Craggy Range winemaker Julian Grounds explains how he began making wine in his native Australia, moved on to Burgundy, then the US Northwest, back to Australia, before finally settling in New Zealand. (You can read his entire bio here.)

Julian provides his perspective of Pinot Noir — in all of those classic areas where he’s made wine (Burgundy, Oregon, and New Zealand) — and dives deep into what makes Craggy Range a benchmark producer in New Zealand.

Craggy Range wines are made from vineyards in Martinborough and Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Since many people are familiar with NZ Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, Julian assured the listener that no, it is not a syntax error on the label, the wines are from Martinborough and he explained the differences between the two regions, including what makes Martinborough so special for both white and red wines.

Wines discussed included:

Craggy Range “Te Muna” Sauvignon Blanc
Craggy Range Martinborough Pinot Noir
Craggy Range “Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard”
Craggy Range “Te Muna Road Vineyard” Pinot Noir
Craggy Range “Sophia Gimblett Gravels Vineyard”
Craggy Range “Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Vineyard”

For questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes, email host Joe Janish at joe@insidewinepodcast.com or leave a voicemail at (917) 727-9242‬.