Melanie has championed London's 'New Zealand wine scene' for many years. She began her journey with the enviable task of looking after the wine list at Peter Gordon's Marylebone Restaurant, The Providores, before embarking on her very own adventure. Peter Gordon, along with Providores' founding co-owners Michael McGrath and Jeremy Leeming, encouraged her ambitious notion to open her very own wine front. The New Zealand Cellar was then founded in 2014 in South London and after embarking on a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign in 2015 (incredibly reaching their target of £35k in just 5 days), the store in Brixton is now home to one of the most insatiable selections of premium New Zealand wine in the world
As part of Organic Wine Week, New Zealand Cellar and Organic Winegrowers NZ are joining forces to bring NZ organic wine to the people - Get Dirty, The NZ Organic Wine tasting will showcase 20 of NZ's best organic wine producers in one place (the first ever in the Northern Hemisphere).
We thought we would take the opportunity to sit down and find out more about the woman behind the NZ Cellar and ask her a few questions about life..... and wine.
Which living person do you most admire? My Mum.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being off the grid
When and where were you happiest drinking wine? Barefoot on a beach in NZ
What has your greatest wine extravagance been? The Fat Duck, Petrus
What is your greatest regret? Never meeting Anthony Bourdain
What is your greatest fear? Not selling enough wine
What do you consider your greatest achievement? My daughter, and my other baby The New Zealand Cellar
What is your most treasured wine possession? My palate
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Righteousness
On what occasion do you lie? I don't.
What is your favourite occupation? I'm doing it! But if I was to chose another it would definitely involve being in my homeland NZ, and working on the land to ensure it is restored respectfully for generations to come
What do you most value in your friends? Trust and honesty.
Who is your favourite heroes in fiction? Superwoman
If you were to die and could choose what to come back as, what would it be? A bird
What historical figure do you most identify with? Kate Shepard
Get Dirty | The NZ Organic Wine Tasting is being held on Wednesday 19 September, 7pm - 9pm at POP Brixton, Brixton Station Rd, London.
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