Golden Bay

 

Tucked away in the top north-west corner of the South Island the stunningly scenic Golden Bay area is a historic home to a small number of wineries, and where European winemakers discovered that Golden Bay climate and soil structures are capable of creating outstanding wines.

 

​The rainfall in this little piece of paradise is about the same as in Nelson's Moutere Hills.  Sunshine hours are huge, the elevated sites are either frost-free or very near to it because of the gentle sea breezes that drift in everyday, and the soils range from alluvial (similar to the Waimea Plains) to limestone and granite (just like Burgundy) - and black, warm, free-draining sandy soils on the coast.

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The acknowledged patriarch of winegrowing in Golden Bay is the legendary Dave Heraud, a visionary and winemaker who created Waiwera Estate.

 

Everything he does seems to include a dose of laughter but never at the expense of quality. In seemingly impossible hillside land above Clifton (previously known as Waiwera), he built a house and established a Pinot Noir vineyard, built a winery there and created a sanctuary that is a very special place.

 

Dave Heraud planted his first Waiwera grapes in 1989 and made his first wine in 1991. ​

His single minded focus on Pinot Noir production has come to an end following his retirement, but Waiwera Estate is proud to offer the final limited release of Dave Heraud’s very last vintage – 2016 Waiwera Estate Pinot Noir.

 

 

With acknowledgement of the New Zealand Winegrowers Blog for some of this content.