Rippon Vineyard

Rippon Vineyard is a New Zealand wine producer located in Wanaka, Central Otago. It is best known for its sought-after Pinot Noir expressions, but makes a range of other wines from Riesling, Gewürztraminer and a rare grape variety called Osteiner. 

The vineyard, which is widely regarded as one of the world's most spectacular, was established by Rolfe and Lois Mills in 1975. It covers 15 hectares (37 acres) on the banks of Lake Wanaka, which provides temperature moderation for the vineyard. The soils are mostly schist with clay, gravel and loess, and the vineyard is not irrigated.

A range of classic Central Otago wines are made at Rippon, with a focus on old-vine Pinot Noir and Riesling. The Pinot Noir comes from the western side of the vineyard, which is planted on a north-facing aspect; these vines are among some of the oldest on site and date back to the first Rippon plantings. There are several Pinot Noirs: the Mature Vines, Emma's Block and Tinker's Field are the most important. Rippon's Riesling and Gewürztraminer also come from old vines, and are both fermented with the use of wild yeasts.

Today, the head winemaker is the Mills' son Nick, who spent time making wine at Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti and Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron in Burgundy, before returning to New Zealand in 2002.