Like our Wine Editor Chris Williams, Oliver Scutts is a young man who quite simply loves wine. His brand Rochfort Rees is certainly a breath of fresh air - yet it is air that is imbued with the mountain winds of the Queenstown/Wanaka region and his brand is one that is steeped in family tradition. Oliver's forefather, one William Rees, just happened to be the first European settler on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. He built the first buildings there in 1861 and is rightly known as the father of Queenstown. In 1862 the gold rush would have surprised lesser men - hundreds, if not thousands of men converged on the town overnight - but it invigorated William Rees who offered his woolshed and farm to the diggers earning him a "reputation for fairness and forthrightness."
Generations later Peter Scutts, and now his son Oliver, continue the pioneering spirit with their wine-making and brands. To date Oliver has released an Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 and an Otago Pinot Noir 2009 vintage. Rochfort Rees; what a great story, concept and legacy.
