Bumper grape yields reported in Wairarapa

The Wairarapa grape harvest outstripped last year's vintage by 111 per cent, despite a drought.

A total of 4100 tonnes of fruit was picked, compared with 1950 tonnes in 2007.

Nationally, 285,000 tonnes of grapes were harvested this season, with Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions the only ones down on harvest.

Wines From Martinborough chairwoman Janine Tulloch said the warm summer and dry autumn had produced such good growth that wine makers picked earlier than normal.

The predicted bumper crops were echoed throughout the region, which left wine producers in Carterton and Masterton scrambling to collect the ripe pickings.

The warm weather from November and early December during flowering and the hot and dry summer meant most wineries were close to capacity and needed to clear the vines while strong conditions remained, she said.

Dry River chief winemaker Neil McCallum said rainfall at just the right time had restored the moisture in the soil to normal levels.

"Everybody finally had reason to start smiling around here," he said. The good crops come after three hard years for the Wairarapa wine industry.

Last season, some vineyards lost 90 per cent of their crop after three heavy frosts in November 2006 and a hailstorm, which knocked out 25 per cent of the region's grape production. Last year, Martinborough's Te Kairanga got the nod from shareholders to issue $5.5 million of new shares after posting a $2.17 million loss for the year to June 30. Martinborough Vineyard and Alana Estate, which is now on the market, both posted losses, and the small boutique operators also felt the pinch. Fairfax