Passion, Pinot & Savvy

By Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen

Passion, Pinot & Savvy offers a unique insight into New Zealand's modern and exquisite wine industry, through the eyes of 16 women winemakers passionate about their craft. The book profiles 16 successful winemakers and covers the most vital aspects of modern winemaking in New Zealand, with the views of these articulate women on key issues in the world's youngest wine country.
Extensive background detail and reference links make Passion, Pinot & Savvy an invaluable general reference for wine aficionados curious about New Zealand wine; but more than that, it’s a great read about 16 personal journeys by 16 very savvy women.

New Zealand is world-famous for its distinctive, fresh, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, and outstanding, world-class Pinot Noir ... however, the winemakers also focus on delectable aromatics and Chardonnay, rich Cabernets, sparkling wines, and dessert wines to die for...
But did you know:
New Zealand only produces 0.2-0.4% of the world's total wine production.
Despite its modest production, New Zealand has in the last couple of decades become a very famous player on the international wine stage, and New Zealand's prominence in the world of wine far exceeds this modest production. The interest media and wine lovers around the world have in drinking and learning about New Zealand wine is phenomenal - hence the time is ripe for Passion, Pinot & Savvy.

Author Kirsten Roedsgaard-Mathiesen is an international freelance journalist based in New Zealand. Her journalistic career spans more than 20 years. As a news and feature journalist for TV and print media she has covered a vast number of subjects in her native Denmark as well as overseas. Since moving to New Zealand in 2002, she has focused on some of her passions: design, travel, food and wine.
Thanks to mingling and mixing with lots of wine people from all over New Zealand, attending uncountable wine-tastings and writing about wine, she has gathered a fair bit of knowledge about the country's modern wine industry. She now shares this knowledge in Passion, Pinot & Savvy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen
• Release date: Apr 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9780473282165

Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen

My journalistic career spans more than 20 years. As a news and feature journalist for TV & print media, I have covered a vast number of subjects in my native Denmark as well as overseas. Since moving to New Zealand in the early 2000s, I have focused on some of my passions: design, travel, food and wine. Thanks to mingling and mixing with lots of wine people from all over New Zealand, attending uncountable wine-tastings and writing about wine, I have gathered a fair bit of knowledge about the modern wine industry here. With my latest book, PASSION, PINOT & SAVVY I offer an up-to-date insight into New Zealand's exquisite wine industry, through the eyes of 16 women winemakers passionate about their craft. PASSION, PINOT & SAVVY profiles these 16 winemakers and covers the most vital aspects of modern winemaking in New Zealand, with the views of these articulate women on key issues in the world's youngest wine country. Extensive background detail and reference links make PASSION, PINOT & SAVVY an invaluable general reference for wine aficionados curious about New Zealand wine; but more than that, it’s a great read about 16 personal journeys by 16 very savvy women. I am also the author of Denmark's bestselling guidebook to New Zealand, "Turen går til NZ", which is updated every three years. Next edition is due in 2015.

Book preview

Passion, Pinot & Savvy

Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen

© Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen & Mad Frog Productions Ltd. 2014

Published by Mad Frog Productions Ltd. / www.madfrog.co.nz, 2014

1. edition 2014

Cover: Sam Flaherty / www.samflahertycreative.com

eBook made with Telling

ISBN: 978-0-473-28216-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen: [e-mail]

Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen

Passion, Pinot & Savvy

Mad Frog Productions Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

I am a wine aficionado...

I can always find an excuse to open a nice bottle of wine... whether I want to enjoy a delectable, perfectly chilled glass of Chardonnay or Riesling on a hot summer's afternoon, indulge in a silky and elegant Pinot Noir with a homecooked meal or let the bubbles of a sparkling wine mellow my senses and ignite my sensuality - there is a wine for all occasions.

I enjoy wine from all over the world, but thanks to living in New Zealand since late 2002 I primarily focus on the local wine scene. I have come to thoroughly enjoy the wines made here. In fact, I live in a wine-producing region, Nelson, where some of the country's best aromatics are produced alongside fabulous Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

I am a journalist...

My journalistic career spans more than 20 years. As a news and feature journalist I have covered a vast number of subjects in my native Denmark as well as overseas. In later years - especially since moving to New Zealand - I have focused on some of my passions: design, travel, food and wine.

