New Zealand’s first horse powered, organic vineyard
By Churton Wines
PledgeMe.Project
Food,
NZ $15,630 pledged
75 people pledged
Closed
NZ $55,000 minimum target
This campaign failed to reach its target by 03/12/2021 at 6:00 PM (NZDT) and is now closed.
Make a PledgeAbout
New Zealand’s First Horse Powered, Organic Vineyard
Project 2021-09-16 12:38:00 +1200
Help our organic vineyard replace tractors with horsepower and reduce our carbon footprint.
What we want to do
Our plans are pretty massive. We’ve bought two draft horses, Xena and Gordon, who are going to do all the under-vine work once done by tractors. They’ll help keep emissions right down, keep the soils loose and tackle the weeds that stop vines flourishing. The grapes will be better, and so will the wine
This is another step for us in our work to be as sustainable and emission-free as possible. We’re certified organic and follow biodynamic principles, but relying on fossil fuels to work the vineyard didn’t seem right. We’re lucky to have Emma join the crew, and to find Gordon and Xena to take us to the next level. We found a plough at the Brayshaw Heritage Park in Blenheim and have modified it for undervine work.
The horses are being trained by Emma Rossignol, who moved to Churton from France in 2020. Emma is a specialist in training horses to work in vineyards and already has big plans for both Gordon and Xena.
The funds raised by this campaign will go towards the costs of the horses and ongoing training and equipment. This will help us be more enviromentally friendly, lowering our vineyard's emissions and water wastage.
Who we are
We’re a certified organic, family-run vineyard that has been producing beautiful wines for over 30 years. We're two brothers, Ben and Jack Weaver, who are building on the foundation started by our parents Sam and Mandy. We create biodynamic and organic wines in the Waihopai Valley in Marlborough.
The vineyard
The Churton vineyard covers 22 hectares. It is planted according to the rise and fall of our undulating landscape up in the hills looking down on the Waihopai Valley. The 17 vineyard blocks cover a north-east facing hillside, enjoying the gentle rays of the morning sun and avoiding the harsh afternoon rays. This allows our vines to ease their grapes to the finish line, creating wines of greater complexity and refinement.
While the sun can be strong in summer, Marlborough is a cool climate for grape growing and frost can be issue. Lucky for us, the eastern boundary of the vineyard falls steeply away to the Omaka river, 50 metres below, allowing frosts to literally fall off the cliff.
The wines
Our parents, Sam and Mandy Weaver, developed the Churton vineyard and produced traditional pinot noir, viognier and sauvignon blanc and a beautiful rare petit manseng. We launched Natural State three years ago and make a tasty field blend, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir that are both fresh and vibrant. Our wines sell all over the world and regularly receive outstanding reviews.
Join the herd
We hope you can join us on this incredible journey to make wine in a way that cares for our enviroment.
We're pleased to offer great rewards as thank yous to everyone who supports this campaign.
All wines offered as rewards are from our private vintage cellar and are not available in market.
Thanks for all your support.
Delivery
Delivery on all rewards is included for all New Zealand locations. If you are wishing to pledge outside of New Zealand there will be a delivery charge for all rewards you wish to recieve. Alternatively its a great way to buy a present for any friends or family you may have living here in New Zealand. Here is a rough estimate on shipping to areas we currently ship to.
Australia $115
United States $200
United Kingdom $250
Asia $300
Please note, all rewards including wine are for +18 only.
Comments
Updates 2
What a Journey and Thank you to all involved!
03/12/2021 at 11:54 AM
Today is the last day of our pledgeme campaign and we have had a rollercoaster of a ride. Thanks so much for everyone who has generously pledged and helped share our story. We have learnt so much from this project and are amazed by the support we have got from over 70 pledgers. Thank you all so much for buying into what we want to do and helping us farm for the future.
Although our campaign is over today and we didn't reach the target, our journey will continue to make great wines in a way that cares for the enviroment. Our horse will continue ploughing and hopefully we can still achieve our goal by the end of next year.
For all of you who pledged and wanted to help and be a part of Churton’s journey all is not lost – check out our website to see how you can still be involved.
We have selected some special packages on the website so you can still help us directly. All wine packs offered include free delivery within New Zealand. See below.
