The 2026 harvest at Spy Valley has now wrapped, leaving us with a strong sense of pride in what has been a rewarding and character-filled vintage. This season was defined by teamwork and precision, resulting in expressive fruit and wines already showing excellent promise.
The growing season began earlier than anticipated, although cooler conditions through January and February slowed the pace of ripening. This slower start proved beneficial, allowing the vines to progress steadily and giving both vineyard and winery teams time to carefully plan and manage intake across all six of our varieties.
Mid-January delivered nearly 100mm of rain, increasing botrytis and powdery mildew pressure leading into harvest. As a result, vineyard vigilance and careful fruit selection became essential. Hand-picked parcels were sorted at the table to ensure only the best fruit made its way into tank and barrel. Despite this added challenge, settled conditions through the latter part of the season provided an excellent run into harvest and ensured fruit arrived in beautiful condition.
Harvest began on 24 February with Pinot Noir for our Nouveau-style release, early machine harvesting of Sauvignon Blanc commenced the following day, with the main Sauvignon Blanc harvest beginning on 13 March. The final fruit was picked on 27 March, bringing the vintage to a smooth and timely close just over a month after it began. In total, 1,792 tonnes of fruit were harvested — a slightly smaller crop that allowed for exceptional attention to detail throughout.
The winery and vineyard hummed with energy, supported by a fantastic international team working seamlessly together. With fruit arriving in steady, measured parcels, the pace allowed for thoughtful decision-making and gentle handling at every stage.
Early signs from the wines are extremely encouraging. Sauvignon Blanc is already showing strong concentration, purity, and site expression, with vibrant aromatics and excellent structure. Pinot Gris and Riesling are early stand outs, displaying expressive flavours and balance.
Our aromatic wines are now nearing the end of fermentation and will rest before blending in the coming months. Chardonnay is progressing steadily through barrel fermentation, building texture and complexity, while Pinot Noir parcels are bright and fresh, now resting in barrel as they begin their slow maturation. We are also thrilled to see the return of our Envoy Riesling this year, adding another exciting layer to the vintage.
This harvest was a true team effort, and the collaborative spirit throughout vintage played a huge role in its success. With the fruit safely in the winery and blending on the horizon, we look forward to watching the wines continue to evolve.
To cap off an exceptional year, we were honoured to receive 007 of seven Gold Medals at the London Wine Competition and to be named New Zealand Winery of the Year — a fitting recognition of the team’s dedication and the quality of the wines now taking shape from the 2026 vintage.
Watch the 2026 Spy Valley harvest video on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@spyvalleywines
