When the Giesen brothers, Theo, Alex and Marcel, planted their first grape vines on bare land at Burnham, near Christchurch, there were those who questioned the practicality of their venture
After all, theirs was the southern-most vineyard in the world at that time and Canterbury was not then known as a wine-producing region. This was 1981 and the Giesens were, quite literally, breaking new ground for the fledgling New Zealand wine industry. Ignoring the scornful words of those who doubted Burnham's suitability for wine production, the brothers tended their plantings of Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurztraminer and were rewarded in 1984 with their first vintage. Giesen»
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