Fennec Wine Edition | No. 1

WINE EDITION

You can judge us by the number of gold medals and trophies.

We would recommend judging us by the glass.

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from the editor People and places behind the wine When the original European settlers arrived in New Zealand they left behind memories of grapevine covered hillsides and a tradition of winemaking and enjoying the wines of their homelands. Some of them discovered potentially rich countryside in their new home and followed a well-trodden family path by planting a few precious cuttings.

Today those early steps have blossomed into an important New Zealand industry that has won a valued reputation around the world.

Much is written by wine writers both professional and amateur about the product itself and often subject to personal appreciation – and the opinions vary from expert to expert and amateur to amateur. And while that may be an important end result, the vineyards and the people behind the label who create the end product is often unknown.

This small step through Fennec Wine is a look behind the scenes at where, who and how the viticulture industry operates, it is a curated edition of articles from our popular food industry magazines.

These background stories have been of real interest to distributors and retail sellers and are now accessible through those in the business to the consumers who drink the wine.

We intend curating more of these background stories on a regular basis. Not for a moment does

Fennec Wine pretend to have tasting skills – that is left to those who do know. But our journalists are great at telling the stories of the vineyards and the people that we hope you find interesting and the wines that you enjoy or are yet to try.

In these difficult days, buying local is the new tomorrow so your support of these local vineyards, among these best in the world, is important to their ongoing success. From choosing to support local as a restauranteur to the wine you choose as a customer at the bottle shop - choosing a local wine is the easiest decision to make.

Enjoy the stories and get to know our winemakers.

Sarah Mitchell Group Managing Editor sarah@reviewmags.com

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Chairman: Peter Mitchell, peter@reviewmags.com Publisher: Tania Walters, tania@reviewmags.com General Manager: Kieran Mitchell, kieran@reviewmags.com Group Managing Editor: Sarah Mitchell, sarah@reviewmags.com Editor: Caitlan Mitchell, caitlan@reviewmags.com Staff Writers: Sophie Procter, sophie@reviewmags.com Advertising: Caroline Boe, caroline@reviewmags.com Senior Designer: Raymund Sarmiento, raymund@reviewmags.com Graphic Designer: Debby Wei, debby@reviewmags.com

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ISSN 2703-5433 Fennec & Friends: Suite 9, Level 3, 20 Augustus Tce, Parnell, Auckland PO Box 37140, Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 304 0142 or Fax (09) 377 2794 Fennec & Friends is published monthly under license. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to Fennec & Friends. The opinions and material published in this edition of Fennec & Friends are not necessarily those of the publishers unless specifically stated. All material appearing in Fennec & Friends is copyright and may only be reproduced with the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2020

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Hawles Bay Region

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fter sharing his first case purchase with his mum back in the early 90s, Ashton Ireland was hooked on wine.

“Although I am not a winemaker I do have a good understanding which helps when working with our winemakers,” he told Hotel Magazine. From sharing that first case, Ireland booked into a night school class with Duncan Win from The Village Wine Trader in Palmerston North. While working for Craggy Range in a GM role they put him through an overview course, deepening his understanding of the industry.

In 2011 he created Hãhã Wine, combing his passion for wine with his experience as a financial controller. The name Hãhã in Maori means savoury and luscious, something which the winemakers at Hãhã try to reflect in the finished product. Hãhã Wine is all about balance. “It’s about having enough complexity to ‘wow’ people but having the wine ready to go and enjoy as soon as you open it,” said Ireland. “I also think having a few layers of flavour to understand as you enjoy the wine without food, and then as you marry it

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up with a dish opening up with other great notes.”

However, part of Ireland’s mission is to make Hãhã wines as accessible as possible. “We are uncompromising on quality,” he said. “First and foremost, the quality has to be the best. Then we ensure that the value is there – one of our goals is to offer great value wines to our customers.”

Hãhã has had a fair few successes over the years, winning multiple awards at wine shows both in New Zealand and overseas. Hãhã was also selected

by Negociants Australia for Australian-wide distribution within a few years of operating, and is now the number three New Zealand wine poured on-premise across the Tasman.

Ireland credits much of his success to his mentors – Duncan Win, Adrian Baker (formerly of Craggy Range and now of 50th Parallel Wine in Canada) and John Belsham from Foxes Island.

