Things are not altogether rosy in the world of NZ viticulture at the moment. Recently we had the well publicised contract cancellations by Pernod Ricard in the Gisborne region and now it seems growers in Marlborough are about to feel the pinch. Check out these two articles from the Marlborough Express here and here about the putting to 'sleep' of some vineyards, reduced grape prices, yield restrictions and, in some cases, vine pulling.
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It seems possible that the events of 2008, the record but overcropped harvest have been a turning point in NZ viticulture, highlighting the often one-sided relationships of grower-winery contracts. Growers held the power for a long time but recent record vineyard plantings have now seen a potential oversupply and wineries have had more fruit to choose from. The pendulum has swung the other way. Its a wake-up call for both sides to forge closer ties and a joint vision which can only benefit both parties in the long term.
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Wineries and growers with long term contracts, where there is shared risk as well as a shared vision of the required quality, together with a real interest in the financial outcome of the final product seem well placed to succeed. The times are a changing...
1 comment:
Here in the Spanish demonination of Rias Baixas the growers certainly hold the balance of power at the moment. Demand for fruit is still driving fruit price forever upwards - until it inevitably reaches breaking point and the price collapses once again. (Cycles of boom and bust that mirror the financial markets). We can only hope that our growers will eventually learn that their actions only serve to cause instability, and therefore loss of market share.
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