The forecasts of a small harvest have been confirmed for New Zealand. The New Zealand Winegrowers report that 370,000 tonnes of grapes were harvested, 19 percent less than in 2020. The regions in the middle of the country are particularly affected. In Marlborough, Nelson and North Canterbury, the losses are over 20 percent, and the same goes for the North Island in Wairarapa (Martinborough). In the south, however, yields were up 21 percent in Central Otago.
"While quality is excellent, the smaller volume means many of our wineries will have to make difficult decisions about who to supply in their key markets. There will be tensions between supply and demand as the crop decline is about 63 millilitres," says Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers. cg
