Our Team

Te Awa's Chief Winemaker and General Manager is Ant Mackenzie, a Hawkes Bay local who has brought his international experience to Te Awa.

With a career beginning 20 years ago, Ant's path in the industry has taken him across the globe where he studied wines applicable to the growing regions of Hawke's Bay.
Before joining Te Awa, Ant was the Chief Winemaker at Spy Valley, one of New Zealand's most prolific and respected Marlborough wineries. Prior to Spy Valley, Ant was instrumental in the growth of Framingham Wine Company, another premium Marlborough wine producer.

Ant's distinguished career and depth of knowledge have greatly complemented Te Awa's dedicated wine and vineyard team.  Ant is ably supported in the winery by Cam McInnes, assistant winemaker at Dry River from 2004-2007 and now a key decision maker at Te Awa.

Cam's passion for the vineyard and winemaking stems from his early exposure to the industry, having worked vintage at Voss Estates in Martinborough and Amity Estate in Oregon.  Prior to joining the team at Te Awa in 2008, Cam completed his Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. His considerable knowledge and meticulous nature provide the very important interface between the various aspects of production. Having Neil McCallum as a mentor at Dry River and now working under the wings of Ant MacKenzie, Cam's dedication is integral.

Additionally, Te Awa's outstanding vineyard team has been with us for many years. Ian Morgan, Corey Dudley and Jason Donnelly have a combined 30 years of experience on the Te Awa land and all provide an unmatched depth of knowledge of this site which is invaluable to Te Awa.