Winemaker keeps close to vine

He's almost a dead ringer for George Clooney but unless you've been wearing gumboots and cleaning out wine tanks at the largest winery in New Zealand, you're unlikely to have spotted Patrick Materman. Yet.

This year that will change. The 40-something has just been appointed chief winemaker of Montana Wines; part of Pernod Ricard New Zealand, the largest wine company in the country.

It's a role he will fulfil from Marlborough rather than joining the great northward drift.

"It means more time on a plane to head office in Auckland, but it makes more sense to be at the hub of winemaking here in Marlborough," says Materman, a keen yachtsman who enjoys sailing his 16m yacht in the Marlborough Sounds during his increasingly rare spare time.

He joined Montana Wines in 1990 in Auckland. For the first seven months he worked as a cellarhand.

He then spent 3 years as a trainee winemaker before shifting to Marlborough where he's worked ever since.

Sauvignon blanc and Deutz Marlborough Cuvee have been his biggest focus but the quantities of wine and the number of people making them have grown hugely since he began.

"When I first arrived in Marlborough it was essentially just three people in the team. All the wines were divvied up between us. We were processing 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes of grapes. Now it's grown to about 30,000 tonnes - sometimes more - split between five to six of us."

While predictions are only for growth, this year's vintage will be an anomaly.

The 2010 vintage is predicted by New Zealand Winegrowers to shrink for the first time. The past two vintages bucked all previous growth trends by remaining static at 285,000 tonnes nationwide.

This year that will decrease to a forecast 265,000 tonnes nationwide.

"It's going to help stabilise the supply/demand balance, which we as a country have out of kilter right now, especially in our overseas markets," Materman says.

"Over the next couple of years I expect growth to stabilise and we'll also be tweaking the mix of grape varieties and wines we make, to meet market demands."

While there is no doubt that Montana's Marlborough mainstays will continue to be sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and, to an extent, pinot gris, Materman says he would like to see a greater following of riesling.

"Many of the best wines we make out of Marlborough and Waipara are riesling.

"I would love to see that become more popular because it can over-deliver on taste and under-tax people on price. It's just a matter of tasting the right riesling."

The German-born immigrant is the son of a Dutch father and English mother. The family lived in France till Materman was almost 5 when they shifted to Auckland, where he was raised.

Wine was part of his early family life.

"Dad had an interest in wine, as did my grandfather who had an underground cellar in his house with a spiral staircase going down to it. Wine was always part of the family but I don't think there was a great wine knowledge," he says.

Materman's wish list includes making more top-shelf sparkling wine; using more reliable closures than traditional cork in bubbly bottles and a rise in riesling.

"I would like to see corks disappear out of methode champenois bottles. Screwcaps for still wine and crown seals for bubbles both do a great job but ultimately I think there might be something better around the corner.

"It takes commitment to drive us towards that and with wine research growing, we're sure to see it."