Winepress - January 2022

Winepress THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WINE MARLBOROUGH

ISSUE NO. 325 / JANUARY 2022

SAUVIGNON PROJECT

YEAR AHEAD

FAREWELL 2021

FORGOTTEN CORNERS

Photo: Jim Tannock

wine-marlborough.co.nz

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Photo Richard Briggs

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this issue...

REGULARS

FEATURES

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26 32

Editorial - Sophie Preece

From the Board - Nigel Sowman Forgotten Corners Mount Riley Generation Y-ine Ruby McManaway

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Biosecurity Watch Jim Herdman

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Industry News

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Wine Happenings

Wine Festival Pressing pause on the February 2022 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival is about safeguarding the wine industry and community, says Marlborough Winegrowers Association board chair Beth Forrest.

Serving Sauvignon New Zealand’s largest ever wine research programme will create up to 20,000 new variants of contemporary New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, then use genome sequencing technology to select for the most useful traits.

10 Hello 2022

Cover: Planting 3,000 natives along a vineyard stream seems like the perfect recovery for a weary vintage team, says Mount Riley winemaker Matt Murphy.

“To chill out, not thinking about all the hard mahi we have done in the previous weeks.” Photo Jim Tannock. See page 22

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In these changeable Covid days, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in a week, let alone 12 months. But as we kick into the new year, Winepress asks some industry leaders what challenges and opportunities they’re looking out for.

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Winepress January 2022 / 1

2 / Winepress January 2022

General Manager: Marcus Pickens 03 577 9299 or 021 831 820 marcus@winemarlborough.nz Editor: Sophie Preece 027 308 4455 sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz Marketing and Communications: Sarah Linklater 021 704 733 sarah@winemarlborough.nz Events Manager: Loren Coffey loren@winemarlborough.nz Advocacy Manager: Nicci Armour advocacy@winemarlborough.nz Finance Administrator: Joanna May accounts@winemarlborough.nz Grape Grower Directors: Anna Laugesen anna.laugesen@xtra.co.nz Kirsty Harkness kirsty@mountbase.co.nz Michiel Eradus michiel@eraduswines.co.nz Nigel Sowman nigel@dogpoint.co.nz Tracy Johnston tracy@dayvinleigh.co.nz Wine Company Directors: Beth Forrest beth@forrest.co.nz Damien Yvon damien@closhenri.com Gus Altschwager gus@akwines.net James Macdonald james@hunters.co.nz Jamie Marfell Jamie.Marfell@pernod-ricard.com Designed by: Blenheim Print Ltd 03 578 1322

From the Editor SO LONG 2021, and here’s looking at you 2022. This edition looks back at the year we’ve just endured, with its light vintage, logistical challenges, lockdown, and labour stresses. It also looks at the year ahead, with two of these four challenges still firmly in place, along with some new ones to boot.

That’s why the Marlborough Winegrowers Association board decided that the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival would not be held in February this year, with Covid-19 posing too many risks to the community and wine industry on the cusp of the harvest, “especially given the shortage of staff and scarcity of experience in wineries, due to border restrictions”, says board chair Beth Forrest on page 6.

The year ahead is also rich with opportunities, of course, including the just-launched Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme, which will use tough love on plant cells to create up to 20,000 entirely new variants of

“The year ahead is also rich with opportunities.” contemporary New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, before selecting those that best serve the industry. “Growing a huge number of vines – each very subtly different – will allow us to select traits to accommodate a changing environment, capture market opportunities, and fend off biosecurity threats,” says Bragato Research Institute chief executive Jeffrey Clarke on page 8.

This month’s cover story is the native plantings at Mount Riley’s Seventeen Valley vineyard, in the first of the year’s Forgotten Corners series, looking at growing biodiversity in and around Marlborough vineyards. If you have a planted stream, slope or headland, or know of biodiversity projects happening in the region, I’d love to hear about them.

In the meantime, here’s wishing you a fruitful 2022.

SOPHIE PREECE

Disclaimer: The views and articles that

are expressed and appear in Winepress are entirely those of contributors and in no way reflect the policy of the Marlborough Winegrowers. Any advice given, implied or suggested should be considered on its merits, and no responsibility can be taken for problems arising from the use of such information.

This document is printed on an environmentally responsible paper, produced using elemental chlorine free (EFC), third party pulp from responsible sources, manufactured under the strict ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and is 100% Recyclable.

Winepress January 2022 / 3

PROTECT

From the Board NIGEL SOWMAN

WITH THE reopening of our domestic borders, the looming reopening of the international borders and the prospect of having more tourists seeing our beautiful region and vineyards again, I am buoyed about what is happening to our landscape.

The photos that currently adorn social media portray a great diversity of animals and plantings, sheep, flowers, and trees everywhere. Of course, the overall reality is we are still very much a monoculture, somewhat devoid of the biodiversity we are promoting. But with this now at the forefront of marketing and image, and we need to take strides to make it a reality.

Research projects at Bragato Research Institute include cover cropping for soil health and using flowers to promote beneficial insects for biocontrol. Meanwhile, the Marlborough District Council, with its Working for Nature/ Mahi mō te Taiao fund (see page 22), and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), with a biodiversity focus in the climate change section of its questionnaire, all move us along the spectrum towards greater biodiversity in a meaningful and impactful way.

Biodiversity is much more than a buzz word, as it covers every element of what we do, from soil health to underrow and interrow, and from riparian plantings to trees. All have an impact on the vines we grow and the wines we make.

Soil health has moved on from simply testing and making sure the nutrient levels are in the correct balance, to a realm where the focus is equally on the relationship between the soil microorganisms and the roots of the plants, and how they contribute to the uptake of nutrients.

Looking back over the years of SWNZ scorecards, the emphasis has always been there, with promoting multispecies interrow cover, and I always wondered why they targeted more than 10 species, and not just different grasses.

It is the different rooting structures, depths and their interactions with the microorganisms that drive our soil health.

Trees that break up the landscape are not just good for native and exotic bird populations, they are also habitats for a multitude of beneficial insects. They enhance the landscape for our many tourists and are also great for the mental and physical wellbeing of our tractor drivers and vineyard workers who can seek shade on hot summer days when it is time for a break - an act so many of us take for granted.

4 / Winepress January 2022

Nigel Sowman

The MDC’s Greening Marlborough and Tui to Town projects – now part of Mahi mō te Taiao - seek to make use of areas of vineyard properties that may not be suitable for grape production, by way of enhancing biodiversity with the planting of native shrubs and trees, all with funding contributions.

This enhanced biodiversity could come into play if the Government pulls agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW), whose recent submission to the Government on the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 (in line with Government targets), has been receiving an increasing number of comments and queries from members about recognising vegetation types not eligible under the ETS for sequestration value. Members are undertaking expensive regeneration activities on a voluntary basis, and there is a missed opportunity, because the ETS excludes many vegetation types from pricing systems.

In their submission they have been looking, in part, at broadening the inclusion of vegetation types in the ETS, in an effort to help make the wine industry net zero for emissions. We are already considered a relatively low emissions industry, but anything we can do to offset our emissions will greatly benefit the industry as a whole.

I was recently contacted by a Lincoln University professor researching the implementation of green infrastructure on vineyards. By this they mean non-vine vegetation and water systems that provide important benefits in support of winegrowers, focussing on the enablers and the barriers to this innovation that benefits all areas from the vineyard to cellar door to wine tourism. This shows the research is happening, biodiversity is being taken seriously, and it has a future in the way we grow our vines and design our vineyards and the surrounding landscapes.

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Winepress January 2022 / 5

PROTECT

Wine Festival Pausing iconic event to protect region MARLBOROUGH’S WINE community has been supportive of the decision to pause the February 2022 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. “Wine companies and growers are seriously focussed on finding enough labour to get through harvest next year,” says Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens. “The additional risk posed by Covid-19, especially at an event as large as the festival on the very cusp of harvest, was making some of them pretty nervous.”

In making the announcement last month, Marlborough Winegrowers Association Board chair Beth Forrest said the industry was already facing a shortage of staff and scarcity of experience in wineries for the upcoming vintage, due to border restrictions. That made the industry particularly vulnerable, and the board was unanimous in its decision, due to the risk to “our wine industry and community”, she said.

“The safety of the community remains the priority, and it was clear to the board that the potential risks far outweighed the potential benefits of running the 2022 event under the new and untested Covid-19 Protection Framework.” The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival will remain a highlight of the region’s calendar, celebrating the wines that have made Marlborough famous around the world, and the people and places that create those wines, Beth says. “This is such an important event for our region, and we can’t wait to be able to share it with all the people who love Marlborough and its wine.”

