NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Small Business

Winemakers secure deal with Spanish giant

By Christopher Adams
NZ Herald·
7 Jan, 2011 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Tim Lightbourne (L) and Rob Cameron have put a lot on the line to chase their dream. Photo / Dean Purcell

Tim Lightbourne (L) and Rob Cameron have put a lot on the line to chase their dream. Photo / Dean Purcell

Several years of hard work are paying off for two school friends who went out on a limb to set up their own wine label just as the global downturn was kicking in.

Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne's company, Invivo Wines, has secured a major distribution agreement with Spanish wine
giant Grupo Codorniu.

Lightbourne says the deal has the potential to add millions to the sales of the firm, which is already exporting to nine countries.

"It will provide us with a lot of growth," he said. "It takes us to the next level."

He said the agreement would give Invivo access to cafes, bars and retailers in France, the UK and Ireland.

There was also scope for the Kiwi label to expand into other markets in the future through Codorniu's global distribution network.

Despite the agreement the company will conduct its own marketing campaigns in Europe.

"We'll continue to work hard - probably even harder," said Cameron, Invivo's winemaker. "All [Codorniu] does is provide the pipelines - the really good points of sale that we can get the product out to."

Cameron and Lightbourne say they have put a lot on the line to chase their dream of making it big in the global wine trade. The pair, who met at Auckland Grammar, say they put their life savings into the firm.

Cameron, who has a 9-month-old son, mortgaged his house to support the business, which has one other investor.

"The first two years were pretty scary," said Cameron, who produces Invivo's white wines on contract facilities in Marlborough, and the reds at his parents' estate at Mangawhai, north of Auckland.

Invivo does not own any vines, but instead purchases grapes from growers in Marlborough and Central Otago.

The company produces sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, rose and pinot noir, which are sold in speciality liquor stores, cafes and bars in New Zealand. It also makes a low-calorie, low-alcohol sauvignon called Bella, which is targeted at health conscious wine drinkers.

Lightbourne said Invivo produced 60,000 bottles in its first year and would hit more than 250,000 units this year.

The firm was on track to make its first profit in 2011 andhad sold out of every vintage it had produced.

Lightbourne said the concept for Invivo was born in London in 2006 when he and Cameron were working in the UK.

At that time Cameron was a consultant wine maker, based in the British capital but working for wineries across Europe, where he even did a stint with Codorniu.

Lightbourne said working in London-based marketing roles for large European firms gave him the skills to take care of that side of Invivo's business.

"We didn't do the traditional thing where you buy the land and you put your winery on it," said Cameron. "We focused on the market and making a product that tastes and looks like what the market was demanding." Lightbourne said Invivo's label, designed by fashion brand Zambesi, had been crafted to catch the attention of retail shoppers.

"One of the things we realised in London was the sheer amount of labels [on retail shelves] that you have to cut through," said Cameron.

As to the future, he and Lightbourne are looking towards having a crack at the American wine market.

They say this may be possible through Codorniu's distribution network in that country.

THE PLAYERS

Invivo Wines


* Established in 2007 by school friends Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne.

* Producing sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, rose and pinot noir.

* Set to produce over 250,000 bottles this year

Group Codomiu

* Founded in 1551 and remains family owned.

* Owns the largest area of vineyards in Spain - more than 3000ha.

* One of the world's largest producers of sparkling wine.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Pinot noir favourite tipple as wine and palates mature

02 Jan 04:30 PM
New Zealand

Hopping back in favour

07 Jan 04:30 PM
Business

Campaign underway for more organic vineyards

11 Jan 01:55 AM
Business

Growers making wine go green

11 Jan 04:30 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Small Business

Small Business

Pirate-busting Starboard Maritime Intelligence raises $23m

Premium
Small Business

Small Business: Dulese is doing more with all natural personal care

Premium
Business

On The Up: Former superyacht skipper raises millions for his start-up Sea-Flux


Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Small Business

Pirate-busting Starboard Maritime Intelligence raises $23m
Small Business

Pirate-busting Starboard Maritime Intelligence raises $23m

Pirate-battling Kiwi company says funding takes it closer to ruling the waves.

08 Sep 04:33 AM
Premium
Premium
Small Business: Dulese is doing more with all natural personal care
Small Business

Small Business: Dulese is doing more with all natural personal care

07 Sep 05:00 PM
Premium
Premium
On The Up: Former superyacht skipper raises millions for his start-up Sea-Flux
Business

On The Up: Former superyacht skipper raises millions for his start-up Sea-Flux

31 Aug 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP