The Mudhouse Story: Named after a mud block house built in the founding vineyard, the Mud House Wine Company produced its first wines in 1996, growing from 300 cases to over 90,000 today. Mud House Wines is now owned by four New Zealand families (97% ownership).

The 2007 vintage marked a significant progression for Mud House Wines. Varietals sourced from regions such as Central Otago, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Waipara Valley will join the already famous Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The company is therefore able to offer the very best in New Zealand wine.

The Team: To reflect the new multi-regional approach at Mud House, a team of dedicated winemakers work within each reagion with the overall aim of allowing the vineyards to express themselves. Mike Poff is Mud House’s National Viticulturalist bringing with him considerable experience in grape growing on both islands. He has outstanding knowledge and contacts with contract growers due to his extensive vineyard experience.

Marlborough: With one of the longest ripening periods in the world, Marlborogh provides most of the company’s production, with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc capturing the imagination of wine drinkers across the globe. Mud House own 250 acres and sources from another 236 acres of long term contract vineyards.

The Wairau Valley is a unique ancient river site. The river moved over the valley depositing silt, loamy soil and gravel which in turn produces a spectrum of exciting flavours. More recent planting has also taken place on the southern-side valleys of the Wairau, at Fairhall, Hawkesbury and Waihopai. The vineyards further south in the Awatere Valley offer a different aspect altogether with more mineral tones.

Waipara: Just forty minutes north of Christchurch city lies one of New Zealand’s fastest growing wine regions - Waipara. Mud House own 500 acres of vineyard planted with mouth-watering aromatic varietals such as Riesling and Pinot Gris. Aromatics, such as Riesling and Pinot Gris, thrive in this special wine region.

Shelter provided by the coastal hills to the east is an important feature of Waipara’s grape-growing environment. Warm winds dry out the soil, taking some of the vigour out of the vines which encourages full ripeness and intensity. Soil types range from gravelly deposits close to the Waipara River, to heavier, limestone-derived clays on the east side of the valley. Nestled in the heart of this burgeoning valley is the impressive Mud House Winery and Restaurant.

Central Otago: Central Otago is the world’s southern most wine producing region and New Zealand’s only ‘continental’ region. It is famous for vibrant, full-flavoured Pinot Noir with spicy, cherry-like flavours and a velvety smooth texture. Hot summers, cold winters and enormous temperature extremes between day and night create the intense flavours and colour.

From heavy silt loams, gravels and light sands to broken schist and clays, Central Otago’s vines are planted in a dramatically wide range of soils. Mud House’s vineyard has stony sub-soils, with good water drainage, which help to promote ripe, intense, aromatic characters in the wine. Mud House’s Clearvue vineyard is approximately 250 acres – one of the largest in Central Otago, based in the Bendigo area of the Cromwell Basin looking out over Lake Dunstan.