Before making the decision, the Wine Marlborough team conducted a risk analysis and a sentiment survey of the organisation’s membership, which includes approximately 700 grape growers and wine companies, 6 / Winepress January 2022

“We are absolutely committed to the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. But our greater commitment is to the safety of our industry and our community.”

Marcus Pickens

says Marcus. “Each business decision-maker was asked for input, and the results revealed that we did not have clear endorsement to proceed, given the risk to our harvest, community and economy.”

The board did not feel a postponement date was viable in such changeable times, so all tickets for the 2022 event have been 100% refunded, he adds. Organisers appreciate the support offered by the Government, in terms of funding assistance and underwriting the event. “But what cannot be secured is the viability of our industry at the most critical time of year – when the year’s wine is made,” he says. “We are absolutely committed to the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. But our greater commitment is to the safety of our industry and our community.”

He also noted the support from the Marlborough District Council, which had worked to help Wine Marlborough find a new Renwick site for the event. “We look forward to showcasing this new site – in the heart of Marlborough’s wine region – as soon as we can do so safely.”

Beth says ticket sales for the 2022 event were on par with previous years. “That gives us confidence that when we hold the next festival, its fans will be ready to come together and celebrate our place, people and wines.” In the meantime, those who have booked to come to Marlborough in February will still find an array of cellar doors and smaller summer celebrations, “to help build lifelong memories of Marlborough”.

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GROW

Serving Sauvignon Growing greater diversity in our vines SOPHIE PREECE

NEW ZEALAND’S largest ever wine research programme is using tough love to safeguard the future of Sauvignon Blanc.

“The innovation in this programme is in harnessing the natural diversity that appears when plant cells are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, and repeating this in a way that is controlled at scale, says Bragato Research Institute (BRI) principal research scientist Dr Darrell Lizamore, who is leading the new $18.7 million, seven-year Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme.

The accelerated research programme will use established tissue culture techniques to create up to 20,000 entirely new variants of contemporary New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, then use genome sequencing technology to identify plants that exhibit the most useful traits selected by the wine industry.

BRI chief executive Jeffrey Clarke says the innovative programme builds sustainability for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which provides 87% of the export revenue of New Zealand’s $1.9 billion wine industry. “Growing a huge number of vines – each very subtly different – will allow us to select traits to accommodate a changing environment, capture market opportunities, and fend off biosecurity threats.”

Most of New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc vines are of the same variant, so a new pest, disease or environmental change that affects one Sauvignon Blanc vine could affect every one of them. The programme seeks to develop new grapevines with traits such as improved yield, more tolerance of fungal attack, frost, high temperatures and drought, and which either maintain the characteristic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wine flavour and aroma, or offer new opportunities to expand sales of novel Sauvignon Blanc styles.

“Selected new variants will have enhancements that will boost sustainability and industry resilience, while producing wines that still possess all the distinctive characteristics our local and international wine consumers have grown to love,” says Jeffrey. He announced the project in mid-December, following the signing of a new partnership investment between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW), and more than 20 wine sector companies. MPI is investing $7.5m, 8 / Winepress January 2022

Dr Darrell Lizamore

and NZW up to $6m in levy funds, plus cash and in-kind contributions of $5.2m directly from participating New Zealand wine companies.

Patrick Materman was chair of Sauvignon 2019, is deputy chair of the NZW Research Advisory Committee, and is head of winegrowing at Indevin Group, which is one of two Platinum sponsors of the new programme, alongside Constellation.

He says there is “no doubt” Sauvignon Blanc has put New Zealand on the world map, with a unique style that’s garnered “huge” success. “But at the same time, we are very reliant on one variant of the one variety, which perhaps leaves us vulnerable to climate change or any biosecurity threat”, he says, also raising the challenges of powdery mildew, trunk disease and drought. “This project is really around trying to mitigate that risk.”

It could also provide options for different flavour and aroma traits, giving the industry more options should consumer trends shift, says Patrick. As New Zealand’s biggest exporter, Indevin – which recently purchased Villa Maria – has the most to lose should the current Sauvignon Blanc variant come under threat, he says. “And we have the most to benefit if this creates what we are after.”

No introduction of DNA or gene editing is involved in the programme, which was designed to make use of grapevine’s natural ability to increase its own diversity.

Darrell says the technology is not being harnessed similarly for grapevines anywhere else in the world, “and this programme leverages unique New Zealand knowledge and capability developed over the past decade”.

He will be based at a newly-established research and laboratory facility built in collaboration with Lincoln University, where the technique was originally developed during his NZW/Lincoln University-funded doctoral research with Associate Professor Chris Winefield. BRI is also planning to work with Plant & Food Research, which has further researched the techniques including ways to implement them at scale, as a major partner.

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GROW

Happy New Year In these changeable Covid days, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in a week, let alone 12 months. But as we kick into the new year, Winepress asks some industry leaders what challenges and opportunities they’re looking out for.

Beth Forrest – chair Marlborough Winegrowers Association board As we close the chapter on 2021 and raise a glass to the year ahead, it’s hard to imagine what the world may challenge us with in the coming months. Unfortunately, I think we are in for another rollercoaster as we adapt to ‘life-with-Covid’.

Perhaps we can maintain some confidence in ourselves to remain resilient - as the past two years have shown, number8-wire Kiwi attitudes are alive and well. The can-do approach of our industry has kept us agile and responsive to opportunities amongst the mayhem and solidified many relationships around the globe. It is time for a well-earned break to reset and reinvigorate.

Vintage 2022 has its own challenges, as we struggle with a lack of staff and a risk that Covid-19 outbreaks could stall production at an essential phase of the year. Maintaining work bubbles and alternate ways of working will still need to be a large part of life for this year. The struggles of global shipping appear to have no end, but perhaps with these continued challenges it is a time to reflect on whether New Zealand could do transport of goods and services differently around our little island paradise.

The world may once again be our oyster. Tourists and visitors are due back on our doorstep in April, which is both exciting and perhaps a little frightening. But most of all it energises me that we can once again share our stories and wines with people from all over the planet. Whether that is with guests in your own cellar door or back out on the global highway, it’s time to see all our friends once again!

Holidays are essential and while the small, long weekend getaways help, I think sometimes we need to take the time to fully recharge the batteries. So, my advice is: enjoy the summer, embrace our spectacular countryside, eat, drink, celebrate, and most of all let the past year’s frustrations fade away; 2022 will be different.

“Maintaining work bubbles and alternate ways of working will still need to be a large part of life for this year.”

Beth Forrest

10 / Winepress January 2022

EDUCATE

Marcus Pickens - general manager Wine Marlborough My first reflection would be to show thanks to everyone who has dug so deep and kept going in the face of uncertainty and periods of high stress. The welfare of our people is so important and for 2022 I would like to see this as a big focus for our industry.

Aligned to the above is more focus on our social licence.

We need to really understand it and share with you all what we believe is needed to make an impact on our community and stakeholders - beyond jobs and wages as we are already demonstrating that. It’s something Wine Marlborough has investigated but has not been able to make the first steps on yet. This will be our year.

I would love to see wine tourism return, slowly, safely and sustainably, building to be a major part of our economy to help create excitement in our region and attract more opportunities. They key is designing the return together with the tourism sector, so we maximise the opportunity.

With events paused, especially the benchmark Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, there is a chance to examine this and opportunities to explore.

Wine Marlborough and the local council are investing in understanding our future state; where do we want to be as an industry and how do we get there? The first step in this journey has begun, but it is likely that more work will be required. When there is a chance to share insights, we will.

Finally, the number one hope is for a successful and smooth harvest 2022. We understand the challenges that you all face and will be with you every step of the way

“I would love to see wine tourism return, slowly, safely and sustainably.”

Marcus Pickens

Nicci Armour, Advocacy Manager Wine Marlborough Vintage is always one of the wine industry’s biggest challenges, but we will be navigating vintage 2022 with an unprecedented proportion of inexperienced cellar hand staff. That means increased pressure for experienced staff and leaders, who have already carried the burden of Covid-19 winery impacts for the past few years.

As well as looking out for their wellbeing, we need to mitigate the impact of an atypical vintage on the large group of people new to the industry in V22, ensuring the experience remains positive. That includes obtaining clear information to plan, coordinate, and implement vintage safely and effectively with the ongoing uncertainty of Covid-19. And identifying and understanding any challenges in the Covid-19 response that might be unique to Marlborough or the industry.

Nicci Armour

Seasonal labour will continue to be a major burden going into winter, and contractors, companies and Wine Marlborough are all looking ahead at what can be done to get through pruning with the industry and its people protected.

