Gisborne winegrowers 'cautiously optimistic' about salvaging sodden season

Thursday, 12 January 2023

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Gisborne winegrowers are “cautiously optimistic” about salvaging what has so far been a very wet season, but the next few weeks will be crucial.

After being hammered by a series of severe weather events in 2022, Tairāwhiti found itself in the path of Cyclone Hale, which brought heavy rain and gale force winds to the north and east of the North Island this week.

While most Gisborne growers were still hopeful they could salvage the season after the latest soaking, the success of the 2023 vintage would depend on how the next six weeks played out, Gisborne Winegrowers Society president Mark Thompson said.

“Most growers are cautiously optimistic about salvaging the season. They have managed to keep their spraying and leaf plucking up to speed.

A drone video showing damage from Cyclone Hale to farmland on Paroa Road, north of Tolaga Bay.

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“The grapes haven’t started ripening yet and that’s when we get into trouble with pests and disease.”

Thompson had more than 20 vintages under his belt, including 14 in Australia’s Margaret River where the wine growing was “stupidly easy”, he said.

Last year in Gisborne was the toughest vintage he had seen, due to bad weather, Covid-19 and staff shortages.

“This vintage is off to a pretty rough start but if the weather comes right now, and we have a gorgeous Indian summer, we should be OK,” he said.

A flooded crop field near Mangatuna on the East Cape after Cyclone Hale passed through this week. Growers have warned fruit and vegetable prices may rise in the wake of the cyclone.

“Whether that happens, we just have to wait and see. The one thing we can’t control is the weather.”

Thompson said the recent weather was unlikely to impact the retail supply or prices of most Gisborne wines.

“At this stage, I don’t think consumers would notice a major impact on pricing of entry or intermediate level wines. It would be the premium wines that would be less likely to be made if grapes weren’t the best quality.”

While winegrowers cross their fingers, other fruit and vegetable growers have warned shoppers could be in for more pain in the produce aisle.

Like Gisborne, Northland, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa all felt the brunt of the cyclone.

Fruit trees, grapes and maize could all be damaged by heavy rain, Federated Farmers’ Gisborne and Wairoa president Toby Williams said.

'The fruit will just explode and berry growers have been severely affected,' he told RNZ.

With less produce available, customers could see prices rise even further.

“At a time when food prices are already high, the country doesn't need something like this,” Williams said.