the not serious Nick Mills
On a Sunday afternoon on Auckland’s aromatic Karangahape Road, we welcomed winemaker, Nick Mills from Rippon to the newly christened Coco’s Sound Lounge. In town, for the annual Negociants New Zealand Fine Wine Tour, we were grateful that Nick could squeeze us in for a little not serious chat and a laugh or two. This one is for the winos but it’s also for the ski hounds and the musos.
I don’t use the term Original Gangster that often but in the case of Nick Mills and his family they are nothing short of Central Otago’s OGs.
This family’s contribution to their local village goes back four generations and covers sustainable farming, grape growing, winemaking, a music festival that spanned 20 years and showcased some of our favourite musicians and a counter culture ski movement known as Free Skiing.
Rippon Festival. The brain child of ‘Aunty Lynn’ Christie, this outstanding platform gave young musicians a chance to play on a big, gnarly stage with big gnarly established acts. Running for 20 years, ending in 2014, this was one Waitangi Day gig to pop in the calendar.
Much like the vines that grace the schist slopes of the Rippon site, Nick’s roots go deep. He’s a philosopher both by education and natural curiosity. He’s learned and deeply, passionately invested in anything he puts his mind to. Had it not been for a serious wipe out just a few months before the 1998 Nagano Olympics, this well known winemaker could have been a well-known Winter Olympian. He worked through that heartbreak and headed for France where his learnings and love for biodynamic grape growing really took hold.
Pour yourself a glass of Pinot Noir and take in two of the ingredients that make Rippon unique - the steep schist mountains of the Main Divide and the adrenalin-driven freedom of looking at and listening to the land and choosing your own line.
For a not serious chat, we definitely had moments of intense reflection much of which was inspired by the absolutely epic 20 year old Pinot Noir Nick brought along for us to enjoy. Between utterly delicious sips we learned about the parallel lives of a ski racer and a winemaker, we learned how to taste for texture and how, as the current custodians of this remarkable place, this family strives to secure their future on the land.
And let’s not forget how much these mountain people like to party.
So, pull on your one-piece, pop in your ear buds and tighten your bindings. This is the not serious Nick Mills chat.
CHAT FACTS
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Rippon Pinot Noir 2003
antipodes still mineral water
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Wine folk
Chris Ayson — wine rep and previous General Manager to Rippon
Ben Leen of Alpine Wine, established in 2018
Hannah Wells of Puffin Wine Bar, established in 2019, this bar is one Wellington’s favourite. Casually described a ‘wine pub’ this joint is the biz and right up our strasse. Designed to share the good wines without the snobbery. Save me a seat!
Jonathan Brookes — is wine importer and a wine columnist.
Romeo Bragato — Alessandro Romeo Bragato played a significant role in the development of the wine industry in Australia and New Zealand. The Bragato Conference is one of standard annual events in the NZ wine calendar and focuses on the viticulture and land specifically.
Premier Richard Seddon requested the loan of the services of Romeo Bragato from the Victorian Government in 1895.
Bragato arrived in Bluff, and was escorted by government officials to assess prospects for viticulture and wine making in New Zealand. His resulting report ‘Prospects of Viticulture in New Zealand’ submitted to the Premier on 10th Sept, was very positive and became important in promoting the development of the young wine industry
Rudi Bauer — current winemaker and co-owner of Quartz Reef, Rudi was the winemaker at Rippon in 1991 when he made the region’s first gold and trophy winning Pinot Noir.
Dean Shaw, Blair Walter and Matt Dicey, Larry McKenna — Nick mentioned these winemaking lads with reference to a recent chat they’d had about those early exceptional Pinot Noir wines of the early 1990’s.
Jacky Barthelmé — of Domaine Albert Mann, established in 1654, Jacky has been running the Domaine with his brother Maurice since 1989.
Didier Michel - artist of the artwork that Nick mentioned hangs on the wall at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in celebration of the highly prized, grand cru vineyard site of La Tâche.
Mike Weersing (RIP) — Mike was important for New Zealand's fine wine scene. He was by no means the first to take such a terroir-inspired approach, but it was the absolute single-minded vision, and his deep thinking inspired by his overseas experience and love of fine wine, that set him apart.
Family
Frederick Sargood married Emma Rippon, had a son, also called Frederick who had a son called Percy Sargood. Percy moved to NZ and bought Wānaka Station in 1912.
