13 Dec 2011 - Zara Tempest
Wine with Matt Dicey
“In the Urbis December issue (page 20) we wave the flag for Mt Difficulty winemakers, recent trophy winners in the Planet Earth section of the London International Wine Challenge. The award was pinned to the Roaring Meg Pinot Noir although a strong focus on sustainability is evident throughout all of their Central Otago wines.
Urbis talks to Mt Difficulty winemaker and general manager Matt Dicey, a man who knows a thing or two about wine with four generations of winemakers behind him and a life-long association with the industry. Taking a few minutes away from the 2011 Pinot Noirs being prepped for the coming summer, Matt answers our questions about wine, art and the best drops of the season.
Urbis: You come from a long line of vignerons but when did you, yourself, become interested in wine making?
Matt Dicey: I was about six and having a glass of Rustenburg (South African red wine) from a sherry glass at the dinner table when an epiphanous moment struck. Or it may have been a long dinner I had with a winemaker whilst I was on a ski break from University down in Central [Otago] in the early 1990s.
U: Would you consider wine making an art and if so how have you developed your art over time?
MD: It’s a lovely combination of art and science. I started from a science point of view but the more that I have practiced winemaking the more artful it has become for me. Time and consciousness of my environment has sculpted my response in the wines.
U: You spent four years working vintages overseas, how has this helped to define your winemaking style?
MD: Initially it was through awareness, and then through openness to alternatives and options available.
U: You produce a large range of varietals at Mt Difficulty, but what’s the one you look forward to most each vintage?
MD: Pinot Noir is the lifeblood of Central Otago, whilst Riesling has a neural connection.
U: What is it about New Zealand wines that makes them so special compared with their overseas counterparts?
MD: Our place. Whilst we may not quite be 100 percent pure we live in a very special part of the world and the wines reflect that, giving back a resonance and purity of being.
U: Summer is well on its way - what are your top drops this season?
MD: This is the summer of Riesling! Look out for it in a restaurant or wine bar near you and imbibe!
U: We’ve heard it said that wine is best enjoyed with food, what is your recommended wine and food match?
MD: Seeing as we are all about summer and Riesling currently, how about a beautiful Gado Gado salad with a delectable Mt Difficulty Target Riesling.
U: We can only imagine you have an incredible wine cellar. What are your favourites and what are you saving them for?
MD: Favourites are about the wine, the people, the place all coming together to form an undying memory.”
View Roaring Meg Pinot Noir 2009
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