N.Z. WINES

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1933, Page 6

N.Z. WINES

A NEGLECTED INDUSTRY

COPIOUS SOURCE OF WEALTH

When so many avenues are being explored to bring New Zealand once more on the to the high road of prosperity, it seems a curious oversight tout its great potentialities as a wineproducing country are not grasped. More so .does this apply in the case of Auckland where, for many years, the capacity of , the country to produce commercially a . first-class wine has .been demonstrated day. in and, day out, and this in .spite- of Cinderella treatment by successive Governments. At. Henderson, a. mere bus ride from the-heart of Auckland,, can be seen all the evidence the most sceptical New Zealander can. require to convince him that, hi neglecting- the development of the wine industry, the Dominion [is unforgivably .‘(corning a c,oppus source of wealth. There may he a justifiable reluctance on the part of the public to look favourably upon an industry which needs! a constant bolstering up, but when, as in the case of the wine-p-rcducing .industry, a producing industry, .a project triumphs over an almost -unbelievable series of obstacles, it has? a definite claim to support.

LARGE ABSORPTION OE LABOUR

The Mount Lebanon vineyard at Henderson, said to be the largest vineyard in New Zealand, covers an area of 33 acres. In a country whose people are accustomed to think in hundreds, and thousands of acres, the significance of this is apt to be overlooked. But acreage in grape vines is a vastly different thing from-acre-age in pasture- or garden produce. It is estimated- that four acres in grape vines will provide a living for one family, and, further, that it will be more than one man unaided- can cope with if it'is to produce-its-best. This means that even on a small area such as four- acres a demand for additional labour will arise.

The labour aspect is one of the striking features of wine production, and from this view alone the establishment of the industry in New Zealand on a large scale demands serious thought. It is claimed that no other- branch of agriculture or horticulture requires the same amount cf intensive effort and method, and this, of course, is another way of paying that no other product of the soil requires such a large amount of labour for its- production and such a. small area of -land.

SCEPTICS CONFOUNDED

Thirty-one years ago- when Mr A. A. Cprban established the Mount Lebanon vineyard, sceptics were as numerous as the grapes which ' now grow upon his vines. They were perfectly sure that grapes could be grown in New Zealand only under glass. To hope to establish a vineyard in the open savoured to them of madness. The story is a different one to-day. Row upon row and acre after acre of rich, ripe fruit tell their own story.

But ;f sceptics are silent the community as tV whole has failed to reai*o what a wonderful opportunity is going begging. What has happened at. Henderson could be made to happen on thousands of New Zealand's unproductive acres. And. . the. failure to realise this is all the more tragic when it is known that the poorer the soil the better will the grape vine thrive. Like human beings, the grape vine cannot give of it best until it has proved itself superior to obstacles. 11l a rich soil it is lazy and unproductive.

GREAT VARIETY OF VINES

As with men and grapes, so it is with New Zealand’s infant wine industry. First it had to be proved that the climate and soils of the Dominion were suitable for a wine-making grape. This had been done, sq that the first obstacle has been overcome. It has been found that grapes will grow in most parts of New Zealand and produce varieties of wine of firstgrade quality. All the varieties of European wines can be produced in the Dominion with the. exception, perhaps, of seme of the kinds grown in the Mediterranean belt. The production of French, German and Spanish types present no- difficulty. So great is the faith of the. wine-making ex•perts that in New Zealand already more than 1000 wine-makers’ licences have been taken out.

In tne large vineyard at Henderson between 60 and 70 varieties of grape can be seen growing vigorously. Different varieties are used for different types of wine. • In some cases a blend of types is necessary. As there are more than 4000 known varieties of commercial grape, and about the same number of varieties of wild grape, which are used as disease-resisting stocks for the grafting of vines, the field that can he drawn upon by wine maker is a vast one.

NEW. .ZE A LANDS’ PALATES

Port, Sherry, claret and the Madeira types of wins are the principle varieties produced at Henderson and in other parts of New Zealand. Other types can be produced, but the palate for wine is an educated one, and so far efforts have been concentrated upon supplying the demand as it exists at present. The taste- of New Zealand favours the sweet types, such as port and sherry, the demand for dry wines

being limited. It was found in Australia that the demand for dry wines increased' as, the public became more accustomed, to the drinking of wine. and it is expected that the same thing will happen in New Zealand. A certain variety) of. French grape is the only one of its kind .that will produce a true claret, and this is to be found growing at Henderson. Of recent, years a number of individual grape growers lias sprung np at Henderson, and wine is being made commercially in a number of cases. The realisation that very little land is required for -profitable production, coupled with a faitli ir; the industry and the hope that Government recognition cannot much longer be delayed, has, inspired the growers to lay the foundations of what, should be .a greatnational,, business. '