From Dry River to Oraterra: Wilco Lam on Regenerative Viticulture and Large Format Oak

This show was published Friday, June 12, 2026

Overview

Wilco Lam brought his whole team with him when he left Dry River. Now at Oraterra in Martinborough, he tells Chris Scott what it really takes to build something new from the ground up.

Wilco is a Dutch winemaker who spent years at Dry River before spotting an opportunity to start fresh. In 2022 he and his team took on an established organic vineyard in Martinborough and launched Oraterra - producing wines from their very first vintage in 2023.

In this episode Wilco and Chris talk regenerative viticulture and why organic farming alone is not enough, the challenge of reducing tractor passes without losing disease control, distribution in Japan, China, Spain and Australia, and why the UK market is a harder nut to crack than most.

And there is a great moment where Chris catches Wilco giving advice to other winemakers that he is not quite following himself.

Host: Chris Scott
Guest: Wilco Lam, Oraterra, Martinborough, New Zealand

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The music used for the UK Wine Show is Griffes de Jingle 1 by Marcel de la Jartèle and Silence by Etoile Noire.