On State Highway 1, just south of Levin, is Aotearoa’s newest wine-growing region. Ohau is a semi-rural settlement, where lifestyle properties mingle with farms amidst a diverse landscape and topography. Here you’ll find Ohau Wines, the only commercial winery in the Kapiti / Horowhenua area.
Read on to discover the people behind the wines, the values that drive their brand and the integral role the land plays in their business.
THE PEOPLE
Donna Riley, the CE is passionate about building company cultures that empower staff and ensure that people and processes are all working together to realise a common vision. With a double degree in management and accounting, and experience as a secondary school teacher, Donna is enjoying the hands-on aspect of running Ohau Wines. Not many CEOs get to drive a tractor! In fact, Donna enjoys the practical aspect so much that she completed a viticulture apprenticeship.
Jane Cooper has been the Winemaker here since the very first vintage. One of New Zealand’s leading winemakers, Jane has won numerous domestic and international awards for her wines and is in much demand as a wine judge. She works closely with the team to ensure the best fruit comes off the vineyard. She believes that incorporating all aspects of wine production, from vine to bottle, is essential to ensuring the best result possible.
The Ohau vineyard team comprises four enthusiastic vineyard supervisors who manage all aspects of fruit production. Their aim is to preserve as much of the distinctive Ohau fruit characteristics as possible, using modern technology and techniques alongside a traditional approach. The team treats each vine and its grapes like family, frequently referring to them as ‘our babies’. They care deeply about vine health and the quality of grapes going into the winery.
In the cellar door, Sales and Marketing Manager Jo Scully is serving customers, sending out orders, and doing all the admin, while their passionate sales staff visit supermarkets, retailers and on-premise stockists around the North Island of New Zealand to present their wines to liquor managers and sommeliers. They can often be found offering tastings to customers in some of the country’s busiest supermarkets, and sharing the story of Ohau Wines.
THE PLACE
Over hundreds of years, the Ohau River has deposited layers of gravel, leaving a stony soil perfect for producing high-quality grapes and award-winning wines. The Tararua ranges provide a stunning backdrop to the vineyard – this vast mountain wilderness has been designated a recreational and nature reserve. The vineyard has access to an artesian water supply direct from the ranges, providing some of the most pure water New Zealand has to offer.
In 2006, a group of locals were subdividing a large area of farmland for housing when they discovered the boulders and river gravel, that had been laid down by the Ohau river when it was a much larger, glacial river. Experts found that the river terrace soils could be likened to some of the better vineyard sites in Marlborough.
The area also has a unique micro-climate with minimal frosts, and long dry autumns with cool nights, ideal for the slow flavour development during the ripening of the fruit. The recommendation was ‘fewer houses, more vines!’, and Ohau Wines was born. In November 2006, 10 hectares of pinot gris and pinot noir vines was planted. More blocks were planted in 2009 and 2010, and the vineyard is now 25 hectares.
The cellar door & shop is located at 6 Bishops Road, ohau, just off State Highway 1 between Otaki and Taitoko Levin. Check the Google map here: https://www.ohauwines.co.nz/taste
THE WINES
Ohau Wines produce a wide range of wines, from their own vineyards, namely from Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay & Pinot Noir grape varieties. They have several labels / ranges to choose from – Wines are available to purchase online and in major supermarkets nationwide:
Woven Stone – A range of well-priced wines across all varieties including a Rose…Ohau Gravels – The main range, some barrel fermented and aged wines… Selected Vines – 2 special aged wines, a 2019 Pinot Gris and a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc made from specially selected vines and Not the Norm – small-batch range, using different varietals and processes each vintage to craft unique, limited edition wines.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Ohau Wines also partner with not-for-profit groups to help with fundraising. They’ve helped raise funds for netball teams, schools and rescue helicopters! For more information visit : https://www.ohauwines.co.nz/community-partnerships
CONNECT
Website: https://www.ohauwines.co.nz
Facebook: @ohauwinesltd – Instagram: @ohauwines
Sign up for the the Cellar Club newsletter for updates too.
JB’s Tasting Notes on the Following Wines
Ohau Wines, ‘Ohau Gravels’ Pinot Gris 2023, Ohau, Levin NZ
Bright clear straw-gold in colour. Lovely aromatic nose of ripe pear, apple, tropical-fruit aromas & a hint of spice. A mid weighted & juicy palate has a fresh lemon-citrus acidity, grippy textures with flavours of pear, baked apple, sweet spice notes. A succulent and lengthy finish. Delicious.
Ohau Wines, ‘Ohau Gravels’ Chardonnay 2024, Ohau, Levin NZ
Pale straw-gold coloured with subtle green hues. Fragrant aromas of white stone-fruit, lemon citrus & nutty barrel spice notes in the nose. On the palate, a grape-fruity acid line & juicy peach / nectarine fruit flavours are softened with a silky mouthfeel, time in oak providing layers of texture & complexity. Excellent & brilliant value too!
Ohau Wines ‘Selected Vines’ Pinot Gris 2019, Ohau, Levin NZ
Clear deep gold coloured in the glass. In the nose, aromas of poached pear, ripe stone-fruit & red apple, spice / oak notes too. On the palate, medium bodied, rich, succulent & complex with pear & peach flavours, fine tannins, lemony acidity, subtle oak & fruit sweetness all in balance, nicely integrated. Delicious, long off-dry finish.
Ohau Wines ‘Selected Vines’ Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Ohau, Levin NZ
Bright mid gold in colour, soft green hues. A wild, flinty, earthy, distinctively different nose with savoury, green-stalk & herbal aromas. Creamy & rounded on the palate, but punctuated with tart grapefruit & lime fruit flavours, green-leafy savoury notes & a grippy acidity. It is wild, very interesting and certainly one of the the oldest Savvies I’ve tasted. A little bit funky, but tasty!
Ohau Wines ‘Ohau Gravels’ Pinot Noir 2024, Ohau, Levin NZ
Bright translucent ruby-red in colour. An inviting bouquet in the nose with aromas of red summer berries, ripe cherries, & subtle savoury oak. A lighter bodied, fruit-forward palate with tart raspberry & ripe plum flavours, fine silky tannins, a refreshing acidity & just a touch of oak spice on the finish. A juicy youthful sip. Highly recommended!
Ohau Wines ‘Not the Norm’ Te Tihi, Pinot Noir 2022, Ohau, Levin NZ
Clear translucent ruby, slightly tawny in colour, oily viscosity. Sweet aromas of Xmas pudding & fruit cake, dried dark fruits, red berries & baking spice in the nose. The palate is unctuous & warming, oily, weighty mouthfeel, ‘grippy’ in a good way, then concentrated fruit & spice flavours abound. Luxurious, long, moreish finish. Fortified by distillation to 20% a/v An excellent drop as we head into winter 2025.