Haere Ra 2024: Waitaki
Te Kano Winemaker Dave Sutton looks at an excellent growing season against the pressure of competing land use.
The Good
Conditions over the vintage were highly favourable, meaning fruit could be harvested without pressure from diseases. Expect some excellent wines from the 2024 vintage. Planning for Pinot Noir New Zealand 2025 is well underway. It will be hosted in Canterbury for the first time in February 25. Most of the groundwork has already taken place.
The Bad
Spring frost and poor flowering meant crops were down an estimated 30% across the region. With a heavy heart, we said goodbye to another local industry icon, Lindsay Hill, co-owner of The Boneline. This follows the unexpected deaths of Jill Chapman of Terrace Edge and Kim Rayner of Torlesse in recent years. All three were industry veterans and are greatly missed. This is the emotional and sadly unavoidable side of a wine region maturing and coming of age.
The Awesome
The hospitality offering in North Canterbury is at an all-time high, with more options than ever for visitors to enjoy lunch or a snack when visiting their favourite winery. Black Estate retained the incredibly high standard of two hats at the Cuisine Good Food Awards. A New Zealand Riesling from North Canterbury was the highest-scoring wine at the Judgment of London earlier this year. Pegasus Bay Bel Canto received the highest average score of a global selection of wines representing the very best in the world. This prestigious tasting was held as the 50th anniversary
of the legendary Judgment of Paris in the mid 70’s.
