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Passionate Pedigreed Winemaking

dashwood people stu marfell

Chief Winemaker

Stu Marfell

Born in the Awatere Valley and raised on a 2,000-acre farm in Marlborough, Stu’s connection to the land runs deep. As a nine-year-old, he visited Dashwood’s partner winery, Vavasour, an experience that sparked his lifelong passion for winemaking. Since 2007, he’s been the Chief Winemaker at Dashwood, bringing our vibrant, complex, and balanced Marlborough wines to life.

A celebrated winemaker, Stu has earned the title of Winemaker of the Show twice at New Zealand’s largest wine competition, the New Zealand International Wine Show, in 2018 and 2022.

dashwood people susan van der pol

Winemaker

Susan van der Pol

Raised in Blenheim, the heart of Marlborough’s wine country, Susan van der Pol’s journey in wine began early. After earning her diploma in Viticulture & Wine Production from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology in 2002, she spent two vintages overseas honing her craft. In 2011, she returned to New Zealand and joined the Dashwood team as Assistant Winemaker, bringing her expertise and passion for Marlborough wines to every bottle.