“They all gave me great advice,” he said. “Treat your customers as you would like to be treated, make sure you look after number one, and produce something you can be proud to put your name on.”

Ireland also draws influence from his experience

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in the high fashion industry. “Chris and Helen Cherry from Workshop Demin - they taught me not to be satisfied with second best and to keep the branding simple.” Rather than focus on a single vineyard, Hãhã Wine has embraced a model which gives them the flexibility to adapt to consumer trends. “Instead of a traditional model where the land was from three or so generations of family, we have a cool new concept where we contract out most of the services including the vineyards and the winemaking facilities,” explained Ireland. In 2016, this business model saw Hãhã named one of the most innovative wine companies by NZ Wine Tech magazine. Hãhã Wine has sites in Hawkes Bay and Marlborough – one of which is 200m altitude and offers great structure and acidity for the Pinot Gris and Merlot, according to Ireland.

“All our vineyards we draw from are Sustainable Winegrowing NZ members so looking after our great environment, and minimal use of chemicals is a mission too,” added Ireland. “We’re hopefully

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working on some new initiatives too.” Ireland has had his share of memorable moments. “Blending our Brut Cuvee with our bubbles winemaker Gary Duke was great fun and really challenging,” he said. “Some parcels were five years aged on lees and we blended from 10 tanks over two days.

The result was sensational.” He’s also still very much a wine fan, coming off a month of wine touring with his wife. “Pol Roger Winston is a favourite,” he said. “I had a really old Riesling at Yalumba last year, I think it was a 1964, and the aged secondary characteristics were amazing.”

Ireland has a simple aim in wine – to get rid of the pretentiousness and stuffiness. “I want to bring the fun back!” He describes the Hãhã wines customer as those who “enjoy the clean, green outdoors,” and like enjoying wine with food. “They’re pretty relaxed about wine,” he said. “They’re not really collector types but enjoy learning about wines and experiencing new wines.” u

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F

ounded in 2008, Yealands Wines was guided from day one by the philosophy that great wine can only be created in partnership with nature and has always aimed to become one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers.

Nestled in the Awatere Valley, the southernmost, coolest, and driest of Marlborough’s wine-growing regions, the winery’s proximity to the coastline and strong offshore winds impart a distinctive mineral and fresh herb character to its produce.

A patchwork of microclimates, whilst resulting in lower-yielding vines, allows Yealands to treat each block according to its own unique characteristics, giving the winemaking team a vast array of flavours with which to experiment when it comes to blending.

For almost twelve years now, Yealands has remained steadfast in its commitment to its sustainable philosophy. The company recently made headlines by announcing its intentions to lower its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2045,

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and 50 percent by 2030 – dramatic goals which speak volumes about the seriousness of Yealands’ approach.

“Eighty percent is pretty scary, particularly when we are starting from a pretty efficient starting point,” said Michael Wentworth, general manager of external relations and sustainability at Yealands.

“We have reduced our emission intensity by close to 20 percent since 2012, but we still have a long way to go.” By primarily focusing on three key areas – emissions from diesel burn, energy used in the winery, and emissions from shipping wine to market – Yealands has been able to develop a plan to help implement the 25-year goal it has set for itself. Increasingly, the company is seeking to bottle more of its wine in market, closer to the customer, reducing the amount of transport emissions through shipping more wine and less packaging.

Similarly, Yealands is looking to increase the use of biofuel within the winery, currently burning approximately ten percent of its vine prunings in purpose-built boilers which provide all the hot

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Marlborough Region

“We have reduced our emission intensity by close to 20 percent since 2012,”

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water heating needed on-site.

Thankfully, sustainability is at Yealands’ core from inception thanks to founder Peter Yealands’ green vision for the company. The first and only Toitu Carbonzero-certified winery since inception, Yealands already has plenty of infrastructure in place to render its goals achievable.

“In terms of the more distant future, we are fortunate to have strong relationships with both Massey and Lincoln Universities, who are doing exciting research into new technology and initiatives which have the potential to have a marked impact on reducing our emissions,” said Wentworth. The objective was announced as Yealands joined International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), a collective group committed to tackling the severity of the climate crisis by creating climate leadership in the wine industry. Whilst still in its infancy, the organisation’s emphasis on collaboration and accountability, and its efforts

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to develop a universal system of measuring and reporting sustainability levels for wineries, will surely be of increasing utility as the industry moves towards a greener future.

