Winepress - September 2014

Issue No. 240 / September 2014

Mapping Marlborough

Mobile Optimisation

Syrah in Marlborough

Election Special

Photo: Jim Tannock

@marlboroughwine

The Official Magazine of

www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

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In this issue...

Regulars

Features

3

9

4

Editorial

Tasman Crop Met Report

19

Alternative Varieties

24

Generation Y-ine

29

NZW Export News

31

Wine Happenings

32

Printed by: Blenheim Print Ltd. T: 03 578 1322 WINEPRESS is printed with vegetable oil based inks on elemental chlorine free paper which is sourced 100% from well managed forrests and manufactured under ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.

p17

With the proliferation of smart phones, many businesses may be missing out on potential growth, if their website is confined to desktop technology. We find out why mobile optimisation is vital in this day and age.

14 Celebrating 30 Years of Research

Editor: Tessa Nicholson 16 Bank Street Blenheim 7201 T: 021 709 571 E: tessa.nicholson@me.com

While maps are available that show where in Marlborough our vineyards are situated, there is nothing that indicates which varieties are grown where. Two men are on a mission to change that.

11 Mobile Optimisation

News From Home and Away

Mapping Marlborough

It very nearly didn’t get off the ground, but thankfully for Marlborough, the Research Centre opened its doors 30 years ago. Sir Doug Kidd, was there at the beginning and back for the birthday celebrations.

p14

26 The Candidates Speak Out

Two of the major political candidates give their views on the wine industry moving forward, as the country heads towards a general election on September 20.

p24

WINEPRESS June 2014

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WINEPRESS September 2014

For further information contact Cropmark Seeds Freephone 0800 4 27676 www.grubout.co.nz www.cropmark.co.nz

Ph: 03 577 9299 Web: www.wine-marlborough.co.nz marcus@wine-marlborough.co.nz For Advertising contact: Emily Hope Ph: 03 577 9299 emily@wine-marlborough.co.nz Produced by: Wine Marlborough Free to all levy paying members Associate Members: $77 +GST Wine Marlborough Board Clive Jones - Chair: cjones@nautilusestate.com James Jones - Deputy Chair: james@starborough.co.nz Blair Gibbs: blair@spyvalley.co.nz Ivan Sutherland: ivan@dogpoint.co.nz Ben Glover: ben@zephyrwine.com Ruud Maasdam: ruud@staetelandt.co.nz Guy Lissaman: glissaman@xtra.co.nz Laurin Gane: laurin.gane@xtra.co.nz Simon Clark: simon@clarkestate.com Simon Bishell: simonbishell@outlook.com

From the Editor This issue of Winepress is something of a milestone for me. It is exactly 10 years since I took over from David Barnsley as editor. Ten years and 110 issues of Winepress later, I can’t help but reflect on the changes that have occurred.

Back in 2004, Marlborough was already the country’s largest wine region by far.

But I don’t think I ever thought it would get to the stage that this region produced close to 80 percent of the country’s total wine production.

In 2004 we had just over double the hecterage of Hawke’s Bay, the country’s second largest wine region. These days we are five times bigger.

Have a quick look at the statistics below, gleaned from previous NZW annual reports and the latest released last month.

Number of Wineries NZ Number of Wineries Marlborough Number of Growers NZ Number of Growers Marlborough Producing hectares NZ Producing hectares Marlborough Production Million/litres NZ Average Grape Price Sauvignon Blanc Exports Total Exports value

2004 2014 463 699 84 151 594 833 (as at 2013) 275 581 (as at 2013) 18,112 35,313 (as at 2013) 8,539 22,903 (as at 2013) 119.2 320.4 $1,792 $1,688 (as at 2013) 19,747 million litres 160,580 million litres $302,599 million $1.328 billion

In every area Marlborough has grown exponentially. And as we have grown, so too has the New Zealand wine industry.

(The notable exception is the average grape price – which going by the latest figures from 2013, is lower than the average price paid in 2004).

It’s been an incredible ride to get to where we are at the moment, with a few ups and downs along the way. Weather events, global financial crises, over supply, under supply, we have seen it all. But the dominant factor in the past decade has been the growth of Marlborough as a premium wine-producing region.

It has been exciting cataloguing that growth via Winepress, which we are proud to say is New Zealand’s oldest wine industry magazine. It too has grown substantially in the past decade, and to celebrate we have made some subtle changes to our layout. We hope you enjoy them.

As we were going to print at the time of the Romeo Bragato conference, we will have full coverage in the October issue.

Finally, you should receive Winepress before voting for the Marlborough winegrowers election closes. There is definitely going to be an election required to elect the two winery positions and hopefully one for the grapegrower places also – so please if you are eligible to vote do so.

TESSA NICHOLSON tessa.nicholson@me.com WINEPRESS September 2014

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Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – August 2014

August August 2014 August Period August

2014 compared LTA of LTA 2013

to LTA GDD’s for month -Max/Min¹ 10.8 61% 17.6 (1996-2013) 38.4 GDD’s for month – Mean² 32.5 94% 34.5 (1996-2013) 49.8 Growing Degree Days Total Jul – Aug 14 – Max/Min 19.0 71% 26.8 (1996-2013) 57.9 Jul - Aug 14 – Mean 55.6 98% 56.6 (1996-2013) 93.2 Mean Maximum (°C) 14.1 -0.1°C 14.2 (1986-2013) 15.4 Mean Minimum (°C) 3.2 -0.7°C 3.9 (1986-2013) 6.1 Mean Temp (°C) 8.6 -0.5°C 9.1 (1986-2013) 10.8 Grass Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 13 2.4 more 10.6 (1986-2013) 6 Air Frosts (0.0°C) 5 1.1 more 3.9 (1986-2013) 0 Sunshine hours 179.9 101% 178.8 (1930-2013) 150.2 Sunshine hours – lowest 129.2 1941 Sunshine hours – highest 235.0 2011 Sunshine hours total – 2014 1545.1 99.6% 1552.1 (1930-2013) 1605.7 Rainfall (mm) 9.6 15% 63.6 (1930-2013) 65.4 Rainfall (mm) – lowest 4.6 1969 Rainfall (mm) – highest 172.1 1990 Rainfall total (mm) -2014 407.4 92% 442.9 (1930-2013) 511.3 Evapotranspiration – mm 42.0 86% 48.6 (1996-2013) 51.0 Windrun (km) 220.3 93% 238.1 (1996-2013) 201.3 Mean soil temp – 10cm 6.4 -0.1°C 6.5 (1986-2013) 8.5 Mean soil temp – 30cm 8.6 +0.1°C 8.5 (1986-2013) 10.2 ¹GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures ²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures August 2014 in summary August 2014 was very dry and cool with average sunshine hours.

Temperature The mean temperature of 8.6°C for August 2014 was 0.5°C below the

long-term average temperature for August of 9.1°C. The first week of August (Table 2) was well above average as were the last three days of the month. However, the second, third and fourth weeks were below average.

Table 2: Weekly temperatures during August 2013 August 2014 1st - 7th Week 1 8th - 14th Week 2 15th - 21st Week 3 22nd - 28th Week 4 29th – 31st (3 days) 1st – 31st 2014 August Long-term average (1986 – 2013)

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Mean Max (°C) 15.5 13.9 13.5 13.4 14.1 14.1 14.2

Mean Min (°C) 4.7 0.7 2.9 2.6 7.8 3.2 3.9

Mean (°C) 10.1 7.3 8.2 8.0 11.0 8.6 9.1

The main reason for the below average mean temperatures in those three weeks was the below average daily minimum temperatures. The average daily maximum temperatures were only slightly below average during the same period, i.e. the daytime temperatures were only slightly cooler than average in weeks two, three and four, whereas the overnight minimums were quite a lot cooler than average. During the final three days of the month the overnight minimums were much warmer than normal.

Winter temperatures The long-term average temperature for the three winter months of June, July August is 8.5°C (1986-2013). The average winter temperature in 2014 was 9.0°C; 0.5°C above the long-term average. However, this above average temperature was entirely due to the fact that June 2014 was 2.2°C above average. July was 0.4°C below average and August was 0.5°C below average.

