accounting and legal firms. I once recall a series of ten con-

secutive courses that all had at least one person from The Drive in Epsom.

One unexplained phenom-enon is why are Wellington students more urbane than Auckland students? Am I tapping into different socio-economic groups or does my impression truly reflect a fundamental difference in people from both cities? ■


MARKETINGNEWS

PROWEIN 2012NZW European Marketing Team

P roWein is considered by many to be one of the most important inter-national wine fairs and

this year it attracted over 40,000 visitors from right across Europe, and even as far afield as Russia and China. New Zealand Winegrowers created a fresh new look for our stand, with 29 wineries exhibit-ing with us, although there was demand from many others. Sadly we were restricted with space this year. Around the fair it was great to see many other New Zealand wineries either taking space with their distributors or on their own.

Our friends and colleagues at NZTE kindly assisted us by hiring four London based Ngati Ranana performers to provide Maori cultural performances, which brought a loud dose of Kiwi culture to the event. NZTE also funded an important Cool Climate Wines From New Zealand seminar and tasting, led by respected German journalist, Richard Grosche, who presented (in German) a range of New Zealand wines on the stand of

the leading German pub-lishing house, Meininger Verlag.

Once again we were involved with the Fla-vours masterclass and tastings theatre in collab-oration with four other New World regions, (Argentina, Chile, Cali-fornia and South Africa). Three leading sommel-iers/wine personalities; Andreas Larsson MS (Sweden), Caro Mau-rer MW (Germany) and Ronana Sayburn MS (UK) conducted tutored masterclass sessions each day which show-cased the versatility of New World wines when matched with food. All these ses-sions were sellouts and attracted an excellent cross section of inter-national trade and media. Each participating New World region had a slot for their own country and Brent Marris presented a sell-out Road Trip around New Zea-

land Pinot Noir. The importance of ProWein

is clearly demonstrated by the fact that it has reached its cur-rent limits and so from next year, the layout will change and two new halls will be added. The New World countries will be given

greater emphasis with their own hall by a new entrance to the fair-ground. This means we will be able to accommodate many more win-eries than before, so please let us know if you would be interested in being involved next year. The dates are March 24 – 26 2013. ■

fine corks, hand-selected by Alberico Miranda for the Artisan Winemaker

a winning influencesuppliers of fine corks, barrels, screw caps & capsules

www.awiclosures.co.nz

tel +64 (0) 6 879 6074fax +64 (0) 6 879 6974

mob +64 (0) 274 200 002email [email protected]

WineWorks Complex7 James Rochfort Place, RD 5Hastings 4175, New Zealand

MS1344


ITALIANPROFILE

THE WINES OF ITALYJ O E L L E T H O M S O N

Innovation is alive and thriving in Italy’s wineries, as the world’s largest wine trade fair, the 46th Vinitaly, revealed this March

S tanding in a 500 year old piazza next to a platter of what looked like dark Tuscan salami, I bit into a

morsel of the most velvety, gamey meat of my life. It reminded me of the first great Barolo I ever drank; layers of savoury flavour with an intensity that was hard to pinpoint. Several heavenly meaty morsels and a Champagne-like ‘Franciacorta’ (Italian bubbly) later, I landed back down on earth with a thud on reading the label: Luganica Passita ‘Carne Equina E Suina’. It was horsemeat.

Glad I didn’t realise that earlier or I might have missed out.

The same is true of so much in Italy. It’s easy to dismiss the weird and wonderful wines this innovative but inward look-

ing wine producing nation – the world’s largest – produces. Many are made from grapes we haven’t heard of; housed in bizarre shaped bottles and unfortunately most of the country’s wines – like its citizens – prefer to stay at home rather than travel abroad. The rea-son for my trip was Vinitaly; the largest wine trade fair on Earth. And it feels it. After a day of tast-ing and walking around the first three of the eight or so stadiums of wineries from the tip to toe of the Italian boot, my own boots did not want to part with my feet. This year 140,000 visitors from over 45 countries attended, including over 2,500 journalists from radio and TV, newspapers and online publications.

The four day event is now in its

46th year. It’s held in Verona; a city with a population of just 265,000, so Vinitaly tests its resources just a tad.

Italian wines range from full bodied, inky black ‘reds’ such as Negroamaro (‘dark bitter’) from Puglia to aromatic northern reds like Tomazzi Valpolicella Passito; an excellent gateway into Ital-ian dried-grape wines; ‘passito’ but there are worlds in between and around – Barolo, Aglianico, Nerello Mascalese, Catarrato and Lambrusco don’t even touch the sides of the variation in Italy’s wines. One of the most unusual I tried was Moscato di Scanso from Bergamo in Lombardy, made from red Moscato grapes; some air dried prior to fermentation. Wines like these are made from grapes with

an extremely long history of age-ability and viticulture while oth-ers are surprisingly new. Amarone came about in the first half of last century when winemakers noticed the Corvina grape was greater than its traditional blending partners. Amarone means ‘bitter strong one’, says Annalisa Armani from Tomassi in Valpolicella. As stimu-lating as it is to taste the history, the modern innovation inspires just as much, as these wines show.

Leaders in Italian wine inno-vation

La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica

Italy’s answer to French Chenin Blanc and German Ries-ling, in the crisply acidic white grape, Verdicchio, which ages amazing well. It’s from the Marche region; home to two quality zones; Matelica and Castello di Jesi. The wines of Matelica shine brightest as winery owner and passionate wine lover, Aldo Cifola shows in his La Monacesca Verdicchios.

Could New Zealand grow Ver-dicchio well? Why not? We have altitude, Hawke’s Bay’s relative warmth and the willingness to experiment.

Moscato di Scanzo Given the biggest stamp of

Italian wine approval – a DOCG (Denominazione di Controllato Garantita) - in 2002, this tiny wine zone in Bergamo can trace the his-tory of Moscato di Scanzo back to 1000 B.C. The wine is named Tomassi grapes drying. PHOTOS: JOELLE THOMSON


after the town of Scanzorosicate, where just 22 winemakers share 32 hectares of Moscato between them. Small though the produc-tion is, the intensity of taste more than makes up for its tiny size and image. Many of the grapes are air dried until they lose 70% of their volume. A top grape for New Zea-land to try.

Mascarello Monprivato Barolo

Top of the Italian tree, both literally and figura-tively – and taste-wise t o o . T h i s northern wine is from Piemonte; home to the Nebbiolo grape; this is one of the best Barolos today, thanks to the Mascarello family’s excel-lent hillside Monprivato vineyard and to traditional win-emaking methods. More next issue

Vigneti Massa Timorasso

From the tiny DOC of Colli Tortonese comes the original ‘Gavi’ grape; Timorasso. It was nearly extinct in the mid 1980s when plantings dropped to about 1.5 hectares. Since then winemaker Walter Massa has been at the fore-front of reviving it.

“Wait till you taste an aged ver-sion; it tastes just like old Alsacien white wine,” said Master of Wine and Italian wine UK importer,

Michael Palij. A 14 year old Timor-asso from Massa proved him right. Incredible grape and wine; little is known about it but this is one of Italy’s great whites.

Cesari Corvina The noblest of grapes in Val-

policella’s famous Amarone trio, Corvina is the queen and

she makes a full bodied, high tannin, wild berry

and savoury red. Quality minded

Ve n e t i a n w i n -emakers favour C o r v i n a f i r s t , then Corvinoni ( n o t r e l a t e d , a grape which nearly died out) and Rondinella. Some, such as Cesari, are exper-imenting with single varietals like this, in which French oak plays a part, says third generation wine family member Deborah Cesari. This wine strad-dles old and new.

Masottina Le Rive di Ogliano

King of Prosecco’s new single vineyard bubbles which are named ‘rive’ and from tiny designated hillside plots where the climate favours higher quality viticulture more than the mass produced Proseccos made on flatland out-side the newly created DOCG (official from August 2009).

This has white floral aromas, a lemon fresh taste and long fin-ish. The grape is now referred to as Glera. [email protected] ■Joelle Thomson flew to Italy with Cathay Pacific.

Robert Laing

Messe Reps & Travel

Telephone: 09 303 1000

[email protected]

www.messereps.co.nz

For trade visitors only

Facts & Figures*:

3,980 exhibitors from 47 countries. 40,670 international trade visitors. 880 journalists from around the world. 86 % of exhibitors were satisfi ed

with the business leads.*ProWein 2012 statistics

Only the best for your success – ProWein 2013

www.prowein.com

pwe1302_88x250_NZ.indd 1 07.05.12 13:49


SUBREGIONS

MARLBOROUGH’S THREE VALLEYST E S S A N I C H O L S O N

W hile grapes have been a tiny segment of the Marlborough land-scape for well over a

hundred years, it has only been

since 1973 that the region has forged a reputation as a world-renowned producer. In less than 40 years, Marlborough has gone from being an unknown, to New

Zealand’s largest wine region, making up 75% of the country’s total wine production in 2011.

Variable soil types, a read-ily available underground water

supply, relatively dry arid weather conditions and high sunshine hours, char-acterise the region.

Marlborough may not reach the extensive highs or lows of some other grape growing regions, (such as Central Otago) but it is renowned for its diurnal temperature vari-ation. During the growing period it is common for daytime temperatures to reach mid 20s on a regular basis, with the diurnal shift being an average 11 degs. This allows the grapes to build the brix levels dur-ing the day, with the high level of fruit acids being retained during the cooler nights.

Long dry autumns also play a major role in the ensuing wines. Without the pressure of rain the fruit can generally stay on the vines longer, allowing flavours to ripen without sacrificing the acidity that delineates Marlborough wines. Those long fine autumn days also help prevent disease threat.

(In most years anyway. There are always exceptions to the rule unfortunately.)

