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16 July 2009

Young viticulturists vie for honours while pruners go for silver

Hawke’s Bay’s wine industry’s pruners and young viticulturists will be vying for honours in two separate competitions to be held next week.

The Silver Secateurs Grape Vine Pruning and the Young Viticulturist competitions will be held at Mission Estate Winery on Friday 24 July with the winners proceeding on to the finals at the Romeo Bragato conference being held in Napier in August.

The Markhams Young Viticulturist competition, open to entrants up to 31 years, had attracted a good mix of first time and repeat entrants of both sexes from Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, said Lyn Bevin, Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Inc. Executive Officer.

“It is heartening to see wineries big and small getting in behind their young people and providing them with the support to enter.”

Entrants are: Tony Verry, who manages and works on a family-owned vineyard in Korokipo; Marj Hurley, a pellenc operator on Villa Maria’s Joseph Soler block; Caine Thompson, Mission Estate company viticulturist / vineyards manager; Ben McLennan from Maimai Creek; Paul Robinson, Villa Maria viticulture technical officer; Nick Otto from Delegats, Hawke’s Bay; Charles Simons, manager of Craggy Range Te Muna vineyard in Martinborough.

Competitors in the event sponsored locally by  Harvest Hawkes Bay; Skeltons; Fruitfed Supplies; Biostart; HB Winegrowers; Agrecovery; Gale; Norwoord Machinery; Pernod Ricard and Ramsey Roundwood, will be tested on both practical and theoretical scenarios in the vineyard and later at night in front of an audience at a dinner at Vidal Estate Winery.

The Silver Secateurs competition is open to pruners and vine tyers of all ages in both single and team categories.  Now in its 15h year, this competition recognises that grapevine pruning is an integral management practice required for the production of quality wines.

The Hawke’s Bay Focus Research Group will also be holding a ‘productivity in vineyard’ seminar from 11am on the morning on 24 July.  Speakers include Dan Druzianic, from Markhams Hawke’s Bay on seasonal finance, and Annette Carey from MAF on vineyard profitability.  John van der Linden from Crossroads will provide practical steps to reduce a grower’s bottom line, and Brett Carpenter, lawyer and grape grower, will address contracts and legal issues.  A question and answer panel session will conclude the seminar.

Leading the organising committee is Emma Taylor who won the 2007 national Young Viticulturist competition winner.  MsTaylor went on to represent the wine industry and subsequently win the national Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition in 2007.  She believes there is huge merit in entering such events.

“It really gives young people the chance to benchmark themselves against their peers, and provides them with a personal challenge to lift their professional game,” she says.

Contenders will be tested on practical knowledge and theory and will also be required to complete a budgeting exercise, and give a short presentation.

Spectators are welcome at Mission Estate Winery, with the Fruitfed Silver Secateurs competition commencing at 9am, followed by the productivity seminar at 11am.  A hortisport event that is part of the Young Viticulture activities commences at 12.noon, with the Silver Secateurs prizegiving and BBQ lunch at 12.30pm.  The Young Viticulturist day competition activities will conclude around 3pm, and the dinner starts at Vidals at 6pm.

Tickets for the Hawke’s Bay Young Viticulturist dinner are available at $60 per person from Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Inc.

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