Following the success of her first vintage of Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc, Sarah Jessica Parker and her partners Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron from New Zealand-based winery INVIVO & Co have made their 2020 second release together virtually.
In what is believed to be the world’s first ever virtual winemaking session, New York-based Sarah Jessica Parker dialled-in Tim and Rob from their winery in Te Kauwhata, New Zealand to create and sign off their latest blend, over a two-hour Zoom call.
“As always, time with Tim and Rob is a delight. They continue to teach, share their talent and knowledge, and guide me toward better understanding of the privileged world of winemaking,” said Sarah Jessica Parker.
“I’d much rather prefer to be in their company and was concerned that a virtual blending wouldn’t allow for us to arrive with a blend for our new Sauvignon Blanc that would thrill and delight as the first did. I thought the distance would make the kind of necessary communication impossible. However it was our typical fun, surprising, wonderfully perplexing moment, and an ultimately fruitful blend.”
Last year, Sarah Jessica Parker launched her first wine with the Invivo winemakers. It became an instant hit and has sold over 400,000 bottles globally. In 2019, Tim and Rob blended and signed off the Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc with Sarah Jessica Parker in person, but this year it was not possible due to the international travel restrictions.
“It’s important to us that Sarah Jessica blends the wine and signs it off with us – after all her name is on the label so it’s essential that the style of wine we’re making together reflects her tastes just as much as ours," said Invivo Co-founder Tim Lightbourne.
Invivo couriered six wine samples to Sarah Jessica, taken from the latest harvest in March this year. Samples of Sauvignon Blanc from various estates in Marlborough, New Zealand, were taken personally from the tank from winemaker Rob and shipped directly to Sarah Jessica’s home in New York, along with wine-blending equipment in the form of flasks and measuring cylinders.
The wine blending, tasting and adjusting followed the same process that wineries follow, but with theguidance of SJP and overseen by Invivo’s Winemaker Rob Cameron. This virtual winemaking session shines light into the authentic partnership and growing friendship between SJP and Invivo Co-Founders Tim and Rob, and reveals more about Sarah Jessica’s evolving winemaking style and palate.
“We hit a great style with the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc so we felt there were some big shoes to fill with the 2020 wine, especially given this year’s vintage was so different to last year’s. That said, I was really impressed with how Sarah Jessica’s focus was always on trying to create the very best of what we had to work with, rigorously testing each blend option to ensure we were producing our ‘A’ game. The 2020 is going to be a treat," said Invivo winemaker Rob Cameron.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with where we arrived with this year’s grapes,” states Sarah Jessica. “I was so worried as competing with our first Saugivnon Blanc felt slightly daunting given its success and our love for it. But I am supremely excited about this blend and I’m so eager for its launch in September. As always I am just so grateful I get to work with Rob and Tim who are such wonderful partners.”
Earlier this summer Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker Rosé launched as the second wine to the trio’s growing collection. The Rosé comes from the South of France and has been crafted in partnership with Sarah Jessica Parker, the founders of Invivo and a family estate in Provence. This wine was also blended in person with Sarah Jessica Parker and Invivo.
