While the Lismore vineyard is a name that’s synonymous with highly regarded Martinborough wines, it is also in a transitional stage, in need of some investment and strategic thinking to maximise the potential in the soil and the site.

To this end, the current plantings of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris will be removed later in 2026, the vineyard gently subjected to some restorative practices, and then replanted in Pinot Noir in 2027. And, says Nga Waka winemaker Paul Mason, excitedly, Syrah.

“It is great to acquire a prime site in the heart of the Martinborough Terraces. This three hectare vineyard has an excellent track record of producing top quality grapes and we are very excited to have the opportunity to own it. The combination of a warm, sheltered site and free draining soils are perfect for producing small quantities of high quality, distinctive wines, in the celebrated Nga Waka style. The potential for planting new varieties, in particular Syrah, is very exciting.”

This is a long-term project from a winery that’s always had a long-term vision.  Indeed, the new plantings will not produce wine until 2030, something Nga Waka Owner Jay Short says is further testament to the three decade old winery’s investment in the region.

“There’s been a great deal of ‘doom and gloom’ reporting of late in regard to the domestic wine industry. However, at Nga Waka, we firmly believe the New Zealand wine industry, and in particular the Martinborough region, has a long and rewarding future and we are keen to keep investing in that. We are all excited to see what these wines will look like in a few years’ time.”

For further information please contact

Mick Hodson, General Manager, Nga Waka

mick@ngawaka.co.nz     021 527 477

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Qualmark is New Zealand’s official tourism quality assurance organisation, providing a trusted mark of excellence for businesses committed to delivering world-class visitor experiences. Achieving Silver status is a testament to our dedication to continuous improvement and our commitment to sustainability, safety, and genuine Kiwi hospitality.

A Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Experience

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Nga Waka Wines. Our commitment to environmentally friendly viticulture ensures that our practices not only produce outstanding wines but also protect the land for future generations. From responsible vineyard management and waste reduction initiatives to energy efficiency and water conservation, we strive to minimise our environmental impact while enhancing the quality of our wines.

A Commitment to Best Practices

Visitor comfort is paramount, and we take every measure to ensure a secure and enjoyable experience for all our guests. Our adherence to best practices in health and safety ensures that every aspect of our winery operations – from the vineyard to the tasting room – meets the highest standards. Whether you’re enjoying a guided tasting or exploring our scenic vineyards, you can do so with confidence, knowing that your wellbeing is our priority.

Genuine Kiwi Hospitality

At Nga Waka Wines, we believe that every visitor should feel welcome and valued. Our team is passionate about sharing the story of our wines and the land they come from. Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or a first-time visitor, you can expect a warm reception, expert knowledge, and an authentic taste of New Zealand’s renowned wine culture.

Receiving Silver Qualmark recognition reaffirms our dedication to providing an unforgettable experience – one that combines exceptional wines, sustainable practices, and the best of Kiwi hospitality. We invite you to visit Nga Waka Wines and experience firsthand what makes us a trusted and award-winning destination.

Come raise a glass with us and be part of a truly special journey!

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Paul is currently head winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard, and during his 20 year tenure has built an enviable reputation as an outstanding winemaker, winning many awards and accolades. 

Paul started in the wine industry after studying science at Auckland University and then winemaking at Lincoln University. He has worked vintages in New Zealand at Coopers Creek, de Redcliffe and Villa Maria and harvests in France, Italy, Chile, Australia and the US. He came to Martinborough in 2004 and in 2007 was appointed winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard, following in the steps of Claire Mulholland (Burn Cottage) and Pinot Noir pioneer Larry McKenna. His in-depth understanding of Martinborough and passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay makes him particularly well-suited to Nga Waka, with these varieties making up 90% of our production.

Roger Parkinson’s retirement is bitter sweet, having made every Nga Waka wine since our first vintage in 1993. As a pioneer of the Martinborough wine industry his retirement after 32 vintages will leave an incredible legacy both at Nga Waka, and also more widely across the region.

“When Roger announced his retirement, my first thought was how on earth would we find someone with the same depth of knowledge, passion and winemaking experience in Martinborough. But when we met with Paul about the role, we knew instantly that he was the right person to continue the story of Nga Waka, and expand on Roger’s legacy. We couldn’t be more delighted.” said Nga Waka owner Jay Short.

“I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that Roger and his wife Carol have put into Nga Waka and the wider Wairarapa wine industry over the past 30 years,” continued Jay. “Roger has made some exceptional Pinot Noirs and set the benchmark for Chardonnay in Martinborough. I wish Roger all the best in his well-earned retirement.”