When you fly in to Marlbor-ough, it becomes obvious how much the braided river ways impact on the province. They are what have created the soil types, throughout the region, over many thousands of years. As recently as 200 years ago, the plains were cov-ered with many small tributaries of the Wairau River, resulting in deposits of alluvium and stone. Once those rivers began being stop banked and channelled, large tracts of flat land became suitable for farming, horticulture and later viticulture. Much of that land was covered with the rem-nants of the quantities of macer-ated rock, brought down from the hills centuries before via the river system. Marlborough is also heav-ily influenced by its fault lines with the Wairau, Awatere and Clarence faults being an extension of the Alpine Fault.

All have played a role in M a r l b o r o u g h ’ s g e o l o g i c a l formation.

The first of Marlborough’s modern vineyards was planted in 1973 in what is referred to as the Southern Valleys. The now famous Brancott Estate, Montana’s first vineyard, sits smack bang in the middle of this area.

It wasn’t long before people began looking at other parts of

Brought to you by Biostart


Marlborough that may well be suitable for vines. The Wairau Val-ley, a large tract of relatively flat land that borders the Wairau River and Wairau Fault line, was the sec-ond sub region to develop, in the late 70s. Covering a total area of just 20,000 hectares, this pocket of land is now covered in vines.

In 1985 the first vineyard was planted in the Awatere Valley, south of Blenheim, and separated

from the Wairau by the distinc-tive Wither Hills. It took many years for the Awatere to take off, in terms of vines, but in the past 10 years, it has grown exponentially. To the point that the vineyard area of the Awatere Valley on its own, is now larger than Hawkes Bay.

Wine Marlborough, the rep-resentative body of the growers and winemakers of the region, has deemed these three valleys

as the sub regions within the greater Marlborough area. But as is becoming more apparent as the years move forward, there are some very distinctive sub regions, within each of these valleys.

Southern ValleysHome of the original vineyards,

The Southern Valleys lie to the south of the Wairau Valley. This is an area within Marlborough that

has not been as heavily affected by the river system over the millen-nia. It is slightly more rolling than the Wairau Plains and the soil vari-ation is quite different. Created by a glacial outwash, it has significant amounts of silt and gravel, but also exhibits higher levels of clay than the other sub regions. Tempera-ture wise, it is deemed cooler than the Wairau, and being closer to the hills, it is more prone to the cool

Upper Wairau Valley.


air draining off them and settling for longer in the valley folds.

It is a drier sub region than the Wairau Valley in terms of rainfall, despite it being only a matter of a few kilometres to the south. The area has also suffered from a lack of water during its developmental stage, given it’s distance from the two major river ways, Wairau and Waihopai.

During the last big drought in the late 90s, people were having to hand water vines, with water delivered by tankers. Since then the Southern Valleys Irrigation Scheme has been in commission, ensuring there is a reasonable amount of water available when necessary.

The major varieties planted in The Southern Valleys are; Pinot Noir, (more and more on the gently sloping hills of the valley) Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Because the sub region is slightly cooler than the Wairau Valley, there is a greater risk of frost, although hundreds of frost fans are helping to mitigate this

threat. The season is also behind that of the Wairau Valley, in terms of harvest.

The white wines from this val-ley tend more towards the citrus/

grapefruit flavours, with a degree of minerality from the clay. Pinot Noir tends to display rich aromas of red fruit.

Within the Southern Valleys; the known sub regions are; Bran-cott, Fairhall, Omaka, Taylor Pass and Ben Morven and Waihopai Valley.

Wairau ValleyAs mentioned earlier this tract

of land covers just 20,000 hec-tares, with a significant portion of that given over to viticulture.

It is difficult to describe the soil types of this sub region, given in one small vineyard there can be more than a dozen different pro-files. They can range from stony,

gravel, alluvial former riverbed, to silt, loam and clay. What’s more the soils can range from being highly fertile, to extremely poor. Stones abound in parts of the val-ley, deposited by the braided rivers over the years. (Stoneleigh Wines took their name from the never ending array of stones within the original Corban’s vineyard.)

The closer to the hills of the North, the more rainfall this area experiences. It can be substan-tially more than the Southern Valleys and even more again than

the Awatere. This along with the fact that the vineyards in this sub region sit above a massive aqui-fer, fed by the Wairau River, means there are not as many water issues facing growers in this sub region as there are in others. While the more fertile loam soils mean irri-gation is often not necessary, it is almost mandatory on vineyards with stony conditions.

Temperature wise the Wairau Valley tends to be warmer than either the Southern or Awatere Valleys. It is generally the first of the sub regions to be harvested.

The major variety is under-standably Sauvignon Blanc, with the Pinot Noir predominantly for sparkling with some table wine the second most planted, then Char-donnay.

More recently there has been a move towards other aromatic wines, such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer. The wines from the Wairau Valley are described as being very fruit for-ward, with stone and tropical fruit flavours, particularly passion fruit

Awatere Valley.PHOTO: NZW

The white wines from Southern Valleys tend more towards the citrus/grapefruit flavours, with a degree of minerality from the clay. Pinot Noir tends to display rich aromas of red fruit.

and grapefruit characteristics in the Sauvignon Blanc.

Sub regions within the Wairau Valley are numerous. They include, Rapaura, Renwick, Rarangi, Con-ders Bend, Kaituna , Grovetown, Dillons Point and now the more extensively planted Upper Wairau, which is to the west of Blenheim, and follows the line of the Wairau River itself.

The Awatere ValleySituated to the south of Blen-

heim, with the Wither Hills dividing it from the Wairau and Southern Valleys, the Awatere is the most recent of Marlborough’s sub regions to emerge. As men-tioned the first vines were only planted back in 1985 by Vavasour Wines.

There were many in the Wairau

Valley that believed the Awatere would never be a major player in the Marlborough wine arse-nal. How wrong they have been proven. The Awatere is a not only a major player in terms of plant-ings, but also in fruit profiles. Wines from this sub region tend to be crisper, less tropical fruit (in terms of Sauvignon Blanc) and are often described as herbaceous, capsicum/bell pepper, minerally and flinty.

Towering over the Awatere Val-ley is Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuke, New Zealand’s highest peak, (out-side of the Southern Alps.) Often tipped with snow, it is a clear indi-

cation of the potential for cool weather that assails this valley. It is renowned as being cooler, windier and drier than either of the other valleys, which means bud burst through to harvest is the latest of all three valleys.

The soil profile is also very different, being a mixture of allu-vial gravel and wind borne loess, often with a diverse composition of stone materials.

With the majority of plantings being closer to the sea (than other valleys) the diurnal temperature is also less.

There are no large aquifers in the Awatere and all irrigation

water has to come from the Awa-tere River, or storage dams. Given the strong winds the area is sub-jected to, irrigation is a necessity, not a luxury. The private Blind River Irrigation scheme, opened up large tracts of land and many growers have now built their own storage dams to cater for the ever likely potential drought.

But the lack of water also means crops are lighter and fla-vours tend to be more intense, helped by the long hanging time due to the later ripening.

Within the Awatere Valley there are many individual sub regions; Blind River, Seaview, Dashwood and Redwood Pass. There are also areas emerging south of the Awatere in the Ure Valley and Kekerungu, which are beginning to show real promise. ■


AvAilAble from leAding HorticulturAl SupplierSFor further information on BioStart Digester or any of the BioStart range, phone 0800 116 229 or visit the BioStart website www.biostart.co.nz

Reduce the opportunity for disease to overwinter.

Digester uses BioStart’s signal molecule technology to activate the beneficial fungi and bacteria that decompose leaf litter, prunings and dead roots into humus.

Clean up with Digester

The wines from the Wairau Valley are described as being very fruit forward

SOMMELIERS CORNER CAMERON DOUGLAS MS


I t’s starting to feel like the right time to open a bottle or two of your current (or older) release Syrah

and consider its structure, key flavours and nuances. We Somms are also feeling the chilly weather, and will be heading to our wine rooms and cellars to evaluate our winter menus and their compatibility with this mighty variety.

Without doubt New Zealand Syrah is fast-tracking its way to stardom – and not just locally. Such is the terroir, talent and tenacity of our wine makers that New Zealand Syrah now stands alongside many of the world’s benchmarks (Northern and Southern Rhone in particular) as both a comparative example and a creditable alternative on wine lists.

Many restaurants enjoy keeping some jammy, powerful examples of Australian Shiraz well positioned on their lists, and I am frequently told by my clients (and brother and sister Sommeliers) that they have clients who will order nothing else. The power of these wines is legendary – yet our own Syrah is making an equally important, and no less impressive state-ment, from a different approach.

I am enjoying New Zealand Syrahs with provenances ranging from Northland to Marlborough

– and am growing increasingly excited by some Matakana examples, as well as the (by now almost benchmark) Hawkes Bay offerings. I am keen to grace any wine list I have input into with local examples – the choice, of course, dependent on the style and requirements of the estab-lishment.

Black cherry, black plum, blackberry and wild raspberry are appropriate fruit descrip-tors for many New Zealand examples. Hints of violets, white pepper, tea, mushroom, olive, sausage, bacon and even a little truffle can be found in some. Oak aromas and flavours add suggestions of clove, chocolate, smoke and char, and these are perhaps the initial influences most Sommeliers look to when considering Syrah with food.

How much oak, and of what

age, your Syrah can handle is up to the individual wine mak-ing team (the oak programme signature will sometimes mean the difference between the suit-ability of an example for a retail purchase or a winelist selection). A Sommelier similarly appreci-ates its significance – because of the impact it has on wine/

food relationships. Oak and fruit tannins need to be taken into account for food matching as they both have a big influence on the palate.

Grilled, stewed and especially smoked meats are fabulous with those Syrahs that have a noticeable oak impact. The pep-pery side of Syrah can either be calmed with less capsaicin spices or promoted with an extra grind of black pepper.

