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

Ideal weather for growers

Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris are reporting near ideal spring start conditions for fruit growers this season.

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

Editorial: Goodbye 2024

OPINION: In two weeks we'll bid farewell to 2024. Dubbed by some as the toughest season in a generation, many farmers would be happy to put the year behind them.

Securing the elusive India FTA

New Zealand's support for India during its current global security crisis could be key to securing a free trade agreement with the nation, according to the head of one of the country's largest independent accounting firms.

Biosecurity NZ ready for a busy summer

Biosecurity New Zealand says that more officers, detector dogs, and airport hosts, accompanied by an enhanced public awareness campaign, will bolster New Zealand’s biosecurity protections this summer.

Alliance Group re-set delivering results

Alliance Group has turned a corner on a challenging two years following a comprehensive re-set over the past 18 months and is forecasting a return to profitability, farmer-shareholders were told at the company’s annual meeting in Gore today.

National

Drought looms

Farmers on the east coast of the North Island are facing a quandary as hot, dry weather and dropping soil…

Tributes for leader

Tributes have flowed in from around the country for mid-Canterbury farming leader Chris Allen who died in a tragic accident…

Dairy, hort lead bounce back

The latest Ministry for Primary Industries report on the state of the primary sector shows that things are starting to…

Machinery & Products

More front hoppers

German seeding specialists Horsch have announced a new 1600- litre double-tank option that will join its current Partner FT single…

Origin Ag clocks up 20 years

With roots dating back to 2004, Origin Ag was formed as a co-operative business model that removed the traditional distributor,…

Teat spray price drop

FIL, the animal health and dairy hygiene subsidiary of GEA Farm Technologies, is dropping the price for its chlorhexidine teat…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought…

Rhymes with?

OPINION: The Feds' latest banking survey shows that bankers are even less popular with farmers than they used to be,…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter