Getting to know... Marcus Pickens

As we celebrate 50 years since the first commercial vines were planted in Marlborough, we catch up with wine expert and enthusiast Marcus Pickens, general manager of Wine Marlborough.

At the weekend you’ll find me...

At my kids’ sport, at the pool getting some laps in, or tackling some of the many jobs that need doing – or ones that I sometimes invent.

I will never shut up about...

How fantastic the wines Marlborough produces are – it’s not just Sauvignon Blanc that we are world class producers of.

I’m a real nerd about...

Cricket, hi-fi music via Tidal, coffee and my lawn.

As a child, I was really into...

Going bush at the family bach and roaming far and wide into the hills and on the ocean with my siblings.

At a party you’ll find me...

One of the last to leave; there’s always someone else I hadn’t had a chance to talk to yet.

I get my coffee from...

Allpress, hard to beat.

When I need advice, I go to...

My network, which I value highly. Who I would approach depends on the challenge.

The world would be a better place with more...

People drinking Marlborough wines!

Something I learnt way later than I should have...

To hold some words in and listen to others, especially the introverts. I’m still working on this, to be fair!

My simple pleasures...

Music! A life without music would be unthinkable to me. I am a bit old school and like listening to albums from beginning to end, rather than shuffle playlists.

One thing I’ll never do again...

I probably wouldn’t hitchhike alone from Dunedin to Auckland and then back as I did many times when I was at university. Night hitching – full of surprises.

I wish more people knew about...

The great work of MFAT’s Vakameasina programme which provides free education courses to RSE workers. I attend every group prize-giving ceremony and get so much enjoyment out of meeting and acknowledging the RSE workers who give us so much.

In ten years, this popular trend will be ridiculous...

Vaping and ram raids.

I hope in ten years Marlborough will...

Have more younger people choosing to live here – there have been some stunning additions such as the new library, theatre area, pool upgrade, and finally the schools’ rebuild – but we need more housing options to enable this.