• Diana checks the inside of a tank after moving rose wine out of it. Hoses and pump are on the black winery floor along with bright pink rose lees
  • Diana pruning grapevines in winter in a purple coat and red hat
  • Responsible Hedonist Logo, which shows a Pink Octopus Holding Single Glass with the words Responsible Hedonist and our tagline "Drink Wine. Be Good. Do Good." below it

Responsible Hedonist

Environmentally conscious | Black woman co-owned
Organically farmed, wild fermented, wines made with minimal intervention

Frank is wearing a purple and pink shirt with his arm around Diana who's in a red tank top. Frank is taking the selfie. The Syrah vines that go into our Rush the Stage Red are behind them.

Nice to meet you, we’re Diana and Frank!

Together, we have over 15 years of experience in the wine biz and a bunch of certifications. We’ve both worked as sommeliers at James Beard award winning and Michelin starred restaurants. We moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2017, so I (Diana) could pursue my Master’s in winemaking and viticulture. We fell in love with Aotearoa and never left.

I’m convinced it’s one of the last cool-to-moderate winemaking regions on the planet. A place with warm days and cool nights, where you can make wines with vitality and freshness without needing to add a bunch of stuff.

I only use wild yeast for fermentation (like a sourdough starter) and keep additions minimal and vegan friendly. The result? Expressive, delicious wines that are vibrant and deceptively complex.

I take my craft seriously, but never myself. So, I keep things fun and light because the world is serious enough these days 😅

We don’t have any staff, wear too many hats to count, and make less than 6,000 of wine bottles a year.

– Diana