MAUDE WINES

Family-owned Maude, in Wanaka, scooped the 2018 New Zealand Wine of the Year Champion trophy for their Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017. Sarah-kate, winemaker and co-owner with husband Dan, shares their journey.

WHAT MADE YOU AND DAN DECIDE TO BUILD YOUR OWN WINERY?

We were winemaker/managers in the Hunter Valley [Australia]. We held perhaps two of the best roles in the area, so when we said we were setting sail for New Zealand to begin our own adventure, there were a lot of odd looks. But we dreamed of running our own winery and were very fortunate to have a family vineyard in Wanaka to come home to.

WHY PINOT NOIR?

It has a perfume, a succulence, that’s almost mesmerising so it’s a winemaker’s greatest aspiration to make a great pinot. It isn’t easy, they don’t call it the Holy Grail for nothing.

YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD MATCHES?

We drink the bold, youthful pinots with lamb or duck and mature examples with braised meat, confit duck or a good wedge of 36-month Comté.