Our place
Family
Spontaneously purchased in 1999, after exploring the Marlborough wine region, Terrace Edge Wines in the Waipara Valley is the very essence of a family owned and operated business.
There's a beauty in not knowing how hard things will be sometimes."Pete - Viticulturalist at Terrace Edge
The North Canterbury property was originally a sheep farm, the Chapman family began their land conversion by planting 2000 Olive trees on the lower terrace. With no previous experience, the development of the business was taken on with a real trial and error approach - after discovering that the trees were being regularly frosted, the Grove had to be completely replanted in a more suitable location.
Despite the many difficult learning curves, Pete, the youngest of Bruce and Jill Chapman's three sons still believes, "there's a beauty in not knowing how hard things will be sometimes." Pete went on to study Viticulture at Lincoln University, and now manages the day to day operations in the vineyard, as well as bit of sales and marketing whenever time allows.
The development of Terrace Edge is not unlike the growing of great wine, it requires a real hands-on approach. The whole family is involved with each aspect of the business; Nana mends the nets, which are instrumental in preventing crop damage in the weeks before harvest. Jill is on hand to answer the phone and spends many weekends out in Waipara, pickling olives and ensuring everything is running smoothly. While Bruce, alongside his wife, is around on weekends, sharing wine tastings and the Terrace Edge story with visitors to their piece of Waipara Valley paradise.