Rock Ferry

The Wairau River Crossing That Gave Rock Ferry Its Name

Rock Ferry Wines began with a simple idea: grow grapes organically, and let the vineyard do the talking. Husband and wife Tom Hutchison and Fiona Harvey spent years growing grapes under contract for some of New Zealand's top producers before deciding to build a wine estate of their own, one built entirely around organic winegrowing practices.

Tom's path to wine started in a Wellington wine shop during his university days. That early curiosity led him to Davis University in California to study viticulture, and in 1994 he returned home to purchase his first Marlborough vineyard, The Corners. Fiona, a trained chef, worked alongside him as the pair continued growing grapes under contract through the rest of the 1990s.

In the early 2000s, Tom and Fiona purchased the historic Rock Ferry Cottage on the banks of the Wairau River, once the site where early settlers crossed the river. When it came time to name their own wine label in 2005, that history felt like the natural choice. The site's heritage captured exactly the estate story they wanted to tell.

Going Fully Organic Across Two Winegrowing Regions

The vineyards began converting to organic farming in 2006, and today all four estates are fully certified organic. Wanting complete control over how their wines were made, Tom and Fiona built their own winery at the Orchard Vineyard in 2009. Winemaker Allan McWilliams has led the winemaking since the estate's earliest vintages, continuing the focus on premium, sought-after organic wine.

Rock Ferry's cellar door opened at The Corners Vineyard in 2011, with a seasonal kitchen pairing food to the wines. The restaurant closed in 2020, and the premises now operate independently as the WineKitchen at Rock Ferry, while Rock Ferry's cellar door and vineyard tours continue on site.

Ten Varieties, One Organic Philosophy

Today Rock Ferry farms ten grape varieties across four certified organic estates in Marlborough and Central Otago, as a member of MANA, New Zealand's group of certified organic wineries. The range spans classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and an elegant Blanc de Blancs through to silky Central Otago Pinot Noir and a mineral-driven Tempranillo from the Trig Hill Vineyard. You can read more about the vineyards, the team, and the cellar door at rockferry.co.nz.

What the Critics Say

Rock Ferry's organic wines have drawn attention from New Zealand's most respected independent critics. Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas has praised the Brookby Springs Sauvignon Blanc for its layered barrel-aged complexity alongside fresh cape gooseberry and orchard fruit character.

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews has followed the estate across a dozen releases, noting how winemaker Allan McWilliams has brought an increasingly adventurous style to the range over the years, adding further interest and detail with each vintage.

The 2023 Brookby Springs Sauvignon Blanc was awarded Silver at the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards, recognition that sits alongside the estate's BioGro organic certification across all four vineyards.