Marlborough’s 2022 vintage was “edge-of-your-seat” stuff, with higher yields, inclement weather and the impact of Covid infections on crews, says Sophie Parker-Thomson, MW.

And it required a change in mindset from industry, following three consecutive drought years and light crops last year. “There has been a temptation to replenish the very empty pipelines with the bountiful yields - principally Sauvignon Blanc,” says Sophie, who owns and runs Blank Canvas Wines with her husband Matt Thomson.

Sixteen years ago, Damien Yvon moved to Marlborough from his homeland of France for a three year stint working at Clos Henri. Needless to say, he never left.

For all but one of those 16 years, prior to the covid-19 pandemic, the company’s founders, the Bourgeois family of France, have joined him at work during harvest.

As one of the pioneers of wine in Marlborough, Saint Clair Family Estate has built a large array of traditions over the years, not least of all during harvest.

Acknowledging the help they receive from people across all corners of the globe to get fruit into bottles, the team at Saint Clair places huge emphasis on making those people feel as welcome and at home as they can.

Each winery has its own, slightly unique harvest traditions, but for the most part the idea remains the same: to celebrate the arrival of fruit from the vineyard into the winery, as well as the people behind tending to the grapes both throughout the year and during vintage.

For the most part, celebrations have been social in nature, and as such have seen some changes since the arrival of covid-19 on New Zealand shores in 2020.

Marlborough’s 2021 vintage story is one of low crops and “exceptional” wines, according to Forrest Estate General Manager Beth Forrest. “For me it was the year for Sauvignon Blanc,” says the winemaker, describing the complexity of Marlborough’s flagship variety. “They were overly aromatic and beautiful, with multi-layered flavour levels as well.

Plant & Food Research weather expert Rob Agnew says lower yields were due to a variety of factors, including inclement flowering conditions, with Marlborough temperatures mostly lower than average from mid-November to the first week of December last year.

Marlborough wine companies are counting their luck, after harvesting the 2020 vintage amidst a national lockdown. But the vintage will be remembered for more than winery bubbles and Covid-19 precautions, with a benign season delivering excellent fruit.

“If you didn’t panic; if you weighed up your options and proceeded calmly, then you could make the most of an extremely good harvest - one of the best we’ve had,” says Dog Point viticulturist Nigel Sowman.

Vintage 2019 has been blessed with kind weather, excellent quality, low disease pressure and breathing space between varieties, says Villa Maria viticulturist Stuart Dudley on March 22, the day Villa launched into 24-hour mode in the vineyards and winery. “In general, from a quality point of view, things are looking great. Last year we were literally rushing around keeping an eye on the condition of fruit and making sure it was holding. Whereas this year we are just walking around looking at how good it all is.” Villa winemaker Helen Morrison puts it even more succinctly, when she says “yay for Vintage 2019!”