Ploughman’s Lunch package
A ploughman’s lunch, generous wine tasting and vineyard tour by one of our team for groups of 5, 10 or 15 people. This will be operating over summer and there are limited spots so book now.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/ploughman-package
Chistmas Wine Package
Kick the holidays off with a mixed case of Churton and Natural State wines. Six different wines to be enjoyed over Christmas with family and friends. These packs will be delivered before Christmas free of charge to any address in New Zealand.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/christmas-pack-1
Library Wine Package
Get a mixed 6 or 12 pack made up of carefully cellared 2010 Churton Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Churton Pinot Noir. These packs will be delivered before Christmas free of charge to any address in New Zealand and are subject to availablity - Grab one now.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/library-stock-pack
Magnums (twice the fun with 1.5L bottles)
Get one of our special magnums to enjoy on Christmas day. Ideal for groups and a great way to celebrate with family and friends. These wines will be delievered before Christmas free of charge to any address in New Zealand.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/magnums
DELIVERY - Place your orders before the 10th of December to ensure delivery before Christmas.
Thanks again for all of your support and contributions throughout this campaign, we really appreciated it and look forward to you continuing with us on our journey to make great wines in a way that cares for the enviroment.
Meri Kirihimete from Gordon, Xena and the team at Churton
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
10/11/2021 at 8:28 AM
Kia ora horsepower people.
Thank you all for pledging so far, we really appreciate your support. Welcome to the herd.
We are just over 15% raised with over 50 pledgers, only 23 days to go. It's now time to get the word out there, share our progress with your family and friends and of course any wine lovers you know.
Heres whats been happening behind the scenes.
Xena and Gordon
Over the past few weeks, we’ve made some big strides forward, well Gordon and Xena have. They have been gaining confidence in the vineyard and working in narrow rows and have started doing some basic soil work. The use of our cultivating tynes is the easiest to teach. Pulling these for even half an hour a day has started to build both the horses’ stamina and their muscular strength. Over the past week we’ve introduced them to ploughing under vine. This is a work in progress! The horses have to learn not only the right speed to pull at but also the position in the row where they need to walk as well as stop and start as required. They are pretty good and understand a mixture of French and English words. Allez les Chevaux
In the Media
This week we got on the front page of the Marlborough express showing the region our exciting journey to become New Zealands first zero emission vineyard, have a read here.
Keep an eye on TV1 news this Saturday the 13th at 6pm; Gordon, Sam and Emma will be showing the nation what it takes to care for our soils. Watch live here this weekend.
Tune in to RNZ this Friday 12th at 9.30am to hear Sam chat about Xena and Gordon and the benefits they bring to the soils, farm, vineyard, wine and of course our environment. listen here.
Thanks again everyone for your support and don't forget to share our story.
The Churton Team
Pledgers 75
01/12/2021 at 1:08pm
"A worthy cause! Full steam ahead to the closing date, go go go!"
29/11/2021 at 9:30pm
29/11/2021 at 10:49am
29/11/2021 at 5:05am
"Congratulations to Sam and Mandy and your family, and for creating such an amazing organic winery. I know that John and Anne are beaming and proud of you all!"
28/11/2021 at 9:57pm
"Good luck!"
28/11/2021 at 9:21pm
28/11/2021 at 10:47am
"For my beautiful badass Friend Emma, je t'envoie tout mon courage pour ce beau projet ma copine 😘 Allez vous allez y arriver !!! 💪"
24/11/2021 at 9:18pm
23/11/2021 at 10:03pm
"Much love and support for this project ❤️"
23/11/2021 at 1:57pm
23/11/2021 at 1:24pm
"It was lovely to meet Gordon and Xena the other day. All the best with the fundraising"
23/11/2021 at 11:31am
22/11/2021 at 4:44pm
"From Fee and and the kids… We wish you the best-Here’s to horsepower! "
22/11/2021 at 2:07pm
18/11/2021 at 6:49pm
17/11/2021 at 8:04pm
16/11/2021 at 9:37am
13/11/2021 at 6:08am
"This is such an exciting and inspiring project. I look forward to updates and getting to know more about Gordon and Xena!"
12/11/2021 at 7:46pm
10/11/2021 at 8:43pm
10/11/2021 at 5:19pm
"I love this - horses, biodynamic wines, care for the land and Aotearoa. And I'm guessing the wine will be delicious."
10/11/2021 at 10:25am
09/11/2021 at 10:49pm
"There are so many benefits from using animal and plant power. Churton are leaders who will show us how to become carbon neutral while nurturing our soils."
09/11/2021 at 9:45pm
08/11/2021 at 8:42am
"This is such a cool initiative."
05/11/2021 at 10:43pm
"So proud of you Emma!!! Best of luck to you and the Weavers! ❤️"
05/11/2021 at 5:40pm
05/11/2021 at 5:21pm
"I the very best."
