The mighty Wairau River - lifeblood of the Marlborough regionstarts in the Southern Alps flowing 170kms (110 miles) down the Wairau Valley to the Pacific Ocean
THE ROSE FAMILY
Wairau River wine is named after the braided Marlborough river, where Phil & Chris Rose planted their first grapes back in 1978.
The Rose family’s legacy is intrinsically tied to the Rapaura district of Marlborough, New Zealand. In the 1970s, Phil & Chris Rose overcame strong and prolonged opposition and eventually obtained consent to plant their first grapevines along the banks of the Wairau River in 1978. Their determination that viticulture could be a successful industry for Marlborough became pivotal in changing the course of the Marlborough region’s wine history.
What started as an agricultural operation and crop farming has turned into one of the most dynamic and innovative wineries in Marlborough. Today, wines made entirely from this family-owned and run estate continue to set the standard for New Zealand wines of exceptional quality.
The Rose family
Family is at the heart of Wairau River, both literally and encompassing the wider team. Several of Phil & Chris Rose’s adult children (and their partners) are at the helm of Wairau River today.
The depth of experience and knowledge is spread across the whole business with key Sales, Winemaking and Vitculture roles held for 15 years and more. The team spirit throughout the company comes from strong shared values and sense of belonging.
Chief winemaker, Nick Entwistle sums this up by saying “it’s something very special to have everyone involved and so engaged with what we’re trying to achieve as a team”.
The edge of the river is a special place, where soil, climate and terrain combine to produce outstanding wines.
Left to right: Hamish Rose, Nick Entwistle, Sam Rose and Phil Rose.
VITICULTURE AND WINEMAKING
The Rose family have strategically increased their vineyard holdings, focusing on the northern side of the Wairau Valley, to ensure quality, stylistic integrity and supply. Estate vineyards of more than 480ha, the winery in one of them, the others just ten minutes away, means fruit is processed within an hour of picking, maximizing flavor concentration, freshness and quality.
Viticulturalist Hamish Rose and brother, Winemaker Sam Rose share a lifetime of experience in these vineyards, drawing on it every vintage. Each of the 14 vineyard sites have distinct flavor profiles that allow the team lead by Nick Entwistle to create the elegant, beautifully balanced wines Wairau River is known for, year on year.
Beginning with the first vintage in 1991, Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc has won best Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for multiple vintages, including 2023. Alongside the multi-award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau River is renowned for exceptional Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
70% of New Zealand’s vineyard area
NEW ZEALAND
family-owned vineyards
Home Block
Angler
Kaituna
Mahers
Riverlore
Crusher
Pak Lim
Rapaura
Burnside
Grovetown
Longbend
Cravens
Hillocks
Spring creek
Auckland Wellington
Marlborough
Christchurch
Wairau River Wairau
TASTING NOTES
Intense lifted notes of ripe tropical fruits and citrus on the nose. Refined and elegant, displaying a finely textured palate with flavors of guava and stone fruit. Wonderfully expressive with a fresh, dry finish.
FLAVOR PROFILE
VINIFICATION
Sourced from our family vineyards across the Marlborough region, these grapes were harvested in the cool hours of the morning, gently pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After blending the wine is left to settle on light lees before bottling.
Passionfruit
Grapefruit
TASTING NOTES
Baked spiced pears and subtle white floral aromatics on the nose, combine with a palate that is weighty and textural with notes of candied lime and stone fruit. Off-dry, the palate is perfectly balanced with natural residual sweetness and fine mineral acidity.
FLAVOR PROFILE
Floral Citrus
Pear Spices
VINIFICATION
Grapes were de-stemmed and gently pressed, followed by fermentation in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to retain the delicate floral and fruit aromatics. Prior to blending, individual parcels were kept on light lees for an extended period to help build texture and complexity on the palate.
PINOT GRIS
PINOT NOIR
TASTING NOTES
Concentrated raspberry and red cherry notes are supported by rich savory complexity. The palate is soft and generous, with notes of wild berries and bramble framed by subtle elegant tannins providing structure and depth.
FLAVOR PROFILE
Cherries Raspberries
VINIFICATION
Spices Earth
Grapes were harvested in the cool of the morning to retain vibrancy and focus. Gentle de-stemming was followed by cold maceration pre-fermentation, with gentle hand plunging used during fermentation to extract color and tannins. The skins were gently basket pressed, with the wine matured in French oak barriques, prior to blending and bottling.
Mary Schneier, winemaker
Our river graphic is not one, but three different depictions of the topography of the braided Wairau River.
Each varietal uses all three illustrations echoing the river’s ever-changing path.
OUR LABEL AND MAKERS’ MARK KEY GRAPHIC
different depictionsOurkeyrivergraphicisnotone,ofthemightyWairau Eachvarietalincludesallthreeillustrations Thiswhich echo theriver’sever-changinguniqueapproachcreatesaninteresting discovery forconsumers.
one,butthree ever-changingillustrationsWairauRiver. path. interesting
The Rose Family Estate proudly stands behind the Wairau River wine brand.
Our Makers’ Mark crest symbolizes the Rose family’s unwavering commitment to quality, craftsmanship and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
FOCUS
“As a farming family our decision making has always been grounded in our responsibilities to the land and our people. Recognizing that traditional farming was not the best fit for the land was our first step towards growing grapes. From land to table, Rose Family Estate is committed to not just mitigating but positively impacting the environment and people. We know this requires creative thinking, innovative solutions and action, it needs to be a way of life”
Lindsay Parkinson - CEO, Rose Family Estate
ENVIRONMENT
FROM LAND TO TABLE Water/ Climate Change & Energy/ Packaging &Plastic
GROWN WITH CONSCIENCE Plant & Soil/ Ethical Procurement
GOVERNANCE
LEADING WITH TRANSPARENCY
Open Communication
SOCIAL
GROUNDED IN FAMILY Our people & Community
Glass bottles, with packaging and transport, represent a whopping 68% of a typical wine producer’s carbon emissions. For over 15 years we have used the lightest available NZ made glass. At 416gms vs an industry average of 550gm - there’s a 25% reduction in weight and significantly decreases our carbon emissions.
3000+ riparian plants and trees have been planted along our river boundaries and waterways. This is an ongoing project, where we increase the area each year and includes restoration of a wetland at our Hillock’s Road vineyard. Riparian planting allows natural filtering of run off water, provides habitat for endemic species of birds, insects and water life,re-mediating and supporting the ecosystems.
Launched in 1995, SWNZ is widely recognized as a world-leading sustainability program and was one of the first to be established in the wine world. We have been accredited since inception and display the logo on our labels.
100% of our electric energy comes from renewable sources. Including solar, geothermal, hydro and wind.
Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc continues to impress and grow in popularity and we’re honored to be recognized as an Impact Hot Prospect in 2022 and 2023.
The criteria for this prestigious award is as follows: depletions of at least 50,000, but not over 200,000 in 2023, at least 15% depletions’ growth in 2023, and consistent growth in 2021 and 2022.
Proud partners for more than 30 years
