30 | MEAT & WOOL » Motukawa Farm Richard Loader Arable farm’s transformation to vineyards Once carpeted in crops on the outskirts of Blenheim, Motukawa Farm is now home to sauvignon blanc grapes, some chardonnay and 1200 lambs grazing the land during the winter months. Nestling the southern banks of the Waiau River, Motukawa Farm has been owned by the Neal family since the 1960s and encompasses 170 hectares on Rapaura Road, the region’s central wine growing area. “We were arable farmers, with about 2000 stock units, growing a few processed peas for the factory but mainly cereals and seeds,” says Phillip Neal, whose father originally bought the land. “We established more process cropping until 1980, by which time Montana had been in Marlborough for about ve years. Other companies like Corbans and Penfolds started getting interested in Marlborough and Corbans offered us a million dollars for the farm. Dad came to me and said we had a choice, we can either sell and buy a bigger sheep and beef farm up the Waiau Valley or we can stay here and put some grapes in.” Both Phillip and his father preferred growing crops to stock work and putting some hectares into grapes made nancial sense to Phil, who also saw more glamour in growing grapes for wine than barley for pig feed. “My father was a progressive farmer so he was keen for me to plant grapes, though I had to borrow the money to do it. The thing was he allowed me the opportunity to do it. Dad was always keen to diversify, but now we’ve gone the other way with all grapes.” The rst Muller Thurgau grapes went in 1980, with the rst harvest in ’82. There were three growers contracted to Corbans and in the second year each grower was given a different variety to try. “One got Riesling, one got Chenin Blanc, but we got lucky with Sauvignon Blanc which I thought might have potential in Marlborough. At that stage Corbans didn’t have a winery down here and everything was sent to Auckland. It was at that stage that the owner of Cloudy Bay came to Marlborough, built a winery and got his grapes through Corbans, which of course included our grapes. “When our contract with Corbans nished in ’84 we started growing for Cloudy Bay and that’s the only company we’ve grown for ever since. Cloudy Bay is quite particular in that they only want Sauvignon blanc from the Rapaura area, and the success of Cloudy Bay over the years has been consistency.” Over the years Motukawa has progressively increased the hectares put into grapes and in 2015 Cloudy Bay offered Phillip a deal that if a new block could be established every year they would take over its management, which Phil agreed to. “Motukawa’s effective area is 160 hectares and we currently have 148 hectares planted in grapes. This year will be the last block to plant and will bring us up to the full 160 hectares in vineyard, which is just about all sauvignon blanc, with ten hectares of Chardonnay.” Phillip has retained the farm’s grazing rights and post-harvest brings store lambs in over the winter months for fattening on 120 hectares. “Over those three or four months they double their weight and value. It’s very pro table and the other bene t is that the grass doesn’t have to get mowed and is left in better condition than having dead grass lying on top.” Vineyard manager Josie Tiueti and Anne Wilhelm, vineyard supervisor from Germany in 18 month old Sauvignon Blanc destined for Cloudy Bay. PROFESSIONAL SPECIALISTS IN: COMPLETE VINEYARD RE-DEVELOPMENT / DEVELOPMENT • Ground Cultivation • GPS Deep Ripping • GPS Crossmarking / Machine Grape Planting TOTAL VINEYARD MANAGEMENT • Full Viticultural Advice / Management • Gregoire Easy Clean Harvesting • Klima Vine Stripping • Leaf Plucking Ero / Collard • Vine Trimming • Trash Removal • Barrel Pruning • Post Replacement • Fungicide / Herbicide Spraying CRAIG SHERIDAN Director/Manager E: craig@sheridancontracting.co.nz| M: 027 278 4994 PO Box 4, Blenheim, 7240 | 34 Waters Ave, Burleigh, Blenheim 7201 SHERIDAN CONTRACTING MARLBOROUGH LTD www.sheridancontracting.co.nz For all your spreading requirements Vineyard or Pasture Proudly supporting Motukawa Farm Motukawa Farm’s Phillip and Sheryl Neal. Phillip has retained the farm’s grazing rights and post-harvest brings store lambs in over the winter months for fattening.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=