US family to export all their vintage

A Waikato-based wine company with links to Marlborough has been sold to an American businessman.

De Redcliffe Winery, which also produces the First Land label, makes several red varieties, as well as riesling and sauvignon blanc from Marlborough.

Edward Aster, from Oregon, took over the company last week. He intends building it solely as an exporter.

"All our product is going overseas. You will not be able to buy any of our wines here in New Zealand, except at the Hotel du Vin [part of the De Redcliffe Estate]," Aster said.

His family were immigrating to New Zealand and the wine company was intended as a hands-on family business.

"This is not corporate America choosing to move down here," he said.

First Land will become the company's premium label and will primarily be exported to the United States.

De Redcliffe will continue to be sent to the United Kingdom market, where it has built up a reputation.

Aster said the company would increase its production, particularly of Marlborough sauvignon blanc. At this stage contract growers supply the grapes, and John Forrest makes the wine.

"What we have is some of the best savvy in the world and we will increase production," Aster said. "We will look at different opportunities in Marlborough in the future."

Having looked at the wine market for two years, Aster said, he chanced upon De Redcliffe, having stopped there for lunch one day.

"We knew it was on the market, and the size of the production, which at that stage was more than 40,000 cases a year, suited us perfectly."

The winery is based in the Waikato, in the Mangatawhiri region, but the offices have always been in Auckland. Aster said the business was now moving everything to run from the Hotel du Vin.

- NZPA