old yield groovy young gruner vit - wine marlborough · groovy gruner issue no. 239 / august 2014...

www.wine-marlborough.co.nzThe Official Magazine of

OldVines

YieldStress

YoungVit

GroovyGruner

Issue No. 239 / August 2014

Photo: Jim Tannock

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The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough 8/2014 WINEPRESS | 1

In this issue...Regulars

3 Editorial

4 Tasman Crop Met Report

18 Alterative Varieties

28 NZW Export News

29 Wine Unwound

30 Wine Happenings

31 News From Home and Away

Features

p31

p18

All correspondence including advertising / associate memberships / change of address to:Wine MarlboroughPO Box 511, Blenheim 7240T: 03 577 9299, F: 03 577 9298E: [email protected]

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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.

p27

6 The Impact of High Yields

High yields can place pressure on vines and their ability to produce balanced crops in subsequent seasons. That’s the finding from research undertaken at Marlborough Plant & Food. What sort of stress those high yields cause is discussed this month.

9 The Need For Replanting

Vines don’t live forever and if you want your vineyard to remain profitable, you may need to be seriously looking at a re-planting programme. Mark Allen and the Ormond Nurseries team have undertaken that very scenario and explain how ignoring the age of vines is a sure fire way to see a drop in income.

14 Marlborough’s Young Vit

With six entries, the Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year was once again a huge success. Meet the person who will be representing the region at the upcoming National Competition.

17 Tell the Diversity Story American Master Sommelier,

James Tidwell is highly impressed with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. But he believes we need to spend more time promoting the many other varieties which show the diversity of this region.

2 | 8/2014 WINEPRESS The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough

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Produced by:

Wine Marlborough

Free to all levy paying members

Associate Members: $77 +GST

Editor:

Tessa Nicholson

16 Bank Street

Blenheim

T: 021 709 571

E: [email protected]

TESSA [email protected]

From theEditor

If you wish to make contact with any

member of the Wine Marlborough

Board, the following are their email

addresses.

Clive Jones:

[email protected]

James Jones:

[email protected]

Blair Gibbs:

[email protected]

Ivan Sutherland:

[email protected]

Ben Glover:

[email protected]

Ruud Maasdam:

[email protected]

Guy Lissaman:

[email protected]

Laurin Gane:

[email protected]

Simon Clark:

[email protected]

Simon Bishell:

[email protected]

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Marlborough’s Sustainability HubNew Zealand Winegrowers are expanding the sustainability portfolio, and that

expansion is about to take place here in Marlborough.

Philip Manson who is the GM of Sustainable Winegrowing will be based in this region

from October this year, and that is just one of the changes about to occur. For Philip,

the chance to be on the ground in the country’s largest wine region makes total sense

and will allow him to have far more contact with the members, face to face.

It makes sense in the wider scheme of things as well. Within the newly announced

hub, will be a bio security manager – yet to be appointed. There is no doubt that bio

security is a hot issue and given Marlborough produces more than three quarters

of the country’s wine, this is the region most at threat of any incursion. Philip says “It

makes sense then to have someone on the ground there, working alongside growers

and winemakers.”

The new hub will also take an active role in the issue of labour.

“We are aware of how important it is that our labour force is meeting all the

sustainability requirements,” he says. “That is something our markets demand. So

developing a national labour management strategy will be a priority. It is also likely that

a part time resource will be added to the hub, concentrating on all issues surrounding

labour.”

While it is great news for the region and the industry overall, the establishment of

the sustainability hub is not likely to be the beginning of the end of the head office

in Auckland. All other departments will remain in the city of sails and that too makes

perfect sense. Advocacy, marketing and research, the other three core activities of

NZW, don’t need to be on the ground (so the speak) as much as the sustainability

department does. Each of those areas is dealing not only with the concerns and

needs of members, but also with a number of other institutions outside the wine

industry. Many of those institutions are based in Auckland.

Sustainability however is something that is happening in the field on a daily basis and

having the offices sited here can only enhance its success.

The new home of the Sustainability Hub will be at the Marlborough Research Centre

and should be up and running by October.


Table 1: Blenheim Weather Data – July 2014

July July 2014 July Period July 2014 Compared LTA of LTA 2013 to LTAGDD’s for month -Max/Min¹ 8.2 - 9.2 (1996-2013) 19.2GDD’s for month – Mean² 23.1 - 22.1 (1996-2013) 43.4Mean Maximum (°C) 13.1 Equal 13.1 (1986-2013) 14.9Mean Minimum (°C) 2.0 -0.6°C 2.6 (1986-2013) 3.4Mean Temp (°C) 7.5 -0.4°C 7.9 (1986-2013) 9.1Ground Frosts (<= -1.0°C) 17 2 more 15.1 (1986-2013) 18Air Frosts (<0.0°C) 10 3 more 7.4 (1986-2013) 6Sunshine hours 173.6 109% 159 (1930-2013) 181.4Sunshine hours – lowest 119.6 1996Sunshine hours – highest 230.8 1952Sunshine hours total – 2014 1365.2 99% 1374 (1930-2013) 1455.5Rainfall (mm) 9.9 15% 64 (1930-2013) 34.8Rainfall (mm) – lowest 9.9 2014Rainfall (mm) – highest 174.1 1998Rainfall total (mm) – 2014 397.8 106% 376 (1930-2013) 445.9Evapotranspiration – mm 29.0 83% 35.0 (1996-2013) 51.9Avg. Daily Windrun (km) No data - 230.0 (1996-2013) 231.0Mean 9am soil temp – 10cm 4.8 Equal 4.8 (1986-2013) 5.5Mean 9am soil temp – 30cm 7.5 +0.5°C 7.0 (1986-2013) 7.8¹GDD’s Max/Min are calculated from absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures²GDD’s Mean are calculated from average hourly temperatures

July 2014 in summaryJuly was cool and dry with slightly above average sunshine.

Temperature and frostsThe mean temperature of 7.5°C was 0.4°C below the long-term average temperature for the past 28 years (1986-2013) of 7.9°C. July 2014 was the coolest July since 2009. It was also 3.3°C cooler than the very warm July in 2013. The average minimum temperature of 2.0°C was the coolest July minimum in the past 10 years; 2004 recorded the previous coolest minimum of 1.6°C.As is often the case, the weekly temperatures during July 2014 were quite variable. The first and fourth weeks of the month were slightly cooler than average. The third week, at 2.7°C below average was very cold. It is not often that the average daily minimum temperature for a week is below zero degrees in Blenheim (-0.4°C). The second week of July was well above average. The final three days of July with a mean of 10.4°C were very warm, especially coming after two quite cold weeks. Those three days were more akin to spring temperatures in September.

The 14 consecutive days from 15th to 28th July all recorded ground temperatures below zero degrees. 12 of those 14 days recorded ground frosts. Two of those days did not record ground frosts as the temperature was between 0 and -1.0. A ground frost is only recorded once the grass temperature (2.5 cm above a mown grass surface) is equal to or below -1.0°C. An air frost is recorded in a Stevenson Screen at a height of 1.3 m and is any temperature below 0.0°C. Ground frosts are normally between 2 and 4°C lower than the corresponding air frost. The coldest ground frost was -6.4°C on 3 July and the coldest air frost was -2.3°C on 22 July.

