the not serious Jannine Rickards
I first met Jannine (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi te Rangi) when she was the winemaker at Urlar in Gladstone, a sub-region of the Wairarapa. This part of the country clearly resonates for Jannine as Huntress shifts from a side hustle to the main act. This wonderful wahine still sources fruit and makes wine in this North Island neighbourhood. It makes a lot of sense. After all, some of our best wines are born from the soils of the Wairarapa. But for Jannine it extends further to include the wine folk she now calls whānau, who have supported her transcendence from winemaker for someone else into a vigneron for her very own wine brand.
The name Huntress comes from an extremely pragmatic, utterly pedestrian point of reference for Jannine herself is a huntress.
A childhood spent on a sheep and beef farm in the Coromandel nurtured an understanding for animal husbandry and welfare, alongside an innate awareness of the restorative powers of spending time in nature.
Her own grandfather passed on traditions such as ancient practices of net fishing for flounder, and her father shared his passion for growing a garden that can feed the family. So it shouldn't come as such a surprise that Jannine grew up to combine the two by becoming a deeply respectful hunter and a massive advocate for a plentiful table laden with homegrown goodness. These things are, in essence, Jannine and factors that contribute to how she sees wine holistically fitting into our lives.
Jannine's practice across her winemaking, her gardening and her hunting is based in Te Ao Māori, where land and spirit are inextricably connected. One thing's for sure Huntress wines sure do taste like they summon the powers of Ra, the sun and the mystical whims of Te Whenua, the land, in a magical balance that best reflects the place they come from.
There is something of a nomadic story to the Huntress wines. With no vineyards under ownership or her own winemaking space, Jannine leans into the opportunities that exist around her. Much of the wine story is held up by community and people underneath it, and Jannine's story especially represents this as she sources fruit and facilities available to her each season.
It means she must work hard across a lot of levels of the business and sure, one day she'd love to put down roots somewhere of her own but for now this huntress is happy just making the most of what Papatuanuku, Earth Mother and Ranginui, Sky Father have to offer from wherever she finds herself. Luckily for us that the universe provides so we can smash a glass or two of Jannine's explorative and most excellent wines.
So grab your tramping boots, put on your waterproof parker and make sure the singlet next to your skin is made from New Zealand wool. We're heading bush for this one. This is the Not Serious Jannine Rickards chat.
CHAT FACTS
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The Huntress Chardonnay 2023, Osawa Vineyard in the Mangatahi Terraces of Hawke's Bay
and a 1L bottle of antipodes still mineral water
We happily scoffed a croque monsieur while we quaffed a glass of Jannine’s beautiful Chardonnay. Made from fruit grown on the Osawa Vineyard in the Mangatahi Terraces of Hawke's Bay. this wine was a doozy.
It looks like it might be sold out on Jannine’s site but our pals at By The Bottle have the Huntress Waihonga 2024 online and in-store. It’s a skin contact Pinot Gris with a dash of Riesling. That means it’s nothing like the Chardy we slurped but this wahine is one winemaker to watch so just amongst her gear.
This podcast was recorded in-store at By The Bottle. Thanks, ya good buggers. The podcast was edited with the assistance of Benj Brooking at Popular. Thanks Benj. You’re the best! ♥️🍷