Budburst of grapevines got off to an early start in the spring of 2013, due to very warm temperatures in July and August 2013. The mean temperature of 9.9°C for those two months was 1.4°C above average of 8.5°C. July and August 2014 recorded a mean temperature of 8.0°C, 0.5°C below average. The JulyAugust 2014 average temperature is the coolest since 2004. Hence I would expect that spring bud movement of grapevines in 2014 will not be as early as in 2013.

Frosts August 2014 saw a return to an above average number of ground and air frosts after very few frosts in both

Figure 1: Ground frosts numbers for winter (June, July and August) recorded in August 2012 and 2013 Blenheim (1932-2014) and the trend in number of ground frosts (Table 3). However, the total number of ground frosts recorded for the winter of 2014 was only 32, six less than the long-term average for the period 19862013. I have deliberately started comparing the number of frosts with the average for the 28 year period 1986-2013 rather than comparing with an average for the period 1932-2013. As I have mentioned on many previous occasions Blenheim has recorded far fewer frosts over the last 30 years than earlier in the 20th century, e.g. an average of 38 ground sunshine hours for the eight months e.g. 2002 recorded 25 winter frosts frosts for winter for the period 1986January to August 2014 (Table 1). which caused the 10-year average to 2013, compared to 52.6 for the period fall, whereas 2006 recorded 47 winter 1932-1985 (Table 3).

Rainfall frosts which caused the line to rise Two months ago in Met Report I August recorded only 9.6 mm of rain, again. However, it is fairly clear that a presented a graph of ground frost 15% of the long-term average. This is high number of winter frosts in 2006 numbers for June. Figure 1 presents the second lowest august total on record of 47 would have been well below the the total number of ground frosts for Blenheim. Only August 1969, with average for the first 30 to 40 years on recorded in Blenheim for the three 4.9 mm, has recorded less rainfall in the graph. The red line displays the winter months of June, July and August the 85 years 1930-2014. In contrast the trend over the whole 83 years, 1932for the 83 year period 1932-2014. wettest August on record is 1990 with 2014; I don’t think this line needs any The yellow line is a running 10-year 172.1 mm rain. The low August rainfall explanation. average. For the period 2004-2014, followed July 2014 that only recorded the running average is 35.6, slightly 9.9 mm rain, the lowest July total on Sunshine higher than 33.4, five years ago. This record. Therefore total rainfall for July Total sunshine hours of 179.9 for ten year moving mean line is affected and August 2014 of 19.1 mm is the August were almost the same as the by occasional years with much higher lowest total on record for these two long-term average as are the total or lower frost numbers than average, months.

Total rainfall for the three winter Table 3: Ground and air frost numbers in Blenheim during August months, June, July and August 2014 and total number for Winter (June-August) in recent years was 117.8 mm, compared to the long August Winter August Winter term average of 187.4 mm. Well above

Ground Ground Air Air average rainfall in June 2014 of 98.3

Frosts Frosts Frosts Frosts mm boosted soil moisture at the start 2014 13 32 5 15 of winter, prior to July and August 2013 6 35 0 9 being very dry. While the 117.8 mm 2012 6 35 0 11 for winter 2014 was a lot lower than 2011 17 43 8 16 average it was by no means the lowest on record. 10 years in the period 19302010 5 30 1 11 2013 have recorded less winter rainfall.

2009 4 38 0 21 The lowest winter rainfall was recorded Long-term average (1986 – 2013) 10.4 38 3.7 16.7 in 1969, with only 31 mm for the three Long-term average (1932 – 1985) 15.7 52.6 7.5 30.1

WINEPRESS September 2014

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Figure 2: Blenheim rainfall for January to August 2014 compared to the long-term average

months. 2005 was the most recent year with a lower winter total of 117.2 mm Total rainfall for Blenheim for the eight months January to August 2014 is 407.6 mm, or 92% of the long-term average of 442.9 mm (Figure 2).

In any given year if Blenheim received only 19.1 mm rainfall over two consecutive months during late spring and summer then the province would look very dry and a serious drought could well be imminent or in force. In the winter it is only low evaporative demand and very little plant water use that keeps the province looking green when little rainfall is received, as is currently the case. As you would

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WINEPRESS September 2014

expect after two months of very low rainfall, soil moisture in the topsoil at the beginning of September 2014 is currently lower than average. With the onset of warmer temperatures and spring pasture growth soil moisture in the topsoil can fall quite rapidly without regular rainfall. Marlborough will need to receive plentiful rainfall during September and October 2014 if the province is to avert an early Spring drought.

Rob Agnew Plant & Food Research

New Look Wine Marlborough Communications Emily Hope – Wine Marlborough Marketing & Communications coordinator

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. George Bernard Shaw Here at Wine Marlborough we are working hard to ensure that both our members and those with a love and passion for Marlborough wine are aware of local and national happenings.

In order to achieve this we use a number of communication channels: 1. Direct email to members via our database. However this is only as effective as the accuracy of the email addresses we have. Please let us know if you have a new email address or additional people in your team you want on our database to receive important updates.

2. E-newsletter. This aims to be a fun and informative update of what we’ve been doing, events on the horizon and any seminars or workshops that may be of benefit to you. If you don’t already receive our e-newsletter but would like to, please visit the ‘About Marlborough’ page on our website – www.winemarlborough.co.nz to subscribe.

3. Website. We have a new website!

We’ve gone all out as we believe it’s important to have a website that reflects our region, growers, winemakers and industry workers.

If you haven‘t seen our new look website be sure to visit the site and explore at www.wine-marlborough. co.nz. As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words and we hope you enjoy the images on the site. Besides looking stunning, the new look website contains

an interactive Wine Trail Map for visitors wanting to plan a cellar door experience or to learn more about our cellar doors. All of our wineries are now much easier to find on the ‘Wineries’ page. We also have included a section on the Wine Marlborough team and our board members too.You’ll now also find a refined events page to make it easy for visitors and members alike to find out what events are coming up and how you may be able to get involved. If you have an event you would like listed please let us know via email at admin@wine-marlborough.co.nz.

In addition to the above, there are also Marlborough facts, maps and regional information, an image gallery and news. We think there is something for everyone on the Wine Marlborough site so please take a look.

4. Social media. The dramatic rise of social media has allowed us to connect not only with our members but also with a large number of consumers and wine industry influencers. Don’t dismiss this if you are not a user, as often the most effective way of informing our winery members of a specific event, news story or seminar is via twitter and the all-important hashtags!! Facebook is a great way of engaging with consumers and sharing Marlborough’s wine

events and accolades with those consumers who have a passion for Marlborough wine.

5. Workshops and seminars. We are working to try and increase our growers’ awareness of the technical and practical seminars and workshops that are taking place locally. We have had a positive response for the seminars we have recently hosted on wine tourism/ cellar doors, the importance of mobile optimisation (you can read about this on page 11) and alcohol promotions and remote sale legislation. We also have a revamped technical transfer seminar on September 9th from 2.304.00pm followed by a social BBQ at the Marlborough Research Centre. Come and hear the inside knowledge from local viticulturists and growers on practical solutions for mealy bug, powdery mildew and herbicide resistance.

If you would like to know more about what’s going on around the region and how we can be of service, please let us know. The quote above from George Bernard Shaw is a reminder to keep the lines of communication well and truly open!

WINEPRESS September 2014

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WINEPRESS September 2014

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Mapping Marlborough’s Vineyards Tessa Nicholson

A move is underway to create a vineyard map of Marlborough that will show what varietals are grown where in the province, as well as the clones and age of the vines.

Given Marlborough has reached the stage of having close to 24,000 hectares of vines, the time is right to map just what varieties are planted where, according to Nick Lane from Cloudy Bay. He along with Marcus Pickens from Wine Marlborough, are keen to create a visual picture of this region.

“Twenty-four thousand hectares means Marlborough is now a significant vineyard region,” Nick says. “But we don’t have any real visual maps to show the world our story.”

While there is a wine trail map and the Marlborough District Council maps that indicate where vineyards are, none show the varietal make-up.

“Having a varietal wine map is of

communal benefit for the whole of Marlborough’s wine industry.

This would be a way to highlight our diversity, given it will be a very powerful visual tool,” Nick says. “Out there on the road, marketing wine is all about the story. And if there is one thing we all share, it’s the land and the plants that are on that land.”

