MOTHER NATURE KIND BUT NOT GENEROUS DURING VINTAGE
NYONE involved in winegrowing knows producers have to play the hand they’re dealt each harvest. Last year Mother Nature was kind enough but the escalating coronavirus pandemic delivered a uniquely new set of challenges. This year, Mother Nature again dealt a benevolent hand but she did not deal a particularly generous one. It’s no secret that volumes are down in most regions, some significantly so, mainly a result of unsettled spring weather and frosts. In Marlborough, which provides 75% of New Zealand’s harvest and the world’s second largest crop of sauvignon blanc, it’s estimated that yields were down by around 30%.
