Our Team

Whitehaven Wines marked a major change in direction for its co-founder and managing director Sue White – a change which has placed her at the helm of a mid-sized New Zealand winery exporting to markets around the world.

A Wellingtonian working in the financial sector, Sue met her financier husband Greg during the 1980s boom years. By the close of that decade the couple had set sail for the Pacific, a lifestyle change that eventually led them back to New Zealand and the Marlborough Sounds.

They came ashore in Marlborough at a time when the earliest wineries were getting underway. Cashing up their assets, the couple leased a small winery building and Whitehaven was born.

Sue worked alongside Greg getting the label established, an exercise in optimism, energy and resilience. Their success enabled them to open a new purpose-built winery just outside Renwick by 2002, the company’s base today.

After the death of her husband and partner in 2007, Sue stepped up to the role of leading the family business. Sue’s determination to continue the family label meant taking on a marketing and management role, responsible for regular visits to the distributors in Whitehaven’s important US, UK and Ireland, Asian and Australian markets.  Greg and Sue’s daughter, Samantha is also involved in the business and will take a more involved role in the future.

As an innovative wine company, Sue adopts a democratic approach to management, each individual encouraged to contribute fresh ideas, each to flourish in their own role.  She also knows the value of being surrounded by staff she can trust to do their best for the business.  In turn, they know she is relentless about one thing; the integrity of the Whitehaven name and her enthusiasm for the winery.

“The power of our product is in its purity – its Marlborough wine to the last grape. Our customers know that every vintage they will be getting a consistently high standard because we value our reputation as a premium label.”

Sue’s zest for Whitehaven Wines has carried the company to where it is today, a close-knit business which excels in producing exceptional wines, a proud heritage for the White family.

Originally from Picton, Steve joined the Whitehaven team having returned home to Marlborough for a lifestyle change following a number of years in commercial, analytical & project management roles with Fonterra.  The move from cheese to wine seemed like a logical progression although the scale and structure of the two industries couldn’t be more diverse.  However, with many similarities in terms of each industry’s primary production base and strong focus on global export success, a key part of Steve’s role is to ensure the talents of the team are effectively aligned to the long term sustainable success of this quietly achieving family-owned Marlborough wine company.

Steve is married to Karen with two children.

Growing up in Queensland, Australia, wine was not something that Peter crossed paths with on a regular basis. However, that changed when Peter was exposed to French at High School – starting a journey that would lead him into majoring in French at University, followed by a year’s hiatus from his studies in 1997 to ride a pushbike through France. It was while cycling through the French countryside and its many wine regions that the history and culture surrounding wine captivated Peter, so much so, that soon after his return to Australia he threw in his unfinished Law degree and moved to Adelaide to study Oenology at Adelaide University (formerly Roseworthy), graduating as dux in 2003. Following his graduation, Peter worked in Margaret River, Coonawarra and the Hunter Valley in Australia, Alsace, Italy and Oregon.

Peter's first encounter with Marlborough was the 2005 vintage - an experience that left him in awe of the region and its climate, and cemented his love for cooler climate wines. At the time, says Peter, "I remember thinking that this place was incredible - I couldn't imagine finding a better place to grow fruit and produce wine." Since 2006 he and his wife have happily and gratefully called Marlborough home.

Peter returns to Whitehaven as Chief Winemaker, having previously been Whitehaven’s white winemaker for 3 years from September 2008 - 2011. A vigneron more than a winemaker, Peter seeks to create beautifully balanced wines that speak honestly and with integrity. He believes his role is to source fruit from the best possible sites, get the harvest decisions right and then help guide the transition from fruit to wine, capturing Marlborough’s renowned fruit intensity while respectfully conveying the subtleties of different vineyard sites.

Outside of wine, Peter is a keen jetty jumper in the Marlborough Sounds, plants many trees and bakes a decent sour dough. He is married to Nadine with three kiwi children Eddie, Matilda and Heidi.

Originally from Bulgaria, Diana started studying winemaking after leaving a career in medicine. Then, having successfully completed six years of study, Diana spent 15 years working in Bulgaria’s winemaking industry before departing for New Zealand with her young son. Experienced with old world vines, Diana’s first vintage in Marlborough in 2004 was a huge shift away from all she’d been accustomed to, in terms of size and scale and the approach to wine making.

Diana holds a Master qualification specialising in technology for microbiological and fermentation products from the University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv. Her attention to detail is apparent in the many accolades awarded to the wines she takes a leading hand in producing “even after all these years I can express myself better in my wines than I can with my English language,” she laughs.

