Life's more than a beach down in Gisborne

By PETER GRIFFIN


Has there ever been a better use for a shoelace than using one to hang a wine glass around your neck? Well, 3500 people thought that was just the ticket at the sold-out Gisborne Wine and Food Festival on Sunday.

By mid-afternoon, Gisborne's finest vineyards were hosts to dance parties and smoky barbecues in a celebration of a good season.

For the Gisborne Wine Company's John Thorpe, who makes wine for his own label and other vineyards at the century-old freezing works on the city's inner harbour, 2004 has been "awesome" after last year's disappointing season - helped, no doubt, by his Longbush chardonnay winning gold at the International Chardonnay Challenge.

While an Australian wine glut has forced Lion Nathan, among others, to write down the value of its Australian wine assets by A$59.7 million, Gisborne winegrowers are cautiously optimistic that they can compete with lower-priced Australian wine, both here and overseas.

"The glut is international and there is some concern with the large size of the New Zealand crop that it may happen here," said Thorpe.

"But, because 2003 was not a good season, the glut is not so evident."

An oversupply of wine in California, Australia and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand has helped force down prices, especially for cheaper wines.

But the smaller local vineyards are lifting their exports.

"We've just shipped three container loads to the United Kingdom," said Thorpe, who is relaunching the Longbush label which has been out of circulation because of last year's poor season.

As for the revellers at the Millton Vineyard at Manutuke, they managed to drink the bar dry of Millton's sought-after 2004 Muscat.

In February, owners James and Annie Millton cut their prices in response to the glut but now wonder if that move was necessary.

"Sales have never been so buoyant," said James Millton.

Although conscious of the Australians' selling power, Millton said his organic approach was valued at home and in export markets.

"The Australians have wines from $7.95 to $12.95 that are produced in vast amounts," he said.

"It's a body blow being put on the same pitch as other more mechanised wines. This is hand-grown wine, certified organic, it's not manufactured."

Millton is looking into diversifying into non-wine products - grape seed oil and grape juices.

He also wants to tap the growing market for organic, non-concentrate fruit juice.

A different but still successful approach to winemaking is taken by Amor-Bendall Wines, which does not own any vineyards, relying instead on five local growers for grapes.

Food technologist Noel Amor started the winery in 1999 with Alison Bendall, operating out of a small winery at Wainui Beach.

The winery will produce 12,000 cases of wine this year, up from 1000 cases in its first year of production.

Amor said the business model gave greater flexibility in choosing the best grapes.

Amor-Bendall's main market is New Zealand restaurants but it is increasingly looking to overseas markets and will export 30 per cent of its wine this year.