He said the completed map will also be a powerful tool to present to visiting media. While many wine companies may have their own version of where their vineyards lie and the varietal make-up of those, there is nothing that shows the region as a whole.

Marcus and Nick have already presented the proposal to wineries, who

they believe are the ones that need to get on board with the proposal. The goal is for each of those to input their own vineyards, detailing what varieties are grown, what clones have been used, what the area of each planting is and the age of the vines. But they will also be asked to input the data relating to the vineyards they contract fruit from, to get a more detailed picture. If the company wishes to provide the name of the block, they can also do that.

The Marlborough District Council is providing the digital mapping tool, for wineries to anonymously input all the required data. Nick was quick to point out that on the final map, those vineyards will not be identified by

The French are no strangers to identifying their wine regions in great depth. Now is the time for Marlborough to do the same.

WINEPRESS September 2014

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owners and there was no conflict in terms of privacy involved.

He said that was a point that some people have expressed concern about.

“Individual vineyards and their size and ownership is material that is already available to anyone who wants to search for it, so we are not providing the Council with anything new. This is a detailed map for our own use, no one else.”

And the only data visible on the map viewable by everyone, is the vineyard and the variety. The rest of the data collected (clone, age, name etc) is under the strict ownership of Wine Marlborough.

He went on to say that this is not a statistical study or land use survey of the region. And while it is not likely to be a 100 percent accurate study of variety, clone and age, the hope is that it will provide a clear vision of trends and diversity make-up.

“It is not a device for any body or organisation to analyse or derive conclusions from. And it is not a map designed to show ownership of any producer or grower and it will not

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WINEPRESS September 2014

be traceable. The only way it could be, is if you name your block say Cloudy Bay 4, which makes it pretty obvious who owns it. That is not the idea of the block names.”

Besides providing a significant marketing tool, the map would also have other benefits. In time the vineyard details could overlay water, soil and climatic maps, as well as topography.

It could also provide the ability to detail the age of the region’s vines, which is a useful tool when marketing certain Nick Lane varieties such as Pinot Noir.

Given older vines require more pruning time, having an idea of how growers and producers alike. old the region’s plantings are will help With the project launched to wineries when submitting for RSE workers. It last month, Nick and Marcus are could also provide valuable information hopeful of having a 90 percent buy in when it comes to a potential bio within the next 12 months. With some security issue. fine tuning expected after that, it is Other outcomes could be to capture hoped it will be available for the 2016 the Vineyard Register number for each Sauvignon Blanc Celebration to be block. This would mean the vineyard held here in Marlborough. register would be automatically completed. An attractive outcome for

Mobile Optimisation Tessa Nicholson

People may leave home without their house keys or their wallet, but it’s highly unlikely they will leave home without their phone.With the proliferation of smartphones continuing to grow, businesses need to ensure their website is not solely confined to desktop technology.

Smartphones or mobiles are now a part of everyday life and are vital to businesses growth, according to Angela Best, Director of MobiNomad.

Mobiles are also now considered as the seventh media, behind print, radio, television, cinema, internet and radio. They are the one item that can go everywhere, anytime and provide the owner with immediate access to information.

“On a daily basis, more people connect with the internet on a mobile, than on a desktop computer,” Angela says.

In New Zealand the latest figures available show that; • 80% of people use a mobile for local information • 88% take action as a result of that information, such as making a purchase • 50% of New Zealander’s own a smart phone (In the US that figure is 97%)

• 60% of people access the internet every day on their smartphone and most never leave home without it • 66% of people have researched a product or service on their device • And 27% of smartphone users have made a purchase on their phone • In the US 47% of people who go to a site that is not mobile intuitive, will never revisit that site again All this means if people are looking for information about your cellar door, wine or restaurant, you need to have that information in a mobile friendly format. And that is where the conundrum occurs. Most would say, ‘well we have a website so they will be delivered to that if they research our details’.Yes they will be, but if the website is not mobilised, in other words smartphone friendly, then they are not

likely to stay on the site for long.

So what is the difference between the standard website and a mobilised website?

For one thing, when entering a website via a desktop, the screen is much larger, which allows for a lot of information to be placed on one single page. On a mobile unit, that same amount of information becomes cramped, tiny and extremely hard to read.

Desktop sites can be scrolled through, using a mouse. This allows you to go in and out of sections with some ease.

But transfer that material to a device that requires fingers to highlight and it becomes very difficult.

Desktops are not intuitive, mobiles are, and mobile users are not keen on downloading files such as PDFs, these tend to be more appropriate to desktop sites.

Angela says there are a number of requirements for a successful mobile

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optimised site.

It needs to load fast, this is a critical point as attention spans are dropping and if material takes more than 10 to 15 seconds to load, the person is likely to move to another site. It needs to have an obvious click to call, business hours, and directions or link to GPS Google Maps.

In terms of wineries, Angela says there are a number of other factors that consumers are likely to be looking for on a mobile.

“They want to know if it has a cellar door, a restaurant, operating hours, customer reviews, tours and nearby activities.”

Images are important, but go easy on how many you place given they take time to download. She says it is vital to create a site that is touch intuitive, with plenty of space to allow for fingers.

“Remember people on mobiles won’t spend time scrolling through pages of information like they would on a tablet or desktop.”

“They do not want layers and layers of information, so minimise the level of navigation. Remember people on mobiles won’t spend time scrolling through pages of information like they would on a tablet or desktop. And ensure that you put the customer first – because what they will do on a smartphone is different to what they will do on a desktop.”

What she means by that is, when using a mobile device, they want the basic details in an easy to read and clear format.

Angela was in Blenheim recently, as a guest of Wine Marlborough, and prior to the seminar she did a search of local wineries on her smartphone. She said it was apparent that most were just directing their consumers to an established website that was not touch intuitive.

The best way to create a mobilised website is to start from scratch when designing, although Angela says you can utilise site-specific options for existing websites.

“It is a good interim method, but only that. Eventually you should be looking at creating a mobilised function. Given the continued growth of smartphone use, there is no point building a website that does not function on a mobile device.”

Not if you want your business to grow.

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WINEPRESS September 2014

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Maximum fungicidal effect.

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WINEPRESS September 2014

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KWP2010

For vintage protection, see your regular supplier and insist on Kumulus DF.

30 Years of Research Tessa Nicholson

From uncertain beginnings to being an integral part of Marlborough’s primary sector, the Marlborough Research Centre is celebrating 30 years of existence.

Being such an established entity, it is hard to imagine that the Marlborough Research Centre (MRC) was ever in doubt. But according to Sir Doug Kidd, the former MP for Marlborough (now known as Kaikoura), it very nearly didn’t get off the ground.

Sir Doug was a guest speaker at the 30th celebrations and reflected back on the establishment difficulties and the years since.

He highlighted how a grant of $100,000 from the Ministry of Works, plus another $100,000 from DSIR and MAF were promised, only if the community would give the same.

“And rather amazingly, the Marlborough United Council did the same. So we are coming towards the launch with commitments of $300,000, which in those days was a lot of money, it was a serious endorsement.”

However before the MRC could open its doors, the funding had to be signed off by the Minister of Agriculture – which is where the centre nearly didn’t make it past go.

“We are racing into 1984 and suddenly we have an election on our hands – the snap election which was on the 14th of July. We got the deed signed off on the 12th – it was a near run thing,” Sir Doug said.

While the MRC is a unique entity it was never intended to be, he said.

“It became acceptable political wisdom that these regional research centres were a good idea and that other regions should have them too. But as far as I can tell, it has always remained the only one.

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WINEPRESS September 2014

Even some of the research stations that were in place as national institutions have been transformed and disappeared in the meantime.”

The part the MRC has played in the growth of Marlborough, is enormous, Mayor Alistair Sowman said.

“It is difficult for some of our newer citizens to understand what this region was like before grapes. Rural prosperity was eroding and it was a time of rapid change. People were casting around for new crops, new ventures. A MAF research document had suggested the future of Marlborough might lie in growing codeine poppies, fleawort, lavender, and navy beans.

The beautifully sculptured bronze falcon, created by Anneke Bester for MRC was awarded posthumously to John Marris.

“I can just imagine the tourism marketing challenge of promoting a Marlborough famous for pills, perfume and baked beans,” he said.

