Behind the vine

Helen Masters - Ata Rangi - Martinborough, New Zealand

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

I loved the people, the energy, the stories and I love the physicality of the whole process from farming to the end wine in bottle.

What story does your wine tell?

It is about who we are as New Zealanders living in a small region and carving out an enduring family business immersed in the soil. It’s a reflection of how we care and respond to our place.

In Te Reo Māori, Ata Rangi means ‘new beginnings’. Every season, every vintage, is a new beginning. The year with its seasonal cycle goes from dormant vines through to fruit that will be what we consume as wine. Each year is a new experience and a new opportunity for expression.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

That it’s made in a chemistry lab. Fermentation happens naturally and all the time, whether in your fruit bowl at home or in a winery with grapes.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

Wine is a farmed, natural thing - it expresses the soil, the weather, the intent of those farming, the style of those making it. Encapsulating the essence of a place and that’s what makes wine special.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

It’s a vocation not a job, it’s a life’s work - don’t expect everything to happen fast. Take the time to live and breathe the vineyard, it’s where the answers are.

Who is a woman that inspired you?

Andrea Frost, she is not a winemaker she is wine writer and philosopher. Read anything you can find - she has taken the time to look more deeply and she reveal insights in everything she writes that always leave me moved.

Where can women find your wine?

We export small amounts to 29 countries, you can find your local options here.