Ampelography Trainings for Nurseries Grade 2

For the purposes of adhering to NZW’s Grafted Grapevine Standard. Held in two parts to align with phenological stages & GGS requirements.

Part I. Spring

  • 2 days, Nov/Dec 2026

  • Overview, rootstock & scion authentication, nursery roguing

  • Preliminary assessment – provisional Grade 2 recognition granted to first time attendees to allow for spring GGS inspections

Part II. Late Summer

  • 1 day, February/March 2027

  • Review, scion authentication

  • Final assessment

Cost: $2,350* + GST per person, minimum of 4 attendees per site

*Raquel’s travel and accommodation charged as actuals and apportioned across attendees at each host site.

To book a training at your nursery, contact Raquel

Ampelography Workshops for Wine Professionals

A half day introduction to the science of grapevine identification; this professional development opportunity is designed for viticulturists, winemakers, sommeliers, sales, and marketing teams alike!

What: Ampelography is the science of grapevine identification.  Learn the methodology that will enable you to decipher any vine variety, anywhere; understand what makes each variety unique and the familial relationships that tie in to wine culture, history, and linguistics.

Why: “While blind wine tastings are standard procedure for penetrating past the label to the true nature and character of wine, one rarely follows suit in the vineyard.  We tend to be wine and grape knowledgeable but vine ignorant... For most people, including many grape growers, the leaves of a vineyard during the growing season form a more or less undifferentiated mass of green.  For the student of ampelography, however, they wave like flags in a parade proudly announcing their place of origin.” Lucie T. Morton, A Practical Ampelography 1979

Cost: $230 + GST per person

About the Instructor: Raquel Kallas is a Hawke’s Bay-based viticulturist with over a decade of experience in research, extension, and industry. She holds a master’s degree from Cornell University and undertook advanced ampelography training overseas with the OIV in July 2025.  In December 2025, she became recognized as NZ’s only Grade 1 Ampelographer by New Zealand Wine.