Organic Matters, Spring 2023

In this issue

Dougall

Galvin

Cover photo: View from the top of The Wrekin Vineyard overlooking the dam with Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc plantings. Photo by Lorenzo Visser (@lorenzovisser).

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From the chair

We’ve been reflecting on the latest version of our Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference, and we’re locking in plans for the next one for winter 2025. The feedback we have received from the attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re grateful to the many of you who took the time to answer the survey of delegates. It really helps us to understand how the event was received and also to hear what our members would like to see more or less of next time. It certainly seems that those who attended enjoyed the mix of technical, practical and social content of the programme.

Organising our conference is a massive task and therefore a special mention needs to be made for our lead conference organiser Naomi Galvin, conference committee co-chairs Bart Arnst and Nick Pett, and the rest of the conference committee for all their hard work and passion for delivering another outstanding event for our community.

The OWNZ executive committee is very excited to continue driving organics forward and to maximise the momentum gained from the conference.

As you will hopefully know, Organic Wine Week is also fast approaching, running from the 18th to the 24th September. There will be a number of events during that week, but it’s also just a great time to shout about what we do and increase the volume around organic wine. Our members should have received links to a digital tool kit containing imagery to help you promote the week.

We’ve also listened to what you’ve asked for and are excited to announce that OWNZ will be holding Down to Earth, our first major organic trade and consumer event, in Auckland on 21st September as part of Organic Wine Week. It’s going to be a great showcase for our members, and will hopefully further enlighten the trade and consumers about why they should buy organic.

Clive Dougall Chair, OWNZ

Reconnection

The long-awaited return of the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference brought together record crowds for three days of community, conversation, learning and inspiration.

By Rebecca Reider

It’s fair to say that the fourth edition of the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference was a highly anticipated event. Held in Blenheim in June, the always-popular conference had been on hold for four years while OWNZ waited to be able to hold the event with open borders to welcome our international guests.

Timed with a new moon and the winter solstice, the conference had an air of reset and renewal. There was a familiar sense of gathering, bringing together the convivial organic wine community and many newly interested attendees. This time a more diverse programme also engaged with deep core values, going beyond vineyard technique to encompass climate responsibility, Indigenous perspectives on relationship with the land, and more.

Drawing over 380 attendees, this was OWNZ’s biggest conference yet. Three days of presentations included a huge array of talks by local and international speakers. Evening events included an Aotearoa organic wine tasting for all delegates to sample a huge diversity of locally grown organic wines; and two separate ticketed evening events, an organic feast dinner and an international organic wine tasting.

While the conference continues to attract organic producers to learn and network with their peers, it also continues to draw in new interest; more than a third of ticket purchasers were not yet members of OWNZ. On post-conference surveys, nearly all responding non-organic growers indicated that the event had made them more likely to incorporate

Conference

photos by Lisa Duncan

Above: Conference delegates chat and taste international organic wines at the International Organic Wine Takeover at Raupo.

organic practices into their operations. Satisfaction levels with the event were high, with the vast majority of attendees indicating they would be likely to attend again in the future.

Comments from conference delegates, responding to post-event surveys, reflected the richness of the three days. Delegates’ personal highlights of the event, in their own words, included:

Wide range of different speakers... going from scientific data to a more philosophical view of our industry was mindblowing! Really enjoyed the diversity and different backgrounds of speakers.

The conference was holistic! Was not only around wine, but around people as well.

Connecting and reconnecting with community, amazing speakers, tastings and dinner.

Connecting with people, new and old friends. Great mix of discussions/ speakers. Loved the cultural element and storytelling.

The amazingly magnificent food, stalls and talks focused on principles in life. People sharing a living experience.

The mix of holistic and scientific presentations was spot on. Real world examples make the information accessible and easy to digest.

How enthusiastic everyone was, and seeing the passion and excitement in people after each session.

While it would be impossible to summarise three days’ worth of information-rich presentations in these pages, what follows are summaries of some of the most-discussed themes.

A climate of action

One of the conference’s major themes this year was climate action. Wine writer Elaine Chukan Brown, on the first morning, laid out the challenge bluntly: “We are in a climate crisis… this right now is the crucial decade. If we do not halve carbon emissions by 2030… we will be in irreversible chaos.”

Elaine reminded the audience of the floods in New Zealand this year, amongst climate disasters worldwide.

With that stark warning, however, Elaine framed an uplifting call

Photos this page, from top to bottom:

• The ASB Theatre again provided a stunning venue.

• South African organic winegrower Johan Reyneke (left), who also gave two keynote addresses on his experiences, poured his own wines at the International Organic Wine Takeover event.

• The barrel hall at the Coterie transformed into a stunning feast venue at night.

• ‘Bright shirt day’ brought some levity in winter, with conference committee co-chair Bart Arnst here flanked by Chris Darling and Bill Small.

to action. A former philosophy lecturer, Elaine shared a bit of wisdom from the philosophy of stoicism: “When you are in the hardest moments of your life, do not hope to get out of them.” Rather than hoping for things to be different, Elaine argued, we must accept our situation in order to act.

Agriculture is one of the key drivers of climate change, Elaine pointed out. Over 25% of annual carbon emissions worldwide coming from farming. This means “agriculture can play a crucial role in the face of climate change.” Stopping the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers is one key step, as applying these fertilisers provokes greenhouse gas emissions from soil. Year-round cover cropping is another powerful strategy to get carbon back into soils; in some cases, longstanding grasslands have greater carbon sink potential than forests, depending on soil conditions, Elaine said. “You have the opportunity in your land to support climate action.”

Elaine wove Indigenous wisdom into both of their talks at the conference. Their heritage as an Indigenous Alaskan, raised in a fishing community, came through from the very start of Elaine’s address, as they acknowledged their ancestors by name before speaking.

After Elaine had laid out the climate challenge, this intergenerational perspective again shone through, setting

the tone for the rest of the climate conversations at the conference. “I must act out of love for people I will never meet,” Elaine insisted. “I must act to be the ancestor that my future needs.”

Building on that powerful framing, numerous talks at the conference focused on climate solutions. One of the simple and most impactful issues for the wine industry to tackle, many speakers pointed out, is packaging. “The good old 750 ml bottle of wine is now outdated,” argued Cameron Douglas MS.

Providing a finer-grained analysis of climate action in a vineyard and winery, James Coleman of Felton Road presented Felton Road’s carbon reduction journey. Felton Road have chosen to enrol in the IWCA carbon certification program in order to analyse, reduce and certify their emissions.

