In August 1986, Rob set his eyes on Chard Farm for the first time.
After studying winemaking in Germany in the early 80’s, a chance encounter with a cousin who worked on an orchard called Chard Farm, near Queenstown piqued some interest in Central Otago. I ventured down there and ended up running the farm as an orchard.
Bottling Speargrass 3Harvest, first vintage 1987, Taramea Winery
Sitting, overlooking the property one gorgeous, balmy Central Otago evening, I had an epiphany. I could see it all - the farm as a vineyard, laid out before me.
My father was...
In August 1986, Rob set his eyes on Chard Farm for the first time.
After studying winemaking in Germany in the early 80’s, a chance encounter with a cousin who worked on an orchard called Chard Farm, near Queenstown piqued some interest in Central Otago. I ventured down there and ended up running the farm as an orchard.
Bottling Speargrass 3Harvest, first vintage 1987, Taramea Winery
Sitting, overlooking the property one gorgeous, balmy Central Otago evening, I had an epiphany. I could see it all - the farm as a vineyard, laid out before me.
My father was quickly summoned, along with his chequebook! and the start of establishing the vineyard first began.
There were a lot of doubters however!
In the beginning, the advice was simple - "Don't be stupid, best not to plant anything down there at all!"
The First Grape, March 1987The First Grape, March 1987
There was a huge sense of community then - friends, family and locals all rallied together and were used and abused, to plough, dig and plant the first vineyard. Gerdi arrived on the scene! I am sure they all loved the work, probably though with a sense of foreboding, concern and sympathy for the unlikely success of this venture.
I remember also in the early days, a particular wine critic who, I assume would rather remain anonymous, commenting, "If Central Otago wine producers believe they can create high-quality wines, they are seriously deluding themselves."
The rest as they say is history.
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