About us
Nga Waka was established in Martinborough over three decades ago, when we bought our Home Block vineyard back in 1988. What brought us to the region then is what keeps us here still: our objective to consistently produce great Martinborough wine.
Winemaker, Paul Mason, and Matt Harper our Vineyard Manager bring to Nga Waka over 50 years of combined experience of growing grapes and making wine in Martinborough. The result is food focused wines in a restrained and elegant style with the ability to age.
Our name is taken from Nga Waka A Kupe (The Canoes of Kupe). The three hills, which lie side by side like upturned canoes, and form the backdrop for the town of Martinborough and its surrounds. Legend has it that the hills were formed by the three canoes of the famed Polynesian explorer Kupe, which were carried inland by a huge earthquake and came to rest in the valley behind Martinborough.
Thirty years on Nga Waka remains family owned, now by Jay Short and Peg Dupey. We have seven small vineyards scattered around the village of Martinborough, producing mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gamay, all sustainably managed and grown.
Vineyards and Sustainable Winegrowing
Martinborough is ideal for viticulture – free-draining gravel river terraces, low rainfall, windy springs to control early season vine vigour, warm summers to ripen grapes, and long autumns with cool nights to preserve acid levels.
Nga Waka’s seven vineyards surround the village of Martinborough producing mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Rose (from Pinot Noir)
Nga Waka is an accredited member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, which is a vineyard management programme that ensures wineries are continuously improving their sustanaible management practices. An independent body regularly audits members to ensure the integrity and standing of the programme.