Clark Estate Pinot Grigio Rosato (2022)

Climate conditions high in the Awatere Valley can often resemble that of the hills around Veneto, Italy.  Hot days and cool dry nights with fresh sea breezes blowing off the Pacific Ocean help to ripen the fruit slowly, perfect conditions for the Italian style of Pinot Grigio.  Made in the same dry and fruit driven style, this wine is beautiful, with a hint of pink. Our Pinot Grigio is fresh and colourful with orchard apple aromas and dry to taste with a lovely mineral acidity that cleanses the palate beautifully...Ciao Bella!

Viticulture 

Our vines are now sending their roots deep into the old soils of the Upper Awatere valley, soils which have been molded over the millennia and the vines struggle to find the nutrients they need, helping to reduce the crop naturally, giving us small but flavoursome fruit every year. Harvest begins before the grapes become too ripe, to capture the fresh crisp flavours of the Pinot Gris grape.  The berries are healthy and pop off the vine as the harvester gently makes its way down each row under the watchful eye of clear night skies.

Winemaking

After time on skins to let the colour seep out, the juice is separated from the skins and fermented slowly in stainless steel tanks until dry.  Once finished, the wine is racked off yeast lees and left to relax until bottling. 

THE PRODUCER –

After long careers as soldier and nurse, Peter & Jane bought a few sheep paddocks by the Black Birch Stream in the Awatere Valley and established 20 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, from scratch. From 1999 to 2002, the early days, they set about learning how to manage a vineyard. To help fund the venture Peter would often be working in Wellington during the week leaving Jane to train the 22,000 new vines on her own. They would work together all weekend spending the night in their old caravan.
In 2003: dark clouds and a silver lining – after two modest harvests the new crop was completely destroyed by a late spring frost with no grape income for another 18 months and more travel for Peter. Facing the reality of the hardship in operating a vineyard they faced the possibility of giving up. However, the story took a different turn and the hope of realizing their dream was renewed. In 2003 their son Simon Clark joined the team after completing his BVO and working vintages in Australia, Germany and New Zealand.
In 2003 they relocated an old villa from Blenheim to the vineyard and achieved Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand accreditation and in 2007 daughter Sarah joined them in the sales and marketing role and her sister Jen also helps with wine dispatch.
In 2008 The Clark Estate/Boreham Wood label was born as they converted their entire crop into their own wine. With 12,000 cases and a global recession they had to get better at selling. By early 2009 the gamble paid off with major new export customers in the USA and Australia and a growth in sales in New Zealand. In 2012 Simon took the reins as head winemaker and they won their first gold medal for their Sauvignon Blanc setting the scene for the years to date with more medal-winning wines.

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