NZ’s grape-shortage “worst in a decade”
Wine – both New World and Old World – is likely to be under some degree of supply & price stress in 2021.
Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ Chairman Bryan Fry expects this season’s vintage to be down nine million cases on the previous year.
November frosts followed by poor weather hampered the bud-burst and flowering of the vines which wasn’t helped by the near-drought conditions that followed this for three months.
Sauvignon Blanc – NZ’s growth grape responsible for over 60% of total wine production and 86% of wine exports by volume – is likely to prove more difficult to come by and more costly for its customers this year as labour costs have also risen in the wake of Covid-19.
As a result some brands are looking at raising the costs by up to 20%.
At the same time South Africa has announced an “exceptional” wine vintage for 2021, with volumes up 9% on 2020 according to the Vinpro South African Wine Harvest Report.
All in all, in conjunction with the French frost-hit vineyards and the Californian & Australian forest fires, wine – both New World and Old World – is likely to be under some degree of supply & price stress in 2021.