The year ahead also offers opportunities, including transitioning back to a ‘new normal’ as the border opens, reestablishing plans and processes that existed previously, but maintaining a cautious and realistic balance as we continue to contend with Covid-19 worldwide.

The industry will carry into 2022 the best of the learnings, innovation, and changes implemented because of Covid-19. Wine Marlborough will continue to support industry resilience and wellbeing, including celebrating our industry and community after successive challenges.

We will use the disruption from Covid-19 as catalyst for considering what the next chapter of Marlborough’s wine industry looks like.

Winepress January 2022 / 11

CELEBRATE

Jeffrey Clarke – chief executive officer of Bragato Research Institute Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is responsible for providing grape and wine research to the industry.

Since its formation by New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW), BRI has focussed on building new capability to expand the research scope and reach beyond what the industry’s research programme has delivered in the past.

BRI’s research winery opened in 2020, and in vintage 2021 it completed nearly 200 research ferments – both for levy-funded research projects and trials for commercial wineries’ own research purposes. The precision control we have over the ferments, the detailed analysis we can produce, and the fact that BRI takes care of the entire process, are winning praise from members. Some of those commercial trials have already led to the wineries placing new products into the market.

In 2022, the just-launched Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme (see page 8) will be a major focus, with its quest to develop new New Zealand grown variants of our premier wine varietal, improving our industry’s resilience and sustainability by seeking traits like improved resistance to pest and disease, and frost and drought resistance. It’s the first national grapevine

“No matter how good the quality of the research, it’s of little use unless the new knowledge is shared effectively with members.”

Jeffrey Clarke improvement programme in the country, and evidence of BRI’s commitment to cutting edge grape and wine research comparable with the best in the world. Over 20 members and ViNA have partnered together with NZW and MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, to invest nearly $19m over 7 years into the programme – making it the industry’s largest ever research programme. BRI has also just secured an additional $5m from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment for developing new research programmes to benefit members.

No matter how good the quality of the research, it’s of little use unless the new knowledge is shared effectively with members. For the first time, BRI now has a dedicated extension team which focusses on translating research findings into practical, relevant advice that members can use in their winegrowing businesses to help make better decisions. Watch out for our new extension materials throughout the year.

Sophie Badland – NZW biosecurity and emergency response manager This year is shaping up to be a busy one for biosecurity at NZW. The Biosecurity Act is undergoing review, with a discussion document due out in April. The scope of the review is broad and covers several areas important to NZW's membership, including the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partnership, compensation and cost recovery settings for biosecurity responses. The discussion document will be publicly available and NZW encourages members to get involved in opportunities to have their say on the proposed changes to this key piece of legislation, which underpins our biosecurity system. NZW will be making a submission on the options proposed and would value as much feedback from members as possible to help inform this.

Readiness for an incursion of Xylella fastidiosa (the bacteria which causes Sophie Badland Pierce’s disease) is set to improve with the development of a more comprehensive readiness and response operational agreement. As well as NZW, a group of other industry parties have agreed Xylella is a priority unwanted organism and will work together to further develop and test plans for responding to a Xylella incursion.

Another cross-industry operational agreement, for readiness for new Lepidoptera (moth/butterfly) incursions, has also been proposed and looks set to be negotiated over the next year.

The NZW biosecurity team are also looking forward to engaging with members at Grape Days, Spray Days and the Young Viticulturist and Young Winemaker competitions in 2022. The biosecurity resources we developed throughout 2020/2021 have been well-received and we are enjoying hearing from members who are putting biosecurity best practice into action. We’ve also recently launched a biosecurity network for those with an interest in learning more and upskilling in biosecurity; it’s still in the early stages now but we are hoping to grow the network further next year. Anyone interested can sign up on the NZW website.

12 / Winepress January 2022

PROTECT

Duncan McFarlane - Group chief executive Indevin and Villa Maria Our biggest area of focus right now is obviously successfully navigating harvest 2022. All harvests are important, but this year - with the acquisition of Villa Maria, combined with the Indevin business - it’s a very big responsibility that we need to make sure we get right. At this stage (midDecember) the harvest around the country is looking to be quite good, and we’re confident it’s going to be a lot better than vintage 21. That will be welcome from a sales and marketing perspective because we, like everybody, have had to prioritise customers and markets on the back of the last vintage. There’s a big opportunity to actually fulfil the demand which is still there.

There are challenges that go along with that, including disrupted supply chains, which are a major focus for

Damien Gillman - general manager for WineWorks Marlborough Labour supply will continue to be a pressure in 2022. And that will go hand in hand with pressure to get the new vintage bottled and containers on the water. The 2021 vintage was low yielding, so a lot of our clients will be running out of Sauvignon Blanc in February and March.

And because the supply chain overseas is so long, the wine is longer on the water, so they will want the gap between

“Our two biggest challenges will be resourcing and getting it out the door when our clients want it.”

Damien Gillman

Duncan McFarlane. Photo Jim Tannock

everyone, and we – as the country’s biggest wine exporter - are no exception. We, like a lot of others in the industry, have increased prices over the past 12 months, so navigating through that is another challenge. We might have extra product to sell, but the number one priority with the reintroduction of supply into the market is to not disrupt the value that has been created.

Looking beyond vintage, we will be working to ensure we have access to the right labour numbers for pruning, which will be critical. Everyone is focussed on that now. We are all hopeful that things will settle down from a Covid-19 perspective and RSE workers in particular will be able to come in at the right time.

Subject to changes in the border requirements, I expect that at the minimum our sales and marketing people will be travelling again as early as March. We have managed our way through not being able to travel quite well, but it’s coming to the point where we do need to get in front of the customers. However, we need to be able to do that safely and also get back into New Zealand, so it will require a risk analysis process.

Photo by Jim Tannock

getting it bottled and in a container as short as possible.

Some companies are saying their crops will be 20% up, and we know it’s going to come in hot, probably in late April everyone will want it all at once. Our two biggest challenges will be resourcing and getting it out the door when our clients want it.

When it comes to opportunities, we are seeing bottling costs go up offshore – particularly the United States - based partly on increasing glass costs. That means we’re getting more enquiries about bottling here, which is good news for us, with value being added in New Zealand.

Winepress January 2022 / 13

PROTECT

Tanya Pouwhare - chair of New Zealand Ethical Employers There’s an opportunity this year for Government to collaborate and create employment and immigration settings that enable the best results, setting clear intentions, being future focussed, streamlined and fit-for-purpose.

As in 2021, labour contractors face a range of challenges in 2022, from increased costs due to the drive for better working conditions, remuneration and benefits, to the complexity of long-term worker welfare, and Covid-19 risk mitigation frameworks.

Contractors Tanya Pouwhare face chronic stress from running a business in a constantly changing environment amid a huge amount of uncertainty, alongside the ongoing time pressure with harvests and a tight labour market. By 2030, there will be an estimated global Samantha Warrender - Customer experience manager at Cloudy Bay Vineyards As far as our cellar door is concerned, we remain very optimistic for the summer season. We are prepared for a full season, and would prefer to be over-prepared than underprepared. Given the traffic light system, I think there may be a period of time where people have some trepidation about coming out into the crowds. But I think after people become a little more used to it, we will see a lot more support from the community and wider New Zealand regions.

Cloudy Bay has been targeting our offering towards our local community, with a Kiwi spirit for our menus and tastings. We are trying to get the community involved by putting on some smaller events here to get people out and about. Because we have so much lawn space, people can be comfortable and get involved in what’s going on.

We have had short summer seasons for the past few years, but we hope that with borders opening, our season may be a little longer this time, and we are ready to accept all our wonderful guests. We also have a lot of forward bookings from the huge number of visitors who have postponed their visits over the past year or two, and we are most certainly getting ready for that now.

The periods we closed due to Covid provided a great opportunity to work in our winery and public spaces, and we are really looking forward to showcasing that and getting people back to surprise and delight them.

14 / Winepress January 2022

“Greater trust, accountability and transparency is being demanded by consumers globally.”

Tanya Pouwhare talent shortage of 85 million people, and we are feeling that right now, with a loss of skilled workers to Australia, low unemployment, slowing national population and higher aged demographics in New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture regions.

But there are opportunities ahead as well, as we learn to embrace technology and better understand the efficiencies it can bring. We see an increase in the geographic and gender diversification of our labour force, and increased workforce capacity, training and upskilling, here and in the Pacific. There’s an increase in awareness of human rights and the competitive edge that comes from doing it right, and we’ll see more of that in 2022. Greater trust, accountability and transparency is being demanded by consumers globally.

“We are trying to get the community involved by putting on some smaller events here to get people out and about.”

Samantha Warrender

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GROW

Home sweet home Good life in a van and the vines SOPHIE PREECE

ANGIE AND Nige Boyd were working full-time jobs and living in a “big flash” home in Invercargill, when they realised it just “didn’t feel right”.

