Family Owned.
Estate Grown. Established 1996
A delicious range of wines which are a reflection of dramatically beautiful mountain vineyards set across two sub-regions – Bannockburn and Pisa, Central Otago.
Sir Clive and Lady Marie Skeggs purchased the land for Akarua in 1995, planting began in 1996.
The name Akarua was chosen to honour the establishment of the estate; two Maori words together meaning “two vines”, referring to the original varietals planted, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The 2002 vintage of Akarua Pinot Noir threw the estate into the media spotlight for the first time, receiving a trophy from Air New Zealand Wine Awards for “Best Wine of Show’.
From the 2010 vintage, under the supervision of renowned sparkling wine specialist Dr Tony Jordan, Akarua released their range of Methode Traditionelle sparkling wines.
The two varietals used to establish the estate (both traditional Champagne varietals) Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, were utilised. Dr Jordan had identified the climate of Central Otago to be perfect for production of sparkling wines which became evident in the fine acid structure and complexity of the wines.
Akarua’s Methode Traditionelle range went on to win numerous trophies and awards both locally and internationally, notably the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.
To find out more about Akarua you can visit their website here