Ward Valley
Located just south of Seddon, our Ward Valley vineyard sits at the southern frontier of Marlborough, making it a special place within a special place. The vineyard’s combination of high altitude, dry air, temperature extremes and deep clay creates a marginal climate and terroir that produces wines of rare complexity.
The 20 h.a. Ward Valley Estate vineyard was purchased in 2008 as bare pasture land by James Leary and Freddy Davison (a 4th generation South Islander). Freddy had searched for the perfect vineyard site around his home in the lower Awatere Valley and found a unique terroir in Ward. The vineyard site was chosen as the soil structure is mainly clay based, with hard papa subsoil, gravels and clay loam. These denser, water retentive clay soils, combined with a cooler climate than the northern end of Marlborough made the site perfectly suited to growing Pinot Noir. The long dry summer in Ward reduces pest and disease pressure while the hot 30 degrees + days and cool nights allow balance in ripening process.
