Wine Grower (2119)
Especially given that this month marks the 40th anniversary of the first modern day grape plantings in Marlborough.
There was a time when the wineries in Marlborough could be counted on one hand. Everyone knew each other, and get togethers were common. These days the industry has grown so much, that it’s hard to fit all the winemakers, owners and viticulturists into one room, let alone know all their names. So this month we introduce you to four of our young guns you may not have met before.
It was just a decade ago when the first ever wine was made in the Waitaki Valley, with the subsequent releases riding a wave of hype and well deserved critical acclaim. However, Craggy Range withdrew a few years back; its largest player, Pasquale has announced it’s pulling out and “for sale” signs are now scattered through its vineyard area. So what’s happened to a place so full of promise?
There’s been a lot of superlatives bandied about, describing the 2013 vintage, but to put it simply, it was stunning, the best ever! The dry weather, whilst tough on pastoral farmers was ideal for grapegrowers, and we have harvested beautiful fruit, across the wide range of varieties grown in Gisborne.
Vintage 2013 is now over and according to all reports it seems to have been a very good one for the sector. The first wines from the vintage have already appeared in the Wine Export Certification System and we expect May to be a very busy month for certifying 2013 wines as industry stocks are low.
Boutique wine businesses could pick up some cues from Philip and Terry Hall, an enterprising British couple who took over a small winery in the heart of Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels soon after the global economy started roughing up.
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Wine and cheese are natural partners and have gone hand in hand for centuries.
It was a headline to strike fear into the hearts of the New Zealand wine industry, even if there were many shaking their heads at its validity.
