Esk Valley

Situated in the north of New Zealand's picturesque Hawkes Bay, at Bay View is The Esk Valley Estate winery. The winery sources fruit from Hawkes Bay, including the world-renowned Gimblett Gravels and Marlborough, as both regions consistently produce grapes of an extremely high quality. Esk Valley is a boutique winery, but it is unique in that many of the techniques used to craft its award-winning wines are dictated by the winery itself. The old concrete vats, the layout of the buildings, and the absence of modern technology mean the people at Esk Valley have had to make wine in a simple, honest, hands-on way. Chief winemaker Gordon Russell has established himself as one of New Zealand's most recognised winemaking identities with his passionate approach to winemaking, and the enormous success he has achieved with his wines in tastings and competitions. A native of New Plymouth, Gordon travelled extensively around Europe following graduation from University, developing a passion and love for fine wine in the process - in 1986 Gordon returned to New Zealand, just when the wine styles for which New Zealand has become highly regarded were beginning to emerge. Gordon 'cut his teeth' at Villa Maria and Esk Valley as Assistant Winemaker before being appointed chief Esk Valley winemaker in 1993. He believes firmly that the concept of 'texture' in a wine is as important as the aromas and flavours of the wine - 'texture' being the balance and harmony of the wine, together with complexity and palate interest. He aims to produce premium hand-crafted wines that are both elegant and sophisticated, and which truly reflect the character of the individual vineyards and sense of place