Big grape crop may test harvesters

1.00pm

Marlborough grape growers are reporting bigger than expected crops this year, raising questions over whether the region was prepared for its largest harvest yet.

With an increase in winery space, trucks and harvesters, some say Marlborough is well prepared for a harvest of 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes of grapes, but with a condensed late harvest possible and higher than estimated yields, space and machinery could be tight.

Marlborough Winegrowers spokesperson Stuart Smith said there had been plenty of warning about the big harvest this year, and wine companies should have reacted to that.

Marlborough Winegrowers have predicted a harvest of 80,000 tonnes this year, but it seems likely the yield will be far higher.

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said the New Zealand crop was predicted to be 170,000 tonnes and he would expect Marlborough's harvest to be 100,000 tonnes, "maybe even more".

That is more than double last year's frost affected harvest of 40,537 tonnes and nearly twice the 2002 bumper crop of 54,496 tonnes.

Mr Gregan said one of the key aspects of a vintage was the time frame of grapes coming in.

"If you are looking at a compressed vintage things become a lot more complicated," he said.

On top of large crop predictions, many companies were reporting yields higher than expected.

Montana Brancott Winery manager Gerry Gregg said the company had been harvesting for two-and-a-half weeks and had seen "some very big surprises" in quantity.

"I think quite frankly that most of the companies are going to get a big shock when they start harvesting," he said.

Montana has a 26 million litre capacity this year -- roughly 23,000 tonnes.

Mr Gregg said at its peak Montana would be processing more than 1000 tonnes a day, employees working 24 hours a day, for a couple of weeks.

- NZPA