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

I toyed with a few song titles for this vintage report including “Why does it always rain on me” and “You can’t always get what you want” before settling on “I can’t stand the rain” accurately reflecting how we felt about the season and acknowledging the recent death of the great Tina Turner. You will gather from that and the seasonal data above that the 22-23 growing season was both mild and very wet. Heat units were in the normal range but rainfall exceeded all previous growing seasons for which we have records. To put that in context, the growing season total of 682mm is not far off our average long-term annual rainfall! What made it more challenging was that the rainfall was evenly spread across the growing season so we didn’t get any sustained dry periods for favourable ripening. While heat units were adequate they don’t tell the whole story as, when it wasn’t raining, humid and cloudy days dominated and sunshine hours were few and far between. 2023 was truly the Summer that wasn’t.

The weather presented huge challenges for the vineyard team throughout the growing season. They had to deal with excessive weed and canopy growth, disease pressure and narrow windows of opportunity to get much-needed sprays applied. It is to their credit that reasonable quality fruit, and in some cases better quality fruit, was able to be harvested and delivered to the winery. The positive story of the 2023 vintage is the quality of the white varieties and Rose which, while not exceptional, will still allow us to produce sufficient volumes of good quality wines for our main Nga Waka label. Pinot Noir was not so fortunate and while “sugar-ripe”, the rain and lack of sunshine hours has only provided grapes capable of producing lighter, pretty wines without the structure and complexity we require for our top labels. Accordingly, there will be no single vineyard or Nga Waka label Pinot Noir from the 2023 vintage.

Although El Nino years present different challenges, the prediction that we are moving in that direction and away from the disruptive La Nina phase will, I think, be welcomed by every New Zealand grapegrower and winemaker. Roll on 2024!

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

June 2023

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

The title of this vintage report doesn’t allude to the mental state of the winemaker (although there were moments!) but more to the compressed nature of this year’s harvest. A roller coaster of a growing season carried through to harvest with grapes ripening in a narrow window and with the threat (and reality) of rain hovering. Staffing challenges and Covid added to the mix and it was to everyone’s credit that the crop was picked and processed in a two week window from 17 March to 1 April. In contrast to almost everything else, yields ended up almost bang on long-term averages.

In reverse of last year, the first half of the 21-22 growing season was, despite a wet December, near to perfect. Flowering conditions were benign and a big crop seemed likely. The second half of the growing season was more challenging as a look at the rainfall tally for February and March confirms with February in particular receiving twice as much rain as the previously wettest February of the last ten years. While heat units were at the upper end of the range they were not exceptional and certainly sufficient to ripen the crop. As our harvest dates have gradually shifted earlier the impact of February rain has become more pronounced as grapes that are nearly ripe are more susceptible to fungal diseases (botrytis) and splitting. That was certainly the case this year and a lot of work dropping diseased fruit was required to protect the clean fruit that was subsequently harvested. This reduced the crop to a more average size and meant that further rain over harvest was more of an annoyance than negatively impacting quality.

In summary then, despite the variable growing conditions and significant pre-vintage rainfall the condition of the harvested grapes held up surprisingly well and while mixed, the overall quality is sound and the best parcels are very good indeed. My assessment of the 2022 vintage is that the wines are likely to be more fruit forward and perhaps less structured than usual which will make for earlier enjoyment and a shorter cellaring requirement. The exception to that prediction is the top label components which will continue to be selected for structure and ageing potential even if that means smaller volumes of those wines. Finally, while the overall quality is solid rather than outstanding, there will be gems from the 2022 vintage for those prepared to search them out.

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

April 2022

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

The title of this vintage report will alert you to the main story of vintage 2021 – there wasn’t much of it! Thanks (if that’s the right word) to cool, damp weather over the key weeks of flowering, yields ultimately ended up down 50% overall compared to an average yielding year.

Ironically, conditions over the second half of the growing season were near to perfect and we certainly could have ripened a much more substantial crop (deep sigh). Small crops generally ripen earlier and the recent trend for earlier harvests was reinforced with our earliest ever start and finish dates. To put that in context, over our first 20 vintages not one harvest would have started by the date we finished picking this year! The small crop was the key factor in the early start and finish but it’s also time to recognize that climate change is shifting our seasons as we are now on average starting picking two weeks earlier than even 10 years ago.

Now the more cheerful news – the benign ripening conditions delivered fantastic fruit into the winery and it might not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the quality may be inversely proportional to the yield. Over the years we have had several great “pair” vintages: 2000 and 2001; 2005 and 2006; 2009 and 2010; 2013 and 2014. My feeling is that 2020 and 2021 will be remembered as another great “pair”. So, not much of it, but 2021 will offer much to look forward to on the quality front.

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

June 2021

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

I’ve always wanted to use a Hunter Thompson quote and the 2020 vintage presented the perfect opportunity with the impact of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown and social distancing requirements presenting some unique challenges and a distinctly different and weird normal for vintage.

Turning to the season itself, the temperature records show a pretty typical year with growing degree days tracking around the average and no extended or extreme hot spells. Although there were several frosty nights they were all radiation frosts rather than the more destructive advective frosts (see 2019 vintage report) and were successfully negotiated by our frost fans with no crop damage. So, from a temperature perspective the season was ideal for ripening and quality.

