Photo: Supplied
The perfectly pebbled beach at Kaikōura is one of those places that make you contemplate your relative size and place in the world. There’s a magical time of year when the snow dusts the peaks of the ranges, but it's still warm enough to feel beachy as the sun sparkles off the turquoise harbour. It's the ultimate mountain-meets-sea vista.
Mel Skinner remembers sitting on that exact shoreline in 2004 with her husband Aaron. Living in Brisbane at the time, they had come to New Zealand for a wedding and were blindsided by the unexpected beauty of this small coastal town. Being seafood fans, they thought all their dreams had come true when they discovered you could also buy fat, orange local crayfish - cleaned and cooked on the wharf - and eat it right there on that beach.
“I so clearly remember us sitting on the beach and eating this delicious crayfish and loving the contrast of such a luxury food item in such a down-to-earth setting. Aaron and I joked about how we were only missing a glass of local bubbles, and this could be the champagne and crayfish capital of the world.”
That conversation was somewhat prophetic. Nearly 20 years later, the couple are proud Kaikōura residents and owners of a vineyard which makes highly acclaimed méthode traditionnelle. Mel is also in her fourth year of running Crayfest, a local crayfish festival she started.
Mel Skinner pours a glass of Esses méthode traditionnelle. Photo: Supplied
So what happened in the intervening two decades? Quite a lot, really. Six months after sitting on the beach at Kaikōura, Mel took a transfer to the Caribbean in her HR role with an Australian engineering firm.
“We loved living there. We kind of got island fever and stayed for two years, and after that took another transfer to Nigeria. It was in Lagos we really started drinking a lot of champagne and really getting to know the intricacies of it as a beverage.”
While Aaron and Mel loved life in Nigeria, they knew it had an end date.
“Lagos was great but with millions of people in one city it was madness," Mel says.
"Aaron grew up on a cattle and grain farm and we always knew we would eventually both want a slower and simpler life.”
While looking around for possibilities, they couldn’t quite believe it when a vineyard came up for sale in Kaikoura.
Esses Winery, Kaikōura Photo: Supplied
“Its location was amazing for chardonnay and pinot grapes and the terroir made it ideal for méthode production. It had alluvial soils that heat up during the day, and that deep body of water which created cooling sea breezes at night. The ripening conditions couldn’t have been more perfect for that ultimate acid sugar balance.”
So they made the trip half way across the world to check out these vines in the place that captured their hearts three years prior. After a few months of due diligence, they signed a contract to purchase the vineyard - and Mel commenced her Certificate in Viticulture with Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay by correspondence. In 2011 they moved permanently to Kaikoura to start their new life.
Mel Skinner pours a glass of Esses méthode traditionnelle. Photo: Supplied
“It was kind of crazy and we obviously had to learn on the ground, as well as studying externally. Luckily the daughter of our property manager introduced us to her fiancé, and he became our winemaker initially - to help us create our first vintage. It was pretty scary, popping that first bottle, but it was actually great! In fact, it received five stars and 95/100 from Bob Campbell so we figured we were all doing something right.”
The rest is sparkling history. Esses Wine Company has gone from strength to strength, with their following releases all receiving 4.5 stars and above from Michael Cooper and 93 and above from Cameron Douglas, two of New Zealand’s most prominent wine figures. Their méthode traditionelle sparkling wine (methode traditionelle is the same wine-making method used to make champagne and cava) is also being poured in places like Sid at the French Café in Auckland, Noble Rot in Wellington and various other wine bars and restaurants across the country. They’ve even presented their wine to King Charles himself.
Parker Skinner and dog Windsor at Esses Winery, Kaikōura Photo: Supplied
Mel and Aaron are also now part of Méthode Marlborough, a group of 12 sparkling producers working to highlight the joys of New Zealand-produced sparkling wine. They've also added a junior vineyard helper to the team - three-year-old son Parker.
The Skinners haven’t been slack on realising the crayfish part of the dream either. While the region is well-known for first-rate shellfish, there have been some significant challenges over the years, including earthquakes and the pandemic. While the harbour might be teeming with tasty crustaceans, it is - understandably - far more lucrative for those in the fishing industry to sell what they catch to eager offshore markets; 97% of Kaikōura crayfish is exported.
Undeterred, Mel has sought out creative ways to help showcase this local food to the New Zealand market too. In 2020, she came up with the idea of holding a festival to coincide with crayfish season. Crayfest Kaikōura has had strong support from locals and motivated restaurants in the town to show off their culinary pride and joy in new ways. Top chefs such as Giulio Sturla have got on board and new and innovative culinary creations have appeared - crayfish pizza, ravioli, croquettes, tacos and so much more. Cooking classes, supper clubs, feasts by fire and degustation dinners have been part of the programme too.
A crayfish dish served at The Pier, Kaikōura, as part of the Crayfish Festival. Photo: Supplied
“It’s been amazing to see it build year on year - it’s such a cool vibe with people coming in from Christchurch, Blenheim and now even further afield.”
The couple say they still have to pinch themselves some days, when they reflect on how a passing conversation ended up as a reality (albeit with some pretty significant hurdles along the way - a 7.8 magnitude earthquake ripping through the town was definitely not part of the plan).
“That moment in time on the beach must have stuck at the back of our minds, and the idea of creating this provincial experience of crayfish and champagne in one of the most beautiful settings in the world. At the time we never expected that we would be the ones to move to Kaikōura and make that experience happen, but we’re pretty glad it turned out that way.”
