Syrah pioneer sells up to concentrate on motor racing
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SYRAH PIONEER: Alan Limmer will continue to make wine for Stonecroft's new owners, but is looking forward to having more time for his other interests. |
Dr Limmer, a soil scientist, started planting his grapes in 1982, one of the first to move into the highly regarded Gimblett Gravels region, then seen as almost a wasteland.
He was the first in modern times to produce syrah, now regarded as the hottest variety in Hawke's Bay, and his chardonnay and gewurztraminer also have top reputations.
"In retrospect the syrah was an accomplishment, though to some extent it was a bit of luck," Dr Limmer said yesterday. "But as they say, you make your own luck.
"Especially in the last few years we've been scoring very highly in reviews across the board – five-star reviews for everything from sauvignon blanc to syrah, and that is very satisfying.
"But I've been doing it for 28 years or so and it's time to move on."
The winery has been bought by Dermot McCollum, a chemical engineer who was born in Northern Ireland but worked mainly in England, and his Kiwi wife Andria Monin, a lawyer.
"We're very aware that we're buying into New Zealand wine aristocracy and we're keen to continue [at that level]," Mr McCollum said. "We want to keep it as a small family business.
"We've been moving towards this day for about five years.
"I did a one-year course in viticulture and winemaking at Tairawhiti Polytechnic, then I did a vintage in Burgundy and I've been working in a vineyard on Waiheke Island.
"We're not planning any revolution; we want to continue with the fruit-driven, elegant style that Alan has crafted over the last 20 years."
Dr Limmer is contracted to work with the new owners for the next three years but is looking forward to having more time for his other interests, including fishing and racing his turbocharged Porsche 930.
"More racing and less crashes, that's the plan," he said.