Careful management of all vineyards is the foundation of Waimea quality.

Great wine from great grapes

Waimea works on the principal that to make great wine you need great grapes and so our wine quality and appeal begins in our vineyards. Year after year we harvest a quality crop - the direct result of paying careful attention to the integration of grape variety, rootstock and soil. Vine density, pruning, canopy management, soil cultivation and vine age all combine to influence the final quality of the wine we produce.

"Our philosophy is to fully exploit all the advantages of our superior growing conditions and grapes - allowing the natural character of the grapes to shine by practising minimal intervention in both the vineyards and winery. Our wines are terrior rather than winery driven."

Sunshine, rainfall, frost, wind and other climatic conditions as well as the presence or absence of pests and diseases all make each vintage a unique challenge.

Its a combination of site, soil and careful farming techniques that make a great vineyard. We also pay very careful attention to plant nutrition throughout the whole growing cycle and this certainly pays off in better colour, flavour and fruit intensity which is obviously important for any wine but particularly so for the aromatic wines that make up such a large part of our portfolio.

Ben Bolitho

Ben Bolitho formally started in the family business in 2001 as vineyard manager, but has lived and breathed the business since his childhood days growing up on the vineyards. Today he is Waimea's viticulturalist responsible for the day to day operations of the company's 140 hectares of vineyards, as well as managing all contract growers.

"I'd like to think that the care with which we manage the soil and the plants that grow in it, has an enormous impact on the ultimate quality and consistency of the wine we produce".