A family, and four small hillside vineyards in North Canterbury.
Home Vineyard is where our cellar door & restaurant sit, a 45 minute drive north of central Christchurch, in Waipara Valley. A gentle slope of calcareous clay, home to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc and a nice place to spend an afternoon.
Planted by Russell Black and Daniel Schuster in 1986 at a vine density of 5000 vines per hectare. Netherwood’s soils are classified as Waipara Greensand which is a green grey richly glauconitic sandstone.
Damsteep Vineyard is located in the north east of Waipara Valley at the foot of the Omihi Saddle, 10km north of our Home Vineyard. Riesling and Pinot Noir grow here with vine density of more than 5000 vine per hectare.
Our neighbour's organic vineyard which we lease, on the gentle hillside slope just to the west of our Home Block. A north-northwest facing sedimentary clay fan houses Viognier and Pinot Gris vines, planted in 2001.
Soil, Vine, and Duration
What does it actually mean to farm a place?
Chessie Henry visits Black Estate to spend time with Nicholas and Pen, exploring how their connection to the land shapes everything they do.
