A former Langford resident and Belmont Secondary grad has made it into the wine industryB次元官网网址檚 history books.
Cherie Spriggs was recently named sparkling winemaker of the year during the International Wine Challenge, which brings together more than 20 countries and 500 vineyards from around the world. Spriggs is also the first woman to ever take home the award.
B次元官网网址淸We were] astonished. WeB次元官网网址檝e been following and entering this competition for quite some time,B次元官网网址� Spriggs said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 quite humbling to get this recognition.B次元官网网址�
As head winemaker with Nyetimber, a company in England that makes sparkling wine, Spriggs is responsible for choosing the site to plant the vines, what to plant, how to take care of the vines, harvesting the vines and turning the juice from the fruit into sparkling wine.
But itB次元官网网址檚 not a fast process. From start to finish, it takes roughly eight years to make sparkling wine, beginning with planting the vines and roughly three years to yield its first crop. Once itB次元官网网址檚 been made into wine, it takes another three to five years to transform it into sparkling wine.
For Spriggs, the blend of science and art makes the profession exciting.
B次元官网网址淭he thing about wine is as much as you can apply a variety of science principles there are still some things that science doesnB次元官网网址檛 know and it comes down to your taste, your perception and your intuition,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 that really lovely blend between those two fields.B次元官网网址�
SpriggsB次元官网网址� passion for the wine industry began years ago. After growing up in Langford, she moved on to study biochemistry at Queens University in Ontario. ItB次元官网网址檚 at Queens where Spriggs met her husband Brad Greatrix. GreatrixB次元官网网址檚 parents loved wine and introduced the young couple to the tradition of sharing and enjoying wine together. After taking a trip to FranceB次元官网网址檚 infamous Burgundy wine region, they fell in love with the process of making wine and decided to enrol in the wine research centre at the University of British Columbia, which is still in operation today. The duo quickly realized studying wine was great, but what they really wanted to do was make it.
After completing their wine-making degree at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, they started working in the wine industry, and shortly after Spriggs found her dream job at Nyetimber roughly 11 and a half years ago.
While Spriggs enjoys her craft in England, she continues to pay homage to Vancouver Island while overseas.
Having grown up playing at Goldstream Provincial Park and climbing Mount Finlayson, Spriggs was heavily influenced by nature.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 been a strong influence on me, even now, when weB次元官网网址檙e working with the vineyards, we try to take a very natural and as much as possible, a hands off approach and I think thatB次元官网网址檚 because of my inherent respect for how nature works,B次元官网网址� she said.
Now, as the first woman to win the sparkling winemaker of the year award, Spriggs hopes to encourage more women to get into the industry.
Eric Heerema, owner and executive chief at Nyetimber, has worked with Spriggs and Greatrix for more than a decade.
B次元官网网址淚 want to congratulate Cherie on this milestone award which is a huge accolade recognizing her extensive and successful career at Nyetimber,B次元官网网址� Heerema said in a statement. B次元官网网址淐herie is tremendously knowledgeable, passionate and committed to her job and it is such a delight to work closely with her.B次元官网网址�
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