This month, we’re heading to Northland, the far north of New Zealand, to visit the Dancing Petrel Vineyard, situated on Paewhenua Island, overlooking the picturesque Mangonui Harbour.

THE PEOPLE

The owners Kim & Graham Gilkison, fell in love with Paewhenua Island after spending a lot of time in the area and in 2012 bought the original cottage. In 2018 they made it home and at the same time bought the vineyard that surrounded them.

The couple sold their engineering business in Taranaki and started renovating the cottage before realising in 2016 they’d completely moved in. They have amazing views from the water’s edge of Mangonui Harbour stretching out to Doubtless Bay.

The micro climate of Paewhenua Island combined with the north facing slopes provides fantastic growing conditions, producing wines they are really proud of. It was planted in 2006 with some really interesting grape varieties. Since then they have relocated quite a few of the vines so they’re more compact, to make better use of the land, and have put in some new varieties as well.

When they first took over the vineyard, it needed some significant remedial work. The vines were overgrown, and the production was a fraction of its potential. The first three years were spent pruning and reorganising the vines while also planting 6,500 new vines.

THE PLACE

One of the significant challenges in revitalising the vineyard was the learning curve. The biggest challenge for them was learning what you needed to do in the vineyard. They were very lucky with lots of support from people in the industry.

They joined the New Zealand Sustainable Wine program early on, and this helped them establish the right processes to ensure a sustainable future for their vineyard. Sustainability covers growing methods, spray-use, soil and leaf analysis, and health and safety.

Becoming sustainably accredited helped them apply with management of the vineyard and has boosted their confidence in the end product. There’s a strong focus on soil health, including soil testing to guide fertiliser application, and digging mulched clippings back into the soil. Recycling is a priority, and biodiversity is enhanced by caring for a wetland and planting native species.

The vineyard now boasts Cabernet Franc, Tannat, and Syrah for the reds, while the whites include Viognier, Arneis and Pinot Gris. They’ve also introduced Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Chambourcin, a promising red grape that thrives in the Northland climate.

In recent years, the vineyard has received numerous accolades and awards, including recognition for their Cabernet Franc wines, which are now highly sought after.

THE BRAND / DANCING PETREL

The brand & mascot ‘Dancing Petrel’ is inspired by the little Takahikare Moana or the New Zealand Storm Petrel that dances lightly across the waves of sparkling Doubtless Bay.

Barely touching the water the storm petrel creates a ballet that is beautiful and enchanting to watch. This small bird personifies the wines made from the grapes grown on the north facing slopes of Paewhenua Island.

Water is also a consistent theme across their wines and in the tasting room just offset from the cottage, where visitors to the vineyard can experience its charm.

There, the sea laps at the land’s edge just a few metres from the outside table, where Kim says many visitors have turned into friends and tastings into an afternoon in the sun.

Kim & Graham both love wine and are really excited to share a taste of Northland with those who visit them at the tasting room..

THE WINES

The Dancing Petrel portfolio contains an excellent selection of wines to try, across nine grape varieties, as mentioned above. The wines they produce are of a very high quality. Michael Cooper has reviewed their wines awarding them with 4 and 5 stars.

They make a wide range of wines – reds, whites, rose and sparkling wines with Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc & Syrah, but also from interesting varieties such as Arneis, Chambourcin, Tannat & Viognier. Their wines can be purchased directly from their website online, and can also be found in many restaurants in Northland and further afield.

For purchase in New Zealand visit: https://dancingpetrel.co.nz/

For International sales visit: https://www.winecollective.direct/region/greater-auckland/dancing-petrel

Watch this space for JB’s tasting notes on some of the wines.