QUICK WINE FACTS
- Owners: Nigel Greening
- Altitude (meters above sea level): 215 – 350 mts across all 4 vineyards
- Grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay
- Size: 35 hectares
- Date first planted: 1992
- Wine labels: Felton Road
- Winemaker: Blair Walter
- Viticulturist: Gareth King
FELTON ROAD
Felton Road is arguably one of New Zealand’s most prestigious wine producers. Established in 1991 in The Elms Vineyard which was named after Stewart Elms who discovered the potential of Bannockburn for great wines. Over the next decade three more vineyards were established on MacMuir Vineyard, Calvert Vineyard and the very special Cornish Point. Unlike the other three, Cornish Point does not sit on Felton Road but within an old Gold Miners settlement situated on an unusual peninsula jutting into Lake Dunstan.
Felton Road are unique in their meticulous following of biodynamic viticultural practices. Shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf plucking and bunch thinning are all carried out by hand to create very high quality fruit. Winemaking practices such as whole cluster, wild yeasts, and an absence of fining and filtration are hallmarks of Felton Road’s highly demanded wines (see our articles on Understanding the Wine Making Process).
Each year the premium Block 3 and Block 5 Felton Road wines sell out within days of release. If you have a chance their website is a fun place to explore reflecting their quirky attention to detail which makes these wines so special.