Let’s be frank - the alcohol levels in Syrah are often high

– it’s part of the package; so be careful about those delicate dishes with subtle nuances – they simply won’t work very often with a ‘big statement’ example. Syrah likes to be mar-ried with earthy flavours like beans and lentils, or sweet red vegetables like beetroot. Higher alcohol can bring a sense of sweetness to a wine, so caramel-ised food like onions and even charred meat work well with Syrah’s ample ethanol.

Pork belly, wild boar and roasted venison are seasonal offerings on New Zealand menus, and these dishes are particularly good with Syrah – the generous and often juicy black fruit flavours and textures blend well against the foods with similar juicy attributes. Fish and Syrah is a difficult pairing – two types that can work well are rich, full flavoured Salmon fillet with a dense layer of olive tapenade; or a Provençal style fish soup or stew with saffron and tomatoes.

And let’s not forget our evening that finishes by a roar-ing fire, listening to the wind and rain howling outside the windows, toasting our toes and reaching for the rustic cheese-board.

The Syrah that wasn’t finished over our main course is being swirled in its big glass, sniffed and sipped. Perfect. ■

SYRAH

By the time this article appears in print it’s likely that the last of your 2012 fruit is in tank, and the rigours of winter weather have arrived in earnest.

The generous and often juicy black fruit flavours and textures blend well against the foods with similar juicy attributes. Fish and Syrah is a difficult pairing – two types that can work well are rich, full flavoured Salmon fillet with a dense layer of olive tapenade; or a Provençal style fish soup or stew with saffron and tomatoes.


Collard Pulsed Air Leaf Removers

Boisselet Front Mounted Mowers

Bertolini Undervine Vineyard Sprayer

Collard Profilmatic Vine Trimmers

Bertolini 3 Row Vineyard Sprayer

Boisselet Rear Mounted Cultivator

BERTOLINIPUMPS & SPRAYERS

CALL 0800 833 538FOR YOUR NEAREST

DEALER OR PHONE ONEOF OUR TEAM... Louis 0272 904 230Ian 0274 375 222Guy 0274 938 716

A premium range of leaf remover and vine trimmers.

Talk to your Bertolini representative now about your trimming, leaf removing,mowing and spraying equipment requirements.


For Expert Viticultural Property Advice

ALEXANDERHAYWARD LTD

Registered Valuers,Property Consultants, Arbitrators

Specialising in all aspects of Vineyard and Winery Valuation, Including Specialist Plant

and Machinery

Contact:Dave Stark B Ag Com, FNZIV, FNZPI

Lex Hayward Dip VFM, FNZPI, AAMINZ

Experienced in all South Island Winegrowing Regions

Ph 03 5789776 Level 1, 20 Market St, BLENHEIMFax 03 5782806 email [email protected]

Manufactured in New Zealand for New Zealand conditions

A patented interlocking frame system restricts movement during a quake

Cross section of patented support system

Frame support

pole, locates well

into the legs

For further information please contact:

Peter Chapman 0274 363 871email: [email protected]: www.kernohan.co.nz

Wine Barrel Racks

Two

models

available

We also do

Puncheons


NEWPOLICY

REGISTERING VINEYARDS

All vineyards will need to be registered to take part in NZW organised events after July 1.

T he Strategic Review high-lighted the need for accu-rate vineyard statistics to improve information on

grape supply capability and to help address bio-security issues. In part at least this recommendation also reflected member criticisms that NZW vineyard data was not as accurate as it should have been leading up to vintage 2008.

The Board agrees that accurate vineyard data is a vitally impor-tant and fundamental information resource for the industry and has agreed to a new registration Policy. The new Policy states: All vine-yards (grower or winery owned)

contributing grapes to wines par-ticipating in New Zealand Wine-growers events and activities must be registered on the New Zealand Winegrowers vineyard register before July 1 of the year of vintage.

This Policy will apply from vintage 2012 onwards. The effect will be that the 2012 wines to participate in any New Zealand Winegrowers organised event after July 1 2012, (e.g. Bragato Wines Awards), the NZW semi-nar programme, user pays events etc, all vineyards that have con-tributed grapes into production of that wine will need to be up to date on the vineyard register. To

further enforce this, completion of the vineyard register will be a requirement for SWNZ accredita-tion in the 2012/13 season.

As a reflection of the additional vineyard registration requirement for participation in events, the Sustainable Wine Registration Site, has been re-named the Wine Registra-tion Site; www.nzwineregistra-tion.com

Further information including login details and guid-

ance notes will be sent directly to all vineyards and wineries.

If you have any questions relat-ing to the Policy, please contact Philip Manson, Science and Inno-vations Manager at; [email protected], or phone 09 306 5559. ■


REGIONSWAITAKI

RAPID WINE SPOILAGE DNA TESTING

Find out the yeast and bacteria levels present in your wine, juice and barrels by using our latest rapid DNA testing.

We detect and quantify Brett, Pediococcus, Zygosaccharomyces, Acetobacter, Lactobacilli, Native Ferment and customised species.

DNA testing means:• Results within a day of receiving samples • Detection of Viable But Non-Culturable (VBNC) populations that won't grow on plates• Counts of specific yeast and bacteria - from 10 to 10 million No more “Too numerous to count” results

Why test with dnature?• We develop & offer the latest tests for your winery eg Native Ferments• Assays developed in New Zealand for New Zealand Winemakers• Experienced in New Zealand wine DNA testing since 2007• Internationally recognised DNA Assay Designer eg Kiwifruit Psa-V

Contact us at [email protected] or 0800 DNATURE today or visit

www.dnature.co.nz/wine

dnature AD 120 x 180mm CMYK

PICKING FOR CHARITYT E S S A N I C H O L S O N

B raving the cool tempera-tures of a Waitaki autumn, up to 28 volunteers a day helped harvest the grapes

for Ostler Vineyards this year, in an effort to raise funds for the New Zealand Spinal Trust.

It is the fourth year this inno-vative fundraiser has taken place in the Waitaki, with many of the Ostler volunteers having been involved every vintage.

Drawing fruit from three vine-

yards, to produce seven vineyard specific wines, all grapes are hand picked, with no mechanical har-vesters in sight.

Ostler CEO Jim Jerram says given the isolation of the area and the lateness of the vintage, when it is time to harvest, it has to be done pretty quickly. That requires a rapid mobilising of a labour force, which cannot easily be conjured up in a remote region with a low population.

“Initially we had a lot of fam-ily and friends help us out, but as the business grew we knew we couldn’t rely on asking those people to help out for nothing, despite many of them wanting to do just that.”

Which is when Jerram’s wife Anne came up with the idea of using the vintage to raise funds for a good cause. Given Anne works at the Burwood Academy of Independent Living, she suggested

maybe they could do something to help the New Zealand Spinal Trust, set up in the 90s by the late Professor Alan Clarke, (the Patron is Sir Tim Wallis). So if friends and family wanted to help with the hand picking, Ostler Vineyard’s would donate the equivalent wages to the Trust. In total that has meant almost $16,000 0 has been raised and passed on, since the project began back in 2009.

“We have our own paid crew


Volunteer Hans Wouters of the New Zealand Spinal Trust assists with the Ostler Harvest at Blue House Vineyard in the Waitaki Valley.

and basically we work out a per tonne picking price, we take off our fixed costs for paid labour, and pay the rest to the Spinal Trust as a donation. Last year that donation was nearly $7000.”

The large group of helpers don’t necessarily come from the Waitaki region. Jerram says they come from all over New Zealand and some even travel from over-seas to be a part of the vintage. All are keen to help fundraise for the Spinal Trust, whose mission statement is “to empower people with spinal cord impairments, to lead independent, confident and productive lives, right now.” The money raised by Ostler helps the Trust fund its Connecting People Programme. Jerram says Anne’s involvement with Burwood and the fact that a well-known

businessman in the Waitaki has tetraplegia from a broken neck in a cross-country motor cycle acci-dent, makes the fundraising quite personal.

“As a model t h i s w o r k s extremely well for e ve rybody. We have happy pickers and it is a cheerful occa-sion with loads of donated food and terrific wines. It is remarkable that so many people want to come and donate their time to something so worth-while, as well as helping us out of a pickle.”

Jerram is keen to see other vineyards throughout the country follow their example, something that the CEO of the NZ Spinal Trust is keen on as well. Ben Lucas says the funds raised by Ostler

are vital, in helping develop pro-grammes within the Trust.

“It gives us backing ability to ensure we give our clients more support.”[email protected] ■


REGIONSWAIPARA

SUMMER OF RIESLINGJ O B U R Z Y N S K A

A s autumn takes hold, New Zealand is taking stock of its first Summer of Ries-ling, which gave the pro-

file of this great but underrated grape a welcome local boost, as well as driving its sales for par-ticipating wineries, bars and res-taurants across the country.

It’s the brainchild of New York restaurateur, Paul Grieco, who took the radical step of mak-

ing Riesling the only white wine served by the glass at his wine bar one summer. “Like many somme-liers, I want more folks to enjoy more Riesling more often,” Grieco divulged. “So four years ago, at my bar, Terroir, I decided to put my money where my mouth was and give my guests no choice: drink Riesling… or leave.”

Rather than bankrupting his business, the gamble not only paid

off, but the Summer of Riesling concept spread across the States, with hundreds of US restaurants and bars currently on board. It’s now an international phenome-non and was brought to New Zea-land this year by Waipara Valley Ambassador, Angela Clifford and Mount Edward’s Duncan Forsyth, with Grieco himself taking part in a number of events.

“We’ve held the In Praise of

Riesling event in Waipara before and this feels like a natural pro-gression,” explained Clifford. “Rather than just talking about it amongst ourselves, the idea is to get wine bars, restaurants and fine wine retailers on board to engage with consumers and pour them some mighty fine New Zealand Riesling.”

“For us, it’s not about us or our wines,” added Forsyth, “but about

Branches throughout New Zealand | www.waterforce.co.nz | 0800 436 723

WaterForce, a fully accredited water meter service provider– Telemetry units– Water meters– Installation & verification

Contact our experienced team of specialists to discuss your water metering requirements.


