Nicky Parish is one half of the talented Misty Cove winemaking team. Her background couldn’t be any more different to her counterpart Emmanuel (Manu) Bolliger. While his winemaking background is steeped in French tradition i.e., smaller cellars, the reverence of terroir, and a handcrafted approach - Nicky cut her teeth in the vineyards of North Canterbury, learning first-hand the role winemakers play in large-scale, modern wineries.
Turns out that the “Ying and Yang aka. Old School vs New School” mix is a rather marvelous partnership. Nicky mentioned they both keep each other honest, and there is plenty to learn as they grow together.
We catch up with Nicky to talk about the modern approach and what’s in store for the future of winemaking; and why Misty Cove’s Landmark Series Sauvignon Blanc is a fine example of the new school.
Nicky Parish. How's it going? Let’s talk about your story. How did you get into winemaking? Was that something you actually wanted to get into at a young age?
“Not at all. I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I went to Lincoln University, and they had a broad range of programmes available to study within horticultural, agricultural, and primary industry. I sort of did half plant science, half animal science, and my parents owned a vineyard, so I spent my holidays working there with mum and dad. From here I grew to love grapes and took some papers on viticulture, and it made sense to me.
I became quite passionate about the subject and thought I was going to be a viticulturist. I never wanted to be a winemaker, because my brother is a winemaker, and thought ‘that's his thing’. I wanted to be different but after graduating I worked at a winery for my first vintage, and have never left.”
Tell us about that time...
“It was just amazing - to see what happens - and getting the practical side of what I'd learned at university. Because I'm quite a practical person, it was nice to get that hands-on experience. I was the lab girl, and the chief inoculator. It was just so exciting and invigorating to go to those tanks every day, smell, and watch these beautiful juices turn into wine, which was just incredible.”
Do you have a very clear memory of an ‘aha moment’, where you were like, "shit, this is great. I want to be a winemaker"?
“I think in my first year when I worked at the Mission Estate in the Hawke's Bay, I asked my boss if we could do some wild ferments in barrel for the Chardonnay – like it was new and cutting edge!
He agreed to it, but thinking back he already probably had done this many times previously, and was just humoring me. I thought I knew everything, being young and enthusiastic, but it was just an amazing experience. This is when I fell in love with Chardonnay, and especially barrel fermented Chardonnay. That was my moment of… Well, I just knew this was what I wanted to do.”
What is your favourite part of the winemaking process?
“Vintage is always exciting because there's a lot going on, and it's very dynamic. You have to be really on top of your game. The dispatching and bottling sides are probably the least romantic, but areas where I have gained good experience. I'm also quite logical and a production planner. I've worked for some big companies where production planning is vital by making sure we hit targets to get the wine out on time, or to get a certain volume and efficacy. I probably really enjoy that side as well because I'm quite a logical person. I love a good spreadsheet.”
