Situated 20 minutes from Queenstown in Bendigo, Peregrine’s estate vineyards were first planted in 1999. The first plantings were Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling.
Beginning the conversion to Organic in 2009, all of Peregrine’s vintages and varietals since 2017 comply with New Zealand’s BioGro Organic specifications. Crops such as ryecorn are planted seasonally – they are harvested for winter feed, or grazed off by cattle and worked back into the soil. This conditions the soil and builds up humus (organic matter) which is essential for soil health and plant growth. Cattle clear off coarse vegetation such as lupins and rosehips, and Wiltshire sheep eat down spring and summer grass growth, and keep the vineyard floor tidy after harvest.
We first tried Peregrine’s Pinot Noir on a trip to the South Island back in 2005 and have been fans ever since – and we’re not the only ones. At the 2019 Organic Wine of the Year Competition in New Zealand Peregrine took out three Gold Medals for the Peregrine Pinot Noir 2017, Peregrine Riesling 2018 and the Saddleback Pinot Noir 2018.
Commissioned for business in December 2003, the stunning Peregrine Winery building has won international awards and accolades for its design and construction. Modelled on the wingspan of a Peregrine (the native falcon or Karearea) as it glides on thermal air rising from the heated land.
To find out more about Peregrine you can visit their website here
