She's served the Queen a G & T and Tommy Lee Jones a whiskyand now she's in Martinborough on a mission to raise the domestic profile of Schubert Wines. At just 30, German Christine Calmus has quite a pedigree with stints working at swanky London eateries the Connaught and the Dorchesterand advisory roles in hospitality in Germany. The Connaught, in Mayfair, was once leased by Gordon Ramsay's company and it's where Ms Calmus served the Queen, who she said was was ``friendly and smiling,'' as she was served her a yuletide Beefeater and tonic. The Hanover-born bon vivant has been on the job at Schubert for two months as a sales and marketing rep for boss, and fellow German expat, Kai Schubert and reckons the pace of life in provincial New Zealand is something to be savoured. ``In Wairarapa people take more time for each other and try to really socialise _ even the nature, New Zealand is so precious and there are so many different things to do.'' New Zealand had always been on the top of her destination ``to do'' list. Schubert does the vast bulk of its business overseas _ with 95 per cent of stock going offshore _ and Ms Calmus said her role was to push the profile of the brand in
New Zealand, with a strategy to highlight a gentle manufacturing process in an operation that is on the road to becoming organically certified. ``We want to promote the precious pinot noirs, especially in the
domestic market _ of course it's really an advantage if you're behind the product. You sell it in a more natural way,'' she said. Schubert also has the _ possibly unique _ distinction of straddling both the Wines From
Wairarapa and Wines of Martinborough growing districts with vineyards in Dakins Rd and Cambridge Rd as well as a winery in Greytown.
