• Gold Medal- Liquor land International Wine Competition 2010
• Gold - Liquorland International Wine
• Competition 2010
• Silver - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2011
• Silver - International Wine Challenge 2011

Takutai is a Maori term about “place” – especially a safe place.  It’s about the coastal connection that every New Zealander feels – even when they may live 150km from the sea (as this is the furthest they can live from the coast in the beautiful island nation!) It’s about the boating that so many Kiwis enjoy – and the seafood bounty they can collect whilst enjoying it.

Pinot Gris is more commonly known in the western world by its Italian name, Pinot Grigio, is always a great choice for entertaining. It's light bodied enough that if several courses are being served to start with this wine and then change it up.

Takutai is a brand within the Waimea Estates portfolio. Takutai is about 'our sense of place' in growing grapes and making wine in a maritime climate, on the alluvial soils of the ancient delta of the Waimea River in the Nelson region of New Zealand. Nelson is on the Northern tip of New Zealand's South Island. The region regularly records the highest sunshine hours in the country. Framed by mountains with gentle coastal influences, our long ripening season and deep alluvial soils provide premium quality grapes. Waimea owns six vineyards - each with their own distinctive soil type and character. Takutai is a Maori term about “place” – especially a safe place. It’s about the coastal connection that every New Zealander feels – even when they may live 150km from the sea (as this is the furthest they can live from the coast in our beautiful island nation!) It’s about the boating that so many Kiwis enjoy – and the seafood bounty they can collect whilst enjoying it. It’s also about the close relationship that Waimea Estates has with the local Maori Tribe, Ngati Koata who are the Kaitiaki (caretakers/guardians) of the Tuatara. In 1994 Ngati Koata gifted to the Nation the island of Takapourewa, (Stephens Island), to support conservation, preservation and habitat restoration issues concerning the Tuatara reptile. In this family-owned boutique, innovative winery they use gentle processing and anaerobic techniques to create ‘fruit-driven’ wines. While still wanting the wines to be varietal, they also want to enhance their complexity by adding subtle winemaking nuances as appropriate, but always without detracting from the primacy of the fruit. The three words that sum up the "aims" in these wines are ‘concentration, texture, balance’.

Wines made from the Pinot Gris grape vary greatly and are dependent on the region they are from and wine making style. This little beauty from New Zealand aromatic wine specialist Waimea Estates displays pear, fresh fig and honeysuckle aromas. Produced from a single vineyard the palate is finely textured and structured due to fruit ripeness and time spent on yeast lees. It will offer good drinking over the next 1 - 4 years.