Inspiration by the bottle
Joelle Thomson, pictured, is a prolific wine writer. Her latest book is A Guide to Touring New Zealand’s Wineries (White Cloud Books, RRP $49.99).
This guide must have been fun to write and research – was it a struggle as to what to include and what to leave out?
It was heaps of fun to write as my head was overflowing with ideas of great places I’ve visited and wanted to write about. Covid put a bit of a dampener on venturing out, so it was timely to write about walks, rivers and nearby wineries. Leaving things out is the hardest part. We only regret what we don’t do, right?
Did you have a favourite?
Too many. Te Awanga for pizza, chardonnay and bubbles. Cambridge Road in Martinborough. Greystone, Black Estate and Peg Bay in North Canterbury for guaranteed next-level flavours. Felton Road in Bannockburn and The Urban Winery in Napier.
What’s a typical day for you?
Writing about wines for Drinksbiz magazine, Good and NZ Winegrower mags. I try to bike, walk or swim first thing. Two days a week I work as a wine adviser at Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington, selecting new wines and writing. It’s very satisfying developing trust with customers.
You have published 15 books on wine – how do you decide what to focus on, and what makes wine writing good or interesting?
My main inspiration comes from listening to friends and family and seeing what they enjoy. Back in the early 2000s, I wrote about best buys under $15 and tasted wines blind (paper-bagged). It’s pretty easy to find the best when you’re not influenced by labels and preconceptions. I now have friends who are winemakers and learn stacks from them.
And what are you reading right now?
The Guardian online and I subscribe because great writing is worth paying for. I’m also reading Day Walks in New Zealand; Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle – a book that came my way when someone recommended it to a friend who won’t pick up paper books, so I felt compelled to make sure someone took a look inside the covers. It’s a total game-changer and has stopped me from saying ‘‘should’’ – such a negative word. I also love The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia, an all-time feel good, fun and cheeky read.