By and large, New Zealand’s wine industry is very much at the forefront of global sustainable production, with its Sustainable Winegrowers programme incorporating 98 percent of the country’s vineyards, and Wentworth and the rest of his team at Yealands are optimistic that the country can continue to lead the way.

“The very nature of sustainability means that there is always going to be room for improvement, and with growing consumer awareness, everyone is going to come under increasing scrutiny,” he said. “As an industry, we have to continue to adapt and work collaboratively, whether it be through Sustainable Winegrowers, IWCA, or other likeminded groups. Working together will ultimately mean we can achieve more.” u

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A

ndy Anderson is fond of wine – very fond. “I am a complete pig when it comes to wine,” he said. “I love them all.” This interested has stemmed from his fist wine experiences at the age of 13, when his father used to let him try German Rieslings from the cellar.

It was also his father who sent Anderson the application to study at Lincoln University back in 1998, when the university first started offering the Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology. Anderson was one if the programme’s first graduates, alongside future Invivo co-founder Rob Cameron.

After completing his studies, Anderson started at Grant Burge Winery in the Barossa back in 2000, and went on to be the contract winemaker at Murray Street Vineyards and Hentley Farm.

It was upon his return to New Zealand in 2009, after stints in Spain and London, that he reconnected with old university classmate Cameron. By this time Cameron and Tim Lightbourne had launched Invivo as New Zealand’s first equity crowdfunded winery, and the trio started making wine together. In 2011 Anderson joined up with estate owner Mitchell

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Plaw to make a Central Otago Pinot Noir, which would ultimately lead to Anderson’s greatest success – two trophies at London’s prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

“The win meant everything to me personally and it takes the Takapoto brand from nowhere to the world stage,” said Anderson. “The IWSC is hard to win, you are first judged against your countrymen, then against the rest of the world.

If it makes it to the trophy tasting, your wine will have been reviewed three times by different tasting panels.”

Anderson was first awarded the world’s best Pinot Noir trophy for his 2012 Takapoto Bannockburn Single Vineyard Pinot Noir and then secured the 2017 New Zealand Producer of the Year trophy. The win at IWSC, dubbed ‘the Oscars of winemaking’, was made particularly significant due to the fact that it was the first competition Anderson had entered, and he won with the first vintage of that particular wine. Anderson takes great interest in every element of the winemaking process. “I spend a fair amount of time in the vineyards close to harvest, walking the rows and

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Waikato Region

“A wine that is a true reflection of its site has poise and balance and makes you crave another bottle when the one you are drinking has gone.�

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tasting for physiological and phenolic ripeness in the grapes, to determine when to pick,” he explained. Seeing the grape arrive from Central Otago at Invivo’s Te Kauwhata winery is his favourite part of the process, followed closely by the blending twelve months later.

Once he is in the winery, he tries to do as little as possible to influence the character of the vineyard, doing only what he must to support and enhance the natural terrior, using yeast from the vineyard itself.

“I like to keep it as simple as possible, no additives, natural yeast and bottle unfined and unfiltered,” he said. “A wine that is a true reflection of its site has poise and balance and makes you crave another bottle when the one you are drinking has gone.”

While he wouldn’t say for sure whether there are any parts of his winemaking process that

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are unique to him, he does “do things slightly differently from most with regards to stems used, the amount of air introduced to the ferment and time on skins.” The result is “cheeky little numbers, and not at all presumptuous.”

Anderson rates the 2008 season in the Barossa Valley as the toughest he has worked through.

A prolonged heatwave in March meant that temperatures were pushed above 35°C every day for about two weeks – management of soil moisture and irrigation became of utmost importance, although a lack of rainfall meant that disease pressure was low. Overall, the season is regarded as having produced a high-quality wine, but not without its challenges.

In this vein, Anderson has simple advice for those looking to start out in the winemaking industry. “You get one chance a year. Don’t screw it up.” u

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A

fter almost four decades, Steve White’s vision for Stonyridge has come to fruition. “It has been 37 years since I walked on to this property,” he told Restaurant & Café. “It was November 1981 and I had just sailed back to New Zealand after completing the Round the World Yacht Race and skippering in the Mediterranean.

