NZ Winegrower June/July 2016 by Rural News Group

J U LY 2 0 16

NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWER

ISSUE

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS JU NE / JU LY 2 01 6 I SSU E 9 8

SU RV I V ING THE AU DIT ✽ THE NZ STORY ✽ M A R LBOROUGH CH A LLENGES ✽ GISBOR N E SAU V IGNON BL A NC

GLASS IS A UNIQUE PACKAGING MATERIAL AS IT IS 100% INFINITELY RECYCLABLE O-I NEW ZEALAND MAKES SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS TO MAXIMISE AND CONTINUOUSLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF RECYCLED GLASS USED IN ITS PRODUCTION PROCESS. THIS CREATES A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:

. IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF RAW MATERIALS THAT MUST BE EXTRACTED AND TRANSPORTED;

. IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF WASTE SENT TO LANDFILL; . CARBON EMISSIONS ARE REDUCED.

O-I NEW ZEALAND TEL: 0800 263 390, +64 9 976 7100 EMAIL: sales.nz@ap.o-i.com w w w. o - i . c o m

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w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / G l a s s I s L i f e

CONTENTS

ISSUE 98

30 R E GUL A R S

Editorial

Growing Pains

Tessa Nicholson

Despite talk that Marlborough is very nearly all planted out, a labour market survey shows there are plans for substantial growth in the next four years. That growth will also produce some challenges for the industry and community.

From The CEO

Philip Gregan

In Brief

News from around the country

Family Vines

Agnes and Anna Seifried

Science of Wine

Petra King

Not On The Label

Legal Matters with Bell Gully

Calendar

Wine Happenings in New Zealand

Research Supplement

The latest science and research projects funded by NZ Winegrowers

Cover Shot: Maude Wines, Central Otago. SUPPLIED BY NZW.

FEATURES

Rising Fortunes

The big will get bigger, Sauvignon Blanc is still our greatest asset and the US market will continue to grow. These are just some of the findings from the latest Rabobank Wine Quarterly report, released in May.

Laithwaiteâ€™s Comes to New Zealand

After 30 years of championing New Zealandâ€™s small wine producers, Tony Laithwaite has finally brought his highly successful wine business to our shores.

Geneva Double Curtain

A trellising system that offers a number of advantages such as potential for higher yields on smaller plots of land, greater frost protection and the need for less labour is proving its worth for a Central Otago vineyard. Why then is it not a more common system?

E D I TO R Tessa Nicholson tessa.nicholson@me.com

FROM THE EDITOR TESSA NICHOLSON

CO R R E SP O N D E NTS Auckland: Joelle Thomson mailme@joellethomson.com Gisborne: Justine Tyerman justine.tyerman@clear.net.nz Hawkes Bay: Mary Shanahan maryshanahan173@gmail.com Nelson: Neil Hodson neil@hodgson.net.nz Central Otago: Mark Orton seeingredmedia@yahoo.com

A DV E R T I SI N G Sales Manager & Upper North Island: Stephen Pollard stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 09 913 9637 Mobile: 021 963 166 Central North Island: Ted Darley ted@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 07 854 6292 Mobile: 021 832 505 Lower North Island: Ron Mackay Ph: 04 234 6239 Mobile: 021 453 914 South Island: Kaye Sutherland kayes@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 03 376 5552 Mobile: 021 221 1994

C I R C U L AT I O N & SUBSCRIPTIONS Lorraine Rudelj lorraine@nzwine.com Ph: 09 303 3527 Fax: 09 302 2969 New Zealand Winegrowers PO Box 90 276, Auckland Mail Centre, New Zealand

PUBLISHING & P R E - P R E SS Rural News Group PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 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

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

WHERE ARE THE WORKERS GOING TO COME FROM?

driving distance that could provide an umans cannot dictate the terroir increased workforce. for wines, no matter how much we Could people from other regions would like to. Instead it is a case of be transferred to fill gaps? Again a discovering the best soils, climate, commendable idea – but are these people and geography and developing from there. prepared to move to a new area? Hence wine regions emerging in areas that In a recent drive in Central Otago, are not close to a large urban hub able to 40 Kiwis were taken on by the local wine provide a steady workforce. industry. COWA Chair James Dicey says only This is the situation that has occurred two stayed on after the initial work period. in New Zealand, with our first and third Not exactly a huge success you must agree. largest wine regions suffering from a lack of It gets even worse Dicey says, given 1500 potential employees. people were interviewed in the first instance Marlborough, which produces over 66 to come up with the 40 workers. So with just percent of New Zealand’s wine, only has a two staying to take on full time employment population base of 43, 416 according to the out of 1500, is this a programme that 2013 Census. That is just 1 percent of the warrants further development? Many would entire country’s population. More than 8300 say no! people from Besides if you could the region are transfer workers into a employed by the There is obvious pressure from wine region screaming wine industry, or government for industries to employ out for staff, where 10.1 percent of New Zealanders first. will they live? That is a workers. major challenge, given Central Otago both Marlborough and which produces Central Otago have a lack of accommodation 5.4 percent of our wine, has a population suited for workers. base of 17,897 – less than a percent of New These are just some of the issues that Zealand’s total. Zero point seven percent have emerged from labour market surveys of the workforce is employed by the wine undertaken in the two regions in 2015. industry. If the government would like to see the In both regions that workforce is set to wine industry grow even stronger, bring in increase, particularly in Marlborough where more export revenue, and provide millions vineyard plantings are expected to rise by 24 of dollars to the economy, the worker issue percent in the next four years, with an equal has to be sorted out. Treating Marlborough percentage of workers required. and Central Otago the same way other With national unemployment rates rising more populated areas like Auckland are to 5.7 percent recently, there is obvious treated, is not a viable option. The one size pressure from government for industries fits all approach to solving unemployment to employ New Zealanders first. Which is doesn’t work for these two regions now. It all very commendable – but in the case of is not likely to get any better in the future. Marlborough and Central Otago, there are Some serious discussion is required to help not too many people on the unemployment solve this issue if we are to move forward benefit that are suitable for vineyard work. sustainably. And there are no major cities within easy

TOASTING TOP WINES UNDER $25 Entries are now open for the 2016 New World Wine Awards!

The New World Wine Awards is a competition for commercially available wines from New Zealand and overseas that retail under $25. Unique in its focus on affordability and availability of the wines entered, the results are eagerly anticipated by consumers each year. In addition to the distinction of an award that recognises quality on the same international scale as other wine competitions, top medal-winning wines get national distribution in New World supermarkets and extensive brand exposure through active in-store promotion and extensive marketing activity. This is the only wine competition in New Zealand that sees a measurable uplift in sales for the top wines as a direct result of winning medals. You don’t need to be an existing supplier to New World or Foodstuffs to enter the competition – new suppliers are very welcome and positively encouraged! Following the success of 2015, the volume requirement is again 5,000 bottles. In addition, to give exciting new varietals the opportunity for nationwide exposure, the volume for aromatics, rosé, ‘other red wines’ and ‘other white wines’ is now only 3,500 bottles.

Don’t miss out! Enter online now at registration.wineshow.co.nz Entries close 5pm, Friday 24 June 2016 Full competition details at newworld.co.nz/topwines Enquiries to nwwa@foodstuffs.co.nz

FROM THE CEO PHILIP GREGAN

GET INVOLVED AND VOTE!

et involved and vote! As members will be aware, if everything goes according to plan, July 1 will mark the commencement of operations by NZ Winegrowers Inc. This will be an important day for your industry body as we complete the final stage of the formation of a single entity operating for and on behalf of the NZ wineries and growers. Planning for July 1 is well advanced, but from a member’s perspective what can you expect on the big day? Short term, our top priority is ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to NZW Inc from the pre-existing entities (ie NZGGC/WINZ/NZW) … so smooth in fact that from a member’s perspective you won’t notice that anything has changed. That means ensuring cost effective and efficient delivery of business as usual

services to members. For 2016/17 those business as usual services will include:

Information: Delivering high quality information to members including materials such as the Spray Schedule, Winemaking and Labelling Guides, etc.

Research: Delivering a research programme that builds knowledge, protects members’ ability to sustainably produce exceptional wines, and supports innovation. Current activities such as the low alcohol/low calorie and the vineyard ecology programmes will continue.

Advocacy: Delivering a regulatory environment that protects our members’ ability to produce, market and sell competitively.

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

A particular focus will be bringing the Geographical Indications legislation into practical effect.

Marketing: Delivering a range of activities, such as inbound media visits, seminars and educational programmes that develop and support the growth of our New Zealand wine brand. A major focus this year will be Pinot Noir 2017 and associated events.

Sustainability: Delivering a range of activities including biosecurity, communications and on-going development of SWNZ that create and communicate a legacy of sustainability.

User-pays: Deliver a range of user-pays activities and services including promotional events in exports markets, ANZWA, the Romeo Bragato Conference etc.

Taking orders for grafted vines now!

Planning for all these is well advanced and we recently circulated members with a request for comment on our JYE 2017 budget as part of our process of finalising the JYE 2017 plan. However, not everything will stay the same because the move to NZW Inc is about positioning NZW Inc to serve its members in the future as well as the now. One of the first and most important changes that members will see is the new election process for the Board which will kick into gear in August. This new electoral system was one of the major changes resulting from the consultation with members in 2015 around the structure of our industry body going forward.

Once the elected directors are in place they will then decide on an additional two appointed directors who will complete the Board of 12. The success of the new electoral system will depend on members understanding and embracing it. To that end in late July/early August a series of workshops will be held in all regions to explain the electoral process and the timeline for this, the first election of the Board of NZW Inc. Members will be advised of the dates and times for the workshops in due course. The Board electoral process (nominations, campaigning, and actual voting) will conclude towards the end of October. The new Board will then meet for the first time, and one of its first duties will be to implement the process for appointing the nonelected Directors. From then on it will be up to the new Board to decide what changes, if any, are needed to the operations of NZW Inc. Of course it is likely that much will stay the same (members

The new election process is a radical departure from the systems operated in the past for NZGGC and WINZ. Rather than separate elections for grower and winery members of the Board, now all members get to vote for all ten elected directors. The new election process is a radical departure from the systems operated in the past for NZGGC and WINZ. Rather than separate elections for grower and winery members of the Board, now all members get to vote for all ten elected directors. And elections will be held only once every two years, rather than annually.

need spray schedules, labelling advice etc) but change is always possible, and of course, is in fact necessary as the market and needs of the industry evolve. So watch out for the information on the new electoral system as it comes out over the next few months. Most importantly, as members get involved and vote!■

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IN BRIEF

NATIONAL Student Attends International Research Meeting In March, University of Auckland School of Biological Science student Kiran Horrocks travelled to Girona Spain with the assistance of New Zealand Winegrowers and Horticulture New Zealand to further his research into the impacts and management of Spotted Wing Drosophila in Europe. This fly is a key pest of grapes as larval feeding can cause the fruit

to collapse if attack rates are high enough. Although absent from New Zealand, this pest is one of our industry’s most unwanted. Horrocks’ research examines potential parasitoid species of this pest. He says his research “should boost biosecurity preparedness for horticultural industries” by providing more options on tools “enabling faster response to incursions with reduced economic damage”. New Zealand Winegrowers Biosecurity Manager Edwin

People attending the DROPSA meeting in Girona

Massey agrees, stating that this type of research on biological control is key as at present there are limited tools to enable effective surveillance and control of this important

pest. If members would like more information on Horrocks’ research or Spotted Wing Drosophila they should contact Edwin on Edwin.massey@ nzwine.com or 0211924924.

Lions Accolade

Calling All Ex Corbans Wines Employees! James Healy and Kathie Bartley are organising a reunion for all ‘Corbans Old Persons’ who worked at Corbans Wines prior to the sale of the business to Montana Wines in 2000. A reunion dinner is planned for Friday 11 November, 2016 in Auckland. This date has been chosen as it’s the day before the Air New Zealand Wine Awards are being held in Auckland. The organising team are gathering email addresses and have set up a facebook events page. If you are an ex Corbans Wines employee and would like to attend the event please contact Kathie on 021 275 9908 or email kathie@kbmarketing.co.nz. The organisers hope to get as many ex ‘Corbans Old Persons’ to attend the event as possible.

Accolade’s Mud House wines have been confirmed as an official sponsor for next year’s British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand. The £2 million sponsorship was announced by Accolade Wines CEO Paul Schaafsma and the British & Irish Lions CEO, Charlie McEwan. The tour which begins in June 2017, will consist of 10 games, played throughout the country, including three test matches. NZ Sales and Marketing Director Jack Glover said; “our sponsorship of the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand is fantastic. We look forward to welcoming the team along with their thousands of fans into New Zealand and sharing some true kiwi and Mud House hospitality.” Mud House wines are no strangers to large sporting sponsorship, having been the official wine sponsor of New Zealand’s America’s Cup team back in 2012.

Pinot Noir – I’ll Drink to That Levi Dalton, a top US podcaster, is the latest keynote speaker to be secured for Pinot Noir 2017. The host of a weekly show entitled “I’ll Drink To That” Dalton speaks from his New York living room about wine, life and work, engaging tens of thousands of listeners across the world. Pinot Noir 2017 Chair Ben Glover says Dalton will add strength to the social engagement around the event, due to his large, global online audience. “Levi Dalton is part of the new wave of wine communicators, embracing the social platforms to capture, educate, inform and entertain wine fanatics across all channels.” Pinot Noir 2017 will be held in Wellington next year from January 31 to February 2. Registrations are now open at www. pinotnz.co.nz

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

HAWKE’S BAY Bragato Trust Awards Two undergraduates from EIT in Hawke’s Bay have received awards from the Bragato Trust. Jascha Oldham Selak and Alexandra van der Loos have received a boost to their course costs with the awards, which are presented each year. Jascha who is studying concurrently for a combined Bachelor degree in Viticulture and Oenology, has wine in his blood, given his father’s family who emigrated from Croatia in the early 1900’s went on to establish the Selak brand. He has already been awarded the Constellation Scholarship and

travelled to Italy earlier this year with the Bragato Exchange Scholarship. Alexandra is also no stranger to the wine industry, given she was working in the retail side before moving to Hawke’s Bay to undertake a Bachelor of Wine Science.

MARLBOROUGH Vineyard App a First for Yealands Yealands Estate on the outskirts of Seddon is one of a few wineries around the country which encourages visitors to take a drive or bike around their vast vineyards. Now though they are making the trip even easier with a first ever Kiwi wine app. The Yealands Estate White Road Tour app, shows visitors all the highlights on the 7.5km tour. That could be where the kune kune pigs are, or the baby doll sheep. It shows the best places to stop to take in the majestic views over Cook Strait and down the coastline of the South Island. Even where to stop and enjoy the classical music that blasts from solar powered speakers, encouraging the vines to grow. The app is now available to download free of charge and is available in seven languages.

White road that the Yealands’ app highlights.

Government Shortlists New Wine Research Initiative New Zealand Winegrowers’ proposal to establish a regional research institute (RRI) in Marlborough has been shortlisted for funding consideration by the Government. The creation of RRIs was first announced as part of the 2015 Budget, which earmarked $25 million for the initiative. The institutes are designed to support innovation in the regions by maximising the unique business, technology and economic growth opportunities in areas outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce stated that three proposals, including the one submitted by New Zealand Winegrowers, “presented the best plans for delivering the strongest growth.” New Zealand Winegrowers worked with industry members and other stakeholders to develop a proposal for an RRI that is nationally focused – for the good of the entire wine industry – while situated in Marlborough, the region that currently produces about 75% of New Zealand’s annual wine production.

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 9

REGIONS MARLBOROUGH

GROWING PAINS TESSA NICHOLSON

arlborough has dominated the New Zealand wine scene for almost 20 years, in terms of land dedicated to vines and harvest tonnages. It is about to get a lot more dominant if a labour market survey is anything to go by. Within the next four years the region’s vineyard production is set to increase by nearly a quarter, close to 7000 hectares. But with that expected growth, will come a number of challenges for the industry, not the least a reliable and stable workforce. The survey was commissioned last year by Wine Marlborough, NZ Winegrowers and the Marlborough District Council, with the help of Seasonal Solutions Cooperative Ltd. With an aim of gaining an understanding of just what the Marlborough viticulture labour market would look like in 2020, 59 wine companies and growers and eight contractors were questioned about their future plans, needs and potential issues. Currently Marlborough has a total of 23,619 hectares of productive vineyards, but with a 24 percent increase expected by 2020, that will increase to 29,270 hectares. To place that in perspective, that increased growth of 6,800 hectares, is more than the entire Hawke’s Bay productive vineyards in 2015 - 4,773.

The findings While the growth of the region was the first major finding from the survey, there were an array of others that came to light. Given the expansion will be taking place

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Total vineyard workforce in Marlborough – current and projected demand. Current worker numbers 2015/16

Worker numbers required 2019/20

Increase in demand for workers 2015/16 to 1209/20

% Increase in workers required in 2015/16 to 2019/20

Permanent workers

1670

1859

189

+11.3%

Winter casuals

1901

2275

374

+19.7%

Winter RSE

1669

2269

600

+36%

Summer casuals

1976

2418

442

+22.4%

Summer RSE

889

1195

306

+34%

Harvest casuals

220

228

+31%

8325

10,304

1979

+24%

Total workers

Note: As casuals are employed for short term seasonal work and the same person may be employed as both a winter, summer and harvest casual the same person may be counted in more than one category.

within a very short time frame, the ability to source a skilled labour force was one of the greatest concerns raised by all involved. A 24 percent increase in production means worker numbers will also have to increase by 24 percent. So where are they going to come from? That is what is concerning the industry members spoken to. The current worker numbers, (as shown above) show in this current season the vineyard workforce stands at 8,325 – with more than 2500 of those coming from RSE. By 2019/20, that workforce demand is expected to grow to 10,304, with those surveyed claiming they will require a RSE workforce of 3,464 – more than 900 more than is currently available due to caps. All surveyed praised the RSE model, saying it had improved productivity, provided reliable

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

productive workers, and allowed businesses to grow. Some vineyard owners and contractors also made the comment that “they would not be in business without them (RSE workers).” While many are keen and do commit to engaging New Zealanders into both permanent and causal roles, there were comments that it was difficult to find “skilled and motivated workers, with a good work ethic”. Another major area of concern was finding a skilled workforce – this was highlighted as one barrier to increasing the overall productivity of the business. “Of the 59 wine company and grower businesses interviewed, 23 felt that a lack of suitably trained staff was a barrier to their increased productivity. Thirteen also indicated that a shortage of labour when it is required affected

their productivity,” the report states.

