Raised in the City Hotel in Dunedin, the Cromwell woman has hospitality in her veins.
She grew up hearing tales of her as a 4-year-old sitting in the bar drinking a Shirley Temple, and vividly remembers her mother Kay Elms, the hotel’s maitre d’, as the "hostess with the mostest" with her beautifully coiffed hair and three-inch stilettos.
In the early 1990s, father Stewart founded Felton Road wines with his daughter, kickstarting Mrs Barnett’s lifelong career and love affair with the Central Otago wine industry.
Now after helping to create cellar doors and build other wine businesses in Central Otago, Mrs Barnett has stepped out on her own, opening Pinot Junction Wine Store and Eatery in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct.
Based in the Murrells Cottage, the business came about after a "brain burst" in the middle of the night, she said.
"At 3am one morning I woke [husband] Matt up and said ‘oh my God, I’ve got it. I’m going to open a wine store’."
That night she set about writing a business plan, much of which is still in play today, created the business concept and designed the branding.
While a wine store was not a new concept, the return of tourists after Covid-19, her industry experience combined with "exceptional work" from Tourism Central Otago and Central Otago Winegrowers meant the timing was right, she said.
Hearing the owner of an Italian cafe in Old Cromwell was keen to sell up, Mrs Barnett jumped at the chance.
After a whirlwind six weeks the deal was done and since then it had been "baptism of fire", Mrs Barnett said.
"The whole thing is so serendipitous it’s crazy.
"It was six weeks from woe to go, all local lawyers and accountants who worked really hard to get it through," she said.
"It has been a massive six-week learning curve."
Now open, Pinot Junction focuses on wine and produce from the region, with cabinet food, pizza and platters full of locally sourced goods — including baker Wendy’s popular cinnamon scrolls.
Mrs Barnett said the wine store and cafe was a place for people to come, regardless of their experience and knowledge of wine, and sample what was on offer.
"This is for locals and visitors," she said.
"There’s no pretence. I just want to make memories with these wines — that’s what wines are all about."
