Churton Wines

Churton was founded in 1997 by Sam and Mandy Weaver; the family-run estate lies in the southern hills of Marlborough, between the Omaka and Waihopai valleys. The 51-hectare farm includes 22 hectares of vines planted in 17 hillside blocks. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, with compost, cover crops, animals and bees forming part of a diverse whole-farm system. The north-east-facing site, on clay-rich loess over gravel, is farmed as dry as possible. The grapes are picked by hand, and the cellar follows a gentle, terroir-driven style; Sam, Ben and Jack Weaver continue to run the estate and make the wines.