Glass still half full in Marlborough's wine industry

Despite expectations of a big drop in this year's sauvignon blanc harvest, the glass is still half full in the Marlborough wine industry.

This year's crop is expected to be about 30 percent smaller than last year's, due to unfavourable weather hitting the vines after thinning.

Stuart Smith of New Zealand Wine Growers says it's actually probably a blessing there isn't more fruit.

"Because of the not very good summer we're having in Marlborough as of the rest of the country and if we had a large crop on we'd have difficulty ripening it," says Mr Smith.

The smaller harvest will be good for spot growers.

They should get higher prices than contracted growers - a year after a bumper harvest meant many couldn't sell their grapes.