SprayPro R-series Excellent deposition

Eliminates spray drift

Saves chemical wastage

Saves operator time

Built to last

Quick to set up

Easy to operate

ERO Barrel Pruner Topping’ or full spur pruning

Strong reliable German design

and construction

Can fit onto ERO ‘Multi-mast’ system

Rapid work rate

SweepPro Pruning Sweeper

Trailing head design for low impact

Centre pivots for contour following

Direct mount or ERO ‘multi-mast’

mounting system

Adjustable row widths from

1.8 - 3.6 m rows

Clean, tidy resultMachines that

tick all the boxes… contact FMR Group for an

information pack and [email protected]

www.fmrgroup.co.nz

PH 0800 367 583

trying to get people – whoever they are and whatever Riesling they choose – to give Riesling a go and rediscover that it is one of the best freaking wines out there!”

Between mid-January and March, close to 50 establishments and over 40 New Zealand Ries-ling producers were involved in the seasonal celebration. Events included Riesling parties, such as the “Climax” evening held in the Waipara Valley at Pegasus Bay, which included burlesque danc-ers, wine tastings, dinner and a wine sound installation.

There were also Riesling boat races, a Summer of Riesling gig by Flip Grater, Riesling dinners, tast-ings and even a “Ribs, Riesling & Rubble” event held on the empty site where one of Christchurch’s favourite restaurants used to

stand before the earthquake. These initiatives translated to

a noticeable lift in Riesling sales over the period for many of the establishments involved. “We’ve sold over 50% more Riesling to trade than in the same period last year, and 40% more through our cellar door,” noted Anna Flower-day of Te Whare Ra Wines. “It’s a great initiative and we can’t wait for next summer.”

More sales success was reported by Black Estate, which sold almost a third more Riesling than in the same period the previ-ous year.

“We’re delighted with the whole concept behind the Sum-mer of Riesling and through our Glengarry and Dida’s stores we witnessed a steady rush of new converts over the season,” said

Glengarry’s Jak Jakicevich. “So bring on next year’s model - we can’t wait!”

Grieco too was impressed by New Zealand’s inaugural efforts: “From the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island; from the capital city to the wine capital of Waipara; the Summer of

Riesling was celebrated with vim and vigour and virtuosity.

“With Angela and Duncan at the helm, this celebration could one day rival the festivities that overtake the United States in their outpouring of Riesling love.” [email protected] ■

Paul Grieco.


REGIONSCANTERBURY

FIRSTS FOR NEW CANTERBURY WINE COMPETITIONW ith the launch of the

C a n t e r b u r y W i n e Awards in April, the region not only estab-

lished its first ever wine show, but New Zealand gained its only local competition that makes its entrants’ compatibility with food part of the judging criteria.

Established by Wines of Can-terbury, the inaugural event attracted 88 entries from across the geographical area covered by the organisation, which runs from the catchment area of the Waitaki River in the south to that of the Clarence River in the north.

“Entries came in from as far south as Kurow, and north from Spotswood near the Waiau River,” commented Dr Glen Creasy, lec-turer at Lincoln University and member of the Wines of Can-terbury Executive. “As well as demonstrating the wide range of

terroir Canterbury has to offer, it also emphasises the need for a vehicle to highlight the wines being made here.”

“We had a fantastic response from the wineries,” added Wines of Canterbury representative, Gill Walsh. “We never expected so many entries in our first year, which surpassed expectation.”

Wines were judged in classes based on food categories, such as cheese, lamb and salmon, with their suitability as a match with dishes within these groups one of the key considerations in their assessment.

“As wines are typically con-sumed with food it makes sense to evaluate them in this man-ner,” explained Walsh. “It’s also a point of difference from other wine shows.”

Judging the wines was a panel which drew on both wine and food

expertise. This comprised New Zealand Herald wine columnist, Jo Burzynska; oenologist at Hill Laboratories Wine Lab, Kirsten Creasy and ASB Showground’s executive chef, Simon Sheehan.

The presentation of the awards and the announcement of the

overall trophy winner took place at the David Jackson Dinner at Tiffany’s Restaurant in Christch-urch on 24th May, with the medal winning wines offered at a trade tasting for restaurants and wine buyers held at Christchurch’s Add-ington Raceway. ■

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Forty-three medals were awarded across the seven categories, which accounted for 50% of the wines entered. Trophies were awarded in these categories to the following wines:• 2012 Overall Trophy - Greystone Waipara Valley

Gewurztraminer 2011• Canapé Class - Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Riesling 2011 • Vegetarian Class - Greystone Waipara Valley Pinot Gris 2011 • Beef Class - Pasquale Hakataramea Pinot Noir 2010 • Salmon Class - Muddy Water Chardonnay 2009 • Lamb Class - Waipara Hills Equinox Waipara Valley Pinot

Noir 2011• Dessert Class - Waipara Hills Equinox Waipara Valley Late

Harvest Riesling • Cheese Class - Greystone Waipara Valley Gewurztraminer

2011

Top graft specialist, for all vineyard top grafting services, pruning and

vine training.

WITH OVER 25 YEARS GRAFTING EXPERIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND

To find out more contact Nigel Stead on 021 141 1548

ALD0133 Wine Growers Advert.indd 1 18/11/11 10:11:07 AM


MONEY MATTERS WITH NZFOREX MARCUS PHILLIPS

702 Omahu Road, Hastings 4120 Email: [email protected], www.hydralada.com

Free phone 0800 888 887

DISCO - uses specially designed boron steel

pruning discs which never need sharpening,

Independent opening of lower

assemblies for a complete

result, a range of configurations

to suit different vineyards.

VISIO - heavy duty mulching discs

incorporating blades within the barrel. Unique

visionic detection of post &

Cordon, Automatic opening around

posts and synchronizing of

disc-ground speed.

IS THE HIGH NZD HERE TO STAY?

M any exporters I’m sure, recall the ‘good old days’, when the New Zealand Dollar

was buying 50-odd US cents and USD-laden buyers were queuing up at the door to receive what they deemed a bargain price for high quality New Zealand wine.

It has been the case, however, that over recent years the Kiwi has embarked on a steady march higher, eroding the competitive-ness of the country’s exporters. A well-remembered fall to 50 cents was seen post GFC, although as the world recovered so did the local exchange rate. For those waiting for another turn south, the

following paragraphs address the factors contributing to the New Zealand dollar’s current levels and whether or not they are temporary or here to stay.

Driving the appreciation of the Kiwi from 2009 lows of 50 cents to the Greenback, were several factors. Firstly, after taking a battering, investor appetite for riskier assets improved. Those who had sold out and bought up low-yielding, ‘safer assets’ slowly began to shift their holdings back into higher paying assets such as the Kiwi. Secondly the emergence of China as a major player in global growth began to shift a favourable focus on the Asia region as a whole.

Rapid expansion of the country relied heavily upon commodity consumption, driving commod-ity prices higher as well as increas-ing demand for the commodities New Zealand exported. Higher demand at higher prices was a win-win situation for the New Zealand economy.

However, the nature of foreign exchange markets rarely allow for the simplicity of a one-way path. Down side pressure was soon to resurface as a rapidly worsening debt crisis in Greece hit the head-lines and threatened to consume Europe as a whole. Displaying text-book investor behaviour, market participants once again shunned

risk and headed back to the Green-back and other safe haven assets in droves. As the crisis wears on, times of greater concern has seen the New Zealand dollar drop to levels 75 cents and below despite recently forming a resilient chan-nel between 0.8100 and 0.8300.

So, as an exporter do you hold out and wait for the exchange rate to return from so-called ‘highs’ and return to ‘normal’ levels? Or is 80 cents the new normal? With China emerging as the next super power and commodity-rich Aus-tralia performing well, the flow-on effect appears to be positive for the Kiwi. Further scope for gain also comes from a stalling


WE HAVE MATCHED A FINE SELECTION OF LEGAL EXPERTS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR BUSINESS.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT David McGregor, Marija Batistich PUBLIC LAW Simon WattHEALTH & SAFETY Tim ClarkeFOOD STANDARDS Tania GoatleyCORPORATE STRUCTURE Gavin Macdonald

WWW.BELLGULLY.COM

To access the full breadth of our team, please contact David McGregor in the first instance on 09 916 8920 or email [email protected]

The ups and downs of the NZ dollar, versus the Greenback.

US recovery, and the threat of further quantitative easing that would serve to further weaken the Greenback.

There are however key risks to the downside as well. European concerns seem set to be with us for some time and the New Zealand Dollar is characteristically suscep-tible in times of uncertainty. Risk that growth in China will slow, dampening the Asian region as a whole, or maybe more likely an improving economic recovery in the United States, also leaves the NZD/USD vulnerable. For the time being at least, it looks as though the Kiwi will remain supported by its geographical location, relatively high interest rates and commodity classifica-tion. The most likely scenario in coming months is a continuation

of the recent range a few cents either side of 80. Not necessarily the best news for exporters of non-

commodities, although volatility and downside pressures remain. Play it smart and you can make the

most of dips in the Kiwi, reducing your average rate of exchange and improving your bottom line. ■


INDUSTRYNEWS

Higher Productivity + Lower Servicing Costs = AES Waterblasters

website: www.aesblasters.co.nzFreephone 0508 78 78 78

~ SALES & SERVICE DEALERS THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND ~

TORNADO RANGEUDOR ceramic plunger pump & gear-boxGenuine Honda petrol engine10 models from 1800 to 5000 psi

ELECTROBLAST RANGE230 & 400 Volt 1440 RPM motor8 models from 1600 to 5000 psi

ALBERTI HOT CLEANERSUDOR ceramic plunger pump Heavy duty 1440 RPM motor230 & 400 VoltUser friendly

FACILITATING GRAPEVINE IMPORTSD R L I S A WA R D , M A N A G E R , V I R O L O G Y A N D P E Q ,

P L A N T H E A LT H A N D E N V I R O N M E N T L A B O R AT O R Y,

M I N I S T R Y F O R P R I M A R Y I N D U S T R I E S

N ew Zealand’s grapevine industry is dependent on continued access to new varieties to develop

the sector and to provide a basis for innovation to remain globally competitive.

