Haere Ra 2024: Waitaki
Te Kano Winemaker Dave Sutton looks at an excellent growing season against the pressure of competing land use.
Looking down the barrel of the 2025 harvest, the F.A.W.C! Hawke's Bay Legend 2024 reflects on the good, the bad, and the awesome of the year.
The Good
Two things spring to mind when I think about really good things in the past 12 months. The first has been my introduction to Jascha Oldham-Selak and Sanne Witteveen from Vilaura - their luxury methodé traditionnelle wines are outstanding, and they are rolling out Methode Services, contract facilities for this highly specialist area within New Zealand. It's great news, with young talent excelling. The second is the release of my daughter's first wine, 2024 Penelope Rosé, last month. Her talent is now showcased and it's a delight to work with her.
The Bad
The ever-rising freight costs post Covid are out of our control and continually eroding margin. It's basic stuff, but so very real, that has impacted all markets, domestic and offshore, with uncertainty and disruption I haven't seen before. It's one of those infuriating circumstances to me, where costs rise and performance decline - a lose-lose situation.
The Awesome
Hawke's Bay's designation as one of the Great Wine Capitals of the World, the latest addition to a stellar line up of Great Wine Capitals. It is such an exciting platform to build so many positive relationships on - education, hospitality, tourism, communication and collaboration with our global Great Wine Capital partners. It's all about raising the awareness, quality and accessibility of New Zealand wine, not just Hawke's Bay. This key differentiation should have long lasting positive outcomes for our industry and we need to ensure the potential is maximised.
