INFESTATIONS RAMPANT IN CENTRAL OTAGO

Ok, maybe “rampant” is not the right word. But Wine Spectator’s Daniel Sogg reported that New Zealand’s Central Otago region farmers have a reason to scratch their heads following a recent infestation of the destructive root louse phylloxera. This is the second outbreak in Central Otago and serves as “as bit of a wake-up call for everybody,” said Martin Anderson, president of Central Otago Winegrowers Association. The outbreak is confined to a 580 square foot section of a vineyard in Lowburn known mainly for producing Pinot Noir, about 25 miles from Alexandra. Once the infestation takes hold, the only solution is to uproot infected plants and replace them with vines grafted onto rootstock that is resistant to the pest. At this point, replanting looks inevitable. “We have to accept that over time it will come our way, and someday we’ll have to do some replanting,” said Jeff Sinnott, wine-producer at Amisfield which has a vineyard located 2 miles from the infected site. However, vintners have established preventive measures such as restricting vehicle movement between vineyards and cleaning shoes and equipment in hopes to stave off further infestation. “The protocols will certainly be practiced with great regularity from now on,” Martin said. “But I’m not sure they have been in the past.”