Table 2: Weekly air temperatures and frosts for Blenheim during July 2014

July 2014 Max Min Mean Deviation Ground Air (°C) (°C) (°C) from mean Frosts Frosts1st -7th July 13.2 1.6 7.4 -0.5°C 4 38th -14th July 13.2 5.3 9.2 +1.3°C 1 015th -21st July 10.8 -0.4 5.2 -2.7°C 7 422nd -28th July 13.6 0.4 7.0 -0.9°C 5 329th -31st July (3 days) 16.4 4.5 10.4 +2.5°C 0 0July Mean Temps Total Frosts 13.1 2.0 7.5 -0.4°C 17 10Long-term average 13.1 2.6 7.9 15.1 7.4

SunshineJuly 2014 recorded 173.6 hours sunshine, 109% of the long-term average of 159 hours. Total sunshine hours for Blenheim for January to July 2014 are 1365.2, or 99 percent of the long-term average total of 1374 hours.

RainfallTotal rainfall of 9.9 mm is 15% of the long term average for July of 64 mm (1930-2013). This is now the lowest total on record for July for the 85 years 1930-2014. The highest July rainfall was 174.1 mm recorded in 1998. Total rainfall for January to July 2014 of 397.8 mm is 106% of the long-term average of 376 mm. As was pointed out at the end of June, monthly rainfall totals have been oscillating between low and high totals in 2014. July’s total rainfall was only one tenth of June’s rainfall total.

Table 3: Monthly rainfall in Blenheim January to July 2014 compared to the long-term average

2014 Month Total Long-termRainfall (mm) average (mm)January 79.2 48.3February 18 43.7March 26.6 43.7April 149.8 52.1May 16 64.3June 98.3 59.6July 9.9 64.3Totals 397.8 376.0

Chilling Requirements of GrapevinesAfter a very warm June this year in which only two ground frosts were recorded, I received a couple of queries about whether grapes would receive enough chilling this winter. As July is our mid-winter month


what better time to give a brief overview of the chill requirements of grapes and how the current season compares with previous seasons. A number of research studies have been undertaken since the 1930s examining the chilling requirements of deciduous fruit crops. Chandler et al. (1937) identified that ‘compared to many other deciduous fruit crops, grapevines require relatively little exposure to chilling to terminate rest’. A number of studies have looked specifically at the chilling requirements of grapes. These have identified that ‘the chilling exposure necessary for normal bud growth ranges between 50 and 400 hours at temperatures ≤ 7 °C’, (Chandler et al., 1937; Dokoozlian et al., 1995; Magoon and Dix, 1943; Weaver and Iwasaki, 1977). A number of other papers also report that ‘erratic and/or delayed budbreak, decreased shoot and cluster numbers per vine, and poor uniformity of fruit development are commonly reported in regions where grapevines suffer from inadequate winter chilling (Lavee et al., 1984; McColl, 1986; Wicks et al., 1984). However, I think it is fair to say that for our New Zealand regions and grape varieties little research work has been undertaken to understand the relationship between chilling temperatures and their duration and how these impact on the timing of, rate and percentage budbreak in the vines. Figure 1 presents the total chilling hours below 7 °C for the three months from 1 May to 31 July for Blenheim, over the five years 2010 to 2014. The studies quoted earlier indicate that 400 hours less than 7 °C is the upper limit of the chill requirement for grapes. With the warm June this year, 400 chill hours were not accumulated until 15 July 2014, whereas in 2012 400 chill units were accumulated one month earlier, on 15 June. For Sauvignon blanc in Marlborough, even in a warm winter where 400 chill units are not accumulated until late July, that is still about two months prior to 50% bud burst in early October. Hence, there is never going to be a year in Marlborough when the chill requirements of grapes are not met (Not without some serious global warming).

regions and warmer seasons. The question of accumulated chill hours in Marlborough in 2014 was discussed by Vaughn Bell from Plant & Food Research, at the New Zealand Winegrowers Virus Elimination Project Workshop held in Blenheim on 5 August. Vaughn indicated that with the accumulated chill hours being quite a lot lower in 2014, that this could lead to better survival over winter of mealybugs. The consequence of this could be higher numbers of mealybugs in the coming spring. Growers need to be vigilant in checking for mealybugs in the vineyard this season.

References:Chandler, W., M.H. Kimball, G.L. Philip, W.P. Tufts, and G.P. Weldon. 1937. Chilling requirements for opening of buds on deciduous orchard trees and some other plants in California. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 611Dokoozlian, N.K., L.E. Williams, and R.A. Neja. 1995. Chilling exposure and hydrogen cyanamide interact in breaking dormancy of grape buds. HortScience 30:1244–247.Lavee, S., Y. Shulman, and G. Nir. 1984. The effect of cyanamide on budbreak of grapevines Vitisvinifera L., p. 17–29. In: R.J. Weaver (ed.). Proc. of Symp. on bud dormancy in grapevine: Potential and practical uses of hydrogen cyanamide on grapevine. Univ. of California, DavisMagoon, C.A. and I.W. Dix. 1943. Observations on the response of grapevines to winter temperatures as related to their dormancy requirements. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 42:407–412.McColl, C.R. 1986. Cyanamide advances the maturity of table grapes in central Australia. Austral.J. Expt. Agr. 26:505–509.New Zealand Winegrowers Vineyard Register 2013. http://www.nzwine.com/info-centre/statistics/vineyard-register-report/Weaver, R.J. and K. Iwasaki. 1977. Effect of temperature and length of storage, root growth andtermination of bud rest in ‘Zinfandel’ grapes. Amer. J. Enol. Viticult. 28:149–151.Wicks, A.S., J.O. Johnson, E. Bracho, F.L. Jensen, R.A. Neja, L.A. Lider, and R.J. Weaver. 1984.Induction of early and more uniform budbreak in Vitis vinifera L. cvs. ‘Perlette’, ‘Thompson Seedless’, and ‘Flame Seedless’, p. 48–58. In: R.J. Weaver (ed.). Proc. of Symp. on bud dormancyin grapevine: Potential and practical uses of hydrogen cyanamide on grapevine. Univ. California, Davis.

Rob AgnewPlant & Food Research

Figure 1: Chilling hours below 7°C from May to July in Blenheim (2012-2014)

Table 4 summarizes the average number of chill hours in nine New Zealand regions for the five months 1 May to 30 September. According to the New Zealand Winegrowers Vineyard Register Report (2013) there are 372 ha of vineyards in Auckland / Northland. It is interesting to note that for the four years 2010 to 2013, average chill hours in Northland at 342, fell below 400. Auckland was only slightly above 400, with a total of 454 chill hours. This indicates that grapes in these two regions are likely to suffer from lack of chilling and poor bud burst. Table 1 indicates that the main wine regions from Gisborne south all received adequate chill hours in those four years. However, at 31 July 2014 Gisborne had only accumulated 271 chill hours, compared to Blenheim’s 622. With warm temperatures in August and early September 2014 Gisborne will struggle to accumulate 400 chill hours prior to bud burst. Based on the international studies previously mentioned, low chill hours in Gisborne this year could potentially have an effect on percentage bud break, shoot and bud numbers per vine and uniformity of fruit development.

Table 4: Chilling hours for New Zealand Wine Regions, 1 May to 30 September (Average 2010-2013)

Town / Province Average Chill Hours ≤7 °C May – Sept (2010-2013) Kerikeri – Northland 342 Pukekohe – Auckland 454 Gisborne – Poverty Bay 669 Havelock North - Hawkes Bay 997 Martinborough - Wairarapa 1030 Blenheim - Marlborough 1076 Richmond - Nelson 1162 Lincoln - Canterbury 1360 Cromwell - Central Otago 2109

Chill hours and pest managementIt is generally acknowledged that insect pest populations survive over winter better in warmer


High yields place stress on vines that

can take more than one season to

recover from, according to Viticulture

and Oenology Science Group Leader Dr

Damian Martin. That stress in the form of

competition for carbohydrates, means

there could be a 10 to 15 percent penalty

on yields next season.

Damian explains the reasons why.

“During the ripening period, the fruit isn’t

the only part of the vine demanding and

needing carbohydrates.

