Aurum

 

The Aurum winemaking philosphy is based on expressing a real sense of place in our wines; on careful vineyard practices which produce low cropping, clean grapes and on an insistence on the gentle handling of the wine so that it is balanced and harmonious.Whole bunch pressing of the white grapes gives purity to the finished wine and lees stirring of the Pinot Gris brings out the delicious pear and quince flavours.  With Pinot Noir our winemakers express the essence of this variety by gentle handling and careful extraction of tannins so that they are soft and integrated with the fruit. Barrel aging of the Pinot Noir ensures that the tannins of the oak complement and not overpower the tannins of the grapes with the resulting wine integrated, elegant  and silky.

Snow in the vineyard

With Aurum's vineyards located at 200 metres above sea level  and close to Lake Dunstan it is unusual to have a big snowfall in winter.  These are our Pinot Gris vines located near the Tasting Room on a spectacular day in winter.

Aurum Wines' Tasting Room is situated in the original 1920s farm cottage.  Restored by Joan and Tony Lawrence in 2001, it is now used for sales and tastings of estate produced wine and olive oil, local preserves and lavender products  and to display the paintings of local artist, Neil Driver (www.neildriver.com).

The cottage is surrounded by a fragrant old fashioned garden ( Registered with the New Zealand Gardens Trust) and is available for picnics and functions.