New Zealand: Light, Weather, and Wine
New Zealand doesn’t waste time showing off. You get off the plane, and suddenly you're in it. Wild landscapes, moody skies, and a pace that makes you slow down and look. I was there to film two 30-second broadcast spots for Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc and Lighthouse Gin, both Foley Family Wines & Spirits properties, but what I came back with was something far bigger. Let’s start with the wine.
Dashwood – Awatere Valley, Blenheim
SFO to Auckland to Blenheim. It was wheels down and straight to work. No time for jet lag. We hit the road toward the Awatere Valley, where the river usually runs a shocking, electric blue. But thanks to recent rains, it was looking more like tea with milk. Didn’t matter. We rolled with it. A few days later the color returned like it had just taken a breath, the valley glowing again under our drone. Sometimes you wait. Sometimes the land gives you what you need on its own time.
The weather was its own character. We aimed for sun at the White Bluffs. Got moody clouds and divine sunbeams instead. We could’ve scripted it, but we didn’t have to. It was cinematic on its own. We filmed sunrise, then sunset. Left the hotel in the dark, came back in the dark. Twelve hours of light is all we needed to catch everything in between, vineyards lit gold, the Marlborough Sounds shimmering, beach bonfires sparking under the southern stars.
Stu, Dashwood’s winemaker, is a legend. Photogenic, funny, and knows his way around a lens like he knows his way around a grape. His golden lab stole a few scenes, and almost the whole crew’s heart. Stu crafts a sauvignon blanc that’s bright, layered, and quietly confident, like the valley itself.
Lighthouse Gin – Cape Palliser
Next up was Rachel Hall, head distiller for Lighthouse Gin. No acting experience. Didn't matter. That classic New Zealand blend of grace and grit carried her through the scripted spot like she'd been in front of a camera for years.
We set dressed a kitchen with a ridiculous number of lemons. Traipsed across a sprawling coastal estate with sheep, cliffs, and views that looked fake until you felt the wind in your face. And of course, we hiked to the Cape Palliser lighthouse, that beacon on the edge of the world, because where else would you finish a shoot for Lighthouse Gin?
Two brands. Two islands. Endless light, landscapes, and humans worth pointing a camera at. Can’t wait to share both of these spots. But more than that, I’m just grateful for the chance to chase stories in a place that refuses to be ordinary.