The Profile: Ben and Frances Wickham
It took a hole in the ground and a slurp from the hose to convince Ben and Frances Wickham to buy a block of land on the outskirts of Blenheim.
It's a typical move for Alun Kilby, the 2022 Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year. He made fortified wine for his degree at Lincoln University, "because everyone else was making normal wine", and fermented feijoas growing up in Matakana. "I am always out there to try new things and learn new things," he says.
Whatever he's doing, it's working because the 28-year-old Production Winemaker at Marisco has prematurely reached his goal of winning Winemaker of the Year before turning 30. "Now I have done that and have two years to rethink my plan and strategy".
Alun won Marlborough's regional competition in late September, up against the event's largest ever field of 10, putting four previous tilts at the title to good use. But when it came to the nationals in Marlborough on 3 November he was "going in blind" and with low expectations, "so taking out the win was huge". Alun considers public speaking his weakest field but took the top spot in speeches at the nationals, waxing lyrical about why tourists should head to Marlborough now that borders are open. "I came out firing: it was natural and felt good," he says. "That was really exciting."
The regional and national wins are the "icing on the cake" of a year that has seen his career develop in "leaps and bounds". Promoted to Production Winemaker earlier this year, Alun works with seven varieties at Marisco's state-of-the-art winery, using everything from a 320,000 litre tank to two 700l clay amphorae named for Greek gods Silenus and Dionysus. He also gets to shake the status quo via winery trials, including a successful project putting a tonne of oak chips in an 80,000 tonne tank of Sauvignon Blanc, fermented warm with high solids.
He says the competition has also helped him push boundaries and has given him more knowledge in his role, while raising his profile throughout the industry. "Your name is floating around there now and everyone knows who you are."
Alun grew up making wine with his mum in their Matakana kitchen, defrosting frozen berries and plucking fruit from their garden orchard to frequently fire up ferments. Some were more palatable than others, but they all provided valuable experience and learnings, putting Alun's fascination with biology and yeasts to practical use.
His mother has since passed away, but she remains his driving force in the wine industry. "I always felt that with this competition she would be super proud of me," he said after the regional win. "She would be stoked. So, I do it more for her than for me."
Following his precocious start, Alun started holiday vineyard work when he was 13, then went on to do the Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, during which he worked the 2014 vintage at Marisco, more certain than ever that he'd found his vocation. When the degree was done, he worked in Central Otago, then returned to Marisco as a cellar hand in late 2015, before overseas vintages, and a 2018 return to Marisco, where he was made Assistant Winemaker.
With two years up his sleeve before he reaches 30, and no longer eligible to compete in the Young Winemaker competition. Alun will join the committee instead. But while his Negroni ages, his home brew settles, and his thoughts of distilling purify, he'll be on the lookout for another challenge. "I feel so young to be where I am, and I have a stack of time to think of what's next. But there's always Young Vit..."
Along with his trophy barrel, Alun won $1,000 and a visit to the Tonnellerie de Mercurey cooperage in Burgundy. He will be an associate judge in the New World Wine Awards and will review some of his favourite wines in DrinksBiz magazine.
Young Guns Tested
Greystone’s Georgia Mehlhopt was the first person from North Canterbury to compete in the Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year national final, where she took out second place. The other contestants were Douw Grobler from Trinity Hill in Hawke’s Bay and Eliana Leal from Amisfield in Central Otago. The judges were impressed with the high calibre of the finalists, who demonstrated passion for winemaking and understanding of the challenges and opportunities for the New Zealand wine industry.
The four finalists were tested on their wine market knowledge and laboratory skills; had to prepare a plan for producing a premium single vineyard Pinot Noir; and presented their views on the best new innovations in the wine industry. They were also judged on an interview; on weighing up options for purchasing a new humidifier for a cellar; and judging wines in a wine show setting.
All finalists took home a bottle of Church Road’s Tom and will meet again early next year on an educational trip hosted by Fruitfed Supplies.
