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AUSTRALIA DAY BALL
HONORING SAM NEILL
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ARTICLES: New Zealand's Great Performer Q & A With Sam Neill Actor Speaks Out Over GM Crop Trial Sam Neill Backs Mid Dome Cause Sam Neill And The World's Southernmost Wine Region Enough Rope Interview TWO PADDOCKS TRIBUTE PAGE 1  New Zealand's Great Performer www.time.com Thursday, April 17, 2008 By MARION HUME Call it a sideways moment. New Zealand vintners Sam Neill and Adam Peren are surveying a rugged hillside vineyard and discussing why Pinot Noir is the most sensuous and elusive of wines. "If Pinot were a woman, she'd be Audrey Tautou in Amélie," says Neill. "Kristin Scott Thomas," offers Peren. "No, Kristin's a dry Riesling," Neill insists. One guesses Neill might know, given that he co-starred with Scott Thomas in 1998's The Horse Whisperer (although he did not appear in the Oscar-nominated 2004 Sideways, which established Pinot Noir as the grail of grapes to a global audience). Neill, who has more than 60 movie credits under his belt and who recently appeared on TV as Cardinal Wolsey in Showtime's The Tudors, leads something of a double life. Back in his native New Zealand, this son of three generations of importers of French vintages planted his first five acres (two hectares) of grapes in 1993. Neill has poured heart and soul not only into such successes as The Piano and the Jurassic Park movies but also into the alluvial-schist soil of the South Island of New Zealand, where his great-grandfather settled in 1859 and where Neill helms Two Paddocks, which is dedicated to the quest for what he calls "the seductive Pinot Noir."  Those who recall the debates of Miles and Maya in Sideways (which, winemakers concur, has had a considerable influence on the popularity of Pinot) might remember that Pinot Noir can be unpredictable yet potentially spectacular. Part of the appeal lies in the fact that the vines thrive only on such steep slopes as Burgundy's 2-mile-wide (3 1/2 km), 30-mile-long (50 km) stretch of C�te d'Or (Burgundy and Pinot Noir are synonymous) and in just a few rocky pockets in such places as Australia, Canada, South America and Europe, along with Oregon's Willamette Valley and the coolest spots in California. As for New Zealand's Central Otago Pinots, the pioneers who planted this epic landscape with vines in the 1970s were deemed madmen.
With its craggy peaks and glacial valleys, Central Otago would appear to be the last place you could grow grapes. Located below the 45th parallel near the tip of New Zealand's South Island and with elevations of 650 to 1,475 ft. (200 to 450 m) above sea level, this is extreme-sports country. The world's top snowboarders compete on mountains buffeted by winds from Antarctica. In fact, Pinot vines don't mind a blanket of snow as long as summer temperatures are warm enough for the slow ripening needed for intense flavors and complexities to develop. "Pinot Noir is not one of those grunty, stand-a-spoon-up-in-it wines. It's fickle and voluptuous and complex," says Neill. "People say there's a lot of wine in the world, but there's not a lot of Pinot Noir, and admirers are looking for regional differences." Worldwide, Pinot Noir's uniqueness is that it seems to carry in the most pronounced way the taste of the land from which it hails. (The French refer to this as the goût de terroir.) "Pinot from here does seem to reflect the mystery of this place," says Neill, whose merchant great-grandfather arrived during Otago's gold rush and grew wealthy from selling supplies, including alcohol, to miners. "So your family have been peddling hooch around here for 150 years," jokes Peren, who hails from such quintessentially Kiwi stock — as New Zealanders would call it — that his grandfather even had a breed of sheep named after him. Peren launched the Peregrine Wines label in 1998 in partnership with oenophile oncologist Murray Brennan of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. (Brennan visits for vacations.) Peren's connection with the land that Peregrine has under vine comes through his wife's grandfather, who won a small plot in a card game. The Peren family also has a single-vineyard Pinot Noir called Two Sisters. A great Pinot may taste heavenly, but it's a devil of a job to get it into your glass. Birds love the sugar-laden grapes (hence the surreal sight in early fall in Central Otago of what appear to be snow-filled valleys, which are in fact a vast expanse of white nets). If the grapes aren't picked exactly as they reach maturity, the thin-skinned berries shrivel on the vines — which, because they thrive on steep slopes, demand that harvesting be done by hand. Yields are low — about 2 tons per acre (5 metric tons per