NZW Fellows: Sir Sam Neill Remembered for His Deep Love of New Zealand Wine

Sam, who was named a 2026 New Zealand Winegrowers Fellow just a week before he passed away in Sydney in July, has been remembered for his talent, generosity and humour, and for his love of Central Otago, Pinot Noir and New Zealand wine. "We will all miss him, both personally in losing a friend, but as a region in which he believed passionately," says Felton Road owner Nigel Greening.

He eschewed celebrity, yet the wine industry undoubtedly benefited from Sam's storied acting career and delightful social media presence. He spoke with passion about Two Paddocks, Central Otago and New Zealand wine on the global stage, and shared charming stories of farmyard pets (named for famous friends) online, while occasionally chastising an inflatable dinosaur in the vineyard, in a nod to his Jurassic Park roles.

Sam grew up exposed to good wine through his family's Dunedin-based company, Neill & Co, a wine and spirits importer. His father Dermot was a friend of Rippon's Rolfe Mills, with the two families connected for 150 years, back to two prominent Dunedin businesses formed in the 19th century. Sam also formed deep relationships at Rippon and later told Rolfe's son Nick that the Pinot pioneer helped him navigate some challenging times in his life, and guided him in his viticultural endeavours. In a Wine Enthusiast story by Christina Pickard, Sam called Rolfe his "principal inspiration".

The two men discussed winegrowing, Pinot Noir and the potential of Sam's land, Nick says. "Dad was really introspective and would sit and be with the land and I always felt that was what Sam was like too. When you walked with Sam on his land it was the same sort of vibe. He just loved being part of it."

Sam started Two Paddocks in 1993, with a small vineyard at Gibbston neighbouring that of Roger Donaldson, who had cast him in Sleeping Dogs in 1977. In his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, written while undergoing cancer treatment, Sam recalled the night a case of the first vintage - Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 1997 - turned up in Queenstown. "My wife Noriko and I opened the bottle with some trepidation. I didn't expect grand cru, just something I enjoyed... And then I took a sip. What was this? I took another sip and let it roll around my mouth for a while. Oh boy. Oh boy. This wine far exceeded any modest expectations I might have had. It wasn't just drinkable. It wasn't just good. It was very good indeed."

Winemaker Mike Wolter died in an accident after that first 1997 harvest, and Rudi Bauer stepped in to complete the winemaking. He also made the 1998 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir, before Dean Shaw took over as winemaker for the 1999 harvest. Rudi had met Sam while working at Rippon from 1989 to 1992, and over the years they struck up a warm friendship. More recently, vocal opposition to the Santana Minerals gold mine proposal in Bendigo, connected the two again. "He was very outspoken, and I think he created quite a lot of awareness," Rudi says. "I lost not only a very good man but also a man who shared similar values." Despite his career success, Sam didn't want to be in the limelight, he adds. "At the end of the day, he was very much one of us."

Pinot pioneer Larry McKenna, who has been a Two Paddocks mentor for two decades, says Sam's contribution to New Zealand wine has been "immense". He recalls Sam being asked at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon what it was like to be a celebrity winemaker. "The insinuation was that he wasn't really a winemaker and definitely a celebrity. Sam answered the question in real Sam style, making the point celebrities appeared on the cover of Woman's Weekly and he had never done that. His love of New Zealand, of Central Otago and Pinot Noir was totally evident."

Sam had a "never wavering generous commitment to standing up and heralding New Zealand wine", Larry says. "He's represented our wine industry worldwide in a totally professional manner. Talking about our industry didn't come naturally, especially technically, but he always put in huge effort and research to make any presentation accurate, enjoyable and entertaining. He was a natural communicator, a skill he was prepared to share for all our benefit."

In a 2023 podcast interview, Larry was asked who he would most like to have the ultimate glass of wine with, and where. He replied that he had already lived that moment, during the 2016 Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience, when he had lunch at the Museum of Modern Art with his daughter Nina, Kevin and Kimberley Judd of Greywacke, and Sam and Two Paddocks General Manager Jacqui Murphy. "It was a very special afternoon, in a very special place with very special people all centring around the success of New Zealand wine."

Sam was "the antithesis of the celebrity winery owner", says Nigel Greening, calling him "patient, thoughtful and completely without ego, genuinely happiest when he could retreat back to his winery and animals, not to mention his team". Sam was also born Nigel, and the pair sometimes held 'Two Nigels' dinners, "showing both of our domaines and generally having a good yarn with people," he says. "He always loved the fact that when he was home, he wasn't Sam Neill. He was just Sam from Two Paddocks."

New Zealand Winegrower magazine ran a profile of Sam by Emma Jenkins MW in June 2023, following the release of his memoir. The thought that Two Paddocks could be regarded as a celebrity wine "irks him no end", she wrote. "I am not a celebrity. I have done everything I can in my life to ensure I am not a celebrity," Sam told her. "Two Paddocks is so far from being that sort of wine. It's been 30 years since we first planted our grapes so that's a good long commitment, and a serious commitment. It's always been about provenance and integrity."

The success of the project was a pleasant surprise, "much like my acting career", he said. "We planted a very modest two hectares in Gibbston Valley and that's sort of all I thought I would do. But as I became more involved, the more I wanted to plant, the more I wanted to know, the more I wanted to produce, the more involved I wanted to be in everything."

Jacqui, Dean and Vineyard Manager Mike Wing were the glue that made it all work, Sam said. "My pursuit with wine has always been authenticity in what we do... Those three people are so important to me, and to Two Paddocks. I feel really lucky that I found them."

Dean has made every vintage of Two Paddocks since 1999, Mike has just celebrated 22 years with the team, and Jacqui has worked with Sam for 15 years. In a letter after his death, Jacqui wrote that they were "deeply saddened by the loss of our extraordinary founder and proprietor". Sam had already instigated plans to ensure the continued success of Two Paddocks for decades to come, supported by his family and vineyard crew, she said.

That echoes commends Sam made to journalist Guyon Espiner at Two Paddocks in April this year, surrounded by native plantings that have brought tūī and korimako to the valley. Sam noted that there was no money in wine, "but having said that, Two Paddocks has become this very recognised, and I think successful, brand around the world. And at such time as I shuffle off, I'd like to think that's my legacy as much as anything." He had no fear of dying, he said as the interview concluded. "I just, I just want to live longer because life's good, and I'm, I feel very blessed with the life I've had."

NZW called Sam a beloved Kiwi film legend and "an iconic figure in the New Zealand wine industry". Since buying his first block in 1991 and establishing Two Paddocks in 1993, he "helped introduce our wines, regions and people to audiences around the world." Sam was the voice of the Altogether Unique New Zealand Wine video released in 2023, making an enormous difference to its impact, says NZW General Manager Brand Charlotte Read. He was meant to say one line, but wen "above and beyond" to record the entire piece. "It was yet another example of how delighted Sam was to always be seen as a member of our organisation and a member of our industry, being Sam Neill of Two Paddocks," she says.

"Sam Neill is and will remain a hero for the New Zealand wine sector," says Cameron Douglas MS, who first met Sam at a party in Wellington many years ago. "He was just like you and I, a regular Kiwi guy, but with a lot more friends." When Cameron did a new release tasting at Two Paddocks a few years ago, Sam stopped in to chat, linking each wine to his wine journey, heritage and family. "Then we ventured outside and walked up to se some of his two- and four-legged friends, checked the garden and took in the view. He was happy at home, and that's where I feel he is now."

He loved wine "but never seemed to go on about it," Cameron says. "He was a fabulous actor, of course, but never used that as a power. He was just Sam Neill, a great bloke, and I loved him."