Felton Road’s carbon analysis of their operation has looked at all stages in the production chain, from the vineyard through to shipping the wine, including glass bottles, purchased energy, staff commutes and more. They discovered through this audit that off-property emissions were actually the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, rather than vineyard operations. Freight of product is the largest source of carbon emissions in Felton Road’s operations. James pointed out that the amount of carbon emissions that can be saved by

changing from heavy wine bottles to the lightest ones available, is a figure bigger than the entire carbon emissions budget of the farm itself. In their first year of cabron tracking, Felton Road eliminated 40 tonnes of annual carbon emissions, and they have a roadmap for further reductions, aiming to get to net zero.

Rebecca Mills of The Lever Room offered another carbon certification tool. Her organisation now offers a new carbon certification system for companies looking to track and reduce emissions.

Rebecca explained that New Zealand’s level of climate action is considered ‘highly inadequate’ by Climate Action Tracker. New Zealand depends on purchasing carbon offsets more than any other OECD country, in contrast to doing the hard work of reducing emissions at home.

Rebecca also spoke to the value of biochar as a way of storing carbon in soils, as well as the importance of native forests for long term sequestration. Native forests have been undervalued in New Zealand in comparison to pine trees for carbon sequestration, she argued. She repeated the call for urgency: “We’re going to need every tool in the toolbox if we’re going to start living like we’re here to stay.”

With the recent devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle felt acutely by winegrowers in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, a more personal awareness of climate change lingered in the space. Two auctions were held at the conference. A silent auction was active throughout the event for a variety of magnums donated by wineries. A live auction was held at the feast dinner, after a delicious array of organic wines had put bidders in a generous frame of mind. Thanks to the giving spirit of both donors and bidders, the two auctions raised a total of just shy of $16,000, which is being split between the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Charitable Trust and Gisborne Winegrowers Charitable Trust to support growers who suffered cyclone damage.

Left: Wine writer Elaine Chukan Brown spoke powerfully on the need for climate action, and possibilities for that action within the wine industry.

Regenerative organic

What role do organic farming practices have to play in the global carbon picture? Keynote speaker Dr Andrew (Drew) Smith, from the Rodale Institute in the USA, answered this question with an impressive amount of data in his first talk, “Regenerative Organic Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution”. The Rodale Institute is a pioneering force in on-farm research and advocacy for regenerative organic farming. Through their own long-term farm research studies, they have the numbers to prove the value of their work.

Drew pointed out the huge potential for farm soils worldwide to suck more carbon out of the atmosphere. Globally, there is more carbon in soils worldwide than there is in the atmosphere or vegetation, he said. And agricultural soils, which represent the biggest single land use on the planet, have lost 30 to 75% of their original organic matter over time. So there is a major opportunity to draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, if enough farmers adopt practices to get carbon back into farm soils.

The good news, Drew shared, is that we now know which farming practices can get carbon back into soils. An assessment of 124 long-term research trials in North America, conducted by the Soil Health Institute, found that the most impactful practices to increase soil carbon are the retention of crop residues, the use of organic fertility sources and cover cropping. Research shows that those practices are more important than reducing tillage, from a carbon standpoint, Drew argued. In some cases, reducing tillage can even result in net loss of carbon from the soil.

He also pointed out that according to Rodale’s own research, cover crops alone are not enough to maximise soil carbon. Incorporating compost and organic amendments into soils is also key. Rodale’s Farming Systems Trial, which has been going since 1981, has found that soil carbon can increase particularly rapidly during the initial transition to organic production. In that trial, an organic system that incorporates composted manure into the soil has sequestered more soil carbon, in comparison to an organic system which gets all its fertility from leguminous cover crops. Both of those organic systems have seen bigger increases in soil carbon than the conventional farming system in the trial.

Photos: Andrew Smith of the Rodale Institute breaks down the science of how to get carbon back into soils.

In his second talk at the conference, Drew explained Rodale’s involvement with a new Regenerative Organic certification system. Rodale’s previous leaders have been key voices in popularising the terms ‘organic’ and ‘regenerative’ over time. In response to the current growing corporate buzz around regenerative agriculture, Drew firmly stated: “We don’t think you can be regenerative unless you’re first organic.” Glyphosate residues have been found in a huge range of the most popular commercial foods in the US, from biscuits to breakfast cereals, he said. “We can’t call it regenerative if it’s not good for human health, animal health, social fairness.” In all of those realms, from soil to animal health to human welfare, he said, “If we give more than we try to take, usually we’re rewarded in many ways.”

Multiple speakers also addressed the potential for biochar to support soil health and carbon sequestration. Presenting long-distance by video, James Dicey from Central Otago shared his trials in creating and applying biochar in the vineyard. Researcher Dr Vinay Pagay, based at the University of Adelaide, shared promising initial results of a research trial applying biochar to vineyard soils. In the trial, biochar appears to be absorbing and storing water in soils, as well as increasing soil carbon, cation exchange capacity and soil microbial biodiversity.

Regenerative viticulture

What would a truly regenerative organic viticulture look like?

Speaker Kelly Mulville, visiting from Paicines Ranch vineyard in California, gave two inspiring talks on an innovative growing system that he and his colleagues have implemented.

Kelly began with a core question: “Is it possible to significantly increase ecosystem/soil health and resiliency to climate change while simultaneously maintaining or increasing profitability?”

His answer came through a case study. Paicines Ranch have found a ‘yes’ to the above question, through a system that allows sheep to graze in the vineyard year-round. The key is a creative trellis design that raises vines and fruit up above the reach of sheep. This allows Paicines Ranch to grow according to what Kelly named as the key principles of ‘Regenerative Winegrowing’:

1. Keep soil covered throughout the year with living vegetation or residue.

2. Minimise soil disturbance (tillage, compaction).

3. Encourage (native) diversity (plants, insects, soil biology, birds, etc.)

4. Have living roots/plants growing through as much of the year as possible.

5. Integrate well managed grazing animals.

6. Avoid chemical/synthetic/toxic organic fertilisers and pesticides. Mimic healthy ecosystem processes for fertility and ecosystem balance.

7. Deep reverence for all matter and all life.

8. Requires people who are dedicated to principles, practices and support for a flourishing ecosystem.

Paicines Ranch’s experiment has provided a “life-changing experience for me to see the power of nature,” Kelly said. With the integration of sheep grazing year-round in the vineyard, there is no longer any need for mowing, suckering or any tillage. Sheep urine and manure are powerful fertilisers, making nitrogen directly available to the vines during the growing season, reducing the need for outside fertility sources. Irrigation use, tractor use and fossil fuel use have all gone down. Soil carbon, water infiltration, soil water-holding capacity and biodiversity, including birds and beneficial insects, have all increased.

