Wild Earth Wines

The Wild Earth selection of premium wines is symbolic of the spectacular, untamed and pristine environment of New Zealand's Central Otago and Marlborough winegrowing regions. The combination of high desert and alpine geography is unique in the world and breathtaking to those lucky enough to experience it for themselves. The Wild Earth selection of wines is produced by Central Otago's Crown Range Wines. Established in 1998, Crown Range Wines owns 38 hectares of vineyards in two of Central Otago's finest locations - Felton Road, Bannockburn and the Lowburn district on the shores of Lake Dunstan.

From the vineyard through to harvest and winemaking our philosophy is careful, gentle handling of the fruit and the developing wine blends. The vines are nurtured on a low input, environmentally friendly basis, under the exacting care of Pete Kerdemelidis our Vineyard Manager. Picking is all by hand in our own vineyards, with yields maintained at an extremely low level after intensive canopy and crop management. Vine density is around 2,500 per hectare, with yields ranging from 1kg to 2.5kg per vine.

The mix of Dijon and UCD clones from two very different sites provides a superb range of flavours for our wines. Our Bannockburn vineyard is terraced, with a range of Lochar soil types that have a high proportion of gravels, while Lowburn is an essentially level site with a base of glacial and alluvial shingles.

Michelle Richardson acts as consultant to our winemaker and cellar team guiding the style for Wild Earth wines from the 2005 vintage onwards.
A new winery and cellar door facility is in the early stages of development and will be sited on our Terraces Vineyard on Felton Road. With the Kawarau River flowing at the base of the vineyard, careful planning will allow our winery guests to cast a line for fat brown trout as they enjoy a taste of Wild Earth Pinot Noir on the terrace.

Blind Trail is a lighter, softer style of Pinot Noir - gateway to Central Otago Pinot Noir. Dean Shaw is the winemaker for Blind Trail and is excited about offering lovely, Central Otago Pinot Noir that is affordable and very nice to drink. Dean is a native to New Zealand is excited about bringing these wines to the marketplace, "The youth of the wine industry down here challenges us to try to develop quickly, thoughtfully and positively. The region is awe-inspiring and the people involved are inspiring as well."