In its 30-year history the MRC has had a hand in a wide range of investigations and knowledge sharing. Irrigation trials, cherry, garlic, apple, apricot, kiwifruit, vegetables and of course grape research have been part and parcel of its three decades.

Alistair said the Centre has made an enormous contribution to the Marlborough rural sector and the local economy.

“And it shows no sign of letting up, with clever projects like the new

Drylands Eucalyptus trials and the exciting new food and beverage cluster ready to break new ground.”

The birthday celebration was also the opportunity for the MRC to present its inaugural award to someone who has given exemplary service to the Marlborough region. The award, a stunningly crafted bronze falcon was created by Christchurch sculptor Anneke Bester. MRC Executive Officer Gerald Hope said the falcon or karearea symbolises adaptability, versatility with great vision, fast moving and a fierce defender. He said those attributes befit the inaugural recipient, the late John Marris.

Dr Mike Trought who presented the citation, described John as a person who “pioneered many forward looking, innovative projects which greatly

The Marris family with Sir Doug Kidd and Mayor Alistair Sowman, after the award was presented.

helped the region and economy turn a corner, through diversification.

That legacy deserves to be recognised by the people of Marlborough as an outstanding achievement.”

The bronze sculpture was presented to John’s wife Alison, by MRC Trust Chair, Bernie Rowe.

Water The Next Issue Sir Doug Kidd warned those at the 30th celebrations, community itself. I do worry about that. that water is the next big issue the MRC may want to “I am not too sure that as a nation, we have got to that place their emphasis on. Describing the issue of water as page yet, in terms of thinking about water. But be assured, a passion of his, Sir Doug said Marlborough was one of there is going to have to be a lot of thinking about it. I the first regions in New Zealand to be able to quantify would like to think the Marlborough Research Centre the extent of its underground water resource, which has is going to interest itself ahead, in respect of that field. In allowed allocation to proceed with some considerable providing a forum to think about water, I charge you with knowledge. that new task.”

“Water here is the essential underpinning of prosperity. Its good management must stand ahead of all other priorities. There is no room for compromise. The future of the district depends on that in more ways than one.”

He said the large investment into Marlborough by foreign wine companies, was not just because the region could produce fantastic Sauvignon Blanc.

“The price being paid was never the land price, it was the price of water,” he emphasised.

And he added a warning about those with little interest in the community of Marlborough.

“The interest of those who hold the rights to service their markets at prices they are prepared to pay for the raw materials, may change the relative bargaining. But new opportunities to use water for much higher end value uses will come, but may be unable to be taken up because it (water allocation) Sir Doug Kidd – guest speaker at is locked up by people who don’t identify with the the 30th MRC celebrations.

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Leading the World As the United States takes over as the world’s biggest wine import market, New Zealand has been one country that has benefitted.

According to the latest Rabobank Wine Quarterly, the US became the biggest importer of wine in the world, a position held for decades by the UK. The great news for the New Zealand wine industry is the increase in both our volume and value of wine exports to the US, is significantly higher than any other wine producing country, as the table below shows.

Its not only exports to the US that have grown significantly in the first four months of 2014. The Rabobank report shows growth in all our major markets – with a total jump in overall volume of 26.5% and 25.3% in value over the same period last year.

Exports to the UK were up 42% Exports to the US up 30% Exports to Canada up 27% Exports to Germany up 79% Exports to the Netherlands up 26% No other main wine producing country came close to that level of export growth.

However the report suggested that internationally, wine companies are having to adapt to an evolving

Millennials are quickly becoming the biggest wine consumer group.

consumer landscape. Whereas the baby boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) have held the ascendency in terms of wine consumption for years, they are now being overtaken by the group referred to as millennials.

“In non traditional wine drinking countries, millennials are drinking more wine than any of the previous generations did at their age, while in traditional wine drinking countries, they are drinking less but better wine.

Next to this, wine drinkers are also beginning to include more diverse ethnicities as cultural diversity increases in major markets, exemplified by the rise in wine consumption amongst Hispanics in the US,” the report states.

With a change in demographic, the report suggests wine companies have been presented with the dilemma of “either sticking to a tried and tested formula for the mainstay consumers of the past, or altering their approach to suit impressionable consumers of the future.”

Already some companies have taken

Value (USD Change (%) Volume

million) (Million cases) Italy 556.7 9 10.8 France 403.3 3 3.8 Spain 114.5 3 2.5 Australia 160.2 - 12 6.8 New Zealand 107.1 23 1.9 Chile 97.5 - 19 6.3 Argentina 124.5 5 5.2 World total 1,594.0 3 29.6 Source:The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report, 214

Change (%) 0 -4 -5 - 16 31 - 14 19 -2

that dilemma on-board it says, changing their packaging and marketing strategies.

“Rather than diluting well established brands in a muddled attempt to be all things to all people, bold and progressive companies have developed contemporary brands with a fresh look-and-feel, aimed squarely at wine consumers looking to engage with the category in different ways. While still displaying a willingness to pay for it, these consumers often place less value on provenance and brand heritage and more on what the brand says about them and the occasions on which they consume it.”

Given New Zealand’s reputation for innovation, sustainability and high quality, we are in a good position to take advantage of those changes, moving forward.

However the news about the currency rate is probably not quite as positive, particularly for exporters. The report states the uneven nature of the global economic recovery is expected to lead to marked shifts in key wine sector currency pairings over the next 12 months.

“Generally speaking, the on-going process of paring back economic stimulus in the US economy should eventually provide more support to the US dollar, but will be insufficient to offset relative strength in some currencies such as the NZD as monetary policy is predicted to normalise at a faster rate.”

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Making Their Marc Tessa Nicholson

An Australian company with an 84year history is looking at moving to Marlborough. Processing the region’s grape marc is their goal.

Tarac Technologies was formed in South Australia back in 1930 and since then has been instrumental in producing a number of by products from grape marc, including grape alcohol, tartaric acid, calcium tartrate and tannins. Now for the first time they are looking to expand to New Zealand.

Marlborough is the target, with Tarac collaboratively working alongside the recently formed Marlborough Grape Marc group. (MGM).

Formed to find sustainable ways of dealing with the detritus of each year’s vintage MGM includes some of the biggest players in the region. There are no confirmed figures available on the amount of marc that results from vintages, although it’s thought that this year alone produced somewhere in the vicinity of 62,000 tonnes.

In the past that marc has either been used as stock food, or returned to vineyards as a form of mulch. Neither is seen as a long-term sustainable solution.

Hence MGM and the Marlborough District Council asked for proposals from national and international parties.

Tarac Technologies Ltd were the preferred solution provider.

Tarac’s CEO Jeremy Blanks says they are very interested in expanding their operation into Marlborough, if the economics of it stack up. Given the company already has four facilities within Australia, based on their own technology, he says there is great potential to develop a similar processing unit in this region.

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Mountains of grape marc, made up of seeds, skin, stems and pulp – is a common site at wineries during vintage.

If it all goes well, the company would be looking to start processing marc, in 2016.

It is hard to imagine that the piles of seeds, skins, stems and pulp could possibly be turned into anything with potential. But Jeremy says there are a number of viable options. Extracting alcohol from the waste stream, which can then be used to fortify wines and in the production of spirits is one use. The extraction of tartaric acid and calcium tartrate that can also be used by the wine industry is another. Then there is the ability to create a soil improver that can go back onto the land, without any leachates, or residual levels that can cause problems.

“What we do with the wine waste is create value out of it as well as deliver a sustainable outcome.”

The sustainability is an important aspect of Tarac Technologies, who proudly work under the closed loop system.

“Given this plan is about providing a financial outcome for the industry and is also about a sustainability outcome for them, it fits well with what we do,” Jeremy says.

There are a number of other waste products that Tarac could add to the processing, including de sludge from filtering, the filter cake, juice and wine lees. Having all of these by-products of the wine industry going into sustainable processing would remove a number of headaches for the MDC, who have expressed concern about the existing practices of winery waste disposal.

While Tarac’s CEO and the Operations Manager spent time in the region in August, no definitive decision has yet been made, Jeremy says.