There was nothing here, just golden sun burnt grass, wild horses and old broken fences. I fell in love with this property instantly and had no doubt what its destiny was – to make one of the greatest red wines in the world.”

By the time he discovered the Stonyridge site, White had been working in wine for two years.

He studied horticulture and viticulture at the University of Canterbury under Dr David Jackson and Danny Schuster before getting his start in Italy.

He worked at Brander Winery and Sanford in Santa Barbara California, and Chateau Angludet and Prieure Lichine in Bordeaux. It was in

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Bordeaux that he learned the techniques which he brought back to New Zealand – techniques which were revolutionary at the time.

“We were the first to do many Bordeaux techniques but now they are mainstream,” he explained. “We honour our own tradition of making the finest Bordeaux blend wine in the country, but we’re always interested in new varieties.”

White describes his wines as big bodied, big fruit with varietal integrity, great complexity and seductive smoothness. “I want to make wines that invite you to go back to them, with or without food.”

White does as much as possible of the winemaking in the vineyard, keeping everything simple and organic. However, the unmissable march of climate change is having an affect on the winery, wth White describing the heat in the most recent growing season as “incredible.” Twenty-two days that clocked in at 30°C or over, and most

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Auckland Region

“We were the first to do many Bordeaux techniques...”

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other days at temperatures higher than 27°C. Night time temperatures have also been well above average. As a result of these conditions, veraison was more than two weeks ahead with all wine varieties going through evenly and quickly. The North facing side of the vineyard allowed vines to benefit from the sun all day, enabling the ripening of the vineyard’s Cabernet range to perfection.

“I deliberately chose a north facing protected valley on Waiheke and Waiheke itself has much less summer rain than Auckland,” White explained.

Stonyridge has enjoyed international recognition for its wines, particularly its leading top-end wine Larose. Larose has sold in top restaurants across Europe and various Three Star Michelin restaurants in France, Belgium and Netherlands.

It has been named as the top Cabernet Merlot in

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Australia for 2013 with a score of 97 – the highest equal score for any red wine in Australia. It has also been named the top Bordeaux Blend in New Zealand in the NZ Herald. In 2016, White was recognised for his excellence in winemaking as the first New Zealander to be inducted into France’s prestigious Jurade de Saint-Emilion.

The Jurade de Saint-Emilion is 800 years old and is the oldest wine brotherhood in the world.

Outside of wine, White enjoys sailing, yoga, history and geography. For someone whose goal is to drink Larose in a balloon over the temples in Myanmar (he’s already ticked off most items on his winery bucket list), he offered down-to-earth advice for those starting out in the industry.

“Don’t take yourself too seriously,” he said. “Be serious about what you do, but what you do isn’t serious!” u

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W

ith experience working across fourteen different vintages, Richard Painter is no newcomer to winemaking. Despite his years of experience in the wine industry, Painter does not seem concerned at all with building a legacy for himself as a winemaker.

“The legacy I care about is that we manage the Te Awa land sustainably, so it will continue to produce fine wines for many years to come,” Painter said.

The influence of the Te Awa environment and landscape plays a significant role in both the taste and production of Painter’s wines. He believes a great wine should speak of where it’s grown and be authentic. Located on top of what used to be the Te Awa o te Atua river, a branch of the Ngaruroro River, the Te Awa Single Estate is seated in a prime place for winegrowing. In 1867, a significant flood caused the river to change its path away from the Te Awa o te Atua offshoot, leaving a dried-up river bed full of stony gravel that was perfect for growing red wine.

When it comes to making his wine, Painter adopts a natural hands-off approach. “I try and let the flavours of the vineyard come through

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without too much interference, which means gentle handling of the fruit when it comes into the winery, and a lot of natural fermentation using the wild yeast from the vineyard,” he explained.

Recently Painter has won awards for his Te Awa Single Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay, such as the coveted Champion Wine of the Show at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show and the Royal Easter Show, also being awarded ‘Winemaker of the Year’ at the latter.

Painter describes his wines as understated, elegant, while still having a lovely depth of flavour.

The Single Estate wines are produced exclusively for restaurants and fine wine stores, so with that in mind, they are deliberately styled to pair well with food. Furthermore, the Te Awa Winery has a restaurant on-site at the vineyard, which influences the flavours of the wines.

