Te Whare Ra

Marlborough

Te Whare Rā (TWR) is a boutique, certified organic vineyard and winery located in the Marlborough sub-region of Renwick. Te Whare Ra is a Māori name meaning ‘house in the sun’. It was originally established in 1979 and since 2003 it has been owned and nurtured by two winemakers, Anna and Jason Flowerday.

Their 11 hectare vineyard is planted to 7 different varietals and is home to the oldest vines in the region. They have spent more than 20 years bringing these old vines back to life by farming organically with a regenerative mindset, and with the future custodians of the land in mind. And at the same time, they have been quietly building a reputation as thoughtful, organic winemakers whose wines are now globally recognised as amongst the best from New Zealand.

Winemakers and Owners

Jason and Anna Flowerday

Jason grew up in Marlborough and Anna is from McLaren Vale in South Australia. Being both winemakers, having their own winery was a dream they shared, as “it meant we could pick things when we wanted to and make them exactly how we wanted to, without having to make any of the compromises involved in making our wines”.

Together they have taken Te Whare Rā to new heights and won many awards for their wines and their efforts in organic farming, amongst those many achievements they have also produced two sets of twin girls.

They believe that all the manipulation and intervention should be done in the vineyard with the winemaking process being as natural as possible. TWR produces Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, an aromatic blend called Toru, Rose, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

Hand-tended, Hand-picked, Hand-made

Te Whare Rā is all about making great wines and using a natural approach.
The 11 hectare vineyard is planted with 7 different varieties and a selection of clones.It has predominantly loam over clay soils, and is one of the oldest in Marlborough. Yields are kept low, the vineyard is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices, and all the fruit is hand-picked and hand-sorted. And great quality fruit comes from great quality soil, so they prioritise soil health.

And of huge importance to the Flowerdays is their organic certification from BioGro New Zealand (number SV 5182) which symbolises everything their vineyard has now become and all the things they feel are important – provenance, organic farming and authentic, and world class wines from Marlborough.