Solid season for winegrowers

The grapes are off the vines and into the vats as another good Matakana vintage comes to a close.Matakana Winegrowers president Gary Heaven says autumn was cooler and wetter than last year, which will likely produce more delicate and subtle wines.

“There wasn’t a lot of rain in the summer and there was a good ripening season but cooler whether in autumn slowed ripening towards harvest.”

The hot and dry weather in 2013 and 2014 produced two “golden years”, but 2015 is more of a return to normal for the region.

“Matakana is one of the most difficult regions to grow in because of the rain and unpredictable, unsettled weather. But every region has its challenges. We don’t like to think of good or bad years, though some are a lot more difficult than others.

“This year appears to be more like 2009. The cooler season means we won’t see the intense flavours we’ve had recently.”

That could mean some exceptional wines for those who have the patience to cellar a bottle or two.

“Doing vertical tastings (tasting wines from different years side-by-side) in the region we’ve found the more difficult years can often develop into exceptional wines after five or six years in the bottle.”