Other challenges With an expected increase in the workforce of 24%, accommodation was listed as one of the major challenges facing the industry and the Marlborough community. “Looking at total worker projections (wine companies, growers and contractors) we can expect a total increase in demand for 189 houses for permanent workers, 442 beds for casuals and up to an addition 600 RSE approved beds in the next five years.” Some of the contractors interviewed had plans to progressively build extra beds, but nowhere near the number that will be required by 2019/20. More purpose built accommodation will be required, and there will be

the need to ensure those facilities provide adequate living and recreational facilities. Good pastoral care will also need to increase and this cannot be considered a 9-5 issue the report states. “The whole day needs to be looked at”. Another issue that rose its head during the interviews, was the access to medical care. “There is also a current issue with many casual workers being unable to access medical care as all local GPs have full patient lists. “This results in unnecessary visits to the local emergency services at the hospital. It is difficult to see how this shortage can be addressed in the short to medium term, other than by the industry and various other agencies offering incentives to

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 11

doctors to come and work in Blenheim.” So with the report now in, the anticipated growth highlighted and the challenges that will accompany that, the industry along with the local community can prepare. Wine Marlborough’s GM Marcus Pickens, says while the results of the Labour Market Survey confirmed anecdotal evidence, it provides the foundation for what lies ahead. “The document brings all the component parts together and gives us the opportunity to base our work around the core challenges identified. While it is an exciting phase for the Marlborough wine industry, a lot of work and focus is required to ensure our community, wineries, growers and contractors take into account these findings.” ■

THE FACTS

The survey interviewed 59 wine companies and growers, and eight contractors, representing 54.2% of the current production in Marlborough • 3 3 o f t h o s e s u r veye d we re considered large entities, with holdings of more than 50 hectares • 14 were medium sized operators with productive land of between 20 and 50 hectares, while 12 were considered smaller holdings with productive land of between 3 and 20 hectares • All Category three wineries with vineyards in Marlborough and Seasonal Solutions Cooperative members were included • An estimated 24% more land will be planted out between now and 2020 – approximately 6800 ha • 5 1 % o f t h o s e p l a n t i n g s a re

expected to be in the Lower Wairau, 16% in the Upper Wairau, 4% in the Awatere and a very large 26% will be in “as yet unidentified locations”. • That growth will see a demand for 24% more workers – a combination of permanent, casuals and RSE • RSE caps will need to be lifted, if the worker numbers are to be achieved • There is concern at the lack of skilled permanent workers available • There will be more reliance on contractors to undertake the future development • More accommodation will be required to house the increase in worker numbers • More pastoral care will also be required, as will health facilities

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

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REGIONS CENTRAL OTAGO

MODEST GROWTH, LARGER CHALLENGES TESSA NICHOLSON

hile Marlborough is set to expand its vineyard production by 24 percent in the next four years, Central Otago’s growth is expected to be far more modest. But the issues of worker numbers and accommodation for those workers is as much a problem further south as it is deemed to be in Marlborough. Those are just some of the findings to come out of a labour market survey conducted within Central early last year. Commissioned by the Central Otago Labour Market Governance Group, the survey was also supported by the Central Otago District Council, Ministry of Social Development, Seasonal Solutions Cooperative and industry bodies. President of the Central Otago Winemaker’s

Association James Dicey, says the survey has highlighted the areas that are holding the industry back. It has also highlighted the need for a collaborative effort to be undertaken between the industry and central government, as well as local government. In 2015 the Central Otago viticultural workforce was made up of the following groups • Backpackers – 43% • RSE workers 20% • Locals and students - 20% • Permanent – 16% • Jobseekers referred by Work and Income – 1% And therein lies the problem, Dicey says. “The large number of backpackers employed provides a high level of risk,” he says. “Back in 2008 we couldn’t find back-

packers, last year we had plenty. And then there is the issue of how long they stay with you. It takes a certain length of time before they become efficient and can perform the work. Then they move on. Trying to run a business on that basis is very challenging.” The RSE workers, as in Marlborough, are greatly appreciated with anecdotal evidence that they have contributed significantly to an overall increase in productivity in the region. But just as in Marlborough, caps on RSE numbers mean employers have to look elsewhere for casual labour. Trying to work within the government’s plan of employing locals is also not the answer for places such as Central Otago and Marlborough Dicey explains. “Labour and unemployment

rates are viewed at a national level, rather than viewed on a regional or sub regional basis. Central Otago and Marlborough don’t have a large population base in a city that is accessible to us. We are not an Auckland, we are not Christchurch, we are not Wellington or Hawke’s Bay with significant towns available. We are in a labour shortage down here.” In a recent work drive 40 Kiwis were taken on by the industry in Central. “Two have stayed,” Dicey says. “It is worse than that when you consider they (Work and Income NZ) interviewed close to 1500 people to be able to find 40. So basically we have ended up with two out of 1500.” And even if they could find Kiwi workers, Dicey says the next

A lack of a reliable workforce and accommodation to house them is stymieing the growth in Central Otago. PHOTO QUARTZ REED, SUPPLIED BY NZW

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

major issue is finding housing to accommodate them. Sections in the Cromwell area are extremely scarce and those that are available are commanding very high prices. Dicey says a Cromwell section on average has gone from $120,000 to $180,000 in just six months. “There is no accommodation to find in the first place and if there is something, a person on the living Kiwi wage could not afford it. And there is no affordable land available for developers to build accommodation.” So what are the answers? Dicey says a collaborative approach is necessary. “We need to work with the government of the day and create a model that works and moves away from a very political cap. That cap is just a hard number and it is not necessarily based on the government’s position of being able to support growth.”

The second partnership that must be developed is with local district councils. “We need to solve the accommodation issues that both the Marlborough District Council and the Central Otago District Council face at the moment. We need to create a strategy where we are able to work to provide affordable accommodation, for Kiwis in particular. You don’t want to get into the situation where there are 24 backpackers in a house, which has happened in Queenstown in the past. That does nothing for New Zealand Inc’s reputation.” Ensuring that accommodation doesn’t turn into an urban ghetto is also vital. While it needs to be affordable, it also needs to be able to sustain growth. “If those two things are done, we have a pathway forward. But that is going to require quite a change in philosophy.” ■

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FACTS • Twenty-six interviews with vineyards were conducted, along with six interviews with contractors. • A total of 93 surveys were mailed out as well. • The response represents approximately 79% of the total hectares in Central Otago. • The region’s vineyard area is expected to grow from the current 1901 hectares to 2102 by 2018/19 • That will require an increase in worker numbers. • The dependence on backpackers (43%) is seen as a high risk

factor for the wine industry • Accommodation wise, another 300 beds are estimated to be required by 2018/19. This is not only short term accommodation, but also permanent for Kiwi workers. The report states. “One of the contractors spoken to said he was losing the ability to employ these workers because he is unable to accommodate them.” • There is a need for more short term Polytechnic or such courses to increase the level of skilled workers.

Chris Wise D (09) 259 4845 M 021 393 350 E chris.wise@panprint.co.nz

Gavin McQuoid D (09) 259 4835 M 0275 996 863 E gavin@panprint.co.nz

Vanessa Bickerton D 09 259 4844 M 021 929 380 E vanessa.bickerton@panprint.co.nz

Craig Cuff D 09 259 4846 M 021 309 574 E craig.cuff@panprint.co.nz panprint.co.nz

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 15

ECONOMIC NEWS

THE VALUE OF THE WINE INDUSTRY In terms of exports, New Zealand wine earns the country just over $1.5 billion. But in terms of our overall economy, wine provides in excess of $2 billion as Tessa Nicholson reports.

he New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) report into the economic contribution of the New Zealand wine sector was released in March, showing for the first time just how much the industry provides to the economy, aside from export revenue. Other revenue streams considered were indirect taxes, wages, jobs and the importance to tourism. Based on figures from 2015, the report shows that the industry employs 7,580 people throughout the country. In Marlborough, that equates to 10.1% of local employment, or an estimated 2,240 workers. The next closest region to Marlborough was Gisborne, where 2% of the total local employment was attributed to wine. In Hawke’s Bay it was 1.3% and Central Otago 0.7%. The estimated wage bill for those 7,580 workers is a grand total of $282 million, up nearly $60 million on the wage bill of 2012. That is despite the estimated employee numbers dropping between 2012 and 2015. What will interest wineries is just how much they pay in indirect taxes such as Excise and HPA levies, combined with GST. It probably won’t surprise many to find the figure dwarfs the wages bill

16 //

- given it is $303.6 million. Excise and HPA levies make up $179.6 million of that, with GST contributions estimated at $124 million. Exports currently sit at $1.536 million, or 209 million litres. That is double what the country exported in 2008 – a year most will remember for large yields and the beginning of the GFC. Currently wine holds the sixth position in terms of export commodities, behind dairy, meat, wood, fruit, and mechanical machinery. It is also the industry with the largest annual growth in export value between 2008 and 2015 – at 7.9%. In terms of tourism, wineries play a key role. Visiting one is ranked as the 6th most popular activity undertaken in the year ending June 2015, with wine tourists also deemed as being the ones that stay longer in the country, spending more dollars than the rest of the tourists. The other interesting fact to emerge from the report, is that the number of wineries and growers has declined in the past three years, despite such outstanding growth in all other areas. In 2012, there were 703 wineries, in 2015 that had dropped to 673. The number of growers in 2012 was 824, in 2015 it was 762. Both those figures are in direct

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

contradiction to the growth in terms of productive vineyards in New Zealand. They have grown from 33,400 hectares in 2012, to 35,859 last year, with more to come

in the next four years. It is obvious anecdotal evidence of consolidation within the industry is proving to be accurate. tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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RABOBANK REPORT

RISING FORTUNES TESSA NICHOLSON

he big may get bigger, Sauvignon’s star is still rising, distribution will play a key as will the need for wineries to own more of their fruit supply. These are just a few of the things to come out of the latest Rabobank Wine Quarterly Report. It has been a stellar year for the New Zealand wine industry especially within the US market. After five years of continued growth, in 2015 New Zealand wine volumes grew 12 percent. That is the highest of any country exporting into that market. And Rabobank doesn’t believe that will end any time soon.

“Contrary to the view of those aficionados who might like to belittle the ‘simplistic’ style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, many, many more are still drawn to its refreshing style……New Zealand’s most buoyant market over the past five years (US) is also one of those that still has considerable upside.” The US became our largest export market in 2015, with the UK close behind and Australia in third place. There has definitely been a plateauing within the Aussie market, but Rabobank counters that by saying the market is reaching mature levels “and

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is spearheading our growth in the US market.

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

demand is becoming increasingly price sensitive.” In terms of the US, the report states that distribution is the key to on-going growth. Consolidation within this space has left very little room for the multitude of brands wanting to make their mark within the market place. “Even some of New Zealand’s larger independent wine companies are struggling to find effective distribution in order to keep pace with those New Zealand brands owned and handled by the big US-based companies.” There are also concerns limited market opportunity and limited access to cost competitive supply is impacting on the profitability of small to medium sized wineries. Because of that the report states, “fortune favours the big.” Signs of consolidation are emerging within the New Zealand industry as the recent NZEIR report stated. (See page 14). Winery and grower numbers are declining, despite increased production. The Rabobank report says that is likely to continue. “A process of industry consolidation is nevertheless likely to gather pace over the

coming years, as mergers and acquisitions seek to more profitably employ the assets of smaller independent firms struggling to compete and grow.” Scale is becoming more and more important within the US, especially as our wines move into the off premise channel. Wine companies are having to seriously look at owning more of their fruit supply to counter increased grape prices and maintain cost savings. “The structure of a brand owner’s supply chain is becoming a more important asset. In this respect owning vineyards in order to contribute a greater proportion of your own grape supply needs is now delivering significant cost savings.” And while the report is positive about the future for our flagship wine, it also says the reliance on Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc creates a conundrum. “Diversifying the industry’s exposure to one variety in one region will continue to prove challenging, as most other varieties and regions struggle to compete for capital.” tessa.nicholson@me.com■

BIOSECURITY NEWS

DEALING TO OUR TOP TEN BIOSECURITY PESTS E D W I N M A S S E Y, N Z W B I O S E C U R I T Y M A N A G E R

iosecurity is very important to our sector. Unwanted pests or diseases could have a significant impact on the industry by effecting the production and/or the quality of our products. Some of the most destructive pests, which could seriously damage our industry include: • Grapevine Flavescence Doree Phytoplasma • Black Rot • Glassy Wing Sharpshooter and Xylella Fastidiosa; and • Brown Marmorated Stink Bug New Zealand’s biosecurity system has several different layers of intervention to mitigate against these pests and other biosecurity risks. These types of interventions that the system uses includes: • Trade agreements

• Import Health Standards • Border inspections • Post-border readiness • Biosecurity response activities. At any one time there are approximately 40 biosecurity responses underway in New Zealand. The majority of responses impact the wider horticultural sector, highlighting the impossibility of reducing biosecurity risk to zero at the border, while enabling trade and travel to flow freely. Consequently, it is essential for our sector to be fully prepared to respond to threats that could impact the long-term sustainability of our industry. Following the 2012 amendment to the Biosecurity Act 1993, industry organisations, like New Zealand

Fruit fly pupae.

Fruit fly larvae.

Winegrowers have changed the way we work with government to prepare for biosecurity threats. The amendment has enabled government and industry organisations to work together in partnership through a Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for readiness and response. This partnership makes best use of the skills, knowledge and resources of both government and industry to reduce the risk and give everyone the confidence that the best decisions are being made. So far eight industry organisations have signed the GIA Deed alongside MPI. Signatories include five horticultural sector industry organisations, such as Kiwifruit Vine Health, Pipfruit NZ, NZ Avocado Growers’ Association Incorporated (NZAGA), NZ Citrus Growers Incorporated and Onions NZ. To improve biosecurity outcomes for our sector New Zealand Winegrowers will soon be seeking to gain mandate from our members to join the GIA. As a GIA Deed signatory, we would be more in control of our own outcomes in regard to biosecurity readiness and response, rather than relying on other industry organisations, or MPI, to make decisions on our behalf.

What are the benefits of joining the GIA to our industry? By joining the GIA we get to have our say as an industry about the direction of biosecurity in New Zealand. There are three key benefits that you can expect to see if we join the GIA: 1. Response in partnership New Zealand Winegrowers will be notified of potential biosecurity risks earlier and have decision making rights on when to initiate a biosecurity response, and on which strategic direction to take when dealing with threats as they emerge. 2. Improved biosecurity readiness Through an Operational Agreement New Zealand Winegrowers will have decision making rights on readiness priorities to help keep out our most unwanted pests. 3. Increased influence on decision making The GIA will provide industry signatories with clearer expectations from the wider biosecurity system, and more opportunity to become actively involved in the management of associated risk. Together these benefits mean that our members will have a real stake in post-border readiness and response through decision making rights over how biosecurity risks are managed, and whether or not the sector is a beneficiary of

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 19

particular readiness and response activity.

What does it cost to be part of the GIA? As a partner New Zealand Winegrowers will be expected to meet our sector’s share of costs for: Any biosecurity response that the sector benefits from, starting from mid-2017. Readiness activities agreed in an Operational Agreement signed with MPI. The cost of readiness activities will be budgeted and agreed in advance when the agreement is negotiated. This means Deed Signatories choose how much they spend on readiness activities. An industry organisation can sign the Deed without signing an Operational Agreement. Operational Agreements are not mandatory, although they are

20 //

the mechanism by which costs and cost-sharing for responses should be agreed. Operational Agreements for responses can be agreed in advance or once a decision has been made to respond to a pest or disease.

What if we don’t sign? No pay, no say! Even if we don’t sign the GIA Deed New Zealand Winegrowers members will still likely pay additional costs. MPI may seek to recover the costs of readiness and response activity from that non-Signatory sector through a Biosecurity Cost Recovery levy. The Biosecurity Cost Recovery levy will allow MPI to collect funds directly from members of the non-Signatory sector, and not through its representative industry organisation. Deed signatories get to make key decisions regarding who non-

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

signatory beneficiaries actually are. This means for a potentially expensive biosecurity response other industry organisations can make the decision that our sector is a beneficiary, even if there is not strong evidence to support this, and that MPI should look to recover costs directly from members.

How would we fund being part of the GIA? New Zealand Winegrowers plans to fund its commitments by using a portion of the funds collected from existing levies. For all but the largest response events, response costs would be covered by establishing a biosecurity reserve. Readiness activities would also be funded from existing levies rather than from the Biosecurity Reserve. For response activities that require more than $1 million

expenditure New Zealand Winegrowers plans to introduce and implement a new Biosecurity Levy. The Biosecurity Levy would be set at zero until a significant response event. In the case of the Biosecurity Reserve being exceeded New Zealand Winegrowers anticipates borrowing funds to cover costs and then using the Biosecurity Levy to repay the loan over a period of time. The Biosecurity Levy could be established for a period of up to 10 years. The rate of loan repayment would be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Consultation with members on signing the GIA Deed In July, New Zealand Winegrowers will consult with members with regard to signing the GIA Deed. Closer to the time members will receive a consultation document explaining the GIA

approach, the mandate process and the costs and benefits of becoming a GIA partner. New Zealand Winegrowers plans to hold regional meetings with Glassy Winged Sharp members that will Shooter, one of the include discussion of greatest biosecurity GIA. Meetings will be threats. scheduled between 2 July and 5 August 2016, which are approach and inviting feedback likely to be held in nine winegrow- to New Zealand Winegrowers. ing regions. Depending on the outcome After these meetings New of the initial consultation, it is Zealand Winegrowers will col- proposed that the New Zealand late feedback and send a high Winegrowers seek an electronic level analysis of feedback to all vote commencing on Monday 8 members. August and closing 2 weeks later As part of the consultation on Friday 19 August. The results there will also be a page on the will be announced at the Bragato New Zealand Winegrowers mem- conference on 24 August 2016. bers’ website with key informa- In summary tion, and FAQs as well as articles As a member of the GIA New in selected regional wine industry Zealand Winegrowers could effecpublications outlining the GIA tively: work with government to

monitor and manage biosecurity risk; coordinate our sector’s participation in biosecurity activities; and influence government across the biosecurity system. This work will involve answering the following questions for our sector: Where do we want to be with biosecurity as a sector? What risks should we be focused on and ready for? How can we work with others to mitigate these risks effectively? As a GIA partner, if we can

identify our industry’s biosecurity priorities it will enable us to clearly communicate to the other GIA members which biosecurity activities are, and are not beneficial to our industry. This will ensure that our biosecurity funding is only spent on activities which help us to deal with our most unwanted pests. If you have any questions about GIA or any biosecurity questions or concerns contact edwin.massey@nzwine.com or L 03-265 4057 or 021-1924 924. ■

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Roots, Shoots & Fruits Soil Health, Plant Health, YOUR Health

FAMILY VINES Hermann and Agnes Seifried hand grafted and planted their first grapes in the Nelson region back in 1973. By the time the first vintage came along, the couple had one child and another on the way. A third was to come a short time later. While neither of the Seifrieds started their business with the idea of a wine dynasty occurring, that is exactly what has happened, as Tessa Nicholson discovered. Austrian born Hermann met Agnes on the ski slopes of Mt Robert in the early 70s. Within a year of being married the couple had bought a small block of land in Upper Moutere. A short time later Heidi was born, 13 months later Chris came along and 2 years later Anna. With Agnes and Hermann very much hands on in terms of caring for the vines, making the wines and then selling it, the three children were bound to be caught up in the industry. But nobody would have predicted that all three would now be running individual aspects of the company a few decades later. Heidi who is a trained dental surgeon, also has a degree in viticulture and oenology. Chris is a trained winemaker and Anna has a degree in sales and marketing with a diploma in wine marketing. While we could have talked to any of the family about their emerging dynasty, NZWinegrower chose to highlight Agnes and Anna – a mother/daughter relationship that sees both working the marketing and sales side of the business. 22 //

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

Agnes Seifried, 67

ithin a year of being married we had bought a block of land in Upper Moutere. I was teaching at Nayland College at the time and Hermann was working for the New Zealand Apple and Pear Board. We hand grafted all the grapes ourselves at night and then planted out seven varieties on the five acre block during 1973 and 74. Heidi was due at the end of 75, and they had asked me to stay on at school until the end of the school year. We had already planted the grapes when I was carrying Heidi, so that winter we were pruning, doing all the hard work. But we were also building equipment for the winery. Hermann is a bit of a handyman, so all those first tanks, Agnes Seifried.

filters and bits and pieces that you need to start, we were building in the evenings – and then building the winery. Heidi was born before Christmas 1975 and we picked our first vintage in 1976. Hermann was still working full time, so I was in charge of the harvest. We were living in Richmond at the time and the land

and winery were in Upper Moutere, where Kahurangi is now. I would travel out every morning with Heidi, a nappy bucket, lunch and dinner. A bunch of young mums, many that I am still in contact with, came out from Stoke in two cars and with some Upper Moutere locals we hand-picked all day. I was arranging all the picking, collecting the buckets, putting them on the trailer and moving it around. Then Hermann would come out at 5.30 or six when he finished work and we processed them. We didn’t employ any permanent help for the first few years, we did it all ourselves. I had a cot and high chair in the winery and Heidi was put down to sleep there. That is just the way it was. The first wines were sold from Labour weekend in 76 and it all sold out. We had an address book for anybody that wanted to know when the next vintage was available. People would put their

name and address down and we started a mail order programme. At the height of that we had 4500 people on our list. I hand addressed all these letters, three times a year. It was what I would do in the evenings. Twelve and a half months after Heidi, Chris was born. Then two and a half years later Anna came along so we had three children under the age of three and a half. Was it tough? Probably. But when you are young and energetic you don’t think about it, you just do it. It doesn’t help to sit back and say poor me. I think though getting home at 10 or 11 at night with the nappy bucket and having to start washing and packing up lunches and dinners for the next day was hard. The kids had to be a part of everything we were doing. When we were pruning, or picking or

Agnes and Hermann Seifried.

working in the winery, they were all there. We moved out (to the property) when Heidi was about six, so Anna would have been three and a half. It

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had just become too difficult with schools and day-care and running back and forth between Richmond and the vineyard. Re Anna – she is the youngest

