{"id":13736,"date":"2025-11-24T06:20:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T17:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winefolio.co.nz\/?p=13736"},"modified":"2025-11-24T19:21:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T06:21:20","slug":"winemaker-series-matthew-ward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winefolio.co.nz\/?p=13736","title":{"rendered":"Winemaker series: Matthew Ward"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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At the New Zealand International Wine Show this year, I found that some of the categories were particularly strong. Whites – like Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but also the sparkling class, really stood out. Looking over at my own notes from the days, and the subsequent results that came out, I discovered that a couple of wines I\u2019d really liked came from one producer – Catalina Sounds.<\/p>

So, I tracked down the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc at the Awards Dinner again the week after\u2026 and yup, I really liked those! (\u2018Sound of White\u2019 Chardonnay 2023 won the Chardonnay trophy). I thought I\u2019d better get in touch with them, and had the chance to put a few questions to winemaker Matthew Ward.<\/p>

Tell me a bit of your background and your path to Catalina Sounds?<\/strong><\/p>

It\u2019s been a journey! I\u2019m a born and raised 4<\/i>th<\/sup><\/i> generation Marlburian who stumbled into the wine industry some 20+ years ago. I cut my teeth over several years at Seresin Estate with Bart Arnst and Brian Bicknell, transitioning from vineyard to winery where my curiosity and love for wine took off. From there I worked all over the world, focusing on cool climate varieties and winemaking. I\u2019ve worked in Oregon; Pfalz, Germany; the 2010 and 2013 vintages at Domaine de Montille in Meursault, Burgundy and a year in London at a great restaurant called Chez Bruce.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Amongst this, I\u2019ve worked here in Marlborough at Mahi and Wither Hills, before being tapped on the shoulder for the role at Catalina Sounds where I started in January 2020 \u2013 since then the rest is history! 2026 will be my 20<\/i>th<\/sup><\/i> vintage in Marlborough!\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/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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I\u2019ve heard people say it takes a long time to get used to a vineyard – do you find that true? Tell me about the specifics of the Sound of White vineyard.<\/strong><\/p>

It can take years to really understand the nuances and particularities of a certain site or vineyard. Marlborough can unfortunately get tarred with the \u201cit\u2019s all same-same\u201d brush, but the more we, as an industry, understand our sub-regions, the macro\/micro climates, soil profiles and management practices, the more we can tease out the diversity, nuance and quality in our wines. \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Six years in at Sound of White, I know what the \u2018general\u2019 profile of the vineyard delivers in terms of the style of wines produced. What I love about Sound of White though, is how we are tucked below the Waihopai range which shelters use from the cooling easterlies and then being north-west facing it gets quite warm during the day but still tempered by our cooler nights. The higher proportion of clay in the soil, combined with the climate tends to create wines with an element of restraint, increased texture and savoury nuances.<\/i><\/p>

Would you say that Catalina Sounds has a winemaking style\/philosophy?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

When Catalina Sounds started in 2005, the vision was to be amongst the best producers of Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough. This expanded into producing several wines (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris) that are reflective of the region, while building in a textural dimension \u2013 wines that are uniquely Catalina Sounds. \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/p>

The obvious next step from there was to produce a small production, single vineyard range that was unique to Sound of White and really showcase the beauty of the Waihopai Valley and our property.<\/i><\/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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With a few new, smaller labels popping up in New Zealand \u2013 do you see a change in the landscape a bit \u2013 more diversity?<\/strong><\/p>

Yes and it\u2019s really refreshing for Marlborough! The focus being on small production and quality is so good to see, as well as those behind the labels with enough grit to put themselves out there in challenging times. What\u2019s great to see is a bit of a shift away from Sauvignon, as Marlborough can produce exceptional examples of lesser-known varieties.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/p>

I have impressed with what AMW is aiming to do. How do you feel the region is doing in terms of managing its identity? Has Marlborough changed much over recent times?<\/strong><\/p>

Marlborough has done a remarkable job establishing a strong identity, primarily centred around Sauvignon Blanc. Appellation Marlborough Wine has been a much-needed addition to Marlborough\u2019s broader identity, where like-minded producers have come together with the shared vision and intention to champion our origins, integrity, authenticity and sustainability. Sustainability and authenticity are so key to the longevity of Marlborough. \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/p>

Is there a moment in the winemaking year where you just ‘get a feeling’ for what’s going on \/ going to happen?<\/strong><\/p>

Yeah, there are those moments, but it\u2019s more about navigating each season. Sometimes you think you know how a season is going to pan out; 2025 is a great example of that, where we had early bud break and quite a hot October\/November, so everyone was thinking it was going to be an early harvest, but by mid-December the weather swung around and we had weeks of overcast, cool weather that slowed the rapid growth right down and ended up losing that head start.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/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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What do you think are any upcoming trends, in wine?<\/strong><\/p>

The key word here being \u2018trends\u2019!<\/i><\/i><\/p>