Halcyon Days is Amy and Olly Hopkinson-Styles, who craft exceptional certified organic wines with energy and tension from Te Matau a Māui, Aotearoa.

Halcyon Days wine is made with organic grapes from BioGro certified Osawa and Two Terraces vineyards in Mangatahi subregion of Te Matau a Māui, Hawke's Bay. The vineyards are loam over gravel alluvial soils formed by the braided Ngaruroro Moko-tū-ā-raro-ki-Rangatira awa.

The fruit is handpicked, natural ferment, and their wines are unfined, unfiltered, with no additions.

Huntress Wines is the creative pursuit of winemaker Jannine Rickards, crafting expressive, small-batch wines from organically farmed vineyards across Aotearoa.  Guided by intuition and respect for the land, Huntress embraces wild fermentations and thoughtful blending to create wines that are vibrant, textural, and alive with character.  Each release reflects both the place it comes from and the creative spirit behind it.

Named after the farm where Sam grew up, Churton was built on a foundation of family values and respect for the land. Having strong environmental empathy led us to set up Churton with organic roots; creating a legacy for future generations.

The reins have been handed over to the second generation Ben and Jack who bring youth and innovation to the Churton vineyard and cellar.

Mates Jesse and Cosmo started Fruit Cru in 2021 in a storage unit in Newtown, Wellington. Keen to create something fresh and unique we set to work with whatever organic fruit they could get their hands on. Apples, quinces, feijoas & kiwifruit.

They co-fermented three small tanks and threw a party. It went off. Now they've built a small winery in the heart of Te Aro to create expressive bottles of sparkling fruit wine. Organic and foraged fruit, wild ferments and no added sulphur.

Nestled beneath the Pisa Range in Central Otago, Kahiwi draws its name and inspiration from the very land it calls home. In Te Reo Māori, Kahiwi means "the ridge of a hill," our vineyard's unique landform. But Kahiwi also holds a deeper meaning - "the heart or trunk of a tree" - connecting us to the earth and flora of our region.

Our Roots in the Land

While Central Otago may appear dry and barren today, it once flourished with Kōwhai forests. Mānuka, Kānuka, Harakeke flax, Tī Kōuka (Cabbage Trees), and Horoeka (Lancewood) all find a home here. The twisted Mikimiki shrub, growing wild on the Pisa Range, provides a linguistic bridge to our name - both "Miki" and "Kahiwi" can refer to the ridge of a hill.

We nurture native plants alongside our vines. This connection to the land's past informs our present and future. We value these trees not just for their beauty, but for their essential role in our ecosystem. We plant them for diversity, for shelter and for the future.

Winegrowing

At Kahiwi, we believe in working in harmony with the land, rather than seeking dominion over it. Our approach is guided by three principles:

1. Biomimicry: We look to nature's own systems for inspiration and solutions.

2. Wu-wei: We embrace the Taoist concept of "non-doing" or "effortless action," intervening only when necessary.

3. Thoughtful Inquiry: We employ critical thinking and first principles to question established practices, fostering innovation and continuous improvement.

This philosophy translates into concrete practices:

• We prioritize soil health above all, understanding that vibrant, living soil is the foundation of exceptional wine.

• Heavy machinery use is minimized to prevent soil compaction.

• Pesticides and synthetic fertilizers have no place in our vineyard.

• We employ diverse cover crops, compost, and mulch to nourish the soil naturally.

• Grazing animals play their part in our ecosystem, invigorating the land.

• Our vines are tended by hand - from pruning to harvest - allowing for intimate care and observation.

Our approach follows the 70/20/10 principle:

• 70% conservative, knowledge-based practices

• 20% informed experimentation

• 10% left-field experimentation

This balance allows us to honor traditional wisdom while continuously seeking improvement and innovation in our winegrowing methods.

Central Otago Pinot Noir with a difference: restrained yet textured, structural yet nuanced. The result of working with nature - A complexity and character that speaks of place and process.

Our wines are an expression of our land, our practices, and our commitment to working in concert with nature. Each bottle tells a story of patient observation, thoughtful intervention, and a deep respect for the unique character of our terroir. They are the culmination of our philosophy.

Nicholas Brown and Pen Naish with Pen’s family own our three vineyards. Pen and Nicholas and their two children Sylvia and Arthur live at Netherwood and manage the business.  Nicholas looks after the vineyards and wines with his team and Pen manages the sales & marketing and the restaurant & cellar door with another great team.

Since 2007, when the we first purchased the Home vineyard from it’s founder Russell Black, Pen’s parents and siblings supported us with investing in the land here.  Pen’s father Rod is a 5th generation horticulturalist from North Otago. Pen’s mum Stacey provides much family support.

Russell and Kumiko Black planted the original eight hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in 1993 at Black Estate,  now called the Home Vineyard.  In spring 2007 we purchased that property and kept the name.  After buying Riesling and Pinot Noir fruit from the Hull family’s Damsteep Vineyard and Netherwood Vineyard  (5-10km up the road), we purchased those two sites in 2012 and 2015 respectively.  (Netherwood was originally established by Danny Schuster and Russell Black in 1986).

We converted all three vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming and are certified with BioGro. No.5202 and Demeter. 

It’s a privilege to farm these three sites.  We’re working with the land and looking to encourage natural balance and life at each site to share an original, quality expression of each place in the glass.

https://blackestate.co.nz/