Fast forward less than a year and they’re blissfully happy in a 7.9 metre campervan parked in a picturesque vineyard, with their working day just outside the door.

“No overheads, no mortgage, no rates,” says Angie, adoring her van in the vines. “It’s made a huge difference to our lifestyle.”

“And we’re helping so many people,” says Nige, who loves the fact that their new lifestyle is doing something to address the labour shortages that came with Covid-19 border restrictions. “And if you have a good company to work for you have no rent, because you park on their vineyards.”

The day we talk, they started work at 6.30am, helping with a vineyard development up the Wairau Valley, and by 2.30pm they’re back “home” in their lovely campervan on Callum Linklater’s Renwick vineyard, looking over lush green vines and blue shadowed hills, while contemplating the evening ahead.

“They are so happy; they are living the dream,” says Callum, who has been employing the Boyds to work on vineyard developments and maintenance for Vit Management Ltd, the company he runs with viticulturist Stu Dudley. “They have no ties and can go where they want and work where they want.” And he’s pretty happy they’ve decided that for now that’s with him, having put off plans to leave after a month. The couple have already found work on Indevin’s bottling line for the 2022 vintage, and Callum hopes they’ll come back next spring. “They’re such good people and such good workers - reliable and diligent.”

They’re also a “crack up”, he adds.

The admiration is mutual, and Angie laughs fondly at Callum calling them the pensioners, “the cheeky shit”.

The couple’s life changed quickly when they realised their “huge” executive home wasn’t for them. “We weren’t happy”, says Angie, who’d also had enough of working in 16 / Winepress January 2022

retail, after 28 and a half years at Briscoes in Invercargill.

Nige, who was a storeman at the Southern Institute of Technology, where he won the 2020 Annual Excellence in Allied Service Award for a “selfless attitude in his approach to work”, was also ready for a change.

So, they sold up – “cap, shirt, Bata Bullets; the lot”, says Angie. “It was bizarre. It was meant to happen.” They’d never been campervanning, but jumped right in, picking up their mobile home on March 31 and driving straight to Central Otago. “We knew a lot of the orchards and vineyards were in trouble because of Covid crap, so we just said, ‘let’s go and help these people out’,” says Nige. He parked up and emailed 155 vineyards to offer their services, and after a “few bites” went to Ruru Wines for the 2021 harvest, where they began a massive learning journey.

From Central Otago the couple drove to Te Puke for the kiwifruit pick, followed by an avocado job at Cape Reinga.

“Oh man, that was magical,” says Angie. There were a few other jobs on the journey to Marlborough, where they arrived in August. Callum, who’d received an email from Nige earlier in the year and told them to look him up when in Marlborough, admires the “old school” door knocking approach to getting a job. “It shows employers they are keen.”

And it’s a tactic Angie and Nige are suggesting to friends and family inspired by their transformed lifestyle, as they urge others to help in the vines and wineries. “We are doing a lot of physical hard work, but that doesn’t scare us and I don’t think it would scare a lot of people that we know,” says Nige. “It’s an experience not many people can have.”

And whether they’re parked on the site of their latest job, or back on Callum’s Renwick block, they are loving life on the row. “You wake up in the morning…and the sun comes up over the hills and you see it hit the top of the vines and you hear the birds,” says Angie. “It’s just incredible.”

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Compliance Matters A snapshot of Marlborough’s winery waste NEARLY THREE quarters of Marlborough’s monitored wineries were either fully compliant or “technically non-compliant” with waste discharge conditions this year. Marlborough District Council (MDC) monitoring programme coordinator Simon Smith says 40 wineries in the region discharge wastewater to land and all were monitored by MDC in 2021.

Sixteen wineries (40%) received a “green light” for full compliance, with another 13 (32%) rated technically noncompliant, which meant the breach - such as a failure to keep records - caused minor or no adverse environmental effects. Of the remaining 11 wineries (28%), 10 were rated as non-compliant, with two of these non-compliant with only one condition or rule, and eight wineries non-compliant with two or more conditions or rules.

“Unfortunately, in 2021 the final winery was rated as significantly non-compliant as the soil was observed to be severely waterlogged and there was extensive plant death as a result of the wastewater discharge,” says Simon. “Of those marked as non-compliant, the main issues identified were discharging too close to a well, grape marc and leachate not

being suitably contained, ponding in the discharge area, and wastewater or soil sampling results exceeding parameters.”

In 2020, nearly half the 38 Marlborough Spring Creek Vintners uses a bioreactor wineries in its wastewater process monitored by MDC were fully compliant with their waste discharge conditions, with 47% given a green light rating. Another eight wineries (21%) were rated technically non-compliant.

Bird Scaring Devices Under the Marlborough Environment Plan, rules are in place around how to operate bird scaring devices in the region.

Marlborough District Council (MDC) monitoring programme coordinator Simon Smith says historically there have been issues with devices going off in the middle of the night when they have not been turned off at the end of the day, or are malfunctioning. “If there are multiple devices in the area it can be difficult to locate an offending device and can cause high levels of nuisance to residential dwellings in close proximity to the vineyards.” A fact sheet summarising the rules can be found at: marlborough.govt.nz/environment/compliance-service/compliance-service-fact-sheets

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Simon says wine companies need to ensure their processes are compliant as the industry heads into harvest.

“While the compliance and performance levels remained relatively consistent from 2020, it was disappointing to not see improvement in overall compliance and to find a winery

in a condition that warranted a significantly non-compliant rating this year. This reiterates the fact that winery wastewater can have adverse impacts on the environment and needs to remain a key focus at the time of production and discharge.”

A guide to watching your waste-line Wastewater Is the disposal area located within a Soil Sensitive Area?

Check at maps.marlborough.govt.nz/smartmaps •Is the disposal area located within 50 metres of a bore?

Check the Well Locations Smart Map. •Is the disposal area located within 20m of a river, lake, significant wetland, drainage channel or within 10m of property boundaries?

•Is the disposal area large enough to not exceed the discharge rate and soil moisture field capacity?

• Do you have pH monitoring in place to ensure that the pH is between 4.5-9 prior to being discharged to land?

Remember to keep records to demonstrate the pH level and note any adjustments made.

Please note: It is important to have sufficient storage available in order to defer discharges when adverse weather conditions occur.

Grape marc storage and leachate collection Whether you store and manage your grape marc waste yourself or contract another party to take and manage

your grape marc waste, you are responsible for taking measures to ensure plan requirements and the Resource Management Act 1991 are met. Important factors to consider are: • Is the grape marc located within a Soil Sensitive Area?

• Is the grape marc located within 50m of a bore?

• Is the grape marc located within 20m of any surface water body?

• What is the moisture content of the solid waste?

• Are there measures in place to prevent rain and runoff entering the grape marc?

• Is there sufficient leachate collection in place?

• Is the grape marc covered?

To avoid adverse effects, it is recommended to store grape marc solid waste on an impermeable surface with an impermeable leachate collection system.

For more information, contact the council’s monitoring team on 03 520 7400 or monitoring@marlborough.govt.nz

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PROTECT Stephen Leitch and Stephen Pitts. Photo Richard Briggs

Plastic Fantastic Good things in the pipeline

“We have been working hard with all our suppliers to look at how we can reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Stephen Leitch A PILOT project is under way to recycle plastic waste from vineyards in Marlborough. The collaboration between local water engineering and management firm SWE and irrigation company RX Plastics will see polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from vineyards and projects around Marlborough recycled and reused, with polyethylene (PE) to follow suit soon.

“We’ve been working with SWE since they first opened their doors,” says RX Plastics territory manager Steve Pitts.

When SWE managing director Stephen Leitch approached him about reducing waste to landfill, it put things in motion, he says. “We’re all very excited to have this pilot now underway here in Marlborough.”

RX Plastics have set up the pilot system at SWE’s headquarters, where the products are cleaned and sorted into categories. Once checked, they are collected and returned to RX Plastics’ Tinwald factory for regrinding and repurposing. The PVC is reground and made into other products. The PE material will also be reground and pelletised, ready to be used in a myriad of other new products.

The work reduces waste to landfill from these products by an estimated 99%, with the rubber rings from within the PVC sockets the only remaining part not able to be recycled at this stage. “It’s still early days, and at this point we are 20 / Winepress January 2022

trialling it with SWE here in Marlborough,” says Steve.

“However, I’m really confident this is going to be successful - and at that point we’d be looking to open it up nationally to our clients.”

Stephen says SWE’s motivation to decrease waste came to the forefront when they became Toitū carbonzero accredited in 2017. The company has nine active “shift projects”, and another half dozen already completed, which “shift” SWE from its current emissions output to a reduced one.

