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.

The glut of wine resulting from a bumper 2008 grape harvest could force adjustments that will be good for the industry in the long run, New Zealand Winegrowers chairman Stuart Smith says.

A record 285,000 tonnes of grapes were produced this year, up 40% on 2007, leading many wines to be sold at discounted prices due to excess supply.

But Mr Smith says there are positives to be taken from the overproduction.