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


28 28% Complete

This campaign failed to reach its target by 03/12/2021 at 6:00 PM (NZDT) and is now closed.

Make a Pledge

About

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.

https://churtonwines.co.nz/

 

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

    Anonymous pledger
    05/11/2021 at 4:03pm

    "What a wonderful idea."

    Philip Amesbury
    05/11/2021 at 3:53pm
    Anonymous pledger
    05/11/2021 at 3:52pm
    Melissa Reid
    05/11/2021 at 2:29pm

    "Love this campaign and am so excited for you guys! (Can I please request you delicious red wines xx)"

    Adrian Parker
    05/11/2021 at 2:26pm
    Vicki Skill
    05/11/2021 at 10:06am

    "Good luck - always keen to support green!"

    Harriet Palmer
    04/11/2021 at 8:02pm

    "Amazing work team! Can’t wait to get my paws on some set emission vino"

    Julia jones
    02/11/2021 at 5:06pm

    "Love this! "

    Paul Tudor
    02/11/2021 at 11:03am

    "FANTASTIC INITIATIVE! a game change"

    Mike Gibb
    30/10/2021 at 1:00pm

    "Love your work!"

    Julie Taylor
    30/10/2021 at 12:11pm

    "LOVE IT!! 🥰 Such a great idea. All the best with the training of your “horse power” . 🐴🍇🍷❤️"

    Chris Morrison
    28/10/2021 at 2:30pm

    "Love your work !"

    Anonymous pledger
    27/10/2021 at 4:35pm
    Rory
    25/10/2021 at 10:07am
    Nozomi Okazaki
    24/10/2021 at 8:01pm

    "Hi! Jack! I like horses!! From Nozomi"

    Amanda Nally
    22/10/2021 at 11:44am
    krystyna marcjoniak
    21/10/2021 at 6:50pm

    "This is a wonderful project, much better for the environment, I wish you good fortune!"

    Richard McIntosh
    21/10/2021 at 10:59am
    Anonymous pledger
    21/10/2021 at 9:44am

    "Delighted you're taking up this method of farming, can't wait to see your horses at work. I'll be down with friends February 19, 2022."

    Kathryn Huggett
    21/10/2021 at 6:27am

    "Wonderful idea! Good luck with your fundraising!"

    jono
    20/10/2021 at 10:15pm
    William Crosse
    20/10/2021 at 8:35pm
    Anonymous pledger
    20/10/2021 at 7:02pm

    "Supporting this in memory of my Dad who used to work with horses on the farm."

    Julie Mariuzzo
    20/10/2021 at 2:09pm
    Adrian Parker
    20/10/2021 at 10:48am
    Peter Davis
    19/10/2021 at 2:39pm

    "Happy to help these folk achieve their vision - a vision (or perhaps more a dream) I share for our own property sometime"

    Holly Girven Russell
    19/10/2021 at 9:21am

    "Giddyup!"

    Guy Sutherland
    18/10/2021 at 8:22pm

    "Giddy -up Churton"

    Nadine Martin
    18/10/2021 at 7:59pm
    Jeroen
    18/10/2021 at 7:03pm

    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.

    https://churtonwines.co.nz/

     

    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

     

     

      Anonymous pledger
      05/11/2021 at 4:03pm

      "What a wonderful idea."

      Philip Amesbury
      05/11/2021 at 3:53pm
      Anonymous pledger
      05/11/2021 at 3:52pm
      Melissa Reid
      05/11/2021 at 2:29pm

      "Love this campaign and am so excited for you guys! (Can I please request you delicious red wines xx)"

      Adrian Parker
      05/11/2021 at 2:26pm
      Vicki Skill
      05/11/2021 at 10:06am

      "Good luck - always keen to support green!"

      Harriet Palmer
      04/11/2021 at 8:02pm

      "Amazing work team! Can’t wait to get my paws on some set emission vino"

      Julia jones
      02/11/2021 at 5:06pm

      "Love this! "

      Paul Tudor
      02/11/2021 at 11:03am

      "FANTASTIC INITIATIVE! a game change"

      Mike Gibb
      30/10/2021 at 1:00pm

      "Love your work!"

      Julie Taylor
      30/10/2021 at 12:11pm

      "LOVE IT!! 🥰 Such a great idea. All the best with the training of your “horse power” . 🐴🍇🍷❤️"

      Chris Morrison
      28/10/2021 at 2:30pm

      "Love your work !"

      Anonymous pledger
      27/10/2021 at 4:35pm
      Rory
      25/10/2021 at 10:07am
      Nozomi Okazaki
      24/10/2021 at 8:01pm

      "Hi! Jack! I like horses!! From Nozomi"

      Amanda Nally
      22/10/2021 at 11:44am
      krystyna marcjoniak
      21/10/2021 at 6:50pm

      "This is a wonderful project, much better for the environment, I wish you good fortune!"

      Richard McIntosh
      21/10/2021 at 10:59am
      Anonymous pledger
      21/10/2021 at 9:44am

      "Delighted you're taking up this method of farming, can't wait to see your horses at work. I'll be down with friends February 19, 2022."

      Kathryn Huggett
      21/10/2021 at 6:27am

      "Wonderful idea! Good luck with your fundraising!"

      jono
      20/10/2021 at 10:15pm
      William Crosse
      20/10/2021 at 8:35pm
      Anonymous pledger
      20/10/2021 at 7:02pm

      "Supporting this in memory of my Dad who used to work with horses on the farm."

      Julie Mariuzzo
      20/10/2021 at 2:09pm
      Adrian Parker
      20/10/2021 at 10:48am
      Peter Davis
      19/10/2021 at 2:39pm

      "Happy to help these folk achieve their vision - a vision (or perhaps more a dream) I share for our own property sometime"

      Holly Girven Russell
      19/10/2021 at 9:21am

      "Giddyup!"

      Guy Sutherland
      18/10/2021 at 8:22pm

      "Giddy -up Churton"

      Nadine Martin
      18/10/2021 at 7:59pm
      Jeroen
      18/10/2021 at 7:03pm

      Followers of New Zealand’s first horse powered, organic vineyard

      This campaign was unsuccessful and finished on 03/12/2021 at 6:00 PM.
      The Foal
      The Walker
      The Trotter
      The Canter
      The Reindeer
      The Galloper
      Ploughman's Package