March 2026

The March 2026 issue of Winepress looks at:

Marlborough’s GI
AMW chair Sophie Parker-Thomson believes Marlborough should review its wine boundary. Photo Jim Tannock

Vintage 2026
Managing crop loads and disease pressure will be key to a successful 2026 vintage, says viticulturist Stuart Dudley, in a season that’s kept growers on their toes.

Wine Festival
The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival is one of those events that genuinely reflects who we are and where we come from, says Claudia Yanez from Nautilus, following a stellar 39th edition.

Solar & Batteries Marlborough’s
Brawn Vineyard Estates is one of 32 “demonstration farms” chosen by EECA for a project to assess how solar and batteries stack up in agriculture and horticulture.

Behind the Scenes
Marlborough Viticulturist Matt Duggan moved to Australia two years ago to take his career forward, and that ambition has been turbocharged by his inclusion in the prestigious Wine Australia Future Leaders programme.

Market Forces
Carlos Rojas Stiven joined Misty Cove as Marketing Manager in 2024, just as the company had undergone a change in ownership. The reshuffle allowed him to shape the role, and to take the brand’s marketing in a new direction.