The shoots need it

to properly harden

off to resist winter

frosts. The root system

is also looking for

carbohydrates and

even the perennial

reserves in the trunk

are needing to store

carbohydrates, which

are only sourced from

the leaf area.

“When the crop level is

low, everyone is happy,

everyone gets their

share. When the crop

level is high, there is

competition amongst

those various parts of

The Impact of High Yields On VinesRESEARCH MARC GREVEN AND JEFF BENNETT

The recent high yields on Sauvignon Blanc vines may have ramifications down the line, according to research undertaken at Marlborough Plant and Food.

High yields like this will have depleted carbohydrate reserves for the next season.

the vine. We don’t fully understand what

the hierarchy is, who is best dressed if

you like, or who is up first. It probably

varies a bit during the ripening period.

But the long and the short of it is that

there is competition amongst various

parts of the plant. So if the ripening rate

has slowed, (as happened during the

2014 season) that is a sign that there

is not enough carbohydrate to keep

everyone happy.”

So if vines weren’t happy this year, as

was shown with the later ripening, will

it have any impact on the crop levels in

2015 or beyond?

“When you load up a vine with too many

buds and too much crop, Marc and

Jeff’s work tells us there is a 10 to 15

percent yield penalty, that the vine pays

the following year. This is linked to less

vigorous shoot growth in the season just

gone.


“So while that crop was on the growing

shoots, they are held back in their growth

a bit. That reduces bud initiation in the

current year meaning less fertility next

year. Low carbohydrate status at the

end of winter affects bud burst, the rate

of shoot development and reduces the

number of shoots and bunches in the

following year (2015). This is a logical

and normal response when a vine has

been deprived of carbohydrates for its

reproductive development.”

You can’t counter the carbohydrate

depletion in the winter, as it requires

leaves to rebuild reserves. But Damian

says you can make some crucial pruning

decisions to ensure the impact is not

on-going.

“You can re distribute those fewer

carbohydrates across less buds next

spring. If you want your vines to grow

well, you should be reducing your bud

number slightly. Then you will get better

shoot growth. You won’t get bigger

bunches or berries in the current season,

but you will get improved initiation in the

following year, (weather and conditions

dependent of course).

“If you don’t do this you won’t have

compromised the vine completely but

the crop load study shows that if every

year you put six canes on the vine, its

productivity will progressively decrease

over a four-year period. (Remember

that the large yields this year were the

equivalent to having six canes not four).

Most vines are not able to carry that sort

of crop and keep all their other processes

going satisfactorily. Something has to

give and the vine’s adaptation is to give a

bit of crop.

“The other important thing is the quality of

wood that you choose when pruning. You

need to instruct your pruners if they can’t

find four good canes, then they should be

picking the three very best, rather than

going for four. If they go for four they will

keep the cycle of having a crop that is out

of balance with the vine’s potential. If they

want to get back to balance they need to

reduce the bud number. And it is better to

do that by choosing good quality canes,

that have a diameter of 10mm or more

and wood that is nice and red/brown and

not pale or bleached.”


That’s the view of viticultural advisor Mark

Allen, and the team at Ormond Nurseries,

who have just gone through their own

replanting conundrum.

The Ormond Nurseries commercial

vineyard was originally planted 20

years ago and while it is still profitable,

directors Ben and Marcus Wickham

were aware that may not be the case for

much longer. But just what the economic

benefits or pitfalls would be of leaving

it as it is or undertaking a replanting

programme were unknown.

With the help of Mark, the Ormond

Nurseries team, put together a graph

(see below) that while hypothetical, gave

The Need For ReplantingTESSA NICHOLSON

Contrary to popular belief, grape vines do not live forever, and a replanting programme should be a core activity for all growers, if they wish to maintain financial security.

them some idea of how ignoring older

vines, can quickly become detrimental to

the profitability of a vineyard. Especially

when those vines are Sauvignon Blanc,

a variety Mark says is most at risk of old

age affecting productivity. That is mainly

to do with the vigorous nature of this

variety.

“There is a link between productivity,

vigour and life span,” he says. “Varieties

such as Pinot are not under as much

pressure from yield stress.”

Added to the vigour of the plant is the

threat of trunk disease, which Sauvignon

Blanc is also prone to. Mark says given

the vines are bigger than many other

varieties, pruning wounds tend to be

larger, creating greater exposure to

diseases such as Eutypa.

A large portion of the Sauvignon vines in

Marlborough are reaching that 15 to 20

year age, and while they may seem to still

be healthy, he says that may not be the

case in another 10 years. Which is why

growers need to be seriously thinking

about a replanting programme, that

keeps the vineyard refreshed. In many

other parts of the world, it is normal to

always have a small part of the vineyard

in rotation.

Marcus Wickham says that’s a business

plan that makes a lot of sense.

This is an entirely hypothetical scenario and while not supported by any hard data, it provides an idea of the profitability

versus age issue.


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“If you get below the profitability line before you make a

decision to replant, then you have to go and talk to the bank to

enable you to replant. And that is a double whammy, because

you are having to pay for the replant as well as weathering the

years of lost crop.”

Just looking at a vine will not necessarily tell you whether it is

reaching a low profitability stage he said.

“I helped a friend who was looking at buying a vineyard last

year, and it was in the winter, so there were no leaves to look

at. But the trunks looked good, the canes looked good and it

was well set out in a good area. It was maybe a 25-year-old

vineyard. Then when we looked at the yield I could see that it

was starting to taper off. That was a wake up call for me.”

“The key point is, you have to keep a replanting programme on

the go if you are to maintain the real value of your vineyard,”

Mark says.

How much replanting you undertake is very much an individual

choice both men say, although you need to do as much as you

can afford to, without losing too much of your income.

“You need to work back from where you don’t want to be,”

Mark explains. “You don’t want to be with 35-year-old vines and

having done nothing about it. So you could say, I have 15-year-

old vines now, in 20 years time they will all be 35 years old. So I

need to replant 5% a year from here on, so by the time 20 years

has gone, I have replaced 100% of my vineyard Then ideally

you would continually replant from there on.”

The financial scenario of doing nothing is quite frightening if you

take the following calculations supplied by Mark.

“In an average 8ha vineyard, if you did nothing until year 35,

and in the period between 25 and 35, the vine yield dropped

from say 12tph to 9tph, the costs add up.

One way of getting production back earlier is to plant Hi Stem vines. Notice the growth difference between Hi Stem on the right and normal vines, left.


On today’s pricing of say $1600 per

tonne, that small drop in yield would

mean the grower has short changed

themselves by close to $400,000 over the

10-year period.

“Compare that to the cost over 10

years of constantly replanting part of

the vineyard. The approximate cost of

replanting those 8ha would be around

$123,200 (working on 2000 vines per

ha) or $15,400 a hectare. $123,200

versus $400,000? That’s a big return on

investment.”

But what about the lack of any crop for

up to three years on those replanted

vines? Well Mark doesn’t believe it needs

to be three years, if the planting is done

properly.

“I am a great proponent that you can

get a cane on the wire in the first year

if you get it right, and you can get a

reasonable crop in the second year. It is

very important though to keep the weeds

under control and to use a really good

slow fertiliser.”

The other alternative is to use Hi-Stem

vines that are twice the size of standard

vines, at 700 – 750mm. These vines will

reach the wire faster, allowing you to lay

a cane quicker. The other beauty of Hi-

Stem is they never require bud rubbing –

a money and back saving solution.

So now you have the many reasons why

you should be considering a replanting

programme, how do you decide where

to start?

