Quartz Reef owner and winemaker Rudi Bauer said the region’s harvest started on Monday, 10 days later than usual, but in perfect "Indian summer" conditions.
The cool mornings and still sunny days made for sweet grapes and the forecast was good for the next month of picking.
So long as vineyards had good canopy and fruit density management the quality would be good, Mr Bauer said.
So far it was looking like it would be good harvest and hopes were high, he said.
Quartz Reef had 30 people working on the harvest across 25ha of organic and biodiverse vineyards in two teams, made up predominantly of recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers.
The most important part of the process in Central Otago was to have good, clean fruit, Mr Bauer said.
One increasingly exciting part of the harvest was the aromatic white grapes coming on, particularly chardonnay, in which 2ha of Quartz Reef was planted.
The Central Otago expression of chardonnay was getting more and more recognition at home and internationally, for its high quality as vines aged, winemakers became more experienced and new and better chardonnay clones and plant material were developed, he said.
"You pick a bit earlier and you make sure you retain the acidity — that’s the two key factors [for sparkling wine]," Mr Bauer said.
Once the sparkling grapes had been picked there would be a pause for Easter, then straight into the still wine grape harvest, pinot noir grapes first.
The fruit picked in Bendigo on Monday would appear on shelves, as sparkling wine, in early 2028.
The still wines from this year’s harvest would be ready in about 18 months. — Allied Media