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Family Vines – brought to you by Roots, Shoots & Fruits

and the others say she was spoilt. But she says she was overlooked and there are no photos of her only the others. She was always there when we set up the little wine shop, a cellar door in the winery. Those days we used what may be described as sherry glasses for samples, for customer tastings. If there were any dregs when the customer had gone and I had my back turned, she was drinking all the dregs. I learned to make sure there weren’t any left on the bench! We never pushed any of the kids to come into the business. They all went away and did their own thing. Anna went to Otago and

did a degree, then went off and did wine business in Adelaide. She worked away for a few years before she came back. She came (into the business) slowly. It’s not that she came in and said, ‘right I am doing this now.’ When you are dealing with lots of different people with different personalities, you do have to manage that and she has. Describe Anna? She has got a great, outgoing, happy and friendly disposition. She can communicate with anybody on any level. In her role she meets a lot of new people and she seems to be able to develop a relationship with them very quickly. In

the office, listening to the one end of the conversation she might be having is interesting. Just the way she talks with people she might not have known for very long. She laughs and jokes a lot! She is very quick and efficient. I remember my mother saying to me that I was twice as fast and efficient as she was. Well Anna is like that now with me. It would take me a week to do what she gets done in a day. And she is very good at managing her team. I don’t know who she is like, I don’t think she is like Hermann. Although she strives to achieve what she wants to achieve and that is a trait of Hermann. I

don’t know if she is like me. I think probably she is her own person. All three of them are. They have quite strong personalities and are all quite assertive in their own ways. They make their own decisions and they lead the company the way they feel it should go in their area. But we all do work together very much as a team. If the family hadn’t been involved, we probably wouldn’t be the size we are now. Hermann and I would have probably sat back with the 100 acres we had when Chris came back. It is special – having them all involved. And we are certainly very proud of them all.

to choose the wine for the night. They would sneak it out and put it into a brown bag or sock. We would get to taste it and talk about it. We would be asked if we thought it was a Chardonnay or a Riesling and why we thought that. I’m sure it helped me develop a better palate and start thinking about flavours and textures from an early age. As a teenager, I definitely didn’t

think I would end up in the industry. There were three things I thought I wanted to be; a vet, marine biologist or a forensic scientist. But it turned out that I wasn’t very good at science. During my 7th form year, I had spent a week of the holidays with Heidi in Dunedin - she was finishing her fourth year of dental school. I thought, ‘wow this is pretty neat’. I decided that I didn’t really care what I did, but I had to go to Otago University. I had completed accounting, stats and I liked English at school, so commerce seemed like a good choice. I finished a BCom in marketing and management and then found the Post Grad diploma at Adelaide Uni, so I did wine marketing. A lot of what I learnt there was the theory behind what I’d seen around home for the past 20 years, so it was great to learn that side of it, but the sensory papers were definitely the highlight of that year. We were tasting lot of wines from grape growing regions all over the world, that I’d never had the

Anna Seifried, 36

y whole life basically has been living on the vineyard. I learned to crawl down between the grape rows. Us three kids were all pretty close in age and would be off building huts, or chasing tadpoles in the creek, making our own fun while Mum would be pruning or picking. I think (how close we were) probably shows in how we work together today. We have always played together and where we grew up in Upper Moutere there were only about 60 kids at the local school. We got to do all sorts of jobs. We have photos of us kids sitting around folding and making up the flat pack dividers before they went to the bottling line, and putting stickers on the outside of the cartons. Mum used to save all the filing in the office for me, and that would be my afterschool job every day – I think it’s how I learnt the alphabet. I remember learning to drive a tractor fairly young, as soon as I could reach the pedals. All of us helped where we could. The one job I didn’t like was bird netting. I must have been 12 or 13 and had to spend Satur-

24 //

days helping with the bird netting, at the time I thought it was so unfair. We also did grafting, because we had our own on-site grafting team. After pruning I was always brought in to help as I was quite good at matching the little cuttings of scionwood. I had to bud rub as well, but fortunately wasn’t very good at pruning so I didn’t last long there. I’ve picked a lot of grapes though and I guess I’ve done most jobs that crop up throughout the year. When we were kids, every night there would be a bottle of wine on the table. We had an everyday cellar and a special cellar. Whoever was setting the table got

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

chance to taste. I had a friend who had moved to Western Australia and I spent a bit of time visiting, and decided Perth was the next big thing. I started with the Coles Myer Group, working in a Vintage Cellars store in Nedlands, and then Cottesloe. I worked with some super passionate wine people, and really loved selling. It was a great opportunity to again see wines we didn’t get in New Zealand, and working with distributors from the retailers side was invaluable. It became very clear to me early on what made a good sales rep, and a lot of what we train in our sales team are things I learn during my time at VC. I had been working at Vintage Cellars over Christmas and New Year, and had done some massive hours. It was early March, and it was the third week of consecutive 40 plus degree days. Our house didn’t have air con, my car didn’t have air con, and it was rough. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and very homesick. Dad rang me and said the business had reached a size where we needed to employ somebody to help with the sales and marketing. He said either we employ someone, which we are happy to do, or if you want it, the job is yours. But there were a few

conditions. Eleven days after that phone call from Dad, I was on a plane heading home. I got to Nelson just a couple of days before harvest kicked off and one of the conditions from Dad was that I needed to get my hands dirty again. I needed to see what making wine was all about. I don’t have a winemaker’s degree, but I understand what is going on out there, and that time made me realise I am not cut out to be a winemaker. So I spent six months as part of the cellar crew, dragging hoses, lugging buckets and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. I could see what the process was though and what Dad was trying to get at. It was great. After I ‘retired’ from the winery, I moved into Mum’s office. For the next six months we had desks next to each other, so we were eavesdropping on each other’s phone calls. I was listening to how she dealt with situations and she was constructively directing how I was doing things. It was great having her next to me and she started to hand things over from then. Was it hard to step into her shoes?

Mum and Dad are the face of this business and people are used to dealing with them. For forty years we’ve had some very loyal customers who have only ever known Mum from her many years working the cellar door – they might know me, but often remember me as a four-year-old hanging around the cellar door when they visited, so naturally there has been some hesitation when they are directed to me with enquiries, instead of Agnes. This is why we can’t let Mum go. She would love to retire, but she can’t, not yet. In her relationships with people, Mum is much more personal than me. She genuinely wants to know about people and will take time to ask how the kids are

Anna (left), Chris and Heidi.

doing, or when the next holiday is coming up. You always have her undivided attention and that’s a very real skill. Mum is always very good at seeing the big picture, making a plan and sticking to it. I can be more like Dad. More headstrong and impulsive. It’s nice to work alongside Mum – she balances me. I think when you are born and raised on a vineyard or winery, it doesn’t really feel like work. It’s just life. It’s just what we do. We all went off and did our own thing, then slowly came home. Nelson was a huge draw card too. There are not many places I could see myself living in New Zealand, but Nelson has a bit of everything. It has its own energy and vibe. tessa.nicholson@me.com■

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 25

SWNZ NEWS

SURVIVING AN AUDIT Undergoing an audit can be an un-nerving experience, but as Tessa Nicholson discovered, that shouldn’t be the case when it comes to Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand

n fact the audit should be viewed as an integral part of business practice, one that can help you grow and become better at what you do. That is the view of the auditors involved and a number of members, who have found the audit process has encouraged them to create better systems that have benefitted the business overall. Sustainable Winegrowing’s lead auditor Marg Elliott, has been involved in the programme since 1998, and says it is not a difficult one and shouldn’t be viewed as such. “The basis of it is hinged around good manufacturing practices. If they are running their business in a business-like way, then the audit should be seen as a confirmation that they are doing things right.”

Yoke Miller, another of the auditors agrees saying there is nothing draconian within the programme, and it certainly isn’t a case of one strike and you are out. “It is not a case of if you don’t have something, then you don’t pass sort of attitude,” she says. “It’s more us verifying that the member has done what they say they have done. It is also us trying to help them within the programme.” For Nick Entwistle, Wairau River’s winery operations manager, the programme and inevitable audit should be seen as a positive for any business. “It doesn’t cost a huge amount of money, and while it does take some time, it is time well spent. If you get the systems in place, it becomes very, very easy. Plus with the benchmarking ability, it gives

you a real picture of where you sit against other people, it gives opportunities for improvement. In the world of wine or in any business, if you are just resting on your laurels you can get left behind.” And that is the lynch-pin. Getting the systems in place. According to both Marg and Yoke, there are a few areas where many people, in both wineries and vineyards slip up. The most common issue Marg says, is the lack of preparedness by the member in terms of having all the relevant paperwork on-hand. “They are required to complete a scorecard which is like an internal audit of their own systems. That scorecard is the basis for the audit we do. So when they say yes to things in the scorecard, it means they need to have the paperwork to support that answer.”

The auditors and the SWNZ team at a recent function in Marlborough.

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

Which is quite often not the case. Some of that may come down to the fact the scorecard on its own requires just a yes or no answer to whether something has been done during the past year. That makes it easy for the person filling it out. But Marg says that same person needs to be able to substantiate their answer with the appropriate paper work. An example of this that frequently occurs with wineries, has to do with refrigeration engineers. “We ask that the refrigeration engineer have specific credentials that they must supply to the winery when they are employed as a contractor. What has been happening though, is that (wineries) have been hiring them but not confirming their credentials for due diligence. So they happily tick in their scorecard that they have done it, but they actually can’t supply those credentials.” Another area that tends to trip up wineries is the provision of accurate details of water in versus water out of the winery, she says. “I often find wineries are not comparing their discharge with their legal allowance to discharge allocated by their regional council. It is one area they don’t do too well on.” While having one person dealing with the Sustainable programme is ideal, Marg says issues tend to arise when that person moves on or is replaced, and there is no hand over. “So we get a new winemaker and we are back to scratch, especially if the new winemaker has

come from a different region.” Given resource consents differ from wine region to wine region a new winemaker may be operating on what they have known previously, rather than what is relevant in their new job. In terms of vineyards, Yoke says preparedness is again the biggest issue she faces. Given an audit is only every three years, some

growers don’t even think about collecting and filing the paperwork until a few weeks before the audit takes place. “So once they have seen us this year, they think; ‘okay, I won’t have another audit until 2019.’ They are not in that mental process of thinking they will need such and such next year, so they put it aside. I suggest that no matter what year

SWNZ FACTS • Currently there are six independent auditors nationwide working for the Sustainable Winegrowing programme • Before you can be audited your scorecard must be completed for that season, you must have completed your spray diary and supplied to SWNZ and you have to have paid your membership fees • There are 1775 grower members of SWNZ • There are 282 wineries who are members of SWNZ • The percentage of the New Zealand wine industry with Sustainable Winegrowing accreditation is 95% • More information is available on the NZWine website www. nzwine.com

it is, they get into the habit of keeping everything in a file. Then next year add the new data to it. That way all the documents required for an audit are readily available.” If in doubt about what you need to keep, check the fact sheets and guidance on the scorecard questions. There is a paper clip next to every question you answer. Click on that, and it will provide all the relevant information and show you exactly what it is you have to provide to substantiate that ‘Yes’ answer. There is also an audit checklist on the New Zealand Wine website. The other common issue that comes up with vineyard audits, is the Growsafe and Approved Handler certificate. These are valid for five years and often Yoke says they have lapsed prior to the audit taking place. Keeping a close eye on the validity dates of these ensures growers won’t be held back from

gaining a pass. Although as Yoke says, if there is anything further required by the auditors, the member will be given a corrective action and agree on a time for that to take place. So as the audit season approaches, don’t get worked up about it – get prepared. That’s the final piece of advice from Nick. “People need to take the time to sit down and look at the templates they need, so they can fill them in each month when the invoices arrive. And if they have any issues they should talk to their auditor beforehand, they are there to help. There is so much information on the Sustainability website that people don’t seem to be using. They are trying to reinvent the wheel every three years, whereas if they check in advance, it is very simple. It doesn’t need to be a difficult or un-nerving process.” tessa.nicholson@me.com.■

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NZW NEWS

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE N

ew Zealand Winegrowers will lose one of its stalwarts in June, when the head of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand moves on. Philip Manson has been a part of the NZW team for close to 18 years, and in that time has seen some major changes. “When I started, total plantings were just over 7,000ha, there were only marginally more vines in Marlborough than Hawkes Bay, sales were predominantly domestic, the research programme consisted of a handful of small projects and Sustainable Winegrowing was a pilot with just over 100 vineyard participants.” From 100 participants to 95

percent of the country’s wine industry being involved in the programme has a lot to do with the work Manson and his team have undertaken in recent years. He was also the first member of the NZW core team to move outside of Auckland’s head office, establishing a SWNZ and biosecurity hub in the country’s largest wine region, Marlborough. A passionate advocate for New Zealand wine, Manson says our continued success is not surprising to those working on the inside. “The tremendous quality of New Zealand wine is no accident. Sure we are blessed with great environments for growing, but the quality of New Zealand wine is a direct result of the commitment

and passion of all of those in the industry including grape growers, winemakers and those providing services to the sector.” Manson’s last day will be June 16. We will have more on his career and the highs and lows of the past 18 years in the next issue of NZ Winegrower.

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VINE NEWS

WHERE OLD MEETS NEW TESSA NICHOLSON

here is something very impressive about walking through Riversun’s source block in Gisborne. Not only do the vines stretch skywards to 3.5 metres, dwarfing even the tallest of visitors but they make you realise there is more to this site than the millions of vines propagated from it every year. This block is where old meets new, where our wine industry’s history sits side by side with its future. Riversun’s Waihuka source block is in fact, New Zealand’s historical vine nursery, given it has the mother material for close to 250 DNA and virus tested individual varieties and clones. While nearly half of those are relatively recent imports from ENTAV and the rest of the world, the rest are selections that made their way to this country during the 19th and 20th centuries.

While only just over a decade old, Waihuka’s national importance is indelibly much older. At least as old as the establishment of the National Research Centre for Viticulture in Te Kauwhata 100 years ago by Romeo Bragato. He and others that followed used the centre for propagating vines imported from France and California for the fledgling New Zealand wine industry and established our industry’s first national vine library (source block). In the 1980s Dr Richard Smart arrived at Te Kauwhata and he along with Dr Alan Clarke, (who helped establish the New Zealand Grapevine Improvement Group - NZGVIG) scoured the country looking for material to update the by now very run down vine library, which was riddled with Leafroll, Fanleaf and many other viruses.

Much of the material underwent thermotherapy in Palmerston North to remove the viruses, and the cleaned up material was then relocated to Rukuhia, just south of Hamilton. Following the unwinding of the MAF Advisory Service in the early 90’s viticultural research- and the vine library with it- languished, and when the land was handed back to Tainui and leased out, the fruit was used to produce Greenways Grape Juice. Enter once again the NZGVIG. In the late 90’s they decided these collections were far too important to let go and began harvesting the most important historical material, checking its virus status and relocating the cleanest material to a VIG controlled site in Marlborough. (The material deemed as virus laden was

Towering vines stretching 3.5 metres make up the Waihuka source block.

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

separately planted at Rakaia). Riversun’s founding director, Geoff Thorpe had joined the VIG early in his vine nursery career and by the mid 90’s had become chairman of the Gisborne branch. By the late 90’s his company was purchasing nearly 70% of all the VIG wood harvested nationwide, but he had increasing concerns about the virus status and trueness to type of some of the material being supplied. The standard VIG source block material had no certified traceability, which meant no one could actually confirm if a particular vine was in fact what it was purported to be. “As a nursery, if we are selling somebody Pinot Noir 777, we want to have the highest level of confidence that it is in fact Pinot Noir 777, and we don’t want it to be infected with any virus that is going to affect the quality of the fruit or the longevity of that vine,” he says. “Back in the 1990’s most of the material we at the VIG were distributing was harvested out of commercial vineyards where traceability to the original imports was virtually non-existent. Furthermore, pre 1996 there was no ELISA testing being done prior to harvest of the wood, we were simply checking for the absence of any visual symptoms of Leafroll Virus.” Based on what he had learned through trips to California and Europe during the 90’s, in 1998 he decided the time was right to take full control of the company’s own source material. That decision

set Riversun on the path that has led to the giant source block of national importance, known as Waihuka. “We went back to Te Kauwhata, to Rukuhia, and to as many of the original plantings of the most recent (1990’s) imports that we could find. We also set up our own IANZ accredited lab to do all the ELISA testing (Linnaeus), Nick Hoskins joined us from Martinborough, Dr Rod Bonfiglioli joined us from Australia and soon he arranged for all of this material to be sent to Canada for PCR testing for 18 viruses. We then used the very cleanest material to create our own high health source block right here in Gisborne. “In 2002 we signed up as New Zealand licensees for ENTAV and between 2003 and 2010 imported over 120 new varieties and clones from all corners of the globe through our own MPI

Laurent Audeguin (left) and Professor Jean-Michel Boursiquot inspect a few of the millions of baby vines at Riversun’s Whatatutu field nursery.

accredited quarantine facility- and while it was a huge team effort, it is Dr Rod’s greatest legacy to our industry”. From this source block scionwood is harvested and stored, then carefully grafted onto varying rootstock varieties in spring before being planted out in the Whatatutu field nursery, some 30 minutes away. This block too is impressive. A

total of 50 hectares, each year it is home to almost three million baby vines. Literally a sea of them, many Sauvignon Blanc. It is hard to imagine whilst looking out over row upon row of Sauvignon babies, that they owe their life to just 20 original vines, collected back in 2000. Riversun brought the world’s most respected ampelographer, Professor JeanMichel Boursiquot, out from

Montpellier University, to travel the country with the Riversun team and select candidate vines of each of the most important varieties- ones that he considered to be the most true to type, of the highest health, displaying exceptional fruiting quality. As part of that programme, he selected some Sauvignon Blanc MS vines then growing at Jackson Estate in Marlborough. Jean-

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 31

Michel who visited Riversun’s Whatatutu field nursery earlier this year, joked that he would love to have a dollar for every vine that has been grown since those first 20 were planted in the source block. “That was the beginning of this mass selection,” he said, “and I am quite surprised to see that what I did in one day in Marlborough has turned into this.”

What are the current trends? While Sauvignon Blanc makes up the majority of new plantings and has for a number of years, Thorpe says there are others that are emerging. Particularly with new ENTAV clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. As for trends, that is always harder to predict, given the time frame it takes for a trend

Riversun’s Geoff Thorpe.

to emerge. “It is a seven to nine-year period before you can tell if a trend is going to work, at least. From importation it is 15 years. We are 13 years on from our first imports entering quarantine and we are only just now starting to see that second wave of demand.” One variety that is hitting its

straps, and gaining a second wave of interest is Albarino. “It’s making some great wines. It appears particularly well suited to the soils and climate in Gisborne, that is where the bulk of the plantings are and one big wine company is now beginning to back that. They are also seeing good consumer demand. So of the

30 new varieties we brought in, that one is currently standing head and shoulders above the rest, as having potential.” Describing the industry as being “very much in a positive mode”, he says the initial flurry around the other 29 new varieties Riversun imported, has quietened off a bit. “There have been some wines, some great outcomes and there have been some challenges,” he says, “for the vignerons who are courageously learning how to grow, where to grow, how to make the wines and how to sell it.” In terms of other trends, Thorpe says while the new varieties get a lot of press, it is actually the new clones of the classic varieties which have really taken off. “Chardonnay 548, Pinot Gris 457, Pinot Noir 828 and 943 in particular. Since first released

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from quarantine they have had very good support- year in and year out. Today they probably account for 90 percent of the new import material we sell.”

Rootstock There have also been changes in the rootstock growers are requesting he says. “The big change in the last five to seven years would be the increasing reliance on 3309. It seems to perform in a very wide range of soils, and through trial and error people have landed on that. It has gone from 35% to over 60% of our grafting capacity in that relatively short time. “But I always get a bit nervous when any business or industry places all their eggs in one basket. It seems a high risk strategy- just ask the growers of the original Gold kiwifruit (16A)- in the last five years it has virtually disappeared from the industry post the arrival of PSA-V.” Some other rootstock changes have seen a gradual increase in popularity- for example Riparia Gloire, which some Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc growers are utilising to control vigour in heavier, more fertile sites. “Throughout the 2000’s Schwarzmann was very popular, but it has eased off a bit. We still do reasonable volumes of it, but because it tends to have better fruit set and therefore tighter bunches, this can create a botrytis risk. “101-14 has a susceptibility to black foot disease (cylindrocarpon) and this has seen many shy away from it over the last decade, however it performs very well, as long as you have free draining soils. ‘SO4 is also being planted in reasonable volumes in some of the less vigorous sites of Marlborough, either where soils are very bony or where wind run is high.

“But what we are increasingly seeing is that for most growers, 3309 is their first choice and if the nursery industry had more of it available, the percentage of new planting going in on this rootstock would probably be even higher”.”

