John Belsham

Often described as the leading man of New Zealand wine, John Belsham began his career in Bordeaux, where he refined the craft and philosophy that would shape a lifetime of innovation. Today, he is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most influential winemakers — a founder, strategist, and industry leader with a global perspective.

An international winemaker, consultant, and critic, Belsham has advised and guided some of the Southern Hemisphere’s most successful wine companies. Through his consultancy, Wine Focus, he works across business strategy, technical winemaking, sensory evaluation, M&A advisory, and due diligence. His expertise extends to winery design, operational systems, and water-flow engineering, with projects completed in France, Australia, and New Zealand.

Belsham has long been at the forefront of industry innovation, from leading the groundbreaking New Zealand Screw Cap Initiative — a shift adopted by 95% of the industry within 18 months — to consulting on emerging AI-driven quality systems and predictive tools that enhance viticulture, production, and global market performance.

One of Australasia’s most experienced wine judges and critics, he served as Air New Zealand’s wine consultant for 20 years and as lead wine panel chair at Cuisine Magazine for 16 years, shaping national palates and standards of excellence.

Fluent in French and English, Belsham is a sought-after voice in international media, film, and keynote events, known for connecting the worlds of fine wine, global business, and strategic innovation with clarity, experience, and authority.

The Awatere Estate

Awatere Valley, Marlborough — A Vineyard Shaped by Time

The Awatere Valley, in southern Marlborough, is a place of remarkable geological significance. The Foxes Island Estate stretches across seven distinct river-formed terraces, carved over millennia during the glacial period as the Awatere River shaped its path through ancient earth. Untouched before planting, this dramatic landscape forms the foundation for wines of precision, character, and enduring elegance.

Pinot Noir thrives in the Awatere’s old, complex soils — free-draining yet moisture-retentive, allowing the vines to grow in perfect balance. These conditions are what first drew John Belsham to the valley. With soils estimated at 540 million years old, the site enjoys slightly warmer days and cooler nights than the younger floodplain valleys of Marlborough, resulting in wines of purity, tension, and aromatic depth.

The upper terraces hold deeper loam and alluvial complexes, while the lower terraces are composed of stony greywacke alluvium. Three carefully selected Dijon Pinot Noir clones are planted across these terraces to harmonise with the site’s natural contours and achieve the desired structure and finesse in the final wines.

Chardonnay grows in the deepest soils of the upper terrace, where it develops texture and refinement. Riesling occupies the lowest and most stony section — a natural bowl carved by the river centuries ago, producing wines of clarity and mineral drive.

Sauvignon Blanc is planted along the north-west edges of the Pinot Noir blocks, where the rows are most exposed to the Awatere winds. This exposure forces the Sauvignon Blanc vines to direct their energy downward, developing deep, resilient root systems. The resulting fruit ripens with heightened concentration and a flavour profile distinctly different from the region’s commercial styles grown in younger, lower-lying valleys.

From the beginning, the Awatere Estate has been sustainably and naturally farmed, with high-density plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling — each crafted under the Foxes Island label and cellar-aged before international release.

For global collectors and wine lovers visiting New Zealand, the Awatere Estate offers a rare expression of terroir shaped by time, climate, and a winemaker’s unwavering commitment to excellence.