PJ Charteris — Winemaker

PJ Charteris grew up on the West Coast of New Zealand, developing a love of the land, the ocean, and the fine details that make places distinct from one another. After studying viticulture and oenology, he spent years working harvests across New Zealand, France, and Australia before settling in Central Otago — one of the world’s most dramatic and demanding wine regions.

It was in Otago that PJ found his voice as a winemaker. The high-altitude, continental climate pushed him to work carefully and precisely: to let the fruit express the land rather than the winemaker’s hand. Pinot Noir became his calling — a variety that rewards patience, demands attention, and always tells the truth about where it was grown.

In 2008, PJ founded Charteris Wines with his partner Chrissi Pattison. What began as a small Pinot project in Central Otago has grown into a label spanning two countries — with wines made in Marlborough and the Hunter Valley alongside the original Otago releases. Each region brings something new to the story: the aromatics of Marlborough, the cool-climate elegance of Otago, and the texture and depth of the Hunter.

Today, Charteris Wines is based at Peppers Creek Village in Pokolbin, where the cellar door offers an intimate window into PJ and Chrissi’s world. Visitors are welcomed with the same spirit of curiosity and generosity that defines the wines themselves: unhurried, genuine, and always worth the journey.