Wine – Great for grapes

Wow, what a cracker of a weekend we had at the start of November! There were moments when it struck me just how long it had been since I’d stared at a cloudless sky. NIWA’s outlook from now through to January is positive, with temperatures likely to be average or above average, and rainfall likely to be average or below average. This is great news for vignerons (grape growers), although maybe not so great for dairy farmers. Obviously, water is important for growing grapes, but it is unusual for vineyards around Matakana to use irrigation on their vines. A combination of high rainfall and soils with higher clay content than elsewhere in New Zealand, means that even in very dry years our vines can happily keep going. Grapes grown on volcanic soils in Marlborough or Hawkes Bay, however, would wither and die without irrigation.

Currently, in the vineyards, we’ve been busy making adjustments to next year’s crop load by shoot thinning the vines. Each shoot produces between one and three bunches of grapes, and from experience we know how many bunches we need per vine from each variety. Removing some of the shoots controls this and thins out the canopy, allowing air and light to pass more easily through the vines. This is important in Mahurangi in what can be a very humid climate.

Looking back, October was a busy time for Matakana winegrowers and for the region as a whole. The Matakana Oyster Festival provided us with a chance to get many of our vineyards represented in one place, so people could try our wines with our wonderful local oysters and other local fare. We ran two wine and oyster pairing sessions, where four local wines were matched with oysters prepared in four different ways – natural; oysters with gin and lime; Kilpatrick and in oyster soup. The response from the 80 people who attended these sessions was terrific, with everyone taking home easy to remember tips for matching wine and food. Dry white wines are the classic choice with oysters. To pair a natural oyster with lemon, try a local Albarino – a Spanish variety that does well in our region. If you’re more of a savoury person and enjoy cooked oysters, then an oyster Kilpatrick matches perfectly with red wine. Try it with Syrah, for its savoury, peppery flavours.

Matakana Winegrowers had a tent at the Kowhai Festival’s Huge Day Out in Warkworth this year, which served wines from many of our region’s vineyards. This was jointly staffed by local vignerons, winemakers and other members of our association, and it was a great day for everyone.

To keep up to date with what’s going on over summer, head to matakanawine.co.nz or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/MatakanaWineTrail. Cheers!

Richard Robson, Matakana Winegrowers
www.matakanawine.co.nz