Our Review
One of only a handful of Māori winemakers, Jannine Rickards has a profound connection to the land. The self-described hunter, gardener and forager grew up on a sheep and cattle farm on the Coromandel Peninsula, east of Auckland, but after harvests at Sileni Wines in Hawke’s Bay, Deviation Road in the Adelaide Hills and stints in France, South Africa and the United States in between, settled in Wairarapa where she established her Huntress label in ’17. Her range varies each season based on the availability of fruit she sources from organic and biodynamic growers across Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay, but generally comprises varietal pinot noir and chardonnay and a handful of blends, such as the Waihonga, a skinsy riesling/pinot gris. All Huntress wines are made with minimal intervention and with intent to reflect the wild, untamed landscape. -ANNA WEBSTER