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) is offering a cost-effective post-entry quar-antine (PEQ) service through which new plant varieties can be imported. In line with the Minis-try’s strategy to grow and protect New Zealand, the Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) in Auckland, has extended its services to support the grapevine industry by providing a one-stop-shop for quarantining and testing plants.

Importation of grapevine into the PHEL quarantine facility will cost approximately $10,000 for one plant of one variety and around $23,000 for one plant each

of ten varieties; this is based on a two-year quarantine period. Space within the PHEL PEQ facility for grapevine importations will be available from May 2012.

Grapevine germplasm may be imported into New Zealand as seed, tissue culture or cuttings. Plant material in quarantine will undergo inspection and a suite of diagnostic tests to ensure freedom from damaging pests and diseases. Some of these pests and diseases could cause significant damage to the industry if they were to establish.

The PHEL PEQ facility has been set up to provide quarantine services where there is no suitable private provision. The purpose of the service is to enable the growth of primary industries by enabling access to new germplasm. No profit is made and costs are recov-ered only for staff time, equipment and consumables. ■


REGIONSNELSON

Enzymes

Velcorin (NZ)

Nat Flavours

Nat Colours

Beverage Formulators

New Product Concepts

Global Beverage Trends

Sensory Stimulators

Zymus International LimitedAuckland, New Zealand Phone: +64 9 820 0075 Fax: +64 9 820 0091Sydney, Australia Phone: + 612 9091 0125Email: [email protected] www.zymus.net

Winemaking Solutions NPD

LIGHTER BOTTLESN E I L H O D G S O N

T he emergence of lighter weight bottles is in direct response to the interna-tional trend to reduce

environmental impact. What’s more it is one that is going to grow, as demand from retailers and consumers moves away from the heavy, standardised bottles of the past.

In Nelson, Richmond Plains have taken on the philosophy of

lighterweight bottles as they aim to lessen their environmental impact and enhance their organic and biodynamic philosophies. Lars Jensen says the weight of the bottle doesn’t imapct on the taste of the wine, but it may help wine consumers feel better about chosing their brand.

Currently in New Zealand pro-duction of light weight bottles is being trialled with the lowest

about 410gms. Jensen has there-fore chosen to use an imported bottle from Italy at 350gms. The issue of using imported bottles doesn’t concern him, given Euro-pean countries have an excellent record of recycling, and if it helps promote lightweight glass in the market place then it has to be a good thing.

Richmond Plains haven’t had to make any changes in the bot-

tling line to accommodate the lighter bottle, but because they are also slightly shorter, cartons have been redesigned. There are many benefits according to Jensen; they are lighter to handle when full, take less space so they can get more in a shipping container and there is a lighter weight being shipped.

They don’t appear any less fragile than heavier bottles, with Jensen saying “they smash just as easily as any other bottle if dropped.”

At this stage the only light-weight bottles available are clear Bordeaux style bottles with green Bordeaux bottles to be made avail-able soon. Keith Griffith from Endeavour Glass Packaging says lightweight bottles may not be widely used in New Zealand at this point but they are a big thing worldwide. He says while there are a few issues like a shallow punt and limited bottle choices at the moment, consumer awareness of the impact products have on the environment means the change to lightweight bottles is going to

Lars Jensen of Richmond Plains, with the finger light bottle.


Winemakers, record keeping need not be a choreWith Wine File...• Wineryrecordsareeasytocreateandmaintain• Wineryrecordsarecompletelyauditable• Additivescanbetrackedtothematerialbatchlevel• AugmentsHACCP/StandardOperatingProcedures• YourNZWSMPrecordkeepingneedsaremet• YouwillbeusingsoftwarethatiswidelyusedinAustralia,

NewZealandandtheUSAThesearejustsomeofthereasonswhyWineFileisthewinemaker’schoiceforwineryrecordkeeping.

www.winefile.com.au [email protected]: +61 02 9807 6077

NOW MOBILE

be driven by consumer demand rather than by producers, unlike the move to using screwcap clo-sures.

Griffith says very heavy bot-tles are a modern phenomenon, driven by wineries to differenti-ate their premium products. The theory being a heavy bottle gives the impression of quality and prestige; with some of the heaviest Bordeaux style bottles weighing as much as 1.2kg (the equivalent of 3.2 bottles being used by Rich-mond Plains). He says when you consider the impact on lift weights in the winery, shipping costs and manufacturing costs, lightweight bottles are the future.

While many Scandinavian countries are asking about light-weight bottles it is Canada that is leading the way with new regula-

tions coming into effect on the 1st January 2013 for Southern Hemi-sphere wines with a retail value of less than $15. The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) require any 750ml bottles in this category to have a target bottle weight of 420gms.

The lightweight glass project has been undertaken by LCBO; “In order to reduce the collective carbon footprint of the products we purchase while also providing ergonomic benefits for our retail and logistics employees by reduc-ing the overall weight of cases handled.”

While the LCBO has main-tained some exceptions for small volume producers the message is very clear – the need for lighter weight bottles is here to stay. [email protected] ■

RinseReturnRecycle!

Agrecovery is proudly supported by:

Agrecovery is the safe recycling solution for your empty agrichemical containers. Participation is free thanks to the support of 50+ contributing brand owners. You can drop off your containers for recycling at 70 collection sites nationwide. Freephone 0800 AGRECOVERY (0800 247 326) or visit www.agrecovery.co.nz to get started on your property.


REGIONSGISBORNE

NEW LOOK WINE CENTREM A R G W I L L I M O T T

T he Gisborne Wine Cen-tre is now an established destination for wine lov-ers and tourists travelling

in the East Coast Region.In the 18 months since it

opened more than twenty thou-sand people have passed through it doors. Set in the Gisborne inner harbour- with a Mediterranean feel the centre show cases the

regions growing range of wines.“The primary objective of

the centre is to provide a central location to promote Gisborne as a quality wine region and a destina-tion for wine lovers,” said Wine Centre Manager Marcus Allan

It is a multipurpose area, with a wine shop and tasting area and an informative display on the Gisborne wine region - its soils,

climate and wine styles.An overhead screen displays

continuous snapshots of the vine-yards and wineries. There is also an area to relax that opens into a sunny wine bar where you can sample the wines and match them with best the region has to offer in platters and pastries.

“We have over 120 Gisborne wines in the shop now with an

extensive range of varietals and wine styles.

We want everyone who comes to the region to have a positive wine experience,” said Allan.

“It’s not feasible or viable for all of the boutique wineries to have the cellar door open all year round.

“In most cases the winery owner is also the grower, the wine maker and the seller of their wine.

Eutypa? Botryosphaeria?

0800 774 629 www.omnia.net.nz www.fruitfed.co.nz *the science of growing

N U T R I O L O G Y *

Greenseal Ultra™ is registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No P8180

™GREENSEALThe only labelled pruning wound product for Eutypa; a tough rubber-like acrylic resin with fungicides and bactericide

GELSEALA unique gel-based spray on product with powerful fungicides

Contact us today to discuss your grape pruning wound solutions

Protect pruning wounds with:


Follow the leaderFendt leads the way with superior comfort and functionality.

fendt 200 SerieS 70 – 110HP

the investment that pays off!When you invest in Fendt, you’re investing in the leader that sets the benchmark in every field. No matter what size Fendt you invest in. No matter what size your operation. Fendt is the leader.

Our innovations have been copied by others around the world, but you can never beat the original. Fendt tractors feature state-of-the-art engines, transmissions and unsurpassed levels of user comfort.

When it comes to versatility, productivity and innovative design, Fendt stands alone.

For more information contact your FENDT dealer.

S t a n d S a l o n e

FENDT is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation www.fendt.co.nz

See your local Fendt agent now for spring delivery

We work closely with the key tourist channels to encourage people to visit the centre.”

The staff are trained to provide recommendations on the wines, book visits to the Gisborne bou-tique cellar doors or help with useful information on when the local wineries are open.

“We can arrange a programme to suit the individual,” he added.

For those that just want to relax and take in the scenery there is a guided wine tour service – these run daily, where people can talk directly with the wine maker enjoy a prearranged tasting or luncheon in some unique locations.

“Each week we showcase ten wines in two flights. For $12 you can try a range of the five wines that we select.

“You can watch the boats come

and go or the sun setting across the water while sampling,” said Allan.

The centre also hosts fun edu-cational evenings – including a winemaker series – a winemaker

presents his philosophy and approach to producing the wine and matching it with his menu choice.

“This year we may try some-

thing more causal for those look-ing for an entertaining evening and to learn about wine,” said [email protected] ■

Gisborne Wine Centre.


REGIONSMARLBOROUGH

OLD NAME – NEW CELLAR DOOR

T wenty-seven years after making their first Marl-borough Sauvignon Blanc, Giesens Wines now have a

cellar door in the region. Opened last year, on Raupara Rd, the facil-ity is gearing itself up to educate, rather than just provide tastings of company wines.

Roscoe Johanson, Brand and Hospitality Manager says the cel-

lar door is “unashamedly” about Sauvignon Blanc. Especially given this is the company’s flagship wine and has become the second most poured white wine in Australia.

“We want to create an area where people can learn about the variety and the many different styles that emanate from this one grape.”

The company winemakers

have even created wines that are not for sale, only for educational purposes. Assistant winemaker Anna Kingscote says they have taken two parcels of grapes from the same vineyard. Each treatment has been exactly the same, apart from the yeast.

“The fruit is de-stemmed into stainless steel tanks, fermented on skins, inoculated and aged on

lees in second year oak barrels for up to nine months. We have called the wines Tame and Wild, with the Tame using commercial yeast and the Wild using natural yeasts found on the fruit. So everything is the same, from the vineyard to the fermenting. The only difference is the yeast.”

