Winemakers to watch

The measure of a great chef is taken as the combination of what they envision, create and serve as their best, by their repeat customers and by the following they generate from their notable (and often exceptional) product.

The method can be used to measure a great winemaker – their understanding of site, soil, season and potential is brought to life in the bottles of wine they put their name to. We often don’t know the talented artists behind the labels - we just keep coming back for more of their work.

The following is the first in a series of winemaker profiles in World of Wine. In my role as a somm and a wine writer, I travel the country and walk the vineyards, meet the people - now I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends, so you can learn their stories.

These talented people are from different backgrounds across Aotearoa, and each is making a notable contribution to the New Zealand wine story. Crushing grapes and letting them ferment may seem straightforward, but making fine wine takes passion and patience - as well as thousands of tiny decisions with every crush, movement and ageing of the juice we can then enjoy.

I never knew quite what I wanted to do when I left school, and while having a fun seven years working for AJ Hackett Bungy in Queenstown loved seeing the new and exciting wine industry evolving in Central Otago and so working voluntarily at Chard Farm on my days off. Both the Hay brothers encouraged me to go study. Plus the fact that they had a friend staying from Italy with the most amazing voice, who would come and sing in the vineyard in the morning. I never know quite what other calling there would have been other than that perfect one! I also loved science and art and the thought of being able to be a part of a new, exciting and phenomenal part of a New Zealand industry (we’re going back to the early 90s here - showing my age!).

Pinot Noir is totally what lured Shayne and I to Martinborough - old vines, dry farmed, deep brooding and mysterious. The 2014 and 2016 from Poppies Martinborough - don’t get me wrong they all have an exciting life ahead - but in particular these two vintages displayed the perfect texture, seamless and supple. And what we find with our Martinborough Pinot Noirs is that they hold their cards very close to their chest when they’re young and as they evolve that’s when they reveal their hand, they get richer, rounder and fuller - it’s then that they morph from being pretty and delicate to becoming more earthy, spicy and savoury.

Being true romantics and traditionalists we’ve always used corks - we love the ceremony that takes place when opening a bottle of wine, especially one from the cellar that you’ve been nurturing, waiting for that special moment. And with cork being such a traditional closure we’ve chosen to go with its counterpart - Vinolok - a beautiful glass closure that’s so perfectly engineered to our bottles that there’s a knack to opening it! We’ve been watching Henschke in the Barossa Valley, which we respect and admire, and who have been wonderful in helping us make the leap so all of our wines are under this closure for the 2020 vintage onwards.

Staying true to a region’s strength, while also staying true to your individual style, avoiding fashions and trends… That’s why Martinborough is an absolute winemaker’s delight for me as not only do we get to create a ‘wine list’ within a winery, we also get to create our ‘love of our live’ aromatics like Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Riesling, to name a few…

My husband Shayne would say our Pinot Gris - the Alsace style makes for a cuddly wine if a wine could be. Having said that I change my mind on a very regular basis - I love them all, and have no favourites. Depending on the day a good gin can be the perfect antidote.

My journey into winemaking wasn’t really down to one event - I found my enthusiasm for and interest in wine from working in the hospitality industry. In 2002 I was working for an importer of fine food and wine in Auckland who owned a winery in Hawke’s Bay. My first harvest was in 2003 at his winery and I’ve been on my journey into the intricacies of winemaking and grape growing since then. I do have memories of my grandfather opening bottles of Te Mata Estate, Cloudy Bay and Champagne on Christmas Day - I was always very excited when I could taste the wines.

Huntress is still a very young brand. The 2018 (my second release) is looking great but I’m super excited to be bottling my 2019 Pinot Noir very soon. It’s looking delicious with great balance, lovely tannins and a classic Wairarapa Pinot Noir expression. It’s also a bit like me in a bottle - solid and a bit fruity, very honest with a wild undertone.

Wine is ever changing and is always exciting in itself, how it evolves in a glass or a bottle. Also the variability in growing seasons - every vintage brings excitement and challenges that keep me hooked like an addict. It’s great to see the next wave of younger people come in and start their own labels, with thoughtful wines and either managing small parcels themselves or supporting small honest and hardworking growers.

Continuing in the direction of most small growers and wine brands, it’s about looking after the land you have or work with and the people that do that work. Transitioning into organic farming methods for the wellbeing of both of those and exploring individual plots to more show the uniqueness within regions by keeping our focus on quality, well-crafted wines that reflect the diversity of Aotearoa and its people.

Reid + Reid gin and tonic.

Sitting in London at a desk, tapping away on an Oracle database and looking outside at the concrete and thinking, ‘there might be a better way forward’.

