Sam Neill’s Legacy Lives On as Wine Sales Soar and Fans Support the Causes Closest to His Heart

In the days following Sir Sam Neill’s passing, admirers have found a deeply personal way to honour the beloved actor — by raising a glass of the wine he spent decades creating and supporting the causes that mattered most to him.

Sales of Neill’s Two Paddocks wine have risen dramatically across New Zealand, while environmental and healthcare organisations connected to the Jurassic Park star have received thousands of dollars in donations from around the world.

The remarkable response has revealed just how far Neill’s influence extended beyond his celebrated screen career.

Fans Turn to Two Paddocks in Record Numbers

Two Paddocks, Neill’s Central Otago wine label, has experienced an extraordinary surge in demand since his passing.

New Zealand retailer Liquorland reported that sales of its Two Paddocks pinot noir increased by 1,828 per cent, lifting the bottle from 423rd place to fifth on the retailer’s list of bestselling wines.

Regional Wines in Wellington reportedly sold its entire Two Paddocks supply on the day Neill passed away, while Moore Wilson’s recorded sales approximately five times higher than usual.

Some customers planned to watch Neill’s films while sharing a bottle of his wine, while restaurants and cafes introduced special tributes celebrating his life.

For many admirers, buying Two Paddocks was not simply about purchasing a bottle of wine. It offered a way to connect with something Neill had personally built, nurtured and shared for more than three decades.

A Passion That Grew Far Beyond Hollywood

Neill established Two Paddocks in Central Otago in 1993, beginning with a small planting of pinot noir vines in Gibbston.

Over the years, the project developed into one of New Zealand’s respected boutique wine businesses, producing pinot noir, riesling and rosé. Neill remained closely involved with the vineyards even while maintaining an international acting career.

He was also known for donating bottles to charity auctions and sharing his wines generously with friends, relatives and colleagues.

Two Paddocks general manager Jacqui Murphy said Neill often spoke of wine as something that brought people together, describing it as being about “conviviality” and human connection.

Although he would undoubtedly have wished the circumstances were different, Murphy believed he would have been touched to see people gathering and remembering him through the label he loved.

Donations Support Neill’s Environmental Campaign

The public response has also extended to Sustainable Tarras, an environmental organisation Neill supported in its opposition to a proposed open-cast gold mine near his Central Otago vineyard.

More than NZ$20,000 was donated to the campaign after supporters learned of Neill’s involvement.

The actor had been an outspoken critic of the mining proposal, expressing fears about the effect it could have on the landscape and communities of Central Otago.

Sustainable Tarras chair Suze Keith described Neill as a vital supporter whose involvement helped the organisation gain attention and obtain specialist advice for its campaign.

Many donations were accompanied by personal messages promising that the work Neill supported would continue in his memory.

Support Arrives for the Hospital That Cared for Him

The Dunstan Hospital Foundation has also received donations from across New Zealand and overseas.

Neill had a close relationship with Dunstan Hospital, where he received treatment during his cancer journey. He later became a patron of the foundation and helped raise more than NZ$100,000 for the hospital’s work.

Following his passing, the foundation said contributions had arrived with heartfelt messages recognising both Neill’s life and the medical teams who cared for him.

His representative, Philip Grenz, had encouraged those wishing to honour the actor to donate to organisations he supported rather than send flowers.

The suggested causes included the Dunstan Hospital Foundation, the Snowdome Foundation and New Zealand environmental and wildlife organisations.

Remembering Sam Neill

Neill passed away in Sydney on July 13, 2026, aged 78, surrounded by members of his family.

Grenz later confirmed that the actor passed away from pneumonia. Neill had previously undergone CAR-T cell therapy for stage-three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and had revealed several months earlier that tests showed he was cancer-free.

Despite the health challenges he had faced, Neill remained active during the final year of his life, completing several screen projects while continuing his involvement with Two Paddocks.

His family is expected to honour him with a private memorial at his New Zealand farm.

For generations of viewers, Neill will remain the internationally celebrated actor behind some of cinema’s most memorable performances. Yet the response following his passing has highlighted another side of his legacy — the winemaker, environmental advocate and generous community figure whose influence reached far beyond the screen.

Through every bottle shared and every donation made in his name, the values he championed are quietly continuing to bring people together.