Portrait of John Wallace
i. Biography
Coming Up
Wine work at Chard Farm, in Queenstown, is built on the same habits demanded by Central Otago’s winter terrain: patience, precision, and close reading of conditions. Before John Wallace moved into wine, he worked as a ski instructor in Central Otago, where seasonality, weather, and terrain shaped a practical discipline that still reads clearly in his approach. At Chard Farm, that discipline carries into both viticulture and winemaking, with place treated as the starting point rather than the backdrop. At Chard Farm, John Wallace works as winemaker and viticulturist, a role that keeps vineyard and cellar in constant exchange. The job requires attention across the full cycle, from fruit in the ground to wine in tank or barrel, and his work sits squarely in that overlap. The result is a practice rooted in looking closely at the land and then carrying that reading through to the finished wine.
Where They Are Now
Single-vineyard Pinot Noir is the centre of the work at Chard Farm, where John Wallace serves as winemaker and viticulturist. That focus suits a methodical approach: the point is not to make one site sound like another, but to keep each parcel distinct. In Wallace’s hands, the logic is straightforward—origin matters, and the wine should show it. The directness of that approach is captured in Wallace’s own description: "I'm the wine maker at Chard Farm." The line is plain, but the role is broad, moving between the living vineyard and the finished wine and asking for the same steady attention in both places.
Career - winemaker — Chard Farm, Gibbston Valley, Central Otago - viticulturist — Chard Farm, Gibbston Valley, Central Otago - ski instructor — Central Otago
Signature
John's signature wines include The Tiger Pinot Noir, Viper Vineyard Pinot Noir, River Run Pinot Noir, Finla Mor Pinot Noir, and Mata-Au Pinot Noir. Each name sits within the broader identity of Chard Farm, but together they also trace the range of his Single-vineyard Pinot Noir focus. They speak to a winemaker attentive to distinction, to the way one site can differ from another, and to the quiet complexity that emerges when a vineyard is allowed to define the glass.
In Their Words “I'm the wine maker at Chard Farm.”
FAQ What is John Wallace's current role? As of 2026, John Wallace is Viticulturist. What is John Wallace known for? Single-vineyard Pinot Noir.
