Esk Valley Winemakers

Mr Merlot does it again as Esk Valley reign at Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Esk Valley Estate added a new line to its own history book at the 28th Air New Zealand Wine Awards in the Hawkes Bay over the weekend. Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2013 took out the Champion Merlot, Cabernet and Blends Trophy, further confirming Esk Valleys reputation for this style of red wine.

Esk Valleys Hawkes B...

Bird constructed the Glenvale winery and cellars in 1933, including the concrete fermentation vats that are still used to this day. Fortified wines were the mainstay of Glenvale's production until the late 1970's when the Esk Valley brand was created, for a range of premium table wines.

Over-production in the New Zealand wine industry in the early 1980's led to devastating price wars. Amongst the casualties of this era was Glenvale, wh...

Hawkes Bay - Gimblett Gravels

Until the massive flood of 1867, the Omahu Channel of the Ngaruroro River flowed through what is now known as the Gimblett Gravels, dumping gravel and heavy sands. When the river changed its course following the earthquake that devastated Napier in 1931, it left behind 800 hectares of land, which in a pastoral community, was deemed worthless.

Today, the Gimblett Gravels area is rapidly becoming one of t...

"Winemaking doesn’t get much more ‘hands on’ than this" says Esk Valley’s Senior Winemaker, Gordon Russell as he pushes a long-handled wooden plunger down into a concrete vat containing three and a half tonnes of grapes harvested from the winery’s famed The Terraces vineyard.

If these 70 year-old concrete vats could talk, they would tell a story of year after year of vintages passing through them…

Once the fermentation process begin...

Gordon Russell, Senior Winemaker

Gordon Russell has established himself as one of New Zealand's most recognised winemaking identities with his passionate approach to winemaking, and the enormous success he has achieved with his wines in tastings and competitions. Gordon was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Following University, Gordon's desire to travel took him to England and Europe for three years.

Gordon had always been interes...