We've been working at a vineyard called ZStrata or Z-Strata, or Z'Strata or Zee-Straghtan or however you spell (I don't speak Kiwi very well so I don't really know what the name is. Some variation of this) for the last 2 days and will be there tomorrow. We've been doing the normal stuff of bunch thinning and setting nets but the weather hasn't been cooperating. Yesterday was probably a high of 15C from a morning that started out with rain and 8C temperatures. It's been cold enough during this week of the end of summer/beginning of fall month that there's snow down to ~1500m (~5000ft). The week before we were enjoying 28-30C days. The older Kiwis I work with have been telling me that I've now experienced all four seasons of the region. It made for a colder and shorter (rained delayed) day of bunch thinning pinot gris. It wasn't unbearable I think because of the location. The vineyard is on the Clutha River in the valley between Wanaka and Cromwell. Most of the wind blows up through the area to the north, but I think we lucked out yesterday.
Keith and I started on our rows doing what we normally do, but it was a lot easier than it normal. The rows we started in were relatively short and the plants were pretty poor. The leaves were showing signs of death around the edges and the amount of fruit was really low. This vineyard was planted in 2003/03 so it should be starting to generate some decent fruit by now. We made our way through a couple of rows chatting about whatnot with an occasional 'these are pretty poor, eh?' from Keith followed by a 'yeah, they look like crap' from me. It's not uncommon for there to be variation going from the macro level to the micro level (as is true for many things)–vineyard-to-vineyard, block-to-block, row-to-row, plant-to-plant–so I didn't think much of it. We continued on, all of us chatting (well I generally don't have a lot to say, unless addressed specifically, as the rest tend to talk about local current events, what was on the tele last night, who lived next to who in Invercargill in 1972 and things of this nature), and Greg and Lynne showing me here and there what powdery mildew looks like.
Then the story of the vineyard's ownership came up in conversation as the entire property is for sale. Long story short, there's a separation of a couple involved and the current separatee owner of the property doesn't seem to want it anymore. I'm listening to this story and looking around and thinking about the possibilities. Remember, right now, the USD doubles the second you step off the plane in NZ. Here's the stats from the real estate signs at the front gate.
- 102.4ha (253acres)
- River front property
- Considered 2 blocks
- 52ha currently planted with 29ha (71acre) of Pinot noir and gris
- 50ha that can be subdivided into six lots (if desired)
- Vineyard comes with implement shed, workshop, pump house and 35million L pond
- Vineyard supposedly ready for production in 2009
- The sign doesn't say this but the 50ha block has a large barren (not much planted) portion leading to the river and the remainder is covered in conifers–from the looks of it, they weren't commercially planted
Z'Strata Real Estate Property Photo. Goes from the river to the tree line on the left, to the tree line in the back, to the division line that runs through the 2 conifer groves on the right.So the guys I'm working with have said the asking price is $3M NZ, but it's been on the market for about a year. When I heard the price, I'm was thinking 'this is a steal!! You could offer $1.75-1.8M and possibly be considered in this market, especially after seeing some of these plants.' I pondered this here and there throughout the rest of the day when I'd take a break to look around at the snow capped mountains while I chewed on grape skins and grape seeds.
Today, we were back there again starting where the Vanuatus (migrant workers, ask me about it later or when I'm back stateside) had left off. Keith and I started on our rows and we were moving pretty quickly because these plants looked like anus. Absolute and utter shit. More and more comments are going back and forth between Keith and I about how awful the plants look, the general neglect that the vineyard is under at the moment, and hypothesizing about how the vineyard got to this state. We all finished off the last of the block we were working in and moved on to another area of pinot gris.
