Hopes high for Awatere brand

Marlborough's rich-lister Peter Yealands can see the day when wine from the Awatere district will be as strong a brand as Marlborough.

Yealands, with his wife Vai, is the owner of Yealands Estate in Seaview near Seddon which falls within Awatere's grape-growing district, southeast of Marlborough's Wairau Plains.

Awatere has been a growth area in winemaking since the pioneering of GPS technology to line up rows on rolling hill country, and Yealand's Estate contributes to the grape landscape with its 1000 hectares.

Yealands said overseas experts were beginning to recognise the fastest-growing grape-producing region, which was now the second largest in New Zealand.

"The Awatere is beginning to get recognised for its different styles and the demand for Awatere fruit is growing."

Yealands also owns nearby Flaxbourne Station, which he might put grapes on at some stage.

His main focus has gone into developing Yealands Estate into Australasia's largest single vineyard and this will continue as he sells down assets mainly based at Kaiumu Station near Havelock.

Yealands has gone to considerable expense to put the best winemaking facilities into the estate and to make it carbon neutral.

Son Aaron manages the workshop at the family business and artwork in the winery is produced by daughter Danielle and her partner.

Yealands said he had extended his grape range beyond sauvignon blanc to include pinot noir and pinot gris and saw bright prospects ahead for the Austrian white gruner veltliner and Spanish red tempranillo.

"Sauvignon blanc is really easy to grow to the extent it grows like a weed, but there is nothing particularly challenging and these ones bring a challenge. That is what life is all about - I would rather give it a go even if it did not work out than think about whether it would work."

However, he remains a fan of sauvignon blanc and despite a grape glut in Marlborough's main species after two record growing seasons during a recession, he remains upbeat about its fortunes.

Yealands said the future looked rosy, with a down cycle always eventually followed by an up cycle.

The 2010 crop was likely to be an average one and consolidation by operations would result in lower grape growth.

His operation was nicely positioned and when the downturn ended would leave a vapour trail, he said.

Few vineyards appear to have been sold in the area, with buyers possibly struggling to get finance.

Yealands continues to hold his first vineyard investment of three small properties in Wairau.

- © Fairfax NZ News