A winegrowing programme at EIT in Gisborne has led one Gisborne school leaver to become a key player in this district’s rapidly growing horticulture industry.

Rory Grant was only 17 when he signed up for the programme at EIT.

Today he is field operations manager for Riversun Nursery, the country’s premium supplier of grapevine, avocado trees and kiwifruit vines.
He joined the company three years ago, after 14 years at the Millton Vineyard. In seven years there, Rory worked his way up from general hand to viticulturist for what is New Zealand’s leading bio-dynamic winery.

It is a career that has taken him overseas and given him a lifestyle he would not swap for the world.

Rory is one of numerous EIT graduates who have gone on to become key players in the wine industry both here and around the country.
Others include award-winning winemakers Andy Nimmo, Geoff Wright and Indevin production manager Leon Duckworth.

As a school leaver Rory was influenced by his father, who used to make his own wine on the family orchard.

During a family holiday to the Hunter Valley in Australia, he was further fascinated by the grape and wine industry. As soon as
the family returned to New Zealand he signed up to learn about winegrowing at EIT.

The Level 3 programme enabled him to get hands-on experience in both the vineyard and the cellar.

EIT’s newly reintroduced winegrowing programme is putting a strong emphasis on sustainability, including organics and bio-dynamics,
which Gisborne Winegrowers Association chairwoman Annie Millton says is the way the industry is moving.
“These aspects are becoming a very important part of the wine industry in New Zealand. They will also make the EIT programme
unique in this country,” she says.

The industry also welcomes the hands-on approach of EIT’s winegrowing programme.

“We want our local graduates to hit the ground running.”

“There are many jobs in the industry and many of them have traditionally been filled by graduates from EIT, quite a few of them
from overseas. We need good people which is why this programme is so important to us.”

Industry training components will be timed to coincide with production cycles and the vintage.

It will be based at EIT’s Rural Studies Unit in Stout Street, but It will be run in two parts, with intakes starting in July and February
and it will be fees free for New Zealand residents.

Sue Blackmore, EIT Head of School of Viticulture and Wine, says that supporting the needs of the industry are a very important priority
for EIT.

“We want to assist new people to pathway into the industry and support current staff who want to upskill while still working.”