Opou Vineyard
· Papatu Road, Manu tuk e, Gisborne - Established 1969
· Size: 7.73 Hectares
· Soil Type: Waihirere heavy silt loam - mottled subsoil phase and Kaiti clay loam
· Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Riesling
On the southern side of the Waipaoa River, Opou vineyard was originally planted in 1969 in the times when the New Zealand wine industry started expanding into table
It is now planted with a vast selection of Chardonnay clones and Riesling of famous selections from the Giesenheim Institute in Germany and ENTAV in France.
"I like diversity in my vineyards in order to break up the monoculture and give a haven for the birds and insects. So we have planted a hedge way in the middle of this vineyard of Navel Oranges. This was done primarily to give us fruit to eat while working in the vineyard during the season, we also find that when these citrus trees start flowering in November they evoke a beautiful aroma of citrus blossom right across the vineyard. We believe that our Riesling wine possesses some similar aromas to this citrus blossom. As the grapevines flower at the same time as the citrus, we think there is compatibility here. The biodynamic expression is 'the sharing of astrality'." James Millton
· Size: 7.73 Hectares
· Soil Type: Waihirere heavy silt loam - mottled subsoil phase and Kaiti clay loam
· Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Riesling
On the southern side of the Waipaoa River, Opou vineyard was originally planted in 1969 in the times when the New Zealand wine industry started expanding into table
It is now planted with a vast selection of Chardonnay clones and Riesling of famous selections from the Giesenheim Institute in Germany and ENTAV in France.
"I like diversity in my vineyards in order to break up the monoculture and give a haven for the birds and insects. So we have planted a hedge way in the middle of this vineyard of Navel Oranges. This was done primarily to give us fruit to eat while working in the vineyard during the season, we also find that when these citrus trees start flowering in November they evoke a beautiful aroma of citrus blossom right across the vineyard. We believe that our Riesling wine possesses some similar aromas to this citrus blossom. As the grapevines flower at the same time as the citrus, we think there is compatibility here. The biodynamic expression is 'the sharing of astrality'." James Millton
