A game of 2 halves ?
The growing season started very well with above average temperatures through Spring. These higher temperatures with average rainfall meant excellent bud burst in October. Summer served up a mixed bag of temperatures but the predictions for an early harvest were proved correct with our earliest start since 2007.
It was a season of 2 halves. Wairau played the first half – got started early and made solid progress in late March and early April. We saw the rain was coming so changed gear, broke daily fruit records and completed our harvest on Sunday April 13.
Meanwhile those companies eating their oranges in the changing rooms came out to a very bleak 2nd half of April. The rain was torrential some days and it didn’t really ease up – causing all sorts of headaches in terms of dilution, rot, winery receival, and bogged harvesters.
Investing in our own harvesters, trucks and a winery with over spec’d technology and machinery meant we are confident the harvest team did the very best to make sure this will be another great vintage for Wairau River.
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