{"id":13669,"date":"2025-11-17T06:11:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T17:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winefolio.co.nz\/?p=13669"},"modified":"2025-11-17T06:14:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T17:14:45","slug":"shaky-bridge-celebrate-50-years-in-alexandra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winefolio.co.nz\/?p=13669","title":{"rendered":"Shaky Bridge celebrate 50 years in Alexandra"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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I\u2019m talking to Mike Kush<\/b> from Central Otago\u2019s Shaky Bridge<\/b> today, to hear about this label from the Alexandra sub-region, and their fiftieth<\/b> year of producing wine. Mike tells me about some of the original vines on the property.<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: As you can imagine, some of those original vines were a range of varietals that they decided to give a go. It wasn\u2019t until the 1980s that the first Pinot Noir was planted. And it has not just been one vineyard, but we have farmed many vineyards throughout our history – but all in Alexandra. Our vineyards now are principally Pinot Noir, with a little Pinot Gris.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: Yes, I came across your Pinot Gris at a Judge\u2019s dinner of the NZIWS, and I see you got a Double Gold. I was actually reading through my notes, which I get to keep. Obviously at the time, I don\u2019t know what the wine is, but I can cross-check with the codes once all the results are finalised. For this one wine \u201cYum, bright, commercial and fruit-led, with a spicy finish\u201d was in my notes. I also just went to the Showcase evening where every Gold Medal winning wine is open for tasting, and I can confirm that I still like it!<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: It is the case that although Central Otago champions Pinot Noir, I firmly believe that in Alexandra we\u2019ve got a capacity to make a world class Pinot Gris. When you talk to Paul Pujol over at Prophet\u2019s Rock, then the comparison that the region potentially has with Alsace\u2026 the Vosges mountains\u2026 and it can be this kind of Continental climate. We\u2019ve got this capacity to get Pinot Gris ripe and that takes it out of the neutral spectrum. Not like Pinot Grigio, but we\u2019re looking for a more expressive style with more aromatics.<\/p>

But Alexandra in particular – it is those cold nights. Pinot Gris – as it ripens it loses that acidity, but we have the cold nights that help retain it. It was a pretty good growing season, and Pinot Gris comes in last from that particular vineyard, and you leave it out there hoping to gain some additional ripeness. I was inspired by Alsace Grand Cru – to get expressive and build texture, then have concentration of flavour on the palate.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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But then there\u2019s also risk. Whether rain or botrytis, that could have those grapes deteriorate. But that wasn\u2019t the case. We pushed it and I knew I had something that was Grand Cru level by the time it got into the winery. And we do a couple of things. A little bit of skin contact overnight on a portion of it, to build some texture in. The majority is fermented in stainless steel to preserve those aromatics, but I do also ferment a portion of that in puncheon. Again, just to enhance that textural quality and complexity.<\/p>

A couple of grams of residual sugar – just like in an Alsace Grand Cru. It\u2019s ripe and if you were to ferment all of that out, maybe the wine would be a little bit too alcoholic? But it will balance with the concentration and acidity, and certainly aid in the ageability of the wine.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: Ah! Well that\u2019s good to hear. And speaking of ageability – I have the rather intriguing wine that you sent me, open here next to me. ‘Home Block White 2010’. And I have already tried it. I have in my notes \u201cVery textural, with a well-balanced mixture of acidity and fruit. Ginger, floral (jasmine), almond, lemon curd and orange peel, with white pepper mid-palate, and not oily”. If I had to try it blind, I would perhaps plump for Gr\u00fcner Veltliner, although it also reminds me of a Marcel Deiss Alsace blend. I love it when people put things together just because it works – not because the rulebook says it must be like this.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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You mentioned earlier how Alexandra is gaining a reputation for being in the right spot. Is climate change playing into your hands a bit now, compared to fifty years ago, when it was presumably considered a borderline area for grape growing?<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: Many elements of that are before my time, but when you talk to Dave and some of the other grape growers – and I\u2019ve done this all over the world – then clearly climate is changing and it is getting warmer. In some corners of the wine world this change is very dramatic and worrying. All sorts of adaption is happening. Given New Zealand\u2019s more cool-climate orientation for the most part – and certainly down here in Central – then potentially Alexandra is OK. Twenty years ago, in the Gibbston Valley some of the vintages were a bit marginal, and you didn\u2019t quite get that level of ripeness.<\/p>

