A Life in Wine: 43 Vintages and Still Curious

Wine has never been just a job for me. It has been a journey — a relentless pursuit of understanding how grapes, soil, climate, and human hands come together to create something extraordinary.

Over the past 32 years I have worked 43 vintages across the world, in both the Old World and the New. From the cool slopes of Burgundy to the humidity of the Hunter Valley, from Romania to Oregon, and of course back home in New Zealand, every vintage has added another piece to the puzzle. Each region teaches you something different, and every harvest reminds you how much there is still to learn.

The Spark

My formal journey into wine began at Auckland Polytechnic, where I took an introductory course on the wines of the world. But in truth, the curiosity started earlier — simply through drinking wine. Like many enthusiasts, I wanted to spend my limited money wisely. That meant learning which regions produced the most authentic expressions of their varieties without paying a fortune.

What began as curiosity quickly became obsession.

In 1988 I moved to Christchurch, where I immersed myself in blind tasting groups. Ten wines at a time, served without labels, followed by rapid-fire questions: country, variety, region, vintage. It was exhilarating and humbling. Those tastings formed the backbone of my palate and my understanding of global wine styles.

The Decision to Become a Winemaker

In 1991 I moved to Sydney, working in a fine wine shop in Paddington alongside Richard Baldwin, a former Lindemans winemaker. Listening to Richard talk about vineyards, fermentations, and vintages ignited something in me.

That was the moment I knew: I wanted to make wine.

I returned to New Zealand and enrolled at Lincoln University, completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Winemaking with Honours in 1992, finishing among the top five students. My earlier science degree from Auckland University — majoring in Botany and Zoology with a chemistry background — gave me the perfect foundation.

But theory only takes you so far. Wine is learned with your hands.

The Early Vintages

My first vintage was with the legendary Danny Schuster at Omihi Hills in North Canterbury. Danny was not only an extraordinary winemaker but also a master viticulturist. Working alongside him in both vineyard and cellar taught me the critical relationship between vine health and wine quality.

At the same time, I began working harvests at Pegasus Bay in Waipara. The cellar work captivated me immediately — the energy, the pressure, the physicality, the sense that every decision mattered.

Harvest is chaos and beauty at the same time.

Those early vintages were tough. Long nights, little sleep, and endless physical work. But they forged resilience. If you can survive a demanding vintage, you can make wine anywhere.

The World Beckons

My desire to understand wine globally led me overseas.

In 1993 I worked at Chapel Down in England, making sparkling base wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Cold night shifts in the winery were a far cry from New Zealand harvests, but the experience was invaluable.

Then came the Hunter Valley in Australia, where the heat and disease pressure presented entirely different challenges.

Soon after, I found myself in Hungary and Romania, working with the German company Carl Reh alongside consultant Angela Muir MW. Winery facilities were basic, conditions sometimes daunting, and logistics complicated — including long drives across borders in the middle of the night to supervise production.

Looking back, those experiences were wild, challenging, and unforgettable. They taught me adaptability — one of the most valuable skills a winemaker can possess.

Burgundy: The Turning Point

My relationship with Pinot Noir deepened profoundly when I worked with Christophe Roumier at Domaine Georges Roumier in Chambolle-Musigny in 1997.

Standing in those vineyards and tasting wines from such historic sites was transformative. Burgundy reveals the purest expression of terroir — subtle differences in soil and aspect translating into profoundly different wines.

From that point forward, Pinot Noir became my obsession.

I later returned to Burgundy to immerse myself even deeper, working at Domaine Nicolas Potel and then spending a year with Pascal Marchand at Domaine de la Vougeraie, farming and vinifying fruit from both Premier and Grand Cru vineyards across the Côte d’Or.

Those years fundamentally shaped my philosophy about wine:
great wines are not forced — they are guided.

MORE TO COME

Posted by Lynnette Hudson – Winemaker