Neil Hodgson
Have you heard about the solicitor, midwife, roofer and insurance broker? It’s no joke – in fact, it’s a delightful story about the partnership behind Upper Moutere’s St Pauli Wines.
The story involves Victoria Reid, her daughter Robyn and son-in-law Gareth Evans, who bought a piece of land they fell in love with at Upper Moutere. While they weren’t looking for a vineyard, the land that was known as the Five Oaks Vineyard was a piece of land they have had a relationship with for many years, even if that was just a photograph taken not long after they migrated to New Zealand from Britain in 2002.
Victoria has wide and varied business experience. She was a solicitor by trade and worked at Sealord as their in-house solicitor for five years.
‘‘I loved the job and thought I would be there for life, but after five years I got a bit bored, and was thinking about getting into a totally new business when I saw a small trucking business for sale 10 years ago and bought it,’’ she recalls. About three years ago, she sold the business to two of her colleagues.
Robyn went to Nelson College for Girls before returning to the UK to train as a midwife. She and Gareth moved back to Nelson when she was pregnant with their now toddler Florence. She now spends her days working on the vineyard behind the scenes, practising as a midwife at Nelson Hospital and at the Motueka birthing centre, as well as looking after Florence.
Gareth is the quiet one in the family. He was telling me about his time working in hospitality in the UK before he became a roofing specialist.
‘‘I ran a pub in Lymington, in the New Forest region in the south of England, for six years. It was owned John Illsley, the bass guitarist for Dire Straits, and they would turn up and play in the pub. Then people like Rick Stein would drop in for a beer and something to eat.’’
When he moved to Nelson, he worked as a roofer for a year until he started working fulltime in the vineyard.
The other part of the story is Nelson insurance broker Matt Colling. When the Reids moved moved here in about 2002, they met over drinks and quickly became friends. The fact Matt is originally from the UK as well helped.
He says he is a silent partner, but I get the feeling he is the solid feet on the ground guiding the family through the mire of owning a business while they learn everything about growing grapes and making wine.
Victoria says that after Robyn had Florence, ‘‘we all thought it was time the