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The great news and people that are part of the New Zealand wine industry.
We're celebrating Earth Day on April 22 2021 by sharing stories about how New Zealand wine businesses are protecting the environment and giving back to their communities.
Ivan Sutherland is an Olympic medallist and also one of the early pioneers of the Marlborough wine region. He and his wife Margaret purchased their vineyard in the late 1970s as Sauvignon Blanc was being discovered.
Until the 1970s, the conventional wisdom was that the South Island was too cold to grow grapes. In 1973, Frank Yukich sparked the modern wine industry in Marlborough when he went against the grain and bought up farmland for vineyards.
“We have an expression that unless you have dirt under your fingernails, you’ll never know how to grow a vine,” says James Millton from his eponymous Gisborne vineyard.
Christine and Dave Macdonald admit it was a romantic whim to name Bladen for their children Blair and Deni.
There was never any pressure nor expectation the Sutherland children would join parents Ivan and Margaret in Dog Point Vineyards.
Winemaker | Carrick | Central Otago
Growing up in Central Hawke’s Bay, Rosie wanted to work with animals and become a Veterinarian. After not getting into the required programme at University, Rosie defaulted into a Science Degree while still trying to figure out what to do with it.
Assistant Winemaker | Black Estate | North Canterbury
Originally from Yokohama, Japan, Nao was working as a computer engineer in Tokyo when she decided to take a year off to backpack around New Zealand. That was in 2007, and fourteen years later, Nao is still living in New Zealand today.
Marketing Director | Te Mata Estate Winery | Hawke’s Bay,
Chair | Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers
Sally was born and raised in the United Kingdom and made the move to New Zealand with her Kiwi husband and two sons 14 years ago. Sally’s career has spanned a range of industries from FMCG to publishing, as well as working for the world’s two largest toy companies, before finding herself at Marketing Director at Te Mata Estate Winery.