Huia folk | Josh Lee
As Claire Allan takes a well deserved sabbatical of sorts before she returns as a Wine Consultant, we take great pleasure in welcoming a new winemaker to the Huia whānau. Winemaker, Josh Lee may have big shoes to fill but his experience in making delicious wine around Aotearoa along with the romantic climes of places like Spain, Germany and Greece, we know he’s one foot stomp away from making his own mark and we couldn’t be more excited. To make Josh feel at home we asked him a bunch of questions to get to know him better.
There’s a bit of an accent. Where are you from?
I’m originally from Brighton, a seaside city on the south coast of the UK.
What brought you to Marlborough?
I came to Marlborough just for a vintage at Dog Point in 2016 but I still remember the moment I got off the ferry in Picton and was just blown away by the stunning landscape. The amazing, vivid wines made me fall in love with the region so I kept coming back. I found myself in Central Otago for three years but always knew that Marlborough was a place I wanted to come back to.
How did you first get into the world of wine?
I grew up in a wine drinking family so it was always something I was interested in. I never considered production until I worked for an insurance company who offered me money to study. I wanted to do something that wasn’t sitting behind a desk so I found a degree in viticulture and oenology, quit my job and decided to get a job in a vineyard to fund my studies.
What part of the job do you find most rewarding?
The people! I find this industry has such wonderful passionate people. It certainly helps that we have a delicious drink at the end of it all too!
Where were you working before you started at Huia Estate?
I’ve worked at a diverse range of wineries in 7 countries. Mostly premium, organic and biodynamic producers. Much of this experience had been making traditional method sparkling wine, including biodynamic Gramona in Spain, ultra premium Nyetimber in the UK and Akarua in Central Otago. Within Marlborough I’ve worked at Dog Point, Greywacke and Whitehaven but I felt the one thing missing from my CV was winemaking on an epic scale so I decided to take a job as a winemaker at VinLink Marlborough, one of New Zealand’s biggest wineries to really get my head around logistics and efficiency. I learned heaps but my heart was really in small, premium winemaking so when the job at Huia came along, I jumped at the chance.
Is there a specific grape variety you like working with?
I love working with Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough in my opinion makes some of the best Sauv in the world so I feel blessed to be able to work with it! I also love Chardonnay, particularly for bubbles and Pinot noir is magic too. Its hard to choose just one variety!
Describe your favourite season from the point of view of wine farming / making.
Harvest is my favourite time of year. It’s the time when we make all the important decisions and is the culmination of a lot of hard work for the vineyard and just the start of the work for the winery.
So you grew up in a wine-drinking family but it sounds like you also married someone fairly serious about wine.
My wife, Hannah worked for many different high-end wineries, most recently Dog Point, Felton Road and Prophets Rock. She has more of a vineyard focus but has completed 15 vintages all over the world in wineries. At present she’s taking a break from her career to look after our two young daughters.
What attracted you to come and work at Huia Estate?
The wines! I’m so excited to be working with bubbles again. Combined with vivid Sauvignon Blanc, stunning Pinot Noir and other amazing wines, this was a dream job. What an incredible location too. I’m still pinching myself every time I drive into the vineyard. Claire has built an incredible legacy and I’m excited to continue to make these fantastic wines.
What is your favourite wine style and variety?
If I was stuck on a desert island my one luxury would be a bottle of traditional method Blanc de Blancs.
What do you drink when you’re not drinking wine?
Tea is another passion of mine, particularly Puer from Yunnan in China. Coffee is absolutely essential during harvest and beer is a necessity after a long day in the winery or vineyard.
What are your hobbies / passions outside of wine farming / making?
Travel has long been a passion of mine but with two small children my spare time is taken up with swimming lessons and trips to the library. I’m lucky enough to have a river at the bottom of the garden so I go kayaking when the weather is fine. I love getting out into the bush whenever I can too. New Zealand is the worlds prettiest country so whenever I get the chance to get out and bask in it I seize the chance.
If you weren’t working in Marlborough what other wine region would you love to experience making wine in?
Remaining on my winemaking bucket list is Champagne, Madeira and Jerez. One day perhaps!
We can’t wait to share Josh’s wines with everyone. Meanwhile, we’re very happy to take a leaf out of his book and toast his arrival at Huia with a lovely glass or two of a ‘desert island luxury favourite’ by popping the cork of a bottle of the Huia Blanc de Blancs 2018. Why don’t you join us?
Haere mai, Josh.
