“I like to be challenged by things. My natural instinct is not to do things the way everyone else has done them.”

- Steve Smith MW

Steve Smith MW has a formidable reputation in the wine industry. One of New Zealand’s few Master of Wine graduates, Steve began his career in the vineyards during the pioneering years of New Zealand wine. He went on to identify and establish exceptional vineyard sites across Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough, and lead the creation of one of New Zealand’s most recognised fine wine producers.

Born in Southland and raised in rural Canterbury, Smith graduated with distinction from Lincoln University in 1984, and has gone on to forge a 40-year legacy in the New Zealand wine industry. He is a professional viticulturist, having spent his formative years working alongside Dr Richard Smart. A 10-year stint at Villa Maria Estate followed. In 1999 he co-founded and steered Craggy Range for 16 years, crowned as the best winery in the new world by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2014.

In 2016 Steve co-founded Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates (AONZ) with his good friend, Brian Sheth, making the most of more than 35 years’ experience with the growers and makers of New Zealand. They released the first wines from Smith & Sheth that year. The following year, in 2017, they added Pyramid Valley and Lowburn Ferry to the AONZ family, alongside the purchase of what is now the Omahu vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels.

Along the way Steve became the only viticulturist in the world to have passed the prestigious Master of Wine examination, has been inducted into George Fistonich’s Legends of New Zealand Wine, and been selected twice in the list of 50 most influential people in the world of wine. He has sat on a number of wine sector boards including New Zealand Winegrowers, being founding chair of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association and chair of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, New Zealand’s national wine competition. He has been awarded a Winston Churchill Scholarship, a Prime Ministers Business Scholarship to study entrepreneurship and marketing at Stanford University and in 2021 was named a fellow of New Zealand Winegrowers.

“New Zealand is a place I have visited, and since fell in love with … the place, the wines, the people, and their care for the land. I feel deeply privileged to be alongside our team as custodians of Pyramid Valley and in creating an ambitious new future for this special wine producer.” 

- Brian Sheth

Brian graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. After working for Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital he co-founded Vista Equity in 2000. In 2020 he established Haveli Investments, a technology-focused private equity firm. Sheth is also a director of more than a dozen companies including Waterfall, MarVista Entertainment and is the founding donor and chairman of Global Wildlife Conservation.

Through the Sangreal Foundation and the Global Wildlife Foundation, Brian has supported numerous conservation projects around the globe especially related to protection of endangered species. This interest has been recently extended to New Zealand, supporting the Department of Conservation in their work with the endangered kākāpō and kakī. 

Brian has had a long-term interest and enjoyment of fine wine, especially the great wines of Burgundy. New Zealand has always held a very special place in his heart. In 2007 on his first trip to New Zealand, Brian was blown away by the magnificent naturalness of the place, all bright, blue and green, the food, the people and a first introduction to New Zealand wine.

In 2016 he combined his enjoyment of fine wine with his love of New Zealand and co-founded Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates and Smith & Sheth. The following year, in 2017, this shared vision expanded with the purchase of Pyramid Valley in North Canterbury and Lowburn Ferry in Central Otago.