A passion for flavour: Meet Portia Prangley, starting her wine making journey at home here in New Zealand!
Portia joins us at Greystone for her first vintage! Born and raised in New Zealand, we are excited for her to share her knowledge from her Master’s degree in Wine and Viticulture.
Q&A:
Q: What is your name?
A: Portia Prangley
Q: How old are you?
A: 26
Q: Where are you from?
A: Auckland, New Zealand
Q: How did you get into the wine industry?
A: I worked for a few years in beverage product development as a food technologist. I loved the work so I started seeking to expand my work opportunities and applied to Lincoln University’s Masters of Wine and Viticulture!
Q: Is this your first vintage?
A: Yes! I’m excited to get stuck in and apply what I learnt in my studies to this vintage!
Q: How did you hear about Greystone?
A: I live with Emma Lloyd’s, Greystone’s Cellar Master’s, sister Ciarrai, who introduced me to Greystone.
Q: What do you do for work back home?
A: I am lucky enough to call Aotearoa home, where I’ve worked as a food technologist in new product development. My work focuses on vodka, gin and whisky RTD’s so I’m excited to bring wine into the mix!
Q: What are you most looking forward to this upcoming vintage?
A: I’m most excited to be a part of a innovate and dynamic team where I can apply the knowledge developed during my masters studies, and gain this valuable experience.
Q: What is your favourite Greystone wine?
A: I’m very much looking forward to visiting the cellar door at some point throughout harvest and tasting my way through the collection! When I visited the winery last spring, I really enjoyed the Greystone Chardonnay!!
Q: Did you grow up around wine?
A: Although my family had little involvement in the wine industry, wine was still present in our home. My dad was a member of the wine society and enjoyed a glass with dinner, however Port was definitely his go to choice. As a family our weekends were often spent hunting, similar to the old English tradition with hounds. Before mounting the horses, we’d gather for a stirrup cup, often port of sherry, a practice said to bring good luck before the hunt!!
Q: What future aspirations do you have?
A: To travel the world through winemaking, learning from different regions and approaches while continually exploring innovative ways to produce more sustainable wines to implement back home when I return to New Zealand.
Q: What is your favourite task in the winery?
A: As I am still fresh to the world of wine, I have yet to discover my favourite task – ask me in a couple of weeks once I’m stuck in! I am eager to gain experience across all aspects of the process and look forward to discovering which areas I enjoy most!
