ELEPHANT HILL

A commitment to quality is the mantra at Elephant Hill. A family owned vineyard and winery estate located within a stones’ throw of the Pacific Ocean on the idyllic Te Awanga coast in Hawke’s Bay. Founders, Reydan and Roger Weiss first fell in love with the beauty of Te Awanga when visiting from Germany in 2001. Their dream was to make wines from their own vineyards that truly represented the region and where quality was the most important factor. Together they have developed vineyards and a state-of-the-art winery and restaurant inspired by the Pacific Ocean, Cape Kidnappers and the natural beauty of the Te Awanga coast. Our wine philosophy is to preserve the varietal expression of the fruit grown on our estate vineyards and to produce elegant, sophisticated and fruit driven wines that express the personality and character of the region from which they are grown. Syrah, Merlot Cabernet blends and Chardonnay are core wines with Viognier, Pinot Gris and Tempranillo also important. With a strong belief in sustainability and the preservation of the land for future generations all the vineyards are 100% accredited by Sustainable Winegrowers of New Zealand (SWNZ).Stylish, warm and inviting the Elephant Hill restaurant is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy delicious food and wines while taking in the breath taking views over the vines to the Pacific Ocean and the iconic form of C

Steve Skinner

Steve is a strong believer in making wine that reflects the terroir in which it is grown. One of the most rewarding challenges as a winemaker is to craft a wine that best represents the vintage by playing to the strengths of the harvest and minimizing the challenges.With an Economics major under his belt, Steve Skinner walked away from a corporate career to chase his real dream of becoming a winemaker. He graduated from Charles Sturt University and EIT Hawke’s Bay in 2000 and worked at Trinity Hill before taking up the head winemaker role at Elephant Hill in 2006. Steve has been at Elephant Hill for every vintage and has been instrumental in shaping the wine style and quality. During this time he also enjoyed some Northern Hemisphere sojourns, making wine in British Columbia and the Napa Valley, as well as Sancerre and Haut Savoie in France.