Mount Riley Wines is a family winery, which since its first vintage in 1996, has been one of Marlborough’s fastest growing estates. Below are key milestones in our growth:
1994 Purchased Old Road vineyard (18 acres) and established nursery to graft own rootstock
1995 Purchased Seventeen Valley vineyard (34 acres)
1996 First vintage of 3,000 9L cases produced by winemaker, Paddy Borthwick; First vintage of Sauvignon Blanc receives a Gold Medal at Liquorland Top 100; First export order sent to Australia
1997 Purchased Litchfield vineyard (46 acres) & Renwick vineyard (20 acres)
1998 Digger Hennessey employed as chief winemaker; Employ own NZ sales force
1999 Purchased addition to Renwick Vineyard (10 acres) and Litchfield vineyard (36 acres); Mount Riley employ own vineyard managers & staff
2000 Purchased Riverlands vineyard (42 acres); Gold for Seventeen Valley Chardonnay 1999 at Sydney International Wine Competition
2001 Trophy for Seventeen Valley Chardonnay 2000 at Air New Zealand Wine Awards; Purchased addition to Dillon vineyard (20 acres)
2002 Purchased Waihopai vineyard shareholding (23 acres)
2004 Mount Riley’s new modern winery becomes operational
2005 Planted the Oaks vineyard (10 acres)
2006 Sauvignon Blanc wins 3 trophy's and 4 gold medals including Best Sauvignon Blanc in the National Wine Show of Australia; Sales of over 70,000 cases
