Jason is a Marlborough native returning to the fold, after six years spent refining his craft in the wineries and vineyards of Australia. Jason has worked vintages for Selaks and Nobilo in NZ, and for Crabtree’s, Kirrihill Estate and Hardys in Australia. Most recently he was running his own 17 acre vineyard in the Clare Valley, as well as consulting to a number of other vineyards in the area.
His wife Anna comes to Te Whare Ra after

7 years with Hardys in Australia – at their Tintara (McLaren Vale) and Leasingham (Clare Valley) wineries. Anna was most recently winemaker at Leasingham where she was responsible for both red and white varieties. The wines she made while at Leasingham achieved significant awards, and accolades at wine shows and wine competitions worldwide. Anna was a National finalist in The Wine Society Young Australian Winemaker of the Year (2002), and has been an associate wine show judge.

Both Jason and Anna come to Te Whare Ra from extensive family involvement in the Australian and New Zealand wine industries. Jason’s father Ross is a well-respected viticulturalist and vineyard contractor in Marlborough and with his wife Marie owns a number of vineyards in the region. Anna is the fifth generation of her family to be involved in the industry. Her parents own a vineyard in the McLaren Vale (SA) region, and aunts and uncles have vineyards in the Adelaide Hills (SA) and King Valley (Vic).

Both Jason and Anna hold great hope for a bright future for TWR. They are very excited about the opportunity it presents to breathe new life into one of Marlborough’s oldest wineries.

Since arriving in November 2003 they have extensively upgraded the winery and had started a family with the arrival of twin girls  in Sept 2004 - Sophie and Emily. 

Over the next few years they are keen to extend the vineyard and will be concentrating their efforts on the varieties that have a proven track record in the region.