“We are in the process of quantifying the feasibility of this project. So we haven’t got to yes yet. Out current plan is the quantification of financial viability will be done by the end of this year. At that point we can say to the wineries that it will work and we can proceed, or alternatively, it doesn’t work for whatever reason.”

Jeremy says the quantity of marc and other waste streams is the major factor, and part of the reason why Tarac has not entered the New Zealand market earlier.

“The critical thing for us is that we have to be able to quantify the volume of material that is actually here to process. Our business only works with an adequate volume. That is one of the reasons we haven’t previously looked at New Zealand – the size of the industry wasn’t sufficient to support our volume.”

While 11 companies are already signed up to MGM, there is plenty of opportunity for other companies to become involved. The long-term aim is for this to become a regional collective, with benefits and solutions for the entire community.

Syrah in Marlborough Tessa Nicholson

Syrah is very much an alternative red variety for this region. But small though the plantings may be, the ensuing wines are more than capable of standing on their own.

Hawke’s Bay has always dominated the Syrah stakes in New Zealand. As one of the reds the region is renowned for, it is a major component of their wine industry.

In Marlborough there are only 10 hectares of Syrah planted. But as the saying goes, it’s not the size that matters. In the past few months it has been Marlborough Syrahs taking out two of the country’s major titles. First Giesen won the Syrah Trophy at the Easter Show and then Fromm’s was judged the best Syrah in the country by Cuisine.

Master of Wine Perspective with Emma Jenkins So accustomed have we become to the fanfare around New Zealand Syrah it is easy to forget there is still only a paltry 300-odd hectares planted throughout the country. But such is the excitement surrounding its potential

that it commands a disproportionately large amount of producer, critic and increasingly, consumer attention.

Syrah has a long and illustrious history as one of France’s noble varieties. Its birthplace was the Rhône Valley, where to this day it reaches the apex of its expression in the Northern Rhône

appellations of Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Cornas, CrozesHermitage and Saint-Joseph.

Syrah also partners Grenache and Mourvèdre in Southern Rhône reds, adding backbone, spice and finesse and is widely planted throughout the LanguedocRoussillon where again it is seen mostly in blends.

Syrah is grown widely and successfully throughout the world, with substantial plantings found in Italy, Spain, the US (most notably California and Washington State), Chile, Argentina and South Africa as well as smaller plantings in many more countries ranging from Greece to Thailand. Closer to home, Australian Syrah (Shiraz) has a lengthy and impressive history. First planted in the early 1800s, it is widespread across all winegrowing regions with styles varying from light and sweet (e.g.

Riverina) to impressively concentrated

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(e.g. Barossa and McLaren Vale). Ancient vines and clones abound and recent years have seen cooler regions and more elegant styles being explored.

A vigourous, mid-ripening variety, Syrah tends to be medium-bodied with gentler tannins and more mid-palate weight than Cabernet, rich in black-and-blueberries with licorice, anise, olives, herbs, leather plus its hallmark black/ white pepper notes (depending on climate). Very warm climates give jammier fruit plus mint and chocolate. In New Zealand, where it is mostly found in Hawke’s Bay and Waiheke (though a smattering of plantings are found elsewhere from north to south), Syrah tends to ripen in the more settled month of April and has a generally more forgiving ripening window than Cabernet which has helped cement its popularity. The best wines are elegant and structured with clear varietal expression and seem destined for a bright future indeed.

Viticulture in Marlborough The vigour and size of the bunches is the most notable viticultural aspect of Syrah, according to William Hoare from Fromm. Bunch sizes and weights can be extreme, which means careful management in the field is required.

“When you compare a Syrah bunch with say a Pinot bunch there are some noticeable differences,” he said. “A Pinot bunch would be say 90-110 grams, whereas a Syrah bunch would be 140-250 grams. I have seen bunches which are 400 grams.

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William Hoare

“We have one bunch per shoot, and we remove the shoulders to get the bunch weights down to 120-140 grams. Because we are close planted (4700 vines per hectare) we aim for 1012 shoots per plant. So we might be cropping 1.2-1.4 kg a vine, which for us works out at 5.5-6.0 tonnes per hectare. If we did no crop thinning that could easily be double. This past season we would have cut probably more than double that to the ground.”

With vines that are 20 years old, William says the workload is probably about double that used to manage Pinot, and the balance they have found naturally occurring in the Pinot blocks isn’t occurring in the Syrah.

“What we have found at Fromm is the Pinot vines that are 20 years old have found a really nice balance. We do a bit of crop thinning, cut the shoulders off and they sit somewhere around that 1.2‑1.3 kg a vine. Whereas with Syrah, even in the old vines, you have to keep doing the work and adjusting the crops to try and find a balance.”

Timing of that work is also The vigour and size of Syrah bunches means important. a lot of thinning is You have to do things like undertaken, as can be crop thinning and leaf seen here. plucking at the right time with Syrah, as it makes a massive difference in the quality of the fruit.”

While Fromm has undertaken some spur pruning trials to try and keep crop levels down, William says he is tending to lean more towards cane pruning.

“Spur pruning does give lower crops and it tends to budburst early, so you have a longer growing season which is great. But because we

are organic, we seem to have more disease pressure from spur pruned vines, as the older wood is more prone to carry over diseases from season to season.

There also seems to be much more second set higher up in the canopy which can cause issues with powdery mildew later in the season.”

“The great thing about Marlborough Syrah is that people don’t have any set ideas in their heads about what it should be like, but when they try it they love it. I always describe it as a ‘double-concentrated Pinot’.”

The growing season With Pinot here in Marlborough, we work on flowering to picking being 90 days. Syrah can be up to 120 or more.”

That offers a lot of advantages though he says, especially in terms of alcohol content.

“Everywhere I have worked in the world it has always been a battle to get Pinot or Chardonnay off when you have physiological ripeness and don’t have too high alcohol.You have to battle hanging it out there to ripen and then suddenly you have too

much alcohol. Whereas with Syrah in Marlborough, it gets to 13.5% alcohol at the end of the season when it is starting to cool down anyway.You won’t find the brix level rising dramatically each day; instead the grapes just sit there and you get concentration of flavour without over-ripeness or jamminess.”

Winemaking In Fromm’s case all the Syrah is handpicked and fermented on its natural yeast. There is no need to add much to it, William says, because the pH doesn’t seem to move much.

There is no whole bunch fermentation, given with the cool climate here, there is no desire to have stems. It is a variety that is really easy to work with he says.

“People tend to think of Pinot as not being very tannic. But it actually is, so you have to be very gentle with it. Whereas with Syrah, you can be much less gentle.You can be much more relaxed about how much you pump the wine over or plunge the tanks, as Syrah won’t become the big tannic monster that Pinot would.”

Adding a level of complexity to the wine, Fromm co-ferments the Syrah with a small amount of Viognier, for good reasons.

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“Cool climate Syrah can be a bit of a donut wine, it’s all fruit and tannin at the end and it can be a bit hollow through the middle. The Viognier has almost the same cycle as Chardonnay, so it flowers early and by the time we co-ferment it with the Syrah, it is probably about 28 brix. So instead of being like normal Viognier, really fruity, it is concentrated and almost oily.

That’s what fills the mid palate.”

Aged in barrel for anything from 14-18 months (depending on the season), Fromm is keen not to overpower the wine with oak.

“We are using some 600 litre barrels now. There is less surface area of wood, so you end up getting less of that charred oaky sort of flavour.”

The recent accolades for this variety aren’t surprising to William. He says wine writers and sommeliers have often been blown away by the variety here in Marlborough.

“That’s what excites me about Syrah in Marlborough. The variety has been here for a long time with Cloudy Bay, Vavasour and Wairau River all having initial plantings.

But with the growth of Sauvignon Blanc it all got pulled out in the early 90s.

Even though Syrah wasn’t trendy at the time, Hätsch and I both knew we could make great Syrah from the Fromm Vineyard site as he had been making it since 1996. So in 1999 we made a conscious decision to replace some blocks with Syrah. It was crazy at the time, because Syrah wasn’t ‘cool’ and was a very hard sell. It seems we were right, though, as we are now getting a lot of great reviews for this wine and we cannot make enough to keep up with demand.

“The great thing about Marlborough Syrah is that people don’t have any set ideas in their heads about what it should be like, but when they try it they love it. I always describe it as a ‘double-concentrated Pinot’. It is an amazing wine that ticks all the boxes.”

