In 2012, Hawke’s Bay winegrowers received some worrying news: their good name, built from decades of toil and talent, was being ripped off. Wine was being sold in China as hailing from the Bay, though it had never been anywhere near New Zealand vineyards. And local growers could just imagine what that imposter might taste like.

Two of the big names in New Zealand wine were inducted into the Wine Hall of Fame at the Easter show. Alan Brady and Larry McKenna have both played major roles in the development of their regions and the New Zealand wine story as a whole.

Vintage 2013 was the largest ever in New Zealand’s history. On the back of some stunning summer and autumn weather, the quality was also high.

If the ferocity of the wind on January 1st, (where I was) was anything to go by, 2014 blew its way into existence in style. Goodbye to the past 12 months, and welcome to the next.

I am writing this as I set out to attend New Zealand Winegrowers’ 2014 Annual Trade Tasting in London. This event has been a key feature of the New Zealand effort in the UK for over 30 years, and once again this year I expect there will be a very strong attendance of trade, media and consumers.

For the first time in four years grape growers in New Zealand’s two largest wine regions are optimistic about the future. Prices have increased, yields are up and a stunning vintage is the icing on the cake.

Water use is becoming an increasingly fraught issue in Hawke’s Bay as growers along the lower reaches of the Tukituki River battle proposed new regulations they believe will threaten their future livelihoods.  

The world is becoming a smaller place, with increased travel, tourism, trade and immigration. And because of that, New Zealand is at far greater risk of facing bio-security threats than ever before.

The last 12 months have been a real turning point for the industry. The end result is a greater level of  optimism than at Bragato a year ago.

It was the second largest Bragato conference held in the history of the event. Close to 600 people, including delegates and trade, converged on Marlborough for a conference that looked back at the past, in order to prepare for the future.