Ursula and Daniel Schwarzenbach have a particular passion for Alsatian varieties and this Muscat adds a fun element to their range of aromatics.

We love the flavours of Muscat.  It’s a light-hearted, medium-dry wine, fun to make and fun to drink.  It’s floral, fragrant and easy to drink, yet it has an amazing complexity on the palate.

Read entire Press Release here.

Ursula Schwarzenbach and her daughter Isabelle giving some fresh fruit to Community Foodbank Co-ordinator Jackie McCullagh

It’s been a cold and rainy winter so far.  Coupled with the lack of employment currently available there must be more people in our local community than ever struggling to put food on the family table or to heat their homes.  Many local children have to go to school with empty tummies and so we wanted to do our bit and try to help a little”

For every bottle of Blackenbrook Chardonnay, St Jacques Pinot Noir, Reserve Pinot Noir or Montepulciano ordered from their website up until July 16, they will donate a can of food or some fresh fruit to the Nelson Community Foodbank.

To order please click here and enter the Code FOOD BANK to get your special discount.

Read entire Press Release here.

The idyllic grape weather has also combined with the vineyard being what Daniel describes as in perfect balance this year:

We have been aiming to create a natural balance between the land, the vines and the processes and this year it’s really all come together. There was hardly any leaf growth since the nets went on which means the vines put all their energy towards ripening the crop.

Read the entire Press Release here.

Ursula presents the fundraising cheque to Country Kids Manager Nickie Hodgkinson

Early Learning Centre Country Kids in the Moutere and Tasman School have been presented with donations by Blackenbrook Vineyard after a successful fund-raising initiative.

Parents and staff at both places were able to buy heavily reduced bottles of Blackenbrook wine with proceeds going back into Country Kids and Tasman School. The total amount raised was $535.

Read the entire Press Release here.

Ursula Schwarzenbach with their award winning 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

Our Blackenbrook Sauvignon Blanc 2007 has done us proud again by bringing home the overall Trophy from the 2009 Bartho Eksteen Sauvignon Blanc Celebration in South Africa.

The award is an annual event where an international panel choses the top 10 South African Sauvignon Blancs and their top 10 from around the world.

The other New Zealand wines in the top ten were The Ned Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2004, St Clair Wairau Reserve 2007, Astrolabe Awatere Marlborough 2005. Other countries represented were France, Chile and Australia.

Please read our Press Release here.

The Romeo Bragato Awards are a key New Zealand wine award which celebrates the quality of grape and the contribution of the grape grower in particular, as opposed to other awards where it’s the winemaker that is recognised. 36 gold medals were awarded nationally across 18 categories.

Blackenbrook took a Gold Medal for its Pinot Gris 2008 as well as a silver medal for their Pinot Gris 2009.

Download our Press Release Here.

Ursula Schwarzenbach is ready to take on the Aussies and South Africans in the Tri Nations Wine Challenge

We have been thrilled to see our Blackenbrook Pinot Gris 2008 invited to the annual Tri Nations Wine Challenge which pits the best of New Zealand wines against their Australian and South African counterparts.

Bob Campbell(MW) is the New Zealand judge for the challenge and selects up to 7 wines to represent New Zealand in each of the 13 categories. His fellow judges, Australian Huon Hooke and South African Michael Fridjhon each do the same for their countries.

The Tri Nations will be held in Sydney in September.

Download our Press Release here.

The fruit for the Trophy-winning Pinot Gris is 100% estate-grown.  It was harvested at optimum ripeness with exceptional flavours and intensity.  During the entire winemaking process in the gravity-fed winery this wine stood out.  Consequently it was released as our very first Reserve Pinot Gris.  It is a stylish, finely poised wine with fragrant rich aromas of stone fruit, pears and spice, an excellent mouthfeel and an oily, medium-dry finish.

Read our Press Release here

Daniel Schwarzenbach accepting the Trophy at the New Zealand International Wine Show

Our Blackenbrook Sauvignon Blanc 2007 has taken top honour at this year’s Romeo Bragato Wine Awards, winning the prestigious Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc of the Show.

Only a month later, the same wine was awarded the Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the New Zealand International Wine Show in Auckland – the largest wine competition ever held in New Zealand and in fact one of the largest international wine shows held in the southern hemisphere.

Kingsley Wood, Competition Convenor of the New Zealand International Wine Show describes the wine as “the most successful Nelson Sauvignon Blanc in wine competitions – ever”.

Read our Press Release here.