Creative wine and design on the estate

From designing homes to creating wine, taking cycle tours to entertaining international guests, there's never a dull moment at Milcrest Estate in Hope, writes Lynda Papesch.

Leaving the thin blue line behind has been hard work but ultimately rewarding for ex-police detective Terry Milton and his partner Christine Cook. Together they are the two halves of Milcrest Estate, a six-year-old lifestyle venture that blends their passion, input and creativity into wine, tourism, art and design.

Mr Milton runs the vineyard, cellar shop and cycle tours; Ms Cook designs homes; and together they look after paying guests in their boutique vineyard accommodation.

It's a far cry from Mr Milton's days spent policing in Marlborough, where the couple met, on the West Coast and in Nelson.

Mr Milton transferred to Nelson in 2005. After 22 years in the police he was feeling burnt out, "so we started looking for a retirement project", Ms Cook says. Having friends in the Marlborough wine industry, the couple decided to look at a vineyard of their own. Mr Milton was passionate about wine and had studied viticulture and winemaking in Hawke's Bay.

The opportunity came when they purchased an overgrown, run-down boysenberry patch in Haycocks Rd, Hope.

Along with the land came two sheds – one of which had to be demolished – and a huge stand of gum trees.

"We felled about 90 gum trees in all, prepared the land and in 2006 the grapes went in. Just sauvignon blanc. That was our first project; the first of many," she recalls.

Soon after, the economy went into a downturn and times became tough. Ms Cook took on work designing houses for Golden Homes, while Mr Milton concentrated on the vineyard and business.

Always creative, Ms Cook also began plans for their own home, which was designed with two purpose-built, wine-themed guest suites so they could offer boutique vineyard accommodation.

"In Marlborough I'd designed and had a house built, even before I knew how to do it. I've always painted and right from an early age I've enjoyed designing clothes. I have the ability to make a sketch of a garment and then create it."

Now she transforms other people's sketches and cuttings into custom-built homes, using architectural software.

In her own case, the couple lived for seven months in the remaining shed on the property – what is now the cellar door – while Ms Cook's daughters Janelle and Lauren moved into a caravan.

As their home grew, so did their business. The pinot noir and sauvignon blanc guest suites were added at one end of the home, a master bedroom suite on the second level and family bedrooms at the other end.

"Terry is a gun on the marketing side so it was not long before the guests started flowing in."

Heading into their fourth wine vintage, they have set tasks and routines to make life flow. Mr Milton looks after the vineyard, the marketing, cellar door and the guests during the day and is also now busy organising a cycle trail around the Hope area, while Ms Cook helps out at night when she gets home from her day job.

Ad Feedback  Although they only grow sauvignon blanc, the couple's wine label Milcrest Estate includes pinot gris, chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah sourced from other local vineyards and made at other wineries.

Production has increased from 500 cases in 2008 to 3000 cases from vintage 2011.

Heading into the busy season, she is philosophical. "It's about being happy and wanting to make other people happy, whether it is helping them build their dream house, ensuring they have a nice stay with us or enjoying a glass of our wine."

Their lifestyle has grown in ways they could not have predicted, but they love it.

"I'm passionate about my design work and Terry about his wine, although he does miss the camaraderie of the police. We both thoroughly enjoy the social overlap that comes with our work and business." Each has their own niche areas. "I find it harder to sell wine than houses," laughs Ms Cook, "but I did design the wine labels."

Her painting has taken a back seat, but she still finds time to create "vineyard art" using real vine leaves. Her creations now hang in homes in Japan, Canada and the United States.

The next crop of leaves is slowly starting to form, but with the new cycle trail to be developed, guests booked, and the vines to be tended for harvest 2012, art will once again go on the back burner, as will landscaping the property.