Thanks to mingling and mixing with lots of wine people, not only from Nelson but from all over New Zealand, attending uncountable wine-tastings and writing about wine, I have gathered a fair bit of knowledge about the modern wine industry here.

With PASSION, PINOT & SAVVY I offer an up-to-date insight into New Zealand's exquisite wine industry, through the eyes of 16 women winemakers passionate about their craft.

To provide an understanding of the lie of the land in New Zealand, I have included a short introduction to the country's wine-producing regions, as well as an appendix giving an overview of the regional characteristics and of the main grape varietals grown here. Lastly, I have included a brief presentation of some of the other very wine savvy women who - although they do not make wine - have a lot to say about wine in New Zealand. A glossary of some of the wine-terms used in the book (marked with an *) is included in the appendix.

New Zealand produces under one per cent of the world's total wine production.

Yet, New Zealand's prominence in the world of wine far exceeds this modest production.

Despite its modest production, New Zealand has in the last couple of decades become a very famous player on the international wine stage. The interest media and wine lovers around the world have in drinking and learning about New Zealand wine is phenomenal - hence why I felt the time was ripe for PASSION, PINOT & SAVVY.

I am a woman...

I not only want to offer an insight into New Zealand's wine industry with PASSION, PINOT & SAVVY, I sincerely want to pay tribute to the successful women who work and thrive in a male-dominated industry.

Let's face it - most of the top people in the wine industry worldwide are men. Yet, in the last two decades women have stepped up and now they have quite a presence, including at the very top.

Worldwide there are many sisterhoods representing women in wine, especially in Europe and the States. Although New Zealand women winemakers don't have an association as such, and most of the women I interviewed don't feel the need for one, I still believe the women in this book belong to an unofficial kind of sisterhood.

The 16 women (chosen out of many fine New Zealand women winemakers) are either Winemakers at their own wineries or are employed as Winemakers and Head Winemakers at some of New Zealand's top wineries - most of which are privately owned.

The 16 winemakers are a mix of born-and-bred Kiwis and women from different corners of the world. They represent a good cross-section of wineries and most of the ten main wine regions in New Zealand.

The 16 women are introduced in alphabetical order. They all have a lovely story to tell as to why they have become winemakers, and they readily offer their views and insights in a lively Q & A format.

CHEERS!

©Kirsten Rødsgaard-Mathiesen 2014 

WINE IN NEW ZEALAND

Aotearoa - The land of the long white cloud - is the Maori name for New Zealand, a mountainous country, 1600 kilometres (994 miles) long, made up of two main islands - the North Island and the South Island - and many smaller islands. All up about 15,000 kilometres (9320 miles) of coastline.

New Zealand is known for its lush, natural beauty, its friendly people (population: 4.5 million) and its wine - amongst many other commodities such as dairy products, timber and seafood.

Compared to Australia and the USA, New Zealand is a relatively small country, both in size (Australia is 30 times bigger and the USA is 38 times bigger) and when it comes to wine production. Australia and the USA rank 7 and 4 respectively on the list of the biggest wine-producing countries in the world. New Zealand produces just under one per cent placing the country at number 18.  

In wine terms, New Zealand is divided into ten main regions and several sub-regions. 

Graphic: New Zealand Winegrowers (www.nzwine.com)

Graphic: New Zealand Winegrowers (www.nzwine.com)

Each region has its distinct characteristics and even within each region there are big differences thanks to microclimates, valleys, rivers, mountains and endless coastlines.

New Zealand lies between the 35th and 45th parallels which in the Northern Hemisphere equates to the area between Morocco and Bordeaux in France. It is also home to the world's southern most grapegrowing region, Central Otago - especially known for Pinot Noir.

NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS

New Zealand Winegrowers, which provided the following statistics, is the national organisation for New Zealand’s grape and wine sector. It has approximately 1000 grower members and 700 winery members (2013).

The organisation was established in March 2002 as a joint initiative of the New Zealand Grape Growers Council, representing the interests of New Zealand’s independent grapegrowers, and the Wine Institute of New Zealand, representing New Zealand wineries.

