Winemakers On Fire, Issue #49

Good day, and a warm welcome!

Located on the sun-kissed terraces of Central Otago's Bendigo Station, Misha's Vineyard is a showcase for New Zealand's finest cool-climate wines. The picturesque estate captivates visitors with its breathtaking vistas of Lake Dunstan and the majestic Dunstan Ranges. However, it's the passion and commitment of founders Misha and Andy Wilkinson that truly set it apart.

After global careers in wine, food, and marketing, the Wilkinsons poured their life savings into developing this idyllic vineyard from the ground up. Their dedication to quality has paid off – Misha's Vineyard now exports to 17 countries and has been named one of New Zealand's Top 20 Wine Producers.

At Misha's Vineyard, every detail is meticulously crafted. Sustainable, hands-on practices in the vineyard are complemented by renowned winemaker Olly Masters' "considerate" minimal-intervention approach. The rich diversity of soils, elevations, exposures, and Pinot Noir clones enables unmatched complexity in the wines.

Join us in celebrating the Misha's Vineyard story, where passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence have created a legacy of exceptional wines that captivate palates around the world.

Olly Masters: Crafting Remarkable Pinot Noirs at Misha's Vineyard Through Considerate Winemaking

Olly Masters began his winemaking journey in 1989 in Martinborough before working in Hawkes Bay and Burgundy. He then joined Ata Rangi in 1994, where he served as winemaker/viticulturalist and later became a partner. During his tenure, Ata Rangi achieved significant milestones, including winning the Champion Pinot Noir title at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London three times, along with numerous accolades and trophies in Australasia.

In 2006, Olly made his Central Otago debut by joining Misha's Vineyard, where he continues to cultivate his winemaking prowess as the Director of Style and Taste. Over the past 18 years, he has played a pivotal role in shaping Misha's Vineyard's winemaking philosophy and elevating the winery's status within the New Zealand wine industry.

With his extensive knowledge, global experience, and exceptional palate, Olly Masters continues to cement his legacy as one of New Zealand's foremost Pinot Noir winemakers. His dedication and skill are evident in the exceptional wines produced at Misha's Vineyard, which captivate wine lovers around the world.

With over 20 years of experience crafting exceptional Pinot Noirs in New Zealand, what aspects of Misha's Vineyard captivated you, and what excites you most about the terroir and potential of this Central Otago site? 

The site on which we’re located is spectacular in many respects. I remember the first time I stood on Misha’s Vineyard when I was originally asked to be the winemaker. I felt compelled to take on the challenge of making Pinot Noir from such a dramatic location - one that looked so perfect for Pinot! The steep slopes present unending complexity, which results from the combination of different soils, aspects, and altitudes, all of which sit in a climatically unique part of New Zealand and, in fact, a unique location within the Central Otago region.

Can you elaborate on your "considerate" winemaking philosophy and how the vineyard's meticulous viticulture practices enable minimal intervention during the winemaking process? 

We try to enhance or balance the potential of each parcel of fruit through tools such as canopy management and ferment choices from plant to bottle. There are many passes along the 104 kilometres of vineyard rows each season. With each pass, we’re not only doing the regular viticultural processes such as bud rubbing, shoot thinning, leaf plucking, etc., but we’re also looking at each individual vine and ensuring that it has the optimum conditions to achieve its potential in terms of fruit quality. When so much effort goes into growing the best fruit possible, it makes it very easy to practice minimal intervention during the winemaking process.

Achieving elegance in Pinot Noir without compromising flavour intensity requires careful crop management. How do you collaborate with the vineyard team to ensure optimal fruit ripening? 

By walking the vineyard throughout the season and communicating what I see to the team, I’m able to share what we’re trying to achieve. It’s not so much about a number as an appropriate balance.

Misha's Vineyard emphasises hand-tending vines and hand-plunging ferments. Why is this hands-on approach crucial, particularly for Pinot Noir? 

As vineyards get older, it is generally a matter of trying to do less and simply avoiding overstretching both the vineyard and the ferments. The vines on Misha’s Vineyard are now 20 years old and there has certainly been an evolution in the wines that are produced from the single vineyard site. It’s always important to allow the site to express itself and as the vineyard matures, it has more to say. Managing the processes by hand, rather than machines and prescriptive practices, means we’re better able to interpret the fruit and the flavours. 

The diverse soils, elevations, row orientations, and clones at Misha's Vineyard enable complexity rarely found in single vineyards. What is your approach to blending that captures this complexity in the wines? 

We do have a lot of complexity in the vineyard. We’re fortunate to have 8 different clones of Pinot Noir—both Pommard and Dijon clones—planted on three different disease-resistant rootstocks, and we purchase oak barrels from up to 8 different cooperages in France. We’ll harvest a block of Pommard Clone 5 Pinot Noir at the end of March from our lakefront block at 200 metres above sea level and a month later we’ll be harvesting Pommard Clone 5 from our top block at 350 metres above sea level. Even though it’s the same clone, that fruit will be vastly different. In fact, every barrel of Pinot Noir has different characteristics. 

