When you’re a wine store based in the sleepy but ever-so-slightly pretentious Hawkes Bay village of Havelock North (pop. 10,000) and you ship thousands of cases of wine nationwide each month, you must be doing something right.
Right?
Well, we’d like to think so. In fact doing things right is all we think about. And we’ve been thinking that way since 1999 when we first embraced internet wine sales. And our humble provincial wine store changed. Forever.
Fast forward to the current day and Advintage is one of New Zealand’s largest and most trusted online wine retailers. And while our business has changed dramatically over the years, our basic principals remain the same as the day we opened our doors.
We offer really good wines at really good prices. And we give all our clients really good, really friendly service.
That’s it. End of story.
Actually hold on. There’s a bit more. We also wanted to say that everyone who works at Advintage loves wine and we will go out of our way to make sure that you enjoy shopping with us. We’ve built our reputation by offering better deals and better service than you’ll find elsewhere and we are famous for our down to earth attitude about wine. That means whether you're looking for fine wines for your cellar, or a few quaffers to top up the kitchen cupboard, we'll give you our undivided attention and the best deal available.
Unlike a lot of online businesses, Advintage is a real ‘bricks and mortar’ store. We operate from a huge retail warehouse - and to ensure you get the best delivery times imaginable, everything we sell is in stock here when we promote it. We think it’s far and away New Zealand’s coolest wine shop and it’s always full of gobsmacking wine deals and a benchmark selection of the world’s finest wines.
If you are ever in the Bay, please drop in. We’d love to see you.
Meet our team
Visit Us
Contact Us
 John 'Mac' Macpherson
Head Honcho
Advintage was the classic indulge a passion adventure for Mac. Blessed with the ability to sell ice to Eskimos, but cursed with a fear of snow and travel, he targeted the wine industry with the zealous passion of a man who could finally buy as much wine as he wanted without his accountant and long suffering wife doing the haka.
From the start it was clear that traditionally accepted marketing behaviour was not on Mac’s radar and Advintage was never going to be like other wine businesses.
The rest is wine retail history. Famously opinionated about everything and with a natural aversion to pretentious wine gits, Mac is responsible for charging off in all directions whilst the rest of the Advintage team nod knowingly and really run the business.
John 'Mac' Macpherson – Owner
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 Gilly Greville
Operations Manager
Managing logistics in a run and gun environment like Advintage is like counting ice cubes in a fry pan. But someone has to do it. And thank goodness Gilly does.
A long time Advintage client before we convinced her to come to the Dark Side, Gilly is blessed with a mind like a trap and spends her time focussed on trade related issues and keeping Advintage stocked and running smoothly.
Cool, calm and collected? Well, she’d probably like to think so - but we reckon focussed, frantic and fun is more on the money.
But be warned.
Don't cross her.
You'll live to regret it.
Gilly Greville - Operations Manager
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 Anna Astin
Marketing Manager
After building a career in the structured corporate environment of the UK fine wine trade, Anna relocated to New Zealand in 2009 and immediately accepted a role with us.
She is still recovering.
Between therapy sessions Anna has worked endlessly to morph Advintage from a rabid run and gun wine trader into a more strategic, focussed wine business.
While her specialist area remains refining and improving Advintage's online systems, Anna also coordinates our print and marketing partnerships. She is also our European wine specialist.
Anna Astin - Marketing Manager
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 Erin Christison
Office Manager
Erin joined us in 2008 to run the Advintage HQ office. Not simply happy as an over achiever, Erin has developed a simultaneous-multiple-multitasking technique that could revolutionise the corporate world if she was cloned. She is also the nicest person in the world. Unless you owe us money.
Apart from taking care of our accounting and stock control functions, Erin is the person you're most likely to talk to when you phone our office and she is your first port of call if you ever have a problem.
Trust us. You'll love her. Everyone does.
Erin Christison - Office Manager
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 Joshua Stanton
Retail Manager
From the moment Joshua walked in the door we knew he was an Advintage guy. And how could we turn down someone who had travelled across the world to work here just because he loved New Zealand wine so much.
Born in the USA, and with retail stints in America and Europe under his belt Joshua brings a wealth of international experience to Advintage - where he runs our front of house operations.
Easy going. Knowledgeable. Ready to help. He's the person you're most likely to see first when you walk into the store.
Joshua Stanton - Retail Manager
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 Leighton McKay
Retail/Sales
Leighton joined the good ship Advintage in 2006 to further his wine trade career and subsidise his weekend drinking with a staff sales account.
The excitable type, Leighton has a fatal attraction complex with new wine labels and is fond of matching his latest discoveries with new hair highlights.
Leighton is involved in all aspects of our daily retail business.
When he is not out the back hiding his latest hair colour from Mac he is always on hand to point you in the direction of our very best deals.
Leighton McKay - Retail/Sales
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 Pip Macpherson
Owner/ Morning tea lady
There is a cruel rumour circulating around the staff room that Pip joined Advintage when Mac hid the remote control at home and she didn't have anything else to do. But anyone who knows Pip knows that's not true.
Pip was born with her sleeves rolled up and joins our front of house team whenever the pressure is on. Which is often. You'll hear her before you see her.
She also makes the best scones on the planet.
Pip Macpherson - Owner
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