15 July 2013
Stonecroft Purchases Vineyard in Prime Hawke’s Bay Location
Boutique winery Stonecroft has purchased a new vineyard in the renowned GIMBLETT GRAVELS WINE GROWING DISTRICT™ in
Hawke’s Bay.
The acquisition of this vineyard compliments Stonecroft’s existing holdings in the region. It is conveniently located
between Stonecroft’s other two vineyards, on the corner of Mere Road and State Highway 50. The vineyard was previously
owned by the Mills Reef Trust.
The grape varieties at the vineyard are Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The majority of the Syrah is MS or mass selection
and it originally came from Stonecroft, which has the oldest Syrah vines in New Zealand. The vines at the newly acquired
vineyard are low yielding and the rows closely planted, as is commonly seen in parts of France. The vineyard has been
expertly set up by Mills Reef and carefully managed. It is an ideal site for premium red wines.
Dermot McCollum, owner of Stonecroft, comments; ‘This is a great opportunity for us. It will enable us to better meet
the increasing demands of our customers. The varieties are a great fit for us and the vineyard is in an excellent
location in the Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District.’
Dermot plans to convert the vineyard to organic management and will immediately start the three year process required
for certification. Stonecroft’s two existing vineyards are already certified organic.
The additional fruit will enable Stonecroft to make more GIMBLETT GRAVELS® wine in the future, at the same quality level
as their existing wines. The small, family owned winery is experiencing high demand for its wines, particularly from
export markets.
ENDS