The Profile: Ben and Frances Wickham
It took a hole in the ground and a slurp from the hose to convince Ben and Frances Wickham to buy a block of land on the outskirts of Blenheim.
Now, to mark 50 years since Montana planted the first commercial vines in Marlborough, she has written a book to share the travails and triumphs of the industry.
Fifty Years, Fifty Stories; Marlborough the region that turned the wine world upside down, covers everything from those first plantings to the impacts of Covid nearly half a century later, including profiles of some of the region's pluckiest pioneers.
Tessa says the past 50 years of stellar success has been driven by those pioneers, including audacious entrepreneurs, resilient growers and curious scientists, all part of a collegial community happy to share its knowledge and innovations.
It's also been driven by the pure good fortune of having a geography, geology and climate that grows incredible wines, including attention grabbing Sauvignon Blanc that propelled Marlborough onto the global wine stage.
