Waiheke Island
PODERI CRISCI BRINGS ITALIAN INFLUENCE TO WAIHEKE Poderi Crisci is a small boutique vineyard located on Waiheke, originally planted in Merlot, although through planting and grafting, the estate now boasts Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Montepulciano and Arneis varieties to provide a better representation of owner Antonio’s homeland, Italy.
T
he vineyard is located 20 minutes from Oneroa and 10 minutes from Onetangi, in Awaawaroa Bay and lies on 7.7 hectares in a north facing slope set in a sheltered amphitheatre valley on a narrow rocky strip, believed to be 30 million set years older than the rest of the Island. It has an Italian influence in style and a respect of nature with a minimal intervention on the wine making process. All of the vineyard work is carried out by hand with a focus on quality above all else. With fruit estate grown and selectively hand harvested, the grapes are extensively sorted in the vineyard to ensure that only the very best fruit comes into the winery, a second more intensive sorting process is then carried out prior the crushing, finished with a natural melalactic, and aged in French oak barrique with a 25% of new oak for the red variety. For four generations the Crisci family
has been immersed in food and wine. Antonio, born and raised in Napoli, came to NZ in early 1990 and established Toto Restaurant in Nelson Street. With his partner Vivienne Farnell, they opened Non Solo Pizza, an institution in Parnell since 1997 and Bar Vino in 2009. They have owned the vineyard for 5 years. Antonio, a visionary, has transformed the Waiheke vineyard into a place people will visit to wine, dine and have “layers of experience”. They have two daughters, Bella and Marilena and a vineyard cat – Filippo Gatto Crisci. Restaurant and functions manager is James Boyle. James shares Antonio’s passion of food, wine and Poderi Crisci. He has been in the hospitality industry for many years and previously ran Non Solo Pizza 10 years ago. Herb Freidl, is the winemaker.
PODERI CRISCI AT AWAAWAROA BAY, WAIHEKE, NEW ZEALAND. QUITE POSSIBLY THE ONLY PLACE ON EARTH YOU’LL NEED TO BE BI-LINGUAL IN ITALIAN AND MAORI.
A well known Waiheke entity in the vineyard community Herb works with Antonio on the Poderi wines. This collaboration brings synergy, passion and vision to the cellar. Claire Mummery, Head Gardener is a 20 year veteran of gardening, Claire has a passion of providing fresh food for the kitchen The Team at Poderi who all have passion and believe in what we call agro torismo.