Meet The Makers

Susan Van Der Pol – Winemaker at Vavasour

Susan Van Der Pol is our Winemaker at Vavasour. Susan was raised in Blenheim, the centre of Marlborough’s wine industry. In 2002, she was awarded a diploma in Viticulture & Wine Production fro...

Greg Lane Chief Winemaker at Mt Difficulty

Greg Lane is our Chief Winemaker at Mt Difficulty.  A South Australian local, Greg grew up surrounded by wine culture from day dot and earned a Bachelor of Oenology from the University of Adelaide ...

Stu Marfell – Chief Winemaker in Marlborough

Stu Marfell is our Chief Winemaker in Marlborough.Born and raised in the Awatere, as a child our Winemaker Stu witnessed an exciting transformation from quiet pastoral farming to grape growing as V...

Rachel Hall – Head Distiller at Lighthouse Gin

Rachel Hall is our Head Distiller at Lighthouse Gin. From gathering botanicals, twice distilling, tasting every batch for consistency, labelling and bottling, Rachel is our custodian of the Lightho...

John Kavanagh – Chief Winemaker at Te Kairanga

John Kavanagh is our Chief Winemaker at Te Kairanga. John moved to Martinborough specifically for Pinot Noir, and became the Chief Winemaker at Te Kairanga in 2012. A graduate of Lincoln University...

Paul Mason – Ex-Chief Winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard

Paul Mason was Chief Winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard until 2024.  It was Martinborough Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir that got Paul into winemaking. Now known as Marie Zelie, the 1994 vintage will...

The Marlborough Viticulture Team

Variety is the spice of life! We have vineyards spread far and wide across the Marlborough region combining 6 different varieties that our team of three look after. This geographical and varietal d...

Dave Shepherd – Head Viticulturist in Martinborough

Dave Shepherd is Head Viticulturist in Martinborough. Great wines start in the vineyard. From The Terrace to Ruatukopuna, Dave is focused on the seasonal variation within each vineyard. “My perfec...

Tom Turner – Chief Winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard

Tom Turner is our Winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard.  Originally from North Canterbury, Tom’s interest in wine took hold when his family planted a small vineyard. Since 2012 he has worked across ...

Mat Duncan – Vineyard Manager and Grower Liaison in Marlborough

Mat Duncan is our Vineyard Manager and Grower Liaison in Marlborough. Raised on an orchard with grapes, avocados and kiwifruit in Northern Hawkes Bay, a fortuitous move in 1994 lead Mat’s family t...

Julianna Patterson - Assistant Winemaker at Grove Mill

Julianna Patterson is our Assistant Winemaker at Grove Mill. Jules is the Assistant Winemaker at Grove Mill. Born and bred in Dunedin, Jules joined the Air Force before switching to pursue a career...

Esme Holdsworth – Winemaker at Grove Mill

Esmé Holdsworth is our Winemaker at Grove Mill. Born and raised in beautiful Nelson, Esmé’s passion for wine originally sparked from her love for artisan food after spending her summers at school ...