By GRAHAM HAWKES
‘Our world in your glass!’ – was the catch phrase recently used by Hawke’s Bay Winemakers to promote the region’s winter reds to wine drinkers in New Zealand’s main centres.
It’s a typical Hawke’s Bay phrase – and I can say that as a Hawke’s Bay boy, born and bred. It’s all about celebrating one of the Bay’s points of difference – its relative isolation.
“Don’t forget us, we’re over here!’ used to be the faint cry echoing over the mountain ranges that separate this beautiful strip of coast from the rest of the North Island. But there’s no danger of Kiwis forgetting the Bay these days – and there’s no doubt the wine world knows exactly where Hawke’s Bay is.
International wine buyers are seeking out the best of the Bay’s classic varieties, and its status as a top source for wine amongst local buyers and wine judges is well established.
In the 2006 Air New Zealand Wine Awards - appropriately held in Hawke’s Bay - local reds found themselves among the judges’ favourites. The region dominated all the red wine classes with the exception of pinot noir.
Taking a total of seven trophies and 18 gold medals, Hawke’s Bay wines were the champion trophy winners of the cabernet sauvignon or predominant blend, merlot, merlot predominant blend, other red varieties, syrah and the rosé or blush classes. The Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Vineyards Gewürztraminer 2006 also took the Champion Gewürztraminer Trophy.
Of the three gold medals awarded for merlot, two went to Hawke’s Bay wines, and all the gold medals awarded went to Hawke’s Bay wines for the merlot predominant blend, the cabernet sauvignon or predominant blend and other red classes. Of the four syrahs awarded gold medals, three were from Hawke’s Bay. Hawke’s Bay wines also dominated the silver and bronze medals awarded in the red wine classes.
History
A producer of wine since the first European settlers set up camp in the 1850s, Hawke’s Bay has since benefited from wineries like Mission Estate, Te Mata Estate, Vidal Estate, McDonalds Winery and Glenvale Winery – the latter now called Esk Valley Winery.
The soils and climate that so excited the early winemaking efforts of those pioneers continues to provide the inspiration for the current generation of Hawke’s Bay winemakers. Today, more than 4000 hectares of wine-producing grapes are planted in the region and New Zealand Winegrowers’ predictions see that expanding to 4731 hectares in the 2008 year. Hawke’s Bay has the largest plantings of red grape varieties in New Zealand and has the second largest number of plantings overall. According to Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers, the combined plantings of red varieties account for nearly half the grapes in Hawkes Bay. Chardonnay plantings are the largest for a single variety at 26 per cent of total plantings and reflects the outstanding quality produced in the region.
While the early vineyards were set up on the coast and in areas close to the towns of Napier, Havelock North and Hastings, more recent development has extended to the Heretaunga Plains, on former river bed land. State Highway 50, once regarded as a rather “ordinary” part of Hawke’s Bay by the locals, has sprouted vineyards seemingly over night. Most of Hawke’s Bay’s older residents mournfully think back to a time when the area now known as the Gimblett Gravels might have been sold to a willing buyer for a few thousand dollars, a Morris Minor and a couple of decoy ducks. These days, ‘the Gravels’ are more likely to be on the shopping lists of rich American corporates than locals.
Economic outlook
A long-time Hawke’s Bay resident and wine maker who chose the site for his particular slice of the Bay’s wine country some 40 years ago is John Buck, founder of the iconic Te Mata Estate Winery. He looks back on decades of wine production in Hawke’s Bay and says the wine industry in Hawke’s Bay appears to be in good heart, although it’s difficult to make an across-the-board judgement because not all the region’s wine producers share information.
“There are two groupings of industry players,” he says. “There are the big multinationals and their point of view is not something I’m aware of. They simply don’t tell us. But then there are the smaller to medium-sized wineries, normally locally owned or at least New Zealand owned, and they all appear to be moderately bullish at the moment.” (Picture: Te Mata Estate Winery)
The reasons why they are that way are reasonably hard to pin down, John Buck says, although he suspects that much of the positive outlook stems from the fact that many of them have invested significantly in their own wine-growing holdings during the past 10 to 20 years.
“Therefore they are far more in control of their own destiny as wine producers. Investments that were intended to pay off in the early to mid 2000s, are doing just that and so they now have control of their grape supply.
“It is also showing up in the quality of the fruit they are harvesting, not just this year but in past years too. Therefore the quality of the wine they are making is also high.”
He says the reality world-wide is that some of the best wines - especially varieties that are ‘difficult’ to grow, like cabernet sauvignon or the best pinots - are coming out of company-owned vineyards.
Looking at Hawke’s Bay’s state of health, wine-wise, John Buck also speaks of a pleasing reversion in New Zealand consumer tastes - and in the preferences of some export markets - towards “slightly more traditional wine styles”.
“The classics always do tend to win out in the long term. Even if the nation suddenly rushes off in search of pinot gregio or sangiovese or something equally exotic and improbable, the fact is it’s pretty hard to knock the traditional chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, bordeaux blends, syrah and pinot that are here, and which Hawke’s Bay does so well.”
He sees this range of varieties as one of the region’s real strengths - “because the other regions only do one or two varieties”.
He says Central Otago is laying claim to making great pinot. “And that’s fair enough, but…and I don’t mean this negatively…they can’t do any other red variety. Whereas with Hawke's Bay's multiplicity of climates, you’ve got an exciting range of wines from here, and of course a lot of them are quite classical.
“They age and develop in the bottle, which is at odds with what the accountants want, but it’s very much what up-market restaurants and the international wine trade at the higher level want.”
He says the orders coming into his own winery alone from export markets are “very gratifying”.
“These are people who deal in better wines from around the world…and while they would also buy sauvignon blanc, there is very much more to the world of wine than that. You only need to see what features in the world’s auction markets or fine wine stores to know that it is vastly different from what New Zealand generally portrays as volume wine at a reasonable price.
“Sauvignon blanc is not in the same ball park as reisling and chardonnay and never will be. That notwithstanding, it’s bloody great for the cash flow, for gaining international notoriety, and unlocking doors. But ultimately if you put your hand up and say we are as good as…(another top wine producer)…in a neutral forum – you have to be. And you’re not going to win that reputation off your sauvignon blanc. And you may not win it for lighter-bodied, highly aromatic pinot noir.
“So yes, given all of the above…the mood here in Hawke’s Bay is moderately bullish.”
Article compiled June 2006