Nick’s folks - Rolfe and Lois (Lolo) Mills
A couple of Nick’s sibs - Sarah Mills & Charlie Mills
Nick’s wife and their sons, — Jo, Toby and Ford Mills
Pipi the Rat Bag — the Jack Russel who was the ultimate escape artist and social extrovert.
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Musos
Black Lagoon — local Wānaka band who played at the recent Rippon harvest party and Nick’s 50th shindig.
‘Aunty Lynn’ Christie — the brains behind the Rippon Festival, a music festival designed to showcase young, local talented musicians in a professional performance environment.
Atlas Woods / Mike Fab — Mike Fabulous has been an innovator of the NZ music scene for many years, being part of groups such The Black Seeds, The Scribes Of Ra, Recloose, Deva Mahal and The Five Pleasures, Samuel Flynn Scott and The Bunnies On Ponies, Age Pryor, Fly My Pretties and The Tone Moons.
Deep Kick — Deep Kick is a power trio whose members breathe new life into groove/rock, merging the two elements with astounding technical abilities and refreshing melodies.
High Dependancy Unit (HDU) — High Dependency Unit are a New Zealand psychedelic rock band originating from Dunedin. Forming in 1994, the band was described by BBC DJ and presenter John Peel as "one of the 10 best bands in the world you've never heard of."
Shihad — New Zealand alternative royals Shihad are an industrial oscillate rock band from Wellington. The band is made up Jon Toogood, (vocals, guitars) Phil Knight (guitars, backing vocals), Karl Kippenberger (bass guitar, backing vocals), Tim Larkin (drums, backing vocals and samplers).
Connan & the Mockasins — formed in Wellington in 2004 as a quirky blues-pop band featuring Connan Hosford, Seamus Ebbs and Ross Walker. After releasing two EPs, they relocated to London in 2006 and began to attract industry attention. Walker left in 2007 and was briefly replaced by James Milne (Lawrence Arabia) but then Hosford declared that, after 15 years of playing bluesy rock’n’roll, he wanted to move in different directions. The band broke up and he embarked on a solo career as Connan Mockasin which saw him supporting Crowded House in 2010.
The Mint Chicks — were a New Zealand noise rock/art punk group (the band began to refer to their style of music as "troublegum"[1] and have been referred to as anything from neo-punk[2] to schizo-pop[3] to the only half-serious genre definition of shit-gaze[4] (along with groups like No Age and Wavves). The band is originally from Auckland who relocated to Portland, Oregon, USA in 2007
D4 — The D4 was a rock band from Auckland, New Zealand. Their music was released by Hollywood Records in the U.S., Flying Nun Records in New Zealand and by Infectious Records in the UK.
The group was assembled by vocalist/guitarists Dion Palmer and Jimmy Christmas, who put together a collection of songs and built a four-piece combo, featuring founding members English Jake and Rich Mixture, during late 1998 and started playing at the Frisbee Leisure Lounge parties along Symonds Street, followed shortly thereafter by inner city pub gigs. They have also played at the Big Day Out and at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
Concord Dawn — Concord Dawn is a New Zealand drum and bass group, active since mid-1999, consisting of Matt Harvey. Until 2010, Evan Short was one half of the group. They were courted by local electronic music label Kog Transmissions and released their first album, Concord Dawn, in July 2000.
Ski folks
Tony ‘Harro’ Harrington — Harro has been capturing breathtaking images at the extremes of snow and surf around the globe for 30 years and his quest to capture these untamed aspects of nature continues to inspire and drive him every day.
There are few photographers who have pushed the limits quite in the way Harro has in big wave surf imagery or big mountain action; he is a rare individual who solidly masters both of these “extreme” worlds.
Shane McConkey (RIP) — Shane McConkey (December 30, 1969 – March 26, 2009) was a professional skier and BASE jumper. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia[1] and eventually based himself in Olympic Valley, California.
McConkey won numerous awards and competitions. He started as a competitive ski racer but moved on to be featured in a long line of extreme skiing movies. McConkey was known for combining BASE jumping with skiing, as seen in such feats as skiing into a BASE jump off the Eiger.
The absolutely epic Rippon Pinot Noir 2003 that we enjoyed during our chat was a special treat Nick kindly shared from his own cellar. Luckily though, the very stellar 2019 is ready and waiting for you to crack.
A massive thanks to Renée, Emil & Stephen at Coco’s Cantina for letting us use your space.
