Allan Scott, the large Marlborough winemaker, is now establishing a base in Central Otago, called, perhaps unsurprisingly, Scott Base.
He had bought into the former Mount Michael vineyard near Cromwell in 2004 but found it difficult to be a bit player in another organisation, he said.
However, just before vintage this year the owners offered it to his family. The grapes were trucked up to the Marlborough winery in a bit of a panic, he said.
"We loved the site and the wines have always been good. We want the place to have its own personality, not be an extension of what we do here," he said from Marlborough.
They plan to build a small winery and develop and replant the vineyard slowly. They will release pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling and later some bubbles under the Scott Base label.