In my experience of the years that I have been here, I don\u2019t see us having a capacity to not ripen the grapes. In fact, we\u2019re not one who want to have over ripeness. So we\u2019re in a particularly good moment. That asset of those cool nights maintain that acidity that comes through in Central Otago wine. That precision on the palate gives Central Otago wines the ability to be world class. I think there is a global trend towards fresher wines. Burgundy, which is the home of Pinot Noir, has certainly seen climate change.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: Definitely. I was at a presentation of wines from Bordeaux yesterday and there\u2019s a move to wanting their wines to be drinkable earlier – inside that 5-10 year window. Looking at that – do you think Central Otago has grown up a bit with its wines? Not just doing what it could<\/i>, and perhaps more of what it should<\/i>?<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: I\u2019m well aware of the style that the region was perhaps originally known for. Back when I arrived in 2009 there was a diversity of style that was starting to emerge. If it is evolution, maturity, a new generation, influences from other corners of the world, or whatever\u2026 it’s still trying to be proudly and uniquely Central Otago. It is perhaps also, though, a Burgundy-alternative – with that acidity, some structure and savouriness. The different sub-regions all have the ability to express themselves. The best is yet to come from a region like ours.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: Is that what you think defines a Central Otago wine? I\u2019m often asked, for example, what is the difference between a Central Pinot and one from Martinborough?<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: The evolution of style that is happening – not just in our region, but globally, makes it hard to answer that with precision. The different vineyards in different corners can all express themselves differently! What we\u2019re trying to achieve is to focus on our vineyard and the best expression of that. That acidity, and clarity of fruit is a characteristic of our wines, but we do get richness and concentration. And good varietal character. Even, some of the savoury and some of the spice can come through. I think that positions us among the top Pinot Noir regions in the world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In the winery there are always some elements of evolution. I was Dave\u2019s Assistant Winemaker and gentle extraction was always a part of the winemaking. Along with attention to detail. Your terroir applies in the vineyards, but also applies in the winery. We use 100% French oak barrels and leave it in barrel for a full year. Our cellars are well insulated from the heat of the summer, but we also don\u2019t warm the cellars during the winter. And our winters are particularly cold, as you know. Our malolactics are late\u2026 and if all these little things start to add up, then that is part of the wines.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: Do you use any new-fangled technology in your winegrowing and making? Any A.I. or drones and sensors?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mike Kush<\/b>: I would say that we are far from that! (laughs). In my own personal winemaking, I certainly try to say up to date and well-read, and I find it all very interesting. Dave Grant and myself have been doing it for a long time, and I would say we\u2019ve relied more upon our traditional techniques and experience. I use a minimal intervention type approach, with elements of \u2018less is more\u2019. We put a heavy emphasis on growing the best grapes that we can.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: Is there anything else that you guys think could work down there?<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: You never know in terms of some kind of experimentation. I think there\u2019s a great capacity for Chardonnay. But we\u2019re a small team and there\u2019s enough to focus on with what we have in front of us. It\u2019s not in our plans, for now.<\/p>

WineFolio<\/b>: What do think the consequences will be of the global trend for people to drink less?<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: That\u2019s quite topical, and no corner is immune from it. There are always trends, and that could well be the case. For us, as a producer, the overwhelming majority of our wines are sold here in New Zealand. We do export a little bit – we have had a long-term relationship in Australia, and we sell a little bit in America. And China as well – we\u2019ve got a nice importer there. We find people very interested in high quality wine and Central Otago is well positioned to make that.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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WineFolio<\/b>: What is the Shaky Bridge definition of success? Is it just \u2018we sold out all of the wine we made last year\u2019 or do you have specific goals and targets? I\u2019ve obviously seen that you win medals at shows too, but what does success look like for you?<\/p>

Mike Kush<\/b>: Gosh, that\u2019s a good question. Dave\u2019s obviously got the history – being from Alexandra and having his parents starting this. For us it\u2019s all about the passion for doing this. That\u2019s our motivation. It is a business, but for one, we want to be able to make wines that we enjoy. And say \u2018yes, that\u2019s an expression of us\u2019. That is definitely a definition of success for us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And then it would extend to our customers. I can\u2019t tell you how many times the customers share with us just how much they appreciate it and the joy it brings. To me, that\u2019s the kind of success that rewards our hard work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m talking to Mike Kush from Central Otago\u2019s Shaky Bridge today, to hear about this label from the Alexandra sub-region, and their fiftieth year of producing wine. Mike tells me … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing-about-wine"],"yoast_head":"\nShaky Bridge celebrate 50 years in Alexandra - WineFolio<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/winefolio.co.nz\/?p=13669\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shaky Bridge celebrate 50 years in Alexandra - WineFolio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I\u2019m talking to Mike Kush from Central Otago\u2019s Shaky Bridge today, to hear about this label from the Alexandra sub-region, and their fiftieth year of producing wine. 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