About Dog Point Vineyard
Dog Point Vineyard owns the distinction of being the biggest organic, Biogro-certified vineyard in the entire country of New Zealand. Located in the country’s wine-rich region of Marlborough, Dog Point is also one of New Zealand’s oldest privately-owned vineyards. This vineyard witnessed its first plantings in the late 1970s.
The vineyard’s strategic location (at the meeting point of the Brancott and Omaka Valleys) plays a vital role in the high-quality wines it produces. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the main grape varietals grown here. Thanks to the silty clay loamy soils and the micro-climatic conditions (the trademark feature of Marlborough), this region produces grapes that take a long time to ripen naturally. This leads to the high-aromatic content of the fruits.
By 2009, the vineyard slowly started moving to organic winemaking methods. The first step towards this journey was converting the winery waste into mulch to be used as natural compost for further plantings. The leachate obtained from this process of making the natural compost is then applied to the farms as a natural fertilizer. Since no chemicals or sulphides are used, the grapes produced here are true ambassadors of the elegance of these terroirs.
Another interesting point to note in the organic viticulture process is the changes it witnesses during spring and winter. Cover crops like buckwheat are cultivated between the vines during spring. This ensures using beneficial insects to get rid of pests that can damage the vines. During winters, the winemaking team arranges for 2500 sheep and 25 steers to graze the farms, control weed growth, and provide organic matter for the soils.
This team handpicks the grapes for the wines to ensure only fruits from the best parcels advance to the next stages. Only indigenous yeasts are used for fermenting, and the wines are bottled without fining.
Buy Dog Point Vineyard wine below.
