Wineries survive NZ quake with minimal damage

Initial reports suggest that wineries have escaped with little damage following the devastating earthquake that hit the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, this week.

A national state of emergency has been declared following the 6.3 magnitude quake, with the official death toll currently at 75 with over 300 people still missing.

Although many built-up areas have witnessed utter devastation, the drinks business understands the Waipara and North Canterbury wine regions on the outskirts of the city have remained largely unaffected by the quake on Tuesday (22 February).

David Cox, director for Europe at New Zealand Winegrowers said: “Initial reports from one of our New Zealand Winegrowers Board members from the area, Gywn Williams, indicates that the Waipara wine region to the north of Christchurch has been largely unaffected by the quake, with apparently no injuries and no, or minimal, damage to buildings and wineries.

“We are just trying to establish whether this is true of the North Canterbury wine region too, but we anticipate this area has also hopefully escaped the worse of the damage and devastation that has affected the city of Christchurch.”

The extent to which the city’s infrastructure has been damaged has not yet been ascertained, while the drinks business is still awaiting news on any damage to alcohol retailers and office buildings in the city centre

Cox added: “There is still quite a bit of uncertainty regarding the extent to the damage and devastation beyond what has been reported in the media.

“All efforts are focused on the rescue of any trapped individuals and offering assistance to those who have suffered, as well as restoring the basic infrastructure.”

Alan Lodge, 23.02.2011