The Story
Formerly an apricot orchard, the Tūpari vineyard sits at an altitude of 150m-200m atop magnificent cliffs with some of the best views in the valley. These cliffs inspired our name - Tūpari meaning "cliff" in Maori. It is from our vineyard, nestled between our farm and the swift flowing Awatere river, that we bring the essence of our land to the world in our collection of wines.
We celebrate our place with our special Tūpari pattern which was designed by Auckland textile designer Patricia Edwards. Called the ‘spirit of Tupari’, Patricia has created a pattern that uses a stylised ‘kowhaiwhai’ to symbolise the Awatere River and the Tūpari cliffs.
Tūpari is our business, our lifestyle and our home. We guard carefully against polluting our land, keeping it pure and safe for our animals, our children, the whole family… and you, the ones enjoying our wines. Tūpari is a labour of love, and it is our pleasure to share our wines with you.
Bringing you a taste of our land
Our land and vineyard offers some of the best and most unique growing characteristics you can find. Our winemaker Glenn has hand selected the planting areas for their unique flavour profiles. To intensify the flavour of the grapes, we use the shoot and bunch thinning technique to produce low-cropping levels. When harvest approaches, Glenn is found in the vineyard tasting the grapes to pinpoint the perfect moment to harvest. And this is what makes all the difference. The grapes are picked when they taste right and our wine quality is a reflection of that attention.
Sustainability and 0% chemical residue rating
Tūpari wines carry New Zealand Wine Growers sustainability accreditation and we are committed to sustainable viticulture and winemaking practices. We are proud to boast a 0% chemical residue rating – bringing you the promise and taste of pure wine that is growing from a genuine care and friendship with our land.