hectare, which translates into about 350 cases of wine). Sauvignon Blanc vines would yield three times as much. Add to that the risk that the fruit will be unstable during the fermenting process (although we'll forgo the science lesson on the effect of Pinot's native yeasts and 18 amino acids). But the greatest enemy of all needs just one night to destroy everything. While vines don't mind snow, grapes hate frost, and the only reliable way to stop cold air from killing a crop is expensive and terrifying. Neill and Peren, along with the other winemakers in a region that features such wine stars as Felton Road and the well-named Mt. Difficulty, are all too familiar with frost watch, which means helicopter flying at night. To keep the air moving, squadrons of choppers fly low, a maneuver rendered yet more perilous because the valleys are crisscrossed with electricity cables. "It scares the hell out of me," Neill admits. "We're desperate to find an alternative. We do use windmills too, but the problem is, on one night your windmill might not be in the right place." It was the Sauvignon Blancs of the Marlborough region farther to the north — including Cloudy Bay, now owned by French luxury group Mo�t Hennessy Louis Vuitton — that really put New Zealand wines on the map. Yet plenty of wine connoisseurs remained skeptical about Central Otago Pinot Noir. Neill makes sure to credit his mentors: the late Rolfe Mills of Rippon winery, who started to plant in 1976, and Alan Brady, who today co-helms a two-man boutique winery called Mount Edward. "It's a small region, and we cooperate with each other," says Neill. "Everyone helps everyone else and pools their knowledge." Rippon, now operated by Rolfe's son Nick Mills, is also significant because, situated on the banks of Lake Wanaka, it has what must surely be the most spectacular cellar-door point of sale on earth, attracting some 15,000 wine tourists a year. Peregrine Wines, too, has a robust cellar-door business, as do other wineries in Central Otago. But don't turn up at Two Paddocks. "We discourage it by being hard to find, because I like wandering around with my shirt off," says Neill, who prefers to drum up sales via a terse and amusing blog. As for how he splits his time, Neill notes that both his professions are "very chancy and very weather dependent." But wine can be much harder work. "I certainly wouldn't turn down a great acting gig so I could be on my hands and knees putting grapes in a bucket," he says with a laugh. Q & A With Sam Neill Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com Issue Date: August 2007, Posted On: 8/18/2007 By Risa Weinreb Wyatt The Kiwi actor and Two Paddocks winemaker discusses the magic of Otago Pinot, eccentric vineyard shenanigans and his chicken-whisperer sheepdog. What’s more difficult—growing Pinot Noir or outrunning a Tyrannosaurus Rex? The man who would know is Sam Neill, the star of films such as The Dish, The Horse Whisperer, and two of the dinosaurically diverse Jurassic Park thrillers. The actor is also a pioneer in New Zealand’s Pinot paradise—Central Otago in the country’s South Island, the southernmost wine-growing region in the world. In 1993 Neill planted five acres of vines at his original property near Gibbston. Today his Two Paddocks produces 5,000 cases of wine annually, including two premium single-vineyard Pinot Noirs (The Last Chance and First Paddock) plus the lower-priced Picnic brand. Wine Enthusiast caught up with Neill between blue-ribbon judging at the WINPAC wine festival in Hong Kong and red-carpet-treading at the Berlin Film Festival for his latest release, Angel, directed by François Ozon. Sam Neill: First of all I very much approve of your magazine’s name. Enthusiasm is the first thing that comes to mind when I talk about wine. Wine Enthusiast: I understand that wine was “bred into you” from your father, a wine importer. SN: It’s not only my father’s influence—I come from generation after generation that has been hopelessly enthralled by wine. Neill & Company, which was founded 1859 by my great-great grandfather, imported wines from Bordeaux. It’s amazing how many Irish families are in the wine business when you can’t grow wine grapes in Ireland—Lynch-Bages, Hennessy... all these Irish names. WE: You grew up in Dunedin on the coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Describe your early visits to Central Otago. SN: My family went to Central whenever we could—in the winter to ski, in the summer to camp. In those days, the trip took six to seven hours down dusty roads. Central always has been and remains my ideal, the place where I feel most at home. I get giddy with exhilaration at the power and beauty of its landscapes. The fact that it’s also an extraordinary place to grow wine is a happy