VISION:

Create a bold and brave new Martinborough wine brand fit to take New Zealand Pinot Noir to a whole new level.

PATH:

Larry McKenna is the man who put New Zealand Pinot Noir on the map – an accomplishment that earned him the title ‘The Prince of Pinot’. If you follow Larry on twitter, you’ll know he’s brought this down a notch to ‘Mr Pinot’, but his quest to constantly better his best when it comes to making wine has never wavered. His love affair with Pinot is legendary. When we met, all he wanted was to show everyone just how good new world Pinot could be. So we set about creating a brand that was worthy of his aspirations. That brand was Escarpment. The legend of Kupe became our touchstone. The great Polynesian navigator, was a man with the vision and courage to lead his people across oceans to a new land – New Zealand. A land celebrated in Larry’s wine. Kupe’s three canoes are said to form the pancake hills that dominate the Martinborough skyline above the Escarpment vineyards. With the blessing of local Iwi, the image of Kupe along with a utilitarian E became the Escarpment icon. Bold and resolute in red and black, it personifies the single-minded nature of Escarpment and pays homage to the land and the people that form its DNA.