August 6, 2025 • 6 mins
Our Blenheim-based viticulture correspondent on the challenges the wine industry is facing with the Trump tariffs (35% of our wine exports), a worldwide grape glut and falling consumption.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I wonder what our next guest was doing twenty five
years ago.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Today.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
His name is Bear Bear because he's a wine guy.
His name is Blair MacLean for the Culture Correspondent, based
out of Blenham. Blast. Twenty five years ago, you would
have just about been playing on the wing for Roxburgh
and scoring no tries in your three seasons of senior rugby.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well we're going to not talk about that anymore. No,
twenty five years ago, I was working for Applefields. Actually no,
it wasn't ati. I was working for PGG Wrights and
so I've done twenty nine years. So he was up
here in Blenham. So yep, that's what I was doing.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I'll tell you what, Blair Applefields. There's a blast from
the past.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, yeah, great company. I mean, geez, I want to
have seventeen orchards in the Canterbury area growing some of
some absolute stunning apples in Canterbury. And of course there's
quite a bit of development in Canterbury now on South
Canabury anyway, Olk Apples. Another two hundred and fifty odd
hitty is going on down there. So yeah, maybe we
need to plant more apples up here, Jamie than Blenham.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Wow, you've got You know, you're famous for growing the grapes,
but can we find a home for them. Some of
these numbers around the wine industry are a bit frightening,
like with Trump's tariffs, and that's where thirty five percent
of our wine exports go. This fifteen percent tariff is
actually going to add a dollar per bottle. And I'm
not quite sure, Blair, whether our wine's the same as
(01:21):
our beef. The Americans literally at this stage anyhow, I
can't afford to go without our beef, but they can
possibly afford to use the substitute product if our wine's
too expensive.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, Look, the Americans have been drinking a lot of
our Servan blanc. They love it over there. I was
over there in early June and there was lots of
our labels and lots of bottle stores and all over
the place. But you know, if their economy is task,
they'll go for something a bit cheaper, and another dollar
us to a bottle of wine for them might change
(01:53):
their mind, and it definitely will have an impact on sales.
Talking to a lot of the wineries around here, you
know they've been sending a lot of wine out. You know,
our wine sales are actually going very very well. We've
just come off a record vintage, so you know, the
savone blanc is fear flowing out of the country. Probably
not as much margin, isn't it, But fifteen percent Jamie
(02:13):
tariff will be tough and we'll certainly have an impact
on growers here and wine companies right throughout New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Unfortunately, I quoted some numbers that you gave me earlier
this morning, something like one hundred to one hundred and
fifty thousand tons of fruit of grapes left on the vines.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, yeah, so those numbers are real. We went through,
as we did for the cherry season, actually a really
good flowering and really good fruit set. So we had
a massive, massive crops and so for being able to
pick to cap ie making sure we only harvest a
certain amount of tonnage per hec here getting the quality right,
(02:55):
the rest of it was left on vine and either
shaken off onto the ground for fertilizer or just left
there to sort of fall off eventually. So yeah, so,
I mean we had it was just an amazing, amazing season,
but that wine probably would have been in superior anyway.
So we do need to concentrate on having our good
(03:15):
quality here in milber anyway, savvy on blanc out the door.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I guess it's one thing having a vineyard, another thing
having a winery. Those who are just growing grapes for
contract to supply to the vineyards or wineries that they
must be having an incredibly tough time of it.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, if you've got a contract with a wine company here. Actually,
it's funny enough, the same thing that's happening in Washington
State when we're over there, to get a contract with
a wine company and it's due for renewal. As in
some of these contracts Jamie will go four or five years,
some of them are three, some of them are one.
It's very unlikely that that will be renewed at the stage.
(03:53):
So that means that you do not have a contract
for your wine to go. So you're left with the
option of hibernating it, just doing a real maintenance program
on it and waiting for the glots to get over
or you know, as you said, as they like at
the end of the tunnel. It probably is for us,
but it's probably a little torch a long way off
(04:15):
at the moment. That's how we sort of see it.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
What about the falling consumption of wine worldwide? What's behind that?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, I guess we've got to talk about this a
bit before. But health reasons. You know, the low alcohol,
low carb wines are selling very well. People are more
you know, looking at other things to drink. You know,
they're ready to drink drinks, ciders. I mean craft beer
is probably struggling a lie bit as well, but just
a general habit. I know that that new gin coming up.
(04:46):
They look at my daughters, so you know they don't
drink a lot of wine. I don't know, it's just
a change in habit. So what we've got to produce
is is something good, low out, good for the good
for the body and and tasted.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Last time we chatted to you, I think was about
the end of June, if my records are correct, And
that was when you were having that first sort of
tranch of flooding in Marlboro and you dodged a bullet
or the Tasman Nelson regent did I think last week?
But how have you gone with the flood recovery? And
I know you weren't as badly affected in Marlborough as
(05:21):
they are over the hill.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, very were here, four hundred and twenty nine miles.
We've had in forty nine days since this sort of
seeing forty nine days I guess, so another thirty due tomorrow.
Marlburn does not need any more rain and creating. Probably
in about three months time will be asking where as
well rain but yeah, nowhere where and we're nowhere near
(05:45):
as bad as our counterparts over in the over in
the Tasman area where we are dry, but there has
been some vineyards that have lost areas anything by rivers,
there's certainly been some damage. But yeah, we're just sort
of looking for a dry spell. Not sure if that's
coming though.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
June, Hey Blair, thanks as always for your time. I
know you're flat out there with fruit fed supplies and
blend them. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Thanks Jamie,
I wonder what our next guest was doing twenty five
years ago.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Today.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
His name is Bear Bear because he's a wine guy.
