Launched in 1989 by founders Chris Gambitsis and Phil Binnie, Lake Chalice Wines was named after a lake high in the hills surrounding the Marlborough's Wairau Plains. Joined in 1998 by winemaker Matt Thomson, Lake Chalice produces great quality wines from four key vineyard sites, as well as sourcing fruit from several carefully selected growers. Their ruggedly stony 27 acre Falcon and 15 acre Quarry vineyards in the Wairau Valley yield small quantities of intensely flavored fruit that is carefully crafted into a range of delicious, character-filled wines that emphasize depth and length of flavor.
Interestingly, Lake Chalice Wines supports Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust, working to preserve New Zealand's raptors. Not only are endangered species of birds being protected, but the raptors are natural predators that protect the vineyards from damaging species that harm the vines.
