Grapes were first planted at Heron's Flight Vineyard in 1987, by David Hoskins – a chemist and philosopher turned winemaker, and Mary Evans – a scholar and teacher with a love of history, art and literature.

Heron's Flight follows sustainable ecological principles, and these are incorporated into every aspect of its operations including water conservation, the use of recycled materials, the energy-efficient building design, and the biodiversity of the surrounding heritage gardens

They are the only vineyard in New Zealand specializing solely in Italian grapes. The grape variety Sangiovese means “Blood of Jupiter” and can be traced back 3000 years. Dolcetto means little sweet one and refers to the berries. As a wine it can be traced back to the 16th century.