From a Taranaki farm background, Rowan came to Marlborough to study viticulture and his introduction to Whitehaven was as a student working his first vintage.

While studying for his Diploma in Viticulture and Winemaking, Rowan worked for Whitehaven helping to establish the vineyard which yield the grapes he uses
today to produce Whitehaven’s acclaimed Pinot Noir.

A vintage in Oregon, and further studies at New Zealand’s Lincoln University allowed Rowan to complete a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology in 2006. Then, a chance encounter saw Rowan re-employed at Whitehaven as a Cellar Hand where Rowan has remained, working his way up to become one of Whitehaven’s esteemed winemakers.

A Marlburian born and raised, Andrea studied first class honours at Otago University followed by a Masters Degree at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland. From there Andrea returned to New Zealand where she has worked in the roles of marketing, business development and event management. A return to Marlborough in 2005 saw Andrea establish her own marketing consulting firm. A contract role with Wine Marlborough, managing Marlborough’s Wine and Food festival and the Rugby World Cup wine festival, was Andrea’s foray into the wine industry. It’s been an industry that she has enjoyed ever since – providing plenty of challenge sand variety.

In 2016 Andrea joined the Whitehaven team as Marketing Manager. Out of work Andrea’s two sons keep her busy on the side lines of a large range of sporting events, or enjoying the Marlborough sounds by boat and a chilled glass of wine!

Danny is brother to Sue White and has been involved in Whitehaven since the company’s inception.

In the early days, while Danny operated his own retail clothing ventures, Danny helped Sue and Greg at trade shows in New Zealand and Australia. Danny once lent a hand at vintage doing a night shift to help the winery get grapes in quickly, before a wet weather event arrived.  

Over time, as Whitehaven has grown, so too has Danny’s involvement. Danny became involved with the sales and distribution of Whitehaven in New Zealand, and in later years has progressed into looking after the Asia Pacific export markets in the search for like-minded partners to help build the Whitehaven brand. Whitehaven now has some very strong relationships with fantastic partners.

Danny now works full time for Whitehaven focusing on the existing relationships already in place and exploring emerging markets. 

Samantha White was only 2 years old when her parents Greg and Sue White established Whitehaven– named for the calm port haven they found while sheltering in Marlborough on the family yacht, and for the importance of family. Sam spent the first 6months of her life sailing the Pacific with her parents, which contributed to her love of adventure and the ocean.

Sam grew up in Marlborough, and attended university in Wellington, obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing & International Business, and a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies. She then spent some time working for a winery in California, before taking a hiatus from wine to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade.

In 2020 Sam and her new husband Josh returned to Marlborough to join the family business, with the view to continuing the legacy Sam’s parents established 26 years ago.  In 2021 they welcomed their son Arthur.

Sam’s role is Brand Manager and Ambassador to the Kōparepare range of wines, drawing on her passion for the protection and restoration of our natural resources.

After completing a BSc in biology/ecology at Victoria University, Josh went into environmental consultancy.  He spent the next few years of his life working with various NGO’s, Government agencies and small businesses on resource management, statistical analysis, impact assessment and policy development.

Early 2020 he moved back to Marlborough to marry Samantha White (daughter of Whitehaven Co-founders Sue and the late Greg White) and settle down into their new life, where he has put his skills to use in the family business. Josh’s role is Sustainability Manager, supporting Whitehaven inbeing a responsible part of the community, and Kaitiaki of the lands we operate on.

Josh’s passion for the outdoors means you can normally find him up one of Marlborough’s many mountain tracks or out on the beautiful waters of the Marlborough Sounds.

Originally from Auckland, Jess grew up working for her parents who grew hydroponic
lettuces and herbs. Enjoying science at school but not wanting to be stuck in
an office Jess decided to go to Lincoln University and completed her Bachelor
of Viticulture and Oenology in 2013.

On completion of her degree she worked for
Whitehaven in the vineyard and then winery for harvest 2014. Not feeling she was finished with studying, Jess moved to Australia to complete an Honours thesis
(First Class) on Grapevine Susceptibility to
Eutypa Dieback, at the University of Adelaide. Returning to Marlborough in 2015 to take up roles in viticulture, Jess is now the Viticulturist at Whitehaven.

As a lifelong learner Jess has since completed a Diploma in Business, and in
2021 she became the first woman to win the Marlborough Young Viticulturist of
the Year competition.

Jess loves tramping and the outdoors, is an avid hockey player and home vege gardener who now calls Marlborough home.