CHURCH ROAD

Enduring legacy, built upon heritage and craftsmanship

Founded in 1897, Church Road is one of New Zealand’s oldest wineries. With decades of experience under its belt, this winery has learned that poised, considered progress reaps appreciable rewards, as demonstrated by its recent move into the Chinese market.

Church Road is credited as being the first winery to identify its home territory, Hawke’s Bay, as being an exemplary region for Bordeaux-style wines. The mid-20th century saw then winemaker Tom McDonald, often referred to as the Father of New Zealand winemaking, create the country’s first widely available Cabernet Sauvignon, and while Bordeaux remains in the blood at Church Road, its family of wines also comprise Chardonnay and Syrah.

These two varieties – along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot – make up its Prestige Collection: a trio of small-batch, top-tier ranges called Church Road Grand Reserve, Church Road 1 and Church Road TOM, which represent the very best of Church Road and have been selected to carry its world-class reputation into Asia.

Church Road’s stature, at home and abroad, has been demonstrated time and again through its many international awards, most recently at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards, where Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon achieved a Gold medal, and its sister, Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Syrah, a Platinum.

Behind this rollcall of achievements is chief winemaker Chris Scott, threetimes recipient of the New Zealand Winemaker of the Year award, who has had his hand on the tiller at Church

Road since 2005. Scott has arguably grown in tandem with Church Road, while becoming one of his country’s most celebrated winemakers.

‘Exceptional,’ he says, ‘comes from mastering the details of your craft and knowing when to trust your instinct.’

It’s a proclamation that encapsulates the ethos of Church Road as a whole: achieve excellence, pair it with experience, and only then make your next move.