Esk Valley sources the grapes it uses to produce its fine wines from two main wine regions in New Zealand - Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. All the fruit that goes to make Esk Valley wines comes either from their own vineyards or from long-term contracts with local growers who are all supported by a dedicated viticultural team. This combination enables Esk Valley to maintain a consistent, high quality. Just behind the old winery lies Esk's famous terraced vineyard, believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand, with its stunning views over the bay and out to sea; home of the renowned ‘Heipipi The Terraces' wine.

Stony vineyard sites in the Wairau Valley (40%) and further south in the cooler Awatere Valley were selected for this wine. The Wairau Valley fruit provides the blended wine with structure and tropical fruit notes while the Awatere Vineyard offers acidity and pungent notes of nettle, pea pods and gooseberry. The vineyards are all carefully managed and crop thinned in the pursuit of quality fruit.

The individual vineyard parcels were harvested and transported to the winery for immediate pressing to capture the freshness of the fruit. Fermentation was conducted at cool temperatures utilising selected yeast strains. At the completion of fermentation, the finished wines were left on lees and stirred to gain richness and complexity before blending and bottling.

This dry wine is a perfect match for seafood and many Asian inspired dishes.