Viva’s NZ Wine Awards are back for another year. Wine editor Dr Jo Burzynska selects New Zealand’s 50 most exciting wineries for 2025, and awards some special categories, including best for sauvignon blanc, best for the budget-conscious and best new winery.
Read on for Jo’s top 50 wineries, and enjoy.
A WORD FROM OUR WINE EDITOR
It’s been another thrilling year for wine drinkers in Aotearoa. If anyone thought the country was just a producer of generic sauvignon
It’s the smaller wineries who are currently driving much of the interest. As some don’t yet export, only lucky us get to drink here in New Zealand. Many of these don’t own their own vineyards. However, an exciting trend evident from this year’s winners is the growing focus of wineries in making distinctive wines from interesting single vineyards. Organic producers again make up the majority of the most thrilling – a choice many have made as best for quality, as well as for health and the planet.
It’s not been such a thrilling year for our wineries, however. While the last couple of vintages have been far easier than the tough 2023 vintage in many regions, the climate that’s currently hurting our wineries is the economic one. Exports are down, while New Zealanders are drinking less wine year on year. The country’s total wine sales are down by around 8% to the lowest level in the past two decades. Combine this with cost and excise increases that are eroding wineries’ profitability, and New Zealand wineries are having it tough.
We can assist here at home by choosing to drink our excellent homegrown wines. In my second story for this year’s awards, published tomorrow, I’ve recommended one from each of my Top 50 wineries that is representative of what’s so thrilling about that winery, and has particularly impressed.
This year, Viva’s most thrilling 50 wineries is adopting a slightly different format. I have once again selected a supreme winner, whose wines and approach have really stood out to me over the last 12 months. However, the main list is now split into Contemporary Classics (the longer established wineries), and New Wave Winners, comprising more recently launched enterprises. If you like sparkling, sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir, structured reds, natural wines or budget buys, the category winners highlight wineries worth exploring. My selection also celebrates longevity in the wine business through the lifetime achievement award, and the most exciting new winery to watch in the year ahead.
Deeply interesting and expressive wines, created with a spirit of considered innovation and collaboration, make Prophet’s Rock Viva’s very deserving Winery of the Year. At this Central Otago estate, winemaker Paul Pujol combines the best of Old World nous with New World innovation.
Paul’s approach is rooted in his formative years making wine in France. As well as working in Burgundy and Sancerre, he was the first non-family winemaker at Alsace’s respected Domaine Kuentz-Bas since its founding in 1795. This experience instilled a focus on texture and age-worthiness, principles he now applies when making Prophet’s Rock wines in the distinctive terroir of Central Otago.
“I was enamoured by the texture of Alsace wines,” Paul notes, a preference evident across his range. Unlike many New Zealand aromatic white wines, at Prophet’s Rock these undergo a long, slow fermentation and rest on their yeast lees until the following harvest, with a further year of bottle age before release. This patient process builds complexity and Prophet’s Rock’s hallmark textural richness.
This Alsatian influence is most apparent in his dry Pinot Gris, a contender for the country’s finest. Where many local examples are simple and fruity, Pujol crafts a wine of serious intention and intensity. As he explains, Central Otago’s dry, rain-shadowed climate allows the grapes to achieve full ripeness while retaining crucial acidity, resulting in a wine of impressive structure, freshness and flavour that I wager will convert any gris sceptics.
While Alsace has helped shape Prophet’s Rock’s aromatic white wines, Burgundy has informed its chardonnay and pinot noir. This connection has been deepened through a significant collaboration with François Millet, the respected former winemaker of Burgundy’s Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé. Their partnership has produced the Cuvée Aux Antipodes, a chardonnay and pinot noir that merge the philosophies of two hemispheres. The resulting pinot noir is a wine of great elegance and structure, reflecting both its Central Otago origins and its Burgundian inspiration.
