Okahu Estate winery at Kaitāia closes after 40 years of winemaking

Okahu Estate vineyard and winery, founded by late businessman Monty Knight, has been closed.

Award-winning Far North winery Okahu Estate has closed its doors five months after the death of its passionate founder Monty Knight.

Knight established the Kaitāia vineyard and winery about 40 years ago, and last month the winery quietly ended an era.

The estate was run by his eldest daughter Karren O’Carroll, with support from Rod McIvor, following her dad’s death.

The 80-year-old died on November 16 near Kaitāia.

Okahu Estate officially stopped trading on March 31, with all remaining wine stock sold.

O’Carroll said the past few months had been difficult for her family as they navigated both grief and the practicalities of winding up the business.

The closure comes after decades of winemaking, driven largely by Knight’s passion.

“ ... He was the one who had the great desire to have beautiful red wine that was a product of his vineyard,” O’Carroll said.

“And in recent times there’d been less and less wine produced from his vineyard.”

Late winemaker Monty Knight. Photo / Clive Crombie

O’Carroll said none of the family were able to run the vineyard long-term despite having helped at Okahu through the years.

“I spent quite a bit of the summer in Northland, having had lots of time in my younger years working at the vineyard, helping Dad at festivals and such, and my sisters Adeline and Paula, we have all helped him over the years. But none of us wanted to be vineyard owners and to continue making wine.”

O’Carroll, who lives in the South Island, said the logistics of running the vineyard without her father and the combined changes in the local wine industry made the decision easier.

The property, including the vineyard, is expected to be put on the market.

The Okahu name will remain with the family, retaining the brand and any future opportunities.

O’Carroll said she and Adeline received a lot of support from the community and Okahu customers.

Monty and Adeline Knight.

She said a lot of people had shared how Knight was a big part of their experience when visiting the vineyard for wine tastings.

“He wasn’t actively marketing the wine very much and he really just enjoyed those interactions with customers,” O’Carroll said.

Former worker Alan Collinson, who spent 14 years at Okahu, said the operation grew through experimentation and persistence.

“When Monty first started there wasn’t much choice for wines in New Zealand. He got told to plant some pinot noir. After a couple of seasons, he worked out that pinot noir wasn’t the right grape for the area and started planting a few more varieties.”

Knight eventually found success in varieties like syrah, which became recognised as a key Northland style of wine.

“Monty was one of the pioneers of Northland for wines,” Collinson said.

“And today when you look at the Northland statistics, chardonnay and syrah are up there and pinot gris, [these] are three biggest varieties for Northland at the moment.”

Collinson was sad to see Okahu close as it was a local drawcard.

“It was always a good place for people to come try the wines and have a chat.”