Take a moment when savouring your favourite Kiwi wines to consider the complex process of bringing the grape to your table.
Maude Wines owner and winemaker, Dan Dineen, is pragmatic about the various risks commercial winemakers face at every step of the growing, producing and transporting process.
“Wine is a natural product so there are many variables to contend with,” says Dan. “It can be consumed young close to its vintage year, or it can be cellared and enjoyed much later.
“Beyond the product itself, winemakers have a lot of money tied up in the production process which itself can have a lot of moving parts. What if you have a barrel fall off a forklift, or a cooling issue in a 20,000-litre wine tank? The financial implications of something like that can be far reaching.”
So it pays for winemakers such as Maude Wines to have comprehensive insurance cover in place.
Dan Dineen, owner and winemaker, Maude Wines
Crombie Lockwood’s Executive Broker, Jackie Boyd has been working with the couple Dan and Sarah-Kate Dineen since the second-generation Maude Wines vineyard was established in the mid-2000s.
“The impact New Zealand wines have on the world stage is impressive, so it follows that the unique risks winemakers face should be acknowledged and accounted for,” says Jackie.
Insuring each step of the winemaking process
Having worked with winemakers and vineyards for many years, Crombie Lockwood recently launched its bespoke WineSure insurance solution, designed specifically to provide as much cover as possible through each stage of the winemaking process.
“From vineyards to wineries, contract grape growers and winemakers, labelling, bottling and packaging facilities, and more, the WineSure package covers winemaking businesses of all sizes,” explains Jackie.
Some of the components of WineSure include business interruption cover, which minimises the financial impact if property damage disrupts operations, and liability cover, which covers businesses for damage caused by a third party.
Wanaka winemakers have plenty of pedigree
Dan has plenty of pedigree in the industry, having made wine in his native Australia for the likes of Roseworthy, Mount Pleasant, Tower Estate, and others before Maude Wines’ initial harvest in 2006.
Sarah-Kate herself is an experienced winemaker, and daughter of Dawn and Terry Wilson, who founded the Mt Maude vineyard in the Maungawera Valley near Wanaka in 1994. Together, Dan and Sarah-Kate have grown the Maude Wines business, acquiring new vineyards and continually improving their celebrated range of wines.
Moving to this region was a steep learning curve even with plenty of industry experience. We went from making wine in one of the hottest regions to making wine in one of the coldest,” says Dan.
“But I love making wine in Central Otago. It allows you to write your own history and it’s a privilege to live, work and build our brand here.”
Winemaker Sarah-Kate Dineen at Maude Wines' Tasting Room
Article also published in Crombie Lockwood Sure – Winter 2022
