Monday, 02 August 2021 16:00

Graham Norton at Eden Park

Written by  Staff Reporters

After many months of video calls on small laptop screens, Graham Norton and Invivo Co-founders, Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron used Eden Park Stadium's big screen to blend their new vintage of wine together.

The 50,000-seat Auckland venue was opened exclusively for Tim and Rob, who were situated on the halfway line and looking up at the Irish television host on the big screen. Graham Norton commented that he kept expecting someone with a lawn mower to appear in the background.

Tim and Rob had couriered seven Sauvignon Blanc samples to Graham in Cork, along with a winemaking kit filled with beakers, which Graham set up at home, while Tim and Rob arranged their winemaking kit on the pitch at Eden Park.

The three business partners are set to produce their 15 millionth bottle of wine this vintage; a landmark moment since their first run of 14,000 bottles of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 2014. Tim says that it was a pretty special moment. "Running down the tunnel onto the pitch was fantastic... We even had the home team changing room to get ready in. It really felt like game day."

More like this

The Social Place

Bernard Budel, Global Sales Director at Invivo, talks all things NFT, and becoming New Zealand's first winery to launch a sell-out collection of NFTs.

Pub Quiz

When New Zealand winery Invivo and collaborator Graham Norton hosted "The Great British Pub Quiz" in November, they brought together some of the world's most powerful wine critics and buyers.

Historic winery back in use

New Zealand winemaker Invivo is about to move into a historic 114-year- old winery at Te Kauwhata, after securing a long term lease and full control of the winery.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Popular Reads

Ten years of Méthode Marlborough

New Zealand wine enthusiasts have a deepening understanding and growing appreciation of sparkling wine, says Mel Skinner, Chair of Méthode Marlborough…

Sustainability Success

Taking two sustainability awards at two events on a single evening felt like "true recognition" of the work Lawson's Dry…