Recognised across the global wine tourism community.

Press coverage · NBR · 8 December 2025

From school teacher to Hawke's Bay tourism operator

Jonathan Mitchell, Your Business, NBR. Duncan Darroch's two local businesses give the region some glam after Cyclone Gabrielle.

"I wanted sustainability to be more than just a tagline, or an add-on."

"My background before school teaching was in wine science. I've always had a passion for primary produce, for wine, for that taste experience. Then my real second passion is connecting with people and working to share knowledge."

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Publications · Vinexposium · Voice of the Industry, Issue 6, May 2026

Green wine tourism in practice: a Hawke's Bay case study

Electric Executive featured in Vinexposium's global industry publication as an example of how sustainability principles translate into tangible, high-quality wine tourism experiences.

"In Hawke's Bay, green wine tourism is how we bring the Māori values of kaitiakitanga ('guardianship') and manaakitanga ('hospitality') to life. We translate these principles into an electric-first touring experience showcasing the Great Wine Capital, using a fleet powered by New Zealand's electricity grid, which is more than 90% renewable."

"For many guests, this is their first experience in a high-end electric vehicle. It allows us to demonstrate that a fossil-fuel-free future does not require any compromise in comfort or quality."

Read Voice 6

Full biography, about 400 words

Duncan Darroch is the founder of Electric Executive, an owner-operated, electric-first luxury chauffeur and wine touring business based in Havelock North, Hawke's Bay. Electric Executive holds the Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Award for Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices, 2026 and 2027, and holds Qualmark Silver.

Winemaker. Duncan grew up in Auckland and studied at the University of Auckland, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Postgraduate Diploma in Wine Science with Distinction. He worked the 2007 vintage at Kumeu River under Michael Brajkovich MW, where he researched the effect of bâtonnage on free sulphur dioxide in Chardonnay. He then spent four years at Villa Maria Estate in Auckland under senior winemaker David Roper, working the 2008 and 2009 vintages across cellar, laboratory and cellar door. Those years left him with a lasting respect for the work, the team and the produce behind every glass a guest tastes.

Teacher. Duncan qualified as a secondary teacher in 2011. Over the following decade he taught science, biology and horticulture at Bethlehem College, Nayland College, Napier Boys' High School and Taradale High School. He helped his students become environmentally conscious through achievable, everyday action: school recycling and composting systems, sustainable transport, planting and pollution projects. In 2016 he cycled from London to Barcelona, spending time in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, and learned firsthand what it means to be a guest in a great wine region. He then made Hawke's Bay home, close to family.

Founder. While on parental leave, Duncan bought his first new car, a BYD Atto 3, and in 2023 began hosting private transfers for Hawthorne House, mentored by its owners, Hawke's Bay hospitality stalwarts Peter Allen and Paul Smith. Guests noticed the difference. Rosewood Cape Kidnappers then approached him to bring electric vehicles into its guest service, and trained him in its exacting five-star standards.

Community. Duncan remains part of the school community as a relief teacher. In 2026 he volunteered his time to create and lead a full-day tourism outing for 14 Year 12 students from Hastings Girls' High School, at no cost to the school or its students. The group visited Craggy Range, Porters Boutique Hotel, Six Barrel Soda, Peak House and Arataki Honey. For most of the students, it was their first experience of the region's finest hospitality, and a first glimpse of a career in tourism.

Kaitiakitanga. To Duncan, kaitiakitanga means acknowledging our place in the landscape as temporary custodians: in our short time here, caring for, nurturing and restoring the living world around us. His guests often leave having shared a genuine exchange with their host, whether on a short dinner transfer or a six-hour regional journey. In October 2026 he speaks at the Great Wine Capitals International Conference in Hawke's Bay.

Duncan lives in Havelock North with his wife and two young children. Most early mornings you will find him at a local Havelock North gym in a group functional fitness class, and at weekends out on the trails. Around the village, you may also spot him on his preferred mode of transport, an e-cargo bike, doing the school run or heading out on an errand.

“I wanted to share true hospitality with manuhiri, grounded in the Māori values of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga: care for people and care for the environment.”