URBN Vino

In fact Brendan Seal is positively beaming when glancing at the exposed brick and debris in what is rapidly becoming Dunedin’s hippest precinct. However Seal isn’t establishing a bookbinders, art gallery or even a whiskey distillery, his vision for an urban winery is now a reality.

Historically, Seal has been connected to the wine industry for the best part of two decades. After talking his way into a vintage at Villa Maria in 1997 and then heading offshore to Oregon, Seal landed back in Dunedin where he wrote his Masters’ thesis on the wine industry. Seeking further experience, he joined Chard Farm in 2002 and his connection with Central Otago was cemented, which in a roundabout way has led to the 100-year-old construction site that he is standing in now.

Rather than stay in Central Otago and work his way into a regular gig there, Seal headed to Europe to work in the wine trade in the U.K. and then to Alsace.

“Alsace Gewurtztraminer was the first wine that really spun my dial that made me think woo hoo,” says Seal.

“I got to work for a guy named Andre Ostertag in Alsace and he makes some of the most idiosyncratic wines that you are ever going to find. I read a review that said ‘often they are sublime, sometimes they are just very good and other times they fall flat but they are never ever boring’ and I thought that is exactly how I want to make wine.”

Having had his eyes opened to a fresh way of thinking about making his own whites “more lees contact, less reductive, more oxidative techniques” Seal’s love of travel and fondness for “having a go” has lead him on some slightly strange wine making endeavours including a stint with Denbies in the UK.

So, back to the subject of Central Otago, where Seal last vintage set up a ‘pop-up’ winery, in the heart of Dunedin

“This concept had been in my head for ages, ever since I spotted an urban winery in Portland during one of my first vintages there. I immediately thought of Dunedin. I just love Dunedin and knew that people are really interested in wine and have been loyal supporters of Central Otago. There is also that strong connection between the two regions from the obvious holiday home ownership today stretching right back to the original gold rush.”

Dunedin has always been recognised for amazing historical buildings, but after the Christchurch earthquake it was feared that new strengthening standards would spell the end for many of the 100 plus year-old buildings. Surprisingly, rather than being left to rack and ruin, the converse has happened. A canny group of developers set about buying many of the old buildings in the warehouse district, and rather than bowl the grand old structures, they have reinforced them for a brand new set of tenants.

“The redevelopment bumped my idea along and convinced me that it is absolutely the right time to do it.

“I met with Glen Hazleton who is a heritage planner at the Dunedin City Council, and he gave me the name of some really good developers and I looked through their buildings. That was one of the best parts of the project, looking through some of those fantastic buildings.

“Though, nothing seemed to have exactly what I wanted which was three-phase power, good water and existing drainage…there was always something missing. Then I met Stephen Macknight, the owner of this building and he said that he had everything I needed.”

Given the kick-start, Seal was in such a rush to act on the chance that had come his way, he hadn’t even though about the most important part of the process.

“Yeah, I didn’t even know where I would source the grapes from or how I would jump through the various hoops with the council. But I just thought that I would never get to use this space again if I didn’t act. So, this year has all been about showing my face, letting people know what I am doing and figuring out logistics.”

Seal’s model is totally geared to focusing on what charms him most, making wine and getting people involved in the process. In fact he wants the all the important marketing decisions to be a collaborate exercise between himself and the trade who he hopes will guide his wine making at URBN Vino.

“The more information I get from these people, the more I can get a product that works for them as well as me. I have learned the hard way as most wineries have, that you can’t simply make a wine and go out and sell it.”

After taking on a lease from the first of April, he was already moving in equipment by the second and in typical historian fashion, Seal says “the level of support that I have had from the community in Central has been really awesome.”

With Pinot Noir grapes sourced from an undisclosed location in Bendigo and trucked to Dunedin the same day they are picked, Seal was totally confident that there was no impediment to making great wine in what is essentially a historic construction zone. Though, URBN vino is anything but, just a wine making facility.

“It couldn’t have gone better in terms of public interest, trade interest and media coverage. I’m staggered by how much interest there is. It’s one of the best things about being in Dunedin.”

After running a successful PledgeMe campaign earlier this year, Seal will be back in place in his Pop Up winery in time for vintage 2017.