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Kevin presented to us, with his views on the Marlborough history of wine growing, supplying and the present, as well as his predictions for the future of the area. All very informative and well received, leading to more than a bit of discussion by the members present. An intriguing evening of information and wine tasting.
A reminder of the tastings we had during the evening:
Riverby Rosé 2023 – Welcome wine – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Cicada Gewurztraminer 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Riverby Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Gruner Veltliner 2022
Riverby OVB 2021
Riverby Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Riverby Noble Riesling 2019 – multiple award winner.
As well as the above, we were offered a small tasting of two of Riverby’s Rieslings:
Sal’s Block Riesling 2023 – this was a dri-ish tipple with 20gm of sugar
Eliza Riesling 2023 [blend of Riesling and sweet grapes] with 40gm of sugar
Both well received, depending on how sweet you like your wines. Kevin mentioned that most of his Rieslings go to the Scandinavian countries in Europe.
This tasting was clearly enjoyed, as evidenced by the 141 bottles ordered from Kevin. Well done.
Wednesday 14th February 8 pm start Door Price: Members $10 / Guests $14
We have lined up for your February Club Monthly meeting an evening with Kevin Courtney of Riverby Estate from Blenheim.
Riverby are a boutique, family owned and run wine producer in Marlborough’s Jackson Road heartland. All grapes are grown on the estate vineyard by descendants of the Matthews family, who have been farming the property for over 100 years. The Matthews farm was called Riverby and the original homestead, depicted on the Sauvignon Blanc back label, is still in use.
On their approximately 70ha vineyard they have three different soil types that allow the family to grow a variety of grapes, and their range of award-winning wines come from individual parcels on that single vineyard. Although not all their wines are made every year, as this depends on the quality of grapes for vintage.
The Riverby name originated from the Opawa River and its tributaries, which meandered through the property. This river was diverted in the 1930s to stop Blenheim from flooding, creating what was eventually to become ideal grape growing land. The rainbow trout on the Riverby label is symbolic of the fish that used to swim where grapes are now grown.
Old Vines Reserve Chardonnay 2020 – Silver Medal NZIWS 2022
They are proud to practice sustainable grape-growing techniques throughout the whole grape-growing and winemaking cycle and are also pleased to be eligible to be members of Appellation Wine Marlborough (AWM) because of their vineyard practices and restricted yields.
In a throw-back to past glories, sheep are used extensively throughout the vineyard to control weeds and grasses.
Wines for the evening:
Riverby Rose’ 2023 – Welcome wine – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Cicada Gewurztraminer 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Riverby Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Gruner Veltliner 2022
Riverby OVB 2021
Riverby Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Riverby Noble Riesling 2019 – multiple award winner
A name synonymous with leadership in wine, Sir George Fistonich
A name synonymous with leadership in wine, Sir George Fistonich has a history of success but has always operated with an eye on the future. In 2021, not content with retirement, Sir George embarked on a new venture: Fistonich Family Vineyards, fuelled by his passion for viticulture, winemaking, developing future talents and creating world-class brands.
Today, Fistonich Family Vineyards owns incredible vineyards across Hawkes Bay and Marlborough, including Cornerstone in the Gimblett Gravels and Ballochdale in the Awatere Valley. And on the horizon, Sir George is poised to unveil his flagship winery brand, crafted from his cherished Terraced vineyard site in Bayview, Hawkes Bay. It is a significant site for the New Zealand wine industry that Sir George himself meticulously planted over three decades ago.
Chief Winemaker Michelle Richardson is known for her extraordinary ability to translate the essence of a country, region, vineyard, or even a single row into the vibrant expressions in the wines she crafts. What is truly exciting for the New Zealand and Hawkes Bay wine scene is the winery restaurant and cellar door that will come in 2024. Envision sunlit patios stretching before you, overlooking terraced vineyards and the South Pacific Ocean.
As Fistonich Family Vineyards begins to build a diverse wine portfolio, the initial offerings are dedicated to providing a joyful and delicious range of crowd-pleasing wines. Among the first wines to be released are the Obliix and Forest Flower Collection wines.
As October rolls around, watch this space as Sir George unveils his flagship winery brand. This is an exciting new chapter in the legacy of Sir George Fistonich and his visionary contributions to the world of wine. As soon as the wines are ready in October, you’ll be the first to know and we’ll have them right here at Glengarry.
This was a superb evening featuring worldwide bubbles.
The special food matched some of the wines and was well thought out and tasty. It is always interesting to see what change the food makes to the wine you drink.
