A lifetime in the vines

 Sutherland who was one of the early contract grape growers in the region, has been involved in the wine industry for more than 35 years.

While his career began in farm valuation and consultancy, Sutherland and his wife Margaret planted their first vineyard in 1979. The more he learned about the industry, the more other farmers came to him for consultancy advice, as they looked to diversify. 

In 1985 he was brought in by David Hohnen to help establish Cloudy Bay, providing advice on the development of vineyards around the winery and helping the fledgling company to source growers. It wasn’t long before Hohnen realised that Sutherland could offer a lot more to Cloudy Bay if he was employed on a full time basis. For the next 18 years, Sutherland was the viticulturist for the company. Twelve years ago, Sutherland joined winemaker James Healy (also of Cloudy Bay fame) to establish their own wine label, Dog Point. 

Over the 35 years, Sutherland has played a major role in the industry organisation, initially with the Grape Growers Association and latterly as a board member of Wine Marlborough. He retired from the board earlier this year.