About Us
Misty Cove ain't your average wine brand. It's not just about the wine; it's about flipping the script on winemaking. Each sip tells a tale, has a swagger of its own.
The brand's origin story kicks off in 2008, a time when ‘The Founder’, New Zealander Andrew Bailey, ventured to The Netherlands, and while running his thriving wine import distribution company, Forty Four Degrees, he laid the groundwork for Misty Cove. Fast forward to 2012, with a solid brand foothold in Europe, his love for Marlborough prompted his return, sculpting Misty into what it is today. Now, the reins are in the hands of a tight-knit crew united by their shared determination to uphold Misty Cove's legacy of innovation, quality and nonconformity.
With roots that dig deep into the captivating Marlborough Sounds and vines strategically planted across Marlborough and some top-notch spots in New Zealand, our wines make their way to all corners of the world.
We blend the wisdom of centuries-old winemaking history with the Kiwi 8-wire spirit, drawing inspiration from our farming heritage. We push the boundaries, experimenting with unusual varieties, unique blends and barrel techniques, creating a fusion that's as bold and unconventional as our roots, pouring character into every glass.
Wine for Good Times
'Wine for Good Times.' It's not just a tagline; it's a mantra that captures the brand’s vibrant and youthful spirit. Fuelled by an unwavering passion for Marlborough, we believe in walking your own path, and raising your glass to create unforgettable moments; you can talk about wine, but wine is better to be talked around - in the company of good friends, family and perhaps the odd stranger.
Tim May
Marlborough born and bred, with plenty of overseas experience in the fast paced world of business and commerce, it’s fair to say that Tim has seen the good, bad and the ugly of the ‘corporate world’. Having been inside the engine room of Misty Cove’s success from the early beginnings, if it came down to brass tacks Tim will tell you the key to Misty Cove’s future success (and any business) is investing in people and creating an awesome company culture: “Straight off the bat. Every company I've worked in, negative and positive comes back to culture. And you can't do anything without that.” With Tim at the helm, it’s a brand-new voyage for the Misty Cove ship, and flash new adventures to write home about. Be ready universe!
Jarrod Englefield
Perhaps one of the greatest hustlers that the gods of wine have ever created, our man Jarrod has been with us from the beginning. He knows the heart of the wine business, having grown up in Marlborough, and has travelled the globe bringing Misty Cove to wine lovers everywhere. You’ll probably know him as a pretty easy-going fella, a quiet family man, flash dresser, and local coach of almost every sport in Marlborough. But the truth is, Jarrod is the first bloke you would go to for a mission statement and vision for Misty Cove. He’s there in the coalface of the wine hustle every day and loving it.
Emmanuel 'Manu' Bolliger
South African born and French trained – our chief winemaker, Emmanuel, aka ‘Manu’, is a little bit from the 'old school' of winemaking. Manu’s philosophy is simple: get the grapes right and do very little in the winery. When he is not getting his hands dirty in the vineyard, innovating our wine program with Acacia wood puncheons, working with new varietals, or just getting all-round creative with new styles of wines – you will find Manu off the grid, hunting somewhere in the wilderness, or creating his own cheese, cured meats and olive oil at his piece of paradise in Rarangi. Getting a quote from Manu is hard but if he had one word of advice for new winemakers it would be: “Just don’t f**k it up.”
Nicky Parish
Nicky Parish is one half of the talented Misty Cove winemaking team (next to Manu), she also handles all the awkward stuff like logistics and production. Nicky cut her teeth in the vineyards of North Canterbury, learning first-hand the role winemakers play in big, modern wineries. While Manu loves the ‘handcrafted’, small-batch winemaking side of things, Nicky about creating wine at scale. That means spreadsheets and plenty of trips to the lab: “Dispatching, labels, and bottling are probably the least romantic side of winemaking, but it's areas where I excel because I’m quite logical and a production planner. I love a good spreadsheet.” If you could bend her arm about what she loves about winemaking the most, she would probably tell you: “Tasting a damn good Chardonnay.”
Carlos Rojas Stiven
Born in Santiago, Chile, and calling New Zealand home for the past 16 years, he was coerced (willingly) to join the Misty Cove team as their new Marketing Manager. Carlos is on the creative side of the Misty universe, and that means telling the story of Misty Cove and spreading the news about how fabulous our wines are: “I think the spirit of Misty Cove is of innovation, of creativity, of playfulness, and there's a lot of room for us to push it further and have fun doing it!” Fun fact: Carlos is a bloody good bloke. “Misty Cove has a history of being disruptive and groundbreaking in their marketing, and we punch well above our weight for such a small team. Now that the wines are attracting worldwide attention, it’s time to take things to the next level.”
Jayden Duthie
Behind every great business, you’ll find a someone who loves making all the numbers add up. Enter our financial controller – Jayden. What’s his job? “Well, as my daughters say, I count the money for the grapes.” What it really means is that Jayden is a bit of a guru who tells us how we are going and forecasts what the future will bring. If it’s something to do with money, Jayden is all over it. What Jayden loves most about his job is collaborating with a diverse range of professionals (everyone from vineyard operators, winemakers to bankers) to share our slice of paradise with the world. Ahh, that’s nice!
Alyssa May
Alyssa is our sales support superstar; she provides customer service and manages accounts. If you order something from Misty Cove Wines, she makes sure it gets to you on time and in one piece. Although she misses the hustle and bustle of Singapore, she's fully embraced the Marlborough lifestyle: “I love the weather here, and it’s such a great place to raise a family. When I am not being a mum and working – I love music and going for long walks in the region.”
David James
Photographer, writer, and all-round media misfit David has been creating inside Misty Cove’s digital space for many moons. First, developing his creative chops in social media for Misty, David now provides support for the marketing team. When he’s not doing that fancy stuff, David is a fashion and wedding photographer, work that takes him all over the country: “I think there is a relationship between everything I do, though. My overall passion is to tell stories – whether that’s with images or the written word. I don’t work with logic so much as the more ephemeral world of the imagination.”
