Ata Rangi a gold award finalist

From humble beginnings as a bare stretch of farmland to an award-winning producer of pinot noir, Ata Rangi has been through many changes over the years.

However, one of the highest points for the Martinborough vineyard came just recently, after it was named a 2013 Wellington Gold Awards Finalist.

For co-owners Phyll Pattie and her husband Clive Paton, who have toiled the land at Ata Rangi since the 1980s, to be nominated as a finalist in the awards' exporters category was "a real buzz".

"We were invited by the Gold Awards to make an application. So we just thought, 'bugger it, we'll give it a go'," says Ms Pattie, who has been involved with Ata Rangi since she met Clive Paton in 1986.

"[To get into the finals] is a really nice acknowledgment of our staff - we have a really hardworking team here.

"It's a pat on the back, a reassurance we're doing okay. Better than okay, in fact."

2013 is the first year the Gold Awards, which recognise excellence in business, has invited entries from the wider Wellington region, and Ms Pattie is thrilled to have helped put Wairarapa on the map.

"It's a buzz for anyone in the 'Rapa to get into the finals," she says.

"You have to work hard here, and have a can-do attitude. You don't have the massive infrastructure of a big city to lean on, so you have to do it yourself."

"The pioneering, hands-on spirit is still alive and well."

It was the same entrepreneurial spirit that got Ata Rangi up and running back in 1980, when former dairy farmer Mr Paton bought the vineyard.

At the time, the land was nothing more than a barren, stony paddock.

"It was just 12 acres of sheep paddock, with fences all through the middle of it," says Ms Pattie.

"There were no trees at all. Clive made sure to plant lots of lovely trees. He's passionate about trees."

Progress was slow at first, as vines can take up to four years to fully grow. Mr Paton needed to rely on his farming background to make ends meet.

"He grew pumpkin and garlic between the vines and carted them off to Wellington. It was a way of putting food on the table.

"When I joined the team, I was working two jobs. It was a while before we were both able to be at the vineyard full time."

Ata Rangi won its first gold medal for pinot noir in 1986.

Since then, the vineyard, owned and managed by Ms Pattie, her husband and sister-in-law Ali, has won three international wine and spirits titles, gained the Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa award for its work in the wine industry and now exports to over 25 countries.

Ms Pattie says that the vineyard's commitment to quality products and its green and sustainable practices helped secure its nomination as a Gold Awards Finalist.

"We are incredibly quality-focused," says Ms Pattie. "We don't put out anything that's not up to a high standard. We're very hands-on - from working with great fruit in the vineyard, to making sure all our packaging is high quality."

She and Mr Paton have also established the Ata Rangi Bush Block, a conservation space with over 50,000 native trees - and are now growing grand durable eucalypts to provide wood for vineyard posts.

The couple will be travelling to Wellington to attend 2013 Gold Awards on June 20, where the winners in each category will be announced.