Paul’s influences may be European but in his dedication to making wines that express where they’re grown, Prophet’s Rock’s wines are vivid expressions of Central Otago terroir. This terroir is specifically that of the winery’s estate vineyards, farmed organically for the most transparent expression of their three distinct sites. Its first Home vineyard was established between 1999 and 2000, high above the Bendigo Station Homestead on a rare combination of schist, quartz, clay and chalk. In southern Bendigo, its stony Rocky Point Vineyard has some of the steepest slopes in Central, while the Kopuwai Delta Vineyard overlooking the Clutha River adds loess, alluvium and river stones into the mix.
For all its classical foundations, Prophet’s Rock is not afraid to push boundaries. Pujol’s experimental side is visible in Prophet’s Rock’s rare New Zealand Vin de Paille. Describing it as “ancient wine style in modern hands”, pinot gris grapes are dried in a barn before being fermented into luscious sweet wine. Pujol has also applied a fine-wine lens to creating vermouths in collaboration with Scapegrace distillers to create stunning aromatised wines with surprising complexity.
It is this combination, knowledge of tradition and a quiet willingness to innovate, of Old World training and a sensitivity to Central Otago’s terrain, that makes Prophet’s Rock so significant.
Prophet’s Rock offers not just exceptional wines, but has a scope and focus that makes it a beacon for the direction of New Zealand wine.
Top drop: Prophet’s Rock Central Otago Pinot Gris 2023, $40
A drier, intense and complex style of pinot gris fermented in old neutral French oak. Its fresh and textural palate of ripe and pure quince, apple and white peach fruit is spiced with cinnamon and perfumed with florals. I was lucky to try the 2009 vintage of this wine recently, which had become delicously spicy and savoury with age, while still retaining its freshness and bright apple fruit. This is a wine that will also age beautifully over 10 or even more years.
Contemporary Classics
These are well-established wineries that have been delighting drinkers for 15 years or more. Rather than resting on their laurels, they have continued to develop and innovate. Listed in alphabetical order.
ASTROLABE
Marlborough
Family-run and managed, Astrolabe crafts pure and precise wines from its organic home vineyard and diverse Marlborough grower sites. Under veteran winemaker Simon Waghorn, its commitment to terroir shines through, delivering wines that continue to captivate from across Marlborough. It is a pioneer in its most southerly Kēkerengu Coast subregion and I’ve been loving Astrolabe’s distinctive expressions from these limestone soils.
ATA RANGI
Martinborough
Under the sensitive guidance of winemaker Helen Masters, this historic Martinborough winery continues to craft some of the most compelling wines in the country. These are now made from 14 vineyards, which include its 1980 home block, as well as diverse grower sites, which produce distinctive expressions of pinot noir from across this classic New Zealand region.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for structured reds
BILANCIA
Hawke’s Bay
Warren Gibson, who’s also chief winemaker at Trinity Hill, and partner Lorraine Leheny have been exploring notable single vineyard sites across Hawke’s Bay. The result is a growing portfolio of distinctive chardonnay and syrah. This year, Viva celebrates their compelling red releases, which include the glorious return of a 2024 La Collina: Bilancia’s, and arguably the country’s, fragrant flagship syrah, absent for the previous two vintages. Made from their steep home vineyard, La Collina now joins other Bilancia syrahs that include the powerful and concentrated Trelinnoe Syrah, sourced from a vineyard across the hill, which spends longer mellowing in oak. Such site-specific syrahs, each with its own character and approach, highlight Bilancia’s dedication to crafting reds of depth and refinement. Their ability to navigate challenging vintages, as seen in previous years, further underscores their commitment to quality.
BLACK ESTATE
North Canterbury
Since the Naish family purchased their Home Vineyard in 2007, and with Nicolas Brown at the winemaking helm, Black Estate has established itself as one of the most consistently engaging wineries of Waipara, and Aotearoa. The three vineyards that now make up the estate are farmed organically, biodynamically and regeneratively, which, combined with Brown’s sensitive winemaking, result in truly compelling releases.
