Akarua | Bannockburn

The Skeggs family were among the first people to buy and plant vineyard land in Central Otago in the mid-1990s, so were lucky enough to acquire a superb north facing site in Bannockburn. Planted in 1996, this 50 hectare site has since provided the backbone of the Akarua wines. Due to the short growing season in Central Otago, site selection is one of the key elements in making a great wine, and Akarua has a site that is among the very best.

In October 2022, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage purchased Akarua from the Skeggs family, adding further to their New Zealand portfolio of wines which includes the excellent Rimapaere Estate in Marlborough. Drawing on the know-how of local teams and on its own international winemaking expertise, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage’s ambition is to optimise Akarua’s outstanding potential in order to produce the country’s finest single estate Pinot Noir. Anne Escalle, Technical Director of Rimapere takes over the running of Akarua and will oversee the conversion of the vineyards to organic production. 

AKARUA