Looking forward to future vineyards

The third project of the New Zealand Wine Centre – the state-of-the-art experimental vineyard ‘Te Whenua Tupu – The Living Lab’ - opened to stakeholders Friday.

The new 600m2 enclosed facility at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology’s Blenheim campus is a collaborative effort between NMIT, Marlborough Research Centre, Plant and Food Research, Bragato, NZ Wine, Wine Marlborough, Sustainable Winegrowing, BCITO and Primary ITO.

Te Whenua Tupu enables researchers to entirely control the environment around 48 vines in soil core containers to build knowledge that will ensure the wine sector is prepared for any future challenges.

Associate Minister for Regional Development Mark Patterson, alongside speakers Plant & Food Research CEO Mark Piper, Marlborough Research Centre Chief Executive John Patterson and NMIT Regional Executive Director Olivia Hall opened the facility to the gathered crowd, including Mayor Nadine Taylor and MP Jamie Arbuckle and project driving force, Gerald Hope.

“This facility is the first step into the future of wine, and food in general”, said Gerald at the opening ceremony.

“It will, for example, show us what and how we can grow for the next 50, 100 years with changes in climate, and lends itself to continued investment into primary industry research and development here in Marlborough”.

Development of the Experimental Future Vineyard is projected to cost $3.3 million, including $770,000 reallocated from the Government’s earlier Kanoa Provincial Growth Fund loan to the Marlborough Research Centre – a key future-proofing investment in the eyes of Associate Minister for Regional Development Mark Patterson.

“For an industry that began 50 years ago, Marlborough’s wine has global impacts on New Zealand’s economy and overseas brand, contributing $637 million to our GDP, 80% of the country’s export wines, and directly employs more than 2900 people alongside many more seasonal and industry-adjacent workers”, said Associate Minister Patterson.

“This state-of-the-art facility will be critical for the wine industry’s research programme and keep New Zealand wine on the cutting edge worldwide”.

The 48 soil core containers, each handling 2m³ of soil, weighing three tons and transported by a bridge crane, means the new facility can take entire core samples including vines, roots and surrounding soil for examination and experimentation.

“The Living Lab name is apt, as fundamentally this is about controlling and eventually understanding how developments in the entire ecosystem around a vineyard impact the vine and the fruit”, says Plant & Food Research Viticulture Science Group Leader Dr Damian Martin.

“New Zealand’s wine reputation is built on green credentials, and consumers in the market are more than ever are interested in how that looks,

“Soil is our lifeblood, especially now around conservation for future generations - there’s much more carbon held in soil than in plants or the atmosphere.

“Climate change will also add challenges to the wine sector, with warmer temperatures and different pest conditions, and so we can start tackling those challenges here and now instead of as it happens.

“Thorough ecosystem and environmental testing, it’s been a very appealing project with demand from across the industry for instrumented below ground research, phenotyping and analysis capabilities”.

While Te Whenua Tupu – The Living Lab promises benefits to the entire New Zealand wine industry, it will also make Marlborough a high-profile educational destination with learners benefitting from a world-class wine facility.

“The Marlborough Research Centre’s joint investments into infrastructure at the New Zealand Wine Centre has meant we’ve been able to bring a unique, internationally recognised facility of this type and technological advancement by creating the Living Lab”, says Marlborough Research Centre Chief Executive John Patterson.

“It’s unique worldwide, and we’re chuffed to have played a part and brought a groundbreaking research facility to Marlborough.

“The Bragato winery has been regarded as world class since opening, and so connecting it with a world class experimental vineyard and the existing industry connections we have here makes sense from a regional and national perspective for the entire industry.

“The potential of possibilities to come from this facility is endless, and it’s shown to me the strength of the industry coming together for collective improvement.”

“We’re excited and pleased we have been a part of the Experimental Vineyard project and the entire New Zealand Wine Centre project come to fruition alongside NMIT and MRC”, agreed JTB Architects Nelson director Simon Hall.

“Being the lead architects to bring a world class facility for wine research to Marlborough is really exciting for our team.

“We are looking forward to seeing the positive impact and benefits that the knowledge and expertise developed here will have on the wider Marlborough region."

NMIT Regional Executive Director Olivia Hall said that the continued progression of the New Zealand Wine Centre and accessibility for learners to access professional knowhow on campus will mean Marlborough-based learners will be better prepared for work.

“The hands-on experience that learners in our viticultural, horticultural will have access to here is second-to-none”,

“Te Whenua Tupu will make a phenomenal addition to both theoretical learning, acting as a covered classroom vineyard, and also in their practical learning in understanding cutting edge viticultural analysis which sets up excellent job opportunities for NMIT wine-making, viticultural, horticultural and apicultural students”.

“When the whenua thrives, the people thrive, and Te Whenua Tupu reflects the productive, fertile and expansive lands we are fortunate to teach from here in the Wairau.

“The collaborative environment of the facility has a huge number of industry connections and investment right here on campus that have only been made stronger through this project, with the Marlborough Research Centre, Plant and Food Research, Bragato, NZ Wine, Wine Marlborough, Sustainable Winegrowing, BCITO and Primary ITO.

“The educational situation sitting alongside industry helps our learners get ready for real work, and through our collective interest and investment into the Wine Centre we’re delivering a true centre of wine education in New Zealand”.