This has left everyone with some thoughtfully selected wines to source for Christmas celebrations.
As a reminder of what to put on your shopping list, the wines we tasted were:
De Bortolli Family Selection Sparkling Brut NV – Australia
Graham Norton Prosecco D.O.C. – Italy
Perelada Brut Reserva Spanish Cava – Spain
Pongracz Sparkling Brut – South Africa
Hunter MiruMiru Marlborough Methode Traditionelle Brut – New Zealand
Aimery Grande Cuvee 1531 Cremant De Limouix Rose NV – France
The Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz NV – Australia
Pegasus Bay Encore Noble Riesling 2007 AND 2017 – New Zealand
It was an interesting and fun evening for everyone, thanks to Wayne, Murray, Terry Gayl, and everyone else who helped with the food on the evening.
Detergent is the enemy of effervescence, so always rinse your sparkling glasses in warm water to remove any residue. Photo / Getty Images
From weekend brunches to housewarming parties to casual happy hours at home, popping a bottle of bubbles generally promises a good time. This tasting has been put together with assistance from our friends at Eurovintage and presents many affordable wines from around the world that may well surprise you with their wide range of styles and tastes.
And if you then go out and seek one or more of these wines after the tasting, we will be well pleased. Wines to be tasted will include:
De Bortolli Family Selection Sparkling Brut NV – Australia – Our welcome wine
Graham Norton Prosecco D.O.C – Italy
Perelada Brut Reserva Spanish Cava NV – Spain
Pongracz Sparkling Brut – South Africa
Hunter MiruMiru Marlborough Method Traditionalle Brut – New Zealand
Aimery Grande Cuvee 1531 Cremant De Limouix Rose NV – France
The Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz NV – Australia
Pegasus Bay Encore Noble Riesling – New Zealand
The club will supply you with a flute to taste the wines, but bring your flutes or tasting glasses if you prefer.
As there are eight wines for the evening, members are encouraged to have a good meal before attending the evening.
There will be extra small food supplied for some of the above wines to enhance the experience and make the evening extra special.
Sauvignon blanc grapes at Alapa Vineyard Services in Blenheim.
Prices for sauvignon blanc vineyards in Marlborough have topped $400,000 per hectare this year, up by almost 60% on past record, the Real Estate Institute says.
Andy Poswillo, director for Colliers in Marlborough said it was a big jump from the $270,000 per hectare that the best vineyards fetched for a long time.
A number of factors influenced the price, he said.
The best vineyards delivered consistent high-quality yields, Poswillo said.
The land that attracted the most interest was not under any contractual obligations and buyers could “do what they wanted with the fruit,” he said.
Investors looked at the rate of return and the value of a vineyard came down to yield and location, he said.
Water availability and security was a major contributor to the value of land.
The price per tonnes of grapes made land attractive, he said.
Sauvignon blanc grapes harvested recently sold for up to $2200 per tonne, Poswillo said.
Real Estate Institute rural spokesperson Shane O’Brien said these sales were the only “bright spot” in the rural property market as sales continued to decline compared to last year.
The institute’s data showed there were 166 fewer farm sales for the three months ended May than for the same three months ended May 2022.
“The reduced number of sales is impacted by buyers continuing to take a wait-and-see approach to buying amidst the backdrop of higher interest rates, farm expenses increasing and lower farm incomes off the back of adverse weather and challenging economic conditions,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said the sale of two established vineyards was at a price per hectare never seen before.
“In Marlborough sales are now being reported at record levels for good quality sauvignon blanc land and more land is being acquired for further development in grapes,” he said.
The recent uptick in wine exports and free-trade agreement with the UK gave the industry “renewed confidence,” O’Brien said.
Chief executive of New Zealand Winegrowers Philip Gregan said earlier this month wine exports for the year to May were worth $2.4 billion, up 25% on last year.
Sarah Wilson, general manager for advocacy at New Zealand Winegrowers, said under the UK free-trade agreement technical barriers to trade would be removed, and certification and labelling requirements minimised.
Marcus Pickens, general manager for Wine Marlborough, said the phenomenon of good sales for sauvignon blanc vineyards was not new, with ongoing growth in the industry for the last 30 years.
“It’s a continuation of the growth trajectory.
“There could have been an uptick and land conversion into viticulture. The world discovered sauvignon blanc in the 1980s and there’s been growing demand ever since. Other varieties grow very well, but sauvignon blanc gets all the attention,” Pickens said.
