Wine lakes and unpicked grapes are in part symptoms of more discerning wine drinkers and a declining global demand for cheap wine. We have avoided this problem in New Zealand by producing wines at the premium end of the market, but this does not prevent the importation of European and Australian wines. This puts pressure on New Zealand producers, because for a variety of reasons – cool climate growing conditions, weather vagaries, high labour costs, absence of government agricultural subsidies, and economies of scale, we are unable to produce wine cheaply.
The answer for New Zealand winegrowers has been to get into the export game ourselves. Between 1996 and 2006 the volume of wine exported increased from 11 to 58 million litres – more than 500% increase. During the same period, wine imports into New Zealand increased by about 70% - the rest of the world seems to want our wines much more than we want theirs!
As with other New Zealand regions, wine exports from Matakana have also increased enormously in recent years. Talk to any of the seven or eight local winegrowers who export and you will hear stories about how enthusiastically Matakana wines are received around the world. Matakana-grown Bordeaux-blend reds are being consumed in top-end restaurants in New York, London, and Sydney amongst other places, and our pinot gris and chardonnay wines are exported to a wide range of countries in Europe, Asia and North America.
The Antipodean and Providence have been exporting for the longest time, but Matakana Estate is by a substantial margin the largest producer and exporter of wine in Matakana. Other Matakana wineries currently exporting are Brick Bay Wines, Hawk’s Nest Orchard, Hyperion Wines, Ransom Wines and Takatu Vineyard.
Robin Ransom
robin@ransomwines.co.nz
Originally published in Mahurangi Matters, March 2007
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