Monday, 09 March 2015 14:52

Record wine exports mark the start of vintage 2015

Written by Rural News Group

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Wine exports have reached a record high and now stand at $1.37 billion, up 8.2%, propelling wine to New Zealand's 6th biggest export product.

This strong demand in key markets bodes well for the wine industry, whose 2015 grape harvest is now underway.

Prospects for a high quality vintage are looking very positive due to the superb summer weather says Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers.

"The warm dry summer of 2015 has been absolutely perfect for growing and ripening grapes. As we move into autumn the prospect is for an outstanding, albeit smaller, vintage in all our grape-growing regions".

Although the expectation is that the 2015 vintage will be significantly smaller than last year, Gregan says the sales in the year ahead will be supported by retained stocks from vintage 2014.

More like this

2025 - making it positive

OPINION: The New Year is well underway, and in January the first grapes of the new vintage were harvested in Northland. So, another year begins.

Vintage requiring cooperation

OPINION: A common refrain last year was 'survive 'til 25', including from those in New Zealand's wine industry facing rising costs, surplus wine and sluggish export sales.

From the CEO: A changing trade environment

Did you know that nearly 90% of total New Zealand wine sales occur offshore? That simple number means our wine businesses are the most export oriented of all the global wine industries. It also makes our sector especially sensitive to any changes in the trade rules that govern the access of our wines into international markets.

Designing the future New Zealand Winegrowers

In late 2022 the New Zealand Winegrowers Board appointed a Governance Review Working Group to conduct a review of NZW governance, representation, and the design of the commodity levies that fund NZW.

Uncertain times: Rollercoaster sales, light harvest, rising costs & excess stock

New Zealand's wine regions harvested 395,000 tonnes of grapes in the 2024 vintage, which is 21% lower than 2023, nearly 30% down on the bumper 2022 crop, and slightly above the modest 2021 yield.