Te Kairanga Vineyards
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Established 1984 on the original John Martin land, Te Kairanga is one of Martinborough's founding wineries, farming the oldest plantings on the Martinborough Terrace and producing the John Martin Reserve and Runholder Pinot Noirs from gravel and alluvial soils 2,500 years in the making.
Te Kairanga Vineyards was established in 1984 in Martinborough, on land originally farmed by the township's founding father John Martin in the 1880s. Tom Draper assembled a shareholder syndicate to start the winery on the eastern, deepest, stoniest end of the Martinborough Terrace, the same gravel river-terrace site that Dr Derek Milne's 1978 climate study had identified as ideal for Pinot Noir. Alongside Dry River (1979), Ata Rangi (1980), Martinborough Vineyard (1980) and Chifney (1981), Te Kairanga is recognised as one of Martinborough's small founding group of pioneer wineries. US billionaire Bill Foley acquired Te Kairanga in 2011 through Foley Family Wines NZ, and the estate now sits alongside sister properties Martinborough Vineyard, Lighthouse Gin, Grove Mill, Vavasour and Mt Difficulty in the Foley Wines NZ portfolio. Chief winemaker John Kavanagh, who joined from Nelson's Neudorf in 2012, oversees four vineyard sites totaling estate plantings on the Martinborough Terrace plus the cooler elevated Rua and Springrock blocks. The flagship John Martin Reserve Pinot Noir, named after the original landholder, has been a multi-time Decanter award winner including Best in Show for the 2017 vintage, with the Runholder single-vineyard tier sourcing from the same Terrace fruit at a slightly more accessible price.
- Established 1984 by Tom Draper and a shareholder syndicate of more than 200 investors; one of the small founding group of Martinborough pioneer wineries alongside Dry River, Ata Rangi, Martinborough Vineyard and Chifney
- Located on land originally farmed by John Martin, the founding father of Martinborough township in the 1880s; the John Martin Reserve, John Martin Chardonnay and Runholder Pinot Noir are all named after Martin (a runholder was a sheep grazier holding a pastoral lease)
- Te Kairanga is a Maori place name meaning 'where the soil is good and food is plentiful', a reference to the fertile alluvial gravels of the Martinborough Terrace
- Home Vineyard sits on the eastern, deepest, stoniest end of the Martinborough Terrace, the original Draper home block planted on the site of some of the first vines planted in Martinborough
- Four estate vineyards: Home and McLeod on the Martinborough Terrace (25 m of deep gravel and alluvial soils approximately 2,500 years old), plus the cooler elevated Rua and Springrock sites away from town
- Acquired by US billionaire Bill Foley through Foley Family Wines NZ in 2011; sister Martinborough estate Martinborough Vineyard was acquired in 2012
- Foley Wines NZ portfolio also includes Lighthouse Gin (Martinborough), Grove Mill and Vavasour (Marlborough), and Mt Difficulty (Central Otago)
- Chief winemaker John Kavanagh joined Te Kairanga in 2012 from cult Nelson producer Neudorf; a Lincoln University Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology graduate, he moved to Martinborough specifically to make Pinot Noir
- Flagship John Martin Reserve Pinot Noir is a multi-time Decanter award winner, including Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show for the 2017 vintage
- Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certified across the estate
Founding and History
Te Kairanga's origin sits on top of an older origin: the very vines from which Martinborough Pinot Noir grew. In the 1880s the township was laid out by John Martin, an Irish-born settler and runholder whose family farmed the land that today carries Te Kairanga's Home Vineyard. By the late 1970s, soil scientist Dr Derek Milne had completed the 1978 climate and terroir study that identified the gravelly river terraces south of the Wairarapa town as a near-ideal mirror of Burgundy's continental climate for Pinot Noir. The first wave of pioneer planting followed quickly: Neil and Dawn McCallum planted Dry River in 1979; Clive Paton planted Ata Rangi and Derek Milne and partners planted Martinborough Vineyard in 1980; Stan Chifney's Chifney followed in 1981. In 1984, businessman Tom Draper took over an existing vineyard property and assembled a shareholder syndicate that would eventually grow to more than 200 investors, launching Te Kairanga Vineyards on the eastern, deepest end of the Martinborough Terrace, the very site of John Martin's original farm. The name Te Kairanga is a Maori place name meaning 'where the soil is good and food is plentiful', a fitting choice for a property sitting on 25 m of gravel and alluvial soils some 2,500 years old. After several decades of expansion and steady production, US billionaire Bill Foley acquired Te Kairanga in 2011 through his Foley Family Wines NZ vehicle, following years of trading pressure through the global financial crisis. The acquisition was the cornerstone of Foley's Martinborough strategy, with neighbouring Martinborough Vineyard added in 2012.
