While global wine production is down in the wake of two poor European vintages and vine reduction, New Zealand producers and particularly those in Hawke's Bay are well poised for a glowing export future - a future built strongly around China.
In a report by American financial services company Morgan Stanley, it was stated that demand was outstripping supply as production in long-established markets such as France and Spain had fallen dramatically, while production in "New World" countries like New Zealand had increased.
The most immediate impact would likely be a modest rise in prices as, for the first time in about 15 years, stable domestic consumption along with growing export demand and a reduction in crops had caused an undersupply situation in New Zealand.
The report, however, focused mainly on "bottom end" wines and New Zealand had not gone down that path, the country's winegowers chief executive, Philip Gregan, said.
Hawke's Bay Winegrowers chairman Nicholas Buck echoed that, reinforcing that Hawke's Bay went for quality as it continued to build its growing reputation as an important fixture among the world's finest wine regions.