Q&A with Sophie Parker Thomson, Blank Canvas
Apr 22, 2020
Sophie is one half of Blank Canvas, one of AMW’s founding members and is in the process of completing her MW studies. We sat down we her (pre lockdown!) to talk about the industry, study and why AMW is so important for Marlborough.
What made you pursue a career in the wine industry?
Quite simply a deep-rooted love of wine. I have always been fascinated by the subject, admiring that it encompasses so many fields of study which provides endless inspiration – history, anthropology, legal, science, economics, marketing and of course the creative element of winemaking itself. At high school I had persuaded myself that pursuing a traditional profession was what I wanted to do but once in the throes of law I could see that ultimately the wine industry gratified my personality so much more. The characters you find working in the industry are often eccentric, always well-travelled and, more often than not, inspiring. They are seldom driven by financial success which is refreshing in an ever-increasing materialistic and superficial world.
While gender balance has come a long way, what more could we be doing to encourage diversity in the wine industry?
This is probably going to sound controversial, but I think we are now in danger of making men feel excluded in the industry because there seems to be a proliferation of women-only initiatives. I certainly recognise there was a need to encourage women into the industry and for the vast majority of time it has been vastly male-dominated. Of course, fundamentally I’m an absolute champion of diversity and I’m incredibly happy to see women in many more roles throughout the hierarchical chain of the industry, but I think we just need to ensure we maintain balance. I think it helps to ask “would this be seen as discriminatory in the eyes of the law?” and “how would I feel if I was a member of the opposite sex?” We should be encouraging participation and providing mentorship no matter what gender, race or religion. As an industry and as a society we should be fighting sexism, racism and discrimination consistently, and in every form it takes.
You’ve chosen to pursue formal study in wine. In this digital age of information-on-demand why do you believe structured formal study in wine is still important?
Structured formal study is so important. The digital age has heralded an era where we need to have our own internal information filter on permanently. Prior to this we could just be constant receivers and digesters of information knowing that it had to go through a rigorous process such as peer-review or at least screening by a third-party publisher/editor. Information on the internet is frequently erroneous, emotively charged and lacking in academic rigour. Anyone can be a self-described expert in any field and if they’re tapped into the right networks they can wield significant, dangerous influence. One just needs to look at politics to see what catastrophic direction we are heading in. So, I believe having credentials and putting in the hard work beforehand is essential before gaining a pedestal.
Why do you believe the creation of Appellation Marlborough Wine is important for the industry?
Marlborough’s meteoric rise to international stardom occurred over a relatively brief period, and consequently it has attracted its fair share of opportunistic punters. Typically these individuals and companies have no vested interest in the region itself and are purely trading off the reputation and demand for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at the detriment of quality and many stakeholders’ hard work. Practices such as bottling offshore, blending with other non-Marlborough wine, and producing wine from over-cropped grapes with a low-level of ripeness or in dubious health all jeopardize the quality reputation of the region and our premium Marlborough wine brand.
It’s only natural that the people who have a vested interest in the region and a long-term view want to protect it from the few damaging profiteers and rogues. The creation of AMW is important therefore for the future success of the regional industry and is symptomatic of the evolution of Marlborough as an internationally acclaimed wine region. If you look to other regions, particularly in the Old World, this exact same process has taken place. However, because we are starting afresh and are not bound by predecessor appellation systems we can learn from our counter-parts in Europe and determine the most robust, fair and effective system.
Blank Canvas was one of the first wineries to join AMW when it started in 2018. Why did you choose to join?
Appellation Marlborough Wine was created as by a like-minded group of producers who sought to safeguard the quality and reputation of the region and its wine. We chose to be a part of this because we could see the need for it (for the reasons above). We were disheartened at seeing an increasing number of “ghost brands” overseas who were trading off the Marlborough reputation that we and our fellow producers work so hard at building. Our wines are all single vineyard wines as we believe in the focus and purity a single site offers. This philosophy and our desire to showcase the quality Marlborough can produce is exactly why we aligned ourselves with this group, which is essentially a promise of provenance and quality to consumers.
What advice would you give to today’s wine professionals who want to make their mark on the industry?
Invest the time and resources in gaining credentials. Keep an open mind, don’t be afraid to ask questions – especially ‘why’, but with respect, and challenge orthodoxy. Arm yourself with knowledge, be genuine and humble and uphold your own truth.
And finally, what excites you most about the future of the NZ industry?
I’m excited about the evolution and maturing of our NZ wine regions. Internationally consumers and trade want more detail – from the sub-regions and single vineyard sites to the winemaker’s philosophies and raison d’etres. Kiwis are traditionally not the best marketers and resort to our entrenched self-effacing nature. But as our vines get better with age, so too does the effectiveness and strength of our message as an industry. Both digital marketing and traditional channels such as print and film have helped this but we also need authoritative and competent wine industry leaders delivering a consistent and universal message.
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