A passion for
wine enticed Drs John and Brigid Forrest to
leave careers in medicine and biology and
return to Marlborough in 1988 to establish
their vineyard - Forrest Estate – at
the heart of the stoney Wairau River Valley.
It is a small family vineyard and cellar
with the philosophy to produce small volume,
quality wines with character.
Vintage 1990 saw the first Forrest wine and
immediate success - the 1990 Cabernet Rose,
being awarded the Directors Trophy for Champion
Rose/Blush at the 1990 Air New Zealand Wine
Awards – success that has been repeated
both nationally and internationally over the
subsequent vintages. To the often
asked question “why did you do it?”
the answer is: a mixture of wine passion
and a desire to achieve, and be recognized
and rewarded for one’s efforts. In
hindsight, says John, I struck upon a career
that suits my personality – a blend
of science and art.
“Grape growing and winemaking is an
exacting science; however it must have the
artistic touch to give the wines ‘soul’.
That individual expression of style is the
trademark of our wines – rich aromatic
white wine, and powerfully scented reds
– all impeccably structured and a
joy to drink” - John Forrest
Curriculum Vitae for John Forrest
Dr John William Forrest was born (1955)
and bred in Marlborough, New Zealand and
attended Queen Charlotte College in Picton
where he excelled at cricket and rugby and
was Head Boy.
He attended Otago University in 1973-81
graduating with a PhD in Neurophysiology
in 1982.
John then spent 2 years in San Diego at
the SALK Institute in San Diego as a Molecular
Biologist part of a team cloning the Acetylcholine
receptor – a huge breakthrough in
understanding neuromuscular diseases. It
was also where he first developed a serious
interest in wine.
In 1983 John took a position in the Centre
for Excellence in Molecular Biology at Adelaide
University, South Australia. There he further
refined his wine appreciation.
In 1986 he returned to New Zealand to help
establish a new molecular research division
of the DSIR in Palmerston North. While here
frequent trips to the Hawkes Bay fed his
interest in wine and he eventually bought
70 acres of bare land on Gimblett Road 5kms
west of Hastings.
In November of 1988 John resigned his secure
science research position and returned to
his ancestral home Marlborough, to establish
Forrest Estate Winery. He has since gone
on to establish vineyards and produce premium
wine from 7 sites throughout Marlborough;
and in addition Central Otago - Bannockburn;
North Otago - Waitaki Valley and the Gimblett
Gravels of Hawkes Bay.
John has been extremely active within the
wider winegrowing community serving 10 years
on the NZ Winegrowers Research Board, a
founding and current director of Botryzen
Biotech Company producing the world’s
first natural anti-botrytoside. John is
perhaps best known as a founding and current
executive member of the New Zealand Screwcap
Initiative.
Within the wine industry he has a reputation
for innovative and incisive action and winemaker
of the highest quality having in 2001 been
awarded New Zealand Winemaker of the Year
and as recently as September 2007 at the
Annual Winegrowers Trade Show he was voted
Winemaker of the Show by his peers.
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