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Hear about the people that are part of the New Zealand wine story.
When she was younger, all Penelope Naish wanted was a job in the city. But while her husband was working a vintage in Italy, she had an epiphany around rural living. After returning to New Zealand, she jumped on her parents’ idea of co-investing in some land and Black Estate wines was founded.
Thirteen years ago, German born Kathrin Jankowiec landed in New Zealand during a round-the world-trip and never left. She has climbed the ladder in the wine industry, and is now the production winemaker at Villa Maria in Marlborough.
Kate has made an immense contribution in the 37 years since she tasted her first New Zealand wine, and was awarded the Sir George Fistonich medal in 2010, inducted as a Fellow of New Zealand Winegrowers five years later, and last year inducted into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame.
Sachi has ten years’ experience and a doctorate in biotechnology, specialising in nanotechnology. But while she was writing her thesis, she had a light-bulb moment, she realised that she wanted to have a career in the wine industry instead.
Originally from Oregon, Jen Parr, winemaker at Valli Vineyards, now calls Central Otago her home. Like many people in the wine industry, her career did not follow a straight path. She began in financial software sales and is now an award-winning winemaker and recent finalist in the Gourmet Traveller NZ Winemaker of the Year award.
Erica Crawford is the founder and CEO of Loveblock Wine. Originally from South Africa, she is an industry legend, founder of one of New Zealand’s biggest export brands. Her career in the wine industry was quite by accident, she began working as a medical research scientist in Cape Town until she attended a wine festival and met a kiwi called Kim.