Palliser is one of New Zealand’s premier wine brands, from Martinborough, Wairarapa. They were one of the mavericks who gambled on taking farmland and turning it into vineyards. They describe themselves as ‘a small but committed bunch’, more like a family than a business, with an ethos of caring for each other, their land and their community.

As well as a range of wines made under the Palliser brand, they also make their ‘Pencarrow’ range, named after the lighthouse which sits at the end of Palliser Bay at the entrance to Wellington Harbour.

The philosophy at Palliser is to produce exceptional wines that have a strong sense of place, reflecting not only their sites and the seasons, an approach which is founded on their strong commitment to growing organically.

As New Zealanders, they believe that the regeneration of the land is key to their collective future success, and so Palliser has been producing wine sustainably since the beginnin. They believe it makes a tangible difference too, and describe a ‘softness’ which can be felt through someone’s feet as they walk through an organic vineyard – it lets you know the soils are alive and breathing.

They have six vineyards situated on the revered Martinborough Terrace, all of which will be BioGro Certified organic by the end of 2025.

The Terrace itself is a unique geological formation of ancient river gravels overlaid with silt and loam, providing excellent drainage and low vine vigour, which results in the concentrated, expressive wines for which Palliser is known, especially their Pinots.