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Home Our Services Employment Opportunities.		Lex Thomson Lex is the principal viticulturist for The Viticulture Practice and has extensive experience in Marlborough, Canterbury and Central Otago including periods with Montana, The Peter Yealands Group and Mt. Difficulty Wines. A previous career in the hospitality catalysed Lex’s passion for wine which eventually inspired him to enrol in the Viticulture & Oenology program at Lincoln University. He finished his studies in 2002 and was awarded the Zymus International-Mauravin Prize for being the best performing Bachelor of V & O student in his graduating year. Lex is experienced in all facets of grape production and has a total commitment to growing the highest quality fruit possible and is especially interested in Sustainable Winegrowing and soil management. Lex was responsible for Sustainable Winegrowing NZ accreditation for the Mt Difficulty group of vineyards in Central Otago and was responsible for introducing SWNZ protocols to the PYG Ltd. vineyards in Marlborough. Lex is also a bit of a computer geek and is responsible for designing this web site and is available to help with any Information Technology problems that his clients may have. Computerisation and precision viticulture will become increasingly more important in the future and both Lex and Franzi are familiar with vineyard and winery management software and GIS mapping systems.
				Lex Thomson; Viticulturist
		Franzi Grab Franzi is a native of Switzerland who was so captivated by the clean, green environment of New Zealand and its vibrant wine industry that she became a New Zealand citizen. Franzi has a Masters Degree in Agriculture from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich and in 2001 she completed a postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. Franzi is especially interested in organic and sustainable viticulture and her experience in organic viticulture includes work at Kawerau Estate in Central Otago and Vignano an organic vineyard and winery in Tuscany. Other viticulture experience includes periods with Mt Difficulty, Wither Hills and Fromm vineyards. As a winemaker Franzi’s passion is for Pinot noir, however she is also enthusiastic about white aromatic varieties. Winemaking experience includes vintages at Vignano in Italy, Mission in Hawkes Bay, Mt Edward and Mt Difficulty wineries in Central Otago and Indevin in Marlborough. Previous experience marketing organic produce in Switzerland has also given Franzi marketing and supply-chain management skills.
				Harvest time. Franzi with winemaker Mike Just at his Clayridge Vineyard.
		Sue Hinton Sue was recruited from Central Otago to be a supervisor of our contract labour team. Her extensive viticulture experience includes work at Black Ridge in Alexandra, Sam Neil’s Two Paddocks vineyard and she was previously Vineyard Manager at The Sluicings Vineyard in Felton Rd, Bannockburn. Like Franzi, Sue has a passion for Pinot noir and an interest in organic viticulture however she is acquiring a taste for Marlborough Sauvignon blanc. Sue is in the process of completing a Bachelor of Viticulture from E.I.T. in Hawke’s Bay
				Sue among the Pinot noir vines at Konrad & Co.’s Mt Fishtail Vineyard.
		Peter Binsted Peter is a freelance viticulturalist who divides his time between his clients in Canterbury and helping out The Viticulture Practice during busy periods. Peter has a Bachelor of Viticulture & Oenology Degree from Lincoln and previously worked for Giesen’s Wines in Canterbury and Marlborough.
				Peter Binsted
Home	Top of page. The Viticulture Practice. Marlborough, N.Z. Phone: (64) 021 230 2348 (64) 03 5725275 Email: lexthomson@vitpractice