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Generation Y-ine Paul Chambers It wasn’t so much a career choice for Paul Chambers to join the wine industry – more a means to fund his next leg of traveling. Eighteen months in, he is still looking to travel, but vintages in other parts of the world are likely to play a big role in those adventures.

It was quite a convoluted path that brought Paul to Marlborough early last year. The former Lance Corporal in the NZ Army admits he is no wine drinker, despite

having spent quite some time in some of South America’s great wine producing nations.

Growing up north of Auckland, Paul had his sights set on two careers from an early age. It was going to be either police or army.

“When I was really little I grew up watching movies like Rambo and Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was really into them. So right from a young age I had those two jobs in my mind.”

However having left school part way through year 13, (he stayed until after the school’s First XV trip to Australia) he was too young to join the police.

“And I think

Being a cellar hand at Matua, is a long way from one of Paul Chamber’s earlier jobs – caring for a puma, in Bolivia.

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the Army recruitment drive worked on me.”

Having always been physical and enjoying the camaraderie of teamwork, it was the perfect fit for Paul. Initially he had ideas of being part of the infantry, but his recruiting officer had different ideas.

“He told me I wasn’t the dumbest person out there, so I might be more suited to something like a communications systems operator. I was still keen on the infantry, but their intake wasn’t for another six months and I just wanted to get in.”

So after three months basic training at Waiouru it was off to complete three months core training at Linton, and then his specialised training began.

Paul remained in the army for just over six years, during which he was deployed to Afghanistan twice. First to Bamiyan with the New Zealand provincial

reconstruction team, and secondly to Kabul. Despite the danger and the ruggedness, he found it a beautiful country, Bamiyan especially.

“It is such a big valley, with mountains either side. It has some of the most fertile valleys imaginable – they are known for their potato growing, something I had no idea about. It was also just a stone’s throw away from Gogola – The City of Screams, where Genghis Khan went through. And that overlooks the huge Buddha sites. There were some very barren areas but there were also some very beautiful valleys.”

Kabul was not so beautiful he admits, but being such a large city, it was an eye opener.

While many New Zealanders would associate Bamiyan with the death of our soldiers, there had been no loss of lives amongst our troops when Paul was deployed there. They were to occur later. But it didn’t mean he didn’t feel in danger on more than one occasion.

No one ever knows how they will deal with a potential life and death scenario and Paul was no different. But he says that was what they had trained for and he took his lead from his fellow soldiers.

“I felt under threat a couple of times – in both occasions I was driving and looked at my boss. He was cool and calm. We didn’t blow the situation out of context – it was just a matter of remaining calm and coming through it.”

While he was stationed in the middle of a war zone, many of his schoolmates were beginning their OE, mainly to Europe. Keen to travel himself, he had another area in mind – South America.

“My mates were heading for Europe and that just didn’t appeal to me. They were doing Contiki tours and the like, which seemed to be too planned. To me it seemed like you spent half your time on a bus getting to places. South

America seemed more adventurous to me.”

So after his second deployment, he resigned from the army and headed for Santiago. Thinking it would be a good idea to learn the language before heading further into the country, he and his mates undertook a one-month language course. The idea was a good one, the execution wasn’t.

“We probably weren’t in the best environment to learn, given we were staying in a hostel. Every night more people would come in and we were partying quite a bit, meaning we would go to school the next day a little the

weeks. It was full-grown and my job was to take him for walks in the jungle on a lead. It was pretty amazing!”

All the animals at the refuge had been rescued from domestic situations or illegal zoos. And because they had been exposed to domestic diseases, they weren’t able to be released back to the wild.

“The idea of the refuge is to give the animals as good a life as they can and most of the animals despite being wild originally, were relatively friendly.”

Paul arrived back in New Zealand in December 2012 and within a few short weeks had the urge to get back travelling. However with no jobs on the horizon, he had to sit back and wait.

When a friend suggested he come to Marlborough for a vintage at Matua, he jumped at the opportunity. As mentioned he knew little about wine, but being part of a team with a fair few internationals thrown into the mix was appealing. During his time he has worked on the white fruit receival intake, has crushed, pressed, blended, filtered and prepared for bottling.

“It’s been great getting down and dirty in the cellar. The people I have worked with are a really great team, we have developed a nice culture and do a lot of things together. We’re a tight knit group.”

Eighteen months later while still here, Paul admits overseas adventures are beckoning. But his opportunity to learn more about the wine industry here in Marlborough will provide him with skills to take to other wine regions throughout the world. That’s something that dovetails perfectly with his lust for travel.

“I felt under threat a couple of times – in both occasions I was driving and looked at my boss…… it was just a matter of remaining calm and coming through it.”

worse for wear. I realised later that I needed to immerse myself, rather than try and learn through a school.”

There is little he didn’t get to experience in South America. He visited and travelled through Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Columbia. All in all he spent 18 months moving from one place to another.

After the regimentation of the army, it was a sense of complete freedom. He had nowhere he had to be and the time was his own to travel where he wanted.

During those 18months he took on a couple of volunteer jobs. One at a hostel in Patagonia, the other at a wildlife refuge centre in Bolivia.

“I had to look after this puma for six

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Candidates Speak Out With the general election coming up,Winepress asked the major party candidates for their take on the future of the Marlborough wine industry.

Here are their views.

A Hands On Approach Janette Walker Labour Candidate Kaikoura Back in the early 1990s, I was employed to manage the vineyard labour at Winery Estate near the Bombay Hills.

I quickly realised that the hourly wage structure was not working for anyone.

I contracted the blocks on set rates and all the staff worked together as a team, rewarded handsomely for their hard work. They all received better rates of pay then, than many in the industry 26

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receive today. The winery won gold medals, their wages bill cut by2/3rds, the workforce was stable, absenteeism non existent.

I believe most Marlborough grape growers want to do their best for the wine industry, workers and our community.

Increasingly, Western consumers demand that the products they buy be produced without any labour law violations.

We still have little enforcement of cowboy contractors who breach employment law, risking the reputation of the region’s $1billion export wine industry.

Marlborough, producing 80% of the nation’s grapes, still does not have a single dedicated labour inspector. It is imperative a dedicated Department of Labour inspector is domiciled in Blenheim to provide direct, quick accessible contact for employees providing much needed employment law support.

Some of our contractors are doing outstanding work with Pasifica workers.

They work hard for the industry and

deserve a permanent welcoming base to spend their days off. The Migrant Centre does its best but has limited resources. These people need a dedicated recreation drop in centre provided for them in Blenheim.

Our regions and the people who live in them need the strongest-possible representation in Parliament. I have shown I can provide it. I drove an inquiry which now sees three major banks facing prosecution by the Commerce Commission for their dodgy $8 billion “ interest rate swaps” some of which were sold to grape growers. Where was the wine industry voice on that issue at the time?

We still face the challenge of finding a way to add real value to the superb wine we produce here in Marlborough.

The Marlborough brand is unique, yet the industry beset by significant debt levels fails to protect the value of the Marlborough brand , by allowing production of cheap, bulk wine, exported in bladders supplying overseas supermarket chains. This is a major area of concern I believe for the future sustainable economic viability of the wine industry.

Labour’s economic upgrade policy will support industry through research and development tax credits. Providing contestable regional development funds, stabilising the dollar so that exporters can compete overseas, introducing a fairer tax system to drive investment into the productive economy.

I grew up as a child in rural New Zealand. I trained as a nurse, becoming an Intensive Care supervisor. After having my family – three children, I farmed as a sole owner of a 2000 acre

hill country, sheep and beef station in remote rural New Zealand. I am a qualified mediator and arbitrator specialising in rural debt negotiations and employment disputes.

My working life has allowed me to cross the divide between town and country. I bring a unique rural voice. I have the skills, leadership and determination to work hard and deliver for you.

The Future for the Wine Industry Stuart Smith – National Candidate for Kaikoura I stepped down from wine industry politics 20 months ago after 10 years on the board of NZW, the last six as Chairman. I now find myself doing what I said I wouldn’t do, which is to comment on the current state and future of the wine industry. I made that promise to myself because I didn’t think it was fair for a former Chair to comment from the sidelines.

