Profile

Background

Grove Mill was established in Marlborough in 1988 by a dedicated group of local grape growers and wine enthusiasts. Their mission: to make premium quality varietal wines that fully captured and reflected the delicious and unique intensity of Marlborough grapes. To make their dream a reality an historic Malt house (The Mill), a Marlborough landmark in Grovetown, Blenheim was purchased and transformed into a 150 tonne winery. From this home and this location came the name of both the company and the signature brand; "Grove Mill".

The Company directors enticed talented winemaker, David Pearce, south to Blenheim to make the first Grove Mill wine; 530 cases of 1988 Grove Mill Marlborough Riesling. Since that time the Grove Mill brand has grown to encompass a range currently including; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

From the first vintage the consistent quality of the wines and their immense consumer appeal, together with national and international awards and accolades, saw local demand increase significantly. National domestic distribution was established in 1990. In 1993 Grove Mill commenced exporting to the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

A New Home

Grove Mill continued to grow vintage upon vintage; doubling production each year for the first five years of operation. In 1993 it was recognised the company would soon outgrow "The Mill".

Subsequently, eighteen hectares of land were purchased in the Waihopai Valley just west of Renwick, 14 kilometres west of Blenheim. In spring 1993 the Grove Mill home vineyard was planted and in its midst a state-of-the-art winery, capable of processing 1000 tonne of grapes (around 70,000 cases), was built. New Zealand's Prime Minister officially opened this new premise on the 3rd September 1994.

Quality is paramount; Grove Mill’s on site facilities cover all phases of the wine making process from the grape pressing, winemaking, finishing, bottling and warehousing.