Hawkes Ridge Wine Estate vineyard is established on an ancient river terrace in Mangatahi, Hawke’s Bay, with dry stony free draining soil. It is close to the central mountain chain that protects the Bay from most of the prevailing western weather. It also has hills to North, South and to some extent the East as well. This has the effect of sheltering the vineyard from the influence of the sea. Typically the summers are hot and dry, with cooler night time temperatures compared to other wine growing areas of Hawke’s Bay. This extends the ripening period of the grapes allowing them to develop more concentrated flavours.

Each vintage is different because of the uniqueness of climate and seasonal viticultural care. These seasonal changes provide the highest quality wines that display the highlights from the vintage, together with the inherent characteristics of the variety. The vineyard is located primarily on the top terrace, at a high altitude for the Hawke’s Bay (190m above sea level), and has a northerly aspect to maximise sunlight exposure. The variable soils throughout the vineyard have a noticeable effect on the flavour profiles of the grapes.

At vintage the best bunches are hand picked. This allows many differing wine making options to enhance the complexity of Hawkes Ridge wines. They are gently pressed in our winery, then fermented in small batches and stored in barrels until ready for bottling months (or sometimes) years later.

Hawkes Ridge Wine Estate wines are single varietals from our vineyard
– Pinot Noir and Tempranillo are the reds and Pinot Gris, Viognier and Semillon are the aromatic whites.