- Land originally farmed by John Martin, Martinborough township's founding father, from the 1880s; Te Kairanga sits on the site of some of Martinborough's earliest plantings
- Founded 1984 by Tom Draper, who assembled a shareholder syndicate of more than 200 investors; followed Dr Derek Milne's 1978 climate study that put Martinborough on the Pinot Noir map
- Recognised as one of Martinborough's small founding group of pioneer wineries alongside Dry River (1979), Ata Rangi (1980), Martinborough Vineyard (1980) and Chifney (1981)
- Acquired by US billionaire Bill Foley through Foley Family Wines NZ in 2011; sister property Martinborough Vineyard followed in 2012
Wines and Tiers
Te Kairanga's range is organised in tiers that move from accessible regional Pinot Noir up to single-vineyard and old-vine reserve bottlings, with each top tier named after John Martin or the runholder pastoral tradition of the original station. The John Martin Reserve Pinot Noir is the flagship: a small-volume selection of the very best fruit from the oldest vines on the Home and McLeod Vineyards on the Martinborough Terrace, fermented with whole-cluster inclusion in suitable vintages and matured in French oak barriques. The 2017 John Martin Pinot Noir was named Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards, one of the highest international honours awarded to a Martinborough wine. A John Martin Chardonnay is produced in the same reserve idiom, from the best parcels and oldest plantings, with barrel fermentation and lees ageing in French oak. The Runholder tier sits below the reserve and is named after John Martin's status as a runholder, a colonial-era sheep grazier holding a pastoral lease over a station. Runholder Pinot Noir is a single-vineyard wine drawn from Martinborough Terrace fruit and offers what the estate describes as bright red fruit, perfumed aromatics, and the classic savoury, briary character of Martinborough Pinot Noir. The Estate range provides the entry point: Estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc, all made from estate-grown fruit across the four vineyard sites. Small parcels of Riesling are also farmed.
- John Martin Reserve Pinot Noir: flagship from oldest Martinborough Terrace vines; Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show for the 2017 vintage
- John Martin Chardonnay: reserve-tier white from best parcels and oldest vines; French oak barrel fermentation and lees ageing
- Runholder Pinot Noir: single-vineyard tier named after John Martin's runholder pastoral lease tradition; classic Martinborough savouriness over bright red fruit
- Estate range: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, with small parcels of Riesling; entry tier from across the four estate sites
Vineyards and Martinborough Terrace
Te Kairanga farms four estate vineyard sites in the Martinborough appellation, giving the winemaking team a range of aromatics, structures, and ripening windows to blend across. The Home Vineyard, also historically known as the Draper Vineyard, sits at the eastern, deepest, stoniest end of the Martinborough Terrace, the same alluvial gravel river terrace identified by Dr Derek Milne's 1978 study. The Terrace itself is an ancient riverbed of 25 m of deep gravel and alluvial soils approximately 2,500 years old, and it carries some of the oldest vines planted in Martinborough. The neighbouring McLeod Vineyard, also on the Terrace, supplies the other major component of the John Martin Reserve and Runholder blends. Out of the township proper, the Rua and Springrock vineyards sit on cooler, more elevated sites with more extreme diurnal variation; these add savoury structure, herbal lift, and tannin definition that round out the Pinot Noir blends. The Terrace soils are renowned for their drainage and warmth-retention: the gravel and stone profile stresses vines gently, encourages small berries, and concentrates the savoury, briary, dark-cherry profile that defines premium Martinborough Pinot Noir. Estate plantings include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and small parcels of Riesling.
- Four estate vineyards: Home and McLeod on the Martinborough Terrace; Rua and Springrock at cooler, more elevated sites away from town
- Martinborough Terrace: ancient riverbed of 25 m of deep gravel and alluvial soils approximately 2,500 years old; some of the oldest vines in Martinborough
- Home Vineyard (Draper Vineyard) sits at the eastern, deepest, stoniest end of the Terrace; the very site of some of Martinborough's first planted vines
- Estate plantings: Pinot Noir (heart of the estate), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, with small parcels of Riesling
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Look it up →Foley Wines NZ, Winemaking, and Recognition
Te Kairanga has been part of Foley Family Wines NZ (now Foley Wines Limited, NZX-listed) since US billionaire Bill Foley acquired the estate in 2011 after years of difficult trading through the global financial crisis. Foley Wines NZ added Martinborough Vineyard in 2012 and now owns a substantial portfolio of New Zealand estates: Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard and Lighthouse Gin in Martinborough, Grove Mill and Vavasour in Marlborough, and Mt Difficulty in Central Otago, along with the Clifford Bay, Dashwood and Roaring Meg labels. Chief winemaker John Kavanagh joined Te Kairanga in 2012, the year after the Foley acquisition. A Lincoln University Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology graduate, born and raised in Waiuku south of Auckland, Kavanagh previously led winemaking at cult Nelson producer Neudorf, and he crossed the Cook Strait to Martinborough specifically to make Pinot Noir. Under his stewardship the John Martin Reserve has accumulated a string of Decanter awards, culminating with Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show for the 2017 vintage, one of the highest international honours awarded to any Martinborough Pinot Noir. Recent vintages continue the form: the Runholder Pinot Noir 2024 won a Double Gold Medal at the New Zealand International Wine Show 2025 and a Gold Medal at the National Wine Awards of Aotearoa New Zealand 2025. Te Kairanga is certified under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) across its estate.
