In the local dialect of New Zealand, Ata Rangi means “new beginning.” That’s exactly what Clive Paton had in mind when he established the Ata Rangi wine brand in the year 1980, in the small village of Martinborough. Soon, he went on to become one of the pioneer winemakers not only in this village but in New Zealand. Along with his wife and expert team of winemakers, Paton ensures that he crafts exotic wines, even as he goes by his principle of minimum intervention.
Pinot Noir is the flagship wine crafted here. The fact that this wine was bestowed with the award of “Grand Cru of New Zealand” speaks volumes about its quality and flavour. The small and scenic village of Martinborough is blessed with a favourable climate and excellent soil quality, which ensures that the grapes grown here are intense and strong-flavoured. In the year 2014, the vineyards of Ata Rangi were given the “organic” status.
Grapes for this wine are hand-picked from the choicest of vines from the 120-acre vineyards. The vines are cultivated on stony river terrace patterns that have soil that is rich in silt and loam. This area is also known for being the windiest and driest places of all in New Zealand, which favours the cultivation of high-quality grapes.
The vines of Ata Rangi are almost 40 years old and they are known for their sustainable viticulture style. One of the most noteworthy distinctions of this winery is that it is one of the select few wineries of the world that have been provided with an ISO-14001 quality certificate. Due to their commitment to the environment, this vineyard and the Ata Rangi winery have played a huge part in establishing the Sustainable Winegrowing of New Zealand (SWNZ) unit. Thanks to this unit, they encourage other newbie Kiwi winegrowers to enhance biodiversity in their vines as well.
https://www.atarangi.co.nz
Find out more