The LIME ROCK team

Rosie Butler returned to New Zealand with Australian husband, Rodger Tynan, in 2000  to take up the challenge of  grape growing and winemaking in the limestone hills of Central Hawke's Bay.

Rodger Tynan -  Viticulture and ecology

Rodger's expertise is in ecology (Masters in Rangeland Ecology).  Brought up in Naracoorte, South Australia, now a prime limestone grape growing region, Rodger had a stint in the bank and then 5 years as a kiap (patrol officer in the New Guinea highlands). This led to his Masters at Roseworthy College/Adelaide University. It was at the Roseworthy pub that Rosie appeared on the scene, both having sat six hours of Chemistry exams that day.....

After 15 years monitoring the grazing impact on vegetation in the Australian outback (sometimes it took 12 hours to drive to work), Rodger (and Rosie) came to NZ.

Rosie Butler - Winemaker

Rosie is in home territory, having grown up on the family farm next door. With a practical laboratory background (Medical Laboratory Scientist) and some years of travel, Rosie started with Montana in 1974 and helped with the first two vintages (1977 and 1978) in Blenheim.

Rosie furthered her studies by gaining a BSC Appl. Sc. in Oenology and Viticulture at Roseworthy College in South Australia. She was part of the first New Zealand contingent to study there.  Rosie was then winemaker for Montana in Gisborne for 5 years.  Returning to Adelaide, she worked at Petaluma in the Adelaide hills and also taught wine appreciation to wine students.

Rosie's experience in quality control ensures wines are finished to exacting standards.

Stefan Brockley - Vineyard Manager

Stefan gained a BSc in Physical Geography from Auckland University before spending three years overseas. Returning to New Zealand, he completed a Graduate Diploma in Viticulture & Oenology at Lincoln University while working part time as an English language teacher and lab assistant.

Stefan worked for Pernod Ricard and Villa Maria before taking a position with Muddy Water in Waipara for three years. Wanting a change and keen to live in Hawke's Bay, he moved north in 2009 and has been at Lime Rock since then, settling in Waipukurau with his wife Claire, their two boys, Luka and Finn and very recently, a girl Indiana. 

Matariki

Our grapes are processed at Matariki Winery in Hastings, about 30 minutes north of Lime Rock. Winemaker Rebecca Coghill works closely with Rosie to ensure our fruit is processed to exacting standards. The Matariki team get the wines to the bottling stage, and then it is transported to Wine Works for bottling, labelling and storage under controlled environmental conditions.