CAMBRIDGE ROAD
Martinborough
From its organic and biodynamically managed home vineyard base on the classic Martinborough Terrace, unconventional winemaker Lance Redgwell is always experimenting. This includes making his minimal intervention and additive-free wines using barrels made with native timber rather than just the French oak that dominates New Zealand wine. His intriguing range, made from three sites across Martinborough, includes the addition of new Rhône whites bearing impressive fruits from Cambridge Road’s home vineyard.
CHURTON
Marlborough
If New Zealand had Grand Cru vineyards, Churton’s family-owned organic and biodynamically farmed hillside site in the Waihopai Valley would certainly be one of these. With a three-decade history, its wines are now made by a second generation, Ben Weaver, who continues in his father’s footsteps, guiding these grapes into deeply distinctive wines.
CLOUDY BAY
Marlborough/Central Otago
This year, Cloudy Bay celebrates the 40th anniversary of its first trailblazing sauvignon release. Its elegant flagship is still among the best, joined now by the stylish Pelorus méthode traditionnelles, and pinot noirs that include the rising classic Te Wahi from its more recent Central Otago outpost. Its special releases also include a syrah and gamay.
COAL PIT
Central Otago
Coal Pit has slowly burnt into my consciousness as the maker of consistently elegant and savoury pinot noir, as well as a smart dry rosé. At this small certified organic family vineyard in the cool Gibbston subregion of Central Otago grapes are grown, handpicked and made into wines on-site by young, internationally experienced winemaker Anika Willner.
CRAGGY RANGE
Hawke’s Bay/Martinborough
Developments at Craggy Range in recent years include incorporating regenerative practices and a gradual conversion to organics in its vineyards. In the winery, new winemaker Ben Tombs has been building texture into its sauvignon blanc by increased use of barrel fermentation, amphora and extended lees contact. The 2024 releases under his guidance continue to impress.
DOG POINT
Marlborough
No longer a pup, Dog Point is now 21. Over these quality-filled years making wines from New Zealand’s largest certified organic vineyard, this family-owned establishment, one of the oldest privately established vineyards, is now in the capable hands of the second generation. They continue to craft wines with poise, personality and power.
DOCTOR’S FLAT
Central Otago
For more than 15 years, Steve Davies has focused on making just one pinot noir from his organic Bannockburn vineyard. This singular vision applied to his tiny elevated site has resulted in a consistently exciting and distinctive expression of pinot. Steve also thinks it is a great place for chardonnay and has just bottled its first small crop.
FELTON ROAD
Central Otago
From the biodynamic and organically farmed Felton Road vineyards, Blair Walter crafts exquisite pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling that encourage contemplation. While expressing classic rich and bright Bannockburn fruit, his eloquent yet quietly spoken wines take time to unfurl their many fascinating layers. They’re also delicious after some years in the cellar.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for sauvignon blanc
FOLIUM
Marlborough
At the 8-hectare organic Folium vineyard in the Brancott Valley, Takaki Okada is one of the few Marlborough producers whose sauvignon blanc receives no irrigation. He considers dry farming particularly beneficial to the quality of his white wines, encouraging the vines’ roots to penetrate more deeply into the soil. With incredibly low yields from a vineyard where Okada does almost everything himself, the result is deeply distinctive handcrafted sauvignons. “Most alternative sauvignon styles are made with winemaking techniques such as skin contact. However, I want to create something different in the vineyard,” he states. As a recent tasting of his 2014 Reserve Sauvignon furthermore confirmed, his elegant textural sauvignons also age with grace.
FRAMINGHAM
Marlborough
Framingham’s first wine released was a 1994 riesling. It has continued its commitment to this fine but underrated variety, making some of our greatest examples in a range of styles. Bought by Mateus owner Sogrape some years back, it’s nevertheless managed to continue to operate outside of the mainstream, notably in its excellent, boundary-pushing F-Series range.