The organisation is governed by a Board of Directors of 12, comprising seven representatives from the Wine Institute and five representatives from the Grape Growers Council.

Vintage 2013 Production per region. Graphic by: www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

Vintage 2013 Production per region. Graphic by: www.wine-marlborough.co.nz

SIZE OF NEW ZEALAND WINERIES (2013)

Given the size of New Zealand's wine production, in international terms, the wineries are generally quite small and divided into three categories.

613 wineries belong to Category 1: Grape wine sales not exceeding 200,000 litres (52,824 US gallons / 43,993 UK gallons)

75 wineries belong to Category 2: Grape wine sales between 200,000 to 4 million litres (52,824 to 1,056,688 US gallons / 43,993 to 879,877 UK gallons)

10 wineries belong to Category 3: Grape wine sales more than 4 million litres (more than 1,056,688 US gallons / more than 879,877 UK gallons)

16 WOMEN – 16 JOURNEYS

"Oooh, you are a winemaker? Wow!

That must be sooo interesting!"

A comment often heard both in New Zealand and around the world. Winemaking is perceived by some as the be-all-and-end-all career, and often winemakers are put on a pedestal. Sometimes winemakers even experience a bit of rock star treatment! Of course, it all depends on where they work - whether they are their own boss at a boutique winery, a winemaker at a big commercial or iconic winery, the Head Winemaker at a small family-owned business or something in-between. Their work situation will naturally reflect how they are perceived, and it will also have an impact on how they view the industry.

Compared to Europe's ancient wine industry, New Zealand's is very young and changes are happening fast. The last ten years have seen major changes and shifts in New Zealand. From 2003 to 2012 the total winegrowing area has more than doubled in size to 35,733 hectares (88,300 acres / 3573 sq km), and the number of wineries has gone from 421 to around 700.

Over the following pages you will meet some of New Zealand's best women winemakers. They are all very passionate about their work and talk openly about the wine industry. Naturally, there are some similarities in their stories but also lots of interesting and exciting differences in the way they view the industry. An industry which, despite having many female winemakers, viticulturists and marketers, is still male-dominated. Not that it is a problem here in New Zealand - it's more a statistical fact.

The women presented here range in age from 31 to 67 and many of them grew up rurally. Some are married, some are single, some have adult children, some have only just become mothers. Whatever their situation, they all laugh at the notion that many think winemakers mainly sit around and sip delicious wine all day long. Of course that does happen now and then, but winemaking involves a lot of hard and (at times) stressful work. Please turn the page and meet the women.

Sauvignon just leaps out of the glass and says 'hellooo!'. I love it! It's not shy – maybe it's a little bit like me.

ANNA BISHOP

STATUS SINCE 2009: Winemaker, Delegat's Wine Estate, Marlborough, South Island

WEBSITE: www.delegats.co.nz

ANNA BISHOP is one of several winemakers at Delegat's, one of New Zealand's largest wineries and world-famous for its Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is Anna's domain and needless to say - she loves Sauvignon Blanc!

It just leaps out of the glass and says 'hellooo!'. I love it! At the winery, I am mainly responsible for Sauvignon Blanc and during harvest my main role is managing the fermentation* of the Sauvignon. But in conjunction with this we have a fantastic crew of winemakers, lab and cellar staff in Marlborough. It's definitely a team effort.

Although Sauvignon Blanc is Delegat's main claim to fame, the vast winery also produces Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chardonnay. Most of the wine from the Oyster Bay range is exported, but the company also makes the Delegat range exclusively for the New Zealand market.

The French connection

Anna is based in Marlborough and loves it, yet she has quite an interest in France thanks to her French boyfriend, Emilien, who is from the Jura wine region, located between Burgundy and Switzerland. They met in Marlborough and together they regularly visit France - and not only to see family and friends. Anna has done several vintages in Burgundy, France's famous Pinot Noir region, as she is keen to learn about other varietals than Sauvignon Blanc.

We are fortunate enough within our team at Delegat's that we are able to go away now and again. It is a win-win for both us and the company. Each time, I have come back with ideas of new things to try. Like a new yeast, a different barrel type, or a different way of doing things. In this industry you never stop learning - no-one can say 'I have done it all and I know everything'. Getting experience is one way of becoming a better winemaker. I also think you get quite energised because you are away and you see new things. Basically it is a great learning experience.

