John watches as his press does the work during vintage Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
It's one of the busiest times of the year for John Douglas who makes wine on five hectares on Te Muna Road east of Martinborough in Wairarapa.
The grapes have been fermenting, their skins plunged, sugar levels measured and the wine finally pressed and pumped into barrel to sit and age before bottling next year.
But it's been a strange old vintage, John says, thanks to Covid-19.
Check out other episodes in Country Life's View from the Vines series.