Forrest Wines

The Marlborough wine region is a warm, relaxed setting filled with breath-taking scenery. More than 50 wineries are situated little more than a grape’s throw apart, along what is one of the most beautiful wine trails in the world. Among these, is Forrest Estate Wines.

Forrest Wines is a family-run wine estate founded in 1988 by Dr John Forrest and his wife, Dr Brigid Forrest. Following successful careers in scientific research and medicine around the world, they returned to the Forrest-family roots of farming in the Wairau Valley, New Zealand. The first vintage was produced two years later in 1990, when an over-filled red wine fermenter accident resulted in a trophy-winning Merlot rosé wine! Since then, Forrest Wines has gone on to receive many accolades and awards, with John also receiving New Zealand’s Winemaker of the Year award in the year 2000.

So what makes Forrest Wines so special? Well, here’s a quote from the man himself:

“Making wine is a very personal endeavour, yet one winemakers love to share. For me, winemaking combines my exuberant personality and scientist’s love of experimentation with a continuous quest to capture the best the land, the vines and vintage has to offer. I am proud to share these wines with you.”

And we couldn’t agree more! This combination of winemaking enthusiasm, a passion for experimentation and a never ending pursuit of better produce has resulted in quality wines with great integrity and purity of flavour. On top of that, Forrest’s vineyards are situated right next door to those of the highly sought-after brand Cloudy Bay, renowned for kiwi-style Sauvignon Blanc of real quality. With identical terroir and John steering the boat, Forrest wines allow you to enjoy all the desirable traits of Cloudy Bay wine with the signature Forrest twist, at a more affordable price.

We’ve been working with John since the very beginning, since the inception of Virgin Wines. Back then, Forrest Wines operated from a single Marlborough vineyard. They now lay claim to seven vineyards across Marlborough and Otago, and operate under five established brand labels.

Daughter Beth Forrest joined the team in 2015 and has since released the new, revolutionary Mountain View collection, a range of lower ABV wines which encapsulate all the flavour intensity of typical, higher ABV wines. If you prefer whites with a little more bite, give the Belmonte Sauvignon Blanc a try – a premium tipple that’s racked up customer favourite awards at our live tastings. The Belmonte Pinot Gris on the other hand is a complex, ageworthy white that’s produced on a much smaller scale, a rare treat that we can’t recommend enough!