Wine Exhibition

Pioneering Roots: Auntsfield & David Herd

Marlborough viticulture began in 1873 when David Herd, manager of Meadowbank station, bought land in Fairhall and established a small vineyard at Auntsfield. Herd planted Brown Muscat and made wine until his death in 1905, after which his son-in-law Bill Paynter continued production until 1931.

The original underground cellar survived and was restored by the Cowley family, who re-established the historic Auntsfield brand. A bronze statue honouring Herd stands at Blenheim Airport to mark his early contribution to the province.

Commercial Expansion & Rapaura

Modern commercial planting started on 11 August 1973, when Montana Wines founder Frank Yukich planted vines at Brancott Estate. Yukich placed a silver coin in the first planting hole, predicting regional vintages would gain worldwide renown.

The industry expanded further in 1978 after Chris and Phil Rose won a legal case against the local county council to allow planting north of Old Renwick Road, establishing the productive Rapaura district. International interest accelerated in 1986 when Ernie Hunter took top honours for his Fumé Blanc at the Sunday Times Vintage Festival in London.

The Permanent Exhibition

The permanent Wine Exhibition at the museum preserves the machinery, personal stories, and technical milestones of regional wine production. The installation displays early hand-tended harvesting implements, cooperage tools, historical bottle collections, and interactive displays on regional microclimates and soils.