GROW
Forgotten Corners
Jan Johns in a hillside block of Chenin Blanc*
A “natural” next step at The Wrekin SOPHIE PREECE
A YOUNG cow frolics in a paddock in the upper Brancott Valley, then gallops to the fence to see the treats in store. Gracie is no ordinary Jersey, admits Jan Johns, whose raised her from a calf and considers her part of the family. And though looking like she’s not got a care in the world, head cocked in expectation of warm words and fresh hay, Gracie plays a remarkable role at The Wrekin, as the sole source of poo buried in cow horns. The Wrekin is not certified biodynamic, but buried cow horns, cow pat pits, and the rhythmic - then chaotic - stirring of preparations, according to the lunar cycle, are key to this extraordinary property. On the surface, visitors to The Wrekin see a happy cow and a picturesque
Live streaming?
“The soil is alive and I think the place is more alive.” patchwork of vines, interspersed with an olive plantation and duck-laden pond, park-like hillsides of oaks and sequoia, groves of native trees, and a backdrop of golden hills, where Jan and her husband Andrew farm beef and superfine merino. But beyond the naked eye are vine roots that dive deep, thanks to being mostly dry-farmed; a supercharged microbiology, thanks in large part to Gracie’s poo preps; a line of buried barrel and brick compost brews, metamorphosing manure, eggshell and basalt; and a thriving earthworm population beneath the vines . “The soil is alive and I think the place is more alive,” says Jan. “The soil is better and we think the grapes are better.” The Johns bought the land 21 years
Jan Johns ago, moving from city lives to satisfy Andrew’s life-long desire to go farming. They were drawn by the sculpted tawny hills, by an 1873 homestead that recalls the days of settler farmers, and by 2,000 olive trees, which seemed a good prospect at the time. They soon realised the romantic dream of growing olive oil was a world away from the reality, although the olive harvest is now a key event in their calendar, with friends and family gathering beneath the trees. Fortunately, the land had much more to offer than olives and grazing. They’d not long been at The Wrekin when Ivan Sutherland – a pioneer of Marlborough’s wine industry –dropped
A healthy stream reflects a healthy vineyard. Water Quality Scientist Steffi Henkel can provide you with information about stream health and the effects of land use activity on stream water quality. Steffi can also advise you on how to monitor water quality in your stream. The Council regularly monitors the water quality in our rivers. Check out Marlborough’s water quality data at: www.lawa.org.nz Steffi Henkel Environmental Scientist
DDI: 03 520 7411 steffi.henkel@marlborough.govt.nz www.marlborough.govt.nz
18 / Winepress June 2020
