How did you come to winemaking and Martinborough?I was a latecomer to the wine industry. I attended Lincoln University in the early 1980s and completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce, majoring in horticultural management.While working as a commercial property valuer, I appraised some of the Montana vineyards, which sparked my interest in wine. At the age of 38, with a family on the way, I returned to university to complete a postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University — a risk, but one we knew was the right thing to do.In the early 2000s, I began working at Escarpment Vineyard with Larry McKenna — the first experienced winemaker in Martinborough and the man behind the first Palliser wine in 1989. I stayed there for seven years before moving to the Gladstone region to work at Urlar, a biodynamic and organic producer.In 2015, Pip Goodwin approached me about joining Palliser and leading the estate’s organic journey. With six exceptional vineyards spread across the Terrace, it felt like an incredible opportunity to embrace organics and unlock the full potential of these sites.What makes the Martinborough region unique?Martinborough is particularly renowned for premium Pinot Noir and represents the northern limit for Pinot Noir cultivation in New Zealand.The region opens southward, exposing it to strong southerly winds from the South Island. These winds affect flowering and naturally reduce yields to roughly half of those in Marlborough — about 10 tonnes per hectare for Sauvignon Blanc compared to Marlborough’s 20, and four tonnes per hectare for Pinot Noir compared to eight.As a result, bunches are smaller and looser because flowering is never entirely complete.After the southerlies pass, powerful northwesterly winds descend across the Tararua Range. The berries develop thicker skins in response to these conditions, resulting in wines with naturally higher tannin levels.Compared with Central Otago Pinot Noir — often built around vibrant acidity and plush fruit — Martinborough Pinot Noir tends to be more savoury, earthy, and structured around tannins. This savoury complexity is one of Martinborough’s defining characteristics.The Martinborough Terrace soilsThe Martinborough Terrace is remarkably complex geologically, with dramatic soil changes occurring across very short distances.The terrace consists of elevated, free-draining river gravels around the edges, transitioning into heavier clay soils toward the town centre.At the front edge of the terrace, the gravels are approximately 11 metres deep; midway they reach 25 metres, and at the highest point, around 40 metres deep.Our certified organic Hua Nui Vineyard sits midway along the terrace on around 24 metres of free-draining river gravel. As you move away from the terrace edge, small clay seams begin to appear.We now harvest these sections separately. The gravel sections produce stronger fruit expression, while the clay sections contribute more texture and weight.This variation exists throughout the Terrace, making every vineyard site unique and adding both excitement and challenge to winemaking in Martinborough.How have you evolved in the vineyard to produce more premium wines?Our focus is on continually maximising the potential of our Martinborough vineyards to produce increasingly premium wines.Organics are critically important because they allow a more natural balance in the vine and a truer expression of site than conventionally farmed vineyards.Currently, 60% of our vineyards are BioGro certified organic, making Palliser the largest organic grower in the Wairarapa. We are aiming for full certification across all vineyards by 2026.Organic conversion required a complete change in vineyard management. We no longer use insecticides, systemic fungicides, or herbicides.To replace herbicides, we under-vine cultivate. To control pests naturally, we plant phacelia and buckwheat between the rows, attracting small wasps that prey on caterpillars. Sulphur sprays are used for fungal disease management, though they require regular application, particularly after rain.Replacing herbicides presents its own challenges. Many New Zealand vineyards were planted on the low-vigour 101-14 rootstock because growers wanted balanced canopies and reduced vigour. Under conventional farming, herbicides kept the soil beneath the vines completely clean, allowing feeder roots to remain close to the surface.Under organic farming, grasses compete with the vines, and under-vine cultivation cuts feeder roots, forcing the vine roots to grow deeper over several years until balance is restored.Organic Pinot Noir tends to show more earthy, savoury characteristics, whereas conventionally farmed Pinot Noir often emphasises