SERESIN ESTATE

"Tamra Kelly-Washington grew up in Marlborough during the region's viticulture explosion. Spending school holidays working in vineyards and winery restaurants sparked an early fascination with wine and its creation. With a degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln Univer-sity, her first position was in the laboratory at Seresin Estate. She then headed to California to join Francisan Estate in the Napa Valley. This was followed by stints in Australia's Hunter Valley and Margaret River. Here, Tamra enjoyed hands-on experience at everything from pruning the vines to cellar door sales to assistant wine-maker.Next came an offer to take the role of Winemaker for Casa Vinicola Calatrasi's 2002 vintage in Sicily, Italy. Tamra stayed for four years as Head Winemaker for the Calatrasi Group, overseeing wineries in Sicily, Puglia and Tunisia. This was followed by a re-acquaintance with New World wine varieties, particularly aromatic varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir, completing vintages at Evans & Tate in Australia and Kim Crawford, New Zealand. After a period as a flying winemaker in the Veneto and Abruzzo regions in Italy, Tamra was lured home to manage the winemaking and set up the winery for Yealands Estate in the Awatere Valley of Marlborough. Tamra led the winemaking from inception and was integral in the development and growth of all the wine styles and resided in the role of Chief winemaker for almost 10 years. After having children Tamra took up a role of Seresin Estate's new Head Winemaker, joining in time to oversee the 2018 vintage harvest."