Well, the frenetic weeks of annual harvest have now drawn to a close! The 2021 harvest was largely finished by the Easter weekend, with few late bales delivered soon after. The season ran a little ‘slower and lower’ than previous years due to cooler temperatures and more pockets of rain than normal. However, we generally enjoyed mild calm weather throughout.
Whilst total hop production delivered was down close to 20% versus last year, with the effects of the Boxing Day hailstorm, we’ve been rewarded with some awesome yields for some cornerstone varieties like, Riwaka™, Nectaron® and Nelson Sauvin™.
Most pleasing however, given the context of this year’s harvest, is our overall quality. We’ve seen our strict standards adhered to by NZ Hops Master Growers and look forward to raising a glass with them soon.