The real story of the growing season is the rainfall and the extended dry period from late December until mid-March. The overall growing season rainfall total looks very typical but breaking it down shows that from late December until mid-March we had an exceptionally dry period with barely 35mm of rain over warmest 12 weeks of the season. This dry spell was challenging due to water restrictions but the silver lining was that when the rain finally arrived in the middle of harvest, with ~150mm over 3 days, the complete absence of fungal infection events over the dry spell saw the vines sail through the wet with no botrytis or berry-splitting which is extraordinary given the carnage we would normally expect from that volume of rain during harvest. A minor miracle.

The other upside of the dry, moderately warm year, is that across the board, quality is outstanding with bright, concentrated flavours in the white varieties and Rose and remarkable colour, texture and depth of flavour in the Pinot Noir. I haven’t been as excited about a vintage at this stage since the classic 2000 vintage. As always, time will tell, but we may well see some legendary Martinborough wines from the 2020 vintage. A season where the going definitely got weird but the outcome is decidedly pro.

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

June 2020

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

A rather typical season in many respects with one glaring exception. A major advective (cold air mass) frost in October took out most of our largest vineyard, Pirinoa Block. The cold air mass settled to the South of Martinborough and around Te Muna while the vineyards around the Martinborough township were largely spared. We lost all the Chardonnay and most of the Pinot Noir at Pirinoa Block.

Good rainfall up to Xmas 2018 set the vineyards up well for what was a very dry Summer. Heat units (growing degree days) were above average but cooler than 2018. Rainfall over harvest caused some minor inconvenience but we were largely able to pick on desired ripeness without having to factor in disease pressure. The wines of 2019 will be full-flavoured, fine-structured and elegant with good ageing potential. All in all, a classic Martinborough vintage.

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

July 2019

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

Unlike 2017, the numbers really do tell the story of the 2018 growing season and vintage. The early part of the season was unremarkable, slightly dryer than normal and next to no frost events. Flowering conditions were perfect and, in the absence of strong winds, a potentially very large crop was set. December and January were the hottest of either month in the last ten years and with average rainfall keeping the vines ticking over, excitement was mounting that an outstanding, and large, vintage was in the offing.

February remained warm but, with three times average February rainfall and high humidity, we saw some crop losses to fungal infections (botrytis). Fortunately, March reverted to normal rainfall allowing the affected berries to dessicate and drop off, leaving the clean fruit to keep ripening. Temperatures in March continued the above average trend and it was clear that harvest would be early.

We started harvesting on the 17th of March (our earliest ever start) and finished with Home Block Chardonnay on the 5th of April (when we would normally be only just getting going!). The early finish was fortuitous as the rest of April was very wet. Quality-wise, the 2018 vintage is a significant step up on 2017 with ripeness at the higher end of the range and more expressive flavours. The February rain did knock the edge off phenolic ripeness so not quite the masterpiece we were hoping for earlier in the season but a very good vintage nonetheless. I’m expecting generous-fruited, juicy wines to characterise the 2018 vintage.

Cheers.

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

July 2018

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Rainfall (mm)

 Growing Degree Days (heat units)

Looking at the numbers above you might think the 2016-2017 season was slightly wetter and cooler than average but nothing too out of the ordinary and you would be dead wrong! Hence the old Mark Twain quote (attributed in the first instance to British PM Benjamin Disraeli) about there being three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.

While the 2016 half of the growing season was unremarkable, the second half was anything but. Looking at the growing degree days, which measure accumulated heat above 10 degrees, the numbers certainly don’t tell the story of an exceptionally cool and cloudy Summer (if indeed Summer it was). Fruit set was patchy and the potential crop at the lower end of the range. Normally smaller crops are not something to enthuse about but this year, with the cool Summer, it meant ripening was not as delayed as it might have been.

After the cool,cloudy Summer we were hoping for a typically dry, warm Wairarapa Autumn but it was not to be. We picked our first grapes (Pinot Noir) in perfect conditions on the 2nd of April and then for the next 12 days we watched 125mm of rain drop out of the sky. The condition of the grapes held up remarkably well over this period but there is no doubt that dilution of sugars and flavours was a factor. Once the rain stopped picking commenced at pace to ensure we got grapes into the winery in the best condition possible – this was not the year to leave grapes hanging out in the hope of a late Indian Summer!

Replacing sugars from dilution is easily achieved in the winery (thanks Chelsea) but concentration and structure are another matter. Fruit flavours, while not as concentrated as usual, are correct and clean so the vintage will produce wines of good flavour but probably for earlier consumption. That is particularly true of the Pinot Noirs which have some lovely, bright berry flavours but not the tannin and structure we normally expect. Overall, a very challenging season and probably a better season for the white varieties than Pinot Noir.

Cheers,

Here are the average harvest parameters for each variety:

Roger Parkinson

September 2017

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