Mike Jones is the assistant winemaker at Gentilini In this report he shares insight from his unique experience in working on two very different island vineyards NM
All is not well with the wineries of New Zealand Too much commercial wine has been produced and they have reached a saturation point The vinegrowers and big wineries have been too greedy with their yield over the past 20 years which has resulted in cheap wine for the masses which has been good for the wine trade But is that what the market needs right now Upon arrival to the East Cape this year the Gisborne Herald headlined a story that would upset any wine producer Grapegrowing Glut by Debbie Gregory 18th Feb 09 httpwwwgisborneheraldconz explained that Constellation were to blame for leaving what I found out to be a conservative estimate of 650 Tonne of varieties used to blend with Sauvignon Blanc on the vine These normally early ripeners meant that the season was put back 2 to 3 weeks which meant that most overseas workers were left to find other work for that space of time I was one of those workers and so found a job pinning nets in the vineyards of Gisborne This gave me a good opportunity to nose around and have a good look and compare with the vineyards of Kefalonia When I first came to Kefalonia in 2004 I was shown around the vineyards of the Omala Valley on behalf of Gentilini Winery as part of my Work Experience module for Plumpton College These Robola vineyards are small family run affairs taken on as part of the daily life on Kefalonia which in turn adds to the grand total of the annual income when the yield is sold to local wineries Small vibrant plots which oozed personality according to the character that managed them One particular vineyard that sticks in my memory from that first year is at 800 metres above sea level and is managed by 83 year old back then Mr Tsassis With the thought of visiting some vineyards on some steep slopes I had come prepared with my brand new heavy duty Caterpillar boots which did not fair well on the awkward schist slopes of Mount Ainos with its absolutely stunning views However to watch Mr Tsassis almost gambol around in his boat shoes like he was 30 years old was a breath of fresh air Ever since that year his fruit has always been in tip top condition with yields you would expect for quality winemaking With those thoughts of Kefalonian terroir in my head I headed off to work in the vineyards of Gisborne with my cold drink and sandwich box to keep me company On the way I noticed that the scale of thing was very different to the grape growing style of Greek life No bush vines but long neatly trellised rows which had been mechanically serviced in paddocks the size of Argostoli Upon arrival at a vineyard run by a local Maori trust close to the Ormond growing area of Gisborne I couldnt help noticing that the vines were heavily laden with a pink variety Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris I thought A quick taste told me the latter was the case and at around 1415 brix it was about a month or 2 away from harvest Pinot Gris had been heavily planted in the area around 4 to 5 years ago so I guessed this was the 2nd year of fruit for these vines A bit of research with one of the local workers confirmed this Far too many grapes on the vine I said Yes the local worker replied My boss wants me to take 3 bunches off each vine Wow I thought Only 3 bunches 3 kilos more like I would have chopped 2 thirds off to keep the yields within line of producing any quality Now Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio if you are in Italy is a variety that has done the wine industry a lot of favours in the past In its Italian incarnation it has introduced many people to the delights of drinking white wine Bars and pubs around Europe and the UK stock it as a reasonably cheap quaffable alternative For the more discernable drinker Alsatian Pinot Gris has to be one of the most complex versions due to the uniqueness of the Vosges Mountains where together with centuries of winemaking skills bring a more austere style However Pinot Gris has just found the Gisborne sun Real fruit driven styles from wineries that keep their yields to a minimum are appearing from the smaller players Careful vinification and oaking are making this a unique style and I think the big players should take note To conclude New Zealand has the resources and know how to take wine making to another level What it lacks is any appellation laws to achieve this Laws should be written up and governed by a committee of vinegrowers big and small The big players should be punished for flouting these rules and encouragement and incentive should be given to all who abide by them