Ms McGrath, who is the World Wildlife Fund's New Zealand Hector's dolphin community co-ordinator, spearheaded the Message In a Bottle pinot gris 2009 project - which is set to raise $50,000 to help save Hector's and Maui dolphins.
The wine was officially launched at Olssen's Garden Vineyard to about 50 people, and Ms McGrath said about a third of the 1800 bottles available had already sold.
Pre-sale orders accounted for most of the sales to date, she said.
Ms McGrath managed to rally support for her project in and around the Cromwell basin, despite it being one of New Zealand's most inland communities.
She jumped at the opportunity to use three tonnes of Tarras and Bannockburn grapes which were not going to be harvested this year, and organised for volunteers to help pick the fruit.
Local wine makers and producers crafted the wine, which was bottled, labelled, and packaged free of charge.
Ms McGrath said her passion for the endangered marine mammals began when she swam with them for the first time on her 18th birthday.
She has plans for more fundraising projects to help protect them, including a second compact disc of music.
