Heritage

Rock Ferry Wines was launched in 2005 when grape grower Tom Hutchison and his wife Fiona made small volumes of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay from their Marlborough vineyard, The Corners. The name Rock Ferry was chosen for the wine label, inspired by a heritage site on the banks of the Wairau River, where the early settlers safely crossed the river by horse and dray. A farmhouse cottage, owned by Tom and Fiona, located at the original crossing site is currently operated as self contained accommodation.

The initial aim was to craft fine wine that was truly expressive of the site and region, wines with a ‘sense of place’. With the development of Trig Hill Vineyard in Central Otago in 2003 and just recently The Orchard Block Vineyard in Marlborough, Rock Ferry Wines now encompasses a diverse range of cool climate wine styles from two of the premier winegrowing regions of New Zealand. All three vineyards are farmed organically with the Corners being the first site to achieve full organic certification in 2009.

With the construction of our state-of-the-art winery in 2009 and our commitment to using a combination of traditional winemaking techniques and modern vinification, the aim remains; to capture the pure distinct flavours from each site and region and to offer to you our ‘modern take on tradition’.