Who will be the Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year?

Who will be the Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year?

Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition 2024

The Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition provides a fantastic opportunity for viticulturists 30 years or under to up-skill, grow in confidence, widen their network and start making a name for themselves within the industry. ⁠

Marlborough competitors will undergo a mix of practical and theoretical modules from pruning to budgeting. They will go head-to-head in the BioStart Hortisports event, a quick-fire quiz as well as give a speech at the awards dinner.   ⁠

Recognising that great wines begin in the vineyard, the Young Viticulturist of the Year competition celebrates the future of viticulture. We are pleased to introduce the Marlborough viticulturists competing in the Marlborough competition this 4th July 2024.

André Dippenaar, Constellation Brands Ltd

André is a 29-year-old Operations supervisor for Constellation Brands at their Dashwood vineyard. André started his career in viticulture in 2020 and has been loving every second of it since then. He graduated from Elsenburg with a bachelor’s degree in Pomology and Agronomy and went on to do a postgraduate at the University of Stellenbosch in cover crops. André’s been in agriculture all his life growing up on his family farm in South Africa, and has completed five vintages to date, four in the winery and one in the vineyard. He is enthusiastic about life and loving what he does ensures that he has not worked one day in his life. Outside of work he enjoys hiking, baking sourdough and having a classic braai with his mates.

Anna Kelland, Constellation Brands Ltd

Anna is a Viticulture Technician for Constellation Brands, and first worked in the vineyard in 2020 during her studies towards concurrent degrees in Viticulture and Wine Science at EIT. Originally from Hawke's Bay, she has worked as a cellar door assistant, cellarhand, laboratory technician, and vineyard operator. She now enjoys the research and data analysis involved in her job as a viticulture technician after making the move to Marlborough last year. Anna is dedicated to gaining as much knowledge as she can about all things wine and is always interested in anything involving science. She hopes to study even more in the future and add value to the industry by sharing new findings from research and field trials. When she's not in the vineyard, Anna likes cooking and she's also a soprano who loves singing musical theatre and opera.

Dan Du, Whitehaven

Dan Du is 28 years old and currently works as a Viticulture Technician at Whitehaven in Blenheim. Her journey into viticulture began several years ago when she graduated from Lincoln University with a bachelor’s degree in Viticulture & Oenology in 2019. Dan has worked 7 vintages in Marlborough, gaining experience in various roles within the wine industry whilst discovering her passion for viticulture. She finds joy in working in the field, where each day presents an opportunity to observe the intricacies of nature up close. Dan is eagerly looking forward to participating in this competition, as she sees it as a chance to further her knowledge and skills in the field of viticulture.

Eric Bryan, Indevin

Eric Bryan is a 28-year-old vineyard worker in Indevin’s Awatere Vineyards. He relocated for the role in January 2024, having begun his journey with the company in Auckland as a cellar hand at Villa Maria, Mangere in February 2023. Before entering the wine and viticulture industry, Eric worked for six years in the horticulture industry having graduated with a Bachelor of Agricommerce from Massey University in 2017.

During Eric’s first harvest, he was the dayshift supervisor for Pinot Noir mechanical picks in Awatere and Wairau vineyards. Whilst new to the viticulture, Eric has hit the ground running and never shies away from a challenge.

Harrison Chou, Pernod Ricard

At the age of 25, Harrison Chou works as a Vineyard Operator at Pernod Ricard. After completing a bachelor's degree in viticulture and oenology at Lincoln University in June 2023, he embarked on his second vintage in New Zealand. His passion lies in the outdoor work of vineyards, where he devotes himself to gaining expertise in sustainable vineyard practices. Harrison's primary goal is to excel in cultivating premium grapes for winemaking. He is committed to honing his skills to contribute to the creation of exceptional wines.

Harry Watson, Spy Valley Wines

Harry is 20 years old and works as a machinery operator at Spy Valley Wines. In addition, he is studying a bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking degree at NMIT. His passion for a career in the wine industry began with a summer job at a small vineyard and winery on Waiheke Island that captivated his interest and inspired him to pursue the career path further. Since then, he has worked two vintages in Marlborough and Waiheke Island. Harry is looking forward to gaining knowledge and experience from the competition this year.

Laura Hammond, Babich Wines

Laura Hammond, Vineyard Supervisor at Babich is a fifth generation Marlborough farmer. With a keen interest in all living creatures in the vineyard ecosystem, Laura has had a lifelong love for insects and biodiversity. Each season she brings an optimistic and curious approach to work, always eager to learn and collaborate. Laura has an imaginative spirit; she enjoys creating music, art, and cooking food to be shared over a glass of wine.

Liv Bishop, Delegat/ Oyster Bay

Liv Bishop is a 25-year-old Vineyard Operations Supervisor at Delegat’s 320ha Fault Lake vineyard. Liv has recently completed a graduate diploma in viticulture science through the Eastern Institute of Technology. She is particularly passionate about soil health and vineyard sustainability, with plans to embark on further studies in the field of soil science following her graduation from EIT in mid-2024. When she is not at work, Liv enjoys all things outdoors, be it mountain biking, diving, hiking, or pack-rafting; she is always happiest when outdoors.

Lizzie McMullen, Seresin

Lizzie McMullen is 25 years old and is a vineyard operator at Seresin Estate. She graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Winemaking & Viticulture from NMIT and started her career working in a medium-sized family winery in the cellar, lab, vineyard & cellar door in 2019. Lizzie recently moved to Seresin Estate in 2024 to pursue a career in viticulture, specifically focussing on organics & biodynamics. She is passionate about the variety of wine styles Marlborough creates and her current goals are to further improve her knowledge in vine growing and conduct trials in the vineyard that provide beneficial data to her team. Outside of work, Lizzie enjoys competitive powerlifting, going for adventures with her puppy & sitting in the sun reading on her kindle with a glass of wine.

Nav Sandhu, Little Oasis Vineyards

Nav Sandhu, 29, excels as Vineyard 2IC at Little Oasis Vineyards, Seddon, Marlborough, fuelled by his viticulture passion since 2015 and a Diploma in Viticulture and winemaking from NMIT. With seven vintages under his belt, he strives for professional growth and industry innovation. Beyond work, Nav indulges in photography and hiking, embracing nature's beauty.