SANDIHURST

"Being blessed with the ideal conditions in which to create exquisite wines is only part of what makes Sandihurst Winery of Christchurch, New Zealand, an international award-winner. It was a selfless journey of discovery so that we might one day bring you our acclaimed varietals, and such that you might experience the pure joy thereof. One of the first commercial vineyard in Canterbury, Sandihurst Winery has been subject to brutal transformation and rivitalisation since we, Hennie and Celia Bosman, laid our roots here in 2005. The results have been widely acknowledged amongst those in the the know as A Good Thing. So too has our revered winemaker, Kirk Bray".

"The beauty of our grapes has been compared to that of Venus. And rightly so. Each has been lovingly nurtured and tendered to the point of perfection. Only then are they gently coerced from their vines. We source our grapes from specialist vineyards in the iconic wine regions of the South Island. Those for our Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay are grown at our vineyard here in West Melton and in Waipara. Grapes for our Sauvignon Blanc come from Marlborough, and for our exceptional Pinot Noirs we turn to Central Otago and again to Waipara".

kIRK BRAY

A native of Christchurch, and a curious wanderer of distant shores, Kirk's talent for beautiful wines can, at least in part, be attributed to his dark decade in chartered accountancy. There, amongst the spreadsheets, columns and rows, Kirk is said to have developed the finely-tuned attention to detail he was later to apply to Sandihurst's advantage.

It was following a culturally eye-opening period in Europe and Asia that Kirk experienced the moment of truth that was to drive him to abandon his pinstripes and retrain. He had tasted life, French pastries and dim sum and now he wanted more. So, roll up his neatly pressed sleeves he did. Enlightened and decidedly un-accountant-like, Kirk then took his new-found talents to California and Germany's Pfalz where he refined his vinous skills and gained further invaluable experience. And a family. Finally, and after several happy years, the lure of New Zealand proved too strong to resist, and Kirk returned home and into the veritable arms of Sandihurst Winery.