“Vintage 2002 has changed the supply landscape for the industry. The change means we need to move from allocating products in short supply to being proactive marketers to ensure on-going growth,” said Peter Hubscher, chair of the New Zealand Winegrowers. “To date we have achieved considerable success as a niche producer and marketer of quality wines. We must now lift our marketing effort to another level to increase export sales substantially above the current annual record.”
NEW ZEALAND: Upbeat outlook from NZ Winegrowers
The New Zealand Winegrowers' annual report showed record export sales of just over $246m, a 24% increase in value terms from last year. The report highlighted a number of important developments in the past year for the New Zealand grape and wine industry, precipitated primarily by the record harvest. The 2002 Vintage produced 118,700 tonnes of grapes, 50% more than any previous harvest, and has fundamentally altered the issues facing the New Zealand grape and wine industry, the report said.