Farmers buy slain businesswoman’s vineyard
‘‘It needs a bit of direction and money.’’ Tony Cleland
A Southland farming couple have bought slain Auckland businesswoman Elizabeth (Ying) Zhong’s central Otago vineyard.
Alison and Tony Cleland, who farm at Mossburn, confirmed to Stuff yesterday they had purchased Carrick Winery in Bannockburn near Cromwell.
Zhong was found dead in the boot of her car near her home in Auckland nearly two months ago. A homicide investigation is yet to yield any arrests.
The sale caps a tender process overseen by Carrick’s receivers, Andrew McKay and Andrew Bethell of BDO, and run by Bayley’s Cromwell.
Carrick Wines Ltd was among several of Zhong’s companies in receivership amid daunting debt levels to various creditors. Its total debts exceeded $12 million, an insolvency document shows.
Tony would not be drawn on what the couple paid but it’s
understood there were several competing bids.
‘‘That’s not public knowledge and we won’t be releasing that. Enough to get it.’’
The property, overlooking the Bannockburn inlet, has a capital value of about $9m, with land at $3.1m and improvements of $5.9m, according to the Central Otago District Council valuation.
Originally from Waikato, dairy farming entrepreneur Cleland has several farms in northern Southland and has been in the region for nearly three decades.
He is a founder of farm investment company FarmRight and chairman of FMG Advice and Insurance.
The couple plan to keep on all current Carrick staff, he said.
They had long admired the winery and plan to move there from their farm in Mossburn after taking ownership on February 29.
‘‘We’ve always liked the place, and we’ve got an interest in wine. We were looking for another challenge. There are really good staff there.
‘‘It needs a bit of direction and money. But it’s got good wine, good food, good venues. It’s really just carrying on doing
what it’s doing but lifting it to the next level.’’
While the couple have no plans yet for expansion, Cleland says they will look at opening up its accommodation, not used in recent years.
The Lake Dunstan cycle trail from Pisa Moorings to Bannockburn,
currently under construction, should also be a great help to the enterprise once completed, Cleland said.
Meanwhile police said yesterday they had nothing to add to the little they have disclosed publicly so far on their investigation into Zhong’s killing.