I was well aware that the scale of wine production I would experience in New Zealand would be somewhat larger then I was use to. Nonetheless, you can imagine my surprise when, on my first day of work, I was told that if all the delivery trucks that would be delivering our fruit this harvest were to line up bumper to bumper the line would extend for 9 miles. And most of that distance would be Sauvignon Blanc. Welcome to Indevin Winery and the region of Marlborough.
Indevin Winery (www.indevin.com), where I am spending harvest, sits outside the small town of Blenheim located in the heart of Marlborough, on the northern tip of New Zealand’s south island. There along the Wairau river, which over the last few million years has been carving out a valley by the same name, sit vineyards by the square mile that grow some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc. And Indevin, as the southern hemispheres largest contract winemaking facility, makes a good bit of that into wine.
As a wine production facility, Indevin is set up as two separate wineries called appropriately “White Cellar” and “Red Cellar”. Those 9 miles of delivery trucks I mentioned early will be bringing in nearly 14,000 tons of fruit this harvest, 13,000 of it Sauvignon Blanc. The other 1000 ton, or so, is mostly Pinot Noir, with little bits of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Rieslings and Merlot sprinkled here and there. To help process all the fruit this season, Indevin hired 45 people, many of them from all over the world, one of whom is yours truly. Split into two work groups (Red Cellar and White Cellar), I have found myself working with the reds and am getting an opportunity to see first hand how many winemakers in Marlborough are creating the wine that is fast becoming Marlborough’s next great wine. More on that later though.
However, Sauvignon Blanc is still the reigning King (or Queen, depending) and at the present time it is coming off the vine in heaps. The first time I heard the phrase, “Sauvi-launch” I didn’t quite get it. Then I saw my first delivery truck back up to a 25-ton receival bin and let a whole truckload of “Sauvi” go. It was quite the sight.
Stay tuned because harvest is jus
t now starting to kick. Grapes are ripe and ready. Winemakers are eager, and one in particular is very thankful have opportunity to play a part in the grand production of wine, again.
My best to all of you and cheers from Marlborough!
Eric Weisinger
The Traveling Winemaker
