Wines that breathe of their place.
Our story begins in a magical place where magnificent native birds once roamed and soared, where the earth produces in abundance and the stars align for greatness. This unique site of altitude, limestone, slope, rock and rich soil is our Waikari Estate and home to some of the most profound Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in the world. In 2018 our story breathed a new chapter when we purchased a new vineyard, the Manata Estate in Lowburn, Central Otago. The vineyard has produced exceptional Pinot Noir since 2002 and is home to our Central Otago Pinot Noir. Across both sites biodynamic viticulture and a natural approach to winemaking create handcrafted wine that breathes of its place and tastes like nowhere else on earth.
Our People
Mike and Claudia Elze Weersing spent 15 years searching the world to find the perfect place to grow grapes. In 2000, they purchased the plot of land near Waikari, that we now call home.
German-born and America-raised Claudia, was a committed biodynamicist and the guiding spirit on the land in the early years of Pyramid Valley. Mike studied oenology and viticulture in Burgundy and worked in vineyards and cellars across Europe, honing his precise vision and practice for spectacular winemaking.
Together, Mike and Claudia created remarkable wines for close to 20 years that have been recognised the world over.
...Our People
Fast-forward to 2017, when good friends Steve Smith and Brian Sheth realised
their long-held vision of creating a wine dream together. That dream was to
craft impeccable wines and inspiring experiences they could share. Steve and
Brian were honoured to take on the legacy of Pyramid Valley and craft their own
family of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.
Estate Manager and Winemaker Huw Kinch has guided this new chapter of Pyramid Valley since 2018. After 10 years crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Martinborough, Huw made the move south to explore a new expression of these varieties.
Working with the energy of the cosmos.
We tend our estates according to the holistic principles of biodynamics, working with the energy of the cosmos and feeding the soils and ecosystem of the site to let nature work her wonders.
The beauty of biodynamics for us, is being in tune with each of our vineyards and their unique needs based on individual soil type, site aspect, ecosystem and local climate.
In the cellar, our winemaking follows natural principles with the use of indigenous yeasts, natural fining and minimal, if any, filtration. Our ultimate goal is to guide our wines from the earth to the bottle, producing wines that truly breathe of their place.
Our Waikari Estate, North Canterbury
The wines of Pyramid Valley are born in the dramatic soils and slopes of the Waikari Estate in North Canterbury and the Manata Estate in Central Otago. Waikari is a unique site where rich, rocky, limestone and clay derived soils sit on high-altitude north and east facing slopes. Here, we have more than 80 hectares with small plots of vines planted where the soils and aspect are just right.
Our Manata Estate, Central Otago
Our story breathes a new chapter in 2018 when we purchased a new vineyard, the Manata Estate in Lowburn, Central Otago. Blessed with some of the oldest vines in Central Otago, and where more than 150 years of sensitive human cultivation, market gardening and irrigation has created soils of rare distinction – high in natural humus and organic matter. The vineyard has produced exceptional Pinot Noir since 2002 and will be home for our Central Otago Pinot Noir.