Michelle Richardson’s professor was the first to introduce her to the idea of winemaking. She was in her final year of a Microbiology Degree. Noting her interest in yeasts, he suggested she look at a career in the wine industry (or beer brewing). At the time, she wasn’t interested. The world was calling! She was itching to travel, and the idea was parked.
After three years of traveling — mostly in Europe — Michelle’s eyes were opened to a whole new way of living, eating, and drinking. She became a sponge to culture. She spent time drinking beautiful red wine from Bulgaria traveling through Europe on a motorbike, stopping at Reims to buy champagne and rotisserie chicken, then eating it on top of a hill looking down on a tiny village while church bells rang out. All these snippets of life opened the door to a brand-new world of wine, and so Michelle enrolled in a postgraduate degree in Oenology (winemaking) at the prestigious Roseworthy College in Adelaide, South Australia.
At college, Michelle built a picture of her dream first job: a great winery where she could learn the practical side of winemaking and, importantly, be close to the ocean. Cassegrain Winery in Port Macquarie, NSW, ticked all her boxes, and she hounded John Cassegrain with weekly letters from Roseworthy before picking up the phone and calling him. He agreed to meet her. Crossing her fingers, Michelle hopped in her clapped-out Holden and drove two days across Australia, from the south to the west coast. Her determination, passion, and ability paid off — John offered her the job as an assistant winemaker, and she’s never looked back.
Working shoulder to shoulder with some of the best in the business in prestigious wineries around the globe — from Australia to Spain, France, and Moravia (Czech Republic), and of course, all around New Zealand — Michelle has said each and every experience has helped cement her winemaking philosophy and ever-evolving winemaking style.
“You never stop learning. Always listen to the vineyard, be respectful, assume nothing, experiment, and trust your instincts.”
Meeting Sir George
It is this attitude, honed talent, and attention to detail that has left accolades in her wake. She first met Sir George Fistonich in 1992 when she was working as a vintage cellar hand at Villa Maria. In 1993, he offered her the job as Senior Assistant Winemaker. Here, under the watchful guidance of Chief Winemaker Grant Edmonds, she was given the run of the winery and the space to flex her winemaking muscles. It was a revelation. Her confidence grew along with her exceptional ability to make great wine. It was a pivotal time for Michelle who, like many others in the industry, is grateful for the culture and opportunities George created at Villa Maria.
Michelle followed her heart and family and lived in Prague for several years before deciding to relocate back to New Zealand. Even before Michelle returned to New Zealand in 2019, George was talking to her about his vision for a new winery. George didn’t waste time and offered Michelle the job to create wines for his new venture and winery. Which is why, three decades on since Michelle and George first worked together, Michelle is playing an integral role at Čuvar, creating wines that celebrate culture and tease out the nuances of special vineyards in varieties and blends she loves to make.
Michelle’s biggest learning
When asked what her biggest learning has been as a winemaker, she says it’s the people.
“People, People, People! We have these wonderful stories that the wines are made in the vineyard yadda, yadda. Vines without the right people mean zip. Good fruit without the right support and people means zip. It’s People.”
