winepress_-_november_2021

Good Fellows

NZW awards industry stalwarts

THREE STALWARTS of the Marlborough wine industry have been named as New Zealand Winegrowers Fellows, with Andy Frost recognised for his service to national research, and Daniel and Adele Le Brun celebrated for their contribution to New Zealand bottle fermented sparkling wine.

The 2021 Fellows also include John Clarke for service to New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) and the New Zealand Grape Growers Council, Steve Smith, MW, for service to NZW and the Wine Institute of New Zealand, and Rudi Bauer, recognised for service to New Zealand Pinot Noir.

In a Winepress article last year, Andy – who joined Montana as a winemaker in 1982 and retired from the company 37 years and a few owners later – said “every single day was fun” in his work. “I loved my job and I was given a lot of freedom by the company.” Montana’s phenomenal growth and success in the early days was due to much more than good luck, he said, applauding the company’s commitment to research under both Allied Domeq and Pernod Ricard ownership. “They had very good advisors and excellent technology, especially when it came to handling liquids.” Andy’s career took him from winemaker to wine researcher, including a lead role in the Sauvignon Blanc project, working to improve the outcomes for Montana and the wider wine industry.

When Daniel Le Brun first visited Marlborough in1978, he was “immediately convinced” the region had the potential for great wine, according to a profile in Winepress late last year. “The soil and the climate reminded me of Champagne in the best vintage years, yet it happens every year here in Marlborough.” In those days there was no winery infrastructure, “just bare paddocks with almost desert-like conditions”, he said. After selling some of his vineyards in Champagne, Daniel arrived in Marlborough in September 1980, followed in October by his wife Adele, four-month-old daughter Virginie, two dogs and 50,000 cuttings, which had to be put in cool storage until suitable land was found to plant. In the 40 years since, the couple have helped put Marlborough sparkling wine on the map, bringing passion, talent and generational knowledge to every bottle of bubbles.

Adele and Daniel Le Brun. Photo Jim Tannock