Our Story
From where the river meets the ocean – the ancient Otu̅whero River gives our wine its name.
Named for the ancient Otu̅whero river that runs through our estate, OTU Sauvignon Blanc amplifies all that the Awatere terroir holds true – a backbone of minerality and crisp acidity with aromas of tomato leaf and intense tropical fruit on the palate.
Wilder, drier, cooler and windier than Marlborough’s main valley, the Awatere’s hilly, rough coastal terrain conspires to produce distinctive, intensely vibrant wines.
Wild Coast Grown
a unique style driven by coastal influence
Our estate sits just 2km inland from the wild, windy and sun-soaked coastline of Marlborough New Zealand deep in the Awatere Valley.
This exposed coastal terroir in the Awatere Valley is cooler, windier and drier than the main Wairau Valley of Marlborough. This wild terroir naturally de-vigours the vines resulting in low yields of small, intensely flavoured berries which deliver vibrant, zesty and distinctive wines.
OTU’s wine style is all about letting the wine speak truly of the land where it is grown, with minimal intervention.
- 100% Estate grown, low cropping per Ha
- 100% Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Our Winemakers
Our winemaking team is a duo of two leading New Zealand Winemakers, Anna Remond and Jeff Clarke.
Originally from a rural background in Canterbury, Anna is a passionate winemaker with a love of Sauvignon Blanc – the crisp fresh wines the Marlborough region is so well known for.
A winemaker for 15 years for one of New Zealand’s largest wineries, Anna headed up the white wine making program, and worked vintages in the French regions of Sancerre and Burgundy. As a mentor for the Women in Wine Programme, Anna also supports women to develop their Winemaking careers and reach their full potential in Marlborough, here in New Zealand – and continues to forge a leadership path for women in winemaking overall.
Jeff Clarke is globally recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading winemakers and is one a handful of pioneering winemakers in Marlborough. He has been twice named ‘International White Winemaker of the Year’ at the International Wine Challenge and nominated by leading UK wine journalist Tim Atkin as one of his six top winemakers globally.
Jeff has played a leading role in the continued development of the now world famous Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wine style, and also helped drive the development of New Zealand Pinot Noir, Sparkling and Pinot Gris. Jeff uses his extensive experience and winemaking finesse to bring to life OTU Estate’s unique coastal terroir.
