Deep Rooted Sustainability at Ata Rangi

A Legacy of Care - from Vines to Forests

Sustainability at Ata Rangi is no afterthought - it’s deeply embedded in the landscape and philosophy of this pioneering Martinborough estate. Founded in 1980 by Clive Paton, Ata Rangi has long combined fine wine with environmental stewardship. While planting some of the Wairarapa’s first Pinot Noir vines, Clive was also scouting land to regenerate with native bush. In 2002, he purchased the Bush Block, a neighbouring area that’s since been transformed with more than 75,000 native trees, including rare rātā once thought extinct in the region.

That sense of long-term thinking continues to guide Ata Rangi. Winemaker Helen Masters, who first joined the cellar team in 1991 before returning full-time in 2003, says their philosophy holds a 100-year view for the land’s wellbeing. “It’s intrinsic to how we grow and make wine,” she says. “Everything is about care for the environment, the vines, the soil, and the people.”

Situated on the Martinborough Terrace, Ata Rangi’s vineyards produce wines that are distinct and expressive of place. Helen believes that the clarity and precision of their wines are a result of this holistic, low-impact approach. In 2014, the first of the company’s vineyards became organically certified with BioGro, requiring a greater focus on soil, vines and season. Helen says “I really think that part of the reason why our wines are more aromatically pure now - the more we care for the land, the more it reflects back in the glass.”

This belief in land stewardship has long shaped Ata Rangi’s farming ethos - not only producing better wine, but also regenerating biodiversity.

From Certification to Compost

Ata Rangi was one of the founding members of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), the independently audited programme launched in 1995 to guide and benchmark wine industry sustainability.

Ata Rangi’s work is part of a much bigger picture. Today, 96% of New Zealand’s vineyard area is certified under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) - a world-leading programme that sets rigorous, independently-audited standards across water use, waste, biodiversity, energy, and people. As a founding member, Ata Rangi helped lay the groundwork for a nationwide culture of continuous improvement. Their practices go well beyond the minimum, offering a clear example of what sustainability can look like when it’s built into the identity of a winegrowing community.

Waste reduction and soil health have become major priorities. The team brews compost tea on-site using forest litter, seaweed, fish protein, and compost from the estate itself - feeding beneficial fungi and soil microbes. They’ve also planted eucalyptus for future use as untreated vineyard posts and installed 170 solar panels, which now supply over a third of their annual electricity needs.

Ata Rangi’s organic certification includes farming without synthetic sprays which requires constant observation and collaboration. “You need staff to be really attentive,” Helen says. “There’s no backup system - you just have to get it right.”

Organic certification has had wider effects too: fostering biodiversity and boosting soil resilience. Cover crops and composts replace synthetic inputs, while organic methods encourage natural predator populations and healthier vine canopies. The result is not just a change in inputs, but a full system that encourages complexity both above and below ground.

A Living Culture of Sustainability

Ata Rangi’s approach to sustainability doesn’t stop at organics or energy - it extends to people, culture, and community. “Sustainability is also about how you support the people who help make it all happen,” says Helen. One of the most symbolic elements of this ethos is the staff garden, a shared green space that provides produce for communal lunches and vintage meals.

These shared meals aren’t just about food - they create connection and continuity across seasons and staff generations. Ata Rangi has unusually long staff tenure, with many team members staying for decades. That continuity helps preserve institutional knowledge and build deep trust. “We’re a small team,” says Helen. “But because we’ve worked together for so long, there’s a real understanding of what we’re trying to achieve.”

This strong sense of purpose is mirrored in the wines themselves. Ata Rangi’s Pinot Noir, for which it is best known, is celebrated not just for its finesse and ageability, but for the way it captures the nuance of place. That nuance, Helen believes, comes from a combination of mature vines, thoughtful farming, and a team that’s deeply invested in every bottle. “When you’re grounded in the land, and in each other, that shows in the wine.”

The company’s ethos also extends into its local ties - supporting education and conservation initiatives and welcoming visitors to learn about both wine and environmental care. It’s not just a workplace, but a living culture shaped by care and continuity.