“Our shift projects us from where we are now, to a place that better meets our mission. An example of one of our active shift projects is to have zero waste to landfill,” he says. “We have been working hard with all our suppliers to look at how we can reduce, reuse and recycle – and this pilot project with RX Plastics came out of that work.” He says dripline and drippers are not included in the scope of the pilot project, but SWE are exploring a trial with another supplier to deal with that.

RX Plastics was also looking for ways to improve its environmental footprint, “and we want to support our clients’ sustainability goals too”, says Steve. “Our products are designed to be used for 50 to 100 years plus. And if we can recycle them at end-of-life, well that completes the circle perfectly.”

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GROW

Forgotten Corners Good mahi at Mount Riley KAREN WALSHE

“Ideally our strip of planting would connect to other plantings on adjacent land and run the full length of the stream.”

Matt Murphy PLANTING 3,000 natives along a vineyard stream seems like the perfect recovery for a weary vintage team, says Mount Riley winemaker Matt Murphy. “To chill out, not thinking about all the hard mahi we have done in the previous weeks.”

But it’s more about a good recovery for the Pukapuka stream, which runs down the side of the company’s Seventeen Valley vineyard at the foot of Weld Pass, 12km from Blenheim. “We thought this would be a cool spot to do something awesome”, says Matt, who has been full of ideas for increasing biodiversity at Mount Riley, but short on space to make them a reality.

Matt says the two-hectare area set aside for planting was traditionally grazed in the winter. “A couple of years ago we decided to fence off the area bounding the stream and we have already started to see native plants regenerating.

We have already had kānuka, broadleaf and kōwhai start to self-seed.”

Mount Riley winery was successful in its application to the Marlborough District Council’s (MDC) Working for Nature/ Mahi mō te Taiao grant (see sidebox), and is receiving funding for the project, which will begin with tackling willow, broom and pine. “Then we have plans to plant over 3,000 natives along the stream bank, and the funding we have received from the Working for Nature fund will help to fund plants, stakes and tree protectors,” says Matt. “We will organise a company planting day so that the staff can get involved and plant the trees. Once we have established the natives, we will get into some pest control work.”

22 / Winepress January 2022

In 2016 the MDC investigated complaints about damage to the stream, thought to be due to organic matter stored upstream from the Mount Riley property. The council later took the case to the Environment Court and in 2020 the owner was ordered to start riparian planting along the stream’s banks, as one of a number of measures to prevent further damage and remediate the damage.

“Ideally our strip of planting would connect to other plantings on adjacent land and run the full length of the stream so that we start to establish a corridor for the birds from the hills to the lagoons and back,” says Matt. “The remedial planting further up the stream, combined with our plantings, would be a good start.”

Working for Nature Marlborough has been identified as one of five centres of biodiversity in New Zealand due to its large concentration of endemic species. The variety of biodiversity is due to the range of habitat that Marlborough provides, from its dry, rocky conditions in South Marlborough to the forests, wetlands and coastal habitats of the Marlborough Sounds. In September 2020, the Marlborough District Council established a new grant to protect and restore native biodiversity.

The Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao grant is a $90,000 annually contestable fund that considers projects that would have previously fallen under the Tui to Town and the Greening Marlborough funds. Mount Riley Winery is one of three wine-related companies to be granted funds in the most recent round.

GORW

Stepping Stones

Riparian plantings at Yealands

Planting unused vineyard areas with native plant species provides several benefits to the landscape, says Marlborough’s New Zealand Landcare Trust catchment coordinator.

Wendy Sullivan says an increasing number of vineyard managers are looking at adding biodiversity values to their vineyards, via neglected streams, unproductive terraces, “forgotten corners”, and new shelter belts. “There is no denying that vines dominate much of the lowland and coastal South Marlborough landscape,” she says.

“Original native vegetation is reduced to 2% and regenerating natives less than 10% of land cover.”

Native plants provide habitat for native birds, lizards and insects, filter run-off into streams, reduce weed infestations, provide carbon sinks and make landscapes more aesthetically pleasing, says Wendy, who has been offering growers advice on what and where to plant.

Often getting started is the hardest part, she says. “Always start with a planting plan. The complexity of the plan depends on the complexity of your site and project.” It is essential to understand the soil moisture of your site over the four seasons, she adds. “Eco-sourcing is important to ensure that you are not compromising the genetics of nearby natural habitat, but this involves ordering plants at least two years ahead.”

And people need to commit to maintaining plants for at least two years, in order to protect the investment, says Wendy. “Plant and walk away is not a good policy. Ensuring your plants are not smothered by rank grass or weeds, plants are well mulched, and replacing plant covers that have blown off will ensure a high rate of survival.”

Wendy is also intrigued with the concept of using “forgotten corners” to provide wildlife with “stepping stones” and corridors, enabling them to move between larger intact habitats. An event around what this may look like for South Marlborough is being planned by the New Zealand Landcare Trust and New Zealand Winegrowers’ Sustainability Guardians for next winter, says Wendy.

For further advice on planting, or to receive updates on future events, email Wendy at wendy.sullivan@landcare.org.nz

Winepress January 2022 / 23

CELEBRATE

Generation Y-ine

Ruby McManaway

Ruby McManaway is making her mark KAT DUGGAN

RUBY MCMANAWAY went from a gap year before university to a promising winemaking career, taking out second place in Marlborough’s 2021 Young Winemaker competition.

Her U-turn into the wine industry came just as she was planning to leave Marlborough for studies at the University of Canterbury, and opted to instead take a year off to earn some money.

“I kind of had a bit of a panic thinking ‘what am I doing?’, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do or whether I wanted to go and spend three years at uni straight away,” Ruby says. She landed a cadetship with Constellation Brands New Zealand and “shocked” her friends and family when she started working in the vineyard. “It’s not what anyone would have picked at all,” she says.

promoted to assistant winemaker at the winery.

Now in the final semester of her studies, Ruby recently competed in the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year competition for the first time, placing second.

Having been selected from 17 applicants, the most in the competition’s history, and then competing against five other talented young winemakers, she was thrilled with the result.

“There are so many incredible applicants… I was pretty stoked just to make the cut,” she says.

“It’s high intensity; it’s fast paced.”

Ruby McManaway Growing up, Ruby and her sister resisted the idea of a career in winemaking, despite their dad’s best efforts to point them in that direction. “The cadetship gave me a realisation that I could do something and I didn’t have to go to university; I could have a gap year, earn some money and then at the end of that first year, if I wanted to, I could still go to uni,” she says.

She did eventually go back to study, but instead enrolled in Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology’s (NMIT) Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking, studying online while also working full-time.

The structure of her cadetship meant Ruby spent six months working in the vineyard, and six months in the winery - the latter capturing her attention for a potential career. “The winery was definitely where I wanted to be and make my mark in the wine industry.”

Following her cadetship, Ruby spent a further two years working with Constellation Brands, before joining Yealands Estate as a cellar hand in early 2019. Late last year she was 24 / Winepress January 2022

“When they called my name for second place, I couldn’t believe it, it was very exciting. But now that I look back at it, I can see that I actually did work pretty hard for it.”

Ruby applied for the competition in 2020, but wasn’t selected to compete. “To be honest that was actually a blessing in disguise; I don’t think I would have been quite ready for it last year,” she says.

Now she is hungry to try again. “I would like to do it next year and I would like to do quite well, [but] there were a few people that pulled out that I would say were hopeful to take it out this year,” she says.

In the meantime, Ruby is looking forward to completing her degree and getting stuck into another year in the winery, including the vintage buzz she enjoys. “It’s high intensity; it’s fast paced,” she says. “It just shows how much work really goes into a vintage, that you can fill a winery the size of this in three to four weeks and that gives us enough work to last another year; that amazes me.”

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So long 2021 Looking back at a tough 12 months

Cloudy Bay’s wine experiences were adapted to meet the changes of Covid. Photo Jim Tannock

SOPHIE PREECE

IF 2020 was a year that showcased the wine industry’s agility - leaping from one pivot to the next like a prima ballerina – then 2021 revealed its resilience. As we tipped from the arduous 2020 into the fresh new year, the challenges of Covid-19 flowed full-force through to January.

For the past 12 months, companies, individuals, suppliers, Government agencies and wine representative organisations like Wine Marlborough and New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) have continued to meet an onslaught of menaces, from unreliable shipping schedules to labour crises in vines and wineries; and from a low yielding harvest amid stellar Sauvignon demand, to hospitality-haemorrhaging lock-downs. And it has continued to adapt - month by month, week by week, day by day - in terms of global logistics, remote communication with clients, domestic-focussed cellar door approaches, event adjustments and the move to traffic lights and vaccination passports.

