Katrina Sutherland has spent seventeen years making wine and is currently Production Winemaker and Quality Manager at Kim Crawford Wines in New Zealand. Katrina was in Hong Kong recently to promote her wines and bc asked her about the life of a winemaker.
I’m sure most of our readers think they know what / who a winemaker is, but how would you describe your job?
You need to be a little bit of a scientist, a little bit of an artist, be a little bit of a mechanic and have a little clown in you as no single day is the same!
What are the most challenging aspects for you of being a winemaker?
Working with a product that is subject to a variety of conditions is challenging; no matter how hard you work or prepare, nature will always send a curve ball. But for me that is also half the fun!
What gives you most pleasure (in winemaking terms)?
After all the hard work seeing someone at a restaurant or bottle shop buying your wine – in New Zealand, Shanghai and Hong Kong! There is a lot choice out there so that always gives me a buzz.
Working for a global wine producer, do you have much flexibility in what you produce and the changing flavours – or is more produce x of this, y of that with this flavour?
Working for a global producer allows me to make wines in a wide range of styles for markets all around the world and for people who are wine savvy as well as those who are just starting on their wine journey. We are able to make wines that may only make up 500 cases but can also able experiment a little with new product development and testing new concepts.
In Asia beyond the problems of fake wines there’s a lot of “love of a pretty bottle”, “It’s expensive, so it must be good”. As a winemaker what can you do to change these perceptions?
It is all about getting out and talking to people and challenging those concepts. Wine is a very individual thing and by giving people the confidence to make their own choices – by taking them first hand on my adventure and explaining what goes into the bottle, and how it came about is the best way to do that.
What does the future hold for New Zealand wine?
Continuing to develop the fantastic flavours that make our Sauvignon Blanc so exciting, and introducing people to other varieties that we make in New Zealand and that are as equally as distinctive as our Sauvignon Blancs such as Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling.
What trends would you personally like to see evolve within the wine industry over the next decade?
Getting rid of the pomp and circumstance, the snobbery and flowery language and breaking down the perception that you need to know a lot about wine to enjoy it. Wine should be accessible to everyone to enjoy without those barriers. Winemakers can help this by contributing to the rapid growth in practical wine education around the world.