Marlborough had “nice warm days” in the growing season and “quite cold nights which was good for flavour development,” he said.
Marcus Pickens says sauvignon blanc gets all the attention in New Zealand.
Of Marlborough’s about 30,000 hectares of vineyards, about 24,000ha was planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Pickens said.
The vineyard area grew by 29% in the last 10 years, but it was hard to say if this trend would continue, he said.
Marlborough had a record harvest last year, after a small harvest in 2021 brought about by poor fruit set, he said.
This year’s harvest was marginally less than last year because of an abnormal summer, Pickens said.
“As a wine industry we have been careful to map planting planning with consumption demand as we do not want to oversupply the market, just grow our premium offering at the same pace as demand grows,” Pickens said.
The median price per hectare for dairy farms for the three months ended June this year was up 3.1% compared to last year, for finishing farms it was down 4.8%, up 5.3% for grazing farms and down by 25% for horticulture, Real Estate Institute data showed.
Antonia presented us with some of the Babich wines, mainly from Marlborough, where their new winery is situated. Their base is still in the Henerson Valley, where the Babich family first settled.
Antonia regaled us with the Babich family members’ comings to New Zealand at an unsettled time for the world and why they turned to making wine, with their increasing presence here and their increasing knowledge base. An interesting evening for everyone.
The different labels certainly made for an interesting evening.
A reminder of the wines we tasted during the evening:
Sustainably Crafted New Zealand Wine – 100 years in the making
Wednesday 9th August, 8 pm Start Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18
People thought Josip Babich was crazy back in 1912. Planting vines in West Auckland and then patiently making wine the difficult way – with great vision, graft, thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and true craft. That pioneering spirit is something that still runs deep in our veins today, and we’ll keep ‘paying it forward’ for as long as we exist.
Over 20 years ago, we registered our first sustainable vineyard – a New Zealand first. But we’re not content to look back because what you’ve done is not who you are. We’re more excited about our future than ever and applying 100 years and three generations of winemaking experience to sustainably craft the most drinkable wines from New Zealand to the world.
Sustainability is always better when shared. Babich’s iconic NZ wine regions: Marlborough is home to some of the world’s finest Sauvignon Blanc. And a second home to Babich since we established vineyards there in 1989. Hawkes Bay is internationally renowned for its soil profile – perfect for supple, robust and sophisticated reds.
An experimental vineyard is one of the ways that science will ensure the world will still be able to enjoy New Zealand wine as the climate changes.
With the ability to fine-tune the environmental conditions, scientists at the Plant & Food Research Experimental Future Vineyard at the New Zealand Wine Centre -Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa – will be able to mimic expected climate scenarios of the future.
Plants grown in the new 600sqm facility which is due for completion in 2024, will help scientists understand how different temperatures, soil types and water availability may impact grape production in the future, and provide the industry with key knowledge to help it adapt.
The experiment comes as a Plant & Food Research study suggests areas of the North Island suitable for growing Sauvignon blanc vines are likely to substantially reduce this century as climate change brings rising temperatures.
Dr Jill Stanley, Plant & Food Research Science Group Leader, Fruit Crops Physiology. Photo / Supplied
However, Plant & Food Research Science Group Leader, Fruit Crops Physiology, Dr Jill Stanley, says it is not all bad news for connoisseurs of the wine – one of New Zealand’s most popular varieties – as modelling under both low and high temperature rise scenarios also shows areas of the South Island are likely to increase in growing suitability.
“Moderate gains are predicted in Marlborough, Canterbury and central Otago under low rise scenarios, but substantial gains under higher temperatures,” she says. “By mid-century, there may be an opportunity for Canterbury and parts of Otago to become global Sauvignon blanc powerhouses, alongside Marlborough (New Zealand’s current prime Sauvignon blanc producing region, accounting for 72 per cent of output).
“So, if you like a drop of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, you’re probably going to be okay.”
Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr Roger Robson-Williams, says Plant & Food Research is working with a variety of industry sectors, to understand what and where crops can be grown in the future. By using computers to jump in a ‘virtual time machine’, scientists can see what rainfall patterns and temperatures are going to look like in different parts of Aotearoa.
“Climate change is going to affect what we eat over time,” he says. “For wealthy nations, the impact may seem quite small at first, as they will generally have the resources to secure more-or-less whatever foods they want for the time being.
“For less developed countries, climate change will produce real issues in terms of food security; not just impacting the type of foods available but, more worryingly, it will lead to absolute scarcity of food with ever-increasing risks of crop failures around the globe. We want to make sure that New Zealand can continue to grow good, nutritious food, for ourselves and for others.”
