Whitehaven

In ’91, Greg and Sue White ditched their corporate jobs in Auckland and set sail around the Pacific on a 48-foot yacht called Chanticleer. In ’93, while sheltering from hurricanes in Marlborough Sounds, the couple decided it was time to drop anchor and return to dry land. They established Whitehaven near Blenheim in the region’s north, and in ’95 released their first riesling. By ’02, Greg and Sue had outgrown the original site, and moved the winery to a former apple orchard in Rapaura where it remains today, although infrastructure has been improved and capacity dramatically increased in the decades since. Whitehaven produces several tiers of wines, including the single-vineyard ‘Greg’ series, Whitehaven, and Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wines. Over half the fruit, which is mostly sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir, comes from estate-grown or managed vineyard sites, with the remaining portion sourced from quality growers across Marlborough’s various subregions. In ’07, Greg sadly passed away from cancer. Sue and their daughters remain at the helm. -ANNA WEBSTER