Our Story

About us

Allan Scott Family Winemakers

The estate is a special place where grapes are grown, harvested, crafted into iconic wines, tasted and shared with the world by our family. Located in the beautiful Marlborough region, and home to us, Josh Scott and Sara Stocker, owners and innovative winemaking siblings, with an unparalleled desire to let you try the very best of New Zealand.

We grew up among the vines of our family vineyards, developing our love for winemaking and grape growing from an early age. Our true passion is simple: to create wines that people love to drink as much as we love making them.

We believe in cherishing life’s moments, raising a glass in celebration, while embracing an active, balanced lifestyle. It is our way of living that we are proud of to share with the world.

Josh Scott & Sara Stocker

Our Family's

History

Our family story is entwined in the roots of Marlborough winemaking. It started over half a decade ago, while before we were born, when dad and mum settled into the region where mum was born, Marlborough.

The wine industry started to slowly make its way to the area, but it looked nothing like what it is now. There was no sight of the current 150+ Wineries and 500+ grape growers. In fact, our dad, Allan Scott, planted some of the first vines in 1973, as part of his work on one of Marlborough’s earliest vineyards.

Allan definitely got a feel for it, and purchased his own block of land in 1975, where he worked as a contracted grape grower. Boutique wineries were virtually non-existent, and in 1990, he and mum, Cathy, started ‘Allan Scott Wines’. Located exactly where the winery is located now on Jackson's Road. "We were one of a small number who made up the first wave of the independents", Allan said. A new era in the NZ wine industry had begun.

When building the estate, dad and mum kept a failing-closure that if anything would go wrong, they could live in the winery, but lucky enough things did not go down. Soon after the first harvest in 1990, expansion became essential. More vines were planted, production lines enlarged, and additional warehouses built. Cathy’s passions, the Twelve Trees restaurant and the Cellar Door, became key destinations for visitors, offering an opportunity to taste and experience the wines directly.

In 1992, the winery shipped its very first hand-stacked export container from Lyttelton in Christchurch to the United Kingdom. An export-contact that arose unexpectedly, as it started off with an agent who went for a run in the morning and passed by the newly popped-up Allan Scott winery. Allan and Cathy’s eldest daughter Victoria welcomed the runner and introduced him to Allan, which kick-started a close and still-lasting relationship with the UK market.

Few can lay claim to having worked every grape harvest in Marlborough, but dad can, and he taught us from an early age. Ever since we were born, we grew up just across the road from the family winery. During school holidays, we would spend many hours helping prune vines, bud rubbing or lending a hand in the Cellar Door.

I, Josh, developed a passion for tasting and wine making, which has led me down the path of studying towards my Diploma in Viticulture and Wine production at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. And I, Sara, developed a natural fondness for wine and a desire to understand all aspects of winegrowing. My passion for the outdoors and environment led me to a career in viticulture.

Slowly, we grew into management roles and bought the company from dad in 2021. We head up the production, management and development of the company with a highly skilled operational team. Allan Scott Wines became Allan Scott Family Winemakers, and due to our efforts, the business grew considerably. It was the unaltered focus on quality, innovation, and family values that has strengthened the brand’s reputation and popularity. Our true passion unchanged, ‘creating wines that people love to drink as much as we love making them.’

Our adventurous mindsets make us dedicated to getting the best out of every vintage. We enjoy what we do, and we love to share our enthusiasm for winemaking and grape growing with the world. We are advocates of combining a healthy and active lifestyle with celebrating the joys of life with a glass of wine. We are motivated by the next generation of wine lovers and are committed to working sustainably, so they can enjoy Allan Scott Family Wines. It must be good to have our family name on it.