Gravitas Wines, a winery set up in 1993 by ex-merchant banker Martyn Nicholls in the upper Wairau Valley in Marlborough, is in receivership.
Richard Simpson and David Ruscoe of GrantThornton were appointed by a bank on June 22. The company is continuing to trade and the receivers said it was too early to give figures for the amount owed or amount likely to be recovered.
A fulltime staff member and contract staff member are being retained.
The company has 18ha planted on a 22ha site and has another 18ha, which is not in use.
The company says on its website that it had sold more wine in the past four months than it nearly did in a year.
Mr Nicholls and his late partner, Debbie Argus, were badly injured during a three-wheeler motorbike crash in January 2009. Ms Argus was diagnosed with cancer afterwards and died about a year ago, The Marlborough Express newspaper reported.
Mr Nicholls denied speculation that the vineyard was for sale on the website. A sale is now a likely option for receivers.
