2023 Huntress Hawkes Bay Chardonnay

Its Origins

Huntress is the personal project of Urlar winemaker, Janine Rickards. "In 2018, Rickards launched her own small wine label, Huntress, after friends from the Martinborough vineyard, On Giants’ Shoulders, asked if she wanted some of their excess grapes. “It was the kind of offer you couldn’t turn down as a winemaker.” From there, Huntress was born, now producing wines that are “wild, pure and honest” expressions of the Wairarapa. That wild spirit and deep appreciation of the land is evident in Rickards’ winemaking process, fermenting with wild yeasts in old French oak barriques, with a minimal handling approach.Central to Huntress wines is the connection to the land and food. “To me, wine is a living product. I like to see it as part of an experience. Food is really important to me and when I’ve been training my palate and winemaking, I’m always looking at it from the sensory experience, the textures and flavours.” With that, comes a connection to the people who grow, hunt and produce the food. Recently, she’s developed a keen interest in foraging, an experience that has helped her connect to her Māori roots – her whakapapa draws back to Ngāpuhi on her mother’s side and Ngāi Te Rangi on her father’s." (Mindfood magazine)