Our Story
The Winemaker
Simon Waghorn is a winemaker. Astrolabe Wines is a winemaker label. Astrolabe was created in 1996, and is a culmination of a winemaking career that began in 1982. All Simon’s skill and experience combine to capture the…
Simon Waghorn
Winemaker, Owner and Director
Jason Yank
Managing Director
The beginning...
Simon’s winemaking career began in South Australia and took him and his family from Te Kauwhata to Gisborne, eventually settling in Marlborough. In 1996, together with old friends Paul Davenport and Sally Lewis, Simon and his wife Jane decided…
Jeremy Hyland
Viticultural Manager
Our Growers
Our grapes are sourced entirely from unique Marlborough sites to add layers of complexity to our wines. Each site was chosen for the distinctive flavour it produces. We work with dedicated growers who understand the rhythms of the land and know how to…
What's in a name?
As well as being a navigational instrument, L’Astrolabe was the name of the ship of French explorer Dumont d’Urville who explored the Marlborough coast in 1827. Simon chose the name Astrolabe because of the historic ties with Marlborough,…
Marlborough
The cool and dry climate, unique terrain and topography make Marlborough a world leading producer of aromatic white wines and Pinot Noir.
What is an Astrolabe?
An Astrolabe is a navigational device whose name translates as “star taker”, and it was used by navigators to determine latitude by the stars. If you’re interested, Jane recommends a great description of the Astrolabe here . Our…
Tim Adams
Winemaker
Ross Brown
Financial Controller
Jane Forrest-Waghorn
Owner/Director
Genevieve Ferrier
Sales and Marketing Administrator
Sally Lewis
Owner/Director
Paul Davenport
Owner/Director