Esme spent her childhood in Nelson on a rural property where she found a love for the outdoors and formed a special bond with horses. After attending Otago University she went on to earn a post graduate diploma in viticulture and oenology from Lincoln University. From there she began her career as a vintage lab technician at Waimea Estates. She then worked abroad in Germany and eventually returned to Marlborough. Esme now manages the laboratory at Vavasour.