bright fruit expression. Organics provide a beautiful sense of balance.How has winemaking evolved at Palliser?My winemaking philosophy is very hands-off. If you grow exceptional fruit, the fruit should speak for itself.For both our Single Vineyard and Estate Chardonnays, all fruit is hand-picked. No sulphur is added, whole bunches are pressed directly to barrel, and fermentation occurs naturally using our own vineyard-derived yeast culture.We rarely perform bâtonnage (lees stirring) now — perhaps on a single barrel if needed — unlike the early 2000s, when it was done every two weeks.Our oak philosophy has also evolved. We work closely with our coopers, using slightly older and more elegant oak because we want structure and length, not overt oak character.Each barrel is tasted and scored several times per year. The best Chardonnay barrels from our organic Om Santi Vineyard become our Single Vineyard Om Santi Chardonnay, while the remaining barrels are allocated to the Estate wine.The same philosophy applies to Pinot Noir. From the six-hectare Hua Nui Vineyard, only the best fruit from approximately two hectares is selected for the Single Vineyard Hua Nui Pinot Noir.We have also reduced extraction. Martinborough Pinot Noir naturally contains significant tannin, and in the past we perhaps extracted too heavily, creating large, structured wines.Today, we aim for finer tannins and greater elegance through a more minimal-intervention approach.What are your highlights from 10 years at Palliser?One major highlight was when the 2021 Palliser Estate Single Vineyard Hua Nui Pinot Noir won “Best in Show” at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards, while the 2021 Om Santi Chardonnay also received Platinum and 97 points.As we pursued more elegant, premium single-vineyard wines from Martinborough, this recognition confirmed that we were on the right path.For me, these were benchmark wines — both from organic vineyards — and they gave us the confidence to convert the remainder of our vineyards to organic farming.Palliser Estate Vineyards❶ Winery Vineyard2 hectares, planted predominantly to Pinot Noir (MV6 and Abel clones) with four rows of Chardonnay.Split across two levels, with the higher level ripening around two weeks earlier.Certified organic.❷ Om Santi Vineyard8 hectares.The estate’s stoniest and most free-draining vineyard, producing elegant wines with strong minerality, particularly in Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Chardonnay.Certified organic.❸ Pinnacles Vineyard4 hectares planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Syrah.The warmest vineyard site due to its slope. The free-draining gravels Produce fruit with exceptional purity, ideal for sparkling wine production.❹ Hua Nui Vineyard6 hectares planted entirely to Pinot Noir (Dijon and Abel clones).Positioned on the terrace edge with 25 metres of free-draining gravels transitioning into clay further inland.Certified organic.❺ Pencarrow Vineyard25.7 hectares: Pinot Noir 19.5ha, Sauvignon Blanc 4.5ha, Pinot Gris 1.7haA mix of clay and stony soils supplying fruit primarily for the Estate wines.Certified organic.❻ Woolshed Vineyard25 hectares: Sauvignon Blanc 12ha, Chardonnay 7ha, Pinot Noir 6haRiver gravels dominate near the terrace edge, transitioning to heavier clay soils further inland.<<Featured Wines>>Palliser Estate Pencarrow Pinot Noir 2023 (Screw Cap)Varietal: Pinot NoirAlc.13.5％RRP incl. tax ￥4,895CODE：13244A nicely structured, medium-bodied Pinot Noir with lively acidity and approachable fruit character.Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2022 (Screw Cap)Varietal: Pinot NoirAlc.13.6％RRP incl. tax ￥6,600CODE：12682Hand-picked fruit from organically farmed vineyards, naturally fermented with 5% whole bunches and matured for 10 months in French oak.Palliser Estate Hua Nui Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 (Screw Cap)Varietal: Pinot NoirAlc.13.5％RRP incl. tax ￥11,000CODE：12412“Hua Nui” means “fruit of abundance” in Māori. Naturally fermented, lightly fined, and bottled unfiltered.Palliser Estate Pencarrow Chardonnay 2023 (Screw Cap)Varietal: ChardonnayAlc.12.6％RRP incl. tax ￥4,015CODE：12988Bright fruit, creamy texture, and subtle spice make this an ideal summer Chardonnay.Palliser Estate Martinborough Chardonnay 2023 (Screw Cap)Varietal: ChardonnayAlc.12.9％RRP incl. tax ￥4,950CODE：12987Whole-bunch pressed and matured in French oak with concentrated stone fruit and mineral character.Palliser Estate Om Santi Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 (Screw Cap)Varietal: ChardonnayAlc.13.7％RRP incl. tax ￥8,250CODE：12413Organically grown fruit from a cool single vineyard showing white peach, nectarine, subtle vanilla, and oyster-shell minerality.