Bud burst has happened, flowering is around the corner and hopefully a benign and warm summer season is about to descend.
Which means cellar doors are preparing for an influx of tourists, both domestic and international.
This issue we focus on the aspect of Wine Tourism and what it means for the industry overall. Gone are the days when you opened the doors and without doing very much at all, managed to sell out of your wine in a few months. These days wine tourists are far more discerning. When they turn up at your cellar door, they are looking for more than just a few sips of your best wines. They want something that will create a memory, whether that be an outstanding snack or meal, a place to lay their head, or an experience that will make their friends envious. And they are prepared to pay for the pleasure of all of those things, given the figures relating to wine tourism. Just how you can tap into this lucrative market is explained in our lead story.
We also take a close look at Bragato 2018 – which provided enough thought-provoking material to have those attending thinking seriously about what the future holds. If you ever doubted that climate change was a real thing, make sure you read the results from a NIWA/NZW project on what the likely scenarios are for New Zealand wine regions. While they may have you blanching with concern, feel grateful we are not in the situation Australia is. Paul Petrie from AWRI explains how much climate change has already impacted on their vineyards, while offering growers in this part of the world some sage advice, that could make all the difference going forward.
Being forwarned is being forarmed.