GREYWACKE
Marlborough
A family-run winery founded in 2009 by ex-Cloudy Bay winemaker Kevin Judd, which makes concentrated and harmonious wines from Marlborough’s main varieties. Its winemaking is now in the highly capable hands of Richelle Tyney, who has centuries-old connections to the upper South Island through her Te Tauihu iwi roots.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for the budget conscious
GROVE MILL
Marlborough
Grove Mill has had many iterations since it was founded by a group of local grape growers in the 1980s. Now part of the Foley Family Wines stable, alongside the likes of Martinborough Vineyard and Vavasour, it’s retained many of its sustainable credentials. The winery uses solar power, renewable sugarcane labels, locally sourced lightweight bottles, and has undertaken wetland restoration around the winery. Its wines consistently punch well above their weight in terms of value for money, with an appealing pinot noir, sophisticated chardonnay, fresh pear-fruited pinot gris, and vibrant sauvignon blanc that all retail at $20 or under.
ISABEL ESTATE
Marlborough
Chardonnay was the first grape planted at Isabel Estate back in 1980, when it was one of the first wave of vineyards in Marlborough. Chardonnay is certainly having a moment today at Isabel under dynamic winemaker Jeremy Mackenzie, who makes a fine array, alongside a solid selection of other varietals.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for chardonnay
KUMEU RIVER
Auckland
While a relative newcomer in Kumeu River’s 80-year history, chardonnay has become both the winery’s and arguably the country’s flagship example. Kumeu River winemaker, Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich, set out in the 1980s to craft a white Burgundy-style wine with barrel and malolactic fermentation that demonstrated just how seriously good New Zealand chardonnay could be, even when grown in the challenging climes of Kūmeu. Kumeu River began by making only their Estate chardonnay, but as time progressed, vineyards that emerged as unique began to be kept separate, starting with Mate’s Vineyard in 1993 and most recently expanding to the Rays Road vineyard in Hawke’s Bay. A recent tasting of older vintages reinforced just how consistently excellent and ageworthy Kumeu River’s chardonnays are.
MILLTON
Gisborne
New Zealand’s first organic and biodynamic wine estate continues to inspire with its pure and expressive wines made from three individual Gisborne vineyards in the ocean-cooled Manutuke subregion. A chenin blanc champion, Millton’s examples just get better and better, along with elegant chardonnays and the eclectic natural Libiamo range.
MOUNT EDWARD
Central Otago
From classic to quirky, there’s always plenty of interest to be found in the organic wines of Mount Edward. This year, its pinot noirs have been particularly impressive across the board, from its stellar single-vineyard wines, such as the flagship Muirkirk, to its everyday, ultra-practical Big Ted Bag-in-Box.
NEUDORF
Nelson
“We have an exceptional site here at Neudorf and it demands little from us in the winery. If we can guide grapes into wine of integrity, without buggering it up, we are content,” says winemaker Todd Stevens, who should indeed be content in producing some of Aotearoa’s top chardonnay, great pinot and fine albarino in this pioneering Nelson winery.
NO 1 FAMILY ESTATE
Marlborough
After pioneering méthode traditionnelle in New Zealand, 12th-generation Champenois Daniel Le Brun has overseen 45 years of fine Marlborough méthode traditionnelle. From its great value Assemble NV to top vintage Cuvée Adèle, every wine’s a winner at this sparkling specialist.
PEGASUS BAY
North Canterbury
Mat Donaldson may have handed over Pegasus Bay’s winemaking reins, but the transition appears seamless by the taste of the flagship Canterbury winery’s latest releases. Under new head winemaker, Marie Dufour – who worked with Mat for a decade – these continue to blend power and elegance. This consistency is supported by the winery’s long-serving staff and the active role played by brothers Ed and Paul Donaldson in this family-run enterprise.
PYRAMID VALLEY
North Canterbury
Pyramid Valley continues to craft incredibly distinctive wines from its home Waikari vineyard, while expanding its production across the country. From the 2024 vintage, it has five chardonnays, likely becoming the first New Zealand producer to make high-end chardonnay from three regions: Hawke’s Bay, North Canterbury and Central Otago. Look out for the first of these new releases, the 2024 Pyramid Valley Kererū Road Chardonnay from the Two Terraces Vineyard in Hawke’s Bay.
