Clevedon: Your good health

CEDRIC GREY gets a taste of vineyard life in Clevedon.

Ken and Diane Mason relax on the sun-filled deck at their Arahura winery in Ness Valley Rd, Clevedon, and reflect on their joyous 29 years as pioneer winemakers on land which once grazed sheep and cattle. They are taking a break from the time-consuming task of plucking the vines to expose the ripening fruit to the full light and sun.

The vineyard, a picture of health on this balmy mid-summer morning, is 20m away; the winery a hop and step from the modest yet comfortable brick and tile home. Altogether, it is a delightful setting, an impression obviously shared by visitors to Arahura.

"Visitors invariably make the same comment: 'Isn't it green!'. 'Isn't it quiet.'," says Ken.

The couple bought their 7ha property when Ken was presiding at the Magistrates' Courts in Auckland and South Auckland. "We dearly wanted a property in the country where we could work together and bring up our family together," he says. "And we had a passion for good wine."

When Ken retired the couple toured France for several weeks, staying at family vineyards to advance their knowledge of the industry. Diane furthered this knowledge by taking a viticultural course at Hawkes Bay Polytechnic, and the couple started to plant the first vineyard in the valley.

They planted 3200 young vines on about 2ha, the last planting completed in 1994. The varieties include merlot (50 percent), marbec (30 percent) and cabernet franc (20 percent). There are now four vineyards in the valley, a few kilometres from the Clevedon township.

"Our first priority was to establish a vineyard which husband and wife could manage, and that has proven to be the case," says Ken. "At the same time, we wanted to enjoy the lifestyle." The property is beautifully sheltered, fertile and virtually frost-free. There is a gentle contour from the Ness Valley Rd boundary on one side to the Aroaro Stream boundary to the east.

The 180sq m winery and tasting room is in excellent condition and there is ample visitor parking adjacent to the facility. The wine is sold, in the main, by mail order and from the winery, and it is supplied to several leading restaurants.

The four-bedroom home has twice been renovated and extended. It has a modern kitchen, a large lounge, family dining area and a central bathroom. Several rooms have direct access to the north-facing deck, with its glorious views to every corner of the property. The bathroom and one of two toilets also have separate outdoor access.

The property is for sale by tender, which closes with Bayleys, Papakura, on February 26. For further details contact Rex Gazzard or Chris Duder, ph 298 2525.