Neglect and who knows what else had hit these plants hard. It became difficult for me to concentrate on what I was doing. All I could think about was how could someone do this? How could someone just throw away money like this? How could someone not care at all about these plants? Granted, I'm thinking about the other side of the equation at the moment–what the potential mindset of the owner must be right now, but at the time all I was thinking about was the plants and the property. I'd go through entire bays (space between the posts of /training wire) and drop almost all the fruit off all the plants. The vines were covered in powdery mildew and it was starting to spread to the fruit. I'd ask myself 'What winemaker would want this fruit?' I was still eating the clean grapes which tasted just fine, but the appearance and size was just horrendous. I just found myself getting more and more annoyed. On top of the general neglect of the plants, I'm noticing the training wire system for the rows. It's noticeable immediately that the posts of this vineyard aren't the standard wooden posts, but instead metal posts with plastic caps. These are a great idea if you intend to get certified organic (wooden posts are treated with arsenic to help with weatherproofing–same problem as the wood in older playgrounds) and the cost is probably a little less considering their either aluminum or some sort of blend. So great idea in theory, but the posts are shite in application. They're not bent or anything, but the rows wobble like an old chain-link fence because the posts just rock back and forth in this dry, alluvial soil.
Maybe it was where we were on the property and the view I had before me that made me so pissed. Maybe it was the properties potential. Maybe it was because this type of property would be something I'd want and someone else is just pissing it away. Whatever it was, I found myself personifying the property. It reminded me of The Giving Tree later on in the day. What really struck me was how pissed I was at the neglect; thinking things like these plants didn't ask for this; this property didn't want to be treated like this; all these plants wanna do is make grapes and they aren't even being given a fair chance. I'd go back and forth from looking at my surroundings and thinking 'it's possible to turn it around' to 'who in the hell would want the burden of trying to turn this around and for the possibility that it'll all be crap after you've poured all your blood, sweat and tears.' I started thinking you'd need 15-20yrs to turn it around (it was planted in 2002/03 and you'd need double the amount of time to properly turn it around. Crazy, right?). How could I make it economical to turn it around? C'mon, these thoughts are just ludicrous, you wouldn't want that stone around your neck! I'll change the name to Veinte Anos, and import about 20 Hispanics over here to help do it (I wouldn't 'import' them. Of course we'd go through the proper channels). Then I'd look at the plants I'm thinning and think, there's no way. It also made me think about the company I'm working for and the time and money they've spent there and what it looks like. Maybe they've signed a contract, but it's obvious that this vineyard was set up poorly and is being managed poorly.
First vintage off the property is gonna be absolute piss. But I'm sure someone will buy it. If not around here, maybe up in the northern wine regions that don't have as many acres of pinot noir and pinot gris planted but want a bottle of it to sell to the consumer. UUUUggggjhhhhh. Serenity now. Serenity now. Serenity now. I'm learning a lot. I'm learning a lot. I'm learning a lot.
By the time we broke for lunch, I was quite disgusted. Thankfully we went off to a much more labor intensive task after lunch so I didn't have to think about it all. I've gotta go back tomorrow to finish on the nets. I'm sure I'll spend a major portion of the day scheming how to make it work then shooting the schemes outta the sky. Oh, right. Tomorrow's Friday the 13th again. Joy.
Here's some regional porn from the last week to make both you and I feel better. Sorry for the language, but I'm a bit sore about it all.
Full moon in Queenstown. Halo means it's going to snow, right?
Cromwell
Sunday Dinner. Pork chops with cherries and basil.
Snow on the way to work on Wednesday
View from one of the hills at Z'Strata Fife. My hosts' new English Springer Spaniel, ~9wks old. Useless except for being cute and peeing on the floor |  Sleeping in my lap while I finish this post |
2 comments:
Sounds pretty expensive considering all the work that would be involved in saving it. A lousy recession and a nasty divorce are good reasons for letting the vineyard go, don't you think. It's like anything, you get out what you put in. Save your pennies and maybe someday you'll have some land near a stream/river and raise a few grapes.
that's the kind of porn worth sharing--esp the rainbow. jeebus. so Fife is adorable and for a brief moment made me want a dog...brief. As for a the yard. You'd have buyers remorse I think. you need to remember the ducks young Ping and how you are getting them in line. La la la lei, la la la lei. No one likes to get spanked.
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