Heavy rain no dampener for Central Otago winemakers
17 Jan, 2021 11:15 PM
2 minutes to read
The New Year s deluge of torrential rain has been welcomed by winemakers.
Their gain is in stark contrast to the pain caused by the rain to the region s orchardists, whose cherry crops were all but wiped out by the heaviest rainfall in 40 years.
The epicentre for flooding of orchards and vineyards was the Earnscleugh area between Alexandra and Clyde.
The flooding was caused by the Fraser River breaching its banks and runoff from the Rocky Range; it was the latter that led to the cellar door and the winery at Black Ridge Vineyard being inundated with about 6cm of water and mud.