the not serious Holly Girven Russell & Gordon Russell
For this Not Serious chat, Pete and I have the absolute pleasure of sitting alongside a Father and Daughter duo doing things so right that you wish you were part of the family.
Succession — it’s not just one of the best tele shows ever created, it’s also something of a challenge when it comes to the wine world of Aotearoa. I recently wrote a piece on how the future of NZ wine might need to look a lot more collaborative as opposed to inherited, and as if to really double down on the idea, our guests for today have embraced both. There’s some inheritance from an interest and opportunity point of view and they’ve only gone and collaborated to make a really special, actually quite spectacular, wine together from the magical fruits of the Two Terraces Vineyard in Hawkes Bay under the Three Fates label.
Of course, I’m talking about Holly Girven Russell and her dad, Gordon Russell.
These two are a total delight and, as we chatted away, Holly challenged her Pops to a blind tasting of what turned out to be - his very own wine. Did he guess what it was? Did he even guess that he made it? Did any of us manage to guess it? Well, no spoilers but suffice to say the wine was a great nod to Gordo’s experimental and creative wine career.
Gordon has worked as winemaker at one of New Zealand’s most respected wine estates for over 30 years although he didn’t inherit a love of wine rather he had an inquisitive
The Girven-Russell clan, Wendy, Holly, Bobby Rose and Gordon.
mind, curious for the creative things in life, like good food, cooking, art and music and it was while in London as a young chap working in a pub, that his first foray into the fascination of a jolly good beverage really started.Gordo’s an innovator. He spent his winemaking life getting all experimental and stuff with new wine varieties and blends that contributed to the evolution of the NZ wine industry. And he played a lot of vinyl. He reckons he just missed the Punk era but to be frank, it feels like Gordo is adept at embracing a bit of counter culture.
As if London is some sort of portal to a wine career for this family, Holly, surrounded by vines and country life during her childhood is, as it turns out, a city gal at heart. As soon as possible, Holly was off to live the bright lights, big city life in London town herself and with some wine hook ups from her Dad, she ended up working as part of the wine buying team for Marks & Sparks — a spectacular vantage point from which to view wine, I’ve no doubt!
Fast forward to 2025 and you’ll find this city slicker living in Tāmaki Makaurau with her partner and greyhound doggo but in some wild, ‘girls can do anything’ sitch, Holly is now a winemaker, making wine in Hawkes Bay. How? Let’s just say the Waikato Expressway is involved but Holly has earned her winemaking stripes on her own terms which has culminated in a role at Decibel Wines and as one Fate of the truly wonderful, explorative, collaborative wine brand Three Fates which Holly started with pals, Hester Nesbitt & Casey Motley.
Just like a map of London, this chat departs down side streets and little lanes of family memories, shared experience and how making a wine together has created an incredible opportunity that both Father and Daughter have each brought their own inimitable style and panache.
So old chaps, pull your A to Z map book and your tube pass from your satchel, pour yourself a jolly crisp refreshment and Mind the Gap, this is the not serious Holly Girven Russell and Gordon Russell chat.
Gordon, Holly and our Pete post chats at By The Bottle.
CHAT FACTS
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2019 Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Verdelho — Hawkes Bay
antipodes 1L still water
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Three Fates Gordon Russell Chenin Blanc 2024
It’s exuberant in peach, pineapple, honey and camomile aromatics. It’s richly textured and supple with a pithy, fresh finish. The fruit was handpicked, footstomped and macerated on skins overnight before being pressed for fermentation. It was aged in large format, seasoned oak and stainless steel tank.
The wine we tried on the day of the chat was a preciously saved bottle from Holly’s cellar, the 2019 Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Verdelho. The wine hasn’t been available for some time. So in order to make sure you’re not left parched, without adequate supply, I’d like to recommend the wine these guys made together — Three Fates Gordon Russell Chenin Blanc 2024. I’ve tried it. It’s a bomb of tasty goodness and there’s not much left so you’d better get your ten digits on a bottle of this magical Three Fates gear ASAP — find it at By The Bottle
Find Holly @holly_should + @threefateswine
Find Gordo at Gordon Russell Wine + @gordonrussell.wine He hosts tours and takes masterclasses. He’s the biz when it comes to the wine schizz so give him a call.
