In the early 1970s Karl Heinz Johner studied Oenology and Viticulture in Geisenheim / Germany. In those days he always dreamed of travelling to Australia and visiting the vineyards “down-under”. But having a young family with two little children it all remained a dream until his son Patrick was sent off in 1998 to do a vintage in Australia. And as you can imagine it was finally a great excuse to finally visit the vineyards of Australia and pick up his son… Together with a study collegue of Patrick, it all ended up in a Pinot Noir World Tour visiting New Zealand and then Oregon / Northern California before returning home to Germany.
But they came home with a big grin on their faces and a plan to set up a second winery in New Zealand.
Yes, in those days, New Zealand showed a booming spirit. Growing grapes under these conditions was fun, with natural low yields, great fruit and high quality wines. Land prices a bit of the main Wine regions were still affordable, and so the three started off in 1998 with a little Winery and their first wines. Unfortunately a difference of opinion aroused in 2000. in 2001 Karl and Patrick started over again building up a new Vineyard next to the Ruamahanga River near Masterton. Meanwhile in Germany, customers have been asking to taste our New Zealand wines, so we started to buy some Pinot Noir grapes from Jon McNab, vinified them in his winery and finally two years later presented our German Market our first New Zealand Pinot Noir.