The vineyard has become a prime spot for birdwatchers to visit from all over California. Diversity in plant species and microbial

Winegrower Kelly Mulville of Paicines Ranch, California

life are also on the rise. No cover crops have been planted in the last three years, but native plant species are colonising the vineyard. A study found that beneficial predator and parasitoid insects are two to three times more abundant than in a neighbouring conventional vineyard, while pest insect levels are the same as the conventional vineyard without any use of pesticides. All of these benefits have flowed from the initial action of raising the trellises to allow year-round sheep grazing and a permanent sward.

Kelly believes the high trellis system makes the canopy easier to manage, and “allows the grape to express itself instead of controlling it”. Shading of the grape bunches is also more uniform as they receive dappled light from above, rather than receiving sunlight primarily on one side of the bunch.

His story provided a powerful example of what happens when growers think outside of the square to diversify their systems and let nature do the work.

Indigenous perspectives

The human element was another core theme of this year’s conference –including themes of social justice and diversity. Beginning with the mihi at the start of the conference, there was a spotlight on Indigenous perspectives.

Elaine Chukan Brown used their second talk at the conference to offer a detailed description of Indigenous fishing methods that they grew up practicing in their Alaskan homeland. Elaine spoke of the careful observation of natural conditions that guides traditional fishing communities. Then, just when the audience might have started to think that this was going to be solely a half-hour talk on fishing, Elaine turned a corner to ask: What do we mean by sense of place in wine? Indigenous knowledge is always local and based in observation and listening, Elaine pointed out; but “our culture of fine wine is not focused on building relationships in time with a place.”

People talk about growing wines that express a sense of place, Elaine noted, but winegrowing tends to look the same everywhere. Rather than offering a solution to this, Elaine left listeners with a poetic invitation: “Place and relationship with it can only occur in and over time… How can I deepen my relationship to the place I grow the wine?”

Bringing this question home to an Aotearoa-specific context was the task of speaker Dr Jessica Hutchings, a researcher and leader in Māori food and soil sovereignty. Jessica noted that organic certification standards in Aotearoa mirror the rest of the world – but what of our local cultural context? For this reason, kaupapa Māori researchers founded Hua Parakore, a verification system which supports growers to embed Māori cultural principles in their organic farming operations.

Hua Parakore growers integrate six core kaupapa into their organic farming: whakapapa, wairua, mana, mauri, māramatanga and te ao tūroa. “It’s a collective knowledge system,” Jessica said. Peers within Hua Parakore support each other and learn together. Because tikanga Māori cannot be certified, it is a verification, not a certification. Some kai producers hold organic certification as well as the Hua Parakore korowai.

Above: The regenerative organic vineyard ecosystem at Paicines Ranch features sheep grazing year-round under a high trellis system. Kelly Mulville’s drawings compare oil-powered and sun-powered ways of managing a vineyard.

Jessica shared the sacredness of soil to Māori. “The soil beneath our feet is more than that for us. It’s Hineahuone; it’s our deity.” She invited winegrowers to see the soil as a living spiritual being: “In what way in my winegrowing practice can I elevate the mana of Hineahuone?”

Jessica also encouraged Pakeha allies to support Māori self-determination. Pakeha are welcome to join the Hua Parakore system, provided that the system remains directed by Māori. No winegrowers have yet adopted Hua Parakore, but Jessica hopes to seed a change: “Imagine the expression of Hineahuone through wine.”

Biodiversity of knowledge

More than 20 speakers shared their knowledge during the three day conference – and this writeup only mentions a small fraction of them! Some of the powerful and detailed personal stories and knowledge shared by speakers would be hard to summarise.

We’ll feature at least one more of our technical speakers in the next edition of this magazine, so mycorhizzae fans have more coverage to look forward to.

Conference committee co-chair Nick Pett summarised his highlights of the event:

• The number of attendees and brands present (over 120 wine brands).

• I loved how every single person (or at least the ones I engaged with) was so enthusiastic, engaged and open. There were some challenging topics for us as a community, but everyone seemed open to and up for the discussion.

• Seeing everything come together was a personal highlight. And it felt like things went smoothly. Big props to Naomi for pulling it all together for us. She was instrumental in getting everything to happen as it did. And the rest of committee all stepped up too.

• The support for our colleagues in the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. How good was it to be able to raise what we did for the community up there.

• Everyone seemed happy. There were smiles going around everywhere. That’s pretty cool to see at a conference.

The next edition of the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference is slated for winter 2025 in Marlborough.

Photos on this page:

Above right: Māori organic grower and researcher Jessica Hutchings

Below left: Conference committee cochair Nick Pett (centre) finally gets to relax, at the conference’s final tasting. Below right: A word cloud created by the Slido app displays the most asked-about topics from the conference Q&A sessions.

Photos on opposite page, clockwise from top left:

Amy Farnsworth of Amoise shares

Hawke’s Bay small producers’ organic wines at the Aotearoa organic wine tasting. Guest chef Giulio Sturla (left) pauses with local chef Sander de Wildt while preparing the Organic Feast. Andrew Gillions from Huia pours for Linlin Yang of Plant and Food Research. OWNZ conference organiser Naomi Galvin (right) with OWNZ coordinator Rebecca Reider. One of Giulio and Sander’s artworklike feast creations, featuring clams and pickles. Feast dinner guests at the transformed Coterie barrel hall.

Thank

GOLD SPONSORS

Conference scholarships

The New Zealand Horticentre Charitable Trust provides a helping hand to the horticulture and viticulture sectors in education, training, research and development, grower welfare and disaster relief.

The trust accepted an application from OWNZ to provide $10,000 to support eight promising and/or deserving vineyard growers to attend the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference. This contribution went towards recipients’ travel, accommodation and conference passes.

Event organiser Naomi Galvin said, “We were delighted the trust came on board and offered this opportunity to growers. Cost is a major barrier for some delegates, especially for those smaller growers in distanced regions. We wanted to see representation from all regions across New Zealand attend the conference, so it was fantastic.”

Deserving representatives from Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson, North Canterbury and Central Otago were selected to attend the conference. The goal was for the recipients to go back to their peers to share what they learnt.

