Huia Vineyards

We have bud burst 🥳

There is no mistaking it-but bud burst is that splendid moment that happens in the vineyard each spring as the vines wake up.
They draw on the energy they've stored deep within their trunks and roots through the winter to push out the first green leaves of a new growth cycle.

Super exciting 🙌

10% off our 2020 Huia Pinot Noir, this week only.
Use code PINOTNOIR24 at checkout

www.huiavineyards.com

Next up for meet the crew, we have the amazing Helen!
Helen has been with Huia for a number of years. She has a wealth of knowledge and is extraordinary member of the team!

What is your role at Huia?
I am the Accounts and Logistics Manager.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Anything but Accounts and Logistics.

Do you have a favorite wine fact?
The Ancient Romans would drop toasted or burnt bread into their wine to soften the taste of very acidic or unpleasant wine, hence the term Toasting.

What does Organic wine mean to you?
The commitment to growing, making and drinking organic wine is one way that we can lighten our step on this amazing planet. It really is an honor to be part of a company that has chosen this path.

Do you have a favorite food?
Mangos. Ripe and fresh straight from the tree.

Bit of a cold start this morning in Marlborough, but the sun is shining, and it's a beautiful day.
Our vineyard is looking amazing, getting ready for vintage 25!

Celebrate Pinot Noir Day with Huia!

Our 2020 Pinot Noir is boasting with notes of alpine strawberries, dark cherries and violets with juicy acidity and notes of toasted oak on the palate.

To celebrate, we are offering a 10% discount on Pinot Noir.
Just use the code PINOTNOIR24 at the checkout.
(offer valid from the 18th till the 24th of August 2024)
BioGro NZ

Down to Earth, Organic wine week, tasting event

Wellington - 17 September, Prefab Hall, 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Auckland - 19 September, Brad's Warehouse, 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Early bird tickets are on sale now!

The most highly anticipated event of Organic Wine Week, Down to Earth brings people together in a vibrant atmosphere, with thoughtful food, and delicious organic wines poured by producers

We will be showcasing 3 of our spectacular wines at the Auckland event, come along and meet Mel, our amazing Cellar Door Manager with a passion for organic wines!

Over the next few weeks we will be getting to know the crew from behind the scenes at Huia and learning some fun facts about them.

First up is our winemaker extraordinaire, Josh!

How did you first get into wine?
I grew up in a wine drinking family so it was always something I was interested in.
I never considered production until I worked for an insurance company who
offered me money to study whatever I wanted. I wanted to do something that
wasn’t sitting behind a desk so I found a degree in viticulture and oenology, quit
my job and decided to get a job in a vineyard to fund my studies.

Do you have a favorite wine fact?
If red wine was alkali rather than acidic, it would be blue.

What does Organic wine mean to you?
We are very lucky to be able to farm our land organically. Our environment
buzzes with activity from insects, birds and our resident bees. For me, organic
wines are more characterful and better reflect the place they come from.

What’s your favorite hot spot in Marlborough?
Fidelio, the local wine bar. They have great live music and a fantastic wine list

Today we say farewell to Lucy as she embarks on an overseas journey to undertake a vintage in Oregon.

Lucy has been with Huia for the past year working in the cellar and in the lab.

We will miss her bright and bubby personality around the place but wish her all the best for her future adventures.

"But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
-Albus Dumbledore

Piwakawaka, also known as a fantail is an indigenous New Zealand bird. This delightful little fellow is an insectivorous. As the vineyards of Huia are farmed organically and without the use of pesticides, there's plenty of food about for this wee guy to enjoy. It's all part of the importance of creating a diverse environment and working towards reducing the monoculture of a vineyard.
Photograph

Huia Pinot Noir 2020
Made from a blend of four Marlborough vineyards Quarters, Andahlane, Kennedys Road and including the Huia home block, this wine boasts a beguiling richness with notes of alpine strawberries, dark cherry, violets, cranberries, cinnamon, clove, hay and roasted hazelnuts on the nose with juicy acidity beautifully balanced with the generous notes of toasted oak, cherry pie, strawberries, wild thyme, marjoram, cacao and Chinese 5 spice on the palate.


Photograph .beattie

We take our name from the Huia — a legendary bird indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Huia mated for life, their distinct male and female beaks a result of their close cooperation without which they could not survive.
The last sighting of this magnificent bird was in 1907. Sadly now extinct the Huia acts as a reminder of how precious our natural world is and how it must be protected. That is something we feel strongly about.
These two Huia that captured beautifully by Dr Fiona Pardington as part of Huia Vineyards celebration in 2016, also represent balance and partnership. Like the Huia bird, we don’t make it far on our own. We all do better together.
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Inseparable Huia 2016. With thanks to Canterbury Museum, New Zealand.
© Fiona Pardington Courtesy Starkwhite, New Zealand.

