LIME ROCK WINES

Lime Rock is a small vineyard of 10ha located on the limestone hills of Central Hawke's Bay, 6km west of Waipawa. We follow an ecologically based management system that minimizes soil disturbance and provides habitat for beneficial insects.The limestone comprises a 3million year old seabed composed of scallop and oyster beds with crushed barnacles. The slopes are covered with wind blown sediments (loess) from the Ruataniwha Plains, with a small deposit of volcanic ash on the top. This provides free draining soils, with good water holding capacity, and irrigation is seldom used. The hills also provide a frost free environment.The Ruahine Ranges form a barrier to westerly weather systems and most summers are reasonably dry. These elements are the basis for our logo, showing the ranges, hills and slopes and vines roots in an old seabed of oysters and shells.

Rosie Butler

Rosie Butler started in the wine industry in 1974 at Montana and took part in the first vintage at Blenheim. Rosie graduated from Roseworthy in 1981 and returned to be the winemaker for Montana at Gisborne for 5 years.Rosie moved to Australia and married a fabulous Aussie ecologist (Rodger) and then worked for Brian Croser at Petaluma.They moved to NZ in 2000 and planted Lime Rock in 2001 and 2003.