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OUR PEOPLE

Unseen, unheralded – they nurture, they wait, they harvest. Their meticulous attention to detail, their infectious enthusiasm, their infinite energy. Quietly and behind the scenes, they work tirelessly to craft elegant wines that are a true expression of the Archangel terroir.

Dr David Jordan

Consulting Viticulturist

“Archangel wines are truly expressive of the magic of  their vineyard where the individual care each vine receives allows for a harmony of climate, soil, and aspect”.

Dave’s extensive knowledge and experience in winegrowing, together with his innovative approaches, provide industry-leading guidance to the Archangel team. He shares the Archangel philosophy that wine begins its journey in the vineyard and to this end, ensures that only exceptional quality of fruit is grown on the vineyard.

Peter Bartle

Winemaker

“I love working with Archangel, I love their passion for coercing the very best from the vineyard and their drive for excellence.  The vineyard and wine express the very best of what Central Otago offers”.

Pete has established himself as one of Central Otago’s most successful and respected winemakers with his no nonsense, passionate approach to winemaking. This approach has led the Archangel wines he has made to be met by critical acclaim.  Pete has been in the wine industry for 24 years with 16 of those as a winemaker in Central Otago. Pete loves vineyards and really enjoys working alongside the Archangel team getting to get know the site from the ground up. He believes wines are grown, with most of the good work done before the fruit arrives at the winery. It is his job to coerce the best out of the grapes the vineyard has produced and to make wines with poise, texture and balance.

Gary Ford

Viticulturist and Vineyard Manager

“I believe that the Archangel ethos of striving to do everything ‘that little bit better’ results in superb grapes that are making magnificent wines.”

With the utmost respect for the land, Gary tends the vineyard ‘in harmony’ with nature – a gentle approach, ensuring that what is taken out of the land is replaced in a natural way. Nurturing the health of the environment and enriching the vitality of the soils, Gary guides the development of Archangel wine.

Mary & Ian Zurakowski

Custodians

Balance and harmony in our natural environment; synergy between people and place – this is what inspires Archangel.”

From the start, Mary and Ian had aspirations to produce outstanding wine that would one day be worthy of being called Archangel. Wine that would express their story – their spirit of place. Together, their combined talents inspire spontaneity and flow, creativity and vision to the Archangel team.


Zenek Zurakowski

The Next Generation

“The opportunity to help grow Archangel into something very special is an exciting prospect.  Living on the vineyard and waking up to the view of the vines and mountains – it’s hard not to be inspired”.

Zenek has grown up surrounded by all things wine. Son to Ian and Mary, the owners and founders of Archangel Vineyard, Zenek has been immersed in the wine industry from a young age. From seasonal work with the viticultural team on the vineyard all the way through to assisting the chief winemaker in the winery during harvest, Zenek has gained a vast amount of knowledge learning from some of the best minds in the New Zealand wine industry. Now in charge of Business Development Zenek has appeared at special events ranging from Wine Dinners in Hong Kong to hosting Archangel Wine events at the prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK.  Zenek has a passion for storytelling and a strong desire to continue the Archangel story.