Robson-Williams says the first step is to get a picture of what crops will grow well and where; these may be crops we already have, or new crops.
“We’re also looking at improving our current crops so they can cope better with the impacts of climate change – be it drought tolerance, resistance to different pests and diseases, or just the ability to grow in hotter conditions,” he says.
Stanley says the research contains a key message for growers and the industry: “It’s increasingly important growers start thinking about what the future holds and the adaptations they can take to mitigate and reduce the effects of climate change.
“While we don’t know for certain what is ahead as many different factors affect how crops are grown, the research is designed to give the sector some idea of what could occur,” she says.
Dr Zac Hanley, General Manager Science New Cultivar Innovation, Plant & Food Research. Photo / Supplied
As well as changing to varieties that are more suited to the changing climate, Stanley says growers could adapt the way they grow crops, such as using covers to protect them from increasing risk of rain and hail. They could change the crops they grow (for example growing avocados or apples instead of grapes) or consider expanding into different regions.
Dr Zac Hanley, General Manager Science New Cultivar Innovation, says that the changing climate might also create new opportunities for New Zealand’s horticulture sector.
“We’re bringing new crops into New Zealand, testing things that might be able to cope with future conditions. For example, New Zealand might be able to successfully grow sub-tropical plants like dragon fruit as our climate changes, and that could be a potential new industry for growers in these warmer regions.”
New Zealand-Viet Nam dragon fruit breeding programme. Photo / Supplied
A joint New Zealand-Viet Nam dragon fruit breeding programme has resulted in the development of the first varieties of dragon fruit that could form the basis of a New Zealand sector.
Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Premium Fruit Variety Development project has bred three new varieties of dragon fruit which will be commercialised globally by VentureFruit, a T&G Company. Initial testing and evaluation is underway to determine how these new varieties could be commercially grown in Northland.
Plant & Food Research is also looking at the viability of commercial production of other non-traditional crops, such as peanuts in Northland and almonds in the Hawke’s Bay, that may do well in New Zealand’s future climate.
Dr Samantha Baldwin, a Science Group Leader at Plant & Food Research. Photo / Supplied
Growing indoors, away from the weather, is also an option. Dr Samantha Baldwin, a Science Group Leader at Plant & Food Research, says their research is attempting to make sure New Zealand can deliver food than can be grown long into the future, despite the climate issues being experienced.
She says indoor growing could help food security “because we can basically recreate the entire environment within a controlled area so we can take out the risk not only of erratic weather but also seasonal weather. We can create all seasons in one day if we really want.”
Stanley says that climate change will potentially have major impacts on New Zealand and growers are already thinking about how they will respond.
“The horticulture sector needs to weigh the costs of adaptations or mitigations to climate change against the economic impact of doing nothing,” she says. “It is great to see industry bodies starting to think about what these changes might mean and to plan accordingly.”
It’s a steaming 26.5C in Hawke’s Bay as a retired King’s Counsel handpicks Chardonnay grapes in the wake of a cyclone.
He’s one of a team of volunteers who heeded the call from winemaker and Chardonnay specialist Tony Bish, who’s lost 75% of his intended intake to the rain and floods this season. “We’ve written off about 150 tonnes out of a 200-tonne intake,” Tony says on 9 March, about to drive his trailer of freshly picked fruit back to the winery. “It’s been a hard season.”
But despite knowing he won’t meet export orders, which take up half his production, Tony is heartened by the response from his local community, with people of all ages joining the harvest, alongside a team of seasonal workers from Vanuatu.
Tony Bish, Winemaker
The wine community has pitched in too, with Marlborough growers offering a lifeline for Tony’s Fat & Sassy consumer brand. On realising the extent of crop losses, Tony emailed his contacts in the region and revealed he was “desperate for Chardonnay”.
The response was good, both from those willing to part with their fruit, and others offering moral support. “It’s a case of Marlborough helping Hawke’s Bay,” he adds. “Basically the story will be Fat & Sassy goes to Marlborough. Thanks to our colleagues in Marlborough helping us through a cyclone, we’ll be able to keep continuity in the domestic market.”
In the meantime, he’s excited about the quality of fruit still hanging on the vine, to be picked at the end of March for his premium labels. “We are going to pick some really good fruit, so there’s a happy ending in sight. It’s going to deliver something delicious.”
Lucie Jiraska clearly recalls her first taste of wine, unimpressed by her grandpa’s Cabernet Moravia.
