Ollie

The moment struck at a Chateau in Beaujolais. A couple of kiwi backpackers, Ollie and his wife Rebecca exploring France in their battered VW van, parked up for the ‘99 grape harvest. By day hand harvesting grapes and the evenings were spent with other vintage workers tasting wines in the dimly lit Chateau courtyard. Every wine had a story. The vineyards, the growers, the makers, and the crazy seasons past. Ollie knew then that his future was in wine and returned to NZ to study viticulture and winemaking at EIT, Hawkes Bay.

More grape harvests in vineyards and wineries across New Zealand and France ensued.

Ollie took on the role of Chief Viticulturist for Villa Maria Estate in 2007. Mentored by Sir George Fistonich, Ollie lived his dream and at the end of each vintage would bring home a small parcel of grapes to ferment into wine in the garage.