Cyclone-ravaged orchardists facing balance sheet woes
Many companies are financially mortally wounded by the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle and may have to sell up because of their high debt levels.
"Our Bayview winery has been severely damaged and is not operational for vintage," says Radburnd Cellars Winemaker Kate Radburnd, who at the time of writing in early March, only had access to the Hawke's Bay winery by four-wheel drive. "We are all shellshocked at the moment, in cleaning and salvage mode, and our scenario is gradually improving. Our externally warehoused stock and packaging is fine thankfully, so orders can be fulfilled, just from a different site."
The damage from Cyclone Gabrielle left about a metre of silt throughout the winery and grounds. Stock and packaging were damaged, power and water lost, and refrigeration plant and pumps submerged. "Our growers have managed the cyclone well," Kate says. "It has been a challenging growing season and their extensive experience in viticulture has been gold. But we will not be undertaking vintage 2023, as the winery is not fit for purpose."
This had been an extremely difficult decision to make with respect to her growers and staff but Kate says her hands-on approach was a defining factor in her thinking. "We don't believe engaging contract winemaking is authentic to our story so we need to find a new site to operate from and we are researching this. We have time to review our strategy and with no winemaking, our focus will become sales, sales and sales."
The impact of the cyclone in Hawke's Bay is severe on many levels, she says. "Thousands of people are displaced from their homes. Tourism and hospitality are adversely affected, which is so difficult again, post the challenging Covid times. There is currently no access to Hawke's Bay from Taupo or Gisborne, so it is very challenging."
Kate says that she and her team had been humbled by the offers of help from the community. Volunteers were regularly turning up at the winery offering both manpower and diggers to help with the clean-up. "Footage on the news shows the devastation in Hawke's Bay, but every day we see the carnage and recovering that is happening, and its magnitude is astounding. We have years of rebuilding ahead."
