Wild mood swings, cool edges and fierce winds are the tip of the challenging iceberg that is the Wairarapa’s weather these days but despite the challenges, winemaker Jannine Rickards chose to make her home here for another reason – Pinot Noir – and her latest wine is an outstanding example.

The wine brand she founded in 2017 is called Huntress, meaning she is now onto her ninth vintage and this week she released her latest.

The Pawero Pinot Noir is my pick of the range (see my review, below).
She has given her latest 2024 Huntress Pinot Noir the te reo Māori name, Pawero, which means ‘to intertwine’. It fits with her winemaking philosophy of creating wines that bring together aromas of earth, fruit and structure in a seamless thread of flavour. Volumes are, like most wines in the Huntress range, relatively small. The quality more than makes up for that.

Rickards began her winemaking career in Hawke’s Bay in 2003, moving to Te Kairanga in Martinborough 2005 and then to Ata Rangi where she worked from 2006 to 2012, returning to the region again five years later after a world of experience. Literally. Working vintages from Burgundy to Oregon and South Africa, North Canterbury, the Adelaide Hills and Gisborne, she returned to the Wairarapa – a quiet corner of the wine world - due to dedication to Pinot Noir. It’s the most planted grape variety in this region and the quality of the best wines, and the potential she sees in the region, lured her back. Still, for a winemaker who chose Wairarapa, Rickards admits she spends a lot of time elsewhere. A lot of her travels are sales, marketing and tasting trips, which build her brand but regular visits to Hawke’s Bay have resulted in Huntress wines from grape varieties that are only available further afield.

Albarino and Chenin Blanc are coming soon. Watch this space in spring. Syrah also feature in her range, as does Sauvignon Blanc and, sometimes, Riesling (usually blended). Her curiosity pushes her to explore, experiment and reach for varieties beyond Pinot when the opportunity arises.

Her instinctive openness, along with a deep respect for the land, became the foundation on which Huntress wines has been built. The next shift is to using only organically certified grapes. It’s harder, yes, but aligned with how she wants to make wine.

Some stand outs from Huntress wines that are available now are: 2024 Huntress Chardonnay Turama (full‑bodied, smooth textured, dry from a cooler Bridge Pa site in Hawke’s Bay; a modern classic, bearing the winemaker’s signature style – try it).

Then there's the 2025 Huntress Waihonga, an amber hued Pinot Gris made with Hawke’s Bay grapes, wild‑fermented, unfiltered, slightly cloudy and deeply textural with bone dry flavours balanced by a juicy mid palate and wild berry flavour notes. Waihonga means nectar and it is.

Wines of the week 

2024 Huntress Pinot Noir Pawero RRP $70

Jannine Rickards made three barrels of Pawero Pinot Noir, a Martinborough wine with a dark fruit-scented palate and earthy aromas, revealing the quiet confidence of a Pinot Noir shaped by place rather than intervention. Twenty‑five percent whole bunch fermentation brings a subtle lift, unfolding into the wine’s fresh, bold and earthy core.

2021 Huntress Pétillant Natural Riesling Matiti RRP $55

Launched in spring 2025 for Organic Wine Week and still remarkably fresh. There’s a bit of evolution, a medium body and succulent mid palate thanks to the impactful varietal expression. Hand picked Riesling was whole bunch pressed and fermented slowly with wild yeasts in the bottle then sent to Hawke's Bay to be disgorged and topped at Vilaura in Hawke’s Bay. Matiti is te reo Māori for summer.

Learn more at Huntress.co.nz 

Pictured: Huntress Pet Nat and a line up of Huntress wines.