Wine Making

Our winemaking team see their role in the winery as ‘guardians of the fruit’ between harvest and bottle, just as Trevor and Ben see themselves as ‘guardians of the land’ (the vineyard and winery are managed according to the principles of Sustainable Winegrowing). The winery has certainly been innovative in its approaches to winemaking. We were one of the first wineries in New Zealand to use such new technologies as micro-oxygenation, Ganimede fermenters and cross-flow filtration. Yet our winemaking includes nuances of the old world as well. This is illustrated well with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Both these varieties are wild yeast fermented. The Chardonnay is oxidatively handled and fermented warm with high solids. The Pinot Noir is destemmed only (not crushed), cool macerated and fermented hot with hand plunging. Extended élevage in barrel creates wines of finesse and elegance. For the winery’s Dry Riesling clean fruit is very simply handled to focus the attention on pure fruit expression, while the slightly sweeter Classic Riesling is made more luscious through the inclusion of some botrytised fruit.

"The winery has certainly been innovative in its approaches to winemaking. We were one of the first wineries in New Zealand to use such new technologies as micro-oxygenation, Ganimede fermenters and cross-flow filtration".

Aromatics

Nelson in general, and Waimea in particular, have a growing reputation for aromatic wines. The Sauvignon Blanc from Waimea has become a popular alternative to the Marlborough style for consumers. We see the wine as essentially ‘classical’ in its gooseberry, lime and capsicum aromas, with a flinty palate adding to the wine’s appeal. The acidity tends to be ‘toned down’ and palate interest is enhanced through skin contact, yeast selection, a range of fermentation temperatures and time spent on lees. The use of lees stirring is a distinct feature of the Waimea approach to aromatic wines – it is also used for Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. These last two wines have garnered significant interest due to their fruit-driven purity, their beautifully textured palates and their admirable balance and polish. Waimea seeks to minimise unattractive phenolics by reducing skin contact – the fruit is hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed, and the juice has a very early press cut and is fermented with negligible solids. Fermentation is invariably stopped when the wine is off-dry, to bolster the palate with fruit sweetness. The only aromatic wine Waimea does not use bâttonage on is the Riesling, where an approach of ‘less is more’ is taken.

Dessert Wines

Other wines the winery is known for are the iconic sweet wines – a Noble Riesling that has won trophies with every year of its production, an auslese-style Late Harvest Riesling and, latterly, a very interesting (and highly awarded) Noble Chardonnay. Besides the Pinot Noir, a further red is made in limited volume: a Merlot Cabernet blend with attractive mocha characters and not a hint of greenness. A delightful Pinot Rosé is also made – from high-quality Pinot Noir grapes; the wine is unusually part barrel-fermented in lightly-toasted oak, giving a ‘strawberries and vanilla cream’ character to the resultant wine. Recently, Viognier, Syrah and Dolcetto have been added to the stable and initial results are very promising