Mahi, meaning ‘our work, our craft’, began in 2001, fulfilling a dream for Brian and Nicola Bicknell. With a strong focus on single-vineyard wines from Marlborough, the idea behind Mahi is to respect and promote the individuality of those vineyards, and this focus of recognising and celebrating the diversity still continues. Since their first vintage they have built together a group of growers who are committed to their land and to the wines that come from it.

All of the vines reflect their ‘place’, their soils and aspects. All have been low cropped, hand-picked and fermented in the winery with the indigenous yeasts that arrive on the grapes. This is wine making with as little intervention as possible, so they truly reflect their sense of ‘place’ and the inspiration behind Mahi.

Te ao Māori (the Māori world view) plays an important role in how the Mahi team think about their winemaking and viticulture. The principle of ‘kaitiakitanga’ or stewardship, in particular is key, as they believe it is their responsibility to protect and preserve the land, rivers, and ocean for future generations. That’s why they hold their grower relations in such high regard, as wine reflects both the place and the people involved.

Being in Marlborough making fruity wines is a consequence of the region and climate, but the Mahi goal is not to be trapped by fruit. Instead, they want to use it in a way that adds to the palate, making delicious wines that are slightly more subtle and elegant, something with flavour and length.