Loving this autumnal pic of our gateway captured by the very talented @richard_briggs_photo

Happy Pinot Gris day!

Flash back to all the action from V23 for a look at the fabulous quality of fruit that came in this vintage.

Our SV Pinot Gris is fermented in a combo of large format, neutral oak to give texture and weight and stainless to preserve the fruity, aromatic side.

It is given all the love in the vineyard as that is where we prefer to make the biggest impact with several thinning passes throughout the season and a lot of hand leaf work to get the right amount of exposure.

The results are damn delicious if we do say so ourselves!

Flashback to 2003 when we first took over here at Te Whare Rā

For me, the coming of autumn means hunkering down on rainy days with comfort food like mushroom risotto, duck ragu with pappardelle, or braised venison with polenta.

Coincidentally, all of these are amazing matches with Pinot Noir - our favourite red grape on the planet - it gives us the most joy but is also the one we lose sleep over!

Marlborough produces silky, supple, savoury Pinot Noir which really comes into it`s own with the right pairing.

Woooohoooo!!

Today is @sauvblancday
So we will be raising a glass to the grape that put @winemarlborough on the map !

Te Whare Ra - New releases & Vintage 2023 report

Finally some time back at my desk and a bit of breathing space so thought it was time for an update about vintage and all things vinous.

Bit of a big milestone for Jason and I this year, as vintage 2023 marked our 20th vintage here - still not quite sure how that happened! Seems like I blinked and decade has whipped past us. Our tenure here has definitely tested us, with our big dreams challenged by natural disasters, a global financial crisis and then a global pandemic. But we steadfastly stuck to our plan to breathe life back into one of the oldest wineries and vineyards in the region, and to make wines that would make us and our team proud.

So amongst all the chaos that vintage brings we have tried to take some moments to reflect on how far we have come and all that we have weathered along the way. We couldn`t have done that on our own - and so a big vote of thanks must go to all those that have supported us. Be that our amazing staff, our trusted importers, every loyal trade accounts that stock our wines - and you our direct customers at cellar door and via the website. We would not still be here without you all "buying" into our vision for hand-made, authentic wines that showcase the very best that Marlborough is capable of. We are hugely grateful for your ongoing support and we will continue on because of it - I can`t promise another 20 years though (ha, ha !)

Nice to have some moments of blue sky to appreciate the gorgeous hues of autumn.

One of my favourite seasons as the change of this season is so evident around @only_marlborough

Post vintage mode activated.

Now into the second phase which is way less frenetic and time for a bit of a recharge.

Really thrilled with the wines from this year so far - vibrant, fleshy and delicious.

Today is World Earth Day 🌏 and the theme this year is invest in our planet.

This really reasonates with us as we have poured everything we have ever made back into improving our soil health and structure and building biodiversity on our little piece of Aotearoa.

Farming thoughtfully with a focus on regeneration is at the core of everything we do, and this lovely chap is our soil`s protector and the biggest cheerleader for organic farming as the future for winegrowers everywhere
💚🌱🐂🐝

End of V23 dinner last night with our team. Wonderful evening @arbourdining with the fabulous @lizbuttimore and @bradleyhornby

The tuna crudo dish with a sneaky 2017 Riesling D was utterly amazing.

Thanks as always team Arbour 🙏❤️

A huge vote of thanks must go to the amazing team from @hortus_nz for doing all our hand picking again this season.

We so appreciate all your hard work this season guys - so vinaka vaka levu from all of us 🙏

Big milestone for Jason and myself this week with the completion of our 20th vintage as the owners/winemakers of Te Whare Rā.

Fruit quality this year is looking exceptional and we are feeling very grateful for our amazing team and everyone who has supported us to get here.

For many years we felt like we were swimming against the tide - as so many around us just focused on volume growth - whereas our vision was for exceptional, hand-made wines that showcased the very best that Marlborough is capable of.

But we never wavered off our path - despite some pretty massive obstacles - and I am really so proud of where we are today.