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Damage to tanks will be the biggest cost to Marlborough winemakers following earthquake

Published:  29 November, 2016

Winegrowers in Marlborough have been left with a "big task" to repair tanks, around 20% of which were damaged during November's 14's Kaikoura earthquake.

Winegrowers in Marlborough have been left with a "big task" to repair tanks, around 20% of which were damaged during November's 14's Kaikoura earthquake.

According to the New Zealand Winegrowers, a relatively small amount of Marlborough's total wine production (just over 2%) was lost as a result of the quake.

Instead, most of the damage inflicted was on storage tanks storing wine from the 2016 harvest, with an estimated 20% of tanks being impaired to some extent.

"While [the 2% loss] is frustrating, this is not a major concern as vintage 2016 was a near record one. This means there is plenty of wine available to continue our market growth," "Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers, said.

"Many wineries, both small and large have escaped with no damage at all, but in others damage to tanks has occurred. Our initial estimate is that 80% of tank capacity in Marlborough is undamaged, but around 20% has been impaired to some extent. These numbers may change as the process of damage assessment continues."

The association has been busy assessing the damage to the New Zealand wine industry since the earthquake hit at midnight on November 14 in Kaikoura, just south of the Marlborough region on the South Island.

The priority for wineries with damaged tanks is now to repair or replace the tanks they need to have in working condition for vintage 2017.

"The process of tank repair is already underway but it is going to be a big task which will continue for many months. We have been liaising with affected wineries, engineers, tank manufacturers, the government and the Marlborough District Council to ensure there are no unnecessary impediments to that process proceeding as quickly and safely as possible," Gregan added.

Marlborough produces over 200 million litres of wine each year, with over 80% of this destined for export markets.

Although there has been damage to transport links, Gregan said the association is not aware of any particular issues affecting the movement of wine out of the region: "We are working with various transport operators, ports and the government to identify and address any issues should they occur," he said.

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