Nina Downer grew up on a dairy farm in Taranaki and became interested in viticulture after a teacher suggested the trade to her during high school when she was 16.
"I wanted to work outdoors, and a bit of sciences and the ability to be able to travel with it as well."
After finishing high school she went to study a bachelor of viticulture and oenology degree at Lincoln University.
It was during a summer job at Dry River Wines in Martinborough where she discovered she really enjoyed working on vineyards and wanted to continue to work in the field.
Five years ago she moved to Central Otago where she started work for Felton Road Wines.
It was in Central Otago that she took part in her first Young Viticulturist competition four years ago, where she placed second in the regional competition.
Over the next three years she would win the regional competition, allowing her to compete in the national Young Viticulturists, which she won last year.
Winning the national Young Viticulturists meant Ms Downer could compete in the national Young Horticulturist of the Year to be held in Auckland in November.
The competition would be split over two days and she would compete with other horticulturists from different industries in practical and theoretical tests of their skills as well as a speech during a dinner.
A big part of the competition was an innovation project where each participant would design a product or service suitable for the horticulture industry.
They would also have to create financial plans, a report and a Dragons’ Den-style presentation for judging, she said.
"There’s a lot of work that goes into it ... you’re really putting yourself on the spot."
The national competition had Ms Downer excited for the opportunity to keep learning, but nervous as she has only one chance to win the national title.
She hoped she would be able to go all the way and win the competition, to add the national Young Horticulturist title to her regional and national Young Viticulturist titles.
After the competition and regardless of the outcome, she planned to continue her involvement with the competition, volunteering her time to help other young people in the industry experience the same opportunities as she did.
"I’ve progressed so much and learnt so much through the competitions. So I really want to be able to give back time."
