Wednesday, 03 October 2018 14:55

A woman of wine and earth

Written by  Nigel Malthus
The 2018 Young Viticulturist of the Year, Annabel Bulk, at work pruning vines on the Felton Road vineyard at Bannockburn. SUPPLIED The 2018 Young Viticulturist of the Year, Annabel Bulk, at work pruning vines on the Felton Road vineyard at Bannockburn. SUPPLIED

A love of working outdoors has led Dunedin-raised Annabel Bulk to a blossoming career in viticulture. 

Bulk, an assistant viticulturist at the Felton Road vineyard in Bannockburn, Central Otago, has been named Young Viticulturist of the Year 2018 – only the second woman to win the title. 

Runner-up last year, Bulk excelled in practical and theory modules in a competition held at Martinborough in late August.

Back at work in Central Otago, Bulk explained that the contest included interviews, a project presentation and a speech, and physical modules such as pruning and trellising – a very physical activity entailing posthole digging and wire straining.

“Obviously it’s meant to be challenging – that’s the point,” she told Rural News. “So you walk away from it feeling as though you’ve done a huge workout.”

Bulk, who was raised in Dunedin, says her love of the outdoors, of conservation and nursery work, is what brought her to the industry. She studied viticulture and winemaking in Marlborough, and has completed a Lincoln University viticulture degree.

She has now been working nearly seven years at Felton Road. 

“I had to finish off my degree by doing some vineyard work experience and pretty much haven’t left.”

Bulk says there is a huge diversity of work to be done at Felton Road, as the vineyard is run on organic and biodynamic principles. “It keeps everything interesting and keeps you learning.”

Felton Road’s biodynamic methods include making their own compost and foliar sprays, and breaking down cow manure to create “an intense microbe inoculate” to encourage soil biology.

Biodynamics is essentially about looking after what is both above and below ground, she explains.

“We are focussing on trying to get a complete living biome around us, and that includes loving and looking after the soil and what’s happening underground as well as looking after the vines and the biodiversity in the vineyard itself.”

Winemakers like to talk of the “terroir” of a wine – a character derived from the land the grapes were grown on. 

“You’re trying to create something of the land and of your parcel that you come from,” she explains. “So we’re looking after that and trying to create a healthy soil where everything leads on from that.”

Bulk says her goal for the next two or three years is to pass on her passion for the industry.

“I want to be able to focus on training and teaching the next lot of young viticulturists coming through.”

More like this

Geographical indications open up opportunities

While there was much protest about the EU's insistence in preserving geographical indications for some of its products, especially cheese, EU ambassador to New Zealand Nina Obermaier insists that this protocol opens up opportunities for NZ.

Ditching premox - Bob's Blog

Premature oxidation (premox) is a scourge that has affected white Burgundy since the mid-90s. It needs to be distinguished from natural oxidation, which occurs in all wines over a long period.

Featured

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

Editorial: Passage to India

OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

A different shade of blue for Norwood

Norwood and ARGO Tractors, the Italian manufacturer of Landini and McCormick tractors, have announced an agreement that gives Norwood exclusive…

Kubota tests diesel engines

Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter