The Landing Vineyard Kicks Off the 2025 Harvest Season in New Zealand
The Landing Wine team is pleased to announce that picking officially began on Friday, 17 January 2025, with the harvest of the first Chardonnay grapes.
Northland’s subtropical climate means The Landing is always among the first vineyards to begin picking in New Zealand, as the warm weather ripens grapes earlier than at more southern vineyards.
The 35-acre vineyard is situated on the historic Purerua Peninsula, nestled among native forests and wetlands that are home to kiwi and other native birds. Its unique soil, aspect, and microclimate produce rich, full-bodied wines.
This year’s 2025 harvest will include the first crop of Tempranillo (red) and Albariño (white) grapes, respectively planted in 2022 and 2023 as part of the vineyard’s extension. This new addition provides winemaker Ben Byrne with even more varieties to experiment with for future blends.
Long sunshine hours and just enough rain at the right times have created favourable growing conditions, and the 2025 harvest begins two weeks earlier than any prior vintage at The Landing.
Being among the first vineyards in New Zealand to harvest the 2025 vintage is an exciting milestone, but quality remains the team’s top priority.
The Landing’s 2022 Chardonnay was recently featured in two prestigious wine lists: Metro magazine’s Top 50 Wines (ranked in their Top 10) and James Suckling’s Top 100 New Zealand Wines. Additionally, several of The Landing’s vintages have earned gold medals at highly respected international wine competitions, including the Decanter Awards 2024 in London and the Sommeliers Choice Awards 2024 in San Francisco.
The Northland region is increasingly recognised for its unique terroir and exceptional wines. The Landing is proud to play a role in bringing the Bay of Islands’ story to the world.