CATEGORY WINNER: Lifetime Achievement Award
QUARTZ REEF
Central Otago
Austrian-born Rudi Bauer’s vision to plant the first commercial vines on the terra incognita of Bendigo Station back in 1998 has borne remarkable fruit. Bendigo is now an important Central Otago subregion, where Quartz Reef has its 30 hectares of vines, planted over two certified organic and biodynamic vineyards. From these, it has been consistently producing some of the region’s and country’s finest pinot noir, with Bauer’s astute winemaking ensuring the inherent power of the terroir emerges in elegant form. In recent years its estate pinot has been joined by several exceptional single-ferment wines made from single parcels selected at harvest to best express the vineyard and vintage. Quartz Reef also produces some of Aotearoa’s finest méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines, initially developed from a collaboration between Bauer and winemaker Clothilde Chauvet from Champagne. Bauer also crafts an elegant pinot gris, with his Austrian heritage applied to Quartz Reef’s excellent grüner veltliner.
RIPPON
Central Otago
At Rippon, the Mills family have farmed their schist site on the banks of Lake Wānaka for four generations. Current generation Nick Mills farms the land biodynamically, making wines that transmit this special place. These span the central Mature Vine Pinot Noir that represents the whole estate, to specific blocks identified as possessing consistent textural markers that are released as individual wines.
TE MATA
Hawke’s Bay
It is the mark of a fine winery to make great wines in a difficult year. This was the case in the 2023 vintage for the historic Te Mata winery, owned now for half a century by the Buck family. The 2023 vintage brought the winery’s longest growing season and lowest yields. Despite the challenges, meticulous fruit selection means the estate’s wines are still looking great.
TE WHARE RA
Marlborough
Husband and wife team, Jason and Anna Flowerday, craft pure and characterful wines in Marlborough from their organic family home vineyard in Renwick and Jason’s parents’ property in the Awatere Valley. Their continued focus on building organic matter levels in their soils meant that, unlike some in Marlborough for the 2024 vintage, they were not impacted by the drought, and their whole range of wines shines.
TOHU
Nelson/Marlborough
Aotearoa’s first Māori-owned wine company was established in 1998 through a partnership between three tribal groups. Making a strong range of wines from its vineyards in Nelson and Marlborough, its Whenua single-vineyard range has been the source of some particularly impressive wines. Guided by a 500-year plan, an intergenerational strategy to leave the land in a better state than inherited, has led Tohu to transition some vineyards to organic, foster biodiversity and certify its carbon reduction.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for pinot noir
VALLI
Central Otago/Waitaki Valley
Before founding Valli, Grant Taylor honed his pinot winemaking skills over 18 years of experience in the US, Australia and France. He was one of the earliest winemakers to come to Central Otago back in 1993, when there were only 20 hectares planted. He went on to make some of the region’s first wave of pinots at a number of important wineries. His main focus is now on his own winery, Valli, which he established in 1998, and where he was joined in the winemaking by Jen Parr in 2015. Valli has led a subregional approach to pinot, with its releases Valli taking you on an exciting trip across Central Otago. Valli’s highly distinctive examples not only hail from its founding Gibbston vineyard, but sites in Bendigo, Bannockburn and most recently Pisa, as well as in North Otago’s Waitaki Valley, where Taylor is now based.
New wave wineries
Many of these wineries might only have been around for less than a decade, but have already impressed by the expressive and exciting nature of their wines.
AMOISE
Hawke’s Bay
After living and working in various wine regions across the world, Amy Farnsworth started Amoise in 2018. There, she’s making beautifully pure and distinctive organic natural wines with lots of care and zero additives. She works with a number of non-mainstream varieties such as chenin blanc and albarino, sourced from the organic Two Terraces and TK vineyards, fermented in a variety of vessels, including Spanish tinajas and large spherical Dolium.
