Wine Grenade in liquidation: Callaghan Innovation loan unpaid, $475k owed
UniServices CEO Andy Shenk (left) and Graham Scown from Return On Science (right) with Wine Grenade founders Jonathan Boswell, Mike Moore, Philip Cockrell and Hamish Elmslie.
Wine Grenade, a much-hailed Auckland-founded wine technology innovation business, is being liquidated after its director told the accountants of “irrecoverable failure of the IT infrastructure”.
The company failed to meet its obligations to Callaghan Innovation, an initial report said.
A $475,000 amount is owed to unsecured creditors.
Companies Office records show the sole director as Michael John Moore of Coatesville. The business has a substantial shareholder list of 39 people and entities.
KPMG accountants and liquidators Kristal Pihama and Leon Bowker said Wine Grenade had been incorporated in 2014 but stopped trading in 2022.
“On application of the Attorney-General, the company was placed into liquidation on December 11, 2025, for failing to meet its obligations to Callaghan Innovation, consisting of overdue loan repayments together with associated interest,” their initial report said.
Online information said the business had used a smart micro-oxygenation device to accelerate wine maturation.
That simulated the effects of oak barrel ageing in tanks for a fraction of the cost.
It used sensor technology to monitor and control oxygen levels in wine, improving texture and flavour while cutting labour and water usage.
KPMG has listed the BNZ, Inland Revenue and Callaghan Innovation as creditors.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment outlined more about the business, saying it was a Kiwi wine tech company which had shaken up the industry.
“It all began with a master’s university assignment to commercialise technology designed to age bananas. Pretty soon, the Wine Grenade team was oversubscribed for its innovative wine-ageing product, which is now influencing wine production around the world,” MBIE said in a piece under news and success stories on its website.
Wine Grenade had been manufactured in the company’s Avondale facility.
At first glance, it looked like a humble tube but its ability to speed up the process of ageing wine by up to 60% was said to be a game-changer.
“Wine makers from small boutique vineyards and large commercial players are deploying the device to de-risk the wine-ageing process and provide greater control to vintners, ultimately creating a better-quality product,” MBIE said.
Customers included Sacred Hills Wines in Hawke’s Bay and Auburn James in the Napa Valley, California.
Key to the success was linking up with the NZ Product Accelerator, funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the ministry said.
The KPMG liquidators are at this stage unable to identify a single asset of Wine Grenade.
How much money is in the company bank account or how much inventory it has, is yet to be confirmed.
No historical financial statements have been prepared for the past two financial years, making it difficult to identify assets.
Nor does it appear anything can be found to repay Callaghan Innovation.
“Given the stage of the liquidation, there is material uncertainty in relation to the value that may be received for a number of the assets,” the KPMG report said.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
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