Norton’s collaboration with New Zealand’s Invivo Wines is celebrating its 12th vintage, and he was recently named Grape Ambassador to Marlborough. He shares his winemaking journey, his love for Sauvignon Blanc, and what he’s learning along the way.
‘My interest in wine was purely recreational until I started stand-up. A glass of wine became my prop. It told the audience, or at least I hoped it did, that I was relaxed and having a good time, so maybe they should too. When I got my TV show, the glass of wine came with me. Becoming a wine producer never crossed my mind until Invivo got in touch.
‘I ended up working with [Invivo co-founders] Rob [Cameron] and Tim [Lightbourne] because they asked. But I suppose the reason I said yes was because I liked their style. They read somewhere that I enjoyed New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and asked if they could supply wine for our green room. It was only a few bottles but it meant that back home in NZ they were able to say “As drunk by – insert name of star.” That was smart, inexpensive PR and more importantly, no other winemakers had thought to ask. I drank and enjoyed their wine, so saying yes to a collaboration was an easy decision.
‘Really, that first year, it was like vanity publishing. I just got to see my name on a bottle. It was only going forward that I wanted to be more involved, and have meaningful input into the wine that was carrying my name. Of course I couldn’t have guessed that we’d still be going all these years later and enjoying the huge success that the wines have achieved. The relationship works because it never feels pressured. I only put my name on products that I would drink.
‘Blending day over the years has become more streamlined as Rob, Tim and I have developed a shorthand. We taste around six samples individually and then begin to blend based on those first impressions. This is the bit that continues to astonish me. The alchemy of adding even a tiny amount of one sample to another can completely change the wine. A nose will appear, a long finish will disappear, the feel of the wine in your mouth can go from full to thin. I love it.
‘I’d love to say that my palate has evolved over the years of working with Invivo, but I’m not sure it has. I still like what I like.
‘I’m not quite sure when I discovered New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs but I’m guessing it was in the late 1990s. I really had very little label loyalty. It is interesting to me how much the style of New Zealand wines has changed over the years. The wines aren’t stuck in the past and seem to constantly evolve to keep up with the drinking public’s changing palate. I find it extraordinary that such a huge industry can be so light on its feet.
‘Getting any award is lovely, but becoming an ambassador for Marlborough grapes really did feel like an honour. This year was the first time I had actually managed to visit the area and I absolutely loved it. The weather was perfect and it felt surreal to be driving along seeing so many familiar names dotted along the side of the road. I’ve always loved Marlborough wines, but drinking my Sauvignon Blanc in the South Island sunshine, I must admit it tasted better than ever.
‘The most surprising thing I’ve learned, and this will make me sound supremely stupid, is how precarious the wine business is. This billion-dollar/pound industry is at the whim of so many variables. When did it rain? Was there enough sun? Have the vineyards got sufficient labour for the harvest? I think because of the way we purchase and consume the product, it is easy to forget that grapes are a crop like any other and subject to all the vagaries of agriculture. You would think that having grown up in Ireland I might have understood that a little better.
‘It sounds ridiculous but I do drink my own wines more than any other. They are the bottles that are always in my kitchen. When I’m in a restaurant I might splash out on a nice Sancerre.
‘If I didn’t drink and enjoy my wines I wouldn’t have my name on the bottle, it’s as simple as that. We always say that someone might buy one bottle of my wine out of curiosity, but they only buy a second bottle if they enjoyed it… it is the quality of Invivo that makes the brand a success. And while my name may attract some drinkers, it probably repels others.
‘Hopefully in 10 years’ time no one will remember who Graham Norton off the telly was, but they’ll still be drinking and enjoying my wines!’
