Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc yields may fall (NZ)

A poor flowering could lower the yield of the region’s flagship Sauvignon Blanc vines. New Zealand Winegrowers chairman Stuart Smith said flowering was very slow this season due to cooler weather. That would reduce this season’s yield and also hurt the following year’s productivity, as it sets up the fertility of the vines a year in advance, he said. Smaller yields would be a bad thing for individual growers, but could be positive for people who did not have a contract for their grapes, reports The Marlborough Express.