Choppers called in to save grape crops

Helicopters will be in short supply this weekend as vineyards prepare for frosts in three major wine-growing regions.

Temperature readings at Christchurch Airport yesterday morning hit new lows for November of minus 5.7deg (grass) and minus 2.6deg for the air, reported MetService, with further frosts expected tomorrow and Sunday.

Vineyard owners in Canterbury, Marlborough and Hawkes Bay are gearing up to beat the big chill.

St Helena Wine Estate owner Robin Mundy said the company had a helicopter and irrigation for frost protection on the vineyard, just north of Christchurch, on Wednesday night, but it was the weekend that was causing concern.

"The big crunch is going to be Saturday morning and Sunday morning," he said yesterday. "The frost this morning was fairly light out our way but it looks like a minus five or six on Saturday morning.

"Just about every helicopter in New Zealand is allocated, with Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury all looking at getting frosts quite severe frosts."

Last year the vineyard had to sacrifice whites to save the reds.