Warm temperatures last month offered a glimmer of hope to Central Otago’s wine industry as the harvest started in earnest, following a tough stretch which goes back to the spring of 2024.
The owner and winemaker at Wānaka’s Maude Wines, Sarah-Kate Dineen, said it had not been ‘‘the most generous summer’’, with temperatures well below average in the 2025-26 growing season.
‘‘We’re the southern-most growing region in the world, and it’s a very cold climate.
‘‘To get the fruit right here, we need all the heat we can get.’’
Grapes need a certain level of exposure to sun and heat to grow and ripen, but with heat in short supply this summer, the crop has been tracking behind previous years.
‘‘We’ve been blessed really, because from 2021 to 2025 we had fantastic years, but this year we’ve been lagging behind,’’ Ms Dineen said.
The colder temperatures meant things had been ‘‘a bit scary’’, but warm temperatures in March had offered a silver lining to some of the difficulties, she said.
‘‘In spring 2024, we had about 10 centimetres of snow sitting on top of the vines, and three days later, we had an enormous frost that devastated us.
‘‘That wiped out about 30%-40% of our fruit, but it also affects how fruitful the vines are going to be the following season.
‘‘That’s meant that there’s not a huge amount of fruit on the vines and our crop load is down,’’ Ms Dineen said.
However, a low crop load meant the grapes that were on the vine were easier to ripen — a rare positive in a cold summer, she said.
‘‘It all depends on the weather now.
‘‘The really cool mornings and really warm afternoons that we’ve had are typically the conditions we get in autumn, and that’s what what really gives Central Otago pinot its edge.’’
This year’s harvest has started — 10 days later than normal — and with it, the most intense time of the year has begun for Central Otago’s wine industry.
During harvest the staff doubles, with seasonal workers from around the world descending on Central Otago to get the grapes off the vine.
‘‘It’s an intense time,’’ Ms Dineen said.
‘‘We need to take all the fruit off the vine and get it processed through the winery, with most of the winemaking done for the whole year in the next two months.
‘‘People are working some really long hours and some long days, so we do a few things, like bringing in a chef, or having really great coffee, to make sure people are enjoying themselves as well.
‘‘It’s a celebration of the year’s work, and so while it’s a really critical time, it’s also quite festive.’’