The future Laurent Audeguin from ENTAV-INRA has been around long enough to see massive changes in the clonal selection business. He says those changes have been influenced by; firstly demand for product, then demand for quality and more recently the impact of global warming. “In the 60s and 70s,” he says, “we were looking for clones that had high potential of production. Then at the beginning of the 80s and 90’s we were more focused on quality. Mainly low yields, loose bunches and also higher sugar content. At that time, we didn’t have any trouble with global warming.” For the past 15 years, as temperatures have risen, weather events have become more severe and droughts have impacted, Audeguin says they have had to look for clones that can deal with the changes. “We are trying to find clones that will accumulate less sugar, but also clones that provide a good content. Will we succeed? I don’t know. “I mention sugar, but in the future, acidity could be the key point. If we lose acidity year after year, it has an impact on the aromas, an impact on the aging attitudes of the wines and for reds it has an impact on the colour.” It is inevitable, given Riversun’s commitment to the past and the future, that those developments will be included within any further growth of the Waihuka source block. tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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WINE NEWS

THE FUTURE OF SAUVIGNON BLANC New Zealand has 22% of the world’s 90,000 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc so diversification is important, as winemakers James Healy and Brent Marris suggest to Joelle Thomson.

auvignon Blanc is a voyage of discovery for New Zealand winemakers who are adding complex new strings to their fruity white winemaking bows with increased barrel fermentation, maturation and lees contact. Not to mention new wave wines fermented in large old cuves, wines matured in ceramic eggs and even the odd wine bottled without sulphur dioxide. The International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration in Marlborough this year highlighted the diversity of the variety at the Wild Bunch tastings. This story is about these and other innovations in New Zealand today, which prove it is anything but business as usual for the country’s most planted grape variety.

“You can’t escape that a certain straightforward fruity style will continue but nothing stands still,” says James Healy; winemaker, coowner and founder of Marlborough’s Dog Point Vineyards. He should know, having pioneered the wine that is one of this country’s most distinctive Sauvignon Blanc; Dog Point Vineyards Section 94. The evolution in Sauvignon Blanc styles is taking place nationwide with wines such as Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon and Te Mata Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc, but nowhere more so than in Marlborough. Like other stalwarts of Sauvignon Blanc, Healy predicts that Marlborough’s regional differences will grow in importance.

“Clear distinctions may already be drawn between Sauvignons from Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, Southern Valleys and Awatere Valley. These areas are home to quite different wines, although this is probably not so discernible to the average drinker because most grapes from each area are blended together. This irons out the differences, but I think there’s plenty of subregional character that people will experiment with.” Hawke’s Bay, the Wairarapa, Nelson, North Canterbury and Central Otago also offer distinctive stylistic variations on the Sauvignon Blanc theme, particularly south, where the cool climate accentuates the grape’s pronounced acidity and can,

depending on the region, lengthen the growing season to potentially exploit wider aromatic flavours. So, what flavours are emerging in new wave Sauvignon Blancs today? Savoury, lees influenced ones have led the way so far. Healy says that he and Dog Point co-founder, Ivan Sutherland, hand pick all the grapes for their Section 94 and avoid skin contact because it can create astringent wines with high levels of volatile thiol precursors. Dog Point Section 94 is made from grapes grown on a big seam of deep silty clay soil that runs up the western side of Brancott Estate and passes into Pernod Ricard land as well. “We chose the grapes from the Section 94 vineyard (the historic name on the original Lands and

Sauvignon Blanc at bud burst. PHOTO: JOELLE THOMSON

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

Part of the line-up at the Sauvignon Blanc Celebration that showcased aged sauvignons emerging in New Zealand.

Survey maps) because it’s a very good site and we knew the techniques we wanted to use; essentially taking unsettled juice and fermenting in barrel. A little like the old fashioned Bordelais style; a hot ferment and new oak,” Healy says. “You’d probably think with our experience of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and new oak that we’d have known better than to introduce 100% of it to our top wine; that we’d let a relatively uncluttered version of the fruit come through. That’s why we didn’t want to use new oak as part of the make up of the wine. The idea with Section 94 is to press the juice to barrel and ferment it with a long time there on lees, without any SO2; to have the wine really evolve in the wood.” The SO2 is added when the wine comes out of barrel and is bottled. Healy also adds that, much as natural wines are interesting, he and Sutherland are not attempting to go down that path – and never have been. “Our ideas for Section 94 are our own but the use of barrel and the juice preparation was very French; very Bordeaux.” The winning factors for another ripple in the new wave of Sauvignon Blanc is the new 2011

Marisco Pride & Glory; 100% Sauvignon Blanc, launched last year by Marlborough winemaker Brent Marris. The wine is part of his new Craft Series, a range of small volume, high quality wines. Its release is indicative of the evolution in New Zealand wine. “We have gone through our child and adolescent years and now we are starting to mature into adults; pushing the boundaries to make a great wine, irrespective of the grape variety it’s made from,” says Marris. Pride & Glory is made from hand picked fruit from the Waihopai Valley, which has a higher diurnal variation than the Wairau Valley, and therefore can have more pronounced aromatics, provided crop levels are kept in check. Oak type and shape also offer a new slant on Sauvignon Blanc for Marris, who fermented the Pride & Glory in 1000 litre ovals to accentuate lees influence. The limited temperature control that barrels provided means the fruit asserts itself less intensely, although there is no question that Sauvignon Blanc’s character stands out in this new wine. “These little aspects make a fine wine; it’s about making a won-

derful wine, which can age rather than making Sauvignon Blanc with noticeable oak,” says Marris. He suggests styles such as this one can open up a wider market for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc globally, provided they are widely marketed to tap into a receptive audience, paving the way for other diverse styles. “There is a great scope of oppportunity to develop new styles of Sauvignon Blanc, which can offer a big plus for Marlborough. I think we will gain a following of people who start hunting out these styles globally from New Zealand.” The middle of the market can be equally exciting for future Sauvignon Blanc because canopy management, vineyard site selection and different regional expresions are all better understood today than in the past. This includes wines such as Amisfield Fume Blanc, Auntsfield South Oaks Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Babich Winemaker’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Churton Best End Sauvignon Blanc and Greywacke Wild Sauvignon, among others. Marris suggests that future success rests on balanced crop levels, lower alcohol, more use of lees contact and less of residual sugar.

“I think if we go down that path with using lees contact and a touch of oak – not necessarily barrel fermentation - and also work with temperature and new yeast strains, then we can keep the fruit as natural as possible and enhance the styles of Sauvignon Blanc in the mainstream market.” Wines such as Pernod Ricard’s Chosen Rows are in the top tier of new wave Sauvignons but this large wine company is breaking new ground with mid priced wines too, such as 2015 Brancott B Sauvignon Blanc, 5-10% of which was fermented in oak. Impressive as these wines are, the two that have perhaps the strongest potential to make an impact in New Zealand are the new 2015 Stoneleigh Wild Valley Sauvignon Blanc and the 2015 Brancott Terroir Series Fume; both influenced by oak, which enhances body, richness and complexity of flavour. All of the wines in this story are the tip of a long list of high quality wines whose makers have steped outside the fruity framework to play a new sound of Sauvignon, dialling up the complexity and turning down the volume on passionfruit and gooseberry aromas. mailme@joellethomson.com ■

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 35

REGIONS GISBORNE

‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’ JUSTINE TYERMAN

oug Bell spent the last 32 years vowing he would never plant Sauvignon Blanc. “It was a case of Sauvignon Blanc in our vineyard? Over my dead body,” says the Gisborne grape grower who co-owns a 30-hectare vineyard at Hexton with his wife Delwyn. Looking hale and hearty at the end of the 2016 harvest with no obvious sign of an impending demise, Bell is about to rip out nine hectares of mature grape vines and replant in Sauvignon Blanc. “I never thought I’d see the day but here we are, poised to pull out three blocks of grapes – Viognier, Arneis and some older Chardonnay – part of a commercial block that has been used in blends or sold on the spot market. “The rest of our 30-hectare vineyard is planted in boutique, higher-quality, special vines like Albariño, Marsanne, Viognier and Malbec,” says Bell. “And with nine hectares in Sauvignon Blanc, we believe we will have the correct balance of varieties.” The Bells made the decision to plant Sauvignon Blanc for Gisborne-based co-operative GroCo about six months ago. Was it a difficult decision? “No and yes in that order. Commercially it makes good sense, so in that respect, no. But because we’ve replanted before and we know the huge amount of work involved, yes, it was a big decision.” The rationale behind the deci-

36 //

sion was simple. “We were made aware that GroCo needed Sauvignon Blanc for its export market and that wasn’t available locally. They get some from Marlborough but they need a reliable local supply,” says Bell. “Gisborne is well-positioned to produce good quality Sauvignon Blanc at realistic prices for both the grower and the winery. That was the primary driver of our decision to replant,” he says. Looking ahead, Bell foresees the need to have larger blocks of commercially-attractive varieties. “That’s the reality of the market. Smaller blocks are a complexity for the wineries. They are a bit of a nuisance to them. We are replacing three small blocks in three different varieties with one larger block of one variety which streamlines and simplifies the operation from the machinery work, staffing and pruning right through to harvesting,” says Bell. “I see our planting as complimentary to Marlborough’s Sauvignon Blanc. We are not in competition with Marlborough because they will always hold the premium position in the market for that variety. But we do have a real opportunity in Gisborne to be a second tier of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Given that Sauvignon Blanc is 86 percent of the export market, we have to accept it is now something that should be part of our vineyard portfolio. As with any business venture, it’s important to reinvest in the business, but gather knowledge and information to make the best decisions possible.

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

“The difficulty here is trying to make the right decision based on what the future will look like in four or five years’ time when the vines are producing. We haven’t got all the information needed so there’s an element of crystal ball gazing involved,” says Bell. “But you always need to be ready to move and adapt to the changing demands of the market.” What about the impact of the Gisborne terroir on the classic flavour of Sauvignon Blanc? “The variety is already being grown here in a small way and to date, growers have produced very good quality wines but the flavour profile will obviously be different from that of Marlborough with their unique soils,” says Bell. GroCo winemaker Anita Ewart-Croy says; “Gisborne has the wonderful benefit of being able to achieve grape physiological ripeness at earlier brix, without irrigation while maximising flavour intensity. Many tools are available to the champions of Sauvignon Blanc, both in the vineyard and in the winery, to ensure this variety shows its best expression of passionfruit, gooseberry and bell pepper as wine.

“A vast amount of research has been invested in this variety in New Zealand and making this icon wine has become a real science. The flavour profile usually seen at harvest in Gisborne for Sauvignon Blanc is much more tropical – guava and passionfruit – but we can definitely see the crisper lime and gooseberry characters at earlier brix, which reduces risk for winegrowers and offers a range of flavours and aromas to blend with in the winery. “Becoming part of the Sauvignon Blanc national machine is a clever move for Gisborne. With careful and concise vineyard management and winemaking, we will make some very good wines for sure,” she says. GroCo marketing director Andrew Vette says “the opportunity for Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc is clearly spearheaded by the incredible success of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc”. “Global demand for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is near insatiable. The United States market, already over 30 percent share of New Zealand wine, has surged in growth by 24 percent in the last six months as it seems ‘mainstream

Moving forward with Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc. From Left; Andrew Vette, Anita Ewart-Croy, Delwyn Bell and Doug Bell.

America’ discovers Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc,” says Vette. “Increasing demand is great news for the industry but the

supply side of the equation is limited – Marlborough is nearly completely planted out and vines there are nearing their 25-year life span which will see replanting taking areas out of production. So with increasing demand for a limited resource, prices are increasing and with this we are seeing increasing demand for the ‘next nearest substitutes’ – products that are very close to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc but at price points that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc can no longer hit,” he says. “Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc is not only considered one of the next nearest substitutes, but we also have the additional ability to produce a more tropical flavour profile which appeals to entrylevel drinkers – our target market. “The biggest benefit for the region of accessing global distribution through our Sauvignon Blanc

is being able to introduce our other key Gisborne varietals. While we have long been lauded as a worldclass wine region, we are yet to uncover a ‘game changer’ like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc,” says Vette. “While this is a matter of time and we are seeing great early success with Albariño and Chenin Blanc amongst an array of other varietals, we simply have to leverage every opportunity we get to take Gisborne wine to the world – Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc gives us this. From a production perspective the key to this product for Gisborne is being able to produce at a price point other areas struggle to meet, due to our strong yields, very low inputs, no irrigation and early harvest reducing risk of rain affecting quality or disease pressure preharvest.” justine.tyerman@clear.net.nz .■

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 37

NEW BUSINESS

LAITHWAITE’S COMES TO NZ TESSA NICHOLSON

or 30 years Tony Laithwaite has been championing New Zealand wines in the UK. Now he is hoping wine lovers will champion his new operation here in New Zealand. A man who has trumpeted the cause of many small producers the world over, Tony has developed an empire of wine sales, like no other. It all began back in 1968, when as a young under graduate with a passion for the image of a French harvest, Tony headed to Bordeaux to clean bottles in a small winery. He fell in love with more than the image of a vintage, as the wines themselves began to weave their magic around him. Before long he was bringing cases of Bordeaux back to England in his van to sell to unknown customers. Utilising the phone book he rang potential clients, inviting them to a tasting and quickly established a system of sending letters out to clients who may be interested in purchasing wine. Before long his van wasn’t big enough to cater for the demand and he established Bor-

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deaux Direct and opened his first wine warehouse, “under a railway arch, in Windsor.” Bordeaux Direct was the beginnings of an empire, now known as Laithwaite Wines, which sells to more than one million customers, owns wine bars and shops throughout the world, has a turnover in excess of £350m, and employs more than 1000 people. They are the biggest wine merchants in the world, excluding supermarket retailers. Yet having been in business for more than 50 years, and having been involved with New Zealand wines since 1986 (when he invited a young Ernie Hunter to show his wines at The Sunday Times Wine Club’s Vintage Festival) Tony has never had a presence here. That all changed last year when Laithwaite’s New Zealand was launched. Why has it taken him so long, especially given he has such a strong affinity with this country? “I didn’t think you needed us,” he quipped while in New Zealand

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

recently. “I still feel, ‘should I be bringing in foreign wines to New Zealand? Do they need foreign wines, because they already make their own amazing wines? But then Terry Dunleavy said to me, that we need to try these foreign wines just to remind ourselves how good our own wines are. So maybe that’s a service I am rendering.” Laithwaite’s have been in Australia for the past nine years, and even though the new on-line presence here is only a matter of months old, Tony and CEO for Asia and Pacific, Rachel Robinson, believe there are some significant differences between the two countries. “We have been impressed at the range of what is already in New Zealand,” Rachel said. “We also found when compared with Australia, New Zealanders are far more open to different wines from different countries. In Australia it can be difficult to find a lot of international wines, so that was a surprise for us when we investigated New Zealand.”

The way Laithwaite’s works is by providing a one on one service, via the phone – much Tony said in the way that the old High St wine shops used to work. “We have about 150 of us globally on the phones and have managed to keep the original, traditional idea of offering advice to wine lovers. These people (on the phones) are not salesmen, they are not hard sellers. Basically they know what their customers like and they have a data base they can tap into when a particular wine becomes available.” So if a client in the UK particularly likes Central Otago Pinot Noir, when a shipment arrives a salesperson will call the client, letting them know about it and checking to see if they are interested. Given many people have a fear of making the wrong choice when it comes to wine Tony said the assistance of a knowledgeable person makes the purchasing task so much easier. “A lot of the guys we have used to work on the High Street. They are used to looking after individual

Growing Grapes In a Cold Cruel World IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND IT’LL HAPPEN AGAIN… Mother Nature has blessed you with great fruit set and everything is developing perfectly. Then you get 3 inches of rain in one day followed by cool damp weather. This global warming thing is hell! Rachel Robinson, CEO for Laithwaite’s Asia/Pacific and the man who started it all 50 years ago – Tony Laithwaite.

SO, WHAT DO YOU DO? customers. In a way we are providing a traditional service the way wine merchants used to work.” Taking away that risk factor is why the business model has been so successful Rachel said. “Because we explain the wines, people know what to expect. Whereas when you go to a supermarket, you tend to be faced with a wall of wine. I think people tend to go to the stuff they know, because they haven’t a clue what else to choose. Whereas I think we can talk to people and advice them. We can say; ‘you may not have tried this before, but it tastes a bit like such and such which you have told us you like.’” In New Zealand’s case, the

Laithwaite’s Wine Group will have a wine list that covers approximately 250 wines. Those wines have been selected from a vast 6500 tasted by Fiona Warren Tibbits and her team. Of those 250 wines, 70 percent are reds, Rachel said. “We have found New Zealanders love the reds. We didn’t think the Aussie reds would go down as well as they have, but we have been pleasantly surprised. Then we have a range of other wines, from France and Italy, all over the world. It is quite vast.” For more information on Laithwaite’s New Zealand, visit www.laithwaiteswine.co.nz tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 39

WINE AWARDS

WINNERS AGAIN TESSA NICHOLSON

s mentioned in the earlier story, Tony Laithwaite has long been a champion of New Zealand wine. He has been loyal to small wine producers from this country ever since he first invited Ernie Hunter to showcase his wines at the Sunday Times Wine Club’s Vintage Festival back in 1986. That invitation marked the beginning of the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc story, given Hunter’s 1985 Fume Blanc (an oak aged Sauvignon) took out the top award at the Festival. Hunter’s did it again the next year, in 1987 and created a record by winning yet again in 1988. Now 30 years on, Hunter’s has done it again, with the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc being voted as the top wine at this year’s festival, held in London in mid April. It has to be noted, that there have been other wins between 1988 and now, given Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc has also taken out top awards at the same

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festival in 1992 and 2001. But this latest accolade is extra special, given it is exactly 30 years since Hunter’s stormed the world of wine in the UK, placing Marlborough and New Zealand on the world map. It is also the very first vintage that Jane Hunter’s nephew, James MacDonald was in charge of the vintage as chief winemaker. MacDonald says the 2015 was a fantastic vintage, with low crops, and a great growing season, resulting in lots of flavour. “We were able to make a Sauvignon Blanc that was bone dry but full of fruit sweetness, which is perfect for the UK market.” Now Laithwaites are keen to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hunter’s original win and their latest success, with an anniversary oak aged Sauvignon Blanc 2016. It will be offered to Laithwaite customers throughout the UK.■

Hunter’s GM, Peter MacDonald was in London this year to pick up the award for Top Wine, continuing the Hunter’s Wines remarkable story.

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The beginning, exactly 30 years ago this year; Ernie Hunter wins the Sunday Times Wine Clubs, Vintage Festival with a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ENGLISH BUBBLES – SECRET SUCCESS LEE SUCKLING

he Brits have never been known for their wine. Not least, their bubbles. Just a few hundred kilometers away from Champagne, France, the UK has never had much reason to take on the French in sparkling wine production. Champagne has the history, the prestige, the market, and the taste to keep lovers of bubbles across the world under its marvellous spell. In the last few years, however, there’s been a sea change in the UK wine production industry. All of a sudden, and seemingly out of nowhere, English sparkling wines were emerging on the local market, and they were good. So good, they soon began to gain accolades. Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2010 from Sussex and Hambledon Classic Cuvée 2010 from Hampshire were beating out Tattinger and Pol Roger in blind tastings. Ridgeview in Sussex began to win awards, starting with Best sparkling (including Champagne) at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2010. Fast forward six years and English bubbles are being served by the Queen to Chinese President Xi Jinping in London, and at receptions for the 2016 Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Just how, exactly have the English done it? The English sparkling wine success story began in a completely different way to that of New Zealand’s renowned bubbles producers. In the 1980s, feeling constrained by the physical boundaries of Champagne, French

winemakers began fishing around New Zealand (and other parts of the New World such as the US), to embark on agreements to share Champagne methods with local winemakers, using local grapes. The Montana/Deutz sparkling is the most well-known success story: The result of 10 years of consultation, acquisition of specialist equipment such as the Coquard wine press, and finally the first New Zealand Deutz Marlborough Cuvee in 1990. Pioneering English sparkling producer Ridgeview, conversely, had to go about it a different way because of the industry adversity to planting on British land. After discovering in 1995 that the soil on his Sussex property was similar to that in Champagne, wine-mad Englishman Mike

Hambledon Premiere Cuvée.

would never happen. While he wanted to produce Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, he was particularly warned about the Chardonnay grapes.