The recipients were chosen in a joint decision between the conference committee and the Horticentre Group. Considerations including hardship, up-and-coming growers and those thought to be deserving were taken into account in

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the selection process. The committee wanted all regions to be represented.

Grateful recipients shared their experiences:

“Having first experienced the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference way back in 2019, the energy and innovation inspired me to convert my Chardonnay to organics (non-certified) this year. The Chardonnay, together with the rest of our vineyards, which are very close to being organic, were devastated by the floods back in February. I was humbled beyond words and loved the invitation by OWNZ and Horticentre to have the opportunity to attend the 2023 edition. I thought the conference was incredible and exceeded my expectations, which I must say were very high after the 2019 conference. Thank you to everyone.”

– Philip Barber, Petane Wine, Hawke’s Bay

“Attending the organic wine conference was an invaluable experience that provided me with a wealth of knowledge and insights. It was inspiring to witness organic wine enthusiasts and experts come together and exchange ideas, fostering a sense of community within the industry. These interactions not only expanded my understanding of organic wine production but also offered practical solutions to the challenges faced by organic growers.

Returning home from the conference, I am fully inspired and driven to pursue and enhance our organic practices. I envision gathering my fellow co-workers around a table, sharing the knowledge and insights I gained at the conference, and initiating discussions and debates on how we can enhance our vineyard practices. I am also eager to raise awareness and educate those around us about the importance of supporting organic and sustainable practices. I want to find creative ways to share the knowledge gained at the conference, using social media, online platforms and community networks. My goal is to inspire others to adopt sustainable methods and contribute to the growth of the organic wine movement.”

– Alice Poncet, Wrights Vineyard, Gisborne

Philip Barber (right), whose Hawke’s Bay vineyards were devastated in this year’s cyclone, was among those awarded a free trip to the conference. Here he enjoys the Aotearoa organic wine tasting with fellow delegates.

Care and respect for the natural environment is practised by wineries and growers throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, and exemplified through kaitiakitanga – the guardianship of the land – and ensuring it is protected for future generations.

The New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability Report provides a snapshot of our sustainability journey. Our world-leading Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certification programme lives at the heart of this discussion. In 2022, backing up claims with evidence has never been more important, and the empirical data we have collected through the SWNZ programme places us well to meet the challenge.

Over 96% of all vineyard area in Aotearoa New Zealand is now certified as sustainable through the SWNZ programme. This is what makes our industry unique in the world. It’s an achievement we can all be proud of, but the real work is ensuring we not only sustain but elevate our position with an enduring commitment to continuous improvement.

The New Zealand wine industry is well placed to be a global leader in the production of lowemission wine, even with the distances our wine needs to travel. Our industry goal of being carbon neutral by 2050 has us firmly committed to a lowemissions pathway, and exciting developments in vineyards and in wineries are already well underway. We’re focused on being a world leader in efficient water use, achieving zero waste to landfill by 2050, and protecting and enhancing the health of our soils. For our people, our goal is to continue leading the way as an industry of choice.

It’s the level of ‘above and beyond’ action from companies and individuals that is helping to deliver lasting change. From plants to people and cellars to communities, we all play our part to put sustainability first.

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are proud to work alongside Organic Winegrowers New Zealand supporting their objectives to educate and grow the organic wine community.

BECAUSE TOGETHER, EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS.

Read the New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability Report at: www.nzwine.com/sustainabilityreport

While we may be here for a short time, our impact can last longer than a lifetime. To our industry, sustainability means growing grapes and producing our world-famous wines in such a way that we can do so for generations to come.

It means consumers can trust that their bottle of New Zealand wine has been made with respect for our natural world and for our people.

Sustainability is the passion of our people, running through all that we are, and all that we do –because every little bit counts.

A sense of place

Continuing our series of interviews with international conference speakers, Rebecca Reider chats with wine writer Elaine Chukan Brown.

RR: I often find when people speak about climate change, a lot of people shut down or don’t fully hear the message with their full self. And something about the way that you conveyed the scale of the problem and the need for action… I felt like it landed and I’m curious. It seemed like something you put some thought into, how to communicate that in a way that lands with people.

Elaine Chukan Brown: I really appreciate you saying that. I was really nervous to address that topic because I decided if I’m going to, I have to full-charge point out how bad it is. And that’s a scary place to open a conference, and now I’ll be in the room with these people for three more days after having called all of us out, you know?....

And with climate change, we’re at a crucial moment. All the studies show we have this decade to hurry the heck up and fix a lot. And if we do that, that’ll give us some ground to keep fixing things from. And if not, if we don’t, the chaos and instability is going to become so severe, we’ll just keep falling behind. What I’ve observed is that climate change is alien, it’s terrifying, it’ll shut [people] down, like you said.

Most people go swiftly into facts, which of course are relevant, but also are often used as a way to avoid the feelings. And so, with public speaking on really important topics in general, but then especially with climate change, I have to do the work to take up my own feelings about the topic and find the things to mention about it that feel the most relevant to say, the most personal and yet universal at the same time.

And I include myself in the callout. I think that hopefully allows a space to connect with people, which, on life-changing topics, that’s the whole point, right? We’re trying to connect. Because when we connect, we find the recognition that it

matters enough for us to rise to it.

And how do you stay motivated on that? Amidst this global challenge, staying connected to that sense of personal responsibility, that what I do matters.

I can only act from myself. But... if I was only acting for myself, I would never have done any of this....

If there’s a moment where I want to avoid something, I think about my kid and I think about my sister’s kids and one in particular. I know I need them to see that someone else is standing up for this; that’s when I know I have to do it.

I wanted to talk about sense of place as well. I was interested in your comments about people wanting their wine to show a sense of place and your asking what do we really mean by that.

I actually think it’s really hard… So one thing, not every vineyard has a strong signature, it’s just true. On some vineyards, you could do all the right things… and you’re going to have a wine that is going to more readily show the cellar choices than the place because the place isn’t a strong place. Sometimes, some of that you can’t know in advance, right? And that’s okay, you can still make decent wine, it’s just of a different sort.

But then, if you have a vineyard, growing in a place that really actually has a strong signature, a place with a strong signature tends to compel the winemaking in various directions. Some [winemaking] techniques will fight against the natural characteristics delivered through the fruit. So when you have a place like that, that has a strong signature and you farm the place and you make the wine to deliver that signature, I think it can be really hard because your devotion really does have to be to that place, the farming.

It changes how you spend your time.

