Seresin Estate’s new release OSIP wines celebrate transparency, creativity and change
Cindy Sherman has spent nearly 40 years changing the way people think about photography, art, gender and identity, with
character portraits that expose contemporary society.
Seresin Estate wines will be poured when the New York artist’s international exhibition opens at the City Gallery
Wellington this month (www.citygallery.org.nz), in what Seresin Estate General Manager Michelle Connor calls a perfect fit.
“City Gallery Wellington has a strong history of presenting exhibitions that unsettle expectations. For over the past 20
vintages at Seresin we have learned a lot about challenging convention, with organic and biodynamic vineyards,
thoughtful winemaking and a globally conscious ethos, resulting in wines of integrity, with nothing to hide,” she says.
“We support the arts to inspire our own creativity, pioneering spirit and ability to stand out from the flock.”
The new release OSIP wines are an example of that philosophy, with no added sulphites and an ingredient label carrying a
single item - “Certified Organic and Biodynamically Grown Grapes”.
OSIP is named after an extraordinary family relative of the estate’s founder and is the culmination of a 10-year project
to remove additions in the winery, says winemaker Clive Dougall. “I have long wanted to make more natural wines, with
wild yeasts, lower levels of sulphur and fewer additives. I believe that naturally takes us to a place where we sit
between the old and new wine worlds.”
The OSIP Sauvignon Blanc 2016 is made from certified organic fruit and fermented with wild yeast, with no added
sulphites. It is bright, fresh and appealing, with vibrant passionfruit and lime flower notes, as well as hints of cut
grass and chalky minerals. The OSIP Pinot Noir 2015 has bright red berry fruit with hints of savoury earth notes, framed
by subtle tannins.
Seresin will pour its OSIP Sauvignon Blanc 2015 and Pinot Noir 2014 at the inaugural Budburst festival (www.budburst.nz) in Wellington this weekend, an event designed for natural wine and food lovers seeking authenticity, sustainability and
quality in the products they create or consume.
Clive will co-present a talk on natural, organic and biodynamic wines at Budburst, where he’ll be joined by Seresin
assistant winemaker Jordan Hogg, who is New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year.
The OSIP wines carry a label of ingredients on their bottle, giving consumers quality, absolute transparency and
confidence, says Michelle. From the 2016 vintage onwards, all Seresin’s new wines will do the same, listing any
clarification agents, acid and preservatives. “For us the labels are about honesty and traditional values,” says
Michelle. “It’s about knowing where your food comes from.”
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