Welcome
Poised between mighty mountains and crashing seas, at the heart of a young glacial valley rests the Giesen family winery. It's the freshness and purity of this pristine place that helps the Giesen brothers create some of the world's best cool climate wines.
On the edge of the earth is a nation of unprecedented natural beauty that's first to see the sun: New Zealand.
Every glass of New Zealand wine is a world of pure discovery.
Extending 1,600km (1000 miles) from sub-tropical Northland (36° S) to the world’s most southerly grape growing region Central Otago (47° S), New Zealand’s unique maritime climate, long sunshine hours, soil structure, and the can-do attitude Kiwis are famous for, combine to make this an extraordinary place to make wine.
New Zealand wine is distinctive for its purity, vibrancy and intensity. Long ripening periods – a result of cool temperatures – allow flavour development whilst retaining fresh acidity; a balance for which New Zealand wines are renowned.
Our home lies at the very top of the South Island in Marlborough, New Zealand.
A place where nature speaks for itself and wines need minimal handling, Marlborough’s cool climate wines deliver a uniquely fresh experience. Expect purity and intense flavour, set around impressive aroma, distinctive fruit and appealing, balanced acidity.
Climate is crucial to the character of Marlborough. High sunlight hours, cool nights, and sea breezes influence the fruit almost as much as the soil.
Most of the soils in the valley floor were laid down within the last 24,000 years; carved and eroded by glaciers in the high country and carried down to the coast by snow melt rivers. The composition of these free-draining alluvial soils varies across the region, influenced by the proximity to riverbeds and exposure to wind resulting in a myriad of soil types.
A highly sought-after winegrowing area, the Wairau Valley is an ancient river bed nestled between two mountain ranges and bordered to the North by the Cook Strait. Broadly speaking, this finite sub-region of Marlborough covers cooler, drier inland sites; barren stony, early-ripening sites; and sea-breeze moderated coastal sites. Soils are more gravelly to the north nearer the river bed.
This incredible range means that wines reflect the individual vineyard and producer, but all have the hallmark pure fruit intensity and body that makes Marlborough famous. Our winemakers prize the fruit that the Wairau Valley delivers – the majority of our wines contain grapes from this very valley.
We’re proud to own four of our own Marlborough vineyards, specially selected for their location and fruit characters, and to have long-standing relationships with around fifty of the region’s best growers. This means that no matter the growing conditions, we can consistently select top quality fruit from each and every harvest.
Clayvin is a living tribute to Marlborough’s viticultural history. Certified organic and planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, this incredible site features 30-year-old vines, dense clay soil, high-density plantings, and receives the utmost care and attention befitting of our prized vineyard. Read more
Proudly certified by BioGro New Zealand, Ridge Block Vineyard holds a special place in Giesen’s premium organics programme, growing grapes that tell the story of their region. High-density planting and careful vineyard management have resulted in fruit with incredible flavour intensity, structure and complexity of a level that can sometimes take years to achieve. Read more
The backbone of Giesen’s premium Sauvignon Blanc programme, Dillon’s Point was the Giesen brothers’ first Marlborough vineyard purchase. Maritime influence, intensely concentrated fruit characters, mineral intensity from the heavy soils, and hand-picked premium quality fruit make this vineyard special. Read more
Stump Creek is the Marlborough home and hosting space of the Giesen brothers. Guests are commonly treated to decadent home-cooked food, a game on the miniature rugby pitch, or a dip in the swimming pool! Sauvignon Blanc from Stump Creek is known for citrus, tamarillo, and passionfruit notes, while older vines contribute great intensity. Read more
We take our role as custodians of the land seriously, aiming to leave our environment better than we found it. Because we’re committed to environmentally sustainable wine production, our sustainability efforts are constantly evolving. We continually challenge the way we do things, monitor and minimise our environmental impact. Read more
We’re proud to have a state-of-the-art winery in the heart of Marlborough that delivers on our promise to make great wines people love through continuous improvement and investment. You might have heard about our 1000L German oak Fuder barrels, or our fancy decanters designed to improve the quality of our wine, or us being the first winery in New Zealand to invest in our own spinning cone machine… the list goes on! Read more
The Giesen Cellar Door was a Marlborough institution famous for its decadent platters until it closed in 2020. Read more
