24 June 1994 Spring School in Grapes and Wine to Become Annual Event

A Spring School in Grapes and Wine hosted by Lincoln University is to become an annual event, and the first one is scheduled for September.

The move follows the success of last year's Grape and Wine Symposium held at Lincoln to mark 20 years of grape and wine production in the south of New Zealand.

The inaugural Spring School, entitled "Producing The Best Grapes To Make the Best Wine", will be held over 23-24 September and will coincide with the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation's Charity Wine Auction.

"New Zealand's whole wine existence is now based on producing quality wine," says the school's organiser, Dr David Jackson of Lincoln University's Department of Horticulture.

"The high reputation our wines already have overseas can only be retained if quality remains consistently high. To do this growers must supply the wineries with the highest standard of grapes which the soils and climate can provide."

Two overseas speakers are among those who will speak at the School –

Dr Richard Smart, an Australian who knows and has worked with the New Zealand industry, is well known for his research on the canopy management of grape vines for quality. He has shown that the notable European vineyards do not obtain quality by chance but by integrating soils, climate and vine management to achieve specific canopy characteristics. These then enable the most desirable qualities to develop in the grapes.

Steve Price from Oregon State University has been closely associated with the development of the Oregon wine industry and his research has been directed at identifying quality factors in Oregon wines.

The wine industry in Oregon, USA, has many similarities to that in the southern areas of New Zealand. This is because in North America the wine industry is developing in cooler climates like Oregon, to complement the existing wines from Californian vineyards.

Dr Jackson points out that New Zealand has done the same in an equivalent time, but going from north to south. Increasingly, Oregonians and New Zealanders are sharing ideas about cool climate viticulture, he says, and Steve Price is ideally placed to continue the process of knowledge exchange.

The school will also be addressed by Steve Smith, vineyard manager for Villa Maria Estate Ltd. Steve has a background in viticultural research and his supervision has contributed greatly to the production of very high quality wines by the Villa Maria group. Involvement with existing vineyards and the establishment of new ones has enabled him to integrate theory and practice in the production of quality wine.

These three speakers will be supported by Lincoln University staff and others and there will also be presentations by this year's postgraduate students in viticulture and wine science.

In addition to addresses the programme includes vineyard visits and discussions with vineyard owners, a Great Grape Debate, and a formal dinner.

Registrations for the School are open now and the contact is Errol Costello, Centre for Continuing Education, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury; telephone (03) 3253-832; fax (03) 3253-840.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.