What a tangled web.

Interesting article in stuff.co.nz on the development of an ‘estate’ (whatever that means) with 240 hectares of vineyards in the Wairau Valley.

The development is being carried out by McKean Estates. McKean Estates being owned by Royce and Susan McKean. Royce (and I’m picking it was Royce and not Susan (don’t get me wrong Susan, you’ve got blood on your hands, but Royce is holding the gun)) is a notorious absentee landlord that is responsible for the blot on the acoustic landscape that is the Waiata vineyard in the Hurunui district. 

The Waiata vineyard planted 53 frost fans using a dodgy resource consent that even the Hurunui District Council is ashamed of granting. 

Now he’s the proud owner of 46 more in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough. This is one of the most scenic and peaceful parts of the country. Well it used to be.

You might think that Royce McKean lives in Marlborough or the Hurunui, but actually he lives in Sumner, Christchurch. Let me tell you, it can get pretty rowdy there on a frosty morning!

Now it can get a bit confusing, but stay with me dear reader. 

You see, there have been reports of gang tensions on the Waiata Vineyard as a result of the workers that Mr McKean has brought in to look after his grapes there. Likewise he and his wife are directors of Wairau Contract Labour Services and I would hate to think that an increase in the gang tensions that has occurred in Blenheim over the past year has a connection with this company that started operating in 2007.

Now Steve Meckiff, who appears in the story in stuff.co.nz as the chief viticulturist in the Wairau Valley is something of an oddity.

He has been linked with an involvement in the frost fan dispute in the Hurunui. Likewise, the internet pegs him as viticulturist and vineyard manager for Cape Mentelle. (errata: see addendum below)

Now the astute reader will realise that Cape Mentelle is in Australia and is famous for its wines, but did you know that they are the %100 shareholder of Cloudy Bay Wines?

Yes, Cloudy Bay Wines, the company that put Sauvignon on the map in Marlborough, owned by an Australian firm. In a link that is slightly disturbing Cape Mentelle was established by entrepreneur Mark Hohnen who also made his mark looting African countries for Uranium.

It gets stranger still, as Cape Mentelle was purchased in 2003 by LVMH.

LVMH is of course the French Holding Company  Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton.

In short and in the worst case scenario, we are having our environment polluted by someone who is farming the profits off to the French. Nice. That gives me a warm glow.

The article quotes one of the development's neighbours, Upper Wairau farmer Harry Fowler as saying “he was not bothered by the spread of grapes up the valley and said the noise of the wind machines was not really an issue”. This would be the same Harry Fowler that is trying to piggy back on the Trust Power scheme to divert the Wairau river so that he can irrigate vast tracts of land. But that’s another kettle of fish. Get it? Fish! Not that they get much of a look in with the power scheme right Harry?

Moral of the story. If your land isn’t suitable you can screw the environment in order to make it profitable. Good job.

Addendum:  An astute reader will note from the comments section below that Mr Meckiff has not worked for Cape Mentelle for 18 months. In fact Cape Mentelle, Cloudy Bay and LVMH have absolutely nothing to do with the vineyard development according to Mat Janes the Public Relations honcho for Cape Metelle. I would like to pass comment on the record of Cloudy Bay in relations to noise pollution from frost fans. If Mr Janes is willing, I will sing their praises on reciept of information that they practice responsible placemnent (or no placement) of frost fans.