On one of those occasions, whilst working in a Burgundian winery, two American women came through the cellar on a guided tour.

I was introduced as 'Anna, a winemaker from New Zealand' and the women asked me where I worked. I told them and they got so excited: 'Ooh, we looove Oyster Bay'. The French winemaker next to me was really taken aback and commented that 'here we are in Burgundy and then these women are excited about New Zealand wine'.

Rural background

Anna was raised near Christchurch in the South Island and is the middle sister of three. Her sisters, a dentist and a biology teacher, live in Melbourne, Australia but Anna hasn't followed them to the big city as she prefers living in New Zealand. The three girls grew up rurally, both parents are horse vets, and Anna often spent time with her grandparents at their sheep and beef farm in the North Island.

"I wanted to be a farmer and did a plants and soils degree in Applied Science. I discovered soils at Massey University [in Palmerston North, New Zealand] and really enjoyed this topic. A soils paper with a project on irrigation in vineyards sparked an interest that I then followed by taking a paper Massey offered in Viticulture* and Winemaking."

Thanks to a most inspiring lecturer, Anna became seriously interested in winemaking and considered the Oenology course offered at Lincoln* University, but by then she had already applied for a job.

I was 20 and still very interested in farming when I was offered a job as technical sales consultant with a fertilizer company. I would visit farmers and consult with them on what fertilizers they should use. It was a great job. I was my own boss and drove around visiting farmers, who are great people, and working with soil.

After 18 months of proving herself as the only woman amongst a team of 30 sales reps,

Anna was promoted to Area Manager.

The guys were good and like the brothers I never had. It was an awesome experience.

So was her two and a half year OE (Overseas Experience in Kiwi slang), which she spent in London doing all sorts of random but fun jobs that allowed her to travel the world.

On her way home she spent three months travelling the African continent - from Uganda to Cape Town - and through a friend from London she met a local winemaker near Cape Town.

It was really interesting to visit the winery and taste the South African wines. It definitely made me think about winemaking again...

An international future

With interests in both France and New Zealand one can't help but wonder where Anna sees herself in five to ten years.

In addition to continuing being a winemaker in Marlborough, I would really like to have a vineyard with my boyfriend. A place where we could make some wines to share with our friends and family.

So if you had your own vineyard it would be in Marlborough and not in France?

Marlborough is definitely our home but we will always have a French connection.  Emilien owns a small vineyard in Jura, France and whenever possible we go there to do the harvest. It would be great to be able to export wines from there back to New Zealand and perhaps some Marlborough wines to France... one day...

Anna Bishop's background:

FROM: Prebbleton near Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

EDUCATION:

2006, Graduate Diploma in Viticulture & Oenology (Distinction), Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand

1997-2000, BSc in Applied Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

EXPERIENCE:

Several vintages in Sancerre and Burgundy, France

2007-2009, Graduate Winemaker then Assistant Winemaker, Delegat's, Marlborough and Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

2000-2004, soils & fertilizer consultant, Summit-Quinphos Ltd, Taranaki, New Zealand

"... when everyone sat down, and I was introduced,

there were definitely a few jaws that dropped..."

SARAH BURTON

STATUS SINCE 2010: Winemaker, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, South Island

WEBSITES: www.cloudybay.co.nz & www.methodemarlborough.com

There is a perception of winemakers on a pedestal, being treated like rock stars and having a cruisy romantic life, sipping wine and chilling. SARAH BURTON thinks it is not just a perception! 

We sort of do have that life style... Cloudy Bay is amazing... It is a lot of hard work but in fact, we do a lot of entertaining and this is one thing I find really interesting about winemaking, Sarah says with a big smile.

To become a winemaker, according to Sarah, you focus your study on science.

But there are several other elements that are crucial for the wine industry - like marketing and accounting. You need to be able to market your wine effectively in order to have a successful brand. A winemaker's role is not just to make the wine but to be the personality behind the wine. An ability to entertain and to be a good public speaker is definitely an advantage. In addition to this, a keen sense of business aptitude and general accounting skills are also a must. And cooking... most people I know, who are into wine, are really good cooks as well. So you become all these other things that you initially didn't know were a part of being a winemaker.

