viticulture

A lakes district winery is bucking industry trends and investing $2.5 million in capital works as it expands its operations, including its wine tourism venture.

Central Otago wine industry pioneers, Sue Edwards and Verdun Burgess, branded crazy for starting a vineyard in the Alexandra basin almost 30 years ago, are following their instincts again - and this time a "mad invention" or two is in the mix.

A report on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, which brings Pacific workers to New Zealand to fill horticulture and viticulture workforce gaps, shows while some difficulties have been presented, it has generally been a useful and positive initiative.