Millton

Since the very beginnings of the Millton story in 1984, the family has thought of themselves as stewards of the land. Working in one of New Zealand’s warmest and wettest viticultural regions, the family nevertheless pursued organic and—later—biodynamic agriculture with a view toward sustainability. While one of the goals has been increasing wine quality, the overarching one is improving the land for future generations. In 1989, Millton was the first producer in New Zealand to attain BioGro certification for organic wine production. Twenty years later, they were certified biodynamic by Demeter—the first winery in the Southern Hemisphere to gain that distinction. As such pioneers, James and Annie Millton have been instrumental in demonstrating the benefits of these practices to later proponents, generous in giving their time to informally consult, advise and encourage other like-minded producers, particularly in other parts of New Zealand.

James and Annie Millton founded Millton Vineyards & Winery in 1984, basing their initial production on a vineyard Annie’s father had developed in the late 1960s. James had worked in Bordeaux and Germany with the Sichel family’s wine businesses and also had stints with Prince Poniatowski in Vouvray and Champagne Bollinger. Today, the venture includes four estate vineyards in the Gisborne subregions of Manutake and Matawhero: Opou, Riverpoint, Te Arai and Clos de Ste Anne. Clos de Ste Anne is a steep, amphitheater-like site that could be described as the family’s grand cru site, while the other vineyards are on more level, easily farmed ground. Chenin Blanc is arguably the variety that has gained the winery the most acclaim, but other successful white varieties include Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Riesling and Viognier. Red varieties include Malbec, Pinot Noir and Syrah.