Brightwater Vineyards is the family owned premium boutique vineyard and winery of Gary and Valley Neale.
Situated on the Hope Plains of Nelson, New Zealand, our vineyards rest at the top of an elevated river terrace
overlooking the picturesque village of Brightwater.
We are 20 minutes south of Nelson — the sunshine capital of New Zealand.
IT WAS 1992.
Returning to Nelson after years of expatriate life, we brought with us a burning passion for fine wine and a desire to make it.
Our objective was to establish a vineyard and winery in Nelson that would be considered among New Zealand’s finest.
AND SO IT BEGAN…
OUR PLACE
Brightwater Vineyards has grown up together with the Nelson wine region. When we planted our first vines in 1993, the Nelson wine industry was just a toddler, taking a few independent but unsteady steps. Since then we have seen many more wineries come on board, as the region’s self-confidence has grown together with the reputation of the wines produced here.
In 2003, we built our winery, giving us complete control over the style of wines we produced. In 2007, when many wineries were adding lower-tier labels to their family, we launched small volumes of our premium Lord Rutherford label. Now, with over 20 years in the industry we are probably more passionate about wine than when we began.
In what seems like a short time our wines have earned a solid reputation with numerous trophies, gold medals, awards and accolades. Our team have been recognised for their passion, dedication and sheer hard work. In 2012, our wine-maker Tony Southgate was awarded Winemaker of the Year, and we were named WestPac Supreme Business of the Year by the Nelson Chamber of Commerce. While it certainly continues to be an honour to receive these accolades, we don’t do it for the recognition, it all comes down to the passion we have for what we do.
We are constantly raising the standards we set for ourselves, the vineyard and the winery. We have steadily grown the business each year and we plan to maintain this steady growth, as more and more people around the world continue to enjoy our wines.
Visiting Nelson – You’ll find our wines here