It was a time of mammoth change, where relationships were tested and often strengthened, thanks to a coordinated approach to success. Here are a few of the ‘highlights’ of an extraordinary year.

January 2021 The new year rolled in with a range of challenges, old and new, but the looming labour crisis stood out among them all. With borders closed, the industry’s traditional reliance on Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme (RSE) workers, international cellar hands and a holiday visa workforce made it vulnerable.

In response, Marlborough became part of a nationwide campaign to attract people to wine jobs and to the training required for vintage. The Ministry for Primary Industry’s (MPI) Opportunity Grows Here campaign, supported

by NZW, saw outdoor and digital advertising sharing the opportunities and lifestyle of wine jobs far and wide along with educational opportunities growing around the industry.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) worked with Wine Marlborough and MPI on a cellar hand

taster day for those interested in exploring a career in wine, preceded by NMIT’s cellar operations course, targeting the 2021 vintage. The New Zealand School of Winegrowing was ready to help as well, with students preparing for vintage placements.

January’s Winepress looked at the response of cellar door and wine experience operators, who were tapping into a domestic market thirsty for experiences. They were also thirsty for wine, and cellar door operators commented on good sales from a smaller number of visitors enjoying a more in-depth experience.

February 2021 As our wine industry worked through the challenges of business in a pandemic, a report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, commissioned by Wine Marlborough, revealed that Marlborough’s wine industry

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March 2021 As Marlborough’s harvest progressed, the industry responded to light yields and stellar international demand.

The fruit was proclaimed fantastic, but the quantity insufficient to meet the growing global thirst for New Zealand wine, and in particular Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “There’ll likely be some battening down the hatches, and some hard choices on where this wine gets allocated,” said winemaker Ben Glover in the March Winepress.

April 2021

Gregg Slatter prepares for Summer Feast 2021.

Photo Jim Tannock.

contributes $571 million to the local economy, with 18% of the region’s economic activity generated from the wine industry, and one in every four jobs in the region down to wine.

Preparing for vintage was the order of the day in February, including Wine Marlborough’s pre-harvest winery waste workshop, which drew nearly 40 people to hear presentations from Marlborough District Council representatives, along with Jeremy McKenzie and Nick Best from Isabel Estate. A pre-harvest field day also attracted dozens of people.

The February Winepress took a look at Summer Feast, with a series of smaller events held across the region, in the absence of the iconic Marlborough Wine & Food Festival.

The festival was cancelled due to the risk of Covid-19 to wineries and the wider community, but an array of fantastic events popped up at cellar doors.

As harvest wound down, and wine companies looked to tighten belts in the face of the light harvest, pressure on pruning capacity wound up. The focus for many turned to finding labour to prune Marlborough’s vines, and exploring ways to extend the pruning season and lighten the labour requirement. Wine Marlborough and the Primary ITO, with the support of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), held a winter pruning tasting course, piloted by 12 people keen to find opportunities to join the wine industry.

Participants got practical hands-on experience in the vineyard, and local employers shared frank advice and insights with the course participants.

The Marlborough Wine Industry Growth Forecast revealed that Marlborough’s vineyard area is continuing to grow, with another 5,150 hectares expected by 2024/25, taking the total planted area to 34,145ha. “Wine has a huge impact on the financial health of this region, and these growth plans will make it an even more significant player,” said Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens in the May Winepress.

May 2021 The mission to find pruners continued into May, when NZW and MPI kick-started a highly visible pruning advertising campaign that gained 2.6 million impressions on digital ads over 10 weeks.

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Wine Marlborough and Bragato Research Institute (BRI) also held the Marlborough Pruning Field Day, which drew 130 people to participate in four modules led by viticulture experts. Attendees heard about relevant research then explored mechanical pruning options, alternative pruning, maintaining quality, and pruning fundamentals.

May’s Winepress looked at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Project Veraison project, studying the perception of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in Australia, and the potential for growth in that market. It also looked at the Project Harvest digital campaign, where makers of Marlborough Sauvignon waxed lyrical about an extraordinary product from an extraordinary place. Project Harvest was released to on May 7, in celebration of #sauvblancday.

That same day, Wine Marlborough partnered with Feast Marlborough for the 12th International Sauvignon Blanc Day, delivering a #sauvblancday lounge at the Bayleys Friday Night Feast. The lounge served gold winning Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough Wine Show 2020, sponsored by QuayConnect, amid the bustling festivities of Feast.

June 2021

July 2021

Labour remained a stress point as the region swept into winter. Wine Marlborough co-hosted an interactive stall at The Future of Work Conference, alongside Wither Hills, Hortus, and the School of Winegrowing. A whopping 93% of students who attended the event said they would recommend it to others and 82% said it helped with ideas for their personal career pathway.

The June Winepress explored the opportunities of agritech in viticulture, including Pernod Ricard’s autonomous vineyard tractor Oxin, and the virtual and assisted reality pruning being developed by the MaaraTech Human Assist Programme. “We have some fantastic examples of locally developed solutions in the wine industry,” said Simon Yarrow of Callaghan Innovation after an Agritech Connector event in Blenheim.

The labour theme continued throughout the month, with the RSE Conference held in Nelson in June, with its post-Covid future theme.

They say it never rains but it pours, and July 2021 helped prove the idiom, quite literally. A significant ‘pour’ on July 17 and 18 caused floods in Marlborough, with a State of Emergency declared on July 17. Many vineyards were impacted to some extent and some were impacted to a large extent, with plants and infrastructure hit when 6,000 cumecs of water tore down the Wairau River, and the downpour derailed some of its tributaries. “There are some people grappling with clearing, repairing, replanting and rebuilding infrastructure, just when they need to focus on the business of pruning,” said Marcus Pickens in the aftermath.

Wine Marlborough worked to keep local and central Government informed of the damage, and held a webinar with BRI to give updates and advice following the floods. A Wine Marlborough survey attracted 82 respondents from 104 properties, with the majority of them vineyards. More than 660ha of vineyard land was reported flood affected.

July also saw top wine talent compete in the Corteva Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year competition, with the title taken by Jessica Wilson from Whitehaven.

Wine companies had the chance to ask questions of 10 executives from Foodstuffs in July, with Wine Marlborough setting up a Q&A during the judging of the New World Wine Awards in Blenheim. A follow-up article featured in the September 2021 Winepress.

The July Winepress looked at the major impacts of shipping delays on wine companies, with containers being bumped from ships, or ships not arriving in port at all.

The edition also looked at the impact of viticulture on soil compaction and carbon, and the efforts of some companies to nurture soil health.

August 2021

Caption Primary ITO training advisor Tom van der Burgh and trainee Joshua Anderson at Mount Base vineyard. Photo by Jim Tannock. June 2021 Winepress

August Winepress looked at some of the ongoing issues caused by the July flooding, as companies worked to manage vital vineyard tasks despite damaged infrastructure and waterlogged land. The edition also explored some of the topics at Grape Days, including subsurface irrigation and the tracking of carbon emissions, as well as covering the Organic Symposia held by Organic Winegrowers New Zealand in July.

July and August saw Wine Marlborough undertake a pruning progress survey, capturing information from 128 Winepress January 2022 / 29

EDUCATE

respondents representing 15,924ha, or 54% of the region’s producing vineyard area. Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Nicci Armour developed a model to forecast the labour shortfall for pruning. “Given Marlborough’s tight labour market, this new model can help us understand how close to the line we are in terms of labour supply and demand, and the impact of other confounding issues like a flood and border restrictions,” Nicci said in Winepress.

“Having a tool like this is valuable, even when we are not in crisis.”

September 2021 Closed borders resulted in a long stay for many RSE workers in Marlborough. In September’s Winepress Ionatana Manu, who works with Thornhill, talked of longing to return to his family in Samoa.

Wine Marlborough spent September on the hunt for a new Marlborough Wine & Food Festival site, after more than three decades at the iconic Brancott Vineyard. With the help of the Marlborough District Council, the organisers took a shine to Renwick Domain “in the heart of wine country”.

Marcus said at the time that having attendees who’d been to more than 20 events was a reminder of how important the festival is, “and that it is key to recreate the magic at a new site”.

Ionatana Manu.

Photo by Jim Tannock

October 2021 The Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year 2021 was held on October 6 behind closed doors, under Covid-19 Alert level 2.

Matua’s Peter Russell took the title, with Yealands’ Ruby McManaway coming in second, followed

by Alun Kilby from Marisco Vine to Wine intern Kaya Walsh.

Photo Jim Tannock Vineyards.

