Wine industry

The number of "sustainable" wine entries from Otago in this year's Air New Zealand Wine Awards is nearly double last year's figure.

The wine industry has endured a tough few years, but those tough times appear not to be over just yet. Agribusiness editor Neal Wallace reports overproduction of grapes and plummeting asset values will force vineyards and wineries to amalgamate, and some to fail.

Land values may have halved and some businesses have been placed in receivership but the Central Otago wine industry appears to be over the worst.