Our Story & FAQ’s Answered

From where the river meets the ocean – the ancient Otu̅whero River gives our wine its name.

Named for the ancient Otu̅whero river that runs through our estate, OTU Sauvignon Blanc amplifies all that the coastal Awatere terroir holds true – a backbone of minerality and crisp acidity with aromas of tomato leaf and intense tropical fruit on the palate.

Wilder, drier, cooler and windier than Marlborough’s main valley, the Awatere’s hilly, rough coastal terrain conspires to produce distinctive, intensely vibrant wines.

Our Winemaker

Rising star and leading female winemaker – Anna Remond is crafting vibrant, fruit forward Sauvignon Blanc, showcasing the beautiful salinity unique to our Estate’s coastal Awatere Marlborough location.

We are proud to have Anna, our exceptional head winemaker, leading the way at OTU Estate. Her vision, talent, and dedication continue to shape the distinctive wines that define our estate. 

Originally from a rural background in Canterbury, Anna is a passionate winemaker with a love of Sauvignon Blanc –  the crisp fresh wines the Marlborough region is so well known for.

Proficient in French as a second language, Anna is also passionate about teamwork, mentoring and sustainability – while actively managing a lifestyle block with sustainable practices with her husband and young family, in Marlborough.

A winemaker for 15 years for one of New Zealand’s largest wineries, Anna headed up the white wine making program, and worked vintages in the French regions of Sancerre and Burgundy.  As a mentor for the Women in Wine Programme, Anna also supports women to develop their Winemaking careers and reach their full potential in Marlborough, here in New Zealand, and continues to forge a leadership path for women in winemaking overall.

Wild Coast Grown

a unique style driven by coastal influence

Our estate sits just 2km inland from the wild, windy and sun-soaked coastline of Marlborough New Zealand, in the coastal side of the Awatere Valley.

This exposed coastal terroir in the Awatere Valley is cooler, windier and drier than the main Wairau Valley of Marlborough. This wild terroir naturally de-vigours the vines resulting in low yields of small, intensely flavoured berries which deliver vibrant, zesty and distinctive wines. 

OTU’s wine style is all about letting the wine speak truly of the land where it is grown, with minimal intervention.

  • 100% Estate grown, low cropping per Ha

  • 100% Coastal Awatere Sauvignon Blanc

Your FAQ’s Answered

  • OTU comes from a wild, coastal corner of Marlborough’s Awatere Valley, just 2km from the Pacific Ocean. Here, our vines experience more wind, sunshine, cooler temperatures and drier conditions than many other parts of Marlborough.

    These natural conditions help create intensely flavoured grapes with bright, fresh fruit flavours and a distinctive coastal character. It’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with a wild coastal edge.

    In simple terms: the coast makes a difference. 🌊

  • Both are classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc regions, but they have quite different personalities.

    The Wairau Valley is generally warmer and more sheltered, while the Awatere Valley is cooler, drier and more exposed to the Pacific Ocean.

    At OTU, that coastal environment gives our Sauvignon Blanc a vibrant, fresh character, with ripe tropical fruit, citrus and a distinctive mineral and coastal freshness.

    If Wairau is classic Marlborough, Awatere Coast is Marlborough with a wilder edge. 🌊

  • OTU is proudly made in Marlborough, New Zealand, and is enjoyed by wine lovers in markets around the world.

    Our wines are currently exported to Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Taiwan, South Korea and the USA, with distribution continuing to grow. In the USA alone, OTU has expanded to more than 30 states.

    From the wild coast of the Awatere to wine lovers around the world — OTU is taking a taste of our corner of Marlborough with us.

  • Let the place do the talking.

    For Anna, great estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc starts in the vineyard. Her approach is to work with the unique character of the Awatere Coast rather than over-complicate it in the winery.

    Careful vineyard management, picking at optimum ripeness and gentle winemaking help preserve the purity, freshness and intensity of the fruit, while time on light lees adds texture and balance.

    The goal is simple: make a wine that tastes like it comes from somewhere.

    For Anna, that means capturing the energy of the Awatere Coast in every bottle — vibrant, expressive and unmistakably OTU.

  • Yes! Our Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Pinot Gris wines are Vegan and Vegetarian friendly.

    With the exception of our OTU Estate Pinot Noir and Estate Chardonnay, all other OTU wines are vegan and vegetarian friendly.

    We use winemaking practices that mean no animal-derived products are used in the production of the majority of our wines, so you can enjoy OTU wines with confidence.

  • It starts with where we grow it.

    OTU Estate sits just 2km inland from the wild Awatere Coast, where the conditions are cooler, drier, windier and more exposed than much of Marlborough. Long sunshine hours, cool nights, coastal winds and low rainfall create challenging growing conditions that encourage the vines to work harder and the roots to grow deeper.

    The result is Sauvignon Blanc with a distinctive coastal character — intensely pure fruit, vibrant citrus and tropical flavours, a mineral edge, natural freshness and a crisp, mouthwatering finish.

    The difference is in the glass. Coastal Awatere Sauvignon Blanc delivers greater vibrancy, depth and wild intensity of tropical flavour than many more generic, entry-level Marlborough wines — a mineral, more expressive style shaped by the region’s cooler, drier and windier coastal conditions — and purely expressing the wild, distinctive place our grapes come from.

  • OTU Sauvignon Blanc is wonderfully versatile — especially with fresh, simple food.

    Try it with:

    🦪 Fresh oysters and seafood
    🐟 Fish and chips or grilled fish
    🥗 Fresh salads and summer vegetables
    🍋 Lemon and herb chicken
    🧀 Goat’s cheese and fresh cheeses
    🌶️ Asian-inspired dishes
    🌿 Anything fresh, zesty and full of flavour

    Or keep it simple: chilled OTU, good friends and a sunny afternoon.

  • Yes. Sustainability is a key part of how we grow and make our wines.

    Our vineyard and winery are certified sustainable, and this commitment has been part of the OTU Estate since the first vines were planted almost 20 years ago. We carefully manage water use, vineyard health and our natural environment, with a focus on looking after the land for the future.

  • OTU is available across New Zealand through a growing network of retailers, including New World, Woolworths, PAK’nSAVE, Four Square and FreshChoice, as well as online through Good Wine Co.

    Availability can vary between stores and regions, so check our [Buy OTU Near You] page to find your nearest stockist.

  • We’re proud that our OTU Coastal Estate Sauvignon Blanc has been recognised by some of the wine world’s leading critics and competitions.

    Recent highlights for the 2025 vintage include Double Gold at the 2026 Rodeo Uncorked International Wine Competition, Texas, USA, Gold at the New World New Zealand Wine Awards, 95 points from Wine Orbit, and 91 points and a Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast for our 2024 Sauvignon Blanc.

    Our 2025 OTU Estate Sauvignon Blanc was also awarded 90 Points by James Suckling

    “This delicious and well-rounded Sauvignon Blanc displays sliced apples, papayas and some fresh herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied with zesty acidity. Tropical and comforting” - James Suckling

    We love the recognition, but ultimately, we want every bottle to deliver a wine you genuinely want to drink.