15 March 2004 From $500 Research Investment to Multi-Million Dollar Industry

With over 550 hectares under grapes, Canterbury now lies sixth among the grape growing regions of New Zealand. Thirty years ago it had no ranking at all. It was not regarded as grape growing territory. The foundation and spectacular growth of a grape growing and wine making industry in Canterbury all began with research at Lincoln University.

What is now a multi-million dollar business started with a modest $500 research grant awarded to Lincoln University staff member Dr David Jackson in 1973 to investigate the idea of growing grapes in Canterbury. Working with him on the pioneering project were two colleagues, Graeme Steans and Danny Schuster.

Dr Jackson has described his research proposal as an "odd ball idea" and says his application for the grant generated an "enormous debate" before it was approved.

"Some applications worth thousands of dollars can be approved in minutes," he says, "my application for just $500 took three quarters of an hour to settle!

"It did however show that Lincoln was prepared to give scientists a chance to try out 'odd ball' ideas that just might have some potential pay-off."

Dr Jackson's impetus to explore the possibility of growing grapes in Canterbury came from talking to visitors to Lincoln.

"Many Europeans expressed surprise that an area showing all the signs of being satisfactory for grapes was not in fact being used in that way.

"At the time Danny Schuster from Germany, now a household name in the New Zealand wine industry, was helping Lincoln University's Professor of Microbiology, Paul Mulcock, make cider from Canterbury apples and he and I developed the idea of establishing an experimental vineyard.

"Investigating appropriate varieties and cultivars for the conditions was of course the first step and initially we planted 20 different varieties and within two years we were sufficiently optimistic to increase the number to 60.

"From that small beginning people like Robin Mundy of St Helena Wine Estate took our research recommendations and planted Canterbury's first commercial vineyards based on cuttings from the varieties grown at Lincoln University."

The rest is history. St Helena's first commercial vintage, 1981, sold out in one day and the following year it won a national gold medal for a Pinot Noir – an achievement that really focused the country's attention on Canterbury as a wine producing district.

Ten years later Canterbury won its first international gold medal, with a Giesen's Riesling Dry Reserve and that put Canterbury firmly on the world map for Rieslings.

In 1990 Dr Jackson was an inaugural recipient of a Lincoln University award for Excellence in Research and in 1993 he was presented with the prestigious Bledisloe Medal, Lincoln University's top medal for outstanding contributions to New Zealand's land-based industries.

Appointed an Associate Professor, Dr Jackson went on to be foundation director of Lincoln University's Centre for Viticulture and Oenology. He is now retired.

Graeme Steans, a Senior Tutor in Wine Science, is an outstanding grape grower in his own right and his Pinot Noir grapes have been part of probably every gold medal winning Canterbury wine.

Danny Schuster, grape grower, wine maker, author, lecturer, and firm believer in Canterbury's potential for producing great wines has gone on to become a legendary figure in the New Zealand wine industry.

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