Owen Glover and his wife Wendy were successful dairy farmers, but when they realised that their four children had no interest in getting up at the crack of dawn every day to milk cows, they decided to diversify the family business to viticulture. So in 1988 they sold their Frisian herd and planted the paddock with vines. They were amongst the first to plant grape vines in Marlborough; their farm is situated in the Dillon's Point sub-region, and the couple had a feeling that this land could produce world-class wine. It is only 3 kilometres from the sea, along the banks of the Opaoa River and this, along with the fertile soils consisting of Kaiapoi silt loam, not only imbues the wines with bright aromatics and great depth of flavour, but also distinctive umami notes and a salty tang. It was here in 2007 the family, led by eldest son Ben Glover launched a range of single vineyard wines which they called Zephyr; the word means “a gentle breeze”, and was inspired by the prevailing wind that moderates the vineyards, but is also a good analogy for the Glovers because the family are always on the move, planning their next innovation. Now Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir are cultivated in their single vineyard site on those unique soils. And yes, there is a Zephyr! Their company car is a winged 1965 Mark 3 green Zephyr!
Ben has worked for some of New Zealand's top wineries, and has 25 years experience as a national and international wine judge, he has earned a reputation as one of the most talented winemakers in the country. His trademark style is expressive and elegant wines with great personalities. In 2018 a new range of wines was introduced called BOB - short for Kate. Ben's sister Kate was nicknamed “Bob” by her family [Blackadder fans will understand the reference], she was a talented drama teacher who heartbreakingly died in 2018, and Ben wanted to produce a wine that summed up her honesty, purity and confidence. The result is an small-batch organic Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from a selected block of the family's vines with exceptional fruit selection …... the breeze continues to blow.