“You must monitor your yields, tag

any vines showing signs of decline or

trunk disease,” Mark says. “You need

to identify the weaker areas of your

vineyard. It may be weaker for a number

of reasons, rootstock selection or

location. These are the things to be aware

of, and once you have all that information

it will lead to a logical place to start your

replanting programme.”

And on a final note, Mark says growers

need to be aware that the older the vine,

the more likely it has been exposed to

virus or is harbouring a fungal disease.

Therefore the time to act is sooner rather

than later.

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The Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking, if it gets New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) approval, will begin next year in Marlborough. The change was prompted by a nationwide review of qualifications which is likely to see NMIT’s current Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production split into two separate diplomas – one in horticulture/viticulture and one in wine-making. It’s likely that neither would provide the ability for students to pathway into Lincoln University’s Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology degree as is currently happening – hence the need for the change. NMIT’s viticulture and wine industry advisory committee has been looking closely at the potential of having an industry-based degree established on the Marlborough campus for some time. After months of research, that committee has strongly endorsed that it should go ahead.Chair Rob Agnew believes there are real advantages to the new industry-based degree, not the least being that Marlborough makes up 77 percent of the New Zealand wine industry. “This should make it easier to draw on specialised personnel working in the Marlborough wine industry for guest lecturing and for placement of students for practical work based training,” he says.If approved, the degree will offer both part-time and online/distance options.

NMIT to Launch New Degree TESSA NICHOLSON

After 23 years of offering viticulture and wine education, NMIT is establishing its first degree in the subject.

“There are potentially quite a number of people currently working in the wine industry who would consider the online option rather than having to resign from their current job to study full time,” says Rob. This is evidenced by the current diploma, which has 30 students studying on campus while another 40 students are enrolled in the online/distance option. There’s also the potential to attract greater numbers of international students, with Marlborough’s wine producing reputation seen as a major draw card. The benefits of those students could be immense to both NMIT and the Marlborough region.Rob says one of NMIT’s main focuses will be to ensure that students have more practical experience in the fields of viticulture and winemaking. It’s anticipated that the first year of the degree will provide students with a solid foundation in the basics of viticulture and winemaking, the second year will focus on further developing and refining technical skills, and the third year comprises a mix of higher level viticulture, winemaking and research skills.“The new degree will have significant components of applied research and practical work experience and allow students to specialise in winemaking, viticulture or industry management, or a combination of these that best suits their career aspirations and interests,” he says.NMIT’s Manager for Viticulture & Wine

Raewyn Heta, says they are very excited by the prospect of offering this practical, applied, industry-supported degree programme for the local, national and international wine industry.If the degree gains the necessary approvals, 2015 will see the first intake of students who will potentially be eligible to graduate in 2017. Facilities within the NMIT Campus and Marlborough Research Centre are already world class. Currently there is a large teaching laboratory, a wine sensory room, micro vinification unit, research vineyard plus a technology transfer theatre. On top of that, Plant and Food Research, Marlborough and all the scientists attached are on-site, providing a network of experts available for lectures.While the advisory committee has given its approval for a viticulture and winemaking degree in Marlborough, there has also been strong support from Wine Marlborough’s board and wine companies, including many of New Zealand’s larger companies who are based here. And if the bachelor programme does go ahead, it will be the first ever viticulture and wine degree offered here in Marlborough. Which given the push some years ago to have Marlborough recognised as a wine educational hub, is something most will be pleased to see.


Wine Marlborough would like to thank our regional sponsors for their support with the Marlborough Young Viticulturist Compeition.

The 25-year-old Viticulture

Technician at Giesen Wines, took out

the Marlborough title on August 1st,

after being put through a gruelling

day of practical, theoretical, and

more laid back tests.

Having arrived in Marlborough

earlier this year, Brenton was no

stranger to the competition, having

competed for the past two years,

while he was undertaking his study

at EIT in Hawke’s Bay. Winning the

title here though was an unexpected

bonus.

“I wasn’t too sure how I would do,

but I am thrilled to be representing

Marlborough.”

Having grown up on dairy farms in

the Manawatu, an area not known

for grapes, how did he end up in the

wine industry?

“I have always had this bizarre

passion from a young age that I

wanted to grow grapes. I don’t know

where it stemmed from, it’s just always

been there,” he said.

Hence his move to Hawke’s Bay to

Young Vit 2014Meet the young viticulturist who will be representing Marlborough at the upcoming national competition – Brenton O’Riley.

undertake the four-year bachelor of

Viticulture and Wine Science. While

undertaking the degree Brenton won

the Mission Estate Scholarship, which

provided employment on the vineyards,

working alongside Caine Thompson,

himself a National Viticulturist of the

Year winner.

“He is a really lovely guy and working

with him taught me lots.”

Brenton was also the recipient of the

Romeo Bragato Scholarship in 2012,

with the prize being a trip to Italy, to

the university where Bragato himself

studied.

The Marlborough Young Viticulturist

competition had six competitors, one of

those from Nelson.

As well as being the winner overall,

Brenton took out the Marlborough

Research Centre Practical section and

the quick fire questions. Dan Manuge

(Nelson) won the ANZ speech, Matt

Duggan won the Gascoigne Wicks

Theory section and the Bio Start Horti

Sports.

Runner up in this year’s competition

was Matt Duggan from Cloudy Bay,

(a previous Marlborough Young Vit in

2012 and 2013) and third was Jamiee

Whitehead from Treasury Wine Estate.


Horticulture National Qualifications Level

National Certificate in Horticulture (Practical)

1

National Certificate in Horticulture (Introductory)

2

National Certificate in Horticulture 3

National Certificate in Horticulture - Viticulture

4

National Certificate in Horticulture - Advanced (Viticulture)

4

National Diploma in Agribusiness Management

5


Taking part in a Wine Marlborough organised tasting, James Tidwell was full of praise for the region’s flagship wine, Sauvignon Blanc. But he was also impressed by a number of other varieties emanating from this region and expressed his concern that New Zealand had become placed in a Sauvignon “box” in the United States.“Now that’s not a bad box to be in given Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most recognised brands out there. But there is more to the discussion,” he said.James is one of two people who helped establish TexSom back in 2005. Now it is the world’s largest gathering of Master Sommeliers, with 39 expected to attend this year. They will join 10 certified wine educators and six Masters of Wine, in 23 seminars to discuss the wines of the world. Two years ago, New Zealand was the subject of one of those seminars, and while it is not featuring this year, James said many of our wines will be tried and tasted by the auspicious gathering, during the five-day event this month.The aim of TexSom he said, was wine education – what is out there in the world of wine, where is it coming from and why should it be placed on wine lists?Which brings us back to the conundrum of New Zealand being labelled as a Sauvignon Blanc producer, nothing else. And a conundrum it is agreed James.

Tell The Diversity StoryTESSA NICHOLSON

Master Sommelier and co founder of TexSom, James Tidwell believes New Zealand should be concentrating on pushing the diverse style of its wines.

