Chardonnay grapes first off the blocks

Pictures by Liam Clayton

The annual grape harvest will be in full swing in the next few days and while the yields are said to be “very light”, the quality of the grapes being picked so far has been “generally excellent”, says Gisborne Winegrowers chairman and GisVin chief winemaker Mark Thompson.

“Indevin have started with chardonnay and are in full swing; GisVin will start with pinot gris today,” he said. “So far, so good when it comes to the weather. We will be harvesting through till late April, and we will be at full swing by Monday.” Harvesters are pictured in action in blocks at Patutahi yesterday.