There’s a misconception drilled into our brains from years of bottom denominator kiwi wines that the nation’s terroir is expressed mostly via the gooseberry / cat piss axis. Theo Coles, the winemaker behind the Hermit Ram, is very clear that he can’t speak for the entirety of the country, but is very adamant that the terroir he explores offers something different: “my region tastes like kelp and the sea and shellfish. A lot of people try to remove these notes, but I want to lengthen and deepen them.” According to him, a lot of New Zealand wine is driftless without an established regionality. His goal, as lofty as it might seem, is to change this, starting with his small zone of the Canterbury region on the South Island, where he’s been making wine to no small acclaim since 2012, developing a needed context for true winemaking in a sea of industrial schlock.

The Hermit Ram, so named in honor of an etching that particularly inspired Theo with his combination of Old World charm and New Zealand wildness, is an attempt to break down the established orthodoxy of wine, “embracing challenge instead of running to the tool box for an easy solution.” As an ex-ecologist, Theo was drawn to the world of natural wine out of a desire to see if he could become a better and more interesting winemaker without the heavy reliance on inputs that, at the time, dominated kiwi winemaking. As such, the project relies on organic viticulture, but specifically has delved into no-till, no spray vineyards and those that minimize the usage of copper – “it’s all about the roots, and copper stays in the soil forever.” According to Theo, “monoculture just doesn’t work – you get vineyards that look like bowling greens – instead you want them to be full of everything that can grow.” Theo currently farms one vineyard himself and buys from 5 like-minded growers within his region, preferring to not stretch himself too thin by leasing land instead of making wine.

While Theo might sound starry-eyed, the winemaking at the Hermit Ram has taken into account the realities of wine exporting the world over. For several years, Theo was a wine importer himself and grew incredibly tired of drinking wines that “tasted like a capybara,” or that were dead on arrival after making the journey to New Zealand. In addition to small but judicious sO2 usage, Theo’s wines all see significant elevage and time in barrel to head any potential issues off at the pass. Theo wants his wines to be immediately “friendly and ebullient,” knowing that for many who taste them they are their first encounter with natural wine from New Zealand. We, frankly, couldn’t imagine any better ambassador.

Over zoom, Theo told us that “ Europe has the benefit of many generations of winemakers who did the exploring – out here, we need to do it all in a single life.” This statement resonates with his wines, deep and clear, and which taste refreshingly full spectrum. While the Hermit Ram isn’t a new endeavor by any means, we’re lucky to start working with Theo during a period of significant change and rebirth. The last few years have seen Theo significantly lower quantities of wine made – from five thousand cases a few years ago to a target of one thousand cases next vintage. This drop in quantity and retreat from larger scale winemaking has been accompanied by a focus on site-specific cuvees and more experimental and emotional wines. We’re deeply proud to help herald in this change and cannot wait to share the best natural wine from New Zealand with you all.