100 Vineyard Stories: He escaped from Zimbabwe to a New Zealand vineyard

To show rebirth and future promise, I was photographing a new-born Syrah leaf in a vineyard on Roy Hill above Trinity Hill Winery in Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island. 

Rain drop covered Syrah leaf. Hawke's Bay region, North Island, New Zealand.

And here comes Matthew Stobart, a friendly vineyard worker (I never actually met an unfriendly New Zealand vineyard worker) on a mower.

He turned off the engine and asked how I was doing.

I replied my usual: "When I count my blessings, excellent." 

He said likewise. It turns out we both are immigrants with amazingly parallel stories.

Matthew Stobart: "I escaped from Zimbabwe in 2001, with my parents, when the government took our farm. We got out with just two boxes of things. Everything in two boxes."

Mowing the vineyard grass. Trinity Hill winery, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Matthew: "And it's not like we stole the land. My parents paid the government for it. Then 10 years later the government took it away. Gave it to the president's relatives, cousins and relations. All for politics, for votes."

Janis: "The Communists arrested my father and tossed him in jail because we owned land. Landowners were criminals. Fortunately, friends broke my dad out of prison." 

Matthew: "We're lucky to get out in time. Many farmers didn't. Now they're stuck with no farm, no pension, nothing."

Janis: "After hiding in the forest for months, my father and mother packed a few things in an ox-drawn cart, buried some valuables in the forest and left our farm forever." 

Matthew: "Zimbabwe used to be the bread basket of Africa. Now they can't feed their own people."

Janis: "Latvia had the best standard of living of all the Soviet states, yet at the end of the Soviet Union, it was very difficult to even get a bottle of milk without connections."

Matthew: "Things are good here. The people are great. The government is stable. Now my wife and I own a house. We're doing all right now."

Working at Trinity Hill winery, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Matthew: "There isn't a morning that I don't wake up and count my blessings."


Matthew Stobart
Vineyard Worker and Landscaper
Trinity Hill Winery
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

100 Vineyard Stories: Vineyard decisions with a 1000-year perspective

What does a 1000-year perspective do when making a decision in the vineyard? 

When making decisions in the vineyard, winemaker Matt Stafford thinks at least 50 years out. So if a block or some vines are not doing well in a particular soil, he replants with a different varietal, better suited to that terroir. Thus fruit quality is maximized for the long term. Craggy Range Winery and Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand.

When making decisions in the vineyard, winemaker Matt Stafford thinks at least 50 years out. So if a block or some vines are not doing well in a particular soil, he replants with a different varietal, better suited to that terroir. Thus fruit quality is maximized for the long term. Craggy Range Winery and Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand.

In New Zealand's Hawke's Bay wine region, the Craggy Range Winery family trust requires the winery and vineyards stay in the Peabody family for 1000 years. The kids, grand kids, great great great grand kids cannot sell (even to buy a yacht). No cashing in for 1000 years. 

Oyster shells and stones are placed below many rows of vines to reflect heat to ensure grapes ripen.  Craggy Range Winery and Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand.

Winemaker Matt Stafford says that perspective completely changes how decisions are made in the vineyard. If a block or even row of vines are struggling for whatever reason, replant with something that will do better. 

That way, in the long term, you will have the best fruit to make the best wine possible.

Te Mata peak towers above the main Craggy Range Winery visitor's center near Hastings.   Craggy Range Winery and Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand.

Would your perspective change if you were required to maintain our collective vineyard, our environment, our world for 1000 years before you could sell out? 

100 Vineyard Stories: Regrets of a Winery CEO

"Yeeah, I do regret getting out of wine making.

Michael completed his Master of Wine examines in 2009. Only 3-5% of those who try, pass the examines, according to Michael. But he still needs to write a 10,000 word dissertation to complete the degree. "There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about that dissertation, just to finish the thing." Trinity Hill, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

"I was making wine in Spain and had a long distance relationship with a lady in London. We did that long distance thing for three years. It wasn't easy.

"Then I had a wine making job lined up in Argentina. But she didn't want to move there. So I had a decision to make.

"I took a job with Christie's, you know the wine auction company, in London.

"Now I'm CEO here at Trinity Hill in New Zealand, running a winery business. I work on a computer looking at spread sheets and travel a lot. At this stage in my life I can't just drop everything. I'm 43 with two kids. 

"Yeeah, we're divorced now. So I share kid time with my ex.

"Maybe when I'm 50, it'll be time to re-examine things."






Just to be sure that I didn't jeopardize Michael's career, I emailed him parts of the text. He made the following changes:

“Now I'm CEO here at Trinity Hill in New Zealand, running a winery business. At this stage in my life I can't just drop everything. I have 2 two kids who I want to spend quality time with.
 
"Maybe when the kids are older, it'll be time to re-examine things.”




Michael Henley
CEO 
Trinity Hill Winery
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

100 Vineyard Stories: Cellar worker hated Father's winemaking

"When I was growing up, my father made wine. He used anything that would ferment, grass, any kind of fruit, vegetables, squash, anything he could think of. 

"It was awful. I hated the stuff. Completely turned me off to wine.

Nosing Chardonnay juice just squeezed from the press.  Craggy Range Winery, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

"Then I happened to go to a big wine festival down in Wellington. That was my first real wine. I loved it.

Dave Whittington watches Chardonnay juice pouring from the press. Craggy Range Winery, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

"Yeeah, now I've been here Craggy Range through a couple of winemakers. Taught them everything I know."

Dave Whittington  adjusts one of the fermenting tank nozzles during harvest. Craggy Range Winery, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

 

Dave Whittington
Cellar Worker
Craggy Range Winery, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard facility
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Life Lessons from the Vineyard: Jerry Seps, Storybook Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley

Janis: Jerry, you were a college professor turned winemaker and owner. What was your first eye opening experience in when you started the wine adventure?

Jerry Seps: When I told my banker I wanted to do a vineyard and winery, he told me: "You have a far greater appetite for risk than we do at the bank."

Winter storm in vineyard.

That's why I joke that I don't play the lottery, I farm.

If we have a low crop, we don't have enough goods to sell. Then we can't service our loans and keep the business going. And, this is an expensive business to run.

I try not to get frustrated, but rather, turn it into a challenge to find a solution.

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Jerry Seps, college professor turned Owner-Winemaker, Storybook Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley, California

Storybook has historic roots dating back to the 1880s when the Grimm brothers—Jacob and Adam, not the famous storytellers—founded a winery which made Zinfandel. But by 1940 the property and winery ceased operation. Jerry and wife Sigrid bought the property in 1976 to plant and make Zinfandel.

From Vineyard Light: 100 Lessons from Vineyard