Quote: Gisborne thinks of itself as "New Zealand’s Chardonnay Capital of the World" so it’s no surprise to fine some good vineyards close to the town. Grape growing in this area dates back to 1871 when the first vines were planted and now there are 16 vineyards in the area.

Undoubtedly one of the most interesting vineyards and winery is Millton. Here, traditional viticulture is practised in all its four vineyards. No insecticide, herbicide, systemic fungicide or soluble fertilisers are used in the vineyard making The Millton Vineyard New Zealand's first commercial fully certified organic winegrowers. It is considered that this approach must be sustainable in the environment and therefore lessen the need to rely on manufactured chemicals. It is desired that these activities will leave the land in an improved state for future generations.

All wines are produced from estate grown grapes only and are cold sterile bottled on the property. These bottles are then bottle aged in bin for a period of time before being finally checked for quality and then labelled and packaged by hand before distribution. The result, in my opinion, is wines with great aromas and subtle texture, which are great for drinking.

James and Annie Millton are the owners and Annie showed us around the winery and did a tasting for us. She told us about the 2002 harvest and how many of the wines were developing beautifully. We tasted the 2002 chardonnay, which was a mouthfilling drop with a smooth finish – in my mind almost a perfect chardonnay. The 2002 Chenin Blanc was also a lovely wine. This would be perfect with a chunk of ultra-ripe brie and some crafted bread. At another level, the 2002 Clos de Ste Anne Pinot Noir is outstanding. This wine came about when James did a harvest sabbatical in Burgundy. I’m so pleased he did that!

This winery is worth a visit even if you are not really ‘into wine.’ James Millton is an internationally recognized wine guru and Anne is a lovely lady who is passionate about what she is doing and loves to talk to visitors. The cellar door is all you could hope for.

From journals New Zealand's remote East Coast