KALEX WINES

Alex Kaufman, a Polish American businessman, entrepreneur and holocaust survivor, overcame incredibly challenging situations to educate himself in post-war Germany and immigrate to the US with nothing but the clothes on his back and a quarter in his shoe. He worked his way up from washing petri dishes in a laboratory to becoming the owner of a large chemical company, and an outstandingly successful businessman.Through his enthusiasm for great wine, Alex Kaufman already knew that the best wines are often produced in the most challenging places. Few are more daunting than the majestic Central Otago region of New Zealand, where climatic extremes, thin soils and geographic isolation offer an intimidating landscape for wine growers.Alex fell in love with the region and, in a reflection of his own life, determined to overcome the many challenges and produce outstanding wines of the highest quality – a fitting legacy for someone whose start in life was similarly beset with adversity.In creating Kalex Wines, Alex Kaufman has used his incredible business acumen, and his ability to find and trust in the right people, to build a company operating successfully in this challenging environment.His passion, guidance and inspiration are the driving force behind the small, committed team at Kalex Wines, whose very focus is to deliver truly remarkable wines, which express a unique sense of place

Theo Coles

The quality of Kalex Wines is derived from the immaculate standards and unique approach of our winemaker, Theo Coles.Theo's philosophy is one of 'careful neglect'; with minimal intervention, the wine is encouraged to express its own unique sense of place. This classical wine-making approach yields the detailed expressions of our hand-picked sites; when coupled with Theo's patience and his rare sensory discernment, this produces romantic, complex wines, which are full of character and which stand out from the crowd.