Ngā Karepe me te Waina Grapes and Wine

In 1819, 25 September marked a momentous day in the Aotearoa wine industry, with the planting of a vine by missionary Samuel Marsden in the rich soil beside the Stone Store, Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. At the time, Marsden prophesied "New Zealand promises to be very favourable to the vine, as far as I can judge at present of the nature of the soil and climate. Should the vine succeed, it will prove of vast importance in this part of the globe”. Prophetic indeed, given that the industry would go on to gain an international reputation for premium, diverse and sustainable wines, and is forecasted to become a $2.5 billion export earner in 2023.

The industry is represented by a national body, New Zealand Wine, which has 744 member wineries made up of over 700 individual growers covering an area of around 41,600 hectares and extending from subtropical Northland down to Central Otago, home to the world’s southernmost vineyards. In 2022, these wineries produced 532,000 tonnes of grapes. By far the largest grape growing region is Marlborough , accounting for 71% of New Zealand Wine member growers, with Sauvignon Blanc making up most of the region’s vines. In 2021, we counted 10,380 people in the workforce, with approximately 18% of employees on work and work holiday visas.

There are two distinct seasonal peaks for labour – pruning in winter and the harvest or vintage in late summer to early autumn. With a highly constrained labour market, a closed border for much of 2020 and 2021, and with unemployment at a historically low rate, together with a situation where there is limited technology available to replace this workforce, securing skilled and motivated people is a key concern for growers and wineries.