Bumper season boosts wine production

New Zealand’s wine industry is looking forward to increased sales, after a bumper season produced a surge in grape production this year.
  
New Zealand Winegrowers chief Philip Gregan said nature had delivered a bounty in 2008, with 285,000 tonnes of grapes harvested, up 39% on last year.
  
Gregan said the wine being produced was of good quality, thanks partly to a dry summer.

“Droughts are good for grapes … we had a great summer in New Zealand and we expect that to show in the quality,” he said.

A statement from the winegrowers said an increase in producing area and favourable growing conditions had led to rises in the number of grapes produced.

The Marlborough region’s grape production jumped 61%, to 121,00 tonnes, while Central Otago production was up 177%, Wairarapa up was 111%, Waipara up 304%, Canterbury up 304% and Nelson up 35%.

Gisborne and Hawkes Bay regions were down 8% and 18% respectively, because of a combination of frosts and cooler weather at flowering, the statement said.

It is expected the harvest will mean a jump in the amount of sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and pinot gris made, but will lead to less chardonnay being produced.

“The increased harvest is a real opportunity to grow sales in new and existing export markets in the year ahead towards our target of $NZ1 billion of exports by 2010,” Gregan said in the statement.