“The core elements of the traditional method were made famous in Champagne, and these are present at Nyetimber, but we aren’t bound by any rules, so we adapt where it is to our advantage.” – Alastair Keeble

Roberts planted vines in the hope that Sussex’s oceanic climate (warm days but cold nights in summer) would be ripe for acidic grapes suitable for Champagne production. Roberts was told by expert winemakers, however, that it

They couldn’t be grown with the English climate, they said; it was just too cold. Twenty years later, it’s Ridgeview’s sparkling that the Queen is serving at Buckingham Palace (Ridgeview Grosvenor 2009), and the company has

been contracted by major British retailer Marks & Spencers to make its in-house fizz. It appears that, amongst the centuries of reputation that prevented English wine from flourishing, it was merely a trial-and-error process of understanding what its terriors can give that was needed for English sparkling to find its footing. As noted, the similarity in soil between Southern England and the Champagne region took some time to discover, as did the specific chalky sites that would produce the best crop for sparkling. The terrior was always there, of course, it’s just that nobody was ever looking. Once confidence began to grow, so to speak, English winemakers utilised the world’s sparkling technologies. “There are many areas where technology can be embraced while still respecting a traditional approach,” says Alastair Keeble, senior brand

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 41

manager for Nyetimber. “Examples include our Coquard PAI presses – state of the art, but the gentlest on the market and they yield the purest, finest juice. Another example would be the weather stations we have in place in each of our sites, enabling optimisation of all aspects of our approach to the vine cultivation.” Importantly, Keeble believes New World sparkling producers – which includes Kiwi sparkling winemakers – should find ways to do things differently than the French. “In the winery there are several interesting areas where technology can be used, including diam corks, and jetting to control oxygen uptake during disgorging,” he says. “We were among the first sparkling producers on either side of the Channel to adopt these.” The promising results from the likes of Nyetimber and Ridgeview have seen the French come running. In December 2015, for example, Tattinger purchased 69 hectares in Kent and plans to

fill its first bottles from UK grapes in five years time. The success of English sparkling wine has come down to a strategy that may be difficult to replicate in New Zealand, but Kiwi sparkling producers may be able to take something from the British story. “The common theme is finding people that were excellent at their craft,” says Keeble, explaining the benefit of New World wineries employing Champagne-trained winemakers, not just using them as consultants. Hambledon Vineyard has done the same. “Our head winemaker Hervé Jestin has overseen the production of more than 200 million bottles of Champagne and sparkling wine during his career,” says managing director Ian Kellett. “Formerly chef des caves at Champagne Duval Leroy for over 20 years, Hervé was originally recommended by Hubert de Billy, a director of Pol Roger, and was widely considered

to be one of the best winemakers in the Champagne region.” There is room to do things differently than the French, though, which is one of the ways Nyetimber has found success in its product. “For example we have developed our own way of fractioning juice during pressing.” Hardware is perhaps best sourced from champagne for any New World winemaker, the English producers agree. “A lot of the bespoke sparkling winemaking equipment comes from Champagne,” Keeble says. “There is a critical mass there that draws in all of the most innovative manufacturers and developers. Therefore the key equipment related to sparkling production (tanks, tirage line, gyropallettes, disgorging line) are all from France.” Unlike Méthode Traditionelle brands in New Zealand, the popular set of English sparking producers have positioned their product at the same price

Charmaine, Greiger, Tilington Vineyard.

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

point as standard commercial Champagne, that is, around £30 (NZD$63) per bottle. While many Brits scoff at this, as many Kiwis would if Daniel Le Brun ran at $60 a bottle, there’s a strategic reason for it. According to Kellet, the huge investment in English sparkling wine in the last decade is because winemakers see it paying off in the near future. Kellet says: “It’s a growing market. English sparkling wine only accounts for 1.5 per cent of the UK sparkling wine market and with Champagne constantly increasing in price there’s a growing gap in the £20-£30 price bracket. We aim to fill that.” Of course, the copious awards at blind tastings (from Decanter to the International Wine and Spirits Competition), where English bubbles beat out Champagnes, help in rationalising this price point. But even with the taste and flavour of English sparking wines levelling up to (and sometimes beyond) Champagnes, there’s still one key problem: Image. For that reason, Nyetimber and many of the other premium UK sparkling producers have undergone huge rebranding efforts to visually line up when placed on shelves with their counterparts from across the Channel, something Kiwis could replicate easily themselves. Other brands, such as Kent’s Gusbourne, have focussed aggressively on positioning themselves in the luxury market with product launches at London’s esteemed private members’ clubs. Then, naturally, there’s the British patriotism from influencers who have been able to boost confidence in local product. Though the Queen’s example with the Chinese president is the most recent, this actually began back in 2011 with the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who served Kent-grown Chapel Down

sparkling at their reception. Even though we’re part of the Commonwealth, unfortunately we can’t rely on the prestige of the Royal Family for endorsement of Kiwi sparklings. From these examples, though, we can see how valuable support from local “royals”, i.e. Kiwi public personalities with strong reputations, could benefit the New Zealand sparkling industry as a whole. Though none of the English sparkling winemakers have formal links with Kiwi brands, they do encourage contact with them. “We do always engage whenever we can with visiting winemakers,” says Keeble. “They don’t necessarily need to be sparkling producers though – just winemakers that respect the craft and do what they can to achieve the best possible quality.” lee.suckling@gmail.com ■

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 43

NEWEST MW

FROM LAW TO MASTER OF WINE JOELLE THOMSON

f he had known how long it would take to gain the wine world’s highest qualification, Stephen Wong may never have embarked on the nine-year journey. This year he finally arrived at its destination: the Master of Wine qualification. He can now, officially, use the highly coveted letters MW after his name, which can add another string to his professional working bow by strengthening his credibility as a wine educator, sommelier, wine list curator and hospitality industry trainer. So it may come as a surprise to find that he does not plan to use the letters MW at every professional opportunity. “I have found, both from observation of other’s behaviour over the years, and more recently with my own recent admission into the Institute, that some wine people inadvertently treat you differently when they know you’re an MW. By leaving it out, I think I get a more honest interaction, which is less influenced by things which shouldn’t matter to the discussion at hand,” he says. His personal highlights in gaining the MW qualification earlier this year are that he is now able to officially help other students by sharing his own break through moments, and that he can be a

44 //

source of encouragement for other Malaysians and South-East Asian wine lovers and students. “I’m not someone special, and I think getting the MW shows and proves to others that it is possible. I’ve had numerous messages from people I’ve never met, people with similar backgrounds to myself, writing to ask how I did it and if they should attempt it, including simple messages of thanks and pride to see someone like them achieve this,” says Wong, who was born in Malaysia, schooled

a summer break in Queenstown working in a part-time evening role in hospitality when he began working in vineyards during the day. This is where he met Central Otago winemaking pioneers Alan Brady and Rudi Bauer; two men who he says provided him with the keys to unlock his understanding of wine. “They did this by showing me wines and explaining flavours in a way that was easy to understand, revealing that wine is not this big mystery that’s impossible to

“This whole process has reminded me that it takes a village to raise a child. One person gets the MW at the end but there were hundreds of people who were involved who helped get me there.”

there and Singapore and arrived in New Zealand aged 16 to complete seventh form. He also came to New Zealand to go to university and is a trained lawyer, who says he found his way back to life via wine. It was when studying law at the University of Otago that he first discovered wine. He was on

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

understand. “I remember the first wine that I really ‘got’, which was a Chard Farm Gewurztraminer. I remember thinking ‘wow, I really do smell the lychees’. It was so empowering and made me realize I could do this wine thing, which was helpful since I was in charge of

a restaurant wine list for the first time at a Thai place I worked at in Queenstown.” From there, Wong completed his law degree and moved to Wellington. He worked part time in a café, picking up other bits of hospitality work whilst waiting for a legal job to come up. Realising it would be a two year wait before even an internship position was available, he went into full time hospitality work. “I was enjoying hospo’ work at the time – and needed a job – but I didn’t really know much about wine or food. That’s what is so refreshing about New Zealand – the chance to give it a go, even without the qualification. If I fell flat on my face, then I would have had to find something else to do, but it worked out well because I was given a chance.” He did work in a couple of summer jobs as a lawyer but could not see a career in it. “The idea of sitting in an office pouring over documents

contrasted with working in hospo’ and talking about wine… well, for me, the choice was obvious. It was a really nice crowd in the Wellington industry when I got into wine. Christine Comerford is the one who encouraged me to look at the MW; her and Raymond Chan.” The rest is history, which has been a long time in the making. Wong first sat the Master of Wine tasting and theory exams in 2007, immediately passing the theory, despite misgivings that it would be the other way round. He assumed that a lack of scientific depth in viticulture and winemaking would mean he was a wipe out in the theory exams. “When I realised that I didn’t need that depth of scientific knowledge to pass, I was surprised, but it took me a very long time to complete

the qualification after that.” He attributes the long time between passing theory and tasting to a trio of challenges. “Other than time and finances, it’s the format of the exam. It’s realising that it’s not about learning every last drop of knowledge in the world; it’s about knowing what the exam wants you to present.” Five attempts at the tasting exam saw him finally pass. “I was trying to get 100% identification of the wines, so I just kept tasting more and more, wierder and wierder wines, thinking I would be fine. And finally that light bulb went off when I saw friends passing with 60-70% and not always getting the identification of the wines correct.” Amongst those friends was fellow MW, Emma Jenkins, who advised him to practice writing his

answers rather than spend more time tasting different styles of wine. “Stephen Bennett MW was very instrumental and helpful when I started the programme and Jane (Skilton) has been very generous with her time and that’s the whole hospitality industry; everybody is very generous with their time and resources to help me to get through it. “This whole process has reminded me that it takes a village to raise a child. One person gets the MW at the end but there were hundreds of people who were involved who helped get me there.” Stephen Wong was allowed to use the letters MW from 1 March. The formal presentation ceremony of his Master of Wine qualification is on 9 November 2016 in London. mailme@joellethomson.com ■

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 45

EVENT NEWS

GRAPE DAYS 2016 TESSA NICHOLSON

ighting fungus, water woes, managing that water in the future and worldleading research are all on the agenda for New Zealand Winegrowers’ 2016 Grape Days. Held in three main centres – Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago – the June events play a key role in the NZW mission to deliver research results to members. D r S i m o n H o o ke r, Winegrowers’ General Manager of Research and Innovation, says New Zealand is seen by international observers as a leading light in terms of the amount and quality of the winegrowing research undertaken. And while that is admirable, he says it is more important that the results are shared with industry members, to enable them to do their jobs more successfully. “We are out in the industry all the time talking to people about what their issues are,” he says. “We take their input on board in developing the research programme. We then share research results via events such as Grape Days.”

Every year new issues arise, with fungus being a perennial challenge in recent times. Hence, a session that will concentrate not only on how 2016 fared in terms of fungus outbreaks, but also on recent trials that have focused on the effect of sulphur applications on powdery mildew, as well as new information on fungicide resistance. The impact of water shortages in terms of vine health and fruit/ wine quality is something that raised its head in 2015. While many regions, Marlborough in particular, were saved from irrigation cut offs early in the 2016 season due to timely periods of rain – droughts are bound to be a part of the long-term future. Because of that, Hooker says it is important to see how local bodies are preparing to deal with the issue. For the first time representatives from each of the local regional councils will be on hand to give their perspectives on current policies and regional infrastructure. “They will be fronting up and explaining what they are doing for the industry, how it is going

to work, what their plans are and how far away they are from implementing them. I think there will be a lot of interest in that side of it as people want to know about the access to water and their rights to water going forward. This is about longer term, much more than just the coming year. We want to get people thinking about the next 100 years.” Grape Days also provide an important pat on the back for those who have been involved in conducting groundbreaking research, Hooker says. That is the reasoning behind Sarah Knight’s (University of Auckland) presentation on research into native yeasts and terroir.

“One thing that we don’t always appreciate is how worldleading our research is, and this is a really good example of a piece of New Zealand research at the top of wine science internationally. I think it is a subject that most people may have heard about, but may not fully understand. So it will be good to get it out there.” A review of vintage 2016 will also be on the cards, with New Zealand Winegrowers CEO Philip Gregan delivering the final results in terms of yields, both at a regional and national level. Advance registration for each 2016 Grape Days event costs $35 and is available now – at www. grapedays.co.nz ■

DATES • Hawke’s Bay: June 20 – 9.30-4pm. MTG Century Theatre, Napier • Marlborough: June 22 – 9.30-4pm. Marlborough Convention Centre, Blenheim • Central Otago: June 24 – 9.30-4pm. Golden Gate Lodge, Cromwell. Registrations: www.grapedays.co.nz

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

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EVENT NEWS

CALLING YOUNG WINEMAKERS TESSA NICHOLSON

re you working in a winery as a cellar hand, winemaker or lab technician? Are you a New Zealander 30 years old or younger? Do you have at least two years’ experience and have what it takes to be the best young winemaker in the country? If so the Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year is awaiting your application. After the success of the inaugural competition last year, organisers are back in planning mode for the 2016 event, which they hope will attract even more of the young winemakers around the country. There are three regional competitions being held over the month of July. One in Hawke’s Bay, one in Marlborough and the other in Central Otago. While those three regions have been singled out, it doesn’t mean winemakers in another region cannot enter, s ay s C h a i r p e r s o n S o p h i e Matthews. “This is very much a national competition overall, so if there is no competition in their immediate area they are welcome to apply for the region nearest to them,” she says. While it is only the second year of the competition, Matthews says the format utilised last year was deemed highly successful, even if at times it seemed like a hard sell to winemakers. “That’s not surprising really, given they didn’t know what to expect. I think many people were nervous about entering because

Last year’s Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker finalists – Abby Maxwell (left), Lauren Swift – winner and Abby Gallagher.

they weren’t quite sure what they were getting themselves into.” Much like the Young Viticulturist of the Year, the Young Winemaker is all about encouraging the new generation of industry personnel to push themselves to become better at what they do. “We set the age limit at 30 years of age to ensure the ‘young guns’ get the opportunity to test themselves and ultimately improve their industry potential. We have considered increasing this to 35 as we recognise some regions do not have as many young winemakers within this age threshold – for example, many people tend to head to Central Otago once they have gained some experience elsewhere. However after

looking into this we realized that somewhere like Marlborough for example, would have a number of chief winemakers who would be eligible. And that is not the objective of the competition.” The format for all three regionals will follow similar lines. On the day, all competitors will undertake a variety of tasks, which will involve laboratory work, cellar activities, blending and then a sensory section that will include picking up faults. The Vin Olympics will offer some mental respite for all. At the regional dinners each contestant will deliver a three-minute speech on a topic provided earlier. Matthews says this is often the most feared part of the competition, but

DATES • Hawke’s Bay –July 1 at EIT. Details www.winehawkesbay.co.nz • Marlborough – July 8 at MRC. Details www.wine-marlborough.co.nz • Central Otago – TBC. Details www.cowa.org.nz

shouldn’t be viewed as such. “We are not looking for the greatest speaker, we are looking for someone who can get their point across logically and transfer the information clearly. And those are very important tasks for a winemaker.” The winners of each regional competition will receive $1000 cash, second will get $500 and third will get $250. Each winner will then go on to represent their region at the National Tonnnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year Final, being held in conjunction w i t h t h e Ro m e o B r a g a to Conference in Marlborough during August. The National winner will receive a $5000 travel grant from Tonnellerie de Mercurey to undertake a vintage somewhere in the world that will benefit their career back home. So if you fit the criteria, get onto the internet, download your application and get it in as soon as possible. ■

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 47

EVENT NEWS

GET READY TO RUMBLE T

he dates are set, the venues confirmed, now all it needs is for young viticulturists from throughout the country to step up and register for the upcoming Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year. This year the regional competitions will cover five different regions. Auckland (Northern) will enter the competition for the first time, with the competition set to take part on Waiheke Island in early June. Other competitions will take place in Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago and Wairarapa. (See dates for regionals below). But that doesn’t mean those

living outside the designated regions can’t enter. National Coordinater Nicky Grandorge says anyone who fits the criteria of being involved in the viticultural side of the wine industry, under the age of 30, can enter one of the regionals if there is not a competition within their own work region. This is the 11th year of the competition and Grandorge says it’s getting bigger every year, as more and more young people enter the industry. The aim of the Bayer Young Viticulturist is to grow New Zealand’s future viticultural leaders by providing a forum for young industry members to test them-

DATES FOR REGIONAL COMPETITIONS Auckland (Northern): 10 June, Mudbrick, Waiheke Marlborough:

24 June, Marlborough Research Centre

Hawke’s Bay:

7 July, Te Awa, Gimblett Gravels

Central Otago:

22 July, Cromwell Polytechnic

Wairarapa:

28 July, Te Kairanga, Martinborough

National Finals:

23-25 August, Marlborough

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

Last years Bayer Young Viticulturist of the year finalists.

selves against their peers, in a wide range of skills. “Contestants find they significantly increase their skills, knowledge and confidence, as well as forming important relationships with other contestants and key industry sponsors, which helps further their careers,” she said. Each regional competition takes place over one day, and consists of a mix of theoretical and practical questions on topics such as trellising, pruning, pests and diseases, machinery and nutrition. While the brain may be taxed by all of that, they will also get the chance to let off some steam during the renowned Biostart Hortisports, where the challenges include some fun based tasks

along side some more technical. At the end of the day, all the entrants will have to deliver a three-minute speech on a topic provided. The top three place getters in each of the regional finals win prizes, with the winners then going on to contest the national final at the Romeo Bragato Conference in Blenheim in August. Prizes up for grabs at this event include a Hyundai Santa Fe Elite for one year, $5000 travel grant and $2000 in cash. The national winner will also go on to represent the wine industry at the Young Horticulturist of the year competition, held in November. For details about entries, contact Nicky Grandorge at youngvit@ nzwine.com ■

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PINOT NOIR 2017

AGE AND BEAUTY TESSA NICHOLSON

As the countdown to Pinot Noir 2017 continues, NZWinegrower will be looking at the regions taking part in the celebration. This issue we take a closer look at Nelson with Neudorf Wines.

t is not an exaggeration to say that Pinot Noir is one grape that expresses its sense of place. Among all the great varieties in the world, it is one that delivers a palate that speaks of its growing site. The soils, the climate, the aspect and the viticultural practices. That is very much the case for Neudorf Wines in Nelson, who have some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the country. Planted by Judy and Tim Finn back in 1978,

on clay soils, on a north facing slope, these vines have ever been irrigated and are farmed organically. There is something else unique about this Moutere site of Neudorf ’s. As far as Judy knows, the site was never forested, which means the four metre roots of the vines could well be the first to delve so deep, into virgin soils. That in itself provides something special to the ensuing wines. Neudorf has two Pinot Noir labels – Moutere and Tom’s Block.

Both will represent Nelson at next year’s Pinot Noir 2017, being held in Wellington from January 31 to February 2. But back to these old vines – how much does the age impact on the wines? Winemaker Todd Stevens says he cannot provide a scientific answer to that question, but observationally there are some major benefits.

Blending knowledge, skill and passion for New Zealand’s Premium Winemaking future Now in its second year, this exciting competition gives Young Winemakers, 30 years of age and under, the opportunity to test all aspects of their winemaking skills as well as increase their recognition within the wine industry. It is a challenging, yet fun and rewarding competition which helps discover and develop top winemakers with huge benefits to those who enter as well as to the New Zealand wine industry as a whole. Lauren Swift from Ash Ridge Wines was the 2015 winner. Could you or one of your employees become Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker 2016? Entries are now open

Dates for 2016 Hawke’s Bay 1st July, EIT Marlborough 8th July, MRC Central Otago TBC NATIONAL FINAL 22-25 August, Bragato, Marlborough

For more information please contact: Sophie Matthews, Chair, sophie.matthews@gmail.com

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

“We see them cropping lower and generally they have a smaller bunch architecture. I haven’t measured this, but we do tend to see it visually. They also tend to behave themselves in more difficult years and they tend to be a bit more robust. They are not totally impervious to disease, but they tend to outlast the younger guys whose roots are higher up.” He goes further, likening the age of vines to human growth patterns. “We talk about the vines going through their baby years and being all warm and cuddly. You can get your first crop off a block and sometimes it can be quite charming. Then they become toddlers and they can be all over the show. They tend to dip a little bit as they find their way. They go through all the ups and downs of growing up and sometimes they can shut off a little bit. Then you start to

Winemaker Todd Stevens.

