Kiwi winemakers expect top vintage

An Indian summer in New Zealand’s Marlborough region has given wine producers high hopes of cultivating a top-quality vintage.

Cool temperatures around flowering time late last year have resulted in the vintage being later than normal and yields could be slightly down.

But a run of late warm days is promising to bring in excellent fruit when the harvest begins in earnest next week.

Winemaker of Winegrowers of Ara Damien Martin said: “The warm days and cool nights are exactly what we want and we’re very hopeful of having a top-quality vintage.”

Vavasour viticulturalist Alan Croker added: “I don’t remember a similar run where we have had such a period of warmth leading up to the harvest.”