Grapes and Banks Peninsula

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 21

Grapes and Banks Peninsula

By

DR D. I. JACKSON,

Lincoln College, whose research

interests include trials on grape production in Canterbury.

At Lincoln College, we have a small vineyard which was established in 1973 to see if Canterbury could grow and ripen grapes suitable for winemaking. Initially, only a limited number of varieties were planted, but early results were encouraging and more were put in.

There are now 40 wine grapes and 20 table grapes at different stages of development. In a few years we will have a fairly good idea which varieties are likely to be the most suitable for our conditions in terms of both yield and quality of grape.

One of the problems with grapes is that they need a certain minimum amount of summer heat to ripen well and to make good wine. It used to be considered that the South Island was not quite warm enough and so all planting took place in the North. That is now known to be untrue. Montana is well established in Blenheim; .good wines are being made in Nelson; and small plantings are taking place in Central Otago and Canterbury. Those who know and drink wine are aware that grapes grown in a climate where they have to struggle to ripen by the end of the season often make the best wine — especially if the summers are not too wet. For example, German white wines are considered to be better than Italian; French reds are better than Algerian. And South Island whites are better than North Island ones? The drier parts of the

South Island have two advantages over the North. The cooler summers mean that the grape will mature more slowly and have greater ability to accumulate those many components that make the difference between an average wine and a superb one. The drier climate will also help because there will be less disease and the grapes will be able to hang for a longer period without rotting. But we have our problems, too. Last season was exceptionally cold, ripening was very late, and at Lincoln some varieties did

not ripen at all. In addition, a late spring frost greatly reduced the crop. The previous season was also cold; and a grower with grapes on the plains would not have made much money over the last two years. In Canterbury, however, there are certain places where the weather is significantly warmer and where frosts are not so severe. Many of these are on Banks Peninsula; Onawe, for example, has 20 per cent more summer heat than Lincoln. About two years ago it was reported that a vineyard was being considered near Akaroa. The locals greeted this with considerable pleasure; Akaroa and other small settlements have difficulty retaining young people and the drift to the city is a continued problem. A new industry might be tremendous help in overcoming this. It was not long, however, before problems ap-

peared. Grapes are very sensitive to herbicides such as 2,4,5-T, and to protect grapegrowers from damage the Government enacted legislation to limit application of these chemcals within five miles of an established vineyard. The farming community which extensively uses 2,4,5-T for gorse control, quickly realised that two strategically-placed Akaroa vineyards might place restrictions on this effective method of control over virtually the whole Peninsula. As a consequence, Wairewa, Akaroa, and later, Mt

Herbert County Councils, modified their district regulations to exclude vineyards from "predominant use.” This means that a grower cannot plant a vineyard of more than one acre in area as of right. He must apply to the local county council; and if anyone objects to the proposal, a public hearing must be held. This may seem quite reasonable but it has tended to place a damper on development. I know of three well-qualified people who would have liked to plant on the Peninsula but who have been deterred by the regulations and have gone elsewhere in the South Island. I know of others, less well qualified, who are likewise considering moving elsewhere. The question I ask is: “have the county councils acted wisely in changing their regulations?” Vineyards bring a much greater return than graz-

Ing sheep or running cattle. They also employ more people, especially if the wine is made on the site. A grapegrower selling to a winery might net up to $2500 per hectare per year ($lOOO/acre). If he made and sold the wine on the property he would return much more. By contrast, a farmer grazing sheep would not expect to return more than about $125 per hectare per year ($5O/acre). So, grape growing is a very productive use of land. And, together with winemaking, provides a much better chance of

building up and retaining the local population. Such activity can attract related industries. Can, therefore, vineyards and agriculture exist side by side? I think they can — but we need to look carefully at Government legislation. These regulations state that spraying is only restricted between the months of September and April. Outside these months a farmer can spray when he likes. Within these months he cannot use dusts or herbicides in oils, but he may still use herbicides mixed with water provided the Ministry of Agriculture is notified of the intention to do so. In other words, the Government regulations are also very reasonable. Contact with the Ministry during notification encourages discussion on the best material for the job, and the precautions and timing needed to minimise risk to sensitive

crops. Since most spray ing is done with waterbased preparations, the limitation on farmers and spraying contractors is minimal. In fact it comes down to liability under civil law for damage caused to neighbouring crops, whether they be grapes, tomatoes, or potatoes — and tomatoes and potatoes are just as sensitive as grapes. It might, therefore, benefit the local county councils to reconsider their decision in the light of the potential of Banks Peninsula for grapes and other intensive crops, and with due consideration for the minimal restriction to spraying that Government regulations actually impose. The geography of the Peninsula provides many microclimates which are warmer, milder, and have excellent shelter from some of the prevailing winds. This microclimate should be good for viticulture, but there are many other crops which would do well and might add tre-

mendous variety to the landscape and to our way of life. Gardeners on the Peninsula grow tamarillos, Chinese gooseberries, passionfruit, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and mandarins — crops which normally grow only in the subtropical north and which will not thrive on the plains. But other crops might also be considered: olives, figs, persimmons, feijoas, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, chestnuts, macadamias, and early vegetables might transform the Peninsula and rejuvenate the population. People in Auckland drive to Oratia, Henderson, or Kumeu to sample the local wines and replenish their stocks of citrus or sub-tropical fruit. It would be nice to think that in 5 to 10 years time we could drive to Akaroa and do the same. Banks Peninsula is unique, beautiful, sheltered, and peaceful. But it must be carefully nurtured to enhance its reputation and broaden the Canter* bury perspective.