Viticulturist Mike Saunders.

think you are making headway and they turn into adolescents and you don’t understand them as much. It’s not until they come out the other side and get a bit of age that you see more consistency in their

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behavior.” His analogy is a delightful one that many growers of Pinot Noir will readily agree with. In terms of Nelson as a Pinot producer, Stevens says there are many strengths. “We don’t get overly ripe. I don’t think we can ever become, for want of a better word, a fruit bomb or a show stopper. We just don’t get that raw material. The upside of that though, is we get wines that are ripe enough and concentrated enough that they have transparency, so you can actually see into the wine. If you get too laden in fruit, you get an attractive wine but you don’t get the essence of what Pinot Noir is. It just happens to be a nice drinkable red wine made from Pinot Noir.” In terms of the spectrum for Pinot Noir, Stevens says at one end you have the fruity style, the other is the savoury style. “I think we should approach it from that point of view, rather than placing regions next to parts of the spectrum. In terms of our

wines, I would say we are probably heading more towards the savoury structured end, 60 – 70 percent towards that end, rather than the fruit opulent end.” Again that comes back to the site – those clay with gravel soils that has allowed the Finns to grow the vines unirrigated. Judy says they had been searching for a site for sometime back in the mid 70’s and were adamant they had to have clay. They had almost given up hope when the Moutere site came onto the market. “We were planning to head around the world on a yacht with

some friends. But then this site came up and we had to decide if we were going to be grown ups and buy it, or be children and travel the world. We chose to be adults.” Pinot Noir was one of the first varieties planted – a decision influenced by hers and Tim’s love of the wine. “You tend to look at grapes that you like the wine of and personally I think you grow the finest wines from wines you actually like. Tim and I love Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and they have become our hallmarks.” Once again Neudorf will be

part of next year’s Pinot Noir Celebrations, having been involved since its inception in 2000. For Judy it is a no brainer, given the exposure wineries have to influencers from throughout the world. “We don’t go to a lot of events because the expenditure is way out of whack with our production. But I think Pinot Noir is top of the list. It amazes me that we don’t have more wineries stumping up for it. A lot of wine writers come to New Zealand and they do Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago. So everybody from Nelson, Wairarapa, Auckland, Waipara and Gisborne should be flooding to Pinot. You are going to be exposed to those people who wouldn’t be stopping in your region. Over those three days you can meet everyone at least once and that is a fantastic opportunity for winemakers.” ■

PINOT NOIR 2017 • Where: Wellington Waterfront • When: January 31 to February 2, 2017 • Register: www.pinotnz.co.nz • Nelson Aromatics Symposium • When: February 3 until February 5, 2017

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

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WINEMAKER PROFILE

TERRIOR’S FIFTH TENET TESSA NICHOLSON

he four energies that go into creating terroir are well renowned. They are; geological, climatic, vine and human. But for Waiheke Island winemaker Luc Desbonnets, there is a fifth, less generally appreciated tenet – that of spirituality of site. Or whenua, as he refers to it. Desbonnets may well be on to something, given in the past few years he has created 24 wines that have been rated as exceptional by Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker Junior Master Taster. To have 24 wines achieve this highly on the Robert Parker 100 point wine rating system is an outstanding achievement – even more so when you discover that those 24 exceptional rankings are from a total of only 26 red wines made by Desbonnets from 2005 to 2012. There could be even more to come, given he believes 2013 to 2015 are a trio of potentially great vintages for Waiheke. With a French father and Kiwi mother, the young Desbonnets almost fell into the world of wine accidentally. Having studied business at Massey, he travelled to France in order to learn the language. At the end of that period, unsure what to do with himself, he ended up working for food and board at a small vineyard in the Loire Valley. But it wasn’t until he went to work for an export office in the Rhone Valley, that sent him on a wine tasting course, that his eyes opened to the world of wine itself.

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Winemaker extraordinaire – Luc Desbonnets.

“One of the guys on the course was the champion sommelier from Belgium and in blind tastings he could describe the wine right down to the vintage, the winemaker and the Châteaux or property. At that stage I didn’t know what I was tasting. It made me curious. How does this occur, how does taste come down to a piece of earth and how can you identify that? It hooked me in.” What followed was a two year course in viticulture and oenology, in Bordeaux, followed by years of winemaking throughout Europe and the new world. In 1998 he finally came home to New Zealand, and spent two years working in the Wairarapa. In 2000 he moved to Waiheke Island where he helped what is now known as Man O War, developing vineyards.

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

A few years later he established his own contracting business, where he helped find sites and establish vineyards, as well as contracting his winemaking services out. In 2005 he bought his own plot of land and planted it out the following year. Frenchmans Hill Estate and Exaptrius were born and it is these wines that are turning heads. A rich Bordeaux blend and Rhone like Syrah style reds, that reflect their unique environment and the technical skills of Desbonnets winegrowing. Although he is the last to say that winemaking is what makes a wine great. “When I worked (in France) surrounded by some of the great Châteaux I realised it was all about expressing a place. It was more about non intervention, being technically astute but not

interfering with what the land had provided. “To me it is more about growing wine than making a wine. Your wine grows on the vines and it is not about seeing vines as just growing grapes.” Just like areas within Bordeaux, Waiheke offers something special to the vines, Desbonnets says. The varied topography ensures there are a lot of different options, despite the area being an Island, rather than a major land mass. “It has a variation of soils, and is what is described as a rotten rock, or highly weathered rock. It is the result of volcanic upwelling, which has then been windblown for millions of years.” Despite having plenty of minerals, apart from lime, the soil is described by Desbonnets as being

“highly impoverished”, which makes it ideal for viticulture. Well it does if you do your homework he says. “It is important to have an appropriate site selection and then decide according to the site, what you are going to grow there. There are a lot of people who came undone in the early pioneering days, when they weren’t matching the wines with the site. It is a place you need to be careful. The potential for quality is there but you have to work to get that. I don’t think it is an environment for everyone, you do need some experience and need to be very technical in a long and continuous chain of decisions to get it right.” Building a relationship with the site is vitally important in the creation of great wine he says, and that takes time. “When you buy a site you are

often unaware of the history. But over time you start to get an almost spiritual understanding of the land you are working on. The French are very strong on terroir, the combination of the four key energies; earth, climate, vine and human. I think spirituality that comes from understanding the history of the land is an integral part of that combination of energies. As a winemaker, viticulturist and landowner it has given me a lot of motivation to honour the past and the present and look to the future as well.” There is also motivation to share the end result of the years of hard work. “Because at the end of the day, we are making wine not only to express ourselves as technicians and winemakers, but to express a place and all the energy that we gather from that place.” tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 55

TRELLISING NEWS

GENEVA DOUBLE CURTAIN MARK ORTON

hat does the original Apple Macintosh computer, Beta videotape and the Wankel engine all have in common? Well they are all inventions that in one way or another were overlooked for products that would become universally adopted, but not necessarily because they were better. It might be a drawing a low bow to suggest that the Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) grape trellising system has anything in common with the format war between VHS and Betamax, but for a system that has the potential to give higher yields on smaller plots of land, offer greater protection from frost and save labour, isn’t it strange that only one vineyard in the Alexandra basin has it installed? Actually, the Alexandra Wine Company is one of only two vineyards in the whole country training their vines this way. For owner Shona Garry it seemed like a no-brainer when together with

her husband David, they devloped their vineyard back in 1993. Back then, there were hardly any grapes grown in their immediate vicinity so figuring out what worked and what didn’t was a matter of trial and error. “In 1994 we planted our first vines in the home block, and at that stage there weren’t too many vineyards around. There was Black Ridge, William Hill and Alan Brady in Gibbston plus a wee tier of smaller vineyards,” says Shona. “I did a viticulture course and we considered all the different trellising systems. We actually consulted Richard Smart’s book, Sunlight into Wine and we based all of our trellising on his dimensions to start with, and then modified and improved each block as we went.” The most interesting thing to notice when approaching the vines at the Davishon Vineyard is the horizontally divided canopy on each row. By taking a dense canopy and training the vines into bilat-

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eral cordons so that the shoots grow downward, the idea behind the GDC set-up is to increase overall exposure to sunlight yet minimise canopy density. “That was one of the reasons we opted for GDC, but we also liked the idea that it is a high wire system and we are slightly frost prone, one degree per meter is what they used to say back then. The fact that everything is chest height so no bending makes it a lot easier for pickers, but our ultimate goal was still to make quality wine.” It’s well recognised that in order to improve the yield and quality of vitis vinifera, the most widely adopted trellising systems are all designed to control a vine’s natural impulse to head straight up towards the light. Even still, it must have seemed slightly cavalier to deviate away from the more commonly adopted VSP set-up, and opt for a process where the shoots are allowed to grow downward, hanging like two curtains. If

nothing else, it certainly created a different approach to vineyard management. “As the natural tendency is for the vine to grow upwards, every January we go and bring the vines down. When the cordons were young they used to rotate, so instead of clipping wires up like everyone else, we simply pull a wire over and clip it down. Now the cordons have got massive and won’t rotate anymore. We just lay it down in the centre and open it up so the bunches are all sitting there with just the right amount of leaf plucking. Some people said that it would have been best to replace the cordons at this stage and lay down another cane, but it seemed criminal to take off all

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

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Not your normal view of a vineyard, with the cordons hanging towards the ground.

those cordons. So just laying them down the way we do, works just fine and they are naturally long enough and heavy enough that they want to lay down anyway.” In the two decades since they first planted grapes on land that is

just a stones throw from the 1860s winery of Jean Desire Feraud, the same sense of pioneer spirit and invention lives on. From altering the position of the wires onto the top of the T shape, slightly widening the rows

and modifying a spray unit to get down into the centre of the rows, the Garry’s have had ample time to understand how their vineyard works and what they need to manipulate and when. Managing most of the viticulture themselves to minimise cost, Shona thinks that overall, the GDC is an easier system to work with “We don’t have to lift wires continually and tuck, we simply pull down once and that is it. Normally there is not a huge amount of leaf plucking either, but when it comes to weed control with all the vines climbing down towards the ground, you have to time the weed sprays well so that you don’t have to do too many.” The one area of viticulture that Shona and David don’t handle themselves is the winter pruning, which is contracted out. What is normally a straightforward process for the pruners can be any-

thing but at The Alexandra Wine Company. “We want downward spurs which tends to throw them a bit. So now they normally book us as the first vineyard to prune, as we are different. Once we are out of the way, they can then switch back to upward spurs. We don’t know why, but any upright shoots from the cordon never ripen as well as the downward, so we always try to take them out.” Sunlight is a crucial element in grape growing, but should exposing clusters to the harsh Central Otago sun, as the GDC is designed to do, be approached with caution? It’s not like you can slip, slop, slap with the precious Pinot Noir. “This was something we never realised at the start, but sunburn is a factor. The berries at the top of each bunch get a little brown dot on the skin but it doesn’t seem to affect the flavour at all,

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it just prevents the berry from completely growing. We think it might have something to do with water on the berries and the concentrated light on a bubble of

water, so we are careful with when we put the sprays on.” In a 2011 article written on the GDC by Cameron Douglas MS, he concludes that a one size fits

all approach to selecting a vine trellising system might be doing your location, climate, soil profile and grape variety a disservice. For the Alexandra Wine Company,

Life is easier for Shona Garry with the GDC trellising system with the vines all at chest height.

they are unsure if the difference in trellising is the reason for their success or not “We have been successful so it’s obviously working, but then we’ll never know what the wine off this land would be like on another trellis system,” says Shona. “Is it the system, is it the block, is it the vines? We’ll never know. We seem to get veraison much earlier than other people and have to get our nets on early, but we still pick at approximately the same time. Does it do something to our flavour profile, we’re not sure? We have been able to achieve consistent quality with it and looking back would we change anything if we did it all again? I really don’t know. I think it would be nice to have another block planted here in a VSP system to give us a sense of comparison.” seeingredmedia@yahoo.com ■

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nmit.ac.nz/viticulture

AMONG THE VINES Reminders for June... Mulching At this time of the year, mulching helps return organic matter to the soil. It also reduces potential disease carryover by destroying the over-wintering structures of some grape diseases. The application of BioStart Digester promotes the breakdown of organic matter on the soil surface and will help improve soil structure and enhance the release of nutrients into the soil to be used by vines.

Grapevine decline and Eutypa dieback (formerly ‘black dead arm’ and ‘dying arm’) are grapevine diseases which are caused

by wood-infecting fungi such as Botryosphaeria stevensii and Eutypa lata. Both can invade healthy vines through unprotected wounds caused by pruning and may take many years to express symptoms. Rainfall releases spores, which are carried by wind and washed onto the cuts. The spores then germinate on the cut surface and grow into the healthy wood. Significant losses in production can occur when vines are affected. As is true with all diseases of grapevines, preventative control

is the key to successfully managing the problem. If your vines display symptoms of wood-invading diseases then infected parts of the vine should be removed during pruning and burnt, particularly all pruning wood older than one year. If practicable, prune vines during spells of dry weather and apply suitable wound dressing (e.g. Greenseal UltraTM or PruneTec) to significant cuts soon after they are made. Apply an even coat of the wound dressing across the surface and ensure it extends to the margins of the cut. For more information, contact your local Fruitfed Supplies branch. ■

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MARKETING NEWS

TELLING YOUR NZ STORY TESSA NICHOLSON

“THOSE WHO tell the story, rule the world.” So goes a native American saying – and it is one that members of the New Zealand wine industry would be advised to take heed of. As we all know, stories help sell our wine, more so now as more and more labels hit the world market. But what story should you be telling and how can you make a point of difference? One way is to propel your product on the back of the New Zealand story. The story of how this country is unique, innovative, and its people care for the land and relationships. That is the backbone of the New Zealand Story – a government initiative, launched three years ago. The impetus for such a programme is the fact this country has 27 percent more resources than the OECD average, yet performs at 25 percent less than that same average. With a government desire to increase exports from 30 percent to 40 percent of GDP, something has to change in the way we take our products, including wine, to market. For years this country has promoted itself as clean, green and pure. We are the home of bungy jumping, the All Blacks, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and amazing wide open spaces of unadulterated beauty. But using just those analogies to describe this country of ours is limiting according to the New Zealand Story. They may be great

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images for tourism, but how does it help sell technology, commerce, innovation and wine? There needs to be more than the above, if you want to make your mark. Admittedly, our existing and potential trading partners do need to know where we come from, but we have to go further than talking about how beautiful and pure New Zealand is. After all, many people around the world have no idea just where on the map our country sits. For many we could be part of Europe, or another state within Australia. So identifying ourselves and our uniqueness is vital in whatever story we tell. The New Zealand Story provides a free, open-source resource developed specifically to guide Kiwi businesses in their communication strategies with their trading partners. Within that resource is a three chapter framework that businesses can use to help develop their personal story. They are;

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

One of the templates available for you to use, from the NZ Sto ry website.

Open Spaces, Open Hearts and Open Minds. At workshops throughout the country recently, Strategic Marketing Development Manager Maggie Christie, explained what these chapters mean. “When we talk about open spaces, it is more than our land and our landscapes. It is as much

about our thinking, the way we are unbounded by other countries. We have the ability to be so close to nature, that we can let it influence us. “Our open hearts – this is who we are as people. We are renowned as being open, warm, trustworthy, we have integrity. We don’t talk

“When we talk about open spaces, it is more than our land and our landscapes. It is as much about our thinking, the way we are unbounded by other countries. We have the ability to be so close to nature, that we can let it influence us.”

about it, but we need to leverage that. “And finally our open minds. This is in a way one of our most challenging chapters because it is something we don’t talk about. It is the way we apply ourselves, the resourcefulness that we come up with for new ways of working. This is integral, because we improve on a lot of other things. Because of our location and our place in the world, we have been driven to create and that is what makes us unique.” These “chapters” are all based on the market research undertaken in our key markets. This is what people who are already trading with us, believe us to be. Now the goal is to utilize those ideals and build on them. Christie said it is important for all businesses to develop stories that highlight not only the unique qualities of New Zealand as a whole, but their own individual attributes. That could be the young soils the vines are growing in (in the case of wine), it could be the people, it could be the end product. But whatever you do, don’t go in with a bottle of wine, plonk it on the table and start talking about vines per hectare, tonnages or chemical analyses. There is nothing unique or memorable about that sort of sales spiel, she says. Your point of difference is something that is unique to you. Find that, convey it, and all of a sudden you have a very powerful message and a memorable one. Understanding that resources are often expensive and at times

difficult to access, the New Zealand Story has a website dedicated to just such a reservoir. From images, to presentations, case studies to infographics, the resources are available free of charge once you register at www. nzstory.govt.com. How you use them is up to you, but everything available will help businesses to create a unified yet unique story, that defines the distinctly different Kiwi attitude. Christie also says, you need to be aware that your story has to fit within the market you are selling to. What may work in the US, may not work in China. To help you create a fit for purpose story, the New Zealand Story toolkit also has features on “doing business” in a range of US states and Australia. And don’t take our renowned laidback attitude too far. Findings from the Global Image Testing suggests there are three simple but vital improvements Kiwis need to make, when doing business overseas. Be professional. ‘Suit up’ and turn up on time – yes traffic may be bad, but factor that into your schedule. Clearly articulate your business proposition. What exactly are you there to talk about/sell? Don’t say you can do everything, be specific. Close the deal. Kiwis can be so laidback we forget to ask for the deal. Don’t thank them and say you’ll be in touch in a week – you can be more forthright and tenacious without sacrificing your Kiwi authenticity. tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 61

SCIENCE PROFILE

SCIENCE OF WINE â€“ PETRA KING MARY SHANAHAN

ighly regarded as a research scientist, Petra King is exceptional and perhaps unique for having crossed what is commonly perceived to be a gender divide. New Zealand winegrowers continue to benefit from her viticultural research, which was formerly published as the work of Dr Doug King. Publicly transitioning seven years ago, King had presented as a male for the previous 65 years while struggling to locate what she

had long felt was her true identity. Transgendering with dignity, the EIT staffer has retained her credibility as a researcher, teacher and scientist. The accepting attitude of colleagues in academia and in the winegrowing industry, she says, has helped her rise to that challenge. Growing up in Timaru, King developed an interest in plants and a background in propagation as a high school student working part-time for a nursery special-

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ising in fuchsias. She progressed to Bachelor of Horticultural Science studies at Lincoln University, with a Department of Agriculture scholarship pro viding a ready-made post-graduation job. Coming under

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the wing of well-established horticultural consultants in Nelson, she gained wide-ranging experience of cropping although not wine grapes, which weren’t then part of the region’s mix. While she enjoyed her work, King was frustrated with not being able to deal with grower problems directly, instead having to call in outside experts and send samples away to diagnostic laboratories. Returning to Lincoln, her master’s degree studies focused on investigating a problem faced by Nelson’s pipfruit growers. Previously reliable organochlorine controls were being phased out, and King evaluated the level of leaf roller resistance to the organophosphates which were replacing them. Still bonded to the department, she returned to the Nelson area after gaining her degree. “But I discovered how much I liked doing research and I enjoyed

“I discovered how much I liked doing research and I enjoyed the communication of those research results to the industries because when I came back to my job as a consultant I spoke at field days and seminars about what I had found out. And I found that very rewarding.” the communication of those research results to the industries because when I came back to my job as a consultant I spoke at field days and seminars about what I had found out. And I found that very rewarding.” Following that tack, King joined AgResearch’s Ruakura station where five years of research work on the black beetle formed the basis of an ecological study for her PhD, completed through the University of Waikato. The 80s and 90s saw a push towards

more horticultural crops, and King was encouraged to investigate the spread of phylloxera, then a major problem for Gisborne’s winegrowers. Her work was aimed at determining the rate of decline in vine health as a result of phylloxera damage and the economic benefit of replanting. Her research more accurately established the life cycle of the aphid in New Zealand. “The main thrust [of the research] was in looking at rootstock resistance and why we had different levels of resistance

between northern and southern hemisphere populations of phylloxera.” Collaborating with other scientists, particularly a Federal Grapevine Breeding programme researcher in Germany, King produced joint papers that were the forerunner to establishing that different strains of phylloxera reacted differently to different rootstocks. During this time, she also worked closely with Dr Richard Smart. The internationally acclaimed Australian researcher was working as a Government viticulturist at Ruakura, and the pair widened their investigation to look at Marlborough where vines, planted on their own roots, were also dying out. “It was very stimulating to work with such an enthusiast as Richard,” King says, “and we became good collaborators, close friends, and that friendship has

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been maintained.” The next move was to a research station in Pukekohe, which focused primarily on vegetables, protected cropping such as melons and flower crops. But the floriculture sector in particular didn’t adapt well to the user pays philosophy being introduced by the Government in the 80s and research budgets were progressively being screwed down. Disillusioned with unrealistic targets, King took redundancy. Later the station closed down. For various reasons, diversifying into other fields of work ultimately proved unsatisfactory. The 80s and 90s were economically unsettled times for many who may have felt they had set off on relatively assured career paths. King felt more on track taking up a Hawke’s Bay-based role running ENZA’s research programme. “I loved the job,” she says, “but

as deregulation came - that was in about 2001 – they rationalised their role to primarily function as an exporter and their industry good function became the responsibility of the growers.” The politics and stress of deregulation

working for Mr Apple in Hawke’s Bay, she joined EIT where she investigated red wine quality in the region by exploring the contributors to green characters in the wine. “Initially my work was very

“It was very stimulating to work with such an enthusiast as Richard, and we became good collaborators, close friends, and that friendship has been maintained.”

prompted King’s decision to take redundancy. Stressed also as she struggled with gender issues, King left a job she was enjoying in the UK as “the bogey of my gender identity came to a crisis”. Seeking a more supportive environment and better counselling, she returned to New Zealand and, after a season

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focused on factors that were affecting quality and specifically variability within vineyards. Because of the alluvial soils across Hawke’s Bay, there’s a lot of different soil types and fertility levels within vineyards and this is reflected in the big difference in vine vigour which affects yield, quality, ripening rates and so on.”

