ALPHA DOMUS

Alpha Domus winery was established by two generations of the Ham family. It all began in 1989, when the family purchased 50 acres (20 hectares) of bare land on the western Heretaunga Plains in the Hawkes Bay. Planting began in 1991, with advice from a top viticulturist. The vineyard was initially planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Chardonnay Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Later, Viognier and Syrah were also planted.

All Alpha Domus wines are single vineyard and estate grown. The Ham family is committed to producing premium quality wines that are "true to varietal character and are a reflection of their unique terroir". The brand's name was inspired by the first initial of each Ham family member's names; Anthonius, Leonarda, Paulus, Henrikus and Anthonius (Jr).

Barry Riwai

At Alpha Domus our philosophy is to produce premium wines from Hawke's Bay, fully representative of their terroir. These distinctive wines from Hawke's Bay display good varietal characters and are powerful without foresaking the qualities that make a wine enjoyable right through to the last drop. The emphasis is on fruit definition, mid-palate fullness, subtlety, complexity and elegance, and structured to ensure that the wines will age gracefully; a hallmark of Alpha Domus. No manual labour is spared in the production of premium quality grapes. This attention to detail in every growth stage means that bud, shoot thinning and positioning, bunch thinning and second set removal are just some of the passes made in the vineyard annually. Alpha Domus is an accredited member of Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand, an environmentally conscious group dedicated to ensuring an industry standard for sustainable winegrowing.