Later in the month, judges in the Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored

by QuayConnect, called the medal winning new vintage Sauvignon Blancs “out of this world”. Chief judge Ben Glover, in the wake of the show’s highest ever gold medal tally, said it was one of the best wine competition line-ups he had seen. “The concentration, the poise, precision and depth of styles showed the quality of this year’s vintage,” he said.

The October Winepress explored the Vine to Wine innovation developed by three wine industry employers in Marlborough in 2020, with interns experiencing each workplace across the year. “There’s so much to learn about that you would never know working in the one job,” said Kaya Walsh after 16 months in the programme.

The edition also explored an “incredibly messy” international shipping situation, the “exponential” growth of organics, and a worm army turning wastewater contaminants into castings at Marlborough Vintners.

Vineyards & Viticulture Advisory Planning, Production, Problem Solving Mike Insley M: 021 229 8157 E: mike@grapesense.co.nz W: www.grapesense.co.nz 30 / Winepress January 2022

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November 2021 Four new representatives were elected to the Marlborough Winegrowers Association board in November, with Nigel Sowman, Michiel Eradus, Damien Yvon and James Macdonald joining the ranks. Beth Forrest became chair with Tracy Johnston deputy chair. The Annual General Meeting was held later in the month, with the release of the annual report.

In late November, trophies were awarded for the 2021 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. With Covid-19 scuppering the show’s Celebration Lunch, Wine Marlborough staff and the show’s trophy sponsors travelled throughout the region to celebrate within vineyards, wineries and cellar doors.

The two days of visits, along with photos taken at every spot, were about “capturing the story, the people and the place” behind the wines, said Wine Marlborough events manager Loren Coffey in the December Winepress.

The Marlborough Seasonal Labour Update, compiled by Wine Marlborough based on a survey of wineries, revealed a major shortfall in the vintage labour force for 2021, and a dearth of experience. Of the seasonal workers who had already been recruited, 43% had no experience, 31% were returnees, and only 26% had more than one year’s vintage experience behind them.

With 2021 vintage labour a major concern, Wine Marlborough developed content to feed into the Government-funded Opportunity Grows Here campaign, being worked on by NZW . “This will help develop a clear, consistent Marlborough story that resonates with people in our seasonal labour market, complements the story of our Marlborough wine region, aligns with our Marlborough identity, and supports national industry objectives,” said Sarah Linklater from Wine Marlborough.

Marlborough Wine Show – Saint Clair Family Estate.

Photo Richard Briggs Matua’s Ajay Munde is part of a winery attraction campaign.

Photo Richard Briggs

December 2021 The risk of Covid-19 to the Marlborough community and its wine industry led the Marlborough Winegrowers Association board to announce that the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival would not run in February 2022. Before making the decision, the Wine Marlborough team conducted a risk analysis and a sentiment survey of the organisation’s membership, which includes approximately 700 grape growers and wine companies. “We are absolutely committed to the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival,” said Marcus Pickens. “But our greater commitment is to the safety of our industry and our community.”

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Winepress January 2022 / 31

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Biosecurity Watch What else is out there?

JIM HERDMAN

MEMBERS OF the New Zealand wine industry should all be aware of the most unwanted exotic pests and diseases that may affect the industry and be familiar with the devastating consequences that may occur if we get an incursion of the brown marmorated stink bug or Xylella fastidiosa that causes Pierce’s disease in grapevines. New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) has developed a Vineyard Pest and Disease Identification Guide and produced a ‘Most Unwanted’ poster – members should have these displayed in offices or smoko rooms so vineyard staff can become familiar with exotic threats and raise the alarm if they find anything suspicious.

As well as the ‘most unwanted’, several other exotic threats also exist, so it’s good to be aware of what’s out there and know how to reduce the risks to your site. The best thing members can do is report anything that is suspicious and abide by the protocols set out in the Vineyard Biosecurity Plan template.

So what are some of the other threats to look out for?

Esca

Overseas, the most devastating trunk disease in recent times has been Esca, a significant threat not yet known to occur in New Zealand. It is a real problem in several European wine countries, such as France, Italy, and Spain, and is known to be present in other grape-growing areas of the world. In central Italy, a four-year study reported that it affected 90-100% of vineyards.

Esca is a disease complex; initial infection makes vines susceptible to a severe heartwood rot, which kills the vine. Esca initial infection is by the Phaeomoniella chlamydospora or other Phaeoacremonium species (which are already present in New Zealand) followed by a woodrotting pathogen, usually Fomitiporia punctata or F. mediterranea (not present in New Zealand). It has a very distinctive leaf symptom called ‘tiger stripe’ and is more common in cool showery summers. In the Italian study,

about 10% of vines that showed foliar symptoms died within the four years of the study. Sometimes a black speckle of berries is also an obvious symptom occurring after veraison.

Fall armyworm Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) arrived in northern Australia in 2020 and has spread rapidly around the country ever since. Native to the tropical and subtropical regions of north and central America, it has invaded more than 60 other countries, none of which have successfully eradicated it.

Fall Armyworm- Bugwood.org Grapes are recorded as a host, however, there is little information available about damage to grapevines. New Zealand Winegrowers urges members to be on the lookout for this pest in the vineyard; it is not yet known to be in New Zealand, but may arrive in the near future, in light of its rapid spread throughout Australia. While unlikely to fly unaided across the Tasman, modelling suggests it is most likely to be blown over in strong wind events. Fall armyworm could also arrive in New Zealand via import of infested plant material, other contaminated commodities or as a hitchhiker on aircraft.

Grapevine Pinot Gris virus Grapevine Pinot Gris virus (GPGV) is a relatively new-toscience virus first discovered in Italy in 2012. It has since been reported in many other countries across the globe, including Canada, Brazil, Chile, France, the United States, Germany, China, the United Kingdom and Australia. While first noted to be associated with Pinot Gris, it causes disease in many grapevine cultivars, including table grape varieties and some rootstocks. GPGV is not currently known to be present in New Zealand.

IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL

CATCH IT . SNAP IT . REPORT IT .

Call MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 32 / Winepress January 2022

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Affected vines may have stunted shoots with shorter internodes and delayed onset of budburst. Other symptoms less commonly seen are shoot-tip necrosis, poor lignification, and zig-zag shoot growth. In Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer in Italy, low bunch weights and fewer bunches have led to reduced yields in GPGV-affected vines.

Desiccation, delayed ripening, higher acidity and bunch shatter have also been associated with GPGV infection.

Yellow spotted stink bug - Wikimedia Commons

Grapevine red blotch virus Grapevine red blotch associated virus (GRBaV) is a recently identified virus of grapevines and is associated with red blotch disease that was first reported in California in 2008.

Research conducted by Amaud Blouinon on the New Zealand vineyard virome has confirmed that GRBaV has not yet been detected in New Zealand.

GRBaV symptoms generally occur in late summer as irregular red blotching in leaf blades. The veins of affected leaves can turn partially or fully red. Symptoms are typically confused with grapevine leafroll disease; however, the margins of red blotch affected leaves do not roll downward.

The primary impact of GRBaV is on the accumulation of total soluble solids. Typically, infected vines can be as much as four to five units slower than healthy vines. Fruit from diseased vines also shows increased acidity. It has yet to be comprehensively determined whether GRBaV has a significant impact on vine vigour or fruit yield. In North America, this virus primarily affects red wine cultivars such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Rotbrenner and angular leaf scorch Rotbrenner and angular leaf scorch are diseases caused by fungal pathogens P.tracheiphila and P.tetraspora. These diseases are most problematic in cool-climate viticultural regions, where they can affect a wide variety of cultivars.

Angular leaf scorch is currently only known to occur in North America, while Rotbrenner is only known to occur in Europe, particularly France and Germany.

Disease symptoms include leaf lesions confined by the major veins of the leaf. These develop into areas of necrotic tissue surrounded by a distinctive yellow or red halo. Most of the leaf surface can be killed in severe infections.

Grapevine red blotch virus symptoms in Chardonnay. Image courtesy of Dr Lia Liefting and Professor Marc Fuchs

In Europe, outbreaks of these diseases have caused severe annual losses in some seasons where weather conditions are conducive to fungal development. To minimise losses, early detection and the adoption of subsequent fungicide programmes are critical.

Yellow spotted stink bug The yellow spotted stink bug (Erthesina fullo) is a large shield bug with an adult length of approximately 2cm. This makes it larger in size than the brown marmorated stink bug and any other of New Zealand’s shield bug species. The body is black with many small yellow spots and distinctive markings around the rear of the insect. The yellow spotted stink bug is now present in the southern hemisphere, having been recently detected in Brazil but is not present in New Zealand.

