Church Road

Based in New Zealand’s oldest wine-growing region, Church Road has sat in the heart of Hawke’s Bay for over 125 years. With beginnings at the hands of a teenager by the name of Tom McDonald, whose vision saw beyond restrictions against selling wine as a 19-year-old in the ‘20s, Church Road grew to be regarded as one of New Zealand’s first collectable fine wines and today continues to produce excellent Chardonnays and Bordeaux-style blends. Most recently, Hawke’s Bay was internationally recognised as one of the top four Syrah regions in the world and Church Road an outstanding producer, under the direction of Chief Winemaker Chris Scott.

Scott has a non-interventionist approach, particularly seen in the Chardonnays that are entirely handpicked and whole-bunch pressed, fermented with the wild yeasts from the vineyards’ natural environment, and are aged in French oak barriques. Continuing Mr McDonald’s legacy, the most premium selection, TOM, is flanked by Church Road 1 single vineyard wines and the Grand Reserve range that uses specific parcels of the best fruit from across Hawke’s Bay each vintage.