Historic vineyard site cafe turning 25

Estelle and Graeme Blanchard are the new owners of the Monte Christo Dessert Cafe and Gardens. Photo: Tom Kitchin

The Central Otago wine trade toasted its beginnings 154 years ago.

In 1863, John Desire Feraud began producing wine at the Monte Christo vineyard, a few kilometres from Clyde.

This year is the 25th anniversary of a cafe on the site of the vineyard - the Monte Christo Dessert Cafe and Gardens.

Graeme and Estelle Blanchard are the new owners of the cafe and moved into the property in April.

They bought it from Pam and Wally Fagan in November last year.

More than the raspberry farm and beauty, it was the heritage of the property that drew the Blanchards.

"We feel like caretakers of something that's pretty special,'' Mrs Blanchard said.

She can claim some family history in Central, too. Her grandmother was Maudie Wilson, who lived in Clyde and was believed to be New Zealand's oldest woman when she died in 2013, aged 110.

"It ties in with the fact that my family has been here,'' Mrs Blanchard said. "We value the history.''

The Blanchards opened the cafe, which only operates in summer, last month and started picking their first crop of raspberries last week.

Their berries were delivered all over Central Otago, Mrs Blanchard said.

The vineyards were long gone and they were not ready to begin planting grapes again.

"We love to drink it ... but it's so much work,'' Mrs Blanchard said.

"Our neighbours are planting a grapevine - we'll swap the raspberries for wine!''

The Fagans owned the cafe for 10 years. They were also captivated by the history of the place.

"It was one of the things that attracted us to the place,'' Mr Fagan said.

"We were looking after a slice of history. They brought grapes to Central Otago - that's pretty amazing.''