In 2012, Benjamin de Rothschild purchased 24 hectares of outstanding 15 year old Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough, ideally located in the prestigious area of the Wairau Valley on Rapaura Road. The site enjoys the renowned Marlborough climate and geology, consisting of alluvial soil made up of large river pebbles lying flush with the clayey ground.

The name of the property was a deliberate choice. Meaning ‘five arrows’ in Te Reo Māori and simultaneously honours the Rothschild family’s coat of arms (five arrows symbolising the five sons of dynasty founder Mayer Amschel Rothschild) and traditional New Zealand culture.

Rimapere has a sister vineyard – ‘Akarua’ in Central Otago – which is also part of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage. In total, the Group's vineyards span approximately 500 hectares, producing around 3.5 million bottles annually.

The Wairau Valley is one of the sunniest in New Zealand (with an average of 2,409 hours of sunshine per year). The Māori refer to the area as ‘the place with the hole in the cloud’, or ‘Kei puta te Wairau’.

The river, has deposited layers of pebbles and gravel to form naturally draining alluvial terraces. The vines are protected from the ocean winds by the Southern Alps and from Pacific storms by the North Island. This unique set of conditions is the reason why the region is world-renowned for producing intensely aromatic, highly distinctive wines, and why the 24 hectares of Rimapere vines, could not be better located.

In keeping with the owner’s commitment to being responsible guardians of the land, the estate is sustainably farmed, and about to complete its organic certification process with BioGro NZ.