Carved out by ancient glaciers long ago, the valley surrounding Awatere River is rich in alluvial deposits. These remnants of the ice age give our wines a minerality and flintiness which, coupled with the crisp, pure water flowing down the Awatere (‘swift river’ in Māori) from Mount Tapuae-o-uenuku, create a unique expression of the land.

Awatere River wines are made by Louis Vavasour. The Vavasour family has toiled and triumphed with Awatere Valley land for over 100 years. In the 1980s, Louis’ parents, Pete and the late Anna Vavasour, were the first to grow grapes and make wine here. Growing up, Louis saw the river as the valley’s lifeblood and so named his super-premium wine range after it, reflecting the minerality and alluvial finesse it brings to all his wines.

A flagship range, Awatere River wines have great complexity and flavour intensity.