The 2021 Grape Harvest is Underway
Pickers are out in the vines. The nets covering some of the rows have been lifted. Tractors are roaming the roads carting the laden bins, and the wineries are in full production. The smell of yeast and ferment can be smelt from the top of Bidwill’s Cutting as you drop down the hill to Martinborough. The 2021 harvest is well underway, a week earlier than last year.
Most of the Martinborough vineyards on the terraces escaped the frosts during bud burst. But poor weather during flowering has resulted in smaller bunches and lighter weight crops. Despite the crops being lighter in weight, the same effort is required for hand-picking, so the harvest is slow to come in. “On a positive note, the berries are clean and flavoursome, and the acids are good”, says Helen Masters.
Guy Mc Master, from Palliser Wines, agreed that the fruit is of really good quality, with the Pinot Noir reflecting notes of dark plums and cherries, and in the Chardonnay, stone fruit flavours.
Many of the vineyards have their own picking crews so the harvest has not been impacted by lack of resource. Picking has begun with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc are yet to come in.
Weather over the last weeks, with the warmer days and cooler nights, has provided perfect conditions for Martinborough wines, concentrating those special flavours for which Martinborough is famous. Rain, although spasmodic, fell at the right times so little irrigation was needed.
Both Palliser and Ata Rangi commented that both the international and local markets remain strong. There has been an increase in some wine being shipped to Asia, while exports to Europe are taking a bit more time to recover.
Covid has affected the hospitality industry particularly in the major cities, but cafes in the suburbs have fared better. Online sales are healthy and bottle stores doing well. The local market has been incredibly supportive
Lyle Griffiths
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