The shortest day of the year has been and gone and, with it, the promise of new wines looms. And so does summer. So, what will the 2023 vintage bring to wine drinkers from what can only be described as a challenging year?

The good news is that vintage 2023 was positive for most winemakers in this country's largest wine region, Marlborough, even if, on the other hand, unprecedented wet weather made for a devastating difficult vintage for many North Island regions. 

From the head of NZ Winegrowers 

“Regions across the North Island were hit hard by the unprecedented wet weather throughout summer, but their incredible hard work and commitment to producing premium quality wines means that consumers will continue to enjoy the distinctive wines that they know and love. Hawke’s Bay’s recent inclusion as one of just 12 Great Wine Capitals of the world is of regional and national significance," says Philip Gregan, chief exec of New Zealand Winegrowers. 

The success of the 2023 vintage for those who did manage to harvest grapes in Hawke's Bay and for those with more fortunate weather further south, also emphasises the resilience of the industry, says Gregan.  

* New Zealand wine exports for the year to May 2023 increased by 25% compared to 2022.

First 2023 wine tasting

While we look forward to the first wines from 2023 to pour onto the market and onto our store shelves this year, we can rest assured that the quality is high.

Early tastings of 2023 wines from barrel and tank in Martinborough confirm that, while this small, high quality wine region experienced some difficult weather, the winemakers' experience and some dry days have ensured good to excellent quality. The same stands true of all regions, despite the inevitable fact that volume will be lower from Hawke's Bay and that many places further south luckily avoided the storms.