The Eli Collection is a beautiful range of premium Allan Scott wines named after Eli Scott, one of the first pioneers in the Scott family line. But what made Eli, also known as Allan’s great-grandfather and Josh and Sara’s great-great-grandfather, so special that his family members, who had only heard stories about him, named their most premium wine collection after him? To answer this question, we need to go back in time to 1860 when Eli arrived in New Zealand.
Eli Scott was the first Scott in the family tree to arrive in New Zealand on a vessel called Zealandia. It was Zealandia's second voyage and, after two weeks of lying still in a British harbour awaiting wind, the ship left the UK. On board were many Brits longing for a new life, among them Eli Scott and his newlywed wife, Martha. At the time, Eli was only 20 years old and Martha only a couple of years older. Despite their young age, they undertook the long journey of approximately four months to reach the harbour in Lyttelton, New Zealand.
The reason they left the UK remains unclear. Martha gave birth to their daughter Mary just before they arrived in New Zealand, which makes Allan wonder why they left the UK in the first place. Eli kept a diary, one that is still preserved by the family today, but he never wrote down the reason for their departure. A common reason for many onboard was that they saw coming to New Zealand as an opportunity to leave the hierarchy of the UK behind. Here, they could own land, create wealth, and escape the class system that had long been established in Britain. It was a very brave move for two young people in their twenties, especially considering there was very little in New Zealand at the time. They had no idea what they would find on the other side of the ocean, and what they did find was minimal. As you can imagine, there were no shops around, making it difficult to get hold of everyday goods.
In order to come to New Zealand, Eli needed a qualification. Back in the UK, his family had been involved in the wool and clothing industry, but in preparation for the journey, he trained as a bricklayer so he could earn a living in the promised land. In 1860, after a voyage of up to four months, Eli and Martha stepped ashore. They probably did not have enough money to buy a farm straight away, but a great opportunity arose not long after they arrived.
Abraham Scott (1816-1890), Eli Scott (1840-1911), Eli Scott (1876-1963), Ben Scott (1909-1983)
The Gold Rush struck New Zealand around the Central Otago region, and together with many others, Eli packed his belongings and headed to the goldfields, hoping to make his fortune. There is no record of Eli ever finding gold, but interestingly, the land around those gold mining sites eventually turned into vineyards. Only five kilometres away from where Allan’s great-grandfather was gold mining in the 1900s, he later established a vineyard that grew the Central Otago grapes which formed the base of Scott Base wines and the wines in the Eli Collection. Bringing the story back to wine.
So, long story short, Eli had nothing to do with wine and was never part of the wine industry. It is not even clear whether he drank wine. However, The Eli Collection is named after him out of respect and as a tribute to his brave story. A story of a true pioneer, something that has clearly been passed down through the generations. The Scotts are incredibly grateful, as they would not be where they are today if it were not for Eli Scott, and therefore their premium wines carry his name.
Or, as Josh likes to say, Eli was just easy to spell, and the typewriter in the office back in the day only had three letters: E, L and I. Eli.
