Top awards, exciting wine events and celebrations at our Nelson winery

Super-stoked to read Charmian Smith's article in the latest Wine NZ Magazine:

A pure, focused vision

In these days of corporatisation and expansion it’s unusual to find winemakers who have decided to restrict their growth, but that’s what Daniel Schwarzenbach of Blackenbrook in Nelson is doing. 

Daniel and Ursula Schwarzenbach have an unusually tight focus in both their operation and the style of wine they make at Blackenbrook in Nelson. [...]

The Swiss couple have no aspirations to expand beyond making 6000 cases of wine, a little up from the 5000 cases they produce from their 8ha vineyard at present, and that is to meet export demands from Germany and Japan.

Easter Weekend - time to open our winery doors wide! Call in for a sip of tasty Blackenbrook wine and a little chat - we'd love to see you!!

We'll be open from Saturday to Monday, 1pm to 5pm. Enjoy a winery tour with the maker him-self, moreish home-made Swiss bread and fantastic wine specials!

But no worries if you can't make it - you can also order your spring tipple our web site.

Free Tasting at Blackenbrook Winery
51 Baldwin Rd, Tasman 
15 - 17 April, 1 - 5pm

The nets are on, neatly clipped up to protect the precious grapes from the ever-so hungry birds.  

The canopy exudes vibrancy and health, working hard to produce amazing flavours and sugar for the upcoming vintage 2017.  

Let's keep the fingers crossed for tons of sunshine and dry weather.  Harvest is expected to start at the end of March - watch this space!

Our winery doors will be wide open this Waitangi weekend. Please call in for a sip of tasty Blackenbrook wine and a little chat on your way home from the beach!

We'll be open from Saturday to Monday, 1pm to 5pm. Of course we will once again serve home-made Swiss bread and run some fantastic specials, available at the Winery or by phone, email or from our web site.

We would love to see you!
Warm Regards
Daniel & Ursula Schwarzenbach

Blackenbrook Tasting Weekend:
6 - 8 Feb 2016, 1 - 5 pm
51 Baldwin Rd, Tasman
Free tasting, all welcome!

During their visit to sunny Nelson their Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and Camilla were treated to some of the region’s best produce at the beautiful Source to Serve - event held in the cellars of the stunning Mahana Winery: garden-fresh produce, tasty seafood and lamb, hand-crafted chocolates matched to delicious Nelson wines, beer and cider - Nelson truly shone at this stylish event!

The royal couple enjoyed the warm welcome, shook hands with winemakers and chefs and chatted easily to producers and the 60 invited business leaders.

It was a big honour to meet Prince Charles and Camilla, and to chat with them about New Zealand bush and its hunting opportunities. The Duchess of Cornwall then tasted our trophy-winning Gewurztraminer 2014 - a right royal moment!

Nelson, 7 November 2015

Read our News Release 
Thank you Chocolate Dog Photography for the great images. 

For the first time since 2007 we are planting a new vineyard block!  With growing demand from our main export markets Japan and Germany, we have decided to increase our production of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc - exciting times!

Luckily we still have lots of bare land - and the sheep just might have to move over a bit.

The posts were put in iduring winter.  This week we've planted the vines with a small team, and wires, vineyard-stakes, grow-guards and irrigation will follow next week.  It's school holiday, so we'll have the kids helping us, fantastic!

Hopefully the vines will establish quickly and might produce their first small crop next season, for vintage 2017!  Stay tuned for updates of our newest vineyard!

It's not too late to get your tickets for the famous Wine Nelson New Release Tasting on Tuesday, 22 September.

With 23 wineries showcasing their wines, this is a night not to be missed!  There will be more than 100 newly released wines to try, gourmet nibbles and live music. What are you looking forward to trying? Be the first to taste Nelson's New Release Wines of 2015 and meet local award winning winemakers.

Tickets cost $40 which includes all wine tastings, gourmet canapés and entertainment. Tickets are strictly limited and can be purchased online so grab a friend and book now!

Wine Nelson New Release Tasting
The Boathouse, Nelson
Tuesday, 22 September, 5.30 - 7.30pm
Tickets $40, book online

The high-light of Tasman's social calendar and eagerly awaited by a good part of our community!  

Caroline Peckham will present her delicious ciders hand-crafted in the Moutere and we will show for the very first time our 2015 vintage alongside the trophy-winning Gewurztraminer 2014.

This promises to be a social evening - hope you can make it!

Free cider & wine tasting 
Friday 11th September, 5.30 - 7pm
The Tasman General Store, Aporo Rd, Tasman

The grapes are in, the young wines are fermenting nicely and we all had a good sleep to recover from the fairly intense Harvest 2015… now it’s the perfect time to open our Winery one last time this season!