“One of the things I have heard while travelling in New Zealand, is that a lot of companies feel that unless they have a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in their portfolio, importers don’t want to talk to them. It allows the rest of the portfolio to move. I think that those who want to emphasise New Zealand or a particular region or different grape variety other than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, find it hard, because that is the well recognised brand.”Getting the diversity message out there isn’t easy he agreed, especially when a brand has already been established. But regardless of that, he said it was important to keep plugging away at it.“I think having some talk about what is available in New Zealand in terms of diversity is important, because it allows people to put into context what Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is and allows people to put into context where New Zealand is in the world of somms. At somewhere like TexSom these are the things we would talk about. Where does New Zealand fit in, in the wine world and I think that conversation should be beyond Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.”When it was pointed out that many people are trying to get that diversity message across, but our wine industry was still placed in a “box”, he said our focus should be on influencers.“You need to show these wines

to influencers, put them in wine competitions and show them at conferences where people can talk about the diversity of New Zealand. You don’t want to lose track of where your money comes from, but at the same time I think you want to have a larger conversation.”He was keen to see more New Zealand wines entered into the Dallas Morning News and TexSom Wine Competition, held early each year. This sort of exposure, sees the winning wines gain exposure to the TexSom network of wine buyers – those people of influence James talked about earlier. “We want to market towards sommeliers, on-premise and high end retail…we want to essentially offer a wine list to these people and places. “We want to see more of New Zealand, such as Pinot Noir, Syrah and Pinot Gris. But the problem is, we don’t get much exposure in the US to them all that much, so consequently we don’t talk abut them as much.”Details of the Dallas Morning News and TexSom Wine Competition are available at www.dallaswinecomp.com


Master of Wine Perspective

with Emma Jenkins MW

Surprisingly, we may have

antifreeze to thank for the

renaissance of Austria’s Grüner

Veltliner. With an industry

dating back 4,000 years nearly

obliterated in the ‘80s by

corrupt middlemen bolstering

their wines with diethylene

glycol (often confused with

antifreeze’s ethylene glycol,

hence the scandal’s moniker),

the resulting strict regulations

and diligent marketing

eventually resurrected what

remained to a much higher

standard. “Today,” says

Jancis Robinson MW, “No

self-respecting restaurant This is a Gruner Veltliner bunch – so large that sunglasses

are dwarfed by it.

Groovy Grüner TESSA NICHOLSON

While only 30 hectares of Grüner Veltliner are planted in Marlborough, a number of boutique companies are now producing fine examples of this Austrian classic.

wine list...can afford to be without

at least one example...partly

because of Grüner Veltliner’s

undoubted inherent character

and quality and [partly because]

the quality of all Austrian wines

has become so excitingly and

consistently high that no fine wine

enthusiast can afford to ignore

them.”

With over 17,000ha planted,

including vines up to 150 years

old, Grüner represents around a

third of Austria’s vineyards. The

vast majority is planted along the

Danube’s steep granite slopes,

which helps impart a linear,

mineral character whilst grapes

from the lower plains provide

fuller-bodied, fruitier wines.


Mostly made into dry, early-drinking

styles, the best Grüner (usually Wachau,

Kremstal and Kamptal) is certainly age-

worthy, occasionally even being mistaken

for Burgundy in blind tastings.

Likely dating back to Roman times

(though its name is mid-1800s, meaning

‘green grape from the village of Veltlin in

the Tirol’), mid-ripening, fruitful Grüner

develops good physiological ripeness

in northern Europe, finding favour in the

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,

Germany, Italy’s Alto Adige and even,

experimentally in France. In the New

World, plantings have become popular in

Canada, nearly a dozen states of the US,

Australia and of course, New Zealand.

Pale green, with citrus, white peach and

a musky spice, Grüner has distinctive

white pepper and herbal notes (most

often dill, gherkin or cooked celery) and a

refreshingly tangy palate. Almost always

fermented in stainless steel and aged

either in tanks or very old, large casks,

experiments with newer oak are generally

not an improvement. New Zealand’s

plantings range from Gisborne to Central

Otago, though it seems to have found a

promising home in Marlborough where

fresh, varietally faithful wines with some

depth are emerging.

Viticulture

The Grüner Veltliner vine is very vigorous

and very fruitful, according to viticulturist

Jeremy Hyland. So much so that he is

now changing pruning regimes in an

effort to counteract that vigour.

“One of the biggest issues with Grüner,

is the variability of shoots,” he says. “You

get some very strong shoots and then

again you get some very weak ones,

especially when you are cane pruning.

I am now moving towards spur pruning,

which allows us to work with the vine to

achieve balance.”

Under a cane pruning management,

Jeremy says the crops are often high

which entails a lot of crop having to be

cut during the growing season. “And we

don’t want to have to keep doing that.”

He says it is hard to place it as an early

or late ripener, due to variability, season

by season.

“It is more variable than other varieties,

which is probably crop load related.

Sometimes we get it (the fruit) in before

Sauvignon, but in other years it has come

in after. It fluctuates depending on the

season.

“Due to its vigour, the lateral push is

quite strong and we have adopted lateral

thinning in some seasons to counter

that.”

Strong canopy growth also requires

thinning to ensure the fruit is exposed

and getting all the fruit ripe is something

that requires careful management.

It doesn’t appear to be more susceptible

to diseases than any other white variety

although both powdery and downy

mildew were a bit of an issue this year.

(Mind you they were in all varieties this

past season.) But given the thickness

of skin, Jeremy says there are no real

botrytis issues.

He describes the Grüner vines as being

“a bit floppy, which is accentuated by the

weak shoots on the canes. “But it’s not as

floppy as Pinot Noir.”


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Grüner Veltliner

Winemaking with Jules Taylor

There is nothing difficult about the winemaking phase according

to Jules Taylor. She said Grüner is treated in much the same

way as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris, although she does tend

to separate the fruit at harvest time.

“Some fruit we machine harvest and take straight to the winery

and press smartly. The skins of Grüner can be quite phenolic,

so I don’t want them hanging around too long surrounded by

juice. It is pretty basic winemaking; we cold settle, rack it off,

warm it up, pitch a commercial yeast and ferment it quite cool.

“The other portion we hand harvest and this portion is whole

cluster pressed, so again quite delicate handling. This portion is

treated in a more oxidated way, fermented with higher solids so

you get a more textural wine that’s slightly more funky.

“Then when you blend the two together you get the nice

aromatics and fruit from the machine harvested fruit that is

quite clear, clean and simple, with the slightly more complex

characters from the hand picked portion. I find it quite an

interesting wine because you can get quite a lot of texture out

of it.”

While it is bottled and released in much the same time frame as

Sauvignon and Pinot Gris, Jules believes it is a wine that looks

good two or three years down the track.

“In New Zealand we have been conditioned to releasing wines

a little bit early, whereas I think some wines take on a more

interesting persona after a bit of time in the bottle.

“In the case of Grüner it will be interesting to see how they age.

We haven’t been playing with it for long, so we don’t have a real

handle on it and don’t know what it’s going to look like in say six

years time.”

As like all the alternative varieties we have focused on in

recent issues, it is unlikely Grüner Veltliner is going to come

close to rivalling the current main white varieties. Jules said

getting consumers to choose it over Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot

Gris or Chardonnay is a big ask – often because people are

embarrassed they will pronounce it incorrectly

“It is a really tough ask to get a consumer to pick it. They will

see it on a menu and go, ‘oh, that looks interesting. Oh, umm,

(pause), can I have a Pinot Gris please.’ I don’t see that it will

rival anything else we are producing and although we have

been making it for a few years in Marlborough, we are not

seeing a huge growth. Which is a shame because it goes so

well with things like fresh oysters with a dash of really hot sauce.

It can stand up to that, in fact it matches with lots of different

things.”


Organising such an event is not for

the faint hearted. Especially when you

consider the logistics. Each winery that

enters has to provide three bottles for

every entry, they must all be individually

labeled with details sent to them by

organisers. When the wines arrive they

need to be stored, wines that require

chilling have to be stored at the right

temperature and then there is the

logistics of ensuring the right wines get

out to the judges at the right time with

final results carefully relayed back into a

data programme.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg

really. There is far more that goes on

behind the scenes.

The recent Spiegelau International Wine

Competition had 1318 entries, (which

means close to 4000 bottles in

all) coming in from 10 countries.

That makes it the largest

Spiegelau competition, with 250

more entries than last year.

The largest category was Pinot

Noir, with 250 wines, second was

Sauvignon Blanc with 177 and

Syrah/Shiraz came in third with

153. Chardonnay entries were

almost half of Pinot, with just 136.