“We have a superb restaurant on our vineyard,” he said. “When we blend and finish the wines I think of how someone sitting on our lawn eating lunch will enjoy the wine, and this guides my decision making.”

Having influenced Painter’s enthusiasm and dedication to maintaining the Te Awa environment, Painter considers the vintage’s

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Hawles Bay Region

“The legacy I care about is that we manage the Te Awa land sustainably,”

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owner and local New Zealand wine legend, Sir George Fistonich, a mentor. “George is extremely passionate about family and New Zealand ownership of our industry, is steadfast in his pursuit of quality, and is passionate about sustainability.”

Some of Painter’s efforts to make the estate more sustainable include replacing the winery’s tractor fleet with the most fuel-efficient tractors on the market. The most significant change is the gradual move towards organic production, with 20 percent of the vineyard already in organic production. The winery is certified organic with BioGro, and within a few years, the vineyard blocks will be as well.

Painter is cautious about the growing impacts of climate change, something that threatens to have significant effects on the wine industry. “The biggest risk to us will be if climate change brings about the increased occurrence of unsettled weather,” he explained. “For the last five years in a row, we have had ex-tropical cyclones impact us during February and March which places pressure on us at harvest.”

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In the coming years, Painter has a lot of vineyard planting and rejuvenation ahead of him.

“We have some spare, bare land that is ideal for chardonnay which will help us grow, given the demand for this wine.” But the thought of the local environment and sustainability never ventures far from his mind. “We’ll keep striving towards our medium-term goal of the Te Awa vineyard being in full organic production.”

Painter identifies himself as a homebody and spends most of his spare time renovating his bungalow in Hastings. He also loves cooking, gardening, and taking his dog for runs around the beautiful Hawke’s Bay. With all his experience in the art of winemaking, Painter offered some wise advice for budding winemakers. “I would advise them to get experience in all facets of the industry. Work in the vineyard and the cellar door as well as the winery.

Having an understanding of how a vine grows and what customers like to see in wine will make you a better winemaker.” u

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isha Wilkinson took a giant plunge with her first steps in the wine industry, opening Misha’s Vineyard with her husband.

After working a high-stress job in the technology sector in Singapore, Wilkinson wanted out. She concocted a dream to escape to New Zealand to produce her own wine with her husband.

“When we came to that strategic inflection point in our lives, we decided we needed a plan for the second half of our lives,” Wilkinson explained.

“Our vision was to be able to work together and build something.” Having spent so long in Asia, Wilkinson and her husband Andy dreamt of crafting a range of wines suited to Asia, whilst also compatible with the Western food market, and grown and produced in New Zealand.

“I have come from outside the industry which I think is a good thing. I draw on my knowledge and experiences from heading up marketing operations for very large corporations. I think that was the

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perfect background for running our own business now.” Making no compromises is the fundamental philosophy of their ‘wine project’. This ethos was the key moving force behind their unrelenting search to find the perfect vineyard.

There are no sacrifices made with the environment either. “Our first priority with the vineyard is careful stewardship of this spectacular land. The vineyard is farmed according to the strict regime of sustainable farming practices and we ensure that vine health is never ever compromised.”

The vineyard sits on a converted piece of land with impossibly steep slopes that were once infested with rabbits and littered with rocks. It covers 57 hectares of land on the edge of Lake Dunstan in Bendigo, Central Otago. Ranging from 210 metres to 350 metres above sea level, the plants are predominantly on three levels of gently sloping terraces in the north-west facing the sun.

Eleven wine ranges are produced on the site,

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“We decided we needed a plan for the second half of our lives,”

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Central Otago Region

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four of which are different styles of Pinot Noir, as well range of aromatic white wines including: Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer.

With 12 completed vintages, the winemaking process had been going smoothly at Misha’s Vineyard until the two most recent vintages flipped the table. Rain, wind and wildly contrasting temperatures over the last two years all changed the game for Otago winemakers. Despite the challenging seasons, Misha’s Vineyard was still crafty and adaptable enough to make good wine.

“I think we’re lucky to be in a cool region.

Central Otago has always been termed ‘on the edge’ in terms of the grape growing climate.”

Wilkinson knows that despite her vineyard’s prowess, there is still plenty of room left to grow and learn.