Call in for a taste of delicious Blackenbrook wine this Anzac Weekend. Of course we will once again serve home-made Swiss bread and run some fantastic specials, available at the Winery or by phone, email or from our web site.


We would love to see you!
Warm Regards
Daniel & Ursula Schwarzenbach

Blackenbrook Tasting Weekend:
25 - 27 April, 1 - 5 pm
51 Baldwin Rd, Tasman
Free tasting, all welcome!

This summer Comida Restaurant is celebrating outstanding Nelson wine and their winemakers in a series of Winemaker's Dinners.  

Talented chef Leila Byrd and our winemaker Daniel have put their heads together and came up with a mouth-watering six-course menu perfectly matching five of our top wines:

Blackenbrook Muscat 2014 

served with pan-seared Nelson scallops on a fennel & apple purée 
with radish carpaccio and a dash of chilli oil 

Blackenbrook Reserve Chardonnay 2013

served with slow-roasted and crackled pork belly
stuffed with walnuts and prunes, green beans, 
poached apple and an apple & cider jus

Blackenbrook Reserve Pinot Noir 2012

served with Moroccan spiced lamb back-strap
on a freekeh and mint & medjool-date salad
with pomegranate dressing, & pistachio-crusted goats cheese.

Interlude: A refreshing mint and Granny-Smith apple Granita

Blackenbrook Montepulciano 2013

served with crispy-skin confit duck on braised beluga lentils
with caramelised apple and red cabbage

Blackenbrook Reserve Gewürztraminer 2010

served with a Tarte Tatin with local Mahana red apples
with a vanilla bean creme-anglaise , cinnamon ice cream and a toffee lattice.

Blackenbrook Wine Dinner
Saturday 28 February, 6pm
$120 per person or $100 per person for groups of 4 or more
Please book online or call by ringing 03 546 7964

The famous Blackenbrook Open Days are back – we'll be open for tasting this Waitangi Weekend Friday to Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.

Call into our Winery to taste our newly released Family Reserve Chardonnay 2013 alongside the stunning wines from the 2014 vintage.

Of course we will once again serve our home-made Swiss bread and run some tempting specials, available at the Winery or by phone, email or from our web site.

Free Tasting
Friday 6 Feb - Sunday 8 Feb, 1 - 5 pm
Blackenbrook Winery, 51 Baldwin Rd, Tasman
(turn off at the Tasman General Store)

Hope you can make it!

Our Blackenbrook Pinot Gris 2013 has just brought home a gold medal from the well-respected Air New Zealand Wine Awards!  Only two months ago the same wine has won a gold medal and the Trophy for best Pinot Gris at the Bragato Wine Awards 2014, held in Blenheim.

But it’s not just the 2013 vintage that shines - the 2014 Pinot Gris has already been decorated with gold medals from Bragato Wine Awards 2014 and New Zealand International Wine Show 2014 before its official release in December! 

What a fantastic result - very proud of our wines and the great team effort that has gone into producing them!

The famous Blackenbrook Open Days are back – we’ll once again be open for tasting this Labour Weekend, 25 - 27 October, 1pm to 5pm.

Call into our Winery to taste our Trophy-winning Pinot Gris 2013 alongside the new releases from the stunning 2014 vintage. 

Of course we will once again serve our home-made Swiss bread and run some tempting specials during the tasting days, available at the Winery or by phone, email or from our Web Site.

Blackenbrook Winery, 51 Baldwin Rd, Tasman (turn off at Tasman Store)
25 - 27 October 2014, 1 – 5pm
Free Tasting

Hard to believe, but it's been 10 years since we picked our first grapes!  It's been a busy decade with vineyard establishment, the construction of our gravity-fed winery, the launch of our Blackenbrook label and of course with the arrival of our two beautiful children Thomas and Isabelle...

Asked about this anniversary, renowned Wine Commentator Michael Cooper sayd: “Blackenbrook is one of the highest-achieving wineries on the Nelson scene, with a reputation for aromatic white wines - Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc - that are rich and full of personality. Daniel and Ursula are currently celebrating their ten-year anniversary. It’s a major milestone, and as their vineyard matures – to say nothing of the benefits of winemaker age – Blackenbrook’s wines will surely get better and better.”

To mark the occasion we celebrated with our loyal staff, good friends and customers at the fabulous Jester House Café - we feel it is important to stop every so often, look back on the achievements, but also focus on the future at the same time. The celebrations coincided with the launch of the new logo, website and video. 

