THE BALANCE OF THE FORCES
How an Italian man and a French woman find their balance so far from home and despite the classic cooking disputes.
In December 2016 Simone is back from Switzerland where he worked as a winemaker while Lucie is backpacking the country and just started to work in the vineyards of Martinborough.
Their story started at a “barbie” on Te Muna Rd, Martinborough.
With the experience and expertise of Simone as winemaker and viticulturist and Lucie’s background in advertising, it became obvious for them to start their own label.
The Frenchitalian couple naturally settled down in Martinborough where they found the perfect equation between France Italy and New Zealand.
Piedmont, Italy
Simone’s home is Piedmont Italy where he studied viticulture and oenology in Alba for 6 years (Umberto I State Higher Education Institute of Alba). After a few harvests in Italy, France and Switzerland he tried his luck in the farthest country. Loving New Zealand he stayed in the Wairarapa on and off following the harvests of the Northern and Southern hemisphere. He gained experience and confidence at Palliser, Pond Paddock and Colombo.
Jura, France
Lucie was raised between the cheese Comte and the Jura wines. She moved to Paris to study and work in advertising for 4 years. When she decided to try her luck in Australia, her journey took her to New Zealand. She had her first experience in winemaking at Te Kairanga, where she worked two harvests.