“Having just completed my WSET Level 3, there are a ton of wines I feel I need to try. Doing

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more study is a great thing as it has opened my eyes even more to the wonderful world of wine that I thought I knew, but now realise that I’ve only just scratched the surface. The New Zealand wine industry shares a lot of similarities with other wine countries, but Wilkinson also believes it has its own charms and quirks that make it a unique place to grow.

“In many respects New Zealand is advantaged by being such a newcomer to the wine industry as we have made decisions based on what’s right rather than what’s traditional. This ranges from the closures we use for our wine bottles, to the way the industry cares for the land with our world-class sustainability program.”

“New Zealand is known to be quite innovative already, that’s in our nature, so as long as we continue to innovate and learn, and not take things for granted, we should be fine.” u

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D

r John Forrest graduated from Otago University in 1982 with a PhD in neuroscience, not your typical introduction to the world of winemaking. His science career took him to San Diego, Adelaide and ultimately Palmerston North, where his wife finally convinced him to pursue his true passion – wine.

“While I was in university, I had a taste of an incredible Gewürztraminer and from that moment, I was hooked,” he said. “The complexity and balance of flavours fascinated me.”

In 1988 Forrest returned to Marlborough, a section in the Wairau Valley. Marlborough’s location in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps means that it is routinely New Zealand’s sunniest and driest place, allowing for wonderful ripening of grapes.

Forrest is self-taught. “Winemaking is very much about trial and error and when I started 30 years ago, the industry was still quite small so I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them.” A risk-taker and innovator, Forrest has his own unique winemaking process – but, he admits, so does everyone else.

“For me, winemaking combines my exuberant personality and scientist’s love of experimentation with a continuous quest to capture the best the land, the vines and vintage has to offer,” he said. “Every winemaker puts their own touch on their wine.”

After 30 years in the industry, Forrest has established himself as a leader in naturally produced

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lighter in alcohol wines. Forrest’s The Doctors’ range of lighter in alcohol wine was stocked at Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom earlier this year under the retailer’s own-brand wines, in time for the UK summer. A significant export achievement for the New Zealand lighter wine category, this landmark listing follows on from award wins at prestigious wine competitions such as the Melbourne International Wine show where the Doctors’ lighter in alcohol Rose and Sauvignon Blanc won gold and silver respectively, up against fierce competition from full strength wines.

“This has been something we’ve been working on for many years and slowly perfecting it,” he explained. “The technique involves removing some of the vines’ leaves at key stages during the growing season. This leads to less sugar – which will be turned into alcohol when the grape juice is fermented to make wine – but doesn’t interfere with the build-up of the other key components in the grapes that give the wine its flavour and acidity.”

Forrest Wines is one of 18 leading New Zealand premium wine companies taking part in New Zealand Lighter Wines, a seven-year research and development initiative led by New Zealand Winegrowers, and co-funded by MPI. New Zealand Lighter Wines is focused on the natural production of lighter in alcohol wines (defined as wines containing less than 10 percent alcohol by volume).

The challenge is not simply to produce lighter wines that are high quality, but to naturally lower the

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Marlborough Region

“The complexity and balance of flavours fascinated me.”

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alcohol content without compromising the things for which New Zealand is famous.

As part of this programme, New Zealand winemakers have developed innovative sustainable viticultural techniques that can help slow the natural grape ripening process in the vineyard yet still produce full-flavoured, varietally expressive wines with less alcohol than conventional wines.

Through the New Zealand Lighter Wines initiative, Forrest says they have made “startling progress” for the wine industry and the lighter in alcohol wine category. “The NZ Lighter Wines programme made the conscious decision to work on Lighter Sauvignon Blanc so that’s where we started – the technique made huge inroads with this varietal and other lighter whites followed, including The Doctors’ Pinot Gris and Rose.”

“We’re well ahead of conventional achievements – lighter wines can now win medals in open class competitions up against standard wines as evidenced by the success The Doctors’ range has enjoyed,” he said.

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Forrest has been involved in a range of initiatives during his time in the wine industry. He served ten years on the New Zealand Winegrowers Research Board, as well as founding and being current director of Botryzen Biotech Company, producing the world’s first natural botrytocide. His latest project is part of Pure Marlborough, aims to ensure the reputation and standards of wine from the region. “The Kiwi wine industry is very open, innovative and we’re free to be creative,” he explained. “However, we can learn a lot from hard learnt lessons in the old world of wine. Things like greater respect for the land and its stewardship, a focus on quality and balanced crop leaves and some traditional winemaking techniques that enhance the structure and longevity of our wines.”

