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While New Zealand's dairy farmers are praying for rain, winemakers are expecting a bumper, high-quality harvest this year thanks to the prolonged dry weather putting the industry on track for record export earnings.
New Zealand Winegrowers said the grape harvest had just started and was expected to be as much as 245,000 tonnes, up 20 per cent on last year from increased plantings.
Chris Ward, vineyard manager at Stonyridge, one of New Zealand's top boutique wineries, said this could be the best year they have ever seen in the Waiheke vineyard's 25-year history.
"We traditionally have a lot of southwesterly winds but this year we didn't and the fruit set nicely, not super heavily but with a nice level of cropping," said Mr Ward yesterday.
"Since then it's been very dry and very hot leading to smaller berries and stronger flavours in the fruit. Irrigation is quite a regular practice at many vineyards which we don't use because it reduces the flavour.
"Talking with Stephen (White, the founder) who has 25 years' experience on the property, it could well be the best year we have ever seen.
"We are actually past any real danger time now. Even if we get a little bit of rain it's not going to affect the harvest at all."
Stonyridge's Larose Cabernet is regarded as New Zealand's best red wine. It retails here for $200 a bottle and has been selling for 600 euros in a St Tropez restaurant. Larose has beaten top Bordeaux wines in international tastings.
Although the vineyard is expecting to produce 1000 cases, 85 per cent is sold en primeur (before being released on the open market), with only a couple of thousand bottles for general release.
New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said the quality of the vintages was expected to be better than last year.
"The grapes have benefited from the prolonged period of dry weather over the summer, and at this stage the prospects for a high-quality vintage appear very good.
"The only caveat is that there's a long way to go. Vintages are just starting and won't be open for the best part of three months but there's a lot of promise there. Last year we had a fantastic Indian summer through the autumn and the vintage was right up there in quality."
He added that as a result of the strong demand, many leading wineries were now experiencing supply constraints with key varieties.
Tony Hoksbergen, general manager of viticulture and wineries for Pernod-Ricard in New Zealand, was more cautious about the harvest, saying heavy rain could still cause problems for wine growers.
The number of New Zealand winemakers has doubled to more than 500 over the past decade. The industry has targeted the premium wine market and earned $761 million from exports last year.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Cabernet Sauvignon particularly favours a hot dry summer. With Pinot Noir and some of the more aromatic white varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris a slightly cooler summer is needed to preserve the expression of flavour.
Sauvignon Blanc tends to excel in Marlborough because it has warm days and very cool nights so it keeps the freshness and vibrancy of flavour in the fruit.
The biggest curse for winemakers at this stage of the year is a spell of sustained damp weather which causes mould on grapes.
- AGENCIES
