The people of Greystone
At Greystone, our people are the heart and soul of everything we do. They are the embodiment of our values, the custodians of our craft, and the architects of unforgettable experiences. We take pride in introducing you to the passionate individuals who make up the Greystone family. Their dedication to sustainability, their commitment to excellence, and their genuine Kiwi hospitality are the driving forces behind our vineyard’s success. Join us in celebrating the remarkable individuals who bring our vision to life, creating a Greystone story that’s as rich as our wines and as warm as our hospitality.
Georgia Mehlhopt
Head Winemaker
Georgia’s path into wine came from a background in Law that stemmed into an unlikely detour: walking the 800km Camino de Santiago across Spain. Upon returning to New Zealand, she gained her Post-Graduate Diploma of Viticulture & Oenology at Lincoln University. She later completed a Masters of Business while working full-time in the Greystone cellar since 2022. She has more recently taken over as Head Winemaker in 2026.
Known for a detail-oriented, collaborative style balanced by strong instinct, Georgia was named Tonnellerie de Mercuray New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in 2024.
Her proudest expression of Greystone’s character is the Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir. Outside the winery, she’s often horse riding, running, skiing, or teaching her dog, Huey, new tricks.
Liam Burgess
Vineyard Manager
Liam’s passion for organics grew from his formative years working in Central Otago vineyards, followed by several years abroad working in Spain, France and the UK. He now oversees all aspects of vineyard and estate management at Greystone, with a focus on wine quality and long-term stewardship of the land.
Known for combining practical experience with a hands-on approach, Liam is dedicated to producing high-quality fruit while continually improving the health and resilience of the vineyard for future generations, always working in harmony with nature.
Liam’s proudest achievements at Greystone are seeing his team’s hard work paying off each season, delivering impeccable quality fruit to the winemaking team and continuing to build on the highwire redevelopment work started in 2021.
Outside the vineyard Liam likes spending time with his young family, getting out for a run along the Ashley-Rakahuri River or attempting to learn to surf.
Gavin Tait
Production Winemaker
Born and raised in Christchurch, Gavin studied Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, working seasons in Central Otago’s Gibbston Valley through his studies before returning home and joining Greystone on December 1st 2003, right as the vineyard was taking shape.
When Muddy Water was purchased, his role became assistant winemaker helping set up the new winery, later running the bottling line and moving into client winemaking.
His winemaking has taken him overseas too, including a vintage in Australia’s Barossa Valley and multiple trips to Hokkaido to help build the Japanese wine industry.
Outside the winery, Gavin is a committed outdoorsman with interests in fishing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, surfing and diving, and takes his family camping and on road trips around the South Island each year. He’s also trained in Aikido for nearly 20 years. He lives with his wife Jess, their five children, two dogs and a cat — one of the dogs, Nova, is his regular companion at the winery.
Cam Woodhosue
Executive Chef
Cam’s path into cooking led him from Scotland to Greystone, where he’s spent four years shaping a dining experience built around the rhythm of North Canterbury.
Known for a philosophy that lets the land lead the plate, Cam works closely with the land and farms surrounding the restaurant, from gardening and foraging to create the menu. Raising animals across the vineyard gives him a direct hand in the process from pasture to plate, not just the kitchen.
Outside the kitchen, he’s usually outdoors, hunting, fishing, or in the garden, gathering the next round of inspiration for the menu. You’ll also find him hiking and running with his two dogs, Snow and Ted.
Emily Ellor-Paisley
Restaurant & Cellar Door Manager
Originally from Auckland, Emily spent seven years in Wellington before moving to Christchurch, drawn by her love of the wine industry and the landscapes she had heard so much about, never tiring of the scenic drive to Waipara each day.
Her passion for hospitality began early, spending much of her free time at the retirement village where her family worked and eventually taking her first job as a waitress there. It was in Wellington’s hospitality scene where her love of wine grew.
Emily loves welcoming guests and sharing the passion behind Greystone’s local food, wine and hospitality. She is particularly proud of how Greystone has grown as a vineyard restaurant, becoming known not only for its wines but for the level of hospitality that accompanies them.
Outside of Greystone, Emily enjoys knitting, baking and hiking.
Lauren Cambray
Events & Wine Club Manager
Originally from the Cotswolds, England, Lauren came to New Zealand to travel and fell completely in love with Aotearoa. She’s called Christchurch home for four years now.
Her background in hospitality stretches from local British pubs to the bars of Christchurch. At Greystone, she supports the Wine Club members and helps bring the team’s events to life, bringing warmth and energy to every event and every member interaction she manages. Known around the office for bringing plenty of laughter to the day — maybe slightly too much at times, depending on who you ask…
Her favourite part of any day is catching up with the wider Greystone family, whether that’s the team or visitors passing through. So be sure to say hello next time you visit the cellar door.
Paul Donaghy
CEO
Paul has spent more than two decades in the New Zealand wine industry, holding senior leadership roles across a number of well-known wine businesses. His career has taken him through sales, export markets, as well as owning his own business before joining Greystone as CEO. Today, he leads the wider Greystone business with a focus on growing the brand both here in New Zealand and internationally.
Passionate about people, brands and great wine, Paul brings plenty of energy and a strong commercial focus to Greystone. He believes the best wine businesses start with great people, exceptional vineyards and wines everyone is proud to put on the table. Paul also sits on the New Zealand Winegrowers Brand Committee, helping support the wider story of New Zealand wine.
Away from wine, Paul has always had a competitive streak. A former first-grade tennis player, he remains a keen sports follower and enjoys family time and getting out and about. One of his favourite parts of the role is spending time with the Greystone team and meeting visitors to the winery.
Stephen McGowan
Sales & Marketing Manager
Stephen grew up in rural Somerset, before a career in sales and marketing took him to London and Hong Kong. A move to New Zealand followed, to study winemaking at EIT in Hawke’s Bay, working several vintages before returning to sales, picking up his WSET Diploma along the way.
Known for loving a good yarn, Stephen pairs commercial instinct with a genuine feel for the story behind each bottle. Whether he’s chasing an export order, catching up with trade partners across time zones, or drafting the next wine club email, he’s usually juggling all three before lunch.
Stephen takes real pride in representing a certified organic estate, and in championing that story in markets where organic wine is still finding its feet. Outside the winery, you’ll usually find him out with his dog Darci, fly fishing or exploring the New Zealand back country, and, naturally, drinking plenty of good wine along the way.
Jeremy Kitt
Warehouse and Bottling Manager
Jeremy brings more than 25 years of corporate FMCG manufacturing experience, working at both operational and management level across some of New Zealand’s larger food and beverage companies. His strength has always been analysing, adapting and improving existing production processes, and developing new ones. Having left the corporate world, Jeremy moved into small manufacturing businesses, and for the last 15 years he has shared his knowledge and expertise to support their growth.
Passionate about people, process and continuous improvement, Jeremy gets a great sense of satisfaction from watching staff learn and develop new skills. He believes in encouraging everyone to reach their full potential, and in doing so he helps ensure the sustainable growth of Greystone Wines, both the business and its people, well into the future.
Away from work, Jeremy can usually be found in his home workshop, tinkering away on a seemingly never-ending list of projects. He also lends a hand to friends and family with theirs, and when time allows, he enjoys the fantastic outdoors and lifestyle on offer in North Canterbury.
