A Nose for Wine: Adrien Berthou Joins Greystone for Vintage!
Originally from France, Adrien first discovered his passion for wine playing ‘Le Nez du Vin’ with his dad, where he developed a knack for identifying aromas. Since then he has worked vintages in several renowned regions including Bordeaux, Mendoza and California. We welcome him at Greystone, for his first vintage in New Zealand. He’s particularly excited to work with Pinot Noir and experience this vintage in North Canterbury!
Q&A:
Q: What is your full name?
A: Adrien Jean San-Mei Berthou
Q: What is your age?
A: 28
Q: Where are you from?
A: I’m originally from France.
Q: How did you get into the wine industry?
A: My introduction to wine started in a pretty fun way. I used to play the game “Le Nez du Vin” (The Wine Nose) with my dad when I was younger, and it turned out I was surprisingly good at identifying the aromas. That early fascination with wine smells and flavours sparked my curiosity and eventually led me into the wine industry!
Q: What other regions have you worked in?
A: I’ve been fortunate to work in several incredible wine regions around the world throughout different vintages. In France I worked in the Margaux region of Bordeaux, I spent time in Mendoza’s Valle de Uco in Argentina, and I also worked in Sonoma in the United States.
Q: How did you hear about Greystone?
A: The winemaker at the winery where I worked in Sonoma recommended Greystone to me. It sounded like a fantastic place to experience a vintage in New Zealand.
Q: What do you do for work back home?
A: Back in France I work in wine production, but I also spend time working as an oeno-tourism guide, sharing wine experiences and stories with visitors.
Q: What is the most memorable wine you’ve ever tasted?
A: This might be the hardest question to answer! To choose something a little unexpected, I would say a 100% Agiorgitiko from Palivos Winery in the ancient Nemea region of Greece. It was a really memorable wine and a great example of a grape variety I hadn’t explored much before.
Q: What are you most looking forward to this upcoming vintage?
A: Even though I could have done this closer to home in Burgundy, I’m really excited about the opportunity to process Pinot Noir for the first time here. It’s such a fascinating and expressive variety.
Q: What is your favourite Greystone wine?
A: I haven’t tried them all yet, but my guess is that the Riesling might become my favourite.
Q: Did you grow up with wine in your family?
A: Not at all!
Q: Did your parents drink it or let you taste it?
A: Well… apparently I may have had a little in my feeding bottle when I was a baby!!
Q: What future aspirations do you have?
A: After gaining experience from vintages around the world, I would love to start my own wine tourism agency in France. Bordeaux would likely be the perfect place for it, as it’s the region I know best.
Q: Is this your first time in New Zealand?
A: Yes, it is my first time here.
Q: What is your favourite task in the winery?
A: Anything involving barrels — filling them, topping them, or mixing. I really enjoy working with barrel ageing.
Q: Tell us a fun fact about you!
A: As someone who loves birds, my challenge while I’m in New Zealand is to photograph the South Island Kōkako and offer it to the Charitable Trust!
