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New Zealand harvest begins despite Cyclone Gabrielle damage

24 February 2023 By Eloise Feilden

As winegrowers less severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle begin this year’s harvest, those experiencing the worst of the damage “have a long road ahead of them”, says Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers.

New Zealand harvest begins despite Cyclone Gabrielle damage — Image courtesy of Hawke’s Bay Wine

New Zealand’s winegrowing community is divided. The Cyclone could not have hit at a worse time for producers in the worst-affected regions of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, “on the cusp of the busiest time of year for the industry, just as the 2023 vintage is about to begin”, Gregan said.

He called the natural disaster a “major blow” for affected growers and wineries in the two regions. “We have been working with our regional associations and government agencies to support and help them access the resources they need to ensure the future viability of their vineyards,” he said.

The extent of the damage in flooded area continues to become clearer, and the impact has been varied, with winegrowers who
have not been as extensively affected moving on from the initial phase of response to begin harvesting.

“We have a large number of vineyards in both regions that have not been as significantly impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, and these winegrowers are beginning to harvest their crop, with many producers still feeling positive and looking forward to a high-quality vintage.”

But for those worst affected, the road to recovery is a long one. Gregan said: “Those affected have a long road ahead of them to assess the damage, undertake the clean-up and consider their future. The recovery funding announced by the Government this week is a good start to making this all possible, and future financial relief that is expected to be announced in due course will be appreciated.”

One winemaker in the Esk Valley near Napier has recovered 12,000 bottles of wine from a mountain of silt with the help of his neighbours. A three metre-high wall of silt stood between winemaker Philip Barber and a coolstore containing 12,000 bottles of his wine. Read more on that here.