Background
The principal behind The New Zealand Malt Whisky
Company Limited is Warren Preston.
Warren is from the Preston family that founded the
renowned Mills Reef Winery in Tauranga. Warren
was instrumental in its management from inception in
1989. Mills Reef is a fully integrated wine
company encompassing grape growing, wine-making
and distribution of its wine products. The company has
achieved significant critical acclaim for its many award
winning wines.
With the invaluable experiences of his years with Mills
Reef, Warren also pioneered a wine delivery business
exporting New Zealand wines to the international markets,
predominantly to Japan.
A Passion for Whisky
Warren always had a passion for whisky and starting in
2000, set about acquiring the last remaining commercial
stocks of New Zealand produced single malt and blended
whiskies from Fosters International Limited.
Fosters International Limited first acquired the whisky
stocks through its acquisition of the Australasian assets
of Seagram's International. Seagram's had owned and
operated New Zealand's only whisky distillery. The
whisky had been maturing in the distillery's South Island
warehouses for a period of between 12 and 20 years. The
Willowbank, Dunedin distillery last produced whisky in
1997 and has since been dismantled.
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The New Zealand Malt Whisky Company is formed
Having secured this treasure trove of ageing whisky,
Warren and his wife Debbie then went on to form The
New Zealand Malt Whisky Company and proceeded with a series
of carefully planned steps to enhance and further mature
the stock.
The New Zealand Malt Whisky Company's Head Office
On the east coast of New Zealand's South Island located on the
45th parallel lies the historic town of Oamaru. It's here that
the New Zealand Malt Whisky Company has established it's head office
in an outstanding, 125 year old, whitestone, character building in Oamaru's
historic harbourside precinct.
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