It’s easy to say one of the Chardonnays, given Neudorf’s affinity with the variety, but to be honest they consistently perform and kinda do their thing. Therefore it would probably be the challenge of Pinot Noir – I’m very happy with the progress we’ve made, particularly with Tom’s Block, which I feel always over-delivers for the price point.

We’re trialling the use of clay amphora for our 25 Rows Chardonnay as a way to show another expression to Rosie’s Block. We even tried to get a local potter to make one out of Moutere clay but no one had a kiln big enough! On a broader scope, the issue of climate change and how we adapt to that is something that’s at the forefront of our minds. It’s a broad approach, from looking into varieties that can tolerate fickle weather (eg Albariño) to measuring our carbon footprint (mapped using EKOS) and making changes to business processes (lightweight bottles, less travel, virtual tastings etc).

I echo the comments made above re climate change. In regards to regions and styles, I think we’ll see greater definition and celebration over time at a regional and sub-regional level.

We’ll continue to evolve and pioneer - one thing New Zealand does very well. Technology will play a large role in this, as will other varietals that will broaden the New Zealand wine story. Of course Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir have given us a great platform to promote our wines internationally. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. The challenge will be for us to use those trade winds to promote the other exceptional examples from New Zealand. Obviously I’m a little biased but it would be good for the world to truly understand how good New Zealand Chardonnay is!

I struggle with hard spirits so it’s a beer to settle the stomach and then back to wine! Ironically it is usually a ‘finished’ version of what we’ve been tasting or making.

I got a part-time job in a liquor shop one summer holidays while doing my science degree. I knew nothing about wine but the boss there had a passion for it. He would take me to tastings, give me bottles to take home and pretty soon I got hooked. At the time I was looking at what to do after graduating and making wine seemed like a fun and interesting thing to do. I wrote to every producer in New Zealand asking for a vintage job (there were a lot less then) and luckily got a gig, loved it and the rest is history.

Our Home Block Pinot Noir. I made a joke at a wine dinner that this wine was the favourite of all my children (my wife didn’t appreciate that one!). Coming from the oldest vines on the property and some of the original Pinot plantings in Martinborough makes it an extra special wine for me. I love the tannin structure in this wine – it rewards cellaring, with the development of lovely savoury richness with extra time in bottle.

Skins ferments on Chardonnay is something we’ve been messing with the last few years. It’s only on a very small level, to be used as a blending tool, but I find the characteristics really intriguing. In some way the rise of natural wines has helped open the mind to the inclusion of some of these techniques in more mainstream wines.

The New Zealand wine industry is still so young and so rapidly evolving. On a finer level it’s about better understanding our specific sites, especially once we have some real vine age there. On a broader level I believe it will be about finding smaller blocks of land with really unique and special terroirs. For me I think it’s fairly naïve to think we’ve found the best viticultural dirt already.

Beer is an obvious one but more recently I’ve been into gin. It helps having Lighthouse gin made on site. I’m loving the rapid evolution of the New Zealand craft gin scene and the use of native botanicals in creating something uniquely Kiwi.

It’s hard to pin down, but there was probably a series of things, including backpacking around wine regions. My now wife Nadia was always enthusiastic about her work and that was an inspiration to know your passion could be how you earn a living. Through all this was the desire to make something tangible.

That’s a tough question you know! While there’s a lot of pride in the wines we make at Greystone, the ‘search’ has led down a path of discovery that’s really cool to share with others. For that reason it’s hard to go past our Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir. I find it to be our clearest expression of the season and vintage.

Vineyard fermentations for our Pinot noir have brought a lot of fulfilment and understanding about this variety on our place. We’re halfway through a collaboration with Lincoln University to unlock some of mysteries in this wine. It’s not only excited us regarding natural microbial populations but also taught us a lot around extraction requirements and results. There’s a lot to be excited about – the rise of organics, more Pet Nats being produced and varieties such as Albariño paving the way forward.

You can see the micro changes happening – smaller regions and different styles starting to get footholds and interest in overseas markets. It shouldn’t be to the detriment of our larger regions – just a reminder that wine drinkers like to ‘discover’ the next thing. I think more natural fermented aromatics would be a great start. We know New Zealand can make fruit-driven pure wines, but now that vine age is providing fruit with more complexity and potential structure it’s time to listen to the vines and offer up some interesting wines. I’d love to see more support for smaller growers and wineries in the marketplace. It’s tough for them to compete but that’s where our diversity lies, and diversity is key to offering a real wine experience for our wine drinkers.

If it’s been a full day of barrel tastings then beer is the go-to – something crisp but flavoursome. A busy day but without the tasting then I’ll line up a Riesling – it’s still my go-to, in particular Mosel or Rheingau.

