North Island vineyards lead a record-breaking harvest

Grape growers harvested a record 118,700 tonnes this season, 67 per cent up on last year, mainly because of huge increases in North Island crops.

Hawkes Bay production of wine grapes jumped 136 per cent to 25,700 tonnes, and Auckland vineyards harvested 148 per cent more grapes than last year at 1500 tonnes.

In Marlborough, production was up only 47 per cent, but it will be the region's biggest vintage with a production lift of 17,500 tonnes to 54,500 tonnes, or nearly half the national crop.

Small vintages in the past two years held back exports, so this year's big crop should support export growth in the next year, New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said.

Last year, 22 million litres of wine valued at $240 million was exported.

This year's increased harvest was due to a return to normal yields because of better grape-growing weather and an increase in vineyard area of just over 10 per cent.

The previous record was 80,100 tonnes in 2000.

The average yield for the vintage is estimated to be nine tonnes a hectare, compared with last year's record low of 6.1 tonnes.

"Wine exports will continue to grow in volume and value, but a decrease in the returns per litre may result from the strengthening of the New Zealand dollar," Gregan said.

The increased production was spread across all grape varieties, with record crops for most.

The dominant types were sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, which together made up just over 60 per cent of the nationalcrop.

Merlot recorded the largest increase in production, up 153 per cent to 6500 tonnes. It is now the country's fourth most popular grape type behind savignon blanc (36,700), chardonnay (33,900) and pinot noir (10,400).

The quality of the vintage would be determined during the next year to 18 months, but Gregan said winemakers were "generally bullish".

- NZPA, STAFF REPORTER