QUICK WINERY FACTS
- Owner: Rosie Dunphy – Family Owned
- Altitude (meters above sea level): 420 460
- Grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc
- Date first planted: 1994
- Size: 12 Hectares – 4 hectors of Pinot Noir and 2 of Sauvignon Blanc
- Wine labels: Coal Pit Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc
- Winemaker: Anika Willner
- Viticulturist: Gary Crabbe
COAL PIT WINES
Coal Pit Wines have grown from a small family run boutique winery in 1994 to what is regarded today as one of the region’s premium wine brands. In 2001 the current owner Rosie Dunphy purchased the brand and immediately invested in the winery and vineyard introducing a state-of-the-art 30 tonne winery in 2007 including a humidity controlled barrel room and laboratory.
However, despite the investment in the property, the business is still family run. Coal Pit Wines are made only from the Coal Pit Vineyard – a single 12 hectare sustainably-accredited vineyard facing north on Coal Pit Saddle Road – named, of course, for its previous industry.
Winemaker Anika was part of the Coal Pit winemaking team for the 2018 vintage and has experience in Oregon, Australia, Germany and South Africa as well as New Zealand. Her passion for Pinot Noir has led her to Central Otago and she is happy to have found a home at Coal Pit as the new winemaker.
The Coal Pit Tiwha 2014 Pinot Noir received the ‘Pure Elite Gold’ medal at the annual Air New Zealand wine awards and also a Gold at the London International Wine Challenge. Coal Pit Wines can be tasted as part of the Sampler Tour at Kinross on your Altitude Wine Tour.
