Ata Rangi, meaning "dawn sky" or "new beginning" is a small New Zealand winery with a big reputation for serious Pinot Noir. Located at the southern end of the North Island, it is owned and managed by a family trio - Clive Paton, his wife Phyll and his sister Alison. Ata Rangi founder Clive Paton was one of four pioneer winegrowers who planted their first few acres of vines on the free-draining terrace gravels at the edge of the Martinborough village in 1980. Then a 30 year old solo Dad with his six year old daughter Ness in tow, he sold his herd of dairy cows to buy the original 5 hectare block and doggedly pursue his dream of making world-class wine. The locals all thought he'd gone mad; beer was the drink of choice and grapes were unheard of in the area. The first vines planted included the now legendary ‘gum-boot’ clone of pinot allegedly smuggled from Romanee Conti in Burgundy...
30 years later Ata Rangi is acknowledged internationally as a producer of outstanding wines. Robert Parkers US website reports . “When I asked winemakers to name New Zealand's greatest producers, one name kept coming up: Ata Rangi, meaning 'new beginning'.". Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is undoubtedly the flagship wine, and in 2010 was honoured with the inaugural Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa or "Grand Cru of New Zealand". Despite this success, Ata Rangi remains a small family winery owned and managed by Clive, his wife Phyll (formerly a winemaker in her own right) and his sister Alison. Talented winemaker Helen Masters heads the production team, crafting wines of exceptional finesse and balance in this tiny region that represents less than 2% of New Zealand's wine volume, and which has the lowest rainfall and windiest climate in the North Island. Combined with the valley's exposure to the cold southern ocean, these climate factors mean yields are kept well in check naturally and that humidity and disease risk are extremely low. With a dedicated team now in place, Clive has more time to focus on his passion for trees and a number of significant conservation projects, including restoration of New Zealand's stunning red-flowering native Rata trees to the wider region.