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Assisted by final-year Bachelor of Viticulture student Dan McClelland, King collaborated with Caine Thompson, then viticulturist for Mission Estate, on the precision viticulture project, mapping vine vigour using NIR (near-infrared) technology. The information obtained enabled growers to tailor-manage individual vines or areas of vines. She also investigated crop load and leaf removal in Merlot and the effects of that on quality. The results were published and presented at field days and seminars. “So I was still doing the thing that I’d always wanted, which was investigating issues and solving problems as best I was able to and then giving the results back to the industry.” Collaborating with Dr Mark Krasnow, an EIT viticulture lecturer at the time, King investigated canopy management as a means of influencing crop load - an

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alternative to dropping fruit on the ground. Taking off a proportion of the leaves or young shoots, thereby reducing the source of carbohydrate, proved very effective, producing fewer berries to decrease bunch size. Because the berries weren’t tightly pressed together, the bunches were easy to spray and air could circulate, potentially reducing disease. “But it was very expensive,” King observes, “so we decided that we would mechanise it.” However machine removal of the lower leaves at flowering damaged the shoot and the inflorescence and, in the wet 2011/12 season, seemed to stimulate lateral grown of the foliage. Further work on the same problem was to take the research in an exciting new direction. King discovered a paper by Professor Stefano Poni and his team of viticulture researchers who had been investigating the same

issues and were evaluating the use of antitranspirants in Italy. Having corresponded with the Italians, the EIT team, comprising King and fellow viticulture lecturers Associate Professor Carmo Saunders-Vasconcelos and Dr Stewart

was also underway on Sauvignon Blanc. Last year’s focus included the effects of spraying with antitranspirant later in the ripening season, at veraison. With the national push towards developing lifestyle wines, the EIT team

“To finally be who I am is the key thing. I can still do the same things I used to enjoy, plus more, without feeling there’s a big sign on my forehead saying strange or queer.” Field, worked with Merlot at Te Mata Estate, Ngatarawa Wines and supply winegrower Terra Rossa. The research team found that applying antitranspirant early in the season blocked the stomata for a fixed time and the consequent reduction in leaf photosynthesis equated with that achieved by leaf removal. Concurrent research

were keen to investigate the use of an antitranspirant as a means of producing low alcohol wine. “The thought was, if we could use an antitranspirant to cut down on the amount of transpiration and the amount of photosynthesis, we would effectively reduce the amount of sugar accumulation and delay sugar accumulation but

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allow the grapes to continue developing the compounds that are responsible for taste and aroma.” King says the results gathered over two seasons have been “incredibly exciting” - a term this naturally cautious scientist doesn’t use lightly. The project and its outcomes will be covered in a future issue of New Zealand Winegrower. It is clear that King considers this latest research a high point in a career that has spanned more than 40 years. On a personal level, despite battling Parkinson’s disease, she is also enjoying greater peace of mind following her gender reassignment. “To finally be who I am is the key thing,” she says. “I can still do the same things I used to enjoy, plus more, without feeling there’s a big sign on my forehead saying strange or queer.” maryshanahan173@gmail.com ■

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REGIONS CENTRAL OTAGO

GOOD THINGS COME IN... LITTLE BARRELS MARK ORTON

sk many Central Otago winemakers and enthusiasts about the grape variety they wish was planted in greater quantity, and you will invariably hear Chardonnay. One of the most well known varieties of them all, Chardonnay might be synonymous with some wine regions further north but even with the success of cool-climate Chardonnays, it hasn’t always had a charmed life in Central Otago. Though, for Tony and Joan Lawrence, who established Aurum wines in 1997 at the 45th Parallel Vineyard on an elevated site near Pisa Moorings, Chardonnay was integral to their original plans and one of their favourite varieties. “The 45th was quite a big Chardonnay block.” says Tony, “Though it was a difficult grape that took a long time to get established and kept getting frosted, we got some lovely fruit off that block.” When the Lawrence’s sold that vineyard to establish the nearby Te Wairere Vineyard in 2001, they lost their Chardonnay, but not their commitment to have another go at growing it. Gradually planting out their site as they went, it wasn’t until their son Brook a viticulturist returned from France in 2004 with his wife Lucie, a third generation Burgundian winemaker that the subject of Chardonnay was firmly on the agenda again. “It definitely means a lot to me,” says Lucie. “I come from Burgundy and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay just go hand in hand. As a winemaker it hurt not to have those grapes, but we knew we

68 //

Tony Lawrence and his daughterin-law, winemaker Lucie – with the cute as 100 litre barrel.

could plant again and it was fun choosing what clone we were going to plant and how we were going to do it.” Based on their prior knowledge and success, the decision was made five years ago to have another go using 100% Mendoza. As the last block to be planted, the vines are at the far end of the vineyard which in itself has created some additional hurdles, especially for Tony who took on the Chardonnay vines as his pet

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

project. “It is early and as it at the very end of our frost fighting range, it gets less water than the rest of the vineyard and is more prone to frost. We were not able to get an under-vine mower in there either, so the young vines really struggled in the grass and got even more frosted. To say that it has been a battle to get these things up and underway would be an understatement.” The mere mention of planting

organically in soil that hadn’t been tilled is enough to coax a big laugh out of Tony, but that is exactly what happened. “Well generally with organic, you would go non-organic for the first few years with weed spraying and adding nitrogen to get things going, but we decided in the integrity of being organic that we should start from scratch, so that just created a real problem of getting the jolly things to grow.” For the first couple of years frost was the major issue, and with two-budded vines on the ground attracting the cold, there were numerous set-backs and some replanting. Even so, both Tony and Lucie reckon that they have only lost one crop year and have now proved that they can do it, even if it has taken a herculean effort of patience and fortitude. “I have looked after them as if they are my babies,” says Tony laughing, “and they have all been weed-eated by me. I actually worked out that by the time I did that 10 times in a season, in five years I have actually weeded from Cromwell to Dunedin down one road verge…and that’s walking backwards.” Whatever the maths, that certainly is a lot of mileage to be on the end of a weed-eater and Tony’s calculations don’t stop there either. In his many hours walking backwards up and down the 12 Chardonnay rows, he has had plenty of time to ruminate on the economy of growing his favourite variety. “It works out to a metre of walking backwards per gram of

Gaining a notoriety of its own, the small 100 litre barrel has had the most hits on the Arum Facebook page.

grapes that we got this year. If I worked out the cost per bottle, I’d probably be looking at something like $20,000 a bottle…but it will get cheaper next year!” Not dissimilar to the reverence exuded over a newborn baby, both Tony and Lucie stare at the miniature barrel sitting inside a shipping container with a look that is a mixture of pride and bewilderment. The excitement for Lucie now watching the wine fermenting is pretty evident, even if their first harvest isn’t exactly huge. “Yeah, it’s really exciting…all 300 kilograms of it! Not every vineyard here is able to grow Chardonnay, so when you find the right patch it’s really rewarding. The result is an incredibly balanced wine, a really great expression of the grape but only if you are gentle with it and treat it correctly. If nothing goes wrong

we should get at least a tonne next year and

then it will start getting interesting.” Aside from the obvious exul-

tation knowing they are finally making Chardonnay once again, Lucie had an additional hurdle to overcome posed by the small amount of grapes. “It was a really quick pick so that was good…but once it was pressed I knew it was too pathetic to fill up a barrel. Then I opened up my emails and there was a message from a company who sell 100 litre barrels, so it was obviously meant to be. It’s really cute isn’t it and the photo of that little barrel has generated the most hits our Facebook page has ever had.” At an estimated production of just 20 cases for their first vintage of Chardonnay from this site, the answer is pretty simple when questioned on what will happen to these special bottles. “We’ll drink them ourselves of course”. seeingredmedia@yahoo.com.■

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REGIONS CENTRAL OTAGO

LED BY THE HEART MARK ORTON

isplaying the motto ‘to struggle through adversity makes success so much sweeter’ on their website, Kalex wines sense a distinct parallel between owner Alex Kaufman’s will to survive, and the challenging task of farming grapes in Central Otago. From fleeing the holocaust to becoming the embodiment of the American Dream, Alex Kaufman’s story is pretty remarkable. Now 90-years-old, the Polish-American who arrived in the US with just a quarter in his pocket, is now the proud owner of a couple of select Central Otago sites. None more so than the recent development of 3.5 hectares on Felton Road for what will become Kalex Wines’ Luna Vineyard. American wine critic James Suckling wrote; “if Central Otago was the Côte de Nuits, then Bannockburn would likely be Vosne-

Romanée”, and it’s for this reason that Alex Kaufman’s daughter Irene is so excited to talk about their latest investment in Central Otago and her father’s legacy. “Not only did my dad end up owning the same chemical company where he started washing test tubes for a penny a tube, but he invented an additive to allow jets to fly as high as they do today. He really is an amazing guy with a brilliant mind for business in general.” Partnering her father in the wine venture, which she stresses is very much a team effort with the personnel on the ground in New Zealand, Irene explains a little about her father’s fondness for Central Otago. “When he retired he was almost 80 and couldn’t stand the idea of not having a business. While on a holiday to visit a friend who lived in New Zealand, he just fell in love with it and

decided to have a go at starting a vineyard. I think he sensed that it was a place where anything was possible, the way the States first felt to him when he came here. It certainly re-ignited something in him”. As Alex Kaufman’s friend lived in the Gibbston Valley, that was where he purchased adjoining blocks of land. Consultant viticulturist Jared Connolly is someone that Irene Kaufman mentions has been instrumental in improving the quality of the site in the Gibbston and is now overseeing the ‘Luna’ vineyard. “It’s been nice for me to learn another approach to the wine business,” says Connolly. “To see a relatively small producer connect with growers, source grapes from different locations and still be really committed to quality and great wine is great.” The Luna vineyard, named

for Irene’s mother’s nickname, is situated on the corner of Felton and Bannockburn Roads. In such an illustrious location, Connolly even seems a little surprised that he now gets to work his craft on it. “When this property went on the market in early 2014, I visited the site with Peter Waters, the General Manager and Theo Coles, the winemaker. “We all agreed pretty much straight away, that it seemed like a real bargain. I have been in Central Otago for 16 years when I arrived, Bannockburn and Felton Road inparticular were more well known internationally for Pinot Noir and great wine than even Central Otago itself.” Jared’s expectations for the site are firmly grounded in what he is standing on. “It’s the soil, it’s the clay and the warmth. Pri-

A beautiful site, that has inspired Americans Alex and Iren Kauffman.

70 //

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

Viticultural consultant Jared Connolly, marks out the rows of the luna Vineyard

marily we looked at the soil maps and we were aware that there was a healthy mix of soil types, a good section of clay and gravel as well. We dug 12 soil pits and tested subsoils and top soils to assure ourselves we had the foundation to create great wine.” Transforming a barren piece of land in what is essentially a desert, is an important component for starting off on the right foot, something that Connolly is in the midst of at the moment. “We’ve applied some rock minerals and sown some green crops to protect the soil and add some organic matter back. We are also busy making compost which will be applied ahead of planting. “We’ve just imported 28 tonnes of organically certified cow manure to help with the compost. So broadly speaking it will be an organic, biological approach to the viticulture, without getting too hung up on any terminology.” By the time this goes to print, all of the rows will have been marked out and the posts driven in. Over winter, all the irrigation and frost fighting infrastructure will be installed so that next spring everything will be ready to plant their initial 2.5 hectare block of Pinot Noir.

“Our rows will be 2 metres apart with 80 cm’s between vines. Relatively high density and we’ll work really hard in the first three years to build a trunk and set up the form and strength of the plant and in the early days we’ll stick to one arm and we will just take our time to figure out if we’ll remain one arm, or will we be cordon with spurs or will we be cane? We’ll just ride that out to see what we learn from the property, how the plants perform. That is the fun part.” Nearly 15,000 kilometres away in New York, Irene Kaufman is taking a keen interest in the progress of the Luna vineyard. She is also keen to point out that while Kalex owes a lot to her father’s story, it’s Alex’s philosophy that matters most. “If you are going to do something, do it right. The site is really exciting because it says everything about why my father wants to do this, to create a beautiful glass of wine. “As an American owner and speaking on behalf of my father, we are both honoured to be part of the wine industry in New Zealand. It is an impressive group of people that is led with heart and we are very grateful to be part of that adventure.” seeingredmedia@yahoo.com.■

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REGIONS MARLBOROUGH

UNIQUELY BOUTIQUE TESSA NICHOLSON

t is 26 years since Jackson Estate launched their first Marlborough wine onto the market, and despite continued success the company has never had its own winery or cellar door. That is about to change, with the building of a bespoke winery cum cellar door underway. Due to open early in 2017, the development is a sign of the faith the directors have in the future of Marlborough wine and wine tourism. Set on Jackson’s Road, just a

72 //

matter of 1 km from the airport and on the road to other iconic wineries, it is expected the new facility will be a major tourist attraction. “Tourism numbers in Marlborough are up by about 20 percent,” Director John Benton says, “and our investing in this facility is a sign of our faith in this area as well as faith in the wine industry itself.” Ensuring that the building is a tourist destination, the company has no intention of it looking like

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

your average winery. In fact there will not be a tank in sight, given everything will be under cover. Describing the design as collision architecture, Jeff Hart says it is a case of old meeting new. “The cellar door will look like an 1850s bush hut, with the winery roof coming over the top.” “What we want to do is recreate the pioneering spirit of the Jackson family who established the label,” Benton says. Adding to that, the aim is to

create a distinctive New Zealand feel, with the help of Brian Massey, who was the landscape designer for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and managed the development of Hobbiton. So expect some rather unusual landscaping highlights, Benton says. As for the winery itself, it will focus on Pinot Noir and some top of the range Chardonnay. Up until now all Jackson Estate wines have been contract processed. But now is the time Hart says to concen-

trate on the on-going success of the company’s Pinot Noir. “Pinot has a great future in Marlborough and we want to shout out to the rest of the world about how good it is. We are also excited about having total control of the process of producing our Pinot.” The 250 tonne wine ry will definitely fall within the boutique arena, especially given it will house only 50, seven tonne tanks. The company’s Sauvignon Blanc will continue to be processed off site. In total Jackson Estate has 70 hectares of grapes, 40 in the Rapaura area and 30 in the Waihopai. And despite the continued growth of the Marlborough wine industry, this is the first custom built winery/ cellar door to be developed in the region since Yealands Estate opened their facility back in 2008. tessa.nicholson@me.com ■

Jackson Estate Directors Jeff Hart (left) and John Benton at the site of the soon to be built new winery and cellar door.

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REGIONS HAWKE’S BAY

EXPERIENCING VINTAGE MARY SHANAHAN

tudents from Hawke’s Bay high schools recently had a hands-on experience of vintage, picking grapes, analysing the fruit and making their own wine. The group were taking part in a two-day workshop, one of a range of holiday tasters offered by EIT to senior high school students, giving them the opportunity to explore career and tertiary study options. For the School of Viticulture and Wine Science taster, the group hand harvested Merlot from a vineyard in Omarunui Road, Taradale. “The quality of the fruit was a bit variable and it took a lot of work for them to pick their way

through the bunches,” says viticulture lecturer Tim Creagh. The following morning the students recorded pH levels and titratable acidity in EIT’s science laboratories. Because the brix they measured were low, the students were asked to determine how much sugar they needed to add to achieve the level of alcohol they wanted in their wine. The exercise concluded with them bottling their wine, which EIT presented to their parents and caregivers. The students completed their taster with a trip to Trinity Hill, to see vintage in action at a commercial winery. The ‘tasters’ comprised 10

Analysing fruit, from left, German exchange student Ida Vincon, whose parents own a vineyard near Stuttgart, Tim Creagh’s daughter Georgia Creagh, and Maddy Bish, daughter of Sacred Hill winemaker Tony Bish.

students, three teachers and a science technician from Napier Girls’ High School, a German exchange student at Taradale High

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74 //

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

REGIONS HAWKE’S BAY

DELEGAT’S NEW WINERY MARY SHANAHAN

inemaking operations were launched at Delegat’s new Hawke’s Bay winery with a first vintage produced in the company’s spectacular new building. While work will continue on site for some time, the winery facilities were readied to handle 35,000 tonnes of grapes from the 2016 harvest. The crush will increase in the next few years as new vineyard development comes on stream. The tank-holding capacity is

currently seven million litres, with tank sizes ranging from 5000 to 120,000 litres, with bigger tanks still to be delivered to the site. Some 7000 barrels are stacked in the 13,000sq m building, holding 1.6 million litres of maturing wine. Located alongside the expressway northwest of Hastings, the winery has been built to handle fruit from Delegat’s enlarged Hawke’s Bay holdings. The company owns plantings in Gimblett Gravels and is significantly expanding its already extensive

vineyard area in Crownthorpe after purchasing the 800ha Hawke’s Bay Dairies farm last year. Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris plantings are included in a four-year development programme supporting a significant sales push for Australian and New Zealand wine produced under the Oyster Bay, Delegat’s and Barossa Valley Estate labels. Delegat’s, which previously leased winemaking facilities in Hawke’s Bay, bought out Matariki Wines in Gimblett Gravels in 2013.

However the former winery was not large enough to handle the company’s growing production. The winery will be completed over the next two years with the addition of administration buildings, a cellar door and landscaping which will include vineyard planting. Expressway traffic will be better able to appreciate the architectural bones of the structure, built in glass, steel and concrete, once a perimeter of hedge is removed from the corner site. maryshanahan173@gmail.com.■

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 75

NZW EVENT

WHAT INTERNATIONAL SAUVIGNON BLANC DAY WHERE: WHEN: WHO:

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VINEYARD NEWS

CONNECTING CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM R O S S W R I G H T , G O L D E N B AY D O L O M I T E

agnesium is an extremely important but almost forgotten mineral in New Zealand soils. It is inextricably linked to Calcium, a mineral that is also neglected, or at least used for the wrong reasons. They both should form the basis of fertility programmes. Other minerals can be more effective when Calcium and Magnesium are at optimum levels and are vital for soils, plants and animals. Deficiencies of either or both can result in serious eco-

nomic consequences. The percentages of Ca and Mg on a soils base saturation are critical to the success of any crop, including grapes vines. Don’t let anyone tell you it is ratio, it is absolutely not. An ideal soil contains 45% minerals, 5% Humus and 50% pore space occupied equally by air and water; it is Calcium and Magnesium that are responsible for this configuration and in turn will determine the physical water holding and drainage characteristics of

your soil. When the optimum pore space has been achieved then an ideal environment is created for soil biology to thrive. It is imperative a soil has good biology levels because we rely heavily on these little critters to process and supply nutrient to the vines root system. Vine quality and yield are not only determined by soil nutrients but also by soil microbes and root depth. Without the correct soil structure vine roots cannot access nutrients and the biology struggles to survive. Without correct soil

structure top yield and vine health cannot be achieved. It is therefore mandatory that Calcium and Magnesium be correct. In most New Zealand soil the target base saturation is 68% Calcium and 12% Magnesium (PAL test). Calcium loosens soil by flocculating particles and increasing pore space while Magnesium tightens soil by separating particles and decreasing pore space. Therefore if your soil is a lighter sandy type you may well need

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slightly higher Magnesium to improve water holding capacity (65%Ca – 15% Mg), while a heavier clay type would require a little more Calcium (69%Ca – 11%Mg). The total Ca + Mg should equal 80% BS. If Magnesium, a determinant of Nitrogen and Phosphorus efficiency, is outside the 10 – 15% ‘sweet spot’ vine performance is hindered and deficiencies may start to show. Magnesium is found at the centre of the chlorophyll and so is essential for vines to carry out photosynthesis. It gives the healthy deep green colour to the leaves. We do have areas of high Magnesium soils in New Zealand but most are deficient. A common mistake is to apply Calcium (Ag Lime) alone to lift pH, where in fact all four cations - Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium affect pH. The latter three

to a greater degree than Calcium, with Magnesium lifting 1.66 times more. Calcium inputs on there own will displace Magnesium on the soil colloid. With every 1% Calcium added 1% Magnesium can be lost! ■

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NOT ON THE LABEL LEGAL MATTERS WITH MARIJA BATISICH SENIOR ASSOCIATE BELLY GULLY

Health And Safety Laws Now In Force The long anticipated Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is now law. For those organisations that have always maintained good HSE management systems, health and safety may, for the most part, continue “business as usual”. For others, now is the time to get up to speed with the changes. In any case, the legislative changes provide an opportunity for all organisations to reflect on and improve their health and safety practices. The key changes under the Act include the introduction of the new concept of a PCBU, horizontal consultation duty, officers’ due diligence duty and worker participation requirements. We discuss these key changes in more detail below.

