Conversing with vines

I'M LISTENING: Recently-retired oenological scientist Dr Rainer Eschenbruch pictured in a friend’s vineyard, paying attention to what the grapevines are telling him. He wants to set up an organic trial block in Gisborne.

DR Rainer Eschenbruch talks to grapevines, and what’s more they talk back to him.

The German-born scientist, PhD and former chief of wine research at the government-owned Te Kauwhata Viticultural Research Station, began having conversations with vines 17 years ago when he planted a vineyard at Tamahere near Hamilton.

“The vines imparted much wisdom to me,” says Rainer.

“I went into my vineyard every day to hear the whispers of the vines and learn to understand them,” says the man who retired to Gisborne in February after a 45-year career in oenological research (the science of viticulture, growing grapes) and consultancy which took him all over the world.

“The grapes told me again and again what they wanted. They told me to be patient, but also not to forget them.

“I listened to them carefully and learned a hell of a lot,” he says.

“One day they told me ‘We hate herbicides because they lie to us — they tell us that we have made it, that we have got there and we don’t need to fight for our survival any more’.

“'That caused us to let our guard down. And as a result we forgot to fight the enemy and to organise our resistance and build our immunity to diseases’.

“Over time, these conversations turned me into an enthusiastic greenie, and 100 percent organic in my vineyard.”

All this happened when there were only four or five organic vineyards in New Zealand, the Millton Vineyard at Manutuke being the first.

Looking after the soil is a crucial factor in the organic equation, Rainer says, and a friendship he formed at that time was pivotal.

“When I was establishing my Birchwood Lane vineyard at Tamahere, I met Clive Sinclair who established Pacific Biofert. He told me he was producing organic products that would substantially improve soil performance and fertility and make artificial and synthetic fertilisers superfluous.

“I said to him ‘send it to me yesterday’.

“From then on, I went totally organic. I began to feed the soil with Clive’s highly nutritious liquid fish manure and seaweed extract, and also applied it regularly as foliar sprays.

“Of course I needed to apply minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other minor elements which were rendered organic by a process called chelation.

“This reduced my powdery mildew problem by 50 percent. But you have to start the regime right from planting onwards.

No need to spray botrytis“I didn’t use any herbicides for 15 years and I did not have a single bunch of botrytis on my grapes. I never had to spray against botrytis.

“All those fighting botrytis should prick up their ears. You can’t use Roundup. It tells the plant ‘I will look after you’ and the plant doesn’t have to do anything any more.

“With Roundup, the grass laughs at you and says ‘Ha ha, see you back here in six weeks’.

“In my Birchwood Lane vineyard, I let everything grow as it wanted — grass, clover, dandelion, buttercup, plantain, even dock and Californian and Scotch thistle. I mowed it very occasionally.

“Viticulture is a monoculture system which destroys the entire plant community until only the grapevines remain. This inhibits the communication — the helping, supporting and understanding — among all the plants.”

Organic practice brought about a fundamental change in the soil composition in his vineyard, says Rainer.

“It enabled the vines to maximise their behaviour, producing better grapes with more flavour and an enhanced expression of complexities which ultimately led to improved quality of wine and greater longevity.”

Of course, there was a lot of experimentation along the way.

“I took soil samples twice a year and paid close attention to the symptoms of the plant. For example, if I saw leaf discolouration that had nothing to do with deficiency, I treated it by altering the mineral balance of the soil and such discolouration would disappear.

“Did you know that a handful of soil contains a billion bacteria? The soil is its habitat but we treat it like dirt. Where is our respect? We drive huge machinery over it and then rip it up. In each case you interfere with the bacteria and the life of the soil.

I let everything grow as it wanted — grass, clover, dandelion, buttercup,

plantain, even dock and Californian and Scotch thistle.

I mowed it very occasionally.“It took me eight years to fully understand the organic system and what it did for the soil. After that I was able to relax.

“And the vines said ‘thank you’ and rewarded me with even more interesting wine.

“This is not fringe stuff. I am a scientist and this is scientifically proven.”

PhD from research centreRainer has the academic credentials to back up his statements. He studied biology and microbiology at the University of Freiburg and received a PhD in 1969 from the Institute of Microbiology and Biochemistry at the world-renowned research centre at Geisenheim, Germany. The topic of his doctoral thesis was lactic acid bacteria, a factor often used to ferment red wines and change their flavour profile and taste.

Now 76 and living at Beetham Village, Rainer says he is still “hellishly interested in organic growing methods”.

He’s also deeply interested in what’s happening here in Gisborne.

“I would like to understand how the industry is working here and in the process I hope to learn about the potential and improvements that need to be made.

“Gisborne was originally the biggest grape-growing area in New Zealand with three major companies sited here, Montana, Corbans and Penfolds. The region was well known all over the country.

“Then interest shifted away to other areas like Central Otago and Marlborough. There is now an acute awareness here that the shine has gone elsewhere. Can this be rectified? Gisborne needs to have discussions about this.

“It’s a very complex situation that cannot easily be influenced by superficial answers or quick fixes. It needs a patient approach and a deep understanding. The local wine industry needs to work out points of difference compared with everyone else,” he says.

“There are interesting signs here. Concerted efforts are being made to introduce new grape varieties and with it most likely different wine styles.

“There are very positive results so far. However the success of a variety is not just in the growing of it but in the market response to it.

“The viognier variety is a good example. Despite its incredible appeal, it has not caught the imagination of the consumer.

“I grew viognier for 15 years at Birchwood Lane and had no problem selling it. People asked for it by name. It was a huge success. Why? Because it was an exceptionally nice wine.

In love with viognier“After tasting viognier in Seattle, I fell in love with it on the spot and imported the variety to New Zealand.

“As Hamilton is not a prime area for growing grapes in New Zealand, the introduction of viognier was a gamble, but I grew it and the outcome was extraordinarily interesting.

“The performance of every variety is influenced by its terroir, the soil in which it is grown. The silt loam on clay at Tamahere produced a surprisingly refreshing and drinkable wine.

“I never expected such success. It was a combination of the soil, the variety and (tongue-in-cheek) some expertise on my part. The end product was a very appealing flavour composition — fruit and spice — an instantly likeable combination.”

After 15 years, he decided his vineyard project was complete as far as the knowledge gained, the wine made and enjoyed were concerned. He sold the land and came to live in Gisborne, the place he had his first holiday in New Zealand in 1974.

He has many friends and contacts here from his 12 years at Te Kauwhata and the associated local research block at Manutuke, and is already lending a hand in a number of vineyards and a bee-keeping operation.

Looking ahead, Rainer says he would like to set up a trial block in Gisborne so that growers can see how the behaviour of the grapes reflects the changes in the soil.

“I hope to find some people in the grape-growing community who are interested in setting up an organic trial plot with me so we can convince the doubting Thomases and Thomasinas.

“You have to show people, not tell them. There will be lots of difficulties to overcome, but this is my vision, and Gisborne is a great place to do it.

“Then the region will produce grapes of much higher quality and have the point of difference they are looking for, without a huge input of money.

“Growing organically is cheaper if it’s done properly. But you need to be patient, determined, knowledgeable, sensitive, observant, able to think outside the square, and not afraid of changing your approach.

“These days, I have the time and the independence to pursue this, and have found a few people who are receptive and interested in the idea.”

In the meantime, he’s missing his conversations with the vines.

“I’ve been talking to the bees in my friend Guido’s hives instead. They have some interesting things to tell me too. But that’s another story.”