People

Blair Gibbs
GENERAL MANAGER

Part of the company (and family) since 1998 and responsible for the brand development and company expansion.

When not in an airport, Marlborough's outdoors are where you'll find him mostly with his wife Amanda and their three children.

Paul Bourgeois
CHIEF WINEMAKER

French as his name may indicate, Paul is a Kiwi with a passion for the aromatic varieties, especially Riesling, and a pedigree of excellence in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Paul is also one of Marlborough's best multisport athletes with a huge amount of energy and a dedication to achieve at the highest level.

Adam McCone
VITICULTURALIST

Responsible for all Spy Valley fruit and part of the team since 2001, Adam knows Johnson Estate inside out.

When not sweet talking his vines Adam can be found fishing and diving the Marlborough Sounds or scoring tries on the rugby field.

Kathy-Lee Sowman
WINEMAKER

Part of the Spy Valley team since 2007, Kathy is now responsible for running the red ship during vintage and nursing all the barrels through to bottle during the year. Travel and great vintage experiences working in Bordeaux, Oregon, Champagne and the Mosel, have moulded the skills of this rising winemaker.

Other passions include making sheep milk cheeses from two pet sheep which are hand milked, tending the organic vegetable and herb garden and of course cooking and eating. The dream of one day living self-sufficiently in an old village somewhere in France and continuing to make both cheese and wine will be a reality.

Peter Rawling
GLOBAL SALES MANAGER

Agent Rawling is responsible for spreading Spy Valley wine across the globe, strengthening our business in key established markets whilst seeking out opportunities and developing our distribution across new and emerging markets.

Peter started with Villa Maria Estate out of University, then took a break to take up a professional rugby contract in Japan for two years, before heading to London where he was based for several years as UK Sales and Marketing Manager for Lion Nathan Wine, working closely with their UK Agent Bibendum Wine Ltd. When he's not on a plane, you'll find him relaxing on his surf, snow and more recently stand up paddling board(s).

Steph Gifford
MARKETING MANAGER

Law was Steph's first passion but grapes and the lure of the wine industry enticed her away and she's had a smile on her face ever since! A born and bred Malburian (8th generation in fact), she has a strong connection with the region and so it seemed an obvious choice to pursue a career in the industry that put the region on the map.

Steph has assumed the Marketing Manager role covering Rachael Cook's maternity leave. Steph is pleased to be out of the “Green Chair” which she was keen to avoid (you'll have to ask her about that!). Prior to this she was in a Sales & Marketing role with a local boutique wine company.

Outside of Wine, Steph enjoys spending her time catching up with friends and family, cooking and entertaining, keeping fit and making the most of all the fabulous province has to offer on its doorstep.

Nicola Clark
CELLAR DOOR MANAGER /
MARKETING ASSISTANT

Visit the Cellar Door and you will be greeted with a welcoming smile. After graduating from Canterbury University with a Bachelor of Commerce, it was inevitable that Nicola was going to become involved in wine. The third generation to be involved in the Marlborough Wine Industry, Nicola has grown up in and around wineries and vineyards.

After spending time overseas Nicola knew it was time to come home when she started craving Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc...

Heather Donachie
ADMIN / EXPORT MANAGER

Born and bred in Marlborough (valley girl), Heather joined the Spies in 2003 as manager of the Export Logistics and Administration section. She's the one who gets the paperwork correct for the 30+ countries that Spy Valley is exported to.

To keep her calm from this sometimes taxing task Heather spends time in the garden repairing the damage her two dogs inflict and being mum to her beautiful daughter.