Pete Mason and Karen Delehanty took over Cottier Estate in Early April 2016, the week of Harvest! Pete from a corporate background and Karen an interior designer, were taken by the beauty and tranquillity of the area.
When visiting Harvest festival in 2015, Pete fell in love with the location and when he tasted the "Emily" Chardonnay from the then Cottier Estate he was taken aback by the subtle oak and intense fruit flavour. It was as good as any he had tasted. Although from Wellington Pete had spent his school years in the Wairarapa. Karen hails from a Sheep and Beef farm in Northern Wairarapa. She too rated the Chardonnay very highly and was keen to get back in touch with the Wairarapa land.
The estate is run in a collaborative manner, working with the local community to ensure the vines are in premium condition and with the assistance of local winemaker Jon McNabb. The family-owned vineyard aims to create wines that show off the local terroir and the exceptional climate for winemaking that is this particular part of Wairarapa.
Cottier Estate was renamed Ngā Pari (The Cliffs) in 2020 in recognition of the name for the area used by generations of locals.