- Foley Family Wines NZ (Foley Wines Limited) acquired Te Kairanga in 2011 under US billionaire Bill Foley; sister Martinborough property Martinborough Vineyard added 2012
- Foley Wines NZ portfolio: Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard, Lighthouse Gin (Martinborough); Grove Mill, Vavasour (Marlborough); Mt Difficulty (Central Otago); plus Clifford Bay, Dashwood, Roaring Meg labels
- Chief winemaker John Kavanagh joined 2012 from Nelson's Neudorf; Lincoln University Postgrad Dip in Viticulture and Oenology; moved to Martinborough specifically for Pinot Noir
- Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show for the John Martin Pinot Noir 2017; Runholder Pinot Noir 2024 Double Gold at NZ International Wine Show 2025; SWNZ certified
Te Kairanga's John Martin Reserve Pinot Noir is the house style at its most concentrated: a deep cherry-red colour with hints of smoky bacon, black tea, briary herbs, and dried thyme surrounding a core of black cherry and Damson plum, fine-grained tannins, and a long, slightly warm Martinborough finish. The Runholder Pinot Noir, drawn from the same Martinborough Terrace gravels, leads with bright perfumed red cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate over moderate fine tannins and the classic Martinborough savouriness of dried herb, forest floor, and earth. The Estate Pinot Noir is fresher and more aromatic, a more immediately accessible Martinborough style with red cherry, strawberry, and a soft tannic frame. John Martin Chardonnay shows white peach, citrus pith, oatmeal and grilled hazelnut from French oak barrel fermentation and lees contact, with cool-climate acidity that keeps the wine linear rather than rich. Estate Chardonnay is in the same idiom but lighter and brighter. Pinot Gris from the Martinborough Terrace offers ripe pear, white peach, ginger spice, and a textural off-dry palate, while estate Sauvignon Blanc shows lifted lime, grapefruit, and a herbaceous, mineral Martinborough character distinct from Marlborough's more tropical signature.
- Te Kairanga John Martin Reserve Pinot Noir$60-80The flagship: small-volume reserve from the oldest Martinborough Terrace vines on the Home and McLeod sites; whole-cluster inclusion and French oak maturation deliver smoky bacon, black tea, and briary herbs over a core of black cherry. Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show for the 2017 vintage.Find →
- Te Kairanga Runholder Pinot Noir$35-45Single-vineyard tier named for John Martin's runholder pastoral lease; bright perfumed red cherry and pomegranate over fine tannins and the classic Martinborough savouriness. The 2024 vintage won Double Gold at the NZ International Wine Show 2025 and Gold at the National Wine Awards of Aotearoa NZ 2025.Find →
- Te Kairanga Estate Pinot Noir$25-32Entry-tier estate blend across the four vineyard sites; the most aromatic, immediately accessible expression in the range with red cherry, strawberry, and the soft tannin frame that makes Martinborough Pinot Noir so food-friendly.Find →
- Te Kairanga John Martin Chardonnay$35-45Reserve-tier white from the best parcels and oldest vines on the Martinborough Terrace; French oak barrel fermentation and lees ageing give white peach, citrus pith, oatmeal, and grilled hazelnut over linear cool-climate acidity.Find →
- Te Kairanga Estate Pinot Gris$22-28Martinborough Terrace Pinot Gris in an off-dry textural style; ripe pear, white peach, ginger spice, and a saline mineral lift that pairs cleanly with Asian flavours and lighter pork dishes.Find →
- Te Kairanga Estate Sauvignon Blanc$20-26A distinctly Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc with lifted lime, grapefruit, and a herbaceous mineral character that sits between Marlborough's tropical signature and the more restrained Loire idiom.Find →
- Founded 1984 by Tom Draper and a shareholder syndicate of more than 200 investors; established on land originally farmed by John Martin (Martinborough's founding father in the 1880s); one of Martinborough's small founding group of pioneer wineries alongside Dry River (1979), Ata Rangi (1980), Martinborough Vineyard (1980) and Chifney (1981).
- Te Kairanga is a Maori place name meaning 'where the soil is good and food is plentiful'; the John Martin Reserve, John Martin Chardonnay and Runholder labels are all named after John Martin (a runholder being a sheep grazier holding a pastoral lease).
- Four estate vineyards: Home and McLeod on the Martinborough Terrace (25 m of deep gravel and alluvial soils approximately 2,500 years old, some of the oldest vines in Martinborough); Rua and Springrock at cooler, more elevated sites away from town adding savoury structure.
- Ownership: acquired by US billionaire Bill Foley through Foley Family Wines NZ in 2011; Foley Wines NZ portfolio now also includes Martinborough Vineyard, Lighthouse Gin (Martinborough), Grove Mill, Vavasour (Marlborough) and Mt Difficulty (Central Otago).
- Chief winemaker John Kavanagh joined 2012 from Nelson's Neudorf; Lincoln University Postgrad Dip Viticulture and Oenology. Flagship John Martin Pinot Noir was awarded Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show for the 2017 vintage; Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certified across the estate.