Going organic in the vines

WARWICK BLACKLER/The Marlborough Express

PRECIOUS PLANTS: Biodynamic and organic viticulture consultant Bart Arnst crouches in planted phacelia and buckwheat in the middle of a vineyard.

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Biodynamic and organic viticulture consultant Bart Arnst talks to Rachel Young about vineyards, the organic business and why going `au naturel' is becoming increasingly popular.

Be careful not to harm the plants, Bart Arnst warns the photographer as he moves them out of the way to take Bart's photograph.

These plants are not there to look pretty but serve an important purpose in organic growing by attracting the tasman wasp, hover flies and lace wings which contribute to reducing light brown apple moth levels, which are pests in vineyards.

As a child, Bart would help his parents with their vegetable garden and composting.

Although it was a chore when he was a child, he now looks upon it as a pleasure.

After leaving Ashburton college he worked for a couple of years before he travelled abroad for about six years. On his return he studied viticulture at Christchurch Polytechnic. Throughout his studies he worked at Sandi Hurst Wines and once he finished his qualifications he was hired by Montana which brought him to Marlborough in 1994.

He says he suddenly started to deal with a lot of chemicals, each one supposedly better than the next. He began to wonder "are they safe for the environment and myself and my staff?".

Curiosity got the better of him and about eight years ago while he was working for Montana he set up a "wee organic area" to see what would happen. Skip forward six years and Bart became a self-employed viticulture consultant specialising in organics.

He says, looking back in history people grew grapes without the chemicals which are used today. Europeans in particular are happy using organic techniques as they've seen it work, he says.

"When I started consulting I was hoping that maybe 10 to 15 per cent of my clients would be interested (in organic growing) and now more than 85 per cent of them are interested."

Herbicides, synthetic fungicides and pesticides can't be used for three years before vineyard land is certified as organic.

Growing grapes is a balancing act of looking after soil, managing canopy and making sure the right species are growing.

He says most clients will experiment with an organic section in their vineyard before expanding.

He has clients in Central Otago, Wairarapa and Waipara, as well as Marlborough.

He says people are usually initially worried about organics, but adds that once he talks through issues of weed control, pests and diseases, people become more interested.

"I firmly believe that it can be good for the area to have a very strong organic movement."

He wants to add to the premium Marlborough wine brand by increasing the presence of organic Marlborough wine.

He likens being organic to eating healthily. Just as a healthy eater is likely to bounce back from the flu faster than someone who loads their body with junk food, Bart reckons vines that are treated with natural products are also stronger.

The skin of organic grapes is less likely to split if there's bad weather conditions just before harvest, he says.

If the price of two bottles of wine is similar, customers are increasingly likely to choose the wine with an organic sticker, he says.

The huge public awareness of environmentally friendly products is reflected in the industry. When he co-presented a seminar called an introduction to organic grape growing in Blenheim earlier this month, he expected about a dozen people to come. More than 50 turned up.

Bart says he believes in the principles of organics and finds organic growing personally more satisfying as you learn to understand your land in a different way.

- © Fairfax NZ News