Valli

Born in Otago New Zealand, Grant graduated from Lincoln College, Canterbury, New Zealand. His wine making career began in California where in 1980 he helped build Pine Ridge Winery and worked as assistant winemaker until 1986. In 1987 he helped build another Napa Valley winery, Domaine Napa, where he was head winemaker until 1993. Lured by big trout, clean air, fewer people and the potential he saw for Otago wines, Grant returned home later that year to become Gibbston Valley’s winemaker. At that time there were 125 acres of grapes in Otago; today there are over 4,000 acres.

Grant has made wine for Gibbston Valley for 13 years before leaving to concentrate on Valli. Throughout his career in New Zealand, he has made the first wines for a number of other very successful Otago wineries.

In 1998 he established his own label, Valli, and purchased 16 acres in Gibbston.Valli, based around the close-planted estate vineyard in Gibbston, also produces Single-Vineyard Pinot Noirs from Bannockburn, Bendigo and another from Otago’s exciting new subregion, the Waitaki Valley.

Grant’s winemaking for the past 14 years has been dedicated primarily to Pinot Noir. In 1995 he helped to establish Oregon’s renowned Pinot Noir producing winery, Archery Summit and has consulted there for most vintages since. Like a number of other Australian and New Zealand Pinot producers he has worked at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy. Having just completed 40 vintages. PRINCEOFPINOT