What do you get when you cross a brick shed with turrets and a winegrower? Chateau Garage of course! This month we are visiting wine-maker Ollie Powrie, at his garage-based winery in Napier, in the Hawke’s Bay wine region.
THE WINEMAKER
Where did the Chateau Garage story begin? The moment struck at a Chateau in Beaujolais. A couple of kiwi backpackers, Ollie and his wife Rebecca exploring France in their battered VW van, parked up for the ‘99 grape harvest. By day hand harvesting grapes and the evenings were spent with other vintage workers tasting wines in the dimly lit Chateau courtyard. Every wine had a story. The vineyards, the growers, the makers, and the crazy seasons past. Ollie knew then that his future was in wine and returned to NZ to study viticulture and wine-making at EIT, Hawke’s Bay. More grape harvests in vineyards and wineries across New Zealand and France ensued.
Ollie took on the role of Chief Viticulturist for Villa Maria Estate in 2007. Mentored by Sir George Fistonich, Ollie lived his dream and at the end of each vintage would bring home a small parcel of grapes to ferment into wine in the garage. It didn’t take much to convince Ollie that Garage wine-making was a superb idea. In his role as viticulturist, his job was finished for the season when all the grapes had made it to the winery. But something was missing… a small garage ferment was just the ticket for finishing off the vintage and completing the grape growing cycle.
Always in small batches, opportunities presented themselves over the years. Dark brooding reds, a fragrant Cabernet Franc, and even a noble botrytis Viognier. Family and friends were always on standby to help with the picking and foot crushing. In the early days, he found a row of Chardonnay grapes left behind. He hand harvested the fruit into an old basket press, gently squeezing the free run juice to a seasoned barrel. The 2000 Chardonnay was an inspiration, and ever since, Ollie has kept an eye out to forage harvest fruits.
THE FAMILY & A LITTLE HISTORY
Ollie and Rebecca had two harvest babies both born in March. Sophia in 2007 and and India in 2010. From very early on the girls have hand harvested, foot stomped and pressed the grapes, each year joined by family and friends who all pitch in. Each garage wine harvest marks a moment in time for the family, making the wine on the table even more memorable.
Things stepped up considerably in 2020 with some world class Syrah from the Two Terraces vineyard. Harvested and de-stemmed by hand, with 30% of the whole bunches added to the ferment. Soaking on skins for 99 days unlocked all the flavour, and tannins from the seeds and skins. The final step was to basket press to seasoned oak where the wine rested for 18 months.
In March 2021, Ollie purchased two tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cornerstone vineyard owned by Bob Newton and Dinah Kennedy. It is a vineyard famous in the industry for it’s stony, gravelly soils. Ollie was entranced by the dark chocolate and rich berry flavours in the grapes.
The aromas were so intoxicating during fermentation that Ollie decided to buy some new French oak barrels. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed and hand poured into the barrels. Ollie still talks of the unforgettable sensation of the rush of aromas of virgin oak and ripe Cabernet, as he tipped the first wine into the new barrels.
Twenty cases were bottled as ‘Hugo’, a knock-out blend from three barrels Ollie felt best expressed the terroir. The dark chocolate flavours in the vineyard are still in force, with wild berry and dark olive notes.
5 years on Rebecca and Ollie are now about to bottle the Cornerstone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and HUGO 2025 as well as the AMPHORA Cabernet Sauvignon 2025.
Since then Ollie has been producing an exceptional range of very sought after small batch, handcrafted, terroir driven wines. He also spends a lot of time visiting wine bars, restaurants & retail wines stores sharing his wines at tasting events & dinners across New Zealand.
THE WINES
Ollie sources grapes from various Hawke’s Bay vineyards and produces a range of wines across several collections. Wines currently available from Chateau Garage at the time of writing are:
Les Deux Sœurs Rosé 2025 – A vibrant, delicious and refreshing wine to rival the best Rosés of the Mediterranean. Intense wild strawberries and elegant floral aromas, red berry lead the precise and balanced palate.
Wild Ferment Collection
Bianco 2024 – an Italian inspired wine made from Arneis and Pinot Gris sourced from the Dolce Vista vineyard in Hawke’s Bay.
Chardonnay 2024 – A blend of Chardonnay from the legendary Lyon’s and Osawa vineyards in Hawke’s bay.
Lulu Rosé 2025 – a complex and seductive blend of Fresia, Marzemino, Teroldego and Merlot. This was the Top New Zealand Rosé 2026 as reviewed by the Real Review team.
Single Vineyard Collection
Lyon’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2024 – Hand harvested Chardonnay from the legendary Lyon’s vineyard in Hawke’s Bay. A field blend of Mendoza, Clone 15 and Clone 95 Chardonnay. 12 months in new and seasoned French oak barrels.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 – Perfectly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cornerstone Vineyard was harvested from block 3. The fermenting wine was hand plunged and post fermentation pressed to five fine, French oak barrels.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 – Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Cornerstone Vineyard. Hand plunged during fermentation with 50 days on skins and then pressed to five fine, French oak barrels for 12 months.
Two Terraces Syrah 2024 – Hand harvested Syrah from the famed Two Terraces vineyard. 100% whole bunch fermented with 128 days on skins. The wine was pressed to a single seasoned French oak barrel for 9 months. (SOLD OUT!)
Chateau Collection
HUGO 2024 – Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cornerstone Vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels of Hawke’s Bay, this is Ollie’s flagship oak aged Cabernet Sauvignon is intended for cellaring with optimum drinking likely 10 to 20 years from production.
Amphora Sangiovese 2024 – A wonderful and unique wine made from perfectly ripe Sangiovese harvested from the Osawa Vineyard on the Mangatahi Terraces in Hawke’s Bay. Carefully de-stemmed Sangiovese berries filled an Hungarian amphora with a 20% portion of whole bunches…
Amphora Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 – An extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon from the Gimblett Gravels of Hawke’s Bay. Perfectly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested in pristine condition from the Cornerstone Vineyard block 3 on the 11th of April 2024.
LORENZO
LORENZO THE MAGNIFICENT 2024 – Lorenzo the Magnificent is made from the incredible 2024 Hawke’s bay grape harvest. The wine takes inspiration from Italian adventures and stories of the Renaissance patron of the arts, Lorenzo de Medici. A blend bringing together the noble grape varieties of Bordeaux and Tuscany – 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Sangiovese. A very special and rare wine with only 225 bottles produced.
