David Holmes established Richmond Plains, established in 1991, and then sold it to his marketing manager, Lars Jensen, and his wife, Samantha. The winery is located near Nelson at the top of the South Island of New Zealand.
The vineyards of this winery have been farmed organically since their inception and it was the first vineyard in the South Island of New Zealand to be developed organically. Currently it is one of only five certified growers in New Zealand, where there more than 600 producers. Certification is through Bio-Gro New Zealand. BioGro is an approved Third Party Agency with the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) for exports of BioGro certified products to Europe and USA through the NZFSA Official Organic Assurance Program. In addition, Richmond Plains become the first New Zealand vineyard to be certified full biodynamic by Demeter as of May 27th 2009.
The Nelson region is one of New Zealand’s finest, cool-climate producing areas. The extended summer sunshine (the highest in the country) and cold, crisp winters combine with the free-draining soils of the alluvial Waimea Plains to create ideal grape growing conditions. The temperate climate, moderated by the nearby Western Ranges and sea breezes of Tasman Bay, is perfect for elegant white wines and well-structure, medium-bodied reds.
By using organic and biodynamic methods, without the use of synthetic herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers they are fully expressing the vineyard’s character or terroir in the wines.
The vineyard is rich in plant, animal, and insect biodiversity. This helps the vineyard to develop a natural balance where no one plant or insect can dominate. With no spray strip and clever companion planting the vineyard is a rich green environment creating an attractive habitat for a variety of native birds and butterflies like the Monarch and Admiral. The biologically active soil is rich in natural fertility and beneficial organisms and insects. As a coastal vineyard they also strive to close the circle of nutrient loss, from the soil to the groundwater and thus to the sea, by returning fish and seaweed products to the soil in special liquid brews. These stimulate the complex web of life in the soil, which, by their actions, release nutrients in the soil allowing vines to flourish. The Jensens employ a mixture of grape clones and trellising including Scott Henry and Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) best suited to enhance the natural flavors of each wine. Extensive manual techniques are used to manage the vines, including leaf plucking, pruning, fruit thinning and harvesting by hand.
