greenhough vineyard

nelson – New Zealand

From city dwellers to winegrowers

In late 1990, Andrew and Jenny Greenhough left Auckland as a young couple to settle in a rural area of Nelson that was given the encouraging name “Hope”. They swapped city life for country life and took over a four-acre property, determined to create something of their own with Greeenhough Vineyard. The vineyard had been partially planted in the mid-70s by a pioneer and amateur winemaker. When the two arrived, the established vines and the simple winery offered the opportunity to take the first steps into the world of winemaking. These were exciting times, challenging, marked by hard work and full of promises. The small group of established winemakers in Nelson welcomed and encouraged the two young winemakers, but mistakes were not missing. Immersed in the new way of life, the two quickly acquired knowledge and experience and planned the further way.

The hard start times

After a few hard years with initial losses, they eradicated the high-yielding Müller-Thurgau and the rarely ripening Cabernet Sauvignon vines and replaced them with more promising varieties, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. At the end of the first decade, Greenhough Vineyard’s wines gained recognition and won first prizes. The industry developed rapidly and interest in New Zealand wine offered new growth opportunities in markets at home and abroad.
Until the late ’90s, the couple had run the business on their own, but larger vineyards and production required building a small team. In 2008, another challenge followed, namely the conversion to organic farming and the complete BioGro NZ certification.

Nelson’s cool, maritime climate – ideal for viticulture

Nelson’s coastal coolness and the typical sunshine there are perfect for viticulture, which brings the grapes very slowly to full ripeness. Greenhough’s vineyards are protected from the harshest elements by the mountain ranges to the south, east and west. From the north, Tasman Bay’s gentle sea breeze softens the frosts in spring and autumn and lowers the heat in summer. Clear, cool nights preserve taste and varietal character and gradually reduce the fruit acids in the quiet autumn months. A mineral, fruit-based acidity underpins all varieties and provides definition, structure and elegance.