10 years after the founding of Rimapere in the Marlborough Valley, the country’s leading wine region, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage purchased 34.5 of the best hectares in Akarua, a historic and pioneering vineyard in Central Otago. The vast majority are in Cairnmuir, ideally placed given its reputation as the holy grail of Bannockburn. Nestled in the foothills of the mountains, amid breath-taking scenery, the land here offers rare balanced conditions which are suited to producing very fine pinot noirs. In Maori, the name ‘Akarua’ means two vines. Pinot noir and chardonnay were the two varietals first planted on the estate.