But then also, wines like that confound people. And so, this is part of my callout to fine wine, where everybody says they want wines of place, except then when you find a wine that unequivocally is from a place with a strong signature and is clearly respecting that, everybody’s like, ‘What is this? This isn’t Pinot?’ It’s like, ‘It is! It’s Pinot from exactly right there!’ I think there are producers in the world that are working with those places that have strong signatures and they are delivering wines that carry that in the glass, and I think the truth is it’s harder.

It’s a lot easier to make a wine where as soon as someone smells it, they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s Pinot Noir.’ And they drink it. And that’s fine. I’m not saying that choice is wrong. I’m saying, let’s think about what we claim to value and do we really actually follow through on that?

One of the things I’ve talked about elsewhere this year is can we have a great wine that doesn’t age? And I think everyone assumes no, or people tend to

Below: Elaine Chukan Brown

assume no. And if you look at definitions of fine wine, ageability is part of the list. … Well, all of our wine education systems reach back to one group in London from the middle of the last century. And so of course, ageability would be in the presumption at the root of modern wine education because they all drank Bordeaux. It’s right there, you know? And it doesn’t mean don’t drink Bordeaux, it means, okay, wait a minute. If we think we’re pursuing different sorts of projects or have different kinds of aims, why are we still relying on the systems that are directed at a very particular kind of wine?

For those New Zealand producers, especially our organic producers who are pursuing that sense of place in their wines, what would you say to them as they navigate the system that you’ve just described?

I think the power of community collaboration here is really strong. There’s already history of multiple groups in New Zealand that built international reputation by joining forces to go out into the market together… . They would obviously bring their own wine, but they’d also bring the wines of other members of their cohort.

Ducks in the vineyard

Sheep and cows weren’t the only livestock discussed at the conference. Johan Reyneke of Reyneke Wines in South Africa shared his use of free-ranging ducks to manage snail populations in his vineyard. We asked him to write up some tips for growers.

Snails can be a problem in our vine growing area, but using snail bait is not an option. It kills wild birds and the other animals who also eat the poisonous pellets. Therefore, ducks play a crucial role in this regard. Ducks love eating snails and pick them off the vines themselves and dig them out in the weeds and cover crops around the vines as well. In addition, they leave some beneficial manure behind also.

Our duck system at Reyneke is quite

least, the trade in the United States, by people doing that. Because as soon as you are happily sharing your friend’s wines, people are more endeared to you, more willing to believe what you’re saying, and more curious about what you’re showing. Because the idea is, ‘Wow, that wine must be really good if they brought it all the way here and it’s not even theirs. Gosh, I bet that means their wine’s good too’ and they’d want to go taste. It sticks in people’s memory.

It builds up this sense that you’re a good person. You’re generous. People become more interested in you and more interested in the wines that you’re sharing. But also, there’s an implication that you’re not this weird person doing something strange on your own. You’re part of a movement. And if you’re part of a movement, it must matter.

You mentioned that you travel a lot. You also obviously have a strong connection to where you’re from. As you move through the world, how do you keep that sense of place and connection alive in yourself?

Well, so I think the funny thing about place is that it can only occur or exist over time. And to have a relationship with a place, relationships occur and they develop over time. And so, to value where we’re from, or to value where we are in a moment, or to value a place that we love,

basic. The area where they live must give them shelter and give them access to a dam or at least a body of water. Ducks love water! We have a herdsman and a herd’s ‘lady’ who take turns herding the ducks for us. Basically, the pruning teams identify the area with snails as they go along, and the herder will bring the ducks to that specific portion of the vineyard. They then feast on snails and cover crops until afternoon, when they return to their shelter by themselves. Ducks are remarkably intelligent and can find their way home from any portion of the farm after a couple of weeks.

In my experience there are only two problems with ducks. During harvest time they like to eat some of the ripe grapes. We therefore must keep them (and feed them) in their shelter for that month or so. The second problem is that they become so tough from walking up and down the

we have to be changing our relationship with time.

The contemporary society has taught us that being busy means we’re important. And we really easily also get sucked into this urgency mindset. Like if we fail to meet this one deadline, everything’s going to fall apart. We’re going to fail. And we act as if that’s our survival. But why are we in a survival mindset when we’re just trying to do everyday life work? That’s crazy.

And so I think a lot of us, myself included, live in a survival mindset. Without even noticing because we bought into the idea that the panic of busyness means we’re important and so it’s like a reassurance of our own value.

I say this a lot, but the most radical thing we can do is have a one on one conversation. And part of why that’s true is because it’s counter to so much of this busyness that we believe we’re supposed to have. It’s a reminder that it’s our lives that actually are important, not our accomplishments and our stuff… . We have to be willing to make the time to value ourselves and each other in that personal way.

This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

vineyards that they become almost too tough for human consumption once the snail populations have been decimated. I leave them to retire on the farm dam, but one could also sell them to other producers with snail problems.

Pinot Noir from New Zealand broke its way into the wine geek community at

Photo: Indian runner duck by Don Sniegowski

Organic Wine Week is coming

OWNZ’s flagship week of events and publicity for organic wines is slated for 18-24 September 2023.

Centred around the Spring Equinox, Organic Wine Week (OWW) is a celebration of all things organic. It was created to raise awareness for organic wine and bring it front and centre in the world of wine. Now in its sixth consecutive year, the week-long celebration will see wineries, distributors, influencers, restaurants and retailers come together to showcase and communicate the importance and quality of organic wine, as well as emphasise its positive impact on people and the planet.

In previous years the wine community has collaborated to host some truly unforgettable events, including festivals, winemakers’ dinners, wine and food pairing menus, competitions, tutorials, wine of the day, in-store tastings, specials,

glass pour promotions and mail order discounts. This year is no exception, with some very exciting events in the works.

One highly anticipated event in the calendar this year is Down to Earth at East St. Hall, Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. Brought to you by Organic Winegrowers New Zealand, Down to Earth will bring people together in a vibrant atmosphere, around a modern canteen, thoughtful food and organic wines poured by producers. Held in the middle of OWW, on Thursday 21 September, the tasting event venue is located just off Karangahape Road. It will include a trade session from 2:30-4:30pm, followed by a ticketed consumer session from 5:30-8pm.

With consumers continuing to make

environmental choices and a huge upswing in demand for organic wine, there’s never been a better time to get down to earth and join the organic wine revolution.

If you are organising an Organic Wine Week event that we don’t know about yet, please contact Sarah to get your event onto the OWNZ calendar: sarah@ organicwinenz.com

If you would like marketing material sent to you, please contact Naomi: naomi@ organicwinenz.com

For more information, to get involved, or to download the digital toolkit, visit: https://www.organicwinenz.com/ organicwineweek

Researching the business case for organic wine

Two new research projects are getting underway to assess the future viability of organic winegrowing.