Ploughing their way through all

Judging Hundred’s of WinesTESSA NICHOLSON

Close to 4000 bottles were stacked up at the Convention Centre last month, as a team of judges swirled, sipped and tasted the entrants in the Spiegelau International Wine Competition.

Just a few of the 4000 bottles that were part of the

Spiegelau International Wine Competition.

those wines were 12 judges, assisted by

eight associates. Many of the associates

were local winemakers or wine industry

personnel. The competition has given

them a fantastic opportunity to expand

their knowledge under the wing of

the judges, three of whom were from

Australia.

While the focus may be on those that

are judging the wines, there is a massive

team working behind the scenes.

Besides organizers Marg Cresswell and

Belinda Jackson, there was Shona White

the facilitator, and 18 stewards, whose

job it was to ensure those wines arrived

on time at the correct spot, for the judges.

Then there is the issue of glasses. The

Spiegelau competition is one of only a

few in New Zealand that uses specific

varietal glasses for each category.

Which means, given the wide range of

categories, an awful lot of glasses. Close

to 5000 in fact.

You may well wonder why they would go

to that extra effort. Well according to one

of the international judges, Mike Bennie,

it makes the judging that much more

pleasurable.

“I guess the visceral experience of

judging is sometimes lost when you are

standing in front of 35 Sauvignon Blanc at

9 in the morning But when you have the

right glass for it, it makes it just that little

bit easier and more pleasurable.”

And those specific glasses do help.

“It’s about the aperture of the glass and

how it releases the chemicals of the

wine. You want to open up a Shiraz, stick

your whole face in it pretty much

and envelope your senses in the

variety, the complex sense that a

Shiraz aroma has. Whereas with a

Chardonnay, you kind of want to

control it just a little bit. Having that

right glass allows you to make that

distinction.”

The Spiegelau Awards dinner and

trophy announcement was held in

Auckland on August 8. We will have

full details of local winners in the

next issue.


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It is an idea that has been bounced

around for some time, and earlier this

year approval was gained from the New

Zealand Qualifications Authority, (NZQA)

to develop the New Zealand qualification

in Cellar Operations.

From basic cellar proceedures like

wine racking and tank cleaning, to

operating an earth filter and carrying

out blending trials, cellar hands will earn

the appropriate certificate and gain

opportunities for further upskilling.

The cellar operations qualification

will be based on unit standards and

divided into three levels, with each level

involving both compulsory and optional

components.

It is being headed by Competenz,

an organisation that works with

Central Government alongside New

Zealand industries, to develop national

qualifications. A working group of

industry experts has been formed, to

eventually develop an industry training

programme and submit that to the NZQA.

This programme will explain how learners

will study towards the qualifications, and

how their learning will be assessed by

Competenz.

James Pritchard, a cellar team leader at

Matua in Auckland, said it was a really

beneficial paper for people coming into

the industry.

“It’s a pathway for winemaking, or further

education.”

Cellar Hand QualificationsANNABELLE LATZ

The skills of a good cellar hand will soon be formally recognised within New Zealand’s wine industry.

Regional meetings have recently been

held in Auckland, Gisborne and Hastings,

to discuss the next step for developing

the qualification.

“It’s a very exciting thing. The benefits will

be fully known in two to three years, when

people come through the course,” said

James. “Everyone from school leavers to

those already in the industry who deserve

formal recognition can gain from this,

as it will provide a benchmark for cellar

standards and future development within

many professions.”

He said the day to day activities of a

wine cellar are widely unknown by those

not directly involved in the industry, and

providing a qualification will widen the

awareness and knowledge.

“It’s an exciting industry where you can

gain qualifications while you work, and

travel.”

Leah Wood is Qualifications Developer

for Competenz, and said the skills

and knowledge needed to work in

cellar operations will now be formally

recognised by a national qualification,

which will reflect a national standard that

is consistent and recognised across the

wine industry.

“Employers will be able to be confident

that graduates have skills and knowledge

they need to work productively and safely

in cellar operations,” she said.

Leah said involving members of the

industry is the key to making sure the

qualifications benefit everyone in the

industry.

“There will be plenty of opportunities

for other members of the industry to

give feedback on this work…skills and

knowledge a cellar operator needs

are quite different from the skills and

knowledge a winemaker or grower

needs. The qualification titles and content

will clearly reflect this target audience,”

she said.

Competenz will promote the qualifications

widely within the industry, by making

good use of industry events and

publications, using their own website,

and talking about career opportunities.

Reaching out to people outside the

industry is also important, such as visiting

schools, potential learners, and parents

through career expos and school visits.

Good progress is being made to have

the qualifications registered with the New

Zealand Qualifications Authority in early

2015, ready to launch in the first half of

next year.

If you’d like more information about how

to get involved, please contact Leah

Wood ([email protected]).

Website: www.competenz.org.nz


Under the theme of New Horizons,

the scope of material covered

this year, will range from research

to marketing, advocacy to

sustainability. All four are the

core activities of New Zealand

Winegrowers.

Once again the conference will

be held over two and a half days,

although an early session prior to

the official opening will provide

advice on how best to export into

our key markets. Leading this

discussion will be the international

marketing team of NZW. It is the

first time all the team have attended

a Bragato conference, and their

expertise will feature in a number of

the forums held during the event.

In terms of research and technical

transfer, there will be plenty. One of the

questions often asked in Marlborough

especially, is; Do low yields always mean

higher quality? Mike Trought and Mark

Krasnow (Culinary Institute of America)

and Nick Dokoozlian (Gallo Estates,

California) will take a closer look at this

exact question, especially as it relates to

cool climate viticulture. Other technical

forums include how to manage a difficult

vintage in both the vineyard and winery,

below ground management for above

ground quality and productivity, wine

microbial ecology, powdery mildew,

slipskin and botrytis (with renowned and

entertaining Peter Margarey) and the Hot

Bragato ConferenceTESSA NICHOLSON

It is 20 years since the first Romeo Bragato conference and major expansion is planned for this year.

off the Press – latest research.

Sustainability in all its forms will feature

throughout the conference, from success

stories of the past through to its role in

the future. Guest speakers in this area

include Kevin Bowler from Tourism New

Zealand and Shari Mogk Edwards, the

VP of products, sales and merchandising

from the Liquor Control board of Ontario,

along with members of Sustainable

Winegrowing.

Ensuring there is something for all facets

of the wine industry, some of the other

interesting forums will deal in succession

planning, winegrowing with technology,

and advocacy in terms of eco labelling

and wine marketing.

In past years, one of the

highlights has been the Industry

Leaders debate. This year that

has changed to feature not those

who have already made a name

for themselves, but the leaders

of the future and where they see

the New Zealand wine industry

heading. It promises once

again to be a highlight of the

conference.

The long list of speakers

includes Kym Anderson,

Professor of Economics

from University of Adelaide

speaking about New Zealand

in the modern wine world and

inspirational speaker Sir Ray

Avery who was New Zealander

of the Year in 2010. His keynote speech

will centre on Customer Centric Business

Strategies for the Wine Industry.

Add into that the chance to taste

Californian wines, cheer on the regional

representatives in the Young Viticulturist

of the Year competition, the Bragato

Dinner and the Bragato Wine Awards,

and the programme is a packed one.

Once again Bragato will be held here in

Blenheim, at the Convention Centre from

August 27 – 29. Registrations are vital

and can be made at www.bragato.org.

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The brown beetle (Costelytra zealandica) is a pest causing

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More Studies into Brown Beetle New research will hopefully help vineyards heading towards organic status, to control brown beetle, known also as grass grub in its immature stages.