His name is Blair MacLean for the Culture Correspondent, based
out of Blenham. Blast. Twenty five years ago, you would
have just about been playing on the wing for Roxburgh
and scoring no tries in your three seasons of senior rugby.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well we're going to not talk about that anymore. No,
twenty five years ago, I was working for Applefields. Actually no,
it wasn't ati. I was working for PGG Wrights and
so I've done twenty nine years. So he was up
here in Blenham. So yep, that's what I was doing.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I'll tell you what, Blair Applefields. There's a blast from
the past.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, yeah, great company. I mean, geez, I want to
have seventeen orchards in the Canterbury area growing some of
some absolute stunning apples in Canterbury. And of course there's
quite a bit of development in Canterbury now on South
Canabury anyway, Olk Apples. Another two hundred and fifty odd
hitty is going on down there. So yeah, maybe we
need to plant more apples up here, Jamie than Blenham.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Wow, you've got You know, you're famous for growing the grapes,
but can we find a home for them. Some of
these numbers around the wine industry are a bit frightening,
like with Trump's tariffs, and that's where thirty five percent
of our wine exports go. This fifteen percent tariff is
actually going to add a dollar per bottle. And I'm
not quite sure, Blair, whether our wine's the same as
(01:21):
our beef. The Americans literally at this stage anyhow, I
can't afford to go without our beef, but they can
possibly afford to use the substitute product if our wine's
too expensive.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, Look, the Americans have been drinking a lot of
our Servan blanc. They love it over there. I was
over there in early June and there was lots of
our labels and lots of bottle stores and all over
the place. But you know, if their economy is task,
they'll go for something a bit cheaper, and another dollar
us to a bottle of wine for them might change
(01:53):
their mind, and it definitely will have an impact on sales.
Talking to a lot of the wineries around here, you
know they've been sending a lot of wine out. You know,
our wine sales are actually going very very well. We've
just come off a record vintage, so you know, the
savone blanc is fear flowing out of the country. Probably
not as much margin, isn't it, But fifteen percent Jamie
(02:13):
tariff will be tough and we'll certainly have an impact
on growers here and wine companies right throughout New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Unfortunately, I quoted some numbers that you gave me earlier
this morning, something like one hundred to one hundred and
fifty thousand tons of fruit of grapes left on the vines.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, yeah, so those numbers are real. We went through,
as we did for the cherry season, actually a really
good flowering and really good fruit set. So we had
a massive, massive crops and so for being able to
pick to cap ie making sure we only harvest a
certain amount of tonnage per hec here getting the quality right,
(02:55):
the rest of it was left on vine and either
shaken off onto the ground for fertilizer or just left
there to sort of fall off eventually. So yeah, so,
I mean we had it was just an amazing, amazing season,
but that wine probably would have been in superior anyway.
So we do need to concentrate on having our good
(03:15):
quality here in milber anyway, savvy on blanc out the door.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I guess it's one thing having a vineyard, another thing
having a winery. Those who are just growing grapes for
contract to supply to the vineyards or wineries that they
must be having an incredibly tough time of it.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, if you've got a contract with a wine company here. Actually,
it's funny enough, the same thing that's happening in Washington
State when we're over there, to get a contract with
a wine company and it's due for renewal. As in
some of these contracts Jamie will go four or five years,
some of them are three, some of them are one.
It's very unlikely that that will be renewed at the stage.
(03:53):
So that means that you do not have a contract
for your wine to go. So you're left with the
option of hibernating it, just doing a real maintenance program
on it and waiting for the glots to get over
or you know, as you said, as they like at
the end of the tunnel. It probably is for us,
but it's probably a little torch a long way off
(04:15):
at the moment. That's how we sort of see it.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
What about the falling consumption of wine worldwide? What's behind that?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, I guess we've got to talk about this a
bit before. But health reasons. You know, the low alcohol,
low carb wines are selling very well. People are more
you know, looking at other things to drink. You know,
they're ready to drink drinks, ciders. I mean craft beer
is probably struggling a lie bit as well, but just
a general habit. I know that that new gin coming up.
(04:46):
They look at my daughters, so you know they don't
drink a lot of wine. I don't know, it's just
a change in habit. So what we've got to produce
is is something good, low out, good for the good
for the body and and tasted.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Last time we chatted to you, I think was about
the end of June, if my records are correct, And
that was when you were having that first sort of
tranch of flooding in Marlboro and you dodged a bullet
or the Tasman Nelson regent did I think last week?
But how have you gone with the flood recovery? And
I know you weren't as badly affected in Marlborough as
(05:21):
they are over the hill.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, very were here, four hundred and twenty nine miles.
We've had in forty nine days since this sort of
seeing forty nine days I guess, so another thirty due tomorrow.
Marlburn does not need any more rain and creating. Probably
in about three months time will be asking where as
well rain but yeah, nowhere where and we're nowhere near
(05:45):
as bad as our counterparts over in the over in
the Tasman area where we are dry, but there has
been some vineyards that have lost areas anything by rivers,
there's certainly been some damage. But yeah, we're just sort
of looking for a dry spell. Not sure if that's
coming though.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
June, Hey Blair, thanks as always for your time. I
know you're flat out there with fruit fed supplies and
blend them. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Thanks Jamie,
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.