Nicholas Brown | Black Estate
Bio Dynamic, organic, and regenerative grape growing
Nicholas Brown is the Winemaker and co owner of Black Estate North Canterbury. This is a family owned, certified Biodynamic wine producer, making single vineyards wines. Nicholas will present a range of wines exploring Biodymanic, Organic, and regenerative wine growing and winemaking.
Rosie Menzies | Carrick
Carrick natural and summer wines
Owned and operated by Tony and Alison Cleland, Carrick is a fully integrated vineyard, winery, restaurant, and cellar door in Bannockburn, Central Otago. All wines are made on-site from estate-grown fruit, using wild yeast and minimal additions – a true expression of their unique Bannockburn terroir.
Join Carrick Winemaker Rosie Menzies, whose global experience and commitment to organics guide every bottle. Since stepping into the role of Chief Winemaker in 2020, Rosie has continued Carrick’s pursuit of purity, sustainability, and wines that speak of Bannockburn.
Today’s tasting features our Discovery Range – natural, unfiltered wines alive with texture and energy – alongside a selection of classic summer sippers that capture the freshness of the season.
Alister Maling MW
Exploring a new sub region of North Canterbury
Alastair Maling MW began his career as a flying winemaker making wine in France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. He gained his Master of Wine qualification in 2000. In 2002 he returned to New Zealand and joined Villa Maria Estate as Group Winemaker. In 2015 he joined Foley Wines as Group Chief Winemaker and Head of Viticulture for the company brands that included Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard, Grove Mill, Vavasour and Mt Difficulty. In July 2021 following 26 years of experience in the wine industry Maling established his own consulting business Maling Wines.
In keeping with his early career of travelling to remote regions, the Mt Beautiful vineyard is located in Cheviot – 45 minutes north of Waipara and is a true pioneer given they are the sole vineyard in this sub region of North Canterbury. Today’s seminar will look at a range of wines from Cheviot.
Kaitlyn Smid | Two Rivers
“The Perfect Pour” Fresh picks, chilled bottles, and everything your summer glass needs.
Canadian made, Kaitlyn is the Assistant Winemaker at Two Rivers in Marlborough, where she’s been part of the winemaking team since 2017. With harvest stints in Champagne, Australia, and Sonoma under her belt, Kaitlyn brings a fresh, global take to every pour. In this upbeat summer session, The Perfect Pour, she’ll be sharing her top wine picks for the season, including a mix of summer stunners from Two Rivers, Black Cottage, Clos Henri, and Sugarloaf. Expect vibrant flavours, insider tips, and fresh, fun wines made for sunny days, your favourite playlist and great friends . Whether you’re new to wine or just looking for your next go-to glass get ready for wines that are seriously sippable and impossible to put down.
Alex Judd | Greywacke
Reflection in time, greywacke past meets present.
Born and raised among the vineyards of Rapaura, Marlborough, Alex grew up surrounded by wine and hospitality. His early love of food led him to kitchen and event work through high school, before studying commerce in Wellington and honing his craft as a barista at the iconic Memphis Belle.
In 2016, Alex turned his focus to wine, joining Noble Rot Wine Bar under sommeliers Maciej Zimny and Joshua Pointon, refining his palate through in-house training and WSET study. He later moved into wine sales with Great Little Vineyards, managing accounts across the Lower North and Upper South Islands.
Returning home in 2019, Alex joined the Greywacke winemaking team, deepening his connection to the Marlborough terroir. Passionate about textural whites-especially chardonnay-he’s fascinated by wild yeast fermentation and the nuances of barrel ageing.
When he’s not in the winery, Alex enjoys cricket, dirt biking, and time with his German Shepherd Iika.