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Founded in 2003 by the visionary minds of Phil Handford and John Carmody, Grasshopper Rock is more than just a vineyard, it’s also a testament to the power of passion and place. In a region renowned for its Pinot Noir, Grasshopper Rock is singular in its focus on producing world-class Pinot Noir that reflects the unique terroir of Central Otago.
This meticulous approach to clonal selection and a total commitment to sustainable practices has earned Grasshopper Rock national and international acclaim.
The vineyard on Earnscleugh Road, across the Clutha River from Alexandra, is renowned as a premier cru site. It benefits from long sunshine hours and cool nights, creating a challenging yet rewarding environment for producing premium Pinot Noir.
The vineyard takes it name from a rare grasshopper, Sigaus childi, which is found only in Central Otago, and predominantly on the Earnscleugh gold tailings, which lie along the Clutha River, across the road from the vineyard. We can’t claim to have made the acquaintance of the grasshopper, yet, but we felt that the name had a certain distinctive ring about it.
And the Rock alludes to the gold that is no longer in the tailings, and probably never was. The new gold is wine and we hope that you will find a little bit of gold in the pleasure you get from Grasshopper Rock.
Planting dates: 38,000 vines,
planting completed October 8, 2003
Source: Corbans Viticulture (Whenuapai nursery)
Clones: 667, 777, 114, 115, Clone 5, Abel
Root stocks: 3309, Richter 110, 101-14
Spacings: Vine spacings are closer than average for Central Otago. Rows at 2.2 metres and vines spaced at 1.0 metre in most of vineyard and some at 0.78 metres.
We are an Accredited Sustainable Winegrower, an initiative of New Zealand Winegrowers. Sustainability is the capacity to endure; it is how biological systems remain diverse and productive indefinitely.
Central Otago has a number of sub-regions, each characterised by its mix of temperature profile, rainfall and soils. Some areas are hotter, some cooler and some wetter, drier or windier but generally all have free draining and mostly young soils derived from Schist ,an ancient metamorphic rock.
The land we searched for had to be warm enough to consistently ripen pinot noir grapes. It had to be cool enough to slow ripening down but not too cool. It had to have high sunshine hours and low rainfall. North facing slopes are the warmest and most sheltered sites within a cool climate. There needs to be tension between hot and cold, so that pinot noir can ripen slowly and show a true and exciting expression of the site.
Alexandra is the sub-region that excited us most. This is the southernmost sub-region in Central Otago, which also makes it the world’s southernmost pinot noir winegrowing sub-region. Further to the east, away from the Southern Alps, than other sub-regions, makes this the driest sub-region. Low rainfall is ideal for ripening pinot noir, but it does mean irrigation on the lighter soils is essential.
The Alexandra sub-region is a large basin and its topography and location deliver both the highest and lowest temperatures in Central Otago, with extreme fluctuations never more evident than during summer and autumn, when the grapes are ripening.
On the south side of the basin, across the Clutha River from Alexandra township, are the warm north facing slopes, where you will find Grasshopper Rock on Earnscleugh Road.
The land was originally part of a larger parcel known since the 1860s as Como Villa and has European history that dates back to the 1860s gold rush and the early establishment of grape vines in the 1870s. An old gold mining water race now brings water from the surrounding hills for irrigation and frost fighting.
Grasshopper Rock
PO Box 19 385
Hamilton
3244
New Zealand
Licensee: Grasshopper Rock
Licence #:67/OFF/10/2023
Exp: 15 Feb 2026
© 2024 Grasshopper Rock. All rights reserved. | Site by Gorilion
Phil is the face of Grasshopper Rock, leading the company since it was formed in 2001 through to the establishment of Grasshopper Rock as a world-class Central Otago pinot noir producer. Phil previously had a career as a rural banker, before being involved in the establishment of various agribusiness ventures. Phil has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Massey University. (Photo credit: Griffin Gettas)
Since 2021 the vineyard has been managed by Chad Douglas and his team at Estate Vineyard Management.
Our vineyard team plays a critical role in growing the premium fruit we deliver to the winery.
Mike Moffitt oversaw the development of the vineyard from a bare deer paddock in 2001, to the impressive vineyard that it is today. Mike was vineyard manager for nearly 20 years until 2021.
We work with some of Central Otago’s most highly regarded winemakers. Pip Battley, Pete Bartle and the VinPro winery team transform the grapes we grow into wine. It has been a very successful collaboration since our first vintage in 2006.
Pip is our Senior Winemaker at VinPro.
Pip believes in letting the wine speak for itself with just a little guidance along the way, she strives to bring out the qualities unique to the vineyard, gently tailoring the wine with minimal interference.
Born and raised on a farm in North Auckland, Pip studied Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. A desire for travel and a passion for Pinot Noir, has taken her from Martinborough and Central Otago to Oregon, Burgundy and Chablis, Nelson and South Australia. In 2017, Pip returned to NZ from Cape Jaffa Wines in South Australia and was appointed Winemaker at VinPro, and now Senior Winemaker.
In her spare time Pip enjoys all water sports and spending time with her dogs.