In my final year of school I thought I wanted to be a lawyer… A lawyer with a chemistry degree on the side… Fast forward to a summer internship in a law firm, it was a quick realisation it wasn’t for me! I enrolled at Lincoln the following year and fell in love with the wine industry after my first harvest with Peregrine Wines back in 2009. I love how far and wide you can travel with wine, and also the continual research and learning about grape growing and wine makes each day interesting

My proudest wine is my first under the Scout label - the 2017 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. It’s an absolute banger - good luck trying to find any now though! The tension and acidity in this wine is amazing, it’s only starting to unravel its true characters now.

I’m really loving chilled red wines, they are perfect for these warmer months. I took inspiration from Beaujolais and some friends in Aussie making these styles and I’ve been making the Pinot x Pinot (Pinot Noir with Pinot Gris) for the past three years. I use whole bunches, carbonic maceration and neutral oak to retain freshness and crunch. The result - a fun, bright, chilled red wine to quaff on sunny afternoons.

It has been great seeing the shift to organic growing for a lot of companies, and think New Zealand has a chance to be the world leader in certified organic wine. Consumers are beginning to make the link between organics and quality which is exciting. I would also like to see some more experimentation with alternative varieties being planted here, we need to think about how climate change is affecting current goring conditions and adapt to them.

A nice cold IPA usually hits the spot for me! It’s true what they say, it does take a lot of beer to make a good winemaker.

I was 17 years of age – just completing my last year of high school. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I decided to follow my interests - horticulture, science and the arts. The Bachelor of Wine Science seemed to cover all three - viticulture, wine science and a creative side. I struggled with the first two years, questioned my decision - the third year of the degree we had to travel around the different wine regions of New Zealand; it was the smaller producers that really got me excited. A lot of variation in the job – working in the cellar, laboratory, vineyard, bottling and sales etc, they seemed to have more creative freedom.

At present, my current release 2018 ‘Argent’ Cabernet Sauvignon. Very approachable now upon decanting, but definitely a keeper for the cellar. A blend of two different vineyards, gravels and silt-loam. Deep, dark, concentrated cassis and dark black fruits, layered and complex - definitely a thinking wine.

Seeing the progressive evolution of Rosé in our country change from the sweet, darker, confected style to the drier, textural, savoury style.

There are a lot more winemakers stepping out on their own and embracing a creative freedom to push the boundaries on styles, varieties and creative design around the packaging. This is the beauty of New Zealand, we have limited constraints, and this should be reflected in how we’re seen internationally in the world of wine. I’d love to continue to see the bar being raised on the quality of the different wines/packaging being made by the small independents to stand strongly alongside what our country is currently more well known for.

A cold craft beer. I really like Brave Brewing, Tigermilk IPA and I love the American pale ales.

I was fortunate enough to be born into a family involved in wine. Dad (TG) was one of those doctors who retired from medicine and together with mum (Dawn) planted a vineyard in the beautiful Maungawera Valley just outside of Wanaka. Like a good daughter I wanted to follow in his footsteps and set off to Dunedin to study medicine – only to find out I was much better at drinking wine, so perhaps making wine was the better career choice!

The Mt Maude Pinot Noir and the EMW Pinot Noir, both Pinots from the old (26-year-old) vines at Mt Maude. Two completely different winemaking styles but both exuding the essence of what that site and vines continue to offer, year after year.

There’s a new trend across the board making Central Otago Pinot Noir - it’s all about transparency. As winemakers, we have exhaled a bit. Realising the wine has substance without an overactive winemaking hand and allowing the Pinot Noirs to express their sense of place. I think it comes with maturity, not just of the vineyards but of the growers and makers with those vineyards.

The New Zealand wine industry must continue to cement its reputation of exceptional wines. There’s so much to discover with New Zealand wines. Aromatic whites with clarity and purity, captivating Pinot Noirs, sophisticated Bordeaux blends, méthode traditionelle that are growing in complexity… And when consumers and experts have discovered these styles, they can start on our hidden gem - Chardonnay - grown well the entire length of the country.

So I guess what I’m saying is we as an industry must strive for excellence in the field, in the winery and in the market – our time is now, everyone is looking to New Zealand at the moment.

No question – gin and tonic. A creature of habit, I love The Botanist Islay dry gin with Fever Tree Classic tonic, two slices of lemon, not lime, in a large stemmed wine glass. Bliss! It’s a house favourite and to prevent the drink losing its spark and perhaps an overindulgence – we’ve created a G&T season, coinciding with the clocks moving for New Zealand daylight savings.

A good friend introduced me to serious wine when I was 20, which set me on a quest to learn as much as my brain could handle. Around 10 years later I entered the wine industry and have never looked back. Still learning, discovering and marvelling at this great world of wine.

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumātao Chardonnay. Our home block in Mangere, Auckland, has been producing high quality Chardonnay for 15 years and is one of the more unique vineyards in the world, located within the crater of an ancient volcano. The 2018 vintage shows complexity, elegance and poise. Delicious right now but certainly worth cellaring for a few years.

