Darryl
Woolley - Group Winemaking & Viticultural
Manager (Based at Drylands Winery, Marlborough)
His fundamental wine background and training comes from the Clare Valley in South Australia, where he was responsible for some of their finest wines. Darryl was originally a winemaker at the prestige Leasingham Winery in the Clare Valley, South Australia from 1972 until 1977. He worked closely with Tim Knappstein (now hailed as one of Australia's top winemakers) for many years whilst studying microbiology at the Adelaide University. He then went on to set up a contract bottling and winemaking operation at Fareham Estate also in the Clare Valley.
In 1980, after a three month extended wine holiday in New Zealand, and a period as winemaker at Clarevale Co-operative in the Clare Valley, he returned to New Zealand at the invitation of a leading wine operation at the time, Corbans Wines. He excelled himself as Gisborne's (now hailed as the Chardonnay Capital of NZ) Wine Manager and Winemaker for Corbans until 1985. He then moved to Selaks Wines later the same year.
In September 1998, Nobilo Vintners, then a family business with four generations of winemaking and viticulture expertise, purchased the successful Selak winery, to form a strong association within the New Zealand wine industry. With the successful Selaks and Drylands brands, Darryl Woolley, their Chief Winemaker at the time, who had quickly made a name for himself in producing some the country's top Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Rieslings, was also 'inherited', and today continues to conduct the winemaking orchestra at Nobilo Wine Group.
He and his team are responsible for numerous international and local wine Trophies, Gold medals and top wine-writer accolades. His own personal passion is producing Riesling of all styles and sweetness. He is considered to be one of New Zealand's top creators and initial 'developers' of classic New Zealand sauvignon blanc.
Alistair
McIntosh - Group Senior Winemaker
Based at Drylands Winery, Marlborough
Alistair started his career as a brewer, working for DB Breweries in New Zealand for a couple of years. He then left for Europe. Alistair returned to New Zealand in 1989 after an extensive overseas trip and joined Montana Wines as a trainee winemaker in Auckland.
After
a stint in Gisborne, he returned to Auckland where he was promoted
to the position of winemaker.
In 1996, he undertook a three-week study trip to Portugal to examine and contribute
to the continuing development of different corks. A year later he was promoted
to position of senior winemaker, with the added responsibility of running the
winery and laboratory. He was responsible for all of the winemaking onsite
in Auckland, which included the blending and preparation of wine for bottling.
More recently, he took on a strategic position with responsibility for the
forecasting, sourcing and buying of imported bulk wines for Montana, and then
blending and finishing of the wines to meet bottling demands. He travelled
extensively to Chile, Argentine and Australia to visit vineyards, cellars and
doing quality checks for imported bulk juice.
He joined Nobilo Wine
Group in January 2003.
David
Edmonds - Senior Winemaker
Based at Drylands Winery, Marlborough
A
Lincoln University graduate, David headed north after his studies to
put it all into practice at Esk Valley Estate, based in Hawkes Bay
in 1996. He focused on red Bordeaux varieties assisting with the production
of their sauvignon blanc and chardonnay wines as well.
After experiencing a Northern Hemisphere vintage at De Loach Vineyards in Santa
Rosa, Southern California, working with zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon
blanc and chardonnay styles, he returned to one of Hawkes Bay leading wineries,
CJ Pask to assist with the production of their award-winning red wines and
chardonnay.
He continued to gain experience with other leading Hawkes Bay wineries making
pinot noir, merlot and red blends at various leading wineries.
He joined Nobilo Wine Group as Senior Winemaker in March 2002, after making
excellent wine for the prestigious Sileni Estate in Hawkes Bay with further
overseas experience in Germany.