And then you are a rock star?

Yeah... then you are a rock star, she laughs, and sometimes people ask for your signature...

Seriously? Your signature?

"Yes, at dinners that does happen: 'Can you sign the bottle?' It's pretty funny. All of it. Everything we do fascinates me."

In the footsteps of legends

There are a few legends in New Zealand's wine industry and one of them is Kevin Judd. He was the original winemaker at the now iconic Cloudy Bay and played a huge part in establishing the fame of the Marlborough winery, which was founded in 1985 by Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia. Today, it is part of Estates & Wines, The Moët Hennessy Wine Division, and it is still considered one of the most famous and recognised New Zealand wineries.

Sarah came on board after Kevin Judd and his famous team of Ivan Sutherland and James Healy had left, but despite their status Sarah doesn't feel it puts pressure on her.

It definitely is an honour to work at Cloudy Bay. I have total respect for those guys, they did an amazing job. Working in the wine industry just 15-20 years ago must have been so entirely different from today.

How important is their legacy?

The history is extremely important – they, along with a few others, had a significant role in establishing New Zealand wine as a high quality brand. Our job now is to maintain quality and consistency, and as Cloudy Bay has such strong brand recognition there are definitely high expectations.

Dining & entertaining

Sarah shares the winemaking tasks with two male colleagues, Tim Heath and Nick Blampied-Lane, and that includes all the travelling, the marketing and the winemaker dinners. Each covers a different market. Sarah usually travels to Australia, Asia and within New Zealand. One of her first dinners was in Australia at a fancy restaurant and she remembers the course of the events clearly.

Many have followed Cloudy Bay from the early years and most of the guests at this event were 60-plus. At the pre-dinner drinks I walked around with our rep and said 'Hi I am Sarah'. I tried to have a bit of a conversation... but no-one was particularly interested in discussion.

At this stage Sarah hadn't been formally introduced, she was merely cruising before the main event, the dinner.

I loved it - as then when everyone sat down and I was introduced, there were definitely a few jaws that dropped. After the dinner it was mainly the other women in the room who talked to me about how they were so impressed that I was in this role. It totally misrepresented their perception of who a winemaker from Cloudy Bay should be! Not only was I young but I was also a female winemaker. I was certainly not what they expected. It was very fascinating.

How does that make you feel?

I quite like it. The surprise element is fun. I know I have worked really hard and deserve to be where I am at. It is not something I have just been given - so I'll relish it.

Forget about the lab coat

Sarah was brought up in Central Otago where her grandparents had a fruit orchard outside of Cromwell, which is now the wine-capital of that region.

My parents are still there, but the fruit orchard is now a vineyard. It would be great to buy it back one day...

Growing up, Sarah wanted to become a dietician and originally enrolled at university to follow her dream.

But it didn't excite me that part of the training was making cupcakes and analysing them... so I changed. Instead, I did a science degree... but again, I didn't really want to be one of those people in a white lab coat and a pipette in my hand, it just didn't interest me at all. I did as many papers at university as I could to cross-credit - so design, psychology, law and anthropology. I loved all that stuff as well. As soon as I finished my science degree, I looked for something to complement it and then I saw the one year post grad at Lincoln* University advertised.

The rest is history.

Gardening and hanging out

It's not all about winemaking and entertaining for 36 year old Sarah.

"We have a joke at work - and this comes back to marketability - you should be a skydiver and a winemaker. It sometimes feels like people expect we have these amazing lives. People don't imagine that after work you'll just go home and do a bit of gardening. But I really do like gardening."

Once the weeding and nurturing of her home crop is done, she enjoys cheese making and cooking, and is always up for meeting friends over a beer or a gin. She also loves skiing and since joining a sailing crew, the summer months see her racing in the Marlborough Sounds on a weekly basis. Sarah also finds time to be involved in the industry as a committee member of WAM*, Winemakers Association of Marlborough.

We started WAM in 2012 under the instigation of Simon Waghorn [Owner/Winemaker, Astrolabe Wines]. WAM was started as a forum for all local winemakers to get to know each other as well as to have industry support. It has now evolved into hosting tastings and workshops as well, which is great for the Marlborough region.