It’s fantastic to see New Zealand expressions of Albariño, Chenin Blanc and Gamay, for instance, gaining traction and recognition by wine curious consumers who are quickly discovering their new favourite wines.

Let’s see our Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot/Cabernet blends become better known on the global stage. These wines can match and often better examples from other well-established wine regions around the world. Vehicles such as the film A Seat at the Table have been brilliant, I can’t wait for part two!

You’ll find me with some sort of craft beer in hand most often. My local bar, 605 Morningside Drinkery, has a ridiculously good selection, there’s always something new to taste.

A move by my parents from the Waikato to Hawke’s Bay when I was in my last year of high school was the event that prompted my interest in becoming a winemaker. The wine industry here was small and vibrant with lots of vineyards going in and it sparked an interest in finding out more about what was involved. My wine knowledge was small but I was drawn to the variety of roles a winemaker gets to perform, from the vineyard to hands on winery work to tasting and getting to create something unique. Overseas travel was also high on my list of priorities and I saw it as an excellent profession to travel the world with.

Our 2019 Upper Reaches Merlot. Hundred percent Merlot is often underestimated as a wine and this one shows why it shouldn’t be. The first time we’ve produced a reserve Merlot, from a selected parcel of fruit, aged in new French oak, this is a delicious blend of dark berry fruit flavours and the complexity from extended skin contact and the barrel aging.

I think the move to add less (SO2, fining agents etc) to our wines is a still-developing but exciting trend. I like to keep additives to a minimum as I think this allows the full expression of the grapes to come through in our wines and I’m always interested in learning about new technologies that allow us to reduce SO2 and fining agents.

Being based in Hawke’s Bay I get to see the diversity of what New Zealand is really capable of with stunning examples of many varieties coming from the diverse microclimates across the region. I think the focus should not be on a single variety or style but celebrate the quality of New Zealand wine across the board. Saying that, I definitely think Chardonnay should join Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot as the wines we do the very best.

That varies with mood and weather but more often than not an ever so slightly chilled, rich, creamy Chardonnay.

I was racing for an amateur cycling club in Bordeaux, my coach was having a family barbecue and opened a magnum of 1961 Haut Brion. I was floored that a 30-year-old wine could be so amazing. It was sublime. From that moment I was hooked.

21.12, because it’s a blend of the red wines from our best parcels in the vineyard. It’s a wine that’s only made when we think the vintage warrants it. It’s a wine of provenance in that it will only ever be made from our vineyard at 2112 Maraekakaho Road. It’s a snapshot in time - tasting these wines after 10 years in bottle is like looking at old photographs, the memories come flooding back of the people who helped make it, the challenges involved, the fun had, and the joy of harvest.

Organic wines becoming more mainstream. We’re into our second year of conversion to organics and so far it has been a very positive experience. I think the main benefit is seeing vine health through a different lens and improving understanding of our soils and vine husbandry. It has been a long slow project to get to this point but we’re happy to be on the journey. I truly believe our wines will only get better and better.

I’d like to see more diversity in our wine story internationally - we make excellent blended reds, it’s often hard to distinguish a big Hawke’s Bay red from a classic Bordeaux and our Syrah is world class. Our long thin country has huge climate differences from east to west, north to south, and so our wine styles also vary accordingly, and this story needs to be conveyed better to our international markets.

Usually a clean crisp lager like the good old classic Steinlager as a palate cleanser, sometimes a strong gin and tonic, otherwise an unoaked Chardonnay.

I started out with a career in economics, but after a few years realised I couldn’t see that being fulfilling for me (loved studying it, less so working in it). I’d always studied the sciences, particularly chemistry, through school and varsity - coupled with a growing fascination with wine, I decided to give a Wine Science degree a go. Never looked back since.

Probably Airavata Syrah. There’s no compromise at any step of the process - from pruning and crop management, through to the vinification and elevage, we give it our all.

I’m a bit old-fashioned when it comes to making wine – at Elephant Hill ‘less is more’ - so a tricky question to answer. We keep it simple – low crop levels, focused winemaking and a good team in the vineyard and winery. That said, I think some of the precision viticulture technologies coming through are interesting and have a future in helping us push the boundaries further.

Obviously from a parochial point of view I’d like to see Hawke’s Bay feature more dominantly in the world of wine. Particularly our Syrahs and Chardonnays, which often have a unique stamp to them. From a New Zealand-wide perspective I’m looking forward to seeing the reputation (and pricing) of our top wines sit alongside the world’s best. Our top producers are making truly world class wines.

Often a good malty ale – nothing too hoppy anymore. And there’s always a bottle of some wine open – hopefully a Northern Rhône red or a good Chardonnay (New Zealand Chardonnay more often than not).