Assessing the financial outcomes of organic winegrowing

What are the financial outcomes of organic winegrowing? We hear this question a lot from those considering organic conversion. It’s not the simplest question to answer, however, because of the individual factors involved in each operation, from vineyard to market. We know that organic winegrowing works for many producers, but the financial details have never been thoroughly documented, outside of a few case studies.

The Organic Winegrowers New Zealand team has recognised for years that the financial question needs to be answered with data, in order to support grape and wine producers to make informed decisions about converting to organic.

After looking at various industry datagathering initiatives already in place, the OWNZ team determined that there was a need for a new research project, looking at the financial variables that are most important to the organic wine sector.

OWNZ is now sponsoring a new Masters research project at Lincoln University to address this question. The OWNZ team are pleased to announce that this research scholarship has been awarded to James Bowskill of Framingham Wines in Marlborough. Framingham themselves are organic wine producers, so James is already familiar with the variables involved. Two Lincoln University lecturers, Dr Olaf Schelezki and Dr Dan Smith, are bringing their respective expertise in viticulture and agribusiness to supervise the research project.

The project’s research design phase began this winter. Over the coming season, James will reach out to organic winegrowers in Marlborough and Central Otago to form two regional case studies. OWNZ encourages growers to support this project with your time and datasharing, as it will enable James to build a robust picture of the financial outcomes of organic winegrowing. All data will be held confidentially and will be presented with no identifying details. Growers willing to participate can conduct James: james@framingham.co.nz.

A word about our researcher, James Bowskill; James writes:

After high school, I completed a BV+O at Lincoln University, followed by the now defunct Matador Estate Graduate Program, which sent me to Marlborough, South Australia and California over the course of two and a bit years. Followed vintages across hemispheres for a while, then got stuck in Marlborough, first at Odyssey Wines, then Jackson Estate. Now viticulturist at Framingham Wines, where I have been wreaking havoc since 2011. Had a midlife crisis and did an MBA, finishing it in 2021.

Central Otago Winegrowers Organic Project

By Rosie Menzies, Carrick / COWA

A project to renew the focus on increasing the adoption of organic winegrowing in Central Otago is due to commence in January 2024. Led by Central Otago Winegrowers Association (COWA) in

Top photo: James Bowskill, pictured with his research assistant, will research organic winegrowing’s financial outcomes with OWNZ support.

Bottom photo: An OWNZ field day at Lowburn Ferry in Central Otago. A new research project will assess what it would take to expand organic winegrowing in the region.

partnership with Lincoln University, the project will delve into understanding the current landscape of organics in Central Otago. The project is designed to unearth the enablers and barriers for greater adoption of organic viticulture in the region, the perceived benefits and drawbacks and what incentives could be employed to increase buy-in.

Dr Wendy McWilliam, a senior lecturer in landscape architecture at Lincoln, who specialises in research centred on urban and rural green infrastructure within the field of applied landscape ecology, will be the lead researcher on this project, with support from Dr Olaf Schelezki, who specialises in viticulture and oenology.

Central Otago wineries have long been at the forefront of organic winegrowing in New Zealand. In 2007, a small group was created to develop the practice more widely in the region. In 2011 a Central Otago ‘Organic Focus Vineyard’ was established as part of a nationwide research project run by Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ), to better understand the costs, requirements and outcomes of farming organically. The same year, OWNZ announced a goal of reaching 20% certified vineyard area in New Zealand by 2020. Central Otago was the only New Zealand region to reach this goal by 2020 and is currently sitting at approximately 25% of vineyard area managed with organic practices, either under conversion or fully certified.

In December 2021, a new group was established, led by Nick Mills of Rippon and Rudi Bauer of Quartz Reef, to discuss what the next steps could be. The group was brought together by similar motivations and a passion for organic winegrowing, in the words of Donald van der Westhuizen of Moko Hills, “to help play a role in shaping the future”.

The group started with a broad scope encompassing not only organics, but also habitat restoration, carbon reduction and an intention to better serve the community and honour the intentions of the Treaty. The group felt that whilst all the goals were important, some could be achieved through current programs such as the COWA Connect working group and New Zealand Winegrowers’ work in the carbon reduction area.

Eventually the focus returned to organics – could Central Otago increase the current percentage of certified organic vineyards, through a concerted effort led by COWA? And could a goal of reaching 50% land area managed organically be feasibly achieved by 2030?

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Increase organic matter and microbial activity in the soil, leading to larger root systems and nutrient uptake.

Improve water retention providing a buffer against drought.

Improve plant health leading to reduced pest and disease management.

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It’s earthworm time

Spring Equinox isn’t just the time for Organic Wine Week. It’s also time for OWNZ’s annual earthworm count. Here’s how to get in on the underground action.

By Rebecca Reider

In honour of the Spring Equinox and Organic Wine Week, OWNZ is encouraging all winegrowers to count your earthworms this week and join in celebrating these underground organic heroes on social media.

Instructions on an easy worm counting practice follow below.

Counting your earthworms is quick and fun. It is a great way to track your soil health from year to year. Healthy earthworm populations are a good indicator of healthy soil biology. Tracking your earthworms every year in the same vineyard areas and same time frames can give you a window into the development of soil health over time.

Early spring is a good time to do an annual worm count, as soil moisture conditions and temperature tend to be appropriate for earthworms to hang out near the soil surface.

This year’s Spring Equinox falls on Saturday Sept 23rd in New Zealand. This day when light and darkness are equal feels like a perfect time to bring your earthworms into the light (before carefully returning them to the soil to do their thing!).

You’re also welcome to do your worm count any day during Organic Wine Week, Sept 18-24, whenever weather and soil conditions are right in your location. Times of moderate soil moisture are best.

How to do it

1. Dig out a small hole, 20 x 20 cm square by 20cm deep.

2. Place the sod of soil on a surface (tarpaulin/cardboard/rectangular plastic bin) to count the earthworms by gently

crumbling the soil.

3. When you are finished counting, record the number of earthworms, replace the earthworms in the hole and refill the hole with soil.

4. Repeat this five times in areas that are representative of the vineyard.

5. Include at least two samples from the undervine area for comparative purposes. Do not sample fence lines or along driveways.

Keep a record of where you’ve sampled, the date and what your earthworm numbers are. This will enable you to track your earthworm populations from year to year. It’s also worth noting soil type and soil moisture conditions as these will influence your earthworm numbers.

