Nikolai announced that he would be leaving the New Zealand winery to take up the position of Chief Winemaker at Giesen Wines.
“It’s a decision that has left me torn, but after seven years as Chief Winemaker for Matua and a new vintage almost upon us, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to move on and try something new”, Nikolai said.
“I’m thrilled to be handing over to someone within my team – Greg is an incredibly talented winemaker; there are definitely exciting times ahead for Matua.”
Rowdon will take over the responsibility of overseeing winemaking operations at the Matua Marlborough winery once Nikolai leaves, plus the additional responsibilities of being Chief Winemaker.
Rowdon has been with the company for 18 years, first joining as Cellar Hand in 2002. From there, Rowdon was appointed as Assistant Winemaker and has since held the positions of Auckland Site Winemaker and Marlborough Senior Winemaker with Matua.
Director of Wine Production at Matua, Richard Gardner said he is pleased to appoint an existing member of the Matua family to the role.
“Greg understands our values, our culture and our wines intimately – and he will continue to nurture the Matua style and our unrelenting focus on quality that has helped us become one of New Zealand’s most internationally acclaimed wineries,” he said.
“It’s been a delight to see Greg blossom through the ranks at Matua right up to Chief Winemaker. He’s an incredibly talented, hard-working winemaker with an enormous passion for the New Zealand wine industry, and I look forward to Matua wines rising even further under his leadership.”
Greg also says that he’s excited to be able to continue his journey with the New Zealand winery.