ATIPICO
Marlborough
Jordan Hogg has been making some fascinating wines since launching his organic Atípico label in 2021. These include some fermented “vinsitu” in barrels outdoors in the vineyards for a greater sense of place, with a small range that spans field blends that can involve pinot noir being fermented with pinot blanc and pinot gris, alongside refreshing new takes on the Marlborough classics of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.
BLANK CANVAS
Marlborough
Master of Science and Master of Wine respectively, Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson make a diverse array of single-vineyard small-batch wines from around New Zealand. From a Gimblett Gravels syrah to a Marlborough grüner veltliner, as well as some standout Marlborough sauvignons, the one thing that unites all Blank Canvas wines is their interest and quality.
BROOD FERMENTATION
Nelson
After working in beer and wine, from Adelaide to Oregon, winemaker Jim Brown and brewer Lauren Yap landed in Nelson, attracted by its mix of hops and grapes. There, they have been making fresh and interesting wines, from their own and other organic vineyards, employing biodynamic practices and minimal winemaking intervention. They also make great beer.
BRYTERLATER
North Canterbury
Bryterlater makes intriguing textural and acid-focused wines from selected organically farmed vineyards in North Canterbury. Founded in 2013 by winemaker James Graves Opie on his return from making wine in Tasmania, Bryterlater now has its own winery in Waipara, shared with kindred local label 15 Minute Bottles, with which it also makes the collaborative Matter of Time label, whose wines are also worth seeking out.
COROFIN
Marlborough
Microvintners Mike and Anna Paterson make compelling pinot noir and chardonnay from some of Marlborough’s most interesting vineyards. All their wines are small-batch and organic-certified, and mostly single-block. However, from 2021 they introduced a pinot noir and chardonnay that are assemblages of the five vineyards they work with, which offer a fascinating lens through which to see these varieties in Marlborough each vintage.
HALCYON DAYS
Hawke’s Bay
Amy and Olly Hopkinson-Styles make certified organic wines from Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay with an incredibly light touch. Using grapes from the Osawa and Two Terraces vineyards in Mangatahi, Halcyon Days’ moreish, additive-free wines range from a hard-to-get sparkling chenin blanc to the very rare New Zealand sangiovese that has become its flagship red.
HUNTRESSS
Wairarapa
Hunter-winemaker Jannine Rickards (Ngā Puhi, Ngāi Te Rangi) has extended the range of her engaging small-batch wines beyond her home base in the Wairarapa, which now encompasses wines from North Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay. September brings the release of Matiti, a new pet-nat made in collaboration with the Papawhakaritorito Trust, which undertakes research, education and development in relation to Māori food sovereignty.
KENZIE
Hawke’s Bay
After 15 years making Arfion and Salo wines in the Yarra Valley, ultra-creative Dave Mackintosh returned to Aotearoa, where he’s been pushing the boundaries of style with his Kenzie label. Working with small sustainable and organic independent growers across diverse sites throughout Hawke’s Bay, his lo-fi wines range from elegant chardonnay to eclectic blends and a top albarino, often sporting his own art on the label.
MARATHON DOWNS
Marlborough
Marathon Downs is the project of viticulturist Jess Barnes and winemaker Nick Pett. Inspired to make their own wines over the Covid lockdown, they were initially from Jess’s family vineyard in the Awatere. The couple are planting their own small vineyard that will add the likes of gamay to their characterful range of minimal-input wines, which include alternative-style sauvignons, and a rare, recently released Marlborough syrah viognier.
MOKO HILLS
Central Otago
Ecology and wine go hand in hand at Moko Hills. Prior to becoming the primary winegrower of his 40-hectare Bendigo family estate, Moko’s Donald van der Westhuizen was a research ecologist. As well as making distinctive and elegant pinot noirs and chardonnay since the vineyard’s first vintage in 2020, he is engaging in ecological restoration work to conserve its natural landscape for future generations.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best New Winery
ORATERRA
Martinborough
One of the most anticipated launches of the last 12 months came from Oraterra. Despite being from the tricky 2023 vintage, the first trio of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris it released did not disappoint. Winemaker Wilco Lam describes his focus at Oraterra as being “more on texture and mouthfeel, less so on aromatic profiling”. Oraterra is a blend of what was once the On Giants Shoulders vineyard, with the former team of the iconic Dry River winery, who opted to move on when the winery was sold. Oraterra has since secured itself a winery and further vineyards on or around the Martinborough Terrace, all managed organically with biodynamic treatments. An important new player in Martinborough wine.
