Winepress - August 2023

Winning Ways

Bringing harmony to winemaking

LORRAINE CARRYER

FRESHLY RETURNED from a whirlwind trip to London to collect the prestigious International Wine Challenge’s White Winemaker of the Year Trophy 2023, Natalie Christensen is feeling surprisingly grounded. “Being in London and receiving the award was exciting,” says the Yealands Estate winemaker. “But it wasn’t until I checked my phone and saw all of the messages from friends and colleagues around the world…Only then did it start sinking in”.

Natalie was particularly touched to hear that back home in Marlborough, the Yealands team had gathered to watch the awards live at 5am. “What’s unusual about this award is it goes to an individual based on the scores achieved across the different wines entered,” she explains. As Yealands won 12 medals across varietals, the trophy is a relection of her and her team’s work. “There are a lot of people involved in making these wines, it’s definitely not just me… this is great for the whole team.”

It's just the third time a New Zealander has won the award, and Natalie believes it can only be good for the profile of New Zealand wines, as well as Marlborough and Yealands. “Marlborough is a region to take notice of and celebrate.”

While the winemaker is always keen to look to the next thing, right now she’s happy to enjoy the moment as recognition they’re on the right path. “We have a special vineyard at Seaview that creates some exceptional wines.

We’ve always felt that way, but it’s wonderful to get confirmation of that on the global stage.”

Perhaps the only downside to her continued success is the double bass that’s gathering dust as she struggles to find the time to play it. Growing up in Christchurch, Natalie wanted to be a composer for New Zealand films, so undertook a degree in music. Her studies piqued an interest in the healing properties of music, and she tilted her course towards music therapy.

With another inspired pivot, she completed a Master of Science in industrial psychology, then began a short-lived stint in human resources, before realising, “I wanted to be creating something, rather than supporting”.

Finding her best-laid career plans had slightly unravelled, Natalie took a serendipitous approach and found herself working a vintage at Saint Clair Winery in 2006. Instantly captivated, even the steel-capped gumboots were comfortable for the former volunteer firefighter. “I just loved everything about my first vintage.” Some 17 years after that prelude, and having added a degree in oenology, there’s been no looking back.

Natalie sees winemaking as a mix of art and science. “I feel like I bring both elements into my winemaking. There are a lot of creative and interesting characters in this industry; it’s a very vibrant field.” An upside of working for a larger winery such as Yealands, is the freedom she has to experiment with blending to create what she wants across the different varietals, she says. “For instance, if your fruit hasn’t behaved how you expected in the winery, you have other options to explore.”

When it comes to a changing climate, Natalie is confident technology will help to mitigate some of the challenges in wine. Climate change may also lead to favouring certain varietals, such as Albariño, which is naturally highly acidic with thicker skins, favouring a coastal and damper climate. “One of the hallmarks of the Seaview vineyard is the subtle saltiness we get, which is a classic quality of a good Galician Albariño, so I feel we have synergies here with its homeland of Rias Biaxas.” While there seems no slowdown in the global demand for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Natalie sees potential for another popular white such as Albariño to gain ground.

A combination of wine judging events, conferences, being part of the team behind the Pinot Boot Camp, and her involvement in Women in Wine all create opportunities for Natalie’s strong push towards engagement with the wider industry, and she emphasises its collegial nature in New Zealand. Forthcoming wine competitions she is to judge this year include the New World Wine Awards and The National Wine Awards of Aotearoa.

Despite the lack of time to play her double bass, she has experimented with playing tonal music to Pinot Noir ageing in the barrel hall. “Results were inconclusive, so I might have to repeat it some time,” Natalie laughs. As a well-blended individual, when she’s not at work she loves getting out in nature and exploring the Great Walks, and is also very partial to mixing cocktails and dining out. Success to Natalie – and what she feels most proud of – is having a happy thriving team, who enjoy creating something together.