inland from Waikari and the Weka Pass and within a working 480 hectare sheep and cattle farm. “Hanley” has been owned by the Hassall family since 1950. Tom and Elaine Hassall purchased a block of 160 hectares adjacent to their existing land in 1970. This block was made up of varying soil qualities, fertile and rich in places, stony and dry in others. “The River Farm” was one of several small blocks along the river boundary that had been surveyed for the proposed railway line to the West Coast over Harpers Pass via Lake Sumner. The project was rejected in favour of the current route via Arthurs Pass. “The River Farm” had all the ingredients to become home to the vineyard. The vines now nestle on the southern terraces of the braided Hurunui River looked upon by Mount Tekoa and rugged high country landscapes, protected by the mighty Southern Alps and close by the pristine waters of the inland lakes, Sumner, Sheppard, Taylor, Mason and Loch Katrine.

While studying journalism in 1988, Mark Hassall published an article in the National Business Review on the founders of the Canterbury wine movement and was inspired. Mark would soon return to the family farm with the germ of an idea, a vision fermenting. A vineyard, this far inland of the Waipara valley vineyards still in their infancy, had not been attempted.

The vision is a will to create a legacy in recognition of those gone before us and those yet to come – born of an enquiring mind, the road less travelled, a pioneering spirit and evolving passion, fuelled by youthful exuberance and a steely determination to reconnect with, and carve ones’ own way in, an era of great change within the farming industry.

The stage was set like a giant natural amphitheatre. The Southern Alps dominate the horizon like a protective mother providing the infamous nor’ west winds that keep the vines dry and free of mould. Nourished by the finger-like waters of the Hurunui River and the stony, free-draining soils that provide sustenance.
In the early nineties various grape varieties, gathered from the Waipara Valley vineyards, were trialled. In 1994 the transplanting of the vines to the vineyard was undertaken with the help of family, friends and locals, referred to in earlier times as groupies, now recognised as Hurunui River Wines’ Ambassadors.
The mid-nineties to early 2001 were backbreaking formative years. The first substantial harvest, a quiet celebration and acknowledgement to the endurance and commitment of meeting the constant demands of the farm and a growing young family. A strong desire to develop an independent wine true to its surroundings kept the fire burning, at times an ember.

The “rose among the thorns” came in 2002 with the arrival of the first commercial vintage. The tasting room and café soon followed to accommodate the local community and visitors. Hurunui River Wines is a hidden treasure, with strong local support. Chinese whispers and an underground movement ensured visitors kept discovering this gem. It would be just two years later that Hurunui River Riesling was awarded the bronze medal at the 2004 Air New Zealand Wine Awards, a welcome endorsement of the vision. The vision remains strong. With the legacy in mind we save blank pages for the future...