Hanmer Springs Wines is a vineyard on the edge. From the air to the ground, owner Sarah’s first passion for flying has taken her from the great heights of the Middle East, flying Iroquois helicopters to the grounded, though elevated nature of the Hanmer vineyard.

Q&A with Sarah Currie from Hanmer Springs Wines

Why North Canterbury? Born and bred in Canterbury, it was always going to be where I came home to. North Canterbury is the most suited to growing grapes as it is protected from the cold Easterly that often plagues Christchurch city and South. I’ve always loved Hanmer Springs and thought it would be a great place for the kids to grow up. The climate is very similar to Central Otago as it is a large inland basin, so gets extremely hot in Summer and extremely cold in Winter. Once we found a beautiful North-facing site above the Hanmer river, we figured we could make a go of it and here we are!

What’s your favourite thing to do in North Canterbury? There are so many amazing things to see and do in this region. One of my favourite hidden gems is Gore Bay on the coast near Cheviot. It’s a stunning surf beach set amongst native bush with no shops or cellphone coverage. The perfect place to relax!

Top 3 local brands? That’s a tough one as there are so many great producers out there, from the larger guys down to the boutique family-owned ones. Also, I haven’t yet had time to try them all out. I love what Tussock Hill are doing with their two sites and new tasting room. For natural, artisan wines you can’t go past The Hermit Ram and No.31 Restaurant in Hanmer is a definite fave!

Find Us

120P Medway Road, Hanmer Springs