Just like accessories are the comforting, classy finish for an outfit, dessert and port style wines provide the same to an amazing winter meal. Jo Cribb inspires our tipples of the season with picks that are full of personality, grabbing your attention and remaining memorable.

Winter dressing is all about texture, layers and depth. Being cocooned in a thick wool coat or pulling on a hand-knitted roll neck jumper; fluffy socks on cold nights, soft snuggly pyjamas after a hard day at work or crisp trenches ready for icy winds. I believe we should think about our winter tipples like we think about our winter wardrobe. For example, on weekend afternoons, I am a fan of a chunky cable knit and a brisk walk; if that sweater was a wine, it would be an uncomplicated, rustic, unfussy red blend that drinks like a warm hug.

Windy workdays mean donning my classic trench coat, collar up against the elements. An aged Chardonnay is like the classic trench: chic, quietly confident, versatile yet stylish.

Evening wear on chilly nights calls for a fine knit, maybe with a sparkly thread or a cashmere throw. I’d pair that with an equally elegant Pinot Noir: refined, understated but dreadfully classy.

Or maybe you have a favourite jacket. I had a velvet one in midnight blue that I loved to pieces (literally pieces, it fell to bits through too much wear). It would have deserved to be paired with a great Cabernet Sauvignon that is as plush and sophisticated as I felt in that jacket. Here’s some winter treats to try, while wearing your favourite winter pieces of course! 

Meet the Maker

Deb Cruickshank started life on a farm. A gap year after high school saw her working in a winery, starting at the bottom in a tough ‘cellar rat’ job. Enjoying the physical work, she embarked on a viticulture and oenology course, winemaking by day and studying by night.

When offered the loan of winemaking equipment, she went off to find a shed to become a contract winemaker. Her hard work paid off and in 2017 she moved to Bannockburn looking for more space. No more sheds for Deb. With the help of her brother, a builder, she created a cool rustic winery.

2017 also saw her winning the Champion title at the Rural Women New Zealand Business Awards. At this stage, she was proudly making 36 Central Otago wines, with a side hustle in small batch Port style wines. The publicity from her win at the Business Awards, in her words, ‘turned the Port into a monster and it sold itself.’

Success took its toll. Too many years of solo physical hard work meant 2022 was lost with back surgery and a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Listening to her body, she dialled down the contract winemaking to specialise in Port style wines.

The thrill of seeing people enjoy her wines and being inspired by what she has achieved is what keeps Deb hooked. It more than makes up for the computer and paperwork she dreads.

Firmly committed to Bannockburn, Deb is currently developing her property and extending the distribution of her special Port style wines. She sees more travel in her future during the downtime of the winter months and is still brimming with excitement about what more she can learn.

Jo Cribb owns a small vineyard in Martinborough, is on the board of New Zealand Winegrowers and Chair of Women in Wine NZ. She delights in introducing others to the wide and wonderful world of wine, like Tinder for wine-matching.