05/11/2021 at 4:19pm
05/11/2021 at 4:18pm
"Love your work!"
Followers 5
Followers of New Zealand’s first horse powered, organic vineyard
New Zealand’s First Horse Powered, Organic Vineyard
Project 2021-09-16 12:38:00 +1200
Help our organic vineyard replace tractors with horsepower and reduce our carbon footprint.
What we want to do
Our plans are pretty massive. We’ve bought two draft horses, Xena and Gordon, who are going to do all the under-vine work once done by tractors. They’ll help keep emissions right down, keep the soils loose and tackle the weeds that stop vines flourishing. The grapes will be better, and so will the wine
This is another step for us in our work to be as sustainable and emission-free as possible. We’re certified organic and follow biodynamic principles, but relying on fossil fuels to work the vineyard didn’t seem right. We’re lucky to have Emma join the crew, and to find Gordon and Xena to take us to the next level. We found a plough at the Brayshaw Heritage Park in Blenheim and have modified it for undervine work.
The horses are being trained by Emma Rossignol, who moved to Churton from France in 2020. Emma is a specialist in training horses to work in vineyards and already has big plans for both Gordon and Xena.
The funds raised by this campaign will go towards the costs of the horses and ongoing training and equipment. This will help us be more enviromentally friendly, lowering our vineyard's emissions and water wastage.
Who we are
We’re a certified organic, family-run vineyard that has been producing beautiful wines for over 30 years. We're two brothers, Ben and Jack Weaver, who are building on the foundation started by our parents Sam and Mandy. We create biodynamic and organic wines in the Waihopai Valley in Marlborough.
The vineyard
The Churton vineyard covers 22 hectares. It is planted according to the rise and fall of our undulating landscape up in the hills looking down on the Waihopai Valley. The 17 vineyard blocks cover a north-east facing hillside, enjoying the gentle rays of the morning sun and avoiding the harsh afternoon rays. This allows our vines to ease their grapes to the finish line, creating wines of greater complexity and refinement.
While the sun can be strong in summer, Marlborough is a cool climate for grape growing and frost can be issue. Lucky for us, the eastern boundary of the vineyard falls steeply away to the Omaka river, 50 metres below, allowing frosts to literally fall off the cliff.
The wines
Our parents, Sam and Mandy Weaver, developed the Churton vineyard and produced traditional pinot noir, viognier and sauvignon blanc and a beautiful rare petit manseng. We launched Natural State three years ago and make a tasty field blend, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir that are both fresh and vibrant. Our wines sell all over the world and regularly receive outstanding reviews.
Join the herd
We hope you can join us on this incredible journey to make wine in a way that cares for our enviroment.
We're pleased to offer great rewards as thank yous to everyone who supports this campaign.
All wines offered as rewards are from our private vintage cellar and are not available in market.
Thanks for all your support.
Delivery
Delivery on all rewards is included for all New Zealand locations. If you are wishing to pledge outside of New Zealand there will be a delivery charge for all rewards you wish to recieve. Alternatively its a great way to buy a present for any friends or family you may have living here in New Zealand. Here is a rough estimate on shipping to areas we currently ship to.
Australia $115
United States $200
United Kingdom $250
Asia $300
Please note, all rewards including wine are for +18 only.
Comments
What a Journey and Thank you to all involved!
03/12/2021 at 11:54 AM
Today is the last day of our pledgeme campaign and we have had a rollercoaster of a ride. Thanks so much for everyone who has generously pledged and helped share our story. We have learnt so much from this project and are amazed by the support we have got from over 70 pledgers. Thank you all so much for buying into what we want to do and helping us farm for the future.
Although our campaign is over today and we didn't reach the target, our journey will continue to make great wines in a way that cares for the enviroment. Our horse will continue ploughing and hopefully we can still achieve our goal by the end of next year.
For all of you who pledged and wanted to help and be a part of Churton’s journey all is not lost – check out our website to see how you can still be involved.
We have selected some special packages on the website so you can still help us directly. All wine packs offered include free delivery within New Zealand. See below.