Sharing

We encourage you to share photos of your worms and your process on social media using the hashtag #wormcount2023. Please also use the hashtag #organicwineweek if you’re part of our organic winegrowing community.

Identifying your worms

Curious about what species of earthworms you’ve got? AgResearch has put together a helpful guide to identifying them, available from https://www.agresearch.co.nz/ earthworms. You may wish to track the numbers of the various species that you find.

Management choices can have a big effect on earthworm populations. Earthworms love decaying organic matter and aerated moist soils with appropriate pH and low disturbance.

Shifting to an organic soil fertility programme is another great way to

support your earthworms.

Going deeper

In addition to worm counts, early spring is a good time to do other vineyard soil assessments. With just some simple tools (starting with a good spade!) you can learn quite a lot about the health of your vineyard soils.

Doing the same measurements at this time every year can really help you track your soil health and can give your team a closer relationship to the soil beneath their feet. And there are no expensive lab tests needed.

OWNZ previously ran a webinar with Dr. Charles ‘Merf’ Merfield, sharing how to do a ‘vineyard soils WOF’: several simple hands-on soil health assessment tests. For a refresher on how to do those tests, you can watch the video of the webinar on www.organicwinenz.com on the ‘Grower Resources’ page.

Above: Key members of the vineyard team at Clos Henri, Marlborough

More OWNZ happenings

For growers: Regional organic events

Plans are in place to hold grower regional workshops during Organic Wine Week, 18-24 September. Topics will vary from region to region and will be tailored to the needs and wants in each area. Some of the topics being covered will include cover crops, regenerative viticulture, undervine, worm counts and biodynamic preparations. Stay tuned to the OWNZ member email list for more information or contact Naomi on naomi@organicwinenz. com if you’d like to get involved locally.

Gisborne community organic day

Sunday 24th September @ Wrights Vineyard and Winery

1.45pm ~ Greet & meet - 1093 Wharerata Road, Manutuke

2pm ~ Community planting - 50 flax plants

3pm ~ Creating biodynamic cow pat pit and preparation 500

4pm ~ Mix and spray biodynamic preparation 500

5.30pm ~ Shared platters and wine

Big thanks to our new Gisborne OWNZ representative Geoff Wright for hosting this one. For more information: geoff@ wrightswines.co.nz.

New regional reps

The OWNZ team has two new regional representatives. Our regional reps serve as contact points in the regions and help with holding local events, as well as guiding the rest of the OWNZ team to understand local needs and interests.

When a vacancy occurs outside of the AGM, the OWNZ constitution permits the executive committee to co-opt willing members to fill a vacancy. Much appreciation to these two for stepping up.

Wairarapa - Ivor Allmand

Growing up in Upper Hutt, Ivor had a strong interest in cooking, horticulture and mechanics.

After making the move over the hill to the Wairarapa in 2013, Ivor left behind his years of cheffing to pursue his dream of work in horticulture. This led him to working in the region’s largest pipfruit orchard, along with completing many NZQA and primary industry level papers in horticulture and fruit production. He developed a keen interest in organic horticulture during this time.

Shifting his focus to viticulture in 2016, Ivor, now the newly appointed vineyard manager, has been with Palliser Estate Wines for six vintages. He has played a key part in the development of Palliser’s organics program and his passion for healthy vines and soil biodiversity continues to evolve.

Ivor is a family man who also enjoys the occasional glass of Palliser Estate Hua Nui Pinot Noir, cooking with organic produce grown from the family vegetable garden and leaving the environment in a better place.

Gisborne - Geoff Wright

Geoff established a winemaking business in Gisborne in 2000. He is a father of five sons and is an active leading innovator with Gisborne sustainable organic viticulture.

Geoff writes: Twenty-three years ago, I had a dream of one day producing organic wines from my own vineyard and winery. Today it is a reality at Wrights Vineyard and Winery, passionate about organics, wine and everything wholesome. We are currently producing three wine brands: Wrights, Natural Wine Co and Love It. Winemaking is in the blood, with my great grandfather Stanko Jurakovich winemaking in Kumeu/Auckland in the 1930s.

Introducing two new OWNZ regional reps: Ivor Allmand of Palliser Estate (top photo) and Geoff Wright of Wrights Wines (below)

Planting natives together

Native planting day at Clos Henri offers a model of community collaboration

By Jon Church Project Lead - Biodiversity and Beautification, Clos Henri

Clos Henri Winery has some very distinct geography. Being at the confluence of two glacial valleys has pushed up the land. This offers up some amazing views of the Wairau and beyond to the bottom of the North Island. When you look out from the highest point, you know you are in a special place. The site is 110 hectares and is currently a mix of vines, pine forest, grazing and regenerating native forest.

Over the last few years, about 5000 native plants and trees have been planted by Clos Henri to help in this regeneration. This year it was decided to accelerate the process to benefit the environment further. Marlborough now has its own initiative, Climate Action Marlborough, which has shown that the best solutions happen when local groups get involved to make changes in their own community.

So, with that in mind, we decided it would be good to reach out to the community

and set up an annual Clos Henri planting day. Aside from the planting, we also wanted to make it fun and rewarding for those who volunteered and to create a memorable experience so that they would want to come back next year. We decided to plant the valley at the backdrop of the iconic St Solange chapel, as it will have the most impact on those people visiting and the area has good access and ground conditions.

The planting day took place on 29th July this year. We decided to use five native species in this planting, consisting of grasses, flax and two different coloured manuka (red and white flowering). A series of bamboo canes were laid out at the correct spacing for planting. The canes were colour-coded to the species to be planted, and the planters tended to stick to a species. Three species were water-loving, so we planted these in the bottom of the valley. The two manuka species prefer free-draining soil, so we planted these on the upper slopes. Each plant had a protective EmGuard which was secured by the colour-coded

bamboo. Planters received coaching on how to plant using best practice training provided by Landcare. Vinepower loaned us some high quality planting spades, and we were all good to go.

The weather was spectacular. At 10am it was cold enough that digging holes was a good thing, and by 1pm it was warm enough that lounging around the chapel eating BBQ food and sipping wine was just perfect.

A total of 25 adults, 5 kids and 4 dogs planted close to 800 plants in a little over 2.5 hours.

It turned out to be a very positive experience for the volunteers and for us as organisers. It was a fun, social event with the feel-good factor. We would encourage anyone who isn’t doing this type of thing already to give it a go. There are many benefits too: biodiversity, water quality, soil erosion, CO2 sequestration, vineyard health and vitality, enhancement of employee working environment and adding to that

‘special’ feel of the site.

