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Grapes - Source: NZPA / John Cowpland
New Zealand Winegrowers says this year's grape harvest is expected to be smaller than in the past two years.
Its annual pre-vintage survey of 50 medium and large wineries predicts a harvest of between 265,000 and 285,000 tonnes of grapes.
A grape intake in the forecast range would be marginally smaller than the 2009 and 2008 vintages, both of which saw 285,000 tonnes of grapes harvested.
It will be produced from about 33,000 hectares of grapes, up 2,000 hectares from last year.
The reduced intake is not a surprise, according to Winegrowers' CEO Philip Gregan.
"The challenging global environment in which New Zealand wines are being marketed and sold, means producers will continue to focus on the key element in New Zealand wines' export success of the past two decades - producing world class grapes and wines," he says.
"The prospect of a slightly reduced vintage, despite a further increase in the producing area, testifies to that quality focus."
The 2010 harvest has already begun in northern parts of the country.
"Although in some regions the harvest seems to be running a week or two later than last year, the prospects for the vintage are looking good. The key for a successful harvest will be the weather over the next two months," Gregan says.
