After building a strong reputation and establishing markets for its award-winning wines, the family behind Mount Brown Estates vineyards and winery at Waipara in North Canterbury is ready to hand the reins to a new owner.

Bayleys vineyard sales specialist Mike Poff is looking for buyers for Mount Brown Estate’s 36ha Lime Loader site and its viticulture/winery plant infrastructure.

Poff says vines were first planted on Lime Loader vineyard in 2006 in the second stage of a vineyard development created by Mount Brown Estates founder Tony Rutherfurd on Purchas Road, just off State Highway One south of Waipara in North Canterbury.

Four years earlier, Tony and his daughter Catherine had stumbled on an abandoned 8ha vineyard in the foothills of nearby Mount Brown. It was waist-high in weeds but they could see its potential to deliver top quality wines, particularly from the Pinot Noir grapes first planted there about 2000.

The Lime Loader vineyard is planted in several varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris and a small area of Tempranillo. With more recent additional plantings of Pinot Gris have followed.

In 2013 the family bought the wine-making plant and harvesting equipment from St Helena winery, and moved it to their Mount Brown Estates’ Lime Loader vineyard.

For the first time in its history, Mount Brown Estates wines were grown, made and bottled on-site, achieving a long-held family ambition to bottle and sell it to customers around New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Catherine has led the sales and business development for Mount Brown Estate wines, establishing supply agreements with local and international customers, and doubling sales over the past decade.

About 75% of the bottled wines are sold in New Zealand, mostly through grocery outlets, but there is also growing volumes being sold via several online wine sites and an opportunity to develop more gate sales with the purchase of the original lime loading site opposite State Highway 1.

Over the years, Mount Brown wines have won numerous awards and medals in both national and international competitions. Its wines regularly rank highly in ‘best-buys’ selections and nothing from its Estate and emerging Reserve Range of wines has been awarded less than four stars or silver status.

Poff says offers are invited for the land and buildings, either with or without the winery plant, or as a complete business opportunity including the Mount Brown Estates brands and stock on hand.

“We’re expecting this to appeal to investors who want a self-contained investment, but it will also appeal to other winery and vineyard owners who want to expand and gain some geographical spread to their business,” Poff says.

“It might also appeal to individuals who have always had an interest in wine and see this as a sound investment opportunity with a tidy, well-maintained vineyard, a fully self-contained winery and a history of award-winning wines.”

Poff says the entire planted area is equipped with frost protection and a full irrigation system to ensure reliable yields and consistent fruit quality. It has produced an average of 368 tonnes per annum over the past few years.

The winery facility is a purpose-built facility with capacity for 500 tonnes of white and 100 tonnes of red and is fully self-contained with cross-flow filtration, a complete bottling line and an in-house mechanical harvester - ensuring quality control and production efficiency from vine to bottle and complete control over production quality and the ability to produce lines destined for specific markets.

Poff says the vineyard staff, including both experienced winemakers, are keen to remain in the operation, providing a turn-key option for new buyers.

“The business is run by a skilled workforce that supports the entire operation for the production of quality wines.”

Offers are invited by noon on July 17 at Bayleys’ Blenheim office.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for investors, wine companies or entrants into the New Zealand wine industry.

“Mount Brown Estates combines productive vineyards, a scalable winery, strong branding and a track record of growth - making it an outstanding platform for future success,” he says.