Heavy rain sees Hawke's Bay production down by a quarter on last year
Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand has seen its wine production hit hard by endless rain in March, bringing its total volumes down from 42,000 tonnes in 2016 to 33,000 tonnes in 2017.
The heavy rain during harvest in March created some lower than average volumes for growers, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald,
Despite this, the 2017 vintage is still “much stronger” than 2011 or 2012 according to Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Association chairman Michael Henley. He added that the vintage has the potential to produce some “outstanding wines” that could rival the great vintages of 2013 and 2016.
Chardonnay has been spared as it had already been picked by the time the heavy rain hit, while Cabernet Sauvignon also escaped with minimal damage thanks to its thick skins and the region’s generally good drainage.
“It is still a wait and see thing because they are still youthful and in the barrels, but there will be some fine wines come out of this vintage,” said Henley.