News — akitu

We always knew planting vines in Wānaka’s alpine landscape was a bit risky, but as founder Andrew Donaldson likes to say, “the closer you are to death the more alive you feel” and that positive vitality definitely goes for pinot plants too. According to highly regarded Anne Krebiehl MW, our ambition and our vines’ resilience is paying off. “It was always going to be a risky venture to plant vines at 380m/1,247ft in on the slope of Mount Barker in Central Otago on New Zealand’s beautifully rugged South Island. Each spring, there is a nail-biting period when late frost is an ever-present threat and autumn is not...

Why would I ever promote a pair of reviews where both our wines scored less than 90 points?  Particularly when they are about a contender for the best vintage we've released to date.  It's a fair question but my response is that this points business is no science - and neither it should be.  In fact, after taking a few brickbats along with our share of bouquets I don't really focus on the points anymore (There is no such thing as a 100 point wine either - beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I still think that the Mona Lisa's...