A group of retired and semi-retired Cromwell locals stepped up this month to help with harvest at local vineyard Domaine Rewa.

The “active relaxers” have been picking around six hours a day, a few days a week, to get the ripened pinot noir and riesling grapes to the winery.

Despite this year proving a little easier for vineyards to find labour (after two Covid-affected seasons), Domaine Rewa owners Philippa and Yannick Fourbet prefer to call on locals to pick the fruit.

“We have a 5.5 hectare holding and we like the camaraderie of a small, dedicated group of workers,” Yannick said.

“When Philippa and I are here, we love to join them.”

Central Otago Winegrowers Association general manager Jake Tipler said a number of factors have meant the industry is not experiencing the severe shortages vineyards faced in the past couple of years.

“The RSE (recognised seasonal employer) programme has increased the number of workers we can employ to 19,000 across the country and Central has benefited from this,” he said.

“We’ve also recruited around an extra 60-80 workers from Hawkes Bay after the devastation up there”.

Domaine Rewa vineyard manager Kim Logan enjoys employing his regular bunch for vintage.

“We look after them well and they really deliver,” he said.

“They’re all booked for next year.”

(From left) Pip, Bob, Brian, Ben, John, and Lesley, on the job. PHOTO: Sigrid Bodmin/ Susie Cable

Last season 532,000 tonnes of grapes from around 700 wineries were harvested in New Zealand. The export value of New Zealand wine in 2022 was around $1.9 billion.