Ploughman’s Lunch package
A ploughman’s lunch, generous wine tasting and vineyard tour by one of our team for groups of 5, 10 or 15 people. This will be operating over summer and there are limited spots so book now.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/ploughman-package
Chistmas Wine Package
Kick the holidays off with a mixed case of Churton and Natural State wines. Six different wines to be enjoyed over Christmas with family and friends. These packs will be delivered before Christmas free of charge to any address in New Zealand.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/christmas-pack-1
Library Wine Package
Get a mixed 6 or 12 pack made up of carefully cellared 2010 Churton Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Churton Pinot Noir. These packs will be delivered before Christmas free of charge to any address in New Zealand and are subject to availablity - Grab one now.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/library-stock-pack
Magnums (twice the fun with 1.5L bottles)
Get one of our special magnums to enjoy on Christmas day. Ideal for groups and a great way to celebrate with family and friends. These wines will be delievered before Christmas free of charge to any address in New Zealand.
https://churtonwines.co.nz/collections/pinot-2008-feature/products/magnums
DELIVERY - Place your orders before the 10th of December to ensure delivery before Christmas.
Thanks again for all of your support and contributions throughout this campaign, we really appreciated it and look forward to you continuing with us on our journey to make great wines in a way that cares for the enviroment.
Meri Kirihimete from Gordon, Xena and the team at Churton
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
10/11/2021 at 8:28 AM
Kia ora horsepower people.
Thank you all for pledging so far, we really appreciate your support. Welcome to the herd.
We are just over 15% raised with over 50 pledgers, only 23 days to go. It's now time to get the word out there, share our progress with your family and friends and of course any wine lovers you know.
Heres whats been happening behind the scenes.
Xena and Gordon
Over the past few weeks, we’ve made some big strides forward, well Gordon and Xena have. They have been gaining confidence in the vineyard and working in narrow rows and have started doing some basic soil work. The use of our cultivating tynes is the easiest to teach. Pulling these for even half an hour a day has started to build both the horses’ stamina and their muscular strength. Over the past week we’ve introduced them to ploughing under vine. This is a work in progress! The horses have to learn not only the right speed to pull at but also the position in the row where they need to walk as well as stop and start as required. They are pretty good and understand a mixture of French and English words. Allez les Chevaux
In the Media
This week we got on the front page of the Marlborough express showing the region our exciting journey to become New Zealands first zero emission vineyard, have a read here.
Keep an eye on TV1 news this Saturday the 13th at 6pm; Gordon, Sam and Emma will be showing the nation what it takes to care for our soils. Watch live here this weekend.
Tune in to RNZ this Friday 12th at 9.30am to hear Sam chat about Xena and Gordon and the benefits they bring to the soils, farm, vineyard, wine and of course our environment. listen here.
Thanks again everyone for your support and don't forget to share our story.
The Churton Team
01/12/2021 at 1:08pm
"A worthy cause! Full steam ahead to the closing date, go go go!"
29/11/2021 at 9:30pm
29/11/2021 at 10:49am
29/11/2021 at 5:05am
"Congratulations to Sam and Mandy and your family, and for creating such an amazing organic winery. I know that John and Anne are beaming and proud of you all!"
28/11/2021 at 9:57pm
"Good luck!"
28/11/2021 at 9:21pm
28/11/2021 at 10:47am
"For my beautiful badass Friend Emma, je t'envoie tout mon courage pour ce beau projet ma copine 😘 Allez vous allez y arriver !!! 💪"
24/11/2021 at 9:18pm
23/11/2021 at 10:03pm
"Much love and support for this project ❤️"
23/11/2021 at 1:57pm
23/11/2021 at 1:24pm
"It was lovely to meet Gordon and Xena the other day. All the best with the fundraising"
23/11/2021 at 11:31am
22/11/2021 at 4:44pm
"From Fee and and the kids… We wish you the best-Here’s to horsepower! "
22/11/2021 at 2:07pm
18/11/2021 at 6:49pm
17/11/2021 at 8:04pm
16/11/2021 at 9:37am
13/11/2021 at 6:08am
"This is such an exciting and inspiring project. I look forward to updates and getting to know more about Gordon and Xena!"
12/11/2021 at 7:46pm
10/11/2021 at 8:43pm
10/11/2021 at 5:19pm
"I love this - horses, biodynamic wines, care for the land and Aotearoa. And I'm guessing the wine will be delicious."
10/11/2021 at 10:25am
09/11/2021 at 10:49pm
"There are so many benefits from using animal and plant power. Churton are leaders who will show us how to become carbon neutral while nurturing our soils."
09/11/2021 at 9:45pm
08/11/2021 at 8:42am
"This is such a cool initiative."
05/11/2021 at 10:43pm
"So proud of you Emma!!! Best of luck to you and the Weavers! ❤️"
05/11/2021 at 5:40pm
05/11/2021 at 5:21pm
"I the very best."
05/11/2021 at 4:19pm
05/11/2021 at 4:18pm
"Love your work!"
Followers of New Zealand’s first horse powered, organic vineyard
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