High hopes for Wairarapa vintage 2024

There are predictions that this year’s vintage in the Wairarapa will be one of the best ever after near perfect conditions in the lead-up to harvest.

“The excitement for the 2024 vintage is felt by everyone in the region after a super warm summer with really hot days and cool nights coming along at just the right time,” says Wilco Lam, chair of Wairarapa Wine Region. “It is a relief after a few tough years to have a beautiful year with very good quality grapes hanging in the vineyard.”

Foley Wines winemaker John Kavanagh, who heads the winery team at Te Kairanga, says the 2024 vintage has the potential to be one of the greatest ever. “The very dry summer with great heat and cool nights has given us excellent potential to make wines with great structure this year. I have high hopes.” 

Wilco Lam says that harvest will likely be slightly earlier than is typical for the region, possibly by about a week for some winemakers and for a few days for others. He predicts that most people will  be picking by mid-March or the third week of March. 

The volume of wine made in the Wairarapa from the 2024 harvest is forecast to be reduced however, by 15% to 20% on long-term averages.

“This is due to cooler temperatures at flowering which tends to lead to lower volumes,” says Lam. “The cool nights in late February this year were a positive for winegrowers because they enable grapes to retain freshness, but the pronounced north-west winds this summer may lead to thicker-skinned grapes. This is an opportunity as well as a challenge to be managed in the winery.”

Wairarapa Wine Region, which is the trading name of the Wairarapa winemakers, also notes that the biggest challenge this summer was managing irrigation regimes and sustainability in water use.