Helen Masters

Signature

Pinot Noir sits at the center of Helen Masters’s work at Ata Rangi, and the method is built to keep that fruit aligned with place. Natural yeast, minimal additions, and no fining are part of the cellar language; restraint is the governing principle. In Martinborough, that means holding structure and balance without covering the vineyard’s own imprint, so the Terrace remains the reference point rather than the winemaker’s hand. Helen's signature wines include Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough 2020, McCrone, Kotinga, and Masters. Together, they map the breadth of her work: the estate’s core expression alongside individual wines that carry the same underlying attention to site, texture, and balance.

The Work Today

Winemaking here is a matter of timing, judgment, and refusal to overstate. Helen Masters frames the work in terms of patience and accumulation: each vintage adds to the read on the vineyard, and each decision in the cellar is made against that longer view. The language is plain, and the practice follows suit — fruit ripeness on one side, restraint on the other, with the aim of letting the wine stay close to its source. That approach treats vineyard and winery as one process rather than separate tasks. Masters’s own words point to the same discipline: "It’s a vocation not a job, it’s a life’s work - don’t expect everything to happen fast. Take the time to live and breathe the vineyard, it’s where the answers are." The craft lies in staying with a site long enough to hear what changes and what remains constant.

In Their Words “The best thing about being a winemaker is that it doesn’t feel like work. I love the change and the challenge winemaking offers. Every year is different. I also like being involved at every stage from vineyard to the customer.” “It’s a vocation not a job, it’s a life’s work - don’t expect everything to happen fast. Take the time to live and breathe the vineyard, it’s where the answers are.”

Acclaim

Recognition for Helen Masters includes Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year (2019) and Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa (Grand Cru of New Zealand) (2010).