Our Story
Family roots run deep. Nobody has more experience growing grapes in Marlborough than Allan Scott. He planted some of the region’s most famous vineyards, including the very first, and has worked here every vintage since.
Family roots run deep. Nobody has more experience growing grapes in Marlborough than Allan Scott. He planted some of the region’s most famous vineyards, including the very first, and has worked here every vintage since.
Just like the vines themselves, the family’s story is entwined in the very roots of Marlborough winemaking. In 1990, Allan and his wife Catherine founded Allan Scott Family Winemakers, one of the region’s first independent wineries. Just as the name promises, it has always been a family affair, and now it has evolved into a true family calling.
Allan has nearly 40 years in the wine business, which makes him one of the most experienced people in Marlborough when it comes to growing, making and marketing wine. When Allan and his wife Catherine decided to settle here in 1973, (Cathy is a fifth-generation Marlburian) Allan took a job with Montana working in their new vineyards.
In 1980 he was head-hunted by Corbans to oversee the establishment of their Marlborough vineyards. He soon became their Senior Viticultural Manager, which not only gave him responsibility for the company’s entire national grape intake but led him to become part of the winemaking team.
All this stood him in good stead for the family’s foray into winemaking. Back then, there weren’t any boutique wineries to speak of in Marlborough. In 1975 Allan and Catherine purchased a block of land and got into contract growing. Then, when the first independent winemakers started to emerge in Marlborough, Allan and Catherine were in a position to become a part of this new era in New Zealand’s wine industry.
In 1990, they launched Allan Scott Wines. Allan remembers it well. “We were one of a small number who made up the first wave of the independents.” The Allan Scott winery has seen some changes since then. Over the 30 years since its inception, the winery has evolved to keep ahead of the changing demands from the market.
Perhaps the biggest change for the business has been its evolution into a true family business. Allan and Cathy’s two children have grown up to become valuable members of the business.
Their son Josh and younger daughter Sara assumed control of the company and head up the production, management and development of the company with a highly skilled operational team.
Along with the core range of Allan Scott Estate wines, there is a single vineyard selection of prestige wines that uses the best grapes and careful cellaring to produce a limited volume of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir, with names like Hounds and Wallops to depict their origin. In 1999, the winery also released the Cecilia range which now includes three bubbles all of which are produced on-site and the most recent addition to the family holdings is their Scott Base Vineyard in Central Otago.
Ph: (03) 572 9054
Email: info@allanscott.co.nz
Address: 229 Jacksons Road, RD3, Blenheim.
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