Down and Dirty

A group of New Zealanders are making a film about the US journalist Eric Arnold who spent a year in Marlborough learning how to make wine at the Allan Scott vineyard. Based on Arnold’s 2007 book First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under, the film is to be led by cameraman Ben Ruffell. Arnold, who worked as an editor at Wine Spectator after writing the book and is currently an editor at Forbes, said he was “thrilled” Ruffell had taken on the project. “He and his partners share the vision of telling a story that truly conveys the rugged, rural lifestyle of New Zealand winemaking. Which, I suppose means they appreciate gross-out humour as much as I do,” Arnold added.