We have just finished picking the last grapes of vintage 2011 and it is a great feeling to have it all tucked away in the winery. There was a lot of talk that we were in for large crops and all the issues that go with that, however that has not been the case on our vineyard. Our yields were just on our long term average and of very high quality. The fruit tasted fantastic on the vine and that has continued in the winery.
There are in fact reports of big crops out there and I guess as with everything else when it comes to buying wine you get what you pay for. Marlborough wines are generally very good value for money anyway but there have been wines appearing on the market that are at prices much lower than we have ever seen Marlborough wines which begs the question should we be concerned about this? Well I believe the answer is it depends! That is if you are producing wine at low price points you are going to find it a little more crowded. If on the other hand your wines are offering brand values and great quality then as long as you continue to deliver you should be okay.
We try to deliver excellent quality in our wines at a good price made from grapes that we grow ourselves, so the consumer can buy with confidence that the next bottle of Torea will be at least as good a quality as their first experience.
To achieve continuity in our wines we ensure we have continuity in the vineyard. As it is our vineyard this is much easier to achieve. Continuity between vintages in the vineyard is all about balance, balanced vines = balanced wines. Our yields were average because our vines are in balance; it is all about attention to detail in the vineyard. Take care of business in the vineyard and you will be rewarded in the bottle on the shelf.
In the wine business you must have your end product, wine as your driver, do that and with sensible business management and the market will reward you. On the other hand if you start with profits as your main driver then you can get caught with over cropped vines, unbalanced wines and ultimately the market will punish you.
While you will have to wait to try the fantastic 2011 wines for yourself, you can try the equally fantastic 2010 wines, which are at, good wine stores or email us for the outlet nearest you.
Cheers for now
Stuart
http://www.toreawines.co.nz/
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Tags: #nzharvest2011 #Marlborough Wine #Sauvignon Blanc #Pinot Noir #New Zealand Wine
