Meet Our Makers: Q&A with Chris Darling and Bart Arnst, The Darling Wines
The Darling Wines is made up of legendary duo Chris Darling and Bart Arnst. After making great wine for other people, they decided to make great wine for themselves under The Darling label. Organics was the obvious choice, with Bart being one of the leading organic vineyard consultants in New Zealand and Chris with his international winemaking experience.
They source grapes solely from certified organic vineyards and are able to have full control over the process. Organic vines are allowed to come into balance, producing thicker skins and therefore greater flavour. The vineyards are looked after by Bart, and the wines are made by Chris. A simple but totally complementary partnership blending 45 years of experience between them into liquid gold.
Bart is a founding member of Organic Winegrowers of New Zealand (OWNZ), has been on its executive committee since its inception, and has been instrumental in “spreading” the organic message including as programme coordinator of the hugely successful bi-annual Organic and Biodynamic Wine Conferences.
Bart has also been the vineyard consultant with OANZ and uses his broad experience in grapes under organic and biodynamic regimes to help NZ Organics thrive.
The goal of making premium wine brought Chris and Bart together. Their passion for organics makes sure that happens. We chatted with Chris during Organic Wine Week to get the lowdown on The Darling Wines.
You have over 45 years of winemaking under your belts, can you tell us how The Darling Wines come to be?
My wife was doing a PhD project in an organic vineyard that Bart was managing. I then meet Bart in that organic vineyard back in 2004. we were making and growing wine for other people and decided it was time to do it ourselves.
You call yourselves organic wine pioneers. Please share with us what that means to you and the wines your produce.
Bart's work with organics spans many years, and he was one of the first to help establish organic vineyards in Marlborough. When Bart returned to New Zealand from his European travels, he trained in viticulture and in 1996, began experimenting with organic techniques. This led to groundbreaking research with Lincoln University on using Buckwheat to attract beneficial insect life and provide natural pest controls, which is now widely practised throughout the wine industry.
Today he is one of NZ's leading organic consultants. This helps us to be at the forefront of organic viticulture, which in turn helps our wines.
You are both well travelled; aside from Aotearoa, New Zealand, where is your favourite place to drink wine in the world and why?
It is hard to pass up drinking Champagne in Champagne. It is something about the tradition and the bubbles!!
If you could only drink one of your wines for the rest of your days, what would you choose?
The Darling "Arnst" Pinot Noir. This wine is a true expression of the place it comes from, encapsulating organic grapes and taking nothing away from the wine.
What does the future hold for The Darling Wines?
We are striving to show our wines to more and more people and spread the organic word at the same time. It is all about our wines bringing people together.
Chris and Bart make regional, complex wines, that drink well on any occasion. Check out this premium organic range via the link below.