Duties as a PCBU Every winegrowing business is likely to be a PCBU (or person conducting a business or undertaking). This means that your business owes a primary duty of care to all of its workers. “Workers” is defined broadly to

include which includes employees, contractors, subcontractors, labour hire staff and any volunteer workers. A PCBU must, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure the health and safety of all workers (and other persons), by eliminating or minimising

PCBUs who owe overlapping duties under the Act in relation to the same matters must, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult, co-operate and co-ordinate their activities relating to health and safety. The purpose of the “horizontal consultation” duty is

“Put simply, the duty means that businesses can no longer assume that someone else is taking care of a shared health and safety risk.”

risks to health and safety. Businesses can owe other specific PCBU duties under the Act in various capacities. For example, a PCBU with management or control of a workplace (i.e. tenants, landlords and property managers) owe a specific duty to ensure that the means of entering and exiting the workplace are without risks to the health and safety of any person. Other specific PCBU duties are owed by designers, manufacturers, importers, and suppliers.

Horizontal consultation

to ensure that there are adequate control measures in place and no gaps in protection. Put simply, the duty means that businesses can no longer assume that someone else is taking care of a shared health and safety risk – businesses which owe overlapping duties in respect of the same workers, other persons or workplaces must now actively engage on health and safety. Examples of the types of businesses where horizontal consultation will be required include principals, contractors, suppliers and other tenants in shared premises.

The horizontal consultation duty requires businesses to share information about health and safety risks, and determine who will be primarily responsible for implementing control measures to ensure those risks are eliminated or minimised. The parties’ agreement should be recorded in writing.

Officers’ due diligence duty One of the most significant changes under the new Act is the due diligence duty owed by “officers” personally. Breach of the due diligence duty will expose officers to a criminal conviction carrying significant penalties, including imprisonment. The definition of officers includes directors of companies, partners of partnerships, or any other person occupying a position which allows that person to exercise significant influence over the management of the business (i.e. those in senior governance roles). An officer must discharge the due diligence duty personally, and cannot delegate, modify

NOW READ IT ONLINE GENERAL NEWS PEOPLE PROFILES AND MUCH MORE... REGIONAL UPDATES OPINION

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NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

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or transfer the duty. The duty requires officers to be proactive, rather than be reactive and passive by waiting for someone to raise a health and safety concern. The due diligence duty will stand apart from the PCBU’s duty and will be individual to the officer. If an officer exercises due diligence, he or she will not be held personally liable regardless of the conduct of the PCBU or other officers. The diligence duty includes taking reasonable steps to carry out the following six due diligence elements. Knowledge of work health and safety matters: An officer must acquire, and keep up-todate, knowledge of work health and safety matters. Understanding the nature of operations: An officer must gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the

Ask

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PCBU’s business, the risks arising from those operations and the control measures in place. Resources and processes: An officer must ensure the PCBU has available for use, and uses, appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business. Monitoring Performance: An officer must ensure the PCBU has appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards, and risks and for responding in a timely way to that information. Legal Compliance: An officer must ensure that the PCBU has, and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation of the PCBU under the proposed Act, as well

as regulations, codes of practice, industry standards, etc. Verify: Finally, officers must verify the provision and use of the resources and processes referred to in the previous five elements.

Worker engagement, participation and representation All PCBUs must engage with workers who carry out work for the business or who may be directly affected by a matter relating to workplace health and safety. This duty specifically requires a PCBU to share relevant information about health and safety matters and to consult with workers on any decisions relating to a number of particular circumstances, including when the PCBU assesses risk and hazards, decides how it will eliminate

or minimise those risks, makes decisions about the adequacy of worker facilities, and makes decisions about engagement and participation practices. In addition, there are new prescriptive worker representation obligations imposed on PCBUs with more than 19 workers (keeping in mind the “workers” is defined broadly to include contractors and subcontractors). Health and safety representatives are afforded significant new powers under the Act, including the power to issue provisional improvement notices and order other workers to cease unsafe work where there is a serious risk to health and safety. Any questions about how the new legislation affects your business contact Tim Clarke, Partner, or Grace Stacey-Jacobs, Solicitor at Bell Gully. ■

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UPCOMING NEW ZEALAND WINE GLOBAL EVENTS MARKET

EVENT

EVENT DATE

REGISTRATION

June 2016 USA

NZ Wine Trade Tasting - Honolulu

June 7

Contact NZWG ASAP

USA

Kapalua Wine & Food Festival

June 9-12

Contact NZWG ASAP

Australia

Game of Rhones – Melbourne

June 18

Contact NZWG ASAP

Australia

Game of Rhones – Sydney

June 19

Contact NZWG ASAP

Charles Metcalf Masterclass at Foodies Festival – London

July 8-10

Charles Metcalf Masterclass at Foodies Festival – Cheshire

July 15-17

June 10

New Zealand

Bragato National Conference – Blenheim

August 24-26

TBC

Charles Metcalfe Masterclass at Foodies Festival – London

August 27-29

July 22

July 2016

August 2016

DATES FOR AIR NEW ZEALAND WINE AWARDS 2016 Monday 8 August - Entries open Friday 9 September - Entries close Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 October - Judging, Auckland Wednesday 26 October - Gold Medal results announced Saturday 12 November - Awards Dinner, Auckland

84 //

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

CALENDAR JUNE

AUGUST 1-3:

New World Wine Award Judging Auckland

Entries open for the Air New Zealand Wine Awards

23-25: National Final Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year – Marlborough

23-25:

National Final Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year – Marlborough

24-26:

Romeo Bragato Conference. ASB Theatre

10:

JULY

– Marlborough

SEPTEMBER

Auckland Bayer Young Viticulturist Of The Year

– Mudbrick Vineyard

10:

Entries close for Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Hawke’s Bay Super Wine Classics – 6.30pm

15-16: Inaugural Hawke’s Bay Wine Celebration

– Art Deco Masonic Hotel – Napier

12:

– Wellington

NZ Boutique Wine Festival

23-24:

– Imperial Building, Auckland

17 & 18:

Seresin Estate Living off the Land Waterfall Bay dining event – details www.seresin.co.nz

20:

NZW Grape Day – Hawke’s Bay - Napier MTG Century Theatre

22:

Hawke’s Bay Wine Celebration

2: Game of Rhones – Shed 10, Queens Wharf, Auckland. 1-6pm

Hawke’s Bay Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year – Te Awa

NZW Grape Day

19:

– Marlborough - Convention Centre

Game of Rhones

24:

21-22:

– Central Otago – Golden Gate Lodge

WineEng 2016 NZ

Marlborough Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year – NMIT, Budge Street

24:

New World Wine Award Entries close

OCTOBER 17-19:

Judging of Air New Zealand Wine Awards – Auckland

NOVEMBER

– Chaffers Dock, Wellington. 1-6pm

NZW Grape Day

24:

- Auckland

– Biennial WEA Conference and Exhibition – Marlborough Convention Centre - Blenheim

22:

Otago Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year – Cromwell Polytechnic

28:

Wairarapa Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year - TBC

12: Air New Zealand Wine Awards Dinner – Auckland

12:

Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction – Opera House Plaza, Hastings To have events listed in this calendar, please email details to; tessa.nicholson@me.com NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 85

STATISTICS

MAJOR NZ VINEYARD AREAS PRODUCING HECTARES Region

PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS

2014

2017 forecast

22,907.0

23,684.3

67.1

4774.3

4886.6

13.9

Otago

1931.8

1953.2

5.5

Gisborne

1914.6

1961.2

5.6

Waipara

1254.6

1257.2

3.6

1122.7

1159.7

3.3

Wairarapa / Wellington

995.1

1017.7

2.9

Auckland / Northland

392.3

407.1

1.2

24.6

23.28

0.01

35,510.1

36,547.3

Marlborough Hawkes Bay

Nelson

Waikato / Bay of Plenty National Total

% of Total in 2017 forecast

Country

MAJOR VARIETIES IN MAJOR AREAS Variety

Sauvignon Blanc

2014

% producing area

56.4

20,697.2

Pinot Noir

5509.2

15.5

5995.5

Chardonnay

3345.5

9.4

3441.1

Pinot Gris

2451.2

6.9

1395.3

Merlot

1290.0

3.6

1395.3

783.7

2.2

781.1

Syrah

433.1

1.2

446.7

Gewurztraminer

375.5

1.1

363.8

Cabernet Sauv

289.4

0.8

306

Viognier

187.4

0.5

182.2

Malbec

126.8

0.4

134.8

112.7

0.3

112

576.3

1.6

Cabernet Franc All other varieties Total

35,510.1

Auckland/Northland Waikato/Bay of Plenty

Number of

Regional area

Average of

Vineyards

Planted ha

area ha

111

392.4

24.6

2.1

100

1914.6

19.1

Hawke’s Bay

260

4774.3

18.4

118

1122.3

9.5

Marlborough

1014

22,907.0

22.6

Waipara

1254.5

19.6

Canterbury

193.0

8.4

Wellington/Wairarapa

119

995.1

9.1

Otago

213

1931.8

17.4

2046

35,510.1

17.4

National

// NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

Growth Decline Litres %

Growth Decline FOB %

58,338

382,866

13%

USA

61,999

452,478

19%

28%

Australia

52,145

358,117

-10%

-3%

Canada

10,218

103,016

14%

15%

Netherlands

7,011

45,458

11%

17%

Denmark

1,014

7,436

-11%

-3%

Ireland

2,928

20,978

33%

Japan

1,235

14,666

10%

2,964

14,849

64%

46%

China

1,853

27,759

-8%

Hong Kong

1,347

18,000

-1%

Singapore

1,539

20,981

Finland

0,279

2,435

Norway

0,317

2,660

19%

18%

Sweden

1,865

15,171

21%

Others

7,913

71,693

10%

15%

212,973,715

1,558,570,844

13%

Germany

3.5

Gisborne

Nelson

$ FOB

594.8 36,547.3

AVERAGE VINEYARD SIZE Region

Litres (m)

2017 forecast

20,029.4

Riesling

Exports for the year to date to the end of January 2016 (Moving Annual Total)

TOTAL

RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT Information and Updates on NZ Winegrowers Research Programmes. Editor Dr Simon Hooker, General Manager Research and Innovation

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: www.wine.nzwine.com/members/research

LIST OF PROJECTS Quality Wine Styles for Existing and Developing Markets The pathway of volatile sulphur compounds in wine yeast – The Bragato Trust and NZW Scholarship University of Auckland (Dr Bruno Fedrizzi - student Matias Kinzurk) Lifestyle Wine (PGP) University of Auckland and Plant and Food Research (Various) Jointly funded by NZW and MPI Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) fund. Literature review of calcium tartrate stability of wines Lincoln University (Bin Tian)

Pests and Disease Grapevine Trunk Disease; young vine ecology, diagnostics and preventative treatments New Zealand Viticulture Nursery Association Incorporated (VINA)(Nick Hoskins) Leafroll virus and mealybug monitoring in Marlborough, 2015 to 2017 Plant and Food Research (Vaughn Bell) Virus diversity in New Zealand grapevines: sequence, ecology and impact – The Rod Bonfiglioli Scholarship Plant and Food Research (Robin MacDiarmid - student Arnaud Blouin)

Evaluation of the efficacy of a range of commercial bentonites on New Zealand Sauvignon blanc wine Hills Laboratory (K Creasy)

Sustaining vineyards through practical management of grapevine trunk diseases South Australian Research & Development Institute (Mark Sosnowski) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

Bentonite literature review Lincoln University (B Tian)

Sector weather data licence & tools HortPlus (NZ) Ltd.

High-throughput genotyping of transposon-induced mutations in vines Lincoln University (C Winefield)

Developing Powdery Mildew Best Practise (Year Two) Lewis Wright Valuation & Consultancy Ltd (Trevor Lupton) Grape botrytis resistance to AP and SDHI fungicides Plant and Food Research (Rob Beresford)

Grape powdery mildew monitoring Plant and Food Research (D Mundy)

Sustainability/Organics Effects of undervine vegetation management on grape quality, vine performance, grape composition, and soil properties Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) (Mark Krasnow) Pinot noir wine composition and sensory characteristics as affected by soil type and irrigation in the Waipara region Lincoln University (Glen Creasy) Vineyard Ecosystems Programme University of Auckland and Plant and Food Research (Various) Jointly funded by NZW and MBIE Risk Assessment of Nutrient Losses from New Zealand’s Vineyard by Mechanistic Modelling Plant and Food Research (Bent Clothier)

Cost Reduction/Increased Profitability Grapevine growth stage monitoring for prediction of key phenological events Plant and Food Research (Rob Agnew) Supported by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 87

PROGRESS REPORTS

Advancing strategies for grapevine trunk disease management 13-100

Mark Sosnowski1 and Dion Mundy2 South Australian Research & Development Institute The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited

mark.sosnowski@sa.gov.au

The grapevine trunk diseases eutypa and botryosphaeria dieback have major economic impacts in wine regions worldwide. They occur when fungal spores infect vines through pruning wounds,

colonise woody tissue and cause dieback of cordons and trunks, with cankers observed as dark wedge-shaped tissue in cross-section. In New Zealand, they are becoming increasingly

prevalent and threaten the sustainability of the $1.9 billion wine industry, which relies on the highly susceptible variety Sauvignon Blanc. Management of trunk diseases is based on

removing infected wood material and preventing infection through pruning wounds. Protective treatments are currently limited to paints and pastes which must be applied by hand. In large-scale

Vineyard walk with growers in Central Otago to demonstrate symptoms of grapevine trunk disease.

88 //

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

commercial viticulture operations, hand-application of products is not economically viable because of labour costs, so there is a need to register treatments which can be delivered more efficiently to wounds. A New Zealand Winegrowers project led by the South Australian Research & Development Institute in collaboration with Plant & Food Research is evaluating fungicides and developing efficient methods of protecting pruning wounds in New Zealand to minimise the risk of significant losses as experienced in other countries. Three field trials were established in Marlborough and one in Hawke’s Bay in 2014,

repeating trials conducted in the previous year, to develop practical management strategies for grapevine trunk diseases. With the aim of generating data for registration of wound treatment fungicides, canepruned Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough were treated with several rates of Folicur® (tebuconazole), Chief® (carbendazim), Gem® (fluazinam), Dithane™ (mancozeb) or Megastar™ (flusilazole), applied until runoff by hand using a paintbrush. Treatments were chosen based on efficacy reported in the literature and commitment from manufacturers to the registration

process. In addition, a number of types of tractor-driven sprayers, including air-shear, tangential, recycle and a modified weed sprayer, were used to apply Chief to spur-pruned Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Hawke’s Bay and cane-pruned Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough. To determine the effects of pruning time on susceptibility of pruning wounds and fungicide efficacy, Sauvignon Blanc vines were cane-pruned in early, mid- or late winter and were either untreated or treated by hand with Chief, using a paintbrush. To ensure adequate infection to establish efficacy, wounds in all trials were inoculated with spores of the fungi Eutypa lata

(eutypa dieback) or Neofusicoccum luteum (botryosphaeria dieback) following treatment. Treated canes were removed in winter 2015 and laboratory assessment to recover pathogens from beneath treated wounds was undertaken to determine efficacy of treatments compared with untreated controls. Results have confirmed that all five fungicide treatments provided significant control against infection by both pathogens at all rates evaluated. The data from field trials in both years will be combined with detached cane assay experiment results and prepared as an efficacy report provided to agrochemical companies for use in application

Recycle sprayer applying fungicide to pruning wounds in a Marlborough vineyard.

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016 // 89

Villa Maria Estate Ltd. SUPPLIED BY NZW

to MPI Agricultural Compounds & Veterinary Medicines for label registration. Application of Chief with sprayers was also shown to be effective for both pathogens with all of the sprayers in the second year of trials, even though in the first year, data were in some cases confounded by either high or low disease pressure based on incidence of infection in inoculated controls. In the susceptibility trial, results showed a reduction in susceptibility to inoculation with E. lata during late pruning, but no difference for N. luteum. Natural inoculum was recovered at low levels from non-inoculated controls for E. lata at each pruning time, and at higher levels for early and midpruning times for N. luteum, with a significant reduction at late pruning. Fungicide application significantly reduced infection

90 //

at all pruning times for both pathogens, with the smallest reduction occurring for N. luteum at early pruning. In December 2015, the project team conducted a survey of 21 vineyards for grapevine trunk diseases in Central Otago. Thirtynine blocks ranging in age from 11–33 years were assessed for incidence of disease. Dieback symptoms were observed in 24 blocks, with overall incidences lower than that those observed in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough during previous surveys. The reason for lower disease incidence in Central Otago is likely to be the predominance of Pinot Noir, which is less susceptible than Sauvignon Blanc, which predominates the larger regions to the north. Furthermore, the average age of vines is lower in Central Otago compared

NZ WINEGROWER JUNE/JULY 2016

with the other regions and with a summer-dominant rainfall pattern, pruning wounds made in winter are less vulnerable to infection in this region. Diagnostic samples were taken from each vineyard, and are being processed in the laboratory at Plant & Food Research. On the final day of the visit, a workshop was conducted for growers to provide a summary of observations from the survey, strategies for managing disease and a field walk to show growers symptoms of the disease in a vineyard. Based on initial observations, trunk diseases are present in Central Otago and recommendations to growers in the region include pruning wound protection to prevent new infection and remedial surgery to remove existing infection. The project will end in June 2016 when all results will be

presented in the final report. Further research is being proposed from July 2016 to extend the outcomes of this project by determining critical timing of application for wound protectants based on curative and preventative fungicide efficacy, duration of wound susceptibility and timing of inoculum dispersal.

Acknowledgements This project was made possible by funding from New Zealand Winegrowers and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF 13-071). We thank Villa Maria and Pernod-Ricard NZ for providing vines and technical assistance, along with the various agrochemical companies that have committed to the outcomes of registering products for control of trunk diseases.

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P/Month*

FEATURES • • • •

From grass mowing to pruning mulching in one easy step 1.6m – 2.8m Working widths Cast steel Hammer flails = will mulch up to 70mm Double skin body

• • • •

Made from high quality high tensile Swedish steel High speed rotor for excellent grass cutting finish Manual or optional hydraulic offset adjustment Rear pruning rake option

NATIONWIDE SALES AND SERVICE NETWORK KAITAIA KAITAIA TRACTORS (09) 408 0670 WHANGAREI BRYANT TRACTORS (09) 438 1319 SILVERDALE AGROWQUIP (09) 427 9137 PUKEKOHE AGROWQUIP (09) 237 0043 PAEROA PIAKO TRACTORS (07) 862 9064 MORRINSVILLE PIAKO TRACTORS (07) 889 7055 HAMILTON AGROWQUIP (07) 847 0425 CAMBRIDGE AGROWQUIP (07) 827 5184 ROTORUA PIAKO TRACTORS (07) 345 8560 STRATFORD FIELD TORQUE TARANAKI (06) 765 8643 GISBORNE D.P WILLIAMS (06) 863 2612 WAIPUKURAU STEVENSON AND TAYLOR (06) 858 6041 DANNEVIRKE LANCASTER TRACTORS (06) 374 7731 PALMERSTON NORTH TRANSAG CENTRE 2014 LTD (06) 354 7164 MASTERTON WAIRARAPA MACHINERY SERVICES (06) 377 3009 NELSON GORDON HANDY MACHINERY (03) 543 8041 BLENHEIM GORDON HANDY MACHINERY (03) 579 1111 KAIKOURA GORDON HANDY MACHINERY (03) 319 7119 GREYMOUTH GORDON HANDY MACHINERY (03) 768 5116 AMBERLEY COCHRANES OF CANTERBURY (03) 314 9055 LEESTON COCHRANES OF CANTERBURY (03) 324 3791 ASHBURTON COCHRANES OF CANTERBURY (03) 307 8027 TIMARU GORDON HANDY MACHINERY (03) 687 4005 OAMARU GORDON HANDY MACHINERY (03) 437 1111 MOSGIEL JJ LIMITED (03) 489 8199 GORE JJ LIMITED (03) 203 9970 INVERCARGILL JJ LIMITED (03) 211 0013 * Normal lending criteria and special conditions apply.

RIVERSUN WHATATUTU NURSERY GISBORNE APRIL 2016

WE'VE GONE TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH...

VINES AVAILABLE FOR SPRING 2016

...to grow you the best vines. After another exceptional growing season in Gisborne, we have good volumes of vines available. With the perfect synergy of plantmanship, science and this stunning location, our babies are off to a great start.

CALL US NOW TO DISCUSS YOUR PLANTING PLANS FOR THIS YEAR AND BEYOND

0800 113 747