Industry Pioneers

In 1977 Ben Wickham and his wife Frances began grafting Phylloxera resistant grape vines from their home in Ormond, Gisborne. Their business grew alongside the national wine market. In 1995, the business relocated to Marlborough to support the bourgeoning wine industry.

The last 45 years have been a wild ride of incredible growth with an equal measure of challenge, as the family navigated a period of oversupply through the global financial crisis. The Wickham’s hard work and extraordinary contribution to Marlborough’s wine industry was recognised with a Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.