“Fragile beauty is achievable even in the harshest of climates” - a mantra that perfectly reflects not only the incredible wines produced by Akarua but the terroir they’ve been produced in. Akarua is a family owned winery based in Bannockburn, Central Otago - an area known for possessing the same environmental growing conditions as that of Burgundy. Currently in what they (and we) consider to be their prime, ‘Akarua’ has only moved from strength to strength under the leadership of David Skeggs with support of renowned award-winning Winemaker Andrew Keenleyside at his side, ‘Akarua’ has never seen better days and it seems the only direction they are heading in is up. 

Established in 1996 by Sir Clifford Skeggs, ‘Akarua’ was one of the first larger scale producers to commit to Central Otago’s harsh yet alluring terrain for winemaking and acquired one of the highest and most stunning elevated north facing sites in the region. With the first small vintage produced in 1999, Akarua’s flagship Pinot Noir won its first trophy in 2002 at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Since 2009 they have won an award for each subsequent vintage of the Pinot, demonstrating that their quality is consistent. 

From small beginnings, ‘Akarua’s’ full portfolio now consists of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Rose, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and of course, Sparkling wine. Since their release in 2011 the Akarua Brut and Akarua Rose Brut have garnered multiple awards and trophies at wine shows across New Zealand - just one of the many reasons they are Specialist Cellars go to wines in any occasion. 

For more information on Akarua and their wines, you can visit their website here.