Now she’s working with Auckland University’s Biological Sciences department studying the effect of management on soil biodiversity in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough vineyards.
What drew you to studying soil in New Zealand vineyards?
I was five when my grandpa, a hobby winemaker from the south of the Czech Republic, thought it was about time for me to have my first sip of wine. I vividly remember him being so proud of that batch. The cold of the cellar was seeping through my summer clothes, as he ceremonially withdraw the wine from one of the barrels and I was presented with a tiny glass containing less than a sip of dark ruby liquid. My grandma was strongly arguing against it, but my grandpa was adamant. I took a sip, my face twisted into a forced smile, and I thought, what is this adult madness and why is everyone pretending they like it? I did not want to hurt my grandpa’s feelings, so I pretended I liked the wine as well, but for a long time after, I kept wondering what the wine industry was all about.
It took me another 15 years, and moving to Prague for my bachelor’s and master’s degree in molecular biology and microbiology, to actually start understanding the science behind fermentation, microbes and soils. From there, it was just a small step, supported by a portion of luck, to join the Vineyard Ecosystems (VE) Programme. I was looking for a PhD project right when my current PhD supervisors Professor Matthew Goddard and Dr Sarah Knight were advertising a position. I did not really have to think twice, and I am very happy that I made this decision to join it.
What has your research involved?
My research mostly focuses on the impact of agricultural management on soil microbial communities in vineyards from the Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough regions. I specifically researched how soil microbial communities differ between vineyards using synthetic herbicides and those with alternative undervine management, like cultivation or mowing. I also focused on direct impacts of synthetic and organic fungicides on soil microbes and changes to their functions in response to the application of fungicides.
As a microbial ecologist, I get to go out in the field to collect samples. Samples for the VE Programme were mostly collected by our colleagues at Plant & Food Research in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, but for other aligned projects I was collecting samples of soil, bark, fruit and/or leaves. While I enjoy being outdoors and sampling, a large part of my work is in the laboratory doing either DNA or RNA extractions from samples or using molecular techniques to understand what microbial communities live in our samples. Or I’m in front of a computer bioinformatically processing and statistically analysing the data. This is what I think the most exciting part is, as this is the step where the data begins to make sense and we can start answering our research questions
Who has helped you in your work?
Besides my amazing supervisors, Mat Goddard and Sarah Knight, I would like to acknowledge Beatrix Jones, Victoria Raw, Innocenter Amima, Jed Lennox, Paulina Giraldo-Perez and Soon Lee. And obviously all the winegrowers that allowed us to collect soils and access their sites for so many years!
What are some of the findings in your thesis?
The soil communities between vineyards are highly variable, more than between management regimes. While we found a small but significant effect of management regime on soil microbial composition, we are still in the process of understanding if these small differences do affect their function in the vineyard. Each vineyard seems to be a microbiome soil island where the history of the site is reflected in the soil community.
And while some of the synthetic fungicides we tested directly in the lab had no impact on the soil microbial community composition, we were able to find an impact on microbial function in these soils. Especially those that had a history of repeated exposure to pesticides. These findings suggest that soils do in fact have an “ecological memory”, so what you put in your soils matters, as it may influence how your vineyard responds in the future. However, at this stage we still have a very limited understanding on how it mechanistically works, as soils are extremely complex systems to study. Maybe one day we will be able to design management plans suited for each vineyard, not just generalised guidelines to follow.
This was an evening of tasting grape varieties from around the world but produced right here in NZ.
Adding to this international flavour was our presenter Carlos, who was born in Chile and came to NZ in 2010, and now resides in Marlborough with his wife and daughters. Carlos informed us that Forrest is now second-generation owned and operated and that they loved working with many different grape varieties.
As a reminder of the wines we sampled during the evening:
Forrest Botrytised Riesling 2018Forrest has approximately 150 ha of grapes plants in Marlborough, with additional plantings in the Waitaki Valley, with the latter having limestone ground, similar to Burgundy conditions.
Visit Forrest
70% of their Sauvignon Blanc goes overseas each year, with 100 cases to Waitrose per year!
Notably, most of their Forrest Botryised Riesling, with a honey/marmalade taste – is made for and sold to Air NZ. So when COVID19 hit NZ, the unwanted stock was stocked by NZ based stockists – a bonus for the NZ public.
There were 15 orders from Club members for this tasting, evidence of just how much this tasting was enjoyed by our members.
Thank you to Carlos and Forrest Wines for your support of our club.