Much has changed for me since then, I am the National Party candidate for the Kaikoura Electorate, which includes the Marlborough and Waipara wine regions, which produced just under 80% of the 2014 vintage.

The wine business is a tough business and many of our smaller wineries lack scale. Export markets require regular servicing which means a lot of time travelling and travel costs for small exporters are often similar to those of much larger exporters.

That does not mean that size is everything of course, but if you don’t have scale you must be able to command a significantly higher price than your competitors and that is hard to achieve.

The local market is well developed and brands have to continually evolve and fight fiercely for shelf space and wine listings. Scale or a unique brand proposition are essential for success.

I have found that marketing wine is a

good grounding for an election campaign of door knocking, public events and visiting businesses.

So what is in store for the wine industry? The 2014 vintage was challenging for those growers who were not able to harvest ahead of the rain, but the majority of Marlborough’s crop was harvested in great condition.

Inventories were very low leading into the vintage and some wineries have advanced bottling their new vintage as stocks ran dangerously low.

Markets are hard won and easily lost making a stock out situation something to be avoided if possible. With the inventory situation now in a more balanced position, wineries can justify allocating resources into expanding market penetration in markets such as the US and developing emerging markets.

As a grower I have a lot of confidence in the future and while this vintage both in terms of its size and the weather will have come as a shock to many, it should be seen as a timely reminder that the weather window can shut unexpectedly and that a balanced crop load gives the grower more options.

Turning to National matters, on September 20 you have an opportunity to have your say on our future.

Before you do, I ask you to consider if you want taxes targeted at the productive rural sector such as a tax on irrigation and capital gains?

Or do you want strong effective leadership that’s focused on the things that matter to you. National will continue to deliver a stronger economy that’s helping to create more jobs and deliver extra support for families. As your Member of Parliament I would bring a lifetime’s experience working in the primary sector, the last twenty years of which have been in the wine industry.

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Formal Cellar Operations Qualification A Step Closer Annabelle Latz A formal cellar operation qualification is one step closer to being established.

In August almost 20 wine industry representatives from around New Zealand took part in a two day Qualification Working Group meeting, to develop the qualification’s structure and content.

The group encompassed winemakers, winery managers, cellar hands and masters, and training personnel.

Representatives from Marlborough included Steve Simpson, Production Winemaker Foley Family Wines; David Williams, Production Manager Matua Valley Wines Ltd; Rick Alderlieste, Winery Training Manager Pernod Ricard; Nick Best, Cellar Master Villa Maria; and myself as a Cellar Hand, New Zealand Wineries Ltd. Headed by NZQA and coordinated through Competenz, the qualification’s aim is to produce highly competent cellar hands and promote New Zealand’s wine industry on a global scale.

Leah Wood, Qualifications Developer for Competenz, said qualifications will help provide a career focus for cellar operators, which will lead to enhanced engagement, motivation and morale amongst employees.

“Becoming qualified in your area of work provides reassurance and confidence that you have achieved a high level of competence recognised by your industry,” she said.

The qualification will involve level three, four, and five certificates, based on unit standards.

Leah said the qualifications are achieved through assessment against standards of competency, and employers will need to ensure internal or external assessors can be utilised for this process.

“Competenz can also help employers through the process of arranging

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training and assessment,” she said.

Each certificate will portray a different focus; from basic cellar skills, supervisor role development, filtration, laboratory skills, health and safety, food standard requirements, internal auditing, incident reports and developing SOPs. Each level will include harvest specific skills.

The next step is for a working group to establish the exact wording of each unit standard, in line with NZQA requirements.

A launch date for the Cellar Operations certificates is expected for approximately eight months’ time.

A few words from Marlborough’s wine industry experts:

something for them to work towards, something to help them set goals which they can achieve. Obtaining work visas for gaining awesome overseas experiences in other countries will also be easier with this formal qualification.

At the same time, if more young people understood the ‘winery cellar’ side of winemaking and viticulture there would be more Kiwis in the industry. If I had experienced a fast paced fun job like ‘vintage’ when I was young I would have been hooked from a very young age. I have many cellar hands working for me that would take advantage of this opportunity and Villa Maria will be more than happy to help them gain these qualifications.

Steve Simpson - Foley Family Wines These qualifications will, if advertised properly, provide genuine incentives for people to enter our industry knowing they can potentially gain useful qualifications. People outside the industry have very little idea of what is involved in making wine. Most people when they look at our industry from the outside in terms of careers, generally only think of winemakers, vineyard managers, and viticulturalists.

This qualification will see a general rise in cellar standards across the industry and a rise in the standard of cellar hands that are employed, and give employers a better level of confidence when employing for cellar positions. There will be some onus on the industry to support these qualifications, but this should not be too difficult from an employer perspective.

David Williams - Matau Valley Wines The qualification has been well thought out, and will provide a consistent approach to training. Training programmes at different wineries in New Zealand vary hugely in terms of quality and scope, and the NZQA programme will improve the standard and consistency, and give cellar operators a recognised qualification for what is a very skilled profession. This is something that Morgan Lowe and Paula Langford from Matua are extremely passionate about, and what was the driving force behind them putting in the huge amount of work to make this qualification possible. This qualification enables the wine industry to compete with other industries and the trades to attract a young work force and encourage people into the industry.

Nick Best - Villa Maria Until now being a cellar hand has just been treated as a “job”. This qualification is giving them a career,

NZW Export News July 2014 Key Points • 2014 export value is $1.328 billion, up 10% on the previous year.

• MAT July 2014 exports are 187.6 m. litres, up 8% on the previous year; packaged exports are +7% for the period and other exports are up 9%.

• Average value MAT June 2014 is $7.11 per litre down 0.3% on the previous year; packaged export value is $8.32 per litre down 1% on the previous year.

Total Export Volume & Value • MAT June 2014 total value of exports is $1.328 billion, up 10% on the previous year.

• Value of June 2014 exports was $94.8 m. up 2% on June 2013.

• MAT July 2014 exports are 187.6 m. litres, up 8% (17.2 m. litres) on the previous year.

• July were 15.9 m. litres down 1% (0.1 m. litres) on July 2013.

• Export Value per Litre - All wines • June 2014 average value was $7.62 per litre, up $0.12 per litre on June 2013.

• MAT June 2014 average price is $7.11 per litre, up $0.01 per litre from the previous month and down 0.3% or $0.02 per litre on MAT June 2013.

- Packaged wines • Excluding unpackaged wine from the data, the June 2014 average value was $8.54 per litre, up $0.02 per litre on June 2013.

• MAT June 2014 the average price is $8.32 per litre, down $0.10 per litre (1.2%) on MAT June 2013.

• MAT June 2014 prices are up 4.6% to the UK and 0.5% to the USA, but are down 6.6% to Australia and 4.4% to Canada.

Export Volume by Country of Destination • In July, for the major markets, exports were up 21% to the USA and 10% to Australia, but were down 26% to the UK. Canada was up 13% for the month, while performance of other markets was mixed, with the best performers being Denmark & the Netherlands.

• MAT July 2014 growth is led by the USA +10%, Australia +6% and the UK +2%. Canada shipments are +9% for the year. Performance of other tracked markets is mixed with Denmark, Germany & Netherlands the strongest performers.

Export Volume by Packaging Type • Exports of packaged wines MAT July 2014 are 131.9 m. litres up 7.1% (8.7 m. litres) on the previous year and are 70.3% of total export volume.

• MAT July 2014 packaged exports are up to all major markets led by the USA 9.0%.

• July 2014 packaged exports were 10.1 m. litres, down 10.0% on July 2013.

• Other (non-packaged) wine shipments MAT July 2014 are 55.8 m. litres up 8.6% (29.7% of export volume). Non- packaged shipments growth is led by the USA (+12%).

• July 2014 non-packaged shipments were 5.8 m. litres, up 20.5% on July 2013.

was from Vintage 2013. As such July was the vintage changeover month – this is the same as last year.

• Performance of other styles was mixed in July but major varieties – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Pinot Gris - all grew 10%+.

• MAT July 2014, Sauvignon Blanc shipments are 160.3 m. litres up 9% from the previous year. Performance of other styles is generally weak with only Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Sparkling growing.

