Dry River
Dry River is one of the pioneers in Martinborough and one of New Zeland's cult brands.
It was established 1979 by Dr Neil and Dawn McCallum. The first wines, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Pinot gris were bottled in 1984 and Dry River has since developed a reputation as one of New Zealand's most iconic pioneering wineries.
The wines are largely sold by mail order and are not widely available through the retail trade.
Winemaking at Dry River
„Nature. Nurture. Knowledge.“ – this is the mantra of the winery. Fine wine is a combination of the characteristics of the Earth, and a unique knowledge of how to get the best out of this special place they call home.
Now led by winemaker Wilco Lam, Dry River achieves impressive concentration in all its reds by maintaining low yields and manipulating the vine canopy to expose the fruit to sunlight early in the ripening season.
The name Dry River
The name Dry River was that of one of the earliest South Wairarapa sheep stations (around 1877).
Accolades for Dry River
- Top Wineries of New Zealand 2018 & 2019 “Dry River achieves impressive concentration in all its reds …” – Bob Campbell MW
- „The culture of Dry River remains on achieving the highest quality through great attention to detail, making wines that are immensely ageworthy.“ – Raymond Chan
- New Zealand’s cult winery – Jancis Robinson MW
- Top winery for Pinot Noir (1 of only 7) – Matthew Jukes and Tyson Stelzer
