Video Tour

Clements Estate

Our luxury bed and breakfast is called Clearview Lodge but our wine is labeled under Clements Estate, as is our olive oil, jams and jellies.

The Beginning

In September 2001 we planted our Pinot Noir vineyard, with a number of different Pinot Noir clones (to give more complexity to the wine). Our boutique vineyard (725 vines) is ideally located on what was the old river terrace of the Waimakariri River. We have a 30-degree slope facing sun north (for northern hemisphere, think south facing), which increases the heat units for the vines, which is beneficial for the ripening season.

Our Winemaker

Peter Gatehouse is our winemaker, from Gatehouse Wines, Jowers Road, West Melton (about 20 minutes drive West). Peter has advised us from the start, on design, sourcing cuttings and planting out, through to pruning and spraying. Peter also lectures at Lincoln University in Vineyard Science and Management. He makes our own wine with just our grapes i.e. not mixed with anyone else's. We visit the winery from time to time, to taste the wines and discuss options if there are choices to be made and to help with bottling and labeling.

Frost Risk

The increased heat in the spring has its advantages and disadvantages. In Canterbury there is always the danger of late spring frosts, when there can already be 6-12 inches of growth on the vines i.e. September-November. In 2008, we installed an overhead sprinkler system, which is mostly effective in avoiding frost damage. As a bed and breakfast guest, you will not be woken by helicopters hovering over the vineyard! With such a small vineyard this would clearly not be economic! You may, however, start your day with our Pinot Noir Jelly (sorry there is no alcohol left in it!).

Our Vintages

We produced our first vintage in 2004, with 2 barrels or 54 dozen bottles. This is aging nicely and has matured over time. Our 2005 crop was frost affected, so we chose to make a Rose' that year (sweetened and served chilled), which is delicious enjoyed on a sunny afternoon, under the sun umbrella in the garden. 2006 was our best year and has produced our best and largest vintage (3 barrels or 80 dozen bottles) - see tasting notes on the 'Wine' page. In 2007, we were again hit hard with frost, so we had a very small crop. We had been keen for Peter to try making a Port, as another alternative for our guests to enjoy. We are pleased with the result and it is available in the guest lounge, in the decanter above the fire place. Our 2008 and 2009 (recently bottled) Pinot Noirs are now available for guests to sample and purchase.

Our Hospitality

Our rates include hospitality. Whether this means some wine out under the sun umbrella when you arrive or drinks at 6pm before you go out to dinner, or maybe a glass of wine or port when you get back after dinner. For our guests who prefer white wines, we have a selection of local wines, mainly from Waipara but also from Marlborough and other parts of New Zealand. 5 Star Club Pass and Boutique Break packages may include a bottle of wine. If you do not drink alcohol and wine was part of your package, you may choose our Pinot Noir Jelly or Quince Jelly or a bottle of our Clements Estate Olive Oil.

Work In Our Vineyard

Sue starts pruning in the vineyard in June (weather and guests permitting!) and she can usually be found in the vineyard on any sunny winters afternoon. The work in the vineyard continues year round. Whether it is shoot selecting or bud rubbing (Robins job), leaf plucking or pinching out laterals, once they start to grow in the spring there is no stopping them. Robin takes care of mowing and the spray program (to prevent powdery mildew).By the end of January we, hopefully, have everything under control and can put the nets on. We have an endless supply of bird visitors who would like nothing better than to eat any grape they can get their beaks into.

It takes 3-4 hours to put the nets over the top of the vines (a job for both of us and Sue's Mum and Dad) and then 4 or 5 days to clip/sew them up. Sue and her Mum slide up and down the rows doing this task (thanks Mum!). Once the nets are on there isn't as much to be done in the vineyard before harvest (time for golf!). Nonetheless, Sue may be found with her trusty scissors snipping off the the shoulders of some bunches through the nets (these grapes aren't as ripe as the rest of the bunch).

Harvest Day

Harvest day is sometime in April or May. We have a harvest 'festival' for friends and family. We don't pay our pickers in money but provide a delicious morning tea and lunch, with our wines to wash it down and a bottle of wine or olive oil to take home (we also do the same harvest lunches for our olive picking in June or July). Prior to harvest, Sue takes randomly selected grape samples to Peter Gatehouse for testing. The grapes are ready to pick when the brix (i.e. sugar level), acids and PH are around the right levels. Then we have to watch the weather forecast for suitable weather i.e. no rain. When the lunch and harvest festivities are over, we take our grapes out to the winery and put them through the de-stalker and then Peter takes care of them and updates us on progress from time to time.