nz herald – The Cellar Club

Stephanie Holmes, Editor – Lifestyle Brands NZ Herald | May, 2025

New Zealand's top 50 wineries have been named in an annual awards list. — New Zealand’s top 50 wineries have been named in an annual awards list.

Blair Walter, winemaker from Central Otago winery Felton Road.

Destiny Bay, a winery on Auckland's Waiheke Island. — Destiny Bay, a winery on Auckland’s Waiheke Island.

Stephen Wong, MW, from The Real Review, an online wine critic platform.

Anna and Jason Flowerday from Te Whare Ra winery

Simon Sharpe and Lauren Keenan of Marlborough winery A Thousand Gods

Expert judges have crowned the top 50 wineries for 2025, with a Central Otago winery taking the top spot for the second year running.

Online wine critic platform The Real Review has named Bannockburn’s Felton Road as Winery of the Year.

“In a competitive field, Felton Road continues to lead by example,” says judge Stephen Wong, MW.

“Their wines are defined by purity, balance and a deep respect for the land.”

Wong says the second consecutive win reflects the winery’s “continuous improvement” that “sets a benchmark for the industry”.

The annual top wineries list recognises excellence across the country.

Wong says Kiwi wine-drinkers can use the list to give them “a clear sense of who is leading the way in New Zealand winemaking right now”.

Waiheke’s Destiny Bay took the runner-up spot this year, with Te Whare Rā and Framingham (both from Marlborough) and Martinborough’s Dry River rounding out the top five.

This year’s awards introduced a new “Best in Class” category, celebrating excellence across various wine styles. The inaugural winners were Quartz Reef‘s Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2017 for Sparkling Wine of the Year; Prophet’s Rock Cuvée Aux Antipodes Blanc 2022 for White Wine of the Year; Doctors Flat Pinot Noir 2021 for Red Wine of the Year; and Astrolabe’s Wrekin Vineyard Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2022 for Sweet Wine of the Year.

It is also the first time a Vigneron of the Year award has been presented, recognising excellence in viticulture.

Anna and Jason Flowerday of Marlborough’s certified organic winery, Te Whare Rā, are the inaugural winners.

“Highlighting individual wines and the people behind them allows us to tell a fuller story of New Zealand wine’s journey,” says Wong.

“As our industry matures, it’s vital we recognise not just the wines, but the people and philosophies shaping them.”

Wong says the Flowerdays were recognised because of their “deep connection between vineyard and bottle”, praising their commitment to sustainability while retaining a commitment to striving for excellence.

Rounding out the awards, Simon Sharpe and Lauren Keenan of Marlborough winery A Thousand Gods were awarded the Rising Star of the Year.

Enthusiasts can sample 80 of this year’s award-winning wines and meet the winemakers at a tasting event in Auckland on June 7, with tickets available via The Real Review’s website.

NZ wineries will be further recognised in August, with Viva’s own Top 50 wine awards, judged by Viva Wine Editor Dr Jo Burzynska.

The full 2024 list of winners can be found at viva.co.nz.

See the Real Review’s Top 50 Wineries of New Zealand 2025 below:

1. Felton Road – Bannockburn, Central Otago
2. Destiny Bay – Waiheke Island, Auckland
3. Te Whare Rā Wines – Renwick, Marlborough
4. Framingham – Renwick, Marlborough
5. Dry River Wines – Martinborough, Wairarapa
6. Prophet’s Rock – Bendigo, Central Otago
7. Te Mata Estate – Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay
8. Rippon – Wanaka, Central Otago
9. Ata Rangi – Martinborough, Wairarapa
10. Pyramid Valley Vineyards – Waikari, North Canterbury
11. Craggy Range – Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay
12. Bell Hill – Waikari, North Canterbury
13. Obsidian – Waiheke Island, Auckland
14. Hans Herzog Estate – Rapaura, Marlborough
15. Kusuda Wines – Martinborough, Wairarapa
16. Church Road – Napier, Hawke’s Bay
17. Rockburn Wines – Cromwell, Central Otago
18. Elephant Hill Estate – Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay
19. Villa Maria – Auckland
20. Smith & Sheth – Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay
21. Cloudy Bay – Blenheim, Marlborough
22. Fromm Winery – Blenheim, Marlborough
23. Bilancia – Hawke’s Bay
24. Neudorf – Upper Moutere, Nelson
25. Gibbston Valley Wines – Gibbston, Central Otago
26. Wild Irishman – Gibbston, Central Otago
27. Siren Wine – Marlborough
28. Corofin – Blenheim, Marlborough
29. Terra Sancta – Bannockburn, Central Otago
30. Blank Canvas – Marlborough
31. A Thousand Gods – Marlborough
32. Tantalus Estate – Waiheke Island, Auckland
33. Mt Difficulty Wines – Bannockburn, Central Otago
34. Puriri Hills – Clevedon, Auckland
35. Greystone Wines – Waipara, North Canterbury
36. Black Estate – North Canterbury
37. Charteris – Central Otago
38. Radburnd Cellars – Hawke’s Bay
39. Doctors Flat – Central Otago
40. Isabel Estate – Marlborough
41. Dog Point Vineyard – Marlborough
42. Batch Winery – Waiheke Island, Auckland
43. Giesen Wine Estate – Marlborough
44. Forager Wine – Marlborough
45. Valli – Central Otago
46. Man O’ War Vineyards – Waiheke Island, Auckland
47. Astrolabe Wines – Marlborough
48. Mudbrick – Waiheke Island, Auckland
49. Clos Henri – Marlborough
50. The Boneline – North Canterbury

