We had the fortune of staying a couple of days with Gordon and Pia Russell in the middle of the 2013 vintage in Hawke’s Bay. Gordon is a veteran winemaker with over two decades in charge at the Esk Valley winery just a few hundred metres away from his home on the Bay View beachfront, and unlike many people loves to live nearby his workplace. Over the critical vintage period, Gordon will go to work early and come home late, without a break for around 40 days continuous. In some years, such as the cold and dismal 2012 vintage it’s truly hard work, but the love of what he does sees him through.
