Waipara River passes through a town of the same name on its course to Pegasus Bay, thirty minutes north of Christchurch. The vines enjoy a sheltered position near the sea, where warm days, cool nights and a dry autumn, result in a very prolonged ripening period. Pegasus Bay believe that patience and attention to detail are central to growing the most powerful fruit and vinifying the most compelling wines. Concentrated and rich, a backbone of tangy mineral and acid helps to dry out the palate all the way across to the zippy finish, lingering, spicey and dry.

Sauvignon Blanc is harvested in stages to provide a spectrum of flavours, while the Semillon is left on the vines as long as possible to develop ripe, fully mature characters. Grapes are gently pressed and the juices are naturally inoculated through the action of localised indigenous yeasts. Sauvignon Blanc is vinified in fermenters at lower temperatures to retain the vibrancy of fruit, Semillon is treated to a course in old oak barriques, enhancing structure, richness and length. Upon completion, components are rested on yeast lees (sue lie) for several months to add luxurious textures and flavours, before an assemblage determined by tastings, into the final wine.