So how does Forrest rate his own wines?

“Fresh, flavourful and pristine, our wines express both what the Marlborough region has to offer. New grape varieties, alternative winemaking techniques and select parcels of fruit all qualify to create very special wines.” u

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I

t doesn’t take much for Nick Candy to label a wine as great – all it takes the right occasion to drink it.

As the CAN component of TINCAN Wines, along with partner Laura Tinnelly, Candy serves as the winemaker while Tinnelly manages the marketing side. His winemaking journey began with a degree at Lincoln University, before he went on to work at Felton Road and Peregrine in Central Otago, The Crossings and Yealands in Marlborough, and Riversun and Marlborough Vintners. A stint in Australia followed, firstly at McWilliams in Sydney.

Candy then spent two years chasing vintages internationally before stopping in France, running the winery at Domaine Stephane Montez in the Rhone Valley for a further two years. “After almost ten years away overseas making wine I have accepted that growing good grapes or making good wine are like looking at the same coin from both sides – but it’s still the same coin.”

Candy was first inspired to follow the natural wine approach in France, while working handpress with an old French man who didn’t speak a word of English. “No additives had been used in the process but when I tried the wine it was my lightbulb moment telling me that making wine naturally was actually possible.” Candy travelled and worked all around the world, looking at wine

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processes and to see what not to do. After almost two decades in the industry, Candy’s philosophy has evolved to small vineyard, small wine production, organic viticulture practices, natural no-additive winemaking practices, and a very hands-on style.

Candy currently leases a small 3ha block in Mapua, just west of Nelson. The land was recently purchased by the Craighead family and became the Kindeli winery for the 2017 growing season and vintage. It remains Biogro certified but is natural wine exclusive, thought to be the largest of its kind in the country.

The vineyard is run using organic viticulture practices and is currently moving towards gaining organic certification, which will be attained in time for the 2019 vintage. The wines are made using minimal intervention from start to finish, with no filtering and no additives or preservatives like sulphur or fining agents. The grapevines are sprayed only three times a year. Having grown up in a farming family, Candy is able to look at things from a practical agricultural perspective.

“I am really focused on minimal intervention in the vineyard with machinery to reduce my carbon footprint. I have been trialling minimal spraying and not passing through with a mower and leaving the grass long.”

The grapes are hand-picked with no mechanical

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assistance, and the wine is bottled and labelled by hand. Soil balance is of prime importance, and the growth of clover is encouraged to benefit the nitrogen cycle. The yeast used in the winemaking is encouraged to come through from the vineyard.

Those who tend to be interested in natural wines tend to be new to wine or craft beer enthusiasts, according to Candy. “They tend to have more of an open mind and less of a preconception about what wine traditionally tastes like, so I have been focusing on the restaurant trade and have started making a few friends that share my views,” he explained. “In restaurants, chefs that have a paddock to plate or similar philosophy tend to understand what I am trying to do and don’t mind taking the time to listen to me explaining what I am about.”

His focus is currently on Sauvignon Blanc and Pétillant Naturel (Pet-Nat) which is an in-bottle, secondary-fermented bubbly – “Think Coopers Beer, but a wine version. I’m also getting my head around Nelson Pinot noir and co-fermentation

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with other varieties.” TINCAN has a small output – only 5000 bottles in 2017 – and for the most part Candy is a one-man-band. For harvest and during bottling he works with Alex Craighead of Kindeli and Yuki Nakano of Kunoh wines. “Vintage time has to be the favourite because for a few weeks of the year everybody accepts that that is where my focus is and I am free to be a specialist,” he said.

“I don’t have a job that I hate, but I struggle as a generalist and breaking my day up to prioritise work.”

As someone with extensive experience doing vintages around the world, Candy thinks that New Zealand winemakers need to be mindful of legislation and the balance between industry protection and stifling peoples’ enthusiasm for exploring new things. “We are definitely at the low legislation end of the spectrum which enables people like me to start and survive,” he said.

“However, the protection of our existing regional brands and their value is possibly lacking. So again, it comes back to balance.” u

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