TiZwine.com | Winery Notes | Whitehaven Wine Company Ltd

Address

Physical: Blicks Road, Renwick

Postal:

About Whitehaven Wine Company Ltd

Established in 1994 by Sue and Greg White and winemaker Simon Waghorn, Whitehaven Wine Company is a small, family-owned winery with big aspirations. Sourcing fruit from its own estates and from 12 joint venture or contract growers across Marlborough's Wairau and Awatere valleys, Whitehaven quickly established a reputation for producing quality wines. From modest beginnings, the Company now exports wine, through exclusive agents, to Australia, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States.
1995 was the Company's first significant vintage with 5,000 cases produced. The product range included Sauvignon Blanc (50%), Chardonnay (35%), and Riesling (15%). Although the 1995 vintage was the most difficult in Marlborough's history, Whitehaven gained immediate success with a double gold medal Riesling (Sydney Top 100 and Liquorland Top 100). 1995 Sauvignon Blanc also gained early recognition achieving 5 stars in Cuisine magazine and a rating in the top 5 Sauvignon Blancs in New Zealand. This achievement was repeated when the 1996 Sauvignon was ranked 4th in New Zealand out of 129 Sauvignons tasted by the Cuisine tasting panel and again in 1999, when two different Whitehaven sauvignons were placed 4th and 7th. The 1999 Sauvignon also won multiple gold medals and a Trophy for the best Sauvignon Blanc at the 2000 Royal Easter Show. Whitehaven Sauvignon has now been awarded "Classic Wine" status by the New Zealand Wine Annual.
Production rose to 13,000 cases from the low yielding 2000 vintage and included Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Noble Riesling. Pinot Noir is considered by many to have an exciting future in Marlborough and the Company has now built production of this variety to commercial levels with plans for further substantial growth in the next few years.
The Company sources fruit from 28 hectares of its own vineyards and from 12 joint-venture and contracted growers located in proven vineyard sites across Marlborough's Wairau and Awatere valleys.
Whitehaven wines are marketed through exclusive agents in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States.
In March 1999, Whitehaven Wines purchased the restaurant attached to the winery and set about transforming it into a new winery dining experience, the Whitehaven Cafe.
Now you can enjoy the cosy ambience of a log fire in Whitehaven's historic 142 year old building, or bask in the warm sunshine in the secluded cottage garden.
Whitehaven is determined to remain a small, focused wine company, where the considerable talents of both winemaker and growers can be combined to produce powerful, elegant varietal wines with distinctive regional character.