Auntsfield Estate was the first commercial winery to be established in Marlborough in 1892. After changing land uses over the years, the vineyard was given some TLC by the Cowley family, the current owners and caretakers of the estate. The Cowleys planted the property with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and they now have around 65 acres planted on north-facing, glacially carved slopes on Greywacke rock overlaid with fine clay soil. Many of Marlborough’s wines come from the valley floor, but in the rolling hills of the Southern Valleys that were shaped by glaciers over ten thousand years, the clay soils provide added depth and intrigue to the heady perfumes of the Auntsfield wines. Plus, Auntsfield is unique as a Marlborough producer in that over half of its land is planted to Pinot Noir rather than the much more prevalent Sauvignon Blanc.

In the early 2000s, brothers Ben and Luc Cowley became interested in the project that was started by their parents. Ben gave up his career as a film camera man, retraining in viticulture and moving his young family from Auckland to the property and then Luc completed his training in oenology. Today, the Cowleys farm everything sustainably with most of their wines being organically certified with native yeast fermentations. The wines have continued to earn Auntsfield its place in the highest echelon of Marlborough producers.