It's that complexity that offers us so many options when blending. It only takes one day of different weather or one barrel to shift an outcome and potential style/quality, so final blending always starts with a blind assessment of all ferments and eventually also individual barrels with regard to their appropriate destination. Also, the larger palette of flavours, enables us to select and blend to make a consistent wine style, in spite of vintage variation.  

Have you implemented any innovative winemaking techniques or technologies at Misha's to push quality boundaries or differentiate the wines? 

There are always decisions to be made on how much whole bunch component we use, how much we crush the berries, how often we plunge the ferments, etc. Those decisions are dictated by the season and how best to express the fruit. One point of difference from many other producers is that we have always just used 300-litre barrels for Pinot Noir, which are slightly larger than typical but I prefer them for a slightly more elegant touch from the start. 

Sustainability is a core value at Misha's. How have you adapted winery practices to minimise environmental impacts? 

Misha’s Vineyard has been operating as part of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand from the outset, so every aspect of the vineyard, the winery, and the bottling line adheres to these stringent standards. We are fortunate that New Zealand leads the world in terms of sustainability on our vineyards and in our wineries. Within the winery, we can minimise environmental impacts by maximising ambient temperatures and fruit conditions to allow minimum energy input into ferment control other than human intervention - both physical and mental! I also see making sure all grapes get into the bottle in maximum condition as a big part of environmental and business sustainability.

Beyond the renowned Pinot Noirs, Misha's produces acclaimed aromatic whites, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer. What special care or techniques are required to capture their vibrant varietal characters? 

Ripe fruit, appropriate leaf cover, and a combination of inoculated stainless-steel ferments with wild ferments in old oak combine to maximise fruit and texture. Central Otago does provide us with the perfect climate conditions for capturing vibrant varietal characters, as it’s a continental climate with warm days and cool nights, which preserve the acidity, freshness, and varietal characters of the aromatic grape varieties.

Sometimes we’ve used ‘pied de cuve’ techniques to maximise indigenous fermentation, particularly with our Sauvignon Blanc. This is basically an indigenous fermentation starter made from grapes that we harvest and then we let them start to ferment naturally using the wild yeast in the vineyard by handing bottles of the fermenting juice in amongst the fruit still to be harvested. 

In reflecting on your journey in the wine industry, what has been the most rewarding or enjoyable aspect of your work?

The pleasure and privilege of being involved in all aspects of a land-to-table industry is something I never forget.

Olly Masters' Three Key Insights from Our Interview:

1. Considerate Winemaking Philosophy: Olly's "considerate" winemaking approach involves enhancing or balancing the potential of each parcel of fruit through vineyard practices like canopy management and fermentation choices. With the meticulous viticulture at Misha's, minimal intervention is needed during winemaking, allowing the fruit's true expression.

2. Innovation: While Olly implements innovative techniques like varying whole bunch percentages, crushing levels, and plunging regimes based on the season, one unique aspect is using slightly larger 300L barrels for Pinot Noir fermentation, which he believes lends an elegant touch from the start.  

3. Sustainability: Sustainability is core at Misha's Vineyard, which adheres to the stringent Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand standards across vineyard, winery, and bottling operations. Olly minimises environmental impacts through practices like maximising ambient temperatures for fermentation control and ensuring all grapes are bottled in prime condition to avoid waste.

Thank you, Olly, for your valuable insights and for sharing your journey as the winemaker at Misha's Vineyard for the past 18 years. Your dedication and expertise in crafting exceptional Pinot Noir wines have not only contributed to the success of Misha's Vineyard but have also inspired countless others in the world of winemaking.

Tucker Creative's Success Story: Transforming Misha's Vineyard's Branding and Packaging

From the start, Misha's Vineyard has been dedicated to hands-on involvement in every aspect of their winery. They believed in taking an active role in branding and label design, but despite initial positive feedback on their in-house efforts, they knew something was missing. Misha's approached the Tucker Creative team, seeking a design that genuinely captured the essence and passion of their vineyard.

Together, we created a visual identity that reflected the authenticity and personal touch that define Misha's Vineyard. Our design celebrated the unique origin of the wines, with a subtle yet elegant representation of Central Otago's misty blue mountain landscape flowing across the label. A solitary vine in the foreground symbolises the meticulous care given to the vineyard, with eight golden grape clusters showcasing the winery's commitment to excellence.

In 2022, Misha's Vineyard returned to us for an updated look for their core range. We understand the importance of maintaining brand consistency while staying relevant in a constantly evolving market. To achieve this, we evolved the existing label design, keeping its core elements while introducing enhancements and differentiating touches for each varietal.

The colour of each wine's title now hints at its price point and style, with a deep red representing vibrant and affordable wines and a rich golden hue for more elegant and terroir-driven offerings. A textured seal featuring the region's iconic schist rock, printed with a silver lustre, further highlights Misha's Vineyard's sense of place and connection to the unique Central Otago landscape.

Misha's Vineyard's commitment to authenticity, passion, and collaboration shines through in every aspect of their winery. Our work together has resulted in a brand and label design that truly reflects their vision and the exceptional wines they produce.

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