2024 Gisborne wine vintage ‘excellent’

Early indications are the 2024 wine from the district’s grape harvest, which concluded earlier this week, will be excellent. Grape yields were down this season, but grape quality has been exceptional. Picture by Liam Clayton

The grapes have all been picked in this season’s wine vintage in Tairāwhiti. While yields have been down, the grape quality has been excellent, says Gisborne Winegrowers  chairman Mark Thompson.

The last of the grapes, reds merlot and montepulciano, were picked on Tuesday.

“We’ve finished harvest and thankfully the weather has pretty much been on our side since it started,” Mr Thompson said.

“The grape quality has been exceptional across all varieties.

“However, the quantity of grapes harvested has been way down, at an estimate,  by around 40 percent.

“We feel that’s a hangover from Cyclone Gabrielle and the fact the vines had wet feet for six months, combined with a poor flowering period.”

Mr Thompson said it was too early yet, with the juice still being fermented, to say for sure just how good the vintage would be in terms of wines produced.

“But I think we can say at this stage it looks like the wine quality will be excellent.

“Generally the juice is showing very typical flavours for each variety.”