Vintage 2021: Marlborough down 21 per cent, smallest harvest in six years
Marlborough’s wine vintage is down 21 per cent on last year's crop, and is the smallest harvest since 2015.
Early frosts and cool weather during flowering season were factors in the drop which will leave some wineries struggling to meet demand. New Zealand Winegrowers figures released on Friday showed 269,521 tonnes of grapes were harvested in Marlborough this year.
Across New Zealand there were 370,000 tonnes of grapes harvested during the 2021 vintage, down 19 per cent on last year’s crop.
Regions throughout the middle of the country, including Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson, and North Canterbury, were affected the most, down over 20 per cent on 2020.
However, there was some variability across different parts of the country, with Central Otago the one region to increase its crop, up 21 per cent on last year’s harvest.
