Skip to content
Forrest

Forrest

Doctors John and Brigid Forrest are Forrest, a small, very much hands-on producer of premium quality New Zealand wines. Forrest Wines is a family-owned business, unique in owning land in four of the great terroirs of New Zealand: Marlborough; Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay; Waitaki Valley and Bannockburn in Otago.

Leaving behind careers in molecular biology and medicine, John and Brigid returned to Marlborough in 1988 to establish their first vineyard at Renwick, in the heart of the stoney Wairau River Valley. 1990 saw the first vintage of Forrest wine and it was immediately successful, winning a trophy at the national wine awards - an achievement that has been repeated many times both nationally and internationally over the subsequent vintages.

The Forrests are often asked "Why did you do it?", to which their answer is "A mixture of our passion for wine and a desire to achieve and to be recognised and rewarded for one's efforts. In hindsight we struck upon a career which suits our personalities - a perfect blend of art and science."

Grape growing and winemaking is an exacting science, however it must have the artistic touch to give the wines soul. That individual expression of style is the trademark of Forrest wines - rich aromatic white wines and powerfully scented reds, all impeccably structured and a joy to drink.

Forrest Wines is home to The Doctors’ range. With the strapline "Innovation through Excellence", these wines are all lower in alcohol than comparable New Zealand whites while maintaining the typical Marlborough flavour profile that consumers have grown to love. The lower alcohol is achieved by restricting the sugar concentration in the fruit at harvest as well as by arresting fermentation at the appropriate time. The Sauvignon Blanc has an ABV of 9.5%, and the Doctors’ Riesling is 8.5%.

Also available is the John Forrest Collection, a range of terroir-driven wines with great integrity and purity of flavour, which clearly reflect their sense of place. Each wine is produced in very small quantities and hand harvested in only the best vintages.

This collection is empty

View all products