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teamed up with PhD student Mauricio

González Chang, and Professor

Steve Wratten from the Bio-Protection

Research Centre at Lincoln University, the only government-

funded Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in the South

Island. Having secured three years of funding through a

Callaghan Innovation Grant, this study is Chang’s PhD project.

“We aim to understand the biology of the beetle and what to

do to ameliorate the damage it does using agro-ecological

techniques,” said Professor Steve Wratten, Lincoln University.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines are the most susceptible,

and Kono Beverages have set aside an area of their Awatere

vineyard for experimentation.

“We are interested in biological controls, and intervention at

the larvae stage. Can we disturb the beetles’ feeding patterns

underground or its life-cycle,” asks Mondo Kopua, Marlborough

Group Vineyards Manager, Kono Beverages.

Trials will range from planting intercepting hedges, inter-row

crops, and headlands sward. Organically approved sprays

applied to leaves and soil will also be experimented with in

order to decrease vine leaves’ palatability.

Some trials will be replicated in other partner vineyards in

Marlborough, including Wither Hills, and Rock Ferry. Field days

will also be held to share information and ideas with the wider

industry.


Key Points • MATApril2014exportvalueis$1.320

billion, up 9% on the previous year. • MATMay2014exportsare187.8m.

litres, up 10% on the previous year; packaged exports are +10% for the period and other exports are up 11%.

• AveragevalueMATApril2014is$7.07per litre down 0.3% on the previous year; packaged export value is $8.30 per litre down 1% on the previous year.

Total Export Volume & Value • MATApril2014totalvalueofexportsis

$1.320 billion, up 9% on the previous year.

• YTDApril2014totalvalueofexportsis$1.137 billion, up 11% on the previous year.

• TotalvalueofApril2014exportswas$100.2 m. up 3% on April 2013.

• MATMay2014exportsare187.8m.litres, up 10% (17.2 m. litres) on the previous year.

• YTDMay2014exportsare175.1m.litres, up 10% (16.6 m. litres) on the previous year.

• May2014exportswere13.9m.litresup 8% (1.0 m. litres) on May 2013.

Export Value per Litre All wines • April2014averagevaluewas$7.26

per litre, down $0.33 per litre on April 2013.

• YTDApril2014averagevalueis$7.00per litre

• MATApril2014averagepriceis$7.07per litre, down $0.02 per litre from the previous month and down 0.3% or $0.02 per litre on MAT April 2013.

Packaged wines • Excludingunpackagedwinefromthe

data, the April 2014 average value was $7.97 per litre, down $0.43 per litre on April 2013.

• YTDApril2014theaveragepriceis$8.29 per litre.

NZW Export News May 2014• MATApril2014theaveragepriceis

$8.30 per litre, down $0.11 per litre (1.3%) on MAT April 2013.

• MATApril2014pricesareup1.2%tothe UK, are unchanged to the USA, but are down 4.1% to Australia and 4.2% to Canada.

Export Volume by Country of Destination • InMay,forthemajormarkets,exports

were up 70% to the USA, but were down 9% to Australia and 14% to the UK. Canada was down 23% for the month, while performance of other markets was mixed, with the best performers being Netherlands.

• YTDMay2014growthisledbytheUSA +16% with the UK +9% and Australia +5%. Shipments to Canada are +7% on last year. Germany and Netherlands are the other best performers.

• MATMay2014growthisledbytheUSA +18%, the UK +7% and Australia +5%. Canada shipments are +4% for the year. Performance of other tracked markets is mixed with Germany, Netherlands & Singapore the strongest performers.

Export Volume by Packaging Type • ExportsofpackagedwinesMATMay

2014 are 132.8 m. litres up 9.7% (11.7 m. litres) on the previous year and are 70.7% of total export volume.

• MATMay2014packagedexportsareup to all major markets led by the USA 12.9%.

• ExportsofpackagedwinesYTDMay2014 are 123.4 m. litres, up 10.0% on the previous year.

• May2014packagedexportswere11.5m. litres, up 9.8% on May 2013.

• Other(non-packaged)wineshipmentsMAT May 2014 are 55.0 m. litres up 11.1% (29.3% of export volume). Non-

packaged shipments growth is led by the USA (+29.5%).

• Non-packagedexportsYTDMay2014are 51.7 m. litres up 111.7% (5.4 m. litres) on the previous year.

• May2014non-packagedshipmentswere 2.4 m. litres, unchanged on May 2013.

Exports by Variety/Style • InMay2014SauvignonBlancexports

were 11.7 m. litres, up 11% from the previous year, accounting for 84.3% of export volume. Of the Sauvignon Blanc exported in May, 9.2 m litres was from Vintage 2013 and 2.4 m litres was from Vintage 2014.

• Performanceofotherstyleswasgenerally poor in May with Merlot +40% the best performer.

• YTDMay2014SauvignonBlancexports are 150.4 m. litres up 12% on the previous year. Performance of other styles is mixed with Sparkling & Pinot Gris the strongest performers.

• ProductionofSauvignonBlancin2014is estimated to have been 231.1 m. litres, 36% up on the previous year. Shipments of vintage 2014 Sauvignon Blanc since release are 2.5 m. litres or 1.1% of estimated production.

Exports by Winery Category • May2014exportgrowthwasledbythe

large wineries +26%, but the medium wineries were -5% with the small wineries -36%.

• YTDMay2014growthisledbythesmall wineries +42%; the large wineries are +15%, but the medium wineries are down 9%.

• MATMay2014growthisledbythesmall wineries +39% with the large wineries +14%; medium wineries are down 7% for the period.


Wine UnwoundANNABELLE LATZ - ANNABELLELATZ.BLOGSPOT.COM

Amongst giant steel tanks, in-between barrels, around the laboratory. The smells, noises, everyday banter. The tastings, trials, victories, mistakes. Tears, laughter, numb fingers, getting sun burnt.It all describes a life working at a winery. Last year I joined its journey, to see how it all ticked. Now, with three harvests under my belt including one in the Hunter Valley, I have a fair idea.One would have to try very hard to escape the buzz and excitement of the wine industry if they live in Marlborough. As a journalist by trade, I wanted to get a few steps muckier into this area I wanted to write about. On my first day as a cellar hand at New Zealand Wineries in March 2013, I remember walking around the massive winery, gazing up at towering steel tanks, seeing lots of hoses and barrels. What I noticed about the people in the winery was their energy. It was energy expressing their knowledge and passion for the product they were making.As a cellar hand I have two goals in mind. Firstly, to learn as much about winemaking, varieties and the wider concept of winemaking, from the work floor up.Secondly, to communicate with others both within the industry and outside of it, what goes on in a wine cellar, and how wine is made.I want to unwind winemaking. Lees, wild ferment, puncheons, racking, plunging, pump over, punch down, cold stability, cold soak, mushroom, t-piece.What started as nearly a foreign language, is now jargon so integrated into daily work life it often goes unnoticed.Work mates in a cellar become tight knit,

and quickly so. From the managers and winemakers to the lab staff and the cellar crew, we are all there with the same goal in mind. We share the achievements and support each other in the rough times. At the tail end of every summer we are served a few weeks of organised chaos, commonly known as harvest.Some love it and some hate it, but regardless of individual feelings the grapes roll in anyway.And there is only one acceptable attitude during harvest. It is positivity, and trust me it works.Grapes are pressed into juice. Juice is put into tanks, then perhaps barrel. Juice is fermented.Friends ask me what we do the rest of the year when harvest is finished. There is a romantic notion of grape stomping, followed by a near perfect and poetic immaculate formation of juice into wine, with minimal human touch. But it seems there is a bit more to winemaking than this.Tweaking certain elements, fining wine, blending flavours, and filtering the final result to achieve the flawless red, white, and pink liquid we expect in our glasses. Although winemaking in this modern day is known as a science and commonly involves a degree or two, I believe winemaking is also an art.I am by no means a winemaker. But I love being in the cellar and writing about wine. Going to work every day is fun, and the more I learn the more I want to learn, and the more everything makes sense. Daily life in the cellar is awesome fun; dragging hoses, making additions, degassing wine, working with barrels so my hands turn red and I go home smelling faintly of old oak, and

