Vintage 2024: Marlborough
"I'm just kind of pinching myself that the weather is so good," says Pernod Ricard's New Zealand Group Winemaker Jamie Marfell, as he approaches what will likely be his first Easter off in 34 years.
Recognised as one of the country’s largest organic vineyards, 110 hectares are BioGro-certified vines. The rest of the 200-hectare property is home to native bush, open spaces, orchards, vegetable gardens and pasture.
Dog Point had already been awarded the Landscape and Habitat Enhancement award, before taking out the supreme award. The judges said that as more shelter belts are removed around Marlborough to make way for vineyards, the extensive and diverse plantings at Dog Point Estate are truly inspiring. “Their work to create native bush, open parklands, productive orchards and woodlands alongside the vineyard is a great example of biodiversity and commercial success in action,” the judges said.
Dog Point were not the only Marlborough wine company to be acknowledged at the Cawthron Environmental Awards. Tohu Wines won the wine industry innovation category, for their work with a PhD student from Lincoln University to carry out a study into organic control options for grass grub. (For more information on this research, see page 103 in the Research Supplement.)
