Vintner’s luck at harvest
New Zealand’s wine industry has pulled off an ‘incredible’ harvest, despite being caught in the throes of a global pandemic. Maia Hart reports.
WINE lovers rejoice: despite Covid-19 restrictions creating serious challenges for vineyards, the industry has managed to pull off an ‘‘incredible’’ 2020 harvest.
Growers had to contend with the level 4 lockdown arriving in the middle of the harvest season, and overseas workers — many from coronavirus-hit Italy — were unable to get into the country. While some handpicking started in February, harvest kicked into full speed at the beginning of March.
New Zealand went into lockdown level 4 at midnight on March 25/26, during the ‘‘most crucial’’ time of harvest.
Wairau River winery operations manager Nick Entwistle said the 48 hours between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s level 4 announcement and moving into lockdown was the ‘‘most stressful’’ time of the season.
‘‘Mainly because of the uncertainty about whether or not we were going to be classed as essential,’’ Entwistle said.
The production and processing of food and beverages was deemed an essential service, which allowed the industry to continue harvesting, albeit with strict protocols.
It raised eyebrows in the community, amid concerns too many residents would be going to work and harvest would not be carried out safely.
Entwistle said it was a huge relief when the industry was deemed an essential service.
‘‘Once we did get that confirmation, we took that opportunity to say, let’s make sure we get this done properly and then whatever we do bring into the winery, is going to be in pristine condition,’’ Entwistle said.
‘‘There was no need to rush, we would have done ourselves a disservice if we did.’’
He said the communication that came from Wine Marlborough and New Zealand Winegrowers helped them understand how to meet the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) expectations.
‘‘The machine picking was relatively the same speed, but [with] hand picking we had to be a lot more careful.
‘‘It started right out in the vineyards, the picking crews. We worked really closely with the contractor that we use, and they were doing a very good job of communicating with us.
‘‘They were maintaining their social distancing by harvesting alternate rows and things like that.’’
Winery staff were moved into isolated accommodation such as single motel units and vineyard properties. Shifts were split and vineyard and winery staff were unable to mix.
‘‘We, along with most other wineries in the region, took the opportunity to separate those people at that time and put them in their own bubbles,’’ Entwistle said.
‘‘For us, Covid-19 was going on in the background, but we were in the middle of a great harvest. It gave us something to really focus on and the fruit quality was really good.’’
Wine Marlborough’s 2020 vintage report stated the growing season was slightly longer and the temperature was cooler toward the end, which meant fruit had a fuller flavour.
Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said the way the industry transitioned during lockdown was ‘‘swift and extreme’’.
‘‘People took it incredibly seriously. They recognised the privileged position the wine industry was in, and the risk of it being shut down at any time,’’ Pickens said.
‘‘People were kept safe, the grapes got off the vines, through the presses and into their tanks and barrels, and it sounds like the quality of fruit is incredible.’’ Dog Point founder Ivan Sutherland said that when the season was fractionally later, ‘‘you can develop maximum flavour in your grapes’’. Entwistle said pinot noir and pinot gris variety volumes were back up to average in 2020 and sauvignon blanc was at average yields, or above average on some blocks.
‘‘The conditions enabled a longer ripening period, resulting in good fruit from blocks that had struggled in recent years,’’ he said.
Wine writer Michael Cooper said the impression he had been getting from wineries was that there was much to look forward to, despite the effect of the lockdown on the industry. ‘‘Certainly, it’s going to be tough out there for wineries but at least for most of them, this year has brought seemingly goodquality wine,’’ Cooper said.
Some parts of the country, such as Otago, experienced a cooler summer, but Marlborough, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay had great weather which contributed to great growing conditions. Cooper said feedback from producers in Gisborne was that the vintage had been amazing, and at Hawke’s Bay, it was ‘‘the best vintage ever’’.
‘‘For wine lovers who enjoy Hawke’s Bay’s reds – the merlot, cabernet and shiraz, that certainly sounds like something to get excited about.’’ In Marlborough, a small wine producer told Cooper it had been extremely dry and, as a result, berries were small.
Central Otago has faced a tricky season, with cool weather, strong winds and problems with powdery mildew disease, and it remained to be seen how they would fare.