We recently said goodbye to our seasonal harvest staff. This guy, Jakub Lampart, stuck around for a little bit longer but alas he too has now flown the coup. This picture sums up his time with us, one hand on the iPhone to capture any action that might ensue and the other tasting grapes and lending a hand in anyway that might assist the winemaking team. Thanks Jakub! It's been a pleasure.

A small spot of serenity as captured by local photographer, Jim Tannock for Huia Estate.

Huia Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Made from 100% certified organic Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
A blend from two vineyards, Huia home block and Churton providing well-draining alluvial soils, sandy silts and river stones ensure sun heat warms the soil for tropical flavours.
Sight: Pale straw with a green tinge
Smell: Cantaloupe, tropical fruits, passionfruit, keylime pie, honeysuckle flowers.
Taste: Granny Smith apple. Gooseberry. Pie crust andhazelnuts.
Texture: Rich with raw acidity. Evolving length.


photograph .beattie

Winemaking is a science. Perhaps more flexible than the science of baking (!) but definitely a science.

Sometimes it's just plain simple. A deliciously crisp, palate-cleansing Huia Sauvignon Blanc and a hot dog in a basket.


Photograph .beattie

Skin contact.
Colour. Tannins. Flavour. Texture. Depth.

These two. The yin and yang, the Simon and Garfunkel, the Sonny and Cher... well maybe not those last two but there is no winemaker without the grape grower.
Josh and Andy share a laugh (as per) in the vines, where it all starts.

Our place. Tucked in our own, little spot along the golden mile in Marlborough, New Zealand. Huia Estate.

Huia Riesling 2023 ~ Racy acidity tempered with a tiny amount of residual sugar placing this wine very much in the dry style. Lemon zest, pie crust, granny smith apple and daffodils lead to a flinty, mineral finish. Great with an oyster or two.

> available to purchase online now

At Huia we're a small team and a hands-on winery. Time spent in the vines on a daily basis delivers a connection to the land that is beneficial for our own mindset and understanding what sort of wines our place will produce.

Our beautiful Sparkling Rosé dressed in its delicate modernist rose print from one of Kate Sylvester’s stunning collections called “Frances”. This collection was designed to pay homage to iconic NZ artist, Frances Hodgkins.
This vintage is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes that are certified organic and estate grown on the Huia vineyard in Rapaura, Marlborough.
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photograph .beattie

Hand-plunging is something winemakers do to push the grape skins back down into the vats. The skins initially float to the top of the vats but if left and not plunged, the skins form a solid cap on the top of the juice. The skin contact ensures that all of their colour and tannin are infused into the wine. It also evens out the temperature and prevents wine spoilage. A labour intensive but fulfilling part of making wine.
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Photo of Josh hand-plunging at harvest by

What to nibble on while sipping on the Huia Chardonnay 2022.
Chardonnay is a versatile wine and pairs equally well with a punchy, fragrant soft cheese as it does with a serious charcuterie platter of coppa and bressaola.
Naturally, it’s a doozy for white fish but one our all time favourites is premium tinned sardines popped on freshly toasted sour dough bread with lashings of butter, a decent handful of ripped Italian parsley and a goodly pinch of salt.
Sometimes simple is best, like a cute little dish of olives and and handful of roasted almonds.

The Huia Chardonnay 2022 is available online now
huiavineyards.com
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photograph .beattie

Huia Winemaker, Josh Lee and Viticulture Manager, Andy Gillions recently seen grafting it out for the 2024 harvest...
and as cover boys for the April edition of Marlborough Winepress Magazine.
Marlborough Wine
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Cover shot

Friday 3rd May is Sauvignon Blanc Day. The perfect excuse to pop a bottle in the fridge tonight and knock off a little early for some savvy staff drinks! 😉 (see what we did there?)
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photograph .beattie

Huia Wine Store
Our wine store will be open Monday to Friday, 10.30am to 4pm so you can buy your favourite Huia wine to take home all year round.

Cellar Door Tastings
Winter hours starting 1st May
Hosted tastings will be held at 12pm and at 2pm only, Wednesday to Saturday.
Bookings recommended to avoid disappointment.
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huiavineyards.com

Harvest is hard graft. You need good people around and sometimes you just need to take a moment to share a glass and crisps with those good people.
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photography

We had a masterclass in biodynamic prep from James Millton recently. We're very keen to ensure the soil structure of our vineyards is rich in life and welcomes diversity and believe biodynamic practice helps facilitate that...and it's really good fun getting your hands dirty and feeling life in the earth.
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