Oraterra
Oraterra translates to golden earth, reflecting the value of great vineyard sites in Martinborough, including that from which winemaker Wilco Lam is now making wines.
The Good: Another magnificent year for Wairarapa winegrowers and producers. The Christmas and early New Year rains added to the party, keeping the vineyards fresh. Yields were up, so pretty much all the wine cellars had a full house, bulging with serious, high-quality wine.
The Bad: There were mostly just silver linings to our 2025 season. But the sad moments were that we had to say farewell to some of our beloved members. Mike Finnucane from Alexander Estate passed away, and Strat Canning, Winemaker from Margrain Wines, retired and will be enjoying spending time on the ride on mower. Their contributions will be missed.
The Awesome: Looking backwards some of the regional producers have scored big on the (inter)national stage: Craggy Range received best in show for their 2024 Te Muna Pinot Noir at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and Te Kairanga’s 2025 Sauvignon Blanc earned a gold medal at the 2025 National Wine Awards of Aotearoa New Zealand. Those are awesome results for this region.
The Awesome: Looking forwards the new season is upon us, and there’s potentially another incredible season coming. With last year’s warm spring, the stars are aligning for good yields this year if the weather doesn’t create too much havoc this summer. Cellar door operators in the region are buzzing with this warm weather and ready to welcome visitors who are eager to jump on a bike for tastings, lunches, or a scrumptious glass of summer wine.
