Earth Day Q&A with Waipapa Bay Wines’ marketing director, Fran Draper
We’ve been partnered with Waipapa Bay Wines since 2019 so for this year’s Earth Day, we wanted to get to know Fran Draper, their Marketing Director, a bit better.
That’s why we’ve asked her a few questions like what her favourite Waipapa Bay tipple is, why they became a Climate Giant Project partner and most importantly … what’s her favourite whale or dolphin?
- Tell us a bit about Waipapa Bay Wines?
The name Waipapa Bay comes from a beautiful laid-back surf spot in New Zealand. It’s a place of stunning, natural beauty and is a fantastic spot for wildlife watching which has inspired the ethos behind the wines – to produce great wines and help raise funds for Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
- What’s your favourite wine in the Waipapa range and why?
I love Sauvignon Blanc but actually my favourite wine in the range is the new Gruner Veltliner from New Zealand. I like trying new wines, different grapes, different countries, and the Gruner is a lovely example of an unusual grape from a country you wouldn’t expect it from.
- Why has Waipapa Bay Wines become a Climate Giant Project partner?
Waipapa Bay Wines has been supporting WDC since 2019, and through this partnership we’ve come to understand the crucial role that whales and dolphins play in protecting ocean ecosystems, and how this impacts on the climate crisis. As a natural product, wine is sensitive to the vagaries of climate change, with weather directly affecting grape growth and health. The WDC has shown us how the Climate Giant Project is the ocean’s alternative to planting trees, and we’ve been really excited to learn that if baleen whale populations recovered to their pre-whaling numbers, they could store almost a billion trees worth of carbon.
- What’s your favourite whale or dolphin and why?
It’s got to be the mighty humpback whale - the way they can use their enormous tail and flippers to manoeuvre in the water, and the sight of their tail as they dive! I was lucky enough to spot them off the coast of Boston some years ago and the experience has stayed with me ever since.
- Today is Earth Day - if you could visit one place on earth right now, where would it be and why?
I have simple tastes, I love the calming expanse of the sea and the rugged nature of the mountains. My ideal spot right now would be the Isle of Skye – but I’d love to take a trip to the WDC Dolphin Centre in Spey bay while there, it’s only a few hours down the road!
If you’d like to get your hands on a bottle of Waipapa Bay wines, visit the Ocado website here today.
