Hot, cool and high quality vintage in 2024

By Joelle Thomson

Vintage is a loaded word in any wine region at this time of the year, let alone one that is having

an exciting lead up to harvest after two challengingly rainy years.

“It feels like we can be more in control of this harvest, which feels very much like 2016 and 2020

where we had great power and concentration in the wines,” says winemaker Wilco Lam, chair of the Wairarapa Wine Region.

Lam predicts an early harvest with the first picking to begin between 8 and 10 March.

“We will probably look at picking Pinot Noir in the next 12 days or so,” he said, when interviewed for this story on 29 February.

This is slightly earlier than typical, possibly by about a week, but he says the choice of picking

dates is dependent on the flavours that winemakers want to capture in the wines they make.

“The sweeter flavours of fruit or the more deeper, concentrated flavours are options we think

about when choosing picking dates. Most people will definitely be picking by the third week or

March and (by) mid-March thinking of starting their harvest.”

The volume of wine made in the Wairarapa from the 2024 harvest will probably be about 15% to 20% down on long term averages and while this represents a drop in production, it is not a major issue, says Lam. “There were cooler temperatures at flowering which tends to lead to lower volumes.”

Fellow winemaker and viticulturist Shayne Hammond of Poppies, says that vintage 2024 is looking ideal compared to the poor yields of 2023 when winemakers and vineyards were

swamped by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Lam acknowledges that the 2023 vintage was interesting which made for many challenges, but he

says a Pinot Noir workshop held in February this year showed fresher, lighter styles of Pinot Noir.

“We held a Pinot Noir workshop to look at everybody’s 2023 Pinots and they were a lot more promising than initially thought. Everybody is much more aware of the diligence required in their approach these days when a year like 2023 with the cyclone hits. The wines made are fresh styles and there is some beautiful Pinot from last year. 

“It’s been fantastic to see it across the region from the northern Wairarapa and Masterton through to Gladstone and here in Martinborough.”

The cooler nights in late February this year are a positive for winegrowers because they enable grapes to retain freshness but the pronounced north-west winds this summer may lead to thicker

skinned grapes. This is an opportunity as well as a challenge to be managed in the winery.

“What we have seen with warm nor’ westers is a temporary shut down so we still get ripening but not excessive sugars and we will very likely have grapes with tougher skins so that is something to watch out for and manage in the winemaking process,” says Lam.

The biggest challenge this summer has been managing irrigation regimes and sustainability in water use.

“The excitement for the 2024 vintage is felt by everyone in the region. Shayne’s sentiment that it is a relief after a few tough years is exactly how we feel. It is a beautiful year with very good quality hanging in the vineyard and that is all it takes to give a good feeling to the winegrowers here.”