The difference in palate and texture though cannot be dis-

T E S S A N I C H O L S O N

[email protected]

Tel: 09 580 2520 Fax: 09 580 2525

Specialists in Customised Winery Solutions


Your trusted partner for independent quality assurance services

freephone 0508 00 11 22

www.asurequality.com

We test for:

Actual Alcohol (distillation/density)

Total Alcohol (sugars/alcohol by calculation)

Total Dry Extract (density)

Titratable Acidity

Volatile and Citric Acidity (enzymatic)

Total Sulphur Dioxide (Monier-Williams)

Total Sugars (HPLC)

Sorbic Acid (HPLC)

pH

Wine Density

Pressure of Sparkling Wine

We also offer:

Residue Analysis

Chemical Analysis

Microbiological Testing

Allergen Testing

Alcohol Analysis for Labelling Purposes

NIP Analysis

Forensic Investigations

Does your wine meet export standards?AsureQuality’s dedicated wine laboratory is staffed by scientists and technicians with over 70 years’ collective experience.

Using test methods recognised by the NZFSA and based on EU reference techniques, we can verify your wine meets export standards.

guised with the Wild delivering more complexity and roundness than its sister wine. Both of these wines are available only at the cel-lar door for tasting.

“These are trial wines, they are not driven by the market, but by an interest in Sauvignon Blanc,” Kingscote said. “It is great to be able to bottle something and see how it evolves while also letting other people that see as well. These wines aren’t mistakes – they are evolutional trials.”

Cellar Door Manager Victo-ria Lewis said if people are really interested in seeing the evolution of Sauvignon Blanc, then they are able to show them. From the Giesen Estate, through to The Brothers, the trial wines and then the August, which is a barrel fer-mented wine made in memory of the Giesen brother’s Grandfather. The August (pronounced Ooh goost) is again fermented on skins, with wild yeast and aged in a com-bination of French and German

oak. Giesen’s is the first New Zea-land wine company to import the larger, shallower German Fuder barrels, which provide more lees to wine ratio surface, which in turn impacts on the flavour intensity of the wine.

But it is not just Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc the company is planning to educate consumers on. Plans are for an international tasting stand within the cellar door, Johanson said.

“We all know how unique Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is, but to be able to show it against a wine from Sancerre or the Loire, California or Australia will help consumers see it for themselves.”

Using enomatic machines, it means the cellar door can have any number of wines on hand for people to try, without the fear of them showing signs of spoilage.

“Basically we want to educate and the cellar door is a fantastic place to do that,” Johanson [email protected] ■


INDUSTRYNEWS

VINEVAX - NOW EASIER TO USE

V inevax pruning wound dressing is a biological fungicide that protects pruning wounds by colo-

nising susceptible fresh wounds with an actively growing beneficial fungus.

This effectively closes the infection sites used by pathogenic wood-rotting fungi, prevent-ing potential disease. Pruning wounds are the primary source of infection by fungal pathogens that cause trunk and cane dieback leading to significant production losses.

Field research has shown that Vinevax pruning wound dress-ing applied at the end of the day’s pruning is more effective than if applied immediately after prun-ing. The research has shown that the best incidence of bio-activity recovered and deepest penetra-tion into wounds occurred from Vinevax applied at least 4 – 5 hours after cutting.

Biological wound treatments inhabit the wound with a ben-eficial organism, excluding the growth of harmful fungi and bac-teria. An advantage of biologicals

is that their bio- protective barrier improves and extends with time, unlike chemical treatments which loose their activity over time.

Now the biologicals such as Vinevax have a further advantage. In dry weather they can be applied conveniently by directed spray-ing at the end of the day’s pruning with the knowledge that applica-tion at this time will provide supe-rior protection from disease.

• Vinevax is the only fully reg-istered wound dressing for ‘vas-cular trunk disease’ with organic status.

• The new application timing will give managers greater flex-ibility in managing the timing of application around pruners.

• The green dye incorporated into Vinevax will enable easy iden-tification of cut surfaces treated or missed.

• Its Organic registration means it fits within both sustain-able viticulture and organic grow-ing practices.

• Application of Vinevax by spraying is very quick compared to paint brush application and full coverage is better. ■

For more information call us on 0800 422 733email [email protected] or go to nmit.ac.nz Search keyword: ‘Viticulture’

We offer on-campus, online and distance learning options for >> DIPLOMA IN VITICULTURE AND WINE PRODUCTION>> CERTIFICATE IN VINEYARD PRACTICE

WORLD CLASS WINE • WORLD CLASS LOCATION • WORLD CLASS TRAINING

Winemaking and Grapegrowing demand the very highest standards...With our flexible study options it is now easy to study while you work.

Left: Libby Rainey - Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production, Lincoln Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology, VITICULTURIST, VILLA MARIA

Right: Hiroyuki Kishido - Certificate in English as an Additional Language / Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production, CELLAR HAND AND VINTAGE SUPERVISOR, MUDHOUSE WINES, MARLBOROUGH

>> APPLY NOW

Pathway to Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University


GREAT VINES BEGIN WITH NURTURING CARE

plantCERTIfIEd VINESWITH CoNfIdENCE

CALL US oN 0800 444 614

View our catalogue online www.mistyvalley.co.nz

Rex on 027 49 80 [email protected]

Donna on 021 84 98 [email protected]

For information and technical support call toll-free

0800 430 430 Email: [email protected]: www.bondor.co.nz

• FIRE RATED • INSULATED • WEATHERTIGHT • GREEN

Insulated panel suppliers and installers to the grape and wine

industry for over 30 years

IDEAL for processing areas, barrel stores, tasting rooms, cellars, cooperage halls, offices and temporary

accommodation.

PROVIDES stable and easily controlled low temperature environments.

SUITABLE for effective humidity control.

SOLID wall construction reduces vibration.

EPS, Mineral wool & XFlam Insulated Panels

NelsonPh: 03 548 8796Mob: 021 445 105

www.wbsystems.co.nz [email protected]

Importers and Suppliers of Wine

Processing & Bottling Equipment

Pumps

Labellers

Washers/Dryers

AucklandPh: 09 424 8556Mob: 021 967 074

Crushers/Presses/Grape handling

Labellers

Filtration


WINEMAKINGNEWS

STRAW WINET E S S A N I C H O L S O N

I s the creation of a straw wine in Marlborough inno-vative or traditional? It’s a bit of a conundrum how

to describe the first release from newly formed wine com-pany

Eureka, given the process isn’t new, in fact it’s hundreds of years old. Yet the production is one

that has rarely been seen in this part of the wine mak-ing world.

Eureka owners Stephen Rae and Hugh Girling are

not the first New Zealanders to utilise the traditional straw

wine method, but they could well be the only ones currently using it.

The wine’s name relates to the way the fruit is treated. Bunches of Sauvignon Blanc were care-fully hand picked at 21 brix, and placed into bins in single layers. Each bunch had to be as pristine as possible, to ensure no berries

harboured botrytis potential.After hand pick-

i n g t h e

bunches were then

laid out on beds of straw,

inside a glass house to provide a stable envi-

ronment and left to dry for five weeks. The straw, which is

anti microbial, provides a mois-ture absorbing surface, while also allowing air circulation around the bunches.

“Basically in that five weeks the

grapes begin to resemble sultanas, although they retain their original colour,” winemaker Girling said. “We picked at between 21 and 23 brix, but after drying the grapes had reached between 36 and 39 brix.”

While the brix levels rose, the acid, pH and TA remained the same as when first picked. After five weeks, the fruit was then de stemmed and soaked in its own juice for 24 hours. Then it was fermented, half in American oak, the other half in French oak. It was finally bottled five months later.

The very limited wine has already received rave reviews, as wine that is; “Sweet and concen-trated, yet not cloying because the natural acidity of the grapes ensures a fresh, lively citrusy fin-ish.” (From wine reviewer Sue Courtney.)

Eureka is a new wine company, with just two wines in its current portfolio.

The Straw Wine Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and the Marlbor-

After five weeks this is what the grapes look like.

0800 267 725

Dividers(trial samples available on request)

~ COST EFFECTIVE – SUSTAINABLE ~


ough Gewurztraminer, both 2011. Both Rae and Girling are adamant they want to create wines that stand out and fit the company’s name.

The success of their initial Straw Wine Sauvignon Blanc has now got them thinking about what other varieties could be processed in this age old tradition.

“We would like to trial as many different varieties as we can, Girling said. “We are also looking

at making a straw Pinot Gris, as well as a standard Pinot Gris, then we might try a partial combina-tion. Not everything we do will work, we realise that. But we want to experiment, be innovative, and see where it takes us.”

“But at the same time we don’t want people to think we are being radical for the sake of it, said Rae. “What we want is to push the boundaries.”[email protected] ■

A single layer of bunches are laid out on straw to dry.


Loscam pallets can now be seen in the New Zealand market as the company gears up for aggres-sive growth in 2012. The roll out in New Zealand achieved a major milestone with the signing of a sup-ply and operations agreement with Progressive late last year. Food-stuffs start-up remains on track with changes required to some of their systems being done over the next month or so with Loscam pal-lets being able to be received into the Foodstuffs national supply chain soon after.

The market leader in Asia Pacific, Loscam provides pallet rental services to the wine sector,

with over 150 customers through-out the wine supply chain includ-ing vineyards, wineries, packagers, distributors, logistics providers and retailers.

A growing list of customers are taking advantage of their conven-ient multiple depot locations in Auckland and the national net-work of 17 depots, all now open for business.

Loscam is also offering cross border services with Austral-ian and Asian pallets avail-able for export shipments, which can then be de-hired in the receiving country. They are also receiving

shipments on NZ pallets from Australia which are then de-hired in NZ.

