Prominent French wine producer Edmond de Rothschild Heritage Wines plans to create a major new organic vineyard in Central Otago.

The Bordeaux-based company has been granted consent to acquire a 52 hectare-estate with 34.5ha of vines in Central Otago’s Bannockburn, along with the Akarua Estate vineyard, which was founded in 1996 by former Dunedin mayor Sir Clifford Skeggs.

When fully converted and organically certified over the coming decade, the Central Otago vineyard is expected to produce over 60,000 bottles of organic wines annually for the international and domestic markets.

Edmond de Rothschild Heritage is a family-owned lifestyle brand with luxury hotels and restaurants, and nine vineyards across France, Spain, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand. Its wineries produce 3.5 million bottles of wine every year, however it says the Central Otago vineyard will mark the group’s first entry into the organic market.

With Edmond de Rothschild Heritage’s premium estates wine offering distributed across 80 countries, it says it is set to increase access for New Zealand’s organic wine exports into new international market segments.

The company aims to extend its range with a super-premium Pinot Noir produced from Central Otago’s famed terroir.

It says the wines will continue to be produced under the Akarua brand, with new labelling for their 2023 vintage in the domestic market integrating distinctive elements of the Edmond de Rothschild family crest into its design.

Ariane de Rothschild, president of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, says that the South Island site was handpicked for the production of their new Pinot Noir. “The addition of our second New Zealand winery is part of our wider strategy to develop a portfolio of premium international wines from exceptional terroirs. Central Otago’s international reputation for Pinot Noir provides a unique opportunity for us to complete our range and move into the production of organic wines – one of the fastest growing categories,” says Ariane de Rothschild.

The Skeggs Group managing director, David Skeggs, says the new ownership of the Akarua Estate Vineyard will bring new opportunities for the Central Otago wine industry.

“It is not without sadness that we hand over the Akarua legacy to Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, but we are equally as excited to follow the brand’s future in New Zealand and overseas. Akarua has been part of our family since 1996 and we have real affection for the history and success that we have achieved. We do however recognise the significant network that the Edmond de Rothschild wine group has and the opportunities for Akarua to achieve new milestones,” he says.

The Skeggs Group says it will continue to produce its Rua brand from its 90 hectares of established vineyards in the Bannockburn and Pisa sub-regions. The restaurant and cellar door in Arrowtown will also continue but will be rebranded in the coming months.

“We are still very much committed to the local wine industry, and we will continue to be involved with our remaining vineyards and the highly successful Rua brand. We are also looking forward to announcing some exciting new brand developments in the near future,” says Skeggs.