• Production of Sauvignon Blanc in 2014 is estimated to have been 231.1 m. litres, 36% up on the previous year. Shipments of vintage 2014 Sauvignon Blanc since release are 17.5 m. litres or 7.6% of estimated production – this is a lower share than at the same time in 2013 reflecting the larger 2014 vintage.

Exports by Winery Category • July 2014 export growth was led by the medium wineries +29%, but the large wineries were -6% with the small wineries -20%.

• MAT July 2014 growth is led by the small wineries +21% with the large wineries +15%; medium wineries are down 6% for the period.

Exports by Variety/Style • In July 2014 Sauvignon Blanc exports were 13.3 m. litres, down 2% from the previous year, accounting for 83.7% of export volume. Of the Sauvignon Blanc exported in July, 10.3 m litres was from Vintage 2014 and 2.4 m litres WINEPRESS September 2014

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pascalin elep plepeltie eltier @ Thanks fo r / tasting r your time, the le Aug 16 c a MarcusP nd your honesty! ture ickens3 @ @ The best from the last month. @nzwine w @DogPo inemarlborough intWines hannah armstrong ‫@‏‬h_ g_ 7 Aug 1 t armstrong Jul 31 i b r o ne @winemarlborough #young ‫@‏‬wi rlborough is m i viti K p a m Sa comp kicking off. 6 fierce winem wine trail ap @ competitors e i t s eb he vying for the title! pic.twitte New w larly good. T /www.winer. :/ u c com/3WoQTWVPYV specta xcellent. http nzwine e is also ugh.co.nz . # @ ‫‏‬ ro y a d r e marlbo Anna Flow s Jul 29 RapauraSpri aWine ngs TeWhareR nterswines @ R a p aurasprings ‫@‏‬ u O h n Jul 31 its way #nz lborough @ rough winemarlboro v14 @ @winemar te looking at Marlbo ugh #sauvbla ta 4 nc.... pic. twitter.com/v BrancottEs g to think that in 8 e N in D5suCcs5 z in today, ama ly 4 wineries #nzw on e ‫@‏‬ there were Reuben Levermor okiwi Aug 8 ug 18 att Parker @Vin RLevermoreNZ A M romatics @ lborough on the 14 is all about A 20 Congrats @winemar e in w orough % of NZ iver @winemarlb ur ra ai w flash new website. 77 itter.com/ lb region, around #worldclass pic.tw production from Mar w.wine/ww JvYnzWQSSy $1bn exports http:/

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Wine Happenings A monthly list of events within the Marlborough wine industry.

To have your event included in next month’s calendar please email details to tessa.nicholson@me.com

September 9 9 – 11 18-19: 27:

Grower to Grower Workshop – MRC Lecture Theatre, 2.30 – 4.30. Refreshments courtesy of Tasman Crop and BBQ to follow Judging New Zealand International Wine Show - Auckland WinEng 2014 New Zealand Conference and Exhibition ‘Value Adding From Grape to Glass’ – Napier War Memorial Centre Awards dinner New Zealand International Wine Show

October 4-6 7-8 26:

International Aromatic Wine Competition (Canterbury A&P Show) Christchurch Marlborough Wine Show Judging – Marlborough Gisborne Wine and Food Festival - Gisborne

November 1-2 8 16 22

Vinexpo Nippon 2014 – Tokyo , Japan Marlborough Wine Show Awards Dinner - Blenheim Toast Martinborough, Martinborough Air New Zealand Wine Awards Dinner - Hawke’s Bay

DECEMBER 6

The Christchurch/South Island Wine and Food Festival - Christchurch

JANUARY 3 Cromwell Wine and Food Festival – Cromwell, Central Otago 29 – 31 Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration 2015

FEBRUARY 14: Marlborough Wine and Food Festival

GREAT FOOD, GREAT WINES AND GREAT FRIENDS COME TOGETHER AT HERZOG’S BISTRO! With a cosy, unpretentious atmosphere and stunning fare at a modest price, what's not to love?

Indulge in lusty cooking with brilliant traditional Bistro dishes such as Chateaubriand with handmade chips or an unctuous chocolate fondant cake. The menu is simple and always changing, but consistently fresh, flavoursome and unswervingly Herzog’s. No flounce, just good food in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

PS. Hans’ amazing wines and one of New Zealand’s largest International wine lists makes you want to linger for hours…

Herzog’s Bistro - Open for Lunch & Dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, Wine Downs, High Tea and so much more...

Hans Herzog Estate | 81 Jeffries Road | Blenheim |03 572 8770 | info@herzog.co.nz | www.herzog.co.nz |

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News From Home and Away Spiegelau Trophy Winners After the judging of 1318 wines from all over the world, the Spiegelau Wine Competition trophy winners were announced last month.

Marlborough took out six of the 19 trophies. Five trophies went to varietals, while Saint Clair was awarded the Spiegelau Champion Producer of the Show.

Winning wines were: Champion Gewurztraminer – Grove Mill 2013 Champion Pinot Gris – Mud House 2013 Champion Riesling – Giesen 2013 Champion Sauvignon Blanc – Fire Road 2013 Champion Pinot Noir – Saint Clair Pioneer Block 14 – Doctor’s Creek, 2012 Oscars of the Sparkling world This is the name that has been given to the inaugural Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Champions, founded by sparkling guru Tom Stevenson.

With 650 entries from 16 different countries, it was pleasing to see a number of Marlborough sparklings being awarded gold and silver medals.

Nautilus Estate NV Cuvée, and No 1 Family Estate 07 Remy both were awarded gold medals, while Hunter’s NV Miru Miru, and No 1 Family

CLASSIFIEDS SWNZ submissions - need help?

Grapelink Spray Diary & WiSE scorecard • spray record entry & submission • scorecard entry & submission • tutorial assistance Contact Barb Sutton Email: barb.sutton@nettel.net.nz phone 03 575 7110 txt 027 326 4755

Estate NV No 1 Marlborough Rosé were awarded silver.

The overall World Champion and Best in Class Trophies will be announced this month.

BRIT’s 2015 Sustainable Winegrowing Competition This is the only international sustainable winegrowing award of its kind, and attracts a large number of organisations from around the world who are all taking a leading role in “ground to glass” sustainable programmes. The competition is run by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT). Entries are now open and don’t close until January 15. The entry form is available on line and consists of 18 high-level self assessment questions focusing on the three tenants of sustainability; environment, social and economic, plus a 19th subjective assessment – wine taste. For more details and to download the application, visit the web site 2015 International Sustainable Winegrowing Application.

Wine For Hospice This is a novel fundraiser that will directly benefit Marlborough’s Hospice.

Hennessy Hall Wine Co and New Zealand Wine Society have collaborated and crafted Sophora Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014.

All proceeds from this wine will go directly to Marlborough Hospice Trust to support the Hospice that provides such excellent care to the people of the

Marlborough region.

Winemaker Corey Hall sourced the grapes for Sophora from three Marlborough vineyards specifically chosen for the fruit characteristics they offer. The resulting wine has layers of lychee, gooseberry, guava, lemon and lime that’s balanced by firm acidity and a dry finish. It’s a lovely, fruit-driven style that’s just $11.99 a bottle.

Marlborough Silver Secateur winners MRC Novice Wrapping 1. Bendick Matau 2. Kome Fruean 3. Atirian Tonika Hortus Novice Pruning 1. Ian Jimmy 2. John Kansen 3. Ryan Katip Fruitfed Open Wrapping 1. Jerome Wilson 2. Paea Pulu 3. Akenese Lonitenisi Tasman Crop Open Pruning 1. George Barrett 2. Jerome Wilson 3. Paea Lonitenisi Focus Labour Solutions Opening Pruning - Women 1. Akenese Lonitenisi 2. Ngarate Beamsley Klima Open Cutting 1. Robert Wallis 2. James Collin 3. Ale Seuea Farmlands Open Team 1. Kali Ko Mayae Tagi Ltd, team members; Paea Pulu, Paea Lonitenisi, Akenese Lonitenisi 2. inepower, team members; George Barrett, Job Omai, Maneen Maki 3. Hortus Efate, team members; Longo Joseph, Andrew Maki, Take Thu

Disclaimer: The views and articles that are expressed and appear in Winepress are those 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.

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