Alan Collinson started his career in the wine industry, trimming tops of nets of excessive growth before harvest. He ended up picking and then helping with processing, which is when his potential was first spotted by his employer, who decided to put Collinson through correspondence training in winemaking and viticulture.
"After working a few years, I managed to get an opportunity for one vintage in France working on a grander scale," said Collinson.
A few years later, he moved out to Karikari Estate, initially as a fill-in for a vintage, but he has remained ever since.
Alan Collinson
Collinson describes the Karikari Peninsular as a difficult environment, where Collinson and the team are continually fighting the elements and doing their best despite the challenges posed by the site location.
The 2019 vintage was particularly difficult in terms of both yield quantity and flavours.
However, working in a unique location means the team is always learning. Vines have a low yielding, producing complex flavours.
Collinson works with what the vines produce, matching his winemaking efforts and style to reflect Karikari's flavours and changing seasons.
Karikari is very small on the winemaking scale, producing wines with a traditional hands-on approach, including the occasional foot stomping and small-made batches.
Commenting on climate change, Collinson has seen earlier seasons and some extreme weather conditions.
"We can no longer rely on a traditional calendar-based system and must adapt each year based on slightly different timing of the vine cycle."
Karikari grows Tannat, which is not planted much here in New Zealand. Tannat likes warmer conditions that Northland offers; It is a bold wine style with excellent aging potential, although it is probably better consumed in slightly cooler conditions.
"A good wine for a cold winter's day."
Karikari has planted Sauvignon Blanc, which will come into production in a couple of years, meaning the company will have a range of wines from Northland-based grapes.
