STUFF BUSINESS

22 March by Chloe Winter.

An organic Marlborough winery owned by a famous Kiwi cinematographer is changing hands.

Michael Seresin, whose film credits include Midnight Express, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanand Angela's Ashes, has sold his eight-hectare estate to two local winemakers Ben Glover and Rhyan Wardman.

Glover, who runs Glover Family Vineyards, said Seresin wanted to downsize and refocus on producing super-premium, small parcel wines. Seresin wines would continue to be made in the winery.

Seresin was one of the first wine companies in New Zealand to operate organic vineyards. Pigs dig up the ground between the vines, horses and cows graze the land, and vegetable gardens and olive trees are a common sight.

Glover said the decision to buy Seresin Estate, near Renwick, came after his family decided to transition their vineyard operations to organic farming practices.

Glover Family Vineyard wines will now be made at the Seresin winery.

"This will allow us to be hands on, with full control over the production process, from vine to bottle," Glover said.

Ben Glover and Rhyan Wardman have bought Seresin winery and vineyards.

The sale included the existing winery, which can hold 1300 tonnes, as well as three hectares of organic vineyards. The winery would grow to hold 3000 tonnes over time, Glover said.

"While [we] recognise that Marlborough needs large-scale winemaking facilities to keep up with consumer demand for our Sauvignon Blanc, Rhyan and I intrinsically believe that it is vital to showcase the pure diversity of our wine region for long-term sustainability."

Wardman said he began his winemaking career as the inaugural assistant winemaker at Seresin Estate in the 90s, so this new venture would see him come full circle.

The pair hoped to create a winemaking hub for winemakers championing small-batch, single-site wines, Wardman said.

"The winery provides the perfect site to continue that vision … We want to create a space that will allow producers to make wine that displays the real fabric of Marlborough."

In a statement, Seresin said the changes would bring a "renewed vigour to the portfolio of Seresin wines".

In the coming months, the company's operation would be rehomed to one of their remaining sites, a 100 hectare site on Barracks Rd.

Glover and Wardma take over Seresin Estate winery on May 1 and will rename it The Coterie.

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