Talking Pinot Noir with Greg Hay // Wet Jacket (Central Otago, NZ)

Named after an arm in Fiordland’s Dusky Sound (which itself was named by a soggy Captain Cook in 1773), Wet Jacket is the current venture of Greg Hay, one of the pioneers of the Central Otago wine industry. After establishing Chard Farm and Peregrine Wines, Greg decided to set up a more modest space where he could keep the brand small and personal, and focus on the storytelling. Each year, he produces around 3000 cases of wine (including pinot gris, rosé and chardonnay) from four Cromwell Basin vineyard sites, under the stewardship of his good friend, winemaker Pete Bartle of VinPro. Local history and interesting tales take a front seat here, and the cellar door – set in an old shearing shed – is a hub where locals and tourists alike come to discover the stories of Wet Jacket and the region.

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