Book review: 50 Years, 50 Stories by Tessa Anderson
Bob Campbell MW in Wine Books Become a member to view this article
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50 Years, 50 Stories offers a great read but can also double as an attractive coffee table book. Real NZ Books FaceBook
You don’t have to enjoy drinking Marlborough sauvignon blanc to appreciate this book … but it helps.
These fascinating stories curated by Anderson filled many gaps and reminded me of the many characters involved in making and marketing wines that made the world sit up and take notice.Montana Wines held an official planting of grapevines in Marlborough on August 24 1973. I was there. I still have the official program for that day. It seemed such a momentous event at the time. It was a high-high-risk venture that looked even riskier when three-quarters of the un-irrigated vines died in the first summer drought they experienced.
Tessa Anderson traces the changing fortunes of Marlborough sauvignon blanc during a roller-coaster ride over the past half-century. These fascinating stories curated by Anderson filled many gaps and reminded me of the many characters involved in making and marketing wines that made the world sit up and take notice.
Although Marlborough sauvignon blanc is the hero, Anderson paints with a fairly broad brush. Here are some of my favourite stories.
- “The history of sauvignon blanc in New Zealand” by Ross Spence, Matua Valley (sauvignon’s little-known genesis).
- “Frank Yukich” The father of Marlborough sauvignon.
- “Cloudy Bay” Aussie trail-blazer David Hohnen.
- “The Awatere Valley” A sub-regional late-starter.
- “Oz Clarke” A view from the UK.
- “No lack of mojo” View from US critic, Matt Kramer.
- “How did a NZ wine company attract famous names to partner with them?” Celebrity endorsements.
- “Vineyard Irrigation: A New Zealand first” Water or die.
- “The emergence of grapegrower labels” Adding value.
- “Shake, rattle and roll” Coping with quakes.
- “Water water everywhere and still we have to harvest: the 1995 vintage” The big wet.
50 Years, 50 Stories (NZD $75) offers a great read but can also double as an attractive coffee table book, thanks to the photographic prowess of Kevin Judd and Jim Tannock. Christmas present solved.