For a family to be 100 years on their land, 30 of these in winegrowing, is a rarity in this country, more so among the youthful vineyards of Central Otago. It's a landmark Rippon recently celebrated, starting with one of the most fascinating tastings I've experienced in Aotearoa.
"We're on New Zealand's largest block of schist," says Rippon's Nick Mills as he introduces a tasting of almost all the vintages of pinot noir the Wanaka estate has ever made. "This hard piece of rock is the birthplace of what became a farm."
It's a farm that's been worked in various ways by four generations of Nick's family since his great-grandfather, Percy Sargood, bought it in 1912. As we look out over vineyards sloping down to the lake, overlooked by snowcapped mountains, Nick's words and the wines tell an intriguing tale of a place, its people and the fruits of their labours.
When Sargood died, death duties meant the entire farm went to auction, and the portion his wife Emma bought back forms the basis of the estate today. This was left in part to Nick's father, Rolfe Mills, who made the radical decision to trial vines there in 1975 when it was commonly held that wine grapes would never ripen in the region. By 1982 what was to become the commercial vineyard planting had been established and five years later their first wine was made in the family garage.
