Mark McGill's father paved the way for his son to delve into the world of wine.
After the 1987 crash, Mark's father ended up in pest control on a vineyard in Wairarapa, and after a short stint, he ended up managing the vineyard.
Years later, the father-son duo planted their vineyard, which pushed Mark to venture into educating himself in Viticulture & Oenology, the first of its kind in 1998 at Lincoln University.
Having travelled overseas and gained experience from unique destinations, Mark found himself at home working at the same vineyard his father managed years ago.
Due to a lack of experience from the owners, Mark was forced to jump ship as it was progressively getting worse.
At the time, Mark questioned his future in winemaking,
"After the manager at the failed vineyard left, he told me he knows the fishing industry, not the wine industry. Stick to what you know were his parting words," said Mark.
Fast forward 20 years, Mark and his wife Sophie own a vineyard putting his previous boss's words to fruition.
The winery itself makes one variety, Chardonnay. Making it how the McGill family likes to drink it and to the Tasman's Moutere Valley climate.
Creating purity and intensity of fruit in the Chardonnay that comes from the 'Ultic clay' soils, known as Moutere clay, which is rarely found in New Zealand and unique to the Nelson-Tasman region.
The simplicity of wine variety allows the McGills to utilise the unique grapes of the area. While moving forward, they intend to expand. They enjoy the wine they produce, keeping it aligned with their philosophy.
Prioritising tradition over innovation, producing their Chardonnay is carefully done. Hand-picked gently, pressed, and into a large French oak for fermentation.
In the future, Mark believes they will utilise new technology once the costs of it meet their current results.
The Abel Chardonnay provides lots of positive feedback, with one well-known wine merchant in the UK believing it is unique from most other styles in New Zealand.
Good grapes are essential for the McGill family; as Mark said, "With good grapes comes good wine. If you've done the hard work in the vineyard, you got to push through into the winery. Last time I looked, the vines don't grow bottles of wine, but if they did, it would be amazing."
