Inside the big black box
Standing proudly on a large site in Martinborough’s Todds Road is a large black steel box of a building. Recently a sign revealed this as home to REID + REID Craft Distillers of New Zealand.
By Sue McLeary. Photos by Lucia Zanmonti.
The building brings the range of activities brothers Chris and Stew Reid are working on together under one roof – it’s a gin distillery, winery and tasting room. All under their Reid + Reid brand and due to open in spring. A bar is planned for the summer.
“We were very keen to have all our activity in one place,” explained Chris. “We can make, bottle and ship our products from here, and welcome visitors to try our range while also seeing how it all comes together.”
Inside two bright shiny copper stills immediately catch your eye. The small one came first, with the new, larger version allowing more production, more effectively.
Chris, previously assistant winemaker at Atarangi, is the winemaker and distiller. I love making wine, and wanted to do so since I was a teenager.” His parents own a Martinborough pinot gris vineyard, and he studied Viticulture and Wine Science Technology at Hawkes Bay’s EIT.
“We’ve planted grapes around the Todds Road perimeter and while the young vine fruit will go into our vermouth, ultimately they will become our pinot noir. The site is part of the Martinborough Terrace, with stony soil and a manageable clay streak running through it. For the time being we source grapes from a block on New York Street. Longer term the idea is to separate it out and re-brand the wine as Christopher Reid.
“I have the luxury of being the only taste and quality decision-maker. My criteria are ‘Do I like it? Would I drink it?’
“With our small scale we have no market research budget – it’s all if I like it, others will too!” he laughs.
Disclosure: a couple of years ago I liked the pinot noir so much at a local restaurant I contacted Chris and bought more. He sees this personal marketing as the best way to build awareness and local support.
By contrast, Stew Reid is an engineer, currently specialising in wind turbines. Often in remote parts of the world, he aims to gradually switch the balance of his work and be mostly Martinborough-based.
“He’ll run the business side of things, exports, project management and so on, because he’s better at that than I am,” Chris acknowledges, “while I’m in control of products.
“Stew’s partner Michaela will take responsibility for marketing and the cellar door. We all get on and work well together, combining different skills.”
So what about Reid + Reid gin? Chris is quick to acknowledge the global gin renaissance has been a big boost. Initially, their thinking was that wine would be the major product and gin the sideline (“more of a weekend hobby”) but market forces have seen it swing the other way.
He says experimenting with different small batch gins with different botanical flavours was remarkably interesting, and built on his winemaking experience. “You have to know how flavours work, and how things are made.
“There are so many botanical options, and then the challenge is consistent flavour. In winemaking, vintage variety is considered interesting, but not with spirits.
“Martinborough Cup is the best thing I’ve made” he says with a modest grin, “it can be dangerous on a hot Martinborough summer day!”
Once the black box is operational, Stew and Chris plan to focus on production on weekdays and to open the cellar door at weekends only. Until they decide otherwise, together.
TIME FOR GIN?:
Chris summarises the Reid + Reid range:
Native is the flagship gin, 80 percent of production, and the customer favourite. The botanicals are all native to New Zealand – kawakawa, manuka and horopito – and it has a contemporary style.
Reverend Dawson is cheekily named for Chris’ and Stew’s great great grandfather, a Presbyterian minister who headed up the New Zealand Alliance supporting Prohibition. It’s a classic dry London style.
Barrel Aged Gin is a Native gin, aged in Martinborough Pinot Noir casks to make a sipping savoury style.
Bitter Aperitivo has a distinctively red colour, and is a Kiwi take on a classic Italian Campari. Perfect for Negroni cocktails and spritzers.
Vermouth, Red is made from Martinborough pinot noir and White from Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc, fortified and with added botanicals including traditional wormwood. (Did you know Vermouth is German for wormwood?)
Martinborough Cup is a version of Pimms Cup. Botanicals like bayleaf, rose petals and manuka leaf are added to Reverend Dawson gin, to create a refreshing summer drink.
