From water to wine
Te Muna Valley is a long way from the high seas, but international yachtsman Brad Butterworth is excited about his new role as a vineyard owner. Brad recently bought Julicher Wines in Te Muna Road, with his cousin Warren, an Auckland lawyer.
By Sue McLeary.
“It’s not the big step some people assume,” they say. “Our great-great-grandfather created one of Kaipara’s first vineyards North of Auckland in the 1850s.
“It’s still in the family, and we remember as children the adults talking about wine. We have always wanted to have our own vineyard. We actually looked at Julicher a while ago, and liked their wines. But the time wasn’t right for us then.”
They have been aware of Te Muna Road, and impressed with the wine quality and success, for quite some time.
Julicher Pinot Noir won some very impressive awards, including Champion Wine (2009 Air New Zealand Wine Awards), Champion Wine plus Champion Pinot Noir (New Zealand International Wine Show 2007), Decanter World Wine Award.
In early 2020 the time was right, and the deal was done. Winemaker Martin Bell and Vineyard Manager Kyra Day are staying, and a new General Manager Nick Hewitt, who is also a Sommelier, appointed.
“Like most enthusiastic new owners, we want to keep the best of Julicher while freshening up some aspects and putting our own stamp on others,” Brad and Warren say.
“We like the differences about Te Muna and Martinborough only 10km away, and we’d love to explore emphasising the Te Muna terroir a bit more.
“We’re impressed with the co-operative approach among Te Muna vineyards: our neighbour Craggy Range lent us their harvester during COVID-19 lockdown. It’s one of the nice things about a small, personal wine region.”
When put on the spot, Brad picked his favourite Julicher wine as the Estate Pinot Noir. “It’s a beautiful, really high-quality pinot for me. I’m still drinking it. It’s one of those “I liked the product so much I bought the company” moments!”
Warren says the Julicher Rosé is “an absolute cracker” and looks forward to their making more of it. “Many rosés are quite sweet, but this has complexity and character. It’s a dry, crisp style and leaves me feeling I have drunk a good wine.”
Nick Hewitt laughs that his instruction for the 2020-21 summer is “make more yacht wine” … more of that deliciously grown-up rosé for Butterworth guests to enjoy as they watch the America’s Cup regatta on Auckland Harbour.