Next year we plan to reach out to the local school and get a relationship with some Marlborough-based companies to maybe target planting more natives after this ultimately successful trial run.

Photos this page: Volunteers fan out across the landscape; Luca plants; Thomas, Leonie and winery dog Flint collect root trainers for the nursery to reuse.

There are now two VPA units working in the Marlborough area. These are both mounted on the perfect base, a FENDT tractor.

The VPA (Vineyard Pilot Assist) scans the vineyard row ahead of the tractor and creates a 3D picture which then automatically adjusts Undervine Cultivation Equipment mounted in the centre of the tractor and well as the variable width mower mounted on the rear 3 point linkage.

The unit can also steer the tractor automatically greatly reducing operator fatigue and giving perfect results.

Find

Phone Adrian 021-456 936

Designed to enable you to achieve the ideal mowing width for your vineyard, the Braun Alpha 2000 variable width mowers are available in 7 size ranges, from 1.11.4m to the largest 1.9-2.5m model.

The mowers are also designed to take a range of accessories including Stem Cleaning units for bud removal and tidying growth around the vines as well as Fingerweeders to work the soil under the vines. These units are the highest quality German built mower with a proven design.

Orders are being taken now for our next shipment due in September 2023. Previous orders sold out quickly.

For further information please contact our dealers: MARLBOROUGH, NORTH CANTERBURY, AUSTRALIA and rest of NZ, Byrnebuilt Engineering Ltd, Adrian Byrne 021 456 936

NELSON, TRS ,Craig Hovenden 021 895 592, or Daryl Hall 021 438 159

HASTINGS, TRS, Bennet Williams 021 438 215

MASTERTON, TFM, Cyril Butler 027 294 5010

CENTRAL OTAGO, JJs, Gavin Denston 027 435 4017.

Photos courtesy of Clos Henri

Q&A: The Wrekin

To help our growing membership keep track of each other, we run a Q&A with a certified organic OWNZ member in each issue of Organic Matters.

In this issue: Jan Johns of The Wrekin

The Wrekin vineyard, Fairhall Valley, Marlborough

Who’s involved?

The Wrekin is a family-owned and operated vineyard and small winery with a small team of permanent staff under the watchful eye of Jeremy Hyland, our wonderful vigneron, and additional staff over pruning and the growing season. The people working here are our most important asset.

I’m a co-owner, co-manager and worker on the vineyard.

Where’s your vineyard?

Part of a 370-hectare sheep and beef farm,

the vineyard is located in the Fairhall Valley, one of the Southern Valleys of Marlborough. The hillside vineyard has varying aspects, ridges, gullies, slope and row orientation.

What got you into organic and then biodynamic production?

The two main influences which led me to organics were health and being good caretakers of the land. I have always been interested in nutrition, and as a physiotherapist for 30 years (prior to concentrating on the vineyard) have been committed to physical health and

wellbeing.

The people in our team are very important, and their health matters too.

A chance visit by Peter Proctor and Rachel Pomeroy, who stayed on the farm for two nights, provided huge inspiration and confidence that the vineyard could be run successfully with biodynamics. I passed the Taruna College Certificate in Applied Organics and Biodynamics in 2012.

What’s the history of the land, and what and how are you growing now?

Vineyard photos courtesy of The Wrekin

The area has been dry-farmed for over 150 years. Our farm was part of a large sheep station which was gradually cut up into smaller blocks.

A total of 17ha of the farm has been converted to a vineyard. We planted 10ha of Pinot Noir 20 years ago, followed by smaller plantings of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and another hectare of new clones of Pinot Noir. We now have 10 different clones of Pinot Noir. Vine age is starting to become apparent in the texture.

All are close-planted as a mechanism to control vigour by root competition, known to promote fruit quality and vine longevity at the expense of quantity. They are also micromanaged and handharvested for premium wine.

The clay-rich soils, while suited to wine production, are fragile, so we try to minimise tractor compaction. There was no ripping before planting, and we dryfarm where possible.

All pruning, bud rubbing, shoot thinning and bunch thinning is done by hand.

Our interrow management plan uses different species in different areas at different times for different outcomes. We sow multiple flower species in spring in approximately every tenth row (moving each year) to attract beneficial insects. These rows are then sown in permanent, multi-species pasture in autumn. We sow no grasses in the vineyard.

Photos this page:

Top: Wrekin team members Jan Johns, Margaux Demalle and Anna Johns at the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference.

Middle: Wrekin team members Jeremy Hyland, Margaux Demalle and Jan Johns during harvest.

Bottom: The Marlborough biodynamic group have a spring planning meeting at The Wrekin, August 2023, while enjoying some delicious organic Pinot Noir on International Pinot Noir Day.

We sow other cover crops specifically in areas to increase or decrease vigour.

How has your journey with organics and biodynamics progressed over time?

Having grown organically for many years, the vineyard and olive grove became fully certified for the 2019 vintage.

We have integrated biodynamic practices over time, making our own preparations, making compost and bringing our own animals more regularly into the vineyard. The benefits to the soil and fruit have become obvious. Although hard to quantify chemically, we have observed marked benefits to the soil structure and fruit.

We have a small but energetic local Marlborough biodynamic wine community which we hope will expand to other growers over time.

What happens with your fruit?

We now supply grapes to some well known organic winemakers and wine companies. Multiple wine companies taking fruit from the property provide a wealth of knowledge and experiences that are regularly shared as a group to better understand the Wrekin fruit.

The idea of getting a snapshot of the entire vineyard and complexities of the different terroirs across the vineyard also has captivated us. We wanted to use all 10 clones of Pinot Noir in our wine to get a snapshot of the complexities of the different terroir across the vineyard and a true reflection of each vintage.

This began with the 2014 vintage, with The Wrekin ‘Needle’s Eye’ Pinot Noir. These wines are a reflection of the given vintage in our little slice of paradise.

A small gravity-assisted winery was completed on the farm and has functioned well over the last two vintages with lovely wines made by the expert winemaker, Hätsch Kalberer.

Like most organic winegrowers, we strive in the pursuit of high quality grapes to make premium wine that people enjoy and appreciate.

Better Biology Better Wine

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Jeremy Hyland, vigneron, stirring biodynamic Cow Pat Pit in a brick-lined pit.

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The micro-porosity of concrete allows microscopic amounts of oxygen into the wine.

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