Kirwan embarks on Italian wine venture

‘‘Our friends in Italy now have an excuse to come down to New Zealand’’

Sir John Kirwan is hoping to introduce more New Zealanders to his love affair with Italy.

The All Black legend and former Blues coach has hung up his rugby boots to focus on another passion of his - wine.

Established with his daughter Francesca nearly a year ago, Jk.14 wines is a boutique wine company, importing blends from the Veneto region of Italy.

It’s a place close to John’s heart - he met his wife in the Treviso region while living and playing rugby in Italy.

Each wine is named after a close friend of the Kirwans, and their wines are available at selected New Zealand restaurants and stores.

‘‘The response has been really good so far. New Zealand has a natural affinity with Italy and its products,’’ Kirwan said.

‘‘Our friends in Italy now have an excuse to come down to New Zealand.’’

Jk.14 wines, named after his All Black number, includes red, white, and Prosecco selections and is sourced from various vineyards run by their friends.

Kirwan said they are focused on providing a small selection of quality products while the business grows.

Kirwan is at the helm of the brand while also helping Francesca learn the ropes of running a business.

She is responsible for things like ordering wine, customer service, and the marketing side of things.

Born and raised in Mangere, John says he always attempts to bring the south Auckland ‘‘have a go’’ attitude to whatever he does.

Kirwan said he has been trying to inspire Francesca with the same mindset.

‘‘You can’t be scared of making mistakes, mistakes are part of learning,’’ he says.

‘‘It doesn’t matter if you make mistakes as long as you believe in yourself and have a go and just don’t worry about those things.’’

He and Francesca will be at New Zealand’s largest wine tasting event, Winetopia, in June, an event the pair are excited about.

‘‘We need a good opportunity to showcase our wines so it’ll be good,’’ Francesca says.

‘‘It gives us an opportunity to meet people on a personal level and have them in front of us where we can tell stories about our wine’s personalities and who they’re named after,’’ John says.

Winetopia will feature talks and classes from winemakers and tastings from 60 New Zealand wineries.

The event will be held at Shed 10 in Auckland’s CBD on June 9 and 10.

Go to winetopia.nz for more information.