Great for conversation

Sarah is proud of what she has achieved to date and thoroughly enjoys her life. Tasting wine is one of the best things about her job.

I love it. It is something I have been training myself to do. Meeting people is another great aspect, and being a winemaker is great for conversations. Winemaking is definitely a conversation starter. There are so many different subjects which stem from winemaking whether it's about wine, food or even travelling the world. It's something everybody has a connection with in one way or another.

Sarah Burton left Cloudy Bay at the end of February 2014 to become the winemaker at Brennan Wines in Central Otago, http://www.brennanwines.com/

Sarah Burton's background:

FROM: Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand

EDUCATION:

2000, Post Graduate Diploma in Viticulture & Oenology, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand

1999, BSc in Biochemistry, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand

EXPERIENCE:

2010-14, Winemaker at Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand

2004-09, Winemaker at Indevin, Marlborough, New Zealand

2007 vintage, Caiarossa, Tuscany, Italy

2004 vintage, Quinta Do Portal, Duoro Valley, Portugal

2004 vintage, De Bortoli Winery, Hunter Valley, Australia

2003 vintage, Wither Hills Winery, Marlborough, New Zealand

2002 vintage, Chateau Carsin, Bordeaux, France

2002 vintage, Church Road Winery, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

2001 vintage, Amity Vineyards Winery, Oregon, USA

2001 vintage, Montana/Brancott Estate Winery, Marlborough, New Zealand

There are times when it is very tough and it wears you out... It is not easy at all and sometimes I wring my hands... It is constant - you live it and every conversation is a marketing opportunity!

ROSEMARY LORETTA BUTLER

STATUS SINCE 2000: Owner/Winemaker, Lime Rock Wines, Hawke's Bay, North Island

WEBSITE: www.limerock.co.nz

ROSEMARY LORETTA BUTLER, Rosie to her friends, is a pioneer within the modern New Zealand wine industry as she began her career in 1973. After spending five years working as a technician for Montana Wines in Auckland (including doing the first two vintages (March - April) of the Blenheim operation in 1977 and 1978), the winery offered to sponsor her further education. Subsequently Rosie enrolled at Roseworthy* College in South Australia - quite a novelty being a woman studying oenology* back then, as the first woman ever to graduate there was as late as 1974.

Degree in hand, three years later, it was back to New Zealand where Rosie made wine for Montana in Gisborne.

A road of discovery

Although she originally trained as a lab technician, she was no stranger to wine even before Montana employed her.

I lived in Europe and the UK most of the time from 1969 to 1973 and that's what got me interested in wine. Seeing people get excited about vintages and drinking wine. Also, back home in Napier one of our friends was a winemaker and through him I had a good introduction. Grapegrowing and winemaking had been a small part of the Hawke's Bay scene for a very long time, so there was always knowledge of it.

Her aspiration, when growing up in rural Hawke's Bay, was whatever I do, do it well, but it was hard to work out what exactly to do well for young Rosie, as she didn't have any dreams or plans.

"I have three brothers and a sister, so growing up there meant lots of male contact and farmers all around - so what would a girl growing up in a district like that expect to do? I won't say what I thought I might dream of, I just didn't have any aspirations for any particular career. And my mother said that Butlers would never be nurses as they'd be sick at the sight of blood."

Well, go figure - when Rosie became a medical lab technician she was dealing with blood on a daily basis. Of course that all changed once her path was laid out in front of her and she was working in wine.

I still recall my very first vintage in Titirangi [near Auckland]. It was tumultous and I really enjoyed all aspects of it. I was a country girl so I was interested in the growing of the grapes, the food technology side of things, the processing of the fruit - getting something from A to B using different processes. I still love it all, including designing labels and the promotional aspects of the business... telling people what great flavours can develop from excellent fruit and careful winemaking. Wine is just so changeable - it goes through many aspects when it is maturing. And in the bottle it changes too. Each vintage is different. Making wine is a road of discovery.

After getting her oenology degree, Rosie spent five years with Montana in New Zealand before returning to Australia with her husband Rodger, whom she had met whilst studying at Roseworthy College.

Back to the homeland

Rosie then spent 13 years in Australia working in the wine industry and indulging