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When Aucklanders David and Sharon Wilson took over Castle Rock Winery seven years ago, they'd never made wine before but were keen to learn. But this was no ordinary winery: it specialised in fruit wine. "Wine without grapes," says Sharon.
The Wilsons found themselves yearning for a change
of scene and with their children grown up, were ready to leave Auckland. So they looked around, homed in on the Coromandel and discovered the winery was on the market. "It was perfect for us. We fell in love with the house and the set-up offered a home industry," she says.
This meant an occupation for Sharon, while David, a special needs coordinator, could carry on teaching. To ease the transition, the previous owners lived on site and worked with them for the first month. After that, the Wilsons ran the winery single-handedly for the first six summers.
They didn't miss Auckland one bit. "I'd always wanted to marry a farmer," laughs Sharon, "so living in the country has always been my dream."
In addition to wines, the Wilsons also make a range of chutneys and preserves. Any fruit not grown on site is sourced locally. Lemons and limes are from "two along" and the feijoas are from "just over the hill", she says.
The secret to a good chutney is ripe fruit, she confides, so a lot of the fruit goes straight into the freezer until needed. "That way," says Sharon, "if it's not ripe enough to pick, we always have a supply at the ready." Fruit doesn't have to look beautiful; seconds are fine as it's the flavour and sugar levels that are important.
"The chutneys are like grandma used to make," she says.
"There's nothing artificial in them at all. None of those cheap fillers you get in the mass-produced stuff."
To make the wines, fruit pulp ferments with sugar, water and yeast for three days. It's then squeezed through a muslin bag _ Sharon uses a small hand-press - then left to ferment some more. Sharon points at some large plastic tubs. "Well, they're hardly large compared with large-scale winemakers!" she laughs. They're filled with wines in various stages of their six-week ferment. When it's ready, the wine will be filtered, bottled, corked and labelled - all by hand.
Unlike wine made from grapes, fruit wines take on the distinct flavour of the fruit. "I'd describe our wines as sweet without being heavy or syrupy," she says. "I think of them as lunch-time wines. They make great aperitifs, too."
They mellow as they age and become more sherry-like, she says. "When they're young, they can be quite zingy." Sharon makes a range of liqueurs, too, from peach to apricot. "Some people think fruit wine is the poor cousin to wine made from grapes," she says. "Our liqueurs usually win them over."
In the small workshop where everything is made, Sharon peels the lid off a plastic bucket, unleashing a tangy, sweet smell and revealing a shimmering, pink mass of raspberries bobbing in liquid.
This is Castle Rock's famous raspberry vinegar. "Lovely over ice cream," she smiles. When it's ready, she'll pour it into pretty bottles and seal them with wax.
Two years ago, the Wilsons decided to lease out the shop and adjoining cafe, to allow them to concentrate on the production side of the business. It's now managed by Kitty Crawley, whose inventive menu is a clever mix of cafe fare, Thai cuisine and the winery's produce. Her homemade chicken burger is topped with Sharon's apricot chutney and is perfect for scoffing at the beach.
As well as the winery, shop and cafe, Castle Rock offers overnight stays in a studio and two-bedroom unit. Each is prettily done-out and surrounded with wooden verandas - perfect for taking in the quiet views across the hills, with a glass of fruit wine, of course.
Guests come from far and wide; many are relatives of local bach owners who need an extra room. "Christmas and New Years are jam-packed," says Sharon, "and that carries us through the winter."
Castle Rock Winery
- Detours, HoS