No wine or other alcohol is allowed in the common areas at a retirement village in Christchurch. Photo / 123rf

Anne Gibson, Property Editor, NZ Herald | 1 Sep, 2025

A complaint brought by residents of a retirement village has been rejected after alcohol was banned at happy hour in common areas.

Events date back nearly two years to the village’s barbecue area on Christmas Day and the subsequent emails that resulted in five residents taking a complaint, now published on the Retirement Commission’s website.

The five residents of Condell Retirement Village in Bryndwr, Christchurch, are the only ones so far this year to take a dispute all the way to the commission and have a decision published there.

Most other disputes are settled without reaching that forum. The Condell ruling is the only one published in 2025.

Rowland and Patricia Dunbar, Anne McDonnell and John and Jean Sparrow brought the case against Condell Retirement Village (2011).

The Christchurch village owner/operator and the complaining residents agreed there was a gathering in the barbecue area on December 25, 2023, the decision said after an independent disputes panel heard the arguments.

Following the gathering, an email was sent to all residents by village relationship manager Alison McCormick.

“A few individuals breached the alcohol-free policy in the BBQ common area. As a result of this incident, the directors can confirm the village common areas are now permanently alcohol-free.

From now on, all happy hours in the community centre will be alcohol free.

“The actions of those involved in this breach do not reflect the values we strive to maintain in our village,” McCormick wrote.

A director of the company, Paul McCormack, sent a further email to everyone that said a group of residents had “displayed a boastful attitude while violating the village’s zero-alcohol policy”.

“We urge those involved to cease any form of bullying directed at residents who have complied with the village policy and are accepting of our decision.”

The decision summary from disputes panellist David Carden said the issues were whether the village operator/respondent had breached the occupation rights agreement of the residents.

That was to do with obligations under the code of residents’ rights by:

Banning alcohol from all communal areas in the village;
Changing access to services for the applicants in the village;
Communications to all residents in the village concerning an alcohol-free policy;
Exposing the applicants to subsequent ill-treatment and distrust;
Failing adequately to apologise to the applicants.

One resident referred to the owner/operator making a threat to residents that had financial implications as “a form of elder abuse tantamount to bullying innocent people”.

But the disputes panel found in favour of the village operator/respondent and dismissed the complaints.

There was no evidence in the documents provided that identified them and therefore no basis to find they were implicated in what was said in those letters, the panel said.

There was nothing objectionable in the wording of the letters and nothing that did not treat them with courtesy or disrespect their rights.

If they considered they had been harmed by the letters, they could correct that by clarifying matters to other residents, the decision said.

McCormack told the Herald he was delighted with the decision, which upheld the actions of the owners.

“We are very happy with our conduct.”

It was a breach of alcohol laws for liquor to be served without a licence, he said. Yet that had been the case for many years, which the owners realised was illegal.

Asked why the village did not get a licence to allow alcohol to continue to be served in common areas, McCormack said the directors had decided against that.

But the dispute had cost $20,000, of which the residents had only been ordered to pay $2100 in costs, he said.

Alcohol remains banned in common areas of the village, McCormack said.

Tag: nz herald

On The Up: Felton Road named top winery for 2025, wins second year in a row

Retirement village bans alcohol at happy hour in common areas after Christmas Day barbecue fallout

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