To read more click here.  

Woop woop - more GOLD for our Pinot Gris 2014, this time from the New Zealand International Wine Show in Auckland!  This is fantastic news after the two gold medals and the Trophy win for our 13 and 14 Pinot Gris at the Bragato Wine Awards! 

With 2130 entries the New Zealand International Wine Show is firmly established as the largest wine competition held in New Zealand.  Chief Judge Bob Campbell MW was assisted by Larry McKenna, Peter Cowley, John Hancock and an experienced team of 22 senior judges.

Our Blackenbrook Pinot Gris 2013 has just been awarded the Trophy for Best Pinot Gris at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards in Blenheim! 

The judges liked the vibrant aromatics of the wine and its richness despite the relatively low residual sugar.  

The Bragato Wine Awards celebrate viticultural excellence - we are absolutely thrilled, this one goes to Daniel and his dedicated vineyard team!
         
                            

The famous Blackenbrook Open Days are back – we’ll once again be open for tasting from Easter Saturday to Monday, 1pm to 5pm.

Our elegant Chardonnay 2012 and Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 are finally ready for release.  We are proud to unveil these two stylish wines from a small and very special vintage.

Call into our Winery to taste the new releases together with other Blackenbrook favourites and our home-made Swiss bread.

Of course we will once again run some tempting specials during the tasting days, available at the Winery or by phone, email or from our Web Site.

Blackenbrook Winery, 51 Baldwin Rd, Tasman (turn off at Tasman Store)
19 – 21 April 2014, 1 – 5pm
Free Tasting 

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Harvest 2014 is in full swing with tremendous weather and lovely fruit.

The quality of the Sauvignon Blanc fruit is very good with lovely gooseberry and passionfruit flavours.  The weather is fantastic with sunny warm days and cool nights, ideal for flavour development… and it looks like we might get at least another week of this perfect harvest weather – fingers crossed!

Last week we picked our Rose – again beautiful ripeness and nice flavours.  Daniel distemmed the grapes and left the berries macerating in their juice for 48 hours before pressing off, resulting in a beautiful deep colour.  We also got our first lot of Reserve Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in, both at optimum ripeness with 24 brix.

Listen to Daniel’s harvest update here.

Nelson artist Marilyn Andrews has created the images for our Shangri-La wines for the Japanese market.  Today we’ll visit her at the gallery. 

Watch the video here!

Marilyn loves the Nelson region, it’s home to her, a happy place with bright light and strong colours.  This is reflected in her vibrant and powerful paintings.

Marilyn is proud to have her art represented on the Shangri-La wines.  She hopes to touch the Japanese people enjoying these wines and maybe to inspire them to visit sunny Nelson one day…

Another stunning autumn day at Blackenbrook Vineyard.  We are standing next to our winery, looking across to our white wine vineyard.  It is very dry around here, but the deep-rooting vines do not have any trouble finding sufficient water.

The weather has turned cool with about 6 degrees at night and 15 degrees during the day – perfect conditions for flavour development.  It also means the sugar content does not increase too fast and hopefully the 2014 wines will have less alcohol for that reason.
 

It will be an emotional moment when a very significant wine is released on the 10th of December.

The Thomas’s Treasure Dessert Riesling 2008 has already been awarded five stars by wine consultant Michael Cooper:

“The 2008 vintage (5 Stars) is indeed a ‘treasure’ – one of the most striking sweet wines ever produced in New Zealand. A wine of great beauty, it is oily and sweet, almost syrupy, with honey, apricot and tea flavours, good acid spine and exceptional depth.This is a very special wine and unusually rare with only 20 cases available.  It is very collectible. 

Read our Press Release here.

Exciting news from our export markets: the Neuseelandhaus in Bergkamen has taken on the distribution of our wines in Germany and Europe.

The first shipment arrived in September and our Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Rosé are now gracing their shelves.

Stuck for a pressie for family and dear friends in Germany or Europe? Neuseelandhaus offers an excellent gift service, happily posting Blackenbrook wines on your behalf – et voilà, Christmas shopping sorted!

• The tremendous spring growth in the vineyard and our hard-working vineyard team Mauricio and Clement
• The fantastic review of ourSauvignon Blanc 2013 in Dish Magazine:
  5 Stars and 4th place in the Sauvignon Blanc tasting
• Germany – our latest export destination.  Neuseelandhaus in Bergkamen has taken on the distribution of our wines in Germany and Europe
• Our New Releases Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Gewurztraminer 2013 and Pinot Rose 2013
• Spring Specials

Read our Newsletter here.