Wineries
ATA RANGI
In 1980, Ata Rangi founder Clive Paton traded his livelihood - a herd of dairy cows - for a stony, barren 5 ha paddock on the edge of the Martinborough village, then a forgotten rural backwater. The locals thought he’d gone mad. The first vines he planted included the now legendary ‘gum-boot’ clone of pinot, allegedly smuggled from DRC in Burgundy. Talented winemaker Helen Masters today crafts our range of distinctive wines, allowing Clive more time to focus on his extensive conservation work. Our family team’s three decades of experience, vine age and the unique terroir of the Martinborough Terrace all contribute to Ata Rangi’s solid reputation for making beautiful and complex Pinot Noir.
Clive was originally attracted to the Martinborough area by three key features; the 65 feet deep, very free-draining shingle terrace, (on which he’d skinned his knees playing rugby in the winter months!), the very dry and extremely windy climate, and the proximity to Wellington city, just an hour away across a mountain range to the west, at the southern most tip of New Zealand’s North Island.
The Martinborough region today accounts for just 2.5% of New Zealand’s planted area, but only 1.6% of wine by volume, a reflection of the dramatically low yields experienced here. Wine wise, we produce a range of 100% Martinborough varietals, all hand-picked, sensitively handled and, in the case of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, fermented by indigenous yeasts.
Our People:
Clive Paton - Co-owner, also Viticulture, Winemaking, Conservation
Phyll Pattie - Co-owner (Clive’s wife), Export Marketing
Alison Paton - Co-owner, (Clive’s sister) Admin and Finance
Helen Masters - Senior Winemaker
Average Production: 14000 cases (12 x 750ml) per year
PURUATANGA ROAD, MARTINBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND
www.atarangi.co.nz
