As the countdown to the 2009 harvest gets underway, some vineyards are still feeling the hangover from last year’s vintage as a global glut and lower prices begin to bite.

In Marlborough, which produces 70 percent of the country’s wine, a strong drive to control yields has seen some growers choosing to drop canes to limit vine fruit, while others have been shoot thinning.

New Zealand had a record grape harvest of 285,000 tonnes in 2008 but suffered oversupply in the market, with a drop in domestic sales.

A strong viticulture industry and a buoyant commercial property market are helping Marlborough buck national economic trends, according to Bayleys commercial agent Grant Baxter.

He said buying activity in the commercial sector of the town was flying in the face of glum residential sales figures.

In recent months, Mr Baxter has been involved in the sale of eight commercial properties including:

n Purpose-built 786sq m offices in Haven Rd, Nelson, leased to the Ministry of Education and sold to a Blenheim investor for $2.55 million at a yield of 7.07 per cent.

Marlborough winery and real estate entrepreneur Peter Yealands is preparing for a big party on August 8 to showcase his latest vineyard development at Seaview in the Awatere Valley near Seddon.