“The response has been fantastic both to our solutions and to the 4 way entry pallet as it is provid-

ing improved utility and safety as well as increased operational efficiency” says Chris Sharples, General Manager. ■

INDUSTRYNEWS

LOSCAM PALLETS IN NZ

BE48

NDC : 09 275 5555 SDC : 03 437 9000

F O R Y O U R N E A R E S T D E A L E R P L E A S E C O N TA C T

[email protected]

“It’s been a very reliable machine. It’s convenient after pruning for tidying up the orchard, and it’s more convenient than getting a contractor. They’re good reliable heavy duty machines.” HAWKES BAY ORCHARDIST, - OWNER OF A BERTI TFB/M 180

• Heavy duty RHS headstock

• Double skin mulching chamber

• 60mm stub shafts • Drop forged flail lugs

• Double row self aligning bearings

• Fully enclosed bearings

BERTI MULCHERSRELIABLE. STURDY


- WINE TANKS- RECEIVAL BINS- CATWALKS- HEAT EXCHANGERS

FOR SALES ENQUIRIES CONTACT:ANDREW HORTONPhone +64 3 214 4817Fax +64 3 218 3354Mobile +64 21 276 9676

[email protected]

wwwww.crownsheetmetal.co.nz

New Zealand’s Leading Wine Broker Providing Total Wine Solutions

www.winenetwork.co.nz

• Supply of bulk wine domestically and internationally

• Supplier for private label wines

• Grapes for sale or wanted

• Buy and sell industry supplies

• Wine industry employment

• Wine real estate for sale or lease

• Providing industry experience and professional service

Contact Michael Selak

Tel: (+64 9) 489 3644 Fax: (+64 9) 489 3646

Email: [email protected]

www.woodshield.com.au

[email protected] +61 7 3271 5575

John Mob. 027 249 7668

Visit us at Mystery CreekStand PD37 in

the Pavilion

The post that does not rust or rot!Untreated timber encased in recycled plastic.


INDUSTRYNEWS

THE FENDT 200PSM arlborough’s Kaituna

V i n e y a r d m a n a g e r Peter Duncan, is highly impressed with the

Fendt 209P and 211P tractors. Like all Fendts, they have Vario transmissions but with a width of just 1.8m they are smaller than your average tractor so they can fit down vineyard rows.

Kaituna Vineyard, on the northern bank of the Wairau River is 105ha and has six varieties of grapes with Sauvignon Blanc the

most abundant. Phil Dixon has worked there for nine years and is the vineyard foreman. Though it is the first time he has driven Fendt, it was not a difficult step to make.

A particular favourite is cruise control, which Dixon uses in conjunction with headland man-agement. He puts the tractor on cruise control going down the rows and with a push of a button headland management stops the implements and raises them as the tractor prepares to turn.

Vine roots are actively growing and store nitrogen to power Spring growth.

Store reserves for next spring now!

• Nodissolvingrequired!• Highanalysisliquidformulation.• Morebudsrequiremoreenergy.

Another quAlity product brought to you by:

Thinking of tying down more canes?

UAN 390™

www.grochem.co.nz


With another push of a but-ton everything is lowered and restarted again in the programmed order. Then he can flick the tractor back into cruise control.

Headlands in the vineyard are vulnerable to damage, which is why Dixon likes the automatic four wheel drive. If a turn exceeds 15o deg, the four-wheel drive auto-matically switches off, saving the ground from getting ripped up.

“It’s easy to spend an eight to 12 hour day in the cab. The air-conditioning and stereo help, and the cabs are quiet.”

With the Vario transmission, Dixon only uses the clutch when he starts the tractor. He then con-trols everything with the joystick. “Push the gear stick forward and it changes automatically, or a quick flick forward and it changes one gear.”

The Fendts do a variety of tasks at Kaituna Vineyard – towing the

sprayer, leaf plucker, defolia-tor and trimmer. One of Fendt’s strengths is their ability to accom-modate any brand of implement.

Often the crew have a trim-mer on front and the mower on the back.

Being able to adjust the hydrau-lic flow rate on every implement with the twist of a dial makes the job more efficient.

“I can turn down the trimmer and still have the mower on the back at 540,”Dixon said. “The Fendts can work in lower revs than most tractors. I run the mower at 1600 but otherwise it’s usually around 1250 to 1300.”

Fuel efficiency is another attribute being noticeably better than their other tractors.

“When we work with the big sprayer we can turn down the hydraulics because it doesn’t need the high revs. That saves fuel,” Duncan said. ■

Tailored to meet your supply chain management and just-in-time challenges, and using any or all transport modes, Hamburg Süd’s transportation planning approach correlates all possible factorsto achieve the safe, reliable, cost-efficient delivery of your shipment wherever and whenever youneed it. We call it ‘logistical thinking’.

For hands on help call our local experts:

Outbound: 0503 222 444 Inbound: 0508 333 666

Logistics.We’re good with this.

www.hamburgsud-line.com


CALENDAR

JUNE2 12 19 21Cape Kidnapper’s Winemaker Dinner – Cape Kidnapper’s ResortDetails www.capekidnappers.com

Hot Red Hawkes Bay – WellingtonDetails and tickets www.eventfinder.co.nz

NZW South Island Grape DaysMarlborough Convention Centre, Blenheim

NZW North Island Grape DaysHastings Opera House

JULY1 13The 30th and last ever First Glass Wine Options National Final Crowne Plaza – Auckland. Details www.first-glass.co.nz

Hot Red Hawkes Bay – AucklandDetails and tickets – www.eventfinder.co.nz

AUGUST2-5 22-24The Food Show ASB Showgrounds – Auckland

Romeo Bragato Conference – Marlborough Convention Centre – Blenheim Full details and registrations at www.bragato.org.nz

SEPTEMBER4-6 10-12 14-16 29Spieglau International Wine CompetitionBlenheim

New Zealand International Wine Show judging Auckland

The Food ShowCBS Canterbury Arena

Awards Dinner – New Zealand International Wine ShowCrowne Plaza – Auckland

OCTOBER15-17 5-7The Marlborough Wine Show judgingBlenheim

NOVEMBER

Air New Zealand Wine Awards JudgingAuckland

The Air New Zealand Wine Awards, November 5-7.

JANUARY28-31 2

FEBRUARY

Pinot Noir 2013Wellington

Nelson International Aromatic Symposium

The Food Show, August 2-5.


SUMMARY OF KEY INDICATORS PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS

MAJOR VARIETIES IN MAJOR AREAS

*estimate of probable total scaled up from actual returns

MAJOR NZ VINEYARD AREAS

Region 2010 2012 % Change % Total (Actual) (Forecast) (from 2010) Area (2010)

Marlborough 19295 19570 +1.4% 57.7%

Hawkes Bay 4947 5046 +2.0% 14.8%

Gisborne 2083 2003 -3.9% 6.2%

Otago 1540 1543 +0.2% 4.6%

Canty/Waipara 1779 1828 +2.7% 5.3%

Wairarapa/Wgtn 871 885 +1.6% 2.6%

Nelson 842 880 +4.6% 2.5%

Auckland 550 573 +4.1% 1.6%

Waikato/BoP 147 147 n.c.* 0.4%

National total 33428 33600 +0.5% 100.0%

Variety 2010 2012 % Change % Total (Actual) (Forecast) (from 2009) Area (2011)

Sauv. Blanc 16910 17297 +2.2% 44.3%

Chardonnay 3865 3792 -1.9% 11.3%

Pinot Gris 1763 1764 n.c.* 4.3%

Riesling 986 1009 +2.3% 2.7%

Gewurztraminer 314 290 -7.7% 0.9%

Semillon 185 182 -2.7% 0.5%

Pinot Noir 4773 4828 +1.1% 13.9%

Merlot 371 1403 +2.3% 4.0%

Cab.Sauvignon 519 521 +0.4% 1.5%

Syrah 297 300 +1.0% 0.8%

Cabernet Franc 161 162 n.c.*% 0.5%

Malbec 157 161 +2.5% 0.5%

Total 33428 33600 +0.5%

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.

*n.c. = no change

*(npr = not previously recorded separately)

Following is a summary of key indicators at intervals:

1985 1990 1995 2000 2010

No. of Growers n/a n/a n/a n/a 1128

No. of Wineries n/a n/a 204 358 672

Producing area (Ha)* 5,900 4,880 6,110 10,197 33,428

Average yield (t/Ha) 13.2 14.4 12.2 7.8 8.0

Tonnes crushed 78,000 70,265 74,500 80,100 266,000

Total production (m.L) 59.6 54.4 56.4 60.2 190.0

Domestic sales (m.L) 42.6 39.2 30.9 41.3 56.7

Per capita consumption:

(litres NZ wines) 13.1 11.7 8.7 10.6 13.0

Export volume (m.L) 0.8 4.0 7.8 19.2 142

Exp. value (m.$NZ fob) 3.0 18.4 40.8 168.4 1041.0

Exports up againExports for the 12 months to March 2012 (Moving Annual Total)

Country Litres (m) $ Fob Average Average

$/L 2012 $/L 2011

United Kingdom 60,830 302,691 4.98 5.59

USA 37,596 242,824 6.46 7.27

Australia 51,073 368,106 7.21 7.36

Canada 6064 64,546 10.97 9.14

Netherlands 4903 28,776 5.87 7.27

Denmark 1135 7.292 6.42 6.75

Ireland 1974 15,538 7.87 8.27

Japan 1.032 11,792 11.42 12.68

Germany 1024 6960 6.80 6.44

China 1993 23,617 11.85 10.55

Hong Kong 1468 18,524 12.62 13.23

Singapore 1102 14,007 12.71 11.74

Finland 0.276 2,642 9.55 9.22

Norway 0.250 2094 8.36 7.90

Sweden 1347 10,908 8.09 8.43

Others 4.639 46,211 9.96 10.19

TOTAL 171,713 1,168,535,747 6.61 7.04

STATISTICS


RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT

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://winenf.nzwine.com/research:asp

Information and Updates on NZ Winegrowers Research Programmes.

