The Story

Esk Valley Estate was first established by Englishman Robert Bird in 1933 under the name Glenvale. Bird constructed the original winery and cellars and focussed on producing fortified wine styles that were popular at the time. Glenvale grew quickly and at its peak was the 5th largest winery in New Zealand.

In 1986, the estate was purchased by Villa Maria and renamed ‘Esk Valley’. The focus of this new venture was to channel the artisanal soul and creative energy of Hawkes Bay into wines that authentically express the region’s diverse palette of soil types and grape varieties.

Today Esk Valley has a reputation as a boutique winery, renowned for hand-crafted premium reds and elegant whites made in a traditional fashion with as little input as possible to reflect site and season.