100% hand-picked Chardonnay, crushed and pressed into old Burgundian French oak barrels for wild yeast fermentation until dry. The wine was matured in barrel for 14-16 months during which time it underwent full malolactic fermentation.

This is a complex Chardonnay with multiple layers of ripe fruit and richness, along with a chalky minerality on the nose. The palate combines fruit weight and balanced acidity with a tight yet generous structure. This is followed by a long lingering pithy citrus finish with and hints of savouriness.

Musar Jeune is one of our most complex reds in store right now and rocks deliciously earthy dark flavours of black cherries, dates, figs and luscious dry decadence. This maverick blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet is made from grapes grown in the Beqaa Valley, a fertile area in eastern Lebanon, which is also an active war zone. The Beqaa Valley is also known as Bekaa, Biqâ and Becaa and is home to the Hochar family’s famous Chateau Musar, winery renowned by producing complex, unconventional blends of French red grapes. 

An outstanding New Zealand Albarino with complex flavours of salty green olives, freshly picked Granny Smith apples and bright acidity, which adds a zesty note to the flavours of subtly savoury wine. It's rich and full bodied with mouthwatering crisp salivating acidity giving great balance, length and structure.

This wine is pale lemon in colour with fragrant aromas of fresh apples, meyer lemons and a hint of almonds. The palate displays citrus characters with subtle floral characters and creamy texture with a crisp and refreshing finish. Opawa Pinot Gris is a versatile food wine and matches well with a variety of dishes especially lightly spiced Asian influenced cuisine.

Tasting Notes
Nectarine stone, honey dew and lemon zest on the nose lead to a rich creamy texture, finishing with freshness and poise. A fantastic aperitif style that is also well matched with richer dishes of cheese, pork, charcuterie, seafood and poultry.
About the Wine
Grown at Red Bank Vineyard, Alexandra and featuring the Proprietor’s Grandfather, Sydney Neill Wine Merchant, on the label, Picnic Riesling is our perennial favourite and a wonderful introduction to the pleasure of Central Otago Riesling. We think it is just as much a dinner wine as a luncheon – equally enjoyable at home outdoors, as at the Captain’s Table. Hand harvested and crafted in to a delicious refreshing off-dry style appealing to just about everyone on the planet.

Vintage Comments
A mild, wet 2022 winter meant soils held a lot of water going into the spring and inter-row companion crops including clover, phacelia and barley got off to a strong start. Early spring was very cold and then as spring warmed up in November shoot growth was strong. Flowering started the first week in December and fruit set was considered good on most blocks. Mid-summer heat was high and growing degree days were above 2022 and on par with 2019 by the end of the season.

Picking dates were moving forward until the second half of March when the heat ran out and the final ripening was slow and cool. Harvest started on the 27th of March at Red Bank Vineyard and finished on the 21st of April at The First Paddock, Gibbston. Cropping levels were just short of the optimum 2022 crop.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT - Soils are schist based gravelly loams. Own roots – cane cuttings from Felton Road. Single cane, one bunch per shoot and very close planted at 5500 vines per hectare. Both shoot and lateral thinned to reduce crop load. Leaves that expose the grapes when ripening are also plucked off to increase sunlight exposure in to the vine canopy. Hand harvested.

WINE MAKERS NOTES - Hand harvested on the 17th April 2023 at 21 Brix and whole bunch pressed, meaning that the press was loaded with the grapes as intact bunches, versus removing the stems first. This pressed juice was then steeped on those skins (in wine language we call that ‘skin contact’) for 14 hours to extract aromatics and flavour and then it was inoculated with yeast and fermented to ‘just off-dry’ wine. We then left the wine sitting in tank on its lees (spent yeast cells that boost body and complexity) for three months before bottling. Please note the International Riesling scale on the back label.

86% Viognier, 14% Marsanne

TASTING NOTE Apricot, citrus, white peach and acacia blossom aromas burst from the glass giving this wine personality and intensity. The palate is concentrated, dry and savoury; salted plum and sake flavours with an earthy mineral finish. This wine has turned into a delicious, complex number with multiple layers, and is perfectly expressive of the vintage and site upon which it was grown. A wine that’s stands alone or can accompany a variety of dishes through all four seasons. 

