Our vineyard in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough - Whenua Awa

Whenua Awa, ‘river lands’, is our vineyard to the east of Te Tauihu.
High on the remote terraces of the upper Awatere Valley, this high-altitude site sits on the fringes of grape growing possibilities. Set 230m above sea level, where winds are strong, braided rivers powerful and frosts harsh, Whenua Awa grows. It is the fight, the struggle, for the vine’s roots to go beneath the loess soil and river stones in search of the mineral-rich papas clay, that ultimately gives the fruit its concentration and complexity.

Each bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling speaks of its parcel of Whenua Awa. Challenged by the cold climate and low growing days, the vines are strong, and so we do little. We were pioneers in the Upper Awatere Valley, one of the first vineyards in the region. We were confident that the land would provide for us.

We trust that what is in the land is all that we need. It is this minerality and texture, that speaks of the possibilities of our whenua.