Winepress - August 2024

Have fun, learn heaps

This year’s top Young Viticulturist shares her passion for knowledge

FOR THE first time in 19 years, three women took out the podium spots at the Marlborough 2024 Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition. Anna Kelland from Constellation Brands won the overall competition, Liv Bishop from Delegat was runner up and Laura Hammond from Babich Wines came third.

The Ormond Nurseries Professional Reputation Award went to Dan Du from Whitehaven. The contestants were among 10 of the region’s brightest up-and-coming viticulturists who went head-to-head in the annual competition, held at Whitehaven Wines on a very frosty morning last month.

Their expertise and knowledge were put to the test in a series of challenges and theory papers on skills including trellising, pruning, irrigation, machinery, pests and diseases and budgeting. In the evening, contestants delivered speeches at the Awards Dinner, followed by a quick-fire quiz before the final scores were tallied up and winners announced. First-time entrant 22-year-old Anna Kelland was completely taken by surprise to hear her name called out as winner. “It was absolutely incredible, especially as two other women were on the podium already,” Anna says. “To have three women take the top spots is really encouraging – only two women have won the Marlborough competition in the 19 years it’s been running.”

A self-confessed academic, Anna grew up in Napier where she attended Taradale High School and graduated a year early as Dux. She was only 17 when she embarked on double bachelor’s degrees in viticulture and wine science at the Eastern Institute of Technology. “I was too young to even drink wine when I first started studying, but I’ve always enjoyed learning and studying, so I was happy to focus on the theory for the first six months.”

During her studies Anna worked part-time in a range of roles, starting out as a vineyard operator in Hastings after receiving a three-month internship through Constellation Brands. For vintage 2021 she worked as a cellar hand with Villa Maria, then as laboratory technician for Constellation in vintage 2023, while getting some cellar door experience at Pernod Ricard Winemakers in the same year. She has been working full-time as a viticulture technician for Constellation in Marlborough since June last year.

Anna’s broad range of skills stood her in good stead for the Young Viticulturist competition and Tahryn Mason, judge of the pruning section, was impressed with her intelligent approach.

“It’s always surprising when a first-time contestant takes it out, particularly when you have repeat contestants involved,” Tahryn says. “But it was very clear that Anna knew her stuff, very intelligent, very quick, particularly with her answers in the theory section. She was very intuitive, not a lot of second guessing, it was a really strong performance from the outset.”

Anna will represent the region at the national final at Escarpment Vineyards in Martinborough later this month. While study might be second nature, she says she wants to brush up on her tractor skills before then. Colleagues, mentors and grower partners at Constellation Brands have been hugely supportive in helping her prepare for the competition, she says. “There are some nerves, but mostly excitement. I’m going to go in with the same attitude of having fun and learning heaps.”