October 2025
This month, we explore threads. Not of the social media kind, but those that connect our wines to their origins. Some spanning 150 million years, others emerging from the simple poetry of language and art.
Steve Smith MW recently made a connection between destiny and terroir, revealing how the limestone soils beneath our Waikari vineyard share a geological kinship with Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Both regions were formed in ancient tropical seas, their foundations laid by the same forces that would eventually create the perfect conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. What adds another layer to this story is that our vineyard's address – 548 Pyramid Valley Road – coincidentally mirrors the number of one of Burgundy's most prized Chardonnay selections, now finding its new home in our Lion's Tooth and Field of Fire blocks.
Our CEO MJ Loza shares his own fascination with words and their hidden stories, weaving together his love of etymology, the humble dandelion, and our Lion's Tooth Chardonnay. His reflection on language as a vessel for place and meaning offers another lens through which to understand how we connect to the land we tend. We also chat with botanical artist Jo Ewing, whose detailed illustrations grace our labels, about her process of capturing both scientific accuracy and the essential spirit of the plants that grow alongside our vines. Her work bridges the gap between art and science, much like winemaking itself.
These stories converge around the release of our 2023 Botanicals Collection – five wines that represent the pinnacle of our viticultural and winemaking achievements, each named for the botanical that defines its vineyard block. With a plethora of dente-de-lion popping up around our vineyards, spring has well and truly sprung here in New Zealand – we hope you are enjoying the seasonal changes wherever you are reading.
Click here for the full issue.
Steve Smith MW Natalie Grace
Editor at Large Chief Editor