Americans buy Otago vineyard
As we get an understanding of the wine coming off the vineyard we will release a single vineyard wine off this site. Andy Crozier
The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) has given American vineyard owners Marquis and Dianne Sauvage the green light to buy a 6.4 hectare block in Central Otago to add to their New Zealand holdings.
The Sauvages already own the 24ha Burn Cottage vineyard in the foothills of the Pisa Range which they bought in 2002 as bare pasture, and have since converted to largely pinot noir, with a sprinkling of riesling and gruner veltliner. Sales manager Andy Crozier said the new property on Felton Road in Cromwell was formerly known as the Sluicings Vineyard, but has been renamed the Sauvage Vineyard. It is near vineyards such as Mt Difficulty and Felton Road.
The block was sold by Yvon and Marianne Montagnat, who traded under the name Vintner Holdings. The price the Sauvages paid has not been disclosed. Crozier said the new property, with vines which were 19 years old, would be converted to biodynamic growing. Burn Cottage grapes are grown using the system. ‘‘Over time and as we get an understanding of the wine coming off the vineyard we will release a single vineyard wine off this site.’’ The Sauvage family also owns the Koehler Ruprecht estate in Germany, as well as several wine importing and wholesaling companies in the United States. Burn Cottage wines sell strongly in New Zealand, the US, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and Macau. Crozier said the Sauvages had a vision and desire to create fine wines.
The OIO said the investment would generate export receipts and employment, and enhance the Sauvage’s other investments by providing them with an additional secure supply of grapes for its wine manufacturing.