Interview with young wine writer Lady Parker

Young, classy, and passionate about wine Lady Parker is perhaps the ‘sweetest’ thing to hit the New Zealand wine reviews this year. Having grown up between wine country Gisborne and Central Otago, and with the catalyst of her father being a wine-maker, entrepreneur and general ideas man, and mother, an artist – Sophie just turning 22 years has launched her own wine review show that has all the charisma and charm of a mature blonde chardonnay.

With the recent launch of the Lady Parker brand, which focuses on New Zealand wine, Sophie hopes to gain her Master of Wine Qualification – a title currently held by only 250 people world wide. “I seek to bring the world of wine, its people and its stories in a 21st Century format, directly to young people in an accessibe, fresh and undaunting way”.

When did you discover your passion for wine?

Since a small thing, I have been raised in the winery, vineyard and cellar door/wine bar – amongst the passion and belief in wine, and the mystery and celebration that it holds. I loved the sticky squishy feeling in your toes when treading newly picked fruit, the expression of hope with each new vintage, and the wonderful permeating aroma that a wet winery floor, yeasty fermentation and new corks bear.

As a child growing up in Gisborne, where I went to school for a good period of my life it was instilled from a young age that wine was much more than a celebration of life – it was a way of life.

What was your family involvement with wine?

I’ve always been involved in wine – both my mother and father were and continue to be involved in both winemaking and educating – Gisborne was both a great and tough place to grow up in, and it was a major change to finish off my schooling in Central Otago (again we moved down here for the wine – this time Pinot Noir)…. from there I went to Dunedin to study law (perhaps to have a break from wine, but I found myself always coming home to be amongst it!!)

Also, I was born into as my family the only girl – four older brothers, with one younger brother to follow. And all I would like to believe were ecstatic to have a sister! Consequently I was bred tough, competitive, and determined to keep up.

When did you first start writing reviews?

In this format, video reviews I began literally the day I launched Lady Parker, but obviously because MW is such an intensive course I’ve always (tried) to keep tasting notes. The more you write things down and keep a library so to speak, the easier it is to discern between wines, and their individual styles.

I see you have an archive of live wine reviews, how long has your blog been up and running?

Only a short amount of time really! Its been running for just 4 months now, but with so many other projects I have going on I’ve dedicated not as much time as it deserves. Now the exposure and awareness is beginning to build and my confidence in the model has heightened, there’ll be much more time spent in the development of content and layout.

What do you plan to do with the Lady Parker brand from here?

I plan to continue to grow and develop Lady Parker – my ultimate aim is to achieve my Master of Wine qualification (not an easy feat with only under 250 people world-wide having gained it!)

I’m constantly working towards this, furthering my education, training my palate… and I plan to align this goal with my current endeavour – setting up the latest project in the family business (my brother’s have all gone off to do their own thing) so really this is the genesis and continuation of my parent’s dream – The Big Picture – an interactive wine tourism experience which looks after wineries of a particular sub-region in a world-first manner (focusing on wine education – an aroma room – featuring the descriptors of wine aroma, a virtual flight through the wine region in a state of the art wine theatre, meeting the wine makers and tasting their wine – all in the 40 minute time frame). I’m about to launch the first of the new model of Big Picture Wine right in the heart of Central Queenstown.

Lady Parker is my personal project, it’s what I love doing, wine and the dynamism of the internet, social media, film – I love promulgating to the world the uniqueness of New Zealand wine, the entrepreneurism and pioneering stories of people both young and old in the New Zealand wine scene – getting young people especially, excited and enthused about wine!! It’s powerful and provocative.

Another fundamental aim with Lady Parker, is to change the perception of wine – there has been a lot of negative press recently, particularly in New Zealand with raising the drinking age, and generally youth and the abuse of alcohol. I know I’m only a small person, but if I can make even an attempt to bring education into wine and alter the negative or narrow-minded approach a lot of the public take toward it, that is, that it’s just a means of getting drunk, then that is a good deed done. Wine needs to be appreciated, with food, with discussion, it’s enlightening – and the natural flow-on from this is sensible drinking.

Where are you based now?

Queenstown.

And where do you hold your wine seminars?

I’ve held a seminar with two restaurants in boardrooms in and around Queenstown – not too many at this stage, but I would really like to increase these, and I think Queenstown being a service industry there’s a lot of staff who are especially eager to learn about New Zealand and Australian (generally New World wine). I’m learning all the time too … there’s much to talk about!! And of course in a sense there’s a collective learning process constantly online.

What is your long term vision?

Long term vision is to be a world-wide wine educator and writer, not to be a businesswoman but to be a business! Travel, and continue to be at the top of expressive and engaging mediums when it comes to talking about and presenting wine – I plan to do this via my social media / blogging channels and through the bricks and mortar / technology that Big Picture Wine (my parents and I, and a few other key people) are continually developing.

Lastly, what is your favourite type of winter wine?

I can’t go past a really good Pinot Noir – Burgundian in style – more weighty, spicy, and lots of black fruit! Or a big, buttery Chardonnay. Light the fire, pour out a glass for everyone, relax and let the wine speak for itself, enjoy!

Check out Lady Parker’s latest review – The Crossroads Winery Hawkes Bay Syrah 2008:

www.ladyparker.com