SIREN WINE
Marlborough
Since returning to Marlborough in 2020 after stints at some of the world’s most notable organic estates, Ashleigh Barrowman has swiftly established Siren Wines as the producer of highly distinctive, savoury and intriguing single-vineyard, single-varietal wines. All her minimal intervention wines are made from the organic Wrekin Vineyard.
TAKAHIRO K
North Canterbury
Takahiro Koyama came to New Zealand from Japan in 2003 to study winemaking, joining Mountford before starting Koyama wines. For the last two years, he has been crafting distinctive, small-batch wines from organically managed vineyards under his Takahiro K label. Reflecting different soils and topographies, these include pinot noirs from sites across Waipara, as well as Central Otago, and a knockout Waipara riesling.
THREE FATES
Hawke’s Bay
It’s been five years since fate threw three furloughed women winemakers together to make wine from a small vineyard in Maraekakaho. Holly Girven Russell, Hester Nesbitt and Casey Motley named the project Three Fates, making deliciously drinkable wines from the vineyard’s unusual mix of albarino, arneis and cabernet franc. Although they lost this vineyard with the death of its owner, they are now working with new sites and engaging a number of winemaking collaborations.
TANTALUS
Waiheke Island
Planted in 1998, the Tantalus Estate vineyard in Waiheke’s Onetangi Valley has been producing small-batch Bordeaux and Rhône-style blends since its inaugural vintage in 2014. Purchased by the Aitken family in 2016, its new owners’ commitment to making thoughtful and sustainable wine is reflected in the gravity-fed winery they have built into a hillside, as well as new vessels, such as concrete eggs. Its current releases of syrah and chardonnay are particularly of note.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for natural wine
A THOUSAND GODS
Waihopai, Marlborough
A Thousand Gods provides compelling evidence that natural wine can be fine wine, in their pure and captivating expressions made from the organic Churton vineyard. Inspired by their experiences working with leading natural wineries in Europe, Lauren Keanan and Simon Sharp brought the “Zero-Zero” philosophy of winemaking back with them to Aotearoa. Aiming to craft clean, age-worthy wines without any additives, they have achieved this by taking time, using quality fruit, and employing meticulous winemaking. This past year has seen the release of what is likely New Zealand’s first dry petit manseng, No Devices. It is an incredibly rare wine, as there is only one hectare planted in Aotearoa, and has typically been made in sweeter styles.
CATEGORY WINNER: Best for bubbles
VILAURA
Hawke’s Bay
Jascha Oldham-Selak and Sanne Witteveen began making méthode traditionnelle while studying winemaking together in Hawke’s Bay. Upon graduating, Jascha, from the historic Selak winemaking family, was captivated by traditional sparkling winemaking, while Sanne lived and worked in Champagne for a harvest. As Vilaura, they specialise exclusively in making fine méthode traditionnelle from New Zealand’s key growing regions: Marlborough, Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay, making their first vintage in 2019. Following the launch of this first wine two years ago, their focus and expertise has quickly established Vilaura as the producer of some of the country’s most refined sparkling wines.
Vilaura.co.nz
THE WREKIN VINEYARD
Marlborough
Andrew and Jan Johns purchased their Fairhall Valley estate 23 years ago, initially to farm sheep and cattle, but on the advice of a soil scientist, planted pinot noir, chardonnay and chenin blanc. Their organic and biodynamic vineyard has been supplying grapes to some of Marlborough’s leading organic winemakers, and now the Johns release their own fresh and distinctive vineyard-focused wines, grown by Jeremy Hyland and now made by legendary local winemaker, Hatsch Kalberer.