coincidence. WE: On the Two Paddocks Web site, you refer to yourself as “The Proprietor.” How involved do you get in the vineyard and the winemaking? SN: I’m active in every part of the process. Dean Shaw [winemaker] and Richard Flatman [vineyard manager] pretend to defer to me. I have my own John Deere tractor I ride on. I put on earmuffs, sing to myself, and fortunately the tractor drowns out the noise of my singing—I’m not a very good singer. I also insist that every part of the winemaking has to be enjoyable. If it weren’t fun, it wouldn’t be worth the effort—the same as my acting career. WE: What makes the Pinot Noirs from Central Otago unique? SN: What’s distinctive about Central is the vivid, bright fruit. There’s something about the clarity of air here—you can see 100 miles with that blue air sweeping right down to your feet. That’s what Central Otago Pinot Noir is to me. The wines offer a new and equally valid expression of Pinot Noir—similar to how Marlborough changed the perception of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s immediately apparent that a good Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough is a departure from Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé. It’s true for the Pinots from Central Otago too. We’ve been growing Pinot here for only 20 years—a drop in the bucket so to speak. We’re still learning more about ourselves, our wines, our terroir. WE: You have quite a menagerie at the Two Paddocks estate. Who are some of the resident animals? SN: We have a goat—his job is to keep the water races free of weeds—and potbellied pigs. I also have Suffolk sheep, the ones with black faces—they’re rather graceful lawn adornments. Every time I come home, there are more rare chickens—we’re up to about 10 different breeds. I also have a sheepdog that’s completely baffled by sheep, but she has one chicken that’s her friend. She’s more of a chicken whisperer than a sheepdog. Finally there’s the company dog, Fire, who recently ate my Mini Cooper S. WE: Does The Proprietor have any closing thoughts? SN: I regard my life with wine as an adventure—not just my growing of wine grapes, but my wine traveling as well. For updates about Two Paddocks—including the latest on the dog-eats-car fracas—check out Sam Neill’s very entertaining blog at www.twopaddocks.com. The 2005 wines were released in the U.S. in June; for details visit www.totalbeveragesolution.com or call 843.801.0761. Actor Speaks Out Over GM Crop Trial Monday, 4 June 2007 www.stuff.co.nz After battling resurrected dinosaurs in the movie Jurassic Park, Kiwi actor Sam Neill should know a thing or two about the dangers of tinkering with nature. The Hollywood star has come out swinging over a decision to allow field trials of genetically-modified crops near Christchurch. A 10-year trial growing pest-resistant GM foods was recently approved by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma). Erma general manager, new organisms, Libby Harrison, said the field test will be subject to strict controls to ensure the crops stayed within the test site and did not enter the food chain. But from his Queenstown home,Neill said the decision was "potentially disastrous for New Zealand farmers, primary producers, exporters and indeed the country". Neill, who runs the environmentally friendly Two Paddocks wine label in Central Otago, said New Zealand's clean, green image was at risk with the move. "At a time when New Zealand produce is unfairly being characterised as a criminal source of carbon, it must be self-evident that the perception of New Zealand as sustainable, GM free, clean and greener than ever must be nurtured at any cost." Crop and Food research leader Dr Mary Christey, who will run the trial, said the goal of her research was to find ways to keep crops free from caterpillar damage without using synthetic pesticides. General manager, research, Prue Williams, said New Zealand scientists must continue to explore the benefits of GM technology. But Neill called for the trial to be abandoned. He has a keen environmental focus, and is patron of the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust. He has also joined efforts to rein in subdivision around Queenstown. Sam Neill Backs Mid Dome Cause southlandtimes.co.nz By Jared Morgan Friday, 27 April 2007 New Zealand actor Sam Neill has lent his name to a cause designed to protect the natural landscape in Northern Southland. The film and television actor, and owner of the Two Paddocks winery in Central Otago, has agreed to be the patron of the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust. Trust member Ali Timms said Neill would give the trust a higher profile and raise awareness of its cause. Filming commitments meant Neill would be unavailable to officially