Perfect mix brings grape expectations

WINNER: Cameron Price is the 2016 HB Young Viticulturist of the Year champion. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Up-and-coming viticulturist Cameron Price says time is wine's most crucial ingredient. We asked him five questions.

What was your reaction to winning Hawke's Bay Young Vit last week?
In the most cliche answer ever, "Over the moon" to have all the hard work and perseverance pay off from competing in previous years and finding my weak points and working on those. Also relieved to be able give something back to those who supported me in the lead up as well as the support during the competition itself

What sort of prep are you doing for the national finals?
Making use of the resources that I have at hand from talking to those who have competed at nationals, it also helps having three past winners of nationals at Villa Maria who are more than happy to talk, as well as last year's winner over the fence.
A lot more time will be spent researching as well as dusting off the text books, followed by keeping up with the news for the quiz, heading into the last week will see me in speech writing and practice mode.

How important to the finished product is the interfacing between viticulturist and winemaker?
It comes down to the winemaker and viticulturist being able to trust one another, because there is no point in the viticulturist growing fruit that isn't of a quality the winemaker wants. Additionally, the viticulturist doesn't want to put their heart in soul into high quality fruit for the winemaker to stuff up.
It's very important for that interface to happen, as we all know wine is made in the vineyard.

What's your favourite wine varietal to grow?
Cabernet sauvignon. There can be good years and bad years growing cabernet, with the bad years see it having that unmistakably unripe cabernet sauvignon flavour of strong green capsicum. But when we get those perfect years of never-ending summers which see it ripen to that perfect point giving us dark fruit flavours with a hint of spice that we have all grown to love in cabernet sauvignon.

What's the most crucial element in growing great berries?
Time. We spend 10 months of the year as viticulturists tending to the vines to get them to a point ready for harvest. From winter maintenance on trellising, to pruning the vines getting them set for the coming growing season. Spending cold nights fighting frosts during spring, along with tending to the canopy and making sure the quality of the fruit is high enough for harvest.
At any point during those 10 months that we lose time it will affect the end product that we are striving for - great berries. Then comes harvest time where we pray to the weather gods for no rain.