VINEYARDS & VITICULTURE Crafted from two small blocks located on the Western point of Waiheke Island, Viognier and Marsanne thrive in the salt laden air. We have predominantly mineralised clay volcanic soils over Jurassic era rock with no irrigation. This type of geology and soil provides wines with great mid-palate weight and minerality. The grapes were hand harvested when flavours peaked inside the small window of optimum ripeness that occurs with Viognier. We practise regenerative viticulture in our vineyards to ensure resilience and longevity of our vines. 

WINEMAKING 2023 saw another load of happy staff foot stomp a portion of the hand harvested Viognier and Marsanne, whilst the remaining fruit was delicately whole bunch pressed. We fermented the juice in a large concrete egg and some French acacia barrels. The wine was then rested on fine lees for 9 months in these same vessels before assemblage and bottling.

Fromm -  "A bright and pure Pinot with good fruit weight and sweet spicy undertones. Layered and harmonious with a structural complexity yet offering lovely drink now approach-ability."

A good beer takes its time. The long storage makes our yellow bright lager, “Original”, a flavourful beer enjoyed with fine pored, white foam. With a mild hoppy note and its pleasant fresh spicy taste, it goes very well with salads, poultry, stews or with a hearty snack. 

Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

5.1% ABV

Best Before: 2027/01/15

Our Korbinian, the full-bodied, dark Doppelbock with light brown foam, wins beer-lovers over with a balance of fruity hints of plums and figs, a dark malt aroma - reminiscent of toffee, nuts and chocolate. Its roasted flavour goes well with smoked meat and fish as well as venison and poultry. 

Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

7.4% ABV

Best Before: 2026/09/15

Deep and dark coloured, cloudy with yeast. Brewed with a darker roasted malt which adds some maltiness to the refreshing flavour of the Hefe-Weissbier.

5% ABV

Best Before: 2027/01/14

The first sip of this amber-orange-coloured Kellerbier reveals a touch of caramel. Its fresh and fruity aroma is owed to the chosen hops and accompanied by a pleasant bitterness. In combination with a well-balanced malt body this wonderfully mild and smooth beer was created to please both, your tongue and mind. The hops chosen are the rare sort “Hallertauer Record” for bittering and "Hallertauer Perle" as well as “Hallertauer Mittelfrüh” for aroma

5.6% ABV

Best Before: 2026/08/15

Go on a discovery: "Meine Hopfenweisse" - the incomparable experience of indulgent drinking, that exceeds all expectations … hoppy, but flowery, bitter and full-bodied, and still with a sweet malty aroma - this is how multifaceted wheat beer can actually be. A real delight in the special Schneider way! And when it comes to spicy dishes or refined chocolates the "Hopfenweisse" unleashes no less than a pleasant tremor of the senses.

8.2% ABV

Best Before: 2027/03/18

The primary grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, which is balanced by Merlot and Cab Franc. These varieties, along with the incredibly gravelly soils which gave the region it’s name, give you an extremely earthy wine with plenty of power and character.

The nose has notes of dark fruit, damp grass, mushroom and crushed stones. The palate continues the trend but adds mouth drying tannins; dark fruit character comes through. The finish is slightly herbaceous with notes of toasted cedar.
 A great glimpse of Graves at a great price.

100% Furmint from four vineyards growing on volcanic sites in the famous Tokaj region of Hungary. Fermentation and maturation are both in 100% stainless steel to preserve the fruit forward nature of the wine. That said there is plenty to texture and complexity with almond notes and refreshing minearlity.  

100% Harslevelu from the  Siklós, Zuhánya Cru

Age of vine - stocks:    plantation in 2006

Yield:    1-2 kg/vine - stock

Cultivation  method:    Middle- high cordon training system

Harvest:    End of October 2020

Vinification+ maturation:   After light crush and destemming, 1 night maceration then fermentation in  stainless steel tanks. After fermentation finished, 10 months aging in 5 hl oak barrels on fine lees.

Bottled:    February 2014.    3.300 bottles

Tasting notes:   Floral aromas explodes as wine gets into glass. Oak fermentation and aging promises a complex, vigorous, exciting wine. Concentrated, deep and mineral at once, a great gun amongst white wines. The elegancy and richness shows how excellent a white wine can be amongst the reds in Villany wine region.