announce his patronship until August, she said. Launched in August 2006 by Land Information Minister David Parker, the trust was set up to protect Mid Dome's landscape and the biodiversity of the tussock land by eradicating wilding pines. Funded by Land Information New Zealand (Linz) and Environment Southland, with the Ministry for the Environment and Department of Conservation (DOC) also in the partnership, the trust aims to stop the spread of wildings originating from trees on what is now Crown-administered land around the top of Mid Dome. The trees were planted on Northern Southland's Mid Dome in the 1950s to counter erosion, but their self-sowing characteristics have become a serious problem in the area because the trees spread quickly and have been taking over surrounding pasture land. The trust's five trustees are: Alan Mark (professor of botany, Otago University), Robert Durling (Athol farmer), Alison Broad (community representative), John Aspinall (Federated Farmers high-country representative) and Ali Timms (Environment Southland councillor). Sam Neill And The World's Southernmost Wine Region July 28, 2006 www.newzealand.com Sam Neill may be an international man of movies, but his heart belongs to New Zealand - and you can pinpoint the spot to three paddocks in the ruggedly beautiful region of Central Otago. Deep in the South Island is where Neill and his family retreat to when he is not filming. But he has little time to sit back and soak up the scenery - the snow-laden peaks of the Remarkables and the serenity of Lake Wakatipu below Queenstown. When he is not making films, Neill is back home pulling on dirt-smudged boots and working on his other career and passion - winemaking. The vineyards that produce grapes for Neill's Two Paddocks label sit in the world's most southernmost wine growing region, at latitude 45 south. Two Paddocks specialises in pinot noir, the temperamental red wine grape which flourishes in Central Otago, where the summer days are longer and the winters are cool but dry. Although Central Otago is one of the newest wine growing region amongst New Zealand's 13,000 hectares of vines, it is already making its mark on the world's wine stage. In a landscape steeped in mining history, pinot noir is the new gold.
Neill makes the most of his spectacular surroundings - when he is not working, he enjoys skiing the slopes of Coronet Peak, which watches over his very first vines at Gibbston. But he is also well known as a passionate advocate for protecting this environment, especially around Queenstown, the jewel of New Zealand tourism and the world's adventure capital. Neill was born in Northern Ireland but his family moved to New Zealand's southern city of Dunedin when he was three. He soon fell in love with the untouched landscape of 'Central'; with its dramatic far-flung horizons and big sky. He collects artworks of the landscape by famed local artists, like Grahame Sydney, and is a trustee on the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation. 'It becomes increasingly clear to me how vital conservation in New Zealand is for our future, and how important our National Parks are in that future,' he says. Enough Rope Interview June 7, 2004 ANDREW DENTON: Welcome, Sam. SAM NEILL: Thank you. ANDREW DENTON: Now, you seriously are a winemaker, aren't you? Is this something you dabble in, or is this a major exercise for you? SAM NEILL: It's something I started about 10 years ago, and I planted some vines, and now I've planted a whole lot more. And we produce what I think is an excellent wine. I was hoping that I'd got to the stage of life where the wine would be supporting me, but sadly, I'm still supporting the wine, because it's a very expensive operation. ANDREW DENTON: It's had great reviews, though. It's been described as 'sex in a glass'. How have you managed to bottle sex, Sam? AUDIENCE LAUGHS
ANDREW DENTON: I actually have my own vineyard, which one shouldn't advertise on the ABC. But it's Chateau-Denton. SAM NEILL: (With French accent) 'Dontonne'? ANDREW DENTON: 'Dontonne'. That's right. Now, this is a fine wine. It's from a loamy soil. We actually bury my family in the same plot, so it's what I call a full-bodied wine. SAM NEILL: Yes. ANDREW DENTON: I wonder if we could... (Pours wine)
ANDREW DENTON: It does. Thank you very much. It's 'socks in a glass', actually. That's what I like to refer to it as. SAM NEILL: Cheers, thank you. ANDREW DENTON: If you'd like more during the interview, just feel free. We're obviously not going to go the Oliver Reed route, where you stagger around completely drunk, but it's on me tonight. SAM NEILL: I'll keep my clothes on too. ANDREW DENTON: Do you consider yourself a New Zealander? What's your...
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