WINERY INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Work experience reportBYMICHELLE bOOTH

WINERY INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

WINERY DESCRIPTIONVILLA MARIA ESTATE LTD118 Montgomerie Road, PO BOX 43 046, Mangere, AucklandTelephone (09) 255 0660Fax (09) 255 0661www.villamaria.co.nzvisit the web site for map details

WINEMAKERDavid Roper

STUDENTMichelle Booth

VILLA MARIA AUCKLAND WINERY DESCRIPTIONLarge Corporate WineryCrushes over 1000 tonnes of grapes at vintageFocus is on premium Bordeaux style reds, Syrah and white varietals from the North Island Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Viognier and GewrztraminerFinishing and bottling of all Villa Maria wine (including the Marlborough winery)Contract winemaking Contract bottlingWinery operates 24/7 during vintage for 12 weeks from early MarchVilla Maria is New Zealand's most awarded wineryThere are 6 winemakers currently employed at the Villa Maria Auckland winery

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay ViognierI was involved in the production of this wine during vintage 2010DESCRIPTIONTrue to its variety this wine is heady with exotic aromatics, featuring honeysuckle, peach and nutmeg spice notes. The palate is unctuous with complimentary spicy barrel notes providing texture, complexity and length. This wine can be enjoyed now but will develop for up to five years with careful cellaring (www.villamaria.co.nz)

The Viognier grape performs best in regions like the Hawkes Bay with warm temperatures, high sunshine hours and low rainfall. Grapes are grown on vertically-shoot-positioned vines planted on low vigour sites. Careful leaf and shoot plucking in conjunction with strict yield management is undertaken to ensure clean and ripe fruit is harvested in optimum condition. 2010 was an excellent growing season for Hawkes Bay Viognier grapes (www.villamaria.co.nz)

Winemaking Process For Villa Maria 2010 Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay ViognierThe processes I was involved in are marked in blueHand pick fruitCrush/destem fruit to press, soak juice on skins 1-3 hoursPress off to tank with cooling capabilities. Make press cut approx 550-600L/tonne keeping free run juice separate from pressingsAdjust FSO2 up to 10ppm and cold settle juiceRack/warm settled juice taking light lees, leaving hard packed muddy juice bottoms. Warm to 15 deg CSmall % of this juice put to used white barrels for natural fermentationInoculate remainder of tank with Rhone yeast at 300ppm or 0.3g/lOnce ferment dropped to 2 Baume and temp 19-20 deg C cool to 16 deg CTransfer ferment to 2-3yr old white French barrels maintaining ferment around 16-18 deg COnce Baume less than 1 let barrels warm up and run dry

Winemaking Process (continued)Natural ferment barrels often are inoculated for malolactic fermentation and lees stirred to soften acidity, build texture and weightInoculated parcels are usually sulphured to retain the fruit aspect of ViognierIdeally wine remains in barrel for 6-8 months to integrate with subtle oak and develop textureOnce blend decided barrels are gas racked to tankWine is protein stabilised and fined using fish and egg productsWine is cold stabilised then sterile filtered right before bottling

FROM GRAPES TO WINE - VIOGNIER

FRUIT RECEIVALDESTEMING/CRUSHINGPRESSINGSO2Cold SoakingTANK COLD SETTLINGJuice Adjustment Stems to FarmerRACKING OFF GROSS LEES YEAST INOCULATIONTank Warmed 15 deg CBARREL AGINGNATURAL BARREL FERMENTATIONSmall QuantitySO2Malo and Lees stirringGas Racking to TankBlendingFining and Cold StabilisationBOTTLINGSterile Filtered

WINEMAKERS PROFILEDavid Roper on the 2010 Hawkes Bay ViognierThis was a very good growing season especially from our Gisborne and Hawkes Bay vineyards.Good Viognier comes from low yielding vines, our best site (in the Gimblett Gravels) is particularly stony and devigourated meaning the vines are under stress and naturally only produce a small crop.This gives very concentrated fruit flavours in berries and skin. Viognier can have quite tannic tasting skins where some of the flavour comes from.2010 has the potential to be one of our best Viognier years, from Private Bin through to Cellar Selection and Single vineyard. However it is early days yet, we are blending a little earlier than we expected this year, the wine should be available in September.

Fruit Receival

More Fruit Receival

Merlot grapes arriving via truck from the Hawkes Bay (left)Viognier grapes being hand sorted into the crush pit (right)

The Crush Pit

Grapes exiting the Crusher and entering the Destemer (left)Stems loaded on to truck for transportation to local farmer (right)

Crushed/Destemed grapes pumped to the Press

Grapes being hand loaded into the Press for whole bunch pressing

Juice from the press being pumped to tank

Tying Off Oak Staves Inside a Tank Ready To Receive Wine

ORBISPHERE GAS ANALYSIS EQUIPMENT

WINERY VIEW FROM THE 4TH FLOOR

TANKER TO TANK TRANSFER

HIGH VIZ WINERY CREW