Nelson vineyard Himmelsfeld Wine history

Vineyard of The Four Seasons

Himmelsfeld Vineyard was established in 1991 by Beth Eggers. It is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Upper Moutere. This boutique vineyard is one of the smallest in the country, which allows for the dedicated hands-on management that Himmelsfeld prides itself on. The vineyard was planted out in one acre each of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 2006 one acre of Viognier was planted, also high on the clay hill-top.The site of the vineyard was chosen for its north-west facing and somewhat barren clay hill top, which has allowed Himmelsfeld to work to traditional vine cultivation methods. The site was gently terraced to capture all-day Nelson sun, and to facilitate exposure to ventilation to minimize disease risk. Himmelsfeld is working towards a “clean green” philosophy; part of this is using Romney sheep for weed control.

Himmelsfeld wines are the product of the Moutere terroir ; high sunshine hours, high UV levels, warm summers, cool autumn nights and the all important golden Moutere clay.

The Eggers family has farmed the Moutere soil since their arrival from Germany 150 years ago. This has given descendent Beth a wealth of local knowledge to draw on; she is passionate about her vineyard, and always aware that “great wines are made in the vineyard”.

Bob Campbell MW in his Air New Zealand magazine article “Where the Heart is” (May 2006) wrote:

"Moutere is Nelson’s wine heartland with the Upper Moutere as its epicenter.
To the casual observer it seems logical that the folding hills of Upper Moutere would produce better wine that the flat and more easily cultivated Waimea plains. Why else would anyone go to the effort and expense of establishing a hillside vineyard if it wasn’t going to produce a classier drop? Prepare to be surprised when you taste the wines on offer. My own favourites include full-flavoured chardonnays that often possess the mineral characters and vibrant acidity found in the better wines of Chablis. The best mature well, developing appealing nutty, mealy character with bottle age.”

“Moutere is a proven producer of serious Sauvignon Blanc. Himmelsfeld and Neudorf have clearly demonstrated the Moutere’s ability to make top Sauvignon Blanc in a style that expresses the strength and individuality of the region.”