Some might say that Patrick Stowe is a long way from home. Others would opine that he is finally right where he’s meant to be. Back in the 1860s, his great-great-something-or-other grandfather owned a vineyard in the Napa Valley. This latent winemaking DNA was awakened while Patrick was attending a polytechnic course where, at age 19, he made his first wine. Graduating with a degree in biochemistry and microbiology, he continued to pursue his passion for winemaking in the Napa Valley. In the early 1990s, Patrick toured New Zealand, falling for Nelson’s Bronte Peninsular. He returned to buy seven hectares there and, in 1995, he established Rimu Grove. His philosophy was simple: do everything it takes to get the most out of the vineyard – hands-on, plenty of hard work, very little machinery but loads of buckets. Patrick loves great Burgundy, and believes if any country in the world was tailor-made for Pinot Noir, it’s New Zealand, with its intense sunshine, special soils and long growing period so perfect for ripening grapes: “The vineyard has a temperate, maritime microclimate with high sunshine hours. We don’t use machinery in the vineyard; it is entirely hand-managed to maintain low cropping levels and all the fruit is hand-picked.”

Left Field is part of the Te Awa Collection, a trio of entities fashioned by the able and experienced winemaking team of Richard Painter and Ant Mackenzie, its pulse emanating from the heart of Hawkes Bay's globally regarded Gimblett Gravels. While stablemates Te Awa and Kidnapper Cliffs are single estate varietals and blends made exclusively from Gimblett Gravels and Kidnapper vineyards respectively, the distinctively rebranded Left Field wines explore the possibilities beyond those boundaries, accessing fruit from a variety of locations.

The winemakers literally went to the left side of the vineyard in their search for inspiration, and while these are not edgy explorations of obscure varietals, they are nonetheless finely executed expressions made by expert winemakers, approachable, consumer-oriented and much more than a mere branding exercise. Painter and Mackenzie source their fruit from selected premium regional vineyards to craft wines that are sophisticated without being stand-offish.

Gordon Russell has established himself as one of New Zealand's most recognised winemaking identities with his passionate approach to winemaking, and the enormous success he has achieved with his wines in tastings and competitions. Gordon was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Following university, his desire to travel took him to England and Europe for three years where his interest in different flavours and trying new foods developed, along with his appreciation for fine wine. In 1986 Gordon returned to New Zealand, just when the wine styles for which New Zealand has become highly regarded were beginning to emerge. He was appointed as Esk Valley Winemaker in 1993, after working for Villa Maria in Auckland as a cellar hand from 1987 and then as Assistant Winemaker to Grant Edmonds at Esk Valley from 1990. Gordon believes that the concept of 'texture' in a wine is as important as the aromas and flavours of the wine. By 'texture' he means the balance and harmony of the wine, together with complexity and palate interest. He aims to produce premium hand-crafted wines that are both elegant and sophisticated, and which truly reflect the character of the individual vineyards. Gordon was named as New Zealand Winemaker of the Year in 2007, an accolade befitting his skill and passion for winemaking. In 2018, Gordon celebrated his 25th year as Winemaker for Esk Valley.

Hugh Crichton became the Vidal Estate winemaker in 2006, having worked with the Vidal Estate winemaking team in various capacities since 2004. Prior to joining Vidal Estate, Hugh had established a solid winemaking career both in New Zealand and overseas, working vintages at Chateau Soutard Grande Cru Classe in Saint Emilion France, Chard Farm in Central Otago, Donnafugata in Italy and several at Millton Vineyards in Gisborne where his inspiration for environmentally conscious and organic winemaking and viticulture was fostered. Producing wines which are truly reflective of the region and vineyards where the grapes are grown is also at the core of Hugh’s winemaking philosophy.