completing blends, amongst plenty of other jobs.This harvest I did take the opportunity to make my own batch of Pinot Noir. I had great fun whole bunch wild fermenting my grapes in a barrel, using all sorts of methods to achieve to the best of my ability daily plunging, cold soaking, warming, and draining and pressing. I have asked close to a thousand questions at work, and am slowly but surely puddling my way through the winemaking process. I have just sulphured my approximate 50 litres of wine, which is still on its lees and has been through malo. The plan is to fine, rack and bottle near the end of the year. I’m thinking Pocket Rocket could be a good name. Writing my monthly Wine Unwound column in Winepress each month for the last year and a bit has been great fun. It has helped me learn, and I am positive I have also taught people inside and outside the industry a thing or two too.This is my final column, as I am no longer a ‘rookie’ cellar hand writing these words, which was the idea behind this column.But continue to write I will, hopefully for a variety of publications, and my blog will always keep me busy too.Making it and communicating it all combines to create the magic in a bottle we call wine, and we love making it. So thanks for reading. Please keep in touch, flick me a line, annabellelatz@

gmail.com.


GREAT FOOD, GREAT WINES AND GREAT FRIENDS COME TOGETHER AT HERZOG’S BISTRO!

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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…

Hans Herzog Estate | 81 Jeffries Road | Blenheim |03 572 8770 | [email protected] | www.herzog.co.nz |

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

Wine HappeningsA monthly list of events within the Marlborough wine industry.To have your event included in next month’s calendar please email details to [email protected]

AUGUST

18 Institute of Masters of Wine hosts an Inaugural

Master Class – Villa Maria Winery, Auckland, book at

www.amiando.com/mwmasterclassnewzealand2014

26 NZSVO Pinot Gris Workshop – Blenheim

27-29 Romeo Bragato Conference – Blenheim –

Convention Centre

27-28 National Young Viticulturist of the Year - Blenheim

SEPTEMBER

6: Pinot at Cloudy Bay

9-11 Judging New Zealand International Wine Show -

Auckland

18-19 WinEng 2014 New Zealand Conference and

Exhibition ‘Value Adding From Grape to Glass’ –

Napier War Memorial Centre

27 Awards dinner New Zealand International Wine

Show

OCTOBER

4-6 International Aromatic Wine Competition (Canterbury

A&P Show) Christchurch

7-8 Marlborough Wine Show Judging – Marlborough

NOVEMBER

8 Marlborough Wine Show Awards Dinner - Blenheim

16 Toast Martinborough, Martinborough

22 Air New Zealand Wine Awards Dinner - Hawke’s Bay


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.

SWNZ submissions - need help?Grapelink Spray Diary & WiSE scorecard•sprayrecordentry&submission•scorecardentry&submission•tutorialassistancecontact Barb Sutton phone 575 7110

CLASSIFIEDS

News From Home and AwayPremium Wines Soar in UKNew Zealand has become the number two country of origin in the UK market for wine sold over £7 according to the latest Nielsen data .New Zealand now sells 18% of all wines sold in this premium price segment, having overtaken Australia and now sits behind France.The latest statistics also show New Zealand’s average price per bottle has increased to £7.34 from £6.79 – an 8.1% increase. “New Zealand is now selling almost one in every 5 bottles in the UK above £7 market. This is outstanding; especially considering New Zealand only produces less than one per cent of the world’s wine” said New Zealand Winegrowers Global Marketing Director, Chris Yorke.New Zealand wine exports reached a record high earlier in the year and now stand at $1.33 billion (up 10% for the year end June 2014). Wine is currently New Zealand’s 7th biggest goods export. Wine exports have increased by $1 billion in the last 10 years.

John Barker Leaving NZWAfter 10 years leading NZW’s advocacy and trade portfolios, John Barker is leaving to set up his own law firm. A lawyer by trade, John took up his role back in 2004, and has seen phenomenal growth in the industry ever since. While he has been at the forefront of many legal issues here in New Zealand, he was also an Export Delegate representing New Zealand on the OIV, holding the President’s position for four years and the VP role from 2012 until now. John is due to leave mid September.

Luring British Wine ProfessionalsDo you know anyone within the wine industry in the UK that may be interested in applying for the next Wine Marlborough NZ-UK Link Foundation scholarship?If so please pass on the following information. The history of the scholarship began in 2009 when Wine Marlborough and the NZ-UK Link Foundation, together with the late John Avery MW, established a scholarship to fund an exceptional wine industry professional from the UK to travel to New Zealand to experience Marlborough’s wine industry. The aim of the scholarship is to further the recipient’s wine knowledge and assist in their personal development as a potential leader in the wine industry.Wine Marlborough with the support of the NZ-UK Link Foundation will host the lucky recipient in New Zealand, predominantly in the Marlborough region. They will have the opportunity to study viticultural and winemaking practices, learn about innovation and the breadth of styles being produced in the region as well as meet the people behind the vines and wines. The recipient will experience life in the Marlborough wine region and will gain an in-depth understanding of our wines and what makes them sought after the world over.We are looking for Wine Industry professionals who are UK citizens with at least five years’ experience in the wine industry. More information and the application form can be downloaded from the Wine Marlborough website www.wine-marlborough.co.nz. Applications close on the 17th of October 2014.

Wall of WineAgrisea is behind a novel fundraiser that will result in a wine auction, via Trade Me in September. The Wall of Wine will have close to 300 bottles of wine donated by wineries throughout the country. Lots of 50 will be auctioned off, with another 50 bottles signed by New Zealand celebrities also up for auction. So far more than 200 bottles have ben donated, and plenty of New Zealand celebrities are throwing their weight behind the fundraiser. “Our Aim is to collect over 300 premium


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bottles that will be signed and auctioned, with all funds raised donated to our chosen New Zealand Charities, including Canteen, Sustainable Coastlines, SPCA & Starship.” The 9m by 2.4m wall of wine will be on display during the Romeo Bragato Conference.

New ManagerNew Zealand’s leading analytical testing laboratory, Hill Laboratories, has appointed Hugh Richards as laboratory manager to the company’s newest facility based in Blenheim. Hugh brings to his new position more than a decade of experience across Hill Laboratories’ Hamilton sites.He began his career in 2002 as a laboratory technician with Hill

Laboratories where he undertook the testing and analysis of soil and water for environmental monitoring and has since progressed into a variety of management roles. As Blenheim laboratory manager, Hugh will oversee the operational management of the company’s Blenheim lab, providing input to strategic and business planning activities across the company.

New Trustee Appointed For Marlborough Research CentreMarlborough wine industry stalwart Ivan Sutherland has been appointed as a trustee for the Marlborough Research Centre Trust while long-time trustee Bernie Rowe steps into the Trust chairman’s role, filling the role of the late

John Marris.Ivan, co-owner of Dog Point Vineyard, was chair of the original Marlborough Wine Research Centre Board and, more recently, the chair of the combined science policy and funding advisory board which has responsibility for both the MRC and the Wine Research Centre’s research and technology investment.A viticulturist-winemaker who planted one of Marlborough’s first privately-owned vineyards, Ivan has also been a long time member of the board of Wine Marlborough.He has been a part of the MRC leadership team managing the Centre during recent years when the economic environment has been challenging for the primary sector.

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