The region features a diverse selection of wines. But the silt loam and gravelly sub-soils of the Martinborough Terrace ensure pinot noir and sauvignon blanc grapes flourish. Subregions Dry River was established in 1979 by Dr Neil and Dawn McCallum and was one of Martinborough’s first wineries. Named for one of South Wairarapa’s earliest sheep stations, Dry River rests on the very arid, gravelly, free-draining soils near the Ruamahanga River, an area known as the Martinborough Terrace. The McCallums’ dream was to produce unique, high-quality wines that age beautifully. It has been our focus ever since. Who Makes Dry River Wine?

The areas three sub-regions; Martinborough, Masterton and Gladstone and have similar grape varieties planted, but the differing terroir of each brings out unique flavours. The Wairarapa makes up 3% of New Zealand’s total production. This number is contributed to the fact vineyard yields in the area below the national average, this alone is a large contributor to the regions success. Location At winenz.com you can buy the wines from Dry River winery for delivery around the world to Australia, USA, UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China.

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Having such a passionate following, Dry River offers their wines to their wine club first but here at wineNZ.com we receive a small allocation of their entire portfolio, subject to availability. Solely aiming to make high quality wines year after year means some wines are not made annually. The complete Dry River portfolio consists of: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, up to two Rieslings and Gewürztraminers (a drier style and late harvest), and even a red blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tempranillo and sometimes Viognier called Twelve Spies. Even Dry River’s name is legendary. Dry River is named after one of south Wairarapa’s first sheep stations (farms) on the Martinborough Terrace and was one of the first five wineries to establish themselves in Martinborough. Dry River is now a loyal team of six that tend to their own small vineyards and produce very limited wines each year. Since Dry River’s inception, they have been strict followers of no irrigation, canopy management, and crop thinning. Islands - Postcode Locations IM, JE, GY, BT, BT1, BT10, BT11, BT12, BT13, BT14, BT15, BT16, BT17, BT18, BT19, BT2, BT20, BT21, BT22, BT23, BT24, BT25, BT26, BT27, BT28, BT29, BT29, BT3, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, BT34, BT35, BT36, BT37, BT38, BT39, BT4, BT40, BT41, BT42, BT43, BT44, BT45, BT46, BT47, BT48, BT49, BT5, BT51, BT52, BT53, BT54, BT55, BT56, BT57, BT58, BT6, BT60, BT61, BT62, BT63, BT64, BT65, BT66, BT67, BT68, BT69, BT7, BT7, BT70, BT71, BT74, BT75, BT76, BT77, BT78, BT79, BT8, BT80, BT81, BT82, BT9, BT92, BT93, BT94, TR21, TR22, TR23, TR24, TR25, IV41, IV42, IV43, IV44, IV45, IV46, IV47, IV48, IV49, IV51, IV55, IV56, HS, KA27, KA28, KW15, KW16, KW17, PA20, PA41, PA42, PA43, PA44, PA45, PA46, PA47, PA48, PA49, PA60, PA61, PA62, PA63, PA64, PA65, PA66, PA67, PA68, PA69, PA70, PA71, PA72, PA73, PA74, PA75, PA76, PA77, PA78, PH42, PH43, PH44, ZE The 2016 vintage was our driest growing year in recent wine cultivation history. Fruit set was above average, and combined with good heat accumulation the resulting wine certainly shows ample concentration. Care was exercised in maintaining yield, approximately four tonnes/ha, and vigilant winegrowing techniques enabled ripening of what I consider to be a classic and refined. Dry River Pinot noir. Immediately red currant, strawberries and plum fruit deliver an aromatic hit. Dry River is one of the founding vineyards to be established in Martinborough. In 1979 Neil and Dawn McCallum planted a vineyard a few kilometres from Dyerville in a very dry and free-draining area now called the 'Martinborough Terrace' and they took the name Dry River for the vineyard and wines in what was to become another chapter of Martinborough's farming history. Their dream was to produce individual, high quality regional wines which faithfully reflect the 'terroir', vintage and are suitable for cellaring.

Dry River is run by a dedicated team of six. Chief winemaker Wilco Lam is assisted by Sam Rouse in the winery, while the vineyards are tended by vineyard manager James Pittard, assisted by Michelle Mills and Alex Muir. Sarah Bartlett is Dry River’s business manager, taking care of customers, sales and marketing. Principles of Their Wine The striking thing about Dry River's 2017 Pinot Noir is its rose-blossom perfume, which seems to persist even on the palate and through the lengthy finish. Yes, there are barely-ripe cherries, a silky, medium-bodied feel on the palate and subtle hints of mocha and spice, but the overwhelming impression is one of floral elegance. While some vintages of this wine need time in the cellar, this is immediately approachable, yet it should drink well for up to decade. JOE CZERWINKSI, wineadvocate.com From the very first vintage, Dry River has followed three key vineyard management principles: no irrigation, careful canopy management, and crop thinning. These three concepts work together to produce grapes of remarkable ripeness and concentration. Not only can Dry River wines be cellared for many years, their wines also drink well young. However, the age-old saying that “things get better with age” can certainly be true for Dry River Wines!Highlands - Postcode Locations AB31, AB32, AB33, AB34, AB35, AB36, AB37, AB38, AB40, AB41, AB42, AB43, AB44, AB45, AB46, AB47, AB48, AB49, AB50, AB51, AB52, AB53, AB54, AB55, AB56, IV1, IV10, IV11, IV12, IV13, IV14, IV15, IV16, IV17, IV18, IV19, IV2, IV20, IV21, IV22, IV23, IV24, IV25, IV26, IV27, IV28, IV29, IV3, IV30, IV31, IV32, IV33, IV34, IV35, IV36, IV37, IV38, IV39, IV4, IV40, IV5, IV52, IV53, IV54, IV6, IV63, IV7, IV8, IV9, KW1, KW10, KW11, KW12, KW13, KW14, KW2, KW3, KW4, KW5, KW6, KW7, KW8, KW9, PA21, PA22, PA23, PA24, PA25, PA26, PA27, PA28, PA29, PA30, PA31, PA32, PA33, PA34, PA35, PA36, PA37, PA38, PA39, PA40, PH4, PH5, PH6, PH7, PH8, PH9, PH10, PH11, PH12, PH13, PH14, PH15, PH16, PH17, PH18, PH19, PH2, PH20, PH21, PH22, PH23, PH24, PH25, PH26, PH27, PH28, PH29, PH30, PH31, PH32, PH33, PH34, PH35, PH36, PH37, PH38, PH39, PH40, PH41, PH49, PH50 Extremely low yields, non irrigated vines, innovative vineyard techniques (such as the use of reflective foil to optimize the grapes' exposure to sunlight) and a desire to make long-lived wines have earned Dry River a reputation for being one of New Zealand's leading premium-wine producers Although Dry River wines are never entered into competitions, many local wine critics believe that the winery makes the consistently best Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Syrah in New Zealand. It also makes top Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. BOB CAMPBELL MW