The Lake Chalice wine brand, including vineyards, has been purchased by family-owned Marlborough winery, Saint Clair Family Estate.

Saint Clair Family Estate is owned by the Ibbotson family and were one of the first private growers in Marlborough.

The Lake Chalice vineyards and brand will continue to be run as a separate brand with both national and international distribution continuing through existing distributors.

Matt Thomson will continue as winemaker for Lake Chalice along with his experienced and professional winemaking team. Lake Chalice’s previous managing director Phil Binnie and his wife, Sue, will remain with the Lake Chalice brand in a consultancy role.

Saint Clair is fortunate that Lake Chalice is an established quality Marlborough wine brand that has been built up over the last 28 years by the Gambitsis and Binnie families. “We look forward to continuing the Lake Chalice story and building on the quality brand they have created” comments Neal Ibbotson (managing director Saint Clair Family Estate).

Phil Binnie believes the timing of the sale is good for himself and his wife and comments “the past 28 years has been a long and fun ride, with plenty of ups and downs. We are pleased to have sold the label to another family-owned Marlborough business.”

Lake Chalice is one of the major sponsors of the Wingspan, Birds of Prey Trust, working to preserve New Zealand’s raptors, and this sponsorship of this worthwhile cause will continue.