All eyes on harvest 2022

With the first grapes of the 2022 vintage harvested, New Zealand Winegrowers says that ongoing international demand and low stock levels mean that winemakers are hoping for a significantly larger harvest this year. 

“The 2021 harvest, while of exceptional quality, was 19% smaller than the previous year,” said Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers. “Over the past 12 months this has forced wineries to draw down on stocks to maintain their place in market. New Zealand wine sales for 2021 were 324 million litres, meaning they were 48 million litres more than was actually produced in the 2021 vintage. This stock drawdown highlights that we desperately need a bigger harvest in 2022, to replenish cellars, and help satisfy international demand.”

NZ Winegrowers says that New Zealand wine exports for 2021 were $1.95 billion, down just 3% on 2020, despite the 19% fall in production from the 2021 harvest.

“Over the past 12 months many New Zealand wineries have faced tough decisions over who they can supply in their key markets, and the ongoing increase in international demand has placed huge strain on already depleted stocks. For some wineries, there has been quite simply just not enough wine to go around,” said Gregan.

NZ Winegrowers noted that increasing production costs and the on-going effects of COVID-19 on the border, markets, and supply chains have continued to impact the industry, and says that over the past 12 months the availability of labour has been a huge concern for many growers and wineries.

“The introduction of Omicron into the New Zealand community on the cusp of vintage 2022 is a very serious concern for growers and wineries, as this is our busiest time of year, and we are already facing a critical labour shortage in some regions. The unavailability of skilled workers due to the ongoing closure of New Zealand’s borders means undoubtedly this vintage will be more difficult to manage than normal,” said Gregan.

However, he added that the experience of operating harvest during COVID times in both 2020 and 2021 has strengthened the industry in its resilience to respond quickly and adapt during difficult times.