Conclusion There are many wine industry biosecurity threats that are fortunately not yet present in New Zealand. Our biosecurity system is world-class, but everyone needs to play their part.

Remember to follow biosecurity best practice wherever possible, remind others to play their part too and be part of our team of five million – biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility.

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Winepress January 2022 / 33

Industry News

Jane Hunter is a mentor

NZW Mentoring Programme New Zealand Winegrowers has launched its latest Mentoring Programme, aimed at supporting wine industry members to increase their confidence, focus on their self-development and reach their goals. The programme matches one mentee with an experienced mentor from within the New Zealand wine industry, following a careful selection and matching process. The pair then meet regularly over the next six to eight months as the mentee sets goals, makes plans to reach them and is encouraged and supported by their mentor. The mentors, all highly experienced wine industry professionals, volunteer their time and knowledge.

This is the biggest programme to date, with 18 matched pairs. Mentor and mentee workshops were run by Fiona Fenwick at Giesen’s Ara Woolshed Cellar Door in Blenheim. Auckland mentors had their session online due to Covid-19 alert level restrictions. The programme was highly over-subscribed and the calibre of applications very high, says New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) leadership and communities manager Nicky Grandorge. “It’s exciting to see how many people from a wide range of roles are wanting to further themselves and their careers within the wine industry. Likewise, it’s fantastic to see the passion and generosity of the mentors as they share their vast wine knowledge and experiences to help others thrive.”

This year, thanks to the generosity of AnA Selection Cooperage, The Marlborough Lab Network, Klima, and New World, scholarships were available to support extra people onto the programme..

Fruity Friday The three “F” wineries based in and around Renwick FROMM, Framingham and Forrest - are getting together for Fruity Friday, where visitors can collect stamps from each cellar doors to go into a prize draw. FROMM’s Stephan Walliser (pictured) says the “F” winery event – available every Friday this summer – is something new for the region.

“Although each of these wineries has a specific focus FROMM on red wines and organics, Forrest on low alcohol wines and Framingham on whites (especially Riesling), they have a common desire to offer creative and fun ways for visitors to experience wine tasting.” Visitors will require a Vaccine Pass at each cellar door. For more information, email stephan@frommwinery.co.nz

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Cellar doors adapt to traffic lights BRENDA WEBB Orange means go for Marlborough cellar doors, which have adapted quickly to the Government’s new Covid-19 regulations. At Lawson’s Dry Hills it’s been business as usual, according to cellar door manager Nigel Whittaker. “Checking Covid-19 vaccine passes has been smooth sailing so far,” he said a week after the country moved to the traffic light system in December.

The Covid-19 Protection Framework is based on three levels of restrictions - green, orange and red - and the South Island moved straight to orange on December 3. That meant Marlborough cellar doors could open and operate, provided customers present their My Vaccine Pass.

Whitehaven cellar door manager Nanette Kirk said the new system was working “okay” so far. “The verifier app is working well, although we had a few issues with scanning laminated versions, so we simply visually check those,” she said in December. “People are aware of the need to show passes and are happy to wait to be scanned in.”

With Whitehaven being part of the Vines Village complex on Rapaura Rd, vaccine mandated businesses there were jointly looking at ways to manage visitor flows during the busy peak periods. “We are very conscious of the need to provide a good customer experience while remaining compliant, ease pressure on staff and provide a good flow through the complex.” Over the summer period, to encourage visitors, Whitehaven planned to have a regular schedule of live music outside by the lake.

Framingham’s marketing manager Bridget Glackin said the traffic light system was working well, with visitors being extremely understanding and well aware of the process now involved in visiting a cellar door. Framingham was planning for similar visitor numbers as last summer. “Our overseas visitors are missed. However, New Zealand travellers are loving exploring the Marlborough region and cellar doors,” said Bridget. Under the hospitality framework,

“We are all looking forward to the summer and are hopeful we will be run off our feet.”

Jane Hunter Framingham operates with seated tastings – either a formal seating inside or relaxing on beanbags in the courtyard.

Hunter’s cellar door has opted to only open five days throughout the year – Wednesday to Sunday. Managing director Jane Hunter said it has been too hard to guess visitor numbers and to employ the staff needed for a seven day a week operation. “The traffic light system is still to be tested, but staff have been well informed about the sighting/ scanning of the passports, so fingers crossed customers will comply and we will be able to work with the new system,” she said in December. Hunter’s hasn’t made any changes to the way they operate, except working by the rules. “We are all looking forward to the summer and are hopeful we will be run off our feet.”

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Wine Happenings

A monthly list of events within the New Zealand wine industry.

To have your event included in the January Wine Happenings, please email details to sophie@sophiepreece.co.nz by January 21. Due to uncertainty around Covid-19, there may be changes to some of these events. For more information, please use the contact supplied or email sarah@winemarlborough.nz

JANUARY 12 Rock Ferry Wine’s Twilight Market; 4pm-7pm – rockferry.co.nz 23 Vinyl in the Vines at Catalina Sounds; 1pm-6pm - eventfinda.co.nz 27 2021 Corteva Young Viticulturist of the Year National Final, Indevin Bankhouse Estate 27 2021 Corteva New Zealand Young Viticulturist of the Year speeches and awards dinner. Clubs of Marlborough, Blenheim FEBRUARY 5 South Island Cheese Festival at Clos Henri - southislandcheesefest.com 9 Rock Ferry Wine’s Twilight Market; 4pm-7pm – rockferry.co.nz 18 Nuits Romantiques at Clos Henri MARCH 4 Annual Harvest Concert, Framingham Wines 5 Jacksons Road Summer Vines 9 Final Rock Ferry Wine’s Twilight Market; 4pm-7pm – rockferry.co.nz 12 Havelock Mussel & Seafood Festival, Havelock Domain 19 Gintastic Marlborough MAY 6 Feast Marlborough’s Friday Night Feast 7 Saint Clair Vineyard Half - vineyardhalf.com

Winyl in the Vines - January 23

36 / Winepress January 2022

Young Viticulturist Final - January 27

South Island Cheese Festival - February 5

THE REQUIREMENTS When mobile plant will be operating (tipping, raising or lowering) 4 metres or less from overhead lines, under section 5.2.1 of NZECP 34 you must apply to MLL for written consent (Close Approach Authority) that allows the mobile plant to operate at a reduced distance.

In other circumstances, when mobile plant is not operating within 4 metres of a live overhead power line, you should identify the risks and apply appropriate controls to prevent harm and/or damage occurring.

Get to know NZECP 34. It could save your life.

What you need to know - tips to stay safe Vineyards often have overhead power lines near or running through them, so there is significant risk - to you or your equipment - of accidentally touching the lines.

SAFETY AROUND LIVE OVERHEAD LINES Working on a vineyard can put you in all kinds of situations but close to electrical equipment and overhead conductors should never be one of them.

Prior to vintage 2018 Marlborough Lines (MLL) undertook a safety campaign to ensure that wine companies, harvest contractors, growers and vineyard owners were aware of the legal requirements for working around live overhead electric lines.

Since then there has been a great response from a wide variety of wine industry participants, and incidents involving mobile plant and overhead lines have thankfully been few in number over that period.

As the network owner, MLL is very mindful of the need to keep "safe working distances" fresh in everybody's minds. While the focus since 2018 has been on the higher risk period over vintage, the requirement extends throughout the year where other vineyard operations are undertaken in the vicinity of overhead lines.

Based on the great response and increased awareness MLL intends to continue with a focus on education, and to encourage a risk-based approach with respect to the operation of mobile plant as a normal part of your hazard assessment for all of your operations.

You don't even need to touch the line to be in danger electricity can jump through the air to you and your equipment.

Obeying the rules can help ensure all workers' safety Every line must be treated as live. Always.

Don't locate dump/load sites under or near overhead power lines.

When moving tall machinery, choose the route where power lines are high enough for adequate clearance.

Always have any mobile plant device capable of being raised or lowered, in the lowered position prior to moving under lines.

Ensure operators are competent in the operation of their machines, thoroughly briefed and understand the dangers of working near overhead power lines.

Ensure a competent safety observer is able to maintain effective communication with the operator and alert them to any perceived hazard.

Before you harvest, prune, load or move equipment, look up and familiarise yourself with the location of any overhead power lines.

Locate a warning notice as near as practicable to the operator/driver's position stating "WARNING KEEP CLEAR OF POWER LINES". These stickers are available from MLL.

Contact us If you believe you may require a Close Approach Authority, need warning stickers, or have any questions, please phone Marlborough Lines on 03 577 7007 or email info@mll.co.nz to discuss.

We are happy to provide advice to help ensure everyone remains safe and well when working near overhead lines.

Winepress January 2022 / 37

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