Spy Valley Wines

All of the Spy Valley wines are sourced from the 360-acre Johnson Estate Vineyard planted in 1993. Originally the vineyard supplied Corbans Wines (now Montana Wines). Eight varieties are grown in fertile, free-draining stony soils. Spy Valley Wines produced its first vintage in 2000 using consultant winemaker Alan McCorkindale. The wines are now made by Ant MacKenzie, who has a special interest in aromatic wines such as Pinot Noir. He has more than ten years of experience in both New Zealand and abroad. General Manager Blair Gibbs and Vineyard Manager Adam McCone round out the remarkably young management team.

The winery is one of New Zealand’s best family-run wine companies and in a short time has become known world-wide for consistently high quality wines. The winery’s motto is “under-stating and over-achieving.” Starting from 5,000 cases, they quickly reached 80,000 cases by 2004 and expect output will climb to 120,000 cases by 2007. The 2007 vintage is much anticipated because the winery can release their wines with an eye-catching label: “Spy Valley 007.”

A new winery was completed in 2004, the largest in Marlborough. Attached to the winery are a luxury accommodation, Timara Lodge, which is recognized as one of New Zealand’s most luxurious private lodges set amongst 25 acres of beautiful gardens. There are very few wine companies that can offer a luxury lodge with a winery attached, all under single-family ownership. The winery’s tasting room is open daily during the summer.

Spy Valley Wines, Rd6 Lake Timara Road, Marlborough, New Zealand. Spy Valley Wines are distributed in the United States by Broadbent Selections, Inc., 2088 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94123. The wines are widely available through retail stores and the internet.