Fast forward two decades to the first Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference in 2015, and he was surrounded by throngs of practitioners, researchers, managers and marketers.
The organic viticulture consultant, who was one of the founding members of Organic Winegrowers New Zealand, expects even more interest at the fourth conference taking place this winter after a pandemic hiatus. "We probably get easily over 50% of participants who are not organic. We are providing information to people who, A, could be sitting on the fence or, B, are starting to understand the processes they have been using don't have much time left, so what are the other options out there?"
When he drives around Marlborough these days he sees organic principles at play in most vineyards, whether they're certified or dipping their toes into the possibilities. "How many conventional wine companies now have a sustainable spiel about growing flowers down their interrow?" There's been a lot of research put into why that and other processes are good for the soils, vines, grapes and wines, Bart says.
The three-day 2023 conference will build upon key pillars of Create, Care and Connect, with an impressive gathering of speakers from across the globe, including Dr Andrew Smith from the Rodale Institute, and writer Elaine Chukan Brown, aka Hawk Wakawaka. Not all the speakers are directly related to vineyards, with several being more general experts on soil health, for example, says Bart. "There's a greater understanding now that if you get things happening underground, your upstairs problems are minimised."
20-22 June
