Winery moves into old tobacco building
Anew winery which is home to traditional oak barrels, golden concrete eggs, and a French oak egg has opened its doors in Hawke’s Bay.
The Urban Winery officially opened two weeks ago in the former National Tobacco Company building in Ahuriri after winemaker Tony Bish and his wife Karryn signed a lease in January.
Tony Bish’s decision to open his own winery came after a trip to South America which opened his eyes to the new ways of making wine.
‘‘So I decided to pursue my own passion for making chardonnay and do it in a way that was bringing innovation to the job.’’
The winery includes a barrel hall, with a French oak egg which processes wine in the same way an oak barrel does except it stirs itself, eliminating the need for human intervention. There are also three concrete eggs.
The entire winery can be seen through a glass wall to the left of the front doors. Straight ahead is a cellar door, which ‘‘morphs’’ into a wine bar three nights a week.
He had had his eye on the former National Tobacco Company building for about 20 years, he said.
Also known as the Rothmans building, it is regarded by many as one of Napier’s most elegant commercial buildings dating back to the 1930s.
‘‘It’s such a cool old building and it’s been empty for the last 10 or 12 years, but the owners have only just decided to redevelop it. So when that opportunity came up, I was in like Flynn,’’ Bish said.
The refit of the historic art deco building had taken nine months, and cost close to half a million dollars, he said.
‘‘It was empty, but it was pretty rough. There’s been a lot of work gone into it … I think it’s quite unique.’’
Bish believed it would become a new tourist attraction.
There would also be other wines from the region, as well as some from overseas, he said.
‘‘I’ll have the odd Burgundy, or Bordeaux, and other international wine styles, by the glass as we get up and running to make a diverse offering.’’