The Local producers
French Peak Wines
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The winemaking techniques are very “hands off”, as natural as possible with a passion for “true” wines: Unfiltered, unfined with very low amount of preservative. Organic growing methods have
been applied since October 2016 to respect the soil, the plants, the workers and craft the best wine possible.
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The loess/volcanic soil is perfect for aromatics and gives an incredible amount of freshness and subtility to the Pinot noir, pinot gris and Chardonnay. French Peak wines is also localy famous for it's Provence style Rosé.
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It is leased and run organically by French Vigneron, Renan Cataliotti, since October 2016.
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The north and east facing slopes are perfect for a good grapes maturity.
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The top of the vineyard is at a altitude of 80m high.
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It has been planted with Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot gris in 1989. It is the oldest vineyard on Banks peninsula and is about 3 hectares.
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French Peak winery is located on the west side of Akaroa Harbour at French Farm and only 700 metres away from the sea.
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Hand harvest in April, May. Dry farmed with no chemicals
Old French Road - Olive Grove
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Old French Road olive grove is known by the locals and visitors alike as ‘the Gateway to Akaroa’.
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First planted on this picturesque property in 2000, the olive trees are nestled in a 20 acre valley with fresh water springs, ponds and native woods overlooking the Takamatua Bay.
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Old French Road has been consistently awarded medals in every competition entered.
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We also produce scrumptious table olives. Our products are used by discerning chefs and are available online and at selected retailers.
Kingfisher Smoke House
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Kingfisher Smoke House offer a boutique smoked salmon, cured and smoked in the beautiful surrounds of the Lavender Farm in Takamatua Valley, Banks Peninsula.
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The centuries old skill of fish curing and smoking is passed down from generation to generation. The very best daily harvested fresh Chinook Salmon (sourced from Akaroa Salmon) is patiently prepared and cured before being traditionally smoked using locally sourced English Oak logs, which give our product it's unique flavour.
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Using authentic cold smoking methods the fillets are smoked slower, cooler and longer to retain their natural oils, producing that moist, melt-in-your-mouth taste.
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No artificial additives or preservatives are used in the curing and smoking process, only the essential salt and oak wood smoke.
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The salmon is vacuum packed and ready to eat straight from the packet. See our serving suggestion on our products page for some ideas.
Barry's Bay cheese
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Barry's Bay produce its first cheddar in 1895
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It is the last place where cheese is traditionally made on Banks Peninsula and rely on slow technique and aging naturally.
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They have many awards over the years.
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All cheeses are hard cheeses and made from cow's milk.
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Varieties of include European wheel, Havarti, Cheddar, Blue, Aged and Flavoured cheese,
Below are descriptions of vineyards that you may taste as a surprise wine during the tour.
There are either other small boutique vineyards of the peninsula or we have special relationship with them.
Cross Hares
Whislting buoy
Black Estate.
Cross Hares
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They may describe themselves as ‘accidental winegrowers’, but Natalie and Warrick Edwards, of Cross Hares Winery, have certainly proved that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
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After the September 2010 earthquake saw the Edwards’ family having to farewell their irreparable home forever, Natalie and Warrick had to seriously rethink their lives. “So, we bought a rundown vineyard, as you do,” Natalie laughs. “We knew nothing about growing grapes, but we’re not afraid of hard work, so we rolled up our sleeves and got busy.”
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Fast forward to 2014 and our stalwart couple found themselves doing the hard slog of tightening wires, mending broken poles, lifting irrigation lines and repairing irrigation leaks – all 100 of them! Next step was to get expert advice. Lincoln University lecturer and vineyard owner Glen Creasy was the man who helped regenerate and restore the neglected vines to their former glory; so much so that Natalie and Warrick felt confident to approach The Crater Rim Winery and re-establish a former connection whereby they would sell their fruit to them and make their wine.
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All wines are tasted blind by Sam Kim of Wine Orbit, and the notes on each are solely written by him. Cross Hares’ Ahuriri Run Pinot Gris 2017 and Greenman Pinot Noir 2017 both scored five stars, while their Ahuriri Run Pinot Gris 2018 and Fork in the Road Pinot Noir 2018 scored 4.5 stars. Add two Bronze awards in the New Zealand Wine awards for the Pinot Gris 2016 and Pinot Noir 2017 and a move to Bio gro organic certification- one can say they have come along way!
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Cross Hares may well be Banks Peninsula’s best kept secret, but with an increasing remote online sales presence expect the name like those hares, to be crossing your path very soon.
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The work to ensure that vines are managed and cropped under sustainable certification, guaranteeing the best quality fruit possible from each vineyard site. These are exceptional wines from two exceptional vineyards.
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Whistling Buoy wines, is a family-owned boutique vineyard and winemaking company situated within the Crater of Lyttleton Harbour, closer to Christchurch.
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The vineyard is 2.5 hectare and has a very different microclimate much hotter and direr than Akaroa Harbour.
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Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are thriving in this environment and from two sites they grow, and produce limited quantities of terroir-specific wines of great individuality and character.
Whistling buoy
Black Estate Winery
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A family run 24 Hectares vineyard growing on Calcareous clay from three different hillsides around Omihi, Waipara valley, North Canterbury.
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Nicholas Brown and Penelope Nash are running the estate, winery and restaurant with a deep passion for true wines with characters, organic and local products and work very closely with passionate producers.
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They care for the land as they do for their own children! And this make that they are very well known and respected amongst the organic and wine industry in New Zealand and overseas for the quality and diversity of their wines
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Their oldest vineyard has been planted in 1984 and their very devoted team have been growing wine organically and bio-dynamically since 2010.
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Their love for Banks Peninsula has driven them to work with French Peak Wines since 2016 by purchasing some of their fruits growing at French farm.
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Located on the East side of Akaroa Harbour, above Akaroa township, Meniscus vineyard has been planted With Pinot Noir, Riesling and Pinot Gris in 2000.
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137m high at the top.
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North facing and very sunny slopes make that 1 hectare vineyard a perfect spot for growing Pinot Noir. The loess/volcanic soil gives a lot of character to the Riesling which is harvested in May. Owned by David and Gay Epstein since 2009 and run by French Vigneron Renan Cataliotti.
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It has been run organically since 2011.
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Meniscus Wines produces about 3000 bottles a year and sell all of their production to the local market.
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Hand harvested in April, May. Dry farmed.
Meniscus Wines
