Stonyridge Vineyard
Nestled in a shimmering valley of olive trees, colourful vines, and the aromas of the south of France, our Veranda Café is one of the most romantic and exotic venues in New Zealand for café dining, private functions, and weddings.
Stonyridge Vineyard is the ongoing dream of owner Stephen White. In 1981 Stephen returned to New Zealand after sailing a Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race, skippering yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, and working at wineries in France, California and Italy. It was during this 3-year adventure that Stephen came to love the culture and lifestyle of the Mediterranean and the great red wines of France, Tuscany and California.
After extensive climatic research Stonyridge was discovered as the ideal north facing site to ripen and produce a world class Bordeaux style red wine.
The first Bordeaux vines and olive trees were planted in 1982 with the help of close friends and family. This makes Stonyridge the first commercial olive grove in New Zealand. When Cabernet Franc and Malbec were planted in 1983, it was the beginning of New Zealand’s first Bordeaux four blend.
In 1984 Stephen returned to Bordeaux for a final training period to collect Petit Verdot and completed a vintage at Chateau d’Angludet, Cantenac-Margaux under the tutelage of Peter Sichel.
Today Stonyridge is referred to as “One of the Top Ten Must Visit Wineries in the World” Guardian UK and topped the list for the best Cabernet Merlot in The Age/ Sydney Morning Herald Good Wine Guide 2013. Our wines consistently score over 95 points with world renown critics such as James Suckling. Most recently, our Larose 2019 achieving a 97 point rating and our Pilgrim 2020 winning a score of 96 points.
How To Get There
From the ferry to the vineyard
