Ata Rangi wins Supreme Award

Ata Rangi’s Clive Paton was delighted, and surprised, to win the Supreme Award at Wellingtons Business Gold Awards. “ I know the little guys have won it before, but I didn’t expect it” said Clive.

The Annual Awards attract 300 entrants vying for awards under ten categories with the Supreme award being the ultimate prize. Previous Supreme Award winners include: Xero, Weta Workshop, Icebreaker, Kiwi Bank, Park Road Post Production and Cloud Nine.

Ata Rangi (Dawn Sky) won both the Global Gold Export Award and the Supreme Award. Awards Director, John Dow, said that Ata Rangi won the Global Gold category for its work selling overseas and was honoured with the Supreme Award for its commitment to creating and delivering quality products derived from the land using modern technology. Saying “Effective international marketing, with strong environmental and sustainability practices were all driven by a pioneering spirit and belief”.

Clive was one of Martinborough’s four pioneer wine growers planting his first vines in 1980, In 1982 his sister Ali planted vines on the adjoining property. Then Clive met and married Phyll, a winemaker at Montana who bought out Clive’s financial partner. Thus the three partnership Ata Rangi was born.

From the first planting in 1980 Ata Rangi’s vineyards now produce up to 300 tonnes of grapes each vintage with the resulting wine being exported to sixty three countries. Ata Rangi wine is served at Gordon Ramsay’s London Restaurants and at Lehmann’s Restaurant in New York. It is available at exclusive department stores such as Harrods.
Ata Rangi remains a family driven business with Clive’s sister, Ali playing a vital role in managing finance, administration and export docs with her loyal team of ‘working mums’ Eleanor, Helen and Nakhesa. Ata Rangi is a family friendly business. Phyll looks after the important area of marketing.

Phyll emphasises, “very lucky with our people’ . Winemaker Helen Master and Vineyard manager Gerry Rotman are largely responsible for the wines – with Clive fully involved at vintage. Helen Masters also plays a vital role in Marketing and is currently in Hong Kong at an international Pinot Noir event. “Helen’s huge fun, and yet serious with an extraordinary wine knowledge, international sommeliers love learning from her” says Phyll.

Currently Ata Rangi employs 14 permanent staff and thirty five seasonal staff. Clive says that he’s comfortable with the level of production achieved. As an enthusiastic conversationalist Clive plants and tends thousands of trees every winter. “ I’m the caretaker for the next generation and how that will pan out I’m not sure” he comments.