Amisfield ownership change

New Zealand businessman John Darby has become the sole shareholder of Amisfield Wine Company.

Mr Darby, who was previously a majority shareholder, assumed full ownership following a buyout of other shareholders.

Founded in 1988 and originally known as Lake Hayes Wines, vines were first planted on 110 hectares of vineyards in Gibbston Valley in the early 1990s. The Amisfield Farm, which was once a prominent high country merino station, was acquired in 1999, after it was recognised that the Pisa area in Central Otago was the perfect wine-growing sub-region.

With 80 hectares of ten-year-old vines, Amisfield is one of the largest family-owned single vineyard estates in the Central Otago region.

Amisfield Wines are distributed globally and recently won New Zealand Pinot Noir Regional Trophy ‘Best in Show’ for the Amisfield Pinot Noir 2010 at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards.