Hard times for hard liquor as the government thumps wine and spirit drinkers with a 4.55% tax excise rise.

The wine industry’s efforts to break into the lucrative US market are getting a $1.2 million push in the right direction from the government.

Two record grape harvests have left the wine industry struggling with oversupply issues and some winemakers have looked to the United States for new sales.

The total volume of wine grapes collected in the upcoming harvest season may be less than that seen in the past two record harvests, but not by much.

According to New Zealand Winegrowers’ annual pre-vintage survey, it is now expecting only a “marginally smaller” grape intake than that seen in the past two years.

The country’s grape growers have confirmed the need for an industry body to oversee its side of the winemaking process during difficult times by voting overwhelming in favour of keeping a levy on the grapes they sell.

The levy – which is 0.75% of the farm gate selling price for grapes – raises just under $2 million a year, with the money used to fund research and information gathering carried out by the New Zealand Grape Growers Council.

Rising above the $1 billion mark in annual exports has seen a corresponding rise in the interest in New Zealand wines, with the national brand making it all the way to the front page of the New York Times website today.