Associate Editors: Philip Manson, Science & Innovations Manager • Dr Simon Hooker,

Research Programme Manager

LIST OF PROJECTS

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

Understanding causes of slip skinPlant and Food Research (Rob Beresford)

Tools for manipulating Sauvignon blanc wine flavour and aroma: Harvest and processing of grapesPlant and Food Research (Claire Grose)

Identification and quantification of chiral volatile compounds in New Zealand wines that affect aromaLincoln University (Roland Harrison)

A sex pheromone as a citrophilus mealybug monitoring tool (2011-12)Plant and Food Research (Jim Walker)

Potassium nutrition of grapevinesPlant and Food Research (Mike Trought)

Early defoliation: carryover and hand versus mechanicalEastern Institute of Technology (EIT) (Mark Krasnow)

Residue profile in grape leaves and sheep meat and offal from leaf plucking in vineyardsAgrivet Services Ltd (Ben Vlaming)

Managing Botrytis in New Zealand Viticulture Vino Vitis Ltd (Ruby Andrews)

New opportunities for sustainable grape thinning Plant and Food Research (Mike Trought)

Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund

Tendrils as a source of seasonal carryover of Botrytis cinerea in vineyards Plant and Food Research (Dion Mundy) Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund

Cryopreserved grapevine: a new way to maintain high-health germplasm and cultivar imports with less rigorous quarantine regulationsPlant and Food Research (Ranjith Pathirana)

Improving management of grapevine trunk diseases in New ZealandSouth Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI)(Mark Sosnowski)

The impact of harvest technologies on grape and wine components of importance for protein stabilityLincoln University (Roland Harrison)

Understanding the accumulation of fruit based green aromatic methoxypyrazine compounds in Marlborough Sauvignon blanc grape berriesPlant and Food Research (Jeff Bennett)

Investigation of perceived minerality in white wineLincoln University (Wendy Parr)

The influence of canopy management and architecture of Sauvignon blanc grapevines on fruit and vegetative

developmentPlant and Food Research (Marc Greven)

Organic Focus Vineyard Project Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (Rebecca Reider) Supported by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund

Unlocking New Zealand Pinot noir aroma through aroma reconstitution approachAuckland University (Paul Kilmartin)

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

The effect of light on grape berry and leaf biochemistryLincoln University (Brian Jordan)

Identification of metabolites in high-thiol grape juicesAuckland UniServices Ltd (Silas Villas-Boas)

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

The Effect of Post-Harvest Defoliation on Carbon and Nitrogen Balance of High Yielding Sauvignon Blanc VinesPlant and Food Research (Marc Greven)

New Zealand Winegrower Magazine Research Articles Various


PROGRESSREPORTS

Understanding causes of slip skin Robert Beresford and Anne Gunson – Plant and Food Research

11 - 119

“Slip skin” is a problem for the New Zealand wine industry as it results in apparently healthy fruit that are ready for wine making becoming rotten and unusable in a period of a few days under certain conditions. New Zealand grape growers periodically request information on the causes and control of slip skin, but to date the exact conditions that result in expression of this disease have not been determined. Research into these conditions in New Zealand is needed so it can be better understood by growers and methods for its control can be developed.

“Slip skin” is a distinct symptom of Botrytis cinerea infection of grape berries. It is char-acterised by the softening of the attachment between the grape skin and the pulp of the berry, allowing the skin to slip easily from the pulp when the berry is squeezed. The softening is caused by pectolytic enzymes produced by B. cinerea in the skin of the grape. In New Zealand, slip skin can appear suddenly at a high inci-dence in some grape crops when fruit are near their harvest sugar content (e.g. >20 °Brix). It occurs in the Gisborne region in most seasons, frequently in Hawke’s Bay, and sporadically in Marlborough. It is the unexpected appearance at high incidence that causes concern for grape growers, and the pectolytic enzymes produced by the pathogen render the grapes unusable for winemaking.

With funding from NZ Winegrowers, PFR scientists have begun a project that seeks to understand the expression of slip skin under New Zealand conditions, using a low-cost field experimental approach. This methodology can be applied in future projects to investigate practical control of this unwanted symptom, perhaps by such means as calcium sprays to improve cell wall integrity, or the use of water-proofing spray adjuvants.

Our initial hypothesis is as follows:Slip skin develops when near-ripe grape

berries that have a high incidence of latent B. cinerea

infection are subjected to wetting. Latent B. cinerea is kept inactive by the high osmotic potential of

sugars in near-ripe berries. Sudden water availability provided by rainfall promotes B. cinerea growth

and the production of the pectolytic enzymes that cause both detachment of the skins and the

oxidation of wine.We are reviewing the international litera-

ture for evidence of weather conditions and other host and patho-genic factors that contribute to slip skin expres-sion and are test-ing the

hypothesis experimentally in vineyard trials in three regions. Multiple regions allow inter-actions between weather conditions and the experimentally imposed treatments to be inter-preted within a single season.

Three field sites have been established in Pinot Noir vineyards, one in each of Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. At each site, general disease management programmes

have been applied, according to local require-ments. Five replicated treatments have been applied to tagged berry bunches. Switch®

fungicide has been applied to some treatments. At véraison, selected

treatment bunches were inoc-ulated with Botrytis

cinerea to establish latent infections, by puffing with dry spores. The

timing of some of the work has been

a little later than planned because the

season is two weeks later than normal, but the use of

Pinot noir, an early variety, should allow berries to reach the harvest target soluble sol-ids content (°Brix) in a timely fashion. The final results of the

experiment will be presented in a report and popular article to New

Zealand Winegrowers in October 2012.

This bunch shows a bit of sporulation and also the wet mushy looking berries that probably have slip skin. PHOTO: ROBERT LAMBERTS


Botrytis decision support (BDS) Rob Beresford, Alistair McKay, Peter Wood, Rob Agnew (Plant & Food Research)

Mike Barley (HortPlus)

11-120

The web-based version of the Botrytis Decision Support (BDS) system was successfully devel-oped during 2010-2011 and user-tested, with funding support from NZW. We received very useful feedback from a small group of test users.

We are now working on the next stage of implementation of this programme. This stage will finalise the BDS web system, to make it ready for widespread promotion, and will set up industry training. This will promote widespread uptake by wine industry users and by associated horticultural consultancy and agrichemical industry users.

We are consulting three training groups (wine company VSOs and viticulture consult-ants), in each of Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough.

We are holding one-on-one meetings and training on use of the BDS website, both the early-season and the late-season prediction models.

This will enable us to produce and optimise training resource material for ongoing wine industry support, and to refine the web plat-form according to the users’ recommendations.

In addition, we are using the theoretical botrytis sampling protocol methods we have

previously developed to incorporate a vine-yard sample size calculator and an incidence-severity converter into the BDS website. We are testing and validating those sampling protocols under commercial grape production condi-tions, in three vineyards in each of two regions, by repeatedly sampling during grape ripening.

HortPlus™ has carried out development and programming of the BDS web platform to date. We will continue to use them to incor-porate the final refinements to it.

We gratefully acknowledge the ongoing funding of this BDS programme by NZW.

The patented Eco Trellis System has been engineered to replacetraditional CCA wooden posts used in vineyard trellis systems.

Eco friendly and fully recyclable, the high strengthgalvanised steel products are free of contaminants sopotential ground leaching is eliminated. The systemcomprises of strainer systems, intermediate posts andclipping systems interchangeable for your specific application.

Hand inserted trellis clips for general, permanent captureand automated vine stripping applications.

The patented footing at the base of thestrainer and intermediate posts gives up tofour times more retention than a parallelpost. If you have soft or loose soils werecommend the use of a GRF plate whichslips over the top of the post to prevent

lifting or under the bottom of the post toprevent sinking - no more welded anchors!

Conventional, box andtie-back strainer postsare available as standard

NEW AGPOST CLIPPOSITIONING. See

www.ecotrellis.com for moredetail.

www.ecotrellis.com

www.ecotrellis.com

O-I New Zealand. 752 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand

Phone: +64 9 976 7100 Fax: +64 9 976 7191

Email: [email protected] www.o-i.com

The skill of New Zealand’s winemakers has ensured that the results of each

new vintage are eagerly awaited around the world. The quality of these

wines demands the quality packaging that O-I can provide as our wine

industry grows from strength to strength.

New Zea land g lass f o r wor ld c l ass

New Zealand Wines

C OV E R CROP S ✽ SU M M E R OR R I E S L I NG ✽ V I N I TA LY ✽ M A R L B OROUG H ’ S SU B R E G ION S

JU

NE/JULY 2012

ISSUE

74

TH

E O

FF

ICIA

L J

OU

RN

AL

OF

NE

W Z

EA

LA

ND

WIN

EG

RO

WE

RS

ISS

UE

74

JUN

E/JU

LY

20

12N

EW

ZE

AL

AN

D W

INE

GR

OW

ER

Amcor produces a range of Stelvin® Closures for wine and spirit applications. Supplying some of Australia and New Zealand’s finest wineries, Amcor has a distinct understanding of local market requirements. This is supported by a keen focus on product quality and

brand awareness – all while remaining price competitive. So whether you’re simply after Stelvin® Closures, or a fully integrated packaging solution for your wine or beverage, Amcor really is your one-stop packaging partner.

For more information:T + 61 8 8433 2500 E [email protected] or visit www.amcor.com ©Amcor 2012

Creating a new world of packaging

Setting the global standard in beverage closures

Amcor, your partner in superior wine closures

For more information:T + 61 8 8433 2500 E [email protected] + 64 9 262 6971 E [email protected] visit www.amcor.com ©Amcor 2012

nz winegrower june-july 2012

Documents

new zealandphone

new zealand winegroweramcor

new world of packagingsetting

new zealands finest

quality packaging

packaging partner

vineyard trellis systems

patented eco trellis