Family-run wineries are part of the charm of the Waipara wine region, and Pegasus Bay is the perfect case in point. Started by Ivan and Christine Donaldson in the 1980s, and continued by their four sons (Matthew, Ed, Paul and Michael) today, Pegasus Bay not only has award-winning wine production but also one of the top winery restaurants in New Zealand. The beginnings of this impressive family business were in fact rather more humble… Pegasus Bay was the vinous pipe dream of a successful neurologist.
“A medic gone AWOL” is how Ed describes his father’s first wine ambitions, when he planted an acre of experimental vines in his garden in Christchurch in 1975. “He planted every type of variety in the beginning!”
In 1985 the experimental plot expanded to a 40 hectare estate in the Waipara Valley at a time when there was less than a handful of producers there. Ivan had studied the different climate patterns in Canterbury and discovered that Waipara had the ideal combination of less rain, more sunshine and more protection from the cold and maritime fronts that can often come off the Pacific.
He continued to plant his favourite varieties from his experimental vine garden, including the red Bordeaux varieties many other producers scoffed at (they said Waipara was too cold to ripen varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon).
Pegasus Bay, so named for the large horse-shaped bay behind the coastal range, continues to make its Bordeaux blends today but the flagship of the family winery is in fact Riesling – a variety that Christine begged her husband to plant.
The location on the hills has enough air movement and slope exposure to ripen the Bordeaux reds but also has the cool temperatures for Pinot Noir and the entire white wine spectrum. What makes it an ideal spot for Riesling is the long hang time that they can achieve in the vineyard (as budding starts quite early). Another interesting element to their Riesling is that they can achieve an element of botrytis each year due to their position close to the river.
“We tend to get botrytis in our Riesling most years as we are able to leave it on the vines a bit longer,” explains Ed during our extensive tasting of Pegasus Bay’s portfolio. “Even in our dry Riesling, Matt [his brother, the winemaker] likes to leave around 20% botrytis-infected bunches.”
The result is a selection of Riesling wines with a strong personality, aromatic concentration and rich acidity. Pegasus Bay has helped put Waipara Riesling on the map, alongside top Pinot Noir and – much to the surprise of the scoffing producers – Bordeaux red varieties from Waipara too.
The potential of Waipara Riesling & what to pair it with
Recommended Pegasus Bay wines & tasting notes
Pegasus Bay Sauvignon-Sémillon 2007
The colour of this hasn’t moved at all – it has flecks of green and silver and is very youthful in the glass and also in the nose. Bright yellow fruit notes with just a touch of the kerosene that only hints at its decade of bottle-age. Vibrant and delicious.
Pegasus Bay Virtuoso 2016
A barrel selection of their top Chardonnay, Virtuoso shares the same struck match aroma you find on the estate Chardonnay but it is more open with fruit and blossom notes. Fresh and bright acidity underpins the structure of this wine and it has the complexity of a barrel-aged Chardonnay. Great length and fullness.
Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2015
This Pinot Noir is a blend of 12 different clones and different blocks of their vineyards. It is a crunchy, bright Pinot Noir with vibrant red fruit aromas and spicy black pepper notes.
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna 2015
Christine is an opera singer and this is an ode to her passion but also to the temperamental nature of Pinot Noir… This, their top Pinot Noir, is only made in the best years and usually comes from their oldest ungrafted vines. This is a wine of finesse and length with silky tannins.
Pegasus Bay Maestro 2015
This is their top Bordeaux blend, in this case with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It’s surprising for this region that you can ripen these varieties here but this wine has no trace of greenness – instead it is filled with aromas of fruit and spice, with peppery tannins to finish. It doesn’t get released every year, but in a great vintage, like 2015, this wine really stands out as a fresh Bordeaux style.
Pegasus Bay Bel Canto 2015
Probably the most memorable of all their wines for me, Bel Canto is a dry Riesling made with 20-30% botrytis (with some sun exposure). On the nose you would completely believe this is a sweet wine – it has waxy orange peel, ripe apricot and honeysuckle aromas, but on the palate it is dry with a fullness and richness that lends it wonderfully for food pairing. Standout Riesling.
Pegasus Bay Encore 2016
There are several Pegasus Bay Rieslings, and this is their most concentrated, which only gets made a couple of times a decade when they can achieve 100% botrytis. Almonds, orange marmalade and ripe fruit notes make this intensely aromatic, but Encore still has a freshness on the finish and vibrancy. Top stuff.
Pegasus Bay Finale 2014
This is a botrytised Sauvignon Blanc (sometimes with a splash of Sémillon), which has been barrel-fermented. Luscious and long with complex aromas of nuts, honey and fruit peel.
Full interview with Ed Donaldson, Pegasus Bay
The full in-depth interview is for subscribers only:
Ed Donaldson from Pegasus Bay on Waipara Riesling and pioneering a new region from Amanda Barnes on Vimeo.
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