Ohau vineyard taps Chinese market

Ohau Vineyard's wines, which are sold in a store in Shenzhen, will be sold in Guangzhou at the famous Pacific Wine Wharf and in Wuhan before being distributed throughout the rest of the country.

Company director Barry Clevely said the latest deal, finalised on March 31, has proved wrong those in the community who believed they could not set up a successful vineyard in Ohau.

He said two containers filled with 1680 cases of Wovenstone sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, and Ohau Gravels pinot gris and sauvignon blanc were exported to China earlier this year as a token of good faith.

Ohau Vineyard is excited about the deal and said it is fitting the distributor has named itself Ohau Wines – Shenzhen Ltd, because hau means excellent in Chinese, said Mr Clevely.

The company is heading into its third harvest and business "is booming", with 70 per cent of its yield being exported overseas and the remaining 30 per cent being sold domestically, he said.

He compares the business to the All Blacks, saying the Horowhenua and Kapiti communities benefit from the vineyard's achievement.

"The local population in Kapiti and the Horowhenua have taken ownership. They are quite proud of our wines' success and taste."

The year it opened Ohau Vineyards received the Cyprian Trophy for best pinot gris at the 2009 Romeo Bragato and was ranked by Cuisine magazine as one of New Zealand's top vineyards.

The awards gave the company the confidence to keep going, Mr Clevely said.

"It confirmed we were making top quality wine."

The vineyard is owned by a subsidiary of the MC2 group, Ohau Vineyard Holdings and produces sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and pinot noir.

Mr Clevely said the wine is sold to several restaurants in the greater Wellington region, including Logan Brown and The White House, and is exported to Hungary, Cambodia, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and China.

Luxury Te Horo bed and breakfast Vista del Sol, Stephan's Restaurant in Manakau, and Melt in Waikanae stock the wine locally.

The company chose to produce only three wines because of the huge demand overseas, particularly for its pinot gris, Mr Clevely said.

"We took into account what the market wants ... the pinot gris has been very well received.

"Sauvignon blanc is New Zealand's signature grape internationally."

The wines produced from 40 hectares of grapes just off State Highway 1 in Ohau are aimed at people who are willing to pay a little extra for a good wine, Mr Clevely said.

Last year the vineyard, which has the wine made at Matahiwi outside Masterton, exported 840 cases to China.

When it opened in 2009 it was situated on the former Bishop's dairy farm, but as demand increased the company purchased another 20ha on the western side of SH1.

Seventy per cent of the vineyard's grapes are sauvignon blanc, 20 per cent are pinot gris and the remaining 10 per cent pinot noir.

Mr Clevely credits the vineyard's success to viticulturist Kate Gibbs.

"She advised us what we should plant ... she has many years' experience."

Ohau has the ideal climate and soil conditions to grow grapes, he said.

"There are no frosts, touch wood, and grapes don't like to get wet feet."

He was not concerned by claims there is a surplus of New Zealand wine produced.

"New Zealand produces one per cent of the world's demand. If the quality is good you are OK. We've been fortunate locating really good markets."

He said this year's yield, weather permitting, will be even better than last year as vines produce more fruit every year for up to five years.