Caine Thompson
Caine Thompson, Head of Sustainability at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, has cemented his industry leadership in sustainable winegrowing and operations throughout his wine industry career. Since joining O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in 2020, he has led the company to the forefront of regenerative organic innovation and global sustainability networking.
For more than 15 years, Caine has been a leading force in viticultural sustainability. In 2020, He initiated a pioneering three-year regenerative viticulture case study across a 40-acre block of O’Neill’s estate vineyards in Paso Robles. In 2024, all 140 acres of the Paso Robles estate officially became Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), the most prestigious certification of its kind. Caine also led O’Neill Vintners & Distillers to becoming both the largest B-Corp Certified beverage company and the largest Zero Waste Certified beverage company in the world. Caine was also named by Wine Enthusiast as a “Future 40 Tastemaker” in 2023. The award noted that Caine is
“constantly searching for new or forgotten forms of farming to ‘farm softer,’ working to be more transparent in viticultural practices and helping the industry at large become more resilient to climate change.”
Caine’s passion for sustainability extends beyond the company and into the realms of global organizations and think tanks that are setting the pace for the worldwide wine industry. He is one of eight board members on the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation and one of 12 board members on the Sustainable Wine Roundtable. Caine also supports the wine community through board positions with the Wine Institute, Cal Poly University Wine & Viticulture, the Organic Trade Association, and the Paso Robles CAB Collective, where he is Chairman of Viticulture & Wine Research. In 2024, he helped lead a Paso Robles CAB Collective team to a summit in Bordeaux, where they connected with local vintners to discuss climate mitigation strategies and observe future-forward vineyard practices, such as polyculture and agroforestry.
Caine was born and raised in Tauranga, New Zealand and grew up on a family orchard which led to his interest and studies in horticulture (BSC) at Massey University in New Zealand. He holds an MBA and has multifaceted wine industry experience in executive management, viticultural operations and technical research. His ascent in the wine industry was rapid. He was named New Zealand’s “Young Viticulturist of the Year” in 2009 and earned “Horticulturist of the year” in 2010.
Caine later worked in viticulture and executive leadership at New Zealand and California wineries before joining O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in October 2020, where he has evolved his regenerative viticulture case study to 800 acres in conversion to regenerative farming. He also initiates and implements green practices, leading the charge for sustainable certification for more than 200 growers across 15,000 acres on behalf of the entire O’Neill organization. Working with top stakeholders worldwide, Caine continues to embark on innovations that promise to combat climate change, regenerate soil health and conserve natural resources for generations to come.
