Grape Expectations

It was a bold move 15 years ago to appoint Gerry Rotman as Ata Rangi’s Vineyard Manager – he had never worked in a vineyard before. But he loved growing things. By Susan McLeary. Photo by Pete Monk.

Armed with a Diploma in Horticulture Parks and Recreation from Lincoln, Gerry acknowledges tending vines is rather different from cemeteries, parks and camping grounds in his Parks and Reserves days with Wellington and Carterton Councils.

But when his old apprenticeship mate Nick Hoskins, of Vine Managers, suggested the Ata Rangi job, Gerry decided to give it a go. Ata Rangi founder Clive Paton often says he loves growing things, so that could have been the vital connection.

“My first year at Ata Rangi was about viticultural specifics, but the principles of growing are basically the same whether it’s trees or grapes – mostly just the scale is different. We have evolved to become organically certified, and while that’s not without issues, it’s gone really well,” he says.

Gerry looks after the 13 vineyard sites around Martinborough that supply Ata Rangi’s grapes, ensuring they are ripe for harvest. Just over half are pinot noir, the variety inextricably associated with Ata Rangi – and Martinborough for that matter – and grown on the Martinborough Terrace.

Other varieties are chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc, with boutique quantities of syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. 

“We don’t own all the vineyards, but work very closely with our partner growers. With BioGro Certified Organic accreditation, Sustainable Winegrowing and ISO 14001 Environmental accreditation, there is a lot of liaison to ensure best practice standards are met,” he says.  

Gerry’s large, infectious laugh booms out frequently. “The biggest part of my job – and usually the most fun -- is working with our winemaker Helen Masters. I call her my pocket-edition: tiny against my 6’2” but huge in personality and ability!

“We have a symbiotic relationship, working very closely together to plan and produce the grapes she wants. We don’t work separately: it’s all about the shared challenge of delivering the right grapes at the right time in peak condition so Helen can work her winemaking magic.

“I really like it that Ata Rangi is a family company, working together as a family. It’s a good place to be, with the right mix of people. Clive is such a good bloke. We all get on, respect each other’s contribution and there is lots of laughter.

“It’s so important to have the right work environment,” he says.

The most significant changes at Ata Rangi under Gerry’s watch are environmental. He says sustainability is vital to the business, as one of the first New Zealand vineyards to achieve ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, and full Bio-Gro Organic Certification in 2014.

“Certification is not a token gesture; we believe it’s vital. It’s different but not too different managing organic vineyards and others going through the conversion process, which generally takes three years.

“It’s all about managing the plants, understanding the differences between the various sites, and sometimes finding new approaches.

“Every site is different, although not far apart -- people are often surprised to hear that. Grape varieties behave differently, vine age is more important in some varieties than others, soil variation and shelter affect grapes, mostly we don’t need to irrigate but in some sites we do. It’s all very idiosyncratic,” he grins.

Gerry’s vibrant personality can show up in his work. “I love colour. So our inter-row planting includes about 20 varieties of colourful wildflowers, as well as the more standard plants, to attract beneficial insects”.

Biodiversity and sustainability are evident throughout Ata Rangi’s operations. A raft of photo-voltaic cells on the winery wing roof generates their power. Clive’s pride and joy, his Bush Block south of Martinborough, produces eucalyptus for vineyard posts to replace the original tantalised posts, while some vineyards have steel posts.

Away from work, Gerry lives outside Carterton with his large, inter-generational family. “We are very close. We grow most of our own food with a huge vegetable garden. I love birds, plants and music,” he smiles.

That broad smile, and the big friendly hug he gives so freely, are Gerry Rotman to a T.