WINE ADVENTURE:Sheena Thomson left Dublin in 1999 and now she and her husband travel between New Zealand and Italy making wines
WHEN WE HEAR the term “Wine Geese”, merchant adventurers such as the Phelans, the Lynches and the Bartons spring to mind. You might think that such days are long gone, but you would be wrong. Sheena Thomson (née Grey) is one of a small band of Irish emigrants growing grapes or making wine. Others include Ciarán Rooney of Domaine des Anges, Catherine and David O’Brien, former owners of Château Vignelaure, and Catherine McGuinness and Pat Neville of Domaine Aonghusa, all in France.
After graduating with the Wine Spirit Education Trust Diploma in 1999, Sheena headed off to New Zealand’s South Island to join her partner (now husband) Matt Thomson, a Kiwi winemaker. She sold her house in Stillorgan and bought a 10-hectare Sauvignon Blanc vineyard in Marlborough with the proceeds.
The couple now have a daughter, Gianna, aged six. Matt, who was awarded the International Wine Challenge (IWC) trophy for White Winemaker of the Year in 2008, is chief winemaker at Saint Clair in Marlborough and is involved with several other New Zealand companies, including Lake Chalice, Delta Vineyards, Cape Campbell, Yealands and Tinpot Hut. Sheena and Matt spend each autumn in Italy, where Matt makes wine for producers in the Veneto, Friuli, Piedmont and Abruzzo. He also works at the Cave de Rivesaltes co-operative in the Languedoc region of France. As if that weren’t enough to keep anyone busy, Matt also does endurance kayaking, and was kayak marathon champion of New Zealand in 2006 and has been doubles champion three times in the past five years.
I met the couple at their home in Blenheim. The Marlborough soil is very fertile (their delphiniums are the size of triffids) and the climate during the summer is warm and dry, with long sunny days and cool nights – ideal for growing grapes (and delphiniums). The cornerstone of Matt’s success lies in selecting quality fruit in the vineyard. After that, it’s a matter of good hygiene and refrigeration practices. Matt prefers to test ripeness by tasting grapes rather than relying on scientific analysis. “I like to take a step away from the analyses and do a harvest based on taste.”
As well as the IWC award, the Australian wine magazine Winestatenamed him New Zealand Winemaker of the Year 2008. Shortly after starting his winemaking career in Marlborough in 1992, he was invited by Australian "flying winemaker" Martin Shaw to make wine in northern Italy for Alasia. At that time, outdated practices and unhygienic conditions were common in Europe. One winery washed out hoses with wine instead of water – not a practice approved of in New Zealand wineries, where cleanliness is way more important than godliness. "The place reeked of vinegar," says Matt. Needless to say, strict hygiene practices were applied in the winery: "They went straight from the 19th to the 21st century."
Matt began working in Italy with David Gleave MW of Liberty Wines in 2000, making Alpha Zeta wines. Matt’s focus has been on working with vine growers, getting lower yields and picking the grapes later. Barbera is a tricky grape to work with, hence the name Ca’ del Matt Barbera d’Asti (see Wines of the Week). “Ca’ del Matt” means “House of the Mad”, a neat pun that refers to the difficulties of making good Barbera.
European commitments mean long periods away from New Zealand, so Sheena and Gianna accompany Matt on his trips. Back in Blenheim, they are working on plans for a wine bar and restaurant. Sheena explains: “We’ll lease the restaurant, but we’ll run the wine bar ourselves. We’re planning to list a lot of international wines, which can be hard to come by in New Zealand.”
Sheena’s vineyard has had excellent results this year. Like most growers in Marlborough in 2009, she reduced her yields. This low-crop strategy has paid off, with aromas and flavours at mid-fermentation looking classic and concentrated.
Although Sheena has been in New Zealand for 10 years, she still misses home. “It’s only in the past year that I haven’t felt homesick. I still miss my family and friends, however, and will always love Dublin,” she says. “New Zealand is a beautiful country to live in, and with all the space and fresh air it’s a great place to bring up children.”
New Zealand is also a wine buff’s paradise: there’s a small boutique winery around every corner in the wine regions, and most have cellar-door outlets offering sales, wine tastings and food. Put New Zealand on your list of “must-sees”.