Uncorked

Wine is on my mind. That is the baseline for neighbours in viticulture, less so for this nascent Marlburian. But vines intertwine across the Weekly this week.

Let’s start with the obvious: Brave Roots in Business.

I met vintner Masha Skorchenko a few Saturdays back at the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival. The bits I gleaned about her and winemaking partner Alina Tenetka piqued my curiosity for more.

Space is finite, so a few interesting snippets did not make the article. To wit:

· The Ukrainian duo moved here before Russia invaded their homeland.

· Their brand’s name calls out bravery – from their compatriots, enduring warfare; from their growers, going against the grain with them; from varietal plants, tapping deep into soil for hardiness. I’d add, from Alina and Masha, for being (to borrow a word from Masha) “unfragile”.

Last Thursday, I headed to Renwick to hear about the Framingham Harvest Concert from people who put it on, including winemaker/music-maker Brownie. This weekend, for the 14th time since 2011, the winery will bring together short-timers and lifers, working every job in the industry, for an evening of camaraderie with a curated soundtrack.

The unseasonably early harvest may keep some who want to come at their wineries … but at least the schedule does not conflict with Saturday’s larger local event, the Marlborough Multicultural Festival.

That is another of the interwoven vines. The festival – and the organisation that organises it, the Marlborough Multicultural Centre – both celebrate 20 years of elevating “many cultures, one home” from an ethos to an environment.

Marcelo Gonzalez, point person for the event, invited me to the centre last Wednesday. I did not realise until arriving that I would be there for a weekly tea where newcomers socialise. They, in turn, got surprised by news that Marcelo would return to Chile three days after the festival, on 10 March.

The wine industry has broadened the breadth and reach of Marlborough. I raise a glass of Sauv to Alina and Masha, Brownie, and Marcelo, among myriad masses who make our “one home” harmonious.

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