NEWS
CHINESE BUSINESSWOMAN SELLS NZ CARRICK WINERY TO FUND MOVIE PROJECT
By David Ma
13-2-2019
Auckland-based Chinese businesswoman Elizabeth Zhong is selling Carrick Winery in Central Otago to help fund a movie project in New Zealand.
Zhong said due to unexpected situations in China she did not receive expected funding for the movie she is working on.
Her visual effects company, Digipost, is working on a movie about two kids and their dog’s adventure in Marlborough Sounds to be produced by the director of Shrek, Andrew Adamson.
Digipost has previously been involved in films including Beyond The Edge which is about Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Everest.
Zhong has also invested in wineries through her company Sunbow. Apart from Carrick, Sunbow also owns Kennedy Point Winery on Waiheke Island.
Sunbow bought Carrick Winery near Bannockburn in March 2016 for NZD8 million. The estate is organic certified. It has approximately 34 hectares of vineyards, of which 24 hectares are planted with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
Carrick boasts elevated panoramic views overlooking Bannockburn Inlet, its 70-seat restaurant makes it popular for functions and private events. The estate also has extensive accommodation, which includes three luxury residences with a total of 12 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms.
“It was a really hard decision to sell Carrick, as it’s my dream vineyard,” Zhong said.
“I love it because it’s purely organic. I’m passionate about protecting the environment and passing it on to the next generation in a better state than what it was. Owning Carrick has been really rewarding because the entire team at Carrick has been doing their best with the land, and as a result we’re producing some of the best quality organic wines New Zealand offers,” she added.
“Carrick is the jewel in the crown in Bannockburn – it is simply a stunning vineyard that produces globally-renowned organic wine,” said New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty senior associate and vineyard sales specialist David Penrose.
“It is definitely a unique opportunity to be able to secure a vineyard of this size, with such potential across so many aspects of the business.”
(the writer can be contacted at: DavidMa@thewinechronicle.com)
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